Chapter 6: All for the Sake of Shaping a Persona

Once inside the car, 006 and Li Fan continued their earlier conversation.

They were talking about how not a single person in the Han family was clean… hmm, like a cucumber.

006: 【Han Bingshan is a teacher. He does carry himself with some integrity. Aside from falling in love with his student, he really did keep himself disciplined—never messed around outside.】

【Anyone else? There are so many people in the Han family, but only Han Bingshan is remotely respectable. Being a good guy doesn’t end well—who knows how many green hats he’s been forced to wear by his brothers and father. Say, are you really telling me Han Xuzhou and Su Xian didn’t have anything going on? I’m not buying it.】

Han Xuzhou kept silent, choosing to close his eyes.

006: 【That’s exactly what I was about to tell you—the main villain is clean too. Those rumors in the papers? He deliberately leaked them to shape a public persona. He never touched those women, I can vouch for that.】

Li Fan: “???”

【Gu Lan, Lin Qingqing, Gu Lanyi, who else? Even that young model from a while back—he didn’t touch any of them?】

Li Fan couldn’t help sneaking a glance at Han Xuzhou—not at his face, but lower, at his abdomen.

【Don’t tell me the car accident… injured that place? That’s so pitiful. Only thirty and already… out of commission?】

006: 【He’s the villain of the book! Whether it’s looks, physique, or bodily functions, everything was written to be top-tier. How could he be out of commission?! I suggest you shut up!】

【Tsk tsk, you think I believe that? He’s already thirty…】

Before she could finish mumbling, a national ID card was suddenly shoved into Li Fan’s hand.

She looked down—it was Han Xuzhou’s.

【Tch, even his ID photo looks this good-looking.】

But why was he giving her his ID?

Li Fan quickly put on a polished smile. “Mr. Han, your photo looks great. If you entered showbiz, you’d definitely be a top-tier celebrity. All of Yancheng would—”

Before she could finish, Han Xuzhou suddenly yanked the ID back like he was having a spasm.

Li Fan winced and frowned; when she opened her hand, her palm had been cut.

What a lunatic.

Her smile vanished. No longer in the mood to please him, she closed her eyes to rest.

Han Xuzhou raised an eyebrow and, for once, glanced at her. At last, some peace and quiet.

When they arrived at Xinghua Garden, Li Fan quickly got out of the car, wearing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Take care, Mr. Han.”

【Yeah, take care, get lost quickly, and don’t forget to transfer the money!】

In the next moment, Han Xuzhou said, “I’m sleeping here tonight.”

Li Fan: “……”

006: 【Fan Fan, go for it! Take him down!】

Li Fan’s mouth twitched. She wasn’t crazy.

Even if Han Xuzhou had kept himself pure, their contractual marriage was real, and the humiliation she had suffered over the past year from those rumors was also real.

A year was more than enough to snuff out the little spark she once had.

Sleeping with Han Xuzhou now would only make things messier.

All she wanted was to make some money. In another year, she’d be free like a bird—no more of this crap.

Li Fan quickly put on a smile again. “I’ll go get a room cleaned up, then.”

“I’ll sleep in the master bedroom.”

Li Fan: “……” Dog man.

“I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight, then,” she said with a forced smile.

【Dog man, dog man, dog man, dog man…】

Han Xuzhou half-lidded his eyes. Strangely, her silent curses didn’t annoy him this time—in fact, he even felt a hint of amusement.

He curved his lips. “A contract marriage requires secrecy. You haven’t forgotten that, have you, Miss Li?”

Li Fan froze. Was he saying they had to sleep in the same room tonight?

Fine, whatever—it’s just one night.

With all the temptresses outside, she’d just lure him out tomorrow.

“Alright, Mr. Han, I understand.”

The moment she turned around, her face fell.

【There aren’t any women here to serve him. Doesn’t he feel lonely?】

006: 【I already said, he didn’t sleep with those women…】

【Just because he didn’t go all the way doesn’t mean nothing happened! A man about to hit thirty, you really think he just chatted with them under the covers? Ew… Don’t tell me he’s really impotent?】

Thinking that, Li Fan quickened her pace.

Han Xuzhou’s thin lips pressed together, and he let out a cold laugh.

“Assistant Chen, how old am I this year?”

Chen Ji was taken aback. Han Xuzhou was getting weirder by the day.

“Master Han, you’re 28.”

Han Xuzhou’s expression darkened slightly. At the very least, she should be able to count—he was starting to wonder if Li Fan even went to primary school.

“Master Han, are you really staying at Xinghua Garden tonight?”

Han Xuzhou cast him a bland glance, and Chen Ji tensed up.

He instructed the driver to help Han Xuzhou out of the car and wheel him inside.

On the way, Han Xuzhou’s cold voice rang out in the night.

“Go dig up some dirt…”

On the old man, Han Anhuai, and Su Xian…

As well as all the rumors between Su Xian and the other men of the Han family.

Any one of those scandals could rock the Han family to its core and crash Changyong Group’s stock price.

Chen Ji was shocked, though his face remained calm.

“Master Han, where did you get these…?”

He followed Han Xuzhou around every day, yet hadn’t heard a word of these explosive stories.

Han Xuzhou sneered and said coolly, “You don’t need to know. Just bring me the most direct evidence.”

To have dirt on every member of the Han family in his hand.

The Han family might be rich and powerful, but it was also the filthiest place of all.

“Yes, sir.”

---

Li Fan hadn’t eaten enough at the main house. When she returned, Sister Lan asked if she wanted more food.

She had been thinking maybe a bowl of noodles would do—then she remembered Han Xuzhou.

“I want luosifen, with stinky tofu, marinated pork intestines, and tiger skin chicken feet. And some cilantro—I’ll blanch it myself. For dessert, I’ll have a piece of durian.”

Sister Lan: “……” This ancestor really doesn’t avoid anything.

“Spicy food at night might cause breakouts. Why not wait until tomorrow?”

Li Fan smiled faintly. “I want to eat it now. Also, add some lobster meat—I’ve been craving lobster all day.”

Not even one bite of the lobster she’d been dreaming of.

Sister Lan nodded, then turned to see Chen Ji pushing Han Xuzhou in.

She politely asked, “Would you like anything to eat, sir?”

“No need. I’ll have what the madam is having.”

Sister Lan: “……” Should I tell you what she’s having?

Seeing that Han Xuzhou wasn’t joking, she didn’t say anything more and went into the kitchen.

Li Fan glanced at Chen Ji and smiled. “Assistant Chen, would you like to stay for dinner?”

【Suddenly realizing—Assistant Chen is quite handsome too. Put glasses on him and he’s totally the quiet-bad-boy type. And he’s even willing to spend tens of millions on his girlfriend. What a rare gem of a man… Why can’t I meet someone like that?】

Han Xuzhou’s eyes twitched slightly. Chen Ji? Handsome?

A chill ran down Chen Ji’s spine, and he shuddered.

“No thank you, Madam. I’ve already eaten.”

Truthfully, last time’s “green meal” had traumatized him. He didn’t think he’d be able to eat hot pot again for a while.

Li Fan pouted. “Alright then.”

Han Xuzhou scoffed, surprisingly expressive.

“Assistant Chen, you may leave for the day.”

Chen Ji breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, sir. I’ll head off now.”