Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A flash of white light descended from the sky, crackling as it connected with the ground, followed by a resounding "boom..." as thunder roared overhead. Dark clouds pressed down oppressively. Oh no, was this some kind of bizarre occurrence again?

It was about to rain. Shen Muyun quickened his pace and, as he passed by, landed a kick on Zhou Shiqing's backside. As luck would have it, the guy tumbled down a nearby slope and landed right in the middle of a sewer, emerging filthy all over.

"Shen Muyun!"

Seeing Zhou Shiqing sprawled in the dirty ditch, Shen Muyun doubled over with laughter and made a mocking face at him. "Young Master Zhou, this is karma! Karma! Who does heaven ever spare?"

Shen Muyun skipped ahead cheerfully, listening to the stream of curses behind him. So satisfying!

When he reached the parking lot, he ran into a problem. Wait, he'd taken a taxi here this morning. What was wrong with his brain? He must have bumped his head during the transmigration—he was being an idiot.

He helplessly checked the ride-hailing app. Perhaps due to the weather, there were no drivers available.

"System, I need a dedicated car and driver. Can you arrange that? I need Shen Muyun's information within three days. I don’t want anyone to notice any inconsistencies."

The system lazily stretched, fluttering its wings twice as it looked at Shen Muyun. "Host Master, what you’re asking is nothing major, but humans are complex. Even with the information, can you truly embody the role?"

What kind of system was this? Others got golden fingers, thick and reliable. But for him, it was just a stubby little pinky—completely useless. A rocky start, a disastrous transmigration. Better to rely on yourself than others.

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Of course I can learn it. I even performed in skits before—you just haven’t seen it. Don’t tell me I can’t do it when you’re the useless one."

The system’s screen flickered with blue light, as if receiving some data. "I have to say, as a man, you can’t claim to be incapable. The most important thing for a man is stamina!"

Crap, was this even a proper system?

"You’re the one who’s not a man! Anyway, do you have any exclusive shop or something? Like items that can help me pass levels or those really powerful golden fingers?"

The system screen brightened. "Huh? Of course I do. I have a shop, but do you have tokens?"

Shen Muyun froze instantly. He glanced at the system display—fifty tokens. Oh heavens, why only fifty?

"Ding! Host, want Big Brother System’s premium items? The kind that’s worth every token!"

"Damn it, system, are you having a mental breakdown?"

The system screen flickered and suddenly displayed something that looked like a golden cudgel.

"System! Keep it clean!"

The system looked at Shen Muyun with a pitiful expression. "This is the system interface. Just tap to enter..."

Shen Muyun swiped his finger across the screen.

"Ding-ding-ding!"

Accompanied by the system’s cheeky voice, the shop opened.

"Golden light flashes! Millions of items!"

The bottom row of the shop was filled with all sorts of weird and bizarre items, along with some that looked rather sketchy.

Item One: Straight Guy Compliment Stick. Want a quick thrill? Want a soaring sensation? Choose this to fulfill your life’s dreams.

Ugh, disgusting.

Item Two: Drink-This-and-Get-Everything Water. Wealth, wealth, endless wealth! Full of side effects—gotta pay some price. How about your hair?

What kind of weird item is this?

Item Three: Fairy Crying Sound. Shh, limited-time item. Usable only on holidays. Makes straight guys tense up. Use with Item One for double the effect.

This system, and it claims to be proper.

Item Four: Venting Doll. Got troubles? Talk to it. Punch it a couple times when you’re upset. Guaranteed to relieve anger!

The middle row shimmered with golden light: Blank Contract (ugh, used that already, boring—pass), No-Bad-Luck Gacha Ticket, Money-Finding Lock, Overnight Riches No-Side-Effects Card, Ten-Pull Guaranteed Gold Ticket, Never-Rejected Confession Ticket...

Seemed pretty interesting.

The top row... Shen Muyun took a look and was shocked. It was fifty billion in cash? If he could get that, wouldn’t he be able to break the three-year curse?

"System, any discounts?"

"Ding-dong! Actually, the exclusive shop was activated yesterday. There aren’t many items available for exchange right now. The shop uses a token system. I’m new at this and not familiar with some tasks yet. But, Host, it seems you’re broke right now. How about selling yourself to earn money? Quick cash."

Shen Muyun checked his system wallet—only fifty? What could he buy with that? The cheapest item cost over a thousand. In the early stages, he’d have to tighten his belt and scrape by. Wasn’t this supposed to be a rich-family scenario? Why was he so poor?

"System, are there any purchase restrictions for this shop? Like automatic refreshes every Monday at 5 a.m.? Any holiday sales?"

"Host, currently, no. Based on task difficulty, the harder the task, the more tokens you earn. The top shelf is for mysterious items. You gotta work hard! Once I complete my business targets, I can retire. I don’t want to retire in my seventies or eighties—I’d be too weak by then. As for holiday items, it’s discount season now. Small business, no credit."

"You wish! Thinking about retirement already? No way! You’ll have to wait. If you serve me well, I’ll seriously complete tasks. If not... well, we’ll just torture each other."

"Host! You can’t do this! You only have three years left! You need to hurry—this is no joke!"

"Fine. Be obedient, and we’ll cooperate happily."

Raindrops began to fall from the sky. Seeing that no car had accepted his ride request, he had no choice but to flag down a random taxi. Thinking about what happened during the day, he still felt a lingering fear. Had he really not been discovered? As for Shen Liuyun, interesting. Playing with him—the game was getting more and more intriguing.

As soon as he entered the door, Shen Muyun saw Shen Liuyun holding scissors and trimming the sunflowers on the table, occasionally tossing fallen petals into a nearby trash can.

"Big brother, I’m back."

Shen Liuyun glanced up at Shen Muyun and set the scissors aside. "Occasionally trimming away useless things is my hobby."

"Those flowers will eventually wither over time. Trimming them will naturally make them look better."

"Yes. Actually, people are the same."

Shen Muyun paused slightly, then smiled and casually plucked a petal from the flower in front of him.

Watching Shen Liuyun’s expression change repeatedly—these flowers were his treasures.

"Brother, can you give these flowers to me?"

"Sure."

"Brother, why don’t you like chrysanthemums?"

"No reason."

"Brother, sunflowers soaked in water are good for nourishing the stomach."

"..."

Shen Liuyun looked up at Shen Muyun. Was the person who had argued so fiercely earlier just an illusion?

That face looks innocent, but the actions that come from it seem unhinged and hypocritical—utterly hypocritical.

Shen Liuyun plucked at the flower petals, paying no mind to the incessant flashing of his phone screen beside him.

"The Shen family business is run collectively by our clan. If there's an issue, just speak up. But you never used to involve yourself in company matters before—what got you so interested all of a sudden today? Did you come straight from the yacht? Didn’t have enough fun last night?"

Shen Liuyun gestured for a servant to pour tea.

Shen Muyun’s mouth twitched. How could he possibly say it was because he’d been bound to some bizarre system and would die if he didn’t complete the tasks?

"Just a lucky coincidence. The yacht was fun enough—just a pity I didn’t get to take out Zhou Shiqing. Really a shame."

Shen Muyun’s hands, which had been toying with the flowers, suddenly stilled. A harsh glint flashed in his eyes.

The servant set the teapot in front of Shen Liuyun, skillfully rinsed the cups, and only on the second pour respectfully placed them before the two.

"Mm, it’s just a contract. You’re still young, you’ve got a few more years to play around. As for Zhou Shiqing, just stay away from him."

"Brother, I think he’s my new toy."

Shen Liuyun pursed his lips. This little brother had truly gone crazy.

"So... is there anything else you’re into?"

"Not really. Brother, you don’t need to worry about me."

Shen Liuyun’s phone lit up again, but he ignored it, letting it vibrate.

"Brother, aren’t you going to answer?"

"It’s nothing. Just leave it."

Seeing how unfazed Shen Liuyun seemed, Shen Muyun picked up his teacup, studying the clear tea inside. Tea leaves floated on the surface, vibrant green, giving off a pleasant scent, with a faint mist hovering at the rim.

He abruptly switched topics.

"Uh, brother, I’ve made plans with a friend to visit the horse track in the suburbs this weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve been riding—I kinda miss it. Do you have time this weekend? Want to come along?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, memories of the original host flooded Shen Muyun’s mind: the original Shen Muyun had taken a fall from a horse at age six and had disliked the activity ever since.

Shen Muyun’s face paled. He barely held back a curse—what was he thinking? How could he have forgotten that detail? Would he blow his cover? How could he possibly backtrack now?

Shen Liuyun’s expression darkened noticeably. He slammed his cup down firmly. "Mu Yun, you fell off a horse before. Back in Northern Europe, you even said horseback riding was for fools. What’s changed? Or are you plotting something again?"

Shen Muyun’s lip twitched.

"Brother, my hands are freezing."

"There’s a hot water bottle at home. The weather’s not great today."

"Brother, I want to go to sleep."

"Your room is upstairs."

"Brother, I think I might be a little needy."

Before Shen Liuyun could respond, his phone rang again. It was unclear if it was the same caller as before, but this time Shen Liuyun answered promptly, not making a secret of it.

"Hello, Lu Huainan, what’s up? I saw your call earlier—I was just talking with Mu Yun."

The person on the other end paused briefly, gazing out the floor-to-ceiling window at the night view, exhaling smoke rings as neon signs flickered outside. "Oh? The one who caused quite a scene on the yacht?"

Shen Muyun signaled that he was heading to his room. Shen Liuyun waved casually, indicating he was free to go.

Shen Muyun stood up from the sofa but felt a flicker of curiosity about the person on the phone. Huainan… The original Host’s memories held a vague impression of this person—only that he was the young master of the Lu family.

He ducked around a corner where Shen Liuyun couldn’t see him and listened in on the conversation.

"Don’t joke about that, Lu Huainan. How are things with the land in the west of the city? I heard the Fu Group snatched it—what a shame. I thought no one was paying much attention to that area."

"Exactly. The south side belongs to the Su family. Jiangcheng’s prime real estate is almost all divided up. I’ll take a look north of the city. Liu Yun, I heard the contract you had this morning got canceled. So you finally believe what I said before?"

Shen Muyun heard every word clearly—thanks to the system, otherwise he wouldn’t have caught what Lu Huainan said. Who was he? Why did he feel vaguely familiar? Shen Muyun shook his head. Impossible. This was a world from a book; he was probably just a passerby. But since he was unfamiliar with this place, making another connection wouldn’t hurt.

"Mu Yun was the one who caught the problem. I thought it was strange, but it’s probably nothing. Hopefully, I’m just overthinking it."

"Lu Huainan, if you’re free sometime, let’s get a drink at the bar. It’s been a while since we hung out."

After the call ended, Shen Liuyun shot a meaningful look in his direction. Shen Muyun, certain he was hidden, felt relieved and headed upstairs.

Shen Liuyun rubbed the invitation on the tea table—black with gold trim, a gilded texture, bearing the snake emblem unique to the Lu family. He cast a thoughtful look toward the upstairs, where a dark shadow had just slipped out of view.

Shen Muyun returned to his room alone and flopped onto the bed. He hadn’t slept well the previous night, and his neck was stiff and sore. Today had been exhausting.

He hadn’t wanted to get involved in company matters, but it was a system task. Arguing at the office had drained him—this body was already weak, and the ordeal left him in dire need of rest.

Right now, all he wanted was to crash, think of nothing, do nothing, just hug a pillow and sleep the day away.

"Ding dong! Respected Host Master, you have a letter! Please check it promptly. Ding dong~ ding dong, ding dong!"

The system flapped its tiny wings and appeared before him, twirling cheerily, seeming to be in a good mood.

"Can you keep it down? My ears are about to go deaf."

Shen Muyun eyed the screen with its jarring golden cudgel. Suppressing his irritation, he swiped, and an envelope with wings materialized.

"New feature, Host Master! How do you like my wings? Just touch the edges—"

Pink hearts floated across the system’s screen.

"Ugh, go chill somewhere. You’re an eyesore."

Unfolding the envelope, he found an invitation: On Friday evening, the Lu Family Winery would host a charity auction, featuring a Kashmir Sapphire as the grand prize. Invited by: Lu Huainan.

Wait—Lu Huainan? Wasn’t that the person Shen Liuyun had just been talking to?

"System, who is this Lu Huainan?"

"Host Master, when you ask for a favor, you should be a bit more polite. Use honorifics."

Shen Muyun grabbed the system’s wings. "Like this?" Then he flung it away.

The system zipped back into the air. "Host Master! That’s attempted murder!"

"Beep beep—file received successfully."

Shen Muyun opened the folder. Lu Huainan’s basic info appeared: Lu Huainan, eldest son of the Lu family, low-profile, mild-mannered, 29 years old, heir to the Lu family empire. The Lu Group stands as one of the three major powers in Jiangcheng, alongside the Fu and Su families.

The system blinked. "He’s quite accomplished. Born in the U.S., records show he’s never returned to the country, but the data is incomplete. Since childhood, he’s been the 'golden child' type. As far as we know, you’ve had no interaction with him—never even met."

Shen Muyun tapped the system screen. "Can you provide some useful information? For instance, is he a romanceable character? For me, with his help, would the storyline progress more smoothly? Don’t bother telling me the superficial stuff."

The system drooped its little wings and shook its head helplessly. "Well, host, I have to say, the Lu family and the Shen family are old friends, but as for Lu Huainan, this guy's a tough nut—zero romantic history. Your eldest brother has an absolute competitive relationship with him in business, though their personal relationship is decent. The system can only say that this person is hard to win over. I’d advise you to give up on this idea sooner rather than later."

Shen Muyun’s personality was one that thrives under pressure—the word "failure" simply didn’t exist in his dictionary. As for Lu Huainan, he was somewhat interested, but not overly so. Befriending different kinds of people could help extend his lifespan. He quietly calculated how to befriend this person.

The system let out a yawn. "Host, you’ve been busy all day. It’s time for you to sleep. The invitation is in Shen Liuyun’s hands, and whether you can actually go is still uncertain."

"Just shut up and go to sleep."