Chapter 8 – Paper Man 7
Su Tang noticed that Luo Yuan had been acting strange lately.
He wasn’t as eager to come online during break times, and when they played together, he kept getting distracted. His gameplay was already terrible, but whenever he spaced out, he’d rush to feed the enemy team, making them laugh while Su Tang fumed with anger.
“Fuck! You died again! Master, are you tired of playing?”
Su Tang’s expression was full of resentment, but his three-headed avatar’s wide-eyed glare still looked adorable.
Luo Yuan snapped out of it, feeling a bit guilty. “I… I have a lot of things to do. I’ll log off for now. We can play again later.”
Without waiting for Su Tang to respond, he quickly logged off.
Su Tang sat cross-legged on the fluffy carpet, blinking twice before suddenly jumping up.
“What the hell?! What’s he doing? Just abandoning me like that?! This is ridiculous! Wait… Could he be developing feelings for the female lead? Now that I think about it, that’s actually possible. He’s been acting so weird lately, like he’s secretly doing something behind my back…”
Su Tang rested his chin in his hand, pacing around the room. He couldn’t even enjoy his game anymore, his face puffing up in anger like a steamed bun. “This idiot! What’s so great about the female lead anyway? Can’t he like someone else?!”
He plopped down, viciously playing games and blowing up enemies’ heads. But before long, he tossed the game aside and flopped backward, rolling around on the floor like a madman.
Aaaaaah! I’m gonna die from this idiot’s stupidity!
Meanwhile, on the other side…
After discovering Su Tang’s apparent love (?) for beautiful, ornate dresses, Luo Yuan decided to gift him the most stunning dress he could find. Though surprised that a man might enjoy wearing dresses, Luo Yuan understood the importance of respecting others’ preferences. Seeing how Su Tang had hidden the dress deep within his wardrobe, Luo Yuan guessed this was likely because Su Tang feared being different—desperately suppressing his true desires even when he clearly enjoyed them.
Luo Yuan’s mind conjured up an image of the delicate, sensitive man, feeling that Su Tang’s carefree and unrestrained demeanor was the most endearing.
Upon finding the dress, he immediately checked the online store to see if it was available for purchase. He stumbled upon a custom clothing workshop that even allowed for personalized designs. Without hesitation, Luo Yuan called a well-known fashion designer he knew and requested a one-of-a-kind, opulent court dress.
The designer initially thought this was a new collection launch from the Luo family’s clothing company. But to her surprise, Luo Yuan showed unusual enthusiasm, even discussing specific details of the dress with her, suggesting “she” might like this or that design element.
“Your iron tree finally bloomed after a hundred years?” the designer friend exclaimed in shock.
Luo Yuan frowned. “What are you talking about?”
The designer pressed curiously, “Isn’t this for your girlfriend?”
Luo Yuan shook his head without hesitation. “No.”
Su Tang wasn’t a girl. That was the only part he instinctively denied.
The designer grew even more incredulous. “So you haven’t won them over yet? Wow, to go this all-out before even securing a relationship! I never knew you were so romantic. Impressive!”
Luo Yuan ignored her strange remarks, urging her to hurry up—time was running short.
The day before the birthday, the designer finalized her draft. She proudly showed it to Luo Yuan and said, “You’re the one who made me design at the last minute. There’s no time to make a sample garment. Are you just going to send the draft? Give me the measurements now—I’ll have someone rush it out within two days.”
Luo Yuan had originally only wanted the draft. The mall’s clothing design competition only required uploaded images. But upon hearing his designer friend’s words, he found himself nodding against his better judgment. He did have the measurements—they were right there on the character profile panel.
After the discussion, Luo Yuan returned to his company, still preoccupied with the sample garment project. He walked slowly with his eyes downcast, somewhat absent-minded, and nearly collided with someone at the corridor’s corner.
Luo Yuan instinctively stepped back, narrowly avoiding the collision. As he apologized and met the person’s gaze, he found himself facing a young woman with a flushed face, who stared at him in panic.
Luo Yuan was about to walk away when he noticed the thermos box in her hand. It contained ordinary home-style dishes, but they were prepared with such care that they looked delicious.
“Did you make this yourself?” Luo Yuan asked.
The woman bit her lip, nodding with a blush. “Y-yes. If you don’t mind…” Would you like to try it?
Before she could finish, Luo Yuan asked, “Why not eat at the company cafeteria? Is the food there not good?”
As a large corporation, they naturally understood the importance of motivating employees. The company benefits were excellent. The cafeteria offered both Eastern and Western cuisines with a wide variety of dishes, and the quality was no less than that of outside restaurants. In fact, some employees even gained so much weight from the cafeteria that they resigned in despair.
Seeing someone at the company would rather spend time making their own lunch to bring in than eat at the cafeteria, CEO Luo Yuan couldn’t help but wonder if the chefs’ skills had deteriorated.
The woman froze, stammering, “…I-I’m just more used to eating my own cooking.”
Luo Yuan frowned, clearly not understanding. “The company provides meals and housing precisely to create a good working environment. If you truly don’t like the cafeteria food, you can suggest improvements. Preparing lunches in the morning is a waste of time, and eating at the cafeteria helps foster colleague interaction.”
The woman’s eyes reddened, as if his words were unbearable. She lowered her head, choking back tears. “Mm… I know I was wrong.”
Luo Yuan grew even more perplexed. Had he said something wrong?
He glanced at her work badge, noting the name “Ying” and her status as an intern. Without further comment, he turned and walked away. He didn’t see how her fingertips turned white, her grip so tight she nearly crushed the lunch box.
Luo Yuan quickly dismissed the incident from his mind. As a CEO with countless responsibilities, he naturally couldn’t remember trivial matters.
Luo Yuan’s top priority now was to return to his office, open the game, and quickly create a gift for Su Tang.
The screen displayed the bedroom, spotlessly clean and tidy.
The little avatar, as if sensing his arrival, sprang up and exclaimed excitedly, “Master, you’re here!”
Luo Yuan was taken aback. “You cleaned the room?”
Su Tang blinked his eyes innocently. “Yes, I did,” he replied sweetly.
Luo Yuan felt a sudden sense of satisfaction.
“Are you tired of playing games?” Su Tang continued. “Is there something else you’d like to do? I’ll keep you company.”
Luo Yuan was even more surprised. This kid spent every day unwaveringly gaming and watching anime—how had his interests suddenly shifted?
Su Tang’s reasoning was simple: he wanted to please Luo Yuan. With Luo Yuan logging in less frequently these past few days, Su Tang grew worried that the CEO might be developing feelings for the female lead. To divert his attention, he temporarily suppressed his gaming instincts and transformed into a charming, two-dimensional character.
After a moment’s consideration, Luo Yuan said, “I don’t need anything else. You should keep playing your games. I have some important work to do.”
Su Tang’s face crumpled like a wilted cabbage.
[ Su Tang’s Favorability -10 ]
[ Su Tang: Ah, my master has truly changed his heart. He doesn’t love me anymore. ]
Luo Yuan looked at the text, torn between laughter and exasperation. “Why do you care what I want? You should just focus on being happy.”
Su Tang lay sprawled on the carpet like a deflated cushion, his lips pouting. “Because I want you to be happy too.” When one’s heart is full of love and contentment, they’re less likely to be tempted away by a heroine’s mere warmth.
Luo Yuan gazed at the adorable little figure and the tiny text, feeling his heart skip a beat despite himself. He stood frozen in place.
When no response came, Su Tang whined from the floor, his voice soft and pleading. “Master~ Master~ Don’t ignore me! Did you find another dog out there?”
Luo Yuan pressed a hand to his forehead. “Stop calling me that.”
Su Tang smiled innocently, his eyes wide. “But that’s your name! What else should I call you if not ‘Master’? It’s such a pretty name~”
[ Su Tang: Heh heh, serves him right. ]
Luo Yuan: “…” Whatever.
The next day, Luo Yuan finally presented his carefully prepared gift.
“Tangtang, happy birthday!”
Su Tang was bewildered… Birthday? Me? It seemed, indeed, it was his birthday.
However, he hadn’t really celebrated birthdays much, especially after high school. Birthdays had become just like any other day.
Suddenly, someone had gone to the trouble of preparing a celebration for him. He looked at the beautiful and delicious strawberry cake before him, feeling both overwhelmed by the attention and delighted, yet also somewhat at a loss.
[ Su Tang’s favorability +300 ]
“Thank you… I’m very happy.”
Su Tang smiled as he opened the gift box, but when he saw what was inside, his smile froze.
Author’s Note:
Su Tang: I… have no fucking words.
![You’re Causing Chaos Again [e-sports]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/1sMqC2JNjIep8Ov.jpg "You’re Causing Chaos Again [e-sports]")
![How to Achieve Godhood with a Life-Threatening Persona [Quick Transmigration]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/219974s.jpg "How to Achieve Godhood with a Life-Threatening Persona [Quick Transmigration]")
![Professional Red Thread Cutter [Quick Transmigration]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_6298.jpeg "Professional Red Thread Cutter [Quick Transmigration]")
