Chapter 2 The Real Issue Isn’t Sophistry

Chapter 2 The Real Issue Isn't Sophistry

System: "Exactly! I don't know why my punishments don't affect you, but the moment Qin Xu touched you, he got zapped!"

"So… he touched me as if performing acupressure… and even asked me to take off my clothes…"

"He probably thought you were messing with him…"

"..."

"But honestly, he's incredibly resilient. He got shocked so many times and didn't utter a sound. Most hosts would be unsteady on their feet within two seconds."

"......"

Song Shimu slowly emerged from under the blankets, his gaze toward the door unconsciously tinged with a hint of pity.

"Are you okay?" Mrs. Qin had already composed herself. She picked up the USB drive from the floor, placed it on the bedside table, and stepped forward to loosen the tie from his wrists as she asked.

Song Shimu’s eyes fell on Tan Manjin’s hands as she freed him, and he asked the system in his mind, "Are you punishing me right now?"

"No, I’m afraid of electrocuting someone else. I need to report this issue of your body leaking electricity to the main system."

Song Shimu breathed a sigh of relief, shook his head gently, and looked at Tan Manjin with a complex expression mixed with a touch of restraint.

He had been an orphan, adopted at age five. When his younger brother was born when he was seven, he never again experienced the warmth of family. Later, at eighteen, he moved out and didn’t even have a nominal home anymore.

Now, suddenly having a mother, Song Shimu felt a growing sense of guilt over occupying someone else’s body.

"You’re Song Shimu, right?"

Tan Manjin wore a light-colored dress with her hair pulled back into a bun, revealing a smooth, full forehead. Her light makeup accentuated her dignified, elegant, and luxurious demeanor.

Song Shimu nodded.

"Just now… what happened between you and Qin Xu?" Tan Manjin finished untying the tie and casually helped smooth Song Shimu’s hair.

"It was a bit of a misunderstanding," Song Shimu said carefully.

"Would you mind telling me about it?" Tan Manjin asked gently.

Song Shimu pursed his lips. "Let us handle it ourselves. It’s not a big deal."

Tan Manjin nodded. Remembering that only the lawyer was present when the truth was revealed, she asked, "When you found out about your true background, why didn’t you come looking for us?"

In the original story, the protagonist’s response was something like, "Why would I look for you?"

It was quite an attitude, showing no desire for the wealthy family.

Song Shimu was different. He had a deep and intense desire for wealth. Whenever there was a chance to get rich, he would cling to it like a leech.

"I just found out the truth and need time to process it," Song Shimu said.

Tan Manjin smiled. "Can you accept it now?"

Song Shimu nodded. "I accept that you are my birth mother, but this won’t change the fact that Yue Lan will always be my mother."

A soft tenderness reflected in Tan Manjin’s eyes, and she gently replied, "Mhm."

073 was causing a ruckus in his mind. "Host, you need to follow the plot!"

"Have you contacted the main system?" Song Shimu retorted.

"...No."

"Then let’s talk after you’ve contacted them. For the part of the plot I’m in now, I’ll proceed based on my own wishes and the general direction of the story."

"But!..."

"But what? Did you ask for my consent before pulling me here? Did you get the original host’s consent? I could’ve just left, but you had to drag me back to this world to keep working like a dog! Do you have any idea that what you’re doing is no different from cutting off someone’s livelihood or killing their parents?" Song Shimu fumed inwardly.

"..." The system fell silent, then muttered after a while, "When you saw the balance, you couldn’t even stop smiling. How dare you say I’m cutting off your livelihood?"

Song Shimu smirked and stopped manipulating the system, pulling out his trump card instead. "Your punishments don’t work on me, so I decide how the plot goes."

"......"

The system stayed silent. Song Shimu began to offer a way out. "Actually, I don’t blame you for sending me here. I just need you to help my soul return after I die. I don’t need a healthy body—just give me ten million for retirement."

"?...Host, I might be unreliable, but I’m not stupid."

"Really? I couldn’t tell."

"………………"

"Shi Mu, would you be willing to move into the family home after you’re discharged from the hospital?"

This "home" referred to the Qin family. Song Shimu was nodding like a pecking chicken in his heart, but on the surface, he replied with restraint, "Can you give me some time to think about it?"

"Okay," Tan Manjin said with a warm smile.

It was at this moment that Qin’s father and Qin Xu returned. Both looked grim, and the atmosphere was palpably tense, contrasting sharply with the relaxed mood in the room.

When Qin Song’s eyes fell on Song Shimu, his expression softened slightly, but he still looked intimidating.

"Shi Mu? Right."

"Mm," Song Shimu nodded.

"Move into the Qin family home after you’re discharged. With us around, you’ll have support," Qin Song said, more assertive than Tan Manjin, making decisions for Song Shimu right away.

In the original story, the protagonist outright refused and showed resistance to Qin Song’s authoritarian manner.

Song Shimu had no objections. He wanted to latch onto the wealthy family, so he nodded along with Qin Song’s words.

"I’ve already scolded Qin Xu on your behalf. From now on, get along well. We’re all family."

With one sentence, he addressed two matters: the earlier incident and the question of Qin Xu’s place in the family.

It was an arbitrary way of handling things, but Song Shimu had no objections and generally followed the original plot.

Afterward, Tan Manjin and Qin Song took turns asking Song Shimu about his past life. Song Shimu answered each question based on the system’s prompts.

Qin Xu, meanwhile, swept up the water from the floor with a dark expression and didn’t say a word. Tan Manjin, noticing the tension between her two sons, asked Qin Xu to peel some fruit for Song Shimu, hoping to ease the relationship.

Qin Xu looked at the fruit basket, picked up an apple—Song Shimu’s least favorite fruit—and began peeling it slowly.

By the time he finished and handed it over, the apple, once the size of a palm, had been reduced to the size of a kiwifruit.

If the apple had been unevenly peeled, it might have been understandable, but the peeled apple was perfectly round. It didn’t seem like the work of someone who didn’t know how to peel fruit but rather like a seasoned chef intentionally doing a poor job.

Tan Manjin and Qin Song frowned, and before Qin Xu could hand it to Song Shimu, they urged him to slice it.

Qin Xu complied, but he butchered it, with the pieces unevenly sized, some large and some small.

Qin Song’s vein in his temple throbbed, and he wanted to drag Qin Xu out for another scolding.

But seeing that Song Shimu didn’t care one bit, he let it go, shooting a glare at Qin Xu before steering the conversation back to the previous topic.

As lunchtime approached, Tan Manjin and Qin Song headed out to grab lunch, while Qin Xu was stuck playing babysitter, clearly meant to give them time to resolve their conflict.

At this point, Song Shimu ate the last piece of fruit Qin Xu had cut, in good spirits as he played on his phone.

He pinged 073 about the progress of contacting the main system, but there was nothing new.

“Was the fruit good?” Qin Xu’s voice was low, tight, like he was gritting his teeth.

With no elders around, Song Shimu chirped, “Sweet~”

Qin Xu’s mouth twitched, and he said coldly, “Does your conscience not bother you?”

Song Shimu brushed it off, “The thing I’ve been called the most is ‘has no conscience.’”

“...” Qin Xu’s eyes went cold, and he said heavily, “You really are heartless.”

With that, Qin Xu turned and left the hospital room without looking back.

Song Shimu didn’t give it a second thought and continued playing on his phone.

Not long after, the door opened, and Song Shimu looked up to see an unfamiliar face.

The newcomer was dressed in light blue, with a white inner layer under a solid-colored shirt, simple jeans, and soft, fluffy curls. Paired with bright, doe-like eyes, he looked innocent and youthful.

Song Shimu asked the system in his mind who this was, and the system replied, “Song Yinmu, Qin Xu’s half-brother, the one who pushed you down the steps.”

Hearing this, Song Shimu couldn’t help but scrutinize Song Yinmu again. He looked young and pure, but his actions were quite ruthless.

073 reminded him, “Host, Song Yinmu is only four months younger than you.”

Wow, even more ruthless.

“Brother, I came to see you.” Song Yinmu had fangs that showed when he smiled, making him look even more youthful.

Song Shimu smiled back at him, “I didn’t expect you to come.”

“Of course, Brother! Even though we’re not related by blood, you’ll always be my brother for life!”

In the original story, the protagonist’s parents divorced early, but for some reason, this younger brother had been in the same class as the protagonist since elementary school, sticking to him every day. No matter how the protagonist tried to drive him away, he never succeeded.

The reason for this clinginess wasn’t because he liked the protagonist but because staying close made it easier to play tricks.

The protagonist’s school life was a nightmare until college, all because of this younger brother’s behind-the-scenes scheming, sowing discord, framing, and setting traps—anything to make the protagonist miserable. Although the protagonist always fought back, he could never shake off Song Yinmu.

A total parasite.

Thinking of this, Song Shimu handed Song Yinmu the hospital bill from the bedside table—the one that Qin’s parents had insisted on paying but he had refused—and said,

“Bro, this is my hospital bill. Could you help me pay it? You know, with my leg injured and the company…”

Song Yinmu’s face froze, “Me…?”

“Bro, you’re all I have now. Ever since my business failed, all my friends have… ugh!” At the end, Song Shimu put on an expression of extreme disappointment, unwilling to mention the pain further.

Song Yinmu hesitated as he took the bill, asking uncertainly, “Brother, the Qin family… with all their money, wouldn’t cover it?”

Song Shimu avoided the main issue, “Qin Xu made it clear I’m not welcome.”

“But he’s the one who stole your spot!” A flash of delight crossed Song Yinmu’s eyes, quickly replaced by indignation. He stood up from the chair and advised,

“Brother, I’ve done some digging. Qin Xu now calls the shots at the Qin Corporation. Given your special status, he’s definitely going to target you.”

Song Shimu nodded, thinking to himself, Of course I know Qin Xu will target me, and I also know you’re trying to play both sides, sucking up to me now but planning to team up with Qin Xu later.

“Brother, you have to be careful! I’ll go pay your bill now and come back to see you later.” Song Yinmu couldn’t wait to team up with Qin Xu, so he left using the bill as his out.

“Okay.” Song Shimu smiled and waved goodbye, watching him leave the room.

The system, having saw all that, asked in surprise, “I thought you’d use the flash drive to expose him. I was even ready to fast-forward through this part.”

“I thought you’d nag me about sticking to the script. I was ready to resist,” Song Shimu teased the system.

073 fell silent for a moment before saying sincerely, “I learned from you. I think that even though I brought the wrong person, I tried my best to make up for it. It’s the main system’s fault for blocking me without permission, preventing me from correcting the mistake in time.”

Song Shimu raised an eyebrow, “When have I ever used such sophistry?”

“The point isn’t the sophistry, but the audacity.”

Song Shimu smirked, unable to hold back a laugh.

Returning to the topic, 073 asked, “Why didn’t you expose him?”

“Quick cash,” Song Shimu said.

“Huh?”

“After all, he’s my ‘little brother.’ Gotta keep up appearances,” Song Shimu said.

The system sensed a revenge plot brewing in his words and thought wishfully, Hopefully, it won’t derail everything.