Back in the room, System 07 started stirring things up. 『Host, anyway, your early-stage plot task is to torment the villain boss, so what are you still worried about? In any case, the ending is hard to change. Enjoy yourself in the early stages, and if things get a bit miserable later, so be it. Once all the plot is finished and you die, you can go back.』
Chi Anyu flopped onto the bed and rolled his eyes. “Listen to yourself… does that even sound human?”
“Oh right, I forgot. You’re not human at all.”
System 07: 『…』 If you want to curse me, just say it directly. No need to be so roundabout.
Chi Anyu’s plan was actually pretty good: without fully offending the villain, he could still get through the entire final plot. He wouldn’t have to suffer so much later, and he could live out a full life and die of old age in the end. That would be perfect.
But the current financial squeeze was also pretty annoying.
A real man can bend and stretch.
For money, Chi Anyu still obediently went to the study to find his father.
Father Chi was sitting at the computer handling company matters. Chi Anyu pushed the door open and walked straight in, dropping into the chair across from him and carelessly propping his crossed legs on the desk.
“I agree. I’ll go to the banquet with you tonight, but unfreeze my card first.”
Father Chi glared at him and scolded, “Put your legs down from the desk first! What kind of behavior is that!”
Chi Anyu snorted. “What kind of behavior should I have? You brought that Bai guy home just to disgust me. Do you think I don’t know? Do you even deserve my mother? You divorced eight years ago, and I stayed with you. Do you want me to keep suffering?”
When the divorce came up, Father Chi’s tone immediately softened. “A-Yu, it’s not what you think. Bai Jin’s mother and I are just friends. She’s abroad, so she asked me to look after her son for her.”
Chi Anyu’s tone turned cold. “You still think I’m a kid? You know very well whether you cheated back then. Do you really think I don’t know why my mother divorced you?”
“A-Yu, you were still young then. There are some things you simply don’t know…”
Chi Anyu didn’t feel like arguing anymore and cut him off. “Fine, I’ll go to the banquet tonight. Remember to unfreeze my card.”
With that, he lowered his legs, stood up, and left the study.
System 07 said with relief, 『Host, you’ve grown. Now you slip into the role very naturally. You’ve already reached a masterful level.』
Chi Anyu leaned against the door, eyes lowered slightly, making it impossible to read the look in his eyes.
Sometimes, even he couldn’t tell what was real and what was just acting.
Chi Anyu felt a tightness in his chest, turned around, and went downstairs to the backyard for some fresh air.
System 07 was still nagging in his ear. 『Host, the male lead plot hasn’t appeared yet. When the male lead shows up later, we may have to follow that plot too.』
Chi Anyu stopped in his tracks and asked casually, “Then who is the male lead of the BL plotline?”
System 07 was silent for a few seconds. After a long pause, it said, 『Mm… actually, I don’t know yet either.』
Chi Anyu: “…” Now he felt that System was extremely unreliable.
『Don’t worry, host. When the male lead appears in front of you, the plot will definitely remind you. You just need to remember that you’re a cannon-fodder supporting character, a stepping stone to bring the male leads together.』
Chi Anyu’s mouth twitched. He really did not need to be reminded every few days that he’s cannon fodder.
He angrily plucked a flower, but then something caught the corner of his eye, and his gaze suddenly froze.
“Why is there such a huge ditch in the backyard?” Chi Anyu asked in confusion, quickly shifting his attention.
System 07 said gloomily, 『You forgot? In the plot, lilies were originally planted here. Later, because you didn’t like them, you had them all dug up and replaced with roses, and you even specifically requested premium roses.』
Chi Anyu: “…” That really was something he would do.
Not far away, a sinister gaze landed on Chi Anyu. Bai Jin had disliked this Chi Anyu ever since the day he came to the Chi Family. If it weren’t for his mother, he wouldn’t have come to the Chi Family and endured this.
Soon, his eyes landed on the ditch near Chi Anyu, and his expression darkened as an idea formed.
He quietly approached Chi Anyu from behind.
However, this scene was caught in full by Butler Ling, who was coming over from not far away.
A Level 12 alarm immediately went off in his mind.
There’s always some troublemaker trying to harm his young master!
Butler Ling’s pupils shrank. He took the shortcut at lightning speed, vaulted over the fence, and rushed over in a flash. He raised a foot and, while Bai Jin was completely off guard, got there first and kicked him accurately into the ditch.
Go to hell!
Chi Anyu heard the commotion and turned his head, but behind him, aside from Butler Ling who had suddenly appeared, there was no one else.
“Uncle Ling? What are you doing? What was that noise?”
Butler Ling waved his arm and replied with a bright smile, “Young master, I’m just moving my muscles around. You heard wrong. There was no noise.”
System 07, having seen the whole thing: This butler is dependable; when trouble comes, he really steps up.
Chi Anyu still saw the figure in the ditch. His eyes narrowed, and he immediately understood the whole story.
He walked over directly, crossing his arms, looking down at Bai Jin with an arrogant gaze. He snorted and said with a reckless smile, “You like lying in ditches that much? You should’ve said so earlier. I’ll have my dad dig you an even bigger ditch to lie in.”
Bai Jin climbed out of the ditch grinding his teeth, completely in a sorry state. Mud had smeared his face. This was pure humiliation; he had never been this embarrassed in his life.
Fearing that dirt would get on him, Butler Ling quickly pulled Chi Anyu to the side and said with disgust, “Young master, let’s stay farther away. It’s filthy over there.”
Luckily, his young master had warned him about a sneaky person like Bai Jin. They almost let their young master get harmed.
“Chi Anyu! If you want to target me, just say so. I have no grudges against you, but ever since I came to the Chi Family, you’ve been making things difficult for me everywhere! What exactly did I do to offend you?”
What an outrageous counterattack!
Chi Anyu’s eyes widened. With his temper, he was about to fire back immediately.
But Butler Ling was a fierce fighter; he jumped in first and started cursing loudly, “Don’t you know how to look in a mirror before you go to sleep at night? What do you think you’re worth? My young master is someone you can compare to? I’d say your face is as thick as a city wall, so thick bullets can’t even get through it, and you still have the nerve to say something like that.”
“It’s already a blessing in this lifetime that you got to come to the Chi Family, yet you look like a poor bumpkin who has never seen the world, only knows how to use dirty tricks, and you’re still accusing others of provoking you? Do you even know your place? My young master is extremely precious. You really know how to play the victim, don’t you…”
Chi Anyu was completely stunned.
System 07 was even more dumbfounded: This butler is amazing! He’s incredibly strong!