Chapter 383: If: Xiao Wu Travels to When the Game Just Launched 5

Chapter 383 if: Xiao Wu Travels to the Game's Early Launch 5

Five minutes later, Xie Shu lay on Xiao Wu’s lap, eyes wide open.

He had no idea what was happening or how he ended up in this situation. Dazed, he had been led back to his room and now found himself enjoying a lap pillow.

—Is this the normal procedure in a patronage arrangement? No, this definitely isn’t the necessary protocol! This isn’t how he imagined it at all!

Based on Xie Shu’s extensive understanding of such arrangements, he was supposed to be the one in control—aloof, unreadable, rewarding his Canary when obedient and reprimanding when unruly. In short, he should remain emotionally detached, ready to end things at any moment.

And the Canary should be cautious at first, testing the waters, valuing themselves, maybe even negotiating terms—though, for a well-behaved lover, Xie Shu wouldn’t mind indulging a few whims.

But this? This was nothing like that!

Utterly bewildered, Xie Shu stiffened like a charred plank. Beneath his neck rested Xiao Wu’s well-proportioned thighs—deceptively slender when clothed but pleasantly firm and springy against his head.

Xie Shu glanced up just as Xiao Wu looked down. Even from such an unflattering angle, Xiao Wu’s face was breathtakingly beautiful—his features sharp yet harmonious, as if meticulously sculpted by a digital sculptor. A waterfall of long hair cascaded down, one stray strand brushing Xie Shu’s fingertips.

“Hm?” The Immortal Lord tilted his head slightly, pressing a fingertip to Xie Shu’s eyelid. “Close your eyes. I’m going to circulate qi now.”

Xie Shu obeyed, unsure whether to laugh at this cosplayer’s delusional method acting. *This guy’s really committed—now he’s “circulating qi”? Does he actually think he’s a cultivator?*

Before he could voice his thoughts, Xiao Wu’s fingers pressed against his temples. Cool to the touch, faint wisps of qi seeped into his forehead, soothing the throbbing pain. Unconsciously, lethargy overtook him, and Xie Shu drifted off to sleep.

He didn’t know when Xiao Wu left or when the door closed. All he knew was that he had slept soundly for the first time in years, waking up the next morning restored.

Rubbing his temples with a rueful smile, Xie Shu realized he hadn’t had a full night’s rest since childhood.

Perhaps he should repay Xiao Wu.

Over the years, he had spent considerable fortunes on insomnia treatments. Though they’d only known each other for a day, Xie Shu was willing to offer handsome recompense for such a rare, dreamless sleep.

So, he pulled out a black card—its balance substantial enough to stun even the most avaricious socialites.

Dressed and ready, Xie Shu emerged from his chambers, prepared to gift it to his new lover.

Outside, Xiao Wu had been awake for hours.

Seated on the balcony, he assumed the five-points-to-heaven meditation posture, hands forming a seal, chest rising and falling with steady breaths. The scene was so solemn and transcendent, it almost seemed convincing.

Xie Shu slid the card across the table. “Here. Buy whatever you like. I’m heading to work.”

Xiao Wu opened his eyes, giving the card a disinterested glance before pointing at a thermos on the table. “Fortuitous timing. I have something for you too.”

He stood slowly. “Take this. Abstain from tea and coffee at the office today.”

Xie Shu: “?”

Only then did he notice the nondescript thermos—a promotional item from some business symposium. Its dull gray stainless steel bore garish crimson lettering: “XX Conference Souvenir,” with parts of the text peeling off. It looked like a relic from two decades ago.

Xie Shu had no idea how long it had been buried in his storage room, let alone how Xiao Wu dug it out.

Opening it, he was hit by the rich aroma of dates. Floating in the strainer were the vibrant red remnants of goji berries.

Well. Red Date and Goji Berry Tea.

He paused, skeptically. “I don’t drink this. If it’s tea, I only drink *Da Hong Pao*.”

Xie Shu preferred strong tea and coffee—anything to sharpen his focus and into work mode. The strain on his heart and lungs? Scarcely a consideration.

Xiao Wu said coolly, "Once you're better, do whatever you want. But for now, no tea or coffee—you’ll drink red date and goji berry tea."

Xie Shu: "..."

Was there an alpha CEO in the entire circle more miserable than him? This was mutiny!

But having slept well for once, CEO Xie was in a splendid mood and wouldn’t nitpick with his new fling. He tucked the thermos under his arm, planning to dump it in the car.

—Could Xiao Wu remotely monitor whether he drank coffee or not?

Before Xie Shu could even leave the house, Xiao Wu suddenly said, "Hold up."

He stood up, his fingers smeared with a bit of cinnabar, and traced an intricate talisman in the air toward Xie Shu before finally saying, "Done."

Xie Shu: "……?"

He dryly suggested, "Turn right three kilometers out—the psychiatric department at that hospital is quite good. You can go check it out. I’ll cover the expenses."

Then, Xie Shu threw on his coat and left.

By the time he reached the office, he had initially intended to leave the thermos in the car. But upon looking at it, for some inexplicable reason, the clunky stainless steel thermos seemed... weirdly cute. So, like he was under a spell, Xie Shu carried it into his office.

That morning, his assistant and department heads took turns reporting their work.

Xie Shu’s office was minimalist in style, with the finest materials—be it metal trims or stone paneling—all in a monochrome palette of cool blacks, whites, and grays. Against this backdrop, the gaudy red print on the thermos stood out like a clown at a funeral, painfully out of place and instantly drawing everyone’s gaze. Yet with Xie Shu right there, no one dared say a word, forcing themselves to keep their eyes from lingering on the hideous thermos.

But once the reports were done, the staff side-eyed each other, telegraphing gossip without words.

...Had that rather attractive young man from yesterday already risen in status?

If he wasn’t the real-deal partner, how could he force the CEO to use such an ugly thermos?

In just two days, was there really going to be a real-deal partner?

So, what was inside the thermos?

The spouse’s lovingly brewed tea?

In reality, though, Xie Shu had no intention of drinking the goji tea.

Red dates and goji berries had a strange, weirdly saccharine taste he couldn’t stomach. He set the thermos aside like a weird good-luck charm, planning to brew himself a cup of coffee instead.

But the office coffee machine acted like it had a grudge—no matter how he jabbed the buttons, zip. Xie Shu paused, only to find that as soon as he stepped away, the employees could operate it just fine.

Xie Shu: "..."

His little songbird... seemed to have some serious mojo.

And so, Xiao Wu officially invaded Xie Shu’s life.

He completely disrupted Xie Shu’s routines—from constant coffee and tea to goji berries in a thermos, from working past midnight to a hard 10 PM lights-out.

At first, Xie Shu thought it was nuts. But gradually, he realized... he actually liked it.

Through self-reflection and psychological analysis, Xie Shu could roughly deduce that this was a form of compensation for his childhood.

Having never received his parents’ attention, never been nagged or cared for—whenever classmates’ parents fussed over them, asking if they’d eaten, if they were dressed warmly enough—Xie Shu had felt a pang of envy.

Even though he’d grown up, his personality fully independent, completely free from his parents’ influence, those childhood memories had remained buried deep within him. Until now, they had morphed into this weird emotional payback.

So, he grew increasingly close to Xiao Wu, practically joined at the hip.

The one thing that nagged at Xie Shu was that Xiao Wu never spent his money.

The card he had given him remained untouched from the moment it was handed over—not a single cent spent. Xiao Wu’s daily routine was strangely simple: waking up to meditate, brewing goji berry tea for Xie Shu, occasionally accompanying him to the office, strolling in the park in the afternoon, and sleeping at night.

His monk-like lifestyle was almost offensive.

Xie Shu couldn’t help but wonder, 'Then why does he stay by my side? If not for this, what does he want?'

Perhaps because he had never experienced pure kindness growing up, Xie Shu’s world was more defined by transactions. When something exceeded his control, and he found himself unable to provide Xiao Wu with something of equal value, his first reaction wasn’t relief but distress.

After all, it was always like this—people gathered together when interests aligned, full of noise and cheer, only to leave behind emptiness when the party ended.

Xie Shu thought he needed to ask what Xiao Wu truly liked.

He could buy things for Xiao Wu, go on vacations together, do countless things.

But before he could ask, Xie Shu fell ill after a seasonal flu outbreak.

His body was leaky as a sieve, falling apart at the seams. Hospitalized twice a year, Xie Shu had long stopped caring. He smoothly completed the admission procedures and was put on an IV drip.

Then came two days of high fever, unconsciousness, and IV drips.

During those two days, Xie Shu was mostly unconscious, briefly awake. Xiao Wu never let go of his hand, calling him Xie Chunshan, his expression raw with fear—as if something he had once lost had finally returned, only to slip away again.

Hazy with fever, Xie Shu wanted to reach out and comfort him but couldn’t. Fortunately, it didn’t last long. A few days later, his fever broke, his condition stabilized, and he was sent home.

Xie Shu was used to it, feeling no emotional fluctuation whatsoever. What he cared about was something else.

—This time, someone had stayed by his side while he was sick.

In the past, he had always been alone, watching other patients’ relatives come and go, feeding them soup, bustling with warmth, while he remained alone, no one to call his own—lying alone in the hospital or recuperating at home, with only the occasional ping of his laptop bringing work messages from his assistant.

This time, someone had fed him soup too.

Xie Shu was so happy that even being ill didn’t feel so bad. He found Xiao Wu endearing beyond words, his mind filled with plans to coax him into buying new clothes once he recovered. Xiao Wu, however, remained withdrawn and heavy-hearted for days.

Xie Shu’s medical report was rather grim.

"..."

Playing up his headache, Xie Shu once again nestled into his canary’s lap. Lying back, he watched Xiao Wu’s dark expression as his fingers clenched the report, nearly crumpling the thin pages. Xie Shu laughed softly, amused: "Why are you upset over my medical report?"

He pulled the report from Xiao Wu’s grip, intending to tease him—perhaps joking about leaving him an inheritance so he could live lavishly as the happiest canary in all of City A. But seeing the weight in Xiao Wu’s gaze, he bit back the joke.

Xie Shu smiled. "It’s nothing serious. Don’t worry. These numbers just look scary, but modern people all have a few health issues. If you dragged my assistant here, he’d come up with a laundry list of issues too. Just take it lightly."

Xiao Wu lowered his eyes, silent.

"Really, the moment I was born, doctors said I wouldn’t live past twenty. Look at me now—perfectly fine."

Under that piercing gaze, Xie Shu forced a laugh. He tried to pull the medical records from Xiao Wu’s hands, but his seemingly gentle canary had a surprisingly strong grip. After much effort, Xie Shu failed to retrieve them.

"Xie Chunshan," Xiao Wu’s voice was strained, "Do you know how many times you’ve lied to me, counting this one?"

"…?"

Baffled, Xie Shu sensed something off in Xiao Wu’s tone—a voice thick with unshed tears. Utterly confused, he said, "Don’t talk nonsense. When have I ever lied to you? Really, this report isn’t important. Just treat it as a joke—"

Before Xie Shu could finish speaking, Xiao Wu had already grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up from his lap.

With the combined strength of two Mystic Leaders, Xie Shu stood no chance of resisting.

Xie Shu: "?"

Xiao Wu growled, "At this point, there's no other way."

Xie Shu found it amusing, wondering what "way" he meant. But before he could tease again, his pupils suddenly dilated.

Xiao Wu, still gripping his collar, crushed their lips together.