Facing Qin Zhi's obvious reaction, Su Zheng was clearly expecting it.

He didn't urge for a reply, only calmly waiting for Qin Zhi.

Under Su Zheng's calm gaze, Qin Zhi felt a kind of threat that couldn't be ignored.

That threat wasn't something the other party deliberately exerted to intimidate him, because there was no trace of anger or contempt in Su Zheng's facial expression.

—Given the vast difference in their identities, his attitude could even be called kind.

It was a kind of dignity that had been tempered countless times and had seeped into his bones. Just by relaxing his muscles slightly, it would permeate out silently.

As if silently and condescendingly showing him: Look, we are different.

Although sensing the other party's threatening nature, Qin Zhi was like a young beast whose wings were not yet fully grown. Because he was still too immature, when facing threats, besides being vigilant, he couldn't respond in any other way.

After a while, Qin Zhi moved his lips and heard his own slightly dry reply: "...Yes."

Su Zheng used his knuckles to push the coffee cup aside. Ignoring his tense posture, he calmly opened his eyes and lied: "Don't worry, I don't mean anything else, I just want to show concern for the family situation of my employees."

"If there are difficulties, they can all be accommodated." Su Zheng said unhurriedly.

Qin Zhi pursed his lips, unable to speak.

Su Zheng probably had enough of acting and directly threw out his bait in the next sentence: "Considering your wholehearted dedication to Duan Duan, our family will help pay for your mother's surgery."

"You can also put down your work and free up time to take care of your mother. After all, the postoperative recovery period is still very important."

The implication was to take good care of your mom, and you don't need to come work at the Su family anymore.

Although he already had some mental preparation when he came, the moment Qin Zhi read this deep meaning, there was still a roar in his mind. He almost reflexively opened his mouth to refuse. The Su family's status was not something ordinary people could casually enter. If he lost this identity as a servant, where would he find the opportunity to get close to Su Duan?

Status, family background... There were countless huge gaps lying between him and Su Duan. If he lost this opportunity, Qin Zhi didn't know in what other way he could walk to the side of his young master.

For Qin Zhi, who had just understood his own feelings, this result was no different from the cruel torture of tearing muscles and removing bones.

But the words of refusal reached the root of his tongue, and a trace of clarity flashed through his mind. The words of refusal were swallowed back by Qin Zhi in one gulp.

He had no right—

His mother was still lying on the hospital bed. For each day the surgery date was delayed, the degree of danger would increase. He had no right to refuse readily available assistance at this time.

Even if the price to pay for this assistance was no different from digging out his heart, leaving it bloody and mangled.

The blue veins on Qin Zhi's neck bulged out abruptly from exertion, showing hideous marks under the white shirt collar.

Su Zheng still had that very patient look. After finishing, he quietly waited for Qin Zhi's answer and took a sip of the slightly warm coffee beside him.

Who knew how long had passed, Qin Zhi's Adam's apple rolled a couple of times, and he answered with difficulty, "Thank you, Young Master."

After saying this sentence, it was as if a pool of blood had been poured into Qin Zhi's throat, surging with a lingering taste of rusty iron from years past, making his head dizzy.

Su Zheng's knuckles were still clasped on the rounded handle of the coffee cup. As if he couldn't hear the reluctance in his words—or he heard it but didn't care much—he retracted his hand and suddenly seemed to remember something, sighing, "What a pity, with your education, you shouldn't waste your youth in a courtyard like this. You could have originally unleashed greater value."

It sounded like he was really feeling regret for Qin Zhi.

In the heavy, swirling fog of confusion, a ray of light suddenly flashed by. Qin Zhi strangely calmed down.

For someone in a high position like Su Zheng, he actually hadn't had very close contact, but from a logical standpoint, it could at least be inferred that given how precious his time was, everything he did and every word he said should have had purpose.

A few seconds later, he heard Su Zheng say, "Reduced to this state, Qin Zhi... do you really not hate him?"

Qin Zhi abruptly raised his head and met Su Zheng's calm gaze.

Su Zheng didn't say who this "him" was, but in that glance when their eyes met, Qin Zhi was certain he hadn't guessed the answer wrong.

"Hate." Qin Zhi withdrew his gaze and uttered a word in a low voice.

The corner of Su Zheng's mouth curled up, revealing a smile that seemed to be a smile yet not.

He thought, his judgment was still reliable. Although Qin Zhi was a bit immature, his mind was very clear. It could be seen that he was someone who could distinguish things clearly.

President Su's mood became much better. He took out a business card from the shelf beside him and pressed it on the desk with his fingertips, pushing it towards Qin Zhi, "This is my assistant's contact information. He will contact you tomorrow morning to arrange the surgery. Time waits for no one. You should pack your things and go to the hospital to prepare as soon as possible."

Qin Zhi bent over slightly, took the business card in his hand, and said, "Thank you, Young Master."

This time, his voice was much calmer.

......

In the bedroom, Su Duan was wearing soft, light-colored home clothes. He was lowering his head and looking at something with concentration. His soft black hair was sticking to his forehead, covering a bit of the arc of his brows.

A silver laptop was placed on his legs, but because no one had operated it for too long, the screen had dimmed, vaguely reflecting Su Duan's face and shoulders.

Seeing Qin Zhi taking the business card and walking out of the room in the system's projection screen, Su Duan's eyes didn't move for a long time.

Although by the end of the conversation, Qin Zhi had become very calm, and all the anger and unwillingness had subsided, but looking at those overly cold eyes, Su Duan always felt that Qin Zhi's heart might be far from as calm as he appeared.

He even vaguely felt that it seemed to be even worse—

The system sighed beside him, "Su Zheng is a good person. Now the host doesn't have to rack his brains to think about how to bend the fate line of the healing target onto the correct track."

The main focus now was that they were still penniless, with zero balance in experience points, and couldn't buy any props in the mall. Just thinking about the difficulty of doing tasks made one feel worried.

Su Duan came back to his senses, moving his gaze away from the projection screen, and nodded, saying: "Mm."

......

Su Duan couldn't stay in the room for long before it was time for lunch.

He had been coaxed by Su Zheng to eat a lot in the morning. After eating, he took a walk and then curled up in the room, basically not moving much, so he only ate very little for lunch.

Su Zheng tried to persuade him a few times, but seeing that Su Duan really had no appetite, he could only instruct in the end: "If you get hungry in the afternoon, remember to have the kitchen make you some snacks."

After all, with his younger brother's small frame, eating too much could easily cause stomach problems.

After lunch, Su Zheng didn't let Su Duan go back to his room to hole up, but accompanied him for the entire afternoon.

First, they watched a light-hearted movie together, and then Su Zheng started tutoring Su Duan on his schoolwork.

Due to his physical condition, Su Duan had always been taking classes at home, even for university. Father Su had pulled some strings so that he didn't have to attend classes, only needing to take the final exams at the end of the term. His regular coursework was tutored by a professor who came at fixed times.

Su Duan had fractured his coccyx some time ago and hadn't fully recovered yet, so the home tutoring had been suspended until now.

Su Duan and Su Zheng were studying the same major, but their grades were worlds apart.

Under the meticulous guidance of the professional professor, Su Duan could barely maintain passing grades. But Su Zheng had been a top student since he started school. After entering a top university in the country, he was the kind who ranked in the top few of the department every year. Even though he had been in society for several years, he hadn't forgotten his university courses and had more than enough knowledge to tutor Su Duan, who was still in his first year.

To be honest, Su Duan couldn't understand a single word in the professional books, and he was also very confused by the terms coming out of Su Zheng's mouth. Fortunately, he had a system with an extensive database that could help him muddle through.

Although Su Duan felt very bored, the system kept nagging in his mind about how much Su Zheng had helped with his task, so he answered every question - albeit a little slower. The two spent a relatively harmonious afternoon like this.

When the sun was just about to set, Su Zheng looked at his brother, whose face showed a hint of fatigue, closed the book, and casually said: "The servant who was by your side before, his mother needs surgery, so he quit his job to go back and take care of her. They only have him as their child."

A mother with a serious illness, and as the only son, quitting his job to go to the hospital to care for a mother who can't take care of herself - it was indeed an unassailable reason.

Su Duan's gaze fell on the golden sunlight slanting in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and he let out a soft "mm" upon hearing this.

Seeing his brother's calm reaction that was a bit unexpected for him, Su Zheng reached out to ruffle his hair, and an inexplicable sense of subtle panic surged in his heart.

It seemed that some detail had slipped out of his control when he wasn't paying attention.

......

As usual, a peaceful day quickly passed. The next day, without Qin Zhi by his side busying about and even watching with concern as he used chopsticks, it seemed he could adapt.

The next morning, Su Duan woke up early at the system's reminder.

The system said, "Please note, host, the healing target is about to leave the Su family."

Su Duan stared blankly at the ceiling for a while, then got up, lifted the curtain a crack, and stuck his head out to look down, wanting to find Qin Zhi's figure.

But as far as he could see, there was only the slightly brightening dawn light and the still-sleeping scenery under the pale sky, with no sign of anyone.

The system reminded, "The healing target is at the door, far from here, and can't be seen with the naked eye. Does the host need a real-time projection?"

Su Duan nodded and said, "Yes, thank you."

Qin Zhi had already changed out of the black and white vest of the Su family servants and was wearing a simple shirt and trousers. He was carrying a small suitcase and standing at the tall main gate of the Su family.

It was an iron wrought gate with a hint of medieval style, wide enough for three or four cars to pass side by side. The spikes on the gate stood silently in the early cold, with pink climbing roses that had only produced small buds.

"Young Master," he looked up towards the approximate direction of Su Duan's bedroom and said in a voice that only he could hear, "Goodbye."

Su Duan, who was lying by the window, looked into his eyes and also said, "Goodbye."

After saying that one word of farewell, without waiting for the urging of the security guard at the door, Qin Zhi turned around and walked out through the small door that had been opened on one side of the large gate.

The moment Qin Zhi walked out of the Su family, a voice sounded in Su Duan's mind--

[Ding, the healing value of the healing target Qin Zhi has increased by 10 points. The current total healing value of the healing target is 80. Please keep up the good work, Host!]