“I told you not to drink, and you even snapped at me. Now look—do you have to suffer before you’ll learn your lesson?”
“You’ve known for a long time that your stomach is weak, yet you have no self-control at all. Is alcohol really that irresistible?”
Despite the nagging tone, Xu Shi’an didn’t find it annoying. In fact, he fell into a deep sleep listening to Wen Ran’s voice.
Zha Zha, seeing he was asleep, remarked, “Ran Ran, he looks so docile when he’s sleeping!”
Xu Shi’an had the looks of a classic handsome man—lying in bed with his eyes closed, he resembled a fragile, ailing beauty.
Wen Ran nodded. “True, he’s much more likable when he isn’t talking.”
After all, who doesn’t appreciate a pretty face? Even with her vast experience with men, she absolutely loved looking at one.
“I think he seems like a decent guy,” the Scumbag System said. “He bought you so many clothes, treated you to nice meals, and worried about you having a hard time at the Si family. The original host got nothing but grief when she was with Si Yan.”
Wen Ran’s eyes widened at the system’s words. “Zha Zha, now I finally understand why all your previous hosts got swept away by scumbags—the root of the problem is you!”
Zha Zha was puzzled. “Ran Ran, why would you say that?”
Wen Ran asked, “Where did the money Xu Shi’an used to buy those clothes come from?”
Zha Zha replied, “Wasn’t it from his card?” It had seen him swipe it.
“And where did the money on that card come from?” Seeing that Zha Zha still hadn’t caught on, Wen Ran spelled it out: “All of Xu Shi’an’s money comes from the company. The company belongs to the original host’s family. Shouldn’t he be using the Wen family’s money to buy me a few outfits?”
Everything Xu Shi’an had now—his power and status—was given to him by the Wen family. Why should she be moved just because he treated her nicely for a change?
Wen Ran continued, “Si Yan is no prize, but does that automatically make Xu Shi’an a good guy? Why bother sifting through the trash looking for gold?”
In her view, it was just a matter of big trash versus small trash. What Xu Shi’an had given her was nothing compared to the original host’s kindness toward him.
From the memories Wen Ran possessed, the original host had genuinely cared for Xu Shi’an. Knowing he had a weak stomach, she had personally prepared soups for him over a long period.
Hearing this, Zha Zha had a sudden wake-up call. It even felt like slapping itself. “Ran Ran,” it vowed, “from now on, I won’t be swayed by trivial favors!”
Wen Ran nodded in satisfaction. “Even if he spent a fortune to have a pure gold outfit made for me, wouldn’t that still be my money?”
Zha Zha found her reasoning quite sound. “It seems that after my probation period, I need to enroll in a scumbag culture training course for further education.”
Wen Ran also found it strange: how could a system with a mechanical brain have a hidden romantic streak? Was it due to rust?
She advised, “Never be fooled by a man’s superficial appearance. There are countless handsome men out there, each with their own way of being scumbags.”
Zha Zha: “?” Was it just schooled by its own host?
Wah… Who exactly is the Scumbag System here? Does it have no dignity left?
…………
In his sleep, Xu Shi’an was restless, dreaming of many childhood moments spent with Wen Ran.
The boy he used to be was nothing like the man he was now—a ragged child with eyes full of fear and helplessness, bearing no resemblance to the noble figure he had become.Before the age of six, Xu Shi’an had been wandering homeless, never even having a full meal.
His stomach problems stemmed from hunger, developing this condition at a very young age. As a child, he often endured cycles of starvation and occasional fullness. It wasn’t until the Wen family adopted him that Xu Shi’an began living a life with regular meals.
He still remembered when he first arrived at the Wen family home. Seeing the house as large as a castle, he didn’t even dare to walk, afraid his feet would dirty the carpets.
During meals, he didn’t dare take an extra bite of food, fearing that if people grew annoyed with him, he would be abandoned again.
Perhaps because Wen Ran was also young at the time and noticed he was eating too little, she proactively placed a piece of her favorite sweet and sour pork ribs on his plate. That was the first time Xu Shi’an had ever received someone’s attention.
Later, he was formally adopted by Mr. Wen. He studied and attended classes together with Wen Ran. Being around the same age, they grew up as playmates, and their relationship was very good.
Scenes from childhood often appeared fragmented in his dreams until Xu Shi’an woke up to the bright daylight outside. Wen Ran lay on the other side of the bed, with a large gap between them.
Wen Ran had been busy taking care of him yesterday and hadn’t woken up yet. Looking at the woman’s face, Xu Shi’an suddenly realized they hadn’t been this close in a long time.
As adults, their relationship had always been strained. Whenever they met, they either didn’t speak at all, or Xu Shi’an would deliberately provoke Wen Ran.
The emotional distance between them had always been initiated by Wen Ran. Thinking about the reason why she kept her distance, Xu Shi’an lowered his gaze.
He got out of bed intending to leave first, but the movement still woke Wen Ran on the other side.
“Shi’an.” Wen Ran sat up in bed and said to the man, “Is your stomach still hurting?”
“It’s fine.” Xu Shi’an’s tone was cold as he turned to leave. “I’m going now.”
“Wait.” Wen Ran said, “The doctor said you must get scans for your condition. Let me take you to the hospital.”
“No need.” Xu Shi’an didn’t pause his steps and went straight out the door.
Wen Ran noticed the 15-point increase in Affection points above his head. Clearly his affection had risen, yet his attitude had worsened instead? How interesting!
“Ran Ran, Xu Shi’an is giving you the cold shoulder. Why are you happy about it?” Zha Zha expressed confusion.
Wen Ran said, “In special emotional relationships, there’s a saying: the more abnormal someone acts, the more they care.””
The original host and Xu Shi’an had shared so many years together, spending their best youthful years growing up side by side. From Wen Ran’s understanding of relationships, this kind of bond couldn’t be easily severed.
As Xu Shi’an was preparing to go downstairs, he happened to run into Si Huaiyu. The man frowned when he saw Xu Shi’an coming out of Wen Ran’s room.
But Xu Shi’an didn’t even look at him, walking directly past Si Huaiyu.
The man watched Xu Shi’an’s retreating figure, remembering the sports car parked outside when he returned last night. It was clearly Xu Shi’an’s – had he stayed at the Si residence overnight?
While Wen Ran was arranging the blankets, a pair of hands suddenly reached out and embraced her from behind. She screamed in fright, “Ah, who is it?”
She tried to turn her head, but a large hand controlled her head, making it impossible for her to turn around.
Si Huaiyu pressed down on Wen Ran, lowering his head to bite the flesh on the back of her neck. This time he really bit down, as if venting his anger.
Wen Ran felt a sharp pain – this bad guy was really strong!She had heard the door lock early on. Xu Shi’an hadn’t closed it when he left, and the system had already notified her when Si Huaiyu approached.
Pretending not to know, Wen Ran resisted fearfully, “Let me go!”
She didn’t dare raise her voice too much—this was the Si residence after all, with so many servants who had eyes and ears. Making a scene would be troublesome.