Chapter 58

Chapter 58

The next day.

The internet completely exploded, with the top three trending topics:

#Nan Liujing suspected of amnesia#

#Nan Liujing, six-year-old IQ, fact or fiction#

#Nan Liujing suspected of cognitive impairment#

Netizens conveniently ignored the word "suspected":

"How unfortunate. Crippled and stupid. Is this guy even worth keeping?"

"Poor Li Bao. Speaking of which, since Nan Liujing is like this now, I guess it's my turn to step in, right?"

"The rope always breaks at the thinnest point. He already lost any chance at a normal life with his lower body paralyzed, and now he's gone stupid. Shen Gali is so unlucky for marrying such a..."

"No wonder he hasn't been seen for days. Too ashamed to show his face because he's stupid."

"Good thing Chairman Nan has two kids. If one turns out broken, there's another to take over."

Driven by envy of the wealthy, the comments about Nan Liujing's accident were more mocking. The few rational voices were those who liked Shen Gali and thus transferred that goodwill to Nan Liujing.

Rumors spread, the storm raged on. Even if Nan Feng didn't usually go online, the news would always reach his ears.

In a fit of rage, he replied to the rude netizens: "The rumor about Liu Jing losing his memory is completely false. He's injured and resting at home, yet people claim he's cognitively impaired. I didn't come forward initially because I naively believed that rumors stop at the wise. But now it seems that all the fools are on the internet."

Netizens laughed: "If it's a rumor, why don't you dare let Nan Liujing come out and clarify? Besides, falling from such a height without brain injury—I really don't believe it."

"Right, words without proof. Have Nan Liujing come out and prove he's not an idiot."

Strange, isn't it? The ones claiming Nan Liujing's cognitive impairment offered no evidence, yet they demanded the clarifier provide proof.

Although Nan Feng was a chairman who maneuvered skillfully in the business world, he ultimately lacked experience online. Defeated by the collective attack of unscrupulous netizens, he backed off and dared not respond further.

Now he began to suspect that the news of Nan Liujing's amnesia hadn't leaked from the hospital, but from someone close who knew about it.

First, rule out Jiali. He uses the internet even less than I do.

The remaining person was...

Nan Feng slowly turned his gaze to Yu Huaisu beside him.

"Huaisu, have you been to see Liu Jing lately?" Nan Feng asked cautiously.

Yu Huaisu got straight to the point: "No. Why?"

"Nothing. I haven't been at the company recently, and I don't know how Gali is handling things after taking over. But I've seen the meeting minutes from the past few periods, and he seems decisive, courageous, and resourceful."

Yu Huaisu let out a cold laugh through her nose, maintaining a calm exterior.

This old bastard, saying this—could it be that even if Nan Liujing doesn't recover, he intends to hand the company over to that bitch Shen Gali?

Don't even think about it!

Whenever she was in a bad mood, she had to vent to her son. Today was no exception.

Nan Feiyao was in his room having a sweet phone conversation with Shen Lanqing.

But today, Shen Lanqing seemed unusually melancholy. After a long hesitation, he said to Nan Feiyao:

"I think we should postpone our wedding for a while."

Nan Feiyao panicked. Damn it. Postponing might mean it never happens.

"What's wrong with you now? What's got you upset? Tell me."

Shen Lanqing stammered, "Recently, Nan Liujing got injured and needs my brother's care. I don't want my brother to work so hard, juggling the company and taking care of a mentally disabled guy. I want to temporarily move to my brother's place to help him."

When Nan Feiyao heard the word "brother," he blew up like a firework.

"Brother, brother, brother, brother. Can you say anything else besides 'brother'?"

Shen Lanqing went silent on the other end.

Nan Feiyao realized his tone was harsh and softened his tone: "I'm not blaming you. I just don't want your kindness to ruin our plan. You have no idea how much trouble I've gotten into to help you complete the plan and marry you. I might even end up in jail."

He said this just to play the victim and gain sympathy.

After a long silence over the phone, Shen Lanqing suddenly asked, "Why would you go to jail?"

Before Nan Feiyao could answer, Yu Huaisu burst through the door and stormed in.

She hadn't heard the specifics of what Nan Feiyao said outside, but she caught the words "go to jail."

Seeing her, Nan Feiyao quickly hung up.

Yu Huaisu rushed over and grabbed his collar, trying to keep her voice low but unable to suppress its shrillness: "Who were you talking to? Did you tell someone about embezzling company money?"

"No way. How could I? I'm not an idiot. It was a friend of mine who fled after a hit-and-run. I was advising him to turn himself in, or he'd go to jail."

Yu Huaisu stared at him with red eyes. After a long moment, she let go of his collar and let out a sigh of relief: "No matter who asks, never say a word. Even if Lanqing asks, tell him that the money came from Dad. Don't mention the company, understand?"

"I know..."

Yu Huaisu wasn't in the mood to vent her frustrations. She waved her hand weakly and said she was going to bed.

But as soon as Yu Huaisu left, Nan Feiyao quickly pulled out his phone. He saw that Shen Lanqing had messaged him:

"Why would you go to jail? Don't scare me. Tell me about it, let me see if I can help you. [Crying]"

Nan Feiyao's gratitude meter was off the charts. With this loving message alone, he could be sure that even if he let down everyone in the world, he must never let down his beloved Lanqing.

He thought, "Why not just tell the truth?"

*

On Friday afternoon, Shen Gali couldn't wait to go home. While signing documents submitted by his secretary, he only wanted to get back quickly and crash.

But at the last second, he was stopped by Nan Feiyao.

Nan Feiyao tossed him a document: "This is the confirmation of receipt feedback from the Japanese company. I need your signature."

Without even looking, Shen Gali scribbled his name with a flourish after "Party B," closed it, and handed it back to Nan Feiyao.

Done. Off work. Time to rush home and crash.

But his plan to crash was foiled again.

Because as soon as he entered, he saw two people.

One was Nan Liujing, who never missed a day waiting at the door for him to finish work, and the other was...

Hein.

He'd almost forgotten this guy existed, but as soon as Hein appeared, painful memories hit him like a tidal wave.

Hein was wearing a well-tailored children's suit, complete with a tie. As soon as he saw Shen Gali, he raised his chin arrogantly: "Shen Gali, I heard you've been in trouble lately. I came specially to visit and comfort you."

Shen Gali said bluntly: "The greatest comfort you could give me is to not appear before my eyes."

"But I'm already here. I know you don't want to see me, but since I'm here, I can only do my best to win your favor."

Shen Gali: ...

Nan Liujing, the adult who used to look down on elementary school students, was now shooting the little squirt a look of pure contempt, his face a perfect mask of disgust.

This guy was up to no good. The first thing he said after walking in was that he came to see his future wife, Shen Gali.

Shen Gali is my wife. Who do you think you are?

But he knew his wife had a thing for well-behaved kids, so he couldn't show his disgust too obviously.

Nan Liujing took Shen Gali's hand, looked up with a confused face: "Wife, who is this little kid? He says you're his future wife, but you're my wife."

Hein sneered: "Don't be smug. What is yours now may not always be yours. Don't forget, I'm the runner-up in Shen Gali's 'Perfect Wife' contest."

Mind you, there were only two participants.

"Big deal. I'm his husband. What are you?" Nan Liujing shot back.

In the living room, Hein's mother Mona and Uncle Li watched the two kids trading barbs, neither willing to back down, and found it amusing.

"Ms. Mo, our young master is stuck like this for now. So many people are after his position. The human heart is a tricky thing; we don't know what those people might do to seize power. So I beg you, you've seen it, but please pretend nothing happened," Uncle Li said.

Mona nodded and looked at the two kids: "We are also saddened by this incident. During President Nan's tenure, the cooperation between our two companies flourished, and President Nan gave us a lot of help. So if you need any help this time, please don't hesitate to ask. My husband and I will unconditionally support you."

Uncle Li was moved to tears, his old eyes glistening.

They say a true friend is known in times of trouble. He had no doubt about that.

"By the way, there have been rampant rumors online about President Nan recently. Aren't you planning to spend some money to clean up the trending topics?"

That was a wake-up call, and Uncle Li suddenly had an idea.

Over there, the two kids were still bickering endlessly.

Nan Liujing: "What's so great about being a 'Perfect Wife'? I could do that too. The champion is definitely mine."

"Heh." Hein let out a dismissive cold laugh, then turned to Shen Gali. "Shen Gali, since someone here is so cocky and dares to boast, I think we need to hold another 'Perfect Husband' contest. What do you think?"

Shen Gali told the truth: "Not a fan."

Give me a break. I'm just a lazy, good-for-nothing slacker. I barely made it to the weekend to get some rest, and now there's another contest on top of the one that's not even over?

Nan Liujing said smugly, "Honey, agree to it. Let him compete; otherwise, some people never learn."

...

Uncle Li straightened his tie: "The Second Perfect Husband Contest—"

"Enough, skip all those meaningless rules everyone already knows and just start." Hein glared fiercely. "I can't wait to hold the champion trophy and crush the loser under my feet."

Nan Liujing: "Hmph."

Mona clapped enthusiastically: "Go, son! Mom's rooting for you!"

Uncle Li: "Go, young master! This old man's rooting for you!"

Shen Gali: ...

Uncle Li announced: "First round! As a perfect husband, you must have vast knowledge to answer your wife's questions and solve her problems when she's confused."

TL;DR: A quiz competition.

To accommodate the kids and keep it on theme, Uncle Li picked questions he thought were easy.

"First question: If Mr. Shen Gali unfortunately has a high fever, what can quickly bring it down? A. Ibuprofen; B. Cefradine; C. Pumpkin porridge. You have ten seconds to answer!"

Hein didn't hesitate: "A."

But Nan Liujing looked at Shen Gali with concern: "Honey, do you have a fever? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Shen Gali rolled his eyes.

Uncle Li cleared his throat and whispered: "Young master, if you don't answer, it'll be treated as forfeit."

Nan Liujing thought for a moment: "I choose C, pumpkin porridge."

Hein burst out laughing: "Hahaha, you fool! How could it be pumpkin porridge? You take ibuprofen for a fever, get it?"

Nan Liujing looked at Shen Gali, disappointed.

Shen Gali said darkly: "That's right, it's pumpkin porridge. Last time I had a high fever, ibuprofen didn't work, but eating pumpkin porridge brought it down."

Hein: ...

The question was a trap... *facepalm*

Nan Liujing shot a contemptuous glance at his defeated opponent, a smug smile curling at his lips.

"The second question," Uncle Li reminded him. "You can't use common sense to figure out the answer. A qualified husband must be observant of his wife."

"One day, it's pouring rain, and Mr. Shen Gali happens to be out on business. What you need to do for him is: A, hand him an umbrella; B, hand him a raincoat; C, see him off."

Hein's little brain raced frantically. You can't use common sense to figure out the answer, just like the first question—the correct answer is often the least likely one.

This time, he was confident: "C, see him off."

Nan Liujing: "B, raincoat."

Hein grabbed Uncle Li's sleeve in a panic and asked, "Old butler, tell me, the right answer is C, right?"

Uncle Li said with regret, "It's B."

Hein protested, "I object! This is rigged! Shen Gali is so lazy, he wouldn't even wear a raincoat, right?"

Shen Gali suddenly felt an arrow to the knee, glancing up faintly.

Uncle Li pretended to be angry, lightly tapped Hein's head, and said coldly, "So you'd let him get soaked and sick? Even if he doesn't like holding an umbrella, handing him a raincoat is fine—the raincoat has Velcro fasteners, convenient and easy."

Hein froze, visibly losing color, turning into a fossil with cracks spreading across him.

In the first round, thanks to Uncle Li's rigged calls, Nan Liujing won smoothly with a score of 10:0.

He didn't rush to gloat over his victory but instead gazed straight at his beloved wife: "Honey, don't worry, I'll win the whole match and make everyone know that I'm the one who loves you the most."

Shen Gali sent him a telepathic response: Oh.

Uncle Li: "Now for the second match. If the young master wins this round, the game ends immediately. This is Young Master Hein's only chance to catch up, so think carefully and act cautiously."

Hein clenched his little fists: "Bring it on! I'll show you what it means to lose the first and win the next two!"

Uncle Li cleared his throat: "The second challenge is as follows. Mr. Shen Gali has recently taken over the company and is exhausted from work. As a perfect husband, you must find a way to help him unwind. Mr. Shen is lying over there. In ten minutes, the contestant who first makes him show a relaxed look wins."

Nan Liujing furrowed his brow and slowly lowered his eyes, lost in thought.

Hein, upon hearing the question, froze for a few seconds, then burst into smug laughter, his tone arrogant:

"Old butler, even if you rig this round, you can't stop me from winning. Do you know what I've been doing all this time I've been gone?"

Uncle Li: "Oh? That confident? Tell me about it?"

Hein raised an eyebrow cheerfully, hands behind his back, looking pleased: "I'm not afraid of you copying me. To be honest, I've been learning pediatric massage. I'm not as skilled as my master yet, but no one who's tried my skills has complained."

[Three faces of disgust.jpg]

Hein went first.

Shen Gali was napping on the chaise lounge when he suddenly felt a pair of small, tender hands kneading and pressing on his arm with just the right pressure. The child seemed careful not to disturb him, even holding his breath slightly.

Shen Gali's sympathy kicked in again. Maybe I should just let him win this time. He lost last time and came back pestering me; if I don't let him win, he'll keep coming every day.

He deliberately relaxed his brow and let out a soft, relieved sigh.

The kid was overjoyed at his expression, working even harder, puffing away.

Uncle Li glanced at his watch: "Time's up. Now it's the young master's turn."

Hearing this, Nan Liujing rolled his wheelchair over to Shen Gali. Just as he was about to reach out, he noticed Shen Gali's closed eyes and silently rolled back to the side.

One minute passed, then two, and he still didn't move.

Shen Gali waited for his usual random rubbing, but it never came. The silence around him was so deep he couldn't even hear a single breath.

The day's fatigue surged, and he couldn't help but yawn, his consciousness sinking deeper into an endless void.

Hein sneered inwardly: Hmph, you loser, scared of my amazing skills, huh? Just wait till I beat you in the third round.

Finally, ten minutes passed. Nan Liujing still hadn't made a move, silently gazing at Shen Gali's face.

Uncle Li sighed and held up the scorecard: "I declare that the winner of this match for Mr. Shen Gali's perfect husband is—Nan Liujing!"

Hein protested again: "Old butler, you've been rigging it over and over! I have the right to report you to the competition committee and have your referee status revoked!"

"Shh—" Uncle Li and Nan Liujing both made a "shush" gesture, signaling him to be quiet so as not to wake Shen Gali.

Uncle Li waved his hand, signaling Hein to listen quietly and then lowered his voice: "Actually, a person is most relaxed when they're asleep. Both humans and animals have a natural alertness; they can't fall asleep peacefully in front of just anyone—only with someone they trust completely."

The child listened, slowly turning pale as paper. Because he knew Uncle Li was right, he couldn't believe he'd lost again.

After a long daze, tears flooded Hein's eyes. He spread his arms and cried as he walked toward Mona: "Mom—boohoo, Mom, I lost... waaah..."

Shen Gali was still woken up. Had to endure half an hour of the child's wailing. He suddenly thought, if all kids in the world were like six-year-old Nan Liujing—no crying, no fussing—how wonderful the world would be!

Shen Gali's affection for Nan Liujing +1

Mona stayed for dinner with the sobbing Hein, gave a few more instructions, and then left with the child.

Hein glared at Nan Liujing all the way out the door, his expression never changing.

But before leaving, he said to Nan Liujing, who had come to see them off:

"Last time, I lost to your brother, and I wasn't convinced. I thought it wasn't my lack of skill but his luck. This time, I lost to you, and I'm truly convinced. I admit you know Shen Gali better than I do."

The child sighed, gazing at the sky: "None of us know what tomorrow will bring—joy or sorrow, sunshine or rain. But I hope that in your limited time, the one thing that never changes is your love for Shen Gali. If I ever find out you're mistreating him, I'll take him to my home without hesitation. I mean it."

Nan Liujing: "Go away. Don't come back."

Hein gritted his teeth.jpg

"I'll come whenever I want! Every day! I'll annoy you to death!"

Nan Liujing slapped the kid's bottom: "Don't come. See the old butler behind me? He was a provincial freestyle fighting champion in his youth. He won't let you in."

Li, the fake freestyle fighting champion, Uncle: ?

Mona, holding the wailing child, bowed deeply to them, said "Sorry for the intrusion," and left.

With the annoying ones gone, Nan Liujing instantly turned into a puppy, rushing to Shen Gali's side to massage his shoulders and legs: "Honey, you worked hard. Taking care of a kid is tiring, right? Let me rub your shoulders."

Shen Gali barely opened his eyes, saying weakly, "Don't you know my only wish is to lie flat? Why are you bothering me?"

Nan Liujing leaned down, pressing his cheek gently against Shen Gali's warm palm: "But I want to stick to you. I love my wife the most."

Today, the amnesiac Nan Liujing loved his wife the most as always.

*

At the Nan residence.

Nan Feng roared: "Li Dahai, what a lousy idea this is! Having Liujing personally attend a press conference to clarify the rumors? Don't you know this isn't a rumor—it's the truth!"

With that, he angrily hung up the phone.

Yu Huaisu, who was applying a face mask, heard the name "Liu Jing" and whipped around: "What's wrong? Why so angry? Don't get worked up, your blood pressure is still high."

Nan Feng rubbed his chest, trying to calm his emotions.

"Butler Li just called and said that the rumors about Liu Jing's cognitive issues are spreading like wildfire online. He wants us to hold a press conference to clarify, and Liu Jing should appear in person to clear things up. But in his current state, how can he face people? Wouldn't showing up just make everyone think he really is an idiot?"

Yu Huaisu raised an eyebrow, a plan forming in her mind:

"If we don't have a better option, why not take a leap of faith? Although Liu Jing's intelligence is impaired, he's not completely without intelligence. Can't any six-year-old memorize a short piece? Besides, he's smarter than most children."

"Memorize a short piece? What short piece? Have him recite 'Ode to the Goose' in front of the reporters to prove he's not stupid?"

After spending a long time with Shen Gali, not only Nan Liujing but even Nan Feng's way of thinking had become weird.

That scene suddenly appeared in Yu Huaisu's mind, and she couldn't help laughing, quickly keeping her face mask in place:

"You're becoming just like Liu Jing. What I mean is, we can extract the reporters' questions in advance, write the answers for him to memorize, and then he can just follow the script. That would be foolproof."

The idea was good, but Nan Feng still stared straight at her: "You really want Liu Jing to appear in the public eye?"

Yu Huaisu's smile gradually faded, and she covered up: "Yes, I really do. Would you rather your son be called an idiot online? Even I, a stepmother, don't want that. So having him speak up is the perfect way to shut the trolls up."

Nan Feng stared at her for a long time. She didn't back down, staring right back at Nan Feng, as if she was hell-bent on claiming it was all for Nan Liujing's good.

After a long moment, Nan Feng put down his phone and said in a low voice: "Alright, let's do it your way. Try to prep all the reporters beforehand."

When the news reached Nan Liujing's home, Uncle Li told him about it, and he was upset:

"Why do I have to attend a press conference? Why do I have to memorize a script? I'm not going unless my wife goes with me."

Shen Gali said: "I'm not going. Then don't go either. Stay a fool in others' mouths forever."

Nan Liujing lowered his head, his eyes full of disappointment, his bangs covering his brows and eyes.

He fidgeted with his fingers, occasionally lifting his eyes to look at Shen Gali, each glance cautious and timid.

After a long while, he took a deep breath, pursed his lips as if making up his mind, and said: "Then I'll go. I'll prove I'm not a fool, so others won't laugh at you for being a fool's wife."

His tone was so aggrieved it could practically drip water.

Shen Gali saw a hint of vulnerability in his uneasy expression.

The old Nan Liujing would never have cared about Shen Gali being called a fool's wife; he would even mock him and call him an idiot. But after reverting to a six-year-old, Nan Liujing became more honest and innocent. Even though he was terrified of the thought of facing all those camera flashes, he still decided to risk it all for him.

Shen Gali grew even more disgusted with that woman Yu Huaisu.

If the old Nan Liujing had been this kind and adorable, maybe by now he would have grown into a gentle, warm man like in novels. But it was all thanks to that old hag, who turned an angel into a demon.