Sickly Bigshot CH 17 Reversal
Translated by The BL Muse (ko-fi)
Qin Yancheng was already tall, and his aura made him stand out even in a crowd. Shi Zhou watched as the man walked over with his usual expressionless face, trailed by someone from the event organizers—likely a high-ranking executive tasked with entertaining this VIP.
Someone in the crowd suddenly slapped their forehead. "I remember now! That watch on Shi Zhou’s wrist—Mr. Qin was the one who bought it at last year’s auction!"
The crowd gasped in realization. If that was the case, Shi Zhou was truly done for. Qin Yancheng was infamous for his cold, unfeeling demeanor, so no one even considered the possibility that he and Shi Zhou might have an unusual relationship. Instead, they speculated about how Shi Zhou could have gotten his hands on the watch—perhaps during some drunken business dinner, where Shi Zhou, playing the obedient hanger-on, had seized the opportunity to steal it.
Jiang Song privately agreed with this theory and was secretly pleased with himself. Someone of Qin Yancheng’s status would likely find calling the police beneath him, so he’d come personally to handle the matter. By reporting the theft, Jiang Song had spared Mr. Qin the trouble while ensuring Shi Zhou got what he deserved. Surely, Mr. Qin would spare him a second glance for this.
Who knew? Maybe that second glance would turn into genuine appreciation for my exceptional qualities.
The more Jiang Song thought about it, the more delighted he became, as if he’d already been chosen by the emperor himself. He leaned in and hissed at Shi Zhou with vicious glee. "You should’ve known this was coming when you stole my role by whoring yourself out!"
Shi Zhou rolled his eyes, too annoyed to bother responding. His mind was screaming, Qin Yancheng, you absolute bastard! He had no idea Qin Yancheng was even attending tonight. Judging by the eager crowd of good looking men and women around them, he must have been the last to know.
The crowd murmured and pointed, eagerly awaiting the unfolding drama.
Qin Yancheng’s gaze swept over the gathered crowd, landing on Shi Zhou, who stood in the center with his back turned, expression unreadable.
Shi Zhou was already in a foul mood after being ambushed by Jiang Song’s ridiculous accusations. Now, Qin Yancheng had the audacity to show up without warning—after living under the same roof, he still hadn’t bothered to mention his attendance?
As Qin Yancheng approached, Shi Zhou deliberately pretended not to recognize him. While others scrambled to greet him with elaborate charm, Shi Zhou remained lazily indifferent.
Qin Yancheng took in Shi Zhou’s bristling attitude, then glanced at Jiang Song standing opposite him. His voice was cool, "What’s going on here?"
Qin Yancheng was notoriously cold and aloof. Jiang Song, oblivious to the other's displeasure, was thrilled at being addressed. Out of all the eager men and women vying for Qin Yancheng’s attention, he was the first one he spoke to! That had to mean something! Meanwhile, Shi Zhou’s pathetic attempt at playing hard-to-get was laughable—did he really think feigning disinterest would work? What a joke!
But Jiang Song was different, he had no problem throwing away his dignity. He eagerly stepped forward, oozing flattery, "Mr. Qin, there’s no need for you to trouble yourself with this! We’ll handle it shortly—we won’t let this thief get away!"
Just as he finished speaking, the police arrived. Given the high-profile nature of the event, several patrol cars had been stationed outside, so their response time was mere minutes.
The media, always hungry for drama, immediately began snapping photos, eager to capture the chaos. The organizer’s expression darkened, his tone turning sharp. "Who called the police?"
Jiang Song eagerly recounted Shi Zhou’s "crime," painting himself as the righteous hero—though he carefully avoided admitting he’d orchestrated the whole thing. He claimed ignorance, insisting it was all Shi Zhou’s fault for being a thief.
In an industry that worshipped status, the organizer couldn’t help but look down on a nobody like Shi Zhou. Outside, Jiang Song’s fans waved their signs, while Shi Zhou was just an uninvited guest Qixing Entertainment had shoved in at the last minute. And now he’d caused trouble? Disgraceful.
Meanwhile, Shi Zhou’s coat, draped over his arm, was slowly changing color. The spot where Jiang Song had touched it was turning yellow, then black, as if oxidizing.
Shi Zhou stared at it, torn between laughter and fury. What a fucking lowlife. If he weren’t worried about punching Jiang Song’s silicone-filled face into mush, he’d have beaten the little bastard senseless by now.
The organizer’s expression grew increasingly impatient and disgusted. "Mr. Shi, perhaps it’s best if you skip tonight’s event. Cooperate with the police investigation first. The red carpet is about to start, and we can’t delay everyone else."
Since Qin Yancheng was the "victim" in this scenario, the organizer turned to him for confirmation. Qin Yancheng looked at Jiang Song and said flatly, "Mnn. You won’t be walking the red carpet. Or attending the gala."
Jiang Song nearly cheered. This was exactly what he wanted! Where was Shi Zhou’s arrogance now? His sharp tongue? Too scared to even speak in front of Qin Yancheng, huh?
His triumphant grin was barely containable—until Shi Zhou sighed, shaking his head in mock pity. "Why are you smiling? He’s talking to you."
Jiang Song froze. "W-What?"
Then his smile shattered completely.
Qin Yancheng, in front of everyone, removed his own coat and draped it over Shi Zhou’s shoulders. "This’ll have to do for now."
Silence.
Three full seconds of stunned disbelief.
Everyone gaped at the two of them.
Someone suddenly realized their outfits tonight looked like they’d been designed as a pair—one black, one white, styles eerily similar.
Jiang Song’s mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. Finally, he choked out:
"N-No… Wait, Mr. Qin, there must be some mistake! You’ve got it wrong—Shi Zhou is the one who—"
Shi Zhou rolled his eyes and theatrically gasped. "Yeah, Mr. Qin! What’s wrong with your ears? You deaf or something? They’re trying to arrest me!"
Qin Yancheng sighed. Shi Zhou’s audacity wasn’t new—no one else would dare mock him like this in public. But for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to be angry.
While Qin Yancheng was used to it, everyone else looked like they’d just witnessed a pig sprout Jiang Song’s head—complete with bulging eyes and a slack jaw. The sight was equal parts horrifying and hilarious.
The "human head" stammered: "Wh-Why?!"
Qin Yancheng turned to the police. "The watch is mine. I lent it to Shi Zhou. As for Jiang Song, your ‘help’ is not needed." He glanced at his bodyguards.
The burly men immediately seized Jiang Song, roughly searching him. Whether by accident or design, they tore his flimsy outfit to shreds, leaving him half-naked in the cold wind.
The police exchanged glances. This was likely not the first time they had come across something like this. As long as no one was hurt, they wouldn’t interfere.
Moments later, a disheveled, trembling Jiang Song was found with a half-empty bottle of clear liquid in his pocket. Qin Yancheng examined Shi Zhou’s stained coat, then took the bottle—
And dumped the entire contents over Jiang Song’s head.
The dye would soon oxidize, turning his face, hair, and clothes pitch black.
Jiang Song’s assistants were next. The loudest, most obnoxious one—the very one who’d accused Shi Zhou—was found with the "stolen" watch in his possession.
Jiang Song, struggling to regain his composure, somehow mustered the audacity to slap the assistant hard across the face. "You stole it?! What grudge do you have against Shi Zhou to frame him like this?!"
The assistant was stunned, and suddenly realized why Jiang Song asked him to do everything, whether it was destroying the surveillance camera or taking away the watch. It turned out that he wanted to make him a scapegoat if the matter was exposed!
Shi Zhou tilted his head and interrupted, "Tsk, two hundred thousand, little assistant, you have really great prospects these days."
The assistant gritted his teeth, losing his job was more important than going to jail, he blurted out, "No! Jiang Song told me to do it! He made me disable the cameras, take the watch, and trick Shi Zhou into the dressing room! I didn’t want to steal anything!"
This farce was instigated by Jiang Song to call the police to arrest people, but when the police arrived, they ended up arresting him. If he hadn't shamelessly begged to at least wait until the gala was over, he would have been taken away on the spot to make a statement along with his assistant.
The crowd’s attitude shifted instantly. In just ten minutes, Jiang Song became the laughingstock:
"This is hilarious! The clown is actually himself!"
"I actually believed him earlier. Ugh, wasted my sympathy."
"What a disgusting person. Framing someone for theft? Just because they’re poor? Who does he think he is?"
"Shi Zhou clearly isn’t poor. And did you see how protective Mr. Qin was? What’s their relationship?"
Countless curious or envious eyes lingered on Shi Zhou, eager to see how the two would interact inside.
Jiang Song’s manager called immediately after hearing about the disaster. Furious, he screamed, "You’ve gotten too full of yourself! Do you even know who you are anymore? Your rented clothes are ruined now—did you expect Mr. Qin to pay for them? You’re covering the cost yourself!"
"But… I prepared for so long. Now I can’t walk the red carpet—"
"You’re still thinking about the red carpet?! You offended Qin Yancheng! Your career is over! Forget the red carpet—get inside and apologize to Shi Zhou in front of everyone. Make it sincere. I knew your arrogance would backfire! Did you ever stop to think Shi Zhou might have Qin Yancheng backing him?!"
Jiang Song hung up, seething. Why did Shi Zhou have all the luck?
He refused to acknowledge his own mistakes, convinced this was all because Shi Zhou had shamelessly seduced yet another powerful patron.
The thought of humiliating himself—covered in black dye, clothes torn—by groveling to Shi Zhou in front of everyone made him burn with hatred.
But his manager had insisted this was the only way to appear remorseful and avoid further retaliation.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Song trudged into the venue, still clinging to one last hope: Maybe Shi Zhou and Mr. Qin aren’t that close. Maybe Mr. Qin just stepped in randomly.
Then he saw it.
In the audience seating area, Shi Zhou was laughing, reaching for an orange Qin Yancheng had just peeled for him—