“Since you’ve been currying favor with Mr. Lu, I should toast you with this glass of wine.”
The cold red wine splashed onto his face—it was icy.
The crimson liquid slid down his cheeks, traced the arch of his eyebrows that slanted toward his temples, flowed over his high nose bridge, and hovered near his thin lips.
He looked disheveled and shabby, but his good looks remained intact. Even under the influence of alcohol, his features appeared sharper, darker, and more defined. In a room full of people obsessed with wealth and decadence, he was reduced to a foil—yet he radiated a breathtaking aura.
Chen Zemian wiped his face with the back of his fingers and slowly regained consciousness.
He felt a bit dizzy, and his breath reeked of alcohol.
His thoughts were cloudy, as if he had drunk a lot, but everything felt real—far too real to be a dream.
He looked around in confusion.
What’s going on now? Didn’t I… die suddenly from working overtime?
This was a luxuriously decorated hotel suite.
Dazzling crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and ornate gilded walls gleamed in the light.
Most of the dishes on the round table had already been eaten. Plates and bowls were stacked high, and several bottles of expensive, high-end red wine stood nearby.
There were about twelve or thirteen guests in the room, all looking in his direction. Some stared at him; others focused on the strange man holding an empty wine glass. Both men and women wore amused expressions, as though watching a show.
He had been splashed with wine and trapped in this banquet—one clearly set up with bad intentions.
A terrible start.
Before Chen Zemian could observe further, a hand suddenly grabbed his collar and yanked him up.
“Don’t play dead. Weren’t you arrogant back when you were hanging around those young masters?”
The strange man scowled, his expression twisted with hostility. “I can’t touch Lu Zhuonian, but I can sure as hell touch you.”
Chen Zemian’s brows twitched slightly, and his heart began to pound.
Lu Zhuonian?
Isn’t that the name of the protagonist in the novel I was reading recently?
The man mistook his reaction for provocation. Enraged, his alcohol-fueled fury boiled over. He cursed and launched a punch.
Just as things were about to spiral out of control, a bespectacled young man nearby hurriedly stepped forward, stopping the attacker’s arm. He whispered, “Wu Xu, calm down—let’s talk this out. No need for violence.”
Hearing the name Wu Xu, Chen Zemian held his breath. His pupils contracted slightly.
Wu Xu… That’s another character from the novel.
Lu Zhuonian might’ve been a coincidence. But Wu Xu? That was two names. Not a coincidence anymore.
What’s more, this Wu Xu looked and acted just like he was described in the book: tall, strong, impulsive, irritable—a loyal follower of a minor villain.
One character after another from the novel appeared before him. Chen Zemian could no longer dismiss the thought.
In his memory, he had clearly died. But now he was alive—surrounded by characters from a story. Only one explanation made sense:
He had traveled through time.
Or more precisely, he has transmigrated into a novel.
Before his death, Chen Zemian had been the chief planner at a game company. To stay ahead of market trends, he consumed all the popular games, anime, novels, and dramas. He was no stranger to tropes like time travel and transmigration into fictional worlds.
The character Lu Zhuonian came from the novel “The Young Master of Beijing Circle”, a nearly seven-million-word epic that had become a breakout hit in male-oriented fiction due to its compact plot and thrilling narrative.
Chen Zemian had been working overtime recently, analyzing its structure—and was deeply familiar with the early plot.
But who had he become?
Based on Wu Xu’s earlier words, he seemed to be on Lu Zhuonian’s side.
That’s good.
Lu Zhuonian came from a powerful family, was a true princeling among the Beijing elite, and had many loyal followers. He started his business during college, rose quickly, and earned fame and fortune. His friends admired his charisma, while enemies became cannon fodder—used and discarded.
If Chen Zemian had really transmigrated into Lu Zhuonian’s circle, then he… should be a young master too.
As he pieced everything together, Chen Zemian began to formulate a plan.
In the novel, Wu Xu was the younger brother of Xu Shaoyang, the second son of the Xu family.
Since the younger brother was here to stir up trouble, the older brother probably wasn’t far behind.
Chen Zemian looked past the crowd and toward the main seat.
A young man sat there, not very old, wearing a dark blue intarsia wool sweater. He had a beautiful woman in his arms and an arrogant demeanor.
That must be Xu Shaoyang.
Xu Shaoyang watched the scene with amusement. He glanced at Chen Zemian, sat up straight, and said mockingly, “Forget it, Wu Xu. You need to look at the owner before beating the dog.”
“That’s right,” Wu Xu echoed with a sneer, narrowing his eyes at Chen Zemian. “Are you the dog?”
Chen Zemian calmly looked back and said, “No. I’m your father.”
Wu Xu’s eyes bulged. Veins popped on his forehead. In the next second, he threw a punch.
Chen Zemian tilted his head, kicked off the ground, and sprang from the chair. In one smooth motion, he grabbed a wine bottle from the table, weighed it, and swung it.
Crash!
The bottle shattered against Wu Xu’s head, red wine splashing in all directions.
A streak of red flowed down Wu Xu’s forehead—it was hard to tell whether it was wine or blood.
Wu Xu staggered, cursed, shoved away the people around him, and lunged at Chen Zemian.
But despite being drunk, Chen Zemian’s reflexes were sharp.
His father had been a special forces officer, and Chen Zemian had trained in combat from a young age. With over 20 years of practice, his instincts were honed to perfection. Even half-drunk, he could fight with his eyes closed.
Fighting? He feared no one.
As Wu Xu charged, Chen Zemian bent his knees, lifted his leg, and kicked him hard in the chest.
The force sent Wu Xu flying, crashing into a table.
The tablecloth was yanked off in the chaos, and a cascade of bowls, plates, and utensils clattered to the floor.
A tableful of lukewarm leftovers spilled over Wu Xu’s head, leaving him soaked in soup and disgrace.
Xu Shaoyang’s expression darkened.
Beating a man was one thing—but doing it in front of him was a slap in the face.
No one had expected the situation to erupt so quickly. As everyone stood frozen, the bodyguards outside heard the commotion and rushed in, surrounding Chen Zemian.
“Are you insane?” Xu Shaoyang slammed the table, regaining his composure. “Who the hell do you think you are? You dare act out in front of me?”
Chen Zemian remained expressionless. “I acted out. What can you do about it?”
Xu Shaoyang, shaking with rage, snarled, “You… You’re an illegitimate bastard. You think Lu Zhuonian will protect you?”
The word illegitimate made Chen Zemian’s head spin.
What?!
So he wasn’t even a proper young master?
In a story full of rich second-generation elites, even minor characters like Wu Xu came from well-off families. And he had reincarnated as a powerless illegitimate son?
This was the worst luck imaginable.
Who the hell had he become?!
Chen Zemian was now desperate to find out his identity and had no interest in dealing with Xu Shaoyang anymore.
Dodging the bodyguards with ease, he quickly slipped out of the box.
To those watching, Chen Zemian looked like a martial god. He struck down the guards one by one, passed through their ranks, and vanished.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Everyone had the same thought: The Lu family must be powerful—just look at how fierce even their “dog” is!
Xu Shaoyang’s face turned from red to pale. After a long pause, he slammed a wine glass down and growled, “Lu Zhuonian, just wait. You and I cannot coexist!”
—
Meanwhile, in the corridor, Chen Zemian had no idea he’d accidentally become a hated rival of the main character.
He was trying to read the directional signs.
And he was completely lost.
This antique-style private dining space was full of bamboo groves, bridges, ponds, winding paths, and elegant signage. Instead of clearly marking directions like East, South, West, or North, the signs read Gen, Li, Dui, and Kan.
And they weren’t even written in characters—just horizontal carvings.
These pretentious things are obviously the high-end private kitchen that the original author spent a lot of space describing—
Green Water Pavilion.
If the original owner hadn’t drunk too much, Chen Zemian should have been able to guess which directions these signs indicated, successfully find the bathroom, and figure out who he had become based on his appearance.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t even find his way now.
There had just been a fight in the box, and the situation was urgent. Adrenaline surged through his body, allowing Chen Zemian to temporarily suppress the effects of the alcohol. Now that he was out of danger, the drunkenness hit him even harder, making him feel dizzy and confused.
Chen Zemian couldn’t find a mirror, so he walked around until he saw a koi pond and looked at his reflection in the water.
He squatted down, and his handsome face was reflected clearly.
When he saw the reflection, Chen Zemian was slightly startled.
This face looked like his, but it wasn’t him.
The person in the water was younger and more beautiful. His profile was pale and cold; his facial features were too delicate, and his lines were softer and less sharp than his own, giving him a unique charm.
At first glance, there was no difference, but upon closer inspection, he looked like a completely different person.
He was a bit too pretty.
Chen Zemian touched his hair.
Why had he dyed his hair light blonde, like a little idol?
Wait, something didn’t seem right.
He leaned forward again, turned his face, and saw a small red mole on the side of his neck.
The position of this mole was clever and perfect, like the finishing touch that brought to mind many beautiful thoughts in life.
After seeing the mole, Chen Zemian finally knew who he was.
In the novel The Young Master in Beijing Circle, there are countless men and women with outstanding looks, but only one man is both handsome and has a red mole—
Lu Zhuonian’s lackey, Chen Zhe!
If the protagonist Lu Zhuonian is the most handsome and coolest male character in the whole book, then Chen Zhe is the most beautiful yet most miserable male character.
The original text describes Chen Zhe’s appearance in detail. To illustrate his beauty, the author even quoted the sentence “red as flowers, charming as jade” from ancient books.
Chen Zhe was born into a very humble family. He was an illegitimate child, not allowed to see the light of day, and bullied since childhood. However, he was good-looking, could judge people’s behavior, was eloquent, and always entertained the young masters. Gradually, he also got close to Lu Zhuonian.
He knew the young masters looked down on him, so he worked even harder to please them, working diligently and always being available whenever they called—but the young masters never took him seriously.
They ordered him around, teased him, ridiculed him, and humiliated him.
Chen Zhe encountered all this in the book because his appearance was too outstanding, which caused dissatisfaction among some readers.
They made extensive comments in the chapter where Chen Zhe appeared:
- “The protagonist’s younger brothers are either powerful, influential, or rich. How did Chen Zhe get into the protagonist’s circle of princes? Just because he’s good-looking? Three incorrect views, report it.”
- “Lu Zhuonian is a decisive, cold, and steady person in power, but he allows his friend to bring a useless vase into his circle. This is a serious logical flaw and contradicts his character.”
- “I can already imagine how Chen Zhe will hold back the protagonist in later stages.”
- “I don’t understand the meaning of setting up this frustrating plot.”
- “Chen Zhe is a man who achieved class advancement just because of his good looks. He gained something for nothing, and the values he conveyed were distorted, so he got negative points.”
After receiving a large number of negative reviews, the original author made changes overnight to appease readers. In the new chapter, he explained that the young masters actually only looked at Chen Zhe for fun and did not consider him a friend. He also added a plot where the young masters looked down on Chen Zhe and played tricks on him.
This chapter not only pleased the readers but also unexpectedly received many rewards.
Therefore, the author seemed to have mastered the traffic password, and in the following plot, he often pulled Chen Zhe out to torture him.
Chen Zemian didn’t understand why a person would endure so much inexplicable malice just because of his good looks.
When he was dissecting the structure of the novel, he deliberately put a question mark around this plot.
Later, when discussing it in a meeting, colleagues all laughed and said, “Chen Zhe is so handsome, of course he can’t understand why those people were so hostile.”
Chen Zemian really didn’t understand—and he still doesn’t to this day.
The benefits of good looks are numerous, but no one has ever bullied him because of his good looks.
So why should Chen Zhe bear all this?
Chen Zemian looked at his reflection in the water and cursed all the young masters in the novel who bullied Chen Zhe.
He wasn’t as easy to bully as Chen Zhe. He had plenty of strength and means.
Just as Chen Zemian was swearing silently, he suddenly heard footsteps coming from the end of the corridor and immediately turned to look.
He was a tall and handsome man.
Seeing that it was not Xu Shaoyang and the others, Chen Zemian relaxed and smiled politely.
Lu Zhuonian walked along the corridor and saw Chen Zhe squatting by the koi pond, looking at him with suspicion and wariness in his eyes.
He paused slightly and raised his hand, signaling the bodyguard behind him not to follow.
Chen Zhe hadn’t been in the wealthy circle for long. He was brought in by his good friend Xiao Kesong.
Xiao Kesong often went to a hotel to eat. Chen Zhe worked there. Sometimes when they met, he would help Xiao Kesong park his car, and they became familiar after a few encounters.
Xiao Kesong thought Chen Zhe was handsome, smart, and funny, but anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Chen Zhe was trying to curry favor.
Someone checked and found out that Chen Zhe had given benefits to the security guard in advance. Every time the guard saw Xiao Kesong’s car coming, he would tell Chen Zhe to create an encounter.
Xiao Kesong didn’t care and said, “That’s why I say he’s smart.”
Many people approached Xiao Kesong with ulterior motives, and being able to coax Xiao Kesong into being willing to play with him was a skill.
Lu Zhuonian didn’t say much to Chen Zhe.
They weren’t familiar.
The Beijing Prince Circle, headed by Lu Zhuonian, is notoriously difficult to enter. The same few people always come and go, so when a new face suddenly appears, it is very eye-catching.
Outsiders all thought Chen Zhe was trying to curry favor with Lu Zhuonian, and people like Xu Shaoyang couldn’t afford to offend him, so they targeted Chen Zhe.
Chen Zhe alone wasn’t worthy of Lu Zhuonian’s personal attention, but Xu Shaoyang’s behavior was really despicable. If he hadn’t come today, his opponents would have followed suit in the future, and Chen Zhe would have no peace.
Although Lu Zhuonian was not kind-hearted, he couldn’t just stand by and watch anyone suffer misfortune because of him.
Especially this Chen Zhe… it seemed like he couldn’t stand being bullied.
He stood out a bit.
What is most in demand in the world of fame and fortune is pretty faces.
Lu Zhuonian had seen many beauties, but they were still slightly inferior to Chen Zhe.
Maybe it was because Chen Zhe was drunk and looked different from usual.
He seemed more eye-catching.
He turned his head to look at himself; his back was tense, his eyes bright and dazzling, but his gaze scattered, as if lost in smoke—blurred and distracted. His cheeks and the corners of his eyes were slightly red.
About half a second later, Chen Zhe suddenly smiled at him.
Lu Zhuonian’s Adam’s apple moved slightly.
It was indeed different.
Chen Zhe often smiled at them before, but that smile was cautious and flattering. It was beautiful but also very fake, not as vivid and real as it was now.
When Xiao Kesong mentioned Chen Zhe, he often said that this person was very beautiful and pleasing to the eyes.
When Lu Zhuonian saw him later, he thought he was just so-so.
Seeing each other again today, he had to admit that Xiao Kesong was right.
He was really pleasing to the eyes.
Especially after seeing those ugly guys Xu Shaoyang and Wu Xu, Lu Zhuonian liked Chen Zhe even more.
Xu Shaoyang naturally wouldn’t tell Lu Zhuonian that his bodyguards had been beaten to a pulp by Chen Zhe. He only gritted his teeth and said Chen Zhe had run away, sarcastically adding that Young Master Lu was really generous to bring so many people to find a small minion.
Lu Zhuonian glanced at Wu Xu’s bleeding head and thought Chen Zhe was cautious, but he was forced to hit someone with a wine bottle, which showed how excessive Xu Shaoyang was.
“Did they force you to drink?” Lu Zhuonian’s voice was slightly cold, and his gaze lingered on the wine stains on Chen Zhe’s lapel for two seconds. “Did they do it?”
When Chen Zemian heard someone talking to him, his eyes moved slowly, but his gaze was unfocused.
The man was very patient and asked again, “Did you do it?”
Chen Zemian was like a computer starting up slowly. It took him a long time to say one word: “No.”
Lu Zhuonian was a little amused and asked in a declarative tone, “Then did Wu Xu hit his head and break it?”
Chen Zemian nodded vigorously and said firmly, “Yes.”
“You are drunk,” Lu Zhuonian determined Chen Zhe’s condition with two sentences. He raised his hand and motioned to the bodyguard behind him: “I’ll send someone to take you to the hospital for a check-up.”
Of course, Chen Zemian would not go with a stranger. After a while, he reacted and stared at the tall, handsome man in front of him. Finally, he remembered to ask, “Who are you, handsome guy?”
Lu Zhuonian ignored Chen Zhe’s question and ordered the bodyguard, “Take him to the hospital.”
The bodyguard stepped forward, lowered his head, and replied, “Okay, Mr. Lu.”
“Mr. Lu?”
Hearing this name, Chen Zemian was suddenly startled and almost sobered up. “Lu Zhuonian?!”
He was Lu Zhuonian?
At this moment, the cell phone rang.
Lu Zhuonian looked at his phone, turned, walked through the corridor, and found a quiet place to answer.
It was Xiao Kesong.
“Zhuo Nian, have you picked up the person?” Xiao Kesong had learned that Chen Zhe was taken away by Xu Shaoyang’s men. He originally wanted to look for him in person, but he had something at home and couldn’t leave, so he asked his good friend Lu Zhuonian to handle it. He was a little anxious when he couldn’t get any news. “Is Chen Zhe okay?”
Lu Zhuonian said:
“He looks fine.” Although Xiao Kesong and Lu Zhuonian had known each other for a long time, it was still difficult for him to judge Chen Zhe’s condition with just four words: “I called him just now, but he didn’t answer.”
“He’s drunk.” Lu Zhuonian paused and added, “He’s drunk himself stupid.”
“I’m not stupid.”
Chen Zemian suddenly appeared and leaned over from behind Lu Zhuonian’s shoulder.
Lu Zhuonian’s fingers holding the phone curled up, his pupils contracted slightly, and he turned his head in shock to look at Chen Zemian, who was leaning against the phone.
Chen Zemian narrowed his eyes, trying to focus his gaze to meet Lu Zhuonian’s. He repeated unhappily, “I’m not stupid.”
Lu Zhuonian: “…”
Xiao Kesong heard Chen Zhe’s voice on the other end of the phone and called out, “Chen Zhe?”
Chen Zemian asked with a hint of confusion, “Huh?” and vaguely heard someone calling him. He leaned closer to the phone, pressing his ear directly against the back of Lu Zhuonian’s fingers.
Lu Zhuonian felt as if he had been scalded. He trembled slightly, and his back tensed unconsciously. He didn’t know how to react.
No one had ever been this close.
Lu Zhuonian is averse to physical contact with others. People he is familiar with won’t come this close without regard for consequences, and people he isn’t familiar with won’t even get the chance.
So how did Chen Zhe get here?
What about the bodyguards?
*****
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Author: LazyHermitGal
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