[Drop, system transferring.]
[Target identity confirmed: Zhou family’s adopted son, Zhou Ze.]
[Please select your identity, Host.]
Zhuang Yuhua familiarly flicked through the information cards in his mind, skimming past an array of plain-looking butlers, drivers, thugs, and secretaries, until his gaze stopped on a young face.
“Select the boss’s younger brother.”
Being close at hand makes it easier to stir up trouble.
Besides, since brothers are supposed to be affectionate and respectful toward each other, he hopes the boss will show some mercy and go easy on him later out of brotherly love.
[Identity construction complete. Please enter the world. Romance Redemption System 999 at your service.]
[Main Quest: Push the romance progress between the Protagonist Gong and Protagonist Shou to 100%, and prevent the target from turning dark.]
[Side Quest: Target’s hatred value toward the Host reaches 100. Reward: Ability to hear the target’s inner thoughts.]
Noisy sounds poured into his mind and then suddenly receded, leaving only a middle-aged man’s low voice: “Young Master, we have arrived. The Eldest Young Master is already inside waiting for you.”
After adapting to his body, Zhuang Yuhua quickly scanned his attire: a white hoodie, jeans, canvas shoes, a single-shoulder crossbody bag, the picture of an obedient student.
[The Host is the illegitimate son of the Zhou family patriarch, just welcomed back to the old mansion today, and this is your first meeting with the target.]
[According to the original plot, the brothers will not get along, and the Host will soon be sent abroad by the big boss.]
He quickly got into character, bowed slightly, and smiled, revealing two little dimples: “Uncle Liu, thank you for your hard work.”
Uncle Liu’s fatherly heart melted, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened considerably: “You’re too polite, Young Master. Just feel free to ask if you need anything from now on.”
Zhuang Yuhua nodded and calmly surveyed his surroundings. Before him stood a three-story detached villa that looked quite aged; it must be a century-old antique.
Just as he was about to knock, the heavy door suddenly pulled open from the inside. A young man in a shirt stepped out, two buttons casually undone to reveal a fair neck, with deep features, sharp contours, and a smile as he looked at him.
“Hello, Xiao Hua. I am Zhou Ze; you can call me older brother.”
Zhuang Yuhua swept his gaze over Zhou Ze’s impeccably ironed shirt, his eyes lingering unconsciously on the slender waist before finally returning to the curve of his thin lips.
In his mind, System 999 dutifully updated the information: “Zhou Ze, a warm-on-the-outside, cold-on-the-inside fake big shot. Good-tempered on the surface, ruthless behind the scenes, a master of backstabbing who will sever all of the Zhou family’s business routes in three years and send the old patriarch to prison.”
Zhuang Yuhua gave a long “Oh” in his heart: So he’s just putting on an act right now.
Then let’s stop acting altogether.
He bumped into Zhou Ze’s shoulder as he walked past, suddenly turned around to push him outward, and slammed the door shut with force: “Older brother? Dad didn’t mention that to me.”
The early spring wind carried a chill, leaving Uncle Liu’s few remaining strands of hair fluttering in disorder. He nervously knocked on the door: “Young Master, the Eldest Young Master pushed… he’ll be back in a moment to see you.”
Catching a glimpse of the dejected look on the person beside him, Uncle Liu’s heart twitched, and he offered a kind comfort: “Don’t worry too much, Eldest Young Master. Maybe the Young Master is just tired.”
Zhou Ze smiled gently, surrounded by a faint aura of warmth: “It’s fine, Uncle Liu. Xiao Hua is in a bad mood; I can just wait.”
Zhuang Yuhua sat sprawling on the sofa, tapping 999 in his mind: “How is it? How are the numbers?”
[The Host’s cruelty remains consistent, and the data is the same as always.]
The system suddenly glitched. Zhuang Yuhua: “Huh?”
The data panel opened:
[Romance Progress: 1]
[Hatred Value: 0]
Zhuang Yuhua failed to sit steady and tumbled right off the sofa: “Is the system bugged? The big boss doesn’t have a shred of hatred for the younger brother who suddenly popped up to steal the family fortune?”
System 999: “Life is unpredictable, Host; you’re on your own.”
Zhuang Yuhua: ” ”
It’s fine, everything is according to his plan.
Judging by the time, the Protagonist Gong should be making his entrance to deliver some warmth soon.
A Porsche Cayenne was parked right at the main entrance. The wind whipped up by the car blew into Zhou Ze’s shirt; he pulled his clothes closer without turning around, a trace of disgust flashing in his eyes.
Uncle Liu opened the back seat door: “Sorry to trouble President Qi for making the trip.”
A young man in a suit and tie stepped out, two strands of white highlights exceptionally striking among his shiny black hair. His gaze landed precisely on the slender figure, and his hand movement of buttoning his suit paused.
Having already prepared to drape his coat over someone and remembering how their last bidding war ended on bad terms, he approached cautiously, not daring to act rashly.
He smiled politely: “What is President Zhou doing out here?”
Zhou Ze pretended to have just noticed him and smiled faintly: “The door lock is broken. Did you receive the notice about the meeting delay?”
Qi Lin said: “I did, but the company is rushing things. Sorry to interrupt.”
He began unbuttoning his coat again, starting to rehearse how to drape the jacket over someone smoothly yet warmly.
At this moment, Zhou Ze said indifferently: “The contract.”
Qi Lin paused, somewhat puzzled: “Huh?”
The corners of Zhou Ze’s mouth still hung with a business-as-usual smile, his eyes calm and waveless: “Signing it now is the same.”
He signed decisively and extended his hand according to protocol: “Happy cooperation.”
Qi Lin froze for a few seconds before remembering to shake that slender hand. The moment their fingertips touched, Zhou Ze quickly withdrew his hand.
He frowned; that hand was very cold.
He decisively took off his jacket and forcefully draped it over the other person, his two hands gripping it tightly: “Your hands are so cold; keep this on.”
Zhou Ze’s brow furrowed slightly, displeasure rising in the depths of his eyes. With a strong struggle, the luxurious suit was pulled out of shape.
Seeing that a five-figure sum was about to go down the drain, Qi Lin hurriedly let go.
“You.” He couldn’t leave and couldn’t stay. After a long stalemate, he gave an awkward cough: “Take care of your health.”
Zhou Ze maintained the bare minimum of polite smiles on the surface: “Thank you for your concern, President Qi; I will.”
Zhuang Yuhua swiped open the Protagonist Gong’s data panel:
[Romance Progress: 30]
[Hatred Value: 0]
Not bad, not bad. At least it’s normal data.
Looking at the real-time transmission screen in his mind, he sighed in exasperation: This Protagonist Gong lacks courage! The love interest pushes you away and you’re just going to give up?
There is still a long way to go; he’ll have to take matters into his own hands.
He pulled open the door, poked his head out, and looked the Protagonist Gong up and down with a disdainful and scornful gaze.
“Is Xiao Hua feeling a bit better?” Zhou Ze swept away his gloom, smiling as warmly as a spring breeze.
Qi Lin’s gaze shifted back and forth between the two, finally landing like a knife on Zhuang Yuhua: “President Zhou, this is…”
Zhou Ze didn’t even look at him: “My younger brother.”
Zhuang Yuhua let out a cold snort: “I wouldn’t dare; just an idle person.”
Changing his tone with a mocking edge, he said: “With how busy President Zhou is, why are you wasting time here, leaving your business partner hanging? What will happen if my dad finds out?”
Zhou Ze’s smile stiffened. He gave a soft “Hmm” and said to Qi Lin: “President Qi, let’s schedule a meeting later to discuss subsequent matters. What do you think?”
“Sure, I’ll book a Western restaurant so we can eat and talk,” Qi Lin said eagerly.
Zhou Ze said coldly: “No need. I want to have dinner with my younger brother tonight, so let’s keep official business in the meeting room.”
Qi Lin was somewhat disappointed, but something was better than nothing. He curved his eyes in a smile: “I’ll wait for you.”
999 excitedly announced: “Protagonist Gong’s romance progress +5, hatred value +20. Great job, Host!”
Zhuang Yuhua smiled with satisfaction inwardly: “Keep it low-profile; just the normal strength of the industry’s number one. Watch me quickly finish the mission and go back to collect my bonus.”
Without giving even a second to look at outsiders, Zhou Ze’s soft gaze instantly turned back to Zhuang Yuhua, while unconsciously crossing his arms and rubbing them.
Zhuang Yuhua shuddered from the gaze and complained internally: Big boss, that look of yours should be directed at your Protagonist Gong, not me, a cannon fodder character!
He put on a cold front: “Come in.”
If the guy catches a cold, the subsequent plans won’t be executable.
Zhou Ze’s smile deepened. Before he even sat down upon entering the house, he heard Zhuang Yuhua say: “I’m hungry.”
Aunt Wang, who was standing by, immediately replied: “The Eldest Young Master already gave me instructions, serving dishes right away…”
Zhuang Yuhua repeated himself, keeping his eyes locked on Zhou Ze.
“What would Xiao Hua like to eat? I can give it a try.” Zhou Ze stood up and began rolling up his sleeves. “It’s my first-time cooking, so it might be a bit slow. If you’re hungry, have some crackers first.”
“Emm…” Zhuang Yuhua found himself in a dilemma, truly having no idea what this person’s cooking level was like. He hoped he wouldn’t get poisoned to death.
“Tomato scrambled eggs.” No meat, and eating it raw wouldn’t cause major problems either.
“Okay,” Zhou Ze asked patiently, “Any dietary restrictions?”
“Don’t burn the scallions, stir-fry the garlic a bit longer, no ginger, peel the tomatoes, more sauce, use sterile eggs, and make it savory.”
Zhou Ze seriously repeated it once, keeping it in mind.
Zhuang Yuhua smiled with satisfaction at his own fastidiousness, and asked 999: “How is it? Did the hatred value go up?”
System 999 said regretfully: “I’m sorry, Big Boss; no change in data was detected.”
Tch, strange.
999 timely began its sales pitch: “Big Boss Host, this system is launching a trade-in service. 66 points can unlock the affection data panel.”
66? Zhuang Yuhua glanced at the data again; he’d have to start with the gong’s romance progress then.
He’d have to step up seducing, no, tempting the Protagonist Gong into falling in love.
Suddenly, a loud crash from the kitchen interrupted his train of thought. Subconsciously running over there, Zhou Ze stood rigidly holding a spatula with an awkward smile on his face, while the wok next to him splattered like a fountain.
He slammed on the brakes in a hurry, putting on an air of leisurely strolling as he looked up with interest at the ceiling.
Armed with a pot lid as protection, Aunt Wang quickly turned off the heat, looked anxiously at the blisters burned onto the Eldest Young Master’s hands, and hurriedly pulled him under running cold water: “Eldest Young Master, these hands of yours are simply not meant for this. Why don’t you leave it to me?”
Zhou Ze smiled gently. Turning his head to see Zhuang Yuhua intentionally or unintentionally glancing their way, his smile deepened: “It’s fine; everything has a first time, especially since Xiao Hua wanted to eat it.”
Checking the time, nearly an hour had passed when Zhuang Yuhua finally received the tomato scrambled eggs.
Upon looking, he was dumbfounded on the spot. It completely followed his requirements, with a perfect combination of ingredients and the oil amount controlled to absolute precision.
Aunt Wang chimed in from the side: “The Eldest Young Master wasn’t satisfied after making it several times, but this batch turned out exceptionally well. Try it quickly, Young Master; it’s delicious.”
Glancing over, Zhuang Yuhua saw a large patch of red on the back of Zhou Ze’s hand, but before he could look closely, Zhou Ze suddenly pulled his hand back beneath the table: “Xiao Hua must be hungry; eat up.”
Just right. Tonight, he’ll let the Protagonist Gong feel the heartache.
He picked up a piece of moderate size, completely coated in tomato sauce, and ate it under a collective gaze of anticipation. It was so delicious he almost slammed the table in applause.
Is this the Protagonist Halo? His very first attempt is at this level!
Striving to maintain his cold expression on the surface, he spat it out, ptoo, ptoo, ptoo, and frowned in disgust: “These eggs are way too eggy!”
Zhou Ze’s smile faded, and with a self-reproachful air, he reached to pull the plate away: “I’ll make you another portion.”
Zhuang Yuhua hurriedly grabbed his wrist, his words fierce and severe: “Are you not going to work? Look at what time it is! How long are you going to keep the business partners waiting? Will you compensate the company for the losses you cause?”
System 999 cooperatively emitted clapping sounds: “The Host is as heroic as ever.”
“Alright, let’s eat Aunt Wang’s cooking for tonight, and I’ll make you a fresh one tomorrow.” Zhou Ze wasn’t annoyed at all, offering a gentle smile: “Get some rest early tonight.”
Aunt Wang grew anxious. Seeing him grab his coat and head straight for the exit, she rushed to block him: “Eldest Young Master, you haven’t eaten yet!”
“No need,” Zhou Ze smiled. “It’s true that keeping President Qi waiting too long isn’t good. I’ll go and come back quickly; don’t worry.”
Just as Aunt Wang wanted to say more, he subtly waved his hand.
Zhuang Yuhua watched the slender figure vanish into the dark, beginning to anticipate a massive surge in data tonight.
According to his plan, the Protagonist Shou would have a stomachache flare-up during the meeting, the Protagonist Gong would tend to him attentively, and their romance would advance by leaps and bounds.
Then he could gloriously clock off work.
A little past eight in the evening, Uncle Liu anxiously knocked on his bedroom door: “Young Master, the Eldest Young Master left in a rush and forgot an important document. The old mansion is far from the downtown area, so it’s inconvenient for him to come back and fetch it. Would it be convenient for you to go and deliver it?”
“Huh?” Zhuang Yuhua tapped 999.
System 999 quickly replied: “Due to the Host’s participation, the original plot has been altered, generating an unknown storyline that the Host must explore independently.”
Seeing him stay silent, Uncle Liu quickly added: “Don’t misunderstand, Young Master; it was my own arbitrary decision. The Eldest Young Master has already sent a driver back to retrieve it, but the round trip will be rather slow. I figured if we deliver it over, he can get to rest sooner.”
“Fine then.”
Zhuang Yuhua let out a mischievous smirk inside; the longer the protagonist couple dragged things out over there, the better. If he took the document and dragged it out on the road for five or six hours, wouldn’t they end up spending the night together?
Hehe.
He deliberately drove toward the most congested route, took a huge detour around the ring highway, and then drove leisurely to the corporate building at around one in the morning.
Looking at the sparse lights scattered across the pitch-black building, he smiled with satisfaction.
It was time to harvest the fruits of his labor.
Zhou Ze’s secretary, Xiao Luo, had fallen asleep waiting downstairs, drool covering his face, when suddenly the desk was knocked. Startled awake, he jerked upright and snapped to attention: “Junior President Zhou! You’re finally here!”
He was practically on the verge of tears. The documents that were supposed to be delivered in an hour and a half had been dragged out all this time. It’s not easy being a wage slave!
Though feeling a slight pang of guilt inside, Zhuang Yuhua frowned on the surface, putting on a cold, aloof, and unlikable front: “Don’t call me that.”
Xiao Luo broke out in another cold sweat, bowing and scraping: “Yes, yes, Young Master. Just hand the documents to me…”
Ignoring him, Zhuang Yuhua went straight upstairs. This classic scene still had to be witnessed in person.