Eh? Thanks?
He hadn’t even apologized yet, so why was he the one being thanked?
Shen Ju hurriedly waved his hands. “No, no, it’s me who should—”
“It’s only right.”
Pei Yan cut Shen Ju off firmly, flashing a sardonic smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I should properly thank you. Thanks for pulling me… thanks for saving me so much effort. How about this—if you need anything? Like tutoring or something, I’d be happy to help out. After all, this kind of unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience isn’t something most people get to enjoy.”
Shen Ju didn’t dwell on the last part, but the earlier words made him pause.
“Tut… tutoring?”
“Yeah.”
Pei Yan’s gaze shifted to the group approaching around the pond. “Your big brother mentioned it to me.”
“…About your grades.”
Pei Yan kept smiling. “Seemed like they needed a boost.”
Guan Muya: “…”
He hadn’t.
He hadn’t said it like that.
He’d only mentioned that the kid at home had been seriously reviewing his mistakes before coming.
“You can think it over.”
Pei Yan wasn’t demanding an answer right then.
In truth, setting everything else aside, he was simply curious about the boy in front of him—a rare encounter like this, and he wanted to dig deeper.
Especially since it involved Pei Haochuan…
Pei Yan lowered his gaze, masking the flicker of emotion in his eyes.
He spoke again. “Do you have spare clothes to change into?”
“Ah, yes, yes.”
Qin Soxi snapped to attention and quickly ushered everyone toward the house.
Other things could wait—wet clothes had to come off first, or he’d catch a cold.
Pei Yan was led to a guest room.
Shen Ju was escorted back to his room in He Yuan.
Yes, “escorted.”
The Guan family members had all gathered outside Shen Ju’s room unannounced.
The five of them exchanged glances.
Earlier, when Qin Soxi “heard” Shen Ju’s voice, she’d dragged Guan Lifeng outside. They soon ran into Guan Muya and Guan Jianshan, who looked equally off-color. The four realized it wasn’t a coincidence and headed toward Shen Ju together, confirming that the sudden voice in their heads had reached all of them.
And now Guan Mulin had joined them.
Guan Mulin’s expression was even more complicated than theirs.
Guan Lifeng frowned. “Mulin, you—”
“Wait!”
Qin Soxi hurriedly hushed him, her face serious and solemn.
She pulled out her phone in front of the other four.
Guan Lifeng lowered his voice further, thinking she’d spotted something new. “Honey, you…”
Qin Soxi nodded and whispered, “Let’s make a new group.”
Cough, a new group to discuss this.
The others: “…”
Their original group had added Shen Ju after he was brought into the family, so they couldn’t discuss anything there. A temporary new one it was.
Qin Soxi glanced at the “Harmonious and Loving Family” chat, then pulled everyone except Shen Ju into a new group named “Special Incident Investigation Bureau.”
She had a knack for names.
Qin Soxi changed her own nickname: Director Qin.
She posted an announcement: Please everyone in the group change your nicknames too, thanks.
“…”
Guan Lifeng pinched the bridge of his nose and complied first: Director’s Hubby.
Guan Jianshan glanced at Qin Soxi.
She immediately said, “Dad, you’re the Bureau Within the Bureau—Director Guan.”
Director Guan nodded in satisfaction.
The remaining two group members…
Member Yao, Member Lin.
With the group set up, the five stood outside Shen Ju’s door, phones in hand, heads bowed like phone zombies.
Director Qin: [First, confirm: did everyone hear it? Raise hands if yes.]
A row of little avatars popped up one by one, hands raised.
Once confirmed, Guan Lifeng got to the point: [Long story short, Shen Ju’s bound to some thing that makes him play the “vicious true young master,” and use Mulin as a control group? That 996 thing is probably parasitic in Shen Ju’s body. You young ones should know what it is, right?]
Guan Muya stayed silent.
Guan Mulin thought for a moment, pursed his lips, and typed: [In novels, this kind of thing is called a system.]
True and fake young masters, system host, role-playing tasks…
It was obvious. Shen Ju’s earlier words and actions might all be for “tasks.” He was meant to be Mulin’s foil, to play… the villain.
Guan Mulin’s expression grew complicated.
Even if Shen Ju was opposing him, it didn’t seem to benefit Shen Ju at all.
So why was Shen Ju…?
[Host, I still need to remind you…]
It was back.
Guan Mulin and the others tensed up.
At the same time, in the guest room downstairs, Pei Yan paused mid-motion.
Everyone perked up their ears.
In the room, 996 spoke in a rather “earnest” tone: [About what happened earlier, I’ve thought it over, and it’s still worth emphasizing. You need to know, from the moment you were brought back to the Guan Family, I’ve been bound to you. Our goals must align. You can’t break character on your vicious true young master role for the tasks. For success, we have to be meticulous, watertight!]
[I know you think you’re doing bad things.]
996 cleared its throat: [But really, nothing you’re doing causes much damage.]
[Take this banquet, for example. The task was to embarrass Guan Mulin, but in the end, you were the one who ended up embarrassed?]
996 sighed: [We’re the ones meant to be the clowns here.]
[I know.]
Shen Ju spoke softly. He’d taken a quick shower but hadn’t dressed yet, his hair still dripping wet like a soaked puppy. Head bowed, he dabbed at it with a towel, lost in thought: [But… but Guan Mulin didn’t have to go through any of this originally.] If not for him.
Like the scolding words Guan Mulin had endured on the veranda earlier.
Like Guan Mulin’s self-imposed disappearance after the banquet incident.
…Shen Ju had wanted to find Guan Mulin earlier not to make him look bad in his absence, but because he was the one who should have vanished.
He could feel the Guan family’s kindness.
But his arrival was, bluntly put, to “stir things up.”
So he felt restless, ashamed, unable to settle.
Guan Mulin suddenly gripped his phone tighter, his expression conflicted as he stared at Shen Ju’s door.
He’d always thought Shen Ju either disliked him or at least didn’t like him much.
Downstairs, Pei Yan also looked up.
This young master of the Guan Family…
[You can’t think like that!]
996 disagreed: [Your existence is to help the protagonist grow. The protagonist is the fake young master—his identity’s exposed now, so he’s not as close to the Guan family by blood. What you’re doing actually helps strengthen Guan Mulin’s bonds with them. So no need to overthink it.]
Shen Ju hesitated: [Is that so?]
996 coughed lightly, affirming: [Yes, of course.]
[Anyway, keep pushing on those tasks!]
Setting aside the system coaxing its host like a child, the Guan family didn’t discuss much more.
One, the banquet wasn’t over. Two, they didn’t know enough yet. For now, they’d observe quietly, play it by ear, and monitor developments on the down-low.
Guan Mulin just looked a bit odd.
Protagonist? Him?
What protagonist? The male lead?
This 996 system had mentioned Pei Haochuan too, and his role seemed important.
Pei Haochuan… my lackey?
Yeah, probably.
Male leads in novels always had lackeys trailing them.
But…
…I’m the male lead?
Guan Mulin’s mood was complicated, tinged with guilt toward his “good bro”—he’d treated the guy like a brother, but the guy was supposed to be his lackey. Sigh.
“Uncle, you okay?”
With the Guan family absent, Pei Haochuan had to come check on Pei Yan himself.
Truth be told, he’d rather flee as far as possible, but running would make things worse.
Recalling the pond fiasco, Pei Haochuan couldn’t help but grimace.
Pei Yan might be young at 22, but his seniority was high—precocious and brilliant, skipping grades from childhood, raised at the old man’s side as the favored youngest son. He’d mastered the art of schooling his emotions perfectly… well, tonight might be an exception, but no one dared act out around him casually. Like Pei Haochuan.
And dragging Pei Yan to the veranda? That had been his idea…
Pei Haochuan’s heart sank.
But luckily, it’d been that Guan Shen Ju who’d yanked his uncle into the pond, embarrassing him to high heaven… cough, yeah, Guan Shen Ju. If anyone was in deep shit, it wouldn’t be him.
“Uncle, I told you Guan Shen Ju was no good, right?”
Pei Yan had showered and changed. The Guan Family had plenty of spares; the clothes Guan Muya sent fit decently. He glanced at Pei Haochuan and let out an ambiguous chuckle.
The sound was loaded, but to Pei Haochuan, it sounded like a knowing “heh.” Thinking he’d hit the nail on the head, Pei Haochuan pressed on. “But Uncle, why offer to tutor Guan Shen Ju? His grades suck, sure, but you’re overkill for that—like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut…”
The more Pei Yan heard, the more his brow twitched.
He couldn’t hold back and shot Pei Haochuan a look.
Pei Haochuan: “?” Why that look?
Pei Yan: “You still have the nerve to talk about others?”
