Chapter 4: Muddling Through

However, Su Bingyao soon discovered a harsh reality.

This world teetered on the brink of destruction.

Su Shang had been summoned back this time to attend the Su Family’s Charity Gala—or rather, what was billed as a charity gala was really the recognition banquet celebrating the return of the Su Family’s Second Young Master, his blood-related younger brother Su Mingyao.

Although the Su Family had no plans to publicly announce that Su Shang wasn’t their biological son, it was obvious he would no longer enjoy the preferential treatment of the past.

The very fact that they had dragged him to this recognition banquet before his body had fully recovered was a clear signal.

By forcing Su Shang to accommodate the newly returned Su Mingyao, the Su Family was bluntly telling everyone that Su Shang’s standing in the household was finished. Su Mingyao would take his place.

This unspoken message would inevitably lead to a barrage of probing and testing from the guests at the recognition banquet.

Drawing from years of familiarity with Su Shang, Su Bingyao knew it would irritate him to no end and sour his mood.

If Su Shang lacked this bizarre ability, it might not be a big deal. The Su Family had pampered him with fine clothes and good food for more than twenty years. A little grievance today could be endured with some patience.

But the problem was that the current Su Shang was in no state to tolerate grievances.

He was an existence that could casually annihilate worlds! What if something upset him and he wiped out the world?

From Su Shang’s conversation with the System, it was clear that destroying a world was trivial for them. Even if this world perished, they would carry on.

We weren’t like that, though.

We were the ordinary sort who would die alongside the world!

Last time, Su Shang had restored the world himself, sure. But what if he got fed up this time and didn’t bother? Wouldn’t we all be doomed?

The mere thought drenched Su Bingyao’s back in cold sweat.

In a situation like this, letting Su Shang suffer any indignity would be asking for death!

His deliberations wrapped up in an instant, and Su Bingyao spoke.

“If you’re too tired today or not feeling well, just go rest. I’ll deal with Mom.”

It was Mother Su who had insisted Su Shang attend the banquet despite his injuries. Handle her, and the rest would fall into place.

“I’m fine, really. Nothing wrong with me at all.” Su Shang blinked his eyes, striving for an innocent expression.

“I can definitely go to the banquet.”

At the same time, Su Bingyao heard Su Shang’s heart voice again.

[Those minor injuries healed in less than a second. I only had the System fake the exam results so I wouldn’t scare the doctors.]

Falling from a cliff with wounds that the doctors said would’ve killed him on the spot if he wasn’t lucky—and they mended in under a second… Su Bingyao felt a jolt of shock, tinged with envy.

His view of Su Shang had evolved from “my delicate little brother” to “an unknown entity beyond humanity.”

[Big Bro’s looking out for me. Good thing I didn’t turn Big Bro into an idiot. Otherwise, my conscience would’ve ached.]

Doesn’t destroying the world give you a pang of conscience…? Su Bingyao kept his gaze fixed ahead, struggling to look as normal as ever.

[…Uh…]

The entity known as the System emitted a hesitant noise.

[What? What’s with that attitude? Mocking me for being heartless?] Su Shang sounded indignant.

[Sure, I’ve assaulted the Thousand-Year-Old Elder, incited rebellion, committed species extermination, unleashed catastrophes, and destroyed several worlds. But I know I’m a good person.]

[If it makes you happy.] The System fell silent for a moment before replying.

[Still, you’d better avoid showing too many anomalies. Too much exposure hinders following the plot.]

[Got it.]

…Dangerous. Su Bingyao swallowed discreetly.

Those exploits alone were enough to chill the blood.

He wouldn’t even speculate on “assaulting the Thousand-Year-Old Elder” or “inciting rebellion.” “Species extermination” and “unleashing catastrophes” painted a picture of sheer horror.

And then there was “destroying several worlds” tacked on—Su Bingyao had no doubt it was true.

Su Shang could obliterate this world with ease. He had zero reason to lie.

It had only been days since the cliff fall. How had his little brother transformed into this terrifying being?

What on earth had the System done to him?!

Yet Su Shang had just insisted he could attend the banquet. Refusing might provoke…

Su Bingyao wasn’t willing to test that possibility.

In hindsight, he marveled at his past self for having the nerve to snap at this superhuman during their last encounter before the world ended.

“Don’t force yourself,” Su Bingyao said.

It was the only thing he could say.

Though it twisted him up inside, what other option was there besides going along with it?

He had already done everything he could to stop Su Shang from attending that banquet, but Su Shang insisted on going anyway—and he even seemed quite enthusiastic about it.

“Really, it’s no trouble at all,” Luo Shang said.

[This is a plot point I have to hit.]

Hearing that heart voice, Su Bingyao froze.

Plot? What plot? What the hell was this thing that dared to force Su Shang into anything?

The system had just mentioned something about “following the plot,” too…

By now, the three of them had reached the top of the steps. The grand doors to the hall loomed right in front of them, firmly shut.

Assistant Liang stepped forward with perfect timing and opened the doors for the two young masters. Su Bingyao swallowed his questions for the moment and strode into the hall where the banquet was about to begin.

Luo Shang followed right on his heels.

[Man, talk about nostalgic.] His mind wandered.

[I always thought my memory was sharp, but after a hundred years, even their faces have gotten fuzzy.]

[My old family.]

Su Bingyao halted just inside the doorway.

Fine. He’d throw in some introductions, then. He tried to make the best of a bad situation with a wry inward chuckle.

At least this time, with him there, Su Shang wouldn’t blow up the world just because he couldn’t put names to faces.

He conveniently overlooked the fact that the first world’s destruction had come from his own slip of the tongue—“a few centuries”—rather than any case of mistaken identity.

~~~

To show how much importance they placed on the event, the banquet was being held at the Su Family’s suburban manor. As host and overseer, Su Bingyao should have had a mountain of tasks on his plate.

But right now, he’d shoved all that aside to focus single-mindedly on “tending” to Su Shang. Like an overattentive nanny, he pointed out every person they passed.

“This is Butler Zhu. He’s been with our family for thirty years. And the guy over there on the phone? That’s my personal assistant, Mo Hai…”

Luo Shang nodded now and then.

As he made the introductions, Su Bingyao realized he couldn’t pick up everything in Su Shang’s head. Right now, for instance, he only caught stray thoughts drifting by.

[Craving some roasted dragon paw… nice and hot off the fire, dusted with peppers from the Abyss Frontier. Out of this world…]

Su Bingyao, mid-introduction of the executive head chef, nearly choked. He pivoted smoothly instead.

“See that? The main hall’s getting set up right now. That’s your seat for later.”

…

Su Bingyao kept up the guided tour for Luo Shang, whose mind had long since wandered off to another world entirely. Along the way, Su Bingyao got an unwanted earful of food talk.

“Roasted dragon paw” was still the most comprehensible—and palatable-sounding—item on the menu. Then there were gems like “Earth Marrow Stir-Fried Phoenix Liver,” “Wail of the Dishonest,” “Shed Husks of Abyss Remnants,” and “Calamity Primordial Ash”… None of which sounded remotely edible.

[Would it kill you to actually listen for once?!] Another non-human presence on the scene let out a mental wail.

The system had a point!

He’d never spoken a word to whatever lurked inside Su Shang’s skull, but its vibe screamed “normal” and “law-abiding”—a far cry from his brother.

Su Bingyao had already mentally promoted it to savior and soulmate.

[Eh, no big deal. You’ve got it all memorized, right?] Luo Shang shot back. [That’s why I called you here. You’re the assistant—assist.]

[…]

Hey, System, you poor thing. Su Bingyao felt a pang of sympathy born of shared misery.

Mother Su—Li Qingshu—was out in the main hall at that very moment.

She felt she’d shortchanged her second son for over twenty years and was dead set on making it up to him. She wanted everything perfect, so she’d roped the eldest into handling things. Later, she could tell Su Mingyao, “Your big brother heard this was your big night and set it all up himself.” Way better than admitting they’d just grabbed some random coordinator off the street.

But only ten minutes earlier, a parade of supervisors had been hounding her. One fretted that the path decorations might scratch guests’ luxury rides—should they take them down? Another complained there were too many flowers; some guests had pollen allergies—time to pull a few?

Li Qingshu was at her wits’ end. Wasn’t Big Bro handling this? Where the hell was he? Go bother him!

The word came back: “Young Master is busy with Third Young Master.”

Busy with the third? What did the kid even need him for? Didn’t he have a personal assistant?

It was just crossing the courtyard—what was the fuss? Hadn’t Big Bro learned to triage?

Li Qingshu was simmering with irritation when she glanced up and spotted her two sons heading her way. That was all it took. She shooed the supervisors off with a wave and marched straight toward the brothers.

“This is our mother, Li Qingshu,” Su Bingyao said.

“Hello, Mother,” Luo Shang said with a polite nod to the woman approaching.

“Mom, you’re here.”

Hearing Luo Shang’s stiff, formulaic form of address, Su Bingyao had no choice but to call out first, offering a gentle demonstration for him.

“Why so formal all of a sudden?” Li Qingshu picked up on Luo Shang’s address right away. She frowned, swallowing the words on the tip of her tongue.

“Is Little Shang upset that I called you here?”

She let out a performative sigh before continuing.

“I know I shouldn’t have pulled you out of the hospital, but this is the first banquet your second brother has hosted since coming back. The whole family needs to be there. Little Shang, you’re one of us too. If you skip it, people will start talking behind your back. I’m only thinking of you, you know.”

With those words, Li Qingshu had deftly placed herself on the moral high ground. The fact that she hadn’t considered Su Shang’s condition and had rushed him into attending—after her spin—suddenly became an act of care, shielding him from gossip while affirming his place in the family.

She made no mention whatsoever of the option to delay the banquet until Su Shang had recovered.

[This scene feels familiar too.]

A voice matching Su Shang’s timbre echoed simultaneously in the ears of both Li Qingshu and Su Bingyao.

What is this? Li Qingshu wondered, baffled.

What is he up to? Su Bingyao’s nerves went taut once more.

[Even after all these years and reuniting, Mom’s still the same.] Luo Shang mused inwardly.

[“It’s for your own good”—yeah, right. It’s really just pressuring me to give up my interests and yield to them.]

[If you truly cared about me, why not push it back a few days?]

[Rushing to hold it like this just proves that fall off the cliff was nothing to me. If I were still a regular person, I’d probably end up back in the hospital after just this one appearance.]

[If you favor Second Brother that much, just say so. I get it. No need to dress it up as protecting me from gossip or whatever. Truly considering my well-being?]

[Even now, pretending to play fair and keep everything balanced. You think I’m an idiot?]

[Oh, wait—I kind of was an idiot before… Makes me want to laugh.]

Li Qingshu’s face turned ashen amid Luo Shang’s barrage of unfiltered inner thoughts.

Kid’s got some guts with those thoughts… Su Bingyao choked back a reaction, then inwardly grumbled at his mother. If you’re going to play favorites, own it. Why wrap it up as doing him a favor?

Serves you right that Su Shang’s thinking this now… Hold on—Mother’s expression changed. Does she hear his thoughts too?

He had to warn her about Su Shang’s anomaly before she flew off the handle and provoked him!

Su Shang wasn’t that obedient little son she could scold anymore. He was a monster now!