Chapter 3: Repayment

Lin Qinghe and Su Rong stayed in the same room until nearly lunchtime.

During that time, he drank a bowl and a half of porridge, received a routine checkup from the doctor, and learned that the doctor was a friend of the person who had brought him to the hospital last night. On top of that, he had to occasionally endure Su Rong’s pitiful and sympathetic glances.

For the first time, he experienced the feeling of being unable to explain himself. He had no choice but to remain silent, lest he send Su Rong down some strange train of thought.

This world was very novel—even the physician’s medical skills were clearly leagues above those in Tranquil City.

Now that he had time to sit and think, a sense of reality finally dawned on him. Some things were permanently left in yesterday, and he was about to face a future of complete ignorance.

After a while, the sound of voices grew closer, and the door to the hospital room was pushed open.

Lin Qinghe turned toward the noise and saw a familiar figure—the tall, imposing man. There was someone behind him, a face he didn’t recognize.

Finally, an escape from the awkward situation. Su Rong, as if finding her anchor, stood up from her stool. “I’ll get you some water.”

“Thank you, Aunt Su.”

Following behind Cen Han was his assistant, Zhang Hua. Like Cen Han, he was dressed in a suit and leather shoes, the picture of a high-level elite.

Although Su Rong hadn’t explained the full story in her phone call to Cen Han, he had gathered the gist of it. Add to that Gu Yan’s confirmation that Lin Qinghe’s head wasn’t injured, and Zhang Hua’s inability to find any identity for this man, there was only one impossible possibility left: Lin Qinghe was telling the truth.

As ridiculous as it sounded.

Cen Han’s gaze fell on Lin Qinghe. “My driver said you appeared out of thin air on the road.”

Lin Qinghe had a calm and gentle temperament; even under questioning, he remained unruffled. “The ‘driver’ must refer to the person who helped me last night? He wasn’t lying.”

“Hm.” Cen Han gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, casually pulled a stool over, and sat down, suppressing his aura as he stated, “So you left the banquet, fell into the water, and were swept to this place, where you happened to run into my car.”

Lin Qinghe couldn’t figure out how Cen Han knew about his conversation with Su Rong, since the two hadn’t exchanged a single word since entering the room.

In that short time, Cen Han had left a deep impression on him. Years of dealing with people reminded him that this man was dangerous, mysterious, and unfathomable.

Weighing his options, he explained, “You must have seen that my clothes were completely soaked, and my attire was very different. I think that should be proof enough.”

“Indeed.” Cen Han raised an eyebrow. “But if it’s true, you’re in trouble.”

At that, Zhang Hua stepped forward. “Sir, I’m Mr. Cen’s assistant, Zhang Hua. I have a few questions I need you to answer. Please cooperate.”

No one believed him. Lin Qinghe glanced at Zhang Hua, then back at Cen Han. “I’m very grateful for your help last night, but that doesn’t mean I accept interrogation. I simply ended up here by accident. I’m no threat to you.”

Cen Han raised an eyebrow lightly at that but said nothing.

Having accidentally fallen into water and landed in a strange world, alone and unable to communicate with anyone, Lin Qinghe radiated a helpless fragility. Yet he didn’t show weakness, maintaining an elegant and unyielding demeanor.

Zhang Hua had been an assistant for five years and handled his work with ease.

Cen Han had already given him the heads-up: last night, near the villa district’s main road, they’d picked up a young man. Cen Han intended to recommend him to Chen Dong, the CEO of Starlight Entertainment.

“Sorry,” Zhang Hua said with a smile. “I was inconsiderate. You’ve misunderstood. Mr. Cen meant no harm. You may not yet understand your situation, but if you don’t have a proper identity in this world, it will be very difficult to survive.”

Lin Qinghe frowned. “What do you mean? Could you elaborate?”

“Simply put, you lack an ID card. That kind of document supports food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.”

“Then… how do I obtain one?”

“Ordinary people can’t.” Zhang Hua paused for two seconds, then added, “But Mr. Cen can arrange it.”

Lin Qinghe pressed his lips together. When you’re under someone’s roof, you have to lower your head. “What are the conditions?”

“First, I need to confirm your name.”

“Lin Qinghe. Clear spring in the forest, reflecting a white crane.”

“A good name.” Zhang Hua praised, then continued, “Mr. Lin looks like he’s under twenty-five.”

“Two years past coming of age.”

Very young—just about the age of a recent college graduate. Given Lin Qinghe’s temperament and appearance, he couldn’t be an ordinary person. Zhang Hua thought for a moment. “New to the area, no family or friends. What are your plans for the future?”

This question really put Lin Qinghe on the spot.

For him, even communication was a problem, let alone living a normal life here. And based on what Zhang Hua had just said, he lacked an ID card. It was like adding insult to injury.

His expression wavered; he couldn’t give a satisfactory answer for now.

Zhang Hua’s eyes flickered. He pushed up his glasses. “Don’t worry, Mr. Lin. There are many ways to survive here. Your conditions are excellent. Finding a good job isn’t difficult.”

That may be, but until he understood everything, every step would be like walking on thin ice.

Lin Qinghe had always been smart. He knew what choice was most advantageous for him. So he turned to Cen Han. “If possible, I’d like to stay here temporarily. I’ll do anything. I just ask that Mr. Cen provide three meals a day.”

“Anything?”

Cen Han’s voice was very pleasant, carrying the steadiness of someone who had weathered countless storms, tinged with a hint of ambiguity from the rising tone.

Lin Qinghe added, “Mm, even odd jobs.”

“There aren’t any odd jobs in the villa. The gardener is a professional, the chef has over twenty years of experience, and the security guards are military academy graduates. If you wanted to wash dishes…” Cen Han paused for a second. “That would be too much of a waste of talent.”

Lin Qinghe thought he was being rejected. “In that case, I’ll have to repay you when I’m more well-off in the future.”

He guessed that Cen Han’s status was one of wealth and nobility; he surely didn’t need a troublesome long-term worker.

Back in Tranquil City, although his family was full of scheming and infighting, at least he had food and clothing, and spare money for tea and leisure. Now, he had to worry about earning a few silver coins.

Cen Han didn’t seem to accept that. “This place doesn’t support ‘in the future.’ If you never become well-off, wouldn’t I be at a loss?”

Lin Qinghe felt the man was being a bit unreasonable. “I’m not well-off now either.”

Even less able to repay.

After a moment, Cen Han chuckled.

“Mm, quite self-aware.”

Zhang Hua thought his boss was in an unusually good mood today. It wasn’t often that he had the leisure to joke with others, especially during this period when he was burdened with troubles.

Lin Qinghe caught the hint from Cen Han’s laugh. If he wanted repayment but didn’t accept his proposal, then the proposal wasn’t satisfactory.

“How would you like me to repay you, Mr. Cen?”

Cen Han gazed at Lin Qinghe for a few seconds before finally getting to the point. “You can stay, but there’s a condition.”

Lin Qinghe: “I’d like to hear it.”

Zhang Hua took over. “Here’s the situation: a company under Mr. Cen’s name has run into some trouble.”

Although it wasn’t difficult to resolve with the Cen family’s influence, it couldn’t be settled once and for all.

Cen Han’s status, appearance, mature experience, and habit of keeping to himself attracted too many people who wanted to get close to him. His admirers were numerous, both male and female.

Xu Anyu was one of them.

Earlier on, Starlight Entertainment had placed great importance on Xu Anyu as a promising talent. As the executive president’s superior, Cen Han would occasionally look after those in his own company, but only in work-related matters. Unexpectedly, this led to Xu Anyu developing feelings for him.

Xu Anyu had a strong personality. Not only did he target colleagues who received similar treatment from Cen Han, but he also repeatedly bothered the man himself. Cen Han never hesitated to reject him outright.

Chen Dong was extremely troubled by this, caught in the middle. On one side was the nurtured talent; on the other was the boss he couldn’t afford to offend.

Chen Dong was very capable, and Cen Han always held capable employees in high regard. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t resort to extreme measures.

Xu Anyu refused to listen to the company, ignoring even his agent’s advice. But he was very popular, with a massive fan base and good public favorability. Most importantly, he had acting skills and good looks. His future was undoubtedly bright.

Under these circumstances, Chen Dong could still tolerate him, and even asked others to do the same.

What could you do? The popular one got preferential treatment; the popular one was always right.

You have a problem?

Sorry, but you don’t generate that much value.

Then came the car accident, shattering all balance.

Who knows what got into Xu Anyu? After being rejected by Cen Han, he went to a bar, got drunk, drove home himself, and hit a mother and child on the way. The mother was seriously injured and hospitalized; the child was spared thanks to the mother’s protection.

When it involved human lives, Cen Han couldn’t just ignore it. Zhang Hua had already accompanied Cen Han to the fourth floor of Yulin Hospital. Now, the mother had been moved out of the ICU but hadn’t woken up yet. The outcome was still uncertain.

The moment Zhang Hua saw Lin Qinghe, he understood why his boss had said half the trouble was already solved. Indeed, just based on Lin Qinghe’s appearance, he was clearly blessed by heaven with a face to earn a living.

He shifted the topic. “Mr. Lin can resolve this predicament.”

“Company” referred to a place where many people work, similar to an organization like the Scroll Pavilion.

Lin Qinghe digested the information and cut to the chase. “What do I need to do?”

“Become a member of the company and salvage the losses.” Zhang Hua spoke at a measured pace. “You will receive substantial financial support and gain a certain social status. However, you will also have to invest time and energy, and in more severe cases, endure some slander.”

The pros and cons were clear.

Lin Qinghe didn’t weigh them for long. Surviving now was the priority. “Is that all I need to pay?”

Zhang Hua responded patiently, “Yes, Mr. Lin, rest assured. We are a legitimate company.”

With that assurance, Lin Qinghe nodded. “Alright, I agree.”

“Pleasure doing business with you.” Zhang Hua smiled slightly. “I’ll inform you of the details later.”

“Mm.” Lin Qinghe raised one last question. He tilted his head, and his long hair slipped off his shoulder. “Where will I be staying?”

Zhang Hua glanced at his boss and was about to speak, but Cen Han interjected succinctly, “Xiangtan.”

As long as there was a place to stay, Lin Qinghe was satisfied and didn’t ask further. Even if the environment was poor, he could accept it.

If Zhang Hua knew that thought, his blood pressure might have spiked.

Cen Han had been observing Lin Qinghe. Despite his gentle temperament, he had hidden sharpness.

He hadn’t expected the man’s background to be even simpler than imagined—practically nonexistent here. That had its downside: training him would be difficult.

But it didn’t matter, Cen Han thought. He could teach him slowly.