Chapter 14: A Cartful of Watches

Back then, after taking Qin Xueyang away from the boutique, Zhang Qiyang asked about her situation. Upon learning that Qin Xueyang was living in hardship, Zhang Qiyang handed her a “Servant Contract,” demanding that she become his maid. He would pay her twenty thousand yuan a month, and in exchange, Qin Xueyang was to provide him with all manner of domestic services around the clock.

At that time, Zhang Qiyang had already fallen out with his family and was no longer living at home. He had no one to look after him. Meeting Qin Xueyang was fortuitous; he promptly hired her as his housekeeper.

Later, when Zhang Qiyang debuted as an independent musician, he made Qin Xueyang his assistant, having her handle various announcements and performance arrangements. To motivate Qin Xueyang, he gave her a ten percent agent’s commission, adopting the standard manager’s split, so she could use the money to pay off her debts.

Qin Xueyang didn't expect Zhang Qiyang to lend her a hand at such a time. In those days, the elite circles treated her like a plague, and no one wished to be associated with her. Zhang Qiyang, unafraid of scandal, hired her as his assistant, which deeply moved Qin Xueyang.

But later, Qin Xueyang discovered that Zhang Qiyang—the infamous young master—had an even worse reputation among the socialites than she did! He was a veritable bomb, detonating on whoever crossed his path, utterly lacking in tact. Working for Zhang Qiyang was like shaving years off her life!

After starting to follow Zhang Qiyang, her own reputation worsened. The disgrace she suffered after her family's misfortune was limited to the business circles. But after Zhang Qiyang’s debut, the entire society seemed to revile him! He would clash with millions at the drop of a hat, becoming a public enemy.

Working for such a reckless young lord, Qin Xueyang endured immense pressure. The upper circles described their partnership as a pair of villains, thoroughly corrupt, and no one could tell who was dragging down whom. In short, in the years they were together, both their reputations only deteriorated, trending ever darker.

The only consolation was that Zhang Qiyang, being the son of the richest man, had plenty of opportunities to make money in the entertainment industry. To help her father pay off debts, Qin Xueyang threw aside all concern for dignity, masked herself, and followed Zhang Qiyang into the depths.

Truth be told, no one hoped more fervently than she did for Zhang Qiyang to become famous. The more popular he became, the more opportunities they had to earn money, and the higher her commission would be. For Zhang Qiyang to rise to fame, Qin Xueyang poured in endless sweat and effort over the years.

Zhang Qiyang’s ability to earn millions in recent years was inextricably linked to his identity as the son of the richest man, but Qin Xueyang’s assistance was indispensable. Without her meticulous handling of his performance arrangements and announcements, Zhang Qiyang could never have achieved his current standing.

When Dongyu’s team began to manage Zhang Qiyang’s career, Qin Xueyang was always their point of contact. Even Chen Ke, whenever he needed to discuss matters with Zhang Qiyang, would first approach Qin Xueyang. They would consult together on how to clean up Zhang Qiyang’s messes, for no one understood his temper better than she did.

Whenever Zhang Qiyang self-destructed his image with some mischief, Qin Xueyang would be so enraged she wanted to strangle him. But strangling him was impossible, and persuasion was futile, so she could only channel her anger into eating, consuming food to relieve her stress.

When she first became Zhang Qiyang’s maid, Qin Xueyang weighed only 140 pounds—a charmingly plump young woman. Now, her weight had soared past 180 pounds, making her a super-sized girl—all thanks to Zhang Qiyang’s aggravation.

These past two years, whenever Zhang Qiyang waged war against Wang Dazhong on Weibo, Qin Xueyang would devise strategies for him, suggesting ways to outwit Wang Dazhong rather than engage in brainless insults. But Zhang Qiyang never listened to his maid; each time, he would rage blindly and fall into Wang Dazhong’s trap, completely ruining his own image.

Qin Xueyang loathed Wang Dazhong, that heartless mutt, so much that she registered over a hundred disposable accounts, and every time a battle broke out, she would use them to furiously attack Wang Dazhong. Yet her little accounts had little effect, but she simply couldn't let it go and wanted to stand up for Zhang Qiyang.

Last night, after Wang Dazhong posted a Weibo mocking Zhang Qiyang as brainless, Qin Xueyang rushed to the battlefield, deploying her hundred accounts in the hospital room to bombard Wang Dazhong with insults. Even when her eyes could barely stay open, she was still frantically attacking him.

She worried that when Zhang Qiyang woke and saw Wang Dazhong’s post, he would be infuriated and fall right into Wang Dazhong’s trap, attracting widespread criticism. Zhang Qiyang’s first-place win on “My Song” had already stirred massive public outrage. If he jumped into Wang Dazhong’s pit now, the blow to his already battered reputation would be huge, even threatening his career.

So, that morning, Qin Xueyang got up early and kept watch over Zhang Qiyang, hoping to prevent him from making another mistake.

But to her surprise, Zhang Qiyang had already awakened the night before and launched a powerful counterattack against Wang Dazhong! Unlike his usual hot-headed, mindless rants, this time Zhang Qiyang responded with a relaxed demeanor, ruthlessly exposing Wang Dazhong’s wounds. This astonished Qin Xueyang.

Seeing Zhang Qiyang’s earlier Weibo, where he spoke of burying unresolved issues deep in his heart, and remembering the soulful “Night Star” he sang on the stage of “My Song,” Qin Xueyang suddenly realized—perhaps this young master of the Zhang family had finally matured! He had returned to the world of rational adults!

This filled Qin Xueyang with joy and excitement.

That morning, she called in the attending physician to check Zhang Qiyang’s health. The results were excellent, and the doctor allowed him to have some plain porridge. Qin Xueyang hurried downstairs to buy porridge for Zhang Qiyang.

She bought herself a few buns and returned to the ward to have breakfast with him.

As she ate, she chatted happily with Zhang Qiyang about the Weibo incident. “Young Master Yang, you really went all out this time, dropped a deep-water bomb on Wang Dazhong, that filthy dog, even dug out his cuckolded past. He must be livid.”

“He brought it upon himself,” Zhang Qiyang snorted. “From now on, every time he bites me, I’ll hit him with the dog-beating stick. I don’t believe I can’t finish him off. Isn’t it just a contest of who’s more shameless? I’m not afraid of him.”

Qin Xueyang looked at Zhang Qiyang helplessly and said, “You really have changed, actually considering shamelessness a virtue now.”

“Use whatever means suit the opponent,” Zhang Qiyang chuckled. “Say, do you think that dirty dog is just a cuckolded husband or a cuckolded slave? If I mock him like this, maybe he enjoys it?”

“Enjoys it?” she asked.

“Yeah. Some cuckolded slaves just love it when others give them green hats. Maybe that dirty dog is one of them?”

“Unlikely,” Qin Xueyang replied with a puzzled smile.

“Maybe he really is,” Zhang Qiyang asserted logically. “Look at him—every day, he gets a million green hats and seems quite pleased with himself.”

Qin Xueyang was even more puzzled. “What are you talking about? Who gets a million green hats every day?”

“That filthy dog,” Zhang Qiyang explained. Seeing her confusion, he elaborated, “He revels in being the ‘national husband,’ right? Every day on Weibo, a million little wives call him husband. But while they call him that, they’re sleeping with other men. Isn’t that putting a green hat on him? So, by that count, he gets a million green hats daily. Ha! Saying he’s the greatest cuckold in history isn’t an exaggeration.”

“Hahaha, you thought of that! Brilliant!” Qin Xueyang was thoroughly amused by his explanation.

She swallowed her bun and was about to post Zhang Qiyang’s witty take on “national husband” to Wang Dazhong’s Weibo as a jab, when Wang Dazhong furiously posted a new Weibo, replying to Zhang Qiyang’s previous string of posts.

It contained only a curt insult: “Idiot, I’ll give you a watch I bought last year!”

“Haha, that filthy dog is flustered. Young Master Yang, look.”

Qin Xueyang showed Zhang Qiyang Wang Dazhong’s angry retort.

Zhang Qiyang glanced at it, laughed breezily, grabbed his phone, and immediately fired back: “You’re the idiot! I’ll send you a truckload of watches I bought last year! If you act up again, I’ll send you a luxury green bus from the English Peninsula!”

He even attached a photo—a massive green turtle-shaped watch.

He was clearly intent on driving Wang Dazhong crazy.