Chapter 416: A Reborn's Humiliation: From King to Janitor
'Something's not right, very not right…'
At this moment, Long Hao, who was not far away, was greatly shocked to see that the sisters Xu Ruoxue and Xu Ruoshui were looking at Shen Anyu with tender and affectionate gazes.
'What in the world was going on?'
Long Hao's mind reeled, a nauseating wave of cognitive dissonance washing over him. The scene before him was an utter betrayal of his past life's memories. Shen Anyu, the infamous Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family, was supposed to be a debauched, useless silk-panted heir. A man so incompetent he couldn't even successfully court Lin Keqing, the beautiful sister-in-law of the future Lord of Youming Hall, Ye Yan.
Yet, the man sitting at the center of this opulent hall was a different creature entirely. He commanded not only the attention of Su Hongmian but now also the twin jewels of the Xu Family, Xu Ruoshui and Xu Ruoxue. Their eyes, filled with a soft, obvious affection, were fixed on him as if he were the only man in the universe. This was impossible. It was a glitch in the timeline, a deviation so severe it made his reborn knowledge feel like a cruel joke.
Long Hao's gaze bored into Shen Anyu, his brows knitting into a tight, frustrated knot. The man was infuriatingly handsome, his features carved with an almost divine precision. He wore a custom-tailored suit that draped perfectly over his lean frame, exuding an aura of calm, aristocratic elegance. He was composed, gentle, a refined master of the world who showed no trace of the hedonistic waste he was supposed to be.
'Could it be... were the rumors from my past life all wrong?' The thought was a chilling one. If his foundational knowledge of the world's key players was flawed, his entire plan for the future was built on sand.
"What are you standing there gawking for? Are you a statue?" A sharp, grating voice snapped him out of his trance. The manager of the Zhenxiu Pavilion, a man with a perpetually pinched face, stormed over, his eyes spitting disdain. "Young Master Shen is our honored guest! Hurry up and serve him! Do you have rocks in your head? Be smarter!"
"Oh, oh, right away! I'll go serve Young Master Shen now!" Long Hao stammered, bowing his head to hide the flash of fury in his eyes. This was perfect. It was a chance to get closer, to observe, to find a crack in Shen Anyu's perfect facade.
But the manager's eyes swept over him once more, a sneer twisting his lips. "Forget it. You've got a clumsy, stupid look about you. You'll probably trip and spill soup all over the Young Master. Go clean the restrooms. We'll have someone competent serve our guest."
"What? C-Clean the restrooms?" Long Hao's voice cracked. The words echoed in his ears, each one a hammer blow to his pride.
His jaw went slack, his mind a complete blank.
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Long Hao, is dumbfounded. Plundering 9,999 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Long Hao, is bursting with vexation. Plundering 9,999 Destiny Points!]
The system prompts were like salt poured into a gaping wound. He, Long Hao, a man reborn with foreknowledge and a heaven-defying system, was being ordered to scrub toilets? It was a humiliation beyond anything he had ever imagined. But Shen Anyu's gaze was now on him, a faint, amused curiosity in those dark eyes. To make a scene here would be to expose himself.
Gritting his teeth so hard his jaw ached, Long Hao gave a stiff nod. "Yes, Manager."
With a final, withering glare, the manager shooed him away. As Long Hao turned, his shoulders slumped in defeat, he felt Shen Anyu's casual, dismissive glance follow him before returning to the beautiful women at his side. He was an ant, not even worthy of a second thought.
Shen Anyu watched the pathetic figure retreat, a half-smile playing on his lips. He then turned his attention back to the exquisite meal and even more exquisite company, leisurely enjoying the gourmet delicacies and rare dishes with Xu Ruoxue and Xu Ruoshui.
More than half an hour later, a lifetime of degradation, Long Hao finally emerged from the restrooms. The acrid smell of cleaning chemicals clung to his uniform, and his face was a dark, thunderous mask of pure hatred.
'Damn it all! I never once cleaned a toilet in my previous life! Now, I've been reborn, I've obtained the Investment Return System, I'm holding a royal flush of King and Queen cards, and I'm scrubbing filth for a living? Is this some kind of cosmic joke?!'
The injustice of it all burned in his gut like acid. Even in his first life, after Su Hongmian had publicly rejected him and made him a city-wide laughingstock, he was still Long Hao, the third son of Long Qing, head of the Sichuan Long Family! He had lived a life of idle luxury, spending two and a half years playing games indoors, never wanting for good food, fine clothes, or spending money.
And now? Now he had rebirth and a golden-finger system, the ultimate protagonist package, and he had sunk to a level lower than he had ever been.
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Long Hao, is extremely depressed. Plundering 9,999 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Long Hao, is consumed by envy and jealousy. Plundering 9,999 Destiny Points!]
His eyes, burning with resentment, locked onto the scene at the center of the grand hall. It was a portrait of a life he craved, a life he felt was his by right. Shen Anyu sat there like an emperor, with the stunning Xu sisters flanking him. The entire Zhenxiu Pavilion, a top-tier private club that normally required reservations weeks in advance, had been closed for the day to serve just the three of them.
A veritable army of staff moved with silent, practiced efficiency. A team of national banquet-level chefs had been commissioned solely for this meal. The banquet hall itself was a sprawling masterpiece of design, hundreds of square meters of polished marble and intricate woodwork, yet it contained only a single, perfectly set banquet table.
And the waitresses... dozens of young, beautiful girls, each dressed in a stunning water-ink qipao that hugged their slender curves, moved like graceful swans. Their legs were long and elegant, their smiles sweet and genuine. They orbited Shen Anyu's table, carrying steaming plates of culinary art. One would pour him wine from a crystal decanter, another would place a select morsel on his plate with silver tongs, and a third stood ready with a warm towel to gently wipe his mouth. Their every action was filled with a delicate, reverent tenderness.
The sheer quality of these waitresses was astounding. Each one possessed a level of beauty that would make her a department belle, or even a campus queen, at any university.
And they were nothing compared to the goddesses sitting beside Shen Anyu. Xu Ruoshui and Xu Ruoxue were in a league of their own, first-class beauties whose looks could topple nations.
Long Hao felt a bitter, envious bile rise in his throat. He wished with every fiber of his being that he could take Shen Anyu's place.
'A man's life... fine food, exquisite wine, and breathtaking women. To live like Shen Anyu... what more could one ask for?'
A wave of self-loathing followed the thought. 'No, no, get a grip! I am a reborn powerhouse! I am bound to the Investment Return System! My future will be a thousand times more dazzling, more successful than Shen Anyu's!'
His mind scrambled for a rationalization, a way to soothe his savaged pride. 'Hmph! What is Shen Anyu anyway? Just a useless good-for-nothing propped up by the Yanxia Shen Family. He's a paper tiger!'
The thought of Ye Yan was a comforting balm. 'Just wait until the Lord of Youming Hall makes his move. The Shen Family's mansion will come crashing down, and this pampered pretty boy, Shen Anyu, will be finished! All I have to do is wait. As long as Ye Yan acts, everything will turn around…'
The fantasy played out vividly in his mind: the all-powerful Shen Anyu, stripped of his wealth and status, kneeling on the ground, his handsome face contorted in terror and despair, begging Ye Yan for mercy. The image was so satisfying that a grim, twisted smile curled Long Hao's lips.
"Move it. You're in the way."
Thud!
A sharp kick to his calf jolted him back to reality. A beautiful waitress, her face a mask of annoyance, unceremoniously shoved past him. She was holding a large tray bearing a steaming clay pot. With a swift transformation, her annoyed expression melted into a radiant smile as she approached the main table and presented the dish.
"Young Master Shen, the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall."
As the lid was lifted, a cloud of fragrant steam erupted, carrying a rich, complex aroma that instantly filled the entire hall. It was a scent so intoxicating, so deeply savory and luxurious, that it seemed to physically assault Long Hao's senses.
Grumble... grumble!
His nostrils flared, and his stomach let out a pathetic, traitorous growl.
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Long Hao, is overwhelmed by envy and jealousy. Plundering 9,988 Destiny Points!]
'Dammit, I haven't eaten a single thing all day…'
His eyes were glued to the pot, watching as a waitress served Shen Anyu a bowl filled with glistening abalone, tender sea cucumber, and shark fin swimming in a golden, fragrant broth. His mouth flooded with saliva.
He had spent the entire day and night on a wild goose chase, flying hundreds of miles to some remote mountain village to find the supposed true Young Master of the Xu Family, Xu He. After failing, he had rushed back to Magic City, staked out the Xu Family Villa, and immediately followed Shen Anyu here. He hadn't had a sip of water or a bite of food. He was starving.
Right now, even a dry steamed bun and a cup of plain water would taste like a feast from heaven. To be tormented by the scent of a masterpiece like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, meticulously prepared by a master chef, was a unique form of torture.
"Useless."
A female waitress standing nearby eyed him with undisguised contempt. She saw his shabby uniform, his hungry gaze, and the way he was practically drooling, and she judged him instantly.
[Ding! The Child of Destiny, Long Hao, is displeased. Plundering 3,333 Destiny Points!]
"I'll eat as much Buddha Jumps Over the Wall as I want in the future," Long Hao muttered under his breath, his voice thick with resentment. "I'll eat it every single day. I'll eat one bowl and throw another one away just for fun."
He had to believe it. He was a reborn protagonist with a cheat system. How could he not soar to the heavens? This current humiliation was just a temporary setback, a small trial before his inevitable rise. Once he figured out what had changed in the timeline, he would take off like a dragon.
The waitress who had scorned him simply rolled her eyes, clearly not believing a word. Her attention, like that of all the others, was completely captivated by Shen Anyu. She turned to her friend, her voice dropping to an infatuated whisper.
"Young Master Shen is so handsome... just looking at him makes my legs feel weak."
"Hehe, I heard he's very romantic, too," her friend giggled. "It would be a dream come true if he even glanced my way."
"Xiaolan, you might as well put on some pants and stop dreaming. Young Master Shen has those celestial beauties accompanying him. Why would he ever look at commoners like us?"
"Wuwuwu, don't say it out loud! I still want to dream about him tonight!"
Long Hao rolled his eyes again, his heart filled with scorn for their superficiality.
'So what if Shen Anyu is handsome? He has no strength! He's even more of a martial arts waste than I am! The Lord of Youming Hall, a man destined to become a Land Immortal, will scare Shen Anyu into peeing his pants!' he thought furiously. 'For a man, what's most important isn't looks, it's power! Handsomeness is fleeting, but strength is eternal!'
But as his gaze drifted back to Shen Anyu's flawless profile, a final, bitter thought surfaced against his will.
'Damn it, why is he so unbelievably handsome?'
The next scene left Long Hao even more dumbfounded...
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