Chapter 1: The Green Hat
Yin Chengjue, the eldest young master of the Yin Group, was a good-for-nothing playboy—a typical of embroidered pillow, living off his father's wealth. Aside from his handsome face, he was utterly worthless.
[绣花枕头 (xiù huā zhěn tou): lit. embroidered pillow; fig. someone who looks good but is useless.]
He was the template, the archetype, the standard for the rich second-generation circle in City A. Whenever people wanted to gossip about the chaos in the wealthy heirs' circle over drinks or dinner, his name was bound to come up, as if discussing him could make the wine taste better or the rice more satisfying.
But Yin Chengjue himself didn’t care how others slandered him—or rather, he was used to it.
So whenever he overheard such remarks in bars or at banquets, Young Master Yin would have the waiters send those people a barrel of wine or a bucket of rice, letting them drink, eat, and chat to their hearts' content.
However, today, Yin Chengjue was in a good mood. So when he was smoking on a balcony and accidentally overheard someone behind him discussing "A Hundred Ways Young Master Yin Squanders His Family Fortune," he merely strode over with his long legs, standing before the three gossipers and tilting his head slightly to look down at them from his towering height of 1.91 meters.
"Hey~ Have you seen my pets? They were just here."
The three gossiping men only then realized Yin Chengjue was standing right behind them. Instantly, cold sweat drenched their backs, their hairs standing on end as they shook their heads in unison.
"N-no, we haven’t."
"What kind of pets does Young Master Yin have? Should we help you look for them?"
Yin Chengjue waved his hand. "Ah, never mind. They’re not rare or anything, just some very special turtles."
"Special turtles?"
Yin Chengjue slipped his hands into his pockets and leaned forward slightly, as if sharing a secret. "Those three turtles… they can nod and shake their heads. Isn’t that fascinating?"
"Ah, that really is…" The three instinctively nodded before freezing, their faces instantly turning ashen.
Yin Chengjue straightened up and raised a finger to his lips. "Shh! Quiet!"
Not daring to provoke him outright, the three could only force stiff smiles.
Yin Chengjue cupped a hand to his ear. "I think I hear the turtles calling. I’d better go find them. You three keep chatting."
With that, Yin Chengjue swaggered off, leaving the three behind, unsure whether to speak or stay silent. They could only curse under their breaths before returning to the banquet.
Yin Chengjue hated these kinds of banquets. The so-called theme was just an excuse—in reality, it was just a gathering of self-important people forming cliques, smiling as they discussed the scandals of other families, then clinking glasses over the gossip and sipping their wine with feigned elegance.
And nine times out of ten, the topic of discussion was how the heir of the Yin Group was utterly useless, spending his days lavishing money on actors and squandering the family fortune.
If Feng Chengda hadn’t dangled that villa in Xishan District as bait, Yin Chengjue wouldn’t have bothered showing up to this nonsense.
But he had only agreed to come—not to stay for long. So after making a quick round at the banquet, he left.
Today was Ming Qian’s birthday. He had planned a grand surprise for him half a month ago, how could he let a boring banquet waste his time?
"Boss, the 999 roses I ordered earlier." Yin Chengjue pulled up to a flower shop and rolled down the window.
The shop owner, an uncle, immediately recognized his big-spending customer and directed his staff to load the roses into Yin Chengjue’s car.
"Young Master Yin, with this kind of setup—are you planning to propose?" The owner was the chatty type who could strike up a conversation with anyone.
Yin Chengjue instinctively touched the small box in his pants pocket, raising an eyebrow. His handsome, unrestrained face radiated unmistakable joy. "Yeah. Got any discounts for me, boss?"
"Hahaha, I doubt Young Master Yin would care about our little discounts." Despite his words, the owner went back inside and returned with a single, vividly red rose. Unlike the others, its petals were layered into the shape of a heart, adorned with dewdrops. It was carefully wrapped and tied with a red ribbon.
"This is a new variety we’ve been cultivating. It’s rare to get a few good ones. Hope you don’t mind it, Young Master Yin."
"Not at all. It’s beautiful. Thanks—I’ll come back to order flowers for the wedding." Yin Chengjue took the rose, deciding to give it to Ming Qian first.
The owner laughed heartily. "Young Master Yin is very confident it’ll work out, huh?"
"Of course!"
After parking in his residential complex’s garage, Yin Chengjue held the rose and adjusted his suit in the car mirror before stepping into the elevator and pressing the button for the 16th floor.
As the elevator ascended, a flicker of nervousness struck him, but it was quickly washed away by boundless anticipation for the future.
Ding! The elevator arrived. Yin Chengjue straightened his suit once more, strode out confidently, and fished out a card from his pocket, swiping it lightly against the door.
Beep. The lock clicked open. Yin Chengjue deliberately pushed the door open quietly, wanting to surprise Ming Qian.
But at that moment—
A sticky, breathy moan reached his ears, accompanied by rhythmic creaking sounds, instantly nailing his feet to the floor.
From the doorway to the floor, clothes were strewn everywhere—jackets, ties, shirts, pants, even underwear.
The door faced the side of the sofa, giving Yin Chengjue a crystal-clear view of everything happening on it.
It was the perfect angle—the kind often used in those short films starring just two or three people.
Because it was clear. Because it was impactful.
Yin Chengjue clenched the rose in his hand, forcing himself to speak in the coldest voice possible.
"Ming. Qian."
The two people on the sofa froze instantly, as if time had stopped at that moment.
Then, Yin Chengjue saw the man who had been pinned under the other man sit up in panic, seemingly trying to grab clothes to cover himself but only managing to snatch a pair of underwear hanging on the sofa. He could only look at Yin Chengjue with an awkward expression and say, "Chengjue, let me explain—"
"Ugh!—"
Yin Chengjue finally couldn't hold back anymore. Holding onto the doorframe, he clutched his stomach and vomited violently.
This bout of vomiting truly turned his world upside down, his head splitting with pain.
The acidic bile surging from his stomach rushed straight up his throat, burning so intensely that his entire esophagus ached!
!!!!!!!
Yin Chengjue suddenly opened his eyes, only to find himself lying in bed, surrounded by complete darkness. The only sound was his own ragged breathing, and the lingering sour taste in his mouth once again reminded him—he had that dream again.
He had once again dreamed of that night, the one that disgusted him the most.
Because after that, his entire life before his rebirth underwent earth-shaking changes.
Hmm, well it seems to be an interesting start?
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