His Masculine Dignity

Lin Xuan finished processing the last document and closed it.

"Uncle Lei," Lin Xuan asked, "how's the promotion going for Starlight Group's game?"

Lei Hui looked puzzled. "Boss, I’ve been sending you daily updates on the download numbers and marketing expenses for King’s Heroes. Haven’t you seen them?"

"I’ve been a bit busy lately and haven’t had time to check," Lin Xuan explained.

He wasn’t lying—the past seven days and nights had indeed been hectic, though not because of work. Instead, he’d been tangled up in bed with Hua Bao.

"I see," Lei Hui replied, half-convinced. He nodded and continued, "Boss, over this period, Starlight Group has invested 1.5 billion in game promotion. Registered users have reached 25 million, and with word-of-mouth spreading, the player base is growing rapidly."

Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"Do we know their plans for monetization? Like when they’ll start selling skins and heroes?"

Those were the primary revenue streams for King’s Glory.

Lei Hui frowned. "I haven’t been able to dig that up. They’ve kept their plans tightly under wraps."

Lin Xuan smirked coldly. "Then keep a close eye on their game. The moment they start charging, I want to know immediately."

That would be his cue to strike.

He wouldn’t let Starlight Group earn a single cent from King’s Glory.

"Understood," Lei Hui nodded.

With everything arranged, Lin Xuan handed the documents back to Lei Hui. "Now that things are settled, I haven’t been getting enough sleep lately. I need to catch up on rest. If there’s nothing urgent, don’t disturb me."

"Of course."

Lei Hui nodded and left the office.

Once the door closed, Lin Xuan was alone.

His first move was to grab his phone and open the messages Lei Hui had sent him, scrutinizing them carefully.

He pored over the herbal tonic recipes Lei Hui had forwarded.

Some of these were indeed potent supplements.

He’d been drinking the tonic soups prepared by Butler Wang for a while now. While they were somewhat effective, he still found himself consistently outmatched by Hua Bao.

Perhaps this new recipe would finally give him the upper hand…

Lin Xuan copied the tonic formula into his notes, planning to have Butler Wang brew it for him later.

Knock knock knock.

Startled by the sudden sound, Lin Xuan’s hand jerked, and he hastily set his phone down.

Clearing his throat, he called out, "Come in."

At his response, Lei Hui pushed the door open, holding another document.

"Boss, I forgot to hand you this earlier. Please review it and sign if everything’s in order," Lei Hui said respectfully.

"Alright."

Lin Xuan nodded and began flipping through the file.

As he did, Lei Hui’s gaze drifted to the phone on the desk.

In his flustered state, Lin Xuan had forgotten to lock the screen.

The contents of the notes app were clearly visible.

Lei Hui’s eyes widened.

Wasn’t that… his tonic recipe?

Had the boss copied it down, afraid he’d forget?

Hadn’t Lin Xuan just insisted he didn’t need it?

And now he was treating it like a treasure—talk about a tsundere!

No…

Maybe the boss had been protecting his pride earlier by playing tough.

Good, good.

Lei Hui nodded to himself.

With this tonic, the boss could boost his performance in bed and keep Su Hua even more captivated.

Lin Xuan finished reviewing the document.

"Everything looks fine here," he said, signing it swiftly.

Lei Hui averted his eyes from the phone, pretending he hadn’t seen anything.

Best not to embarrass the boss.

He grinned.

"Boss, I’ll leave you to your rest now."

With that, he exited cheerfully.

Lin Xuan frowned.

Something about Lei Hui’s smile felt… off.

Shaking it off, he leaned back in his chair.

Hua Bao had been pent up for over a month. Those seven days and nights clearly hadn’t been enough for her, and she kept luring him back to bed.

If this tonic really worked, he needed to start drinking it ASAP.

Lin Xuan picked up his phone to forward the recipe to Butler Wang—only to realize the screen was still unlocked, the notes app wide open.

Now he understood Lei Hui’s odd expression.

So, Lei Hui had seen it all…

Smack!

Lin Xuan slapped a hand over his face.

Damn it!

His dignity as a man!

He slumped onto the desk, utterly defeated.

Lin Xuan slept at the office for a solid six hours before returning to Night Garden. Su Hua was lounging on the sofa, flipping through a book titled 58 Bedroom Positions.

"Master Lin," a servant greeted respectfully at the door.

Why is he back so soon?

Su Hua quickly hid the book under a copy of The Art of War and exhaled in relief.

"Xuan," she called sweetly, walking over with an innocent smile. "Did you rush to the office because you were afraid I’d drag you back to bed? Were you hiding from me?"

"Of course not!" Lin Xuan denied reflexively. There was no way he’d let Hua Bao know the truth—how humiliating!

"I just had urgent business to handle. Now that Skyline Group is expanding, there’s more work. I’ll probably be at the office more often."

He lied without batting an eye.

Su Hua’s lips curved. She didn’t call him out, instead teasing, "Well, you look so energetic right now. Surely you wouldn’t avoid me over something as trivial as bed, right?"

"Right," Lin Xuan muttered, avoiding her gaze.

Su Hua pressed, "Since you’re so full of energy… how about we continue tonight?"

Lin Xuan: "!!!"

Why did it feel like he’d walked right into her trap?

Now he was stuck—if he agreed, his kidneys would suffer. If he refused, he’d look weak.

"Xuan, what do you say?" Su Hua’s eyes gleamed with mischief.

"Fine. Whatever you want."

He gritted his teeth and nodded.

Ugh.