Chapter 34: The Utterly Adorable Shawn

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: The Utterly Adorable Shawn

A man approached Jasper Rivers. Jasper smiled, clinked glasses with him, and took a sip of his drink before leaning in close to Rian Sinclair’s ear. "You sure have a lot of secrets, Rian. Coming into so much money out of nowhere... why don’t you tell me how you earned it?"

Rian leaned back against the sofa, looking languid. She reached out and pushed Jasper away by a few inches before taking the wine glass he offered. "Does Ninth Master Rivers even care about my pocket change?"

Jasper laughed and raised his glass. "You’re wrong about that, Rian. Who would ever complain about having too much money? If there’s a way to make a profit together, I’m more than happy to join in."

Rian shot him a sidelong glance. "Why did you call me here today? Didn’t I say not to bother me unless it was something important?"

Jasper didn’t seem annoyed by her changing the subject. "I’ve come across a few ways to make some money recently. I wonder if you’d be interested in getting in on it?"

Rian shook her head. "I have no money."

Jasper paused midway through his drink and looked up at her. "You’re just as boring as always. If you had joined me back then, wouldn’t your life have improved ages ago? Why live in poverty for over ten years?"

Rian raised an eyebrow at him. "Those ’ways to make money’ you’re talking about are all written in the criminal code, aren’t they?"

Jasper didn’t reply. Instead, he lowered his head and buried his face in someone’s neck. Through the dim lighting of the private room, Rian finally got a good look at the person next to him.

DING! [Target for spending detected! Appearance rating: 95 points. The target meets the spending requirements. Host, please tip them as soon as possible to receive your cashback reward!]

Rian was quite startled by the system’s voice. She scrutinized the person’s appearance—he looked very young. Frowning, she glanced back at Jasper. How absolutely criminal, she thought.

Watching the boy instinctively shrink back as Jasper leaned in, only to be trapped in Jasper’s arms, Rian took a sip from her glass. Eventually, Jasper sat up straight.

"What’s going on, Ninth Master Rivers? Don’t you always boast about attracting people with your natural charm? Since when do you force yourself on them?" Rian’s expression was teasing; this behavior didn’t align with the Jasper she knew.

Rian knew Jasper always had a crowd of people around him and changed partners frequently. But as far as she knew, he was never one to force himself on anyone. His past lovers had simply admired his wealth and power, willingly playing along.

Jasper chuckled softly. He set his glass on the table and twirled a strand of the boy’s hair around his finger, leaning back lazily against the sofa. "I just got tired of the usual and wanted to try a different flavor."

Rian looked at Jasper and tapped her finger. "Aren’t you going to introduce us?"

"Shawn Sterling," Jasper said, shifting slightly to reveal the boy more clearly. His tone carried a hint of seriousness as he added, "Shawn, why don’t you introduce yourself to Rian?"

Shawn shrank back slightly, seemingly reluctant to speak. Although Rian was surprised by Jasper’s attitude toward the boy, she had no interest in meddling with his people. She steered the conversation back to business. "Tell me, what’s going on?"

Jasper sobered his expression and gave her a look. Getting the hint, Rian stood up and left the room. Not long after she walked out, Jasper told Shawn he would be gone for a moment and followed her.

Rian waited for Jasper on the fourth floor.

Moonlight was one of the properties under Jasper’s name and the largest money-squandering den in Argent. The building boasted seventeen floors in total, offering dining, lodging, and all forms of entertainment.

The fourth floor was a lounge area. Rian was currently in Jasper’s exclusive private room, where the two of them sat facing each other.

"Speak," Rian was the first to break the silence.

"A lot has been happening over there recently, and it’s making quite a stir. Even people from Veridia have gone over. What happened that made you visit the police station today?" Jasper’s voice was unhurried. Rian looked at him, not at all angered that he had been keeping tabs on her whereabouts.

"Don’t worry, it’s nothing major. I was just watching a livestream and came across someone who got trafficked to North Boro."

Hearing this, Jasper asked, "Do you like him? How about I send some men over to snatch him back for you?"

Rian’s mouth twitched slightly at his words. That was exactly the kind of thing he would do. "No need. I’ve already contacted the police. They’ll handle the follow-up operations."

Jasper didn’t press the issue. "But you know they always play it safe. Whether this person you mentioned can make it back alive is still up in the air."

Rian pursed her lips in silence. She had already considered what Jasper said, but what else could she do?

Jasper chuckled without saying anything more. He stood up. "Let’s head back. If you want to leave, that’s fine too. I’m going back to Shawn now."

Watching Jasper’s retreating back, Rian said no more and got up to leave.

After stepping out of the elevator and returning to the third floor, the deafening music could still be heard echoing through the corridor. Annoyed by the pounding bass, Rian made her way toward the restrooms.

She remembered there being a window over there where she could get some fresh air.

Leaning against the wall, Rian asked a sexy woman for a cigarette, borrowed a lighter, and placed the filter between her lips.

The cigarette burned between her slender, graceful fingers. She exuded a profound sense of depth mixed with laziness, charm, gentleness, and an undeniable allure.

A faint taste of mint lingered on her tongue. She flicked the ash, letting the smoke curl around her in a thick haze as she waited for the cigarette to quietly burn down. When only a small portion remained, Rian stepped closer to the metal trash can and crushed the butt out in the ashtray on top.

She stood against the wall for a little while, letting the cold wind blow over her to dissipate the strong smell of smoke on her clothes. There was a sink at the entrance to the restrooms. As she washed her hands while looking into the mirror, a familiar face suddenly appeared in the reflection.

Rian merely raised her eyes for a fleeting glance and didn’t turn around. She meticulously washed her fingertips, then pulled out a paper towel to slowly dry her hands.

Only after she was completely finished did she slowly turn around to face the newcomer. "Do you need something?"

The young man lowered his head without a word. Rian didn’t press him further. She walked past him toward the railing, found an empty spot, and turned to lean her back against it, looking at him.

The youth stood in a daze for a moment before following her. Neither of them spoke. Surrounded only by the irritating pulse of the music, Rian began to grow impatient.

Finally, the young man’s voice rang out, as clear and gentle as jade. "You... seem to be very close with Ninth Brother."

Rian turned her head. With her back against the railing, she looked at the young man with a slightly cool gaze. "How did you figure that out? Was it because he was only joking around with me out of everyone there? Or because we went off alone to talk?"

The young man kept his head down, continuously fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. When he finally looked up, his eyes were bright and incredibly beautiful. He spoke with a very serious expression. "Neither. Ninth Brother looks at you with a sincerity... like you’re very close friends."

Rian just smiled and didn’t say anything. Seeing her disbelief, the young man grew a little anxious and raised his voice slightly. "I’m telling the truth! You have to believe me!"

"Well, if your Ninth Brother heard you say that, he’d definitely lock you up with the rest of the little pets he keeps," Rian said, her words thinly veiling a threat.

She leaned in close to his face. It was both surprising and somewhat amusing to see him turn pale with fear, but as she got closer, she caught a whiff of an indescribable scent.

Rian looked at the restrooms behind Shawn and then back at him. Her expression shifted to one of clear understanding, though she couldn’t help but inwardly curse. He actually used his mouth, she realized.

"Kid, how old are you?" Rian could tell he was quite young, but she was genuinely curious about his exact age.

Although Shawn’s eyes were filled with confusion, he still answered, "Seventeen."

Rian looked Shawn up and down. She had guessed right—he really was a minor. "Have you always been with him?"

Shawn shook his head, then nodded. "I’ve been with him since I was eleven."

Hearing that age, Rian was somewhat taken aback. After all, she and Jasper were practically childhood friends, yet she had never once heard of this person being by his side. This Jasper... he had really hidden him well.