Release that Man

Everyone in the upper society knew that the Yao family’s Yao Zhixing had the achievement called the ‘Feared Undresser’. It was better for females because no matter what, he had to give them some face, but if it was a male, there was no reason to be kind. After a beating, the man would be undressed completely and dropped right in the middle of the busy city.

The day that Yao Zhixing unlocked this skill was at his own sixth birthday party. Thinking back to that day when so many little boys were naked and crying together, it was truly a sight to behold.

After that first battle that solidified his position, Yao Zhixing realized how powerful this skill was, and he had not stopped cultivating this skill, never looking back since.

His parents had been too late to stop him. Furthermore, they thought that if their son was stronger, he would not be so easily bullied, so they had let him be and allowed him to grow on his own. When they finally realized that something was wrong and tried to stop Yao Zhixing, it was already too late. Many times, things in the past were nothing but tears.

Mother Yao and Father Yao were sitting in the living room, watching the television. Sister Yao woke up late since she had been worried about her brother and spent much of the time yesterday looking after him. Just as she was descending the stairs from her own bedroom on the second floor, the three members of the Yao family heard the pitiful screams coming from Yao Zhixing’s room.

“What is Zhixing up to now?” Mother Yao glanced up the stairs with worry in her eyes. “Xiao Shuang is still up there. Doesn’t he know to cool it down?”

Father Yao sighed and said, “He’s probably undressing someone.”

Some time later, there was a half-naked man that was dragged out of the second floor. It was unclear which part of the city this unlucky soul would be deposited. Even though Father Ye did not approve of his son’s punishment method, considering that Ye Shuang had said that this was the person who used his bike to injure his son, Father Yao decided to ignore it this time.

Dare to injure my son? Good, you deserve all that you get!

Thinking about this, Father Yao calmed down again and consoled his wife, “It’s fine. Xiao Shuang is a clever child, and she is already so familiar with Zhixing, so she must know our son’s personality.”

Sister Yao’s step that carried her to the sofa paused. She felt like the obedient expression on her face was slipping. A clever child? He he…

A while later, a very thin man that was stripped until he was in his underwear was dragged out from Yao Zhixing’s room. The man’s body was already injured, and the face was filled with bruises. The stripping revealed his undernourished body, so one could imagine how embarrassing this situation was for the man.

Father Yao’s eyes looked at the embarrassed man for about half a minute. The latter had his head so lowered that it felt like he was trying to push his head into his chest. After some time, Father Yao sighed and waved at the bodyguard. “Take him away, it’s fine this time.”

But with his gaze he said, Stop helping my son do stuff like this.

The bodyguard was calm. He picked up the man by the back of his neck and left the room to take the car. Mother Yao could not help herself from glancing up the stairs and asking, “Where’s Xiao Shuang?”

“Probably chatting with our son,” Father Yao said casually. “This Xiao Han is also one thing. Why would he call Xiao Shuang, a girl, to drag the man here? Isn’t he afraid that something might happen on the way here? Oh, by the way, have the maid go upstairs to inform Xiao Shuang to stay for lunch before going back home.”

“Why should we trouble the maid? I’ll go myself. I can even use this opportunity to check up on them.” Mother Yao tossed the mandarin peel away, slapped her hands clean, and stood up.

Father Yao nodded. “Okay, go and see what Xiao Shuang is up to.”

Then, he could not stop himself from adding, “Even if the child wants to strip people, at least have Xiao Shuang leave the room first. Doesn’t he realize Xiao Shuang is a girl?”

Considering Ye Shuang’s explosive power and hearing how her father was afraid for her safety, Sister Yao only had a sense of anguish in her heart.

Just as Mother Yao was going upstairs to check how her son was interacting with the girl, Yao Zhixing was enjoying the meal that Ye Shuang had brought over in a thermos. Even though it was inconvenient to do stuff with just a single hand, a small table was placed on his bed, and with just the right hand and a spoon, it was more than enough.

It was pig’s feet soup that was inside thermos. The meat had been cooked until the soup was milky white. It looked clear, but the taste was thick. Floating on the surface of the soup were several mushroom pieces, and they had soaked up the soup.

The meat was chopped into edible sizes, and they were poking through the soup. When they were lifted out from the soup, the pig’s skin was like a layer of half-invisible soup that was stuck to the meat. The fat melted on the tongue, but it was not disgusting to taste.

Each of the peanuts inside the soup was soaked until it was soft in cold water. Then, they were cooked together with the pig’s feet. One only needed to push them with the tongue to digest them. The texture was similar to the meat, and the flavors complimented one another perfectly.

When Ye Shuang took out the thermos and opened the lid, the delicious smell had spread through the room. Yao Zhixing had instantly lost interest in dealing with this Brother Cheng. He had waved his hand to have the bodyguard strip the rest of the man’s clothes and haul him out of the room. After that, he had started to enjoy the soup in thermos without even raising his head.

Ye Shuang sat to the side, and as she helped hold the table and thermos, she filled Yao Zhixing in on the results of her investigation so far.

“Meaning I’m just a collateral damage?” Hearing that, Yao Zhixing finally raised his head. “Tsk.”

He pulled out a napkin from his side and used it to wipe his mouth. With a raised brow, he muttered in an annoyed tone, “I thought it was my enemies that were after me, but at the end of the day, it is because someone wanted to use me to stir the pot?”

“Brother Han also told me to come relay his… apology to you.” Ye Shuang thought about it and changed the original ‘condolences’ to something more palatable. “This thing is indeed an accident, but it does not change the fact that the b*stard son was indeed targeting you. Xu He just happened to find the opening that he needed at the most correct time.”

“You have a point.” Yao Zhixing took a sip of the soup. “It’s just adding one more individual to the party. The fact is, even without Xu He, that b*stard would still have found a way to come after me… Tsk! I still don’t like it. I have to counter somehow.”

“That’s your call.” Ye Shuang shrugged.

Yao Zhixing finished the rest of the soup in two or three gulps. He even sucked on the meat. He wiped his mouth and changed the topic. “This soup is not bad, but how come you didn’t cook some bone soup?”

“Don’t they say you are what you eat?” Ye Shuang smiled. Her eyes moved from the bones that were piled up on the table to the man’s broken arm. “Your arm is broken, so I purposely chose a pig’s front feet.”

“…” Yao Zhixing.

Seeing the stunted expression on Yao Zhixing’s face, Ye Shuang could not help but laugh. “I’m just kidding. The pig’s feet were on sale at the market yesterday, so I bought some when I was out shopping. They were quite fresh. I’ll cook something else for you later.”

Mother Yao pushed the door open and walked in when the two were laughing and joking. Seeing how warm this whole scene was, she felt quite relieved. After seeing the empty thermos that was placed in front of her son, the warmth in her eyes glowed even more.

Following lunch with the Yao family, Ye Shuang left the house under the warmth-filled gaze of Mother Yao and Father Yao. Until the end, Ye Shuang had no idea why the two were so happy. Their own son’s arm had just been broken—a normal person should not be so excited.

After finishing her job at Yao Zhixing’s, Han Chu went to liaise with the b*stard son while Ye Shuang was tasked to handle Zhou Yue. Therefore, Ye Shuang had another place to rush to.

No matter what, he had been framed, so Ye Shuang ought to explain to Zhou Yue what had happened. Naturally, if he was willing to come help muddy the water, then it would be best. Therefore, after leaving the Yao family, Ye Shuang went to visit Uncle Zhou. She had dinner with the Zhou family, and during dinner, she revealed some choice information to Zhou Yue.

She did not need to go into details. All she needed to do was to pass him back the bracelet and say that someone purposely dropped that where Yao Zhixing was assaulted. With Zhou Yue’s brilliance, he would figure out the rest on his own; there was no need for Ye Shuang to explain the rest.

When she arrived home that night, Han Chu came over with his laptop. He also brought with him a new job. “There’s a case that needs a butler. He is supposed to be a good fighter, know business management, and have good mannerism. The weekly salary is 50,000, the contract is for a week, and his lips must be sealed.”

Ye Shuang took a sip of water, removed her jacket, and sat down before asking, “What kind of work is this for? A normal butler would not that many requirements, right?”

Han Chu glanced at her, pulled up the email that he had received, and forwarded it to Ye Shuang’s phone. When the girl was reading it on her phone, he added the explanation. “it’s a classic Cinderella story. A young master has fallen in love with a common girl, but the family will not approve of her background, so the young man plans to package the girl as a famous second-generation young lady who has just returned from overseas. The butler might need to be a bodyguard because the young master has a little brother who is very naughty. He once caused a maid’s eardrums to tear with a nasty prank.”

The requirement for knowledge of upper society mannerisms did not need to be explained. If the butler showed that he was from a good background, it would create the impression that the girl was too. Other than that, the butler also needed to find a make-up artist and stylist to work with the girl and even help the girl manage the business that the man’s family might send their way. This was in consideration of the fact that the man’s family might come up with a trial for the girl.

Ye Shuang moved her finger and quickly finished reading the email. Then she sighed. “Good fighter, knows business management, and even familiar with all the decorum… That sure is impossible. If there is someone so good at their job, why would they not reach for something greater but settle as someone’s butler for a mere 50,000? Do you want me to go online and buy him a spell circle to see whether we can help him summon a Sebastian?”

“The person only needs to look the part. He only needs to know about the basics so that he will not make a scene of himself.” Han Chu sat on the sofa and loosened his tie. “There’s no need for him to be perfect; he only needs to be passable.”

Ye Shuang scanned through the various candidates in the talent storage and shook her head. “That’s not possible. Actually, I think the main criteria is that the man knows how to act and cheat. Certain things can be faked, as long as the acting is good enough. Good fighter can even be ignored, as long as the man knows what to do and what not to do.”

In other words, being observant was the most important criteria; the other requirements were not so serious.

“Then, you go and find someone that can fake it.” Han Chu shrugged. “As long as you think that the man can complete the contract, I’m fine with it. How he goes about completing the contract, I have no comments.”

“Even so, that is not that easy to find. Even though this is just a rich family near the coal mining village, they are ultimately a family of business people—it will not be easy to trick them.” Ye Shuang was in the middle of a headache when her phone rang.

She glanced at her phone and saw that it was an unregistered number. “Hello, this is Ye Shuang. I’m sorry, but who is calling?”

“I’m Xu Jian.” Xu Jian’s voice came from the phone, and he sounded confident like the young man who had just graduated from college. “Xiao Shuang‽ I found a new job, and I just wanted to call to tell you that. Other than that, I’m going back to San Lin City for a holiday for the next few days. Are you free tomorrow? We…”

“Xu Jian‽” Ye Shuang almost jumped up from her seat in happiness. She suddenly realized that she had the perfect candidate. “I have a part time job that you might be interested in. There is no need for actual qualifications as long as you know how to fake it! One week for 50,000, and I’ll take a thirty percent commission!”

Xu Jian frowned. How come this sounds so similar to when Uncle called me up for that valuable job‽

…

One hour later, Xu Jian arrived at Ye Shuang’s apartment, following the address that he had gotten on the phone. He looked so hesitant and nervous.

Han Chu was still in the living room with his head lowered at the laptop. He was typing something. Ye Shuang had changed into a casual outfit and was cooking leisurely. When she heard the doorbell, she quickly went to open the door and welcomed the man into the room. She offered Xu Jian a pair of slippers. “I’m making supper. Why don’t you stay to join us?”

“Er, okay.” Xu Jian revealed an awkward smile. After he got through the door and entered the room, Xu Jian looked at the interior design. He could not help but sigh. When he was still at An Corps, he could be said to be at the height of his life, a winner in life. However, the few times that he had sent Ye Shuang home, he had failed to get the girl’s approval to come up to her place. Now that he was down on his luck and found a position for a normal employee in another district, when the difference between him and Ye Shuang was so big, he had the chance to come here.

Ye Shuang felt down for a while before following Ye Shuang into the dining room to sit down. Han Chu, who had been working on his laptop on the sofa, finally raised his head. He glanced at Xu Jian and walked over to sit down and ask Ye Shuang, “Is this the man?”

“Brother Han probably has not seen him in person before, right? This is Xu Jian.” Ye Shuang made the introduction with a smile before going into the kitchen to fetch the cooked food. “Shall we talk over supper?”

“I’ve seen him before.” Han Chu nodded as he picked up the chopsticks. He picked up a mushroom and chewed it in his mouth as he accepted the bowl of rice from Ye Shuang. He swallowed and added, “Even though I’ve not seen the man before, with the addition to the profile, his picture is on it.”

Ye Shuang understood it instantly and knew what this profile that Han Chu was referring to was.

The Xi Hwa Organization’s information had a specific folder in Han Chu’s computer. Other than the various online registration and accounts of the organization’s companies within the country, it naturally also included the profiles of the employees who had been investigated and studied. As the worker from the organization that first appeared in San Lin City, Xu Jian’s profile was included. Even though he looked like he had already quitted the job, Han Chu still kept his profile.

Xu Jian accepted the bowl of rice from Ye Shuang and gave her his thanks. He looked at the two with confusion. He had no idea what they were talking about. Ye Shuang sat down at the dining table and picked at a piece of chicken with a smile. “Xu Jian might not know Brother Han. He’s not from San Lin City, so the information you got from your uncle probably would not have his details.”

Xu Jian was feeling awkward. It did not feel nice to have his dark history exposed like that.

“Brother Han is from Beijing, and he’s a headhunter. Hmm, if I put it this way, you’ll probably understand the relationship already. The current CEO working at An Corps is one of his people.” Ye Shuang smiled like this was nothing. It was as if she did not realize that, before this, they were technically in opposite camps.

Then again, she really had forgotten about that. Since she did not mind it, why should Han Chu, the character who was only indirectly related to the situation, feel awkward?

After Xu Jian heard that, he felt even more conflicted. He looked at Han Chu’s calm demeanor, and he really did not know what to think. Is this man really that hard to grasp, or has he no idea of my history? No, that shouldn’t be it. He has just mentioned he has my profile, so he has to know me. In that case, I can only say this man’s heart is too stable.

In comparison, Xu Jian, who was acting so flustered, was in a losing battle with Han Chu. Han Chu glanced at Ye Shuang and casually added a fatal blow. “You forgot to tell him, you’re my agent. You’re the one responsible for the cases at San Lin City, including the earlier investigation and cleansing of the internal problem at An Corps…”

Since when did the world become so cruel? It was false to say that Xu Jian was okay when he was beaten down and dragged from the top right down to the bottom. However, since making the decision to leave San Lin City, these things had not really been that important to him anymore. Even if there was no Ye Shuang, there would be someone else.

He had been doing something illegal, so it was only a matter of time before karma caught up to him. Since he had already done the deed, he had prepared to deal with the repercussions. Therefore, after hearing the revelation from Han Chu, Xu Jian was only wrecked by disappointment and disbelief for that split second before he recovered. Then, he sighed and said self-deprecatingly, “No wonder I lost so badly back then. I lost to Xiao Shuang’s beauty trap.”

“I don’t think you’ll be able to pretend like you’re not interested in woman for the rest of your life.” Ye Shuang chided him, and this surprisingly light attitude helped Xu Jian put down many grievances from the past.

“But all that is not important anymore.” Ye Shuang was not influenced by the atmosphere at the dining table at all. As she ate, she gestured. “It’s like this. Brother Han has just received a case, and it is just around the edge of San Lin City, so it has fallen into my hands. Long story short, I need someone to play the role of a butler, and the person has to be as professional as he can be. He has to make it seem like his master—who is in reality just a normal girl—is a socialite from a powerful family.”

“Why are you telling me that?” Xu Jian was confused. He thought about it and asked, “Don’t tell me you want to offer me this job?”

“Well, you have the job experience already. This is perfect for you.” Ye Shuang frowned. “You were such a good actor back then.”

Is she serious about this? Or is she mocking me?

Xu Jian looked at Ye Shuang seriously, and after he realized that she was really sincere in offering him this job, he answered with some hesitation. “This… It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but I’ve already decided not to do anything like that anymore. This is a corporate crime, and before this, I was blinded by greed, but…”

Xu Jian was worried. He did not understand why Ye Shuang would get involved with something like this.

Han Chu ate a piece of fish and raised his head to ask, “Why is this a corporate crime?”

Then he continued to explain the situation. “This is a love story between a young master and his Cinderella. He just wanted to make a play for his family because he is afraid that they will object to his relationship. It was the man who gave us the request, so there is no cheating involved.”

Since it was the son that wanted to cheat his parents, then the son was the one with the mistake—this had nothing to do with the employees that were hired. Xu Jian choked on such a reason. He really did not expect that there would be a son who would cooperate with outsiders to trick his own parents…

“But I…” Xu Jian stammered like he was still undecided.

Ye Shuang slammed her palm on the table and asked, “Will you do it or not‽”

“…Fine.”

After dragging Xu Jian on board, the atmosphere at the table lightened. Since he had already promised it, Xu Jian decided to let bygones be bygones. After all, what Ye Shuang asked him to do was different from what his uncle had told him to. The former was to help the client put up a front, but the latter was to steal other people’s company secrets. The job scope was technically the same, but the setting was completely different, and that made these two separate jobs.

Xu Jian left after supper. Han Chu copied Xu Jian’s profile and added it to the talent storage. Then he looked at Ye Shuang rather speechlessly. “You sure know how to recycle.”

“One has to find the correct space to work to live up to one’s full potential.” Ye Shuang smiled. “If Xu Jian was not so old already, I think he’d be a good actor.”

At least he already knew how to act like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Ye Shuang did not mean that in a bad way. So many actors would waste away their whole lives without finding out their designated role.

After confirming the case member, they continued to discuss the actual working hours and details like how Xu Jian should connect with the client, the things that he should pay attention to during the contract, and the details of the money transaction.

Han Chu taught Ye Shuang how to come up with the draft for the contract. As he replied to the client, he copied the email and forward it to the Ye Shuang. About one hour later, when Han Chu was confirming the details with Ye Shuang, Ye Shuang suddenly stood up and went into the bedroom.

Han Chu was beyond confused. About ten minutes later, Brother Shuang walked out from the bedroom after changing into the male outfit. Brother Shuang’s smile could melt snow, and she calmly took the space that she had vacated earlier. “Sorry, had to go change for a minute. Brother Han, have you already completed the contract? If there’s no problem, should I mail it to the client now?”

Even though he had found out certain truths, Han Chu still thought that the girl should act accordingly around him—at the very least, she should not commit to such… insane activities… in his presence. She should act like an actual woman.

He needed time to get used to this.