Chapter 65: You Did It on Purpose

Chapter 65: You Meant to Do That

Song Shimu had assumed Qin Xu was just being polite, never imagining he genuinely had no ulterior motives.

That night, the item was tucked away in the bedside drawer. They chatted, kissed, and drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms, just as always.

Song Shimu felt a restless flutter all night, yet was too embarrassed to voice it. In the past, he could have spoken such thoughts without a second’s hesitation, knowing nothing would come of them. But now, the mere thought of what might happen filled him with an uncontrollable nervousness.

...Song Shimu sighed, trimming the flowers Qin Xu had bought the day before, torn between whether to make an aggressive move.

Once the flowers were trimmed, Song Shimu arranged them in a vase and carried it into the living room.

Just then, the system’s voice chimed in. "Shimu, Shimu! Your reward has been disbursed! Sixty million yuan has been credited to your bank account. Officially, it’s listed as lottery winnings. We’ve already handled the lottery process for you. Lastly, would you like the punishment video of 011?" 073 asked.

"Let me see." Song Shimu checked his bank account, and a smile he couldn’t suppress spread across his face as he saw the ninety-million balance.

"Alright, Shimu, you can check your photo gallery now. I’ve sent you a video, but host, you should prepare yourself before watching. Systems are different from humans, in both appearance and sound. If it’s too much, exit immediately," 073 kindly warned.

Had 073 not warned him, Song Shimu’s curiosity wouldn’t have been so piqued. But with the emphasis, he felt compelled to take a look.

So he immediately switched to his photo gallery and found the video. The cover was a bizarre mix of deep purple, orange-red, and aqua blue, looking as if these three pigments had been randomly splashed onto a black canvas.

Song Shimu initially thought it was a system-generated cover, but upon clicking, he realized that the flowing, blending colors, resembling both water and sand, were actually 011!

Even worse, 011 seemed to be undergoing some form of punishment. The screaming in the video sounded like a horrifying blend of nails scraping a blackboard and a baby’s wail. Song Shimu closed it after just one second, questioned 073 repeatedly to confirm it wasn’t a prank, and then clicked to watch again.

This time, he only lasted five seconds, confirmed that the bizarre colors were indeed 011, and promptly exited.

"Do you all look so bizarre? And your sounds are utterly unnatural," Song Shimu complained.

073 replied, "Normally, we are all white. The colors you see are because 011 has been disemboweled. To put it in human terms, the black is blood, and the purple and red are organs."

"Ah?" Song Shimu was stunned. He thought 001 was messing with him, but it turned out to be a gesture of kindness.

"That’s quite... graphic, this punishment video."

"Normally, we are all white blobs. It only gets a bit strange when cut open, but the main system is an exception—it remains white even when dissected."

"...Alright then," Song Shimu reluctantly accepted the system’s bizarre anatomy: white exterior, black core, and colorful internal organs. Remembering 011’s voice, he asked, "Can’t you systems speak human language? Why was the sound in that video so bizarre?"

"Erm... host, when you return to your hometown, do you still speak a foreign language?" 073 offered a simple analogy.

"..." Song Shimu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, finding it hard to imagine such standard Mandarin coming from what sounded like a native dialect. "Can you say my name in your hometown language?"

073 recited it once.

In an instant, the sound of nails scraping a blackboard reverberated through Song Shimu’s mind. The indescribable sensation sent a shiver down his spine. Now he was certain that the baby’s cry was indeed the system’s scream.

"Alright, thank you, 073. Without you, I wouldn’t have made it back," Song Shimu said, bidding his final farewell.

"Hehe, I still needed you to carry me! This time, I coasted to victory and even got double pay! Thank you, Shimu!" 073’s voice was brimming with uncontainable joy.

"Mm, as long as nothing was deducted."

"Well then, goodbye, Shimu. I’ll always remember you!"

"I will too," Song Shimu said.

"To make sure you remember me, I’ve uploaded a photo of myself to your phone. You’re not allowed to delete it." With that, 073 detached itself from Song Shimu’s body and departed for its home.

"Hmm?" Song Shimu looked down just as the photo popped up—a black background with a white blob in the center, its soft, flowing edges resembling a white aquatic slime.

At first glance, it looked like a simple doodle, but it was surprisingly cute.

Just then, Qin Xu emerged from the room, wrapping his scarf around his neck as he walked toward the living room. "I’m ready. Let’s go. The bodyguards Mom and Dad sent are already downstairs."

Song Shimu turned to him, a smile playing on his lips. "The reward came through."

"That was efficient," Qin Xu raised an eyebrow.

"The main system was quite generous. After it left, I was worried it might deduct my reward, but it actually gave me double," Song Shimu said.

"How much?" Qin Xu stepped closer.

Song Shimu showed Qin Xu his balance screen. "Sixty million. The record says it’s lottery winnings—didn’t even need to buy a ticket."

Qin Xu stared at the balance, words of praise caught in his throat. After a few seconds of silence, he looked away from the screen and into Song Shimu’s eyes. "You didn’t spend a single penny of the thirty million Mom and Dad gave you?"

"Well, I still had money on another card, and you guys bought me the car and apartment. You also get me clothes and daily necessities, so most of my spending is on food. I even calculated my Engel coefficient—it’s higher than when I was a student."

"But I thought you had loans?" Qin Xu asked.

Song Shimu nodded. "I originally planned to trick Song Yinmu into paying them off, but after his scheme to frame me was exposed, we had a falling out over the phone yesterday. So now I have to pay it myself. But with the system’s reward, I’m not losing out either way." Song Shimu’s eyes curved into a smile, making him look like a smug little fox.

Qin Xu couldn’t help but lean down to kiss him, rubbing his face and saying, "What am I going to do with such a frugal little boyfriend?"

"Am I, though?" Song Shimu didn’t consider himself particularly materialistic, but he wouldn’t call himself thrifty either. After all, he never looked at prices when he ate—he just ordered whatever he felt like, sometimes spending four figures on a single meal, occasionally even five.

Qin Xu reached out, cupped Song Shimu’s waist, and helped him up from the sofa. As he led Song Shimu toward the door, he said, "Most people would splurge wildly with that much money, but you haven’t touched a cent."

"Actually, I wanted to spend it. Before joining Qinfeng, I planned to take a trip and relax for a while, but then I got pulled into the company. Now, every day I open my eyes, it’s just work." Song Shimu gave Qin Xu a resentful look.

Qin Xu smiled at him. "Aren’t you happy working with me?"

Song Shimu shot him a look that clearly said, *You should know the answer to that.*

Qin Xu smirked and kissed Song Shimu’s lips reassuringly. "Once we finish investigating the company, we’ll go on vacation."

Song Shimu’s eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Mmhmm," Qin Xu nodded.

"Yay! That’s great!" Song Shimu cheered. "Finally, something to look forward to in this damn job!"

As they headed out, Song Shimu pulled up the video of 011’s punishment. "Want to see the video of 011 being punished?"

"I can watch it too?" Qin Xu raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, 073 sent it to my phone. It even included a photo of itself."

"Let’s take a look then," Qin Xu said.

A mischievous glint flashed in Song Shimu’s eyes as he played the video. Instantly, the sound of nails on a chalkboard mixed with a baby crying echoed through the hallway. Qin Xu watched for three seconds before pausing it himself, giving Song Shimu a skeptical look. "Are you sure this is a punishment video?"

"Yep," Song Shimu nodded.

Qin Xu wasn’t entirely convinced. "Are you sure this isn’t 001 getting back at you?"

Song Shimu chuckled helplessly. "They’re from another planet, after all. 073 said 011 had already been disemboweled by this point."

"...That’s so weird."

"That’s what they look like when cut open. Here, let me show you 073." Song Shimu swiped his finger across the screen, displaying a photo of 073 to Qin Xu.

"This one looks relatively normal, but do they not have facial features?" Qin Xu asked.

"Not sure. This was sent by 073 before it left. I didn’t think to ask at the time," Song Shimu replied.

Qin Xu nodded and didn't say anything else.

Outside the company building.

Due to the actions of Gu Wenrui and Chen Mingsheng, both Tan Manjin and Qin Song were deeply concerned for their safety, so they had specially assigned bodyguards to accompany them.

As the two arrived at the company, the bodyguards dutifully exited the car first, then respectfully opened the doors for them.

Song Shimu hadn’t expected something usually seen in TV dramas to happen to him in real life—only, it felt far more awkward in person than it seemed on screen...

It was the peak of rush hour, and the area outside the company was bustling with people hurrying inside, moving in groups.

Surrounded by a group of tall bodyguards in black, Song Shimu and Qin Xu stepped out of the car, immediately capturing everyone’s attention.

Some of the bolder onlookers even raised their phones to take pictures.

Song Shimu walked calmly, maintaining a composed demeanor, but a closer look would reveal the slight stiffness in his lips and his occasional glances toward Qin Xu.

"Do you have an extra mask?" Song Shimu asked, tilting his head toward Qin Xu.

"No," Qin Xu replied, glancing at him before taking off his own hat and placing it on Song Shimu’s head.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

From the sound of it, Song Shimu could tell these people were well-versed in the latest news and gossip.

"We should’ve just kept working from home," Song Shimu said with a forced smile, his words nearly through gritted teeth.

"There’s a meeting I have to attend in person. Just bear with it for now." As he spoke, Qin Xu also took off his scarf and wrapped it around Song Shimu.

While it seemed like an attempt to prevent Song Shimu from feeling awkward, it only elicited an even louder collective gasp.

Song Shimu glanced around before fixing his gaze on Qin Xu. "Are you doing this on purpose?"

"You know it," Qin Xu chuckled, his deep eyes filled with affection. "I never understood why people in relationships felt the need to show off—until now. It’s hard to resist."

"Now’s not the time to—"

Before Song Shimu could finish, a piercing cry came from behind them: "Song Shimu—!"

The bodyguards immediately reacted, shielding Song Shimu from behind. Turning around, Song Shimu saw a woman with a haggard face rushing toward them. As the bodyguards blocked her path, she dropped to her knees right on the spot!

Another wave of gasps swept through the crowd. Song Shimu’s face was full of astonishment. Qin Xu, standing beside him, said quietly, so only they could hear: "Song Yinmu’s mother."

Song Shimu nodded in understanding. Through the gaps between the bodyguards, the woman clasped her hands together, pleading desperately toward Song Shimu.

"Song Shimu, I beg you! I beg you! Please save Yinmu!"

Song Shimu still didn't get it. Why was she begging over some news story?

"Please, I’m begging you!" When Song Shimu remained silent, the woman began kowtowing, tears and mucus streaming down her face. "Song Shimu! I’m pleading with you! If you don’t save him, he’ll go to jail! Our entire Song family will be ruined! Please!"

Song Shimu finally spoke. "What happened to him?"

"He accidentally killed someone! Yesterday! He’s been tormented ever since! I’m begging you!"