The moment Chen Zemian heard Lu Zhuonian say his name, his scalp tingled slightly.
It was as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning, from his skull down to his spine, then to his limbs — every hair on his body trembled.
Names hold great significance for everyone.
Chen Zemian was no exception.
Especially after traveling through the book, he had gained a new identity and a new name. Everyone now called him “Chen Zhe,” and he had grown used to it, as if it were truly his name and his life.
The closer one got to Chen Zhe’s life, the farther they moved from his original world.
No one here should know “Chen Zemian,” and this name shouldn’t even exist.
Yet, Lu Zhuonian’s sudden use of that name was like a spark of lightning, invisibly confirming the existence of “Chen Zemian.”
At that moment, Chen Zemian’s heart surged with countless tangled thoughts. His emotions were complex and indescribable — like waking from a dream, yet feeling even more confused.
Chen Zemian stared at Lu Zhuonian in a daze, saying nothing.
Lu Zhuonian flexed his knuckles skillfully. There was a table nearby, but he didn’t knock on it.
Instead, he raised his hand and tapped Chen Zemian’s forehead. Even in a daze, Chen Zemian’s reflexes were astonishing — he raised his arm and grabbed Lu Zhuonian’s wrist just before the knuckles landed.
Chen Zemian’s fingers felt slightly cold; Lu Zhuonian’s body temperature was warm, making the touch of his fingertips particularly vivid.
Lu Zhuonian’s breathing shifted subtly.
“I…”
Chen Zemian had just started to speak when he suddenly heard footsteps in the corridor.
He quickly released Lu Zhuonian’s hand, tilted his head, and looked vigilantly toward the office door.
As he turned, the red mole on the side of his neck was inevitably exposed.
Lu Zhuonian glanced at it briefly before looking away.
“Someone’s coming,” Chen Zemian whispered.
Lu Zhuonian also lowered his voice. “Why are you so nervous? I didn’t tell you any embarrassing secrets.”
Chen Zemian raised his eyes, looking fierce but weak. “Of course, I don’t have any secrets that can’t be seen by others. If anyone does, it should be you.”
Lu Zhuonian said nothing.
He also heard the footsteps.
A few seconds later, there was a knock on the office door.
Manager Wang’s voice came from outside. “Mr. Lu, a lady named Shen is here looking for Chen Zhe.”
Lu Zhuonian looked at Chen Zemian. “A lady named Shen is here to see you.”
Chen Zemian pointed to his ear. “I’m not deaf, Young Master.”
Manager Wang heard Chen Zhe’s voice and asked. “Xiao Chen, are you busy? Do you have time to meet her? She’s a pretty girl and brought you a small cake. She said she wanted to thank you or something.”
Chen Zemian didn’t know many people surnamed Shen. Hearing this, he immediately knew who it was.
He picked up his phone and checked — sure enough, there was an unread WeChat message from Shen Qingwan.
“It’s Shen Qingwan,” Chen Zemian told Lu Zhuonian. “She came to thank me for the incident at Fanlou last time, and she also brought a small cake.”
Lu Zhuonian pointed to his ear as well. “I’m not deaf.”
Chen Zemian pushed Lu Zhuonian’s hand away. “Don’t imitate me.”
Lu Zhuonian asked, “Do you still have time to see her? There’s going to be a traffic jam at Guang’anmen soon.”
Chen Zemian checked the time. “I’ll go talk to her — it’ll be quick.”
Lu Zhuonian’s face remained expressionless, but the atmosphere around him grew noticeably tense.
Seeing Lu Zhuonian’s change, Chen Zemian suddenly remembered that Shen Qingwan was a popular female supporting character in the original book — deeply in love with the male protagonist and one of his many confidantes.
Last time, because of his involvement, the plot of the hero saving the beauty was disrupted. Originally, Shen Qingwan would have given the hero a small cake to thank him. But now she was coming to see him. When Lu Zhuonian heard Chen Zemian say he was going to see Shen Qingwan, his face changed immediately…
Chen Zemian suddenly understood. “Mr. Lu, are you jealous?”
Lu Zhuonian’s pupils constricted slightly, but his expression didn’t change at all. “Are you crazy?”
Chen Zemian smiled, leaned forward, and asked, “Mr. Lu, do you like Shen Qingwan?”
Lu Zhuonian pressed his palm against Chen Zemian’s forehead and pushed him away. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Chen Zemian thought Lu Zhuonian was just being stubborn and believed he had discovered a secret not even written in the original book. Proudly, he put his hands behind his back and paced the office. “Shen Qingwan is beautiful and has a good personality. It’s normal for you to like her. What’s there to be shy about?”
Lu Zhuonian said, “Which eye of yours tells you I’m shy?”
Chen Zemian couldn’t help but laugh. “Why don’t you look in the mirror and see how red your neck is?”
“…”
As a younger brother, how could he steal his older brother’s sister? Chen Zemian immediately expressed his loyalty. “Don’t worry, I have no interest in Shen Qingwan. From what I’ve observed, she likes you.”
“You observed her…” Lu Zhuonian’s eyes flickered slightly. He swallowed the word “what” and changed the topic. “What did you observe?”
Chen Zemian explained clearly, “She asked you for WeChat, and because she couldn’t see your Moments, she worried you blocked her. If she wasn’t interested, why would she care what you post?”
Lu Zhuonian thought for a moment. “So that’s it.”
Chen Zemian didn’t understand and kindly created an excuse. “How about I say I’m busy and you go get the cake for me?”
Lu Zhuonian instructed, “Just say you asked a friend to help.”
Chen Zemian agreed and lowered his head to reply to Shen Qingwan’s WeChat.
Lu Zhuonian watched Chen Zemian send the message, then picked up the phone on the desk and told the bodyguard, “Go to the front desk, find a lady named Shen Qingwan, send her things to the office, and tell her Chen Zhe asked you to go.”
Chen Zemian looked up, confused. “???”
Lu Zhuonian hung up expressionlessly.
Chen Zemian was puzzled. “Aren’t you going?”
Lu Zhuonian said, matter-of-factly, “Why should I?”
Chen Zemian: “…”
Why not!
He really didn’t understand the male protagonist’s thinking. No wonder the original book didn’t decide on the female protagonist until the end. With Lu Zhuonian’s way of doing things, it would be strange if he could settle on just one.
Chen Zemian sighed quietly. “You’re too slow.”
Lu Zhuonian nearly laughed in frustration. “I’m slow?”
Chen Zemian made a “what else?” face and said confidently, “So many people at school like you, but you’ve never been in a relationship. If it’s not because you’re slow, then what is it?”
Lu Zhuonian said, “I’m not interested in those people.”
Chen Zemian took the opportunity to ask. “Then who are you interested in?”
Lu Zhuonian looked at Chen Zemian and said slowly, “A fool.”
Fool?!
Chen Zemian was shocked. “Is he really a fool?”
Lu Zhuonian thought for a moment. “Anyway, he’s not like normal people.”
Chen Zemian asked cautiously: “How is he different?”
Lu Zhuonian motioned for Chen Zemian to lean closer to his ear.
Chen Zemian approached without hesitation.
As they got closer, the scent behind Chen Zemian’s temples and ears drifted over.
Lu Zhuonian’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, and he forgot what he was going to say.
“What kind of difference?” The fool still asked.
There was a strange hoarseness in Lu Zhuonian’s throat. “Stupid, easy to deceive — you can fool him with just a few words. He’s not on guard and doesn’t understand the danger.”
The more Chen Zemian listened, the more he felt something was off. He looked at Lu Zhuonian.
Lu Zhuonian met his gaze calmly, a subtle expectation rising in his heart.
Chen Zemian frowned. “Is he legally competent?”
“…”
Lu Zhuonian was used to this question. He wasn’t disappointed when Chen Zemian asked again. Instead, he thought it made sense. Too lazy to explain, he leaned back silently and kept his distance.
“Is he legally competent?” Chen Zemian asked again.
After being asked repeatedly, Lu Zhuonian said, “It’s natural to have doubts, but he should be considered so.”
Chen Zemian looked at Lu Zhuonian seriously. “How can he just be considered so? We need to confirm this. You know it’s immoral to deceive people with intellectual disabilities.”
“I know that too well,” Lu Zhuonian turned to Chen Zemian with a strange look. “If it weren’t for my moral bottom line, I would’ve taken him home and locked him up for research.”
Chen Zemian was disappointed. “Research? So your kind of interest is boring.”
Lu Zhuonian chuckled softly and said nothing.
Chen Zemian watched Lu Zhuonian’s expression and started doubting whether he was telling the truth.
After all, Lu Zhuonian had been coming to the shooting gallery often lately. If he had tricked some fool, he’d know.
“You’re not kidding me, are you?” Chen Zemian asked cautiously. “You’re not a medical student — why study people?”
Lu Zhuonian said expressionlessly, “Because my heart is as cold as iron.”
“…”
Chen Zemian was sure Lu Zhuonian was joking.
Hadn’t he said that before? He actually remembered it for so long and even echoed it back to him like a riddle.
At that moment, there was a sudden knock on the door.
The bodyguard entered after permission and brought two boxes of small cakes.
The interruption distracted Chen Zemian from the previous topic. He opened the cake box and asked Lu Zhuonian, “Do you want to try some? Shen Qingwan made them herself.”
Lu Zhuonian shook his head.
Chen Zemian scooped a spoonful into his mouth, and his expression changed.
Lu Zhuonian asked, “It doesn’t taste good?”
Chen Zemian sighed.
It wasn’t that it didn’t taste good — it tasted awful, like a sugar jar had overturned into the cream. The icing was overly sweet and bitter.
How could this happen?
Chen Zemian swallowed the cream and said, “It’s too sweet… not as delicious as I imagined.”
What he really wanted to say was that it wasn’t as good as described in the original text. In the original, Shen Qingwan later opened a dessert shop. With that skill…
Chen Zemian suddenly realized.
No wonder Shen Qingwan had nothing to do every day in the novel except chase after Lu Zhuonian.
It turned out there was no business.
“Let’s go, let’s go to Niujie to buy snacks,” Chen Zemian said as he got up and walked out. He glanced back at the small cake, puzzled. “In the novel, these cakes given as a token of gratitude are all very delicious. Why is mine so sweet?”
Lu Zhuonian asked curiously, “What novel?”
Chen Zemian replied, “It’s a popular male-oriented novel. Many people are reading it; millions are following it.”
Lu Zhuonian nodded, “The market’s choice makes sense. I’ll take a look if I get the chance.”
Chen Zemian admired Lu Zhuonian’s openness.
Lu Zhuonian was a leader who stood out even among elite education circles and possessed all the qualities required of an excellent heir.
He was noble but not arrogant; well-read but not pretentious.
He read philosophy, such as Plato’s Republic; finance, such as The Great Crash of 1929 and How to Choose Growth Stocks; and literature, such as Faust and Wuthering Heights.
But despite reading many famous works, he never despised relatively low-quality online novels. Instead, he adopted a learning attitude, recognizing the market’s choice and trying to understand its direction.
Such a person would succeed in whatever he did, whether he was the protagonist or not.
At the same time, Chen Zemian was very happy to find someone to follow the latest news with him and immediately recommended a male-oriented cool novel he was reading recently.
Lu Zhuonian took out his cell phone and searched the article’s name. “Is it this one?”
Chen Zemian said, “Yes.”
Lu Zhuonian opened the door of the Pagani and sat directly in the passenger seat. “Then you drive. I want to read this novel.”
“…”
Chen Zemian hesitated, “Do you want to drive this car?”
Lu Zhuonian put on his anti-dizziness glasses and clicked on the novel. “Any questions?”
Chen Zemian sat in the driver’s seat and pulled on the seat belt. “I’ve never driven such an expensive car before. I’m a little nervous.”
Lu Zhuonian turned a page of the novel without looking up. “I have a more expensive one.”
Chen Zemian’s hand paused slightly as he shifted the gear and turned to look at Lu Zhuonian. “What’s the main point you want to express with that sentence?”
Lu Zhuonian said calmly, “I’ll drive that one for you tomorrow. Once you get used to driving that one, you won’t think this car is expensive.”
“Mr. Lu, can you stop teasing me?” Chen Zemian slammed on the brakes. “Fasten your seat belt, the warning light is flashing.”
Lu Zhuonian took out a seat belt buckle from somewhere and inserted it into the socket: “No more flashing.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Chen Zemian pulled out the buckle and threw it back into the storage box. Then he leaned forward and grabbed the passenger seat belt to fasten it for Young Master Lu. “You are more valuable than this car. If you scratch the car, there’s an insurance company. If I hurt you, I can only die to apologize.”
Lu Zhuonian glanced at the speedometer. “At your current speed, let alone me sitting in the car, even if I stood in front of it, I’d at most fall over.”
Chen Zemian said nothing but secretly retorted in his heart. If you stand in front, I’ll definitely knock you away.
It was his first time driving a luxury car worth tens of millions, and he was already nervous. Lu Zhuonian kept messing with his mindset, so he drove even slower.
It took nearly ten minutes for the Pagani to glide out of the shooting range at a speed of 15 miles per hour.
Lu Zhuonian took off his anti-dizziness glasses.
Chen Zemian looked straight ahead. “You don’t want to watch?”
Lu Zhuonian said, “I do.”
Chen Zemian asked, “Then why take off your glasses?”
Lu Zhuonian said calmly, “You won’t feel dizzy without glasses at this speed, but you will feel dizzy with them.”
This was naked mockery.
Chen Zemian stepped on the accelerator angrily, and the Pagani Fengshen’s long-suppressed engine roared and rushed out.
*****
At night, Xiao Kesong heard the sound of the Pagani engine downstairs and thought it was Lu Zhuonian.
The car was Lu Zhuonian’s, but the person who got out of the driver’s seat was Chen Zemian.
Chen Zemian sent a WeChat message to Xiao Kesong, saying, “Mr. Xiao, come down and get the midnight snack.”
Xiao Kesong opened the villa door. “Do I really need a WeChat message for this, Mr. Chen? As soon as you drove this car in, the whole community knew. Zhuonian actually gave you this car?”
Chen Zemian took the midnight snack from the car. “Mr. Lu said this license plate has been recorded in your community. You don’t need to register when you drive in, so it’s convenient to send you the midnight snack.”
Xiao Kesong was still a little dazed and said in disbelief, “He really gave you this car?”
“…”
Chen Zemian stuffed the midnight snack to Xiao Kesong. “Eat it while it’s hot, Mr. Xiao. I’m going back first.”
Xiao Kesong glanced at the Pagani Huayra. “Come on, stop calling me Mr. Xiao. You’re driving Zhuonian’s Huayra; I should call you Mr. Chen.”
“Stop teasing me,” Chen Zemian crossed his arms and looked at Xiao Kesong: “If I don’t call you Mr. Xiao, what else should I call you? You’re my boss.”
Xiao Kesong said, “Now that your boss is old, you can just call me by my name like your boss.”
Chen Zemian smiled and said, “Okay.”
Xiao Kesong raised his head and looked at Chen Zemian vigilantly. “I know what you’re laughing at. There’s a kind of bread called croissant. You’re laughing at that.”
Chen Zemian talked nonsense without thinking. “How could that be? I’m laughing because I’m honored to have the chance to call Young Master Xiao by his full name. Is there a kind of bread called croissant? What kind of bread?”
Xiao Kesong thought Chen Zemian really didn’t know, and took out his phone to show him pictures.
Chen Zemian held back his laughter as he finished reading and commented, “Isn’t this just a big croissant?”
Xiao Kesong seemed to have met a bosom friend and was indignant. “Yes, it’s a big croissant. I don’t understand why it has to be called a croissant and can’t be called a Croissant Pro.”
Chen Zemian shared his common hatred. “Yeah, it’s true. It actually stole your name. This croissant is really a bad bread.”
“It’s very bad,” Xiao Kesong echoed, then quickly reacted. “Hey? What bad bread? Are you playing tricks on me?”
Chen Zemian nodded. “Yes.”
Xiao Kesong didn’t expect Chen Zemian to admit it. He was stunned for two seconds and was so angry he pinched his neck. “You dare admit it!”
Chen Zemian shrank his neck and applied for a truce. “Okay, okay, stop making trouble. Hurry up and eat your midnight snack. I’m leaving. I have a patent application to write tonight.”
“You’re busy all day long.” Xiao Kesong pulled out a skewer from a paper bag. “Your game has reached the stage of applying for a patent? That’s pretty fast.”
Chen Zemian said, “How fast? We’ve only just completed the first round of closed beta testing, which is much slower than I planned.”
Xiao Kesong inserted another vegetarian meatball. “Then hurry up, I’m still waiting to play.”
Chen Zemian nodded. “No problem. I’ll send you an invitation code during the closed beta testing phase.”
After the first round of closed beta testing, the team improved the game based on data feedback, repaired bugs, optimized design and fun, and increased the budget for each stage.
Now the core mechanics run smoothly, but the budget is seriously overdrawn. Chen Zemian hesitated whether to sell it as is or continue expanding content, adding levels and characters, then raising the price.
Xiao Kesong was more direct. “Why don’t you just start a game company yourself?”
Chen Zemian rubbed his forehead. “It’s too expensive. I don’t know any big investors, so there’s no place to get funding.”
Xiao Kesong put his arm around Chen Zemian’s shoulders and gestured toward the Pagani. “You’re already driving a Huayra. Are you still afraid you can’t get investment?”
Chen Zemian looked at the supercar shining in the moonlight. “It’s not my car. There’s only one modified purple Huayra in Beijing. Everyone knows this car belongs to Mr. Lu.”
Xiao Kesong tilted his head, leaned on Chen Zemian’s shoulder, and repeated meaningfully, “Yes, everyone knows that this car belongs to Mr. Lu.”
Because he knew the car’s owner was Lu Zhuonian, he gave Chen Zemian more face.
There are many rich people in China, and Beijing is home to many. Many can afford a Pagani, but none are Lu Zhuonian.
Lu Zhuonian is so difficult to approach. Would he just give his beloved car to an unimportant person?
Xiao Kesong said angrily, “You worked so hard to be his younger brother, and this is what he gives you in return? Don’t you know how to bully others? You even need me to teach you?”
Chen Zemian really didn’t expect this and finally understood why Xiao Kesong was so surprised, repeating twice. “He really gave you this car.”
The main reason was that Chen Zemian was used to driving for young masters and saw it as an ordinary designated driving job, ignoring the special meaning behind this Pagani Huayra.
Just to accept a younger brother, is it necessary to make such a big fuss?
This is not Lu Zhuonian’s style.
Chen Zemian hesitated and said, “Could it be that we’re overthinking this?”
Is his friendship with Lu Zhuonian really that deep?
Didn’t Lu Zhuonian seem annoyed when he saw me earlier?
Xiao Kesong rolled his eyes. “He’s sick and looks at everyone with a dead face. You don’t have to care about him. If he really wanted to annoy you, you wouldn’t even get a chance to appear in front of him.”
It’s true.
In the original book, Lu Zhuonian is calm and reserved; his emotions don’t show on his face. Even those around him find it difficult to tell what he likes or dislikes.
At the same time, he is clear about rewards and punishments, good at winning people’s hearts, and very considerate to his younger brothers. He gives money, connections, power, and resources to conquer a group of talented younger brothers who support and follow him.
In comparison, it is not surprising that Lu Zhuonian gave him the right to use a Pagani.
This is an extremely smart move to maximize benefits — It can win people over without really paying anything.
It fits Chen Zemian’s impression of Lu Zhuonian’s cunning behavior.
“It’s like he arranged for me to work at the shooting range, ostensibly paying me a salary, but actually secretly making money off me.”
Once bitten by a snake, you fear the rope for ten years.
Chen Zemian analyzed cautiously. “Although this car was lent to me, if he wants it back, it’s just a word. I have to be his driver, refuel, wash the car, and maintain it… He didn’t just give me a car; he gave me an ancestor.”
“Are you really stupid or just pretending to be stupid?”
Xiao Kesong glanced at Chen Zemian speechlessly, his tone very firm. “He is telling everyone: you are under his protection.”
*****
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