Chapter 038: Kidneys x Doting Wife x Love-Struck Mind (9) + (10)

Chapter 038: Kidneys x Doting Wife x Love-Struck Mind (9) + (10)

[Poster]: Mr. Zhou's Kitten

[Title]: Getting Closer to a Happy Life, Sharing Some Mundane Moments

[Body]:

Today, I brought my parents and younger brother over to stay. Although it’s a regular neighborhood, the location is great, and the average monthly rent is around six to seven thousand.

Thinking about it, I shouldn’t blame my parents for pressuring me to take out a loan. Since high school, they've encouraged me to earn my own tuition fees, hoping I would become independent and strong. They’ve always had my best interests at heart.

The house belongs to Mr. Zhou’s family and isn't under his name. I’m afraid of upsetting him, so I prepared a usage agreement in advance.

I told my parents they could live here for free and use two old cars that our household helpers no longer need.

However, I’m not sure about the value of the paintings, vases, and decorative items in the house; they might be very expensive.

Signing this agreement was also to prevent my brother from burning the sofa with his cigarette.

They were reluctant and lectured me for a long time. With a bitter face, I explained it was the family’s wish. My mother signed while scolding me for being incompetent, but thankfully, all three signed.

Their willingness to sign wasn’t because their old place was too cramped or poor, but because they love me.

There’s little I can do, but seeing my family move into this sunny new home fills me with gratitude.

The tissue typing has been successful, and soon I’ll have to go to the hospital. I hope everything will get better.

#HappyLife #WarmFamily #TouchingMoments

The post included four pictures: a spacious, bright house, a small garden with marigolds, moving vehicles, and a selfie in a white shirt without showing the face.

Netizens couldn’t wait to follow up on this guy’s updates. Seeing he posted after a long break, they rushed over immediately.

LittleYellowDuck: Wait, last time someone said if he was coerced, he’d wear black. This time, he specifically wore white. Does this mean he’s really willing? Everything is his choice?

PrivateTarot-RedCherry: Why do I feel this agreement is a foreshadowing?

Could it be that this guy has been playing dumb all along and had his plans from the start?

Many netizens who initially came for some drama were now uncertain, gradually changing their views.

Saturation30: Hoping for a comforting ending! Maybe it’s a thrilling story with a twist!

YapingBuildingMaterialsSisterWang: Young man, if your husband is rich, why does he need your kidney? The surgery is dangerous! Don’t go!

HanbaiyuSleeves: Feel conflicted about this blogger, hard to judge, but I hope he stays healthy and nothing bad happens.

In fact, the buzz never ceased these days.

As soon as the doting wife literature appeared, netizens dug up numerous details:

The scoundrel husband’s surname is Zhou, he wears gold-rimmed glasses, is a university professor, and is based in Hangzhou.

His family background is excellent, likely living in Binjiang District, and recently plans to send his wife to the hospital for a kidney transplant.

Hangzhou has forty-six universities, including private ones. With his surname and appearance, it’s easy to pinpoint which institution he works at.

Although people don’t know the doting wife’s name or appearance, her husband’s background is almost entirely exposed.

Information spread rapidly on Weibo, Douban, and Xiaohongshu, with more and more people discussing it.

Some even left comments on the official Weibo account of the suspected university.

"Will your school handle the professor from the Business Management Department who’s planning to kill someone?"

"So your prestigious institution allows teachers to cheat and abandon their partners?"

"Zhou Guanghe is one of your teachers, right? Did this rich kid get in through connections? Are his papers and titles bought?"

Initially, only a few relevant comments were visible among student complaints about the cafeteria food, high air conditioning installation fees, or forced praise. The gossip was barely noticeable.

While Zhou Guanghe accompanied his wife on a vacation in the gambling city, netizens thought the kidney was already gone and the person was dead, immediately clamoring to help save her.

Criticize all you want, but don’t let the fool die in vain! You scoundrel, don’t run away!

The number of questioning comments quickly rose from a dozen to hundreds, even flooding the daily morning inspirational posts of the university’s official Weibo account.

The students managing the account dared not respond and rushed to find the media center’s responsible teacher, who then contacted the relevant leaders, reporting the issue layer by layer.

With one-click protection enabled, both the comment and forwarding sections became blank, temporarily shielding the crisis.

The situation was too sensitive, and the school leadership split into two factions: some suggested calling the police, while others preferred private counseling.

But no one dared to say what everyone knew needed to be said, yet everyone understood it clearly.

Zhou Guanghe! Manage your wife and stop her from posting on Xiaohongshu!

We don’t care about your family issues, and we don’t want them affecting us or the school’s reputation!

Unfortunately, Zhou Guanghe, as a graduate advisor, was abroad and then in Guangzhou for research, returning to campus only after ten days.

Before his return, opinions within the school remained divided. Discussing such sensitive matters via WeChat was inconvenient, fearing screenshots by malicious individuals, so they waited for the involved party to come back.

The school leadership arranged for the department head to talk to him.

"Professor Zhou, your wife’s situation has caused quite a stir. I hope you pay attention to the impact and handle your personal affairs properly."

Zhou Guanghe frowned and asked, "My wife? Has she come to the school?"

The department head showed an odd expression: "Don't you know what's been happening these days?"

Seeing that Zhou Guanghe was still confused, the department head simply opened his phone, found the screenshots, and sent them to Zhou Guanghe.

"Look for yourself."

He's someone planning to become a doctoral supervisor, yet he lacks any sense of sensitivity, running around outside without realizing his own house is on fire!

Zhou Guanghe read through each page, his face turning ashen, unable to curse.

Is this true? Yes.

Is this beastly behavior? He knows in his heart it is indeed beastly.

Was Shi Cunyu harsh in his words? No, even willingly, very willingly. His wife was sincere, but the mistake was posting everything online.

The department head said, "This matter has blown up, and there are signs of it escalating further."

"Whoever's illness you need to take care of, or who needs a kidney transplant, those are your family matters; the school won't comment."

"But you can't let your wife delete her account or post more about these things, do you understand?"

Zhou Guanghe pressed his forehead, his temples throbbing: "I'll have him delete all of it."

"No, don't you get it?" The department head wanted to scold him but held back his anger: "If your wife deletes her account or posts, netizens might misunderstand that she had an accident, making her personal safety even more at risk."

If netizens really flood the Ministry of Education or the police with comments, the entire school will be investigated, and even he, a minor leader, would be in trouble!

"Zhou Guanghe, you need to be more sensitive to public opinion. Don't escalate the situation, do you understand!"

"If your wife posts anything like this again, make sure she shows how well she's doing. Don't mention anything about the hospital, surgery, or kidneys, got it!"

Zhou Guanghe looked into the other person's eyes, understanding the implied meaning.

This kidney transplant should not happen if possible.

But no, he needed to curry favor with the Bai family, using Bai Li to please the elders at home; the surgery couldn't be canceled!

"I understand. I apologize for causing so much trouble for you and the school." Zhou Guanghe said, "It's all a misunderstanding. I'll talk to my wife properly."

The department head snorted coldly: "Your evaluation this year is already difficult to improve. Reflect on it at home."

Back home, Zhou Guanghe's expression was grim.

Shi Cunyu was helping Bai Li take his medicine and noticed his unusual demeanor.

"What happened?"

"Come to the study; we need to talk."

Shi Cunyu responded softly but was stopped by Bai Li grabbing his wrist.

"What's going on that you need to hide from me?" Bai Li asked, "What don't you want me to know?"

"Honey, it's nothing related to you," Zhou Guanghe coaxed patiently. "Rest well; I don't want to disturb you."

"No," Bai Li pulled Shi Cunyu back, refusing to let go. "Talk here."

System: "He's losing it! He's losing it again! This dog is so territorial!"

Keding: "For my next mission, I'm definitely trying the seven-star one."

System: "Haha, watch out, you might fail."

Zhou Guanghe hid his anger well, appearing calm on the surface, but inside, he was seething.

This is my wife, my spouse, when did she become yours!

Are you acting recklessly because you're spoiled, thinking you can do whatever you want just because you're a Bai?

Shi Cunyu felt uneasy and asked, "Sir, did I do something wrong?"

"Yes," Zhou Guanghe said directly. "You shouldn't have posted on Xiaohongshu or shared everything publicly."

Bai Li took the phone from Zhou Guanghe, suppressing his urge to laugh as he read through each page, maintaining his aristocratic demeanor.

"Who cares what they say?" Bai Li said coldly. "Those peasants whose monthly income can't even buy a car, they spew nonsense online. Just ignore them."

"This matter has reached the school," Zhou Guanghe said, headache evident. "Cunyu, you can't delete these posts or post anything about the hospital. Say you don't need surgery anymore, everything is fine. Post some food and drink pictures to make them lose interest and move on, understand?"

"In a few days, when a celebrity scandal breaks, this issue will fade away completely."

Shi Cunyu blinked, looking bewildered.

"Why can't I post?"

"Sir, am I wrong for wanting to contribute to you and Mr. Bai?"

Bai Li buried his head in the pillow, holding back laughter, pretending to be sleepy.

Zhou Guanghe was about to explode but had to continue placating him.

"They envy and resent you, so they spread rumors."

"Alright," Shi Cunyu sighed. "I'll follow your instructions, sir."

"From now on, show me everything you post." Zhou Guanghe said, still angry. "In our family, the worst thing is not being able to control your tongue and sharing unnecessary details."

Shi Cunyu dared not argue, responding with red eyes.

Bai Li reached out to touch his face: "Don't be sad. You're so good-looking; I can't spoil you enough."

"Beep! Defense Break Value increased by fifteen! Total: seventy-five!"

System: "How many Defense Break Values do you plan to accumulate before switching worlds?"

"Actually, I should ask, how much wool do you plan to shear before stopping?"

Keding: "I really want to be 188 centimeters tall."

"One thousand points for every centimeter of height increase, Zhou Guanghe... given his character, he should at least be worth two thousand points? If he tries hard, maybe even three thousand?"

System: "Having dreams is great. Being able to equally take down each bad person, I wish you luck."

---

The Chen family's poker game was postponed for a few days because they were waiting for guests from the capital.

To cheer Bai Li up, Zhou Guanghe took a deck of cards without the jokers and taught him the simplest way to play Texas Hold'em.

"There are five community cards, and each player has two cards in hand. Each round, you can raise, call, or fold."

Among friends, there's an entertainment style where no money is involved, using points instead for betting, just for the thrill of winning or losing.

But with these wealthy elites around the table, how could it not involve money?

Each raise could be as low as several thousand or as high as tens of thousands, and the total amount in the pot could become astronomical.

"In the end, you select three from the community cards and combine them with your two cards. Whoever has the best hand wins."

Bai Li played with the cards and said, "Is it that simple?"

"Matching suits is all about luck. A straight flush like hearts two through six, or a four-of-a-kind like four, five, six, six, depends on what the dealer deals."

Zhou Guanghe said, "But the excitement of this game lies in calling."

Everyone wants to win; only those who know their hole cards are weak will fold early, never betting.

In the rounds, people either add money or give up, and the pot accumulates more and more.

Finally, everyone reveals their cards, and the one with the best hand takes all the money.

A game of luck and psychological warfare, it's easy to get addicted.

On Wednesday, they went to Hongyue Hot Spring Resort and met several celebrities from TV and industry leaders.

While they claimed to be there for poker, it was really about networking and exchanging resources, and closing business deals would be ideal.

Several people present didn't recognize Bai Li, but after hearing whispers from others, they showed respect and admiration.

Sitting beside Bai Li, Zhou Guanghe felt a bit of reflected glory.

Originally, the place would have been filled with cigar smoke, but due to the presence of Mr. Bai, who was still ill, everyone refrained.

"Previously, I sent you two boxes of blood swallow nests. Did they help?" Boss Cheng, chewing betel nut, asked, "You look better. Does that mean you don't need surgery anymore?"

"I hope so." Bai Li leaned against Zhou Guanghe lazily, "Mrs. Zhou knows a very good traditional Chinese doctor who has been helping me recover. I feel stronger speaking, and my test results are improving."

"Traditional Chinese medicine can treat this? Introduce me to him later!"

After a few rounds, everyone played moderately, with the highest win being around ten thousand, just for fun.

Although Bai Li learned the rules, he didn't want to think too much and gave his seat to Zhou Guanghe after a few hands, letting him play with his chips.

Some distinguished guests discussed secret insider information, and Zhou Guanghe played cautiously, manipulating his wins and losses like a scriptwriter.

He ended up losing a couple of thousand, neither too much nor too little.

"See you next time!"

"Take care, Mr. Bai!"

Back in the room, Bai Li teased him, "You're quite good at giving face."

"How could I win?" Zhou Guanghe shrugged, "Even winning a few thousand made me uncomfortable, so I quickly lost it all back."

After all, getting contact information from some of these people would be difficult.

After some intimacy, Bai Li fell asleep deeply, while Zhou Guanghe lay awake, responding to messages on his phone, still feeling unsatisfied.

He hadn't played to his heart's content, having been too restrained for hours.

There weren't many people like him with such knowledge and eloquence. Several blindly called and blamed their losses on bad luck, not understanding basic poker principles.

Inside, he felt a bit of pity, knowing these people would die without knowing how if they went to any real casino.

But not winning, could he really hold back?

He could, but it made him itch inside, making sleep uneasy.

Coincidentally, four days later, there was a small family gathering within the Zhou clan, inviting over a dozen relatives from other families, all influential figures.

An aunt who loved mahjong immediately set up a table and called them over to play.

Zhou Guanghe was supposed to talk business with his cousin but, on impulse, sat down to join her.

"Oh, it's rare to see you playing with us old folks," Uncle Three smiled, "Guanghe has grown up, willing to be our mahjong partner now."

Zhou's father, sitting opposite, casually commented, "Of course, he's doing it for your sake. When I called him several times, he never agreed."

After the first round, all the tiles were clear, and he won six thousand yuan.

Auntie set off a firecracker, exclaiming in surprise as she reached into her purse to pay, handing over the money quite willingly.

Zhou Guanghe hurriedly refused: "How could I take your money?"

The auntie stuffed the money directly into the drawer beside his table. "Take it! It's just a small amount!"

The man smiled and thanked her gently before continuing to play with them.

After five or six rounds, Zhou’s father’s expression was not looking good.

This kid, is he here to show off in front of the relatives today?

Winning without losing, not even symbolically setting off a firecracker, and he wasn’t taught any better!

The auntie had lost around fifty thousand yuan, repeatedly saying her luck was bad, and even switched seats with Zhou Guanghe.

Uncle looked at his poor hand and cursed, accidentally setting off another firecracker.

Zhou’s father won a small round, but his expression still didn’t look good. He took the opportunity when the auntie was smoking to give his son a meaningful glance.

Do you still remember the rules?

Don’t win, understand? You’re the only smart one here?!

Zhou Guanghe pretended to check his phone, saying there was a meeting at school later and that they should finish this last round before he left.

The uncles and aunties verbally tried to keep him, but their body language showed a sigh of relief; they had been hoping for him to leave.

Zhou Guanghe noticed this and decided to play dumb, planning to lose on purpose.

In Mahjong, if you don’t want to win, just play casually.

Even if you get good tiles, break them up and feed them out, just to settle the debt.

But this last round was strangely unlucky, with single tiles constantly coming in.

Ten thousand, nine ten-thousand, one bamboo, nine bamboo, one character, nine character.

East, South, West, North, Center, Red Dragon.

Just one White left.

The auntie was almost forming a small seven pairs, smiling broadly as she discarded the extra mixed tiles.

"White!"

Zhou Guanghe took a deep breath and, upon raising his head, saw his father’s warning gaze.

No winning?

He couldn’t care less now.

"Sorry." Zhou Guanghe pushed all twelve tiles over, calmly saying: "Thirteen Orphans."

The auntie forced a smile. "Really? Such a big win? Guanghe, your luck today is on fire!"

Father didn’t wait for the auntie to take out her purse again and sternly said: "Don’t be late for your school business!"

Zhou Guanghe didn’t take the money that belonged to him from the drawer, stood up, and said: "I’ll give you my luck. I’m leaving now."

He was gentlemanly and composed, but inside, he felt an increasing itch.

That money should have been his.

All of it should have been his.

If he wanted to win, he could keep winning, emptying everyone’s wallets at the table!

It wasn’t enough, not nearly enough.

Why endure, why pretend to be a pushover!

Zhou Guanghe walked outside, with no business to attend to.

He had no interest in joining his cousins’ conversation, finding everything else they did boring.

"Guanghe, come have some tea with Uncle!"

"I have something to do, next time."

Zhou Guanghe greeted familiar relatives one by one and arranged for his secretary to book him a flight to Macau.

"Have the driver pick me up, and buy the earliest ticket."

"Yes, I’ll arrange it right away."

He should play recklessly and win back all the frustration!

The system narrated up to this point, marveling.

"I thought he would set up a trap, luring him step by step."

Unexpectedly, after just a slight nudge, he ran towards more dangerous places?!

Keding: "How much is his family worth, a few billion? Tens of billions?"

"The Zhou family is hard to estimate; it’s very complex, with various industries," the system said. "But speaking solely about Zhou Guanghe, he’s just over a hundred million."

"The valuable family assets are all managed by the elders and his older brother. He doesn't do business, and he rarely buys stocks. Being a professor doesn’t bring in much money."

"With the liquid funds plus what he won in Las Vegas, he has a little over forty million. He owns three properties and three luxury cars. Not many of these were bought with his professor's salary; most were gifts from his parents or his brother."

"But cars... they don’t sell for much."

Keding was taken aback and said, "I was finding a place for those vampire parents to live, and when I saw your list of hundreds of houses, I thought rich people are truly damned."

"He... only has three properties under his name?"

"Property purchase restrictions vary by city now," the system said. "Besides, this guy’s status within the family isn’t high enough, and both his parents are still alive. It’s far from the time to divide the family assets."

"He can’t afford to lose many times," Keding sighed. "His personality is already starting to become impatient. The toxicity sets in fast."

As they were chatting, the nanny led Doctor Jiang in, carefully waking up the lady who was dozing on the sofa.

A nurse followed behind, pushing several pieces of equipment and plugging them in one by one.

"Mr. Shi, Doctor Jiang is here to examine you."

Keding lifted his gaze and met the eyes of the man before him.

The slender waist was concealed beneath a white coat, and a stethoscope hung loosely around his neck.

The scent of disinfectant was faint, mingled with a barely perceptible aroma of maple leaves.

"Please undo your pajamas," Doctor Jiang said calmly. "I’ll take your ECG."

System: "You’re blushing!!"

Keding: "You’re talking nonsense!!"