Mind Games

At the age of nine, Chen Wengang was adopted by the wealthy Zheng family of Jincheng after his father died in the line of duty, forcing him to live under someone else’s roof. His life journeyed from residing in a wealthy household to wandering in destitution. He fell in love with the eldest son of the Zheng family, only to suffer betrayal, deception, and countless malicious rumors. Most of the elite heirs looked down on Chen Wengang. At his darkest moment, the playboy Huo Niansheng—who had once mocked him relentlessly—appeared before him, raising an eyebrow: *“Weren’t you too proud for this? How did you end up so pathetic?”* Chen Wengang leaned against a graffiti-covered wall, a crumpled cigarette between his fingers, half his face marred by a hideous scar. Huo Niansheng moved closer with frivolous ease, borrowing a light: *“If you really have nowhere to go, why not come with me?”* Chen Wengang got into Huo Niansheng’s car. Little did he know, this single decision would bind them for life. No one understood why the cunning Huo Niansheng was obsessed with a disfigured secret lover, treating him with unexpected tenderness and forsaking all his former reckless indulgences. Later, Huo Niansheng died in a cruise ship accident. In the farewell letter he left for Chen Wengang, he wrote: *“I never knew if you truly loved me even once. It’s a shame I’ll never get to find out in this lifetime.”* And then, Chen Wengang woke up in the past—at the age of twenty. His face was still unmarked, and many regrets could still be undone. There was one thing he could set right: giving Huo Niansheng another chance. — *My love, if only you would pause and look closely,* *You’d see how deeply I’ve always cherished you.* **Playboy (top) × Gentle & Steadfast (bottom)** **Reading Notes:** 1. Primarily a romance-driven, slice-of-life narrative; 1v1, HE. 2. Huo Niansheng’s unreciprocated love in the past life will be answered.

Feng Lianchen, assistant to the president of the Tan Jewelry Group, calm and quick-witted, was personally promoted by the old chairman Tan Ru and regarded as one of his most trusted confidants. As everyone knew, the Tan family had two young masters, both harboring ambitions to inherit the family business. The two were locked in open and covert conflict, but their situations were different: The elder son, Tan Shizhang, arrogant and brooding, vindictive to the last, possessing some talent but not enough to shoulder the whole burden. The second son, Tan Haoyang, was clearly favored by the old man, who even had Feng Lianchen assigned to protect and support him. Feng Lianchen sided with Tan Haoyang. After Tan Ru’s death and the will being finalized, sure enough, the second son, who had the upper hand, crushed the elder son. After the funeral, Feng Lianchen pressed himself against the corner and saw two figures hiding on the other side. It was Tan Haoyang’s young lover, clinging to his neck and acting spoiled: “That dead-faced hanger-on of yours only knows how to look down on me and put on a sour face. He’s no longer useful. When are you planning to kick him away?” Tan Haoyang pinched his lover’s nose indulgently. “Can’t wait to take over yourself?” Feng Lianchen said nothing. When he got home, he deleted the chat records of Tan Haoyang’s passionate declarations of love, threw away all the clothes and daily necessities Tan Haoyang had left behind, and cleared away every trace of their relationship. —— When the birds are gone, the bow is put away; when the rabbits die, the hounds are cooked. Now that Tan Haoyang held power, it was no surprise to anyone in the company that he would turn on the old guard. Feng Lianchen was the first target, but the notice he received was not a dismissal, only a transfer with demotion— Effective immediately, he would step down as president’s assistant and serve as Tan Shizhang’s private assistant. Tan Haoyang was killing two birds with one stone: this move both showed off his power to the loser and was meant to force him to leave on his own. Feng Lianchen leaned against the doorway of Tan Shizhang’s office and listened as the second young master inside toyed with his words, sowing discord and stirring up trouble. Inside, Tan Shizhang had listened for a long while as well. He smiled faintly. “So you mean Assistant Feng can be used however I like.” At that time, Tan Haoyang was riding high and did not foresee that much later, when he thought back on this day, all that would remain was a backdrop of regret. —————— The real top is the elder son Scheming, ambitious power player × an elegant beauty with strong control over the situation Reading guide: 1. The blurb is made up; the story is fundamentally not tragic. Abusing the scum √, pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger √, appearing to love and hate each other √, but underneath it is still an adult romance. 2. The title has been criticized for a long time; I really couldn’t come up with one. If I had to give it a formal name, it would be *The Humerus’s Trusted Minister*, also known as *Who Doesn’t Have Two Layers of Skin*. WB @Brass Revolver [The extra chapters will be released for free as bonus extras, but the work must first be changed to completed; only after settlement can the bonus chapter function be used.] [To avoid everyone accidentally buying or buying twice, the extras will temporarily be updated in the author’s note of the final chapter.] —————— Completed works → “Reborn Daily Life of a Wealthy Family’s Adopted Son” “Mind-Reading Game” “My Archenemy Always Wants to Marry Me” Upcoming → “A Wealthy Family Butler’s Work Handbook” (a heartthrob and a shuraba) “Offering Roses to the Cold Beauty” (plucking a single high-mountain flower) “Assistant Shen Teaches You Corporate Warfare, Step by Step” (real corporate warfare is pulling the circuit breaker)