Chapter 129: The Setup Begins

"What?" Zhou Wan exclaimed in a panic upon hearing this.

Her first instinct was to steal a glance at Shen Xian, her heart tightening in her chest. She had previously taken a liking to Postman, and since he was a close friend of Shen Xian, she worried that Shen Xian might be offended. Seeing no change in his expression, she let out a sigh of relief.

She cast a reproachful look at Ning Cai. *Cai, although we are close, my relationship with Shen Xian has been progressing rapidly. Is it appropriate for you to bring this up now?*

Affection is inherently selfish. On the path to pursuing love, neither Ning Cai nor Zhou Wan were particularly magnanimous.

"I have nothing going on with Postman," Zhou Wan said hurriedly. "We’ve only met once, and it’s purely a professional collaboration."

Ning Cai’s heart sank at these words. *Oh, this is bad.* It was clear from her reaction that she had fallen for Shen Xian.

What did Ning Cai regret most now? It was her own suggestion that Zhou Wan move into Shen Xian’s home. Looking at it now, wasn't that just lifting a rock only to drop it on her own feet? Living under the same roof—how could feelings not grow over time? With this thought, Ning Cai felt deeply unsettled.

Ye Yuning, who was notoriously slow on the uptake, finally sensed that something was amiss. She immediately grew excited. *What’s going on? Let me see what’s happening here. A love triangle? Ning Cai likes Shen Xian, Shen Xian likes Zhou Wan, and Zhou Wan likes Shen Xian back? Oh, drama—I’m here for it.*

However, Ning Cai fell silent, and Zhou Wan didn't dare say anything else, focusing quietly on her meal. Ye Yuning asked Shen Xian directly, "Shen Xian, who do you like?"

Ning Cai and Zhou Wan both perked up, raising their heads in unison to stare at Shen Xian, waiting for his answer.

Shen Xian smiled faintly. "Ning Cai is wonderful, and Zhou Wan is also wonderful. Both of you are like celestial beings."

He had dodged the question. Ye Yuning found it dull. "How boring."

The meal didn't last long. On the way back, Zhou Wan was somewhat sullen, pouting. Shen Xian looked in the rearview mirror and asked with a smile, "What’s wrong?"

Zhou Wan huffed. "When Ye Yuning asked who you liked at the dinner table, why didn't you answer?"

"If I had answered," Shen Xian replied, "how would you be able to get along with Ning Cai in the future? I was considering your position. You wouldn't want to lose your friendship with her, would you?"

"But Ning Cai will find out about us sooner or later," Zhou Wan said.

Shen Xian kept his eyes on the road. "It’s different. Eventually, Ning Cai will meet someone suitable, and her feelings for me will fade. Once that happens, it won't matter if she knows, but at this stage, it’s best not to say anything."

Zhou Wan found the logic sound, and her expression softened slightly.

After returning home, Zhou Wan and Qingqing went to their room early. They had been playing all afternoon and were both tired. Shen Xian sat down to write. His novel, *My Son Wang Teng Has the Bearing of an Emperor*, had reached two hundred thousand words. He planned to start charging for chapters once he hit three hundred thousand. It was currently ranked first on both the popularity chart and the new book chart.

"Holy cow, this new book is fierce! Is it the alt account of some big-name author?"
"This is the best fantasy book I’ve ever read!"
"The plotting and the narrative—it completely crushes the big-name authors!"
"I really want to crack open the author’s skull and see what’s inside. How do they come up with this stuff?"

Lin Zhiyin was also following the book, becoming more and more captivated. She had already decided to include an adaptation of the book in her project library.

The editor-in-chief sent Shen Xian a friend request: *Wangchuan requests to add you as a friend.*

Shen Xian accepted.

Wangchuan: Greetings, Author Jun Wuyang!
Shen Xian: Greetings, Editor-in-Chief!
Wangchuan: May I add you to the author group?
Shen Xian: That would be fine.

After joining, Shen Xian updated his group nickname to: *Jun Wuyang — My Son Wang Teng Has the Bearing of an Emperor.*

Seeing him join, the ninety people in the group went wild.

"Big shot, please promote my chapter!"
"A true master! This book is definitely going to dominate the rankings!"
"Big shot, I see your rank is a one-star author. Is this your first book?"

Shen Xian turned off the group notifications and returned to his writing in peace.

His uncle, Yu Tianshu, sent him a message: "How are things going?"
"Tomorrow at nine in the morning, the usual spot. Payment upon delivery," Shen Xian replied.
His uncle responded with an "OK" gesture.

At nine the next morning, Shen Xian arrived as promised. It was the same booth, and his two uncles were there waiting. Seeing him, they both beamed.

Shen Xian took out his phone and showed them the photos and videos. When they heard Ye Yuning say, "There’s no difference between this and the wild-caught ones," their eyes lit up.

What did that line mean? It meant Ye Yuning must have eaten the wild-caught variety before; otherwise, how would she know the difference? With this video and that quote, they could nail Ye Yuning to the wall and ensure she could never make a comeback. He had already mentally drafted the hit piece.

"Where is the money I asked for?" Shen Xian asked.

The uncle produced two checks and handed them over. "We agreed on five million, but with this video, I’ll add another million!"

Shen Xian took the checks and sent the video to Yu Tianshu. "The rest is no longer my concern."

With that, Shen Xian turned and left.

"It’s in the bag!"
"I told you, if used correctly, Shen Xian would be a sharp blade!"
"And this blade is truly effective indeed!"