Gu Qingshi was currently at the Zhao residence, needing to clarify the matter of the sports betting website.
Host, are you not being too worried? The protagonist should not be doing—
Can you guarantee that?
996 remembered the distant bathtub incident and immediately fell silent. Zhao Kuo was merely one of Huo Chen’s followers in the story, but Gu Qingshi did not understand how he had become a subordinate. The Zhao family appeared to be more powerful, so was this the protagonist’s charisma? Gu Qingshi’s mind flashed back to the boy’s tear-stained face, and he frowned.
“Ah, he certainly deserves a beating, but it was just internal play. The team was only humoring the child,” the Zhao elder explained.
Gu Qingshi paused, offering no comment.
“It was only a matter of a few million, not even enough to pay the players’ wages. Mr. Gu need not worry.” An attendant placed a cup of tea nearby.
The statement was lighthearted, as if they had merely dropped a few coins on the street, not worth worrying about. Gu Qingshi understood the result. The incident would not cause any serious repercussions, as it was confined to a team under the Zhao family’s control. It would not leak, and the website had already been taken down. Perhaps the players were simply humoring the young master.
Gu Qingshi felt it was time to leave. He had apologized in person, so he stood up to say goodbye. “It is getting late, I should not impose any further.” His tone was gentle, and he appeared poised and composed.
The noblewoman smiled elegantly. “It was just a child’s prank, not worth such a trip. They are in the same class, after all. Shall we add each other on WeChat?”
An attendant immediately brought over a phone. Gu Qingshi realized today that he was likely in a melodramatic web novel. The powerful classes were indeed different.
“Very well, we can stay in touch.” Gu Qingshi scanned the code, added her, and truly prepared to leave. The Zhao family was only relevant to the protagonist; there was no need to pay them much mind.
However, just as he took a few steps, the woman spoke again. “Do you know Fu Lian?”
Gu Qingshi stopped, his expression unreadable.
At the same time, upstairs, a curly-haired boy was hiding behind a vase, taking sneak photos with a plant sprig in his mouth.
Look at that waist, that face! You lucky brat!
After sending the message, Zhao Kuo browsed his album, admiring the photos before reaching out to the attendant. Another phone was handed to him, containing even clearer shots. The jawline, the lashes, the skin were all perfectly clear. The curly-haired boy felt a surge of joy. Damn, he looks good.
The nanny seemed worried, but Zhao Kuo glared at her and ordered, “Do not tell my mother!”
He followed the path shielded by the vases back to his bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed to admire them. Tsk. Can’t my mom find me a young stepfather like that? So young. So cool.
Just then, there was a noise from the window, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. Zhao Kuo turned his head casually, his phone clattered to the ground, and his mouth fell open in an O shape.
Outside, the nanny was pruning the battered plants. Hearing the clatter in the young master’s room, she knocked, concerned. “Kuokuo? Did you fall?”
The noise subsided.
“No, no, no, no. Auntie, please do not come in yet,” a milky voice called out.
Just then, the mistress arrived, looking radiant and in a great mood. Seeing the nanny, she said, “Do not mind him. Even his own father does not care about him, so why are you worrying?”
The nanny awkwardly continued to trim the plants. The mistress had intended to walk past, but she looped back, smiling. “Linlin, do you think I am beautiful?”
The nanny hurriedly replied, “Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!”
The mistress smiled and asked, “Then, could I perhaps find another man?”
The nanny’s shears snapped, accidentally stripping a plant bald. Her expression turned to one of terror. Sir is not dead yet, is he?
The mistress laughed at her reaction. “You cannot take a joke. Just leave the grass as it is; do not trim it anymore or it will die faster.”
The nanny looked embarrassed.
“Go downstairs and bring up a fruit plate. Kuokuo has a friend visiting.” Her tone was gentle as she swayed away like a walking lotus.
“What was the name of that book again?” Gu Qingshi asked in the car. He had forgotten. Ever since he brought Huo Chen home from the orphanage, his perception of the world had become unclear. He always felt his surroundings were very real, especially when 996 was in hibernation.
“Oh, the world is titled Easily Accomplished: The Rise of the Fallen Young Master, serialized on an XX website, widely acclaimed,” 996 replied honestly.
Gu Qingshi frowned, finding the title too immature. Would people really read that?
Ahead was a red light. Li Xu asked, “Brother, should we go home first or to the hospital?”
The man in the backseat kept his eyes lowered, seemingly lost in thought. After a pause, he said, “The hospital.”
The green light lit up, and the car merged into the traffic, moving steadily.
“Zhao Kuo is a friend from elementary school; the protagonist conquered them through his charisma.”
“Do you believe that, 996?”
Meanwhile, Huo Chen’s brow was damp with sweat. After throwing a punch, he felt much better. He lowered his head, snatched a phone, and carefully examined the sneak photos. He bit his lip, his expression darkening.
“Chen Shu is the son of the police chief; he will provide the protagonist with significant assistance. Chu Xian is Huo Chen’s second white moonlight and an important female supporting character.”
“Then who is the official partner?”
“Host, did you completely ignore the background plot I transmitted to you at the start?”
“I forgot.” The speaker felt no guilt.
Huo Chen watched while remaining silent. The curly-haired Zhao Kuo climbed up from the floor and leaned in cheekily. “Why delete them? Are they not good-looking?”
They were good-looking, certainly.
“As for the official partner, barring any accidents, it is the daughter of Hongda Pharmaceuticals, Chen Yu.”
Huo Chen took out a box of mints, poured several into his mouth, and chewed expressionlessly.
Zhao Kuo checked his phone and found it deleted clean, with no backups left. “You are too stingy. You even deleted the photos of our chat history that I sent you. I am going to have my mom find me a young stepfather when I go back! Do not be smug!”
Huo Chen looked confused.
“Host, according to the plot, there will be a grand wedding, reported by the whole city. Perhaps you will even see it after completing your mission!” 996 said, somewhat excitedly.
Gu Qingshi’s expression was flat. “I will not see it. I will return to my original world.”
After it ended, there would likely be no further connection. A book is a book, and he is himself. They would part ways.
Gu Qingshi had roughly grasped the punishment mechanism. As long as his emotions remained stable and his fluctuations stayed normal, he would be fine. Raising the child was just a task, surely it would not be that difficult.
At that moment, they arrived at the hospital. As he stepped out, Gu Qingshi waited a moment. “996?”
The system in his mind did not respond; it was likely in hibernation. He walked toward the hospital. 996 was distressed, but no system could understand its sorrow. It searched the main system’s replies in its light brain.
Conditions not met; advance approval unavailable.
The request to return to the original world had been rejected, followed by a list of non-compliant information. 996 grew more distressed the more it read, not knowing what to do. The mission period was very long; the protagonist would be taken away at seventeen, which was nine years away. 996 thought for a moment, deciding it could stall further. It filed the reply under Less Urgent and decisively went into hibernation.
Gu Qingshi entered the hospital and headed toward the automatic registration machine, alone. His vision was poor, and he had been coughing frequently. 996 had only guaranteed he would not die, not that he would be free from minor ailments.
“Cough, cough, cough.” Gu Qingshi suppressed a cough, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
Just then, footsteps approached behind him. Someone was there to register. Gu Qingshi lowered his head, took his ticket, and turned to step aside, but the person grabbed his arm. The registration ticket slipped and fell to the floor.
“You have a bit of self-awareness, knowing you should come to the hospital?” Fu Lian looked down at him and smiled, looking quite amiable.
Gu Qingshi wanted to bend over to pick up the paper, but a pair of high-end leather shoes stepped on it. He paused for a moment. Then, a wave of nausea rose in his throat, impossible to suppress. He was nearly unable to control it.
Fu Lian frowned. “What is wrong again?”
Gu Qingshi pushed him away discreetly, picked up the paper, and turned toward the hospital benches. Fu Lian stood still, his face cold, eyes reflecting a hint of disgust. But the moment Gu Qingshi turned around, he returned to normal and walked over with a smile.
“Why do you want that piece of paper?” His tone was relaxed, as if asking out of sheer boredom.
Gu Qingshi looked up, calm. “Then why did you step on it?”
He had already bent down to pick it up; it was impossible for the other man not to have seen it. Fu Lian was doing it on purpose. A natural sense of hierarchy, a natural sense of superiority. Gu Qingshi could not help but loathe it. He did not know why he had a friend in this world, having had none in his past life.
996 had explained clearly: there was no original Gu Qingshi in this world; he had been inserted halfway, and all life paths and relationships were automatically filled by the system. It made no sense for such an intimate friend to suddenly appear.
Gu Qingshi struggled with how to handle it. After all, when starting the mission, he had utilized the man’s identity, so gratitude was warranted by logic. But he had thought it was just the original host’s interpersonal network and did not think much of it. At that time, he had not intended to survive past the fourth day.
Gu Qingshi felt annoyed because he realized that whether he showed gratitude or not, Fu Lian would always be standing nearby. This was strange.
“Are you going to be angry with me again because of this?” Fu Lian had not sat down; he stood before him, looming over him. His expression was cold as he stepped closer. As long as he said…
“I am not angry with you, I am just saying,” Gu Qingshi frowned, wanting to explain, but Fu Lian suddenly laughed and pulled him up. His bones clicked, and it hurt. Gu Qingshi frowned slightly.
“As long as you are not angry, let us go. I will take you to get checked out.” Fu Lian’s expression remained unchanged as he pulled him away. The registration slip that had been retrieved was snatched away and thrown out. Gu Qingshi could not refuse; he could only feel the nausea in his throat growing.
People moved about the hospital hall as Fu Lian dragged him into a private passageway. About two hours later, he said, “Based on the physical exam report, your hemoglobin is a bit low; you have mild anemia, and your calcium is slightly insufficient. You are nearsighted; if you want more detail, you can go to the ophthalmology department for a thorough exam to check for other ailments.” The young doctor spoke in detail.
Finally, he looked up at Gu Qingshi. “You have been coughing for a while, right? Judging by the films, there is an infection in your lungs: bacterial pneumonia. Have you had a fever recently? Is the coughing frequent?”
“Both.”
The doctor wrote something down and asked, “What caused it? Is the air at home poor?”
“No.”
The doctor did not look up. “Have you been swimming? Aspirating water carries a high risk. Do not assume swimming pools are clean; they are very dirty. Just be careful in the future.”
The doctor was young but spoke with sharp precision. Soon, he issued a requisition form.
“Do you want to be hospitalized? It is a bit serious; staying for two days is appropriate for the nebulizer treatments.” The doctor typed efficiently on the computer before looking up, his gaze focused.
Gu Qingshi instinctively wanted to refuse; the words were on his lips, but Fu Lian said, “Stay, prescribe it.”
“I do not—”
The doctor immediately issued another form. “It is on the top floor. There is a vacancy in the VIP ward. The nurses will bring the nebulizer up. Let us go.”
The annoyance on Gu Qingshi’s face was not fake; he hated being arranged for; he could do it himself. “I will transfer the money to you.”
When Fu Lian brought him to the ward, he asked, uncomprehending, “Gu Qingshi, what is it you want? You raise a child and immediately dump your friends? Do you have no conscience? I accompanied you to so many departments, and you just want to dismiss me with a bank transfer? It is not worth it for me. You owe me one. Accompany me to the gala on the 10th of next month.”
The man’s tone was smooth and measured; to an outsider, it seemed like he was truly condemning an old friend for lacking social grace. The VIP ward was pleasant, with large windows and excellent soundproofing. Gu Qingshi closed his eyes, unable to utter a word, and had to accept the favor.
“Do you have anything else—”
Fu Lian picked up his phone and waved a hand. “I need to make a call.”
So noisy.
Gu Qingshi sat by the hospital bed, his complexion poor. He coughed a few times. He glanced over, but the man had no intention of leaving. The nurse had arrived to set up the nebulizer, and Fu Lian finally ended his call, turning his handsome face toward him.
“I have things to do. I have accompanied you for the night, and I am busy on the other side, so I am leaving now.”
Gu Qingshi lowered his eyes. “Mm.”
Seeing that the man was not looking at him, Fu Lian took his time walking over and leaned down to look at him.
“Hmph.”
It was unclear if it was a laugh or some other sound.
The nurse sighed, “Your friend is truly thoughtful.”
Gu Qingshi’s face was pale, and the nausea in his throat could no longer be suppressed. He stumbled from the hospital bed toward the bathroom and dry-heaved for a long time. His chaotic memories seemed to resurface, gnawing at his brain.
Disgusting.
“Sir? Sir? Do you still want the nebulizer? Should we wait?”
Huo Chen could not sit still after learning Gu Qingshi was in the hospital; he could not swallow a bite of food.
“Yes, not coming back. Eat lunch yourself,” a calm voice said on the other end of the line.
Huo Chen said anxiously, “I will come see you, I—”
“Is the hospital a good place to be? Cough, cough, cough.” Gu Qingshi could not control a muffled cough. “Hang up.” The effort of speaking seemed taxing.
The call ended. It had lasted less than a minute. As expected, he had only been informed.
Huo Chen hated himself for being a child; he had to be obedient or the man might not like him. He felt deeply restless.
“It is alright, Little Huo. Mr. Gu just needs a course of nebulizer treatments. It is inconvenient at home, so he is hospitalized. It is fine, do not worry,” the nanny comforted him.
Huo Chen’s face was icy; he ignored her, completely immersed in his own world. The nanny sighed and went back to packing her lunch box. This child thinks too much.
“Aunt Chen, why are you packing food?” Huo Chen asked.
The nanny pulled the insulation bag tight without looking up. “Little Li asked me to bring some nourishing soup. No one is there to look after him, and it is past noon. What if the outside food is not clean? I am bringing him the meal.”
Oh, he does not even have parents; he is a miserable soul.
Clatter. The chair leg made a harsh sound against the floor. Huo Chen jumped off, walked to the nanny, and his eyes instantly turned red—a flawless performance.
“Auntie, please take me.”
The nanny looked troubled. “Mr. Gu asked you to stay home. Did he not call you?”
Huo Chen burst into tears, tears sliding down his cheeks. He sounded as if he were choking. “I am worried about him. Auntie, you know I was an orphan; I am worried about him.”
“But Mr. Gu did not let you go.” The nanny had already packed the lunch box and was preparing to leave.
Huo Chen choked, but continued to cry, grabbing the nanny’s sleeve carefully. “I will just take a peek; he will not notice. Auntie, you know he does not come home often. If I go, maybe he will like me?”
The nanny was moved; she had taken care of him for a long time and inevitably felt partial toward him. Huo Chen did indeed have a winning face; he was handsome.
“Fine. I will speak to Mr. Gu first, then you can go in,” the nanny conceded to Huo Chen, who was hugging her leg. An eight-year-old was quite large; clinging like this would likely make her late.
Gu Qingshi was reading in the ward when knocking sounded at the door.
“Come in.”
A small figure squeezed nimbly past the nanny and the driver, shooting forward like a cannonball. He bolted straight to the bedside.
“Gu Qingshi! Sob…”
A heavy blow landed on Gu Qingshi’s waist, and the book in his hand was knocked away. His eyebrow twitched.
The nanny decided she would never trust this brat Huo Chen ever again.