Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Xia Yucheng shot an approving glance and quietly gave a thumbs-up. Meng Shuxue, with a stern face, slapped him, then turned to Xia Yinxi with a gentle expression: "You, dear, I was just making a reasonable guess."

"But you're over twenty now, isn't it time you got a girlfriend?" Meng Shuxue asked. "Is there any girl you like?"

Xia Yinxi guiltily lowered his head.

Funny thing—he actually liked guys.

Could he say that? Like, for real?

Even though his new parents doted on him excessively, it'd still be tough for them to accept such a niche orientation, wouldn't it?

But in this world, same-sex marriage seemed to be legal... so maybe it wasn't *that* big a deal...

"I'm still young, haha," Xia Yinxi brushed it off, burying his face in his food. "This rice smells amazing!"

"Eat more meat. You've always picked at your veggies since you were little—how will you grow up strong?"

Xia Yinxi's ears perked up.

Why did this body's habits match his own—also loving to eat grass?

Meng Shuxue poured him a bowl of soup and said, "We won't interfere with who you date. Mom and Dad have money, so we don't need your partner to have much. As long as you like them, that's fine."

Xia Yinxi didn't answer, instead asking curiously, "Sys, didn't you say this body had an arranged business marriage? How could his parents, who spoil him so much, let him go through with it?"

Did the company run into trouble later? Had Xia Yucheng gone bankrupt?

Even if Xia Yucheng went bankrupt, Meng Shuxue had her own company—surely they wouldn't both go bankrupt at the same time?

Or maybe in a novel world, logic didn't matter, and bankruptcy was just something the author wrote...

The sound of pages flipping echoed in his head again: "Let me find it... I remember it was the arranged marriage partner who came to you to get married. Why was that?"

"Didn't he have a white moonlight? *Why* would he want to marry me?" The flipping got louder, and Xia Yinxi wanted to roll his eyes. "Turn off that page-flipping sound!"

"QAQ, set to silent mode."

Xia Yinxi: "Did you find it yet?"

"Still looking..."

"..."

Useless system.

Xia Yinxi was considering whether he could pull some strings to get a job at Xia Yucheng's company, when Meng Shuxue tousled his hair: "If you're full, go get some rest. If you want a midnight snack, just let Old Zhou know."

Seeing how much they spoiled him, the family business would eventually fall to him. If he went to the company, it'd be awkward for everyone when the real young master came back.

Better to just keep delivering food for now.

Before transmigrating into this novel, Xia Yinxi hadn't attended college either. His adoptive parents, afraid they couldn't control him if he studied away, had torn up his acceptance letter without permission and locked him in the house.

Though he'd fought tooth and nail to get out, he'd missed the enrollment deadline by a long way, and with his adoptive parents relentlessly chasing him, Xia Yinxi had to lay low.

During those days of scraping by, Xia Yinxi, without a degree, couldn't find any job. He wanted to deliver food but couldn't even afford an electric bike, so he applied everywhere for security guard jobs. But because he was young and had a soft, delicate look, he got rejected everywhere and was always bullied.

Not that he didn't fight them all off, though.

Luckily, after their biological son died, his adoptive parents gradually stopped looking for Xia Yinxi, which finally let him breathe easy.

Those years felt like a lifetime ago, but occasionally, when he thought about them, he still felt completely drained.

If only Meng Shuxue and Xia Yucheng were his actual parents. Then he could've finished college properly, held down a decent job—not necessarily rich, but at least able to make a living.

But now... it was actually way better than before. Even if he was living under someone else's roof, at least he didn't have to worry about being dragged off in his sleep to have his organs taken.

Before the real young master returned, let him secretly soak up a little parental love.

Xia Yinxi was always easily content. Lying on the five-meter-wide bed, he happily hugged his phone and rolled over twice. Out of the original body's countless-digit bank balance, nearly three thousand yuan was now his!

First, he'd set aside the fifteen hundred for the electric bike to pay it back later. When the real young master returned, he'd have to return everything.

"Not bad, not bad! When will Ji Yunzhuo place another big order!" Xia Yinxi felt like he'd seen a money god. "Not that I'm cursing him—I mean, I can take orders for wedding flowers, wedding dresses, anything!"

System: "Flash delivery of bouquets and part-time wedding officiant?"

Xia Yinxi: "Good point. Does being an officiant require a degree?"

System: "..."

"Actually, flash-delivering an urn isn't a big deal. It's simpler than delivering a cake," Xia Yinxi muttered to himself. "I'll take a nap first, then head to work in the afternoon!"

"Other delivery drivers don't take breaks at noon."

"No way, no nap in the afternoon means a crash by evening."

He slept until five in the afternoon, then groggily opened his eyes.

The curtains blocked out the light so well that the bedroom felt like deep night. Xia Yinxi was about to fall back asleep when his phone suddenly rang.

Even the original body's ringtone was the same as his?

"Young master, I heard you're better—come out and play!"

Xia Yinxi, still half-asleep, squinted at the caller ID. It was an unfamiliar name. Judging by the address, they weren't close, so he refused: "It's too late. I'm not going."

The other person paused: "Are you still half-asleep? Pull back the curtains and look outside! It's not even dark yet!"

The tone sounded familiar, and Xia Yinxi glanced at the contact name "Donghai" on his phone, asking the system: "Who's this?"

"Your childhood friend~"

Xia Yinxi: "..."

With this author's naming skills, how did they come up with such a nice name like Xia Yinxi?

Song Baichuan: "Come out and play! Man, you were unconscious for so long—it scared me to death! My dad was afraid I'd cause trouble and wouldn't let me visit you! Now that you're awake, you won't even come see your bro!"

"...Where do we meet?" Xia Yinxi's ears were ringing. "Send me the address."

"Sent, sent!"

The WeChat location was a bar. Xia Yinxi washed his face, hopped on his electric bike, and followed the navigation.

Two hours later, Song Baichuan called again. The background noise was loud—he must have already arrived: "Have you left yet?"

"I left at six in the morning!" Xia Yinxi stopped by the roadside, spinning in place with his map. "What's your hurry?"

"I could've crawled there in two hours!" Song Baichuan moved to a quieter spot. "How'd you get here? Where's your driver?"

Xia Yinxi was still spinning. "It's a long story. I'm almost there."

He hung up with a snap, got back on his electric scooter, and finally made it after two and a half hours of getting lost.

Song Baichuan was nearly asleep in the private room. When Xia Yinxi pushed the door open, he gave him a weak look. "Master, crawl your way here?"

Xia Yinxi let out a cold laugh. "Next time, pick a landmark to meet at."

This crappy little bar was all twisty-turny—how was he supposed to find the place?

Song Baichuan sat up. "How'd you get here?"

Xia Yinxi twirled his keys in his hand. Song Baichuan caught on. "What, you rode your motorcycle today? Little lost boy."

"..." Xia Yinxi felt that jab. "I'm not gonna bother with you."

So the original body was directionless too?

...Why'd he say "also"? He wasn't directionless! He just trusted his GPS!

"You okay to drink? I called a few friends—you know them too." Song Baichuan circled Xia Yinxi, looking him up and down, then held up three fingers in front of his eyes. "No side effects, right? How many fingers?"

Xia Yinxi averted his gaze.

He had a feeling he and Li Yili would get along great.

Both of them seemed a bit dim, like huskies.

The private room had karaoke equipment. Song Baichuan was fiddling with the song selection machine and invited Xia Yinxi to sing along, but was politely turned down.

Song Baichuan's playlist was tacky, and the guy was a bit dim.

Before long, a few more guys walked in. One of them was carrying a case of liquor that looked pricey. Xia Yinxi was about to politely offer a hand, but Song Baichuan grabbed his shoulder and looked at the newcomer. "What're you doing here?"

The man carrying the liquor glanced nervously at Xia Yinxi and forced a smile. "Master Song, I heard Master Xia woke up, so I came to check on him."

"Seen him? Now get out."

Xia Yinxi blinked. Why was the husky snapping at people?

"Master Xia, please take this liquor. About last time, I'm really sorry, I..."

"Get the hell out." Song Baichuan's earlier goofy demeanor toward Xia Yinxi vanished. His face darkened as he got up. "Who brought him? All of you, get out."

"Sys, what's going on?"

What "last time" is he talking about?

The system rustled through pages, its electronic voice anxious. "Can't find it! The author didn't write that part!"

...Useless piece of junk.

"Ah..."

As soon as Xia Yinxi spoke, the room fell silent. Everyone's eyes were on him.

The guy at the door had the good sense to close it. Xia Yinxi finally got a clear look—four guys, all around his age.

With all that chaos earlier, he thought there were way more people...

They were all waiting for him to say something. Xia Yinxi paused. "Am I supposed to follow the plot now?"

That's how it goes in novels, right?

"Probably..."

"...And the plot?"

The system rustled again. "Can't find it! Hang on, let me look more!"

"Don't be mad." Xia Yinxi patted Song Baichuan's shoulder. "I just got over a big illness, so my memory's fuzzy. What happened last time?"

Before Song Baichuan could answer, the man with the liquor stepped forward. "Master Xia is generous. Let me toast you!"

Xia Yinxi: "?"

Did this guy think he was letting it go just 'cause he said that?

He was asking for context, not playing politics!

Song Baichuan laughed. "Wang Wenjian, don't play dumb with me. Get the hell out."

Even with thick skin, Wang Wenjian couldn't take Song Baichuan's blatant disrespect. His face went pale instantly. The person next to him quickly stepped forward, also forcing a smile, but looked at Xia Yinxi. "Master Xia, we're all friends here. Wenjian didn't mean it. Let him toast you, and we can let this go?"

Xia Yinxi kept smiling and took a sip.

"Did you find the plot yet?!"

"Found it, found it! Why is this part later... Before you fell into a coma, Wang Wenjian spread rumors that you were gay, saying nasty things. You and Song Baichuan caught him red-handed, but you got hurt before you could settle it."

"Later, Song Baichuan told your dad, and your dad went after his family's company~"

Xia Yinxi: "Who's Song Baichuan?"

"The guy next to you!"

"..."

So "Donghai" was a nickname.

"Just a toast and it's over?" Xia Yinxi smiled at the two, his peach blossom eyes especially clear. "What's your name again?"

The man froze, embarrassed. "I'm Wu Jin..."

Xia Yinxi nodded. "Then, Wang Wenjian, take what you said behind my back that day and replace the subject with Wu Jin. Say it again."

Wang Wenjian had already been fuming from Song Baichuan's earlier humiliation. Now, seeing that Xia Yinxi wasn't letting it go, he was both anxious and angry, cursing them both under his breath. But thinking of his dad's business, he had to force a pleasant tone. "Master Xia, don't joke around."

Song Baichuan grinned, standing close to Xia Yinxi in case Wang Wenjian snapped and got physical. "Master Wang, forget what you said? Let me remind you. The original words were something like... Wu Jin's a gay, how disgusting? I heard he keeps male models and stars, just loves to get..."

The rest was worse. Song Baichuan didn't finish, but those few lines were enough to make Wu Jin's face go pale and red, almost making him kick Wang Wenjian.

This idiot said it was nothing serious? With a mouth that foul, he wanted Xia Yinxi to let bygones be bygones? Everyone knew this young master held grudges!

Now he was dragged into it too!

Xia Yinxi watched the farce unfold and muttered quietly, "That was pretty harsh..."

"It's fine, his family's going bankrupt soon!"

"The Wangs are going under? But it's still summer."

Seeing him lost in thought with his head down, Song Baichuan patted Xia Yinxi. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing." Xia Yinxi wasn't about to give that kind of person any face. He wasn't some saint who could just laugh off being insulted so crudely.

Even though the insults were aimed at the original owner of this body, he still felt oddly offended.

"Grab your booze and get the hell out." Xia Yinxi waved his hand. "Watch your back from now on—I'll kick your ass every time I see you."

Wang Wenjian's face turned beet red, clearly unwilling to endure any more humiliation here. He grabbed the case of booze and stormed out. Wu Jin was about to speak when Xia Yinxi made a stop gesture. "You, scram."