Chapter 48

Chapter 48

The air instantly fell silent.

Everyone: "???"

Even Shen Ju was somewhat stunned, sitting on the top bunk, staring blankly at Pei Yan.

En… engagement?

What does "engagement" even mean?

He felt as if he no longer understood the Chinese language.

Guan Mulin, meanwhile, drew a sharp, quiet breath.

He seemed to have really stumbled upon something…

Pei Yan and Shen Ju, are they? Huh??

Guan Lifeng narrowed his eyes, while Guan Muyao’s gaze was like a knife. Jian Yi was still a bit clueless, and as for Qin Suxi… Qin Suxi’s expression was unreadable; it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

But no one had time to speak.

Because 996 wasn’t "stunned" by Pei Yan’s words like the others; instead, it thought—

"Brilliant idea!"

"............"

What’s so brilliant about it!

996 crouched on Shen Ju’s knee, hopping excitedly, and continued its self-proclaimed "analysis": "Since everyone can cooperate, then the host’s final task objectives can indeed be coordinated!"

"Let me think—originally, the host had a mission to seduce Brother Pei. When the task reaches its final stage, we can pretend to drug Brother Pei and frame him, using this to blackmail Brother Pei into an engagement with the host, forcing Brother Pei to grudgingly agree. But then the host’s actions are eventually exposed, the Guan family can’t accept it, doesn’t want to be enemies with the Pei family, and no longer wants to deal with the host. Doesn’t that give them a reason to kick the host out!"

"Oh, right, and then once the host is driven out of the Guan family, they’ll fall directly into Brother Pei’s hands. Wouldn’t that mean he can exact revenge however he wants? It’s only natural for the malicious true young master to end up with such a fate!"

"Ah, and there’s more! This way, it can also highlight how virtuous the protagonist shou is!"

Guan Mulin: "............"

Thanks a lot.

He’d been wanting to say this for a while—

996, since you’re so eloquent and imaginative, why don’t you become a screenwriter?

What a waste of talent.

And just then, Pei Yan raised an eyebrow, nodding as he said, "That’s roughly the plan."

"This way, everything can be tied together perfectly."

Jian Yi’s mouth fell open. He looked at Pei Yan, then at Shen Ju.

Thinking, seduction?

Drugging, engagement?

Even if it’s fake, this is still—

As if knowing what Jian Yi was thinking, Pei Yan turned to him at that moment and said, "It would be good if we could covertly find a way to end the task. But if there’s no way, the task still needs to continue. Besides, the task is already more than halfway done. Setting aside whether Shen Ju is willing to stop midway, even if he is, there’s no telling what price might be paid for aborting the task mid-course."

"Now that we have a way to kill two birds with one stone, it’s better to proceed first."

After speaking, Pei Yan looked at Qin Suxi again: "If Aunt Qin trusts me, believe me, when the time comes that Shen Ju has to 'leave' the Guan family, I will take good care of him."

"I won’t let him suffer even a tiny bit of hardship."

"If the task succeeds in the end, it’ll be a happy outcome for everyone, won’t it?"

Qin Suxi gave Pei Yan a long look but said nothing. Instead, she first turned to Shen Ju.

"Sweetie, what do you think? You can share any thoughts you have. Mom, Dad, and your big brothers will all support you, don’t worry."

Shen Ju was still pondering Pei Yan’s words, his lips pressed together. The fist that Pei Yan had patted earlier had relaxed, and he was now tightly gripping the blanket covering his legs. His heart was pounding—whether it was because his fever hadn’t fully subsided or for some other reason, he wasn’t sure. Hearing Qin Suxi’s question, he couldn’t help but let out an "ah," glanced at Pei Yan, then looked at Qin Suxi. His fingers gripping the blanket unconsciously tightened again as he said softly, "I just want to see the task through."

In the past, he didn’t dare to hope for anything, but now…

Shen Ju took a deep breath and looked at Qin Suxi: "Mom, can you help me?"

"Of course."

Qin Suxi gave Shen Ju a gentle smile: "No matter what, Mom will always help you."

"And your father and the others will too."

Shen Ju instinctively looked at Guan Lifeng, Guan Muyao, Guan Mulin, and the others.

Guan Mulin was the first to nod, signaling to Shen Ju that he could rest assured.

He would definitely help Shen Ju.

Since Qin Suxi had agreed, Guan Lifeng naturally couldn’t refuse.

It was just that Pei Yan—this guy was really hard to look at.

Lastly, Guan Muyao.

Guan Muyao secretly took a deep breath and glanced at Pei Yan.

As it happened, Pei Yan was also looking at him and even smiled.

Guan Muyao: "............"

For the first time, he felt like cursing.

Shen Ju hesitated: "...Big Brother?"

Guan Muyao immediately replied: "Big Brother will help you too."

Shen Ju instantly broke into a smile: "Thank you, Big Brother."

Guan Muyao: ...Never mind.

Finally, Shen Ju looked at Pei Yan, his fingers fiddling with the blanket again: "Brother Pei, thank you too."

Pei Yan gave a quiet "en" and smiled at Shen Ju: "No need to thank me."

That settled things.

Jian Yi’s objections were futile. In the end, he could only emphasize to Shen Ju that if there was any way to call off the task along the way, it must be done. He didn’t want to gamble that Shen Ju would be okay.

If anything happened to Shen Ju because of him, even if Jian Yi’s body recovered fully, his entire life would likely be plunged into a quagmire, and he would never be at peace.

He could never be at ease in this lifetime.

Nor could he accept a healthy body, gained because of Shen Ju, with a clear conscience.

Shen Ju understood Jian Yi’s underlying meaning, so this time he just nodded and agreed.

With the matter "resolved," Shen Ju relaxed a little.

But as he relaxed, the headache and fever caught up with him again, and he suddenly felt dizzy.

Staying at Jian Yi’s place was ultimately inconvenient. Fortunately, the Guan family members were all there, along with Pei Yan, so they helped Shen Ju down together, planning to take him back to the Guan family home. There was a family doctor there who could start an IV as soon as they returned, ensuring Shen Ju would be well taken care of. Additionally, since they needed to help Shen Ju with the task next—though it was basically out in the open—some details still needed to be finalized, and they had to check the task’s progress.

Jian Yi naturally couldn’t stop Shen Ju from leaving.

But he watched as Pei Yan finally scooped Shen Ju up horizontally…

Of course, there was no other way—

After all, at that moment, besides Qin Suxi and him, Pei Yan was the closest to Shen Ju.

His bedroom was also pretty cramped.

It couldn’t fit many people, and there wasn’t much space to maneuver…

So in the end, only Pei Yan could carry Shen Ju out.

It was just the fever.

It couldn’t possibly mean anything else.

Fortunately, once Pei Yan carried Shen Ju out of the room, Shen Ju spoke softly, asking Pei Yan to put him down as he could walk by himself.

996 had already slipped back into Shen Ju’s body and couldn’t help saying: "Host, it seems Brother Pei not only doesn’t dislike you but actually likes you a lot."

"Look, you’re all sweaty, yet he held you so tightly, afraid of dropping you."

The moment it said that.

Shen Ju: "............"

The Guan family: "............"

996 realized: "Ah..."

Jian Yi, behind them, was puzzled. Why did everyone freeze?

The next second, it clicked for him: "Did you all hear something again?"

"What did that system say?"

"What did it say?"

The system had slipped into Shen Ju’s body, and among those present, probably only he and his mom couldn’t hear it.

Jian Yi couldn’t help but click his tongue.

996 whispered: "Host, this bug really needs to be fixed."

Since everything was out in the open now, keeping this bug was useless and also made things awkward.

"In the future, just tell me anything. We should leave some privacy for others," 996 muttered quietly.

Shen Ju also felt awkward and embarrassed.

But he still reminded: "Bro 996, everyone can hear you."

996: "..."

We gotta fix this bug!

Pei Yan slightly furrowed his brows.

He wanted to say something.

But he couldn’t.

Since things were already clear, listening to Shen Ju and the system’s conversation really didn’t serve much purpose and would only make Shen Ju uncomfortable.

So there was indeed no reason to object.

It’s just that he would no longer be able to hear Shen Ju’s inner thoughts…

Well, you have to give up something to gain something.

He had to understand trade-offs.

Pei Yan kept his thoughts to himself and didn’t object, nor did the Guan family.

............

After bringing Shen Ju back to Yujin Mansion, the family doctor happened to arrive just in time.

Pei Yan waited until the family doctor had started the IV for Shen Ju before he left. If he stayed any longer, he might be "asked" to leave—it was better to have some self-awareness.

Anyway, Shen Ju was already "settled," and there would be plenty of time in the future.

On the other side.

Qin Suxi and the others still needed to fill Guan Jianshan in on the situation, and Shen Ju also needed rest. After confirming that Shen Ju was fine on his own, they all left Shen Ju’s room.

However, a bit later, estimating that Shen Ju’s IV was almost finished, Qin Suxi knocked and entered again.

Shen Ju had taken a short nap and was now feeling relatively refreshed.

Qin Suxi walked to Shen Ju’s bedside, sat down, and reached out to touch his forehead.

"It’s not as hot anymore."

Shen Ju blinked and smiled at Qin Suxi.

Qin Suxi pinched Shen Ju’s nose.

Then she said softly: "Baby, you know that Mom and Dad both love you, right?"

"Today is an exception; let’s not do tasks today."

Qin Suxi paused before continuing, "Mom has always wanted to tell you, ever since you were brought back to the Guan family, we’ve wanted to love you well and make up for the lost decade-plus."

"Mom..."

Qin Suxi smiled, holding Shen Ju’s hand with one hand and stroking his hair with the other. "We’ve always known you’re a good child; there’s no one more well-behaved than our kid. Dad and I both love you so much, so your wishes are our wishes too. Whatever you want to achieve, Mom and Dad will definitely help you make it happen. But baby, you also need to remember to look after yourself, okay?"

Shen Ju looked at Qin Suxi for a long moment, sniffled, and nodded. "I know."

Qin Suxi ruffled Shen Ju’s hair again, had someone remove the IV, and then left.

After a while, Guan Muyao also came in.

He took out a temperature gun, pointed it at Shen Ju’s forehead, and it beeped—probably borrowed from the family doctor.

Shen Ju touched his forehead.

He nearly put his hands up.

Mainly because of Guan Muyao’s intimidating vibe.

"You’re okay."

After saying this, Guan Muyao remained standing by Shen Ju’s bed without moving.

He glanced at Shen Ju’s still reddened eyes, thought for a moment, and added, "Your eyes might be swollen tomorrow."

Shen Ju blinked and gave a flat "oh."

"Wait."

Guan Muyao put away the temperature gun, went to the ensuite bathroom, ran a towel under cold water, and brought it out to place on Shen Ju’s eyes.

Shen Ju jumped at the chill and mumbled, "Uh, big brother, I can do it myself."

Guan Muyao grunted in acknowledgment, withdrew his hand, and stood by the bed again without moving.

Shen Ju thought for a moment and ventured, "Thank you, big brother."

"You’re the best, bro."

Guan Muyao raised an eyebrow.

He seemed satisfied.

But then, as if remembering something, he couldn’t help but add, "You can trust family members without reservation, but don’t be swayed by outsiders doing you favors. For example, certain people."

Shen Ju: Who are these certain people?

"Understood?" Guan Muyao asked again.

He wasn’t dropping it until Shen Ju nodded.

Shen Ju had no choice but to nod. "I understand."

"Mm."

Guan Muyao, satisfied, left.

After another while, Guan Mulin also knocked and entered.

Well…

The two exchanged a glance, both awkward for some reason.

"Um..."

"You—"

They spoke at the same time.

Guan Mulin coughed and walked to Shen Ju’s bedside. "Wanna go first?"

Shen Ju scratched his head. "Actually, I’m a bit curious."

"Hm?"

"Um, what’s your relationship with Pei Haochuan now? How’s that going?"

Guan Mulin: "............"

Shen Ju, feeling much better, grinned and sat up on the bed.

Guan Mulin quickly sat down to support him.

"You decided to help us with tasks after hearing my conversation with bro 996, but did it make things weird for you?"

Shen Ju said somewhat apologetically, "After all, knowing consciously that you and Pei Haochuan are supposed to develop feelings..."

Guan Mulin touched the tip of his nose, thinking it was indeed quite awkward.

But thankfully, Pei Haochuan is a total dumbass.

"By the way, it seems like Pei Haochuan is the only relevant person who doesn’t know now."

Shen Ju blinked and looked at Guan Mulin. "Do you think we should—"

"No."

"Not necessary."

"He doesn’t need to know."

Guan Mulin immediately shot back three nos.

"Ahem, these kinds of things are better kept to as few people as possible. After all, we only found out accidentally."

Shen Ju nodded.

It really was all because of accidents.

bro 996: "............"

Guilty as charged.

"Don’t worry, Pei Haochuan and I… anyway, it won’t get in the way of your tasks."

Guan Mulin thought for a moment, hesitated, but still reached out and ruffled Shen Ju’s hair. "Also, I came to tell you—about my biological parents’ situation, don’t take it on yourself. It’s not your fault."

Shen Ju immediately pursed his lips.

"But..."

"And I’ve already met them."

Guan Mulin smiled at Shen Ju: "Through your memories."

"I also have memories of them now, though those memories… I think I can shoulder this with you. If it were me, perhaps the same thing would have happened. It was an accident—nobody’s fault."

"If you feel sorry, then I have many things to be sorry for too."

"For example, I assumed your identity—such a good and privileged life that should have been yours."

Seeing Shen Ju about to shake his head, Guan Mulin smiled and patted his head: "See, you want to argue, so you should understand what I meant just now. Some things are beyond our control, so it’s not our fault. And since it’s already happened, we can’t keep dwelling on the past. Instead, we should focus on the present and the future. Don’t you think so?"

"So I really don’t blame you, really."

"And please don’t blame me for taking over your privileged life all these years, okay?"

Shen Ju blinked his moist eyes and, as Guan Mulin reached out to him again, threw himself forward and hugged Guan Mulin.

"Okay… thank you."

Guan Mulin stiffened momentarily, then returned the hug.

"I should be the one saying thank you."

"Thank you for letting me meet my parents. They’re really good—truly good."

"You are wonderful too."

Guan Mulin patted Shen Ju’s back: "Little Brother."