The bed beneath him felt excessively soft. Yu Baihan couldn’t determine how long he had been sleeping until a monotone voice awakened him.
“Who put you in bed?”
Gradually emerging from a half-dream, half-awake state, he opened his eyes.
Overhead lights illuminated the opulent and spacious bedroom, accentuating the luxurious and intricate decor. Beside the large, dark blue bed in the center of the room stood a tall figure, peering down at him.
In the luminous aura, the man before him exuded an ethereal charm, with sharp eyebrows, slender red lips, and an air of authority that made him irresistibly captivating, resembling an ink painting come to life.
Yu Baihan couldn’t help but momentarily succumb to the bewitching effect of his stunning appearance.
As expected, he found himself inside a novel’s world, seemingly embodied as a character.
The novel, titled “The Wind and Cloud in the Business World,” revolved around the Si family’s rise to power in the cutthroat world of business and their rival, the Lu family, who played a significant role in the narrative.
In a bid to destroy their arch-enemy, Lu Huan, the Si family orchestrated a fake marriage, using Si Baihan, the seemingly obedient and disregarded “little trash” of the family, as a pawn. They manipulated Si Baihan into stealing documents, spreading false information, and sowing discord to ultimately dismantle the formidable Lu family.
Once the Lu family went bankrupt, Lu Huan’s fate took a tragic turn, leading to an unfortunate accident.
When the plan was exposed, Si Baihan, the “abandoned son,” ended up with broken limbs and a muddy demise because of his involvement in the scheme.
In just five words: a stepping stone for all.
…
Having transmigrated into this world just a few hours ago, Yu Baihan took a moment to absorb the situation, and a profound sense of injustice washed over him. To his dismay, he had become the expendable “abandoned son,” Si Baihan.
The man standing before him now was none other than Lu Huan, another victim of this unjust plot.
Yu Baihan’s transmigration coincided with their wedding, which appeared to have been provoked by a disagreement. This marked the beginning of the “stepping stones” saga.
The possibility of escaping and avoiding the inevitable had been snuffed out.
Inwardly sighing, Yu Baihan gazed at Lu Huan once more.
He attempted to console himself, recognizing that at least his “wronged Lao Gong” possessed exceptional looks and demeanor, appealing to his aesthetic preferences.
Being an attractive man for free could be seen as a stroke of luck.
As their eyes met, Lu Huan’s slender, graceful eyes formed an arc, and when he lowered his gaze, a trace of coolness emanated from him.
“Speak.”
Ah, even his voice was melodious.
Responding, Yu Baihan sat up on the bed, his slender wrists resting gracefully on the dark blue quilt, strikingly pale. His physical appearance had been adjusted to fit the world’s setting, conforming to the original owner’s characteristics—pale and slender.
He replied politely, “The Si family mailed me here, as we hadn’t had the wedding yet. When you arrived, I was alone in the room, waiting for you as instructed by the butler.”
The word “mailed” was cleverly used.
Not only does it signify his status in the Si family and their marital relationship, but it is also quite vividly described.
After he finished speaking, Lu Huan’s eyebrows jumped.
The gaze directed at him suddenly deepened slightly.
Yu Baihan didn’t have any special feelings about it—after all, that’s what the author had written in the original text.
Perhaps they found it unnecessary to delve into the wedding of minor cannon fodder in a business war article, deeming it unremarkable and thus omitting it with a mere stroke of the pen.
Thus, he was directly brought to this moment today.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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He had waited for too long since his arrival and ended up falling asleep while sitting on the bed.
“Really?” Lu Huan fixed his dark eyes on him, not as if he were flirting but rather with a stern warning or provocation. “I thought you were anticipating something to happen.”
What was he expecting?
The audacity of this remark took Yu Baihan aback!
He glanced at Lu Huan’s broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. “Could something really happen?”
Before Lu Huan’s gaze shifted from his face, he furrowed his brows in response. “What do you mean?”
Yu Baihan pursed his lips. “Won’t you make a move?”
This is a business novel, after all.
Lu Huan, “…”
·
A tense silence enveloped the space between the two.
Yu Baihan was about to say something to break the silence when he saw Lu Huan suddenly place one leg on the edge of the bed.
As their proximity increased, the dark gray suit pants immediately clung tightly, outlining the contours of the taut muscles of his thighs. Yu Baihan’s heart skipped a beat. “You can’t be serious…”
“Who are you?”
A sharp voice cut through.
“Huh?” Yu Baihan raised his head to meet a pair of dark eyes, their sharpness seeming to penetrate right through him.
He was momentarily stunned, and his initial reaction was that he had been discovered and that the other party had realized he was not “Si Baihan” himself. But after some thought, he dismissed the idea as improbable.
They are all characters from the book, and today is the first time they have met, so there’s no way they could recognize him.
Confidently, Yu Baihan replied, “I am Si Baihan.”
However, Lu Huan continued to stare at him.
Is he waiting for him to say something else?
After contemplating for a moment, Yu Baihan suddenly realized, ‘Oh, could it be the punch line?’
Truly befitting a domineering character in a novel, raising such an embarrassing issue.
Well, he can only play along.
Yu Baihan spoke again: “I belong to Mr. Lu.”
A classic plotline from the novel is where a newcomer demonstrates loyalty.
A brief silence ensued, followed by a chuckle of ambiguous meaning. “My person?”
Yu Baihan nodded. “Yes.”
Lu Huan closed his eyes, feeling a rush of warmth inside of him.
Scenes from his past life flashed through his mind like fragments of memories—betrayal by relatives and friends, business bans, the collapse of his group…
Until finally, the shattered windshield and the splash of bright red during the fatal car accident froze in his memory.
The screeching sound of brakes pierced his eardrums, sending shivers down his nerves.
He had been unable to understand where he fell short, and it wasn’t until he faced death that he realized this was the so-called “fate”—no matter how hard he tried, he was destined to be a stepping stone for the Si family.
How could he ever accept that?
Lu Huan closed his eyes; the collar buttoned up to his Adam’s apple felt tight around his neck, the pressure almost as if he were suppressing his hostility.
As he opened his eyes again, he caught sight of Yu Baihan’s neck, slender and pale above the open collar. The lack of sun exposure made it look almost sickly white, with clear blue veins visible beneath the skin on the side of his neck.
Fragile and vulnerable, like a lamb ready for slaughter,
Lu Huan suppressed the turmoil in his heart, trying to sound nonchalant. “Oh, how do you prove it?”
Unaware that his neck had caught Lu Huan’s attention, Yu Baihan pondered the question.
How could he prove it?
Did he need to do it himself?
He stole a glance at Lu Huan’s handsome face, then at his well-built figure, the beast still dormant under the tight suit pants.
Damn.
It’s not impossible.
After a moment of internal struggle, Yu Baihan leaned back, falling “thump” back onto the soft quilt, and extended his arms towards the still perplexed man above.
Lu Huan, still caught off guard by the sudden change in atmosphere:?
Yu Baihan gestured playfully and bashfully, “Come on.” He smiled tenderly and said, “I can’t help but spoil you.”
…
The wide bed fell into silence for the third time that day.
Yu Baihan lay on the dark blue quilt, his already pale face appearing even whiter and his pale pink lips curving, revealing two small canine teeth. His black, translucent eyes sparkled like black gems.
He seemed completely different from the “Si Baihan” of rumors or memories.
Lu Huan stared at him, a storm brewing in his dark eyes.
Yu Baihan lay peacefully on the bed for a while, realizing that the man above him remained motionless. Just as he was about to say something, Lu Huan suddenly gripped his chin.
Lu Huan leaned down and spoke slowly. “I want to see how much you truly…”
Slap.
Yu Baihan flipped over like a salted fish, adjusting into a more graceful posture. “A little surprise you didn’t see coming?”
Lu Huan, “…”
His hand on Yu Baihan’s chin didn’t let go, and his thumb gently rubbed against the smooth skin. Their eyes locked, and Yu Baihan sensed the subtle movement of the fingertips.
He understood: Lu Huan, the “old, unjust one,” enjoys the thrill of roleplaying.
Coincidentally, he enjoyed it too.
After a brief standoff, Yu Baihan gently encouraged, “You can proceed to the next step.”
The grip on his jaw loosened.
Lu Huan straightened up, rubbing his forehead with his large palm and taking a few deep breaths. “You—forget it, just leave.”
Yu Baihan flipped back again to face him. “Don’t you want to prove it?”
With emphasis, “no.”
What’s going on? Everything was fine just a moment ago.
Yu Baihan hesitated. “Do you not know how to do it?”
In the novel, Lu Huan doesn’t have an emotional storyline. After marrying “Si Baihan,” he places him in a guest room and focuses entirely on his career, neglecting human relationships.
It was precisely because of this oversight that Si Baihan exploited the loopholes and schemed behind his back.
Forget it; just take the initiative.
“Si Baihan.” Lu Huan’s voice was visibly angry.
Yu Baihan thought to himself, ‘As expected, I’ve made him angry with my awkwardness.’
In a rush, he smoothed down his hair, saying, “I don’t know how to do it either. Let’s just forget about it.”
Lu Huan closed his eyes, unwilling to dwell on this matter any further.
Getting up from the bed, Yu Baihan walked past Lu Huan towards the door, saying in a mature and considerate manner, “Since you’re not ready, I won’t force you. Where should I go to sleep?”
He made it seem like he was a thoughtful and caring gentleman, concerned about the comfort of a woman from an excellent family.
However, there’s still some bitterness in his tone.
Seeing this, Lu Huan’s forehead twitched, unable to hold back his words. “Come back.”
Yu Baihan halted in his steps.
Lu Huan glanced at him with a cool smile and continued before Yu Baihan could speak, “Okay, you can sleep here tonight.”
He almost forgot. It’s not the time to confront the Si family just yet.
Lu Huan chuckled inwardly, thinking, ‘After all, it’s the wedding night.’ As a husband and wife, they’re expected to be intimate. Since the Si family wants him to pretend, he’ll play along till the end.
Yu Baihan immediately bounced back onto the bed in a satisfied manner, relishing the comfort of the soft quilt. This bed is so comfortable; if possible, he wouldn’t want to move from here.
Bouncing on the bed, he asked Lu Huan, “What about you?”
Lu Huan’s red lips tugged, looking quite charming. “I’ll sleep here too.”
He walked towards the head of the bed, pressing his slender fingers on the switch, and the lights went out with a click, leaving only the faint light of the lily-of-the-valley lamp.
The dim light fell obliquely on Lu Huan.
Lu Huan loosened his collar and took off his suit jacket, hanging it on a hanger. Yu Baihan noticed that, despite Lu Huan looking slender, he actually had well-defined muscles under his shirt.
The white shirt covered his strong back, and the play of light and shadow between his open neckline and waist gave him a powerful aura. Lu Huan turned his head to look at Yu Baihan on the bed, the warm orange light shining through his thin forehead hair and highlighting his stern brow.
Yu Baihan’s throat twitched, feeling a bit flustered.
“Heh…” A sneer escaped Lu Huan’s lips, as if in response to Yu Baihan’s earlier provocation. He said with deliberate emphasis, “We’ll sleep together, so don’t be so nervous that you can’t sleep.”
About MC's Name
Dammnnnnn someone’s thirsty~
It’s only the first chapter and MC’s already referred to ML as Lao Gong once lol.
Thanks a lot for the chapter!
These two stepping stones are quite adorable in their own way..
They are both so cute and funny hahahha. Like a chicken talking to a duck, they are having a conversation but neither of them really understand each other hahahah
I’m excited!!
A meet cute done, now let’s see how these 2 get on 😁
Thanks for the chapter 💞