From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)-Chapter 617: A Minor Prank with Major Consequences (part one)

The limousine slowed to a stop beside the service entrance of the auction venue, its dark body reflecting the rain-slicked lights of the street. The rain had eased compared to earlier, but it still fell steadily. Thin drops splattered everywhere as the wind pushed the rain sideways.

The bodyguard stepped out first, moving briskly despite the rain. He walked around the car and opened the rear door. Clyde stepped out, one foot landing firmly on the wet ground. He frowned, but straightened anyway, snapping the umbrella open as he circled the car.

The rain patterned softly against the umbrella’s surface, muffling the sound of the crowd up front.

Clyde opened Micah’s door and angled the umbrella precisely, blocking the rain before extending his free hand inward. Pale fingers emerged first, slender and steady, resting lightly against his palm. Clyde’s grip tightened just a fraction as he helped Micah step out.

Micah moved smoothly, the slit of his qipao shifting with his stride. The rain brushed the hem of his coat, darkening it by a shade. Clyde’s brows furrowed immediately, adjusting the umbrella again to cover him better.

"Why are we getting out here?" Clyde grumbled, glancing at the service entrance then at the crowd a few meters ahead, entering the venue safely. "Your dress might get soaked or dirty."

Micah pulled the coat more tightly around himself, unfazed. "You want me to let some random paparazzi snap a photo of us?" he asked quietly. "Thank you very much. I’m not planning to tell the whole world I am cross-dressing. And if we don’t clarify things, people will start saying you’re cheating. It would be talked about forever."

Clyde looked at the back door and his lips twitched. Then he turned his head, staring at the main entrance in the distance, where flashes of light occasionally flared as photographers tried to catch a glimpse of other guests arriving. "You do realise that once we are inside, the gossip will explode anyway, right?"

Micah leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Nah. That’s different. The upper class knows I am just a plus-one. But the media and online gossip are scarier than you think. They tear both you and me apart in seconds. At least...People inside know better than to gossip about you openly."

Clyde held the umbrella and didn’t continue to argue. He felt Micah’s logic was totally screwed. Well, he had always had a hard time understanding this boy’s brain circuits. If this was the hill Micah wanted to die on, avoiding paparazzi by sneaking through the staff entrance, then so be it.

They moved quickly toward the back door. Staff members hurried past them with clipboards and earpieces, too busy to spare more than a glance. Clyde had already used his influence, arranging access, and had got around Gu Feifei’s original plan without causing a stir.

As they stepped inside, the sound of rain dulled, replaced by the low hum of voices and muted clinking of glassware echoing from deeper within the building. The air was warmer here, carrying the faint scent of polished wood and expensive perfume.

Micah slowed his steps slightly, his eyes flickered upward. He spotted the small black dome of a surveillance camera fixed in the corner. He tilted his head and spoke softly. "Put your phone on silent mode."

Clyde did as instructed, expression unchanged. He slipped his phone into his pocket. Somewhere else in the building, Darcy was likely staring at the screen, heart pounding. Clyde felt a brief flicker of sympathy for the boy, the scare he would get right now was earth-shattering. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Micah shrugged off the coat, handing it to a nearby attendant and, then unwound the scarf from his neck. He brushed his qipao with both hands and then he lifted his chin slightly. When he placed his hand on the crook of Clyde’s elbow, the gesture was natural, as if they had done this countless times before. "Darcy texted me," Micah said casually. "Your family is here too."

"Hmm? Dean and Jacklin? Both of them?" Clyde asked.

"Apparently. That’s what he said," Micah replied. Then his eyes lit up. He leaned in closer and added. "Come on, let’s go. I am so ready to scare them half to death!"

His voice was full of mischievousness.

Clyde’s brow twitched. He pressed his lips together, resisting the urge to rub his temples. "Be serious. I am here worried out of my mind and you’re... having fun playing pranks."

"What do you want me to do? Sneaking around like James Bond or something? Let’s have fun. This is our first time showing up as a couple." Micah said matter-of-factly.

"You are way too into this, aren’t you?" Clyde mumbled under his breath.

Micah lifted his chin with a smirk and dragged him toward the entrance. Their arrival did not get much attention. No dramatic hush fell, no sudden turn of heads.

The reason was simple. Most people had no idea who Clyde was, at least not by face, let alone Asena.

But something about them, about the contrast between Clyde’s cold, restrained presence and the striking figure at his side made people look twice. One by one heads turned. Whispers followed.

A tall handsome blond man in a perfectly fitted black suit, posture straight, expression serious and slightly impassive. Beside him, a tall white-haired girl in an ebony qipao, elegant and otherworldly, moving with quiet confidence. The pair didn’t cling to each other, didn’t seek attention, yet they drew it effortlessly.

Micah noticed the glances immediately. He kept his smile subtle, thankful he had not shown up as the fake young master. Even after all repeated lifetimes, he still had a lingering discomfort in every fibre of his body, disliking to be under the gaze of people full of judgment.

Micah spotted Jacklin and Dean instantly. A wicked grin spread on his face. "Showtime," he mumbled.

Clyde looked at the guests, thinking how all of them had been fooled by this mischievous boy. Heck, even he was once one of them.