Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Six hours ago—

Qi Jing sat motionless on the bed, two pajama buttons undone. The sound of an engine outside the window jolted him, and he scrambled to his feet.

He peered down from the window.

He really left.

He left without him.

Qi Jing thought Bo Chengyan was a smooth talker. In Z Province, he’d clearly said he just wanted to be alone. So why abandon him now?

Had that promise been a lie?

996 floated over, swaying gently.

“He’s really gone?”

The boy looked utterly dejected, pursing his lips before turning his head. “What do I do? He didn’t take me. How am I supposed to experience the Macau plotline?”

He was stuck in a vacuum.

No way to get there.

Qi Jing couldn’t think of a solution. A knock came at the door—the housekeeper asking if he wanted breakfast.

The boy mumbled, “I want to sleep…”

He threw himself back onto the bed, pulling the blanket around him, his hair slightly disheveled as he stared at the intricate carvings on the ceiling.

Was there a possibility that Bo Chengyan could go through that major life-changing event alone?

996 had said it was family-related, a crucial turning point that would define his character.

But.

Qi Jing rolled onto his side, arching his back slightly, his clear eyes clouded with confusion.

He didn’t want him to know…

“What’s going on? Why does it feel like your data bar is missing a piece?”

996 hovered above, scanning him as if checking for anomalies.

Qi Jing was simply frustrated. He already understood so much, his fingers curling into loose fists.

He wasn’t a pampered pet.

But…

Wasn’t Bo Chengyan still the one taking care of him?

How old was Bo Chengyan, anyway?

Qi Jing grabbed his phone and looked up his age, pursing his lips in displeasure.

—Twenty-nine.

Eleven years older than him.

His arch tensed slightly.

Qi Jing probably understood why the other man didn’t tell him much. After all, he likely seemed like an underdeveloped…

Fledgling?

The boy rolled onto his back again, breathing through slightly parted lips. The wristband chimed softly.

It was the morning pulse check.

For some reason.

Qi Jing frowned and reached to remove it, but as soon as he undid one clasp, he suddenly remembered something and mumbled, “Can this be blocked?”

996 floated closer.

“Huh? What’s this?”

The boy sat cross-legged and explained, “He said this can send my coordinates, record audio, and even take pictures if my body shows abnormalities.”

996 landed in his palm, its dot-like eyes fixed on him.

One second. Two.

“Huh?”

Qi Jing suddenly realized something, stammering, “Then when my heart beats really fast…”

His face flushed crimson.

He panicked, but he had no idea if the device was even activated. His eyes darted around aimlessly.

“Xiao Jing, I should remind you—based on my scans, your mic seems to be always on.”

“The video function… seems to be a one-way switch.”

“Are you sure this model is the same as the one from the cave system before?”

The blue slime floated around before settling on the boy’s shoulder. Qi Jing stared numbly at his wrist.

People mature gradually.

His face paled slightly, as if finally grasping the meaning of “personal privacy.” He looked at 996, wide-eyed. “Then the things I said in the room with you—”

“Don’t worry.”

“I can erase it.”

Despite its childish appearance, 996 possessed advanced capabilities. In less than two seconds, it was done.

“But he might notice if he regularly checks your activity log.”

Silence.

“Oh… he does check.”

Qi Jing was in a state of profound shock, his fingertips turning faintly pink from pinching himself.

“Why…”

996 simply delivered the search results clearly.

“Based on past query intervals, it shows a once-daily pattern. I’ve delayed your wristband’s data stream by six hours.”

“He might notice…”

The male lead was certainly no good character.

As for Bo Chengyan’s physiological condition, 996 had spent a long time figuring out what “exceeded threshold” meant.

Wasn’t that just… perverted?

Couldn’t he just speak normally?

But since Qi Jing liked him, the blue slime didn’t say much, just perched plumply on the boy’s shoulder.

“Why would someone listen to another person’s words? Isn’t that… boring?”

Qi Jing turned his head to ask, clearly agitated, feeling something was amiss.

“For a normal person, it probably would be boring.”

A chill ran down Qi Jing’s spine. He caught the underlying implication and immediately took off the wristband.

He tossed it to the foot of the bed.

Hugging his knees, he sat there, his expression a mix of fear and confusion. “But he said it was for my safety.”

To be honest, 996 was no child psychologist. It tilted its head. “Perhaps I should take you to Hong Kong?”

The boy froze. “I can leave?”

“Of course.”

*

Chen Zhuo brought Jiang Xiuyuan back to the capital, maintaining a respectful distance as agreed, even personally selecting the location for the flower shop.

Right near the company.

Thus, Jiang Xiuyuan had a ready customer base from the moment he opened shop. Though he felt somewhat uneasy, he decided it wasn't so bad.

The contract still had a year and a half left—why not take advantage of him?

The events in Z Province seemed like another life. When he left, he just bowed deeply at his grandmother’s grave and didn’t even go into the city.

What wasn’t his, he wouldn’t take.

Before leaving, Jiang Xiuyuan even visited a doctor. Perhaps because of the stabbing incident, he’d calmed down significantly.

When Chen Zhuo stopped by that afternoon, he pretended not to see him—until his phone rang.

The young man took off his apron, froze for a second when he heard the voice, then glanced down at the screen.

“President Bo—”

Before he could say another word, the phone was snatched from him.

“What do you want with him?”

“What?”

Jiang Xiuyuan stood nearby, clueless about the situation, but he sensed it had something to do with Qi Jing.

Otherwise, Chen Zhuo wouldn’t have come straight to him.

Worry etched on his face, he watched as Chen Zhuo spoke on the phone.

“I just brought him back. Haven’t seen him.”

“Then I don’t know.”

“I can help you—”

Chen Zhuo’s eyebrows lifted—sure enough, the call ended abruptly. He set the phone on the counter, bursting out laughing.

“What did he say?”

The atmosphere was silent. One second. Two seconds.

“His darling ran off, ha ha ha…”

Jiang Xiuyuan froze.

*

Bo Chengyan didn’t even linger—he turned right back. His assistant, sweating profusely, hurriedly reported updates.

“The Peking University professors sent a message. He didn’t go to school.”

“The villa’s surveillance footage will take a bit longer. They’re rushing it—about thirty minutes.”

…

Jinjiang Villa soon appeared.

Bo Chengyan barely slowed down as he entered, heading straight upstairs. The housekeeper fussed anxiously nearby, “We’ve looked everywhere, even the cabinets. Where could the young master have gone?”

“Please see to Assistant Lin.”

Bo Chengyan’s voice was low, deceptively calm. Only when the room was finally empty did he step to the bedside, looking down at the abandoned wristband.

Meanwhile—

“Hey, actually, the Macau plotline makes sense. The protagonist’s father is about to die.”

996 perched on Qi Jing’s shoulder as the boy stood in a bright, sunlit loft apartment. The coffee table held just a few things—some books and a glass teapot.

Not far away, a tall figure with a cool presence poked around the kitchen before returning empty-handed.

Gu Qingshi said with an apologetic frown, “I’m afraid we’re out of tea. Is mint water okay?”

The child on the sofa looked too young, even dressed in pajamas, with fluffy bangs and dewy eyes.

He was staring at him.

He looked a bit like when he was little…

“It must be him who took it! It was him!”

“The whole house is filled with mint leaves now!”

996 screeched like an overbearing system, only to be grabbed by Gu Qingshi and tossed into an empty cup.

“Quiet.”

Its round eyes darted frantically inside the glass, looking utterly aggrieved.

Qi Jing anxiously twisted his fingers and shook his head. “Anything is fine, I’m not thirsty.”

He lacked worldly experience.

His straightforward words sounded rather endearing.

Gu Qingshi thought for a moment and first offered an apology. “996 isn’t a purely mechanical system. It’s a data entity with quasi-human emotions, often doing boundary-pushing behavior.”

“It accidentally pulled you into this.”

“Are you okay?”

Qi Jing was too busy staring at his face and only nodded after he finished speaking.

“I’m really, really fine.”

“I… my circumstances were terrible in my past life. Without 996, I wouldn’t have this kind of good life.”

Gu Qingshi’s expression was gentle. “That’s good then.”

“I’ve been handling your finances for you. Do you need them now, or after you finish school? I heard you’re attending Peking University.”

The boy shook his head, quick to explain. “No, I’m not here for money, I…”

“Xiao Jing wants to ask about relationship advice.”

996 stuck its head out of the cup, looking dazed.

Gu Qingshi paused, appearing faintly uneasy. He didn’t consider himself experienced in such matters.

Huo Chen… was his adopted son.

Qi Jing bit his lip and stammered, “It’s not… not that urgent.”

As if trying to change the subject.

“Why is the house full of mint?”

Before Gu Qingshi could explain, 996 blurted out, “Of course because someone was so jealous of flowers that he dug them all up and planted nothing but his precious mint!”

An awkward silence fell.

“Yes.”

Qi Jing gazed in stunned silence as the man beside him glanced at the small pot on the table, his gaze soft.

“I owe him.”

Gu Qingshi thought for a moment, then turned to look at him. “I know some things about you. 996 made a mistake at first and kept running to me.”

“But you might not know much about me?”

The atmosphere remained comfortable.

“My time in the system was much longer than yours. I raised a child, from when he was eight or nine… until he was almost an adult. By the way, 996 gave you a choice, didn’t it?”

Qi Jing thought for a moment. “The one about returning to the original world?”

“Yes.”

“I left.”

The boy’s eyes widened slightly. He had never seen someone so resolute—especially after so many years.

“Then…”

“Yes, he searched everywhere for me but couldn’t find me.”

Gu Qingshi said calmly, “He believed I’d forsaken him.”

His tone was quiet.

The man’s features were actually quite distant as he leaned slightly against the sofa, seeming lost in thought.

Or perhaps in memory.

“Later, the world collapsed. 996 made me go back. When I saw him again, he was slitting his wrists.”

“He…”

Gu Qingshi struggled to find the words. He simply looked at Qi Jing. “The only close bond I’ve ever built in my life was with my adopted son.”

“I couldn’t refuse him.”

Such overwhelming emotions were hard to summarize in just a few words. No one was prepared for this.

“What’s troubling you?”

Qi Jing hadn’t expected his partner to be his adopted son. He needed a moment to process this—and the wrist-cutting?

He had never encountered anything like that.

Bo Chengyan wouldn’t tolerate him staying up late to finish homework.

You only get one life.

Then the door opened. Before the person even appeared, a voice rang out.

“Gu Qingshi, why are you ignoring my calls?! Why send me texts?! I despise texting—”

The footsteps came to an abrupt stop.

Huo Chen’s expression was icy, showing not a hint of hesitation as he turned and demanded:

“Is this your illegitimate child?”

*

Roughly five minutes later.

Qi Jing sat quietly on the sofa while 996 secretly peeked through the study door crack, only to hear a sharp slap.

He came back smug.

“He got hit.”

The boy’s expression shifted instantly, and he nearly jumped to his feet until the study door opened.

The man came out unharmed, his sleeves slightly rolled up, though his lips were a bit red.

Other than that, he was fine.

“Are you alright?”

Gu Qingshi glanced over, somewhat embarrassed. “He didn’t know you, so he got the wrong idea.”

996 blurted out in shock, “I meant Huo Chen got slapped.”

Another awkward silence followed.

Gu Qingshi had the urge to throw 996 out—did it have to make things so awkward?

“I see…”

The boy was flustered, his knowledge insufficient to handle the situation, so he stammered, “Did it hurt your hand?”

Gu Qingshi shifted uncomfortably. He frowned at 996, his meaning clear.

—What nonsense have you been feeding him?

“Not my fault! It’s that ‘target’ of his, who practically wants to brush his teeth for him. The kid’s clueless, like a blank slate now—he thinks any hitting is domestic abuse.”

996 was buzzing around Hong Kong, acting like it was about to take charge, though it didn’t forget to glance at Qi Jing.

“Getting slapped is the protagonist’s weird kink.”

“He’s into it—”

He was abruptly yanked up.

Physically silenced.

The study door opened.

Huo Chen stalked over, scowling, and sat beside the sofa, giving Qi Jing a sweeping glance.

“How old is he?”

The boy’s fingers twitched.

“I’m eighteen.”

Gu Qingshi frowned and was about to intervene when the man said expressionlessly, “Ask me.”

“I pressured him into this. Questioning him won’t help.”

＊

By now, it was dark outside. The city lights beyond the windows glittered, radiating opulence.

The boy stammered:

“H-He’s way older than me. He took me in…”

“Age doesn’t matter, unless they’re underage.”

Huo Chen said this without batting an eye, conveniently ignoring his own teenage crush.

Qi Jing’s words were abruptly cut off.

He froze.

So he changed the subject.

“I doubt he’ll stay interested in me…”

Huo Chen: “Why do you think that?”

“I’m young, and he acts indifferent. He always rejects me.”

Qi Jing admitted bluntly, his fingers digging into the couch slightly. When no response came, he shot a nervous look at Gu Qingshi and 996.

“Any other reasons?”

Huo Chen looked conflicted. Where’d this kid even come from? At least he wasn’t an illegitimate child.

Qi Jing’s throat went dry, his body tense, but he continued.

“I’ve seen people offer him others. I’ve smelled other perfumes on his clothes.”

“Real love means equality first in wealth, then maybe emotional equality.”

The boy quietly placed his hands on his knees and whispered, “We’re worlds apart.”

Huo Chen didn’t follow the philosophical rambling, but he could tell the kid was young and just overanalyzing.

“None of that means anything. Too far apart? He took you in, didn’t he? If he took you in, he owes you.”

996: “…”

“Isn’t this just a trust issue? He can just give you his money—half, or all of it—whatever works. How hard is that?”

Gu Qingshi frowned. “Huo Chen!”

Qi Jing hesitated, remembering the paperwork about shares and inheritance distribution, and murmured, “He… already transferred them to me.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Finally catching on, Qi Jing remembered and frowned. “He spies on me.”

“What’s the big deal?”

Huo Chen brushed it off, “I love doing that too.”

The man lifted his gaze to the young man beside him, his possessiveness completely obvious. “The whole first floor’s covered by cameras. Otherwise, why do you think I rushed back so quickly?”

Qi Jing froze, his wide eyes darting over.

Gu Qingshi simply said calmly, “Talk properly.”

Huo Chen glanced at his wristwatch and frowned. “It’s easy to explain. People do this when they feel insecure.”

“He doesn’t seem like he dislikes you.”

Qi Jing looked like his brain short-circuited. The whole place… is under surveillance?

“Also, did you leave the house on your own?”

“Just out of curiosity—how long have you been off the grid?”