Chapter 68: So I’m a Joke

Chapter 68: So I'm a Joke

Due to a high fever, Jing Yi couldn't go out temporarily and had been staying idle at home for three days. The farthest he walked each day was from the bed to the living room, completely turning into a lazy couch potato.

"This is so boring~"

Jing Yi was shopping online on his phone. Now that he had more money, he didn't worry much about prices or reviews when buying things. He just bought whatever he liked, and the joy of unpacking packages could brighten his entire day of idleness.

In this world, online shopping was well-developed, and packages usually arrived the next day. Early this morning, Jing Yi received several text messages again.

He lay on the sofa, legs crossed and feet swinging.

Just after placing two orders, he heard a message pop up on the chat app—[Young Master invites you to join a group chat, come and chat together!]

Huh?

What group?

Jing Yi rolled over onto his stomach, casually grabbed a cherry from the coffee table, and popped it into his mouth. He chewed while checking the group—

[Group Name Tentative (4)]

Jing Yi: ?

[Young Master: Jing Yi Jing Yi, welcome to the group~]

Jing Yi: O.o? What is this?

With a curious heart, he clicked on the group members and found that, apart from Li Wenzhao, all three brothers of the Li family were in the group, all present.

What’s this, are they planning a rebellion? Starting by isolating the eldest young master?

Jing Yi hadn't yet decided whether to be a spy when he saw the three young masters in the group becoming active.

[Li Xu: What is this group?]

[Young Master: A private activity group, everyone be quiet, listen to me!]

[Li Ting: Just spit it out already.]

After a pause, Li Mingzhi sent a message.

[Young Master: Latest news, we're going to have a new sister-in-law!]

[Li Ting: ?]

[Li Xu: You’re talking nonsense.]

[Young Master: It's true, I saw it with my own eyes!]

Jing Yi: ?

He wasn’t particularly close to the eldest young master in public settings, where did Li Mingzhi see this?

[Young Master: A few days ago, big brother attended the opening ceremony of my show. That night, I went to the hotel and saw big brother carrying a boy out of the room! A boy!]

[Young Master: The other person was sick, and I even drove them to the hospital.]

...

[Li Xu: Didn’t see wrong?]

[Young Master: Second Brother, don’t doubt it, I saw it with my own eyes!]

[Li Xu: ...]

[Li Ting: Tsk, big brother seems so silent and aloof, who would have thought he’d go this far in private? Even knocked someone out?]

"Young Master changed the group name to 'The Brother and Sister-in-law Search Squad'"

Jing Yi: "..."

These three young masters are too idle. With all that energy, why not do something useful instead of focusing on gossip and digging up their own big brother’s scandals? They must have too much time on their hands.

[Li Ting: What about Jing Yi? Why isn’t he speaking? When did big brother have a boy by his side?]

Jing Yi was so nervous he couldn’t stay lying down. He sat up cross-legged and carefully typed—

[Long Sleep Lazy to Rise: No idea.]

Li Xu quickly voiced his opinion: [You’ve been by big brother’s side for so long, haven’t you noticed anything?]

[Long Sleep Lazy to Rise: Nah.]

"Li Ting changed the group name to 'The Brother and Sister-in-law Stalkers'"

Jing Yi: "..."

The group name is becoming increasingly inappropriate, and the three Li brothers seem to be diving deeper into gossip.

[...]

[Li Xu: Third brother, be serious.]

"Li Xu changed the group name to 'Breaking Iron Shoes to Find Sister-in-law'"

Jing Yi: "..."

Second Brother is no better than Third Brother.

[Young Master: Typing is too troublesome. Let’s meet later to talk—it’s convenient and fast, and we can sort out the clues together.]

Li Ting and Li Xu both agreed.

Probably because Li Wenzhao’s romantic scandal is so rare, the three younger brothers couldn’t resist digging deep, determined to find out who it is.

Jing Yi dared not attend such a gathering, afraid of catching the madness of the three young masters: [I won’t go. I’ve been having a cold and fever these days, quarantining in the city to avoid spreading the virus.]

[Young Master: Why are you sick too?]

[Li Ting: Wait, little fourth, which hospital did you take big brother to?]

[Young Master: Shoucheng City Hospital.]

[Li Ting: That’s odd. I checked the medical records from that day and didn’t see any suspicious people. Seems big brother erased the records himself, but I did find something interesting...]

Jing Yi’s heart skipped a beat. How could he forget? One of the must-have skills for a domineering CEO is the ability to check medical, flight, and rental records at any time, making it easy to set up a net to catch his runaway bride.

Has Third Young Master... found him out?

[Young Master: Third Brother, have you found something? Tell us, tell us, tell us.]

Jing Yi: Gulp.

[Li Ting: Jing Butler, you actually have a fever of 39.8 degrees, your brain must be cooked! Hahahahaha...]

Jing Yi: "…………"

He felt relieved.

You three can keep investigating, but every inquiry leads to silence. At this rate, you'll never suspect him.

After chatting nonsense in the group for a while, Jing Yi relaxed completely. The three young masters didn't just not suspect him; they were now starting to rule out possibilities from the far reaches of the universe.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and it was already afternoon. Jing Yi got up and went to the study door to check. Li Wenzhao was still in a meeting.

This international meeting had started at 8 a.m. Li Wenzhao was fluent and professional in foreign languages, handling everything on his own. His pronunciation was like a language tape, and Jing Yi felt dizzy just listening for a moment. He quietly retreated and left without disturbing.

The eldest young master was working hard to earn money for the family, so Jing Yi would just focus on recovering from his illness.

When it was time for dinner, Jing Yi was thinking about what to eat when Fan Ming called, "Jing Butler, Mr. Li asked me to deliver some documents to the house. If it's convenient, could you open the door for me later?"

Jing Yi, of course, was fine with it. His throat had also recovered, so he agreed readily, "Sure."

Remembering something, Jing Yi added, "Could you do me a favor, Secretary Fan?"

Fan Ming: "Of course, go ahead."

"A shipment has arrived, and the team has decided to send you to pick it up."

Fan Ming: "?"

Jing Yi: "I've sent you the password."

Fan Ming was silent for a long time, then said helplessly, "Jing Butler, if you need me to pick up a package, just say so. Why all the mystery?"

He got all hyped up, thinking that Mrs. Li had done something illegal behind Mr. Li's back, and as a direct participant, he was torn between reporting it or not.

What a dilemma.

Fortunately, Jing Butler still knew his limits.

After finishing the call with Fan Ming, Jing Yi immediately called the star-rated restaurant downstairs to order food. He had been sick these past few days, and the restaurant had been delivering his meals. The food was delicious, and to thank Secretary Fan for picking up the package, he added two more dishes that Fan liked: horse mackerel and spareribs with Sichuan pepper.

Twenty minutes later, Fan Ming arrived with the package and documents.

Li Wenzhao had just finished his meeting and discussed some work matters with Fan Ming. Jing Yi sat cross-legged on the carpet, opening the package.

After unpacking, the three of them enjoyed a meal together.

Since Jing Yi wasn't fully recovered, Li Wenzhao kept the spicy and stimulating foods out of reach, not giving him a chance to grab any.

Jing Yi didn't really need to eat those things, but with Li Wenzhao making such a big deal about it, he couldn't help but find them even more tempting.

He wanted to eat them.

"I'm better now," Jing Yi said.

Li Wenzhao remained unmoved, "To keep from getting sick again, you should stick to your diet for a couple more days."

Jing Yi narrowed his eyes, suspecting that Li Wenzhao treated him as if he were made of glass. That couldn't be the case; even if he wasn't as tough as steel, he was at least tough as nails. How could a minor cold lead to such dietary restrictions?

"Li the taskmaster," Jing Yi muttered.

Li Wenzhao paused, "Are you cursing?"

"..."

Jing Yi was startled, lowering his head and picking at his rice with his chopsticks.

Fan Ming remained silent throughout, too nervous to reach for his chopsticks. There it was again, that weird vibe.

Unable to eat what he wanted, Jing Yi's defiance kicked in. He glanced around and his eyes landed on the silent Fan Ming, "Secretary Fan, you must want some seafood, right? It's too far for you to reach, let me help you..."

As he reached out with his chopsticks, the plate of fish was swiftly moved out of his reach by Li Wenzhao.

Jing Yi: "..."

Li Wenzhao, well aware of Jing Yi's tricks, had preemptively moved the spicy grilled fish to a spot Jing Yi couldn't reach.

The young butler instantly deflated.

It wasn't that Li Wenzhao was being harsh, but most of the dishes on the table were spicy and stimulating. If he let the young butler eat freely, he might end up chattering non-stop all night... Noticing Jing Yi's restless hand out of the corner of his eye, Li Wenzhao raised an eyebrow.

"What are you after now?"

Jing Yi's hand paused, then he turned his head, scratching the edge of the table guiltily, "I wasn't, I was just reaching for a napkin."

Jing Yi's hand darted to the napkin box, yanking out three napkins with gusto.

Li Wenzhao watched his hand's abrupt change of direction with a meaningful look, "My mistake."

Jing Yi pouted, "I forgive you."

Li Wenzhao: "…………"

The little showdown at the table was over, and Fan Ming, not daring to breathe too loudly, quickly left after finishing his meal, not daring to stay a minute longer.

After Fan Ming left, Jing Yi lounged against the table, idly rolling a cup around, feeling out the situation, "When there are outsiders, could you give me a little face?"

"Treating me like a kid, what does Secretary Fan think of me?"

Li Wenzhao, who was putting away the dishes in the kitchen, paused, "What kind of face do you want?"

Jing Yi curved his lips, "The face of an adult."

Li Wenzhao pulled a napkin from under Jing Yi's elbow, pushing him to sit properly on the chair, "Don't worry, in Fan Ming's eyes, you're not quite an adult, at least not entirely in mentality."

Jing Yi was taken aback!

So all this time you've been treating me like a child?

"Not exactly," a hand reached over from beside his head, gently poking his puffed-up cheek, deflating his indignant expression, "You're a joy, everyone can't help but laugh when they see you."

Jing Yi's heart stirred, "Oh, so I'm a joke."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Li Wenzhao was accustomed to his train of thought and spoke in a light, unhurried tone, "Understanding Master."

Jing Yi's lips twitched, pushing away the hand stuck to his face, "The face of the Understanding Master is about to be poked through by you."

"Not so easy to break," Li Wenzhao paused, his hand not withdrawing, instead pinching Jing Yi's face.

It felt surprisingly good.

He pinched again.

Jing Yi: "..."

Li Wenzhao's palm curved, cupping Jing Yi's chin, turning his face around, "Don't run around when you go out recently, stay close to me."

Jing Yi's chin moved in his palm, "Why?"

"Shen Group is on its last legs, I'm afraid they might act desperately."

So soon?

Just a few days ago, Shen Shubai was seen bustling about, even trying to reach the Jing family to poke his tires.

How is it already at its end?

Jing Yi grabbed his arm, "How did you do it?"

Li Wenzhao kept it vague, "You'll know when the time comes."

Jing Yi: "?"

·

·

Li Wenzhao's secret was revealed to Jing Yi within a couple of days.

He didn't know what Li Wenzhao had been up to behind the scenes, but by the time he recovered and returned to the company, everyone was talking about the collapse of Shen Group.

— Shen Group's big boss Shen Shubai is suspected of colluding with a scam ring leader from a neighboring country for illegal profits!

— Shen Shubai and actress Qin Ningning were reported to have broken up!

— Shen Group's newly appointed female secretary was severely injured and hospitalized, allegedly suffering from prolonged beatings by the boss, and the police have already intervened in the investigation...

The news was shocking, causing a stir among the capital's residents, even the security guards at Li Corporation were gossiping about it.

Jing Yi was completely stunned...

Holy cow.

Seven days in the mountains feel like a thousand years in the world.

How did Shen Shubai collapse so quickly? Did the protagonist's halo expire?

These three pieces of news alone were enough to put Shen Shubai in the hot seat.

The news rapidly fermented and spread within a week, with widespread impact, to the point where even dogs on the street were barking about it.

Jing Yi knew that Li Wenzhao must have been behind the scenes, pushing the waves.

For a time, Shen Group's stock price plummeted.

This made things even worse for the already struggling company.

What puzzled Jing Yi the most was that the female lead, Qin Ningning, had actually broken up with Shen Shubai. The official CP had been dismantled—what kind of state would this novel be in? Would the world suddenly collapse one day, turning all of them into fragments of the novel world, disappearing into an unknown space?

No wonder Wuchang chose to dump him here—it's the perfect place to destroy evidence and cover tracks!

Jing Yi took over Mr. Li's long desk, using his top-tier office computer to browse the news, scrolling smoothly with the mouse.

The incident had just broken out, and the subsequent developments were still unclear. Jing Yi absentmindedly rubbed the mouse, then propped his chin on his hand and zoned out.

The door creaked open.

Fan Ming walked in: "Butler Jing, I'm here to pick up some documents for Mr. Li."

Jing Yi, lost in thought, didn't respond.

After Fan Ming retrieved the necessary documents, Jing Yi was still sitting in the chair, lost in thought. Fan Ming couldn't help but ask, "Butler Jing?"

"...Hmm?" Jing Yi snapped back to reality.

Fan Ming: "You've been zoning out here for a long time."

"Have I?"

"Yes," Fan Ming reminded him, "Mr. Li's mouse is almost worn smooth by you."

Jing Yi let go of the mouse: "..."

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Fan Ming asked.

Jing Yi sprawled lazily across the desk: "The eldest young master works fast. I hadn't even figured out how to deal with Shen Shubai, and he's already almost taken him down."

Fan Ming smiled: "Mr. Li has always been like this."

Jing Yi regretfully patted the desk, propped up his head, and chattered: "It's a pity that with all my strategies, I'm really talented but unappreciated."

"..." Fan Ming: "Talented but unappreciated."

Jing Yi: "Did I say it wrong?"

"Yes."

"What did I say?"

"Talented but infertile."

"..." Then he must be overjoyed.

·

Online, news about Shen Group was everywhere. Jing Yi obediently didn't wander outside. To guard against Shen Shubai's underhanded tactics, Mr. Li had strengthened security both inside and outside Shen Group. Jing Yi didn't even order takeout anymore, dutifully eating in the company cafeteria.

"Is it just me?" Jing Yi looked around the cafeteria: "I feel like the cafeteria is unusually lively today."

Mr. Li was unfazed: "I've taken over Shen Group's recently bankrupt projects, many of which are half-finished, easy to profit from."

Oh, so it's all about making a fortune.

No wonder, when he made a fortune, he had several pleasant dreams in a row, all different.

As soon as they entered the cafeteria, the noisy atmosphere vanished, like someone had hit the mute button.

Jing Yi wasn’t used to people watching him eat, but with Li Wenzhao by his side, he always ended up under everyone’s scrutiny, which ruined his appetite and left his meal unfinished.

Li Wenzhao noticed his poor appetite: "Not your thing?"

"No," Jing Yi hugged his tray and pursed his lips, "I'm afraid I don't meet their expectations."

During the half-hour meal, he felt like he was being X-rayed dozens of times.

"..."

Li Wenzhao paused, torn between concern and amusement, "Let’s head back to the office. I’ll have Fan Ming arrange some afternoon tea later."

"Alright," Jing Yi perked up instantly, turning to stand—*bang! crash!*

*Clang, clang.*

The tray fell to the ground.

Before Jing Yi could react, Li Wenzhao grabbed his arm and steadied his waist, asking, "You okay?"

He was fine, but his clothes were soaked. Jing Yi, distracted, had bumped into a passing employee and gotten splashed with soup.

"I'm sorry," the girl behind him turned pale, "I didn't notice you, I'm sorry, really sorry."

Jing Yi's seat was near the aisle, and he suddenly stood up, just bumping into the passing female employee. He waved his hand: "I bumped into you, I should apologize."

The girl glanced nervously at Li Wenzhao, her face pale. "Your clothes are soaked—let me wash them, or I’ll cover the dry cleaning."

"No need, I’ll just change," Jing Yi said, tugging at the damp, clingy fabric of his clothes, shifting uncomfortably.

The girl was trembling.

Li Wenzhao cut in, "Let’s head back to the office. There are spare clothes there."

Jing Yi: "Okay."

·

After leaving the cafeteria and stepping into the elevator, Jing Yi held up his wet clothes to keep them from sticking to his skin, walking awkwardly.

He asked, "Since when are there spare clothes for me in the office?"

Li Wenzhao pressed the elevator button and led him in: "There are mine."

Jing Yi estimated their body sizes: "They won't fit."

Li Wenzhao lowered his eyelashes. Jing Yi pulled his collar wide; the hoodie's neckline was large, and from his perspective, it was almost a full view. A calm light flashed in his eyes.

Jing Yi: "?"

Huh?

Did he imagine it, or had there been a flash of green in Li Wenzhao’s eyes?

Li Wenzhao's breath slightly deepened. He raised his hand: "Fix your clothes."

"...Hmm! It's cold!" Jing Yi complained, jumping away a bit, his previous train of thought interrupted as he laughed, accusingly, "Don't touch me."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

The young butler scampered to the corner like a rabbit.

Upon reaching the top floor, Jing Yi went straight to the lounge. He took off his fleece hoodie, only to find that his base layer was also wet.

Li Wenzhao brought over a set of new, unworn clothes, "Wear this."

Jing Yi took them and glanced at him, "Can you... turn around?"

Li Wenzhao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised that he wasn't being kicked out. He gave a kind nod, "I'll step out..."

Before he could finish, Jing Yi had already turned to the other side.

The wet clothes clung to him, icy and clammy, and the wind made the soaked fabric chill him to the bone. Assuming Li Wenzhao had already left, he turned his back and swiftly removed his thin cotton base layer.

Li Wenzhao, looking at the dressing mirror in front of him, was stunned.

Jing Yi's skin was pale, soft, and delicate, gently illuminated by the overhead light. As Li Wenzhao turned his face, a flash of white light seemed to pass before his eyes, and he was struck speechless by the scene before him.

Li Wenzhao: "..."

In the elevator, he had only caught a glimpse, still imagining the full picture, but now that image had suddenly materialized before his eyes.

Li Wenzhao felt his usually unshakable composure being tested.

Sss, so cold, so cold.

Jing Yi took off his base layer and used the clean part of his clothes to wipe the soup off his chest.

For some reason, the room felt several degrees colder. He quickened his movements, his shoulder blades moving beautifully as he faced away from Li Wenzhao.

Li Wenzhao: "..."

"Beep beep beep beep beep—"

A loud noise erupted in his ears, startling Jing Yi. He was about to turn around when he suddenly noticed a shadow falling over him.

"..."

Jing Yi was startled and quickly turned his head.

There stood Li Wenzhao, who had supposedly left, now behind him, his tall frame almost blocking the light from above.

Jing Yi was completely stunned, "Why are you still here?"

"You didn't take the clothes," Li Wenzhao said.

Their eyes met in the air, and this time Jing Yi saw clearly—Li Wenzhao's inner turmoil was even more intense, the darkness in his eyes almost matching the Arctic's aurora.

...This wasn't just looking at a plump piglet; it was a wolf eyeing fresh meat.

Jing Yi wanted to hide under the blanket, "You, go out first."

Li Wenzhao remained motionless, "Don't you need help?"

What kind of help do you need to get dressed?

Jing Yi felt a prickling sensation under the gaze, grabbed the clothes from his hand, and hurriedly put them on.

He didn’t realize the shirt buttons were fastened, and as soon as he tried to put it on, his head got stuck in the collar.

He stood awkwardly in front of Li Wenzhao, his belly exposed.

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Jing Yi: "......" He was finished.

Jing Yi was panicking, sweating profusely: "You, you, get out quickly."

With his head stuck in the collar, Jing Yi couldn’t see anything and struggled to undo the buttons, but couldn’t manage it.

Li Wenzhao’s penetrating gaze remained fixed on him, and Jing Yi felt like a salted fish, about to be squished and rolled.

In desperation, his fingers were gently taken and pulled out of the collar, "Still saying you don’t need help? Stand still."

Within moments, the collar loosened, and Jing Yi, flushed all over, emerged.

"..."

"..."

Silence fell, Li Wenzhao’s gaze quietly lowered.

Jing Yi suddenly recalled the night he drank the Water Treasure, Li Wenzhao was in the same state, his heart in turmoil, not knowing where to look.

"Help’s done." In the stifling atmosphere, Jing Yi couldn’t help but blurt out: "You can go now."

"Burn the bridge after crossing the river?"

Jing Yi: "...Then what else do you want to do?"

"Can’t you hear what I’m thinking?"

"..." Speaking of which, the thoughts have been beeping non-stop since just now, his ears are about to go deaf.

"Eldest young master." Jing Yi touched his nose: "You know this is the office, right?"

Li Wenzhao indifferently: "Hmm."

Jing Yi’s gaze fell to his chest, whispering: "So we shouldn’t be doing anything so shocking here."

Li Wenzhao: "..."