Chapter 155: I Am An Evil Pen (XII)

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Chapter 155: I Am An Evil Pen (XII)

“Jingrong, don’t give me that sour face. It’s not often I come over to your place as a guest.” Ge Junxuan sat comfortably on the sofa, smiling at Wen Jingrong across from him.

Wen Jingrong glanced at him without answering. He did not mind Ge Junxuan visiting; what he minded was Bai Lin sitting beside him. Bai Lin had close ties with Chen Zixiong while maintaining an ambiguous relationship with Ge Junxuan. He was clearly anything but innocent.

Ge Junxuan looked shrewd, but in reality, he trusted people far too easily and always treated his friends with complete sincerity. Wen Jingrong did not want to see him deceived. He would have to warn him later.

“Everyone, come eat,” Shang Ke called from the dining room.

Wen Jingrong’s expression immediately softened, and he motioned for Ge Junxuan to join him in the dining room.

“Tsk, tsk. You can tell it’s delicious just by looking at it,” Ge Junxuan praised.

Wen Jingrong gave him a smug look that clearly said, Of course my man is the best. Did you really need to point it out?

Ge Junxuan rolled his eyes. Ever since this guy found himself a partner, his entire personality had become strangely off-brand.

Lunch was served in individual portions. There were eight dishes in total, with one serving of each for every person, along with larger shared platters in the center for anyone who wanted seconds. Meals at home were more relaxed, so there was no need to restrain one’s appetite for the sake of etiquette.

After tasting the food, Ge Junxuan praised Shang Ke’s cooking endlessly. Then he noticed that two dishes on Shang Ke’s plate were different from everyone else’s and could not resist asking, “Shang Ke, why don’t we get any of those two dishes?”

Wen Jingrong said coolly, “Isn’t there enough food on the table for you?”

“That’s different,” Ge Junxuan argued righteously. “If it were ordinary food, it wouldn’t matter whether I ate more or less. But with professional-level cooking like this, I can’t possibly miss a single dish.”

With that, he turned to Shang Ke and smiled ingratiatingly. “Keke, do you have any extra? Can I have some?”

Keke is something you get to call him? Wen Jingrong glared at Ge Junxuan darkly.

Ge Junxuan completely ignored his threatening gaze and looked pitifully at Shang Ke instead.

“Are you sure you want to try them?” Shang Ke asked hesitantly.

Ge Junxuan nodded vigorously, wearing an expression that said, I could die for good food without regrets.

“All right.” Shang Ke used the serving utensils to give him portions of both dishes.

Ge Junxuan accepted them delightedly and eagerly dug in. After only two bites, however, his face took on the color of someone who had been poisoned. Covering his mouth in agony, he bolted for the restroom.

Bai Lin stared after him in bewilderment, completely unsure what had happened.

Several minutes later, Ge Junxuan returned with a sickly green expression and asked resentfully, “Shang Ke, how in the world did you make something this horrifying?”

Shang Ke smilingly handed him a drink to settle his nerves.

Ge Junxuan drained it in one gulp. “More importantly, how can you actually eat this?”

“I like it very much.” Shang Ke calmly continued eating as though there were absolutely nothing wrong with the flavor.

Ge Junxuan stared at him incredulously. “Shang Ke, are your sense of taste and your cooking ability inversely proportional? Food comparable to poison like this has gone far beyond the limits of what human taste buds can endure!”

“No one told you to eat it,” Wen Jingrong cut in coldly.

“That’s because I trusted Shang Ke’s cooking! Who knew he would subject his own stomach to such inhumane torture?” Ge Junxuan protested.

Wen Jingrong’s face darkened. “I made those two dishes.”

Comparable to poison, was it? Inhumane, was it? Very good.

Ge Junxuan: “…”

Several dozen seconds later, Ge Junxuan silently gave Shang Ke a look of profound “respect.” The power of love was truly incredible. Even poison could apparently taste sweet when swallowed for the person you loved.

“Finish eating and get out,” Wen Jingrong snorted irritably.

Ge Junxuan immediately schooled his expression and concentrated on elegantly enjoying the food. As for the two culinary abominations, he discreetly pushed them back in front of Shang Ke.

Bai Lin glanced from side to side and realized that he seemed completely isolated from the others, unable to insert himself into their conversation at all. Wen Jingrong and Shang Ke existed in a world of their own, while Ge Junxuan was wholly focused on the food. The peaceful atmosphere made Bai Lin feel distinctly out of place.

After lunch, Wen Jingrong called Ge Junxuan into the study, leaving Shang Ke and Bai Lin alone in the living room.

“How long have you and President Wen been together?” Bai Lin suddenly asked.

Add up all the worlds, and it’s been at least a few hundred years.

“Not long,” Shang Ke replied. Compared with the hundreds or thousands of years still ahead of them, it really had not been long at all.

“I thought so.” Bai Lin spoke lightly. “President Wen probably hadn’t even met you yet when he went on a date with me.”

Shang Ke: Heh. When the two of you were on that “date,” you certainly didn’t notice the evil pen tagging along beside you.

“Is that so?” Shang Ke smiled and sipped his tea.

Bai Lin grew increasingly restless at Shang Ke’s completely unbothered attitude. “Don’t you think we look very similar?”

Could you please not try playing divide-and-conquer games with an evil pen? I really don’t want to lower myself to your level.

Shang Ke speared a piece of yellow fruit from the platter and smiled. “Sweet potatoes and yacon look pretty similar too, but eating too much of one makes you fart, while the other supposedly improves male sexual function.”

Bai Lin looked as though someone had cast a silencing spell on him. Shang Ke’s response left him completely speechless.

He glared angrily at Shang Ke, making no effort to conceal his disgust and jealousy.

In front of an evil pen, no one could hide their negative emotions. Shang Ke lounged comfortably against the sofa and regarded Bai Lin like a child throwing a tantrum.

The more baleful energy a person accumulated, the more impulsive they became—especially when an evil pen that fed on darkness happened to be sitting right beside them.

Bai Lin’s expression shifted repeatedly. Why can I suffer every humiliation and still fail to obtain what I want, while this man gets everything just because he has a pretty face?

(Shang Ke: To be fair, that’s because you aren’t an evil pen.)

Looking at Shang Ke’s pure little white-lotus act, Bai Lin wanted nothing more than to tear his face apart. An uncontrollable urge to destroy something rose inside him. His gaze happened to fall on the still-steaming cup of tea on the table, and an idea occurred to him. He slowly lifted his cup, took a sip, then said, “Shang Ke, my tea’s gotten a little cold. Could you replace it for me?”

“Sure.” Shang Ke agreed cheerfully, took the cup, and went into the kitchen to make him a fresh cup of piping-hot tea.

“Thank you.” Bai Lin stood and reached for the cup. As he did, his knee “accidentally” struck the coffee table. He appeared to lose his balance and pitched forward, simultaneously flinging the scalding tea straight toward Shang Ke’s face.

If an ordinary person took a direct hit, burned skin would be the least of their worries. In a severe case, liquid that hot could even blind someone. Afterward, Bai Lin only needed to claim it had been an accident. Even if he were held responsible, the irreversible damage would already be done. He might even succeed in destroying the other man’s relationship and finally get what he wanted.

Bai Lin truly did not hesitate once he decided to act. Relying on Ge Junxuan’s relationship with Wen Jingrong to shield him, he had even calculated the potential gains and losses beforehand.

Unfortunately for him, his opponent was an evil pen even darker than he was.

The instant the hot tea splashed across his face, Shang Ke clutched it, cried out loudly, and crouched down in an Oscar-worthy display of agony.

“Ah, I’m sorry! Are you all right?” Bai Lin hurried over with a look of “concern” and reached to support him. “Let me see. How badly are you hurt?” If it isn’t serious enough, I can always finish the job. I’m still holding the cup.

Shang Ke groaned softly and slowly raised his head along with Bai Lin’s movement.

A grotesque face, seemingly scalded beyond recognition, suddenly filled Bai Lin’s vision. Blood seeped from a pair of crimson eyes. Bai Lin screamed and fell backward onto the floor.

Hearing the screams, Wen Jingrong and Ge Junxuan rushed out of the study one after another. In the living room, one man was crouched on the floor covering his face, while the other pointed at him with an expression of sheer terror.

“What happened?” Wen Jingrong hurried to Shang Ke’s side, anxiety flashing through his eyes.

“H-He…” Bai Lin forcibly suppressed his panic and put on a guilty expression. “Shang Ke made me a cup of hot tea just now. When I reached for it, I lost my balance and accidentally spilled it across his face.”

As he spoke, he clutched Ge Junxuan’s sleeve, his voice trembling as though he were about to cry. “Junxuan, I really didn’t mean to.”

“All right, all right. It’s okay.” Ge Junxuan hugged him comfortingly, then asked nervously, “How badly is Shang Ke hurt? Should we take him to the hospital?”

Remembering the horrifying face he had just seen, Bai Lin whispered, “It looks… pretty serious.”

Ge Junxuan’s expression changed, and he quickly looked toward Wen Jingrong and Shang Ke.

After hearing Bai Lin’s claim, Wen Jingrong actually stopped worrying. Shang Ke had walked through an inferno without suffering a burn—what could one cup of hot tea possibly do to him? Bai Lin’s description of the incident, however, was worth examining. A cold gleam briefly flashed through Wen Jingrong’s eyes.

“Keke, how are you?” Wen Jingrong supported him and asked softly.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” Shang Ke lowered his hands and slowly revealed his face.

Bai Lin instinctively looked away, only to hear Ge Junxuan sigh in relief. “Thank goodness. It isn’t too serious.”

What? After being burned like that, it isn’t serious? Bai Lin whipped his head back around. Other than a pink patch beneath Shang Ke’s right eye, there was not another mark on his face.

Bai Lin stared at him in astonishment, as though witnessing something impossible.

“Does it hurt?” Wen Jingrong gently kissed the pink patch beneath his eye.

“No.” Mist lingered in Shang Ke’s eyes. Far from marring his beauty, the flush beneath his eye only added a touch of seductive charm.

“Come on. I’ll get some ice for it.” Wen Jingrong took Shang Ke’s hand and walked straight into the kitchen without sparing Bai Lin another glance.

“Bai Lin, you were far too careless. If anything serious happened to Shang Ke, Jingrong would probably kill you.” Ge Junxuan looked at him reproachfully, a trace of doubt entering his eyes. In the study, Wen Jingrong had warned him to be cautious around Bai Lin, but Ge Junxuan still did not want to believe that this person could betray him.

“Sorry. It was my fault.” Bai Lin lowered his head, hiding the suspicion and resentment on his face.

Seeing Bai Lin looking so pitiful, Ge Junxuan softened again and said nothing further.

“What actually happened?” Wen Jingrong asked quietly in the kitchen while holding ice against Shang Ke’s face.

“Mm, he just lost his balance and splashed hot tea all over my face.” Shang Ke looked perfectly serious. “I suspect he suffers from intermittent polio.”

Wen Jingrong: “…”

“Did you warn Ge Junxuan that Bai Lin can’t be trusted?” Shang Ke asked.

“I did, but he seems to have genuinely fallen for Bai Lin.” Wen Jingrong’s expression darkened. “Junxuan also invested in the Pano Island project. Even setting their relationship aside, they’re business partners now.”

Shang Ke frowned. A major accident would occur before long. Ge Junxuan was very likely to be dragged into Qingwei’s disaster as well.

Just as Shang Ke had feared, one night half a month later, Wen Jingrong received an emergency call from Ge Junxuan.

“Jingrong, something happened to me. Hurry to Kistler Mountain. I—I…”

Before he could finish, the call cut off.

Wen Jingrong’s face darkened. While sending people to investigate what had happened, he drove through the pouring rain toward Kistler Mountain.

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