Murder the Dream Guy

Half an hour later, Xiang Wan and Fang Yuanyuan rushed to the restaurant that Hu Bandao had reserved.

It was a famous hotpot restaurant in Jin City.

When non-locals came to Jin City, they would usually eat hotpot as their first choice of food.

Apparently, it was the same for Hu Bandao.

When Xiang Wan arrived there, she saw that there were also another two male authors besides Hu Bandao.

They introduced their own pen names and exchanged greetings. Since they had heard about each other’s pen names before, it didn’t take long for them to be familiar with each other.

The only thing that surprised them was the fact that Xiang Wan brought along her editor.

“Miss Editor, do you need a strong and healthy male author like myself in your female genre website?”

“What’s the use of having you there?” Fang Yuanyuan was someone who could joke around without a problem.

“I can write and I can eat!”

“My apologies, I only want authors who know how to fall in love!”

“That’s great! I know how to handle eight girlfriends at a time!”

“That’s savage! Our website won’t be able to support such an appetite!”

“Hahahahaha!”

Xiang Wan thought about it after listening to them chatting. “Are you also here to attend the Annual Awards Ceremony? If I remember correctly, you’re not an author affiliated to our websites, aren’t you?”

Hu Bandao gave a smile. “Your memory’s very good! I’m not, but my two brothers here are.”

Xiang Wan replied, “Then why are you here?”

“I came to meet my friends, of course!” Hu Bandao laughed and put an arm around one of his friends’ shoulders. “I’m here because of him!”

Xiang Wan’s mouth twitched.

Before she could say anything, that friend of his was already protesting.

“Stop your bullsh*t!” He turned to Xiang Wan. “This fellow is here because of a woman!”

Xiang Wan asked Hu Bandao with a smile. “You have a girlfriend now?”

His friend exposed Hu Bandao, making him feel a little embarrassed. “Yeah, we got together recently… She got invited for this event, so I came to see her. Of course, it’s mainly because I also wanted to see my buddies!”

“That’s too fake! We don’t believe it!”

“…”

Xiang Wan couldn’t help but feel amused after seeing them bantering around with each other.

“Your girlfriend’s also an author? Who is she…?”

Hu Bandao smiled mischievously. “She’s from the same website as you.”

“Really? Who? What’s her pen name? When did you two get together?”

This was too surprising!

This fellow’s girlfriend was also from the same website as her.

She didn’t even hear any rumors at all.

Xiang Wan was very curious, but Hu Bandao just gave a mysterious look.

“It’s a secret! Anyway, I’m preparing to stay in Jin City for a few days. I’ll introduce her to you soon; I’ll see if you’ll get a shock.”

“Hah, stop giving excuses! Why didn’t you bring her along?”

“She’s busy! She’s with a bunch of women, and it’s not convenient for me to hang out with them. That’s why I came to look for my brothers!”

“…”

Did that mean that she’s a ‘guy’?

Xiang Wan teased him. “Dates are more important than pals, huh?”

Authors were basically nerds or otakus. The moment they stepped out of their home, they tend to behave warmly, spoke loudly, and talk a lot. If they hadn’t reserved a private dining room, they would surely receive a complaint from other patrons!

Hu Bandao sniffed the air for a few times and suddenly turned to ask Xiang Wan. “What’s that scent on you?”

“Ah?” Xiang Wan was confused for a moment. “What do you mean? I didn’t use any perfume today.”

“I can smell something. There’s a smell of the osmanthus flower, I think?” Hu Bandao clicked his tongue. “Did you especially put on perfume just to see me?”

“Hur, you think too much!” To prove that the smell had nothing to do with him, Xiang Wan took out the thing she had with her. “See this? It’s an osmanthus sachet!”

It was a gift from Bai Muchuan.

The last time she set off for the Capital, she had left it in Jin City.

When she came back and saw it, Xiang Wan could not bear to leave it again and kept it in her pocket.

“But Hu Bandao, your nose… are you born in the year of the dog? How could you smell it?”

“Hahaha, it’s my specialty!” Hu Bandao stretched out a hand. “This sachet looks exquisite. Let me take a closer look at it. I might want to get my girlfriend one as well…”

Xiang Wan rolled her eyes and gave him a disdainful snort.

“This is the only one of its kind! Where are you going to buy it?”

Hu Bandao replied, “Are you looking down on me, brother?”

“…”

He called her ‘brother’ again!

He behaved as if he was very familiar with her!

Nevertheless, Xiang Wan noticed that compared to the last time she met Hu Bandao at the Capital, there were some changes in him.

Hmm, from what she could tell, he seemed like a lovestruck man.

They were friends, after all. Xiang Wan passed the sachet to let him have a look.

“Here you go! It’s handmade! You really can’t get it anywhere.”

Hu Bandao took it with a look full of envy.

“So it’s handmade. No wonder! It didn’t look like any ordinary sachet… This is clearly a sachet made with love! Come on, tell me, who gave it to you?”

Knowing that they wanted to tease her, Xiang Wan didn’t bother with them.

“You want to know?”

“… Of course!”

“Secret!” She returned an answer similar to the one he gave.

“Do I know him?”

“Maybe… you might have heard his name!”

“Ah!” Hu Bandao showed a shock-filled expression. “Quick, tell us? Is he also an author?”

“Hurhur! Ask some more!” Xiang Wan showed a mischievous smile. “I’ll leave you hanging in the air!”

“… Ah, you’ve turned into a terrible person! Not to be trifled with!”

They chatted happily and ate hotpot together.

Hu Bandao did not reveal who his girlfriend was.

Xiang Wan did not tell them anything about her relationship with Second Young Master Mu either.

When they left the restaurant, Hu Bandao walked Xiang Wan and Fang Yuanyuan to where they parked their car.

After some hesitation, he said, “There’s something I couldn’t say earlier since it’s not convenient…”

“What is it?” Xiang Wan smiled. In actual fact, she had guessed what he wanted to say.

“You’re quite popular recently. There are a lot of things about you circulating around!”

“I can’t believe you also know about it! Hur, bad news always spreads faster than good news.”

“Don’t worry! Let me ask you something, I just wanted to encourage you and nothing more.”

Hu Bandao gestured her a thumbs-up to show his support and smiled at her in a half-joking, half-serious manner.

“This is actually a sign that you will be popular!”

“…”

Xiang Wan did not know if she should feel glad or troubled.

“Aye, you’ve not been in this industry long enough.” Hu Bandao sounded a little like he was making a heartfelt remark. “Unless your works will forever be unpopular and not gaining much attention, you will only see the beautiful sides of everyone. They will behave like angels; they will console and encourage you to write your next novel… However, the truth is, the moment you’ve become popular or once you’ve shown signs of a rise in your popularity, hur, rest assured that there are already countless of people who are prepared to put you down!”

“Hahahaha! This is really interesting.” Xiang Wan laughed as well.

Hu Bandao showed a serious expression.

“I’m serious about this. As long as there are benefits to gain from, there will be competition. This is a hardship most people would experience and need to overcome while on the path to success. Good luck, brother!”

“Thank you!” Xiang Wan smiled at him but showed a strange look. “However, there are also people who did not seem to go through all that. For instance, Second Young Master Mu?”

“… Him?”

Hu Bandao dragged the last word and cleared his throat.

“Well, that’s because he’s so good that he’s not human; he’s a legend!”

“…”

When they went home, Xiang Wan’s mood had gone heavy.

Even though Fang Yuanyuan completely agreed with Hu Bandao’s opinion regarding this matter, she still consoled her with all kinds of strange stories in the industry by explaining how such obviously planned out rumors might not be such a bad thing after all…

“Even though it’s not a good thing, you should look towards the bright side! At the very least, because of all these dramas, many people start to learn about you, right? Surely you’ll gain one or two people who will like your work after all these?”

“…” Come on, who wants to be dissed and frowned upon by others every day? she thought.

“You’re just saying that because it’s not happening to you!” Xiang Wan argued and sat down lazily.

“Alright, alright, let’s chill for a second!” Fang Yuanyuan held her shoulders and coaxed her like a kid. “Take a bath and rest earlier today. You need to look beautiful tomorrow, so you could blind them with your beauty, okay?”

“Mm.” Xiang Wan nodded.

She got up to look for her pajamas and took off her coat.

However, when she felt her pocket, she suddenly realized…

“Where’s my sachet?”

Xiang Wan’s heart sank.

She searched through every pocket as well as her bag.

“Oh no! I think I left it at the hotpot restaurant!”

They kept chatting earlier at the hotpot restaurant. Xiang Wan couldn’t recall any memory of where she had placed her sachet.

When she lost something, her Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior would come to play.

She kept recalling what happened earlier repeatedly. Her mind was chaotic!

She sent a message to Hu Bandao to ask about her sachet.

However, his reply disappointed her since he said he didn’t see the sachet.

Xiang Wan quickly went back to the hotpot restaurant only to find that another group of customers took the private dining room already…

The employees of the restaurant told her that they didn’t see any sachet when they cleared the table.

Xiang Wan was crestfallen and appeared to be down in the dumps while she walked out of the restaurant.

…

When she got home, it was already late in the night.

She called up Bai Muchuan with a heavy heart.

“Sir Little Bai, I lost the sachet you gave me!”

“Why do you sound so upset?” Bai Muchuan did not ask what happened but consoled her instead. “It’s not an important thing, anyway. I’ll ask Nanny Li to make you another one!”

“It’s different. That sachet… is very important.” Xiang Wan ruffled her hair and felt very frustrated. “Why am I so careless?”

“Don’t think about it anymore! If you lost it, it only means that it’s not meant to be yours.”

“…”

“Rest earlier. Aren’t you going to be busy tomorrow?”

“Alright.” Xiang Wan looked like a petulant kid as she held the phone. “I actually wanted to cry my heart out when I called you. Seems like I can’t do that anymore!”

“Hur! Why are you behaving like a little girl?” Bai Muchuan laughed since he knew Xiang Wan wanted him to comfort her. “I’m having dinner outside,” he sighed, “otherwise, I would have listened to you cry.”

Dinner?

At this hour?

Out of reflex, Xiang Wan looked at her phone.

“… Hey?” Bai Muchuan quickly clarified. “Don’t overthink this. I’m with Cheng Zheng!”

“Uh!”

Xiang Wan was speechless for a moment.

“If you’re with Cheng Zheng, that’s all the more reason for me to overthink about it!”

The two were always at loggerheads.

However, to think that they would actually come out for dinner together, at this hour?

“Fine! Enjoy your meal, I’ll hang up now!”

“Bye! Goodnight!”

“Goodnight!”

…

The moon that shone on Jin City was also shining on the roof of a certain restaurant in the Capital.

There were three people talking when one looked inside an exquisite looking square window.

One of them was Bai Muchuan while the other was Cheng Zheng.

The third was an unfamiliar woman.

Just two days ago, the Intelligence team of Serious Crime Division One got hold of some information that the remaining Dark Clan members might carry out some illegal activities in the Capital.

Almost at the same time, Cheng Zheng received a call from his professor who taught him when he studied abroad.

That professor had also provided advice and assistance to Cheng Zheng in the previous case.

He told Cheng Zheng that one of his female students returned to their country and asked him to take care of her. They had hence, arranged to meet up in the restaurant.

Cheng Zheng went to meet her.

He also brought Bai Muchuan with him.

This was because his professor had told him over the phone that she knew something important related to a case, and it would be best to meet face to face to talk about it.

The young woman was his Junior by the name of Miao Zichen, who was a lively and pretty girl. She had brought along the professor’s message and a piece of shocking news.

She told them that there was a certain western influence that was financing the Dark Clan’s remaining members and was preparing to create a major case that would shake the world.

Their professor learned of such news from the local police in the country he was staying.

They only knew the name of their operation—Heaven’s Wrath. Other than that, there were no other clues.

“Dark Clan? I can’t believe that there are still some of them out there.”

Cheng Zheng muttered to himself softly and nodded.

“Heaven’s Wrath? What is that?”

“I don’t know.” Miao Zichen shook her head. “None of us knew what it is all about.”

She continued in a serious tone, “Senior Cheng, our professor said that you must not reveal his identity and involvement in this matter!”

“Mm.” Cheng Zheng nodded. “Of course.”

Miao Zichen smiled. “I never expected that the environment back here would be so complicated too.”

Cheng Zheng did not continue that topic but glanced at her instead before asking another question. “How long are you going to stay here?”

“I’m staying here for good.” Miao Zicheng laughed. “Will Senior Cheng help recommend a job for me?”

Bai Muchuan was quiet as he listened to them talking to each other.

Somehow, he felt uneasy after hearing that.

It was the twelfth month of the Lunar Calendar and about another 20 days to go until the Lunar New Year.

When would the operation called Heaven’s Wrath take place and what was it all about?

How would they shake the world? he thought.

…

Jin City.

The first day of the Annual Awards Ceremony. It was raining.

The sky was gloomy along with persistent light rain.

The world looked like it was covered in a gray tone.

In the morning, Xiang Wan was working hard on her chapter for the day.

Around half-past two in the afternoon, she took her gown and followed Fang Yuanyuan to the hotel.

It was pretty chaotic at the hotel.

Most female authors, who just wore their pajamas and stayed at home most of the time, were all dressed up in gorgeous gowns for the event.

The company had specially engaged professional makeup artists to put on makeup for the authors, and they worked like a production line…

There were also professional hairstylists to style their hair before they move to another seat to get their makeup done. The female authors had to move around the rooms in their gowns.

It was a sight to behold since there were various kinds of looks, stature, figures and gowns!

The atmosphere was lively and crowded. Xiang Wan was also affected by the joyous mood.

A bunch of female authors surrounded Fang Yuanyuan while they chatted with her. Xiang Wan walked over and greeted several authors whom she did not know.

Although there were a lot of drama and rumors surrounding her, most authors were actually easygoing and friendly. No matter how they thought about her, when they introduced themselves, they would still smile at her.

Fang Yuanyuan was someone who knew how to hold a good conversation. From the moment she entered the room, the laughter in the room never ceased.

It seemed like everyone surrounding her would never cease to talk.

“Have you seen the publicity posters they’re using for advertisements? There will be a lot of celebrities coming here tonight…”

“Yeah! Xie Wanwan, Chen Yifan, Miaozi; they are all A-List celebrities… The most important thing is my hubby, Ye Lun is also coming! Ah! I’m so happy!”

“… Your hubby?”

“You’re right! Hahahaha!”

“Hahahaha… I’m not a fan of Ye Lun. I’m a fan of Second Young Master Mu. I wonder if the event this year invited him.”

“Don’t think about this anymore! Since when have you ever seen Second Young Master Mu attend any event?”

A group of people were chatting excitedly when they heard two knocks on the door.

More female authors came into the room.

“Why hasn’t anyone met him before?” There was a mocking laugh in the shrill voice of a female author. “Isn’t Second Young Master Mu the top fan of a certain popular author on our website?”