Author Archives: Thandar

“We’ve already notified F1930. You can wait here for a bit.” On the morning of September 28, 2024, Lin Wu arrived at the visitation room of Xuhu Prison.

It was a medium-sized visitation room of about three hundred square meters, with ten visitation windows, each separated by soundproof glass. He had arrived early, and there was no one else in the room when he entered. A guard arranged for him to sit in a relatively secluded corner.

“Thank you.” Lin Wu sat down.

“No problem. I’ll be sitting over there. Just call out if you need anything.”

Visitors were not allowed to be alone with inmates. After speaking, the guard sat nearby. Lin Wu waited patiently. Soon, the secure door inside opened. Two prison officers walked in, escorting Guo Chengchun in a dark blue prison uniform.

Guo Chengchun had been diagnosed with epilepsy two years ago. It wasn’t fatal, but the frequent seizures, with foaming at the mouth and muscle convulsions, were extremely painful. Over the years, this had caused him to lose weight rapidly, and half his hair had turned white.

“Professor Lin, you’re here.” Guo Chengchun sat down and greeted him like an old acquaintance. Now fifty-two, he had no family left. Lin Wu was one of the few familiar faces who still came to see him.

“How have you been lately?” Lin Wu asked casually.

“Same as always. Nothing’s changed.” Guo Chengchun had been aggressive and combative in his youth. After entering prison, he had been prosecuted twice more for fighting. There was no chance of sentence reduction. He would spend the rest of his life here. Now, perhaps because of illness, he no longer had the same sharp edge.

Lin Wu hadn’t come to reminisce. There was no need for that. He went straight to the point.

“Who is the second killer in the Xuhu murder case?”

“It’s been twenty years, and that’s still the first thing you ask every time.” Guo Chengchun recalled their first meeting. Back then, Lin Wu had struck him with a brick. He had been just a high school student. Now he was older than Guo had been when he entered prison.

“Is it someone from the construction team, or a steel plant worker?” Lin Wu ignored his tone.

“I really don’t know. Back then I was working at the site, plastering cement. Life wasn’t going well, so I wanted to imitate the city’s murder case and do something big. That day I happened to see that girl come looking for her dad. She even helped him carry his tool bag. It pissed me off. I wanted to see if her parents would cry after she died.”

Guo Chengchun had lost his parents early and had been on his own since the age of thirteen. Before prison, he had been cheated and bullied. Translated on Hololo novels. He blamed all of it on not having a happy childhood. Seeing others with happy families made him angry. His decision to target Wang Jiahui had been completely impulsive.

“When you were at the site, did you ever feel like anyone might commit a crime?” Lin Wu continued.

“There were only twenty-something people on our site. We already had one killer. You think there’d be a second?” Guo Chengchun sneered.

“Mm.” Seeing that he couldn’t get anything useful, Lin Wu prepared to leave when time was up.

“Wait.” Guo Chengchun called out to him.

“What is it?” Lin Wu looked up.

“Will you still come back?” Guo Chengchun harbored resentment toward Lin Wu. If not for him, he might have escaped. After being caught, he had replayed the events over and over, eventually concluding he must have been noticed during his early surveillance.

Lin Wu used to come once every six months, but in recent years, the visits had become less frequent. It had been two years since the last one.

“We’ll see.” Lin Wu knew Guo Chengchun’s crimes were tied to his upbringing, but he wasn’t a social researcher. He came only to find the second killer. He had no sympathy for Guo, nor any desire to save him—

If not for the space-time phone, Wang Jiahui would have died on November 19. Whether the later victims were killed by Guo or the second killer, he was still a destabilizing factor. He belonged in prison. Even if Lin Wu could reset timelines, he would not change that outcome.

With that thought, he asked, “Do you regret killing people?”

“Regret?” There was no confusion in Guo Chengchun’s eyes. He sneered. “I regret running too slow.”

“Mm.” Lin Wu left without hesitation.

Whether he regretted it or not, Lin Wu would still send him to prison. That was the life he deserved.

…

At 10:20, Lin Wu hailed a taxi outside the prison.

“Where to?” the driver asked routinely.

“Xuhu Steel Plant,” Lin Wu replied.

“The old plant or the new one?”

“The old one.”

The Xuhu Steel Plant had been at its peak from 1990 to 2010. Afterward, with industrial restructuring and the decline of the construction economy, its profits dropped sharply. Part of the land was sold, and a new plant was built in the county.

The workforce had now shrunk from thirty thousand to twelve thousand. Equipment from the old plant was gradually being relocated. Once everything was moved, the old plant would become history.

Twenty minutes later, the car arrived at the plant entrance. After paying, Lin Wu went to the guard room.

“If a box of apples can be evenly divided between two or three children with none left over, what’s the smallest number of apples? Why did you write five?” Inside the guard room, Sun Xiaotao was exasperatedly helping his son with homework.

Sun Xiaotao was forty-seven. The two had met years ago while reviewing surveillance footage, and over time had become acquainted. Lin Wu often came back to investigate the case, and they had gotten to know each other.

“Two plus three equals five,” the chubby boy beside him said pitifully. Sun Xiaotao had been married once before and divorced. In 2017, he married again. His second wife had a child from her previous marriage, and he doted on his stepson, Sun Jinghui.

Hearing the answer, Sun Xiaotao felt a headache coming on. “Why are you using addition? Count it out for me. How do you divide five apples between two kids?”

“Then how do you do it…” Sun Jinghui bit the end of his pen, unable to figure it out.

“Stop chewing on that. It’s dirty.” The black gel pen had been issued by the workplace. The clip had broken earlier, but it wrote well, so Sun Xiaotao tied the cap to the pen with a string and secured it to his drawer. He usually used this pen himself and didn’t like others touching his things. Towels, soap, notebooks, everything had strict boundaries. He would get upset if anyone used them. Translated on Hololo novels. Lin Wu had heard other guards complain about this.

Sun Jinghui’s pencil had broken, so Sun Xiaotao took the pen and began drawing apples in the notebook.

When Lin Wu entered, he saw Sun Xiaotao angrily sketching apples while Sun Jinghui stared blankly.

“This is a least common multiple problem. Has he not learned multiplication yet?” Lin Wu said with a smile.

“He’s in fifth grade. He’s learned it!” Sun Xiaotao sighed, then shifted aside when he saw Lin Wu. “When did you get back to Xuhu?”

“Last month.”

“I heard your place is going to be demolished. How’s the paperwork going?”

“Almost done. Should be wrapped up by the end of the year.”

“Want to go take a look at the factory buildings later?”

“Mm.”

“Sigh, I’ll go with you. The factory buildings are all going to be demolished in a couple of years anyway.” Every time Lin Wu came back, he would visit the crime scenes. Many people in the plant recognized him.

“It’s fine, I can go by myself.” Lin Wu had only come in to say hello. He pointed at Sun Jinghui, signaling for Sun Xiaotao to take care of his son first.

“It’s alright. Just looking at him gives me a headache right now.” Sun Xiaotao refused to watch the kid. He lifted the curtain and called out, “Old Zheng, help me keep an eye on things for a bit.”

“Alright!” Old Zheng was a truck driver. His cargo wouldn’t start loading until three in the afternoon, and when he had nothing to do, he usually played cards in the guard room. Hearing this, he came over to take over without hesitation.

“Let’s go.” Sun Xiaotao put on his jacket.

“Mm.” The two headed together to the factory building where the incident had occurred. This building was located in the eastern section of the steel plant and had already been idle for half a year at the time of the incident.

Lin Wu labeled this building as Factory No. 2. The building where Luo Xiaorong died in the sixth ending was Factory No. 1.

Both of these buildings were in remote locations. To get there from outside, one had to pass through rows of prefab structures, sand piles, and gravel heaps. The paths twisted and turned. Even someone who came twice might not remember the route. Because of this, Lin Wu suspected the killer was very familiar with the plant’s layout.

“The spot where your mom… where it happened was over there. That day, someone just happened to be checking inventory and saw blood on the ground. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been discovered so early…”

Sun Xiaotao sighed. The day Luo Xiaorong’s body was found, police cars had filled the inside and outside of the plant. It was the first time anyone had seen something on that scale.

Lin Wu stayed silent, then changed the subject. “Brother Sun, when my mom’s incident happened, was there anything unusual about the Daming Construction team?”

Sun Xiaotao thought for a moment. “No.”

“Mm.” Lin Wu nodded.

At 8:00 that night, after returning to the hotel, Lin Wu recalled all the clues from this period. There were no solid leads. The only things that could count as clues were two points: the Daming Construction team, and the killer’s familiarity with the steel plant.

He rubbed his temples, planning to open a new ending line that night.

…

“Brother Qin, why are your pillowcase, quilt cover, toothbrush cup, toothbrush, and towel all gone?” At the same time Lin Wu was organizing clues, in the Lide dormitory, Hu Wei stared blankly at Qin Weidong’s bed.

It was now 8:10. Hu Wei had slipped out early after seeing the homeroom teacher leave. He had wanted to find Qin Weidong to play cards or go online, but Qin Weidong’s bed was neatly made. The pillowcase and quilt cover were gone, and even the toiletries on the desk had disappeared.

After confirming everything was gone, Hu Wei asked in confusion, “You’re not staying in the dorm anymore?”

“I am.” At a fruit shop outside No. 1 High School, Qin Weidong picked out three large boxes of strawberries and said into the phone, “Just got something going on these couple of days, so I’m not staying there for now. I’ll figure it out later.”

“Then where are you staying?” Hu Wei had first thought Qin Weidong went back to his family villa, but there were already toiletries there. There was no need to bring these items.

“At a friend’s place.” Just then, the school bell rang. Qin Weidong quickly paid and said, “I’ve got something to do right now. I’ll talk to you later.”

He hung up and stood at the school gate, holding a big bag of strawberries as he waited.

At 8:32, the boarding students from Lide returned to the dorm.

When Hu Wei saw Gao Mingming come back, he walked over with a thoughtful expression. “Mingming.”

“What’s up?” Gao Mingming was about to wash his socks.

“Don’t you think Brother Qin’s been acting kind of strange lately?”

They were close, usually sticking together after class. But lately, Qin Weidong had been spacing out during the day and disappearing at night. Not to mention, when Qin Weidong had been hospitalized recently, Hu Wei had offered to visit him at night, but Qin Weidong refused. Overall, something felt off.

“I think so too! Brother Qin even washed his own quilt cover at noon today!”

Normally, Qin Weidong would take large items home to wash. But today, he not only washed the quilt cover himself, he even spun it dry and hung it out on the balcony while humming a tune. The whole thing felt strange no matter how you looked at it.

After going over everything, Gao Mingming slapped his forehead. “I know.”

“Know what?”

“Brother Qin’s in a relationship.”

“Huh?”

“He’s dating someone… so he’s living together with them…”

After analyzing it, the two stared at each other. In 2004, while high school relationships existed, living together was completely outside their understanding. No matter how they looked at it… it seemed kind of scummy?

“Cough… Brother Qin probably just went home. Let’s not overthink it.” Hu Wei coughed awkwardly, quickly trying to defend Qin Weidong. But inside, he wasn’t entirely convinced. He mentally went through all the girls they knew and couldn’t think of anyone Qin Weidong seemed interested in. Could it be someone from Class Three? Or from No. 31 High in the west district?

He couldn’t figure it out.

“Let’s go!” Just as Hu Wei was racking his brain, the so-called “scumbag” Qin Weidong, carrying a large backpack full of his belongings and holding the strawberries, hopped onto the back of Lin Wu’s bicycle in one smooth motion.

The bike wobbled for a moment, then steadied, and the two of them rode off together toward home.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

“The previous suspect said he was only imitating the crime and didn’t know the real killer.” On December 15, the day after Luo Xiaorong’s funeral, Wang Manshan came to Lin Wu looking utterly exhausted.

Twenty days earlier, after Lin Wu suspected Luo Xiaorong was being followed, Wang Manshan immediately contacted five trusted coworkers to set up a plan.

In the sixth ending, according to cafeteria staff recollections, Luo Xiaorong had gone missing between five and six o’clock. That was the busiest time in the cafeteria, so everyone assumed she had gone to the restroom. It wasn’t until Wang Manshan finished work and couldn’t find her that they realized she was missing.

After the seventh ending began, Lin Wu specifically emphasized the timing of the tracking. So after contacting his coworkers, Wang Manshan stayed near the cafeteria to watch. Lin Wu was not a cafeteria worker and worried he would stand out too much, so he hid with the others near the factory building, planning to act together when the killer struck.

Wang Manshan began observing from a corner at four o’clock. He saw Luo Xiaorong working as usual. After 4:30, staff from other cafeterias came to collect steamed buns, and the entrance to the second cafeteria grew increasingly crowded.

At six o’clock, the cafeteria closing bell rang. Luo Xiaorong clocked out with the others and went to the shuttle stop. She looked around for Wang Manshan, but seeing no one, boarded the bus alone.

Wang Manshan quickly followed her onto the bus and called Old Zhou at the same time. “Tell Lin Wu and the others they don’t need to wait anymore. Xiaorong got on the bus.”

…

The November 25 stakeout failed. The others were confused, but Lin Wu immediately turned serious. He trusted the space-time messages. If something had gone wrong, then there had to be a mistake somewhere in the process.

Over the following week, Lin Wu paid close attention to Luo Xiaorong’s daily routine, even considering taking a leave from school and leaving with her immediately. Translated on Hololo novels. But while a thief may strike only once, guarding against one is a constant task. On December 5, Luo Xiaorong was killed. The location: another abandoned factory building in the steel plant.

“The factory has already held a safety mobilization meeting. There will be compensation for what happened to your mother,” Wang Manshan said, sighing. After Lin Haiming passed away, he knew Lin Wu and Luo Xiaorong had relied on each other. This blow was far too heavy.

“Uncle Wang, can you go over what happened again?” Lin Wu had spent these days handling Luo Xiaorong’s funeral arrangements. He looked utterly drained.

“After you told me that day, I found Old Zhou and the others. I didn’t say what it was about at first. Only close to four did I explain…” Attendance at the Xuhu Steel Plant was strict, but they were all long-time employees. After informing the workshop supervisor, they left early. What happened afterward, Lin Wu already knew.

“Where exactly did it go wrong…” Lin Wu frowned deeply.

After this, Lin Wu and the police reviewed surveillance footage from both November 25 and December 5. The Xuhu Steel Plant employed nearly thirty thousand people, with constant movement of outsiders in and out. Even after repeated viewing, nothing unusual stood out.

“Why are you so focused on the footage from the 25th?” Luo Xiaorong’s incident happened on December 5, so the police were puzzled by Lin Wu’s request.

“The 25th was a Sunday, right? I remember a lot of trucks came to haul steel pipes that day. We worked until nearly midnight,” said a gate guard named Sun Xiaotao, speaking up enthusiastically.

“You remember that clearly?” Lin Wu asked.

“What’s there to remember? The plant’s been shipping a lot lately. Steel pipes and rebar go out every day.”

“Mm.” The officer continued taking notes, then asked, “Have there been any notable outsiders at the plant recently?”

“The east district is renovating an office building. Aside from the construction crew, nothing particularly unusual. But there’s a lot of foot traffic here. Plenty of outsiders come and go every day.”

“Daming Construction Team?” the police asked, clearly having investigated already.

“That sounds about right.”

Daming Construction was the crew Guo Chengchun belonged to. After Luo Xiaorong’s death, the police immediately reviewed records of outsiders entering the plant. Aside from truck drivers, the most notable group was the Daming team. It was a small crew of twenty-two people, five women and seventeen men. On the day Luo Xiaorong died, the entire team had been eating barbecue by the roadside. Each of them had a solid alibi.

“Any other clues?” the police asked after taking notes.

“No,” the gate guard shook his head.

After returning home, Lin Wu looked at the empty house and began reorganizing everything in his mind—

According to the original timeline, Luo Xiaorong should have died on the 25th. But due to certain changes, she did not go missing then. The elements that could be considered “special variables” in that process were seven: himself, Wang Manshan, and Wang Manshan’s five coworkers.

He had observed those five coworkers. All were long-time employees at the plant, living normal lives, none of them appearing suspicious. Of course, one could not judge a killer by appearance alone.

…

The new memories passed like a blur. After Luo Xiaorong’s death, he tracked other potential victims. But the new ending produced a butterfly effect, and the list of victims changed to different people. He even went to prison to see Guo Chengchun, trying to extract information about the second killer, but Guo spoke casually, saying he didn’t know him.

【A new path, and yet an old one.】

After Luo Xiaorong’s death, Lin Wu felt as though he had reached the end of his path. As he continued forward, both analyzing where things had gone wrong and carrying unease about starting over again, he eventually reached 2024.

September 27, 2024. The memory of the seventh ending finished refreshing. Lin Wu looked at his phone.

【Is there a new ending?】his 2004 self asked.

………

【Is there a new ending?】

In the residential compound in 2004, after sending the message, Lin Wu saw Qin Weidong pick up a piece of jackfruit from the box. “This one’s really sweet. Have another piece.”

“It’ll make me heaty.”

“Just one small piece, it’s really good!”

An hour earlier, after the two arrived at Lin Wu’s home, Qin Weidong ignored Lin Wu’s attempts to stop him and cut up two large plates of fruit. Then he politely knocked on Luo Xiaorong’s door. “Aunt Luo, I bought some durian and jackfruit. Come out and try some, it’s really good!”

Qin Weidong had good social awareness. When he was being polite, he came across as a bright and cheerful boy. Luo Xiaorong had gotten to know him a bit over the past two days and was no longer as wary as before. Hearing him, she curiously opened the door.

“Aunt Luo, try some.” Qin Weidong held the fruit out to her.

Back in 2004, tropical fruits were still relatively rare in the north. It was Luo Xiaorong’s first time seeing such bright yellow fruit. She was very curious and looked toward Lin Wu.

“Mom, you can try it.” Lin Wu felt that letting all that fruit go to waste would be a shame, so he agreed.

Luo Xiaorong took the fruit and quickly shut the door, returning to her room. Qin Weidong brought another plate into Lin Wu’s room. By then, Lin Wu had already started doing his homework. Qin Weidong set the plate on the table. After eating two pieces of jackfruit himself, he noticed Lin Wu had only eaten a small piece of banana.

“Eat, why did you stop?” Qin Weidong liked getting others to eat what he bought. It gave him a sense of satisfaction.

“You go ahead. I’ll eat later.” Lin Wu didn’t like distractions while studying.

“It won’t be fresh later.” Seeing how focused Lin Wu was, Qin Weidong felt a bit defeated in his attempt to feed him. After holding back for a while, he put on a disposable glove, peeled a piece of durian, and held it up to Lin Wu’s mouth. “Try it.”

Lin Wu was working through a math problem when he suddenly saw a pair of hands in front of him. He paused. “I can do it myself.”

“It’s fine. Don’t get your hands dirty. Just eat.”

Lin Wu was the type who responded better to softness than force. Since it was already peeled, refusing outright would feel ungrateful. The atmosphere was good, and he didn’t want to make it awkward. In the end, he said, “Thanks,” and took a bite.

When he was younger, his family had bought durian once. Even a small one cost over eighty, and after trying it, they all felt it wasn’t worth the price, so they never bought it again.

Qin Weidong had already cut the durian into small pieces. It was fleshy and fragrant. After eating, Lin Wu thanked him again. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

With nothing better to do, Qin Weidong seemed to have found something fun. After a while, just as Lin Wu finished a problem, another piece of banana appeared in front of him.

“I’ll get it myself later,” Lin Wu said helplessly.

“It’s fine, just keep working.” Qin Weidong waved him off as if Lin Wu was being fussy.

Lin Wu had no choice but to eat it.

For the rest of the time, every time Lin Wu finished a problem, a small piece of fruit would appear in front of him, sometimes banana, sometimes durian, sometimes jackfruit. All of it was cut into small portions, not filling enough to be a burden, and not interfering with studying.

At first, Lin Wu felt a bit embarrassed, but seeing how enthusiastic Qin Weidong looked, he swallowed his refusals.

Qin Weidong got more and more into it, and the feeding continued all the way until they sent the messages.

“I can’t eat anymore…” Lin Wu looked at the jackfruit in front of him helplessly.

“It’s just one small piece,” Qin Weidong said hopefully.

“…Alright.” Lin Wu gave in and ate it.

【There is a new ending.】The reply finally came.

Lin Wu and Qin Weidong stopped fooling around and focused on the phone.

“On November 25, you and Uncle Wang prepared in advance. The killer didn’t act. On December 5, Luo Xiaorong was killed.” In the Xuhu Hotel, Lin Wu explained everything.

“There was a problem during the ambush?” seventeen-year-old Lin Wu immediately identified the issue.

“There must have been, but we don’t know where,” he said. They had prepared thoroughly this time, so there must have been some overlooked flaw.

“What clues do you have on your side now?” seventeen-year-old Lin Wu asked.

“The Daming construction team, Uncle Wang’s coworkers, cafeteria staff, gate guards, factory patrols, truck drivers, steel plant patrol…” Lin Wu listed everything he could think of.

“Do you think the killer is a steel plant worker?” seventeen-year-old Lin Wu asked.

“Mm.” In the sixth ending, Luo Xiaorong died in Factory Building A. In this newly refreshed ending, it was Factory Building B. That suggested the killer was very familiar with the layout of the Xuhu Steel Plant. Even if not an employee, he must have had close, prolonged contact with it.

“Isn’t Daming Construction where Guo Chengchun works?” After their discussion yesterday, Lin Wu had already memorized Guo Chengchun’s details.

“Daming Construction worked on the artificial lake project from May to September this year. Their workers are quite familiar with the terrain there.” In the third ending, the places where Wang Jiahui and Luo Xiaorong died were both near the artificial lake. Now that the construction team had been involved in the steel plant project, Lin Wu felt the connection between the two was not a coincidence.

“Have the police investigated them?” Lin Wu asked.

“They have. No leads.”

This was a major criminal case. The day after Luo Xiaorong’s death, the steel plant compiled the attendance list for December 5. There were 21,000 workers present that day. Because of the large number of people on site, everyone underwent police questioning, but there was no way to be certain whether anyone had deliberately concealed anything.

“Should we open a new timeline?” Lin Wu thought for a moment before asking. This time, the issue likely lay in the November 25 ambush. If they restarted, he planned not to tell anyone and to handle it alone.

“Not yet.” The thirty-seven-year-old Lin Wu thought for a moment before replying. They had already opened three ending lines within five days. The pace was too fast. Translated on Hololo novels. He planned to visit the prison and the steel plant again tomorrow. There might be new clues. After reorganizing everything, they could start a new timeline.

“Alright!”

After discussing a few more details, the space-time connection was about to end.

“How is Lin Wu? Was he injured?” Qin Weidong asked before the connection cut off.

“On November 19, Lin Wu prepared a brick in advance and struck back. He wasn’t injured,” the thirty-seven-year-old Lin Wu replied.

“What about me? Did I help?” Qin Weidong asked.

In this new ending, Qin Weidong still wasn’t present. Lin Wu felt puzzled and didn’t want to lie about it, so he finally said, “We’ll talk about it later.”

10:27. The space-time connection ended.

“If there is, there is. If there isn’t, there isn’t. Why say ‘we’ll talk about it later’!” Qin Weidong grumbled.

“He probably had something to deal with and didn’t have time to explain,” Lin Wu tried to comfort him, though his own mood was low since the new ending hadn’t improved.

Qin Weidong could tell and stopped dwelling on whether he had helped. Seeing that the fruit plate was empty, he asked, “Hungry? Want me to cut some more?”

“No, I’m not eating anymore. Not at all.” Lin Wu shook his head firmly. The fruit plate Qin Weidong had prepared earlier had been quite large. Lin Wu felt like he had eaten three-quarters of it.

Although Qin Weidong had been feeding him the whole time, he had been controlling the portions carefully, making sure not to upset Lin Wu’s stomach at night. He felt the amount was about right and didn’t insist further. Picking up the plate, he said, “I’ll go wash this.”

“Just leave it. I’ll do it,” Lin Wu said.

“It’s fine, I’m pretty good at washing dishes.”

After saying that, the sound of running water came from outside. As the host, Lin Wu felt awkward letting his guest wash dishes alone, so he followed him out and stood nearby. When Qin Weidong finished, Lin Wu handed him a towel.

10:40. The two returned to the room.

“It’s already 10:40…” Qin Weidong said, glancing at the time.

“Mm.”

“So… I’ll head back?”

“I’ll walk you out.”

“Not sure if there are still cars at this hour…” Qin Weidong slowly put on his jacket, dragging his movements.

Lin Wu was already dressed and waiting.

“I stayed over at your place last night. It didn’t affect your rest, right?” Qin Weidong asked casually as he zipped up his jacket.

“No. I sleep pretty well,” Lin Wu replied.

“Mm. I slept well too. Haven’t slept that comfortably in a long time.”

“Mm.”

Seeing that Lin Wu only responded with a simple “mm,” Qin Weidong shuffled slowly toward the door. “It’s almost eleven. There should still be cars at your compound entrance, right?”

“Probably.” Lin Wu felt that Qin Weidong was acting a bit strangely today. Then he suddenly understood what he meant and asked, somewhat uncertain, “Do you… want to stay here tonight?”

“Would that be inconvenient?”

“No.”

“Alright. Going back every day is kind of a hassle anyway. Tomorrow when I come over, I’ll bring a toothbrush and cup, and some clothes to change into. What time do you usually have dinner? If it’s late, we could just eat after school at 8:30…”

As he spoke, Qin Weidong walked over to Lin Wu’s wardrobe, took out the quilt, and began making the bed. After finishing, he noticed Lin Wu still standing there and asked a bit awkwardly, “I just feel like going back every day is too troublesome. While we’re dealing with the messages, I thought I could stay here for a few days. Is that okay?”

Lin Wu had only been thinking about letting him stay for one night. He didn’t know how it had suddenly turned into several days. But thinking that Qin Weidong had come because of him, he hesitated before answering, “It should be fine…”

It should be fine.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

“Xiao Wu, are you still there?” When Lin Wu didn’t respond, Wang Manshan spoke up.

“I’m here.” Lin Wu came back to himself after a moment of distraction. In this ending, after Wang Jiahui was saved, nothing else had happened to her. Wang Manshan remained a key technical backbone at the factory, and Hao Shuqin continued teaching until retirement. Their lives were not as radiant as in the fourth ending, but they had been smooth and steady.

“Huihui will be coming over soon. Are you coming by at noon?” Wang Manshan asked again.

“I’ll come.” Just like in the fourth ending, Wang Jiahui had taken up dance as a specialty in her second year of high school, and now worked as an instructor at a dance studio.

At 10:00 in the morning, Lin Wu bought some fruit and headed to the neighborhood where Wang Manshan lived.

In this ending, Wang Manshan and Hao Shuqin had not been dragged down by Wang Jiahui’s illness. Over the years, they had saved quite a bit of money. Translated on Hololo novels. Two years ago, they bought Wang Jiahui a two-bedroom apartment, while they themselves lived in their current resettlement housing. It was the same home as in the first ending, with the same building and unit number. A golden “fu” character was pasted on the door, giving the place a warm, welcoming feel.

Lin Wu rang the doorbell.

“Brother Lin Wu!” Wang Jiahui had been waiting. As soon as she heard the sound, she happily opened the door.

“Where are Uncle and Auntie?” Lin Wu handed her the fruit and changed into indoor shoes with practiced ease.

“My dad went to buy drinks. My mom’s in the kitchen.” As she spoke, Wang Jiahui called out toward the kitchen, “Mom, Brother Lin Wu is here!”

“Hey!” Hao Shuqin was busy stir-frying and couldn’t step away. She called out in Lin Wu’s direction, “Sit on the sofa for a bit, it’ll be ready soon.”

“Alright. Need any help?” Lin Wu asked.

“No need, just sit.” Hao Shuqin waved her hand.

Wang Jiahui carried the fruit into the kitchen. Seeing it, Hao Shuqin said, “Why did you buy something again? You can just come over, no need to bring anything.”

“I passed by a fruit shop on the way. It looked fresh, so I picked some up.” Lin Wu had a close relationship with the Wang family, so he didn’t bring anything too expensive. Otherwise, it would feel distant.

“Alright, go watch some TV. Your Uncle Wang will be back soon.”

Just as she finished speaking, the front door opened. Wang Manshan came in carrying drinks and a few side dishes.

Half an hour later, the four of them were seated at the dining table.

“How’s the house situation going?” Hao Shuqin asked after sitting down. Lin Wu had been living in Jianghe all these years and had only returned to Xuhu last month.

“There’s just one supplemental contract left. It should be wrapped up before the end of the year,” Lin Wu said, feeling that this conversation was strangely familiar.

“Once you’re at the supplemental contract stage, it’s almost done. Are you still staying at the hotel these days?” Wang Manshan asked.

“Mm.” Lin Wu nodded.

“There’s still a room at our place. Why don’t you move over? If that’s not convenient, Huihui can come back here, and you can stay at her place for a few days.” Lin Wu had been staying at a hotel since returning. They knew he wasn’t short on money, but still wanted him to save where he could.

“Brother Lin Wu, I’ve got a spare room that’s never been used. You can stay at my place. I’ll come back here and keep Mom and Dad company,” Wang Jiahui added. Her apartment was a two-bedroom, but things were different now compared to when they were younger. They had to be mindful of boundaries.

“It’s fine. I’m doing well at the hotel. There’s a lot of material there, and moving back and forth would be troublesome,” Lin Wu said with a smile, politely declining.

“Sigh, you finally come back and still stay in a hotel.” Wang Manshan felt a bit sorry for him, then recalled the past. “Back then, if you hadn’t been so alert, Huihui might’ve been in real danger…” He sighed as he spoke.

After the attacker was caught, the police conducted a thorough investigation and confirmed his identity as Guo Chengchun, a local from Xuhu. He had a violent and irritable personality. Coworkers said he tended to go too far when beating people, showing clear antisocial tendencies.

After his arrest, he admitted to committing the previous two cases. However, during interrogation, the police found certain details didn’t match. Before they could investigate further, Luo Xiaorong’s incident happened. After further questioning, Guo Chengchun admitted he had been imitating a crime. The killer who murdered Luo Xiaorong and the others still had no leads.

“Xiaorong lived so quietly. How did someone end up targeting her…” Wang Manshan still remembered that day. Lin Wu’s face had been deathly pale, as if his soul had left him.

“Just eat. Once you start, you won’t stop talking!” Hao Shuqin cut him off and shoved a piece of ribs into his bowl.

“Let’s eat, let’s eat!” Wang Manshan quickly changed the subject.

Lin Wu sat across from them, smiling faintly without speaking.

The four of them chatted about their lives over the past half year. Wang Manshan steered the topic toward Wang Jiahui. “When we bought Huihui that apartment, we thought it would make matchmaking easier. Who knew after buying it, forget matchmaking, she doesn’t even want to meet anyone anymore…”

Wang Jiahui was now thirty-five. Wang Manshan and Hao Shuqin still held traditional views, hoping their daughter would have a stable partner. But although she had dated over the years, none of the relationships had worked out. Now she didn’t even want to meet people anymore.

“Young people have their own ideas. We shouldn’t worry too much,” Lin Wu said, thinking of Li Hang. In the fourth ending, Li Hang had been Wang Jiahui’s boyfriend. Translated on Hololo novels. They met in university and stayed together for fifteen years with a stable relationship. Lin Wu had a good impression of him. Back when Wang Jiahui was filling out her college applications, he had suggested she consider Deep Sea Dance Academy.

“Deep Sea? That’s too far. I want a school closer to home, preferably within two hundred kilometers.” Wang Jiahui was attached to home and immediately rejected the suggestion. Lin Wu didn’t press further. After the ending changed, many details had shifted as well.

“Stop worrying about me. If you’ve got nothing to do, go dance in the square downstairs,” Wang Jiahui said, clearly tired of hearing about matchmaking.

“Alright, alright, we’ll drop it.” Wang Manshan sighed helplessly, then looked at Lin Wu again. Lin Wu and Wang Jiahui had grown up together. He had once thought about bringing them together, but after observing them, he realized neither had that intention. Their bond was simply that of neighbors.

He was very satisfied with Lin Wu, but he couldn’t force two people without feelings into a relationship, so he gave up the idea.

“Your mom and I are planning to travel next year. As for your own life, make your own decisions. Just don’t regret it later,” Wang Manshan said, consoling himself with the thought that children would have their own fortunes. At worst, he would save more for retirement and leave Wang Jiahui with a stronger safety net.

………

“Boss, how much are the jackfruit and durian?”

“Jackfruit is fifteen per box, durian is thirty-five per jin.”

“Is the scale accurate?”

“Of course. We’re a fruit shop. The market regulators come by often to check.”

“Give me three boxes of jackfruit, one durian, and five jin of bananas. I want those big premium ones on top.”

2004, 8:20. Qin Weidong bought a large pile of fruit at the shop, then went to wait for Lin Wu at the entrance of No. 1 High School. The fruit was for Luo Xiaorong. His thinking was simple. Luo Xiaorong had given him a pear the other day, and he had already gone to her house twice. He couldn’t keep showing up empty-handed.

He didn’t know what Luo Xiaorong liked, so he brought fruit for now. Once he figured out her preferences, he could bring something else. It couldn’t be too expensive either, or Lin Wu probably wouldn’t accept it.

While he was thinking, the school bell rang. He quickly composed himself, and after waiting a bit, he saw Lin Wu coming out with his backpack.

“Hey!” Qin Weidong waved energetically.

“When did you get here?” Lin Wu asked as he walked over. Qin Weidong had said earlier that he would wait at the school gate, so Lin Wu wasn’t surprised.

“Just got here,” Qin Weidong replied.

Lin Wu noticed what he was carrying. “Why’d you buy all this?”

“Had nothing to do while waiting for the messages, so I figured I’d get something to snack on.” Qin Weidong casually made up an excuse, then added, “Shall we go?”

“Wait a moment.” Lin Wu told him to stay at the gate while he walked over to the bike shed. Shortly after, he pushed out a bicycle. It looked somewhat old, but clean and sturdy, a classic heavy-frame bike.

He placed his backpack and Qin Weidong’s fruit in the basket and asked, “Do you know how to ride?”

“No…” Qin Weidong paused. As a child, his grandparents had taken him everywhere. In middle school, he had a driver. In high school, he lived on campus. He had never had the chance to learn. More importantly, he had never been interested.

“Alright, hop on. I’ll take you.” Lin Wu got on the bike.

“Can it handle it?” Qin Weidong felt they were both fairly tall and worried about the bike’s capacity.

“It’s a heavy-frame bike. It’s stable.” Lin Wu rode a small circle to test it, then steadied himself with one foot on the ground. “Get on.”

“Okay.” Qin Weidong had never ridden before, and usually took taxis when going out. He awkwardly sat on the back seat like he’d seen others do, legs apart. With his height, the bike looked a bit small beneath him.

Lin Wu paid attention to the movement behind him. When Qin Weidong got on, the bike wobbled slightly but quickly stabilized.

“Ready?” Lin Wu asked.

“Yeah.”

Lin Wu pushed off, and the bike moved smoothly forward. Qin Weidong had thought Lin Wu either couldn’t ride or wouldn’t be very good at it, but he rode extremely well. “You can ride?”

“Mm.”

“Then why didn’t you before?”

“Feels troublesome.” Lin Wu had learned to ride in first grade. It wasn’t that it was troublesome. In middle school, people had often messed with his bike, and later he found the student transit card cheap and convenient, so he switched to taking the bus.

“Oh!” Qin Weidong found the bike’s appearance a bit at odds with Lin Wu’s style and asked curiously, “Where’d you get it?”

“Bought it at noon.” When he had gone out for lunch, he saw a repair shop selling secondhand bikes. This one was old in style but very practical and comfortable. After bargaining it down to 120, he thought it was worth it and bought it.

“Why’d you suddenly decide to get a bike?” Qin Weidong leaned back on the seat with both hands, asking casually.

“You get carsick. I figured we’d be talking about the messages these next few days. Riding a bike is more convenient.”

At that moment, the bike went over a small bump and jolted. Qin Weidong instinctively let go of the seat and grabbed Lin Wu’s waist, then quickly let go.

He wanted to hold the seat again, but the bike felt a bit unstable after the bump. After hesitating, he asked, “Can I hold onto your clothes?”

“Sure.” Lin Wu had given rides to Wang Jiahui and Wang Manshan before. Being held at the waist or having someone grab his clothes was normal.

“Oh.”

Lin Wu was wearing the school uniform, which puffed slightly in the wind. Qin Weidong moved his hands forward, gripping Lin Wu’s shirt, then adjusted his grip again and again until he ended up clutching two small bunches of fabric.

Qin Weidong thought the stars looked particularly bright tonight. He chatted idly with Lin Wu for a while, then asked casually, “How did you know I get carsick?”

“I noticed every time you got off the bus, your complexion looked bad.” When Qin Weidong had first followed him, it had been on a bus. At the time, Lin Wu thought he just looked irritable.

But after several encounters, he noticed Qin Weidong always chose a window seat. If none were available, he would rather stand by the front window than sit in the back.

After observing a few times, Lin Wu realized Qin Weidong’s complexion always worsened after getting off. It wasn’t an attitude, it was physical. The change before and after getting off was too obvious.

He wasn’t sure how long the messages would continue, so after thinking it over, he decided to buy a bicycle. Since it was secondhand, if he didn’t need it anymore, he could resell it at most losing a few dozen yuan.

While Lin Wu was lost in these thoughts, Qin Weidong felt unusually good after hearing this. After chatting a bit more, he asked, “Will the seventh ending appear today?”

“Mm.”

“Will it succeed?”

“It should…”

They now knew the killer’s timing and location ahead of him. As long as they prepared in advance the same way they had for Wang Jiahui, it should work.

Both Lin Wu and Qin Weidong were very confident. In the Xuhu Hotel in 2024, the thirty-seven-year-old Lin Wu was just as confident.

10:12. A new ending appeared.

Lin Wu saw memories similar to the early part of the sixth ending—

October 21. He arrived early to class. Li Jing was surprised and said, “Let’s both do our best.” He replied, “Let’s both do our best.”

October 22. Li Jing did not appear. The police came to the classroom to ask questions. Two weeks later, Li Jing transferred schools…

November 19. He told Wang Manshan to set up an ambush in advance and prepared a brick. At 8:00 that night, when something happened in the grove, the killer ran in his direction. He struck him with the brick and was not injured.

November 25. He used the same method to warn Wang Manshan in advance. After what happened to Wang Jiahui, Wang Manshan did not dare to be careless. He found five trusted coworkers and stationed them near the second canteen and the abandoned factory building.

Luo Xiaorong went missing on November 25 and was found early on the 26th in the abandoned factory building, with a time of death between 1:00 and 3:00 a.m. Everyone kept a careful watch.

And then…

Nothing happened to Luo Xiaorong.

December 5. Luo Xiaorong was killed.

✧˖°.──⋆⭒˚.⋆💌⋆⭒˚.⋆──✧˖°.

Previous

Shao Ye placed the rose on the windowsill, waved at Pei Fangyan, and, without going inside again, climbed back down from the balcony.

Only after he had been gone for a while did Pei Fangyan wheel himself over to the window. He reached out, picked up the rose Shao Ye had left behind, and turned it idly in his hand for a moment before asking Steward Liu to bring a vase and placing the flower inside.

Seeing that Pei Fangyan seemed to be in a good mood, Steward Liu asked, “Sir, did someone come just now?”

Pei Fangyan let out a soft laugh. “A little fool.”

Steward Liu paused, then carefully asked, “Shao Ye?”

Hearing him guess correctly at once, Pei Fangyan’s smile widened even more.

It had been a long time since Steward Liu had seen him smile so happily, and for the first time, he felt a faint sense of crisis about his own job.

The moonlight was hazy, the night cool as water. After leaving Pei Fangyan, Shao Ye didn’t go back to his room to sleep. Instead, he wandered over to Su Yuexiang’s place again.

She lived in a two-story standalone villa. Standing outside the small garden below, Shao Ye looked up. The lights inside were on, the curtains open, and he could clearly see four figures moving around.

He was speechless. In the time it took him to go report earlier, another one had climbed up.

Well, that made it perfect. Peak romance.

He couldn’t help but think to himself that the three of them really didn’t treat themselves as outsiders at all.

His Seventh Uncle didn’t want to interfere, but as the future chief steward of the residence, Shao Ye felt it was necessary to teach them a lesson. If they dared act like this right under Seventh Uncle’s nose, who knew what they might do outside?

They needed to learn who actually called the shots here.

Seeing that they didn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon, Shao Ye immediately went to the kennel, brought over the three Rottweilers, and stationed them at the front door to block any escape.

Then he took some dog waste that hadn’t yet been cleaned up and tossed it into the small garden below the balcony. After estimating the angles, he was certain that no matter whether they climbed down from the left or the right, they would definitely step in it.

But even after waiting for a long time, the three upstairs showed no sign of leaving—if anything, they seemed to be getting more engrossed in conversation. Gritting his teeth, Shao Ye decided this punishment still wasn’t enough. He went to Steward Liu and asked for some lubricant oil, then smeared it along the railings of the first-floor windows. If they wanted to land safely, they would definitely have to grab onto those rails.

With everything set up, Shao Ye finally felt satisfied. He snapped his fingers, and the Rottweilers at the door immediately responded, barking loudly.

There were only three dogs in the residence, all belonging to Pei Fangyan. Hearing the barking, the people upstairs instinctively thought it was a warning from him. Losing any mood to argue, they hurriedly climbed down from the balcony. But when they reached the first floor, their hands slipped, and one after another they fell straight into the garden below.

Cursing and retching erupted almost simultaneously.

Seeing the long-awaited scene unfold, Shao Ye clapped his hands, fully satisfied, and led the three Rottweilers away. That night, he slept soundly.

Steward Liu, however, couldn’t sleep. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out what Shao Ye intended to do with that lubricant. There weren’t even any bicycle chains in the residence that needed oiling.

Considering that Pei Fangyan’s attitude toward Shao Ye that night had been somewhat unusual, he decided to report it.

After hearing this, even Pei Fangyan was puzzled. “What does he want that for?”

“I asked him, but he didn’t say,” Steward Liu replied.

“Go take a look,” Pei Fangyan said.

Steward Liu quickly pulled up the residence’s surveillance footage. What he saw was He Jiahui and the others’ miserable state. They had already climbed out of the garden, and because the Rottweilers had appeared, they assumed everything had been arranged by Pei Fangyan. They didn’t dare make a fuss—more importantly, it was far too embarrassing.

Earlier, Su Yuexiang had heard the commotion and asked if they had fallen, but all three stubbornly insisted they were fine, afraid she might come downstairs to see them.

Now, the three unfortunate brothers staggered along, vomiting as they cursed.

Pei Fangyan was truly despicable—using such dirty, underhanded tactics!

After some thought, Steward Liu saved the footage and sent it to Pei Fangyan.

After watching it twice, Pei Fangyan’s mood indeed improved quite a bit. Wasn’t this far more entertaining than a soccer match?

He said to the steward, “When you have time, upgrade the surveillance cameras in the residence.”

The steward replied awkwardly, “These are already the best available, sir.”

“What a pity,” Pei Fangyan said. A pity the footage didn’t capture their expressions more clearly.

The night breeze rippled the surface of the pond, fish darting happily through the fractured reflection of the moon. As night gave way to dawn, the morning light revealed glistening dewdrops rolling off broad leaves, as if racing one another.

After breakfast, Pei Fangyan sat on the first floor working. Translated on Hololo novels. Hearing two barks from outside, his hand paused slightly over the documents. It wasn’t the fierce barking reserved for strangers, but something softer—almost like a whine.

Even he rarely heard his dogs make that sound for him. “What’s going on outside?” he asked.

Steward Liu walked to the window and saw that the three Rottweilers, which usually bared their teeth at him, were happily playing with Shao Ye. Fresh from their morning run, all three charged at him at once, knocking him onto the lawn.

Seeing this, Steward Liu had many things he wanted to say. Since when did these dogs have two faces?

Turning to report back, he found that Pei Fangyan had already wheeled himself over to the floor-to-ceiling window. Looking out at the three dogs and one man on the lawn, he saw that Shao Ye’s T-shirt had been tugged up during their play, revealing half his abs and a lean waist, his whole body radiating youthful energy.

“When did the dogs get so close to him?” Pei Fangyan asked.

Unable to tell whether his tone carried approval or displeasure, Steward Liu answered honestly, “Probably yesterday.”

“You had him feed the dogs?”

“Yes,” Steward Liu said, suddenly feeling uneasy. He hadn’t expected Shao Ye to win over the dogs so easily—or to gain Pei Fangyan’s favor in less than a day.

His position as steward suddenly felt somewhat unstable.

“Should I call him back?” he asked.

“No need,” Pei Fangyan said with a faint smile. “Let them play. Didn’t the old master leave such a large lawn for the children to enjoy?”

Steward Liu moved his lips, wanting to say—sir, don’t you think this “child” is a bit too big?

The other young people in the residence all had work to attend to during the day, but Shao Ye could roam freely. Yet he wasn’t in the mood to wander. If he spent all day walking dogs and playing around, when would his “Rome” ever be built? Was he supposed to rely on Rome to build itself?

No. He had to rely on himself.

After making inquiries from multiple sources, Shao Ye learned that every afternoon his Seventh Uncle had a two-hour rest period. During that time, professionals would come to give him leg massages and other forms of care. Usually, Steward Liu would stay by Pei Fangyan’s side then. Shao Ye felt this job required the least skill—he could completely take over.

So that afternoon, Pei Fangyan saw Shao Ye peeking in through the crack of the door. He asked, “Why are you here? Where’s Steward Liu?”

Shao Ye pushed the door open and walked in. “Steward Liu got his clothes wet and went to change. If you need anything, Seventh Uncle, you can just tell me.”

Pei Fangyan nodded and said nothing more. At this hour, there was usually nothing important anyway. The steward was only there to occasionally hand him something or pour water.

Pei Fangyan lay on the bed wearing loose silk sleep pants. His legs had been well maintained over the years, showing no signs of atrophy. The massage therapist stood nearby, pressing downward steadily with both hands.

Shao Ye crouched by the bedside, watching quietly for a moment before looking up with concern. “Seventh Uncle, does it hurt?”

Pei Fangyan lowered his gaze to meet his. “If it hurts, that’s actually a good thing.”

Pain meant there was still sensation.

Shao Ye pressed his lips together, then asked, “When will your legs get better?”

“Maybe they never will,” Pei Fangyan said calmly, as if he had long accepted it.

But Shao Ye couldn’t accept it. Why had his uncle saved that Su Yuexiang back then? Was she really that important?

Thinking about how she was his uncle’s “white moonlight,” he felt as if ants were gnawing at his heart—bitter and uncomfortable. He could try to replace Steward Liu, but it seemed impossible to push Su Yuexiang out of his uncle’s heart.

Taking a deep breath, Shao Ye told himself that if he couldn’t replace her, it just meant he wasn’t trying hard enough. Pointing at the therapist’s hands, he said, “Seventh Uncle, can I learn this?”

Pei Fangyan saw that just moments ago he had looked dejected, and now suddenly he was full of enthusiasm again. Unable to read his thoughts, he asked, “What would you gain from learning this?”

“I can help massage your legs,” Shao Ye said. “I think I’m stronger than him. Maybe it’ll be more effective.”

The massage therapist: “……”

Was he about to lose his job too?!

Pei Fangyan smiled. “Then go ahead and learn.”

By the time Steward Liu hurried back after changing his clothes, he found the therapist pushed aside, while Shao Ye enthusiastically took over the massage.

Steward Liu looked at the therapist in confusion. The therapist could only shrug helplessly—if the master allowed it, what could he do?

Steward Liu was speechless. What kind of person was this? Wasn’t it enough to take one job—he had to take two?

Earlier, someone had left a hose out on the lawn. When Steward Liu went to put it away, he ended up getting sprayed all over. He rushed back to change, only to find his door blocked from the outside. Without his phone and with the stairs being difficult at his age, he had to shout for quite a while before a servant finally came to let him out.

After Shao Ye left, Steward Liu reported the incident. Pei Fangyan simply smiled and said, “Let him come in the afternoons from now on.”

Steward Liu: “……”

Was he really going to lose his job? That was way too fast!

Would he have to start calling him “Steward Shao” tomorrow?

Years of professional training allowed Steward Liu to maintain a polite smile even in the face of possible unemployment. He even proactively asked, “Sir, would you like me to teach Shao Ye the duties of a steward?”

Pei Fangyan chuckled. “Why would he need to learn that? Do you really intend for him to take over your position?”

Wasn’t that exactly what was happening?

Steward Liu asked curiously, “Then what are your intentions, sir?”

Pei Fangyan shook his head. “No particular plan. I just happened to meet an interesting junior and want to spend some time talking with him.”

“I see,” Steward Liu said, though doubt lingered. It still felt like his master was being unusually tolerant toward Shao Ye.

Pei Tiancheng felt the same—Pei Fangyan’s temper seemed to have improved a lot to tolerate his son for this long. Every day, he made video calls to Shao Ye to confirm that his limbs were all intact. He had even brought home a statue of Guanyin from a temple, praying to it whenever he had the chance.

So far, it seemed Guanyin was indeed quite effective.

As for Shao Ye, he firmly believed everything he had now was the result of his own hard work. He diligently completed each of his tasks. Between feeding and walking the dogs and giving Pei Fangyan massages, he also made sure to keep an eye on the others in the residence. Translated on Hololo novels. Since they were all living here, they had to follow the rules—be upright and behave properly.

At first, his cousins hadn’t taken him seriously. After all, even if he did well as a “steward candidate,” his ceiling was limited. Pei Fangyan would have to be out of his mind to hand the entire Pei family over to him.

But Shao Ye had a habit of reporting everything. Even bringing a girlfriend back overnight—he would report it to Seventh Uncle. Sure, the girlfriends weren’t even the same on consecutive nights, but was it really necessary to unleash dogs on them?!

One of his cousins complained while running, “This isn’t some inheritance game—it’s basically a battle royale!”

After several cousins conducted a “scientific and rigorous” discussion, they ultimately reached a unanimous decision: they had to eliminate Shao Ye first.

This wasn’t an easy task. If they worked together with him, they could have used common tactics like framing, theft, or concealment. But Shao Ye stayed in the old residence all day, and they had no idea what his job even was. Every morning when they went to work, they saw him jogging with three Rottweilers, and when they got off work in the evening, they saw him out again jogging with those same three dogs.

There was no way he spent the entire day just running, right?

They continued to scheme. Since they had no interaction with him, they would create some. They had already prepared the drugs and were just waiting for Shao Ye to take them, lose control, and do something crazy in the old residence. If he could even do something to Pei Fangyan’s “white moonlight,” that would be even better.

They didn’t dare make a move against Shao Ye inside the old residence. First, there were surveillance cameras everywhere, making it easy to leave evidence. Second, they were afraid of angering Pei Fangyan. If that happened, all of them might end up paying the price.

Still, Shao Ye spent all day in the old residence with Pei Fangyan, who was disabled. That had to be boring, right? If they invited him out to do something fun, he probably wouldn’t refuse.

With several “great minds” put together, they quickly settled on the location for their plan: a bar.

But just after they sent out the invitation, Shao Ye went straight to Pei Fangyan and reported them, saying they were neglecting their duties, thinking about partying at a bar instead of working, and suggesting they be kicked out of the old residence.

Enraged, the group cursed him nonstop in various dialects for two and a half hours. They even started looking into his background, swearing to find his weakness.

However, when they saw the investigation report the detective sent back, which cost one hundred thousand, they all fell silent for quite a while.

In the end, someone offered an inspired suggestion: “How about we invite him to that newly opened gym nearby instead?”

---

Author’s Note:

【No. 6, what kind of person are you?! You’re ruining people’s lives!】

I just wanted to watch a melodramatic show. What did I do wrong? I had been watching other streams before. You all said No. 6 was about to be eliminated and his stream was especially exciting, so I came over. And what did I see? What did I see?!

Now when I watch He Jiahuai trying to force a kiss on Su Yuexiang in other streams, I can’t help but think of that night when he fell flat on his face in No. 6’s stream. I know the He Jiahuai in other streams is innocent and pure, but I still can’t accept it—

: Truly face-planting like a dog eating dirt.

: The other two didn’t escape either, right?

: You should thank No. 6. After pulling that stunt, he didn’t even post about it.

: But Seventh Uncle has the video.

: Seventh Uncle: Victory is in hand.

: He Jiahuai and the others are blaming this on Seventh Uncle. Honestly, he’s not entirely innocent. I think he and No. 6 are cut from the same cloth.

: I can tell the person above is a He fan. You’re really triggered, huh?

: It’s true. No. 6 gives him a flower and he treasures it like it’s priceless, even putting it in a vase. Even if he’s not gay now, he’s not far from it. I hope Seventh Uncle’s fans know their place and stop dragging our Jiahuai into this. Our Jiahuai is a straight man, okay? Praying for him.

: That’s called having manners, okay? Not like your rabid He fans who want to bite everyone.

: Oh please, manners? His second sister gave him a Buddhist amulet and he threw it straight into the trash. Is that manners? Even if he has manners, it’s only visible to No. 6. Sounds even more like he’s gay. Hope he keeps his distance from our Jiahuai and doesn’t corrupt him.

: Holy crap, what is this?! What is this!!! I ship it, I ship it, I ship it hard!!!

: “Our Jiahuai baby”? You guys really say that out loud? That amulet his sister gave him was shady to begin with. Was he supposed to worship it? His leg was crippled for Su Yuexiang, and you fans will say anything just to smear him!

: Whether it was for Su Yuexiang is still debatable. He himself said it wasn’t. Translated on Hololo novels. And honestly, he doesn’t seem that devoted to her. Today when he watched No. 6 playing with the dogs, his eyes were practically glued there.

: I ship it, I ship it, I’m still shipping it.

: He just doesn’t want Su Yuexiang to feel guilty! He doesn’t want to burden her! He already said he treats No. 6 as a junior. What’s wrong with looking at a junior a bit more?

: A junior? There are tons of juniors in the old residence. Why does he only stare at No. 6? Honestly, thank goodness for No. 6, otherwise what if he stared at our Jiahuai instead?

: And didn’t you Seventh Uncle fans say he’s a germaphobe? His massage therapist disinfects everything and wears gloves, but today No. 6 touched him directly. Where did the germaphobia go? Just admit it, stanning a gay man isn’t that embarrassing. You just lost the matchup again.

: Ship ship ship ship ship—

: Looks like a rat snuck into our thread.

: Where are the Seventh Uncle fans now? Why aren’t you arguing back?

: They went to start a thread calling He Jiahuai trash.

: That’s not insulting, that’s education.

: Damn it! You can’t play fair!

: I have another question. Why are those cannon fodder NPCs plotting to drug No. 6? Shouldn’t this kind of cliché plot happen to the male and female leads?

: You’re asking me? Ask the production team!

: Ship ship ship—wait no! What male and female leads? Don’t talk nonsense. Our No. 6 stream has always been dual male leads.

≽^•⩊•^≼

Next

After all, they were still father and son. Even if this son of his wasn’t very sharp and constantly got on his nerves, he couldn’t just watch him walk straight into a grave.

“Um… how about we just forget it,” Pei Tiancheng said, forcing a smile, his tone earnest.

Pei Fangyan looked puzzled. “Didn’t you just spend all that time telling me you wanted me to keep Xiao Ye by my side? Why the sudden change of heart?”

Pei Tiancheng hurriedly explained, “It’s not that I’m unwilling. I just suddenly realized that Xiao Ye is clumsy. If he stays with you, not only might he not be of any help, he could even cause trouble.”

“Where am I—”

Shao Ye had just begun to defend himself when Pei Tiancheng pinched his arm hard. In a low voice, he threatened, “Shut up.”

He didn’t hold back at all, as if putting his full strength into it. Shao Ye sucked in a sharp breath from the pain, his face twisting uncontrollably.

Patting Shao Ye’s shoulder, Pei Tiancheng smiled at Pei Fangyan. “Look at this kid, so silly he’s practically drooling.”

“It’s fine,” Pei Fangyan said without changing expression. “I happen to like the silly ones.”

Pei Tiancheng: “……”

The more Pei Fangyan insisted on keeping Shao Ye, the more Pei Tiancheng felt something was off. He pressed on, “Xiao Ye has never passed math since he was young. Even now, he has to count on his fingers for simple addition and subtraction within ten. He’s really not suitable to stay by your side.”

Shao Ye stared at his “kind and loving” father in shock. Sure, his math wasn’t great, but there was no need to slander him like this!

Pei Fangyan didn’t mind at all. “That’s fine. As long as he’s physically strong. I’d even like to see Xiao Ye play soccer someday.”

Pei Tiancheng: “……”

Enough already! How many times had he brought this up? Couldn’t the man be a little more broad-minded?

At this point, Pei Tiancheng was almost certain that Pei Fangyan had no good intentions toward Shao Ye.

Pei Fangyan smiled and asked, “Big brother, you’re not worried about leaving Xiao Ye with me, are you?”

“No, of course not,” Pei Tiancheng said, forcing out a strained smile. Seeing that Pei Fangyan was determined to keep Shao Ye, he didn’t dare object further. Who knew what unpleasant methods this man might resort to otherwise? “Since you think so highly of him, then let Xiao Ye stay. If he becomes annoying, just throw him out. No need to be polite.”

The smile at Pei Fangyan’s lips deepened. “You worry too much, big brother. Xiao Ye is so interesting. How could I bear to drive him away?”

Hearing this, Shao Ye proudly puffed out his chest. It was June, the weather hot. Translated on Hololo novels. He wore a white short-sleeved shirt, slightly damp with sweat after running around with He Jiahui. The fabric clung faintly to his body, half-transparent.

Pei Fangyan’s gaze drifted downward, landing on his strong, well-built legs.

Pei Tiancheng felt like crying. His foolish son—sold off and still helping count the money.

All he could do was pray that if Pei Fangyan was going to “sell” him, it would at least be to a decent place. “Then I’ll have to trouble you to take good care of Xiao Ye.”

“Of course,” Pei Fangyan replied. He turned to give the steward a few instructions, then pivoted his wheelchair and left at an unhurried pace.

After parting with his father, Shao Ye followed the old steward further inside. Along the way, he kept trying to ask about Pei Fangyan’s preferences and daily routine, but the steward was tight-lipped and refused to reveal anything.

Shao Ye pouted, thinking to himself, Fine, sooner or later I’ll figure it out.

…

After meeting Su Yuexiang, she was immediately elevated from an ordinary maid in the old residence to its most honored guest. Yet she felt no joy at all—only pain and guilt. She had previously heard servants say that Pei Fangyan’s legs had been injured while protecting his “white moonlight,” but she had never imagined that person would be herself.

She went to ask Pei Fangyan if it was true. Lowering his head, he told her it wasn’t.

But Su Yuexiang didn’t believe him. She felt she owed him far too much. At this point, she could only choose to stay at the old residence and look for a chance to repay his kindness.

…

In the ornamental pond, the koi, full and content, lazily swished their tails as they drifted along. A gentle breeze brushed through the treetops, casting dappled shadows through the windows onto the pale carpet inside, like bamboo leaves embroidered across its surface.

Including Shao Ye, there were thirteen young people gathered at the old residence today. Among them were top students from prestigious universities, but also a few who had merely gone abroad to polish their resumes—Shao Ye being one of them.

Seated in his wheelchair, Pei Fangyan set down the neatly compiled list the steward had just handed him and asked, “Now that you’ve come here, what kind of work do you want to do?”

What they wanted, of course, was to inherit the entire Pei family business—but saying that now would be no different from courting death. Most of these young people had only just graduated and lacked experience. They glanced at one another, unsure how to answer.

Shao Ye’s dark eyes turned slightly. He already had an idea.

Pei Fangyan’s gaze settled on He Jiahui. “Jiahui, you go first.”

He Jiahui stepped forward. “Seventh Uncle, I’m still young and unfamiliar with the company’s operations. I’d like to start at the lowest level, gain a deep understanding of how things work, and build practical experience.”

Pei Fangyan nodded, seemingly satisfied. “Good. You have a plan and are willing to endure hardship. That’s very good—you’ll be capable of great things in the future.”

With He Jiahui setting the standard answer, the others quickly followed, all expressing their willingness to start from the bottom.

Pei Fangyan agreed to each in turn. Finally, his gaze fell on Shao Ye. “And you, Xiao Ye?”

Shao Ye had long prepared his answer. After waiting so long, it was finally his turn. His eyes lit up as he asked, “Seventh Uncle, can I choose anything?”

As soon as he spoke, the others couldn’t help turning to look at him. So there was someone with a different answer among them. They thought, This fool isn’t about to say he wants to be general manager, is he?

Pei Fangyan didn’t answer directly. “Go ahead.”

Shao Ye grinned brightly, rubbing his hands together with anticipation. “Then I want to do Steward Liu’s job.”

The old steward, who had been standing behind Pei Fangyan with a polite smile, along with everyone else: “?”

Pei Fangyan didn’t seem particularly surprised—though he was someone who rarely showed his emotions. After a brief silence, he smiled and asked, “And why do you want to be a steward?”

With full confidence, Shao Ye said, “I think I’m perfectly suited for it.”

Everyone looked at him, silently disagreeing. If anything, he looked far more suited to being a bodyguard.

Pei Fangyan asked again, “But if you take Steward Liu’s job, what will Steward Liu do?”

Shao Ye answered as if it were obvious, “He can retire and go home.”

Steward Liu: “……”

Was this revenge for him not sharing information that morning?

Everyone silently complained. They had all come here to compete for the position of heir to the Pei family, yet somehow someone had slipped in aiming to inherit the role of steward. The situation was so absurd they could barely make sense of it.

Pei Fangyan still wasn’t willing to give up Steward Liu. “After all these years, I’m used to having Steward Liu by my side.”

Without a trace of modesty, Shao Ye said, “Seventh Uncle, I can do the job even better than Steward Liu.”

Steward Liu continued to smile.

Pei Fangyan said, “Habits aren’t changed overnight. How about you follow Steward Liu first and learn from him?”

“…Alright,” Shao Ye agreed reluctantly. He wasn’t very satisfied with the arrangement, but he also knew Rome wasn’t built in a day—he’d just have to give Rome a couple more days.

The others looked at Shao Ye as if he were some kind of odd creature. They truly wanted to know what went on in his head. Translated on Hololo novels. Even if he knew he had no chance of being named heir, there was no need to lower himself to becoming a steward, right?

They couldn’t help but think, if only all their competitors were this foolish. When Pei Fangyan said he would let him learn under Steward Liu, wasn’t that just handing him over to be dealt with? And yet he was still grinning like an idiot!

Soon, Pei Fangyan had arrangements made for all these younger relatives. They would stay at the old residence for the time being, making it convenient for work and interaction.

Shao Ye was naturally assigned a room as well. Behind it was a kennel. The furnishings inside were no different from anyone else’s; the only drawback was that it was a bit far from where Pei Fangyan lived.

Shao Ye understood immediately. This had to be Steward Liu’s scheme—he was afraid Shao Ye might replace him. But he had underestimated Shao Ye. Did he really think this could stop him from getting closer to Seventh Uncle?

Ever since leaving Shao Ye at the old residence, Pei Tiancheng had been on edge. That evening, when word came from the residence that Shao Ye had already offended Steward Liu on his very first day, he nearly lost his breath on the spot.

He quickly made a video call to Shao Ye. After confirming his son was still alive and well, Shao Ye noticed his father’s pale expression and asked, “Dad, what’s wrong?”

Clutching his chest, Pei Tiancheng said, “I feel like my heart’s not doing so well.”

“Wait for me,” Shao Ye said quickly. “I’ll go ask Seventh Uncle for leave right now and take you to the hospital.”

Pei Tiancheng was a little moved, though not much. “No need. Let it keep hurting. I’ll go buy a grave plot tomorrow—two plots. Maybe the two of us can die together.”

“Dad, at a time like this you’re still joking with me?” Shao Ye protested.

Pei Tiancheng gave a dry laugh and didn’t feel like talking anymore. Seeing that his son was fine for now, he hung up.

That evening, Steward Liu gave Shao Ye his first task in the residence: feeding the dogs. Pei Fangyan kept three Rottweilers there—extremely fierce, recognizing no one but their master. Normally, they were fed and trained by a professional handler.

Shao Ye knew none of this. He simply carried nearly ten pounds of meat to the kennel. The three Rottweilers were in excellent condition, their coats sleek and glossy, full of energy.

At first, they weren’t particularly friendly toward him. But after eating, they sniffed him a bit, then all three suddenly lay down and exposed their bellies to him.

Not holding back, Shao Ye reached out and gave each of them a good rub. His father had said Steward Liu would make things difficult for him, but from the looks of it, Steward Liu wasn’t so bad—just extremely guarded, not giving him any chance to get close to Seventh Uncle.

With nothing else to do, after feeding the dogs, Shao Ye simply grabbed their leashes and took them out for a night run around the lawn.

He hadn’t expected a night run to bring unexpected gains. From a distance, he saw He Jiahui climbing up to Su Yuexiang’s balcony, knocking on the window before slipping inside. Not long after, Pei Jingnan—his third uncle’s second son—also climbed up with flowers in hand. Su Yuexiang seemed even happier to see him and let him in as well.

Shao Ye scratched his head. Should he climb up too and take a look?

He hadn’t fully sorted out his own thoughts yet. He didn’t like Su Yuexiang at all and wanted her as far from his Seventh Uncle as possible, but at the same time, he didn’t want her to be with He Jiahui or the others either. If that happened, Seventh Uncle would definitely be heartbroken.

He Jiahui and Pei Jingnan both knew she was Seventh Uncle’s “white moonlight,” yet they still dared to climb her balcony. Utterly unfilial! Report it—he had to report it!

Shao Ye immediately returned the three Rottweilers to the kennel, created a distraction to draw the old steward away, and successfully made his way to Pei Fangyan’s bedroom. He knocked on the door. “Seventh Uncle, Seventh Uncle.”

“Come in,” Pei Fangyan said from inside. Sitting in his wheelchair, he looked up as the door opened a crack. A head peeked in first, then Shao Ye’s whole figure squeezed through. “What is it?”

Shao Ye immediately reported, “Seventh Uncle, I just saw He Jiahui and Pei Jingnan climbing Su Yuexiang’s window.”

“Understood,” Pei Fangyan replied.

That was it?

Shao Ye asked, “Aren’t you going to do anything? Not even go take a look?”

“Did Su Yuexiang call for help?” Pei Fangyan asked.

“No,” Shao Ye shook his head.

“Then what is there for me to manage?” Pei Fangyan said, sounding almost regretful. “Climbing windows is the romance of young people. I can’t take part in it—does that mean I should stop them from doing so?”

Shao Ye scratched his head. “…But two people climbing up—doesn’t that exceed the acceptable level of romance? Seventh Uncle, why don’t you just kick both He Jiahui and Pei Jingnan out?”

Pei Fangyan said softly, “And what would that accomplish? In my condition, how much longer can I even stay here in the old residence?”

Inside, Shao Ye cried out: just as he thought, his Seventh Uncle’s mental state really did need some healing!

With seriousness, he said, “Seventh Uncle, you really should’ve gone with me to that soccer match. I think after watching it, your mindset would definitely be much better.”

“Why?” Pei Fangyan asked.

Shao Ye replied, “It was a disabled soccer match.”

He had seen it broadcast on TV—it was incredibly moving and inspiring.

Pei Fangyan fell silent for a long while, then called out to him, “Xiao Ye.”

“Yes, Seventh Uncle?” Shao Ye answered immediately. “Are you interested now? If you are, there’s another match next month—I’ll buy the tickets right away.”

Pei Fangyan shook his head and said, “No. What I mean is, sometimes I think your father’s concerns are actually right.”

Shao Ye disagreed. “My dad is too narrow-minded. I’ve already told him off. Seventh Uncle, don’t take it to heart.”

Pei Fangyan raised a hand and rubbed his temple, then waved at Shao Ye. “Alright, go back and get some sleep.”

Shao Ye hadn’t managed to drag both He Jiahuai and Pei Jingnan down with him, so he felt a bit disappointed. He responded with a quiet “okay,” then left with a dejected expression, closing the door behind him.

The room returned to silence. Pei Fangyan reached out, picked up the tablet on the table, and opened the sports channel on a video site. His finger paused for a moment, then he silently set the tablet back down.

Not long after, a strange noise came from outside the balcony. Pei Fangyan turned his head to look and saw Shao Ye, who had just left, climbing up from below with both hands gripping the edge of the balcony. Translated on Hololo novels. There was even a freshly picked rose clamped between his teeth.

“Seventh Uncle,” he said, taking the rose out of his mouth, “you’re still very young too.”

If you can’t climb out the window but someone climbs in for you, that still counts as participation, right?

Romance, effortlessly achieved.

His neat rows of white teeth reflected the lights on both sides of the balcony, almost dazzling to the eyes. Looking at his proudly puffed-out chest, Pei Fangyan felt a faint itch in his heart. He curved his lips and slowly smiled.

---

Author’s Note:

【Why did No. 6’s livestream data suddenly spike? Did he start romancing Seventh Uncle again?】

: Better hurry and watch. If you don’t, No. 6 is about to get eliminated.

: Other streamers working hard is important, but No. 6’s reckless antics are just too entertaining.

: Seventh Uncle’s temper is really too good.

: Hahahahaha I never would’ve imagined that No. 6 bought tickets for disabled football.

: Pei Tiancheng: I didn’t expect that either.

: Pei Tiancheng: How many more surprises are you hiding from your dad?

: But No. 6 climbed through the window for Seventh Uncle and even gave him flowers.

: Seventh Uncle is even more annoyed with him now. Don’t you think that look he gave him at the end was like he wanted to kill him? That feeling of wanting to skin him alive is already overflowing.

: Wait, don’t say that. This analysis feels kind of familiar.

: Yeah, that micro-expression analysis expert who quit the internet used to talk about the president and No. 6 like this too.

: …

: Saying it like that somehow makes the “skinning him alive” part sound kind of suggestive.

: I kind of want to ship No. 6 and Seventh Uncle now.

: You might get torn apart by the female lead’s fans, Seventh Uncle’s fans, and the female lead–Seventh Uncle shippers.

: If they can’t tear me apart, they’ll only make me stronger. And now I already have a countermeasure.

: What?

: I’m going to bring in outside reinforcements.

: What kind of reinforcements could beat those three groups?

: Xi Wang Tian Ye.

: Are you crazy?! You should be grateful they’re not already dragging you.

: Heh, I’ve already found five reasons why Seventh Uncle is the president.

: ??????

: Seventh Uncle is the president???? Where did you get that from??? Is it reliable? If it is, our Xi Wang Tian Ye group is charging in.

: Trust me. Absolutely reliable.

1. They’re both men.
2. They’re both important NPCs in Neverland.
3. They both wear black suits.
4. They’ve never appeared together.
5. Their wife is No. 6.

: …

: …

: I believe you my ass!

: The fifth point… questionable.

: Go on then, go get your reinforcements. I’ll stay here tapping my digital wooden fish, accumulating some cyber merit for you.

: Safe travels, no need to see you off.

≽^•⩊•^≼

Faced with his father’s sarcasm, Shao Ye straightened his chest and argued firmly, “I’m not that stupid.”

Pei Tiancheng let out a cold laugh, gritting his teeth. “Not that stupid, and you still gave your Seventh Uncle soccer tickets?!”

“I invited him to watch soccer, not play it…” Shao Ye trailed off, growing less and less confident, his voice dropping.

That immediately reminded Pei Tiancheng of how, at the old residence, Pei Fangyan had pointed out that even if he could stand again, he still wouldn’t be able to play sports. The thought made his chest tighten with frustration.

God knew how much he had once wanted to inherit the Pei family business. He was Old Master Pei’s eldest son, and a legitimate one at that. Back then, he had always thought that even if he couldn’t take the entire estate, he should at least get the largest share. In the end, he got nothing at all. To this day, he still couldn’t understand what the old man had been thinking, handing the entire Pei family over to an outsider.

Unfortunately, he only had one son, Shao Ye. At his age, it was far too late to start over and raise another.

Ever since Pei Tiancheng found out that Shao Ye had given Pei Fangyan two soccer tickets, he had spent an entire week listening to the Buddhist scriptures just to calm himself down. He had only just managed to steady his mindset, and now Pei Fangyan was planning to choose an heir from among the younger generation. Looking at his own son, there was clearly no hope. Pei Tiancheng felt he would need to listen to that scripture for at least another three to five years.

Competing through their children was clearly a lost cause. This was simply his fate. Pei Tiancheng consoled himself over and over again. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. He no longer asked for wealth or glory, only that he could live peacefully. With Shao Ye’s brain, if he went to the old residence, he wouldn’t be able to compete with those people. He might even end up being used as a pawn. It would be better to stay far away from this place of trouble.

But Shao Ye had no intention of staying away. He was determined to push his way in. Walking over, he pleaded with Pei Tiancheng, “Dad, I really want to go to the old residence.”

“No.” Pei Tiancheng refused immediately. He truly wanted to live a few more years.

“Dad…” Shao Ye plopped down beside him, draping an arm over his shoulder as he promised, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take great care of Seventh Uncle.”

How could he possibly not worry? Based on those two soccer tickets?

Was his heart really that big?

Seeing that Pei Tiancheng remained unmoved, Shao Ye pressed on, trying both emotion and reason. “Dad, if I don’t go, Seventh Uncle will hand the Pei family to someone else. What if it goes to that surname He from Second Aunt’s side? Can you stand that? Just imagine—during New Year gatherings, everyone will be talking about how well their kids are doing under Seventh Uncle, and only me with nothing. Would you be able to hold your head up?”

Who made it so he couldn’t hold his head up? Even if he went, Pei Fangyan would still give the family to someone else.

But Pei Tiancheng was indeed somewhat persuaded. He said, “Let me think about it.”

“Dad, what’s there to think about? This opportunity is right in front of us. Can you really just let it go?” Shao Ye said, patting his father’s thigh.

An opportunity? To him, this was clearly a trap!

Pei Tiancheng felt his thigh go numb from that slap and quickly pushed Shao Ye away, scooting to the side. Translated on Hololo novels. This son of his was truly confident. If he himself had even a fraction of that confidence back when he fought for the inheritance, he wouldn’t have spent sleepless nights losing clumps of hair.

Looking at Shao Ye, he said seriously, “I need to think about whether your Seventh Uncle might take it out on me too. If he gets angry and throws you out of the Pei family, will he cut off my share as well? At my age, I can’t handle that kind of trouble.”

Shao Ye: “…”

He tried to defend Pei Fangyan. “My Seventh Uncle is actually a very good person. Dad, you’re just being—” Under Pei Tiancheng’s murderous glare, he swallowed the rest of the sentence.

“Heh… heh heh…” Pei Tiancheng laughed without warmth. This was the funniest joke he had heard all year—and coming from his own son made it even funnier.

He took a deep breath, recited a few lines of scripture in his mind, and finally softened his stance a little. “Even if you want to go, what does that matter? This isn’t something I can decide. It depends on your Seventh Uncle.”

“Dad, don’t worry. Seventh Uncle definitely won’t reject me.” Shao Ye thumped his chest confidently.

Where did that confidence even come from? Pei Tiancheng sighed again. He really couldn’t raise another son at this point. Maybe he should just steal one. His younger sister’s son seemed pretty well raised.

After seriously considering the feasibility of “stealing an account,” Pei Tiancheng let out a long sigh and said, “Fine. I’ll take you to the old residence tomorrow. We’ll see what your Seventh Uncle thinks first. If he doesn’t want to keep you, you’ll come back with me obediently. No arguing. Got it?”

The reason he was willing to swallow his pride and take Shao Ye there wasn’t because he believed his son could win Pei Fangyan’s favor. It was mainly because Shao Ye had been studying abroad for years and had no contact with the rest of the Pei family. If he could use this opportunity to build good relationships with his cousins, then after Pei Tiancheng was gone, they might at least be willing to throw him a scrap or two, rather than letting him be completely cast aside.

Even if he couldn’t win over Pei Fangyan, getting along well with peers should be doable, right? Whenever Pei Tiancheng visited the gym to find Shao Ye, he always saw people eager to befriend his son.

He repeatedly instructed him, “If your Seventh Uncle agrees to keep you, then at the old residence you must get along well with your cousins. Don’t treat them as competitors. Treat them as family—as your future bosses. Understand?”

Shao Ye nodded obediently, though inwardly he thought, as if they were worthy.

The next morning, just before setting out, Pei Tiancheng suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, you know about your Seventh Uncle’s ‘white moonlight,’ right?”

Shao Ye gave a quiet “mm,” his expression not looking very good.

“Her name is Su Yuexiang. You must never mention her in front of your Seventh Uncle, and don’t get involved in anything related to her.”

“Isn’t she dead?” Shao Ye asked.

Pei Tiancheng said, “Not necessarily. Recently, I heard someone saw a person who looks exactly like her appear in the Pei family’s old residence.”

“Oh,” Shao Ye responded without much emotion, then asked, “Was it because of her that my Seventh Uncle got into that car accident?”

Pei Tiancheng replied, “Mm, probably. That’s what people outside are saying, anyway.”

Shao Ye nodded, then said, “I don’t like her.”

Pei Tiancheng glanced at him and sighed in relief. “Thank goodness. If you did like her, that would be a real problem.”

At least that was one less thing for him to worry about.

Pei Fangyan now lived in the innermost part of the old residence. From the main gate, it was quite a long walk before reaching him. Pei Tiancheng brought Shao Ye to the side of an ornamental pond and said, “Wait here. I’ll go in first and talk to your Seventh Uncle, sound him out a bit, then come back to get you.”

Shao Ye felt he could just go in together with him, but after being glared at fiercely by his father, he could only behave himself.

The morning sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, scattering in dappled patterns at Shao Ye’s feet. After Pei Tiancheng had been gone for quite a while without returning, Shao Ye, who could never sit still, wandered along the pebble path toward the eastern garden. Translated on Hololo novels. The moment he looked up, he saw his second aunt’s son, He Jiahui, tugging at a girl dressed in a servant’s uniform.

Shao Ye immediately took out his phone and aimed the camera at them. He Jiahui dared to do something like this in broad daylight at the old residence, so he had to secure some evidence. Unfortunately, he was too far away to hear what they were saying. He wanted to move closer, but there was no good cover ahead. After hesitating for a moment, seeing that He Jiahui seemed completely absorbed in pulling at the girl, Shao Ye lightened his steps and crept forward like a cat stalking its prey.

“How could you forget me! Do you know how I’ve lived these past years?!” He Jiahui roared, then suddenly stepped forward and grabbed the girl into an embrace. The girl struggled continuously, insisting that he had mistaken her for someone else.

Just as Shao Ye was about to lower his phone and step in to help, He Jiahui noticed him first and shouted, “What are you filming?!”

Shao Ye froze. It was his first time playing paparazzi, and being caught made him instinctively guilty.

He Jiahui strode over quickly, shouting harshly, “What did you record? Delete it!”

Reacting so strongly, he must have captured something important. Fighting here in front of Seventh Uncle wouldn’t be good. After a brief thought, Shao Ye pocketed his phone, turned, and ran.

Seeing him run, He Jiahui became certain he had filmed something critical and immediately gave chase. The two ran from the small garden to the ornamental pond, then from the pond to the large lawn behind.

The Pei family’s old residence had been rebuilt a few years before the old master passed away. Back then, he had envisioned four generations living together under one roof, so there would surely be many children. He had deliberately left a large lawn for them to play on. Sadly, only a few years later, he passed away, never seeing the happy scene he had imagined.

The floor-to-ceiling windows of the ground floor where Pei Fangyan now lived faced directly onto that lawn. Sitting in his wheelchair, he listened absentmindedly as Pei Tiancheng recounted stories from their childhood. Sunlight streamed through the wide windows, falling warmly over him.

Pei Fangyan glanced down at his watch, thinking it was about time to send his guest off. As he lifted his head, he happened to catch sight of a young man sprinting across the lawn outside the window. His legs were strong, his posture agile. Under the sunlight, his honey-toned skin seemed to glow as if liquid gold were flowing over it. He ran swiftly, like a gust of wind, like a cheetah racing across the grasslands.

Pei Fangyan’s gaze paused slightly. Turning his head, he asked the steward, “Who is that?”

The old steward followed his line of sight, then cast a sympathetic glance at the still-unaware Pei Tiancheng before replying, “Sir, that is your elder brother’s son.”

Pei Tiancheng: “?”

His eyesight wasn’t great with age, and his position was slightly off, so he couldn’t see what was happening outside. But hadn’t he told Shao Ye to wait obediently outside?

Pei Fangyan asked, “The one who gave me the soccer tickets?”

“Yes,” the steward replied.

Pei Fangyan seemed to smile faintly. Turning back to Pei Tiancheng, he said, “Elder Brother, your nephew must be quite good at soccer.”

Pei Tiancheng: “……”

Was this never going to be let go?

He forced an awkward smile and cautiously asked, “What is Xiao Ye doing out there? I told him to wait outside. Maybe he has something he wants to ask me.”

The steward said, “It looks like he’s competing with someone to see who can run faster.”

Pei Tiancheng: “……”

Leave. Right now.

But Pei Fangyan didn’t give him the chance. He instructed the steward, “Go see what they’re doing.”

Soon, both Shao Ye and He Jiahui were brought into the reception hall on the ground floor. For a moment, Pei Tiancheng even had the urge to strangle Shao Ye on the spot. Translated on Hololo novels. But when he saw that the fool racing against his son was He Jiahui, the “model child” often held up as an example, his mood shifted in an instant. He even felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

So one day, even He Jiahui could be dragged down to the same level as his son—and still lose.

Pei Fangyan said calmly, “Explain yourselves. What were you two doing outside just now?”

Afraid Shao Ye might say something unfavorable, He Jiahui spoke first, “Nothing, Seventh Uncle. I was just playing with Shao Ye, right, Shao Ye?”

He figured Shao Ye wouldn’t publicly expose the fact that he had secretly filmed him—but he had clearly underestimated this cousin of his.

“Who’s playing with you?” Shao Ye rolled his eyes at He Jiahuai, then stepped forward and said to Pei Fangyan, “Seventh Uncle, I want to report He Jiahuai for using force and bullying others in the old residence!”

He Jiahuai froze for a moment, then quickly snapped back, “That’s nonsense.”

Shao Ye raised his phone and said, “I recorded everything. There’s video on my phone.”

“That was—” He Jiahuai started to explain, but he didn’t want Pei Fangyan to learn the girl’s identity. Ever since he discovered she had returned, he had wanted to take her away from the Pei family’s old residence.

“Let me see it,” Pei Fangyan said.

Shao Ye immediately handed over his phone. On the screen, the clip he had just recorded in the small garden was looping. After watching it, Pei Fangyan asked He Jiahuai, “Is the person in this video Yuexiang?”

Yuexiang? The name sounded familiar.

He Jiahuai wanted to deny it, but since Pei Fangyan already knew about her, he would find out sooner or later. With difficulty, he admitted, “Yes.”

“She’s back… she’s still alive? And I didn’t even know.” Pei Fangyan’s voice was filled with deep guilt and sorrow.

Oh, so it was Su Yuexiang. That girl was actually Su Yuexiang. Shao Ye immediately started cursing to himself.

Pei Fangyan let out a soft sigh, his tone both joyful and wistful. “I always thought she was gone. I didn’t expect her to be right by my side all along. Jiahuai, where is she now? I want to see her.”

He Jiahuai really didn’t want Pei Fangyan to meet Su Yuexiang. He knew how Pei Fangyan felt about her. If Su Yuexiang also learned that Pei Fangyan’s leg had been crippled years ago while protecting her, his own path to love would only become even more difficult. But in this old residence, he couldn’t go against Pei Fangyan.

After weighing the pros and cons, He Jiahuai said, “Seventh Uncle, come with me.”

Shao Ye wanted to follow and take a look, but the old steward stopped him. He clenched his teeth, making a grinding sound, unsure whether it was because of Su Yuexiang’s return from the dead, or because Pei Fangyan had chosen He Jiahuai to lead the way instead of him.

Hearing the commotion, Pei Tiancheng turned to look at him. Seeing his lips pressed tightly together, his face showing a mix of grievance and jealousy, he asked with a hint of schadenfreude, “What’s wrong with you? Why the long face? Now you realize you made a big mistake? I told you to behave, but you wouldn’t listen.”

Shao Ye said indignantly, “Dad, is there any way to withdraw the accusation I just made?”

Pei Tiancheng almost laughed out of anger. He snorted, “I wish I could withdraw you.”

Pei Fangyan, who had already gone some distance outside, suddenly turned his wheelchair around for some reason, returned to the doorway, and said to Pei Tiancheng, “Brother, your son is quite impressive. From now on, let him stay by my side.”

The grievance on Shao Ye’s face instantly turned into a blooming smile.

But when Pei Tiancheng looked at Pei Fangyan’s smiling face at the doorway, he felt chills running down his back. He had a strong premonition that if he really left Shao Ye here, his foolish son would probably be toyed to death in this old residence.

⸻

Author’s Note:

[The accusation format is wrong. Go back and redo it.]

“Your humble servant wishes to accuse Consort He of illicit relations and corrupting the harem—his crimes are unforgivable!”

: Damn, hahaha.

: Pei Tiancheng: Everything your dad told you, you didn’t listen to a single word.

: How did he not listen? Didn’t he immediately have a “friendly match” with He Jiahuai?

: Friendly? That was life-threatening.

: This plot feels oddly familiar.

: No. 6 was at least the only one to clear the last world, so why are so few people betting on him? No respect at all.

: Did you bet on him?

: Nope.

: I’m dying, Seventh Uncle watching them through the floor-to-ceiling window looked like he was watching two idiots.

: He Jiahuai, what’s going on with you? You’re not like this in other streams.

: I told you, stupidity is contagious.

: “I remember running in the sunset that day, that was my lost youth.”

: Seventh Uncle: My youth was not like that, don’t drag me into this.

: I saw some expert theories outside saying the female lead has two more secret admirers coming to the old residence. No. 6 can keep reporting them then.

: Hope he follows the proper format next time, thanks.

: Seventh Uncle likes the female lead too, would he really hand the Pei family over to a romantic rival?

: He’s pretty rational. I think he’ll make the best decision.

: I want to make a meme video of No. 6’s accusation with chaotic CP pairings. Where should I post it?

: You might get flamed.

: It’s fine, I’m not afraid. I just want traffic. Whether it’s hate or love, it’s still attention.

: Then go post it in those three big groups.

: I checked over there, not many people.

: Try those Xi Wang Tian Ye forums, there are lots of people there.

: …

: …

: But there might be too many people there.

≽^•⩊•^≼

World 2 – Elite Family

【A plane crash six years ago severed all ties between them. The chasm between life and death stretched across their path, leaving the living with endless regret and pain. The campus bench no longer held the lover from the past, and in the ancient, silent mansion, even the sunlight gradually turned cold. Only in the depths of midnight dreams could they reunite for a fleeting moment.

Six years later, the one who had died appeared before them again, but with all memories lost. The tangled love and hatred of the past had already faded like drifting clouds. At the crossroads of fate, which direction must one take to find their true love? The pages of time write new lines of poetry, about you, about me, about love…】

It was June, the trees lush and verdant. From early morning, the servants of the Pei household were already busy preparing for that evening’s banquet. It had been nearly half a month since the head of the family, Pei Fangyan, was discharged from the hospital. After more than half a year of silence, the old Pei residence was finally lively once again.

Several years ago, Pei Fangyan had been in a car accident. Both his legs were severely injured, and because a heavy rainstorm that day had caused traffic to stall, treatment was delayed. Translated on Hololo novels. Even after consulting renowned doctors from both within the country and abroad, none were able to restore his ability to walk normally. For all these years, Pei Fangyan had relied on a wheelchair, and every so often he had to return to the hospital for maintenance and examinations.

Over the years, rumors persisted that the accident had occurred because he was trying to protect his “white moonlight.” That woman had been his nephew’s girlfriend, someone who had broken up and reconciled with the nephew many times. Eventually, disheartened, she chose to go abroad, only to be caught in a plane crash. She died in that disaster, leaving not even a fragment of her remains behind. In the end, the few close friends who mourned her each took a piece of the wreckage as a keepsake.

It was said that even past the age of thirty, Pei Fangyan had never married because he could not forget her.

As night fell, the old Pei residence blazed with light. The elderly steward, dressed in a black tailcoat, stood at the entrance of the hall directing the newly hired servants to welcome guests. Most of those attending tonight were members of the Pei family themselves.

The Pei family was vast. Setting aside the many distant relatives invited today, Old Master Pei alone had five sons and three daughters, six of whom he had raised to adulthood. Pei Fangyan ranked seventh and was the only child Old Master Pei had adopted from outside. After graduating from university, he left home and built his career from nothing, establishing a massive business empire at a young age.

At the time, Old Master Pei had been gravely ill, and the siblings had fought fiercely over the family inheritance. Yet none of them had paid much attention to Pei Fangyan. Their thinking was simple: no matter how capable he was, his blood was not that of the Pei family. The old master might be dying, but he was not senile enough to hand over generations of family wealth to an outsider.

But none of them had expected that, before his death, Old Master Pei would announce in front of everyone that Pei Fangyan would be the next head of the family. That very night, after declaring his will, the old man passed away with a smile, leaving them no chance to persuade him otherwise.

Pei Fangyan became the head of the family and took control of all its businesses. As children, they had looked down on this adopted son their father had brought home, believing he stood beneath them in status. Now, however, they had to carefully read his expression just to receive a share of the benefits he distributed.

The eldest, Pei Tiancheng, often sighed to others that fortunes truly reversed over time.

After the old master’s death, the rest of the family did not wish to remain and live under Pei Fangyan’s authority. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. One after another, they moved out, until only he remained as the sole master of the vast estate.

When they received invitations from the old residence a few days ago, the siblings all found it strange. Pei Fangyan had never liked lively gatherings, so why was he suddenly hosting a banquet? They discussed it privately but could not reach any conclusion. Could it be that his legs had improved? If so, that would be unfortunate news.

The fragrance of flowers mingled with the scent of wine, filling the grand hall. Lights gleamed on all sides as people came and went. Acquaintances nodded to one another, exchanged jokes, and chatted about their children’s studies and marriages. Their shadows overlapped and separated across the polished floor.

After the guests had finished their first round of dining, the old steward finally wheeled Pei Fangyan in from outside. Thirty-two years old this year, he wore a classic black suit paired with a white shirt, understated yet refined. His features were sharp and cold, his complexion slightly pale, perhaps from long deprivation of sunlight.

The moment he appeared, the lively hall fell silent. The crowd parted instinctively, making way for him.

The steward pushed him to the center of the hall and stopped. Translated on Hololo novels. Seated calmly in his wheelchair, Pei Fangyan showed none of the gloom of a long illness. His gaze swept over the crowd as he began with a polite remark, “Apologies for calling everyone here tonight.”

As soon as he finished speaking, someone immediately responded that they had nothing better to do at home, and gathering at the old residence was a good thing.

Pei Fangyan smiled faintly, then spoke directly, “As you all know, my health has not been good these past years. So I’ve been thinking—it would be better to establish my will sooner rather than later.”

At these words, everyone was startled. They looked at one another, unsure what he was truly getting at.

After all, Pei Fangyan was still unmarried and had no children. The people closest to him were this large Pei family. The heir named in his will would surely have to be chosen from among them.

Their thoughts immediately stirred, though in front of him they did not dare show their excitement too openly. The eldest brother, Pei Tiancheng, spoke up, “What are you saying, little brother? Your complexion has been improving lately. And with medical technology advancing every day, perhaps one day there will be a way to cure your legs.”

Others quickly echoed his words.

Looking at Pei Tiancheng, Pei Fangyan smiled. “There’s no need to persuade me. I know my own body. Even if one day I could stand again, things like playing sports would still be out of the question.”

Pei Tiancheng’s expression stiffened. He retreated awkwardly and said nothing more for the rest of the evening.

As if unaware, Pei Fangyan continued, “So I thought that while my condition hasn’t worsened too much yet, I should choose an heir early. I have no descendants, but fortunately the Pei family is large. I’d like to select a few to stay by my side and train them. You have no objections, I assume?”

How could they object? They would have gladly tied their children to his wheelchair if they could.

“No objections, none at all! Little brother, what about my son A-Yang?”

“Our Xiao Liang is excellent too—he’s a master’s student at a prestigious university!”

“My Lili is even a doctoral student!”

Watching his younger siblings eagerly recommend their children, Pei Tiancheng hesitated for a long time at the back. In the end, he still did not speak.

After the banquet ended, everyone except Pei Tiancheng left in high spirits. Although it would be some time before Pei Fangyan chose an heir, each of them believed their own child was the most outstanding and would surely win his favor. Translated on Hololo novels. They could not help but feel that fate had come full circle—after all the twists and turns, the Pei family would ultimately return to their own hands.

The fourth sibling walked briskly over and patted Pei Tiancheng on the shoulder. “Big brother, why didn’t you talk to Seventh Brother? You could’ve sent Xiao Ye to stay by his side.”

Pei Tiancheng forced a thin smile. “Xiao Ye… Xiao Ye isn’t interested in that.”

The fourth nodded knowingly. “Right, Xiao Ye wants to be an athlete, doesn’t he? That’s good—parents don’t have to worry. Unlike us. With that build of his, he looks like a future gold medalist.”

Pei Tiancheng: “….”

The “Xiao Ye” they were talking about was, at that very moment, in the most luxurious gym in the city. He struck several poses, admiring in the mirror the full, powerful muscles of his body with satisfaction.

After appreciating himself for a while, Shao Ye moved to a Smith machine to finish his final set of the day.

He had only just started when an acquaintance came over and asked, “Why are you still here?”

Without stopping his movements, Shao Ye turned his head and glanced at him, replying matter-of-factly, “Aren’t I here every day?”

The other person looked a bit anxious. “Your Pei family’s old residence is holding a family banquet tonight. Why didn’t you go?”

“There’s something like that? I didn’t know!” Shao Ye was genuinely stunned, his eyes widening as he asked.

“Did you offend your Seventh Uncle?”

Shao Ye stepped down from the Smith machine and shook his head. “No way. Not long ago I even gave my Seventh Uncle tickets.”

Unfortunately, his uncle had never replied, and the tickets had already expired for quite some time.

“Then is it because you didn’t change your surname, so they don’t acknowledge you?” Before Shao Ye could respond, the man dismissed his own guess. “No, that can’t be it. He Jiahui—your second aunt’s son—went too.”

When Shao Ye was born, his parents had already divorced. He was given custody to his mother and took her surname. When he was seven, his mother passed away from illness, and he was brought back to the Pei family. To honor her memory, he kept her surname ever since.

Shao Ye looked at the man suspiciously. “Wait, how do you know so much about my family?”

“It’s all over Moments. Haven’t you seen it?” the man replied.

No one knew who had leaked the news that Pei Fangyan was selecting an heir, but by now, almost the entire upper circle knew.

Except Shao Ye.

He had only returned at the beginning of the year after studying abroad. Most of his WeChat contacts were from overseas. After coming back, he had added quite a few people from the gym, but they all turned out to be gay. The only difference was whether they came out quickly or slowly. Every time one did, Shao Ye deleted them. After several months, the number of his contacts had somehow increased by exactly zero.

Just hearing that Pei Fangyan had hosted a family banquet without inviting him already made Shao Ye anxious. Learning that his uncle intended to select candidates to train by his side made him even more anxious.

He hurriedly drove back, but by the time he reached the old residence, the banquet had long since ended, and Pei Fangyan had already retired for the night.

Full of regret, Shao Ye could only turn his car around and head home. He found his father, Pei Tiancheng, and asked, “Dad, there was a banquet at the old residence tonight?”

Pei Tiancheng was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. Hearing the question, he simply gave a brief “Mm.”

“Something this big, and you didn’t tell me?” Shao Ye exclaimed.

Pei Tiancheng looked up at him. “Why would I tell you? Don’t you dislike attending these kinds of banquets? Go do your own thing.”

“I don’t like banquets, but didn’t we agree when I came back that I should make more of an impression in front of Seventh Uncle? Then our family might get a bigger share at the end of the year.”

Pei Tiancheng set down his newspaper, took a deep breath, and said earnestly, “Xiao Ye, your father was wrong before. Let’s forget about this. Just pretend I never said it. As for the Pei family’s assets, we’ll take whatever share we can get. It’s all fate.”

Now even more confused, Shao Ye asked, “Dad, why are you suddenly so dispirited? This isn’t like you. Did someone threaten you? I’ll go teach them a lesson!”

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, looking ready to go pick a fight. Pei Tiancheng quickly said, “I’m not asking you to win your Seventh Uncle’s favor anymore. I just ask that you don’t go annoy him.”

Shao Ye was indignant. If He Jiahui could go, why couldn’t he? Puffing out his chest, he said, “Dad, are you looking down on me?”

“Looking down on you? How much more respect do you want from me!” Pei Tiancheng shot him a glare and slammed the newspaper onto the coffee table with a smack.

With a dark expression, he scolded, “Your Seventh Uncle was in a car accident. Both his legs can’t walk. Everyone else either found hospitals, recommended doctors, even invited famous monks and Taoists to perform rituals for him. And what did you give him?”

“Uh… well…” Shao Ye gave an awkward laugh, trying to organize his words. “My Seventh Uncle’s legs have been like this for years. Everyone else focuses on treating his body, but I wanted to encourage him mentally. That match—”

Pei Tiancheng cut him off, glaring. “Don’t change the subject. Tell me, what exactly did you give him?”

Still trying to soften it, Shao Ye said, “Dad, sometimes we shouldn’t only look at external results. I think inner healing is also important. Seventh Uncle should go out more, see the world—”

Hearing his excuses only made Pei Tiancheng angrier. He picked up the newspaper again as if to hit him. “Do you believe I won’t smack you? Say it!”

Seeing there was no escaping, Shao Ye finally lowered his head, staring at his feet, and muttered, “Two… soccer tickets.”

Pei Tiancheng had already known about it. Hearing it again, he wasn’t as furious as before, but still snapped, “I should be grateful you didn’t send your Seventh Uncle a gym membership card.”

---

Author’s note:

[No. 6, it really had to be you.]

This task was actually pretty simple. As long as you get listed among Seventh Uncle’s heir candidates, that’s enough. I saw other streams already getting listed on the first day and thought the task was kind of boring. Didn’t expect you, No. 6, to give me this kind of surprise. As expected of the man who can win over the guild leader.

: No. 6, it really had to be you
: No. 6, it really had to be you
: No. 6, it really had to be you

: By the way, who wrote those two intro paragraphs at the beginning? That was unbearable. If not, let my niece who just started kindergarten write it

: Seriously, just those two paragraphs are enough for me to spend a lifetime trying to forget

: About you, about me, about love…

: Shut up!

: Honestly, No. 1 the top student and No. 4 the little lamb didn’t really want to go either, but Pei Tiancheng forced them. But No. 6, my friend, he’s a true legend. He wanted to go, and Pei Tiancheng was desperately holding onto his leg to stop him

: Pei Tiancheng: Even though I really, really, really want the Pei family fortune, I choose to stay alive

: Pei Tiancheng, can you perform that again in front of No. 6?
“You don’t go to the old residence, then don’t call me your father anymore.” .gif

: To No. 6: If you go to the old residence, we’ll have to reunite as father and son in the underworld

: Pei Tiancheng: I still want to live a few more years, spare me

: I really want to know what expression Seventh Uncle had when he saw those soccer tickets

: And they were even consecutive seats. What was No. 6 thinking? Going together with Seventh Uncle?

: He’s actually kind of sweet… I’m starting to ship them

: Shut up upstairs, you’re making me think of things I shouldn’t

: Hahahahahahahaha I’m dying laughing is this Qingming relief or what

≽^•⩊•^≼

After Shao Ye and Xi Guanming confirmed their relationship, time seemed to pass especially quickly. In the blink of an eye, the semester was over; in another blink, Xi Guanming had graduated, and Shao Ye had moved up to his final year of high school.

Just as Xi Guanming had told him before, there was almost nothing Shao Ye couldn’t do at this school, even though Xi Guanming was no longer the student council president. Still, aside from occasionally showing off a bit among his classmates, Shao Ye didn’t cause any major trouble. That left Xi Guanming feeling faintly disappointed.

It was also that year that Old Master Xi learned his grandson had found himself a boyfriend. He was so angry he didn’t eat for a whole day. In the middle of the night, he woke up and sat there holding his old companion—a thirteen-year-old Alaskan malamute—pondering when exactly their family had developed a “gay gene.”

Fortunately, after two nights, the old man came to terms with it. His grandson had always been emotionally distant; the fact that he had found someone at all was already good enough. No need to demand too much. It was a new era—man or woman, it was all the same.

After graduating, Xi Guanming chose a local university. His course load wasn’t heavy, and when he had time, he would still drop by Golden Laburnum—no one dared stop him. Shao Ye applied for day schooling and didn’t have to attend evening study sessions anymore. After classes, he would go straight home in Xi Guanming’s car. This happy routine continued until Shao Ye finished his college entrance exams.

Every year, about seventy percent of Golden Laburnum’s graduates went on to top universities around the world. As expected, Shao Ye fell into the remaining thirty percent.

After the graduation ceremony, Shao Ye and Xi Guanming returned home. They messed around from the living room to the bathroom, and from the bathroom to the gym, the pink yoga ball bouncing up and down.

In the end, Shao Ye lay on the soft carpet in the living room, bright red cords draped over his body. Under the bright lights, he had to squint. Xi Guanming held both ends of the cords and, in no time, finished arranging them into a new design. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. The red cords crisscrossed over Shao Ye’s chest, tied deliberately tight so they pressed into his skin. Afterward, Xi Guanming stood back and admired it for a while, clearly pleased.

But later, when they moved into the bedroom, the cords somehow turned into a dead knot. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t untangle them.

Shao Ye panicked. If this stayed wrapped around him, wouldn’t people think he was some kind of freak if he wore less clothing outside? Was this some kind of scheme by the president?

He cast a suspicious glance over, only to see Xi Guanming grab a pair of scissors and snip the cords apart with a clean cut.

Oh. Right. Scissors existed. He must’ve been shaken senseless earlier.

After showering, they went back to bed. Before sleeping, Shao Ye glanced at his phone—it was almost three in the morning. The moment he lay down, he fell asleep, but his rest was anything but peaceful.

He dreamed endlessly, one dream after another, without a moment to breathe. Eventually, half-asleep, he felt as if he were lying in a stark white laboratory. People nearby were reading out data he couldn’t understand.

His heart began to race faster and faster, an overwhelming sensation sweeping through him. He jolted awake.

Xi Guanming hadn’t fallen asleep. Seeing him suddenly sit up, he asked, “What’s wrong? A nightmare?”

“Not a nightmare,” Shao Ye said, clutching his chest. Even now, his heart was pounding uncontrollably. “I don’t know what’s happening. I feel really uneasy, like something big is about to happen. President… could it be an earthquake?”

Didn’t dogs usually start barking first before an earthquake?

The feeling intensified. Shao Ye thought he could hear someone calling his name from far away, as if trying to pull him out of this world. And faintly, he seemed to understand.

Xi Guanming reached over and turned on the bedside lamp. Shao Ye looked at him with attachment, his eyes slightly damp.

“President… I’m leaving,” he said.

Xi Guanming had always kept his darker side well hidden, only revealing glimpses of it when they were together in bed. Shao Ye was tall and strong, like nothing could bring him down. Xi Guanming had always liked teasing him until he cried from sheer overwhelm. But now, seeing him on the verge of real tears, all he felt was a sharp ache in his chest.

He pulled Shao Ye into an embrace. “I know. I know.”

He had long sensed that one day, they would part in this world—but also that one day, they would meet again.

Gently patting Shao Ye’s back, he comforted him, “Baby, don’t be afraid. Don’t be sad. Trust me—we’ll see each other again very soon.”

The night was silent, the moonlight flowing across the sky.

Under the pale glow, Golden Laburnum revealed a quiet beauty different from the daytime. Marble statues pointed toward the artificial lake in the north, where two swans played on the shimmering water.

And with that, the grand live broadcast came to a perfect end.

When Shao Ye opened his eyes again, he found himself lying inside a game pod. Everything around him was stark white, just like in his dream. A staff member from Neverland stood nearby and congratulated him:

“Congratulations, Mr. Shao. You are the only winner of this game.”

Shao Ye froze for a moment.

Then he remembered. He had participated in Neverland’s project as a volunteer. Everything he experienced at Golden Laburnum had only been part of a game. By successfully graduating, he had won.

He should have been happy—but for some reason, he couldn’t feel it.

Still, he remembered what Xi Guanming had told him: they would meet again soon.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, even if someone told him now that the president had only been an NPC, Shao Ye still trusted him completely. He believed every word Xi Guanming had said would come true.

He quickly adjusted his emotions, sat up in the pod, and asked the staff member, “I’m the only winner?”

“Yes. You’re the only player who successfully graduated from Golden Laburnum,” the staff member replied.

Shao Ye was surprised. Graduating from Golden Laburnum hadn’t seemed that hard to him. The project hadn’t required them to get into top universities either.

“So… did the others’ families go bankrupt?” he asked.

For five families to go bankrupt at once would be impressive… Could it be that Tang Qichuan had secretly pulled some strings for him? If so, that guy wasn’t bad—maybe he deserved a promotion someday.

Staff: “……”

He briefly explained the outcomes of the other volunteers to Shao Ye. Aside from No. 3 and No. 4, who had been eliminated early:

No. 1, the top student, couldn’t stand the learning environment at Golden Laburnum. It was all fighting and chaos, nothing like a proper school. In a fit of anger, he transferred.

No. 2, the “little sun,” was accidentally pushed down the stairs during a student brawl, broke a leg, and took a leave of absence.

No. 5, the rich young lady, openly pursued Jin Feng. Not wanting Jiang Yan to misunderstand, Jin Feng went directly to her father to explain. Her father found it embarrassing and arranged for her to transfer schools.

After listening, Shao Ye asked in confusion, “Why does that school feel like it’s at war every day? Doesn’t the president do anything about it?”

Staff: “……”

Could it be because he interfered too much?

So next, Shao Ye learned from the staff all the things Xi Guanming had done. He suddenly understood. In the end, it was still the president helping him behind the scenes. As for Tang Qichuan, he could go cool off somewhere else.

“Um…” Shao Ye spoke up.

The staff member asked, “Mr. Shao, is there anything else you need?”

Shao Ye asked hesitantly, “What will happen to Golden Laburnum in the future?”

The staff replied, “We’ll temporarily seal the Golden Laburnum scenario and reopen it during the public beta.”

Shao Ye nodded, climbed out of the simulation pod, looked around, and asked if there was a gym nearby.

There was. The staff led him there, and once inside, Shao Ye immediately started an intense workout.

After learning that Shao Ye had awakened, the Supervisory Bureau sent people to check on him. After all, he came from their organization, so they had some responsibility to look after him.

Shao Ye had been lying in the pod for over a month. On the surface, his physique hadn’t changed much, but he felt weaker and was determined to build himself back up. If not for this project, he wouldn’t be in such a rush now. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Turning around, he glared at the Supervisory Bureau staff and snapped, “What are you looking at? When His Majesty wakes up, none of you are getting off easy.”

Everyone fell silent.

After the livestream ended, Tang Qichuan personally called the Neverland project team. Not to congratulate them, but to sneer and question whether this was how they stimulated Shao Ye’s hippocampus to help recover his memory. What kind of memory could that possibly recover?

The project team felt wronged. As soon as Xi Guanming and Shao Ye had their first intimate interaction, they had checked all backend data. Everything was normal. Xi Guanming’s self-awareness had simply developed fully. Maybe he just liked muscular men like Shao Ye. What could they do? It wasn’t like they could hide his muscles.

Still, they weren’t the Supervisory Bureau. They were a bit worried that once His Majesty woke up, they’d be in trouble.

Shao Ye’s successful “graduation” pushed Neverland’s popularity to another peak. Discussions exploded everywhere, from serious analysis to shipping to conspiracy theories. If people could imagine it, someone online was already saying it. The traffic they were getting far exceeded expectations.

But the team didn’t have time to celebrate. They were already preparing for the next livestream.

A staff member asked the person in charge, “Should we adjust the data settings for the next session?”

Logically, some adjustments were needed, especially to reduce the chances of volunteers forming romantic relationships with key NPCs. However, after the Golden Laburnum scenario ended, they discovered that His Majesty’s long-dormant consciousness had finally shown signs of activity, likely triggered by certain events in Golden Laburnum.

If they accidentally altered the wrong data and affected His Majesty, that would be disastrous. Unfortunately, due to Xi Guanming’s interference, they couldn’t determine which NPC His Majesty’s consciousness had been projected onto, nor which event had triggered it. So they kept this information confidential.

After careful consideration, the supervisor finally said cautiously, “Increase Q-058’s charm value to the maximum. Don’t change anything else.”

This time, there absolutely wouldn’t be another case of an NPC “falling for someone else.” If everything went smoothly, by the end of the next livestream, they would definitely identify His Majesty’s true identity.

Shao Ye knew nothing about their plans. After each livestream, there was a half-month break. He spent that time training hard, occasionally browsing the network during rest. At one point, he saw people on the forum calling him a “chief eunuch.” He immediately registered an account to correct them, saying it should be “chief palace administrator,” only to be met with a flood of mocking laughter. He was so mad he wanted to jump through the screen and unplug their internet.

Half a month later, Shao Ye reluctantly set down his dumbbells and left the gym. Walking down the corridor, the bright lights cast his shadow onto the smooth, mirror-like floor beneath his feet. Looking at the closed door ahead, he suddenly thought that he might soon see the president again.

His pace quickened.

He jumped into the simulation pod, ready to begin his second livestream.

≽^•⩊•^≼

When Shao Ye and Xi Guanming returned home and he saw the clothes Xi Guanming had bought online, his mouth opened and closed for a long while. In the end, he felt that words simply couldn’t express what he was feeling.

He had been too naive. There really were clothes in this world he had never worn before—not just a few, but many. But looking at that bundle of red ropes, Shao Ye sincerely wondered… could this even count as clothing?

Where on earth had the president found all this stuff?

He gave Xi Guanming a thumbs-up.

Xi Guanming took it as praise and even nodded. “I knew you’d like it.”

Like it? Based on what?!

Shao Ye felt there was clearly some misunderstanding here, and that he really needed to have a proper talk with him.

But before he could bring it up, Xi Guanming spoke first. “Try it on, okay?”

His tone was polite and gentle, as natural as if he were asking Shao Ye to taste a new dish at a restaurant. His dark eyes were deep like the sea, full of what looked like affection.

Under that gaze, Shao Ye’s heart wavered. Before he knew it, he had already nodded. “…Alright.”

He hated himself!

Why couldn’t he refuse? Was he just born to be a lackey?!

Xi Guanming smiled and didn’t hold back at all. “Then try this one first.”

What he handed over was a pink-and-white maid outfit. The seller had even thoughtfully included a pair of cat-ear headbands.

Shao Ye weighed it in his hands. “Do I really have to wear this? It looks kind of small—I might not even fit.”

Xi Guanming seemed not to hear the second half of that sentence. He only said, “I really want to see it. Please, Shao Ye.”

Shao Ye’s “natural-born lackey physique” activated again. He grabbed the clothes and went into the bathroom to change.

This maid outfit wasn’t just a little small—it was extremely small. It squeezed tightly over his chest muscles, the sleeves were oddly cut, and he didn’t dare make any big movements. The skirt was ridiculously short, barely covering half his backside.

Looking at himself in the mirror, he thought if he sent this photo back to the seller, they’d probably pay him to delete it overnight.

This was way too weird! The fabric at his chest looked like it was about to burst. Honestly, he’d rather just wear two leather straps.

Xi Guanming sat on the sofa reading a magazine. Hearing the door open, he looked up and saw Shao Ye walking over, face scrunched up, tugging at the hem of the skirt.

He set the magazine aside. His gaze settled heavily on Shao Ye’s chest, then slowly moved downward. He licked his slightly dry lips but said nothing.

Shao Ye glanced down at himself, then scratched his neck. Standing across the coffee table, he complained, “President, this outfit is too small. It’s uncomfortable.”

Xi Guanming nodded in agreement. “It is a bit small. Come here—I’ll loosen it for you.”

Completely unsuspecting, Shao Ye walked over and bent down, assuming there must be some hidden clasp he had missed.

Instead, Xi Guanming grabbed the thin fabric over his chest and, with a sharp rip, tore it apart. The cloth split to either side, fully exposing Shao Ye’s chest.

Shao Ye: “…”

That’s it? He could’ve done that himself!

After tearing it open, Xi Guanming’s gaze lingered on the faint bite marks that hadn’t fully faded from his chest. After a moment, he looked up and said, “This looks better. What do you think?”

It didn’t look that great to begin with!

Before Shao Ye could respond, Xi Guanming pulled him forward, and he fell heavily onto the sofa.

Another two hours passed just like that. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. The expensive maid outfit was completely ruined—there was no wearing it a second time.

Later, Xi Guanming had two rooms on the first floor knocked together and turned into a gym. Within two days, all the equipment Shao Ye needed was fully set up. He stood in front of the pec-deck machine, eager to try it, but the moment Xi Guanming walked in, he somehow ended up crashing into a yoga ball first.

Was this a gym or some kind of themed hotel?

A gym-themed… something. Well, that was certainly novel.

The seven-day holiday passed quickly. When Shao Ye returned to Golden Laburnum, he felt as though a lifetime had gone by. Now nearly 80% of the students knew he had something going on with Student Council President Xi Guanming, and the remaining 20% were in the process of learning it.

Whenever there was any news from the student council, the class monitor would send Shao Ye to Xi Guanming to gather information. Some students even tried to bribe him—after being caught burning paper offerings in the dorm by the student council, they would give him gifts and ask him to put in a good word for them.

Shao Ye was speechless.

What kind of people were these?!

Even more ridiculous was what happened that afternoon. After his first math class, he woke up from a nap and planned to run a couple of laps on the field to clear his head. But before he could even start, Si Xu blocked his way and said:

“Whatever Xi Guanming can give you, I can give you double—just leave him.”

Shao Ye scratched his head. He must still be dreaming, right? What kind of ridiculous dream was this?

This whole situation actually started from a conversation between Si Xu and Zong Xingze. They had gone from talking about Jiang Yan to the student council, then to Xi Guanming, and agreed that he had been getting more and more overbearing lately. The four of them had originally been equals, but now Xi Guanming seemed to be rising above them. He needed to be taught a lesson.

Direct methods wouldn’t work against him at Golden Laburnum, but if they could somehow get Shao Ye to break with him, then the look on Xi Guanming’s face would surely be worth it.

Zong Xingze had casually suggested the idea, then immediately said it was just a passing thought. But Si Xu went home and thought about it—why not try? There was no downside, and it might even be entertaining.

And so, here they were.

Seeing Shao Ye remain silent, Si Xu pressed, “Is double not enough? Don’t be too greedy.”

Shao Ye was completely baffled. What was wrong with this guy? It was almost scary. Should he call the school doctor?

Si Xu continued, “Even if Xi Guanming really likes you, do you think the Xi family patriarch would accept his grandson being some disgusting homosexual? Think about what your ending would be.”

Shao Ye rolled his eyes. Yep—definitely sick. What did that old man’s opinion have to do with him?

Si Xu saw the disdain in that eye roll and grew even angrier. “You don’t even actually like Xi Guanming—who are you pretending for?!”

“Who said I don’t really like him?” Shao Ye shot back immediately. How could he just slander him like that?

Through gritted teeth, Si Xu said, “Before this, you kept telling me to stay away from Jiang Yan! What’s wrong with you?!”

Shao Ye looked at him with pure contempt. “That just means you don’t understand strategy. It’s called openly building a plank road while secretly advancing elsewhere.”

Si Xu: “Huh?”

Shao Ye didn’t say it out loud, but he kept thinking about that night when Xi Guanming asked whether he loved him. Later, he went online to look up the difference between love and liking. The internet said things like: liking is indulgent, love is restraint; truly loving someone means wanting them to be happy, even if they don’t love you back.

Shao Ye thought about it. Wasn’t that exactly the mindset he had when he wanted to be Xi Guanming’s underling? The article was very long, and he read it word for word with serious dedication. By the end, he felt as if his soul had been cleansed. He even began to wonder whether, deep down, he had known he and the president had no chance, which was why he used the excuse of being a “lackey” to get close to him.

And lately, there were also a few voices on the forum claiming that he was actually very scheming, deliberately pretending to be dumb to lower the president’s guard, then taking advantage of the moment to get physically close to him and force the president to take responsibility, which was how he became the president’s boyfriend.

The phrase “openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing at Chencang” was something he’d learned from the forum. This line of thinking was actually quite niche, and most students dismissed it outright. But after reading it, Shao Ye was still deeply shocked. Was he really that clever?

Si Xu was equally shocked. “You actually have true love for him?”

“You’re the weird one. Of course it’s true love. If it wasn’t, why would we be together?” You could question his motives, but not his feelings.

Shao Ye had even seriously considered that if, the first time they met, Xi Guanming had asked him to be his boyfriend, he probably wouldn’t have refused.

He posted this thought on the country’s biggest Q&A website, and the responses were surprisingly consistent: If that’s not true love, then what is?

But Si Xu probably didn’t understand feelings anyway. Shao Ye went straight for the emotional kill: “No wonder Jiang Yan doesn’t like you.”

Si Xu had come today intending to break them up, but hearing that, he lost his composure first. His face darkened. Since things couldn’t be settled peacefully, he might as well be ruthless. He shot Shao Ye a sinister look and said, “Just you wait.”

Shao Ye ignored him. Why should he wait? Who did Si Xu think he was? Not punching him on the spot was already restraint. After all, he was the president’s boyfriend now. In public, he had to mind his image.

Fuming, Si Xu turned and left. The class bell had already rung for a while. Shao Ye thought that since he was already late, a bit later wouldn’t matter. He planned to go for a quick run first. Surely the teacher would understand. But as he turned around, he walked straight into Xi Guanming.

He gave an awkward smile, rubbed his nose, and asked, “President, when did you get here?”

“I’ve been here for a while,” Xi Guanming said. “Planning to skip class again?”

“Hehe, no, no. I’m heading back now,” Shao Ye replied.

Xi Guanming fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “We’re true love?”

Shao Ye blinked, realizing Xi Guanming really had been there long enough to hear his entire conversation with Si Xu.

“Of course!” he said firmly, then added with some confusion, “Aren’t we?”

The thought that the president might just be playing with him, like some people on the forum suggested, made Shao Ye feel uncomfortably upset.

Xi Guanming seemed not to notice the change in his expression and said, “Then prove it.”

Prove what? How?

Shao Ye looked around. The bell had already rung, and everyone had gone back to class. This place was quiet and remote, with no one around. He cleared his throat and loudly declared, “President, I love you!”

How was that? Good enough proof, right? Look at that boldness.

But wow, that was so embarrassing. How did he even say it out loud? As soon as he finished, Shao Ye felt like scratching at the goosebumps on his arms. He glanced at Xi Guanming, who stood there motionless, his gaze deep, almost like a flame burning within.

Why wasn’t the president reacting? Did he freeze?

Autumn wind swept through the treetops, and ginkgo leaves fell, scattering across the ground. Xi Guanming had only meant to trick him into giving him a kiss, but instead heard those three words directly from him.

He was momentarily stunned, as if on barren land after a storm, countless fragrant flowers suddenly bloomed.

“I love you too,” Xi Guanming said.

No matter how it started, as long as it was real, as long as he would only love him, that was enough.

The fallen ginkgo leaves paved their path back in gold, glowing under the sunlight.

After returning, Si Xu contacted some friends outside the school. Even if he couldn’t drive Shao Ye out of Golden Laburnum, he would at least make him suffer. Otherwise, they’d really think he was easy to bully.

He had just hung up when he turned and saw Xi Guanming standing at the door like a tall shadow, startling him.

Annoyed, Si Xu snapped, “When did you get here? Don’t you know how to knock?”

Xi Guanming didn’t answer. He simply said, “For helping me get an answer, I’ll let you off this time.”

Si Xu found it ridiculous and sneered, “Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it?”

Xi Guanming smiled at him and said slowly, “I’ll kill you.”

Si Xu froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. Had Xi Guanming not grown out of his edgy phase yet? Kill him? Why not just blow up the school while he’s at it?

Xi Guanming’s smile didn’t change. He walked toward Si Xu, a thin blade somehow appearing in his hand. Sunlight reflected off the blade into Si Xu’s eyes, making them sting. Then he heard Xi Guanming ask leisurely, “You think I wouldn’t dare?”

“Si Xu, in this world, there’s nothing I wouldn’t dare to do.”

Si Xu was about to speak, but the moment he met Xi Guanming’s eyes, he froze in place. In that instant, it felt like he saw countless omens of death within those dark, icy pupils. He muttered, “You’re insane.”

“Insane?” Xi Guanming let out a soft laugh. He lifted his head and looked through the glass window at the clear blue sky outside. “This world is fake to begin with. He’s my only light.”

---

Author’s note:

[Qingming thread: What did the president mean by that line? I’m getting goosebumps]

Don’t mention the second half, can we leave the OP a bit of peace? I really don’t want to ship them

: “This world is fake”… does the president know something? Suddenly feels like The Truman Show

: Well… technically… we are watching a Truman Show

: …That’s true

: But the president is different! He’s a native NPC!

: Maybe he’s just using a rhetorical device

: What kind? Irony?

: It’s a metaphor! He used a metaphor!

: …The metaphor is in the second half, which OP said not to mention (whispers: it’s so sweet though)

: I don’t get it. There are six participants, so why is No. 6 the “only light”? Didn’t No. 3 also try to cling to him? Why did No. 3 get expelled then?

: I want to answer that objectively, but OP won’t let me

: I’m wondering if the president just hasn’t suffered in love yet, so he thinks the world is fake

: frozen smile.jpg Thinking of my ex…

: The real suffering is waiting for him later. Once the stream ends, No. 6 will be gone

: Gone Girl

: Stop, I’ve suffered enough reading fanfics, why am I suffering here too? Isn’t this thread supposed to be sweet?

: ???? something’s off about you

: Has the official side said anything?

: They’re probably confused too. Ever since No. 6 got together with the president, the plot’s been out of control

: “President smashing a wall,” guess the idiom

: “Boring a hole in the wall to steal light!”

: No. 6: hehe, your light is here

: Is no one going to do anything about this world full of CP fans?

: Don’t call us CP fans. Please address us as canon-ship supporters, thank you

: Where are the moderators? Haven’t seen them working for days

: Out of five moderators, four turned out to be CP fans. No wonder they were reporting so hard earlier, just to force the official side to release content

: Isn’t there one left?

: The last one is just a regular user

: Good enough, at least someone can still do their job. @ them

: lol she’ll probably say, “as a neutral observer, I also think Xi Guanming × Shao Ye is very shippable”

: …

≽^•⩊•^≼

Thandar: omg omg omg he knowsssssss

Red wine?

Mango pudding with red wine? What a strange combination.

But if the president wanted to eat it that way, there had to be a reason.

Shao Ye nodded and made a mental note of it.

By now, he had basically moved his daily essentials and spare clothes over. As he rummaged through his suitcase for something suitable to wear at the president’s place, he also wondered which winery’s red wine would pair well with pudding.

Xi Guanming crouched down beside him, picking up the clothes he had tossed aside, neatly folding them and putting them back into the suitcase.

After packing what he needed, they stopped by Luostin to get a mango pudding, then drove away from Golden Laburnum.

Xi Guanming’s house was in the suburbs, not far from the school—a two-story villa he had bought two years ago. He didn’t come here often, but he hired a cleaner to tidy up every Saturday.

Today was Sunday, so the place still looked fairly clean, with hardly any dust. The décor was simple, similar to the dorm, with only a few basic pieces of furniture and appliances.

Xi Guanming led Shao Ye upstairs, pushed open the bedroom door, and said, “The other rooms haven’t been cleaned. Sleep with me tonight, okay?”

“Sure,” Shao Ye said. They already slept together at school anyway. He went in and casually set his bag by the bedside.

Xi Guanming stood at the doorway watching him, a smile lingering at the corner of his lips. How could he be so easy to fool?

“What do you want to eat?” he asked.

“Anything’s fine,” Shao Ye replied, turning back to him. “President, can you cook?”

“I can a little,” Xi Guanming said, “but there’s no cookware or ingredients here. We’ll have to order takeout tonight.”

Shao Ye didn’t mind. He wasn’t picky—just as long as it wasn’t terrible.

After dinner, Shao Ye took the mango pudding out of the fridge and tapped it twice with a spoon. The whole thing wobbled with a soft duang duang.

Xi Guanming narrowed his eyes slightly at the pudding on the table. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. He took a sip of water and shifted his sitting position.

After tapping it, Shao Ye looked up and asked, “President, you really don’t want any? It’s really good.”

Xi Guanming set his glass down and shook his head. “I’ll have something later. You go ahead.”

So Shao Ye finished the whole pudding himself. Sitting on the couch, he rubbed his stomach in satisfaction. Full and content, he started to feel sleepy—but it also seemed a bit early to go to bed.

“If you’re tired, go lie down for a bit,” Xi Guanming said kindly, since he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep later.

It was a holiday anyway—no need to wake up early tomorrow. A nap didn’t sound like a bad idea. Shao Ye yawned and headed upstairs. After climbing a couple of steps, he paused, sensing something off, and turned back.

“President, aren’t you coming up?”

Xi Guanming sat on the couch and turned his head toward him. “You go ahead. I ordered something online. It’ll be delivered soon.”

“Oh,” Shao Ye said, not asking what it was, and slowly went upstairs.

Xi Guanming waited downstairs for over half an hour before the doorbell rang. The item he had been waiting for had arrived.

Carrying the sealed package and a bottle of red wine that had already been decanted, he leisurely went upstairs.

In the bedroom, Shao Ye was already asleep on his bed. Xi Guanming stood there for a while, looking at him, thinking everything about him was just right—except for one thing.

He hadn’t taken all his clothes off.

How could he go to bed like that?

Xi Guanming didn’t wake him. Instead, he sat down by the bed and unwrapped the package at an unhurried pace, carefully checking everything inside. Once he confirmed that the models and dates were correct, he arranged them neatly on the cabinet in the order he planned to use them.

The room was dimly lit, and Shao Ye seemed to be sleeping even more soundly. Xi Guanming still didn’t wake him. He turned down the volume on his phone and watched a couple of short videos first.

Shao Ye slept for more than three hours. After finishing the videos, Xi Guanming went to the next room to grab two pillows, thinking they might be useful later. Then he took a shower and changed into fresh clothes.

When he returned, the person on the bed was finally starting to wake up. He leaned down and kissed the corner of Shao Ye’s lips.

“President?” Shao Ye opened his eyes and called out.

The moment he spoke, Xi Guanming’s tongue slipped into his mouth, exploring freely. It still tasted faintly of mango pudding.

Shao Ye had just woken up and wasn’t fully conscious yet. His eyes widened as he let Xi Guanming take in the lingering sweetness from his mouth.

The kiss was intense—so much so that Shao Ye felt like he was about to be swallowed whole. And yet… it felt good, so good that his whole body seemed to melt.

Why was the president so good at this?

After a long while, the kiss finally ended. Xi Guanming pinned Shao Ye’s right hand above his head with one hand, while the other deftly began undoing the buttons on his shirt. Looking at Shao Ye’s flushed face, he lowered his head to kiss him again and asked:

“Do you like me?”

Under the hazy light, with a faint jasmine scent in the air, Shao Ye looked at him and thought the president somehow looked even better than before he fell asleep.

Without thinking, he answered, “I like you.”

“Do you really like me?” Xi Guanming asked.

“I really do.”

“Tell me the truth.”

That was the truth. So Shao Ye repeated, “I like you.”

“Then do you love me?” Xi Guanming asked again.

His kisses trailed from Shao Ye’s lips down to his neck, his shoulders, his collarbone, continuing lower, while his hands kept working. Of the five buttons, only one remained undone.

When Shao Ye didn’t answer, Xi Guanming lightly bit him and asked, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Shao Ye felt a faint sting. Looking down in confusion, he asked, “Is love… different from liking?”

Xi Guanming lifted his eyes to meet Shao Ye’s confused gaze. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Love is probably liking someone a lot, a lot. It’s when there’s no second choice besides me, and you don’t allow me to have a second choice either.”

He paused, his dark eyes reflecting only Shao Ye. “It’s liking someone with the determination to stay together forever.”

His interest and affection for Shao Ye had already far exceeded what he once thought. If it were only a little, why would he hold back so much? He would have devoured him long ago, instead of slowly guiding him, step by step, into willingly walking into his own net.

Shao Ye nodded, half-understanding. Then, as if suddenly enlightened, he said, “So does that mean I fell in love with you the first time I saw you, President?”

Xi Guanming couldn’t help but laugh. Shao Ye always managed to surprise him in unexpected ways.

The buttons had already been undone. Cooperating, Shao Ye shrank his arms slightly, then lifted his upper body, letting the shirt slide smoothly off him. Xi Guanming tossed it aside, gave his chest a light slap, and joked, “No wonder you’ve been seducing me all along.”

“Huh?” Shao Ye blinked. Where did that come from?!

Xi Guanming smiled and asked, “And you still wanted to match me with Jiang Yan?”

“I just wanted to be your underling,” Shao Ye quickly clarified.

“An irreplaceable underling? One who stays with me forever? One who can support you anytime, anywhere? One who stands on your side unconditionally?” Xi Guanming asked.

With each question, Shao Ye nodded. Exactly! The president finally understood his grand ambition.

Xi Guanming laughed at his own words and patted Shao Ye’s cheek. “Such strong possessiveness for an underling. Are you sure that’s what you want to be?”

Shao Ye’s nod stopped midway. Why couldn’t it be?

“If I were really with someone else, would you be happy?” Xi Guanming asked again.

This question had come up before, and back then it had already shaken Shao Ye’s simple worldview.

“Why aren’t you answering?” Xi Guanming asked, pulling off his pants. “Could you accept someone else treating you like this?”

Shao Ye didn’t even need to imagine it. Just hearing that made goosebumps rise all over his body. “I’d punch his teeth out.”

Xi Guanming laughed softly and looked down at him. Shao Ye was now completely naked on the bed, his honey-colored muscles gleaming under the light.

Xi Guanming knelt on one knee beside the bed. His own clothes were still neatly on, though his shirt was slightly wrinkled from earlier.

Even now, Shao Ye hadn’t realized what was about to happen tonight. After all, similar things had happened in the dorm before. He was just wondering if he should turn over and lie down himself when he saw Xi Guanming suddenly reach for the bottle of red wine by the bedside.

Following his movement, Shao Ye reminded him, “President, I don’t think there are any glasses here.”

“How could there not be?” Xi Guanming unscrewed the cap and said softly.

Shao Ye looked around but still couldn’t find any “glass.” Was it like the emperor’s new clothes, visible only to smart people?

Wait… did that mean he’d just insulted himself again?

When he looked back, he saw Xi Guanming tilting the bottle slightly. Cool wine flowed out in a thin stream, falling onto his body and running down along his chest.

“Isn’t this a glass?” Xi Guanming lowered his head, savoring what he had long desired.

So that was the “glass.”

Shao Ye opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. Surely he wasn’t supposed to shout something dramatic here.

Half a bottle of wine was used up like that. Though today’s “game” was different, Shao Ye was still turned over midway. He couldn’t see what Xi Guanming was doing, only clearly feel the wine flowing down his back and being slowly licked clean.

The sheets and even the mattress underneath were probably beyond saving. He felt as though his entire body had been soaked in wine, the rich fragrance permeating every inch of his skin. Shao Ye was so overwhelmed he could barely think.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xi Guanming pick up something else from the bedside, but before he could see clearly, Xi Guanming had already withdrawn his hand.

It didn’t matter. Soon enough, Shao Ye found out what it was.

As the bed rocked, he heard Xi Guanming whisper in his ear, calling him “Shao Ye,” calling him “baby,” even calling him “wife.”

Shao Ye felt his face burn hot enough to fry an egg. The president really had no filter in moments like this! Completely uninhibited! He even asked Shao Ye to call him “husband.” Shao Ye couldn’t bring himself to say it, but in the end, unable to bear it, he did—followed by another two hours of activity.

The school gave them a seven-day break. For the first three days, Shao Ye didn’t wear a single proper piece of clothing. Most of their time was spent on the bed, and during that time, they changed rooms five times.

The first and second time, Shao Ye didn’t think much of it. By the third time, he finally realized—hadn’t the president said the other rooms weren’t even prepared?

No matter how good his stamina was, three days of this nonstop left him somewhat overwhelmed. So by noon on the fourth day, after strong protest from Shao Ye, they finally decided to go out for a walk.

Shao Ye had actually planned to find a gym nearby. All this “activity” hadn’t really trained his muscles at all! His chest still looked the same in the mirror, but that might just be because it had been… overworked.

Xi Guanming drove him to a nearby mall. After walking around, Shao Ye didn’t find a gym, but he did run into Jiang Yan. She was working part-time at a milk tea shop during the break. As expected, Si Xu had followed her there and immediately ordered a hundred cups of milk tea, thoroughly irritating her.

Xi Guanming had stepped aside earlier to take a phone call and hadn’t returned yet. So Shao Ye stood under a sign holding two portions of fried chicken, watching the scene while waiting.

Soon, Si Xu was kicked out of the shop. When he spotted Shao Ye nearby, he let out a cold laugh. As a straight man, learning that Xi Guanming was gay and had chosen someone like Shao Ye made him feel, overnight, like he had risen above him in status.

When Shao Ye saw him smiling like a bad guy, he asked, “What’s wrong with your mouth? Why is it crooked like that? Did you become someone’s kept husband or something?”

“You—” Si Xu was so angry his temples throbbed. But knowing he couldn’t beat Shao Ye, he could only snort coldly and turn to leave.

By the time Xi Guanming finished his call and came over, he happened to see Si Xu storming off in frustration. Taking the fried chicken Shao Ye handed him, he asked, “Did you provoke him again?”

“Uh…” Only then did Shao Ye remember that the president had told him not to get involved in matters between Si Xu and Jiang Yan. Did this count as getting involved? He asked a bit nervously, “Am I not allowed to provoke him?”

“You are,” Xi Guanming said without hesitation. “At Golden Laburnum, there’s basically nothing you’re not allowed to do. But…”

Shao Ye widened his eyes, waiting seriously for what came next, afraid he might miss something and cause trouble for the president.

Then he heard Xi Guanming smile and say, “Let’s go home first. I bought you a few sets of clothes online. They should’ve arrived already. Try them on when we get back and let me see.”

Shao Ye said innocently, “Why buy me clothes? I already have enough to wear.”

“They’re ones you haven’t worn before,” Xi Guanming replied.

Shao Ye’s brain didn’t quite process that. Clothes were just clothes, weren’t they? How could there be ones he hadn’t worn before?

⸻

Author’s note:

Bonus short scene:

When Shao Ye heard the president wanted to drink red wine, he remembered his dad had a bottle of top-quality wine at home and immediately encouraged the president to go steal it.

The president thought about how Shao Ye’s dad had been mocked for twenty years just for bringing half a box of rotten apples. If they got caught stealing wine, he’d probably be nagged to death, so he wasn’t very willing. But now that Shao Ye had “upgraded” to boyfriend status, his temper had grown too. The president couldn’t refuse him and ended up going along to steal it.

Afterward, thinking about what the wine would be used for, the president’s last bit of morality made him swap the bottle out. Shao Ye never noticed.

⸻

[As of this morning, I’ve watched swans for 86 hours, 27 minutes, and 31 seconds. Do you know how I survived those 86 hours?! Why are we still watching swans even after they went to the president’s house?!]

: Gotta say, both the president and No. 6 have great stamina

: From my observation, the two swans at the president’s house are at least a few pounds heavier than the ones at school. The smaller one has an asymmetrical black marking on its beak, its left wing has about three fewer feathers than the right, and its tail looks like it’s been pecked… hold on, I need to switch positions before I continue

: You don’t need to continue, we already know you’ve been watching way too long

: Why watch swans? Go watch explosions in other streams! It’s way more exciting, especially in a campus setting

: If I’d heard the president say No. 6 could do anything in Golden Laburnum before, I’d say he was just acting cool. Now after seeing three explosions, I can only say… No. 6, your good fortune is yet to come

: Are we sure the explosions were all done by the president?

: He didn’t show up directly, but his presence is everywhere

: I’m speechless. The principal even patted the president’s shoulder and said “good job”

: Well, it probably did take a lot of effort to arrange all this

: Three auditoriums exploded, and the official side has nothing to say?

: The official says NPCs in Neverland have their own motivations, not under their control

: …

: I thought No. 1, the top student, would graduate smoothly. Who knew going to school could be life-threatening

: My childhood dream of blowing up a school came true in a way I really didn’t want

: Good thing this is just a campus world. I don’t even want to imagine what the president would do in a war setting

: I have an idea. What would happen if we dropped No. 6 into another stream?

: I don’t know about the other streams, but No. 6’s stream would probably explode instantly

: I’m starting to believe the president and No. 6 really aren’t arranged by the system

: Why not? No. 6 was already a guaranteed entrant. This kind of plot isn’t that strange

: ?????

: Not strange???

: Who is No. 6 supposed to be? You think he can get this kind of cheat? Behind the system is the Elders Council

: I’ve been saying he’s some kind of chief eunuch all along, and none of you believed me!!!

: #%￥#￥%…

: @moderator There’s someone losing their mind in here, call the police

≽^•⩊•^≼

Thandar: Please give this novel a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on novel updates if you enjoy it so far. It’ll motivate this translator to release new chapters faster 🥲😘

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