Chapter 177 Xu Ruoshui's favor!
"Yes, you two are no longer related by blood, so being together is legal!" the staff member said meaningfully, his voice dripping with suggestion.
Xu Ping'an's face was filled with excitement and elation. The forbidden door in his mind had been kicked wide open. He nodded repeatedly, his eyes shining with a newfound, twisted purpose.
Then said to the staff member, "Big brother, you are right! If I succeed... if I marry her... I'll invite you to the wedding! You opened my eyes!"
"Oh, didn't you say it was your friend?" The staff member teased him, a mischievous, knowing look on his face.
Xu Ping'an immediately blushed crimson, realizing his slip. But he didn't argue. He just scratched the back of his head and chuckled foolishly, already lost in fantasies of his "sister" in a wedding dress.
After Xu Ping'an left, skipping away with a spring in his step, the staff member's friendly smile faded instantly. It was replaced by the cold, professional indifference of a trained operative. He snorted lightly, dusting off his hands as if he had touched something dirty.
He turned and walked into the inner office of the [Gao Duan Martial Arts Academy].
Inside, the atmosphere was serious. The gym owner, Gao Duan—a muscular man who looked like he could punch through a wall—was standing respectfully with his head bowed.
Sitting on the leather chair behind the desk was a middle-aged woman with an imposing and distinguished demeanor. She wore a simple grey suit, but her aura was sharp as a blade.
"Madam, the matter you instructed has been handled. That Xu Ping'an is already interested! The seed has been planted," the staff member bowed and reported to Aunt Xiao.
This middle-aged woman was naturally Aunt Xiao, Shen Anyu's bodyguard captain and the executor of his will in the shadows.
Shen Anyu, through the [Nanometer Monitoring Robot], had detected Xu Ping'an's movements towards the gym and guessed his intentions immediately. He knew the protagonist wanted to use the gym to farm money and fame.
So, he played a step ahead. He sent Aunt Xiao over to "buy out" the gym temporarily, close it for "renovations," and plant an agent to corrupt Xu Ping'an's mind.
Since Xu Ruoshui was the associated female lead for the fake Young Master, the Child of Destiny Xu Ping'an, it meant that Xu Ping'an originally had feelings for Xu Ruoshui deep down. The incestuous undertone was always there in the original plot; Shen Anyu merely had someone expose it and water it with ambition.
As for why expose it?
"Only this way can it cause a critical hit!"
Shen Anyu, sitting in the lobby of the Xu Commercial Building nearby, watched the live feed on his phone. His handsome face held a lazy, playful smile.
"If he just loved her as a sister, my stealing her would only make him angry. But if he wants her as a woman... watching her fall into my arms will destroy his soul."
Xu Ping'an suddenly understood, realizing his true feelings. He had a new goal: to pursue Xu Ruoshui. To conquer the Xu family through marriage.
However, Xu Ping'an was destined not to succeed. He was merely a moth flying into a flame controlled by Shen Anyu.
He would only be able to watch his most hated enemy, Shen Anyu, be with his beloved older sister, Xu Ruoshui. He would watch them date, get engaged, and... do other things.
Shen Anyu was very much looking forward to seeing Xu Ping'an's expression then. The despair would be delicious.
…
On the other side, Xu Ping'an walked into the first floor of the [Xu Commercial Building].
The lobby was expansive, with floors of polished marble reflecting the high ceiling lights. It smelled of expensive air freshener and money.
He walked to the front desk with his head held high, his previous depression gone. He spoke to the receptionist, preparing to meet his older sister, Xu Ruoshui.
"I'm here to see CEO Xu. Tell her Xu Ping'an is here."
The words of the Gao Duan Martial Arts Academy staff member seemed to have opened Pandora's Box. The taboo thrill made Xu Ping'an very excited and eager to see Xu Ruoshui again. He wanted to look at her not as a brother, but as a man assessing a woman.
However, just then, Xu Ping'an's ears twitched. His enhanced senses from the [System] picked up some hushed, excited discussions from the receptionists nearby:
"Oh my god... look over there. In the waiting area."
"He's so handsome, truly too handsome! Is he a celebrity?"
"Yes, how can there be such a handsome man? He's even more handsome than Cai Kunkun, my current favorite Xiao Bailian idol! His temperament is totally different. He looks like a noble prince."
"How can Cai Kunkun compare to him? He's a hundred times worse! That man... just sitting there drinking coffee looks like a painting."
"By the way, is this handsome guy here for our CEO? Could he be our CEO's suitor?"
"Definitely! Our CEO is gentle and beautiful. Even I, a girl, like her, so men certainly wouldn't dislike her. They would make such a perfect couple!"
"Wuwuwu, I wanted to pursue this handsome guy and give him my phone number, but now my dream is shattered! I can't compete with CEO Xu."
"Wake up, don't daydream about such a handsome guy. You can't catch him. He's out of our league."
…
Listening to the discussions of the pretty young girls at the front desk, Xu Ping'an was initially pleased. A smug smile appeared on his face.
Could the handsome guy they were talking about be him?
After all, he had cleaned up a bit, and he had the "Protagonist Aura."
But then he gradually felt something was off. The front desk recognized him as the (former) Young Master Xu. Why would they mistake him for Xu Ruoshui's suitor? And why were they looking behind him?
Although Xu Ping'an now had the idea of pursuing her, he hadn't shown it yet. He was also worried that his older sister, Xu Ruoshui, wouldn't accept him immediately.
Following the gazes of the front desk staff, Xu Ping'an turned around.
His eyes widened. His jaw clenched.
He immediately saw someone he intensely disliked. Someone he hated to the bone.
"Damn it! Why do I keep running into this Xiao Bailian? How unlucky! Is he haunting me?"
Xu Ping'an's expression instantly turned ugly, twisting into a scowl.
He looked at Shen Anyu, who was sitting on the plush leather sofa in the first-floor reception area.
Shen Anyu was wearing a bespoke charcoal-grey suit that fit him perfectly, highlighting his broad shoulders and long legs. He held a cup of coffee with elegant, slender fingers. His face was handsome enough to cause traffic accidents, and his demeanor was elegant and refined—a stark contrast to Xu Ping'an's cheap streetwear and aggressive posture.
The thought of the last time at Modu University...
The image of Su Hongmian, the ice queen, melting for him.
The image of Jiang Linlin, the pure flower, holding his hand.
The image of Liu Mi, the sexy vixen, flirting with him.
The three campus beauties, fighting over Shen Anyu in a love triangle (or square), filled Xu Ping'an with extreme displeasure! Envy, jealousy, and hatred burned in his gut like acid.
Xu Ping'an had once thought of pursuing all three of them. He believed that as a System owner, he was entitled to a harem.
However, reality had slapped him hard.
At a business banquet, as soon as he showed interest in pursuing Su Hongmian, that arrogant young lady had splashed red wine on his face, calling him a toad lusting after swan meat. It left him utterly humiliated.
Before, at Modu University, he was also preparing to pursue Jiang Linlin, thinking her innocence would be easy to capture.
But he was stunned to discover that Jiang Linlin also had something going on with Shen Anyu. She looked at Shen Anyu with stars in her eyes.
This made Xu Ping'an incredibly sour inside. Why did all the good cabbages get ravaged by this pig?
He even thought about using the [Damage Reflection Aura] to counterattack and slap Shen Anyu's face after his rise.
But now... here?
He actually saw Shen Anyu at Xu Commercial Building. And listening to the gossip, he was even suspected of pursuing his older sister, Xu Ruoshui?
'No! Absolutely not! Ruoshui is mine!'
The possessiveness he had just awakened roared to life.
"Shen! What are you doing at Xu Commercial Building?"
Xu Ping'an strode over aggressively, ignoring the startled looks of the staff. He looked at Shen Anyu with an unfriendly expression, fists clenched at his sides, and questioned him loudly.
Shen Anyu didn't even flinch. He leisurely took a sip of coffee, the steam curling around his face. He placed the cup down on the saucer with a soft clink.
He looked up, a calm, mocking smile on his lips as he looked at the displeased Xu Ping'an.
"Xu Ruoshui."
He said the name casually, intimately.
What?
Xu Ping'an froze. The blood rushed to his head.
He looked at Shen Anyu with displeasure and shouted, "I asked you what you're doing at Xu Commercial Building? Why are you calling my older sister's name so casually? Who gave you the right?"
"I'm looking for Xu Ruoshui. I've already answered you."
Shen Anyu smiled at Xu Ping'an and said softly, his tone patronizing, as if explaining something to a slow child.
"We have a date. A lunch date."
…
After Xu Ping'an realized the implication—"Date"—veins throbbed on his forehead. His eyes were filled with rage, bloodshot and wild.
He looked at Shen Anyu fiercely, pointing a shaking finger at his nose.
"You scumbag Xiao Bailian! You're not allowed to contact my older sister Xu Ruoshui, do you hear me? She is off-limits!"
"If you dare to harass my older sister, I will absolutely not let you off. I will definitely teach you a harsh lesson. I'll break your legs!"
The commotion attracted the attention of everyone in the lobby. Security guards started to move towards them.
Shen Anyu didn't stand up. He just leaned back, crossing his legs elegantly.
He smiled at Xu Ping'an—a smile that didn't reach his eyes, cold and sharp as a scalpel.
"You keep saying 'my older sister', 'my older sister'..."
Shen Anyu said leisurely, his voice carrying clearly across the silent lobby.
"But I seem to have heard that a major event recently occurred in the Shanghai Xu Family. A scandal, really."
"The Xu Family Young Master... the one who enjoyed twenty years of luxury... was replaced by a 'Civet Cat for a Prince'. He was actually a fake."
"A counterfeit product. A squatter in someone else's nest."
"And when the truth came out, he was swept out of the house like garbage."
Shen Anyu paused for effect, his gaze piercing Xu Ping'an's soul.
"You keep saying 'older sister'. Could that fake Young Master... be you?"
[Ding! The Child of Destiny Xu Ping'an's mentality exploded, plundering +9999 destiny value!]
Xu Ping'an's face instantly turned from red to purple, then to a sickly pale.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He stammered, speechless. The truth was a physical blow.
He felt the gazes of the people around him shift. The receptionists, the security guards, the passing employees... their looks changed from curiosity to disdain, to mockery.
"That's him? The fake one?"
"So shameless... still calling CEO Xu his sister?"
"He looks like a thug."
The whispers felt like knives.
This made Xu Ping'an unbearable. His psychological defense collapsed. He couldn't stand there anymore.
He covered his face with his hands and turned around, running. He slunk into the nearby restroom like a beaten dog, desperate to hide from the world.
Shen Anyu smiled and shook his head, watching Xu Ping'an flee.
He mused internally, "Damage Reflection Aura? It's a powerful skill, indeed. It can reflect physical damage... but it can't reflect mental damage. Words cut deeper than swords, little protagonist."
Just then, the sound of high heels clicking rhythmically on the marble floor approached.
"Mr. Shen, I apologize for keeping you waiting. An important meeting just ran a bit long."
At this moment, a charming and beautiful woman with a gentle demeanor gracefully walked over from the elevators.
She wore a professional white business suit that highlighted her slender waist, her hair tied back in an elegant bun. Her face was fair and soft, her eyes filled with apology and a hint of delight at seeing him.
It was none other than the beautiful CEO of Xu Shi Garden Landscape Co., Ltd, the older sister whom the fake Young Master, the Child of Destiny Xu Ping'an, constantly thought about and desired... Xu Ruoshui!
And also, Shen Anyu's prey for this lunch.
[Akarin Note:
Your Support Keeps This Story Alive!
If you're enjoying this novel, your support means the world to me. Simple actions like leaving a review, power stone, comment, or sharing the story let me know you're out there. It's the greatest motivation for me to keep updating until the very end and ensures this project continues.
For those who wish to support me more directly, you can join my Patreon at [patreon.com/AkarinTL]. As a thank-you, you'll receive access to 50 advanced chapters.
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]