Chapter 4

Chapter 4: If He Wants Chaos, I'll Join the Fray

Staring at the uninvited man on the sofa, Yun Zi'an felt as if his entire being had been blasted by icy liquid nitrogen then thrown into scorching flames, his body crackling and crumbling to dust, to be scattered by the wind—

Clenching his teeth, unable to control their shivering, he maintained a rigid smile, barely managing to speak, "…Rong Xuan?"

Rong Xuan's gaze was inscrutable as he observed him, silent for several minutes before chuckling softly, "Good, you haven’t forgotten my name."

Suddenly, he stood up from the sofa, striding towards Yun Zi'an with his long legs.

Yun Zian's heart skipped a beat at Rong Xiao's sudden appearance, clearly here to confront him.

With the news reaching the top of Weibo’s trending list, such a grand spectacle, it was impossible for Rong Xiao not to know.

.

Yun Zian instinctively stepped back from his imposing presence, hitting his back against the door with a thud. His breathing became rapid as Rong Xiao approached, "You..."

Rong Xiao, towering at 1.92 meters with broad shoulders and visible muscles under his shirt, leaned his arm above Yun Zian's head. The other hand in his trouser pocket, he looked down at him from above, their distance suddenly so close their breaths intertwined.

Yun Zian looked at the black mole peeking out from Rong Xiao’s shirt collar, almost feeling the intense heat from his chest. His heart rate skyrocketed, throat moving with difficulty, no longer the time for quick-witted retorts, he stumbled to explain, "That, I..."

Rong Xiao's gaze, almost tangible, scrutinized Yun Zian from head to toe, as if seeing through to his very marrow. His eyebrows suddenly furrowed, his tone grew heavier, stating a displeasing fact in a flat but heavy voice.

"You've lost weight."

.

Yun Zian's heart slammed against his chestbone with that deep voice.

Rong Xiao’s first words weren't to question why Yun Zian rashly defied their families to enter the entertainment industry, nor why he claimed to have been widowed for three years in the interview.

Instead, it was simply, "You've lost weight."

Although their marriage was in name only, they were each other's only legal spouse. Their actions greatly impacted each other, and his casual words in the interview today could affect the stock prices of their families' investment enterprises on NASDAQ tomorrow.

Yun Zian's pupils trembled violently. In that instant, numerous excuses raced through his mind, sharp enough to find several reasons to defend himself, but his throat felt blocked, unable to utter a word.

.

However, the next second, a sneer curled on his lips, returning to his nonchalant demeanor. He glanced at Rong Xiao and chuckled, "Speaking as if you know my previous weight."

The sarcasm was evident. Rong Xiao's eyes deepened, and Yun Zian didn’t give him a chance to speak, pushing him away, "My place is too small for a deity like you. Now that you’re back in the country, Mr. Rong, perhaps you should focus on more important matters rather than wasting time here."

Rong Xiao’s brows remained tightly furrowed. He surveyed the entire rental apartment, his gaze finally settling back on Yun Zian, "Why don't you live at home?"

"Home?" Yun Zian's figure wavered slightly at the word. He asked in a nuanced tone, "Which home?"

Rong Xiao's gaze shifted from Yun Zi'an's slender waist, visible even through his shirt, to his scapula, his tone deepening, "Our... bridal chamber."

Yun Zi'an couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, "So, Young Master Rong still remembers we have a bridal chamber?"

.

"On our wedding day three years ago, you left and flew to a war zone for a peacekeeping mission. For three years, you've been untraceable. I thought you didn't take our marriage seriously," Yun Zi'an's eyes, long and narrow, were filled with sarcasm. His smile at that moment was like a bright red rose blooming on white bones, enchanting and even eerie, "So, you do remember our bridal chamber."

To spite Rong Xiao, Yun Zi'an didn't even blink as he lied, leisurely trimming his nails with a nonchalant tone, "That wedding house? I've already sold it."

Rong Xiao's brows furrowed instantly, his voice involuntarily grew heavier, "Sold it?"

"In the prime VIP diamond district of the capital's center, you wouldn't believe how many people were clamoring to buy it." Yun Zi'an chuckled, "I sold it when I entered the entertainment industry three years ago. After all, my name is on the property deed. Why can't I sell it if I want to?"

Rong Xiao's right hand, hanging by his trouser seam, clenched tightly into a fist at these words. The platinum ring on his ring finger, engraved with "ZA", seemed like a bold irony. But who knew that through three years of battles and bloodshed, this ring had always stayed on his finger, unscathed even amidst bloodshed and strife.

"Yuan Yuan," Rong Xiao called out Yun Zi'an's childhood nickname, "Why did you enter the entertainment industry?"

.

This familiar "Yuan Yuan" made Yun Zi'an's heart tremble violently, the shaking so intense that it started to pain the surrounding veins, forcing him to close his eyes tightly.

"Yuan Yuan" was his childhood nickname, given because he was frail with poor health as a child. According to old traditions, he was given a girl's nickname to suppress this weakness. The name comes from the Book of Songs, "有兔爰爰，雉离于罗" (Rabbits hopping, pheasants flying away from nets), symbolizing a future life of freedom and ease.

Yun Zi'an looked down with a bitter smile, but when he turned to face Rong Xiao, his face regained that playful and casual smile. He took a few steps forward, his slender fingers tracing up Rong Xiao's abs, feeling the distinct warmth of his muscular torso, eventually grabbing Rong Xiao's tie, forcing him to bow down.

Yun Zi'an whispered into his ear, his breath as light and tantalizing as a feather, with a slight warm humidity, drumming against Rong Xiao's eardrums, "Because, I, like, it."

.

The next moment, he pushed Rong Xiao away harshly, with an unforgiving attitude, "Mr. Rong, please take your leave. No need to see you out."

Rong Xiao's clenched fist showed no sign of loosening. Yun Zi'an's behavior today was as willful and unrestrained as he remembered, yet it always gave him a sense of unnaturalness, as if hiding something secretive beneath that slender, fragile frame.

Since he was being shown the door, Rong Xiao didn't linger. He nodded slightly towards Yun Zi'an, "I'll be leaving now."

Yun Zi'an waved his hand nonchalantly, but the next second, he noticed something amiss and rushed forward, "My river snail rice noodles and stinky beans and tofu!"

Rong Xiao had already left with his evening's joy, slamming the front door shut with a loud bang, nearly causing Yun Zi'an to collide with it.

Even through the thick fireproof door, Yun Zi'an's frustrated roar could be heard, "Bastard!!!"

.

Rong Xiao handed the cheap, greasy takeaway in his hand to the butler waiting outside, his voice as indifferent as ever, "Dispose of it."

The butler's customary smile stiffened for a moment, "Young Master, doing this, wouldn’t Madam..."

"Keep an eye on him," Rong Xiao ordered emotionlessly, "From now on, don't let such nutritionally poor food reach him."

The butler nodded, then asked, "Then..."

"Something fattening," Rong Xiao pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his fingers, which had touched the takeaway, "His waist is too thin."

Having cleaned his fingers and discarding the handkerchief, Rong Xiao turned to the butler again, commanding, "Let's go back to the old mansion."

That evening, in Yu Lu District:

Despite it being summer, the apricot blossoms on the mountain hadn't withered yet. The fine rain moistened the moss-covered stone path. Passing through the apricot forest, the scenery suddenly opened up. The sea of clouds roiled under the moonlight, the distant sound of evening bells and drums filled the air, and ahead stood the grandest building in Yu Lu Mountain - the ancestral home of the Rong family.

Rong Xiao proceeded forward, the heavy, ancient wooden doors opening one by one for him, greeted with respectful "Young Master" from the servants, all smiling at his return, "The Young Master has returned from abroad!" "Quick, inform the Master and Madam!"

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Rong Xiao took off his suit jacket and handed it to a servant, nodding to the butler, "I'll visit grandfather first."

The butler immediately led the way, "The Old Master is in the East Warm Pavilion. Recently he's caught a cold. We've added mugwort and yellow ginseng to the heated floors, so it smells strongly of medicine."

"Hmm," one of the main reasons for Rong Xiao's return was his grandfather's illness. The old man had been a warrior in his youth, a life spent in military and horseback, but in recent years, his health had deteriorated, even alarming Rong Xiao overseas.

There were even rumors outside that the heir Rong Xiao had died in a foreign land, and the great power of the Rong family was about to shift, signaling a change in their fortunes.

Entering the warm pavilion, the air was thick with the pungent and choking scent of bitter medicine, mixed with a homely smell. Old Master Rong, his rheumatic legs immobile and covered with a blanket, sat in a wheelchair. The radio in his hand crackled with melodious opera tunes, as if only bones were supporting his withered skin, his vitality and vigor all but consumed.

"Grandfather," Rong Xiao knelt in front of Old Master Rong, gently holding his withered and shriveled hand, softly saying, "I'm back."

.

Hearing the familiar voice, Old Master Rong opened his eyes slightly, leaning forward to take a closer look at Rong Xiao, "You're back?"

"Yes," Rong Xiao nodded. He was always a man of few words, "I'm back."

"Good," Old Master Rong patted Rong Xiao's hand, repeatedly expressing his joy, "It's good you're back."

As the eldest grandson and heir, Rong Xiao’s return to take over the family business would naturally dispel any unfounded rumors about the Rong family.

"Grandfather," Rong Xiao, understanding the heavy responsibilities he bore, looked up at Old Master Rong. For the first time in his life, he made a request to his grandfather, "I want to convert my properties and shares into assets in the entertainment industry. Is that okay?"

Such a significant change, and Old Master Rong knew without a doubt it was for someone special. Yet, there was a hint of hesitation in his voice, "Is this for... Yuan Yuan?"

"Yes," thinking of Yun Zi'an, a smile unconsciously formed on Rong Xiao’s lips, his tone relaxed and casual, "If he wants to create a stir, I'll join him in the chaos."

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