In the afternoon, Xie Ningwan met with the partner who had previously breached their contract to continue the discussion.
“Your company has always had a pleasant partnership with us, and the next collaboration plan was already on the agenda. Suddenly proposing to terminate at this point, I think President Wang, you should give us a suitable reason.”
In the Xie Group’s reception room, Xie Ningwan sat with his fingers interlaced on his knees, looking at the middle-aged man opposite him. The assistant held the proposal and stood behind Xie Ningwan, speaking to the man.
“President Xie, it’s not that we want to breach the contract.” The man opposite picked up his teacup and took a slow sip.
An elegant motion that would look pleasing on others appeared oily and pretentious on this balding, pot-bellied middle-aged man.
“President Xie also knows that after your father and mother passed away a few years ago, the Xie Family suffered a heavy blow and is not what it used to be. Previously, it was out of respect for old President Xie that I…”
The middle-aged man smiled with a casual attitude: “If it were your second uncle talking to me today, I might have considered it.”
Mentioning Xie Ningwan’s second uncle alone wouldn’t have provoked anger, but he had brought up Xie Ningwan’s deceased parents. The assistant behind him looked displeased, almost unable to hold back.
Xie Ningwan’s father, as the eldest son, had inherited most of the Xie Group’s business, but the shares and assets that should have gone to his two uncles were not shortchanged.
Later, Xie Ningwan’s parents developed the Xie Group even larger, and his two uncles had to rely on it to survive.
Now that Xie Ningwan’s parents had passed away, the Xie Group should naturally be taken over by him.
Yet this President Wang said such words right in front of the current president, clearly implying that Xie Ningwan should hand over the Xie Group to his uncle.
During this period, various parties had been pressuring the Xie Group, both openly and covertly, hoping to swallow up this young president.
Both sides knew well that President Wang did not truly want to terminate the partnership with the Xie Group today; he just wanted to use these words to pressure Xie Ningwan and gain more profit in the collaboration.
Sure enough, President Wang continued: “How about this, given the Xie Family’s current situation, in our collaboration—”
“President Wang must be joking,” Xie Ningwan interrupted him, as if he hadn’t caught the implication in his words and had no intention of beating around the bush. He said straightforwardly, “Since your side has no intention of continuing the collaboration, please leave.”
“This…” President Wang was stunned, taken aback. He hadn’t expected this kid to be so impervious.
He had only been tasked by someone to dampen Xie Ningwan’s spirits, not actually terminate with the Xie Group. The Xie Group was a juicy morsel, with countless people waiting to take a bite.
“My dear nephew, I think you’ve misunderstood my meaning…” He tried to backtrack, fine beads of cold sweat starting to form at his temples.
Xie Ningwan had no patience to listen further: “The termination contract will be negotiated with someone sent shortly. President Wang need not say more.”
With that, he lightly touched the teacup in front of him to his lips, his intent to see the guest out clear.
The middle-aged man hadn’t expected him to be so decisive and direct. His face darkened immediately. Mindful of his dignity, he couldn’t say more and could only curse inwardly as he left.
Thinking of the overt and covert struggles in the Xie Family now, he snorted coldly.
Little brat, just you wait. You’re riding high now, but who knows what the future holds.
·
On the way back from the company, Xie Ningwan closed his eyes and leaned against the chair back. The high-intensity work of this period had finally provoked a protest from his body, and his head began to ache.
The assistant in the passenger seat said worriedly: “President Xie, I should still take you to the hospital.”
“It’s fine.” Xie Ningwan said indifferently.
“Fortunately, today’s matters have been mostly handled. Rest well tomorrow.” The assistant paused, then added, “But you’re the only one at home, with no one to take care of you.”
It wasn’t that he wanted to meddle, but with the group in chaos internally during this time, if President Xie fell ill now…
Xie Ningwan understood the assistant’s concern and knew the situation in his own heart, so he didn’t explain.
However… when the assistant mentioned “you’re the only one at home,” he suddenly and inappropriately recalled that there seemed to be more than just him at home now.
He didn’t know what that little thing was.
·
Song Yaoyao had no idea that he had already been spotted. He had spent the whole day at home watching cartoons, and as he watched, he began to doze off.
The system, which hadn’t appeared for a long time, suddenly floated into his mind.
【Greetings. We periodically check the host’s status. Your current fortune growth value…】
The system’s mechanical voice started off formally but suddenly glitched: 【…is scarce.】
Song Yaoyao’s mind went blank, and he guiltily stayed silent.
The system said calmly: 【We previously informed you of the method to absorb fortune, as well as your current soul body condition. If you cannot strengthen it soon, you will easily dissipate.】
Song Yaoyao had previously thought he could keep going like this, stealthily clinging and rubbing against Xie Ningwan to slowly absorb his fortune until he turned back into a human. But now that the system said this, he grew a bit nervous.
However…
“But the intimate contact you mentioned…” Song Yaoyao twisted his fingers together. Although he knew Xie Ningwan couldn’t see or feel him, he still found it hard to do.
【You can start with the simplest touch. In your soul body state, to others, it’s at most a cool breeze.】 The system said.
Song Yaoyao hesitated for a while.
The system suddenly dropped its previous seriousness and said boldly: 【Just go for it! He can’t see you anyway—isn’t it up to you to do as you please?】
That one sentence jolted Song Yaoyao awake.
He climbed up from the sofa. The system’s voice lingered in his mind, returning to its emotionless official mechanical tone: 【Please focus on the target, host, and restore your human form soon.】
When Xie Ningwan got home, Song Yaoyao was already waiting at the entrance. As soon as Xie Ningwan opened the door, he would say: “You’re back.”
Then he would circle around Xie Ningwan.
Today, Song Yaoyao decided to follow the system’s advice and be bolder. So when Xie Ningwan came in, he lightly touched Xie Ningwan’s hand.
‘I’m not being a pervert,’ Song Yaoyao muttered softly to himself.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he approached Xie Ningwan, he first noticed that Xie Ningwan was feverish.
In his current soul body form, his perception was much sharper than before. The heat radiating from Xie Ningwan was definitely not a normal human temperature.
‘Are you sick?’
Song Yaoyao followed behind Xie Ningwan all the way to the bathroom.
Fortunately, Xie Ningwan seemed aware of his illness and dutifully took a hot shower first.
Song Yaoyao was a bit worried and lingered at the bathroom door, not even going to drill into the laundry basket.
After Xie Ningwan finished his shower and came out in a bathrobe, his brain throbbed dully with pain. He didn’t go to the study to work, nor did he have the energy to think about the possible little ghost hiding somewhere in his house. He simply swallowed two pills and went back to his room to rest.
Song Yaoyao slipped through the door crack just before Xie Ningwan closed it.
The room was very dark, and Xie Ningwan had no intention of turning on the light. He pulled back the covers and got into bed. Song Yaoyao held his breath and squatted by the bedside watching him.
He stayed by Xie Ningwan’s side. After Xie Ningwan fell asleep, he even helped tuck in the covers.
To keep observing Xie Ningwan’s condition at all times, Song Yaoyao unobtrusively curled himself into a ball and quietly leaned against Xie Ningwan’s side, so he could feel his body temperature.
In the middle of the night, Xie Ningwan’s fever indeed worsened, scorching awake Song Yaoyao, who had unknowingly fallen asleep nestled by his head.
Song Yaoyao floated up abruptly.
Xie Ningwan, sick with fever, had a slightly flushed face, sweat-dampened hair at his temples, hot breaths, and slightly furrowed brows.
Song Yaoyao was an orphan who had mostly lived alone before and didn’t know much about caring for the sick. He could only care for Xie Ningwan based on his own past experiences when ill.
A little ghost lightly turned the door handle, hurriedly floated into the bathroom, and found a towel on the rack.
He turned on the faucet, soaked the towel, wrung it half-dry, then floated back and carefully placed the wet towel on Xie Ningwan’s forehead.
Feeling Xie Ningwan’s scorching breath and seeing his dry lips, he recalled that feverish people needed hydration, so he went to fetch water again.
Unable to find a cup, Song Yaoyao rummaged in the kitchen for a bowl and a small spoon, filled it with hot water, scooped some with the spoon, blew on it, then gently touched it to Xie Ningwan’s lips.
He fed water, changed the towel, repeating this many times as Song Yaoyao bustled back and forth between the bedroom and bathroom.
Until dawn, when he sensed Xie Ningwan’s temperature had dropped slightly, Song Yaoyao finally relaxed.
His soul power had also been nearly depleted, and his head drooped as he fell asleep.
In the morning, Xie Ningwan opened his eyes.
He reached up to remove the towel from his forehead, glanced sideways at the bowl of water on the bedside table, then calmly washed the towel and put it back in the bathroom, returning the bowl and spoon to the cabinet.
Last night, during the worst of the fever, he had been in a half-dreaming, half-awake state, not completely unconscious.
He had felt someone caring for him, changing his towel, feeding him water.
It seemed not a hallucination from the high fever.
…Snail Girl?
Xie Ningwan lowered his gaze.
The towel used to cool his forehead was one for scrubbing the bathroom floor.
He was now mostly certain that a little ghost had snuck into his house.
Nothing valuable had gone missing from home, and he hadn’t suffered any physical harm. It only liked storybooks and cartoons, collected his shiny cufflinks, and stole his clothes…
This little ghost seemed to have no malicious intent toward him. For now, Xie Ningwan had no plans to drive it away or startle it by speaking out rashly. He decided to observe for a while longer.
