Chapter 10: Into Long Aotian’s World, Day 10

Chapter 10: The Tenth Day of Transmigrating into the Long Aotian World

A faint smile tugged at An Yi's lips. As Huang Chan narrated, it was as if he could hear the familiar barrage of "hahaha" and "yue~" from the real-time bullet comments echoing in his ears.

He took a sip of his coffee, masking his amusement. "Oh? And then?"

"Nothing after that!" Huang Chan pouted, unimpressed. "The car drove past, so I left... tsk tsk, jumping into a new relationship right after being dumped—that's some mental fortitude, freaking insane!"

He gave a sarcastic thumbs-up, laying it on thick.

"So," An Yi set down his coffee cup, "our Second Young Master Du, after suffering the 'absolute worst humiliation' of being publicly called off the engagement at the family banquet, went out the next morning under the scorching sun, saving a damsel in distress in the middle of the road... and winning her heart?"

"Exactly!" Huang Chan got excited and slapped the table again, but then a rare hint of hesitation and confusion flickered across his face:

"But... uh... this whole thing... it's too coincidental! So coincidental it's like a pre-written script! There's something damn fishy about it!"

An Yi silently gave Huang Chan a mental thumbs-up: Pretty good intuition!

Wasn't this "chance encounter" just a "newbie gift pack" forced on the male lead by the will of the world? Achieved harem +1!

Huang Chan stood up hesitantly, looking around like a thief, then sidled up to An Yi, lowered his voice, and said with an incredulous expression, "Yi... let me tell you something... don't think I'm crazy, okay?"

An Yi arched a brow. "Oh really?"

Huang Chan grabbed An Yi's shoulders. "It's just..."

"Just now..."

An Yi frowned. "What happened?"

Huang Chan: "When I saw that girl just now, my brain glitched."

His eyes went wide, his voice dripping with disbelief. "You know, the first thought that popped into my head was, no joke, fucking—snatch that woman! And then... offer her to you!!"

He looked like he'd just seen a ghost. "I'm not your eunuch, why would I be managing your harem’s bed assignments?"

His expression twisted weirdly. "And she's not even mine to manage! She's a person! Not some object in Du Guyuan's pocket! What right do I have to 'snatch' her?! Since when am I a damn human trafficker?!"

He tugged at his golden hair in agony and asked with genuine existential distress, "Could it be... could my deepest, darkest desire actually be... to become your... chief eunuch?! Has your domineering aura evolved to the point where it can distort people's thoughts?!"

An Yi's lip twitched. "Hard pass."

"That domineering aura belongs to Du Guyuan, not me."

He flicked Huang Chan's paw off his shoulder in disgust. "Sit down, stop pawing at me."

Seeing Huang Chan's skeptical expression, An Yi kindly offered an even more absurd explanation: "Maybe that thought isn't your fault."

He smiled. "Maybe Du Guyuan knows how to curse people. Didn't you say he's creepy?"

Huang Chan was blown away. "Really?! Is that even legal?!"

An Yi picked up his coffee nonchalantly. "Psych, it's fake."

Du Guyuan can't curse people, but the plot can!

How should one describe the plot of this world?

It had a lively beauty, but it was completely ridiculous.

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The midday sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling onto the dining table covered with a white tablecloth and exquisite tableware.

An Yi and Huang Chan had just finished lunch and were chatting idly.

"Hey, Yi..." Huang Chan started, picking his teeth.

A figure stopped beside them.

"Sorry to interrupt," came a warm, pleasant voice, with just the right amount of politeness.

They looked up to see a tall man in a well-tailored dark gray suit standing by the table.

His hair was combed back neatly, revealing a smooth, full forehead and a handsome face with a touch of classical sculptural beauty.

"Mr. An, Mr. Huang?" He accurately called out both their surnames, his smile deepening. "I've heard a lot about you. I'm Shao Xiuya."

An Yi and Huang Chan were both a little surprised and exchanged glances.

Shao Xiuya? An Yi frantically searched the original novel's database in his mind, only to conclude that this person didn't exist!

But... the surname Shao... At the end of the original novel, a villain named Shao appeared, seemingly with overlapping business interests with Du Guyuan's company.

This was the author's "villain-in-waiting for the sequel" Easter egg! A colleague who would take over his "stepping stone" position in the future?

But was this Shao Xiuya in front of him that poor bastard who appeared at the end of the original male lead's story?

"Mr. Shao knows us?" An Yi stood up and politely extended his hand. Huang Chan also toned down his mischievousness a bit and shook hands with him.

Shao Xiuya gracefully returned the handshake. His fingers were long and strong, with a slight coolness.

"An Yi, director of the An Corporation, and Huang Chan, the young master of Yaohua Industries—your names are renowned in the business circles of this city. Lucky to meet you today. I took the liberty of coming over to say hello."

His gaze lingered on An Yi's face for an extra moment. "Mr. An, you're just as impressive as they say—really captivating." His tone was sincere, not like a mere formality.

An Yi could feel the focus in that gaze, but strangely, there was no malice—rather, it was a bit... overly enthusiastic? He kept a polite smile in place. "You flatter me, Mr. Shao. Please, have a seat?" He gestured to the empty seat nearby.

Shao Xiuya sat down with easy grace, his posture relaxed and elegant.

During the conversation, they learned that Shao Xiuya was the CEO of the Yuanchen Group, headquartered in another province. He'd come to town to expand his business and set up a branch.

He was witty, well-read, neither showy nor fake-modest. He chatted insightfully with An Yi and Huang Chan about macroeconomics and new tech.

He even knew a bit about An Yi's company's recent projects. Huang Chan occasionally cracked jokes, and the atmosphere was quite pleasant.

An Yi found that talking with Shao Xiuya was comfortable. The other party's thinking was clear, his logic tight, without the exaggerated greasiness typical of novel characters—more like a real, excellent, and normal business elite.

Nothing like Du Guyuan, always flashing that creepy smirk.

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In the evening, after being ravaged by documents all day, dead tired from being a corporate drone, An Yi drifted into the apartment elevator.

Just as the elevator door was about to close, a hand with prominent knuckles reached in.

"Hold on," came the warm voice again.

The door reopened, and Shao Xiuya walked in, carrying a stack of heavy books that looked like art albums. Sweat beaded at his temples, a few rebellious black strands had fallen loose, and his perfectly neat look from lunchtime had finally cracked.