By the time he returned to the old house, Jiang Yumo was in an exceptionally good mood.
First, he had successfully dealt with the Qian brothers’ trouble. Second, he no longer lacked money and could now fully relax. Third, he had both pranked Mrs. Jiang and caused trouble for the Jiang family.
This was a major victory!
He took a shower, played some games, fiddled with his phone for a while, and planned to go to sleep.
Before drifting off, Jiang Yumo felt like he had forgotten something, but he couldn’t recall what it was.
If he couldn’t remember it, it obviously wasn’t important.
Jiang Yumo fell asleep.
Time slowly crept to midnight.
【Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!】
The harsh, soul-shaking mechanical alarm jolted Jiang Yumo awake.
He tugged at his hair forcefully. “What the hell is this damn noise!”
【Monitoring system: Host’s daily mission, “Perform one good deed,” is incomplete. Random punishment: Hug Gu Yu.】
【Time limit: 24 hours.】
【Current host energy: 5.1】
Jiang Yumo had been torturing Gu Yu in his dream when he was suddenly woken up. He grabbed at the bedsheets angrily, his mind boiling with murderous intent.
“System! What the hell is wrong with you?!!”
The system whimpered, feeling wronged: 【You told me to shut up, host!】
Jiang Yumo casually snatched the bedside lamp and hurled it, smashing it to pieces. “So I’m supposed to go overthrow the main system, and you still won’t listen?! What the hell is wrong with you?!!!”
The system groaned: 【Overthrow? I can’t even beat the monitoring system…】
【I have no authority. I can only chat and be a button. I’m just a useless piece of trash, wuwuwu TAT】
The system broke down completely, wailing uncontrollably, and Jiang Yumo felt like his brain was about to flood.
The worst part was that he couldn’t grab the system and beat it up…
He took a deep breath. “Alright, enough crying. You’re making my head hurt.”
The system covered its mouth: 【55555】
Not even allowed to cry, villains really have no sense of reason!!!
Jiang Yumo rubbed his forehead and flopped back onto the bed with a thump. “Gu Yu, Gu Yu… damn it, I just need to fall asleep, dream my way back, and tear him to pieces zZZZ.”
The next day, after washing up, Jiang Yumo went downstairs, grabbed a bowl of noodles nearby, and turned a cat bristling against the wall into a spiky little hedgehog, scaring a passing stray dog into yelping and running wildly. Finally, he headed to the convenience store by the road.
“Boss, give me a pack of Double Happiness blueberry pop pods.”
The boss glanced at him: a little over 1.7 meters tall, wearing a white short-sleeve T-shirt and light blue jeans, face so smooth it looked pinchable, black messy hair just covering his eyebrows, he looked younger than a middle school kid who only played games at home.
“Ha, have you even turned eighteen yet?” the boss asked.
Jiang Yumo was speechless.
The system prompted: 【Host, did you bring your ID? Just show it to the boss.】
“I bought it for my sister,” Jiang Yumo said, eyes wide and innocent. “Not allowed?”
The boss eyed him suspiciously. Jiang Yumo rummaged around on a nearby shelf, adding lollipops, Wangzai milk, a lighter, and some candy called “Kiss Fire” to his purchase. “Here, I’ll take all of these.”
The boss bagged everything without another word.
Jiang Yumo quickly paid, stood at the shop’s entrance, bag slung over his arm, his big round innocent eyes staring straight at the boss. He pulled out a cigarette, bit it out of the pack, lit it in one smooth motion.
“Woo-hoo~ Awesome!”
The boss: “….”
Jiang Yumo spun, moonwalked, slid sideways, and swayed his hips like he was in a battle royale game, showing off.
Even the system couldn’t help but cover its face: host really is shameless.
Taking advantage of his good mood, the system reminded him: 【Host, don’t forget to do your mission.】
The monitoring system popped up at just the right time to remind him of its presence:
【Daily Mission: Do a good deed 0/10; Random Punishment Task: Hug Gu Yu (Incomplete)】
The boy stood with his hands in his pockets, cigarette dangling from his lips, head tilted back to the sky. The wind brushed his face, lifting his messy hair slightly, and the perfect pale profile of his face showed a hint of melancholy.
Passersby couldn’t help but turn their heads, thinking: such a handsome boy, and yet he looks so gloomy, what’s he worried about?
“Damn it! Idiot! Moron!” Jiang Yumo cursed inwardly. “Hahaha, this system is completely brain-dead! It wants me to hug Gu Yu? Hahahaha! Is there shit in its brain or what?”
The first punishment task had been just shaking hands with Gu Yu; the second one was to hug him…
“Holy crap! No way all these punishment tasks are related to Gu Yu, right?!” Jiang Yumo couldn’t help shouting.
His outburst scared off a girl who had been trying to add him on WeChat.
The system wiped imaginary sweat: 【Host, I wanted to tell you yesterday.】
【Mission failed. You will receive a random punishment, including but not limited to shaking hands with Gu Yu, hugging Gu Yu, showing affection publicly to Gu Yu, feeding Gu Yu candy by hand, etc.】
Jiang Yumo: “What the fu— why didn’t you tell me sooner for something this serious?!”
Damn it! Every time he saw Gu Yu’s face, he just wanted to hit him. Doing those tasks would practically kill him!
The system whispered nervously: 【…Uh, I did try to warn you last night, but you told me to be quiet.】
Jiang Yumo didn’t even hear it clearly. “Stupid system. Next time, I’ll kill you.”
【Hahaha, host, don’t forget, I’m in your brain. You can’t touch me.】
“Oh? Then what if I just refuse to do any mission? What will you do?”
【Uh, the monitoring system will forcibly make you act…】
“I don’t care, but you’re different. Since there’s a monitoring system, there must be an assessment, right? If you fail, would the main system send you back for repairs?”
“And I’ve been zapped. You’re in my brain, you won’t escape either.”
The system’s backend code froze as if frozen in shock: 【Y-you… how do you know?】
Jiang Yumo sneered, “You exposed yourself first thing in the morning, you little idiot!”
System: …
Other seniors said to get along with the host so missions would go more smoothly, so why is it different with this one?
Jiang Yumo continued to taunt, “Even systems have a trial period. Looks like everywhere you go, you’re just a workhorse. Eh, I have five million. I don’t have to be a workhorse, awesome!”
System·LittleWife·Mode: 【…But you still have to do the missions.】
Jiang Yumo: “…Damn it!”
ᘻᘿᓍᘺ
Gu Yu left S City overnight and returned to A City at three in the morning.
He woke up at seven, spent an hour at the gym, then showered, changed, and went downstairs. The entire villa was bustling, preparing for Gu Youyou’s birthday banquet that evening.
Madam Gu was helping Gu Youyou choose a formal dress for the banquet. Several racks held a dozen or more custom gowns, each worth millions as high-end private designs.
“This one is nice, it makes your waist look slim and pretty. This one’s good too, it shows off long legs, though my darling daughter’s legs are already long.”
Three out of every five sentences Madam Gu spoke were compliments, worried her daughter might feel insecure.
Although it made Gu Youyou a little shy, it was indeed effective.
Gu Youyou said softly, “Hmm, they’re all beautiful, but I like light blue best.”
Madam Gu: “Then this one it is.”
Once the dress was decided, it was time for jewelry.
The table was covered with boxes of all sizes. Madam Gu eagerly tried pieces on Gu Youyou, gesturing and saying, “This looks good, this one too… ah, my daughter is so beautiful.”
“Looks like I came at the right time,” Gu Yu said.
Gu Youyou looked up. “Second Brother, good afternoon.”
Madam Gu glanced at her second son in his sharp suit. “You only got back last night. Why not rest a little longer?”
“Company matters,” Gu Yu said, scanning the hall. “And what about Big Brother? For Youyou’s birthday, he’s not planning to attend?”
Speaking of her eldest son, Madam Gu couldn’t help sighing. Ever since Eldest Gu realized he had no talent for business, and since Gu Yu happened to be a prodigy in the commercial world, Eldest Gu had been openly taking it easy at home and living off his younger brother.
“He probably went out playing again last night, only came back near dawn,” Madam Gu pretended to scold him. “When he wakes up, I’ll talk to him properly. Staying up all night like this is bad for his health.”
Gu Yu had already started working at the company before even graduating from college, busy and stretched thin, while Eldest Gu had all the time in the world to lounge at home.
“You can take back his cards if you want,” Madam Gu said.
Gu Yu didn’t wait for her reply. He handed a neatly packaged red velvet gift box to Gu Youyou. “A gift. Happy birthday.”
Gu Youyou happily accepted it. “Thank you, Second Brother.”
She wanted to mention that her benefactor would also come tonight, but before she could speak, Madam Gu covered her mouth laughing. “Ah Yu, you don’t know, Youyou has made a friend.”
“Oh? Whose daughter?” Gu Yu lifted his gaze.
Gu Youyou clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling. “Not some rich girl, but he’s amazing and excellent! He’ll come tonight too. You’ll see then!”
Madam Gu assumed “not a rich girl” meant someone without a wealthy family background. “That’s fine, as long as he’s a good person.”
Gu Youyou nodded emphatically. “He’s super nice!”
“Is that so? Then get along with him well. If there’s a problem, come to me,” Gu Yu said, striding toward the front door. “I’m going to the company.”
Madam Gu: “Be careful on the way, and remember to come back early.”
Gu Yu: “I’ll try.”
Madam Gu sat back on the sofa, looking a little deflated.
Gu Youyou pressed her lips together, summoning courage. “Mom… um, I think Second Brother is right.”
“Ah?” Madam Gu looked puzzled. “What?”
Gu Youyou bit her lip, feeling that as the youngest, it might not be proper to criticize her eldest brother. “Nothing… um, forget it.”
Madam Gu realized too late, then hugged her daughter with delight. “Youyou, I heard you, you finally called me ‘Mom’!”
ᘻᘿᓍᘺ
By early evening, before nightfall, Jiang Yumo received a message from Gu Youyou.
Gu Youyou: Benefactor, have you set off yet?
Gu Youyou: Where do you live? Do you want me to send someone to pick you up?
At that moment, Jiang Yumo had just snatched a hot dog back from a dog’s mouth for a little kid. Amid the child’s repeated thanks, he patted the kid on the head.
Jiang Yumo: I’m at XX Plaza. Send someone to pick me up.
Only a fool would refuse a free ride.
All afternoon, he had rescued a cat stuck in a tree, helped grandmas/grandpas/blind people cross the road countless times, retrieved an inflatable soccer ball a little girl had dropped into the lake…
And now, he had just helped an elderly woman who had fallen. But she grabbed him and refused to let him leave. “You pushed me over, pay up!”
A middle-aged man and woman suddenly appeared from nowhere and surrounded him. Without giving Jiang Yumo any chance to explain, they immediately began scolding him.
A flashy red sports car silently stopped by the roadside. In the passenger seat, a woman with big wavy hair pouted. “I want to go tonight too, Brother Yao. Please take me with you.”
Xu Feiyao brushed her off casually. “If you want to go, tell me first what gift you’re bringing. Just don’t embarrass me.”
The woman with the wavy hair complained, “But I’ve been a bit short on cash lately.”
“Mwah mwah mwah—” she kissed Xu Feiyao enthusiastically all over his face.
“Hahaha, alright, alright. I give up.”
Xu Feiyao casually transferred her several hundred thousand, then looked outside, suddenly spotting something interesting.
Several people had surrounded Gu Yu’s so-called “sweetheart,” fiercely berating him.
“I saw it, you were the one who pushed her! You look decent, but your heart is so vicious!”
“If you didn’t push her, why would you help her up? Are you really that kind?”
“Exactly! She’s already seventy or eighty. If she falls badly, she could die on the spot. You’re such a cruel kid.”
But Jiang Yumo couldn’t even fight back. Every time he had the slightest malicious thought and tried to raise a hand, he’d get electrocuted.
So Jiang Yumo just smiled and thought to himself: “System, do you know what I’m thinking right now?”
【What?】
Jiang Yumo: “I’m thinking I’m seriously a damn saint!”
The system said: 【You really dare to think that!】
Jiang Yumo replied, “Even Jesus wouldn’t be as saintly as me here! I said it!”
“What are you laughing at, kid?” the middle-aged man demanded, grabbing Jiang Yumo by the collar.
“Hah! I just think you guys are funny. Is that not allowed?” Jiang Yumo laughed.
“You—!” The middle-aged man looked strong; he had just clenched his fist when the middle-aged woman beside him stopped him.
“Listen to your auntie here. Just pay a little money and this will be over,” said the woman in red, trying to smooth things over. “My husband has a bad temper. Sometimes even I can’t stop him.”
Jiang Yumo shrank his shoulders slightly, his brows drooping into a worried expression, his face full of grievance. “Th-then… what do you want?”
Xu Feiyao took out his phone and directly initiated a video call to Gu Yu. On the other end, Gu Yu was in a meeting and immediately hung up the first call.
Xu Feiyao dialed again. This time it connected.
Gu Yu looked slightly displeased. “You’d better have something important.”
“Not me,” Xu Feiyao said, turning the camera. “Him!”
In the camera view, without even needing to search, the boy surrounded by the crowd immediately stood out.
The boy was being grabbed by the collar by the middle-aged man, looking flustered and panicked. The others, having heard the man and the aunt’s story, pointed at the boy and criticized him with clear disapproval.
Xu Feiyao added, “Those guys are definitely experienced. They’ve got a whole routine down. Tsk tsk. Your person’s getting bullied, are you going to do anything?”
Bullied? Who? Jiang Yumo? Ha!
“Stop being so bored in the future.” Gu Yu ended the video call with a snap.
Xu Feiyao shook his head. “Tsk tsk. No wonder you can’t get a wife.”
The wavy-haired beauty in the passenger seat asked curiously, “Wasn’t that Second Young Master Gu just now? He has someone he likes?”
Which expert managed to win over that unattainable flower? The ladies in their circle would cry themselves to death.
Xu Feiyao pinched her cheek. “Don’t pry into things that have nothing to do with you.”
The woman nodded. “Got it.” Then she secretly sent the news to a socialite group chat, instantly stirring up a wave of excitement.
Xu Feiyao thought for a moment and messaged someone. Soon he received a whole batch of photos, which he quickly forwarded to Gu Yu.
Xu Feiyao: Your taste is really good!
Xu Feiyao: Good-looking and kind too, he did so many good deeds just this afternoon!
Xu Feiyao: 【Thumbs up.jpg】 I know you’re busy, so I helped you out.
Xu Feiyao had the wavy-haired beauty find a place nearby to park the car, while he himself got out and strode toward the scene.