Chapter 2
A Dirty Transaction
Two years earlier.
Lin Suian put away his umbrella and entered a nightclub.
Ignoring the fact that half his body had been soaked by the rain, he hurried forward while tightly holding a stack of paintings in his arms and entered the private room Qin You had told him to go to.
Not long ago, Lin Suian’s mother had fallen seriously ill and urgently needed hospitalization.
But his family was poor. At that time, he was only a teenager and had no ability to earn enough money, so naturally he could not afford the expensive medical fees.
Just as his mother was about to end her own life, a philanthropist named Qin You contacted Lin Suian through a sponsorship channel and said he could help him.
Qin You wore a neat suit and behaved politely and modestly.
Looking at his refined and gentle appearance, Lin Suian slowly lowered his guard and chose to trust him completely.
And so, Qin You paid for his mother’s treatment and took him away from the mountains.
But he never expected—
That one decision would completely change his entire life.
Lin Suian loved painting.
He was talented at it too.
Qin You smiled warmly and said he wanted to properly nurture his talent.
Today happened to be Lin Suian’s eighteenth birthday.
Qin You handed him a VIP room card and told him to meet someone there.
He said a wealthy patron wanted to buy his paintings.
At that time, Lin Suian was still clean and pure, like the moon hanging in the night sky.
He had never experienced the filth of being dragged into the mud by monsters.
Naturally, he never imagined that the “deal” Qin You spoke about… was actually this kind of transaction.
If Lin Suian had known beforehand that he would become someone’s tool for killing time and satisfying desire—
He never would have stepped into that place.
Standing outside the room, Lin Suian practiced what he was going to say several times.
Only after taking a few deep breaths did he finally gather the courage to swipe the card and enter.
The strong smell of alcohol and cigarettes immediately rushed toward him, choking his throat.
The private room was filled with flashing lights and luxury.
Several beautiful women with seductive figures surrounded a group of wealthy young men, happily playing cards and speaking filthy jokes without restraint.
The lighting was dim.
Lin Suian’s face turned red as he lowered his eyes and carefully looked inside.
At that moment, someone noticed him and turned over.
A rich playboy raised his brows and laughed teasingly.
“He still looks underage. Who called him here? Speak up.”
The atmosphere in the room clearly became strange.
Lin Suian could only speak first.
He slightly curled into himself.
His thin frame was wrapped in a white shirt, making him look delicate and easy to bully.
Avoiding the heated and flirtatious gazes around him, Lin Suian quietly said,
“I’m here to find Shi Yushen… Mr. Shi.”
That was the name.
He remembered it correctly.
Qin You had specifically made him repeat the name several times to avoid mistakes.
But the moment he said it, the noisy room suddenly fell silent.
“What do you want with me?”
A tall man sitting in the corner leaned lazily against the sofa.
Only after throwing down the cards in his hand did he slowly speak.
His voice was low and deep, carrying a faint trace of amusement.
After seeing that handsome yet cold face, Lin Suian suddenly felt nervous for no reason.
But remembering Qin You’s words, he obediently walked over.
“Mr. Shi, I personally came to deliver the paintings to you.”
The distance between them was neither too close nor too far.
Shi Yushen showed almost no expression.
After casually glancing at Lin Suian, he simply said:
“Come here.”
He looked lofty and cold, but not as arrogant and dismissive as Lin Suian had imagined.
When he spoke, his tone was actually rather gentle.
Lin Suian felt that he must have overthought things.
After all, this person was introduced by Qin You.
Surely he was a good person too.
He stepped closer.
Shi Yushen extinguished the cigarette in his hand inside the ashtray and then stretched out his fingers toward him.
The faint smell of tobacco mixed with expensive perfume drifted over.
Lin Suian had red lips and white teeth, smiling brightly.
Thinking Shi Yushen was reaching for the paintings, he immediately handed over all the artwork in his arms.
Shi Yushen’s movement suddenly paused.
His brows frowned slightly, unreadable.
Then he slowly lifted his eyes and casually asked,
“How much do you want?”
Lin Suian smiled even brighter.
It was the kind of joy that came from the heart.
Politely, he held up a number with his fingers, not daring to ask for too much.
After all—
This was the first time he had ever sold his artwork.
Looking at his innocent and naïve appearance, as if he did not fully understand the situation at all, Shi Yushen slowly withdrew his hand from the pile of paintings.
Instead, he touched Lin Suian’s soft pale face.
After rubbing it lightly twice, he gently patted him.
“What I wanted has already arrived. I’ll transfer the money to your godfather later.”
Lin Suian ignored the strange ambiguous atmosphere between them and failed to understand the hidden meaning behind those words.
He obediently nodded and softly said,
“Thank you.”
After Lin Suian left, Shi Yushen did not even glance at the paintings beside him.
With one motion—
He threw them all into the trash can.
The rich playboy nearby had already understood everything.
Laughing loudly, he teased:
“Brother Shen really knows how to play.”
