Chapter 3
The next day was clear and bright; the continuous rain had ceased overnight, and clouds drifted leisurely across the sky.
Xia Wansheng had slept unusually soundly through the night.
It had been a long time since he had enjoyed a complete, uninterrupted rest. Usually, every weekend he was jolted awake by a blaring alarm, starving and squeezed into the rush-hour subway, rushing to put out fires for some urgent project.
He lifted his eyes and saw a luxurious, oversized crystal chandelier—something utterly impossible in his modest rented room. His muddled mind took several seconds to grasp the reality of his situation.
On his way home from overtime, he had been in a car accident—a fatal outcome by all accounts. Yet, he had been abducted by a system and brought here to play a role in a game.
The system had even generously offered five million yuan, dangling it before him like a glistening carrot.
As Xia Wansheng came downstairs from Yu Congyan’s bedroom, he was spotted by the housekeeper. The elderly man, well into his sixties, stared wide-eyed.
The two had always been formally distant, but today, unexpectedly, they emerged from the same bedroom together—a sign heavy with meaning.
Could it be that the young master finally succumbed to temptation?
The sharp-eyed housekeeper immediately noticed the wound on Xia Wansheng’s left wrist, and his expression grew grave.
Could it be a suicide threat?
If so, this crude ploy had been aimed at the wrong person.
Proudly, the housekeeper thought to himself, his young master had keen insight; every manipulative woman who had tried to ensnare him before had met a bad end. There was no way he would be taken in by such a petty trick.
It must be a futile effort.
The housekeeper’s gaze followed Xia Wansheng step by step down the stairs, carefully watching for any signs of discomfort, but after a long look, he saw nothing amiss.
The situation remained a mystery.
Yu Congyan had just finished an online morning meeting and glanced over to see Xia Wansheng descending the stairs, his expression a complex mix of disgust and wariness as he scrutinized him repeatedly.
Today, Xia Wansheng’s hair was messily styled, simply dressed in a white shirt without his usual sparkling earrings.
Yet, even sitting there, he was impossible to ignore.
“Last night’s injury… it won’t be fatal, right?” Yu Congyan asked coldly.
The matter was still under investigation. This man before him was shrouded in mystery and could not be underestimated.
In the corner, the housekeeper paused in surprise: What had happened last night? And where exactly was he hurt?
“It’s almost healed,” Xia Wansheng said, unable to read Yu Congyan’s mind. Surely, he wouldn’t force him to see a doctor over such a minor wound. By now, it should be nearly recovered.
Facing a table laden with delicacies, Xia Wansheng obediently sat down, about to indulge, when the usually silent housekeeper thoughtfully placed a bowl of seafood porridge before him.
The ingredients were rich: abalone, shrimp, crab—all neatly arranged, promising nourishment.
Xia Wansheng hesitated, looking at the seafood medley.
The housekeeper eagerly praised, “All fresh, airlifted this morning, cooked just right.”
But Xia Wansheng was allergic to seafood.
Still, meeting the housekeeper’s earnest gaze, he nodded and scooped up a translucent shrimp.
Now that he was in a story, a mere seafood allergy shouldn’t count.
He closed his eyes and bit into the shrimp; the fresh flavor slid perfectly down his throat. Silently, he marveled at how wonderful the life of a domineering CEO must be.
Yu Congyan noticed his odd expression. “What, changing your taste today?”
He couldn’t decipher Xia Wansheng’s every move anymore. Previously, Xia Wansheng insisted on having the exact same breakfast as him and repeatedly praised his taste—was it all a lie?
Xia Wansheng took another spoonful, savoring the top-quality ingredients, when a delayed stomach pain suddenly struck. The ceramic spoon clattered back into the bowl.
A familiar allergic reaction to seafood. He cursed himself for not eating more earlier.
Clutching his palm, he tried to stay calm and stood up. “I left my phone in the room. I’ll go get it.”
A godsend exit strategy. Xia Wansheng could already see the five million yuan prize within reach.
Please, let Yu Congyan not interrupt this time. Sometimes he wondered if the protagonist’s aura was specifically designed to torment him.
The housekeeper watched Xia Wansheng’s stiff but determined retreat upstairs, unwilling to spend even a second more with the young master.
He was now more certain than ever that something had happened last night.
After some contemplation, the housekeeper advised, “Young master, matters of the heart cannot be rushed. Should I call Dr. Jiang over?”
Yu Congyan, caught off guard, replied, “It’s not a check-up day. Why call him?”
The housekeeper hesitated but persisted, “Young master, even if you dislike that person, the wound still needs treatment.”
Yu Congyan frowned. It was just a scratch in the bathroom—did it really need a doctor?
Minutes ticked by. Xia Wansheng had not returned to breakfast, and the atmosphere at the table grew more tense.
Yu Congyan’s mind immediately jumped to the events of last night. Seeing the sumptuous spread before him, his appetite vanished. “You all go ahead. I have something to attend to.”
With that, he strode purposefully toward Xia Wansheng’s room. Pausing at the stairs, he turned back to the housekeeper: “Forget it. Call Dr. Jiang.”
If what he found inside matched the severity of last night’s incident, it would be best for the doctor to bring a sponge and wring out the water in Xia Wansheng’s head.
Inside the room, Xia Wansheng curled up to lessen the stomach pain, collapsing in an undignified heap on the carpet. Still, he opened a webpage titled “How an Ordinary Person Should Manage Five Million Yuan.”
Suddenly, a brazen message popped up across his phone screen: “How can you mess up something as simple as finding a contract? Don’t forget I have your incriminating photos. If pushed, I’m capable of anything!”
Xia Wansheng hummed as he typed back: “Stop the empty promises. Show me the five million and prove it.”
The “Opponent is typing” notification blinked several times.
The anonymous number grew frustrated: “Short-sighted! No matter how worthless my brother is, if he gives you that much, I can give you ten times more once I take over the Yu family!”
“Not buying it.”
Xia Wansheng put away his phone, calculating that the time was just right.
As long as Yu Congyan didn’t suddenly appear, he could claim the five million and return home in triumph...
A loud bang echoed.
He watched helplessly as the door was forcefully kicked open, closing his eyes in sorrow, unwilling to face the heartbreak of losing the five million so close at hand.
Sure enough, a mere lock could never keep out a domineering CEO.
Glancing inside, Yu Congyan saw the bed empty and was about to relax, but then his eyes caught a shapeless heap slumped in the corner.
Without hesitation, Yu Congyan grabbed Xia Wansheng by the collar and pulled him up. “Are you allergic to seafood?! Where’s your medicine?”
The blow of losing five million left Xia Wansheng unwilling to speak.
Impatient, Yu Congyan was about to call for the housekeeper to help search when he noticed the medicine box on the table.
It appeared this was yet another carefully orchestrated “accident.”
Yu Congyan fed him the medicine with bottled water, frowning belatedly: “You’re not doing this just to get my pity or to reconcile with me, are you?”
Xia Wansheng’s cold sweat from the stomach pain soaked through his thin shirt. It wasn’t that he wanted to silently lean into Yu Congyan’s arms; he simply couldn’t move.
Yu Congyan suddenly noticed the warmth radiating from the man in his arms and quickly removed his hand from around his waist. “I’ll have the doctor examine you later. Don’t let there be any aftereffects!”
Better to avoid dying without a witness before the truth was uncovered.
A gentle knock came at the door, and Dr. Jiang’s cautious voice called out, “Are you two available for an examination now? If not, that’s fine...”