Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Luo Qianjian was munching on melon seeds in the group chat.

---The idle young masters and misses of A City's upper echelons had recently created a chat group for idle chatter, and they had also dragged Luo Qianjian into it, hoping that he would share some juicy gossip again without hesitation.

However, Luo Qianjian hadn't spoken in the group, nor did he specifically leave it; he just occasionally took a look when he had time.

Today's topic in the group mainly revolved around the "medical miracle" of Gu Xingyun, the eldest son of the Gu family, regaining his sight, as well as whether or not the two Li brothers would also need a medical miracle to return to the scene.

Regarding the Gu family's affairs, Luo Qianjian had a general understanding, and couldn't help but want to criticize how casual Gu Xingyun's timing and reason for regaining his sight were.

As for the situation between the two Li brothers and Luo Shanting, because it was far from what happened in his previous life, Luo Qianjian hadn't arranged for anyone to keep an eye on them. Therefore, at this moment, he could only hear rumors like everyone else in the group.

Just then, the butler on duty, Li, came to find him, saying that Luo Shanting was outside the gate, hysterically begging for help, and asked, "Does Third Young Master want to see him? Or should I directly have the security guards at the gate chase him away?"

At this moment, Li Yuan was going crazy, searching for Luo Shanting under the name of the Li family, leaving Luo Shanting with no way out but to return to the Luo family for help. Luo Qianjian wasn't particularly surprised upon hearing this.

"There's no need to chase him away, nor do we need to welcome him in. Just let him wait at the front gate, I'll go see him," said Luo Qianjian, who was quite interested in learning about the ins and outs of this big piece of gossip from the person involved.

On the way from the main residence to the front gate, Luo Qianjian first contacted Li Yuan, informing him of Luo Shanting's current location. Then, he made a police report on behalf of the "conflict" between Li Yuan and Luo Shanting, acting as a law-abiding citizen eager to help others.

"Mama! Third Brother!" Luo Shanting became extremely agitated when he saw a car driving out from inside.

But the gate didn't open, and the car only stopped inside, with only Luo Qianjian getting out, not He Ruyan.

Still, Luo Shanting clung to the gate railings and continued to shout earnestly, "Third Brother! Third Brother, please help me, I've been calling you Third Brother for so many years..."

The security guard helped move a stool over, and Luo Qianjian sat inside the gate, looking at Luo Shanting outside through the iron bars, sighing softly, "Shanting, how did you get yourself into such a sorry state?"

Luo Shanting could no longer maintain the composure he once had while drinking tea. He looked urgently at Luo Qianjian, "I was wrong, Third Brother, let me come back... Third Brother, where's Mama? I miss her so much..."

"Mama isn't home right now," Luo Qianjian answered every question with good temper, "She's taken a liking to visiting Dad at the nursing home these past few days."

He Ruyan, bored and idle, used to be able to go out and play cards with people, but now whenever she went out and met people, she felt like she was being watched like a monkey show. He Ruyan couldn't bear it, and besides, she didn't dare to do anything out of the ordinary anymore. She was so restrained that she felt suffocated, so she thought of Luo Chen.

Luo Chen was only paralyzed on one side, but his mind was still clear. He Ruyan would visit him from time to time, boasting about how carefree her life was now, and telling him how miserable Liu Ruo's family was now.

After chasing Liu Ruo's family out of the house that Luo Chen had arranged for them again, He Ruyan didn't stop there. Instead, she hired a private detective to continue watching Liu Ruo, as she still wanted Liu Ruo to pay her back and didn't want Liu Ruo to run away and become untraceable one day.

Until all her assets were taken away by Luo Qianjian, He Ruyan started to feel心疼about the money she spent on hiring a private detective, which she previously didn't care about. But she still felt that this expense couldn't be spared.

The private detective was also quite dedicated, and would tell He Ruyan about any changes. He Ruyan now used this information to provoke Luo Chen.

---Liu Ruo's family was now living particularly poorly, especially since it was difficult to adjust from luxury to frugality. People who were accustomed to a life of luxury suddenly fell into poverty, and in the past two months, they were almost driven to mental illness.

Liu Ruo's eldest son, Liu Wei, chose to drop out of his second year of graduate school with high pride and started working hard on his career.

However, due to unclear self-awareness, he repeatedly faced setbacks during interviews. After "lowering his standards" and finally finding a job, he quit after only a few days of work because his monthly salary was less than one-tenth the price of a piece of clothing that Luo Chen had bought him before. Now, he was staying at home, continuing his job search.

Liu Ruo's second daughter, Liu Wei, had been so busy preparing for the college entrance exams that she had a weak presence in matters concerning the Luo family. With sudden upheaval at home, she spent this summer working tirelessly to save up for her university tuition and living expenses.

Perhaps it was comforting to have classmates who were equally hard-up and could endure hardships alongside her, sharing complaints and encouragement. Moreover, Liu Wei chose to live on campus during high school, which significantly reduced her time at home and thus minimized the impact of recent events. Attending a public city key high school, even with money, extravagance was limited during boarding, leaving Liu Wei's financial perspective relatively unaffected.

In short, though the summer job was grueling, Liu Wei persevered.

Liu Wei was the only family member to earn money, but it came at a steep price. She was determined not to touch the funds designated for her university tuition and living expenses. Thus, despite her mother's tears, her brother Liu Wei's bitter face, and Liu Qingqing's wails, she refused to contribute her earnings to the family's expenses, unwilling to help them through what Liu Wei described as merely "temporary" hardships.

The phrase "living beyond one's means" fell short in describing the Liu family's dire financial situation. Liu Ruo looked pitifully at her powerless eldest son, her heartless second daughter, and her hungry youngest son before finally stepping out of the house to seek employment.

However, Liu Ruo and her son Liu Wei shared similar fundamental personalities. Even Liu Wei, young and reasonably educated, couldn't find a satisfactory job, let alone his mother, who had been out of society for decades.

It wasn't that they couldn't find any work at all; after all, Liu Wei managed to save money through her summer job. The issue was that such "undignified" jobs were unacceptable to Liu Ruo and Liu Wei, and even if they swallowed their pride and took them, they wouldn't last long.

Liu Ruo suffered a "humiliating defeat" in her job search, and the private kindergarten her youngest son Liu Qingqing attended added to her despair by inquiring about the unpaid tuition for the upcoming semester right before school started.

That kindergarten was an arrangement made by Luo Chen for Liu Qingqing, a private "elite" institution with staggering tuition fees. Over the phone, Liu Ruo could only feign calmness, claiming alternative plans for Liu Qingqing's education and that he wouldn't be attending the kindergarten this semester.

After hanging up, Liu Ruo erupted, unable to maintain her gentle and caring facade. She sternly demanded that Liu Wei stop loafing around at home and, like Liu Wei, take up part-time work to cover the family's rent and living expenses – the Liu family of four was currently crammed into a dilapidated rental apartment, with monthly rent to consider.

Until then, they had relied on selling their unused items, such as clothes, to pay the rent. The prices of these "unused items" were included in He Ruyan's loan statement, ensuring they could take something with them when evicted.

But it wasn't a sustainable solution, and two months of support had already strained Liu Ruo immensely.

After berating her eldest son, Liu Ruo questioned her second daughter's heartlessness, wondering how she could enjoy prosperity together but not share hardship.

Over time, Liu Wei's resolve wavered under her mother's weeping, contemplating applying for a scholarship to cover tuition, planning to repay it later, while keeping some money for living expenses and helping the family through their difficulties...

However, Liu Qingqing, her perfect partner in distress, joined his mother in wailing, pitifully asking if his sister no longer cared for him and if he would never attend school again. This, instead, jolted Liu Wei back to reality, reaffirming her decision not to hand over her hard-earned money to the family.

This small sum, after all, was a drop in the ocean, insufficient to sustain the family for long. It would only foster dependence, particularly from Liu Qingqing, who was still young, and her older brother, who did nothing. Was she supposed to shoulder the burden of supporting both the elderly and the young? She was only eighteen!

Moreover, during this period of family turmoil, she realized the truth in her classmates' warnings during their summer job – giving money didn't earn gratitude, and refusing further contributions would label her as the villain. It was better to be firm from the start... inevitably, she would be seen as a traitor in their eyes regardless.

With her dormitory available, she didn't need to worry about the family's rent.

Once school started, Liu Wei felt relieved, although she still had to juggle part-time work to manage her expenses. But it was nothing compared to the unease she felt at home during the summer.

For Liu Ruo, Liu Wei, and Liu Qingqing, however, life became even harder. The house often echoed with cries and curses, the poor soundproofing frequently drawing complaints from neighbors, which reached the landlord's ears. The landlord warned that if they continued to disturb the peace, he would not renew their lease.

Thanks to the poor soundproofing, the private investigator hired by He Ruyan could clearly hear the heated arguments inside by simply standing outside and pressing his ear against the wall, relaying the details to He Ruyan.

Upon learning of these developments from He Ruyan, Luo Chen, despite his resentment towards Liu Ruo for manipulating him for years, found himself reminiscing about the past while lying in bed. He remembered how Liu Ruo used to be tender and affectionate towards him, how Liu Wei and Liu Wei, though not his biological children, respected him greatly, and how his own son, Liu Qingqing, was lively and adorable. Learning that Liu Ruo's family was struggling and even becoming estranged, coupled with his own inability to move without assistance, filled Luo Chen with sorrow.

He Ruyan had pushed him too far, inadvertently causing his blood pressure to spike again within days, resulting in another fainting spell. This time, he slept for an entire day before waking up, and his right arm, which had retained some movement, was now completely numb. His facial paralysis worsened.

Feeling slightly guilty, He Ruyan personally informed Luo Qianjian of the situation.

Luo Qianjian was indifferent, expressing satisfaction at seeing the current harmony between He Ruyan and Luo Chen.

He Ruyan continued to "accompany" Luo Chen today.

Upon hearing Luo Qianjian mention that He Ruyan had gone to accompany Luo Chen, Luo ShanTin did not inquire further about Luo Chen's current condition. Instead, he continued to plead earnestly, "Third Brother, I truly need your assistance. Li Yuan has gone mad, he... There are many people outside looking for me right now. Can you let me go home?"

Luo Qianjian sighed, "I've heard that you've wronged the eldest and second young masters of the Li family? No wonder the youngest Li master is angry. But you are no longer part of the Luo family, so it's not my place to intervene, and young master Li would not give me the courtesy either."

"No, it can't be, Third Brother, if you are willing to help me, you will surely be able to persuade Li Yuan to give you this face, to give the Luo family this face, and spare me, Third Brother, please help me, you can tease me as you wish in the future, but please don't joke now, okay? I can't be found by the Li family, they will definitely resort to private punishment and kill me, Third Brother..." Luo ShanTin sobbed, gasping for breath.

Luo Qianjian, with a leisurely demeanor, said, "How about this, you first tell me the whole story, and then I'll consider whether or not to help you."

Luo ShanTin nodded vigorously, "Alright, Third Brother, let me explain to you... It's not my fault, truly it's not. I was beguiled by Sang Cha. You have no idea, she is incredibly persuasive. Even someone like me, who originally detested her, was deceived by her. She told me that if Brother Zhijin were to be kidnapped one more time, and I pretended to rescue Brother Zhijin, then he would fall in love with me!"

"So I... I must have lost my mind and staged a fake kidnapping, but I never intended to harm Brother Zhijin, nor did I expect Brother Jifeng to show up. I truly didn't want to hurt them, it's all Sang Cha's fault, Third Brother, you have to believe me, it's really all Sang Cha's doing!"

Listening to Luo ShanTin's hysterical words, most of which were blaming Sang Cha, but not much of actual substance was spoken, Luo Qianjian grew a bit impatient and interrupted, "You intended to kidnap Li Zhijin, but ended up harming Li Jifeng as well? How are they both doing now?"

"It was a staged kidnapping, Third Brother, I just wanted to put on a show, not a real abduction. I hired a few strong extras, but... I didn't anticipate this, I didn't want it, I didn't expect that Brother Zhijin would jump off the building to escape, but it was only the second floor, how could I have thought that there would be a trap on the ground of such a remote, dilapidated house, I'm so scared, Brother Zhijin bled so much, I'm so terrified..." Luo ShanTin spoke more and more frantically, gradually becoming incoherent.

Luo Qianjian found the noise grating on his ears, and he was beginning to regret making a special trip to the main gate.

Fortunately, Li Yuan arrived promptly with the Li family members and caught Luo ShanTin, who was in a panic and attempting to sneak away once again.

Luo ShanTin cried out in desperation: "Third Brother, save me!"

Li Yuan glared at him viciously: "Save you? It was Luo Qianjian who tipped me off to come and capture you!"

Luo ShanTin's eyes widened in disbelief: "Third Brother... How could you..."

Luo Qianjian sat inside the door, chuckling, "My apologies, Shanting, one must take responsibility for one's own actions. Besides, you are no longer part of the Luo family. How could we possibly clean up after you? However, young Master Li, seeing as I've helped you out, could you do me the favor of explaining what exactly happened?"

Li Yuan's explanation was much more concise and to the point: essentially, it was Luo ShanTin who orchestrated the kidnapping of Li Zhijin. Li Jifeng got entangled in the situation in an attempt to rescue him. Now, Li Zhijin is at risk of amputation due to an infection in his lower leg, and Li Jifeng faces the possibility of paralysis from the waist down due to severe injuries. If it weren't for the fact that the Luo family had long severed ties with Luo ShanTin and cut off all communication, and if Luo Qianjian hadn't tipped him off with Luo ShanTin's whereabouts, the Li family would not have been so magnanimous in sparing the Luo family this time!

During the course of Li Yuan's speech, Luo ShanTin attempted several times to interject and defend himself, only to be quelled by a stern glare.

Li Yuan finished speaking and intended to take Luo ShanTin away, but at that moment, the police arrived. Seeing the situation, Luo ShanTin promptly turned to the police for help.

He genuinely believed that Li Yuan was capable of killing him; even if not, Li Yuan could still take half his life away. Moreover, since Li Zhijin and Li Jifeng were still alive, they would never let him off easily. Being taken away by the Li family was worse than being arrested by the police.

Li Yuan frowned deeply, looking at Luo Qianjian, "Did you even call the police?"

Luo Qianjian chuckled lightly, repeating what he had just said to Luo ShanTin: "My apologies, young master Li. I simply cannot stand idly by while your family resorts to private punishment."

With the police's intervention, the Li family naturally could no longer take away anyone from Luo ShanTin, and they had to follow back to the police station to give their statements. What was originally a kidnapping case without any intention to report to the police has now been filed and is under investigation by the authorities.

Soon, the reliable details of the incident spread within the circle, regarding the matter between Luo ShanTin and the two Liji brothers this time around—

A few days ago, Luo ShanTin hired a group of extras specializing in portraying roles such as bandits, thugs, and gangsters at a high price. She claimed that she had an argument with her fiancé and was a bit upset with him. Therefore, she wanted to teach him a lesson, scare him a bit, play a joke, and give him a surprise. She planned to propose to her fiancé after experiencing a "kidnapping together and facing life and death as one."

Several extras were quite tempted by the high salary, and Luo ShanTin was asking them to "kidnap" him as well. Why would a normal person kidnap themselves? Therefore, the extras believed what Luo ShanTin said and even rehearsed the process of the kidnapping scene until the official "start" yesterday.

Yesterday evening, Luo Shanting first arranged to meet up with Li Zhijin. Unable to reach Li Zhijin directly, he gritted his teeth and contacted Sang Cha, who was known to be the apple of Li Zhijin's eye, asking her to relay the message. As expected, Li Zhijin agreed to have one last "farewell dinner" together.

They were to meet in the parking lot, and once Li Zhijin joined Luo Shanting, the "kidnappers" suddenly emerged, binding both Li Zhijin and Luo Shanting and taking them to a secluded, abandoned house that Luo Shanting had meticulously selected.

The "kidnappers" claimed their target was Li Zhijin, and Luo Shanting was merely caught in the crossfire. Luo Shanting watched this play out with satisfaction, envisioning how Li Zhijin's perception of him would change after this staged kidnapping.

However, Luo Shanting didn't anticipate that before he could even intervene, Li Zhijin had already freed himself from the ropes—after all, they weren't professional kidnappers, and the extras were cautious not to cause any real harm, so the bindings were not secure. After freeing himself, Li Zhijin didn't bother with Luo Shanting, whom he had "implicated," and instead attempted to escape under the cover of night.

The dilapidated house had two floors, and Luo Shanting and Li Zhijin were "bound" on the second floor while the "kidnappers" remained downstairs. The intention was to give Luo Shanting, as the employer, and Li Zhijin, his fiancé, ample space to interact. But when Li Zhijin made his escape, he dared not use the stairs. He assessed the distance from the second floor to the ground and chose to jump.

Li Zhijin deliberately picked a corner where items were piled below, thinking it would be a shorter drop. However, upon landing, he stepped right onto an old, forgotten animal trap.

Li Zhijin's piercing cry drew the attention of the "kidnapper" extras, who were terrified upon seeing what happened. They rushed upstairs to untie Luo Shanting and suggested taking Li Zhijin to the hospital together.

But as Luo Shanting looked at the blood and the look of pure hatred in Li Zhijin's eyes before he passed out from pain, he realized that if the "kidnapping" ended here, all his efforts would not only fail to win Li Zhijin's heart but might make things worse.

So Luo Shanting vetoed the idea of taking Li Zhijin to the hospital. He didn't know what to do, but he felt that the "kidnapping" couldn't end like this; otherwise, everything would be ruined.

The "kidnapper" extras sensed something was amiss and started to back out. However, the house was too remote, and Luo Shanting had taken the car keys and thrown them into a nearby mud pit. It was late at night, and the extras couldn't leave but also refused to continue helping Luo Shanting. At most, they helped carry Li Zhijin back inside from outside.

Without a first aid kit, Luo Shanting used towels to makeshift bind Li Zhijin's wounds to stop the bleeding. Li Zhijin developed a fever during the night, and Luo Shanting frantically tried to cool him down with cold water. If you didn't consider the context, this scene would seem to align with Luo Shanting's initial goal of enduring hardship together, leading Li Zhijin to feel grateful.

Early the next morning, the extras, finding Luo Shanting's behavior increasingly disturbing, quickly left together on foot. They debated whether to call the police but feared getting themselves involved. As they walked, they encountered Li Jifeng and the bodyguards from the Li family.

Li Zhijin's absence overnight wasn't initially alarming, but when Li Jifeng heard Sang Cha's worried account of Li Zhijin meeting Luo Shanting and then becoming unreachable, he became concerned.

Although there were no surveillance cameras at the parking lot where Luo Shanting and Li Zhijin met, Li Jifeng's command led to the discovery of clues from nearby security footage. Following these leads, Li Jifeng and his men tracked down the location.

As they ventured further into more remote areas, beyond the reach of surveillance, they grew uncertain about the route. But coincidentally, they encountered the extras walking away. Fearing responsibility for a potential fatality, the extras confessed everything upon questioning.

Upon hearing that Li Zhijin was injured and hadn't received treatment, Li Jifeng instructed the driver to speed up as they hurried to find the abandoned house.

The area around the house was quiet, making any movement noticeable. Luo Shanting, already on edge after discovering the extras' "escape," immediately noticed the approaching car.

In a panic, Luo Shanting decided to use Li Zhijin as a "hostage." Since Li Zhijin was injured, running a fever, and unconscious, he was unable to resist.

Li Jifeng wasn't afraid that Luo Shanting would intentionally harm Li Zhijin; he knew Luo Shanting's character well enough. However, he feared that in his state of distress, Luo Shanting might inadvertently cause further harm to Li Zhijin. Therefore, Li Jifeng stepped forward alone, approaching Luo Shanting to reassure him, hoping to calm him down and rescue Li Zhijin.

Just as Luo Shanting was being persuaded and began to soften, Li Zhijin woke up, feeling emboldened by the sight of Li Jifeng. Upon seeing Luo Shanting, he immediately launched into a tirade, extinguishing any flicker of reason Luo Shanting had mustered.

Seeing this, Li Jifeng attempted to swiftly take Li Zhijin away, but Luo Shanting, despite his slender frame, unleashed a surprising amount of strength. In the midst of their struggle near the staircase, the bodyguards only saw Li Jifeng tumbling down the stairs, his waist striking the stone railing in the process.

Witnessing Li Jifeng's injury, Luo Shanting was stunned, giving the bodyguards the opportunity to rush in and quickly carry both Li Jifeng and Li Zhijin to safety. When the Li family bodyguards returned to apprehend Luo Shanting, they found that he had slipped away.

Following this, Li Yuan took charge, orchestrating a manhunt for Luo Shanting.

Despite lacking transportation and needing to evade the Lis, Luo Shanting managed to walk back to the Luo family residence within half a day—a testament to his resilience. Indeed, in terms of physical endurance, Luo Shanting, the main character and recipient of abuse, proved to be the strongest of all, surpassing any protagonist or male lead. It was fitting for someone capable of enduring both physical and emotional torment.

With police involvement, the case was quickly unraveled.

During this time, Sang Cha was also summoned for questioning, after all, Luo Shanting insisted that it was Sang Cha who incited him to commit crimes. But Sang Cha presented the recordings of her previous conversations with Luo Shanting as evidence, asserting that she had not incited him; at the time, she was merely analyzing with Luo Shanting the reasons why Li Zhijin liked her.

Sang Cha admitted that she indeed couldn't stand seeing Li Zhijin and Luo Shanting together, so she intentionally said things to annoy Luo Shanting, but she never expected him to interpret her words in such a way, actually planning a kidnapping and blaming her for it.

Her subsequent efforts to persuade Li Zhijin on Luo Shanting's behalf to agree to a dinner date were only because she thought Luo Shanting wanted to mend fences with Li Zhijin. She simply wanted to see Luo Shanting suffer and Li Zhijin get entangled in his schemes. Later, when she revealed Li Zhijin's whereabouts to Li Jifeng, it was genuinely out of concern since she couldn't reach him.

How could she have anticipated that Luo Shanting's thought process was so peculiar? The animal trap that caught Li Zhijin and Li Jifeng's fall down the stairs had nothing to do with her; they were accidents that seemed like retribution, leaving her quite surprised.

As for why she recorded her conversations with Luo Shanting... Sang Cha produced even more recordings, explaining that she had this habit of recording private chats due to her fear of saying something wrong. She liked to review them later, and it wasn't just conversations with Luo Shanting that she recorded.

Sang Cha's arguments were logical and well-supported, and there was no evidence to suggest she had any involvement. Even Luo Shanting, in the face of the recordings, admitted that it wasn't Sang Cha who incited him; he himself was inspired by her words.

Despite this, Sang Cha left City A overnight, stating that she was worried about being blamed by the Li family and thus decided to keep a safe distance.

At the hospital, Li Zhijin's leg infection worsened significantly, ultimately leading to an amputation. As for Li Jifeng, his spinal nerve damage was severe, leaving him wheelchair-bound for the foreseeable future, with only hope in persistent treatment and rehabilitation.

Li Yuan relayed Sang Cha's "true colors" to Li Zhijin, who remained silent for a long time before stating that it was over, urging not to blame her, acknowledging that he was the one at fault.

This "romantic saint" act infuriated Li Yuan, who saw no point in further meddling, lest his efforts backfire and result in him being blamed by Li Zhijin for causing trouble for Sang Cha.

Li Zhijin was dispirited, while Li Jifeng was even worse off. After waking up, he often spent entire days sitting in his wheelchair, refusing to eat, drink, or lie down, and unwilling to see anyone. Apart from initially instructing Li Yuan to temporarily manage the Li Corporation's affairs, he refused to see even Li Yuan afterward, only interacting with doctors, nurses, and caregivers.

Li Yuan found managing the Li Corporation overwhelming, and in the end, it was the resilient Li grandparents, who had endured successive blows, who stepped in to help maintain stability.

Everyone in their circle lamented that this year had been particularly tumultuous for the four major families – while the Fu family might not be experiencing upheaval currently, its lineage was thin. The current head, Fu Liu, had no wife, children, or designated successor, only the Gu family as relatives. It was uncertain whether, once the Gu family stabilized, the children of the Gu family without prospects but with Fu blood would set their sights on the Fu family.

Luo Qianjian, indifferent to the world's strife, continued to observe from afar, refraining from getting involved in any more complicated matters.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year, nearing the end of the first semester of his senior year. Snow fell upon City A, and after spending too much time watching the snow in the courtyard the day before, Luo Qianjian developed a fever that night, unable to rise the next day.

Perhaps it was due to his prolonged absence of illness that his sudden sickness was rather alarming.

Luo Qianjian's fever left his head warm and his thoughts sluggish. Doctor He, the family doctor, came to administer intravenous fluids and prescribe medication. Several hours later, his temperature dropped, and when he woke up again, he felt much better, albeit still incredibly drowsy. On the third day, he remained languidly in bed, lacking the motivation to get up.

It was then that Butler Zhao, on duty, came to deliver a message: "Third Young Master, the Gu family's butler has come, saying that their eldest son, Gu Xingyun, wishes to visit you tomorrow. Hearing that you're ill, he intends to come and see you."

Luo Qianjian replied listlessly, "Don't let him come. I've heard that the Gu family is currently embroiled in internal strife. I'm afraid Gu Xingyun might bring his grievances with him, worsening my condition."

Butler Zhao: "...Understood."

He would need to think carefully about how to phrase it to convey the Third Young Master's intentions to the Gu family's butler in a manner that was both polite and accurate.

Before Butler Zhao could leave the room, he heard Luo Qianjian belatedly realize an important question: "Wait, how did Gu Xingyun find out that I was sick?"