[{"content_id":602,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":1,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 1","content":"

\"Knock knock--\"

A knocking sound broke the silence in the room. The slightly raised raven-black eyelashes of the boy nestled in the soft bedding quivered, revealing a pair of clear, dark eyes.

Those clear black eyes, placed on the young boy's face, carried a hint of indistinct bewilderment.

Su Duan propped himself up with his arms and sat up from the bed stiffly, as if he couldn't control his body very well during the movement.

The quilt slid down along his waistline. He quietly leaned against the head of the bed, tilting his head to examine the light leaking through the gap in the window.

The person outside the door waited for a long time without hearing an answer. Remembering the butler's instructions to push the door open and enter if there was no response, the door was gently pushed open after half a minute.

Su Duan slowly moved his gaze away from that faint beam of light.

The figure walked up to him. It was a thin young man with short, neat black hair, wearing a black vest and trousers. Although he didn't look very strong, he had good proportions with broad shoulders and long legs, like a walking clothes hanger.

However, this clothes hanger seemed a bit nervous at the moment, his entire body tense.

The young man placed the tray on the table beside the bed, picked up the glass on it, bent over and handed it to the boy sitting on the bed, respectfully saying, \"...Young Master, water.\"

Su Duan glanced at him, keeping a straight face without speaking. He slowly took the glass and drank quietly.

The warm water flowed down his throat, dispelling the slight discomfort from waking up early.

This body had a small appetite. Su Duan estimated he had drunk about half a glass before moving the glass away, stiffly raising his hand to signal the young man beside him to take the glass.

Their fingertips touched for a moment in between. Su Duan was too dull to react, but the young man's hand paused for a moment, nearly failing to hold the glass steady.

The young man put the glass back on the tray. After a few seconds of silence, he said, \"Young Master, please allow me to dress you.\"

Su Duan still didn't speak, but he cooperated by slowly crawling out of the quilt and sitting on the edge of the bed, motionless as if someone had pressed a pause button, allowing the young man to take off his loose, soft cotton pajamas, exposing his fair, thin upper body to the air.

Today Su Duan was to wear a camel-colored vest set with a simple white shirt inside. It had been selected the night before, ironed and placed by the bed, waiting for the servant to shake it out.

The slender body was gradually wrapped in the plain-colored shirt. Qin Zhi knelt on one knee on the ground, his expression serious, carefully buttoning up the round buttons from the bottom up.

The buttons on this shirt were small and dense, very troublesome to fasten, not to mention the person buttoning them was a bit nervous, making the process even slower.

When the boy wasn't throwing a tantrum, his entire being seemed clean and soft. The bright morning sunlight shone unabashedly through the pulled-back floor-to-ceiling windows, kissing his soft, fluffy black hair with a few strands sticking out, as if even the tips of his hair were permeated with a warm, sunny aura.

The boy suddenly called out, \"...Qin Zhi?\"

The boy seemed to not be fully awake, his pronunciation a bit unsteady, the ending syllable trembling slightly, like a cat lightly scratching at one's heart.

Qin Zhi's hand shook and he failed to successfully insert the button he was holding into the buttonhole.

Seeing the young man's flustered appearance, Su Duan lowered his eyes and inwardly called out, \"System.\"

The system instantly replied, \"My dear host, what's the matter?\"

Su Duan: \"Are you sure he's the one I need to treat in this world?\"

With a ding, the system pulled out Qin Zhi's information. \"Qin Zhi, male, one of the many illegitimate children of the Qin family head in City A who was cast out. Because he looks 30-40% similar to the Qin family's legitimate heir, he has always been deliberately targeted. Left with no other choice, he is now a servant at the Su residence. That's right, host, it's the person in front of you!\"

Su Duan: \"Mm, got it.\"

System: \"If you need anything, please summon me anytime, mwah mwah~\"

Su Duan was not originally from this world, and his identity was not a young master pampered in a wealthy family, not even human.

He was actually a Poria, a type of Chinese medicinal herb. He had lived for several thousand years, from the era of abundant spiritual energy on Earth during the cultivation period, through the stage where spiritual energy gradually declined and technology rapidly developed, all the way to the vast interstellar era.

However, he was quite unlucky. After gaining intelligence, he was unable to take human form for several thousand years. In the end, he fell into a deep slumber along with the Earth's catastrophe and the mother planet.

Su Duan originally thought he would continue to sleep like this, so last night when he opened his eyes and found himself lying on a soft, big bed with all four limbs intact, he was in disbelief for a long time.

Then, an electronic voice claiming to be a system suddenly sounded in his mind, explaining the situation to him.

The system introduced itself like this: \"In the year 2333 of the Star Calendar, humans rebuilding their homes in the interstellar era returned to their mother planet Earth to search for lost civilizations. While exploring ancient ruins, they discovered the slumbering host.\"

Su Duan: \"Me?\"

The system pulled out a photo. In the soil-covered ground, a half-excavated black object was buried.

System: \"Originally, the researchers thought the host might be a type of ingredient called potatoes from the ancient Earth era. Since this ingredient had long gone extinct with the slumber of the mother planet, after the exploration ended, the researchers brought the host back to the capital star for research. However, when the research began, they detected a violent energy fluctuation within the host's body.\"

Su Duan was silent for a moment, then said, \"...Oh.\"

His original form as a Poria was completely black and flat-round in shape. Due to his low-key appearance, he was sometimes mistaken for a black potato in the mud.

System: \"The researchers then studied a large amount of information from the ancient Earth era and discovered that the host was not a potato, but a plant called 'Poria' in Chinese medicine. They also combined the cultivation classics from the ancient Earth era with modern special ability models and conducted a large number of tests and studies, finally concluding that the host is a special plant about to take human form!\"

Su Duan listened very quietly, feeling enlightened but not quite understanding.

The technological power of the interstellar world sounded quite impressive, to the point of being able to thoroughly research something as unscientific as cultivation.

The system continued, \"Anyway, after the research results came out, in the spirit of fraternal love and mutual assistance, the research institute developed me to help the host transform!\"

Su Duan politely followed the system's words and asked, \"You are?\"

System: \"My full name is the Central Paranormal Research Institute's Ancient Earth Project Black Potato Tempering System 1.0. The host can call me by my code name 111, or directly call me System.\"

Hearing a certain term, Su Duan was stunned for a moment, \"...Wait, I'm really not a potato.\" And he wasn't black either!

System: \"Yes, we all know this, but the research project has already been entered into the database. After the name is recorded, the application process for a second modification is too troublesome, so we'll just make do with it.\"

\"...\" Su Duan really wanted to express that he didn't want to just make do like this, but considering that he was only research material, he seemed to have no right to speak, so he could only remain silent.

After being silent for a while, Su Duan, who had accepted reality, said, \"Then I'll call you System for now? May I ask what your working principle is?\"

System: \"My working principle is to collect virtual world plot energy fluctuations to simulate heavenly tribulation. As long as the host completes the tasks in each world, they can accumulate experience points - of course, using the terminology of the host's era, it can also be called merit. As long as enough experience points are accumulated, the host will be able to successfully transform!\"

They even knew about the heavenly tribulation. Su Duan thought for a moment and asked, \"What tasks?\"

System: \"This is related to the host's attributes.\" As it spoke, it pulled out a short piece of information from somewhere and explained, \"Poria, sweet in taste, warm and neutral in nature, is commonly found in various medicinal formulas, so the host's task is to - cure people's illnesses!\"

Su Duan was confused for a moment and said truthfully, \"...But I don't know how to cure illnesses.\"

He really couldn't figure out if there should be some necessary connection between \"he is a Chinese medicinal herb\" and \"he can cure illnesses\".

System: \"Host, don't panic! Host, you must believe in yourself!\"

Su Duan: \"...\" How did he suddenly feel that this system was a bit unreliable?

The system continued to introduce, \"Each world will have a target character who is ill. As long as the host cures the specific disease they have and the cure value reaches a full 100, they can obtain a certain amount of experience points - that is, merit.\"

In any case, a consensus was reached with difficulty. Although this system seemed a bit unreliable, there seemed to be no other way except to follow the system's direction.

In any case, things couldn't be worse than his original situation where he wasn't even sure if he could keep his life...

According to the system's introduction, this was his first task world. The target was called Qin Zhi, an illegitimate child of a wealthy family who had experienced a bumpy life and career, and suffered from Stockholm Syndrome.

Stockholm Syndrome, also known as hostage mentality, refers to a distorted psychology in which victims of criminal incidents develop feelings for the perpetrators and even help the perpetrators in return.

People with Stockholm Syndrome are often in the position of victim in a relationship. Under the influence of this syndrome, they develop affection, dependence, and even become accomplices to the perpetrator, refusing to let others rescue them.

In this world, the \"perpetrator\" who caused Qin Zhi to develop Stockholm syndrome was the young master of a wealthy family surnamed Su.

This young master was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and had a weak body. He was sick every three days and seriously ill every five days. From elementary school to high school, he studied at home. In university, he directly took a leave of absence and hired a tutor.

It can be said that he was spoiled by the whole family to the point of having an extremely pampered personality. As long as it was something he set his eyes on, basically there was nothing he couldn't get.

But even though the Su family was powerful and influential, they couldn't cover the sky with one hand. When this young master fell in love with the Qin family's legitimate heir, Qin Feng, and cried and made a fuss about wanting to be with him, all the Su family could do was try their best to appease him and not let him act recklessly.

As for being together with Qin Feng, that was simply impossible.

The Qin family was just as powerful and influential as the Su family. As the Qin family's proper biological son, Qin Feng had been raised as the heir from a young age. In the future, barring any accidents, he was to inherit the Qin family and naturally had to marry a wife of equal status.

After being heartbroken and devastated because he couldn't obtain Qin Feng due to his identity, the young master Su found a substitute - Qin Feng's half-brother, Qin Zhi.

The current head of the Qin family was an extremely promiscuous man. In addition to the one son and one daughter he had with his proper wife, he had at least a dozen or even twenty illegitimate sons and daughters outside. Among these illegitimate children, Qin Zhi looked the most like him.

It just so happened that Qin Feng also looked very much like his father, so this led to Qin Zhi and Qin Feng, this pair of half-brothers, having a facial similarity of up to 30-40%. Anyone who saw them would subconsciously think they were biological brothers.

Because of his pride as a wealthy scion, Qin Feng greatly despised this illegitimate half-brother who looked a lot like him and used many methods to subtly make things difficult for him. This led to Qin Zhi, after graduating from a top national university, being inexplicably fired every time before his probationary period was over, and in the end, he could only rely on odd jobs to make a living.

And after accidentally seeing Qin Zhi working odd jobs outside, the young master Su's eyes lit up since he couldn't get the real deal. He found a way to bring this substitute to his side.

However, although he had the intention of treating the person as a substitute, he also despised Qin Zhi for not being Qin Feng. He looked down on Qin Zhi and had a very unfriendly attitude towards him, tormenting him from time to time and venting all his resentment from not being able to get Qin Feng on Qin Zhi.

After all, Qin Zhi was a naive young man fresh out of school. He had already been under great psychological pressure due to his elder brother's friction. Being tormented like this by the young master, plus the blow of his mother's death, his psychological defense line collapsed and he actually developed a hostage mentality towards the young master Su, that is, he developed Stockholm Syndrome.

And this young master surnamed Su was the role he was using in this world, and coincidentally, he had the same name as him - also called Su Duan.

According to the system's explanation, this was to give Su Duan a greater sense of immersion. Each identity he traversed in different worlds would have the same name as him.

Su Duan found it hard to express his feelings in words: \"...Thank you.\" Although he didn't want to imagine himself as someone who seemed mentally unstable.

System: \"You're welcome. My task is to help the host complete the mission. The host must work hard!\"

Su Duan: \"...\"

Since it was the first world, in order to let him adapt to the mission's pace, the difficulty of this world was set very low. When Su Duan arrived here, Qin Zhi had just arrived at the Su residence and hadn't even met the original body yet. The events in the plot also hadn't happened.

Because he hadn't fallen ill yet, Qin Zhi's initial healing value was as high as 50. As long as Su Duan cut off all possibilities of him getting sick, he could complete this mission.

...

After tentatively calling out to Qin Zhi, Su Duan found that the target in front of him stiffened for a moment.

But he didn't care whether Qin Zhi was stiff or not. After finishing talking with the system, he was immersed in the novelty of speaking for the first time.

The boy's voice was clear and pleasant, actually very likable, but Qin Zhi seemed to have heard some threatening words. His Adam's apple rolled uncontrollably a couple of times, his voice tightening: \"...Yes, what are your orders, young master?\"

Before accepting this job, he had heard that the person he was to serve had a bad temper, often getting angry for no reason, and would fire people if they displeased him slightly.

The youngest son of a top wealthy family, with exquisite looks and poor health, was cherished by the whole family. One could imagine how pampered and willful he had been raised.

He had only arrived at the Su residence yesterday, but had already heard the servants reveal several \"glorious deeds\" of this young master. And just before he came, the butler had also solemnly told him to be cautious and never anger the young master.

However, the young master showed no signs of anger. He lowered his eyes and looked at him calmly with black, moist eyes, then quickly looked away, not responding to his inquiry at all, as if he had just called his name on a whim.

Qin Zhi's hands stiffened for a moment. Seeing no follow-up, he slowly buttoned up the young master's clothes.

After helping Su Duan get dressed, Qin Zhi consciously withdrew.

As soon as Qin Zhi left, Su Duan's tense body relaxed. He leaned against the head of the bed for a while, then commanded his body to go to the bathroom to wash up.

It was twenty minutes later when he finally went downstairs to eat.

Su Duan's father and mother had been busy at the company's overseas branches for the past two years, rarely even returning to the country, let alone staying at home. His only older brother was also stationed at the domestic company, so busy that he wished he could be two people. It was rare for him to stay at the Su residence even two days a week.

So in the huge Su residence, there was often only the sickly young master Su Duan and a bunch of servants who only dared to do their work with their heads down, without even a single person to talk to.

Su Duan held the stair railing and walked down the stairs at the pace of an old man, then sat down slowly at the dining table.

Seeing his sluggish appearance, the butler asked with concern if he was feeling unwell somewhere. Su Duan brushed it off, saying he hadn't woken up yet.

The butler didn't ask further. He quietly set the tableware for him. Qin Zhi brought out breakfast from the kitchen, carefully placed it in front of Su Duan, then silently stood to the side.

Of the three people in the dining room, only Su Duan was seated.

Because the system had generously gifted half of the healing value, the mission seemed easy. But in fact, before Su Duan even started the mission, he encountered a problem: he couldn't control his body well.

And of course, he couldn't use chopsticks either.

After being a spiritual herb that couldn't speak or move for thousands of years, suddenly having hands and feet to move around was not something that could be adapted to in just one night.

Staring at the set of bowls and chopsticks in front of him, Su Duan couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

After hesitating for more than ten seconds, he finally cautiously chose the spoon, which seemed to have the lowest difficulty to use.

Just as he picked up the spoon and was about to eat, a servant came in and whispered something in the butler's ear. The butler said something to Su Duan and quickly left.

After the butler left with the servant, only Su Duan and his treatment target Qin Zhi were left in the dining room.

After the butler left, Qin Zhi lowered his eyes, what he was thinking was unknown. His jaw was slightly clenched. Su Duan didn't bother with this treatment target whose mood seemed a bit off. He carefully held the spoon handle, focusing on trying his first meal as a human.

This was the first time he had tasted human food. The taste sensed by his tongue was rich in layers, quite different from the spirit spring water that only tasted sweet.

...It was a bit unfamiliar, but didn't feel too bad, Su Duan thought as he licked the spoon.

This body's stomach seemed to be very poor. The butler was very strict about his diet, and breakfast was very light.

But even so, perhaps because he had some difficulty calming down after crossing over yesterday and didn't pay attention to keeping warm at night, after just a few bites, Su Duan suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his stomach, as if it was being grabbed and kneaded by a large hand.

His hand lost strength. The spoon, which he wasn't very skilled at holding to begin with, hit the edge of the bowl, making a crisp sound. The soup in the bowl splashed out onto the dining table, and his body also curled up in pain.

It wasn't that Su Duan was delicate, but this body itself was not pain-tolerant. Moreover, he was not used to using a human body and couldn't control this instinctive reaction for a while.

The butler was not there. Qin Zhi hesitated for a few seconds. Seeing that Su Duan's body was about to fall to the side and slide off the chair, his pupils slightly contracted. He subconsciously reached out to support him.

","published_time":"2024-05-01T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-05-01T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-05-01T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":603,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":2,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 2","content":"

The young man seemed to have lost all strength from the pain, and obediently leaned into Qin Zhi's embrace.

The youth in his arms had a slender figure, with a hint of childlike softness that had not yet been shed. Perhaps due to frequently drinking medicinal tonics to nourish his body, there was a very faint herbal scent about him.

After instinctively catching the person, thinking of this young master's mysophobia and his rumored personality, Qin Zhi's hands gripping Su Duan's arms instantly stiffened.

He almost reflexively thought, would this offend the young master, and if he was held accountable afterwards...

Because of his elder brother's targeting, he could no longer find work outside. Although his current job required him to put aside his pride to serve others, the salary was also very generous. He really needed this sum of money to pay for his mother's medical expenses.

The hospital's side could not be delayed for too long... and he still needed to quickly raise funds for the surgery.

Qin Zhi thought distractedly as he held the young master whose whole body carried the scent of medicine.

However, he was only distracted for that instant. Very quickly, the pale complexion and pained expression of the person in his arms captured his full attention, and he could no longer think of any other concerns.

After a moment of intense pain passed, Su Duan regained some control over his body. However, he did not indicate for Qin Zhi to let go of him. Instead, he raised his head, moved his lips, and struggled to form words: \"Help... help me sit up.\"

Hearing his words, Qin Zhi immediately followed the command with action. Using some strength in his arms, he helped him sit down on a chair.

Looking at the youth curled up leaning against the chair, his delicate brows furrowed together, eyes closed, and face pale as paper, Qin Zhi couldn't help but purse his lips.

Although rumor had it that this young master had a bad and fickle temper, good-looking people always had a natural advantage. Seeing him pitifully curled up like this, no matter what, one could not be on guard against him. Instead, it made one feel a bit of uncontrollable distress.

Qin Zhi didn't know where he got the courage, but he quickly said the longest sentence to the young master since they met: \"I'll take you to sit on the sofa, then go call the doctor.\"

He had just arrived yesterday, and today was his first day on the job. The butler had not clearly explained many things to him, so he did not know where Su Duan's medicine was placed. The butler who knew was out handling affairs, so he had to go out and find someone.

The chair was hard and slippery, with no place to hold onto. The young master was now weak all over and couldn't muster any strength. He was afraid that after he left, the young master would quickly slide back onto the floor while sitting here alone.

The young master, in too much pain to even speak clearly, opened his eyes and looked at him with those jet-black eyes misty from the pain. He slowly nodded.

Qin Zhi helped the person over to the sofa again, adjusting him to a posture where he was not likely to fall, then turned and went out to find someone.

After Qin Zhi left, the system suddenly spoke: \"Host, host.\"

Su Duan: \"What is it?\"

The system said: \"Actually, we have a system mall constructed based on short-term research results. The host can use experience points to exchange for various items in it to help complete tasks, including painkillers.\"

As the system spoke, it pulled out a panel with all sorts of item icons, only these icons were all displayed in gray, clearly unable to be purchased.

Su Duan had not heard it mention the system mall yesterday. It was the first time he learned that one could also use merit - the system called them experience points - to buy things.

The sudden appearance of a shop and whatnot always gave him a sense of confusion, as if cultivation and technology were combined.

Although his body was still in pain, after listening, Su Duan quickly grasped the main point: \"But I don't have any experience points.\"

The first task was not yet complete, so his current experience point balance was zero. He could be said to be penniless.

The system said: \"Yes, one vial of painkiller only requires ten experience points. These ten points are actually not considered a lot. After the host completes a task, the system will automatically evaluate the host's performance and results. The grades from low to high are D, C, B, A, up to S rank. If the rating for a task can reach A rank or above, the host can obtain at least 5,000 experience points. Of course, for the current host, these ten experience points are temporarily unaffordable.\"

The system paused for a moment, its electronic voice seeming to lower by a degree: \"I just tried, the system does not have a credit function, so the painkiller exchange failed.\"

Su Duan was silent for a moment: \"It's fine, it's actually not that painful.\"

He was telling the truth. As a spiritual herb that could not move, when his spirit first formed and his spiritual power was still very weak, insufficient to protect himself, it was not as if he had never been injured by people or animals before. The pain he felt at that time was on a completely different level compared to this.

His reaction being so intense this time was mainly related to not being used to the human body yet.

System: \"Host, you don't need to comfort me QAQ\"

Su Duan, an ancient herb who had already slept for several thousand years and was completely derailed from the modern world, looked at the crying emoticon the system displayed at the end and couldn't help but fall into deep thought: \"...\"

In the future starry sky, did people very much enjoy communicating with these letters that could express emotions?

In any case, no matter what, he felt that this system... seemed quite personable?

The system said again: \"Host, work hard. Completing tasks in this world will let you buy lots of painkillers.\"

Su Duan said: \"Okay.\"

Within five minutes of Qin Zhi leaving, he brought the butler back. The butler fed Su Duan medicine and called the doctor.

By the time the doctor left with his medical kit, it was already close to noon.

Su Duan was in low spirits and had taken a painkiller with a sedative component. After the pain in his body passed, he was forcefully fed half a bowl of congee by the butler and quickly fell into a daze, not waking until evening.

Qin Zhi followed beside the butler the whole time, busy with this and that. Su Duan's stomach pain this time was an old ailment. The doctor said it might be because he caught a chill at night. The situation was not severe at the moment, and he would be fine as long as he paid attention to resting. If he wanted to err on the side of caution, he could drink a few doses of medicine to recuperate.

Not daring to be careless, the butler had the doctor leave some medicine.

What was left was Chinese medicine, six doses, to be taken twice a day in the morning and evening for three days.

Su Duan was practically never apart from Chinese medicine year-round.

Because of his poor immunity, Su Duan had begun incessantly taking medicine since he was young.

Western medicine was fast-acting but had major side effects. Su Duan had always had a delicate constitution since childhood, and the side effects of Western medicine were especially apparent in him. As time passed, the medicines on Su Duan's prescription were gradually all replaced with Chinese medicine.

But Chinese medicine has a notable characteristic - it's bitter. Even adults with strong endurance will scrunch up their faces after drinking it, with the lingering bitterness remaining on the tip of the tongue for a long time, as if all the taste buds can only sense that one flavor.

Qin Zhi drank it a few times when he was young, and still remembers that heart-piercing bitterness to this day.

But when Su Duan drank it, aside from slightly furrowing his brows, he showed no other reaction. Holding the bowl, although slow, he drank all the dark brown liquid inside without leaving a drop.

...Doesn't he dislike the bitterness?

Qin Zhi pondered for a few seconds before realizing that Su Duan was probably used to drinking it since he was young, which is why he could remain so expressionless.

But when he first started drinking it, he must have also found it very unpleasant.

After Su Duan handed the medicine bowl back to him, he slowly took the tissue handed over by the other person, wiped his mouth and returned it. After waiting a few seconds, seeing Qin Zhi not making any moves, he reminded: \"Fruit.\"

Only then did Qin Zhi suddenly react, hurriedly handing over the prepared candied fruit.

Su Duan's gaze circled around the plate of candied fruit, selecting a medium-sized one from among them and picking it up to put in his mouth.

The fruit, after being preserved and processed, took on the sweet maple color of amber, its original variety no longer discernible.

In theory, as a plant, Su Duan should have some understanding of his own kind. Unfortunately, after the earth's upheaval, Su Duan slept for too long, his past memories seeming to be covered by a layer of gauze, becoming blurry with many details lost.

But those memories weren't really worth remembering anyway. As a medicinal herb that had gained intelligence but couldn't take human form, life was actually very boring.

The thing he did most over that long period of time was nothing more than observing the surrounding animals or plants, occasionally using a bit of spiritual power to \"disappear\" from people's sight when they approached, to avoid being taken away to be dried into medicine.

After holding the candied fruit in his mouth for a few seconds, a sweet but not cloying flavor spread from the tip of Su Duan's tongue, quickly dispelling the earlier bitterness brought by that bowl of medicine.

Qin Zhi tidied up the items and said to Su Duan who had his head lowered, cheeks bulging: \"Young Master, I'll take my leave first.\"

Su Duan was still immersed in the feeling of eating this kind of food that was so sweet it felt like his whole brain was flooded with sugar water for the first time. Gently pushing with the tip of his tongue, he flipped the fruit over in his mouth, too preoccupied to speak - and speaking was also a bit unaccustomed for him - so upon hearing this, he just casually nodded.

Qin Zhi carried the bowl still containing remnants of the brown medicinal liquid and the remaining candied fruit plate out of the bedroom, closing the door for the young master to let him rest well.

Only after closing the door did he belatedly realize that from beginning to end, this young master had been so obedient it was unbelievable, doing whatever he was told, not at all having the vicious and unruly appearance of the rumors, and hardly even spoke.

Could the rumors be mistaken?

If it was just one person saying this, perhaps it could be bias, but when almost everyone thinks this way and solemnly warns him, the explanation of bias or misunderstanding doesn't quite make sense.

Qin Zhi couldn't figure out the reason.

Su Duan fell ill again. Although for Su Duan who got sick every few days, it wasn't anything rare, after the butler notified the master of the household, Su Duan quickly received an overseas call from this body's parents.

Su Duan's father and mother were very concerned about this sickly youngest son. Although they were abroad, as long as there was the slightest development on Su Duan's side, they would immediately become anxious.

As soon as the call connected, Su Duan's mother started saying a bunch of things, asking if he was still in pain, how he carelessly caught a chill again, etc...

Su Duan stiffly held the phone with one hand, listening to the gentle female voice on the other end speaking words of concern without pause, a hint of bewilderment appearing on his face.

He was Su Duan, but not \"Su Duan\". Even though he had the original owner's memories, the two people on the other end couldn't really be called his parents.

He was a person with very subdued emotions. Faced with the concern of this \"mother\" who could now be said to be a complete stranger, he really didn't know how to react.

After Su Duan's mother said a long string of words without hearing him respond, she asked in puzzlement: \"Duan Duan, what's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything to Mom?\"

Su Duan searched through the original body's memories, slowly finding a reasonable explanation: \"Tired.\"

As soon as he said he was tired, Su Duan's mother felt distressed, telling him to rest quickly. No longer keeping him on the line to talk, she passed the phone to Su Duan's father. After Su Duan's father briefly expressed concern, he hung up.

Just as Su Duan's father and mother's call ended on this side, before Su Duan could rest, his older brother Su Zheng, now the head of the Su family's main domestic company, returned to the Su residence.

Unlike his sickly and delicate-looking younger brother, Su Zheng was not only strong and tall, his facial features were also very sharp. Although only in his twenties, he already had an imposing air. Based on their outward appearance, he and Su Duan were completely different types of people.

However, perhaps related to the good family atmosphere, Su Zheng, who looked stiff and unapproachable, actually placed great importance on family, especially caring a lot about his sickly younger brother. As soon as he heard he was ill, he immediately rushed back after his meeting, not even having time to change out of his suit.

Hearing from the butler that the eldest young master had returned, Su Duan, who had just been preparing to sleep curled up in bed, couldn't help feeling a bit troubled.

He had barely managed to fool his far away parents over the phone, but now that his older brother who the original body often met had returned, how could he avoid exposing any flaws?

Author's note: The male lead, completely unaware he's holding his future partner in his arms: Still worried about losing my job today as usual.jpg

","published_time":"2024-05-01T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-05-01T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-05-01T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":604,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":3,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 3","content":"

Su Duan thought for half a minute and finally decided to pretend to be asleep.

Based on how much Su Zheng cared for his younger brother, he probably wouldn't forcibly wake him up while he was sleeping.

So he pulled the blanket over, closed his eyes, and lay still on the bed.

Out of habit, he was actually more accustomed to lying completely still like this. He lay there breathing steadily, looking as if he was really asleep.

So when Su Zheng pushed open the half-closed door and entered, what he saw was his younger brother buried softly in the bedding, sleeping obediently and properly.

His movement paused for a moment as he gently closed the door behind him.

\"How long has he been asleep?\" After walking a bit further, Su Zheng asked the butler beside him.

The butler respectfully said, \"He just took his medicine 20 minutes ago and probably fell asleep soon after.\"

Su Zheng nodded and asked about Su Duan's activities today. Although his voice was indifferent, his inquiries were very detailed.

The two walked towards the study, talking along the way.

Although he had specially rushed back to see his younger brother, since he was home anyway, he might as well pick up a few documents.

When he reached the top of the stairs, Su Zheng glanced down and saw an unfamiliar figure. His footsteps paused.

He asked the butler, \"Is this the new servant?\"

The butler looked at Qin Zhi who was busy working in the living room, lowered his eyes and replied, \"Yes, the last one who messed with the young master's medicine was fired, so we hired a new one. He just started yesterday, is quite diligent, and the young master seems to like him.\"

Actually, Qin Zhi wasn't hired through the usual recruitment process of the Su family, but was specially brought in at the young master's request. Seeing that face that bore a vague resemblance to the Qin family's eldest son, he could probably guess the reason.

But these harmless little details were best kept hidden for now, lest the eldest son refuse to go along with the young master's wishes and fire him, causing the young master heartache once again.

Busy with company matters, Su Zheng didn't have time to concern himself with the miscellaneous affairs of the household. A few years ago when Madam Su was still around she would pay some attention, but after Master and Madam Su went abroad, these matters were all handled by the butler.

He didn't initially doubt the butler's words about just hiring a new servant. But after seeing Qin Zhi suddenly raise his head, his brows furrowed slightly.

This person's appearance seemed to resemble that Qin family heir his younger brother had desperately fallen for some time ago?

Su Duan had fallen quite ill over this matter a few years back, so he still retained some impression of Qin Feng's face.

Of course, it definitely couldn't be called a good impression.

Qin Zhi's perception had always been keen. After Su Zheng's gaze fell on him, he raised his head like a vigilant young beast, meeting Su Zheng's eyes.

Su Zheng stood at the top of the second floor stairs, wearing a well-fitted, rigid black suit. His handsome features carried a cold, hard aura, his expression indifferent. His entire being exuded the air of someone in a high position, like a sharpened blade, its cold edge piercing the eye.

...This should be the eldest young master of the Su family, Su Zheng if he remembered correctly.

Realizing the other party's identity, and afraid of displeasing the master of the house, Qin Zhi quickly lowered his head and continued with his work.

Su Zheng looked at him for a few more seconds, glanced at the stern-faced butler, but ultimately said nothing and continued leading the butler towards the study.

After arriving at the study, Su Zheng sat down at the desk and pulled out two files marked with yellow tabs from the file rack.

Removing the tabs from the files, he suddenly asked, \"What's the name of that servant from earlier?\"

The butler was silent for a few seconds before slowly saying, \"Qin Zhi.\"

Qin Zhi.

Surnamed Qin.

Su Zheng's fingertips lightly tapped the desktop twice.

...

Having the system help monitor Su Zheng's movements, and waiting until he left the Su residence, Su Duan's eyelashes fluttered as he opened his eyes.

But after opening his eyes, he didn't hurry to get out of bed. He continued to lie there motionless. Except for having his eyes open, he looked no different from earlier.

After lying there quietly for about half an hour, Su Duan slowly climbed out of bed and pressed the call bell at his bedside.

This time, the one who entered wasn't Qin Zhi who had been attending to him all day, but the stern-faced butler with prominent nasolabial folds.

The butler asked about his condition. After receiving a shake of the head indicating he was no longer in pain, he bent down to help him put on his vest.

As the butler helped him dress, he said, \"It's 5 o'clock, will the young master go down to eat some dinner?\"

Seeing the butler's expression that seemed even more serious than usual, Su Duan lightly nodded and said, \"Porridge.\"

Although he had seen people eat with chopsticks before, and the original body's memories contained relevant scenes, he still lacked confidence in wielding those two thin wooden sticks well.

After all, it looked very difficult.

The butler, even more solemn than usual, nodded and said, \"Just porridge?\"

Su Duan nodded again, using a bit more force than earlier to show his determination not to give himself away.

After finishing dressing Su Duan in his vest, the butler stood up straight. \"There's porridge stewing in the kitchen. Please wait about ten minutes to freshen up. It should be ready by the time you go downstairs.\"

Su Duan sat on the edge of the bed and continued nodding, then watched as the butler exited the room.

He could tell the butler was nervous.

And he knew why he was nervous.

The system had a function to monitor the plot characters of the mission world. Just now with the system's help, he had overheard Su Zheng and the butler's conversation in the study.

Naturally, he also found out that Qin Zhi's identity as Qin Feng's half-brother had been exposed.

But unlike the butler, as the real mastermind behind everything, he wasn't very nervous.

Because in the original plot, Su Zheng had also discovered that Su Duan had secretly instructed the butler to bring Qin Zhi in. But in the end, he didn't interfere and just pretended not to know, treating Qin Zhi as an ordinary servant.

Su Duan went downstairs and used the easy-to-operate spoon to drink some porridge. Then under the butler's guidance, he watched some TV. His body soon felt a hint of fatigue.

Although he had slept the entire morning, this body was weaker than usual due to illness and would feel tired after just a bit of activity.

In any case, as the spoiled younger brother relying on his family and older brother, there was nothing he needed to busy himself with. Su Duan turned off the TV and returned to his room to sleep.

But according to human habits, one needs to take a bath before going to bed.

And before taking a bath, one needs to take off their clothes.

For Su Duan, who still couldn't control his body well, taking off clothes was not an easy task. The small vest on the outside was fine, with some effort it came off stumbling, but the shirt inside would probably not be so easy.

The buttons on the shirt were thin and dense. Even a normal person would have to spend some effort to undo them one by one, let alone

Su Duan tried for ten minutes and found that he had only unbuttoned two buttons. He completely gave up on being self-reliant and pressed the call bell at the head of the bed again.

This time it was Qin Zhi who came.

He had just been pulled aside by the butler and told a bunch of Su Duan's taboos, and was warned again, causing the vigilance he had just put down because of the young man's illness to be raised again.

But--

What's the situation?

The young master sat on the edge of the bed, his shirt wrinkled from being tugged, with two buttons undone, his two delicate eyebrows furrowed together, looking at him with eyes that were definitely not pleasant.

Qin Zhi, who had just been warned by the butler, suddenly felt his heart constrict.

Frightened.

Seeing him come, Su Duan didn't care whether he would lose face or not, and directly demanded with justification, \"Help me take off my clothes.\"

Although Qin Zhi was the target that needed treatment in his world, he was also his servant. It was natural for him to instruct the other party to do something within his duties.

However, after hearing this request, his treatment target and servant stood frozen in place without moving.

The butler warned him that even if the young master deliberately made things difficult for him by making some demands, he could not refuse unless he wanted to give up this job.

--It came so quickly.

Su Duan urged him with his eyes. Qin Zhi took a deep breath, prepared for being deliberately picked on later, knelt down in front of him, and unbuttoned the remaining buttons as cautiously as possible.

What puzzled him was that until the last button was undone, Su Duan didn't say a word.

It was a bit puzzling.

After all the buttons were undone, he loosened his hand and the shirt naturally parted to both sides, revealing a small patch of fair skin.

It was the kind of paleness that hadn't seen the sun for years.

Afraid of offending the other party, Qin Zhi was stunned for a moment and then averted his gaze, asking in a low voice, \"Young Master, do you have any other orders?\"

Su Duan said, \"Yes.\" He seemed to think for a moment before slowly saying, \"Take out my bath supplies.\"

Qin Zhi went and took out the bath towels and shower caps from the wardrobe in a daze, and then handed them over at the other party's indication.

Su Duan took the soft and fluffy bath towel in his arms and said, \"You can go.\"

After saying that, regardless of his reaction, he got up from the bed with the bath towel in his arms and went into the bathroom.

Now he was going to try taking a bath as a human for the first time, and had no time for tasks. The treatment target could leave on his own.

Qin Zhi had no idea what this young master wanted to do. If he said he was making things difficult for him, it didn't seem like it from his attitude. If not, it was too unreasonable to call him over just to unbutton and get a bath towel.

Unable to figure it out, Qin Zhi could only convince himself to resign himself to fate, one instruction at a time.

Seeing that Su Duan had already entered the bathroom, he obeyed the order and walked out of the bedroom.

It's just that as soon as he was about to close the door, he heard a bang from the bathroom, as if something heavy had fallen to the ground.

Qin Zhi: \"......\"

","published_time":"2024-05-01T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-05-01T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-05-01T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":622,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":4,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 4","content":"

This is... a fall?

It sounds like a pretty serious fall.

Thinking of the young master's small frame that looked like it couldn't handle much, even though Qin Zhi knew that the other party's character might be problematic, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

He didn't dare to hesitate. He pushed open the door that only had a crack left, and quickly walked in.

The bathroom door wasn't locked. He gripped the handle and pressed down, and the door opened smoothly.

As expected, the bathroom was a mess.

Things were knocked over everywhere, and the shower head was also on, spraying water out with a sizzle. As luck would have it, it was facing the direction of the bathroom door. As soon as Qin Zhi entered, he was first sprayed with a face full of steaming hot water. He dodged to the side and wiped the water traces from his face.

After wiping away the water and clearing his vision, Qin Zhi saw Su Duan who had fallen to the ground.

Su Duan's shirt was already taken off, leaving only a pair of white pure cotton fabric pants on his body. Half of the bath towel was covering his body, and the other half had fallen to the ground, soaked with water. There were also some water traces on his two thin and white legs.

His posture was very strange. When normal people fall on their back, they would all try to prop themselves up with their hands on the ground and attempt to stand up. But Su Duan wasn't like that. He seemed to have completely given up struggling, his whole body lying on the ground like a fish out of water.

Hearing the sound of him coming in, Su Duan moved his gaze to him. Perhaps because of the pain, his black eyes appeared more moist than usual.

Su Duan, who had no idea how to stand up, moved his lips and sent out a cry for help to his treatment target: \"Hug... help me up...\"

He fell accurately and heavily this time. The caudal vertebrae area hurt so much that it was almost numb. Under the stimulation of intense pain, his originally not very skillfully used limbs had no idea how to command, and even his speech was a bit inverted.

Qin Zhi's heart suddenly trembled a little when he looked at him. He also didn't notice his wording error. He took a step forward, half-kneeling down, took the bath towel off Su Duan's body and threw it aside. He supported his shoulders and used a little force, wanting to help him up from the ground.

There was a layer of drizzling water traces on the ground. The fabric on Qin Zhi's knees was quickly soaked by the water on the floor. However, most of his body had already been wet just now, so this little bit didn't make much difference.

The more tricky situation now was the pitiful little young master lying on the ground in front of him.

Su Duan's body was wet and slippery to begin with. His whole body was also stiff as hell, not knowing at all how to cooperate with his movements. He had just gotten up a little but quickly slid down again, causing Qin Zhi to be unable to help the person up from the ground no matter what by just supporting his shoulders.

There was no other way. Qin Zhi could only clasp one hand on Su Duan's shoulder, pass the other hand under the boy's knee bends, and carefully picked him up in a princess carry.

Although he looked thin, he still had the strength he should have.

Holding the boy with a small frame, he felt light as a feather.
—Has he really come of age?

Qin Zhi thought about when he was eighteen years old. He was more than a bit heavier than Su Duan.

It wasn't until he had already held the person in his arms that Qin Zhi had the chance to think about whether this little master would be angry because of his overstepping actions.

He lowered his head, wanting to see the expression on Su Duan's face, but he only saw the top of his jet-black hair with a small whorl. The little young master obediently nestled in his arms without making a single sound, not knowing what he was thinking.

Because the injury should be at the caudal vertebrae, when Qin Zhi put him on the bed, he adjusted him into a prone position, then quickly notified the butler.

......

Because of Su Duan's sudden fall, the Su Residence was in a flurry again. By the time the doctor finished applying medicine for Su Duan and left, it was already close to dawn.

The diagnosis result was that there was a slight fracture in the caudal vertebrae, not reaching the extent of requiring surgery, but he would still need to rest well for at least half a month and could not engage in strenuous exercise.

Although this injury wasn't considered severe, any minor illness or injury on Su Duan's body needed to be taken seriously.

The butler called Su Duan's older brother, but the company was too busy with affairs and he couldn't come back tonight.

After notifying Su Zheng's side, he also called the doctor again, not feeling at ease, and confirmed the precautions.

Although he had suffered minor and major illnesses continuously since childhood, those were all injuries suffered due to low immunity. A serious external injury like a fracture was the first time.

—Although the doctor had explained countless times that a slight fracture and a fracture were not the same concept at all, the butler still couldn't help being shocked by this term.

As the only master in this villa who needed to be served, Su Duan was injured, and it brought an indescribably tense atmosphere to the entire Su Residence.

However, just as everyone had worried expressions, Su Duan, who had just had medicine applied and felt a cool breeze on his buttocks, secretly let out a sigh of relief as he lay on the bed.

The system was also happy along with him: \"That's great, this way the host can be reasonably paralyzed from the waist down.\"

Su Duan: \"...\"

He was just a bit slow in his movements, how could that be considered paralyzed from the waist down?

The accuracy of this system's wording was actually even worse than his.

But Su Duan was too lazy to argue with the system about wording issues: \"Mm.\"

Although the system's description seemed a bit strange, in any case, not having to work hard to make himself appear the same as normal people was indeed a good thing.

Originally, Su Duan was full of interest in being human, and the original body's living conditions were also very comfortable, very suitable for him to slowly explore. But today, Su Zheng's appearance gave him some pressure.

He came to do a mission, but before doing the mission, he had to ensure that he wouldn't be discovered as abnormal. He and the system had no money and couldn't afford the props in the mall. Once he was driven out by the Su family or put under surveillance, how could the mission continue?

Although the system said that as long as the personality change was reasonable, behaving differently from the original owner wouldn't affect the mission rating, but no matter how drastic the personality change, one wouldn't suddenly become paralyzed from the waist down.

No... what paralyzed from the waist down, was he infected by the system?

Su Duan silently recited in his heart again that he was just a bit slower in movement compared to ordinary people, that's all.

The system said: \"The host can take this half month to secretly learn about the human way of life, then think about how to heal the mission target. Although there is no time limit for the mission, generally speaking, the faster the mission is completed, the higher the rating will be.\"

\"Of course, these criteria are all secondary. Over ninety percent of the rating criteria are related to the final healing value of the treatment target, so the host should still focus on the task itself.\" The system added supplementarily.

Thinking of the generous initial fifty healing points the system had bestowed upon Qin Zhi's head, which currently remained completely unmoved, Su Duan said, \"Okay.\"

After being reminded by the system that he still had a task to complete, Su Duan thought seriously for a while about how to accomplish this task.

Although the system was very poor, the task information provided was quite detailed.

According to the information introduced, Stockholm Syndrome is not a disease engraved in genes, but one that develops during the process of being \"imprisoned\". Although there are indeed susceptible populations, it generally will not develop on its own without triggering factors.

Generally speaking, the population prone to developing Stockholm Syndrome is mostly mentally fragile females, because compared to males, the psychological defense line of females is more easily broken.

Of course, this does not mean that men will not get this disease. Qin Zhi is an example.

According to the information, under the double blow of long-term suppression by his elder brother and the death of his mother, Qin Zhi's psychological defense line dropped to the lowest point, and only then did he develop Stockholm Syndrome under the stimulation of the original body.

There are three key factors here. One is the original body's love interest, Qin Zhi's elder half-brother. But this person is the heir of the Qin family. Although Su Duan is very favored in the Su family, he actually doesn't have much real power and has no ability to influence the behavior of the Qin family heir, so this doesn't need to be considered for now.

The second is the death of Qin Zhi's mother. The death of Qin Zhi's mother is actually very regrettable. She had coronary heart disease, and the coronary artery hardening had already reached ninety percent, which is a very serious stage. When Qin Zhi finally earned his first month's salary and was preparing for surgery, she suddenly had a heart attack and passed away.

However, there is still a month before Qin's mother falls ill. There's no need to be in a great hurry. After a while, he'll find an opportunity to borrow money for Qin Zhi, so that he can have his mother undergo surgery early.

The third is himself, which is also the most easily controlled factor at present.

As long as he treats Qin Zhi a little better... it should be fine, right?

Su Duan sorted out his thoughts and went to sleep on the pillow with peace of mind.

So the next morning, when Qin Zhi came to perform the routine wake-up and dressing service, he received the sudden care of the reportedly moody young master.

He was putting pants on Su Duan. Because the coccyx was injured, sitting would be very painful, so Su Duan was lying on the bed. He was half-kneeling, putting the rolled-up pant legs on Su Duan's calves little by little. In a moment, he would let him stand up and pull them up.

Su Duan thought for a moment and said, \"You can stand up to dress me.\"

In the etiquette of this world, kneeling to a stranger seemed to be a very humiliating thing. Since he had figured out that he should treat the healing target a little better, he couldn't let Qin Zhi always kneel like this to serve him.

Qin Zhi, who had just put on one pant leg and was about to put on the other: \"...\"

The bed only reached his knees. The young master was now a fragile item that had to be handled with care. If he stood, he would have to bend down deeply in order to put on his pants without hurting him, which would be much more tiring than now.

Qin Zhi pinched Su Duan's ankle and fell into contemplation. Could this be a belated difficulty?

Author's note: Su Duan: I have to show some concern for him! (Suddenly inspired with career ambition.jpg)

Qin Zhi: ????

","published_time":"2024-05-15T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-05-15T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-05-15T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":652,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":5,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 5","content":"

Qin Zhi subconsciously looked at Su Duan, wanting to find the answer on his face.

But the young master's black eyes were still as clear and pure as before, even with a hint of seriousness. His black hair was slightly messy from lying down, softly draped over his forehead, making him appear even softer and harmless.

No matter what, he couldn't see any trace of deliberate difficulty on that face.

Qin Zhi was a bit confused about the situation and didn't move for a moment, causing the atmosphere to fall into a brief stillness.

In this silence, the system was quietly explaining to Su Duan: \"According to the principles of human body mechanics, if the healing target does as the host requests, the physical exertion and fatigue he will feel will be twice as much as now.\"

Su Duan: \"...\"

Oh, since he's not familiar with the business, how would he know which posture is more tiring? This mistake can't be entirely blamed on him.

Su Duan said, \"Help me see what his current healing value is.\"

Judging from Qin Zhi's appearance, he seemed to have misunderstood that Su Duan wanted to make things difficult for him. He didn't know if it would cause the healing value to decrease.

The system said, \"Ding - Healing target Qin Zhi, initial healing value 50, current healing value 50.\"

Su Duan breathed a small sigh of relief. It's good that Qin Zhi's healing value didn't drop.

It seems that such small mistakes won't affect the task. He was very satisfied with the healing target's current level of determination and sincerely hoped that he could maintain it, preferably healing on his own without treatment.

The system said, \"Rest assured, host. Whether the healing value on the healing target rises or falls, the system will automatically prompt. The host doesn't need to worry about missing task progress.\"

Su Duan said, \"Okay.\"

After confirming with the system, Su Duan turned his attention to the real situation.

Qin Zhi had already recovered from his brief daze. The knee kneeling on the ground exerted a bit of force, preparing to stand up according to orders.

Although he didn't know what this young master was thinking, the butler had repeatedly instructed him that as a servant, the most important thing was to be obedient.

Seeing this, Su Duan hurriedly called out to him, \"Don't move.\"

It should still be in time to correct the mistake now.

Qin Zhi had already half-risen. Hearing his words, he paused and asked softly, \"Young Master, do you have any other instructions?\"

He was now half-squatting, in a very awkward posture. Almost all the strength in his body was pressed on his ankles. He could barely support it for a short time, but if it was longer, his ankles would become very sore.

Su Duan opened his mouth and said, \"You kneel down.\"

Qin Zhi: \"...\"

Su Duan: \"...\"

The atmosphere seemed to become even stranger.

Su Duan felt that he seemed to have said the wrong thing again, and it was much more serious than last time. He couldn't help but move his ankles.

Feeling that the ankles he was holding wanted to retract, Qin Zhi quickly increased his strength, not letting Su Duan pull his ankles away, lest he move around on the bed and pull his coccyx, causing him to frown in pain again.

After all, from his observation for the entire day yesterday, he hadn't seen much of the young master's rumored bad temper, only that he was really clumsy and made people worry.

The palm tightly grasped the slender ankles that seemed like they would break with a twist. Qin Zhi lowered his eyes and met Su Duan's gaze, which seemed to carry a hint of nervousness. He softly responded with an \"okay\" and resumed kneeling on one knee.

If this was making things difficult for him, the difficulty was really too weak. Although he was doing something willful, it made people unable to get angry at all.

As Qin Zhi helped the young master put on the other pant leg, he oddly thought that instead... it felt like being cocquettish?

-- The kind of cocquettish that was clumsy.

After waiting a few seconds and still not hearing the prompt sound of the healing target's healing value decreasing, Su Duan put down his raised heart a little. He glanced at Qin Zhi and saw that he was quietly helping him put on his pants with his eyes lowered, seemingly without any bad emotions on his face.

In order to avoid saying anything terrible again, Su Duan simply lay on the bed playing dead, not saying another word the entire time.

A set of clothes, the kind that was very loose and easy to put on, take off, and move in. But because the place Su Duan injured was really too awkward, it still took the master and servant nearly ten minutes to finish dressing.

After washing up, it was time to eat. Because the injury on his coccyx made it inconvenient to move, even going downstairs became a very difficult matter. So for this breakfast, Su Duan ate it in his own bedroom.

Qin Zhi brought a movable small table and placed the light meal on it. Su Duan carefully sat on the bed edge that had two extra layers of soft cushions and ate cautiously.

Midway, the butler came up to take a look. Seeing that Qin Zhi was attending to him very attentively, he didn't disturb Su Duan's meal and quickly left.

As the person currently managing all matters big and small in the entire Su Residence, the butler's main task was to take good care of the whole estate. He actually didn't have much time to run back and forth by Su Duan's side.

Although the cushions were soft, a sitting posture itself pressured the coccyx. This was something that even the softest cushions couldn't completely offset, so there was still a dull ache that made Su Duan feel very uncomfortable.

Su Duan still only used a spoon to drink the porridge. He wanted to learn to use chopsticks, but Qin Zhi was still watching from the side. If he picked up the chopsticks, wouldn't he expose the fact that he didn't know how to use chopsticks at all in front of this person?

Qin Zhi watched over the injured Su Duan as he ate, to prevent any accidents from happening again while eating -- after the bathroom incident, he didn't quite dare to let Su Duan stay alone, always feeling that he would cause some mishap -- and a strange feeling gradually surfaced in his heart.

Actually, he had noticed since yesterday that these past few days, Su Duan only drank porridge or soup and wouldn't even touch anything else.

Although the kitchen's porridge had many ingredients added and was stewed until fragrant, soft, and appetite-whetting with just a sniff, only drinking porridge and refusing to eat other foods seemed like it might lead to unbalanced nutrition?

Perhaps it was because the young master's behavior these two days was completely inconsistent with the rumors, causing him to let down some of his guard. Qin Zhi bent slightly at the waist and pushed a dish of green and tender stir-fried asparagus towards Su Duan. \"Won't you eat some vegetables?\"

Su Duan looked at the plate of cute and enticing asparagus. After pausing his gaze for a few seconds, he firmly shook his head.

Although this plate of plant-based corpses of the same species was made very temptingly, in order to not expose his true colors, he could only pretend to be a good spirit herb with love for its own kind.

Qin Zhi had no choice but to give up. He was just a servant, and speaking up was already overstepping his bounds. Since Su Duan had clearly expressed his unwillingness, he shouldn't keep pressing the issue.

Otherwise, should he mention it to the butler? After all, it concerned the young master's health.

But--

If Su Duan found out he had tattled to the butler, would he get angry and kick him out?

Qin Zhi decided to observe a bit longer.

......

At noon, Su Duan's older brother returned to the Su residence again.

When Su Zheng entered the room, Su Duan had just finished his lunch under Qin Zhi's attendance.

-- Of course, as expected, Su Duan only touched the soup bowl this time as well, leaving everything else untouched.

When Su Zheng came in, Qin Zhi had just cleaned up the leftovers. Excusing himself to Su Duan, he pushed the dining table and prepared to leave.

The two brushed past each other.

Su Zheng swept a glance at Qin Zhi from the corner of his eye, then quickly shifted his gaze to his younger brother.

Su Duan obediently called him \"brother\".

Five minutes ago, he had already learned from the system's reminder that Su Zheng was back. However, having made preparations in advance this time, he didn't try to avoid the issue by pretending to sleep. Instead, under Qin Zhi's watchful eye, he calmly finished drinking an entire bowl of soup.

After Su Zheng's sudden return last night gave him a sense of crisis, he carefully flipped through the original's memories. With the system's help, he simulated possible conversation scenarios and finally gained some confidence.

Facts proved that yesterday's preparations were indeed useful. Su Zheng didn't discover that he had changed personalities. After expressing concern about his injuries, Su Zheng casually asked, \"You seem to be in a good mood these past few days?\"

Actually, Su Zheng was somewhat aware that Su Duan had a bad temper in front of the servants. However, people's hearts are biased. As long as Su Duan didn't do anything too outrageous, he wouldn't interfere.

Besides, all the servants in the Su residence were hired with their money to serve Su Duan in the first place.

Su Duan thought for a moment and said, \"Mm... it's alright.\"

The original always behaved in a quiet and obedient manner in front of his family, which greatly reduced the difficulty for Su Duan to bluff his way through.

Su Zheng asked him a few other minor things. Because Su Duan was injured, the two didn't talk for long before Su Zheng left again.

After Su Zheng left, Su Duan inwardly called out to the system.
System: \"Does the host have any questions?\"

Su Duan asked, \"If Su Zheng doesn't intervene this time, what will happen to Qin Zhi's fate?\"

Although Su Zheng doted on and favored the original, he was at least a normal person with bottom lines. In the original plot, after learning that the original had tortured Qin Zhi into developing Stockholm syndrome, he had Qin Zhi leave.

To make up for Su Duan's recklessness, he found a psychologist to treat Qin Zhi. In the end, he even gave Qin Zhi a sum of money.

It was by relying on this money that Qin Zhi, who had experienced a huge blow but got back up, used an investment to gain a foothold in the business world. He ultimately trampled his half-brother who had always oppressed him and indirectly caused his mother's death, taking over the Qin family.

He was here to treat Qin Zhi, so naturally he couldn't torment Qin Zhi to the point of illness like the original host. And based on the degree of Su Zheng's indulgence towards his younger brother, as long as basic bottom lines weren't touched, he wouldn't interfere.

In other words, this time Su Zheng very likely wouldn't have Qin Zhi leave the Su family.

Although Su Duan felt that if Qin Zhi could cure his mother's illness and live peacefully, that would also be a very comfortable thing. Why make life so difficult?

To be reborn from the ashes, one first had to go through excruciating pain.

But on Qin Zhi's side, there was still an elder brother who had always targeted him.

Despite graduating from a famous university's popular major, Qin Zhi could never find a job after graduation. Even if he found one, he would quickly be fired, naturally unable to save up money for his mother's surgery. Behind this was the handiwork of his elder brother, Qin Feng.

So in the end, his mother passed away because she couldn't get timely surgery. The person Qin Zhi hated most was Qin Feng.

Qin Feng was like a sharp blade constantly hanging over Qin Zhi's head. Qin Zhi had to become strong himself in order to escape Qin Feng's control.

The system replied, \"The fate line of the healing target cannot be changed. If the final outcome differs too much from the original plot, it will affect the final mission rating.\"

Hearing the words \"mission rating\", Su Duan couldn't help but show a solemn expression.

\"Didn't you say the final healing value accounts for ninety percent of the factors?\" Su Duan asked.

\"Yes,\" the system said. \"But of the remaining ten percent, the fate line of the healing target occupies the vast majority. Moreover, if this line has a high degree of completion, there will be bonus experience points.\"

System: \"So, if Su Zheng is of no use, then the host will have to find a way himself.\"

Su Duan: \"...\"

If Su Zheng doesn't drive the person away, does that mean he has to get rid of him himself?

","published_time":"2024-05-22T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-05-22T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-05-22T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":653,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":6,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 6","content":"

Even after leaving the Qin residence, Qin Zhi still had to continue enduring Qin Feng's oppression and couldn't find a good job.

Even if he temporarily helped Qin Zhi resolve the issue of his surgery, he himself didn't have the ability to go against an heir like Qin Feng who was focused on being cultivated by the family. His older brother should have this ability, but on what grounds could he trouble him to help?

Most importantly, without the impact of his mother's death and the blow from \"Su Duan\", would Qin Zhi, who wouldn't develop Stockholm syndrome after leaving the Qin family this time, still be able to rise from the ashes like in the original plot?

These questions were still a bit too complex for Su Duan, who was experiencing the ways of the world firsthand for the first time. Even as drowsiness crept up, Su Duan couldn't think of a suitable way to handle it.

No matter how you look at it, Qin Zhi's experiences seem to be a bit too tragic.

Being born as an illegitimate child was not his fault, those were the debts of promiscuity left by the previous generation, and looking similar to his half-brother was only determined by genes.

But it was precisely because of these two reasons that Qin Zhi was first targeted everywhere by his half-brother whom he had never even met, then unreasonably treated as a substitute for his brother by the original owner, and was even tormented into developing a serious mental illness—

He was utterly out of luck.

Su Duan thought, compared to himself who had been spiritually intelligent for thousands of years but couldn't take form, and now had to rack his brains to complete tasks in order to take form, Qin Zhi's misfortune could also be said to be no less.

Although he had only interacted with the other party for a short day and a half, he was after all the person Su Duan had the most frequent contact with since becoming human.

It seemed to be no mistake to say he was the closest person to him?

So when thinking about the problem, he would unconsciously be biased towards the other party a little, this was human nature.

Moreover, Qin Zhi was truly miserable. Even in the eyes of unrelated bystanders, his luck was really a bit too bad.

......

However, Su Duan couldn't be troubled for long, and soon had no mind to ponder this difficult problem, because he was facing an equally serious yet very urgent issue.

When he only drank porridge and didn't eat meals for the third day in a row, Qin Zhi finally couldn't help but bring up this matter again.

Qin Zhi bent down and asked him, \"Young Master, are you dissatisfied with the dishes made by the kitchen?\"

After all, he was still young. Although he had experienced the frustration of being picked on by his brother in every possible way and had a preliminary understanding of the cruelty of this world, he was essentially still a young man who had just started out. There was still some rashness and naivety remaining in him.

Seeing that the young master had been behaving obediently these past few days, he couldn't help but let his guard down, forgetting all the rumors and warnings, and treated the other party as a good child of the family.

The good child Su Duan swallowed the mouthful of porridge and shook his head, answering sincerely, \"It's quite good.\"

He had eaten for three days and didn't feel sick of it at all, that the porridge and soup of the Su family could be delicious without repeating every day.

Qin Zhi asked again, \"Then why don't you eat the dishes?\"

Su Duan didn't make a sound and silently continued to drink the porridge. As a result, he forgot that this was already the last mouthful, and when he opened his mouth, he only bit into a hard, empty spoon.

Su Duan: \"...\"

Su Duan pulled the spoon out of his mouth, not knowing what else he could do to pretend he was very busy, and incidentally ignore the chatter of the person he was supposed to heal.

Qin Zhi was still questioning him, \"What do you want to eat? I'll have the kitchen make it. Picky eating like this will make you thin.\"

The young master originally had a small frame, and on top of that was only covered with a layer of soft flesh. When he held the person in his arms yesterday, he could still vaguely feel the bones pressing against his chest. When eating, the hand holding the spoon—

If he lost a bit more weight, he wouldn't even have that bit of flesh.

Su Duan looked at the empty porridge bowl in front of him and felt that he probably couldn't escape this disaster today.

Su Duan could only seek help from his only ally, \"System, what should I do? If the healing target discovers that I can't use chopsticks, will I be exposed?\"

System: \"Host, don't panic. I have already analyzed similar situations and solutions in human society for you five minutes ago. After analyzing 1,378 cases, I now have a scientific suggestion—\"

Su Duan: \"What?\"

System: \"Act cute!\"

Su Duan: ???

He had indeed heard this word from humans and knew what it meant. He had even personally witnessed a demonstration by two sparrows on the tall tree branches above his head.

Thinking of the vague images in his memory, Su Duan fell into contemplation.

System: \"Since the healing target's observation skills are not very keen at the moment, belonging to the level of 'can be fooled easily', and also has a favorable impression of the host, the host only needs to show the intention of being willful and not wanting to use chopsticks, and the healing target will have an 85% probability of thinking that the host is throwing a tantrum and acting cute, thereby successfully bluffing through.\"

System: \"The above behavior is in line with the original owner's personality characteristics, so the host doesn't need to worry.\"

Su Duan: \"...\"

Is that so?

Although the system's words seemed to make a lot of sense, he always felt that something wasn't quite right.

But seeing that he had been silent for a while, Qin Zhi had already asked again in a low voice. Su Duan couldn't think of any other coping methods for the time being, so he could only follow the system's idea. He pursed his lips, glanced at Qin Zhi, and said slowly, \"I don't want to use chopsticks.\"

For a moment, Qin Zhi couldn't control the expression on his face, revealing a trace of surprise.

He seemed to not have expected to receive such a willful answer. After hesitating for a few seconds, he suddenly said as if possessed, \"Then... shall I feed you?\"

Actually, when he said this, it didn't go through his brain. By the time he realized it was inappropriate and wanted to apologize, the young master had already taken it seriously.

Su Duan looked up, his dark eyes carrying a bit of earnestness, and said, \"Okay.\"

Qin Zhi suddenly couldn't speak.

Even many years later, as time passed, Qin Zhi still always remembered this scene. In Su Duan's bedroom, the young master who had fallen on his bottom said he didn't want to use chopsticks, so he carefully bent over and used chopsticks to pick up the stir-fried vibrant green vegetables, then carefully brought them to the young master's mouth.

When he held out the vegetables with the chopsticks, the young master would quietly open his mouth, take the food from the chopsticks, and chew it carefully with puffed cheeks.

He would eat whatever was fed, behaving obediently the whole time, and only when he took the initiative to ask would he think for a bit and then point out a dish he liked.

......

Under the devoted care of his healing target, Su Duan truly experienced a period of life where he could be clothed and fed without lifting a finger.

Moreover, by secretly observing Qin Zhi's chopstick movements, coupled with his own private practice and attempts, a week later, when Su Duan's bottom finally hurt less and he could move around normally, he finally mastered the skill of using chopsticks.

Although he often dropped the chopsticks on the ground due to incorrect force, it at least looked somewhat passable.

Su Zheng came back to see him a few times in the middle, but it seemed that the Su family was really busy during this period. Every time Su Zheng returned, he was dressed in a suit and tie, sometimes even carrying the smell of smoke and alcohol, and he almost always had documents in his hands when he left.

Su Zheng had to squeeze out time to come home. Each time he returned, he would first check on Su Duan's condition. If Su Duan was awake, he would chat with him for a bit, then pull the butler aside and inquire carefully.

After doing all this, he would hurriedly leave again, often without even time to eat at home.

Su Duan's parents, far across the ocean, also called him almost every day to ask about his recent situation.

But even with such meticulous care from his family, what gave Su Duan the most real feeling was still his hardworking healing target.

Although Su Duan's parents were his blood relatives, he only came to do a mission and hadn't actually interacted with them, so it was difficult to develop any feelings.

As for Su Zheng, although he could see him often, he looked too sharp. Although the system said that Su Zheng had not become suspicious of him so far, every time Su Duan faced Su Zheng, he would still reflexively tense up his nerves to deal with him.

Only Qin Zhi, who was evaluated by the system as 'will be easily fooled' and personally verified by him, could make Su Duan relax a little.

And sure enough, Qin Zhi did not let him down. After busily serving him for a week, Su Duan received a surprise.

[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 60. Please keep up the good work, host!]

Awakened by the system prompt in his mind, Su Duan opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling and thought for a few seconds.

These past few days, he had been busy learning to use chopsticks and walk, trying to adapt to life as a human as much as possible. He actually hadn't done what he had envisioned before, which was to be as good to Qin Zhi as possible.

Come to think of it, it was Qin Zhi who had been taking care of him.

But it was in this situation that Qin Zhi's healing value suddenly increased so much.

Su Duan couldn't understand the logic behind it. Although he had long since developed intelligence, he had not yet experienced the ways of the world. He still thought about problems in the most superficial way and did not understand the twists and turns in it.

If he couldn't figure it out, he simply wouldn't think about it. But since he was already awake, Su Duan couldn't sleep anymore, so he simply sat up from the bed, ready to get up.

Su Duan looked at the time, six thirty in the morning.

Qin Zhi usually came to wake him up at seven o'clock. Now it was only six thirty, so Qin Zhi should be busy with other things or had just gotten up to eat.

Su Duan decided not to disturb his healing target in advance and wanted to get up on his own for once.

He sat on the bed for a while, slowly moved to the edge of the wall, and pulled the curtains apart.

With a \"swish\", a large patch of bright morning light poured in from the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows, dispelling the gloom and darkness of the room.

Su Duan continued to diligently push open the windows to let fresh air rush in and take away the stale air that had accumulated all night.

Just as he was about to pull up the window screen, he caught sight of two figures below out of the corner of his eye.

His room window faced a small garden in the courtyard. It was now mid-March, and pink and purple flowers were blooming in the garden. Clusters of gorgeous blossoms surged together, and the delicate petals blown by the wind fell on the ground, forming a soft carpet of flowers that people were reluctant to step on.

But Su Duan's attention was not on the garden full of flowers.

He was looking at the two servants standing at the edge of the garden. One of them he didn't have much impression of, but the other was very familiar, none other than his healing target in this world.

Something seemed to have happened between the two. Qin Zhi was holding flower shears in his hand, his body stained with dirt, and his expression was not very good. The other person wearing a servant's uniform, however, showed an almost mocking look.

Perhaps noticing the movement above, Qin Zhi suddenly looked up, meeting Su Duan's downward gaze.

Author's Note: Su Duan: Work opportunity is here! (mentally stimulated.jpg)

Qin Zhi: Stare— (wiping drool.jpg)

","published_time":"2024-05-29T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-05-22T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-05-29T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":654,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":7,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 7","content":"

Su Duan leaned on the open window, looking down at Qin Zhi from afar.

Qin Zhi had very handsome and refined features. Due to malnutrition during his growth spurt, he looked tall and slender, extremely good-looking. Dressed in a black and white vest uniform, standing amidst the flowers, he was so attractive that one couldn't take their eyes off him.

As a spiritual herb that had lived for several thousand years, Su Duan had of course seen many outstanding men, women, and spirits, many of whom were more beautiful than Qin Zhi. But he just felt that Qin Zhi was very pleasing to the eye.

When they first met, the impression wasn't deep. But after interacting with each other for a period of time, this feeling naturally arose.

However, now was not the time to ponder these things.

Judging from Qin Zhi's disheveled appearance, it seemed like he had been bullied?

Qin Zhi's action of looking up also naturally attracted the attention of the servant beside him. He suspiciously followed Qin Zhi's line of sight and looked up. When he saw Su Duan leaning out the window looking this way, the expression on his face quickly froze.

But Qin Zhi had no mind to care about him. Seeing the young master's head moving back and forth at the window, his heart was in his throat.

Although there was a protective railing outside the window, with a small platform below, he still felt that it was too dangerous for Su Duan to make such movements.

After all, the young master was always clumsy. If he bumped into something again...

Just thinking about it made one worry.

He looked up and raised his voice, calling out to Su Duan who was still leaning out: \"Young Master, close the window!\"

The servant beside him showed a subtle expression, with a hint of contempt in his eyes, as if he despised his behavior of seizing every opportunity to flatter the master.

Su Duan glanced at him, nodded, obediently withdrew his head, pulled the screen and sat back on the bed. Except for when he first stuck his head out, he didn't spare another glance at the servant beside him.

He knew that Qin Zhi would come up to find him soon. He poked the system in his mind: \"System, can I see what just happened?\"

The 24/7 system immediately replied: \"Received. Please wait a moment, host!\"

The next second, a screen that only Su Duan could see lit up, replaying the scene that had just occurred downstairs two minutes ago in front of Su Duan--

Qin Zhi was pruning flowers. He bent over, selecting the most lovely blooms from countless branches, intending to bring them to Su Duan's bedroom to replace the day-old flower arrangement.

He had not learned professional flower arrangement techniques, nor did he understand color matching or height variation. He simply relied on his intuition to carefully select the few he felt were most suitable together.

He was so focused on his selection that he failed to notice the approaching figure behind him.

Just as he was about to stand up, he was suddenly bumped from behind. Due to his posture, and with flowers and shears in his hands, he couldn't maintain his balance. Unable to control himself, he fell forward, forced to kneel on one knee, the flower branches in his hands also falling to the ground.

Some flowers were knocked crooked, some petals were rubbed off during the fall, and some were stained with dirt from the ground, becoming filthy.

In short, this carefully selected bouquet of flowers had become a mess, completely unusable.

Looking down at the fallen flowers, Qin Zhi didn't pick them up. He picked up the sharp, slender shears from the ground and stood up.

He turned around to look at the person who bumped into him.

It was one of the servants specifically in charge of tending the garden at the Su residence. Because he usually followed the young master around, there weren't many opportunities for interaction, so Qin Zhi wasn't familiar with him.

But the other party obviously recognized Qin Zhi. Not only did he recognize him, he was also full of malice towards him.

Because when Qin Zhi turned around, the other party had already revealed that mocking expression, and allusively explained: \"So it's you, busy delivering flowers to curry favor with the young master? I thought it was some blind little thief who climbed into the Su family's courtyard and got carried away.\"

Was this a sarcastic remark directed at him?

--Although he wasn't an old hand who had been rolling in the ways of the world, Qin Zhi could still hear the almost explicit mockery.

But before he could respond, Su Duan pushed open the window.

The scene on the screen stopped here.

After watching, Su Duan carefully thought about it, and only found the shadow of that servant in the corner of the original owner's memory. He was a servant who had worked at the Su family for quite a while, previously responsible for cleaning the front villa, and was recently transferred to work in the garden.

On the first day he transmigrated over, he fractured his coccyx and hardly left his own room, naturally never going to the garden either.

Sometimes Su Duan would glance down at the flowers in full bloom from the window, but he wouldn't deliberately remember the servants working in the garden, so he didn't have a deep impression of this person.

The system said: \"According to the over one thousand examples of human society that I just analyzed, in a large family like the Su family, because there are too many servants, complex interpersonal relationships often arise.\"

Interpersonal relationships again, Su Duan thought, human emotions are really complicated.

System: \"Generally speaking, new servants don't have the qualifications to immediately serve by the master's side. Although the original Su Duan was moody and very difficult to get along with, if one could gain his favor, the benefits that could be obtained were also huge. So in the eyes of many servants, serving 'Su Duan' was a cushy job. Qin Zhi started serving by his side as soon as he arrived, quickly arousing the dissatisfaction of some senior servants in the Su residence, and subsequently suffered exclusion.\"

After hearing this, Su Duan asked: \"Does Qin Zhi's illness also have something to do with the exclusion by these servants?\"

The system said: \"Although there is no clear explanation in this regard in the information of this world, based on normal logic, there should be some connection.\"

Su Duan thought for a moment and asked, \"Is this the first time something like this has happened?\"

The system paused for a while, perhaps searching for information, and only answered after a dozen seconds: \"No, there have been a few instances before.\"

Su Duan didn't speak to the system anymore. He got up from the bed and went to the bathroom to wash up in his pajamas.

He had just carefully brushed his teeth a couple of times when there was a knock on the bedroom door.

Su Duan's mouth was full of foam and he couldn't speak.

But because Su Duan rarely spoke, Qin Zhi had obviously adapted to this style of often not getting a response. After pausing for a dozen seconds, he said outside in a volume that Su Duan could hear: \"Young Master, I'm coming in.\"

Although the other person couldn't see it, Su Duan still nodded at himself in the mirror.
Immediately there was the sound of the door being opened. Hearing the noise, Qin Zhi felt his way to the bathroom.

In the mirror, Su Duan saw his face. The young man's eyebrows and eyes had a gentle arc, and the gloominess from before was no longer visible.

The stains on his body had also disappeared without a trace. Su Duan guessed that he had gone to change into new clothes before coming up.

Qin Zhi stood behind him, quietly waiting for him to finish brushing his teeth. After spitting out the foam from his mouth, he picked up a towel to wipe the water traces from his face.

Su Duan slightly raised his head, allowing him to move over his face.

When Qin Zhi was helping him put on his clothes, Su Duan lowered his eyes and asked him, \"What happened just now?\"

Although he had already seen the ins and outs of the matter from the system, he still had to ask perfunctorily.

Qin Zhi was helping him arrange his cuffs. Hearing this, he looked up at him and explained simply, \"When I went to the garden to cut flowers, I bumped into someone and had a small dispute, which has been resolved.\"

His expression was calm, not mentioning at all that he was deliberately knocked down by someone and then sarcastically criticized. It was as if he was describing an ordinary little thing in life.

Su Duan stared at his face for a few seconds. After not seeing any emotions, he could only nod to indicate that he understood: \"Mm.\"

He pursed his lips and stared at Qin Zhi's face for a short while.

He felt that he seemed to be too indifferent to Qin Zhi. The other party served him so diligently every day, yet he had overlooked so many things. If he hadn't gotten up early today and happened to see it, who knows when he would have found out that Qin Zhi had been excluded by some of the servants in the Su family.

The system hurriedly took the blame for this: \"It's my dereliction of duty. I didn't observe the treatment target enough. If it weren't for the host discovering it early, it might have had a significant impact on the mission.\"

Su Duan wanted to say that it wasn't just because of the mission. He actually hadn't thought of this matter at all just now... But facing a system that was solely focused on the mission, it seemed a bit difficult to speak up, so in the end, he didn't say anything.

Qin Zhi folded his cuffs as neatly as tofu blocks, revealing his slender wrists. He glanced at the purple-pink flower branch that had been placed on the bedside table for a day and had already wilted a bit, and said softly, \"After eating, I will cut a new bouquet for you.\"

Su Duan, for once, reacted quickly and said, \"I'll go with you.\"

But Qin Zhi didn't seem to approve of his idea and only said, \"You need to rest well.\"

Su Duan withdrew his wrist from his hand and said, \"Mm... I'm not in pain anymore and want to go for a walk.\"

It actually still hurt a little, but now Qin Zhi's matter, no, the mission's matter was more important.

As a servant, Qin Zhi had no decision-making power, so after eating, at Su Duan's insistence, he still took him to the garden to cut flowers.

Qin Zhi held the flower shears in the hand away from Su Duan and led him into the flower bushes.

The garden had probably just been watered in the morning. The stone bricks on the garden path were hard and slippery, and the fallen petals on them became even more slippery after being stepped on and releasing their juices. So after walking a few steps, Su Duan unsurprisingly swayed and stumbled.

—Then he was caught in the arms of Qin Zhi, who had been waiting.

When catching him in his arms, Qin Zhi even let out a sigh of relief.

He knew there would be such an accident.

After helping the young master up, he didn't dare let him walk alone again. He gently supported him with one hand on his back to prevent him from falling again.

Seeing that the young master showed no signs of aversion, Qin Zhi slightly increased the force of his hand and got a little closer.

It was just that halfway through, Su Duan suddenly paused, slightly lowering his head and looking towards the side of the path.

As a result, Qin Zhi's palm unexpectedly pressed against Su Duan's back. His arm stiffened for a moment, but instead of moving his hand back, he followed Su Duan's line of sight and saw a bouquet of flowers lying scattered on the side of the path.

Su Duan's gaze lingered on the bouquet for a while.

It was the bouquet that had been knocked to the ground this morning. Qin Zhi should have been in a hurry to go up and find him at the time, so he didn't deal with it, and the servant originally responsible for maintaining the tidiness of the garden may have been startled by his sudden appearance and also forgot to dispose of it.

So this bouquet had been lying here all this time.

More than an hour had passed, and that bouquet was covered with more dirt, lying there in a pitiful mess, forming a stark contrast with the flowers rooted in the fertile soil beside it, blooming with vitality.

Looking at the completely wilted bouquet on the ground, Su Duan calmly said, \"That person knocked over my flowers. I'm angry. Go tell the housekeeper to fire him now.\"

","published_time":"2024-06-05T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-05-22T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-06-05T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":655,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":8,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 8","content":"

[Ding, the healing value of the healing target Qin Zhi has increased by 10 points. The total healing value of the healing target is currently 70. Host, please keep up the good work!]

Qin Zhi was in a daze, thinking he had misheard.

Because the young master's expression was too calm, and his voice didn't reveal any fluctuations. No matter how you looked at it, it didn't seem like he was angry.

But the young master quickly looked up at him and changed his words, \"Forget it, help me cut the flowers first before you go.\"

Qin Zhi could only respond with a \"yes\".

Was he really seriously angry?

— And it was even over such a trivial matter as 'knocking over my flowers'.

At this moment, Qin Zhi suddenly felt some of the 'capriciousness' that the other servants used to describe this young master.

In his impression, he had never seen anyone who could get angry so capriciously and suddenly, and also so... calmly.

But not only did he not feel apprehensive because of this, a strange joy even emerged from the depths of his heart.

Perhaps it was because the person who was about to be driven out had just had a conflict with him?

Because by the time Qin Zhi realized the young master was leaning by the window, the matter had already quickly concluded. So Qin Zhi actually had no evidence to determine whether Su Duan had seen the full course of events when he and that servant were in the garden.

Although he himself knew that based on the distance from the second-floor window to the garden, even if the other party saw it, the possibility of clearly seeing the details was not great. But there was always a voice in his heart telling him that the young master might know everything.

And then drove that person out.

Qin Zhi was immersed in emotions that came from nowhere, and his body's movements unconsciously paused. After a while, he felt his calf being lightly kicked, and only then did he come back to his senses.

Qin Zhi was stunned for a moment. Meeting the young master's jet-black eyes, he was urged, \"Cut the flowers.\"

His hands were still supporting the young master's back. Hearing this, he could only slowly let go and said softly, \"Okay, I'll cut the flowers for you. Just point to whichever one you like.\"

However, hearing this, the young master shook his head, drooping the corners of his eyes, and said, \"You choose and cut them yourself.\"

He had made a fuss about coming to cut flowers, but after arriving at the garden, he told him to handle it as he saw fit, looking like he wasn't interested at all. The change in attitude before and after was very self-righteous.

Perhaps he simply wanted to come out for a walk?

Thinking this way, Qin Zhi squatted down and picked through the flowers in front of him.

He used to choose entirely based on feeling, but this time with the young master beside him, his requirements suddenly became higher. Either he disliked that this flower was not blooming just right, or he felt that flower's petals were not neat enough. In any case, no matter which one he looked at, he felt dissatisfied. After picking for a long time, he only selected two that he was fairly satisfied with. The efficiency was unbelievably low.

But the young master didn't seem to mind his low efficiency. Qin Zhi raised his head and saw Su Duan staring off in a certain direction. Upon noticing his gaze, he slowly shifted his line of sight back and looked at him puzzledly.

Qin Zhi stood up with the two carefully selected flowers and said to him, \"There are no suitable ones here. Shall we walk a bit further?\"

The young master nodded, following beside him without any objection.

Qin Zhi lightly supported his slender back as usual. The sun had fully risen by now, and vibrant, light golden sunlight spilled onto Su Duan's head, dyeing even the tips of his hair with a hint of gold, making the young master's calm features suddenly become lively.

A gust of wind blew past, and the strength of Qin Zhi's hand reflexively increased a bit.

The rich, almost cloying fragrance of flowers was swept up by the wind and reached his nose. Qin Zhi couldn't help sniffing.

Actually, the scent of this type of flower was quite light, but with hundreds and thousands of them clustered together, it was really a bit sticky.

Qin Zhi couldn't stand this overly rich aroma and couldn't help turning his head slightly in Su Duan's direction.

But he smelled another scent—

It was the medicinal fragrance on Su Duan's body, light and refreshing, with a hint of bitterness that was not obvious. It couldn't really be said to be a very pleasant smell, but it strangely made people feel very comfortable.

After smelling it for a while, it seemed to become addictive.

The two changed to another flower bed. Qin Zhi squatted down to cut flowers, and the shears and flower branches collided, making crisp snapping sounds.

Su Duan lowered his head to watch his movements beside him. The reason he didn't squat down was because his tailbone still hurt a bit, and squatting would be uncomfortable. Standing like this had less of an impact.

Moreover... for plants, flowers are reproductive organs. Although he understood that in human concepts, flowers only have the simple purpose of viewing appreciation, having been a plant for several thousand years after all, he still didn't want to get too close to the reproductive organs of other plants. He always felt it was a bit strange.

Of course, the bouquet Qin Zhi placed in his room was an exception. After all, the system said that it was a sign that the healing target was expressing closeness to him, which proved that his work performance was good. He felt... he could still accept it.

Su Duan's gaze fell on Qin Zhi.

The youth's lean back was very tense, the curve smooth. The hem of the shirt inside the vest was tucked into the suit pants, accentuating a trim waist.

Su Duan's gaze shifted up and suddenly reached out towards Qin Zhi's head, patting it twice.

Qin Zhi, who was suddenly patted, raised his head and looked at Su Duan in confusion.

Su Duan said to him, \"A flower fell on your head.\"

It was a small white flower that should have been blown over from a taller flowering tree further away, lightly and nimbly landing amidst Qin Zhi's jet-black hair, very eye-catching.

Looking at that flower that he had knocked to the ground, fallen into the soil, Su Duan only then felt it was a bit more pleasing to the eye.

Qin Zhi met his eyes, pure black without a trace of impurity. He was stunned for a moment, and the shears in his hand were not held steady, knocking against his knee.

He gripped the shears again, composed himself, and said, \"Thank you, Young Master.\"

He said this very softly, but there were only faint sounds of the wind and occasional crisp bird calls in the garden. Su Duan nodded and said, \"No need to thank me.\"

......

Su Duan's words carried a lot of weight in the Su household. This could be seen from the frequency of the Su household dismissing a servant every half a month on average.

Actually, most of these servants had not committed any serious mistakes. The reason they were dismissed was merely because Su Duan found them displeasing to the eye.

It could be said to be very willful.

Because essentially all the servants in the Su residence were there to serve Su Duan alone, Su Duan could dismiss servants on a whim without his parents abroad interfering, and even if Su Zheng knew, he wouldn't say anything. The only person in charge, the butler, always went along with Su Duan without any principles. Now the entire Su residence could be said to be under Su Duan's sole command.

After coming to the Su residence, although Qin Zhi had heard many rumors, everything had been smooth sailing and he didn't have a deep understanding of the situation. But today's incident gave him a vague inkling.

After trimming the flowers and bringing the young master back to his room to arrange them, Qin Zhi was urged again to go relay the message to the butler. He had no choice but to go downstairs to find the butler.

When the butler heard that the young master wanted to dismiss a servant, he just nodded solemnly as usual, without showing a hint of surprise in his eyes, as if this kind of thing was already commonplace.

However, after hearing the specifics of what happened, he rolled his slightly cloudy eyes, which held an emotion that Qin Zhi couldn't decipher.

Qin Zhi recalled when his high school classmate recommended him to work at the Su residence. He had applied with a nothing-to-lose attitude. The butler had also sized him up with seemingly meaningful eyes for a while, and then he was inexplicably hired.

He had found out that most of the servants hired by the Su family were very professional service staff. Yet he, someone with absolutely no relevant experience, was so easily hired. Although it was indeed a good thing for him, logically speaking, the whole thing seemed a bit inexplicable.

Qin Zhi thought the butler would say something to him, but in the end, the butler only instructed him again: \"Serve the young master well.\"

So that afternoon, the servant who had already worked at the Su family for two years was swiftly dismissed.

This matter caused quite a stir among the servant circles in the Su residence. After all, there were few servants who could safely work at the Su family for two years without being dismissed, so that servant had quite a bit of clout among the servants.

And now this person was so suddenly dismissed just for knocking over a few of the young master's flowers.

While the servants once again witnessed Su Duan's capricious temper, they were also surprised by Qin Zhi's favor.

Although the stated reason for dismissal was because of those few flowers, there were few who believed Su Duan's favoritism towards Qin Zhi didn't play a part.

So although Qin Zhi was still excluded from the servant social circles at the Su residence, after this incident, no servant dared to make trouble for him again.

The day after the incident, Su Zheng, who had finally finished a busy work period and was preparing to stay at the Su residence for a few days, also learned about what happened.

Unlike his previous hands-off attitude, after hearing the butler's account, his brows furrowed with a hint of gravity.

He said, \"This can't go on.\"

Although this statement seemed abrupt, the butler standing in front of the desk completely understood what he meant.

The butler hesitated and said, \"Eldest Young Master--\"

Su Zheng said mildly, \"Speak frankly.\"

The butler said, \"I know you have your concerns, but the young master hasn't been this happy in a long time.\"

These past few days, Su Duan had been very unlucky to get injured. With his temperament, being forced to recuperate in bed for several days, his mood would definitely be terrible and the butler wouldn't be surprised if he caused a scene.

But the reality was that not only did Su Duan not throw a tantrum, he was very obedient and calm. He didn't even throw a pillow, as if he had become a different person. The personality he showed in front of Qin Zhi was not much different from how he was in front of the Su family.

The reason for this probably wasn't hard to guess.

Su Zheng was silent for a moment before finally saying, \"Let me think about it more. You can go.\"

After the butler left, Su Zheng frowned in thought for a while. In the end, he pushed aside the documents on the desk and got up to leave the study.

......

On the other side, Su Duan still didn't know that his older brother had just had a worried discussion with the butler, and they had reached a consensus attributing the change in his personality to emotional factors.

Seeing that the healing value had increased twice in one day and was now at 70, Su Duan felt very satisfied. Unknowingly, he found Qin Zhi even more pleasing to the eye.

The system reminded him in a timely manner: \"Although the progress of the mission so far has been very satisfactory, the host still needs to maintain a calm attitude. After all, there are still 30 points of healing value to be obtained. And because this is a novice world, the difficulty was lowered and 50 initial healing points were gifted. There won't be such benefits in future mission worlds.\"

Su Duan: \"Mm, I know.\"

He would definitely continue to work hard. It just so happened that he found the healing target quite agreeable and didn't mind being even nicer to him.

After his afternoon nap, Qin Zhi came to apply the blood circulation and bruise healing medicine for him.

Because the injured area was in an awkward spot, the already clumsy Su Duan found it very difficult to apply the medicine himself. Except for the first time when the family doctor who came to the Su residence that day helped him apply it, the rest of the times it was Qin Zhi, who he was most familiar with, helping him.

Qin Zhi lowered his eyes and squeezed the ointment onto his hand, gently rubbing it in circles on Su Duan's injured area.

Su Duan buried his head in the pillow, his body motionless, occasionally making small hums from his throat because the ointment was too cool.

Looking down at Su Duan's fair skin, Qin Zhi's Adam's apple suddenly bobbed uncontrollably a couple times as a heat crept up from his neck.

He had already gotten used to it over the past week or so and no longer felt awkward about this kind of intimate contact. But today, for some reason, it seemed he suddenly felt the awkwardness and unease from the first time he applied medicine for the young master again, even his heartbeat was erratic.

No... it didn't seem to be awkwardness either.

Then what was it--

His movements unconsciously slowed. Before Qin Zhi could figure out what was going on, the bedroom door was gently pushed open.

He looked towards the sound and saw a tall figure appear in the doorway.

It was the Su residence's other young master, Su Duan's biological older brother, Su Zheng.

Author's Note:

Su Zheng: ??? !!! Where are you putting your hands?!

Qin Zhi: It's not what it looks like, I didn't...?

#The experience of watching helplessly as someone steals your family's cabbage#

#Perpetrator: #Guilty conscience

","published_time":"2024-06-12T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-05-22T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-06-12T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":684,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":9,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 9","content":"

When Su Zheng saw the scene in the room, his originally calm and steady expression instantly collapsed.

— His state of mind also collapsed along with it.

He looked at the servant who had put his hands on his younger brother's buttocks and was rubbing them around, feeling a surge of anger rushing straight to his head, burning away more than half of his rationality!

What elegance, what calmness, President Su had completely forgotten about them. He watched as the tender and delicate cabbage that he had carefully nurtured was having a layer of leaves peeled off by the hooves of some unknown family's wild boar. His heart ached so much that he couldn't catch his breath, and all he could think about was killing the pig.

And after seeing the other party's face clearly, that anger was like a raging fire doused with oil, completely uncontrollable!

It was from the Qin family—

Although it wasn't the Qin family heir who had teased his younger brother and then didn't intend to take responsibility, seeing that face that had some resemblance to Qin Feng, President Su still couldn't control his hands.

Just as he was about to angrily roll up his sleeves and go beat up the pig, the little cabbage that was being ravaged suddenly spoke up.

Su Duan raised his head from the pillow, tilted his head to look over, and said, \"Brother, you're back?\"

His voice sounded very calm, without any trembling or anything, and he seemed to be quite sober.

President Su managed to find back a shred of rationality.

Thinking that he couldn't get rough and hit someone in front of his younger brother, he secretly gritted his teeth, forcing himself to control his hands that wanted to roll up his sleeves. He adjusted his expression to a normal range before Su Duan looked up.

He let go of his hand that was tightly gripping the door handle, tried to lighten his force to close the door, then quickly walked to the bedside, taking in the situation on the bed. He tugged at the corner of his mouth and asked, \"What is Duan Duan doing?\"

Su Duan had been lying on the bed for a while, and was gently massaged on his body, already feeling a bit sleepy. He thought for two seconds before slowly answering, \"Applying medicine.\"

Seeing the medicine jar placed to the side, and the paste-like substance on his younger brother's body and the servant's hands, Su Zheng's mood calmed down a bit more.

But he was still very unhappy.

Su Zheng picked up the white medicine jar that was still half full and smelled it, detecting a bitter scent of Chinese medicine. He put down the medicine paste and gently instructed Su Duan, \"In the future, let's have a professional doctor apply the medicine for this kind of thing. Don't casually find a servant for convenience. What if something goes wrong?\"

Su Duan blinked.

It was just rubbing some medicine paste on the body, it shouldn't require any professional skills, right? If it weren't for his own limbs still not being coordinated enough and always applying it crookedly, he felt that even if he did it himself, there probably wouldn't be any issues.

Moreover, for this matter, it seemed Qin Zhi had even specifically gone to ask the doctor about professional massage techniques?

Su Duan wasn't very sensitive to these miscellaneous matters, only vaguely remembering Qin Zhi mentioning it to him once. He checked with the system in his mind, and the system gave him an affirmative answer.

Although he wanted to explain to Su Zheng, organizing language was a very troublesome matter. Su Duan wasn't used to saying too many words to unfamiliar people. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he only lightly made an \"oh\" sound.

In any case... Su Zheng was very busy with work and wouldn't be watching him all day. Let's just appease him for now.

Only then did Su Zheng nod in satisfaction.

The medicine was already half applied, so Su Zheng couldn't possibly tell the person to roll out now and wash his hands to reapply it for Su Duan, right? That would be making things difficult for his younger brother.

He lightly swept a glance at Qin Zhi, who was still frozen there with his hands placed on his younger brother's... unmoving. Enduring his displeasure, he urged, \"Hurry up and finish applying it, be careful with your movements.\"

Qin Zhi's face didn't reveal much expression. He lowered his voice, responded with a \"yes\", lowered his eyes to look at the young master on the bed, and continued to evenly apply the medicine paste on his injured areas.

Su Zheng pulled a chair over and sat down by the bedside, staring unblinkingly at Qin Zhi applying the medicine for Su Duan, as if as long as the other party had the slightest overstepping movement, he could immediately rush up and beat him up.

No one spoke again, and the atmosphere in the room became a bit indescribably strange for a while.

Of course, Su Duan, who didn't quite understand human emotions yet, was completely unaware of this subtle atmosphere. If it weren't for the system's reminder, he could have just laid on the pillow and fallen asleep like this.

The system said, \"After detection, Su Zheng holds quite a bit of negative emotions towards the healing target. The host may be able to start from this aspect to complete the healing target's fate line.\"

Hearing a certain term, some of the sleepiness on Su Duan's body faded. He recalled the system's words in his mind again, confirming that he hadn't heard wrong, and asked in puzzlement, \"Negative emotions?\"

The system said, \"Yes.\"

Su Duan asked, \"Did they have a conflict before?\"

The system answered, \"No.\"

Su Duan still couldn't understand, \"Then why would Su Zheng have negative emotions towards Qin Zhi?\"

The system replied, \"Su Zheng's feelings for his younger brother, that is, you, are very deep, and he has placed himself in the position of a 'protector', so he will naturally generate hostility towards some people who may cause harm to the host.\"

Su Duan felt that he was getting more and more confused, \"He thinks Qin Zhi wants to hurt me?\"

System: \"Strictly speaking, it is like this.\"

Su Duan: \"...\" He felt that Su Zheng's train of thought seemed to be a bit abnormal?

The system continued to explain, \"Before the host took over this body, 'Su Duan' had once liked the healing target's half-brother Qin Feng, and because of this, he suffered a setback and became very ill. After analysis, the system's speculation is that Su Zheng may be worried that this kind of thing will happen again.\"

So it was still because of Qin Zhi's face that looked a bit similar to his older brother...

Su Duan felt that Qin Zhi was really unlucky. Obviously, even he, a plant, knew that appearance was something that couldn't be controlled by human power, but there were still people who successively vented their emotions on Qin Zhi for this ridiculous reason.

First it was Qin Feng's flawless targeting, then it was the original owner's coercion, and now it was Su Zheng's prejudice.

Su Duan asked, \"Are people always this bad?\"

The system said, \"No, according to the information, human nature is relative, and good and bad are not absolute.\"

Su Duan said, \"Oh.\"

He felt that asking this question to a system composed of programs seemed to be a bit unwise. The two of them were both non-humans who didn't understand emotions, so what result could they discuss?

......

After completely applying the medicine paste, Qin Zhi slightly leaned over, extending his arm to try to reach for the tissue on the bedside table.

In the next second, the tissue was thrown in front of him by Su Zheng.

Qin Zhi's movements paused for a moment. He took out a few tissues to wipe the slippery ointment off his hands, then hooked his fingertips under the edge of the small piece of fabric that had been pulled down, and gently lifted it up.

Then he pulled up the loose pants on the outside as well.

His movements were so light throughout that it was impossible to find any fault.

However, Su Zheng, who was watching from the side, saw Qin Zhi's fingertips sliding all over his younger brother's body, taking who knows how many liberties. It made him so angry, but he had to repeatedly warn himself not to show a violent side in front of his brother, which was the only way he could barely keep himself fixed in the chair.

In fact, he was already cursing in his heart:

He's only been here a few days and he dares to touch his younger brother's butt. If more time passes, will he dare to casually hold him in his arms?

No, this Qin Zhi seems to be serving his younger brother now, and his younger brother has had difficulty moving around these past few days, even having trouble taking care of himself. So things like hugging and holding must have already happened who knows how many times.

Thinking of this, Su Zheng felt like he could breathe fire: \"...\"

So after applying the medicine, Qin Zhi was mercilessly driven out and ordered not to come over in the afternoon.

After Qin Zhi left, Su Duan turned over in bed and adjusted the position of the pillow, seeming to have no intention of getting up.

Su Zheng lightly coughed, wanting to talk to his younger brother about emotional issues.

\"Duan Duan...\"

But as soon as he started, Su Duan slowly interrupted him, \"Brother, I'm sleepy and want to take a nap.\"

Su Zheng paused. If he remembered correctly, according to his brother's usual schedule, he should have just woken up from his afternoon nap. How could he want to sleep again?

He frowned and asked, \"You didn't take a nap this afternoon?\"

Su Duan said, \"I did.\"

\"Why are you so sleepy? Are you not feeling well?\" Su Zheng reached out, wanting to feel his forehead to check his temperature.

But out of instinctive vigilance, Su Duan subconsciously tilted his head to the side, avoiding his hand.

Su Zheng's movement paused, and he slowly withdrew his hand.

Su Duan curled up in the fluffy quilt and explained, \"I'm not unwell, just want to sleep more.\"

Seeing Su Duan looking a bit tired, Su Zheng couldn't force him. He swallowed what he wanted to say and reassured him, \"Then sleep a little longer.\"

Su Duan nodded and said to him, \"Bye.\"

After walking out the door, Su Zheng stood in the hallway thinking for a while. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that his younger brother seemed to dislike him.

Could it be because he drove away that servant named Qin Zhi?

Su Zheng's face turned slightly gloomy.

......

On the other side, Qin Zhi, who had been driven out, was also a bit distracted as he walked.

While passing through the garden, he stumbled and stepped into a puddle of mud, staining his pant leg. Looking carefully, even his upper body had been splashed with some black and brown mud spots.

It was only a little more than half a day, and he definitely couldn't continue his activities in the Su residence wearing dirty clothes. So he returned to his room to change.

His living quarters were quite good among the servants - an independent small single room. Although not large, the advantage was that it was only him, and the environment was clean.

Qin Zhi took off the vest he was wearing and lowered his head to unbuckle the belt tightly fastened around his waist and hips.

With a click, the buckle made a crisp sound as it was undone, but halfway through pulling out the belt, Qin Zhi's movements slowed and eventually came to a complete stop.

He raised his eyes and looked at himself in the dressing mirror. A little below his hands, there was an obvious bulge.

Qin Zhi pursed his lips slightly, what he was thinking was unknown. A hint of obscurity flashed in his eyes.

Author's Note:

Su Zheng: I feel like a PikachuSurprisedFace.jpg

Qin Zhi: I feel like a starfish.jpg

Su Duan: I don't have any feelings.jpg

","published_time":"2024-06-19T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-05-29T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-06-19T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":716,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":10,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 10","content":"

Saddened by the scene of his younger brother being groped right in front of his eyes as soon as he got home, President Su was unhappy.

Especially since his brother seemed to have been bewitched by that handsy person, turning his head away and ignoring him after he drove the person away, President Su was heartbroken.

President Su, heartbroken to the point of being unable to breathe, really wanted to use his private authority to simply dismiss Qin Zhi from the Su residence, or transfer him somewhere far away, in order to protect the safety of his little cabbage.

——But he couldn't.

He was a person who grew up receiving an egalitarian family education, and couldn't become a dictator just because of a momentary impulse.

If he really did that, based on Su Duan's temperament, he might become even angrier.

When it came to matters that did not involve the basic bottom line of being a person, President Su, who was used to being domineering outside, had always been unable to be domineering in front of his younger brother.

Actually, his younger brother usually behaved very obediently and listened to him, President Su thought, it was just that when it came to matters of the heart, he would become difficult to deal with.

A year ago, Su Duan turned the family upside down for the sake of a Qin Feng, and now that things had finally passed, another Qin Zhi appeared.

Not only did he look so much like Qin Feng, he even shared half of the same blood that flowed in Qin Feng's body.

How trendy could his younger brother be, to actually find a body double.

——Su Zheng still remembered that this was the thought that came to his mind the first time he saw Qin Zhi's face downstairs.

Su Zheng had always thought that after so long, Qin Feng's weight in Su Duan's heart should not be that heavy anymore, and bringing in a Qin Zhi might have just been a sudden whim. He was used to indulging Su Duan, so after instructing the butler to keep an eye on things and not let Su Duan suffer any losses, he temporarily did not interfere.

But today's incident told him clearly that Su Duan may have never let go of that fruitless relationship.

Thinking of his younger brother's little affair with Qin Feng, President Su became full of resentment.

As for what happened back then, although in the eyes of outsiders who did not know the situation, most felt that it was his younger brother who had relentlessly pestered Qin Feng, and almost ruined Qin Feng's engagement with the only daughter of another big company's chairman, the honest and upright eldest son of the Qin family simply suffered an unjust disaster and was extremely unlucky.

But what was the reality?

Qin Feng appeared modest, gentle, and had excellent upbringing, but in reality, he was promiscuous with both men and women, and his private life was so messy that even ordinary rich second generations could only admire him. However, the places Qin Feng frequented were all clubs with extremely good confidentiality, and he was usually very mindful of his reputation. If Su Zheng had not put in a great deal of effort to investigate Qin Feng's background, he would have almost been fooled by him.

His younger brother was only seventeen years old at that time, not even an adult yet, and had no previous relationship experience. After being ambiguously hinted at by Qin Feng a few times at a banquet, he recklessly threw himself in, seemingly unable to pull himself out.

But Qin Feng was still tied to an engagement that involved the interests of the family, and of course could not really stir up anything with a man. He was just casually flirting with his younger brother on a whim, and had no intention of taking responsibility at all!

Thinking of the project plan that he had just snatched from the Qin family not long ago, as well as Qin Feng's expression that looked as if he had swallowed shit, President Su's mood finally eased a little.

In any case, this old wound that might not have healed could not be allowed to continue festering in Su Duan's heart.

After finishing the last bit of documents in the study and drinking two more cups of coffee to calm his mind, Su Zheng estimated that it was about time and prepared to go find his little cabbage for a talk.

Having slept for two sessions in a row, he should have slept enough. This time, he shouldn't be able to say that he wanted to sleep and drive him away, right?

It was already five o'clock in the afternoon, and the warm golden sunlight slanted in through the corridor windows, spilling onto the wooden floor that had been polished to a shiny luster. Because the young master was sleeping, the servants' footsteps were cautiously light when they passed by here, and the entire second floor was very quiet.

Afraid of waking him up, Su Zheng's movements were very light when he pushed open the door.

Su Duan usually slept very deeply. When he was young, he had a bad sleeping posture. Sometimes, he would roll off the bed and onto the floor without waking up.

Even so, Su Zheng still tried his best not to make any noise.

However, when he walked to the bedside, he found that Su Duan's eyes were open, and when he lowered his head, he was met with Su Duan's dark eyes.

Su Zheng was stunned for a moment and asked him, \"When did you wake up?\"

There was not a trace of sleepiness in Su Duan's eyes, so he should not have been woken up by the noise of him entering the room.

Su Duan moved his head on the pillow and finally answered honestly, \"I didn't fall asleep.\"

After Su Zheng left, he chatted with the system about the task for a while, then spent some time looking at the flowers outside the window and spacing out, and finally ran back to the bed to curl up, spending a few hours like this.

Su Zheng sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked his black hair that had been messed up from rubbing against the bed.

This time, Su Duan did not dodge.

Because the system had already earnestly advised him several times that the original body had a very good relationship with Su Zheng, dodging once could still be explained as being angry and acting out, but if Su Duan continued to behave like this, it would be judged as a significant deviation from the original body's personality, ultimately affecting the task rating.

So for the sake of the task rating, Su Duan could only lie there motionlessly and contribute his head.

Su Zheng tentatively brought up the topic, \"Brother wants to talk to you.\"

Su Duan said, \"Okay.\"

Su Zheng did not expect him to agree so readily this time. After thinking about it, he finally chose to speak directly, \"Duan Duan, tell your brother, are you still thinking about... Qin Feng?\"

In his heart, Su Duan answered that he was not familiar with who Qin Feng was, but before his mouth could move, the system, which was very worried that the host would break character, promptly spoke up in his mind and instructed, \"Host, don't speak, don't move, hurry up and take this blame!\"

Su Duan: \"...Okay.\"

\"Now, close your eyes for five seconds and then slowly open them, remember to make your eyes look a little lost!\" The system flipped through the materials in its database such as \"Do you love me or him\" and \"The unspeakable love triangle\", while precisely instructing the host down to the second.

Its professionalism was really very strong!

Su Duan: \"...Okay.\"

So Su Duan very cooperatively closed his mouth tightly, shut his eyes, counted a standard five seconds in his heart before opening them again, recalling his mood from a few days ago when he had just barely learned to use chopsticks and couldn't pick up any food because he couldn't hold them steady, his eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Seeing him in such a state of loss that he couldn't even speak, how could Su Zheng not understand? His heart ached, wanting to drag out the culprit Qin Feng and whip his corpse with the most vicious methods. Even the slight displeasure he felt at noon when his younger brother turned his head away and refused to be touched had unknowingly dissipated.

Su Zheng stroked his younger brother's soft black hair and said in a gentler voice, \"Duan Duan.\"

Su Duan said, \"Mm.\"

Su Zheng said, \"Let the past be the past, okay?\"

Su Duan lowered his eyes, not speaking. His long and slightly curled eyelashes cast a small shadow on his cheeks, making it impossible to see the emotions in his eyes.

Su Zheng didn't urge him. After waiting for who knows how long, he finally saw Su Duan nod very slightly.

Although the conversation went much more smoothly than he had imagined, seeing his younger brother like this, Su Zheng didn't feel relieved. He reached out and touched his head distressedly, saying softly, \"Your brother will be at home these few days and wants to accompany you. Let's have Qin Zhi go work somewhere else for now, okay?\"

The implication was that Qin Zhi would be transferred away from him.

And this was just the first step. According to the system's speculation, with how nervous Su Zheng was about his younger brother, once he discovered something amiss, he would definitely try every means to eliminate it.

So as long as Su Duan chose to back down, that day would arrive before long.

Urged by the system, Su Duan nodded.

After the talk, Su Zheng said he would go wait for him downstairs in the restaurant to have breakfast. Su Duan lay in bed for a few more minutes before getting up and putting on loose casual clothes to go wash up in the bathroom.

Su Duan squeezed out some toothpaste, preparing to brush his teeth.

The system told him that this was an opportunity delivered to his doorstep, allowing Qin Zhi to leave the Qin family and walk his own path of destiny.

He thought for a bit. He couldn't let those inexplicable emotions affect Qin Zhi's original fate, so he let it go.

Besides, although his body wasn't very nimble now, he could still manage daily life. Even without Qin Zhi's care, he could still live on.

Looking at himself in the mirror with a mouthful of mouthwash, Su Duan raised the toothbrush with toothpaste on it, put it in his mouth, and slowly started brushing.

......

After all, Su Zheng was someone used to making ruthless decisions in the business world. As soon as he left Su Duan's bedroom, he immediately notified the butler to transfer Qin Zhi to work somewhere else.

Su Zheng asked, \"Which place is short on people right now?\"

The butler thought for a moment and replied, \"The garden is missing a cleaner. The one from yesterday was dismissed and the job posting hasn't gone out yet.\"

Su Zheng made the decision, \"Don't hire for the garden for now. Transfer Qin Zhi there. His salary will remain the same.\"

The salary for a personal attendant was much higher than a garden cleaner. Moreover, cleaning the garden was on a shift system and the work wasn't tiring. Strictly speaking, Qin Zhi was actually getting a good deal.

Anyway, he wouldn't be staying with their family for long. Just consider it his severance pay, the generous President Su thought.

\"Right, also hire a new personal attendant for Duan Duan. Be careful with the selection this time. Don't let any more incidents happen.\" Su Zheng's tone cooled, carrying a hint of warning.

The butler respectfully acknowledged the order.

So that evening, just as Qin Zhi was about to go attend to the young master's meal, he received notice of his job transfer.

After hearing the butler's words, Qin Zhi felt his mind buzzing for a moment. He clenched his fists and couldn't help asking, \"Why?\"

Author's Note:

Su Zheng: I feel like a starfish.jpg

Qin Zhi: I feel unlucky.jpg

Su Duan: Ermmmmmm

#A familiar yet somehow off mini-scene#

","published_time":"2024-06-26T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-06-01T19:39:34.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-06-26T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":743,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":11,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 11","content":"

Facing Qin Zhi's questioning that he couldn't hold back, the butler coldly said, \"There is no reason. You are just a hired servant and have no right to question the master.\"

\"Remember to go to the logistics department to get your new uniform and tools for cleaning the garden. I have already informed them.\" After briefly explaining, the butler turned and left, not bothering to heed Qin Zhi's intentions.

Qin Zhi stood there for a long time, his fists clenching and unclenching, his teeth gritted tightly.

He stood there for a long while, until several passing servants cast strange glances at him. Only then did he slowly move his feet and leave.

The news of Qin Zhi being transferred from Su Duan's side to work in the garden quickly spread throughout the Su residence.

Many servants gossiped about this sudden transfer. Just yesterday they thought this person had gained the young master's favor and was about to rise, but who knew that today he would be transferred from his personal attendant position to cleaning the garden!

The huge gap between the two was obvious to anyone with a bit of sense.

——The young master's thoughts are really hard to fathom.

The servants thought in unison once again.

However, with the previous lesson of the fired servant as a warning, coupled with Su Zheng's return, the atmosphere in the Su family was somewhat solemn. The servants did not dare to engage in any more bullying tactics for the time being. At most, they just mocked a few words in their hearts. So Qin Zhi's days were relatively peaceful after the job change.

The garden cleaning was on a shift system. The servant previously driven away by Su Duan was on the morning shift. After Qin Zhi replaced him, he naturally took over the morning shift.

In fact, this job was very easy. He just needed to clean up fallen withered branches and some minor dirt. As for the specific care of the flowers and plants, that would naturally be handled by other professionals.

Qin Zhi walked along the small paths in the garden with specialized cleaning tools, picking up any withered branches and fallen leaves he saw.

He did it very earnestly, his expression calm, only occasionally revealing a hint of gloom between his brows and eyes.

Su Duan leaned by the window and concluded to the system, \"He looks a bit unhappy.\"

Because the new work location of the healing target was right under his window, Su Duan specially asked the system to wake him up a few minutes early today, just to observe Qin Zhi in his new job.

The system said, \"The emotional detection results are consistent with the host's observations.\"

Su Duan said, \"Actually, I'm not too happy either.\"

As a plant, although Su Duan had developed intelligence, in his long life of several thousand years, he had almost never experienced any emotional fluctuations. This could be seen from his sparse and even somewhat blurry memories.

Perhaps some experiences can only be understood by personally going through them.

The system said, \"Because the host has interacted the most with the healing target since coming to this world, it's natural for the host to feel reluctant when the healing target leaves the host's side. This conforms to normal human psychological patterns.\"

The system: \"But I hope the host can maintain rationality and not let personal feelings affect the progress of the mission.\"

Su Duan nodded and got up from the window.

A few seconds later, a slight breeze blew by. Qin Zhi picked up a half-withered leaf and straightened up.

He raised his head and looked at that familiar window, only to see the gently swaying curtains, as if someone had just left from there not long ago.

......

Su Zheng said he would accompany him these days, and he really didn't go to the company, staying at home with Su Duan for several days.

Su Duan was finally no longer the only lonely person at the Su family's dining table. However, Su Zheng had the appetite of a normal adult man. The little bit that Su Duan could eat looked pitiful in comparison.

With a \"clatter\", the chopsticks slipped from Su Duan's hand, falling onto the dining table, then rolling onto the porcelain tile floor, making a crisp sound.

Although he had learned to use chopsticks, he was not yet proficient. So almost every meal, Su Duan would drop his chopsticks once or twice.

Su Zheng stopped his movements and instructed the servant standing to the side, \"Go get another pair of chopsticks.\"

The servant responded with a yes, bent down to pick up the dirty chopsticks that had fallen on the floor, and then quickly walked out of the dining room.

Su Duan stole a glance at Su Zheng, not knowing where to put his hands.

He didn't know if Su Zheng would suspect anything. Faced with this fierce and serious-looking older brother, he always worried that he would be caught.

Su Zheng's imagination was not that wild, but seeing the uneasiness and confusion in his younger brother's eyes as he secretly observed him, he couldn't help sighing in his heart.

It shouldn't be his illusion. Su Duan had been absent-minded the whole day. It was evident from his expression that his mind was wandering. Now he even dropped his chopsticks while eating. Who would believe he wasn't harboring something in his heart?

As for the specific content of this matter, Su Zheng could probably guess.

Under his all-round strict guard, his younger brother hadn't seen that servant named Qin Zhi for a whole day, and his entire state had visibly withered.

Does he like him that much?

Even if it's just a substitute, it can still affect him like this.

Su Zheng couldn't help grinding his back molars, thinking that he must find an opportunity to fiercely retaliate against Qin Feng a few more times.

Even so—even so, there was no way to resolve the hatred in his heart!

Although he knew the truth, Su Zheng couldn't speak it out. He put down the knife and fork in his hand and asked his brother, who looked listless down to his hair, in a low voice, \"What's wrong? Did you not sleep well last night?\"

Su Duan shook his head and answered softly, \"No.\"

The servant brought new chopsticks, but Su Duan didn't go to pick them up. He quietly drank the porridge with his small spoon.

Seeing the almost untouched food in front of his brother, Su Zheng suddenly reached out and pulled the plate with a steaming fried egg in front of his brother to his own side. He neatly cut it into appropriately sized pieces with a new knife and fork, then placed the utensils on the edge of the plate and pushed it back in front of Su Duan.

When the fried egg with a crispy outside and tender inside was cut open, it revealed an enticing yellow yolk. The delicious aroma wafted to one's nose along with the steam.

Su Duan looked at this plate of fried eggs for a few seconds, then quickly raised his head and said thank you to Su Zheng.

Then he picked up the knife and fork and slowly ate this delivered plate of fried eggs until it was completely clean. After dinner, Su Zheng took Su Duan for a walk in the garden to aid digestion.

The back garden of the Su family was very large. Upon entering, one was greeted by a vast field of lush, soft flowers in full bloom. Further ahead, there were streams and an exquisite octagonal pavilion. Tall ancient trees were planted beside it, their lofty and verdant branches intertwining with the alternating Western and ancient-style buildings, harmoniously linking the two together.

The sunshine was lovely today, gentle yet radiant. When it shone on people, it would involuntarily evoke a lazy sensation.

The fallen petals on the bluestone path in the garden had been swept spotlessly clean, exuding a sense of neatness. Undried water droplets adorned the layered petals, making the flower branches appear even more delicate and pleasing to the eye, instantly uplifting one's mood.

Looking at the clean path beneath his feet, Su Duan thought that his healing target had cleaned this place very well, much better than the dismissed servant.

Due to the lingering fear from nearly slipping last time, under Su Zheng's watchful gaze, Su Duan didn't dare to be careless and very slowly placed his foot on the bluestone path.

However, this time the sensation underfoot was dry, not slippery at all. Su Duan tentatively took a few steps and found that there wasn't a single drop of water on the path.

There were still many fresh water droplets clinging to the nearby flower bushes, indicating that Qin Zhi had likely watered the flowers this morning...

Su Zheng stood in the middle of the path ahead. He wasn't wearing a coat, just simple home clothes, appearing more gentle, which made Su Duan feel a bit more at ease compared to their first meeting.

Seeing his younger brother standing there in a daze after walking a few steps, not knowing what he was thinking about, Su Zheng called out, \"Duan Duan, what's wrong? Is your stomach hurting again?\"

Su Duan looked up at him and said, \"No, brother.\"

Then he took slightly larger strides and walked to Su Zheng's side.

Su Zheng reached out and held his hand, slowly walking with him on the path.

Su Duan lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the flower bushes beside them. From Su Zheng's angle, he could only see the top of his younger brother's head, occasionally turning slowly.

Su Zheng thought he was looking at the flowers, but in fact, Su Duan's mind was filled with thoughts of the wet flowers on the side and the dry bluestone path underfoot.

Su Duan asked the system, \"Did Qin Zhi water the flowers this morning?\"

The system replied, \"Yes, he did.\"

Su Duan: \"But the path is very dry.\"

The system said, \"Because the healing target has been very careful not to let the water splash onto the path. Does the host want to watch the video playback?\"

Su Duan thought for a moment but still declined the system's suggestion. He said, \"Thank you, but no need.\"

Suddenly, the system said, \"Please pay attention, host. The healing target has been detected twenty meters away from you.\"

At this time, Su Zheng was leading him around a corner. Ahead was a small stream and a pavilion. Upon hearing this, Su Duan raised his head and looked around. In a very hidden corner obscured by trees, he discovered Qin Zhi's figure.

Qin Zhi was standing among a large cluster of staggered branches and leaves, looking straight at him. His eyes carried some emotions that Su Duan couldn't understand. He seemed surprised that Su Duan had suddenly discovered him peeping, and his pupils slightly constricted.

With his good eyesight, Su Duan could clearly see even the dappled light falling on Qin Zhi's face.

Qin Zhi was no longer wearing that neat vest uniform. Although still in black and white, the style had become a bit rougher. There were some water stains and specks of dirt on his body, appearing somewhat disheveled.

","published_time":"2024-07-03T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-06-12T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-07-03T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":762,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":12,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 12","content":"

Noticing his younger brother suddenly raising his head and looking around, Su Zheng followed his gaze with suspicion, and unexpectedly saw a face that was already on his blacklist.

Su Zheng was furious: \"......\"

He tightened his grip on his brother's wrist and decisively led him forward with big strides.

President Su thought with a dark face that he must quickly get rid of this lingering Qin Zhi. He was still watching at home, yet this person was already trying to take advantage and get close to his younger brother. What would happen when he got busy for a while and couldn't attend to things at home, would Qin Zhi directly make a move?!

This absolutely cannot happen!

Su Duan originally wasn't standing very steadily, so when he was pulled, his body swayed and he couldn't stop himself from falling forward.

The leaves rustled and Qin Zhi took a step forward, seeming like he wanted to rush out.

Realizing his grip was off, Su Zheng hurriedly reached out to catch him. Although delayed by a few seconds, he still managed to steady Su Duan before he fell.

Regretting his rashness, Su Zheng carefully helped his brother stand firm and asked guiltily: \"Sorry, did I hurt you?\"

Su Duan shook his head and stood up with his support, still craning his neck to look towards the small grove.

Pretending to have suddenly gone blind and unable to see a certain servant hiding in the trees, Su Zheng patted his brother's soft black hair and tried to turn his head over, gently saying: \"Let's walk forward, don't you like feeding the fish? The butler said they introduced a new batch of fish recently that have already adapted to the environment.\"

Su Duan looked up at him and blinked. After a dozen seconds, he slowly nodded.

Su Zheng removed his hand that was inserted in the black hair and led him by the hand around the corner, expression unchanged.

Su Duan took one last look. Qin Zhi's eyes were blocked by a large leaf, so Su Duan could only see his tightly pursed lips and tense jaw.

Su Zheng urged him: \"Duan Duan, watch the road.\"

Su Duan let out an \"en\" and slowly turned his head back.

......

After returning from the garden, Su Duan went to his room to play while Su Zheng went to the study to handle affairs.

However, President Su's mind was obviously not on work, his efficiency frighteningly low. The speed at which he processed documents got slower and slower, finally coming to a complete standstill.

This morning in the garden, President Su actually felt like a feudal patriarch breaking up a pair of mandarin ducks, forcibly drawing a vast silver river between the little lovebirds. The ducks tearfully gazed at each other across the river, the thought of it making one a bit sad.

- Pah, what kind of crappy metaphor is this.

He must have been so angered by that wild boar trying to secretly reach for their family's little cabbage that even his thoughts became muddled.

President Su knocked on his own head and got up to brew some coffee to calm down.

Putting aside the issues of background and character, just based on how much Qin Zhi's face resembled Qin Feng's, the nature of this matter was abnormal. To put it bluntly, his younger brother was using someone as a substitute. How could that be called true love?

Actually, regarding Su Duan's sexual orientation, the Su family had already come to terms with it a year ago during the Qin Feng incident. They could accept Su Duan finding a boyfriend, but the prerequisite was that it had to be a healthy relationship. Something fundamentally off like this should be uprooted and discarded early on.

Moreover... President Su drank a mouthful of coffee in melancholy, he always felt something was a bit strange about the situation.

It was just a substitute, did his brother have to be so sincere?

Thinking of his younger brother's reluctant appearance, craning his neck wanting to catch a few more glimpses of Qin Zhi, President Su felt his vision go dark.

Could it be transference?

The cool-headed, elite businessman President Su, a graduate of a renowned business school, unexpectedly fell into a psychological puzzle on this seemingly ordinary morning.

But he was destined not to reach any conclusion. After pondering for ten minutes, he decided to put it all behind him. Getting the person out was the proper thing to do first.

So that evening, Qin Zhi's detailed information was laid out on President Su's desk.

Of course, President Su had already investigated Qin Zhi's background once when he found out the other party was an illegitimate child of the Qin family. But at that time it was mainly to confirm his harmlessness. Today's file was obviously much more detailed.

The Su family's intelligence capabilities were not to be underestimated. Otherwise, President Su wouldn't have been able to uncover Qin Feng's well-concealed messy private life. This file not only contained Qin Zhi's experiences from childhood to adulthood, but even some details that Qin Zhi himself likely wasn't clear about were all presented within.

After reading through the information, President Su had to admit that Qin Zhi's background and luck were indeed a bit too poor. Although he was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family, the Qin family head was someone who procreated but didn't raise the children, at most just giving them enough money to live on.

Qin Zhi had suffered a serious illness as a child, using up seven or eight parts of the money given by the Qin family head. His mother had barely managed to save up a bit when she suddenly had a heart attack not long after Qin Zhi graduated. After emergency treatment, she was admitted to the ICU which cost several thousand a day, quickly draining their meager savings. They almost couldn't even afford the hospitalization fees when she was later transferred to an ordinary ward.

To make matters worse, Qin Zhi, because of his face that clearly showed the Qin family genes, was targeted by that hypocrite Qin Feng. Despite being a top graduate from a famous university's popular major, after struggling in the job market for over half a year, he could barely afford his mother's medical expenses.

In the end, in order to scrape together the surgical fees for his mother, he even chose to become a servant waiting on others.

The main credit for all this should go to Qin Feng.

The enemy of an enemy is a friend. Based on this theory, President Su's impression of Qin Zhi improved slightly.

- But overall, he still had to be resolutely opposed.

However, President Su thought, if Qin Zhi was clear-headed, he could give him a bit more severance pay when dismissing him, and also provide some job opportunities to promote him.

President Su was not a kindhearted philanthropist, but he was willing to try any method to aggravate Qin Feng.

Looking at Qin Zhi's resume, he felt the man did have talent, just lacked some luck and ambition. If Qin Zhi could be a bit more aggressive and fight Qin Feng for the Qin family, pulling Qin Feng down from his position as the Qin family heir, that would be perfect.

Of course, President Su was just casually thinking about it. As the proper heir, although the head of the Qin family was promiscuous, he didn't favor his illegitimate children much. Not to mention, Qin Feng also had the support of his mother's family, so his position in the Qin family was quite stable.

Even if Su Zheng put himself in Qin Feng's shoes and thought about it, he felt it would be too difficult to seize the Qin family from him.

At this time, President Su just held a laid-back attitude of \"casually sowing a seed, maybe there will be a miracle\". Although he saw that Qin Zhi was a potential talent, he didn't really place much hope on Qin Zhi to take down Qin Feng.

So a few years later, when he learned that Qin Zhi had really relied on the little bit of support he had casually thrown to take down Qin Feng, Su Zheng felt it was extremely absurd.

Especially since Qin Zhi shamelessly continued to reach out to his younger brother after taking down Qin Feng, President Su had countless times in the years that followed questioned in his heart why he had to meddle and help Qin Zhi.

But the current Su Zheng had no way of knowing what would happen in the future. He smoothly planned everything, then casually threw Qin Zhi's information into his desk drawer.

Everything was ready, only Qin Zhi was missing.

......

When Qin Zhi was informed by the butler that the eldest young master of the Su family wanted to talk to him, he even had a feeling that a rock that had been hanging in his heart, swaying and about to fall, had finally crashed down.

There would always be such a day, Qin Zhi thought, it was actually his own fault. He had never had such a feeling towards a person where he wished he could keep the other person in his sight every minute and second. His feelings were like a flood that couldn't be stopped. Even though he knew that his every move could not escape the family's monitoring, he still couldn't control his desire to get close.

Because they were at home, Su Zheng was not wearing that serious suit, but after all, he was a person who had been struggling in the business world for several years. When he wanted to give the other party a sense of oppression, it was still effortless.

Especially when facing a student who had just started out.

Although the corners of Su Zheng's mouth were hanging with a smile, it didn't fall into people's eyes with any kindness. At least the moment Qin Zhi's eyes met Su Zheng's, his body couldn't help but tense up.

Su Zheng took a sip of coffee and chose a beginning that Qin Zhi did not expect. He said lightly, \"I heard your mother has coronary heart disease?\"

Hearing this unexpected sentence, Qin Zhi's pupils slightly constricted.

His mother's coronary heart disease had actually never been diagnosed until two months ago when she suddenly had a heart attack and was rescued back to life. Only then did the doctor announce that it had reached a very serious stage and a heart stent surgery needed to be prepared as soon as possible.

In fact, heart stent surgery is not expensive. An ordinary stent costs only thirty to forty thousand yuan. His mother's condition was more serious, and the doctor suggested placing three stents, but it was estimated to cost around one hundred thousand yuan, which was about right.

But the problem was that Qin Zhi couldn't even come up with this one hundred thousand yuan. All their family's savings had been spent when Qin's mother first entered the CCU ward. Let alone one hundred thousand, even ten thousand was difficult.

In fact, a bank loan was also a method. One hundred thousand was not a very high amount, but Qin Zhi tried several banks and without exception, he failed at the bank's asset assessment stage. When he consulted a lawyer, the lawyer told him that there was still hope, but the fact was that he was rejected every time. After a few times, Qin Zhi also knew that something was wrong. There was most likely someone behind the scenes pulling strings.

As for who this person was, apart from his half-brother with the same father, there was probably no one else who would be so bored.

In the end, with no other way, he even tried to sell the house, but the result was unsurprisingly the same.

So at his wits' end, the Su family's recruitment was simply like a life-saving straw for him.

The salary the Su family offered him was twenty thousand a month, and the butler also promised him that if he passed the first month's probation period and signed a formal labor contract, he could also get an advance on part of it. On his side, he could thicken his face and borrow from old classmates with good relationships. If the situation was good, he could gather the money within two months and have the surgery first.

His mother's condition was already very serious. The longer the delay, the greater the possibility of not being able to be rescued if it recurred.

So this was also why... he attached so much importance to this job.

Qin Zhi gritted his teeth, and the muscles at the corner of his lower jaw were tense due to the force.

","published_time":"2024-07-10T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-06-19T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-07-10T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":780,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":13,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 13","content":"

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!]

","published_time":"2024-07-17T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-06-26T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-07-17T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":798,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":14,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 14","content":"

Upon hearing this prompt, Su Duan was stunned for a moment.

He asked the system: \"The healing value increased?\"

He clearly felt that Qin Zhi's mood didn't seem too good, so how could the healing value rise?

The system instantly replied: \"Yes, does the host have any questions?\"

Su Duan thought for a bit and said: \"A little.\" Actually there were many.

The system explained: \"The healing value on the healing target is only related to the illness symptoms that require the host's treatment, regardless of what state the healing target is in, the system will only scan and record the healing situation of these specific symptoms. And in most cases of Stockholm syndrome, 'imprisonment' is a very important contributing factor. For this illness, the Su family is where the healing target was 'imprisoned'. Now that he has left the Su family, it's equivalent to eliminating another factor causing the illness.\"

Su Duan didn't have a deep understanding of human language systems, and was more familiar with only the daily life expressions that were often used during this period, so he was a bit dazed for a while by the system's explanation that involved some technical terms.

—In fact, until now, he still only had a partial understanding of illnesses like Stockholm syndrome.

He hadn't even figured out basic human emotions, let alone understand such complex psychological issues.

He repeatedly mulled over the system's explanation twice before feeling that he roughly understood what the system meant.

So it was another cause of illness that he hadn't noticed?

Su Duan counted and said: \"Now it has already increased by 30 healing points, with only 20 points left. At this rate, can't we complete the mission very soon?\"

But the system said: \"The host shouldn't think the mission is too simple. The ten healing points that just increased were not only because Qin Zhi left the Su family, but also due to some changes in his mentality. The cumulative total resulted in an increase of ten healing points. Generally speaking, the healing value will only increase quickly in the early stages, and it will become more difficult to increase the closer it gets to the later stages.\"

Su Duan nodded and said: \"I understand.\"

He tried to sort out the logic in his mind:

Now that he and the Su family's illness factors have been eliminated, after Qin Zhi's mother's surgery is successfully completed, the healing value should be able to increase a bit more.

After that is the Qin family heir Qin Feng who had always bullied Qin Zhi. If Qin Zhi can still step on Qin Feng like in the original plot trajectory this time, the healing value should also increase by a large margin.

—It's just unknown if Qin Zhi will still have such great perseverance to overcome the hurdle of Qin Feng this time without the original body's torment and the blow of his mother's death.

After all, even though he wasn't very knowledgeable about the ways of the world, he could still feel the disparity in strength and status between Qin Zhi and Qin Feng. Toppling Qin Feng would definitely be a very difficult thing for Qin Zhi.

But even if he was a bit worried, it seemed he couldn't help much in this regard. Su Duan sighed.

System: \"The host doesn't need to worry. 80 healing points is already not low. Even if the remaining illness risk factors are not successfully eliminated later, the host can still receive at least a C rating.\"

Su Duan left the window and returned to his little bed, saying: \"Okay.\"

Seeing how the system was so focused on the mission, he was too embarrassed to say that he wasn't sighing about the mission progress just now.

He was just worried about that human who had lived with him day and night for nearly ten days.

......

Su Duan's life quickly returned to tranquility, slowly moving forward.

Su Zheng wasn't able to stay home with him for a few days before throwing himself back into his busy work, with extremely limited free time.

But Su Duan had his own things to do when alone at home. Through repeated practice, he gradually grasped the skills of controlling his body, and no longer dropped his chopsticks every time he ate, looking no different from a normal person.

Not long after Su Zheng left, the system notified him that Qin Zhi's healing value had increased by another five points, reportedly because Qin's mother's surgery had been completed very successfully.

And with Su Zheng's behind-the-scenes help, Qin Zhi had also entered a foreign company that even Qin Feng couldn't interfere with, finally having the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned on campus to practice.

From time to time, Su Duan would observe his healing target through the system and found that Qin Zhi was much more promising than he had imagined. Not only did he quickly gain a foothold in the workplace, but he also withstood Qin Feng's later suppression and obstruction. Although he had stumbled, he was able to climb higher each time.

Su Zheng had only given him a stepping stone and wouldn't always protect him. The path ahead was all paved by Qin Zhi himself.

Overall, the things Su Duan had previously worried about did not happen, and everything was developing in a smooth direction.

There was just one strange detail:

Su Duan asked: \"Why is he writing my name?\"

Su Duan looked at the image on the screen and asked the system.

On the screen, after finishing work and returning home, Qin Zhi was handling unfinished work in the small study when he suddenly pulled out a blank sheet of paper from the bookshelf and wrote the two characters \"Su Duan\" on it.

Qin Zhi's hand holding the pen was very forceful, his fingers tightly pursed, and even the blue veins on the back of his hand bulged slightly, but his strokes were very gentle, as if afraid of tearing the fragile paper.

From the strokes of his handwriting, one could see a hint of sharpness that was just beginning to emerge, just like Qin Zhi himself, who had just made a name for himself in the business empire.

Su Duan recalled his own scrawled handwriting and felt that Qin Zhi's writing of his name looked much better than his own.

The system replied: \"According to analysis of a large number of cases, a person writing another person's name can artificially deepen the impression of that person in their mind, mostly to sustain some intense emotion.\"

Su Duan repeated the system's words: \"Intense emotion?\"

The system said: \"Yes, it could be a very strong liking, or a hatred that one doesn't dare forget for a moment, as well as some other complex feelings. Human emotions are too complex and diverse to be accurately described in words.\"

Su Duan blinked and said: \"I don't think Qin Zhi would hate me.\"

Although he often troubled Qin Zhi to take care of him, he had never mistreated Qin Zhi.

As a spiritual object, although he was poor at perceiving emotions, due to instincts honed over thousands of years, he was very sensitive to dangers and negative emotions that threatened his safety. At least with Qin Zhi, he had never felt any negative emotions from the other party towards himself.

The system said, \"I think so too.\"

If it wasn't hate, then it was like, right?

...No, that's not right either. The system also said at the end that there were other emotions, so it seems that it can't fully comprehend human emotions either.

Finally, after taking one last look at the screen where Qin Zhi had already put away the blank paper and resumed working, Su Duan said goodnight to the system and turned off the screen to sleep.

......

After the doctor announced that the slight fracture in Su Duan's coccyx had completely healed and he could bounce around freely, the tutoring sessions resumed.

With five hours of tutoring a day, mostly highly specialized content, Su Duan naturally couldn't handle it alone. So whenever the tutor came, Su Duan would hand over his body to the system to manage, while he himself would watch some movies or simply space out.

Life was generally going quite smoothly - except that after learning how to use his body, life was starting to get a bit dull.

However, Su Duan was not the type to make a fuss. When he was still a grass, if there were no changes that made it impossible for him to survive, it was very common for him to take root in one place for hundreds or even thousands of years, so Su Duan was quite used to this relaxed pace of life.

If no one disturbed him, he could sit alone in the garden and space out for a whole day.

- After spring passed, his fellow species no longer rushed to show their reproductive organs to humans, and Su Duan still preferred to stay in the garden filled with the scent of his own kind.

So the servants in the Su residence were surprised to find that the young master had not lost his temper for a long time, and no servants had been fired from the Su family for a long time.

Su Zheng saw all this but did not express any opinion.

Time flew by from early spring to the end of the year, and snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Today, Su Zheng was at home, teaching Su Duan how to grind coffee.

Although it was called teaching, Su Zheng, who was afraid that his clumsy brother would get hurt, didn't really let Su Duan do it himself. After grinding the coffee, he brewed a cup for him, and that was the end of today's lesson.

Su Duan sipped the coffee in small mouthfuls. Su Zheng had added a lot of sugar cubes and milk, so it wasn't bitter at all and tasted more like a smooth drink.

Looking at the shallow layer of snow outside the window, Su Duan held the coffee and drank for a while, then suddenly raised his head and asked Su Zheng, \"Brother, are Mom and Dad coming back this year?\"

Su Zheng curved the corners of his eyes at him. Although the arc was not big, it softened his strong features a little. \"They're coming back. Mom said... they booked tickets for the 19th. They originally wanted to surprise you.\"

It's just that when he saw his brother's longing eyes, this surprise couldn't help but escape from his mouth on its own.

Su Duan paused, tightened his hands holding the coffee cup, and asked softly, \"Can't they come back earlier?\"

Su Zheng said in a low voice, \"Mom and Dad probably have work arrangements and it's not easy to change them.\"

But to his surprise, Su Duan seemed very persistent about this matter. He looked at him pleadingly and said softly, \"But - I want them to come back earlier. It's been a long time since we've seen each other...\"

Su Duan had not made any demands for a long time. Seeing his brother's black eyes, as if moistened by water and with a hint of stubbornness, even though he knew that this request was quite unreasonable, Su Zheng still couldn't refuse.

He patted his brother's head and compromised, \"Okay, I'll go call Mom right now. Our Duan Duan misses Mom.\"

Seeing Su Zheng's figure going to make the phone call, Su Duan let his heart down a little bit.

Su Duan had known long ago that his parents would return home for the New Year this year.

In fact, not only did Su Duan know that his parents would return to the Su family this year, he also knew that they would die in a plane crash on this return flight. This was written in the world's information.

Su Duan confirmed with the system, \"This doesn't violate the rules, right?\"

The system said, \"I don't know either, but there is indeed no rule in the mission rules that says 'you can't change the fate of non-target characters'.\"

Su Duan said, \"Hmm.\" Anyway, he had already decided to do it, and even if it was really against the rules, it probably wouldn't change his decision.

Although he was a bit slow in terms of emotions and did not easily accept others, the frequent phone calls and video calls from his parents over the past year had still made Su Duan develop some hard-to-sever feelings of attachment towards them.

Su Duan's coquettish pleading was quite effective. Who knows how Su Zheng talked to his parents, but by the time the phone was handed to Su Duan, his mother had already sweetly promised him that they would definitely be back at the Su residence before noon on the 18th.

Su Duan put his slightly relieved heart back in his stomach. He said to his mother, \"Okay, Mom, I'll wait for you at home.\"

However, it turned out that he had let his guard down too early.

Although Su Duan's parents arrived safely at the domestic airport on the morning of the 18th, they were involved in a serious car accident on the way from the airport to the Su residence.

","published_time":"2024-07-24T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-07-03T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-07-24T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":816,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":15,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 15","content":"

It all happened so suddenly. One second ago, Su Duan was still on the phone with his mother, who was nagging about \"taking her baby to the ski resort to play tomorrow\". The next second, the delicate female voice on the phone abruptly rose in pitch!

The violent crashing sound, signifying something ominous, exploded in Su Duan's ear.

Su Duan held the phone, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.

Su Zheng, who was originally looking at documents with his head down beside him, lifted his head upon hearing the strange noise from the phone and called out, \"Duan Duan?\"

Su Duan moved his eyes and just stared at him blankly, unable to speak.

Su Zheng saw a hint of abnormality in his pale complexion. He threw the documents in his hand onto the coffee table, reached out his long arm to take the phone from Su Duan's hand, and put it to his ear.

\"Hello? Mom! What happened--\"

Su Zheng's face grew more and more grim. Holding Su Duan's phone, he hurriedly said to him, \"Duan Duan, you stay at home first and wait for your brother to come back.\" Then he turned and walked out of the living room without even grabbing his coat hanging on the side.

Su Duan didn't get up to chase after him. He remained seated on the sofa, his entire being dazed.

Watching Su Zheng's figure disappear behind the door, he called out in his heart, \"System!\" His voice revealed a rare hint of urgency.

System: \"What are your orders, Host!\"

Su Duan's throat tightened as he asked, \"What... what's the situation with my parents now?\"

System: \"Okay, Host, please wait a moment! The system will go and check now!\"

System: \"It has been detected that the parents of the host's current body were in a car accident on the road. Their vital signs--\"

The system said, \"Disappeared 13 seconds ago.\"

Su Duan was silent for a while. His fingers involuntarily curled as he asked, \"Why? Is this... a punishment for violating the rules?\"

System: \"Sorry, no abnormalities can be detected here! The system did not receive any violation warnings!\"

Su Duan was silent for even longer before saying, \"Okay, I understand.\"

He swallowed, but under extreme tension, his body wouldn't listen. His teeth and tongue collided, and the taste of blood spread in his mouth.

The butler seemed to have received a notification from Su Zheng. He quickly walked in from outside, his face even more solemn than usual, the nasolabial folds at the corners of his mouth forming deep grooves. Seeing Su Duan, he hoarsely called out, \"Young Master.\"

Su Duan, his mouth full of the taste of blood, widened his eyes to look at him. Whether from pain or something else, a string of tears fell from the corners of his eyes.

......

The matter was quickly settled.

The investigation showed that this car accident was a very pure accident, with no coincidences like brake failure. The person who hit Su Duan's parents was not a drunk truck driver, but an ordinary white-collar worker on his way home from a 9-to-5 job. Due to a blind spot on a section of the road, he collided with Su Duan's parents' car.

The other party was also seriously injured, but compared to Su Duan's parents and their driver who died on the spot at the accident scene, he was lucky enough to be saved on the operating table.

Based on the footage, the police concluded that the responsibility for this accident should be shared equally by both parties. However, since Su Duan's parents had died on the spot, the other party's compensation amount would be slightly larger.

When the other party woke up in the hospital bed and learned the identity of the people he had hit, he was so frightened that he almost fainted again. Looking at the cold and stern Su Zheng, he tremblingly promised to gather the compensation as soon as possible.

However, in the end, Su Zheng did not take the money. Their family was not short of those few million. The people were already gone and couldn't come back. There was no point in haggling over these things.

Moreover, strictly speaking, the responsibility was actually slightly greater on their side. It was their driver who actively hit the other party's car due to the blind spot. The police had judged equal responsibility only in consideration of their family's status.

The funeral for Su Duan's parents was scheduled to be held half a month later.

After half a month of busyness, both Su Duan and Su Zheng had lost a lot of weight.

Not only were they busy with matters related to the car accident and the funeral, but there was also a lot of turmoil in the company. As soon as the news of Su Duan's parents' deaths was confirmed, those seemingly honest shareholders of the company couldn't sit still, especially those few who had some blood ties with their family. They were jumping more excitedly than anyone else.

Su Zheng worked tirelessly for a full half month before he finally managed to suppress the company's unrest.

If Su Duan's parents hadn't already made a will leaving the shares of the main company and subsidiaries to him and Su Duan, the matter might not have been so easily resolved.

On the day of the funeral, it was a rare sunny day in winter. The gentle sunlight fell on the black suits and dresses of the guests, but couldn't add a hint of warmth.

After the funeral, everyone left cleanly. Even those relatives who were unwilling to leave the Su residence were \"sent off\" by Su Zheng. The entire Su residence was unusually quiet.

In the mourning hall, Su Zheng went to the door to smoke. Su Duan stood in front of the memorial tablets, looking at the black and white photos of his parents, his eyes an indiscernible pitch black.

Su Duan's parents could be described as a talented man and a beautiful woman. The man was stern and handsome, the woman gentle and graceful. In the photo, his mother's eyes were gently curved, softly looking at Su Duan.

I'm sorry, Su Duan said in his heart. In the end, I still couldn't change anything.

Su Duan said to the system, \"It seems this world has its own rules.\"

The fate of the healing target could be changed, but apart from the healing target, the fates of other people in this world seemed to have a predetermined trajectory.

Once any mistakes or omissions occurred, the world would automatically correct the deviations from the track.

The system said, \"Sorry.\"

Su Duan shook his head and said, \"It's not your fault.\"

System: QAQ

Looking at the photos of his parents, Su Duan thought of the unreasonable thing called fate.

In the era he lived in, all things had their own predetermined fates. From birth to end, every seemingly unintentional small twist could be the result of a slight tremor in the chain pulling at one end of fate.

Some people were born rich and smooth, living safely and peacefully all their lives. Some people were born with misfortune, destined to die young.

This applied not only to humans but to all living beings in the world.

Just take himself for example--

Actually, the era of cultivation was the most glorious period for spiritual beings like him. As long as they had a little aptitude, basically all of them could successfully take human form. However, although he had developed an independent consciousness early on, for some reason, there was never any sign of him taking human form.

Just as he finally felt he was touching the edge of his transformation, the Earth was overturned by a catastrophic disaster, with a large number of humans leaving their home planet to seek a new life elsewhere. Injured in the disaster, he ultimately failed to transform and eventually fell into a deep slumber along with his home planet.

After several thousand years of tribulations, he finally waited for an opportunity, though he was unsure if it was reliable or not.

Perhaps the inability to transform was the fate set for him by the Dao of Heaven, Su Duan thought.

Fearing that Su Duan would be saddened by looking at it for too long, Su Zheng took a few puffs before extinguishing the cigarette in his mouth. He returned, bowed deeply to the memorial tablet, then stood up and took Su Duan's hand, saying, \"Let's go.\"

......

What followed was a very busy period. In order to deal with the group of shareholders eyeing the company like tigers, Su Zheng was so busy that his feet barely touched the ground, spending even less time at home than before. It was common for them not to see each other for a whole week.

However, Su Duan was not in a hurry, as he also had his own matters to attend to.

He was busy learning how to manage the company.

But obviously, for Su Duan, who couldn't even understand university textbooks, adapting to this highly specialized work was extremely difficult.

After persisting for a month, he realized that he couldn't even grasp the basics, so he helplessly announced his abandonment of the task.

Su Duan said, \"System, I can't do it anymore.\"

The system comforted him, saying, \"Host, don't panic. We still have many ways to solve the problem. The system can help the host select suitable managers.\"

Su Duan nodded, \"Alright, that's the only way.\"

Su Duan's sudden decision to learn about managing the company's affairs was not due to a whim, but rather to prepare for the future.

In the world information provided by the system, the disasters suffered by the Su family were not limited to the accidental deaths of Su Duan's parents.

The Su company would suffer a meticulously planned attack a year later, causing the company's stock price to collapse, and Su Zheng would also be framed and sentenced to three years in prison.

Su Duan originally wanted to warn Su Zheng to be more vigilant in order to avoid this calamity, but the recent events with his parents had taught him a profound lesson.

Since fate cannot be changed, even if he tried to help Su Zheng escape this prison disaster, who knows if there would be even worse things waiting for Su Zheng?

Therefore, this time Su Duan did not plan to interfere.

However, even if he didn't interfere with Su Zheng's fate, there might be some small areas that could be handled better when dealing with this incident.

—After Su Zheng was imprisoned, the Su family's main household was left with only a young master who had grown up pampered and spoiled, and the young master had no idea how to manage the company. Faced with shareholders who constantly wanted to take a bite out of him, he barely managed to keep the Su company afloat by relying on his brother's connections until Su Zheng was released from prison.

This barely keeping afloat was meant literally. By the time Su Zheng was released from prison, under the relentless squeeze of competitors, the Su company's business had shrunk to one-fifth of its original size and was in constant danger of bankruptcy.

Su Duan thought that since he couldn't prevent Su Zheng from going to jail, he could only do his best to preserve the Su company during the time Su Zheng was in prison.

The author has something to say:

The older brother, who is completely unaware that he is about to suffer misfortune: Earning money to support his younger brother in the face of family changes...

Su Duan: Obediently worried.jpg

Qin Zhi: Who am I? Where am I?

","published_time":"2024-07-31T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-07-10T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-07-31T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":834,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":16,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 16","content":"

After confirming that he had no way to learn how to manage the company within a year, and completely giving up on this idea, Su Duan was no longer in such a hurry.

He closed the thick professional book, one hand gripping the edge of the bookshelf, standing on tiptoe with the other hand to place it on a higher shelf. He felt an invisible burden being lifted from his body, instantly making him feel much lighter.

Learning is truly a terrifying thing. Looking up at the wide spines of the books exposed on the shelf one last time, Su Duan slowly exhaled. Realizing that he no longer had to continue studying, he felt as if his entire being had been reborn.

This feeling of lightness reminded Su Duan of a period in the distant past from his memories. It was not long after the birth of the cultivation world, when the spiritual energy on Earth was still very abundant.

When the spiritual energy was too concentrated, it would condense into rainwater and fall from the sky. The sweet dew containing spiritual energy would fall on all things. If one had good comprehension, they could quickly absorb the spiritual energy from the rainwater automatically. For those with poor comprehension, the spiritual rain would flow along their bodies into the earth to nourish the other creatures growing on the ground.

Su Duan had awakened in such an abundant spiritual rain. At that time, he was still only a very small herb, with dark rhizomes the size of a one-yuan coin, and only two small, slender leaves growing on his head.

Although his rhizomes had drunk their fill of rainwater and became round and plump, presumably increasing in weight, at the time Su Duan only felt that his whole body was light and airy, as if he could float away at any time.

Of course, it was impossible to actually float away.

In fact, having just gained spiritual intelligence, he did not even have the ability to slightly move his body, and could only look around at his surroundings with his two small leaves.

Trees, rocks, passing beasts... This whole world was unfamiliar to Su Duan. At first, he would curiously observe every subtle detail around him. But as a month, a year, ten years passed like this, with the environment remaining so unchanging, Su Duan also lost his curiosity about those things and became lost in a daze every day.

However, life was not always so boring. Occasionally, Su Duan would also encounter some demon beasts of the same kind, although they did not necessarily all come with good intentions, but they would always bring some fluctuations to his life.

Su Duan remembered seeing all kinds of strange demon beasts. During the cultivation period, there were many wonderful species on Earth that later generations had not even heard of. For example, he had seen a black giant beast—

Hmm... What did it look like again?

At this thought, Su Duan's mind suddenly paused. He found that a part of his memory seemed to be covered with a layer of gauze, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not recall the specific details.

Could it be that during the time he was dormant along with the Earth, his brain had developed a problem from sleeping too much?

Suddenly, two \"chirp chirp\" sounds pulled Su Duan's thoughts back from his memories. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a little bird with a round body and slender legs, perched on the edge of the study window, tilting its head to size him up.

Seeing that Su Duan had no reaction, the little bird chirped twice more, its small bean-like eyes focused on Su Duan. It moved its thin legs and puffed out its round, fluffy chest, taking two steps in his direction.

This little bird's species was unknown, but in any case, it looked very round and cute. When it moved, it was like a rolling snowball. Just looking at it would make people feel a newfound sense of adoration. If it were a girl who had no resistance to cute little animals, she would probably already be cupping her face and squealing.

But Su Duan quietly took a step back.

At the same time, he warily sounded the alarm of vigilance in his heart!

He had once been pecked and injured by a bird demon. That time, he lost most of his leaves and a small piece of rhizome tissue. If he had not used the little bit of spiritual power he had accumulated over several hundred years to hide deep underground, he probably would have lost his entire Poria cocos to the bird's beak!

From then on, as soon as Su Duan saw a bird approaching, he would immediately use his spiritual energy to conceal himself and prepare to flee at any time. Only when the other party had walked out of sight would he dare to release his spiritual energy.

Faced with a creature with a sharp beak and wings, Su Duan felt as if his body was aching again.

No, wait—why did he remember this memory of being pecked by a bird so clearly?

Su Duan was stunned for a moment, but before he had time to think carefully, the little white bird chirped crisply again, and with a flap of its wings, it actually jumped directly from the window sill to the desk.

Su Duan's heart was immediately filled with the desire to survive, leaving no room to ponder the unexpected memory that seemed to have occurred to him.

He took two steps back, his hand on the bookshelf ready to let go at any time. He tried to look at the location of the study door handle with the corner of his eye, simulating how he could run over and open it at the fastest speed, then close the door before this bird could catch up!

Just then, the system suddenly spoke up: \"Host, don't panic. Right now, the host's weight is one thousand and thirty times that of this bird. One hand can easily crush two of them to death!\"

Su Duan's retreating footsteps paused: \"...\"

That's right, he was human now.

With hands and feet that could move freely, and a weight that was, hmm, over a thousand times that of the bird.

Su Duan's mood suddenly calmed down. He moved his gaze from the door handle to his hand.

On the bookshelf he was holding onto, there was a row of books, each thicker and more solid than the last, each looking more intimidating than the last.

Su Duan, who had just felt a bit of aversion to these heavy books, suddenly felt that they had become endearing at this moment.

Just as Su Duan's hand was about to leave the bookshelf, intending to grab a book to chase away the bird, the door behind him was opened with a click.

Seeing someone come in, the bird seemed to be startled. It took a few steps back on its legs, gave Su Duan a reluctant look, then flapped its wings and flew out of the open window.

Su Duan silently retracted his hand that had wanted to reach for the book and looked back at the person who had come in.

It was Su Zheng.

Su Duan called out, \"Brother.\"

Su Zheng walked over and sat down with him beside the desk, gently saying, \"Is Duan Duan still studying? If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask your brother.\"

Perhaps it was the shock of his parents' deaths, but this past month, Su Duan had suddenly become interested in the company's affairs.

Anyway, it's a relief that the younger brother didn't become disheartened due to the parents' accident, but instead chose to try his best.

Of course, Su Zheng was happy to see this. With something to do, Su Duan wouldn't be brooding all day over things that couldn't be changed.

To make his brother more comfortable in the study, he even had the butler add a chair with a soft cushion - the one Su Duan was sitting on now.

Su Duan shook his head, \"Thank you brother, but no need, I won't study anymore.\"

Seeing him suddenly say this, Su Zheng asked with concern, \"What's wrong?\"

Could it be that he heard some rumors from the servants? Thinking that he wouldn't like Su Duan being interested in company matters?

In fact, such rumors had started spreading in the Su residence after the parents' accident. Su Zheng had dismissed two servants because of this, but he spent too little time at the Su residence to ensure these words completely disappeared from Su Duan's ears.

However, Su Duan just looked at him and said three words very seriously, \"Can't learn it.\"

Su Zheng: \"...\" A very reasonable reason.

Su Zheng knew his personality. Seeing Su Duan's serious little look, he knew he was telling the truth. After pausing for a while, he could only smile indulgently.

Su Zheng, who was just feeling gratified that his younger brother had grown up, changed his attitude in a second. He said to Su Duan gently, \"It's okay, then don't study. Duan Duan just needs to be happy, your brother will provide for you.\"

Su Duan didn't immediately reply, just sat quietly on his little chair looking at him, his bright black eyes like a tranquil night sky, appearing clear and pure.

In his younger brother's gaze, Su Zheng felt an indescribable emotion, and for some reason, it seemed like an untraceable sadness.

But before he could think further, he heard Su Duan say softly, \"Okay.\"

......

Time still quietly extended its footprints into the future.

Before the day of change arrived, everything seemed so calm and peaceful.

Su Duan still regularly observed his healing target. Unlike his worrying situation of sighing in his heart all day, Qin Zhi's fate line progressed very smoothly.

Even a little too smoothly.

Su Duan asked, \"System, did Qin Zhi suffer some stimulation again?\"

The system replied, \"Okay, please wait a moment - beep beep, the system did not detect any abnormalities!\"

Su Duan couldn't understand, \"Why is he, um... why is his fate line moving so fast?\"

In the original plot of the world, it took Qin Zhi three and a half years to seize Qin Group and complete his revenge on Qin Feng. But now, in less than two years, it seemed he was already about to succeed.

Isn't this a bit too fast?

System: \"The system doesn't know either QAQ\"

Su Duan said, \"Okay.\"

In any case, for some unclear reason, under Su Duan's secret observation, Qin Zhi's fate line progressed strangely and rapidly.

When Qin Zhi was preparing to launch the final blow against the Qin Group, the plot targeting the Su Group quietly began to erupt. One late night while working overtime, Su Zheng was directly taken from the Su Group to the police station.

Author's note:

Su Duan: Why is his fate line moving so fast?

Qin Zhi: Of course it's because of love _(:з」∠)_

Su Zheng: Suddenly hit pig.jpg

","published_time":"2024-08-07T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-07-17T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-08-07T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":852,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":17,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 17","content":"

After Su Zheng's parents passed away in an accident, the Su company was in chaos for a while. Quite a few shareholders had ulterior motives, but under Su Zheng's suppression, stability was restored before long.

However, facts proved that although these people appeared obedient on the surface, their ambitions had never been extinguished.

After Su Zheng was taken away by the police this time, apart from his trusted aides in the company, most of the shareholders were not thinking about quickly bailing the chairman out of prison to maintain the company's stability. Instead, they were eagerly plotting how to wrest shares from Su Zheng's hands and gain more benefits from this incident.

They didn't place the safety of the Su company in their hearts at all, which seemed quite misguided.

Actually, there was a reason for their fearlessness. The Su company had been passed down for several decades and had an extremely solid foundation domestically, occupying over 40% of the current industry's market share. It was not that easy to collapse.

If they could tear away shares from Su Zheng, the benefits obtained could completely make up for their losses in this assault.

After the system finished analyzing these shareholders' mentality with Su Duan, Su Duan thought for a bit and commented, \"These people are really stupid.\"

When he was still a poria herb, growing attached to the roots of a pine tree, he understood that only if the pine tree lived healthily could he obtain the most nutrients. The relationship between those shareholders and the Su company should be similar to his relationship with the pine tree, yet they didn't know to cherish the environment they grew in at all.

Although the effects were not apparent in the short term, he remembered an idiom humans often said - many a little makes a mickle. If this continued, the Su company would inevitably decline bit by bit.

This was indeed the case. In the original plot, Su Zheng stayed in prison for three years. During these three years, the shareholders schemed against each other. Su Duan also couldn't control the situation, and the Su company's circumstances grew worse and worse. By the time Su Zheng was released from prison, what he faced was a Su company that was already mostly hollowed out on the inside and on the verge of collapse at any time.

The system echoed, \"The host is correct.\"

After Su Duan finished speaking with the system, he climbed to the window edge in his newly changed pajamas.

The night was already very late, but the lights in this city were still shining. All kinds of dazzling neon lights radiated towards the sky, making even the light of the distant stars appear dim.

Su Duan raised his head to look at a particularly tall cluster of buildings in the east of the city. That was where the major companies and conglomerates were concentrated, the economic lifeline of this city. The Su company occupied an entire building there.

Su Zheng should almost be at the police station by now.

Su Duan thought worriedly, he heard that the police were very fierce when arresting people, and the environment in prison was also not good. He looked up information and found that not only would fights break out between inmates, some prison guards would also abuse prisoners. In any case, it was very chaotic.

The system seemed to read his worries and considerately said, \"Does the host need a real-time projection of Su Zheng's location?\"

Su Duan hesitated for a few seconds before saying, \"Yes, thank you.\"

A screen appeared in front of him out of thin air. Su Zheng's figure appeared in the center of the screen. He had already arrived at the police station and was sitting in the interrogation room being questioned. His suit jacket was nowhere to be seen, leaving him in only a white shirt. The expression on his face was very cold.

Su Duan stared at the screen for a long time. Because he was too focused, his pupils even slightly constricted. It was only when the interrogation came to a stop and Su Zheng was taken to the detention room that he relaxed a little.

The situation didn't seem to be as bad as he initially thought. Those police officers were more civilized than he expected and were quite polite to Su Zheng. It was just that the detention room was really too crude. It was only five or six square meters in total, and the bed inside was narrow and short. For someone as tall and large as Su Zheng, lying on it was extremely uncomfortable.

Perhaps it was because the bed was too uncomfortable to lie on, but Su Zheng slept leaning against the wall that night.

Su Duan originally had no sleepiness, but the subject of his observation had fallen asleep. As he watched, drowsiness also suddenly surged up, and before he knew it, he had slept until dawn.

The next day, Su Duan was woken up by the butler. After a night of fermentation, those who should know about this matter already knew. The people on Su Zheng's side had also pretty much finished preparing countermeasures.

After the butler helped him get dressed, he solemnly explained the course of events to him and then took him to the police station.

Although suspects were generally not allowed visits from family members before the verdict was announced, as long as the connections were in place, everything could be negotiated in a society based on human relations.

Although he knew that the other party had not suffered much last night, when he saw Su Zheng's slightly haggard face with his own eyes, Su Duan's eyes still turned sour, and he couldn't help but shed tears.

Su Zheng's brows almost immediately furrowed so deeply a fly could be crushed to death between them.

But the police were still guarding to the side, so he couldn't go over and comfort his brother by patting his head like before. He could only coax in a low voice from across the table, \"Duan Duan, be good. Big brother is fine, don't cry.\"

Su Duan wiped his tears and said, \"I won't cry.\"

However, as soon as he finished speaking, he couldn't help but let out a hiccup with a tearful tone, and two more teardrops seeped out from the corners of his eyes.

Su Duan: \"...\"

Actually, Su Duan also understood that tears were futile, but human emotions were just so strange. Obviously, he had already watched Su Zheng for the entire night through the system's projection, but after a few hours of truly meeting face-to-face, a feeling of sadness still welled up uncontrollably from his heart.

Seeing his younger brother crying to the point of hiccuping, Su Zheng couldn't help but lean his body forward. He pulled out some tissues from the tissue box beside his hand and handed them to Su Duan sitting across the table.

Su Duan took the tissues and pressed his already reddening nose tip.

Su Zheng softly comforted him. After Su Duan's tears stopped, he felt a bit dispirited. The one who was caught was Su Zheng. Originally, he should be the one comforting Su Zheng, but now it was the other way around.

Not only could he not help with anything, he kept causing Su Zheng trouble.

After reflecting for a few seconds, Su Duan corrected his mentality and said to Su Zheng, \"Big brother, don't worry. Sleep well at night.\"

Sleeping while leaning against the wall like yesterday was really not good. The system said it was easy to injure the cervical spine.

The furrow between Su Zheng's brows loosened a bit. He said, \"Alright, I'll listen to our Duan Duan.\"

The staff member to the side had probably been bought off. His gaze fell on the floor to the side, turning a deaf ear and a blind eye to their exchange. Apart from reminding them when time was up at the end, he didn't say a single word the entire time.

The visitation time was only twenty minutes. Although reluctant, Su Duan was still asked to leave the visitation room.

Then came the long wait.

The Su family's lawyers were not slacking off and reacted very quickly. Su Zheng's trusted aides were also trying to find ways to bail him out.

But unfortunately, the mastermind behind framing Su Zheng had clearly prepared for a long time. Every link was planned perfectly, and all kinds of \"evidence\" were indisputable. In the end, Su Zheng was still sentenced to five years in prison, just like in the original plot.

The Su Company also fell into chaos due to infighting among shareholders, and the stock price plummeted.

Fortunately, after the verdict was announced, Su Zheng immediately handed over the proxy rights of his shares to Su Duan. Together with the shares that Father Su and Mother Su had left to Su Duan, he alone could control more than fifty percent of the shares and had absolute decision-making power in the Su Company, so the situation was not so bad that it could not be salvaged.

Moreover, Su Duan was no longer the original body who had zero intelligence and was played around by the shareholders.

Even though the shareholders strongly opposed letting an outsider take charge of the Su Company, Su Duan, who had absolute decision-making power, still hired a professional manager selected by the system to come back.

The system was quite reliable. The selected professional manager had strong business capabilities. After taking office, he withstood the deliberate difficulties created by the shareholders, and the situation of the Su Company began to improve. Although it still could not compare to when Su Zheng was around, it was better than letting those muddle-headed shareholders do as they pleased.

Su Duan also breathed a small sigh of relief. When he went to visit Su Zheng, he earnestly reported the situation to Su Zheng and then received a round of relentless praise, which made him feel a bit dizzy.

However, facts proved that flags should not be casually raised. Not long after Su Zheng finished praising him for having good judgment, that professional manager betrayed them—

The system detected that he had been in frequent private contact with a relatively large shareholder on the board of directors recently and had reached an agreement with the other party to find ways to swindle the shares in Su Duan's hands.

After reading the information provided by the system, Su Duan sighed and said, \"Should we change to another person?\"

The system said, \"That seems to be the best option, host.\"

Su Duan vaguely felt that even if they changed to another person, sooner or later, they would betray him. After all, the shares in his hands were too tempting. The genes of humans, no, of all living things, contained the seeds of greed. There shouldn't be many people who could resist the temptation of such a large amount of wealth.

But there was no other way. With Su Zheng gone, he couldn't manage it himself, and those shareholders were absolutely unreliable. He could only find someone from outside.

At worst, if a problem arose, they would just keep changing. In any case, with the system helping him monitor, he wouldn't really be schemed against.

It was just a bit troublesome to keep changing, and it was also not conducive to the long-term development of the company, but preserving the Su Company was the most important thing now. Su Duan didn't bother with so many details.

During this period, it wasn't all bad news. Although the professional manager betrayed them, good news soon arrived.

Half a year after Su Zheng was imprisoned, Qin Zhi finally took down Qin Feng and took the Qin company into his own hands, completing his fate line. At the same time, his healing value also increased by five points, becoming ninety points.

A small sprout of hope emerged in Su Duan's heart.

According to the information provided by the system, although he had experienced many misfortunes, Qin Zhi ultimately did not go astray but grew up to be a good person who repaid kindness. In the original plot, although Su Duan did many excessive things to him, in order to repay Su Zheng's help, he still did his best to use his connections to let Su Zheng be released from prison two years early.

This time, he did not do those excessive things to Qin Zhi like in the original plot. Qin Zhi should still go and help Su Zheng, right?

","published_time":"2024-08-14T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-07-24T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-08-14T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":872,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":18,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 18","content":"

Even if Qin Zhi were to take action, it would be a matter for later. Qin Zhi had just dealt with Qin Feng, and the Qin family had suddenly changed hands and was still in chaos. It would take at least half a month before Qin Zhi could spare the effort to care about Su Zheng.

This matter could not be rushed.

So although a bit of anticipation arose in his heart, Su Duan quickly refocused his energy on the matters at hand.

The process of dismissing the professional manager was not smooth. The other party had been working at the Su Group for half a year and had already figured out the entire company, even having more clout than Su Duan in some respects.

—This was the downside of completely delegating management authority.

Not to mention he had also colluded with a major shareholder, making the situation even more complicated.

But since Su Duan was able to hire the person half a year ago despite the opposition of more than half of the shareholders, he naturally also had the right to drive the person out now.

Although the dismissed party came to argue with Su Duan in quite a dissatisfied manner, in this world all computer firewalls were virtually non-existent in the face of the system. When Su Duan calmly laid out the evidence of the other party's petty tricks, the other party immediately didn't dare say a word and slunk away from the company with his belongings.

Because with the information Su Duan held in his hands, even if only half of it was made public, the other party could forget about making it in the industry.

However, for Su Duan, driving the person out was only the first step. The real problem was that after the previous manager left, if the next manager did not take over smoothly, it would have a significant impact on the Su Group.

As for this new manager—

Well, it hadn't been settled yet.

Actually, one had originally been found, but there was a little accident along the way.

Because of the lesson from last time, Su Duan and the system were much more cautious in selecting people this time, almost digging out and analyzing every little detail of the candidates' experiences. However, there are no perfect people in this world. After looking and looking, always feeling uneasy, it was only when a decision had to be made that one was reluctantly decided upon.

After reaching a verbal agreement with the other party, Su Duan took action to drive out the manager who had developed ulterior motives. According to the plan, the new manager would come to fill the vacancy that very day.

But Su Duan's luck seemed to be particularly bad recently. After announcing the dismissal of the previous manager, he had just walked out of the conference room under the gazes of various shareholders when he received an unexpected call—

His new employee, while walking out the door to drive to work, was unfortunately hit on the head by a falling object, already taken to the hospital with a head full of blood.

Preliminary examination showed it was no life-threatening danger, but the injury was not light either. And it was an injury to the head, a minefield of an area, so in the short term, coming to work at Su Group was out of the question.

Su Duan: \"......\"

The contract had not been signed yet, and he could not force the other party to come to work with a hole in their head, putting their life at risk. He could only comfort the other party to recuperate well in the hospital.

After hanging up the phone, Su Duan asked the system in his heart, \"Is this also the world's self-correction?\"

In order to make the Su Group go downhill like in the original plot, there was this accident, causing his chosen new employee to get their head smashed halfway?

Were the rules of this world so strict? Not only people's fates, but even such small plot points could not deviate.

If that was really the case, it seemed he had implicated the new employee who didn't get a chance to take office...

A sense of guilt welled up in Su Duan's heart, and he sighed worriedly at the empty air in front of him.

The system's response was the same as last time: \"Sorry, the system cannot detect any abnormalities QAQ\"

Su Duan said, \"It's okay, let's find another one and try again.\"

If the next one encountered this kind of accident again, then it should be the world's rules at work. At that time, Su Duan could only give up on the idea of saving the Su Group.

In any case, a third manager still needed to be found, but before finding one, he could only handle the company's affairs himself.

Although he was basically clueless about company affairs, under the guidance of the computationally powerful system, he should be able to manage for a while... right?

Su Duan started worrying again, how should he explain this mess to his brother the next time he visited Su Zheng?

Although he knew Su Zheng definitely wouldn't blame him, at the time Su Zheng had handed him a well-functioning Su Group, yet he had made such a mess of the situation. Even knowing that perhaps the world's rules were at work, he couldn't help but feel guilty.

He could only pray that Qin Zhi could quickly finish handling the Qin family matters, then remember there was still a person who had helped him before still in prison, and fish the person out like in the original trajectory.

Who knows if Su Duan's prayers were heard, Qin Zhi appeared much faster than he imagined.

A week later, late one night, Su Duan was in the study fretting over documents when the system suddenly reported to him, \"Host, it is detected that the employee you drove out was just cornered in an alley and beaten, with a comminuted fracture of the right leg.\"

Su Duan lifted his head from the seemingly never-ending documents, shook his somewhat dazed head, thought for a moment, and commented, \"Oh, he's a bit unlucky then.\"

But why did the system specifically tell him about this little thing? He didn't seem to have asked the system to monitor that person.

The system's next sentence answered the question he didn't get a chance to ask, \"It was arranged by the healing target.\"

Su Duan froze for a moment, suspecting he had misheard, \"Qin Zhi?\"

System: \"Yes, Host.\"

Su Duan's brows furrowed in puzzlement as he asked, \"Did that person bully him before?\"

The system said, \"The system did not detect any interactions between the healing target and your former employee other than this incident.\"

Su Duan still didn't understand, \"Then why did Qin Zhi find someone to beat him?\"

The system continued, \"After calculation, the system speculates that the healing target may have done this because he found out this former employee had betrayed you, so he wanted to punish him on your behalf.\"

Su Duan blinked, and a bit of indescribable softness suddenly appeared in his heart.

He and Qin Zhi had not seen each other for a full two and a half years, yet Qin Zhi not only always remembered him, but also remembered to help him punish bad guys when he was so busy.

Was it because of that brief, less than ten days of interaction, where he showed Qin Zhi a bit of kindness that wasn't even that obvious?

Su Duan couldn't help but curve the corners of his eyes, and sincerely commented, \"He's really a good person.\"

The system didn't agree with him, but instead continued, \"There's another thing.\"

Su Duan asked, \"What?\"

The system said, \"The healing target is currently right outside the Su family's main gate.\"

Su Duan let out a surprised gasp. He specifically got up and walked to the window, pulling open the curtains to look at the sky that had already turned dark outside. His mind was filled with doubts, \"It's so late, what is he doing at the Su residence now?\"

The system said, \"He probably wants to see the host, but the system can't analyze the deeper reasons. Does the host want to see the projection?\"

Su Duan said, \"Yes, thank you.\"

In the next second, Qin Zhi's figure appeared in front of him.

Two and a half years wasn't long, but it wasn't very short either. At least for Qin Zhi, these two and a half years brought about earth-shattering changes in him.

He was no longer that thin and immature youth from back then in the Su residence. After more than nine hundred days and nights, not only had his stature grown taller, with a layer of bulging muscles covering his tall and thin frame, but the aura between his brows and eyes was also completely different.

Qin Zhi was sitting in a black sedan, a cigarette clenched between his lips. The car window was half open, revealing his side profile that looked particularly deep in the night, and the flickering point of fire at the corner of his mouth.

","published_time":"2024-08-21T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-07-31T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-08-21T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":890,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":19,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 19","content":"

Although he had been observing Qin Zhi's growth bit by bit through the system over the past two and a half years, when Qin Zhi's face was magnified and appeared in front of him, Su Duan was still so shocked that his heartbeat quickened for a while.

After that strange feeling passed and he came back to his senses, Su Duan asked the system in confusion, \"Why isn't he coming up?\" Didn't he come to see him? Why was he sitting in the car smoking?

The system said, \"The system doesn't know either.\"

Although Qin Zhi's behavior seemed a bit strange, since he was already at the door, Su Duan couldn't pretend he didn't see him. So of course he couldn't continue looking at the documents on the table.

Pushing aside the documents that looked as identical as multiple twins in front of him, Su Duan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had the system turn up the screen brightness a little and started to stare at his healing target.

Because he was busy with company matters and didn't have much free time, Su Duan hadn't observed Qin Zhi so carefully for a long time. Most of the time, he would just take a quick glance, knowing that the other party was running at full speed on the destined line of fate, knowing that he had become a little more outstanding, and then put his mind at ease to do other things.

Now that he suddenly had the opportunity to observe the other party so quietly, Su Duan suddenly realized that Qin Zhi had indeed undergone very big changes when he wasn't paying attention.

Su Duan still remembered the first time they met. At that time, Qin Zhi's demeanor carried obvious panic and confusion, being forced to be cautious by pressures from all sides, until he got familiar with him before it got a little better. But now, there was no longer a trace of trepidation in Qin Zhi's eyes, replaced by a kind of composure and indifference after being polished.

There were also some other things, subtly engraved in the pitch-black depths of Qin Zhi's eyes, but Su Duan couldn't quite understand them, so he didn't think about it.

Su Duan sighed to the only bystander, \"He has changed so much.\"

The system obediently echoed, \"Yes, host.\"

On the screen, Qin Zhi didn't know what he was thinking. After exhaling a puff of smoke, he slightly frowned, his right hand holding the cigarette, hanging out the car window, not taking another puff.

The vertical crease between his brows looked particularly deep in the night.

Watching him frown and smoke, Su Duan asked strangely, \"Is he unhappy?\"

It is said that people often smoke when they are under a lot of stress, and Qin Zhi's brows were furrowed so tightly that it made people feel he had something on his mind.

What does this mean? Does coming to see him make Qin Zhi feel unhappy?

Thinking of this possibility, while feeling a bit puzzled, Su Duan also felt a little inexplicable stuffiness in his heart.

The system said, \"Host, please wait a moment, beep beep - the detection results show that the emotional fluctuations of the healing target are relatively large, but do not belong to the negative category, so he should not be unhappy.\"

Su Duan blinked, although knowing that Qin Zhi did not come to see him with an unhappy mood made him feel a little better, but he was also completely confused.

Human emotions are really puzzling, the little herb sighed for the umpteenth time.

Obviously showing a sorrowful appearance, but it could also be a sign of happiness. Humans are really complex creatures.

On the screen, after exhaling that puff of smoke, Qin Zhi did not go to move the cigarette held between his fingers, letting the more than half of the cigarette burn in the air. The wisps of smoke had not yet had time to gather and circle upwards before being torn apart by the passing night breeze.

The bright orange firelight kept burning until it reached the joint at the base of the cigarette. Just as it was about to kiss the curved knuckles, Qin Zhi reached out and extinguished it in the car's ashtray.

Then he reached out to open the car door and got out of the car.

While Qin Zhi was lost in thought for some unknown reason, Su Duan also spaced out for the length of a cigarette. Only after Qin Zhi started to move did he come back to his senses as if startled, asking, \"Is Qin Zhi coming in?\"

The system said, \"The forward direction of the healing target coincides with the direction of the main gate, so it seems to be the case.\"

Under Su Duan's gaze, that tall figure walked to the tall iron fence carved door of the Su family, calmly said something to the approaching security guard in a low voice, and the security guard picked up the walkie-talkie to notify the inner courtyard.

So two minutes later, the door of the study was knocked on by the butler.

Su Duan had the system turn off the screen and said, \"Come in.\"

The butler still had that serious look, with a deep wrinkle formed between his brows from frowning for a long time. Only the white hair at his temples had increased a bit, mixed with the few remaining black hairs combed at the back of his head, showing obvious signs of aging compared to before.

Since the accident of Mr. and Mrs. Su, the Su family had suffered successive blows, and the butler had more things to worry about. In just a short year and a half, it seemed as if he had aged four or five years.

The butler said, \"Young Master, there is a visitor.\"

He paused for a moment before saying in a low voice, \"It's someone named Qin Zhi, who served as Young Master's servant for a period of time two and a half years ago, and later resigned because his mother needed surgery. Do you still remember?\"

As the person who helped Su Duan recruit people back then, the butler of course knew what kind of unspeakable secret the truth behind that recruitment was, and also knew that the resignation was just a superficial cover-up for the sake of face.

Su Duan nodded and said, \"I remember.\"

The butler looked at Su Duan with turbid eyes and said softly, \"Young Master, he is now the master of the Qin family.\"

Su Duan said, \"Mm, I know.\"

Several years ago, the Qin family's position in the business circle was not inferior to the Su family. Especially after the Su family had suffered two setbacks in the past six months and its assets had shrunk a bit, the Qin family had steadily surpassed the Su family and became the undisputed leading company in City A.

The change of ownership of the Qin family was such a big event that it was impossible to hide. Now almost the entire industry knew that Qin Feng had lost to an illegitimate child of the Qin family and had to give up the entire Qin family.

The butler lowered his eyes and said, \"Mr. Qin is outside the door now, and he wants to see you.\"

Su Duan said, \"Let him in.\"

But the butler didn't move. He seemed to have some concerns and said in a low voice, \"Young Master, it's already very late now. Why don't you let Mr. Qin come back tomorrow?\"

Su Zheng was not at home, and the servants at home had not received professional training. If something happened after Qin Zhi came in, how would he explain it to the eldest young master?

\"It's okay.\" Su Duan shook his head, not thinking in any strange direction at all.

The butler repeated worriedly, \"Young Master...\"

Su Duan interrupted him, \"Let Qin... Mr. Qin come in, I'll wait for him in the living room.\"

He thought that the butler was probably so wary of Qin Zhi because he didn't know that Qin Zhi was a good person.

Seeing that the young master had already made his decision, the butler couldn't persuade him anymore. After saying yes, he left the study to let the security guard open the door.

However, the butler was shrewd. When notifying the security guard to let the person in, he also had two people from the security group come in with electric batons.

Su Duan took three minutes to tidy up the documents on the desk a little, stacking them together, and then went downstairs to meet Qin Zhi.

In the end, Qin Zhi's speed was unusually fast. He had just walked to the second-floor staircase when he saw a tall figure step into the living room.

As if sensing Su Duan's gaze, Qin Zhi raised his head, his dark eyes staring intently at Su Duan.

Su Duan's foot, which was about to step down, subconsciously paused. At the end of the stair railing, he stood still and looked at Qin Zhi.

After all, the projection and the real person are different. Although he had been looking at the screen for a long time just now, when he really saw him, Su Duan still felt a little unfamiliar.

The system said that Qin Zhi had grown four centimeters taller in the past two and a half years, but perhaps because his muscles and aura had become more obvious, his whole person seemed very oppressive, and he looked far more than just four centimeters taller.

It was like evolving from a harmless young bamboo into a predator with extremely strong lethality, letting people know at a glance that he was not a good guy.

Even standing at a disadvantage like this, looking up at him from the bottom of the stairs, Su Duan couldn't help but feel an impulse to cover his head with little leaves and escape to the bottom of the earth.

Under the manipulation of some kind of harm-avoiding instinct, Su Duan couldn't help but move his feet and took a small step back.

However, Qin Zhi, who was standing below, suddenly spoke. His voice had a slight hoarseness, but it was a very gentle tone, even a little cautious as he called out to him, \"...Young Master.\"

","published_time":"2024-08-28T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-08-07T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-08-28T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":907,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":20,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 20","content":"

Hearing the seemingly familiar call, Su Duan blinked his eyes that were slightly sore from being open too long, and the uneasiness in his heart unknowingly dissipated mostly.

When Qin Zhi was still at the Su family, he often called him in this tone. Hearing it again easily evoked Su Duan's memories. However, there was still a slight difference. Qin Zhi's voice had become a bit lower and deeper now, sounding more mature.

Seeing that he was just standing there blankly without responding, Qin Zhi called him young master again in that tone that made Su Duan feel relaxed.

Only then did Su Duan come back to his senses from his thoughts. He lowered his eyes to look at Qin Zhi who was separated from him by a flight of stairs, and called out to him very softly: \"...Qin Zhi.\"

The next second after his voice fell, he saw Qin Zhi's eyes soften in an instant. Qin Zhi looked up and called to him tirelessly: \"Young Master, come down.\"

Su Duan nodded, held the stair railing, stepped on the stairs covered with a thick non-slip fleece carpet, and slowly walked down along the edge. He had long been able to walk smoothly, but he himself didn't know why he suddenly wanted to hold the railing.

Qin Zhi patiently stood at the bottom of the stairs, like a predator good at waiting and lurking, waiting for his prey that was like a little snail, tentatively and slowly delivering itself to him.

Su Duan, who had delivered himself, looked at Qin Zhi who was more than a head taller than him. The urge to bury himself that had just subsided surged up again.

When he was standing on the stairs just now, it wasn't obvious. Now that he and Qin Zhi were standing on the same level, the pressure he felt was real and tangible.

After two and a half years of transformation, Qin Zhi's body proportions had become even more perfect with intentional exercise. His broad shoulders and lean waist fit the straight black-gray suit just right, vaguely allowing people to feel the strong and powerful physique inside the clothes.

Su Duan moved his gaze from Qin Zhi's shoulders that were at the same eye level as him and looked up at Qin Zhi's face.

Compared to his memory, Qin Zhi's complexion seemed to have tanned a little. Perhaps it was because he had grown up, his facial features had also become sharper and more profound. The lines of his jaw were neat and sharp, making it easy for people to feel uneasy when he wasn't smiling.

—Just like what he saw in the system's screen projection.

But Qin Zhi's eyes looking at him now were very gentle. The obsidian-like dark eyes were also filled with a soft glow. Seeing him raise his head to look at himself, Qin Zhi even lowered his head slightly, allowing Su Duan to not have to look up so strenuously.

Feeling Qin Zhi's intention to be close, Su Duan suddenly wasn't that afraid anymore. He straightened his non-existent little leaves and swept away the trace of gloom in his heart. He had observed Qin Zhi for so many years. Even without the information provided by the system, he knew that Qin Zhi would not harm him.

The reason he felt threatened was probably because Qin Zhi had grown too much, making him a little unaccustomed.

Thinking that Qin Zhi was a visiting guest, Su Duan imitated the etiquette of entertaining guests in the information given by the system, put on the demeanor of the host, and said very politely, \"Mr. Qin, let's sit on the sofa.\"

Hearing how Su Duan addressed him, the light in Qin Zhi's eyes condensed for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. He said in a low voice, \"Young Master, you don't need to call me that.\"

Being so close, the slight hoarseness in Qin Zhi's low voice became even more apparent. Falling beside Su Duan's ears, it made his earlobes itch with an indescribable feeling.

Su Duan secretly moved his head to distance his ears from Qin Zhi's direction a little.

Before he could seriously refute that they were no longer in a master-servant relationship, according to human etiquette, Qin Zhi didn't need to address him with a special title anymore, and he shouldn't be so rude as to call Qin Zhi by his full name either, Qin Zhi continued slowly, \"Young Master, calling me that sounds very distant. Why not continue to call me Qin Zhi, okay?\"

Su Duan hesitated for a moment and lightly nodded. He respected Qin Zhi's opinion, but he didn't forget to emphasize, \"You are no longer a servant of the Qin family. You don't need to call me 'Young Master' anymore.\"

Qin Zhi's expression seemed to darken, but he still readily agreed, \"Okay.\"

He lowered his eyes and got even closer to Su Duan, asking in an enticing low voice, \"Then can I call Young Master Duan Duan instead?\"

Qin Zhi was really getting a bit too close, close enough that Su Duan could smell the faint tobacco scent on him.

Su Duan hesitated for a moment. This form of address seemed a little too intimate...

It's just that this body was still so delicate. The not-so-heavy tobacco smell had just passed through his throat. Before Su Duan could decide whether to agree to Qin Zhi's suggestion, he was irritated into a coughing fit, \"Cough cough—wu, cough...\"

Qin Zhi instantly became flustered. He reached out to support Su Duan, who had suddenly started coughing for some unknown reason, \"Duan Duan, what's wrong?\"

He placed his palm on Su Duan's shoulder. Feeling the obvious bones, his movement paused for a moment. Then, an overwhelming heartache surged in his heart. Qin Zhi stretched out his other hand and gently patted Su Duan's back, trying to soothe him.

But as Qin Zhi got closer, the tobacco smell became even more apparent. Su Duan was also irritated into coughing more severely, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. He forcefully tilted his head back, wanting to distance himself from the culprit making him uncomfortable, intermittently explaining, \"You, cough, there's—cough cough, cigarette smell on you...\"

Hearing such an explanation, Qin Zhi's soothing movement on his back paused. A complex look of surprise mixed with guilt appeared in his eyes.

He loosened the force of his hands, preparing to take a step back—

At this time, the butler came out from the pantry with tea. Seeing his family's thin and small young master pitifully coughing, while that \"Mr. Qin\" who needed to be guarded against was very improperly putting his hands and feet on the young master, a trace of shock and anger instantly appeared in his cloudy eyes.

With no time to reprimand the security guards at the door for not doing their job, the butler placed the tea on the coffee table at the fastest speed. Then he strode to the bottom of the stairs and forcefully pulled Qin Zhi's hands away.

Qin Zhi had originally wanted to let go on his own initiative. Seeing this, he cooperatively took a few steps back and silently watched the butler comfort Su Duan from the side.

The butler used the professional technique he had practiced since Su Duan was young to help Su Duan regulate his breathing. As soon as he couldn't smell the cigarette odor anymore, Su Duan's coughing quickly stopped.

The butler quietly asked what had happened. Su Duan, for once, was quite clever. In order to prevent the butler, who already didn't like Qin Zhi very much, from having an even worse impression of him, he said, \"My throat is a little uncomfortable, it's nothing.\"

The butler sighed, helped him straighten his clothes that had just been wrinkled, and said, \"Then I'll make you a bowl of pear soup later. Drink it before you go to bed.\"

The end of September was the transition period from summer to autumn. Su Duan's throat had always been not very good, and it was easy to experience discomfort during this sensitive time. This excuse was quite reasonable.

Su Duan nodded and said, \"Okay, thank you.\"

Then he tilted his head slightly and said to the tall figure waiting on the side, \"Qin Zhi, go sit on the sofa.\"

The boy's voice still carried a bit of nasalness caused by the violent coughing. Seeing Su Duan intentionally covering for him in front of the butler, Qin Zhi was very grateful and did not mention what had just happened, quietly agreeing.

After a small episode, the two finally entered the correct posture of receiving guests and visiting.

Neither of them spoke for the time being, quietly drinking the brewed tea.

Having learned his lesson just now, Qin Zhi didn't dare to get too close again. He sat on the sofa opposite Su Duan, drinking a large cup of tea with a mixture of fragrance and bitterness, trying to suppress the smoky smell in his mouth.

Because he knew that Su Duan might not be able to smell anything irritating, although he was very nervous, he only took two small puffs in the car to restrain himself, and didn't touch it again. When he got out of the car, he blew the cold wind on the road for a while, thinking that there would be no impact anyway.

As a result, he didn't expect that Su Duan was much more sensitive than he had imagined. Just that little bit of almost negligible smell was enough to make the tip of his nose turn red from choking.

The butler looked at his appearance of drinking tea like wine, trying to drown his sorrows in one go, and couldn't help but cast a strange look at him.

Of course, he couldn't criticize the guest for anything. After Qin Zhi had drunk the small teapot of tea dry, he took the empty purple clay teapot away, ready to pour a pot of new tea, and by the way, change to a larger pot to let Qin Zhi drink his fill.

Taking advantage of the butler going to get tea, Qin Zhi leaned his body forward a little, his face showing unmistakable guilt, and said in a low voice, \"I'm sorry, Duan Duan, I...\" He pursed his lips and promised, \"I won't smoke anymore in the future.\"

Hearing Qin Zhi's words, Su Duan, holding a cup of tea that was only half-drunk, frowned in confusion.

He hadn't agreed to let Qin Zhi call him that, so why did Qin Zhi act as if he had already agreed?

However, looking at Qin Zhi's sincere and guilty eyes, the words Su Duan wanted to use to reason with him couldn't be said. After holding back for a long time, he said, \"It's okay, I don't mind.\"

After saying that, he felt that something was still a bit wrong. Why should Qin Zhi make promises to him about whether he smokes or not? Obviously, Qin Zhi was no longer his servant and didn't need to go along with him in everything anymore.

It always felt like—uh, there seemed to be something that didn't make sense.

However, Qin Zhi didn't give him enough time to think, and easily pulled his thoughts back with one sentence.

\"Duan Duan, do you want President Su to come back earlier?\"

Author has something to say:

Qin Zhi: Extending his paw, striving to take the cabbage home and raise little cabbages before the brother-in-law comes out.

Su Duan: ?_?

Su Zheng: ............... Diligently practicing knife sharpening skills.jpg

","published_time":"2024-09-04T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-08-14T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-09-04T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":924,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":21,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 21","content":"

Su Duan's eyes instantly lit up. Qin Zhi had known he would react this way. He gave Su Duan a reassuring smile, but didn't continue speaking.

The butler, who was brewing tea, paused his movements when he heard this abrupt question. He raised his head and looked at Qin Zhi with slightly cloudy eyes.

It just so happened that Qin Zhi was also looking at him. The butler made eye contact with him for a few seconds, put down the thin-spouted teapot in his hand, and after speaking softly to Su Duan, left the living room.

Although he could be considered half of Su Zheng's confidant, it was very inappropriate for a servant to be present when the master and guest were discussing such a sensitive topic. It was disrespectful to the guest.

—Even if this guest was still on his guard list, in the end the other party hadn't really done anything outrageously bold, so he had no reason to violate his professional ethics as a butler because of this.

So after the butler put down the teapot, he retreated to the living room door. It was a position where he couldn't clearly hear the conversation between the two people in the living room, but could observe the situation inside.

Waving his hand to let the security guards move further away to ensure that the conversation between the two in the living room would not be known by others, the butler dutifully stood guard at the door, his eyes sweeping into the living room at a frequency of more than a dozen times per minute.

Inside the living room, Su Duan's eyes sparkled as he looked at Qin Zhi for a while, slowly calming down.

The Qin Group was such a huge company, and Qin Zhi had only taken over Su Duan's part for a week. At this time, the internal situation of the Qin Group must also be unstable, and Qin Zhi must be very busy. Asking Qin Zhi to divert his attention to help his brother at this time seemed a bit too selfish.

So although he was very reluctant to let his brother continue to be locked up in a prison without freedom, Su Duan still honestly said to Qin Zhi: \"I want to, but you must also be very busy over there. You should—um, take care of your own affairs first.\"

Meeting those clear black eyes that seemed to have been washed with water, Qin Zhi's gaze also unconsciously became much gentler. He very handily took over the butler's work, reaching out to grab the teapot beside him, pulling Su Duan's cup that was almost empty in front of him, filling it up and placing it back in front of him.

Su Duan held the small teacup, nervously took a small sip, and waited for Qin Zhi's answer.

Qin Zhi lowered his eyes to watch him drink tea. When Su Duan couldn't help but raise his head to make eye contact with him again, he said in a low voice: \"Don't worry about the Qin Group's side, it has basically stabilized. The remaining matters need to be dealt with bit by bit, and can't be rushed. Also, helping Mr. Su get out is not something that can be done in a short time, so it's better to plan early.\"

Su Duan was not very familiar with the situation of the Qin Group, so he blinked at Qin Zhi and quietly asked the system in his heart: \"System, is what Qin Zhi said true?\"

The system replied: \"Yes, and from the perspective of maximizing time utilization, the plan of the healing target is feasible.\"

Only then did Su Duan feel a little more at ease.

Qin Zhi could see that he didn't want to trouble himself too much, but there was no joy in his heart.

Su Duan not wanting to trouble him meant that he had not yet been regarded by Su Duan as a trustworthy and dependable person.

Although he knew that he had only interacted with the other party for less than ten days, and then had not seen each other for two and a half years, Su Duan of course couldn't treat him as his own person as soon as they met. But when he clearly realized this point, he still felt as if something was stuck in his heart.

So he couldn't help but say in a hoarse voice: \"As long as it's for Young...Duan Duan, no matter how tired I am, I will be very happy. Besides, Mr. Su has helped me a lot before, so these are all things I should do.\"

Su Duan tightened his hands holding the teacup, and after thinking for a long time, he didn't know how to respond to such sincere words, so he could only say just as sincerely: \"Thank you, you are a good person.\"

Qin Zhi shook his head, seeming to have a hint of self-mockery, and said in a hoarse voice: \"I'm not—\"

Su Duan looked at him with an expression of \"don't be so modest\", his black eyes falling on him clearly.

Qin Zhi: \"...\" Suddenly felt an indescribable sense of guilt.

He coughed a few times to clear his throat, and slowly explained to Su Duan how to get Su Zheng out early.

To put it simply, it was still to go through the route of medical parole, find a way to get a certificate of serious illness from the hospital, and then get through the review link of the prison to release the person early.

The process was actually not complicated, but seeing Su Duan listening to him earnestly with his head raised, Qin Zhi subconsciously wanted to delay the time and explained in great detail, even to the point of complexity.

The method Qin Zhi mentioned was actually tried by the confidants left by Su Zheng, but with the passing of their father and mother and Su Zheng's imprisonment, the Su family's business shrank, and the Su family's connections were cut off by a lot. In addition, the mastermind behind Su Zheng's downfall deliberately made things difficult, so the matter had never been resolved.

Qin Zhi had now taken over the Qin Group. Businessmen pursued profit and would not stop cooperating with the Qin Group just because it had a new owner. Obviously, Qin Zhi was also very capable, smoothly keeping all the resources of the Qin Group, and quickly expanding his connections. He even had the ability to do things that the Su family couldn't do.

Qin Zhi patiently explained everything to Su Duan in detail, and finally said the most important point: \"It should be possible to get it done, but it will take at least a month at the fastest, and maybe more than three months at the slowest.\"

Su Duan listened with little circles spinning in his eyes, and when he heard this, he could only nod and even let out a few \"mm-hmms\".

Qin Zhi lowered his voice and called out to him: \"Duan Duan.\"

Su Duan nodded: \"Mm-hmm.\"

Qin Zhi couldn't help but smile, and Su Duan was awakened a little by this laugh. He was dazed for a few seconds, then put down the cup that had somehow been emptied again without him realizing.

Qin Zhi naturally refilled his cup, but Su Duan had already drunk two or three cups in a row and had a slight feeling of fullness, so he didn't bring it to his mouth again, just holding the warm teacup to warm his hands.

Just as Su Duan was lost in thought, Qin Zhi spoke again unhurriedly: \"Duan Duan, I heard that the Su Group is short of a manager recently?\"

As soon as this topic was brought up, Su Duan couldn't help but show a trace of loss on his face, and even his eyes dimmed a bit. He sighed: \"Yes, it's hard to find one.\" In just a few short days, he was almost killed by the documents, and he didn't know how long he would have to hold on before he could find a third manager.

But why was Qin Zhi asking about this?

—Qin Zhi had a wide network of contacts, could it be that he wanted to recommend someone to him?

Thinking of this possibility, Su Duan instantly felt a bit more energetic. He held his small teacup and looked at Qin Zhi with anticipation.

Qin Zhi extended his hand with distinct knuckles, took out his business card and placed it on the coffee table. Using his fingertips, he pushed it towards Su Duan. With a hint of a smile in his deep voice, he asked, \"May I apply for the position?\"

Su Duan suspected he had misheard.

He put down the teacup and carefully picked up the business card Qin Zhi passed over to take a look. The card was very simple and didn't look like a work card. It only had a name and phone number written on it. The signature in the lower right corner was handwritten, smooth yet sharp.

Su Duan held the business card, not quite sure how to react. He looked at Qin Zhi who appeared serious and found it a bit hard to read him. \"Are you joking?\" he asked.

Sitting across from him, Qin Zhi looked down at him. His determined gaze held a trace of gentleness as he firmly said, \"No.\"

He looked straight at Su Duan and clearly pitched himself in an organized manner. \"If Duan Duan believes in me, I can go work at Su Group anytime. I dare not say I'm definitely more capable than the manager you found, but I will absolutely be more loyal to Su Group than him.\"

\"Duan Duan doesn't need to give me the manager position. Just hire me as your personal assistant and set up my desk inside your office. I'll handle the affairs and you only need to sign off and show your stance.\" Qin Zhi sincerely added, relinquishing all the authority he could possibly get in just a few sentences.

Hearing Qin Zhi's words, Su Duan hurriedly explained earnestly, \"No, it's not that I don't trust you. It's just that you are also very busy now, so I can't trouble you.\"

Qin Zhi paused and softly asked, \"Is Duan Duan worried I will be overworked?\"

Su Duan nodded. Qin Zhi had already been very kind to voluntarily help rescue Su Zheng. He couldn't push everything onto Qin Zhi.

Qin Zhi smiled gently and said, \"I have an absolutely trustworthy partner who shares most of the work at the Qin Group with me. So I'm actually not as busy as you imagine. Besides, Su Group's industry chain is complete now. After getting started, it will just require handling some daily processes, so the workload isn't big.\"

Thinking of the huge stack of documents in the study that had killed who knows how many of his brain cells, Su Duan couldn't help but sprout a huge virtual question mark on his head.

That workload...wasn't considered big?

Under Su Duan's doubting gaze, Qin Zhi continued his grand plan of persuasion. \"Mr. Su will be able to come back and manage Su Group again in a month at the earliest. The interval is too short. Cultivating a completely unfamiliar manager again poses too big a risk for the company. Besides, managers willing to accept this kind of short-term employment generally have mediocre business capabilities and vision.\"

Su Duan: \"...\" He felt Qin Zhi made a lot of sense.

Evidently, in terms of persuasion, Su Duan was completely no match for his former servant. By the time he realized Qin Zhi had taken on all the work, it was already time to say goodbye.

Qin Zhi stood at the bottom of the steps by the door and waved at him. Under the illumination of the porch light, his dark eyes seemed to dance with a warm flame. He looked up at Su Duan, his voice sounding especially deep and gentle in the night. \"See you tomorrow.\"

Su Duan answered in a daze, \"...See you tomorrow.\"

After Qin Zhi's figure completely disappeared, the butler saw him standing at the door in a dazed state and couldn't help asking with concern, \"Young Master, did something unpleasant happen just now?\"

Su Duan shifted his gaze over and shook his head. \"No, Qin Zhi...is a good person.\"

Then, under the butler's complicated gaze, he went upstairs and returned to his bedroom, spacing out as he changed into pajamas and washed up.

Lying on the wide, soft bed, Su Duan asked the system in his heart, \"What just happened?\"

The system said, \"The host verbally hired the healing target to temporarily manage the Su Group until Su Zheng is released from prison, and exchanged contact information. Does the host want to watch the replay?\"

Su Duan was silent for a moment before quietly saying, \"No need, thanks.\" After saying that, he turned over on the bed and, like an ostrich, deeply buried himself in the soft bedding.

Early the next morning, Qin Zhi arrived at the Su residence as agreed upon last night to pick up Su Duan and go to the company.

At 8:30, the two arrived at the company on time.

An unfamiliar handsome face following behind Su Duan to Su Group sparked very enthusiastic discussion in Su Group, which had not been peaceful for some time. Even after that unfamiliar face followed Su Duan into the office, there were still people craning their necks to look in the direction of the office.

\"Is it the new general manager recruited by the boss? So handsome, wow, his legs are thiiiiiis long!\"

\"It shouldn't be, right? I didn't hear that the board meeting to determine the new manager was today.\"

\"Whatever, he followed the young boss into the office. He's most likely a new employee! Judging from his aura, he's probably not an assistant, but very likely a department manager or supervisor of some sort! I hope he gets airdropped into our department!\"

Amidst the enthusiastic ogling, someone suddenly voiced a different opinion.

\"Does anyone else feel this handsome guy looks a bit familiar?\"

\"Hehehe, Miss Liu, you probably find all the handsome guys in the world familiar, right?\"

\"Yeah, yeah, to be honest, I even feel like he's my long-lost boyfriend, hahaha!\"

Ignoring everyone's teasing, the employee surnamed Liu immediately threw out a photo.

The photo showed an adult man, also wearing a suit. At first glance, he indeed looked a bit similar to the young handsome guy who came to the company with the young boss today. But after looking for a couple more seconds, one could recognize they were two different people.

\"This person is called Qin Feng. He's that unlucky heir who just lost Qin Group. About four years ago, our young boss was so in love with this unlucky guy that he was dying. Someone in the company even hired a private detective to secretly take photos of Qin Feng. The photos were circulated to the point of almost everyone having a copy.\"

\"As a five-year veteran, I have some impression. But the big boss was very angry at the time, sealed our mouths, and forbade discussion and spreading. He even fired a string of people because of this, so people quickly stopped mentioning it.\"

\"!! Shocked!\"

\"First time hearing this! Exciting! So there was this kind of gossip!\"

\"Holy sh*t! So why why why did the young boss hire an employee who looks so much like his past true love? How how how am I supposed to convince myself this is just a coincidence!\"

\"So the current situation is...?\"

\"...Substitute play?\"

\"...\"

\"...\" This group chat named \"What's the difference between a life without melons and a salted fish,\" exclusively for female employees of the Su family, suddenly fell into a terrifying silence!

Author's note:

Qin Zhi: Heh, the farmers from the cabbage's family must think that the cabbage and I are a perfect match.

Farmers: No, we just think that this pig seems to have a bit of green on its head _(:з」∠*)_

","published_time":"2024-09-11T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-08-21T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-09-11T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":942,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":22,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 22","content":"

Completely unaware of the complex feelings of the employees, the two parties involved were still arranging things in an orderly manner.

In the chairman's office.

After briefly introducing Qin Zhi as his newly hired personal assistant who would be by his side at all times, the assistants looked at this assistant who looked more like a runway model. Although their expressions were a bit odd, they had no right to make any comments on such matters. So they all cooperatively greeted Qin Zhi, and then very tactfully left the office.

Seeing Qin Zhi conscientiously starting to organize the documents, Su Duan, who was sitting on the small sofa, still felt a little embarrassed. He proposed for the third time, \"I'll call a board meeting and give you the position of general manager.\"

Qin Zhi was busy with his own company and came to help him, but he couldn't even give Qin Zhi a proper position, which was simply too much.

Qin Zhi flipped through the documents piled together one by one, and placed them in categories. He straightened up slightly and shook his head firmly for the third time, patiently explaining to Su Duan, \"No need, these empty titles are not important. Besides, I have shares in the Qin Group. If I go and become the general manager of Su Group, those directors will definitely make a fuss about it. Su Group can't be messed with anymore.\"

In fact, as the person in charge of another company, coming to be Su Duan's assistant, the directors of Su Group would definitely not be happy. It's just that an assistant has no apparent power on the surface, and he was accompanying Su Duan as a personal assistant, completely bypassing Su Group's internal personnel procedures. Even if the directors of Su Group disagreed, they had no way to get rid of him.

It sounded very reasonable and considerate of Su Duan in every way.

Su Duan felt very embarrassed, but since Qin Zhi had already come to the company and even started helping him with work, he couldn't let him leave. Moreover, what Qin Zhi said indeed made a lot of sense. He could only say in a low voice full of guilt, \"Okay then.\"

He would - remember to give Qin Zhi a raise.

Although now with Qin Group, Qin Zhi probably didn't care about that little salary, but besides this, he didn't know how else to repay Qin Zhi.

After tidying up the documents, Qin Zhi brewed a cup of milk tea for Su Duan. He closed the windows connected to the company's interior tightly, ensuring that the secrets in the office would not be seen, and then began to focus on handling the documents.

There were indeed a bit too many documents accumulated in Su Group these past few days. And to be honest, he was not completely familiar with Su Group's situation. For every project encountered, he basically had to go and look up a bunch of information, so it was still very time-consuming.

At first, Su Duan would wander in front of Qin Zhi to watch him work. It's just that those black and white documents seemed to have a hypnotic function. After staring at them for a while, Su Duan felt drowsy. Originally, he just wanted to sit and space out for a while, but perhaps because the sofa underneath was too soft, before long he curled up and fell asleep on it.

The sofa was placed next to the floor-to-ceiling window. Su Duan was curled up hugging a pillow to sleep. The sun had risen high at this time, and the gentle late summer sunshine kissed Su Duan's hair and cheeks through the colorless glass, making his whole person look warm.

Afraid of waking him up, Qin Zhi's movements in flipping through the documents slowed down. In the intervals of reading the documents, his gaze kept sweeping over to the person sleeping on the sofa, and a quiet atmosphere flowed in the air.

\"Knock, knock.\" Before long, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

The silence was broken. Qin Zhi put down the document in his hand, got up and walked to the sofa, reaching out his hand towards Su Duan.

Although he was reluctant to wake up Su Duan, who was almost snoring softly in his sleep, in order to prevent the secret from being exposed, Qin Zhi had to endure the pain and gently patted Su Duan's soft cheek, calling softly, \"Duan Duan, wake up.\"

Su Duan was sleeping soundly. Realizing that he didn't have to deal with those documents that he basically couldn't understand anymore, he was so relaxed that he lost consciousness, a rare occurrence when someone was beside him.

When Qin Zhi woke him up, he opened his eyes in a daze for a few dozen seconds.

Meeting Su Duan's obviously dazed eyes, Qin Zhi imperceptibly let go of the hand that had just touched Su Duan's cheek, and said in a low voice, \"Someone is here, Duan Duan go sit at the desk first.\"

To put on a full act, in order to avoid being caught by the shareholders, when someone came, Su Duan had to pretend to be working.

Realizing it was serious business, Su Duan quickly responded with an okay, ran to the chair that still had a hint of Qin Zhi's body temperature, sat down, picked up the open document on the table and pretended to read it. He raised his voice towards the door and said, \"Come in.\"

A female employee wearing a black and white suit with black curly hair to her shoulders responded and walked in. She was a department manager of the Su Group with very good professional qualities. There was no trace of any unusual expression on her face from waiting outside for a few minutes. She maintained a sweet smile that was not too fawning, bent down to place the documents she was holding in front of Su Duan, \"Boss, this is the proposed plan for the cooperation project with East, please review it.\"

However, when Su Duan lowered his head to read the document, the corner of her eye inadvertently swept towards the side of the room.

Qin Zhi had already sat at the small desk that an assistant should be at, and was staring at the cold light emitting computer screen in front of him, operating something with concentration. His facial features were distinct and his jet-black eyes were filled with a hint of indifference.

His perceptiveness was incredibly keen. Almost the instant the department manager's gaze was cast over, he tilted his head slightly and looked at her indifferently.

The department manager couldn't help but be startled: \"...\"

Although the boss's newly appointed personal assistant did not show any threatening expression towards her, just meeting his indifferent gaze, the department manager who had experienced quite a bit in the workplace couldn't help but feel a chill in her heart.

Originally, she was just curious about this private assistant because of the gossip circulating in the group. But now, a hint of suspicion suddenly arose in her heart.

If he was just an ordinary private assistant... how could he have such an aura?

Fortunately, at this time, Su Duan looked up and said, \"Leave it here for now, come back at three o'clock in the afternoon to get it.\"

The department manager didn't dare to look around anymore, and honestly retracted her gaze. She quickly left the office.

After returning to her own work position, faced with colleagues who gathered around wanting to dig up gossip from her mouth, driven by the desire to survive, she wisely said that she didn't see anything.

It was only after returning home that she couldn't help but gossip with her best girlfriend.

\"Let me tell you, our company's young boss hired an incredibly handsome executive assistant! Great body, just like a walking hormone dispenser!\" The department manager typed away, \"Due to some unspeakable divine revelation, we all feel that the young boss and him have a deeper relationship!\"

Her best friend was puzzled: \"What kind of relationship?\"

\"Oh, you know, the kind where they can take each other's clothes off in the office!\"

Her best friend: \"... I'm telling you, if the boss sees you like this, you'll get fired.\"

The department manager continued typing: \"Don't worry about these details, that's not the point. The point is, today when I went to give the young boss the planning proposal, I accidentally made eye contact with that CEO's private assistant!\"

Her best friend: \"So you've got your eye on him?\"

\"What nonsense are you talking about? Ptooey! If I dare to fight with the boss over a man, I don't want to stay in this company anymore!\" The department manager got serious, \"Here's the truth, I won't hide it from you, at that moment I was so scared by this assistant that I almost didn't dare to move!\"

\"Even though his eyes weren't fierce, it just felt really scary, like he had an aura that made people not dare to look directly at him!\"

Her best friend: \"Aren't you exaggerating too much O.O?\"

The department manager made a wronged sound: \"No! I swear to the heavens I only used a little bit of rhetoric. Anyway, based on my years of experience in the workplace, this private assistant is definitely not a good guy! I feel our young boss is in danger!\"

Her best friend: \"What's the danger, he's the boss, right? If something feels off, just fire the guy?\"

The department manager said profoundly: \"You don't understand.\"

Saying that, she thought painfully in her heart, their young boss was not only thin and weak, but also looked like he had no schemes. Staying in the same office with that dangerous private assistant, no matter how you look at it, he'll be the one to suffer!

Author's note:

#Substitute Little Assistant

#Domineering CEO's Doting

","published_time":"2024-09-18T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-08-28T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-09-18T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":959,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":23,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 23","content":"

No matter what some subordinates thought, Su Duan felt that he cooperated very well with Qin Zhi. When subordinates came, he would pretend to sit seriously at the desk, but when it was just the two of them, they would casually find something to do - in any case, he didn't have to look at documents anymore.

At first, many people came to the office, and it was a bit troublesome for the two of them to keep switching. However, after Qin Zhi helped him redistribute the responsibilities of each department, only the final decision-making documents would be sent to him at fixed times, which made things much simpler.

Although it was a bit boring to stay in the office all day, Qin Zhi would chat with him.

Chatting with Qin Zhi was a comfortable thing. Su Duan didn't talk much and usually listened quietly, occasionally responding slowly. Sometimes a whole morning would pass by like this without him realizing it. After taking a nap and eating something, the day would go by quickly.

After a few days, it was the beginning of the month. As usual, Su Duan didn't go to work that day, but went to visit Su Zheng, who was still in prison.

Thinking that his brother could be released from prison in about 20 days at the earliest, Su Duan showed a small smile for the first time while waiting in the visiting room.

Because the Su family had pulled some strings, although the prison had blocked Su Zheng's medical parole, they still gave the Su family some face. Su Zheng's treatment in prison was not bad, and he didn't suffer much.

But a life without freedom and full of restrictions always made it hard to feel happy, let alone for a wealthy family's son like Su Zheng who originally had some pride. After half a year, it was evident that he had lost weight and his eyes had become more gloomy.

This time, the staff were more relaxed than the previous few times. After bringing Su Zheng over, they directly went out, leaving the space to the two of them.

Su Duan quietly told Su Zheng about the changes that had happened in the past few days, including how Qin Zhi planned to rescue Su Zheng from prison, and how the company's affairs, which were initially in a mess, had started to become more organized with Qin Zhi's help.

Su Zheng cooperatively leaned forward and listened attentively to his narration.

Although Su Zheng was in prison, his trusted aides were still outside and his news channels were still quite smooth. He had already known a few days ago that Qin Zhi was preparing to get him out and had gone to work at Su's company with Su Duan.

Of course, hearing these things from Su Duan's mouth was undoubtedly more detailed and accurate.

Too many changes had happened during this period. Su Duan spoke for a full ten minutes before finishing his report to Su Zheng.

Finally, he summarized the central idea of this report with \"Qin Zhi is a good person\".

Su Zheng didn't respond, but pushed the refilled tea in front of him with an unchanged expression, and said softly, \"Is your mouth dry? Have some water to moisten your throat.\"

Su Duan's eyes lit up, said a thank you to his brother, and then gulped down most of the cup.

Seeing the uncontrollable smile on his younger brother's face, Su Zheng also smiled, but this smile did not reach the bottom of his heart.

He never thought that the seed he had casually planted and watered with some nutrients back then would actually grow into a towering tree.

Even more unexpectedly, he had fallen to the point of relying on this tree to get out of his predicament.

Having one's status reversed with someone who could have been easily crushed in the past was always something that made one feel complicated. Su Duan was too carefree to have any self-awareness, but Su Zheng could not ignore the strong sense of frustration in his heart.

Moreover, based on his intuition, he always felt that Qin Zhi's actions were a bit strange.

It was reasonable for Qin Zhi to pull strings everywhere to get him out, after all, he had arranged for his mother's surgery back then, which solved Qin Zhi's urgent problem. It was normal for Qin Zhi to repay the favor.

However, Qin Zhi's actions afterwards made him become vigilant.

Qin Zhi left the newly acquired Qin company alone and immediately threw himself into the Su Group to help their family.

Su Zheng didn't think that Qin Zhi coveted the Su Group—

It had shrunk in scale and could no longer be mentioned in the same breath as the Qin Group. There were also constant management problems. It was only able to remain in the top ten companies in City A by relying on the foundation accumulated in previous years. There was no reason for Qin Zhi to ignore the more lucrative Qin Group and rack his brains to infiltrate the Su Group instead.

It should be known that things on the Qin Group's side had not been sorted out yet. At this juncture, it was actually very unwise for Qin Zhi to divide his attention and take care of both sides, as it could easily lead to problems on the Qin Group's side due to insufficient focus.

Since Qin Zhi was able to reach this height in such a short time, he definitely would not do something that would lose the big picture for the sake of short-term gains.

Moreover, Qin Zhi was following Su Duan as his personal assistant and secretly handling affairs, without even a proper position. As a private assistant, even if he really wanted to get his hands on Su Group, it would not be an easy task.

In the end, the previous matter only amounted to a favor of a hundred thousand or so. Not to mention that to a certain extent, it was actually a transaction between him and Qin Zhi. Did Qin Zhi have to be so dedicated?

Even if Qin Zhi had a good nature, he really did not believe that after struggling in the profit-oriented business circle for a few years, Qin Zhi could still maintain his original pure heart.

—There was not a single good person among those who could climb so fast in this circle.

Although Qin Zhi had put on the appearance of doing charity, probably only his younger brother would believe that Qin Zhi was really doing charity. Su Zheng almost didn't need to think about it. Qin Zhi must have had some more important purpose for doing this, and this purpose—

Looking at his bright-eyed younger brother in front of him, the former President Su felt that the alarm in his mind was getting louder and louder!

He had not forgotten that Qin Zhi had hidden in the garden and peeped at his younger brother back then!

Heh, those eyes were really affectionate and melancholic. His foolish younger brother was also clueless and was reluctant to part with Qin Zhi, making him seem like a feudal patriarch who had beaten a pair of mandarin ducks.

—The former President Su could be said to be very resentful of this heart-wrenching past event.

Immersed in his memories and imagination, the more Su Zheng thought about it, the more he felt a strong sense of crisis. He wished he could immediately rush out of the prison gate and fire Qin Zhi like he did back then to feel at ease.

But he still had a four-and-a-half-year sentence on his back. Let alone rushing out of prison, as long as he dared to make a little movement, prison guards would rush up with batons.

Not only could he not drive the person away from his younger brother, he still had to rely on the person he wanted to drive away for the time being in order to have hope of getting out of this hellhole quickly.

Su Zheng: \"...\"

But it was obvious that Su Duan couldn't empathize with his brother. Seeing Su Zheng's brows furrowed as if he could pinch a nest of flies to death, he put down the teacup in his hand, and the smile on his face also faded, replaced by a confused and cautious expression. He asked, \"Brother, did I... handle it incorrectly?\"

He asked the system in his heart: \"Does brother not trust Qin Zhi?\"

The system replied: \"Sorry, the system cannot analyze such specific psychological activities. It can only be done through the host's own efforts.\"

Su Duan said, \"Okay.\"

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that was the case. When Qin Zhi was still a servant in the Su family, Su Zheng didn't like him. Now he definitely wouldn't think of him in a good light either.

Su Duan's mood couldn't help but slide down a bit. Qin Zhi was really very good. If it wasn't for Qin Zhi's help, he wouldn't know what to do about Su Zheng and the company's matters.

But he had no standing to blame Su Zheng for this. He himself believed Qin Zhi because he knew the plot and had interacted with Qin Zhi, while Su Zheng didn't know these things, so it was very reasonable for him to be suspicious.

Realizing that he had accidentally revealed his negative emotions in front of his younger brother, Su Zheng hurriedly hid the gloom on his face and said in a soothing tone, \"No, Duan Duan handled it very well. Hiring Qin Zhi as a personal assistant will neither cause a backlash from the board of directors, nor create any... hidden dangers.\"

Su Duan lowered his eyes, not daring to make eye contact with Su Zheng, and drank a mouthful of water guiltily: \"...\" Fortunately, he didn't tell Su Zheng that this matter was actively proposed by Qin Zhi.

Su Zheng praised him a few more times before casually asking, \"No need to handle documents anymore, so what does Duan Duan do in the office every day?\"

Su Duan was already used to Su Zheng asking about his daily life in great detail like a nagging mother every time he visited, so he answered honestly without much thought, \"Qin Zhi looks at documents, I sleep in the office, uh... and sometimes chat with Qin Zhi.\" When he mentioned sleeping, Su Duan's voice lowered a lot out of guilt.

Su Zheng's eyes moved slightly, and he asked softly, \"Do you and Qin Zhi only chat? Doesn't he pull you to 'play'?\"

Su Duan blinked, seemingly not understanding why he would ask such a strange question: \"No, there's a lot of work, he doesn't have time to play with me.\"

He thought for a moment and added, \"Qin Zhi also has to deal with Qin family matters, it's very tiring.\"

Su Zheng smiled with relief. It's good to be tired, it's best to be so tired that he has no energy to do anything, that's when he would be most at ease.

Although this was what he thought in his heart, under Su Duan's gaze, Su Zheng still hypocritically sighed a few times that Qin Zhi was simply too hardworking, truly a good kid who knows how to repay kindness. When he gets out, he will definitely thank Qin Zhi properly.

Su Duan: (⊙v⊙)

Su Duan secretly asked the system in his heart: \"Is brother telling the truth?\" He always felt that there was something indescribably, um, strange about the smile on Su Zheng's face.

\"This,\" the system stalled for a moment, seeming a bit troubled by the host always asking it questions that it couldn't analyze: \"The system doesn't know either.\"

After carefully inquiring and confirming that Qin Zhi hadn't done anything strange to his younger brother for the time being, the gloom in Su Zheng's heart only dissipated a little bit. However, he still earnestly advised him not to hold hands or hug anyone other than his brother and the butler. After getting Su Duan's promise, he was barely able to let him leave with peace of mind.

However, facts proved that he had put his mind at ease too early.

The next day, Su Duan, who had skipped work for a day, got up early to go to work, still taking Qin Zhi's car like the previous days.

Ever since Qin Zhi came to pick him up to go to the company on the first morning, it seemed as if he had taken sending and picking him up as part of his job, arriving at the Su residence on time every day.

Qin Zhi wouldn't come in either, just quietly waiting outside the inner door of the villa. As soon as Su Duan came out the door, he could get in the car.

Su Duan originally felt a bit uneasy about Qin Zhi coming to pick him up and drop him off. He had mentioned several times that he could let the butler send him, but they were all lightly blocked by Qin Zhi.

Moreover, after visiting Su Zheng yesterday and recalling that his brother seemed to have some not-so-positive views of Qin Zhi, Su Duan felt even more restless.

When the black sedan stopped at a red light, Su Duan, who was sitting in the passenger seat, looked at Qin Zhi's serious profile and couldn't help but mention it again in a low voice, \"Qin Zhi, I'll still have the butler send me to the company in the future. It's really too much trouble for you to do this every day.\"

Actually, he was too embarrassed to tell Qin Zhi that because he was not at ease, the butler would drive behind them every day until they entered the company before leaving. He had tried to persuade him several times, but to no avail.

Qin Zhi turned his head, his brows and eyes relaxed, and his sharp features, carved by time, appeared exceptionally gentle in the morning light. \"Didn't I say it before? The community I live in is not far from Duan Duan's home. It doesn't take time to pick you up along the way.\"

That was the community he had specifically chosen - good environment, strong privacy, and of course, most importantly, it was only a ten-minute walk from the Su residence, and even faster by car.

\"Also,\" Qin Zhi paused for a moment, his voice also lowering a bit: \"I am Duan Duan's personal assistant. If I don't go to the company with Duan Duan, people will definitely gossip.\"

Su Duan thought for a moment and had to admit that what Qin Zhi said made a lot of sense. He couldn't think of any reason to refute it at all.

The green light came on ahead, and Qin Zhi turned his head to focus on driving. Su Duan didn't dare to disturb him and make him lose focus, obediently sitting in the passenger seat.

So this time's suggestion, like the previous times, was skillfully blocked.

After arriving at the company, seeing Qin Zhi immersed in a stack of new documents, the more Su Duan thought about it, the more he felt embarrassed, and felt that everything he did was wrong.

After wandering around the spacious office for a while, he decided to do something within his power for Qin Zhi, such as making a cup of coffee.

This office was originally Su Zheng's. Because Su Zheng loved to drink coffee, there was a dedicated coffee-making area in the corner. The office had coffee powder ground by the butler at home, so he just needed to brew it with the coffee machine.

Su Duan had also brewed it himself a few times at home, so he was quite skilled. Rolling up his sleeves, in just a few minutes, a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee was ready.

After adding the appropriate amount of milk and sugar cubes according to Qin Zhi's preference, Su Duan stretched out his fingertips to touch the coffee cup, immediately retracted his hand after being scalded, and blew on it twice. Then he turned his head and asked his diligent personal assistant, \"Qin Zhi, do you want to add ice?\"

However, Qin Zhi asked him, \"Did you just scald your hand? Does it hurt?\"

Su Duan waved his hand dismissively, \"It doesn't hurt, I just bumped it a little.\" Then he asked, \"Do you want ice?\"

Qin Zhi, afraid that he would scald himself again, firmly replied, \"Yes, add a lot.\" He still felt a bit worried and said, \"Come here, let me take a look at your hand.\"

\"It's really nothing, just wait a moment.\" Su Duan said softly. He opened the small refrigerator beside him, took out many ice cubes, and kept filling the coffee cup until it was full before stopping.

Qin Zhi put the documents in his hand aside and advised, \"Okay, Duan Duan, be careful not to scald yourself.\"

In his impression, the young master was very delicate. Seeing Su Duan so lively, there should indeed be no problem.

Moreover... the person he liked was busy making coffee for him and personally bringing it over. This was a scene he didn't dare to imagine even in his dreams.

Who doesn't have a little selfishness?

So Qin Zhi obediently didn't move. He sat in the spacious seat, watching Su Duan carefully move towards him with the cup, a subtle light flashing in his eyes.

As a result, he never expected that it was because of this little bit of selfishness that led to an accident that he never imagined.

Worried that the coffee would spill out, when carrying the cup over, Su Duan stared intently at the constantly fluctuating liquid surface.

—But he ignored other places.

When he bent over to put the coffee in front of Qin Zhi, Su Duan accidentally bumped his elbow on the file rack beside him. His wrist shook, causing the cup to tilt. More than half of the coffee spilled on Qin Zhi without any waste.

The dark brown coffee quickly soaked the white shirt and waistband, staining it with a conspicuous mark, vaguely outlining the firm muscle lines under the clothes. The ice cubes that had not completely melted also fell on Qin Zhi, and a few pieces bounced to the ground, making a crisp sound.

Su Duan held the cup with only a little coffee left and froze for a moment.

After reacting, he hurriedly reached out to wipe it for him. Feeling the warmth, he became even more flustered and apologized to Qin Zhi, \"I'm sorry, did it scald you?\"

Although he had just added a lot of ice cubes, could the coffee cool down so quickly?

Qin Zhi was not scalded by the coffee, but Su Duan's touch made him gasp. His chest heaved violently, and the abdominal muscles under the soaked shirt also twitched slightly. Finally, unable to bear it, he reached out and grasped Su Duan's slender wrist.

Author has something to say:

Qin Zhi: Heh, little black potato, you started the fire, put it out yourself.

Su Duan: (⊙v⊙)？

Su Zheng: ...You're really capable (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

","published_time":"2024-09-25T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-09-04T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-09-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":977,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":24,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 24","content":"

Stunned by his wrist being grabbed, Su Duan blankly stared at Qin Zhi's pained expression, thinking he had hurt the other person. He instantly became even more flustered and didn't dare move a muscle.

\"I'm sorry, I...I'll call a doctor for you...\" Su Duan stammered, so nervous that cold sweat beaded on his forehead and his eyes glistened with worry.

He anxiously asked the system: \"System, system, how should burns be treated?\"

The system replied: \"Immediately rinse or soak with cold water. If it's severe, get medical attention as soon as possible.\"

\"Cold water, there's no cold water...will ice work?\" Su Duan thought for a moment before asking.

The office only had a small faucet in the corner for making coffee, positioned very high with a thin stream of water. The location of Qin Zhi's burn was on his abdomen, so that tiny faucet definitely couldn't reach it.

The system said: \"Ice will also work, host.\"

After getting confirmation, Su Duan felt slightly more at ease. But for some reason, whether due to pain or something else, Qin Zhi's grip on his wrist was exceptionally strong, like an immovable iron clamp. He wanted to pull his hand back but couldn't budge it at all.

Afraid of hurting Qin Zhi again, Su Duan didn't dare struggle forcefully. Instead, he gently persuaded: \"Let go of me, I'll get some ice to put on it for you, then we'll call a doctor.\"

Qin Zhi closed his eyes and took a few breaths, suppressing the darkness flashing in his gaze. He said hoarsely: \"Don't worry Duan Duan, I'm really fine. The coffee had ice added so it wasn't scalding, I was just startled. No need to fuss, I'll go change clothes in a bit.\"

Su Duan didn't really believe his words and said with concern: \"No, untreated burns can become very serious!\"

As a spirit herb that had lived for several thousand years, Su Duan had experienced all kinds of accidents. He had once seen the earth's crust split open right before his eyes, spewing scorching lava. Some beasts were caught off guard and devoured by the crevice, melting into a puddle of flesh and blood in the blink of an eye.

Although he had used all his spiritual power to uproot himself and flee at the time, some lava still splashed onto his leaves, causing them to curl up in pain. It burned a small hole that took a very long time to heal, not mending until he had accumulated spiritual energy for over a hundred years.

This experience left a deep impression on Su Duan. Recalling his own past pain, he couldn't help but worry even more about Qin Zhi.

Qin Zhi gave him a reassuring smile: \"Don't worry, why would I act tough in this situation? I still need to help Duan Duan with work, I won't let myself get injured.\"

However, Su Duan insisted unusually: \"Let me take a look.\"

Qin Zhi: \"...\"

Although he was gratified that Su Duan cared so much about him, the timing was really a bit awkward. Qin Zhi felt he might embarrass himself in front of Su Duan at any moment. He wished he could quickly find something to cover up, and of course was unwilling to voluntarily expose the area for Su Duan to see.

His young master was very dense when it came to feelings and probably didn't have much experience with this kind of thing. If he scared him off this early, it would be a losing proposition.

There was still some time, they could take it slow. There was no need to rush-

The next second, Qin Zhi felt a strange sensation on his body.

He was holding one of Su Duan's hands, while Su Duan used the other to try unbuttoning his shirt.

But it was obvious Su Duan's one-handed unbuttoning skills were very unpolished. His slender fingers fumbled there for a long time without managing to undo a single button, instead tormenting Qin Zhi quite a bit.

\"...\" Qin Zhi gave in. He slowly released Su Duan's wrist that he had been gripping and gently but firmly moved away the other hand that had been carefully trying to unbutton his shirt without success. He said hoarsely: \"I'll do it myself.\"

He couldn't let Su Duan continue on his own anymore, otherwise something really would happen.

Su Duan made an \"oh\" sound and obediently withdrew his hands, but his eyes remained unblinkingly fixed on Qin Zhi, not showing any intention of relaxing his vigilance.

Under the gaze of those jet-black eyes, Qin Zhi's fingers trembled spasmodically as they pressed against his soaked shirt. He took a deep breath before undoing the buttons.

He closed his eyes briefly, trying not to let the greed in his gaze show too obviously. He said to Su Duan: \"Look, it's really nothing.\"

So Su Duan began to examine him carefully.

The area splashed by the dark brown coffee was slightly red, but other than that, no blisters or ulceration could be seen. It seemed...it really wasn't very serious?

To be cautious, after consulting the system, Su Duan still checked it over meticulously.

Qin Zhi couldn't help sharply inhaling: \"...\"

Hearing the gasp above his head, Su Duan instantly became as alert as a cat smelling dried fish. He raised his head and asked Qin Zhi: \"Are you feeling pain?\"

Qin Zhi gritted his teeth and said softly: \"No pain, just a little itchy.\"

\"Oh.\" Su Duan blinked and assured him: \"Then I'll be very gentle.\"

Qin Zhi: \"...Alright.\"

After inspecting Qin Zhi's reddened area several times and confirming it didn't even count as a mild scald, Su Duan finally set his heart at ease.

Of course, during this process, who knows how many sharp breaths Qin Zhi took.

He felt he must have lost his mind. He knew he should maintain some distance from Su Duan right now, but the feeling of being close to the person he liked was addictive, making him truly reluctant to send the other away.

But he had obviously indulged too much, unconsciously even loosening control over his body. If Su Duan's observation skills were a bit keener and his gaze shifted a little lower, Qin Zhi would probably be facing the risk of getting fired on the spot.

Of course, that was assuming Su Duan understood what his reaction represented.

Seeing the young master acting without any wariness like this, it was as if he was a blank slate when it came to this aspect. The hints Qin Zhi had shown were already plentiful. Yet Su Duan still seemed oblivious, making one worry about when he would finally catch on.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down uncontrollably several times. Qin Zhi reined in his thoughts, using the last shred of his willpower to keep the urges within his body from continuing to swell. He asked with difficulty, voice carrying an undeniable thick hoarseness: \"Duan Duan, are you done checking?\"

Only then did Su Duan seem to react, withdrawing his hands as he nodded: \"Mm, done checking.\"

Qin Zhi moved his fingers, wanting to let go of the shirt hem he had crumpled into a mess. But Su Duan called out to him again: \"Wait, don't put it down yet.\"

Qin Zhi froze for a moment, letting out a long sigh in his heart, and asked with mixed feelings, \"What's wrong?\" What was this dull little young master planning to do to him now?

Su Duan earnestly suggested, \"Although the scald isn't severe, let's apply some ice just in case.\" What if it suddenly became serious later on?

After staring at the well-behaved Su Duan for more than ten seconds, Qin Zhi nodded in agreement, \"Okay, I'll listen to Duan Duan.\" But there seemed to be a hint of solemnity in his eyes, as if he had made some major decision.

Of course, Su Duan couldn't see it. He turned around and diligently took out the remaining ice cubes from the small refrigerator, along with the box, then ran back to Qin Zhi's side, holding them. He pinched out a few pieces and carefully placed them on the scalded area of Qin Zhi's skin.

The frosted ice cubes landed on the slightly reddened skin. In just a few seconds, they began to melt due to the temperature difference of more than thirty degrees. The transparent ice water flowed along the contours of the muscles, eventually dripping to the ground.

Qin Zhi closed his eyes briefly.

After just two minutes, in order to avoid secondary frostbite, Su Duan, under the system's command, picked up all the half-melted ice cubes and put them back in the box. Then he asked Qin Zhi with full concern, \"How do you feel? Does it hurt?\"

Qin Zhi was silent for two seconds, then showed Su Duan a faint smile and said, \"I'm fine, it doesn't hurt. Thank you, Duan Duan.\"

Su Duan said with relief, \"It's good that you're okay.\"

- It was indeed quite good.

The body that was hot and agitated just a second ago was forcibly calmed down with the help of the ice cubes in just a few seconds. So now he was not at all worried that he would embarrass himself in front of Su Duan.

Qin Zhi exhaled and thought calmly.

......

Because of this little accident in the morning, Su Duan observed Qin Zhi from various angles throughout the day. As soon as he frowned, Su Duan would come over and ask if the scalded area was starting to hurt, simply being a very caring good boss to his subordinate!

However, the little assistant who was cared for by the boss all day had mixed feelings. When he returned home to deal with his company's affairs, it even leaked out a bit on his face.

His friend, who was video chatting with him, keenly noticed his unusual state today. He teased him with a wink, \"What's wrong with our President Qin? Frowning and not smiling, didn't you throw all the company's affairs to this poor man in order to pursue the young master of the Su family? What setback did you suffer? Hurry up and tell me so I can be happy.\"

Qin Zhi flipped through the documents in his hand without raising his head, and said coldly, \"Since you are so self-aware, starting from tomorrow, I can really hand over all the affairs for you to handle.\"

His friend's expression changed, \"...I was just joking, don't take it seriously.\"

\"But what's wrong with you? You're full of low pressure, as tense as if you haven't had sex for hundreds of years and are unsatisfied.\" His friend continued to mutter.

Qin Zhi looked up and glared at him, \"Why are you talking so much nonsense?\"

His friend was shocked, \"...It seems that you're really sexually frustrated. Things aren't going well on your side, brother. Sigh, keep working at it.\"

Qin Zhi: \"...Shut up.\"

......

After approving the last project on the Qin Group's side, it was already close to 11 pm. Qin Zhi rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, stretched his neck that had become a little stiff from looking down for too long, finally sorted out the documents in the study, and went back to the bedroom to get his pajamas and towel to take a shower.

The shower head was turned on, and the hot water spraying from it hit Qin Zhi's body, turning into strings of meandering and delicate water flows, crawling down along the contours of his tight muscles, and finally falling onto the smooth tiled floor, gathering towards the whirlpool-shaped drain.

Hot steam quickly rose, and Qin Zhi's facial features were softened by the mist. His expression appeared a bit blurry in the steamy room. His usually meticulously combed black hair had just been washed, with water dripping from the ends, scattered messily on his forehead and cheeks. It set off his equally dark and deep eyes, unexpectedly giving people a startling feeling.

He reached out to smooth all the wet black hair to the back of his head, and casually wiped the water droplets from his face, making a slight splashing sound.

The path of the water flow changed slightly with his movements, splitting into several streams along the undulating muscles of his upper arms, and finally gathering and flowing down at the elbows again.

Today was bound to be a restless day. As he showered, the heat rose in him. Qin Zhi closed his eyes, his mind filled with the image of Su Duan helping him check the scald today, bit by bit eroding his reason.

With a \"click\", the metal shower head hit the tiled floor, and the water sprayed obliquely on the frosted glass, washing away the mist on it, revealing a vague tall figure.

......

Who knew how long it took, but Qin Zhi finally bent down to pick up the shower head that had been thrown to the ground, and washed himself again.

......

Early the next morning, Qin Zhi picked up Su Duan as usual to go to work at Su Group.

For some reason, Su Duan was particularly concerned about the coffee spill incident. As soon as he entered the office, he checked on Qin Zhi again, and was only satisfied when he saw that even the slight redness from yesterday had disappeared.

Qin Zhi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Fortunately, he had satisfied himself several times last night, so the heat wasn't so intense today. He could withstand Su Duan's inspection without directly embarrassing himself.

After tidying up his slightly messy clothes, Qin Zhi picked up a document from the desktop and said to Su Duan, \"I'm going down to deliver a document. This one is quite urgent. I need to personally confirm it with the planning department. I'll be back in about ten minutes. If any documents come up, just leave them here for now.\"

Su Duan obediently sat in the office chair, \"Mm-hmm.\"

\"If anything unexpected happens, call me immediately. The other assistants are also outside.\" Qin Zhi added, not feeling at ease.

Su Duan nodded, \"Mm-hmm.\"

Qin Zhi took the document and walked out of the office. As soon as he left, he was immediately subjected to the gaze of the assistants outside.

Among these assistants, a few were Su Zheng's confidants. They probably received some instructions from Su Zheng and were watching the office very closely. The frequency of sending documents inside was also unusually high. Every time they went in, they almost wanted to examine him up and down with their eyes, which could be described as glaring.

So Qin Zhi was quite used to their gazes. After all, they were Su Zheng's people, and he couldn't do anything about them. He could only pretend not to see them.

But... something seemed a bit strange.

Forget about Su Zheng's people, but why were the other assistants who shouldn't know his identity looking at him with such eyes?

Feeling the somewhat overly enthusiastic gazes from the two female assistants, Qin Zhi couldn't help frowning slightly and quickened his pace towards the elevator.

The fact that he was a shareholder of the Qin Group shouldn't have spread in Su Group yet.

Initially, he had used some not-so-aboveboard means to wrest control of the Qin Group from Qin Feng's hands. In order to lower Qin Feng's guard, he had never appeared publicly, instead letting his good friend handle everything. On the surface, the management rights of Qin Group were also in that good friend's hands.

Now, there were few people even within the Qin Group who had seen him, only knowing that he was an illegitimate son of the Qin family.

In order to take down Qin Feng, he had planned for a long time and very meticulously. As soon as he had the ability, he immediately concealed all his previous information. So his information was very difficult to investigate. As long as Su Zheng's people didn't leak it, there was no need to worry about someone discovering that he worked at Su Group for the time being.

Walking past the business department entrance and receiving countless stares from female employees again, Qin Zhi: \"......\"

So what exactly were these people looking at?

It didn't seem to be excitement generated from his appearance. To be precise, it should be a gaze filled with prying curiosity, not very polite.

——In layman's terms, it was a gossipy gaze.

Actually, in the past few days, he had vaguely discovered some clues in the eyes of some employees who came to the office to deliver documents. It's just that he rarely left the office, so this was the first time facing such enthusiastic... collective stares so directly.

But there didn't seem to be anything gossip-worthy about him. His image in the company was at most a mysterious assistant, and reasonably speaking, it shouldn't arouse this degree of spectating.

However, now was not the time to dwell on these matters. Qin Zhi ignored those gazes, found the planning department manager, confirmed a somewhat ambiguous detail marked on the document with them, urged her to quickly send the revised new document up, then glanced at his wristwatch. Seeing that the ten minutes he had promised Su Duan was almost up, he quickly returned.

To save time, he took the internal passages between the various departments.

It was still while passing by the business department. Walking past an ordinary desk, he suddenly heard someone stretching their head and whispering gossip to a colleague across the desk: \"I heard from people in the assistant's room that yesterday, the boss's private assistant came out and changed into a new set of clothes. Apparently, his whole body was wet. Who knows what happened with the boss, hehehe...\"

Qin Zhi, who happened to pass by the two heads and heard everything clearly: \"......\"

So they were gossiping about him and Su Duan?

His footsteps paused slightly, but Qin Zhi didn't waste time and continued walking forward.

The two gossiping employees didn't realize at first that the subject of their gossip had passed by. It was only after Qin Zhi left that someone beside them sympathetically told them what had happened. They then stared at each other with dumbfounded expressions.

The two female employees: \"......\" felt like their entire bodies were written with the word \"awkward\".

As the elevator doors closed, a trace of gloom appeared in Qin Zhi's eyes.

He actually couldn't understand how there could be rumors about him and Su Duan in the company.

Although he indeed had impure thoughts towards Su Duan and wanted to take him home and hide him away to \"eat\", it was just a thought. He had never done anything substantial.

Moreover, he had always been very careful, never saying anything that exceeded a work relationship or making any intimate gestures to Su Duan when a third person was present. He was worried about spreading any rumors that would be bad for Su Duan.

As a result... how could these people's imaginations be so wild?

Qin Zhi thought very unhappily that when there was an opportunity, he still needed to properly clean up the atmosphere at the Su Group. Because the Su Group had been slowly going downhill in the past six months, causing people's hearts to waver, the employee atmosphere at Su Group now was completely incomparable to when Su Zheng was still around.

Not wanting to let these vexing matters bother Su Duan, Qin Zhi focused on work as usual after returning to the office.

Perhaps because he had suffered a bit of \"injury\" yesterday, Su Duan was especially caring and attentive to him today, completely treating himself as his little assistant. He didn't even sleep much, running back and forth to brew coffee for him——of course, when delivering coffee, Su Duan had learned to be smart and first put it on the desk surface a bit farther from him, then slowly push it in front of him——and doing trivial tasks like organizing documents. He was so well-behaved that Qin Zhi simply wanted to hug him tightly and give him a couple of kisses.

Of course, for now, he could only think about it.

But he could still secretly get a bit of a treat.

Lunch was delivered by the housekeeper, made by the Su family's chef, with flavors completely catering to Su Duan's tastes. Every dish was very light, with a balanced nutritional mix.

Qin Zhi wasn't picky about food. He could eat heavy flavors and also had no issues accepting light ones. Moreover, with Su Duan sitting across from him while eating, even if it was just plain rice, he could eat three bowls in one go.

Qin Zhi carefully picked up a piece of crisp-fried zucchini with his chopsticks and brought it to his mouth. \"Good boy Duan Duan, eat one more bite.\"

Su Duan looked at Qin Zhi, then at the plant-based food held by the chopsticks, and finally chose to eat it in one bite. He politely said \"thank you\" to Qin Zhi.

Qin Zhi smiled and said, \"You're welcome.\"

Then he withdrew the chopsticks, picked up a slice of zucchini for himself from the same plate, and as he brought it to his mouth, his tongue tip brushed over the chopstick tips and he even slightly sucked on them. The action was very natural.

Author's note:

Su Zheng: ......smiling face gradually disappears.jpg

He never would have thought

It was our cabbage who made the first move :(

#No, I still want to kill the pig!#

Little Black Potato is the true form of Poria, those who say they don't know should go and reflect! ╭(╯^╰)╮

","published_time":"2024-10-02T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-09-11T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-10-02T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":994,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":25,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 25","content":"

After lunch was nap time. Of course, under normal circumstances, this specifically referred to Su Duan's nap time alone, because with enough energy, Qin Zhi generally wouldn't spend his afternoon time sleeping.

But today was different.

When Su Duan came to ask him, yawning and with teary eyes, if he wanted to take a nap together, Qin Zhi suddenly found the documents in his hands becoming exceptionally uninteresting.

Su Duan's biological clock had been trained to be very punctual. If he didn't eat at the fixed time, he would quickly get a stomach ache. When it was time to sleep, he would conscientiously feel sleepy. If he didn't sleep, he would feel listless the whole day.

Su Duan had a very fulfilling morning, busily helping him fetch small things back and forth, anyway he wasn't idle. Perhaps he was a bit tired. Today, as soon as nap time arrived, he seemed even sleepier than he had been recently. After yawning, tears even glistened in the corners of his eyes.

Qin Zhi's heart stirred. Using his fingertips, he gently wiped away the bit of wetness from the corners of Su Duan's eyes.

Su Duan looked at him with dazed black eyes, his cheeks pressed against Qin Zhi's palm. Even when his face was touched, he didn't know to dodge, only feeling that Qin Zhi's hand was much hotter than his own face, and large.

After Qin Zhi moved his hand away, Su Duan also followed and touched the corners of his own eyes, softly explaining: \"Too sleepy.\"

He felt that human tears were very strange. They flowed when sad, they could also well up when happy, and even when sleepy a few drops could be squeezed out.

Qin Zhi savored the tender feeling he had just touched with his palm, feeling that yesterday's fire had been vented in vain.

Yesterday, when Su Duan's slender fingertips roamed all over his body during that examination, it was like opening the floodgates in the depths of his heart that were not very sturdy to begin with. The beast broke free from its chains and began eagerly wanting to bring its long-eyed prey back to its den, wash it clean, and carefully taste it from top to bottom.

Qin Zhi: \"......\" What was he thinking about now?

In any case, no matter what, today's afternoon work definitely could not proceed. With his mind full of junk, Secretary Qin pushed the documents aside and agreed to his boss's co-sleeping invitation.

\"Okay.\" Qin Zhi reached out to grasp the knot of his tie, loosening the neatly tied tie. \"I'll go put the sofa down.\"

Su Duan: \"Mm-hmm.\"

This chairman's office was originally used by Su Zheng. It was very apparent that Chairman Su was someone who knew how to enjoy life. Not only did he set up a small coffee station in the corner of the office, even the sofa could be put down to sleep on, allowing the people in the office to have a short and comfortable rest on it.

Qin Zhi pulled off his tie and casually draped it over the back of the chair. Then he walked over to the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, bent over and reached out to feel for the clasp hidden between the gaps of the sofa base and backrest. With a click, the sofa backrest was smoothly put down and perfectly joined with the base. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a large bed that could easily accommodate two grown men.

After arranging the cushions that could be used as pillows and spreading out the thin blanket placed to the side, Qin Zhi turned his head and called Su Duan: \"Duan Duan, come sleep.\"

As a result, he saw Su Duan holding his gray tie, obediently watching him from behind.

Su Duan raised the tie in his hand and handed it to him, explaining: \"It fell on the floor.\"

\"Thank you, Duan Duan.\" Qin Zhi paused for a moment, then reached out to take the tie knot, casually placing it on the sofa armrest, and said: \"Come sleep quickly.\"

Su Duan obediently took off his own shoes and lay down on the inner side of the sofa, curling up entirely under the thin blanket with only his round little head exposed.

After confirming that the door and windows were all locked tightly and hanging a \"Do Not Disturb\" sign on the door, Qin Zhi unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and quickly climbed onto the sofa as well.

But as soon as he lay down, he discovered a problem.

Although the sofa was wide enough after the backrest was put down, and there was no problem at all with him and Su Duan lying on it, Su Duan's blanket was a single one and couldn't cover two people at all.

Su Duan still hadn't realized this problem, staring at Qin Zhi with slightly frozen black eyes, not knowing what he was thinking.

Actually, he was a bit nervous.

After coming to this world, he had never slept in the same bed with someone else before.

Although he didn't have any particular feelings when he invited Qin Zhi to sleep together just now, when Qin Zhi really lay down beside him, Su Duan realized that he still felt a bit unaccustomed to this.

So he couldn't help shrinking inward, leaving a gap between him and Qin Zhi.

Seeing him like this, Qin Zhi understood clearly.

Secretary Qin sighed helplessly in his heart. His little young master was really too good at tormenting people. Even though he had taken the initiative to invite him, now he suddenly began feeling nervous on his own, without any self-awareness at all.

Telling himself that he mustn't be too impatient and scare away the prey that lacked self-awareness but was not very bold, Qin Zhi pushed the blanket that was only half-covering his body entirely onto Su Duan. \"Be good, cover yourself properly.\"

Only then did Su Duan react, realizing that the blanket was not enough. With him and Qin Zhi so far apart, if one person wanted to be fully covered, the other could at most only cover half his body.

But if they squeezed together, it should still be barely enough.

Su Duan hesitated for a few dozen seconds before finally making up his mind: \"Come a bit closer, let's squeeze together.\"

If he slept without a blanket, he would easily catch a cold—anyway, that's how it always was for him.

He was the one who told Qin Zhi to come sleep, but now he wasn't even letting him cover with the blanket, that would be a bit too mean.

This wouldn't do.

Su Duan firmed his resolve. Seeing that Qin Zhi still wasn't moving, he couldn't help urging: \"Hurry and come over.\"

Qin Zhi's Adam's apple bobbed. A sigh-like sound escaped his throat: \"...Okay.\"

The prey always raised its little head and snuggled up to him, but he couldn't simply roughly snatch it away.

If this continued, he couldn't help worrying if he would develop a problem from holding it in one day.

The body that had undergone systematic exercise was far stronger and broader than Su Duan's. When it covered him, it brought a warmth and dominance, making Su Duan feel like his entire being was enveloped by that indescribable aura emanating from Qin Zhi's body.

Su Duan stiffened his neck. His reflex was to still want to use his little leaves to cover his head and shrink back, but he forgot that he had already retreated to the innermost side, his back against the cold floor-to-ceiling glass window, unable to move at all.

Qin Zhi reached out a hand to grasp his shoulder and softly said by his ear: \"Don't move.\" Although the glass windows of the Su company definitely wouldn't shatter from such a slight tremor, Qin Zhi still felt his heart pounding.

Su Duan realized he had nowhere to run and couldn't help but swallow nervously.

Qin Zhi blocked his back and pulled him closer, softly coaxing, \"It's cold by the glass behind you, come a little closer.\"

Su Duan reflexively pressed a hand against Qin Zhi's shoulder, but lacking strength, he was still easily pulled into the other's embrace.

Qin Zhi didn't let go, patting Su Duan's back lightly, \"Go to sleep soon, you'll feel unwell if you sleep too late.\"

With his head resting on Qin Zhi's shoulder, perhaps soothed by the gentle patting on his back or the low voice, although being enveloped by another person's presence still made him feel a bit panicked, Su Duan gradually relaxed within a few minutes as his consciousness grew hazy under the influence of his biological clock.

Feeling the person in his arms slowly evening out his breathing, Qin Zhi's patting motions also gradually stopped, but his hand remained on that back so thin he could easily feel the bones, reluctant to withdraw.

Although holding the soft young master with warm sunlight shining on his head created an extremely comfortable and leisurely atmosphere, Qin Zhi didn't feel sleepy at all due to the restlessness he couldn't quell inside.

He even had an uncontrollable urge to smoke a cigarette.

His smoking addiction wasn't strong; he only smoked one or two when under immense stress or when missing his young master.

But perhaps because he had recently started quitting and reached the most difficult withdrawal period, once the desire to smoke arose, it rapidly snowballed, expanding until he nearly sank into anxiety.

Qin Zhi exhaled, lowering his head to bury his face in Su Duan's clean, soft black hair. Like an addict drinking poison to quench his thirst, he inhaled deeply, almost greedily, the faint scent of medicinal herbs with a tinge of bitterness.

Author's note:

Qin Zhi: Can't smoke, then I'll just smoke Duan Duan (/≧▽≦)/~┴┴

Su Duan: ⊙ω⊙

Su Zheng: Let me out! Σ(°Д°;

","published_time":"2024-10-09T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-09-18T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-10-09T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":1011,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":26,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 26","content":"

Once there was a first time, the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth times all seemed quite natural.

Just like that, Qin Zhi developed the habit of taking afternoon naps with Su Duan.

Although the first few times he only laid there without sleeping, staring at the person in his arms for dozens of minutes, after a few days, perhaps having gotten used to it, his body calmed down and Qin Zhi began to truly feel sleepy, unknowingly falling asleep while holding the other person.

The feeling of an afternoon nap was even better than he imagined. Not only did he feel more clear-headed when working in the afternoon, but the act of holding Su Duan while sleeping was enough for him to spend the remaining majority of the day in a good mood.

Half a month passed like this. Although there was no particularly great tension, at least Su Duan could now sleep completely unimpeded while nestled against him. Qin Zhi was still quite satisfied with this progress.

After all, for this kind of slow-witted prey, it was best to use the tactic of boiling a frog in warm water.

That day, Qin Zhi waited as usual until the breathing of the person in his arms became steady. Estimating that he had fallen sound asleep, Qin Zhi gently kissed Su Duan's hair a few times, taking his daily dose, then closed his eyes and fell asleep as well.

But what he didn't know was that just a few minutes after he fell asleep, the person in his arms opened his jet-black eyes.

With his head against Qin Zhi's chest, Su Duan blinked, not daring to move at all for fear of waking the other person.

Last night he had gone to bed a bit early at the Su residence, so today his drowsiness during the afternoon nap wasn't as heavy. When Qin Zhi kissed him, he vaguely sensed it a little and completely woke up.

Su Duan pursed his lips, feeling uncomfortable all over. After being dazed for a moment, he immediately wanted to crawl out of the arms of Assistant Qin who had done strange things to him. But his instincts told him that if Qin Zhi discovered he was awake, things might develop in an even stranger direction, so he restrained himself from moving.

Once Qin Zhi fell asleep, he definitely couldn't move then.

After spacing out on his own for a while, Su Duan managed to drag his dazed thoughts back and asked the system in his mind: \"System, did Qin Zhi just...kiss me?\"

The system replied: \"Detected that three minutes ago, the treatment target's lips made contact with the host's head five times, lasting 5 seconds, 7 seconds, 12 seconds, 8 seconds, and 6 seconds respectively. That's right, the treatment target just kissed the host five times!\"

Five times...there were actually this many!

Su Duan lay curled up in Qin Zhi's arms, his eyes wide and round, almost unable to restrain the urge to move.

He felt his heartbeat uncontrollably speeding up, like a pounding drum, making him dizzy with each beat.

After being dazed for half a minute, Su Duan quietly asked the system in his mind: \"By kissing me, does he want to...become partners with me?\"

Even if he felt slow in some aspects, he knew that in human behavioral norms, the meaning of a kiss was very unique. Only when one developed the desire to have a partner relationship with another person - whether short-term or long-term - would they kiss like this.

As a spiritual herb that couldn't take human form, Su Duan had never seen plants on Earth in the same situation as himself. Even making friends was very difficult, let alone having a partner more intimate than a friend.

Therefore, he was a spirit herb that had been single for several thousand years.

The system said: \"The system has comprehensively analyzed the treatment target's behavior patterns for the host. Congratulations host, your guess is correct!\"

Su Duan: \"...\" What's there to congratulate about this.

Su Duan composed himself and continued asking the system: \"Can you analyze when Qin Zhi started having this idea?\"

The system said: \"Okay, okay, please wait a moment host. Because there is too much data to analyze, please be patient and wait one to two minutes.\"

Su Duan said: \"Alright.\"

Two minutes later, the system reported its analysis results to Su Duan: \"Reporting to the host, the system has conducted five analyses of the treatment target's behavior since the start of the mission, combining multiple real-world cases from human society. The final conclusion is that there is an 83% probability the treatment target developed feelings of a 'secret crush' for the host within ten days of the mission starting two and a half years ago.\"

Su Duan: \"...?\"

\"Of course, because human emotions are very complex, conclusions derived from data analysis cannot guarantee absolute accuracy, so please use your own discretion host, and appropriately refer to your own intuition.\" The system added.

The very unintuitive Su Duan: \"...??\"

Perhaps sensing Su Duan's inner confusion, the system considerately asked: \"Does the host have any other questions?\"

Su Duan collected himself and said: \"Um...no more, you can go rest, thank you.\" In any case, asking the system wouldn't yield much...

The system: \"You're welcome! The host can summon the system anytime with any questions~\"

Su Duan: \"Okay.\"

After ending the chat with the system, Su Duan began arduously sorting through his memories.

Within ten days of the mission starting was when Qin Zhi was still a servant at the Su residence. Su Duan carefully recalled his memories from that time and found - he still couldn't see at all that Qin Zhi wanted to be partners with him.

Su Duan thought until his mind could barely turn anymore, but still couldn't figure out just what kind of mental journey Qin Zhi had gone through to come to like someone he should have originally greatly disliked.

Was it because he didn't harm Qin Zhi like in the original plot and helped him a little bit? But come to think of it, his older brother seemed to have helped Qin Zhi even more, so why didn't Qin Zhi go and like his older brother?

Su Duan: \"...\" No good, his head was spinning, he even felt so dizzy he was about to faint.

Just then, Qin Zhi's body suddenly moved and the hand around Su Duan's back also shifted position, moving to his waist.

Su Duan thought he had accidentally made some movement that woke Qin Zhi up. Frightened, he hurriedly closed his eyes and played dead. But after that movement, Qin Zhi didn't stir at all, seeming to just be unconsciously shifting in his sleep.

Only after cautiously confirming with the system that Qin Zhi was still sound asleep did Su Duan dare to open his eyes again.

Because of the earlier movement, a lock of Qin Zhi's black hair brushed against his face, tickling his cheek.

It just so happened that Su Duan's hands were curled up and resting against his chest. Feeling it was unbearably itchy, he timidly moved his hand up, brushed away that lock of hair, and scratched his cheek.

His cheeks seemed to be a bit flushed, Su Duan thought, but now his whole body was very hot. Qin Zhi's body temperature was too high, like a moving furnace, completely different from himself who often had cold hands and feet. In the past half month of taking afternoon naps together with Qin Zhi, every time he woke up, his body was warm and cozy.

Su Duan wanted to withdraw his hand, but just as he took a breath, his movement paused in confusion.

Because he wanted to lift his hand without disturbing Qin Zhi, he slightly retracted his upper body a little bit, causing his lower body to arch forward due to the reaction force, sticking even closer to Qin Zhi.

As a result, he suddenly felt something pressing against him.

— What was that?

Not sure what the situation was, Su Duan once again sought help from the system.

The system said: \"Host, that is the treatment target's [beep—], which is in an excited state, preliminarily speculated to be due to external stimulation.\"

So that's what it was—

Compared to the long thousands of years he had lived as a plant, the two and a half years he had been a human were really too short, so he didn't immediately realize where the human reproductive organ was located.

Su Duan was in a daze for a full half minute before he asked with difficulty, \"Does he... does he want to pollinate with me?\"

System: \"...\"

\"The host can also think of it that way, but that kind of behavior between humans is generally not called pollination.\" After an eerie silence for two seconds, the system gave Su Duan an affirmative answer.

Su Duan suddenly panicked.

Qin Zhi wanted to pollinate with him, but he had grown up to this age — and had never bloomed before!

Author's note:

Su Zheng: ??? Why bloom??? (Soulful questioning.jpg)

Su Duan: QVQ Eh? Eh? Eh?

#Today's big brother also has no scenes and is very angry#

","published_time":"2024-10-16T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-09-25T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-10-16T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":1028,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":27,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 27","content":"

To be honest, Su Duan wasn't sure if he actually had flowers or not.

The Poria actually belongs to the fungi kingdom and doesn't have flowers. Not only does it lack flowers, it doesn't even have leaves. It looks like a bare black potato, and when split open, the inside is filled with white mycelium.

When Su Duan gained consciousness, he found several slender leaves on top of his head. Other than that, every part of him looked exactly the same as an ordinary poria - the outer skin was the same black, the inside was the same white, and the living environment matched the habits of poria.

Most plants that gain consciousness have their own extraordinary characteristics. After comparing himself to all the plants closely related to poria and finding that the shape of his leaves was more or less a bit different from all of them, Su Duan stopped worrying about the question of his species.

He was probably just a mutated poria, which was why he was fortunate enough to gain consciousness under the favor of the Heavenly Dao.

Su Duan didn't have a strong desire to investigate. He had no trouble accepting that he looked a bit different from others of his kind. The only thing that troubled him a little was that even after several thousand years, he had never grown a single flower bud.

Logically speaking, since he had leaves, flowering should have been a matter of course. Even if Su Duan didn't intend to pollinate with other plants, seeing other leafy plants blooming one after another, unfurling gorgeous or ordinary petals, while he alone didn't show any signs at all, he couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong with him.

But there was no use in being anxious about this kind of thing. Su Duan waited and waited, until he fell into slumber along with the earth, and there was still no sign of flower buds forming.

If he couldn't even bloom, how could he pollinate?

Su Duan secretly thought that if Qin Zhi found out that he couldn't even bloom, he probably wouldn't want to be his partner anymore.

He was so focused and engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice that Qin Zhi, who was holding him, had slowly opened his eyes.

\"Duan Duan... are you awake?\"

Only when he heard a hoarse call from above his head did Su Duan subconsciously raise his head and meet Qin Zhi's gaze.

Qin Zhi lowered his eyes and stared straight at him. His gaze was unusually dark, surging with something that made Su Duan afraid to approach.

Su Duan stared blankly at Qin Zhi, not answering his question, like a chipmunk frozen in place after being frightened by the thing pressing against him, ready to flop over with a push.

Qin Zhi let out a soft sigh, leaned closer to him, and said softly in his ear, \"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?\"

Although he spoke words of apology, his hoarse voice revealing desire and his arms tightening around him showed no signs of repentance at all.

Su Duan felt his face grow even hotter. Not only his face, but his whole body started to heat up from Qin Zhi's words. He pursed his lips and reached out to push against Qin Zhi's muscular shoulders.

As a result, not only did he fail to push him away, but Qin Zhi grabbed his wrist with his other hand, gently but firmly holding it and not letting go.

Su Duan, like a fish pressed on a chopping board, pleaded in a small voice to the chef wielding the tools, about to scale him to make fish soup, \"Let go of me, you're so hot, I don't feel well.\"

He was so hot, he must have caught it from Qin Zhi. Now his head was starting to feel dizzy again, the speed of spinning was getting slower and slower, and it looked like it was about to stop spinning.

This time, Qin Zhi seemed like a different person. He was not at all considerate like before, refuting Su Duan for the first time, \"Duan Duan's body is even hotter than mine, how can you blame me for making you uncomfortable?\"

Su Duan: \"...\" Is that so?

Seeing him looking like this, clearly aware of the danger but still acting foolishly, Qin Zhi found it a bit funny and distressing, but more than that, an uncontrollable desire to make this person his own rose from the depths of his heart.

Actually, he wasn't completely talking nonsense. Su Duan's body was indeed terribly hot. Even if it was contaminated by his body heat, it shouldn't be hot to this extent.

Suddenly thinking of a certain possibility, Qin Zhi's eyes darkened and he reached his hand down to explore.

Su Duan: !!!

...Huh?

He bloomed?!

No, humans don't seem to call this blooming... but for him, it's the same thing.

Su Duan was immersed in the novelty of blooming for the first time and secretly asked the system in his heart, \"System, system, since I can bloom now when I'm human, will I be able to bloom after I transform?\"

The system said, \"This system is not sure either. The system is only an auxiliary system with limited authority. Sorry, host QAQ.\"

Su Duan said, \"It's okay, I'm just, um, too surprised.\"

Su Duan excitedly communicated with the system in his mind for a few sentences. In Qin Zhi's eyes, he looked completely shocked silly.

-- He had only lightly touched him.

Seeing that Su Duan remained motionless for a long time, Qin Zhi felt a bit regretful that he shouldn't have teased him like that. Obviously, he could have just brushed off the abnormality on his body with some excuse like a natural reaction. With Su Duan's simple appearance, he probably would have believed whatever he said.

How could he lose control for a moment and lay hands on him?

And deliberately touching that kind of place, now even if Su Duan was stupid, he should be able to tell that his intentions were impure.

Qin Zhi thought that it was probably because it was really too hot. He woke up from a feverish dream, and then was stimulated by the prey in his arms that looked very squeezable. He couldn't hold back for a moment, bared his fangs at the prey, and then opened his mouth -- and tasted a bit.

As a result, he tasted trouble.

\"Duan Duan.\" Qin Zhi retracted the overly exposed emotions in his eyes and loosened his arms that were locking the person in place, trying to make amends, \"I'm sorry, did I scare you?\"

Only then did Su Duan come back to his senses. His jet-black eyes turned half a circle, shining as if there were little stars in them.

Qin Zhi: \"...\" Looking like this, it didn't seem like he was scared.

Realizing that there weren't many negative emotions in Su Duan's gaze, Qin Zhi's breathing suddenly quickened.

He suddenly realized that if Su Duan reacted to him, did that mean he wasn't completely uninterested in him--

The courage that had just shrunk a little suddenly swelled back, and in just a few seconds, it expanded who knows how many times.

He tightened his arms that had loosened a bit, leaned down, and pressed against those pale lips.

Su Duan's eyes widened, and he heard an abrupt mechanical sound in his mind:

[Ding, the healing value for the healing target Qin Zhi has increased by 1 point. Currently, the total healing value for the target is 91. Host, please keep up the good work!]

Author's note:

Su Duan: Unexpected fortune (⊙v⊙)?

Qin Zhi: I'll give you a bit more if you actively kiss me (·ω·)

Su Zheng: ......Breathing rate gradually disappearing.jpg

","published_time":"2024-10-23T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-10-02T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-10-23T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":1045,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":28,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 28","content":"

The healing value increased?

Since the last time Qin Zhi took down the Qin family, and the healing value increased by another five points to ninety, Su Duan hadn't seen it move again.

Although the system comforted him that a healing value of ninety was not low, and Qin Zhi's fate line was also very complete, even if the last ten points really couldn't be increased, he could still get a good rating.

When mentioning the final rating, Su Duan suddenly thought of a question: \"System, when does the task end?\"

Since the task can be rated even if the healing value doesn't reach full, what is the standard for the end of the task?

Realizing that the system had never mentioned this issue, Su Duan couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.

The system said: \"The essence of the system is to assist the host in passing the Heavenly Dao's exam, and to provide the host with auxiliary information and tools - if the host has enough experience points, that is. It doesn't have the right to decide the end point of the task and the final rating. The rating given by the system is actually a value obtained through technical transcoding after being evaluated by the Heavenly Dao, so sorry host, the system is not sure either QAQ.\"

Su Duan: \"...\" Hearing the system put the Heavenly Dao and technical transcoding, two completely unrelated words, together, he still felt it was a bit strange.

Su Duan pursed his lips and said, \"It's okay. I have another question.\"

The system's electronic voice rose a little: \"Host, please please please please say it!\"

Su Duan: \"Then after completing the task, will I leave this world?\"

System: \"...\"

The system was silent for a few seconds, and the electronic voice lowered again: \"...When the Heavenly Dao feels that the host should leave, the host will detach from the world, so for this question, the system can't be sure either, sorry sorry sorry sorry.\"

Su Duan also fell silent for a few seconds, then said to the system, \"It's okay, you've already helped me a lot, thank you.\"

System: \"Host wuwuwuwu--\"

Su Duan: \"...\" To be honest, the system crying with a mechanical electronic voice felt very unnatural and ear-piercing, but seeing it sounding so sad, Su Duan couldn't bear to interrupt, and could only endure it silently.

What he said was not just being polite to the system. Since ancient times, the Heavenly Dao's trials have been very harsh, especially since he had already failed to take form once, the difficulty of attempting to take form again would increase exponentially. Other spiritual beings could only fight alone when taking form, so the system being able to provide him with world information was already a huge help.

Just as the system said, it was only an auxiliary system, and Su Duan still had to walk the real path himself.

Wait, something seems a bit off--

When did he fail to take form?

After that thought naturally popped up in his mind, the spiritual herb Su Duan was stunned.

He knew that he seemed to have lost some memories after waking up, but overall it didn't seem to be a problem. Plus, he was busy with the task, so he only thought that he was injured during the process of falling asleep with the Earth, and didn't think too much about it.

But now it seems that his memory has quite a big problem--

He actually has no impression at all of such an important matter as failing to take form?

He tried to search for related memories in his mind, but some areas that stored memories were clear while others were blurry and mottled. After flipping through several times, he still couldn't find any clues.

It was as if the matter of 'failing to take form' was just an illusion he had imagined out of thin air.

But Su Duan had an indescribable intuition in his heart that it was not his illusion, otherwise it would not have integrated into his thoughts so naturally.

......

Su Duan recalled his conversation with the system a while ago and the abnormalities with his body, and spaced out a little.

-- Then he felt his lips being held by someone's teeth and gently rubbed.

Stimulated by the indescribable strange sensation, Su Duan blinked, and light appeared in his dazed dark eyes, regaining their luster.

He turned his eyes and met Qin Zhi's half-closed eyes.

Looking closely, he found that Qin Zhi's eyelashes were actually thin and long. When he looked at people with slightly lowered eyes, his eyelashes fell, concealing his overly deep dark eyes, making him look much gentler than usual.

Su Duan couldn't compliment people, he just felt that Qin Zhi looked even better now than usual. He looked into Qin Zhi's eyes, seeming to be attracted by the light in his eyes. His cheeks felt even hotter, so he hurriedly averted his gaze.

He had bloomed...

Although he had just realized this, Su Duan still felt it was very novel. This kind of thing was too unfamiliar to him. In the past few thousand years, he had always watched the plants around him bloom, and had never experienced it himself.

Originally, he had no hopes for this, but just like the ancient poem said, \"The village appears again after the willows darken and flowers brighten\", surprises always appear unexpectedly before him.

Although he couldn't be sure that his original body could also bloom in the future, being able to experience it once was already a very memorable experience.

The system quietly reminded him: \"'The village appears again after the willows darken and flowers brighten' is not used like this, host.\"

Su Duan said, \"It's okay, I'm just very happy.\"

He really wanted to reach out and touch his flower, but Qin Zhi held him very tightly, with almost no gap between the two of them. His arms could only swing a little, and couldn't reach down at all.

Su Duan thought, he hoped his flower could bloom for a while longer. After Qin Zhi let go of him later, he could go and touch it.

Qin Zhi seemed to feel that he was spacing out again, and bit him again. This time it was a bit heavier than last time. Su Duan was a little afraid that Qin Zhi would bite him badly like this, plus he was indeed a little dizzy from the heat, so he couldn't help but lean his head back.

Qin Zhi felt his struggling strength and loosened his arms a little. He chased up and took another bite before reluctantly letting him go.

After being released, Su Duan panted lightly. Although Qin Zhi only blocked his mouth and didn't block his nose for breathing, his heartbeat was too fast just now, and it was a bit hard to keep up with just breathing through his nose.

Qin Zhi looked at Su Duan, whose cheeks were flushed with a light red, his dark eyes were as moist as if they had been soaked in water, revealing a light pink tongue tip panting lightly. Unable to restrain the desire to get close in his heart, he lowered his head slightly again and rubbed Su Duan's smooth forehead with his own forehead a couple of times, the tip of his nose also bumping against his, their hot breaths intertwining.

Qin Zhi greedily absorbed Su Duan's breathless scent, feeling that the aura from the young master's body was even more addictive than the nicotine in tobacco.

Then, he was pushed back by Su Duan's finally freed hand pressing against his cheek.

Su Duan said with difficulty, \"Move away a bit, I can't breathe.\"

Qin Zhi chuckled and obediently withdrew his head.

He was observing his young master.

After being kissed by him, although Su Duan's attitude was a bit evasive, there was no disgust in his eyes, but rather a bit of shyness and indescribable excitement. Moreover, the body's reaction was the most honest - just now, Su Duan's body had become even hotter.

Loosely holding the person in his arms, after waiting for him to breathe more steadily, Qin Zhi looked at him seriously and slowly said, \"I like Duan Duan.\"

Being stared at by Qin Zhi with eyes that seemed like he was about to continue devouring him, Su Duan nervously swallowed and his mind suddenly became a tangled mess, still dazed, not knowing how to answer.

Fortunately, Qin Zhi didn't need him to answer and quickly followed up with a question.

But this question stumped Su Duan.

Qin Zhi brought his face close to his, stopping inches away, and said in a hoarse voice, \"Duan Duan doesn't dislike me kissing you, does that mean you also like me?\"

Su Duan's mind stalled for a moment, then started working arduously.

He liked...Qin Zhi?

Oh right, he was just thinking about it and almost forgot again.

Humans are different from plants. As long as the environment is suitable, plants will bloom when it's their flowering season, and only then will they start considering finding a mate. But for humans, it's when they have someone they want to pursue that they will \"bloom\".

Although his soul is a plant, his body is human, so...it's because of Qin Zhi that he bloomed?

Su Duan: \"...\"

Realizing this point, he felt his mind wasn't good enough again. He obviously didn't have his heart race or want to pollinate with Qin Zhi when looking at him usually like the information the system found said, so how did he come to like him?

The system suddenly spoke up, quietly reminding him, \"Host, this is the mission world, the host is only here to complete the mission.\"

Su Duan blanked for a moment before saying to the system, \"...I know.\"

After completing the mission, he might leave. Although the time is uncertain, if he establishes a partner relationship with Qin Zhi, the separation will become a very sad thing.

In his long life, Su Duan had seen too many partings in life and death. Some people developed inner demons due to their partner's departure and spent the rest of their lives as if they were walking corpses. At that time, he couldn't understand this intense emotion, but at this moment, he seemed to suddenly experience a little bit of it.

Su Duan wanted to tell Qin Zhi that he didn't like him, but looking at Qin Zhi's dark eyes that seemed to be filled with starlight, he suddenly found it a bit difficult to open his mouth.

Seeing his dazed appearance, Qin Zhi pressed his forehead against his again, \"Duan Duan, will you agree to be with me?\"

Su Duan thought for a long time before blinking with difficulty and answering in a small voice, \"...I can't promise you.\"

Qin Zhi seemed to not have expected this answer. As if splashed with a basin of cold water, the smile on his face instantly froze and gloom covered his brows and eyes.

However, he quickly noticed that Su Duan said he \"can't\" promise him, not reasons like \"don't like\".

Not being able to be together could be because of not liking, or it could be due to some external factors.

Although he was eager to take the person back to his den and make him his own, he wasn't blindly optimistic and still had basic judgment. Su Duan's closeness to him clearly showed no rejection, so he could be sure that Su Duan had at least some feelings for him.

Then it was external factors -

Could it be that Su Zheng didn't agree?

He remembered deeply that Su Zheng had started to strictly guard against him two and a half years ago. Accepting his help this time was also because there was no other choice, but Su Zheng definitely wanted him to stay as far away from Su Duan as possible.

And Su Duan listened to Su Zheng very much. Perhaps it was precisely because Su Zheng had told Su Duan something that he would reject him.

Thinking of this possibility, the gloom between Qin Zhi's brows and eyes dissipated a little, and he said in a low voice, \"It's okay, I will wait for you.\"

Su Duan wanted to say not to wait for him, that he wasn't from this world at all, but the rules stated that he couldn't break character. In the end, he just pursed his lips and didn't look into Qin Zhi's eyes.

Knowing that he couldn't push the person too hard, Qin Zhi leaned over to kiss his forehead and got up from the sofa. \"I'm going to work, Duan Duan sleep a bit more.\"

Feeling that Qin Zhi was a bit dangerous right now, Su Duan couldn't help but wrap himself up in the blanket and secretly stared at Qin Zhi's back. Seeing that Qin Zhi had already lowered his head and started handling documents, he retracted his gaze.

After spacing out for a while, Su Duan suddenly realized that he was too focused on Qin Zhi's matter and almost forgot to touch his flower.

Fortunately, his flower was still blooming - although not as obvious as before, it was barely there.

So Su Duan moved his arms under the blanket.

However, the summer blanket was too thin and light, and his every move under the blanket could actually be seen clearly.

Glancing up and seeing his movements, Qin Zhi's breath hitched, \"...Duan Duan, what are you doing?\"

Su Duan's movements stopped and he blinked.

In the plant world, everyone's flowers are exposed outside. As long as the pistil isn't touched, it's very common for flowers to be brushed by the leaves of other plants when the wind blows, so Su Duan actually didn't have any sense of shame about this...

Being looked at by Qin Zhi like this, Su Duan only then remembered that human living habits are different from plants. He shouldn't touch his flower in front of others, and suddenly became a bit stuttered, \"I...I'm just touching...\"

\"...I won't touch anymore.\" Su Duan's voice grew smaller and smaller, very embarrassedly withdrawing his hand.

Qin Zhi: \"...\"

......

Although Su Duan didn't agree, Qin Zhi was well-versed in the principle of boiling a frog in warm water, stealing kisses from time to time. Su Duan was also very obedient. Although he verbally refused, he never made any noise. At most, he would softly say to stop kissing him if kissed for too long.

So none of Su Zheng's trusted subordinates left at Su Group discovered that he had already nibbled on the person who knows how many times.

Qin Zhi sensed Su Duan's subconscious closeness to him and became a bit more confident in his guess.

Just like that, a month passed. Qin Zhi successfully became even closer with Su Duan. And under his efforts, Su Zheng would also be released from prison very soon.

Author's note:

Su Duan: Pondering about life......

Qin Zhi: Hugging the cabbage and not letting go! Mine!

Su Zheng: Oh ho! Bring me my butcher knife! Domineering CEO stare.jpg

","published_time":"2024-10-30T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-10-09T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-10-30T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":1062,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":29,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 29","content":"

On the day Su Zheng was released from prison, Qin Zhi and Su Duan went to pick him up together.

Su Duan was clearly very excited, sitting in the car and smiling the whole way with his eyes narrowed. He usually smiles too, but most of the time it's just a slight curve at the corner of his eyes, with pursed lips and a very faint smile, appearing quite reserved. It's rare for him to show his emotions so openly like this, with his eyes curved into little crescents, speckled with faint, twinkling starlight.

To be honest, Qin Zhi was a bit jealous of how much Su Duan cared about Su Zheng. But after all, the two of them were blood-related brothers who had been together since childhood, so their relationship was definitely closer than his as a latecomer. This was all human nature.

— That said, due to his growing desire for exclusivity, Qin Zhi still felt a sourness welling up from the bottom of his heart.

Qin Zhi couldn't help but reach out and touch Su Duan's cheek, making him focus his attention on himself.

Sure enough, Su Duan obediently raised his head and looked at him with questioning eyes that still held a trace of a smile, as if asking what was the matter.

Qin Zhi leaned in close, bent down, wrapped his arm around Su Duan's back, encircling him in his embrace, then opened his mouth and enveloped Su Duan's soft, tender lips.

The person being kissed looked at him with wide eyes. At such a close distance, Qin Zhi could clearly see his own reflection in those black pupils.

Su Duan seemed to not know the unspoken rule of closing one's eyes when kissing. Every time, he would stare at Qin Zhi with a pair of round, bright eyes. Perhaps because his gaze was too pure and transparent, Qin Zhi always felt an indescribable sense of guilt when making eye contact with him.

Although Su Duan was already an adult, his innocence in matters of the heart always made Qin Zhi feel a bit guilty, as if he had lured an ignorant little prey who knew nothing. Especially when they were about to meet this little prey's family, this guilty feeling became even more apparent.

— Of course, guilt was guilt, but he never regretted opening his mouth to this little prey, and was very determined to take him back to his den.

After staring at Su Duan for a few seconds, he loosened his mouth slightly and pulled back a little, hoarsely instructing: \"Duan Duan, be good and close your eyes.\"

Su Duan blinked, and before he could say \"oh\", Qin Zhi had already kissed him again. He hesitated for a few seconds, saw that Qin Zhi had already closed his eyes, his long black lashes trembling slightly in front of him like two little brushes, and obediently closed his eyes too.

At first, Su Duan just raised his head and let Qin Zhi kiss him. Even when his tongue was caught, he only moved uneasily. But when Qin Zhi bit his mouth, he warily opened his eyes and put both hands on Qin Zhi's face.

It was said to be a slap, but Su Duan didn't use any force at all. Qin Zhi felt the soft palms pressed against his cheeks, and his heart actually fluttered.

Although he really wanted to enjoy the feeling of the little prey pressing his face for a while longer, Su Duan obviously had something he wanted to say. Qin Zhi still cooperatively opened his eyes, let go of him, and asked in a low voice, \"What's wrong?\"

Su Duan frowned, seeming a bit troubled as he said to him, \"Don't bite me.\"

Su Zheng didn't allow him to play with Qin Zhi. He had promised his brother at the time. If Qin Zhi left marks on his lips from biting, his brother would definitely notice when he saw it later and realize that he had lied.

Su Duan, who was very inexperienced in the business of lying, was deeply worried about this.

Qin Zhi reached out and rubbed the place he had nibbled with his thumb, smiling slightly, \"Okay.\"

He also didn't want to overstimulate Su Zheng too much on their first meeting, so when he nibbled, he held back and made sure not to leave any ambiguous marks.

But it seemed that in terms of worrying about being discovered by Su Zheng, Su Duan seemed to be even more sensitive than him.

It really was because Su Zheng disagreed... Qin Zhi once again affirmed the guess in his mind. At this moment, he realized that he and Su Duan were on the same side, and Su Zheng, who stood between them, was the only enemy that needed to be defeated.

Although getting past Su Zheng was still imaginably tricky, the feeling of being on the same page as the person he liked still made Qin Zhi very happy.

But seeing Su Duan looking so worried, he didn't point it out either, only lowered his head to give Su Duan another kiss on the cheek before letting go of him.

Su Duan took his hands off Qin Zhi's cheeks and wanted to wipe the saliva off his own face, but halfway through he realized he couldn't use his hands to wipe, so he lowered his head and started looking for tissues.

Qin Zhi handed a newly opened pack of tissues in front of him at just the right time. Su Duan glanced at him, took it, pulled out a sheet, and carefully wiped his cheek twice, then wiped his mouth as well.

Handing back the remaining tissues, Su Duan asked him, \"Do you want to wipe too?\" Having someone else's saliva on his mouth felt strange.

Qin Zhi took the tissues and smiled very gently, \"No need, I already licked it clean.\"

Su Duan: \"...\"

The driver was Qin Zhi's person and seemed to not hear the movements in the back seat at all. He looked at the road ahead with a serious expression the whole time, and the car drove steadily on the road, quickly arriving at the entrance of the prison where Su Zheng was serving his sentence.

His people were already inside handling the procedures. Qin Zhi made a phone call, and the other side said that in less than half an hour, they would be able to see Su Zheng.

Qin Zhi originally wanted Su Duan to wait in the car. It was currently the transition period between summer and autumn, with the weather fluctuating between cold and hot unpredictably. Perhaps as summer's last hurrah, today's sunlight was unusually intense, as if it would melt pedestrians, roasting them. Su Duan had a weak body and couldn't stand the cold or the heat. Qin Zhi was worried that he would feel uncomfortable from the sun.

But Su Duan was unwilling and said softly that he wanted to wait for Su Zheng outside. Qin Zhi thought for a moment, then held up a sun umbrella and stood with him in the shadows of a building, using his body to block the direction of the sunlight.

It was indeed very hot outside, especially since Qin Zhi was wearing a black suit, which was simply a mobile heat absorber.

Su Duan gradually felt the heat emanating from Qin Zhi's body and said to him a bit uneasily, \"Qin Zhi, go back to the car. I'll hold the umbrella myself.\" As he spoke, he reached out to grab the umbrella handle in Qin Zhi's hand.

Qin Zhi used his other free hand to hold Su Duan's outstretched hand and said in a low voice, \"It's fine, I'm not afraid of the heat.\" He wasn't the type to fear heat and rarely even sweated. Besides, he had experienced much worse hardships in the past when looking for part-time jobs in the middle of summer. It was just a bit hot, and he really didn't feel that uncomfortable.

He was a bit more worried about Su Duan.

Looking at the tiny beads of sweat on Su Duan's forehead, Qin Zhi asked him, \"Are you feeling dizzy?\"

Su Duan shook his head and said, \"No, I'm not dizzy.\" After such a long period of recuperation, his body was actually not that weak anymore. Although he still suffered from minor illnesses, he was no longer a fragile glass doll that couldn't withstand the slightest cold or heat.

Qin Zhi released his hand and instructed, \"There are tissues in my right pants pocket. Take them out yourself and wipe your sweat.\"

Su Duan said okay, lowered his head to lift the corner of Qin Zhi's suit, and reached into the pants pocket.

Qin Zhi narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth curving into an inconspicuous arc. One reason for letting Su Duan get the tissues himself was that Qin Zhi's right hand was holding the umbrella, making it inconvenient to reach. But there was also a bit of ulterior motive, wanting Su Duan to take the initiative to touch him.

Suddenly, Qin Zhi's gaze shifted and he noticed a figure. His eyes slightly narrowed as he lowered his head and called out, \"Duan Duan, your brother is here.\"

Su Duan's head shot up like a spring, forgetting about the tissues. He stared blankly at Su Zheng, and after realizing it, he immediately started running towards him.

Qin Zhi: \"...\"

Although he had anticipated that Su Duan would be very excited, seeing his little prey's back as he ran away without looking back, Qin Zhi still felt his vision go black.

...This heartless little thing, just a moment ago they were kissing in the car, and now he ran off on his long legs without even saying goodbye.

Su Duan ran to Su Zheng and looked up at him as they spoke. Su Zheng's face broke into a smile, and he reached out to ruffle Su Duan's hair a couple of times.

Qin Zhi stood in place and closed his eyes for a moment, then squinted as he sized up this future brother-in-law whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

Compared to two and a half years ago when they met at the Su residence, Su Zheng had lost some weight, his facial features appearing more sharp. Perhaps due to spending over half a year in prison, his sharpness had been somewhat dulled, and his temperament had taken on a hint of gloominess. He looked quite different from the impression of that President Su who was full of sharpness.

— In short, he looked like he had become more difficult to deal with.

While Qin Zhi was observing Su Zheng, Su Zheng was also observing him.

Although he had anticipated that Qin Zhi's changes would be very significant, when he saw the figure holding an umbrella for his younger brother, Su Zheng couldn't help but be startled.

Qin Zhi's transformation was earth-shattering. Two and a half years ago, although Su Zheng realized that Qin Zhi was a talent worth cultivating, he never imagined that he could undergo such a thorough metamorphosis in such a short time.

The adult man in the cold, hard black suit held the umbrella casually, his physique clearly the result of precise training, well-proportioned without losing explosive power. He wore a million-dollar luxury watch on his wrist, and every piece of his outfit was top-notch haute couture.

But more important than these external trappings was the aura Qin Zhi exuded. Under the umbrella, the man's eyes were calm and indifferent, his demeanor restrained. In terms of sharpness, he actually didn't match up to Su Zheng's past self, but if one observed carefully, they would discover that his eyes actually concealed a hidden edge, and who knew what unspeakable schemes he was plotting.

The current Qin Zhi had undergone a complete rebirth, with only his facial features vaguely resembling the traces of that naive young man fresh out of university.

There's a saying that a dog that bites doesn't bark, Su Zheng thought.

— In summary, this person who wanted to fight him for his younger brother looked even more threatening than he had anticipated.

After making eye contact with Qin Zhi for a few seconds, Su Zheng lowered his head as if nothing had happened and gently asked his precious younger brother, \"Duan Duan.\"

Su Duan's eyes curved into crescents. \"Hmm?\"

Su Zheng smiled and said, \"Tell your brother, what were you and Mr. Qin doing just now?\"

How did you end up... reaching out to touch someone's thigh?

Author's note:

Su Duan: Forget it, let's be happy for a while first (p≧w≦q)

Qin Zhi: ......falls into deep thought while looking at the suddenly running away cabbage -person-

Su Zheng: Alright alright alright, it's this pig, right!

","published_time":"2024-11-06T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-10-16T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-11-06T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":1079,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":30,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 30","content":"

Mr. Qin?

Oh, Qin Zhi.

He touched Qin Zhi's thigh? He himself didn't even know?

Moreover, even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare touch Qin Zhi's thigh in front of Su Zheng... Su Duan thought in a fluster.

Su Duan was dazed for a moment, before slowly recalling that he had just reached into Qin Zhi's pants pocket to take out a tissue, but before he could pull it out, he saw Su Zheng, and then ran over here.

Thinking of this, Su Duan suddenly realized that he seemed to have run to his brother without saying a word to Qin Zhi, leaving him alone there, and couldn't help feeling a little guilty.

Qin Zhi had endured the heat to hold an umbrella for him for half an hour, and he had left Qin Zhi there without a word. Qin Zhi would definitely be unhappy.

It was all because he got too excited and was so rude.

Su Duan wanted to steal a glance at Qin Zhi's reaction from the corner of his eye, but he happened to have his back to Qin Zhi, so he couldn't see without turning his head. He had a feeling that if he turned to look at Qin Zhi now, the atmosphere would definitely become even more awkward, so after hesitating for a moment, Su Duan gave up.

Su Duan blinked and explained to Su Zheng in a low voice, \"I wanted to take a tissue from his pocket to wipe my sweat, but brother came out, so I didn't take it out.\"

Take a tissue?

Hehe, Su Zheng sneered coldly in his heart. Does Qin Zhi not have hands, that he has to let his younger brother take it? They are all adults now, does he really think he doesn't understand what scheme this is?

Although he had been too busy with work to have a proper relationship, mixing in the complex business circles, it was quite common for bosses to keep young celebrities and such. Having seen it many times, Su Zheng was naturally no stranger to certain greasy routines.

Taking a tissue! He could break Qin Zhi's third leg!

Looking at his younger brother's pure eyes, still unaware of anything, Su Zheng forcibly suppressed the anger surging in his heart and showed a kind smile, \"Oh, so that's how it is. How long has Duan Duan been standing here?\"

Su Duan asked the system and replied, \"About twenty minutes.\"

Su Zheng had just changed into new clothes before leaving the prison and didn't bring any tissues. Seeing the fine beads of sweat on his brother's forehead, he simply reached out and gently wiped them away with his sleeve, scolding him in a low voice, \"How can you wait outside in such hot weather? What if you get sick?\"

Su Duan had his eyes half-closed as he was wiped, and said softly, \"I only waited for a little while.\"

Why did both brother and Qin Zhi think he would get sick so easily? Although his constitution was a bit weak, it was already autumn now, he wouldn't faint just from standing outside for a bit... right?

Su Zheng said, \"Even so, you can't.\" Then he let go of his cleaned-up brother.

Su Duan could only obediently say, \"Oh.\"

After wiping Su Duan's sweat, Su Zheng rolled up his sweat-stained cuffs so the sweat wouldn't rub off on Su Duan, and only then did he take his hand and say, \"Don't stand here anymore, it's hot. Come with your brother to say a few words to Mr. Qin.\"

Su Duan nodded. Finally, he could justifiably turn his head to look at Qin Zhi.

Qin Zhi was still standing where he was before, holding that deep blue umbrella. The lush tree shadows fell on the umbrella, dyeing it with mottled, swaying traces. His gaze met Qin Zhi's under the umbrella, and Qin Zhi gave him a faint smile.

Qin Zhi wasn't angry with him, but Su Duan felt even more guilty in an instant.

Su Zheng led him and walked to Qin Zhi with an air of ease.

\"Mr. Qin, thank you for your help to the Su family and us brothers during this time.\" Su Zheng said with a modest attitude, showing a faint smile, especially emphasizing the word \"brothers\".

However, Qin Zhi did not respond, only moved the umbrella towards him and said in a low voice, \"It's too hot, Mr. Su, please hold the umbrella for Duan Duan first.\"

Duan Duan?!!!

Since when could Qin Zhi call him by such an intimate name?!

Su Zheng only felt a surge of black mist before his eyes, and the Qin Zhi in front of him became ugly and obscene, making him really want to bring down a hammer and be done with it once and for all!

But Qin Zhi was right. For the sake of his brother's health, Su Zheng gritted his back molars and still reached out to take the umbrella handle, then steadily covered it over Su Duan's head.

Only then did Qin Zhi withdraw his hand and smile, saying even more modestly than Su Zheng, \"Mr. Su, you don't need to be polite. The Su family helped me greatly back then. It's only right for me to do these things.\"

So, even taking my younger brother is the right thing to do?

Hearing these words that seemed to be hinting at something, Su Zheng almost crushed a mouthful of his teeth in anger. He slowly took a deep breath before maintaining the smile on his face without it shattering into pieces, and said, \"Mr. Qin is really loyal.\"

As for whether he was truly praising Qin Zhi or mocking him, perhaps only the two people conversing knew in their hearts.

Su Duan raised his head and looked at Qin Zhi opposite him, then at his brother beside him.

Although they both had smiles on their faces and the topic of discussion was very normal and harmonious, Su Duan still felt that the atmosphere was a bit indescribably strange, making him not dare to speak. He could only look left and right.

Qin Zhi said even more sincerely than Su Zheng, \"Mr. Su is also a good person.\"

Su Zheng: \"...\"

It seemed that Qin Zhi's skin was much thicker than he had imagined.

Too lazy to waste more words with Qin Zhi, Su Zheng tightened his grip on his brother's hand and said straightforwardly, \"Then Duan Duan and I will go home first. It's busy at home today, so we won't invite Mr. Qin over. We'll visit another day to express our thanks. Goodbye.\"

As Su Zheng spoke, he waved his hand behind him, and a black sedan parked by the roadside drove over, the door slowly opening.

Seeing that the little prey was about to be taken back by the family, Qin Zhi couldn't help but hold his breath.

But it was only natural for the younger brother to go home with the older brother. He had no standing to stop Su Zheng from taking Su Duan back.

So he could only maintain his smile and lower his eyes to look at Su Duan, \"Then goodbye Mr. Su, goodbye Duan Duan.\"

Go home? Goodbye?

Su Duan blinked, not reacting for a moment. By the time Su Zheng had stuffed him into the back passenger seat, he realized that he had left Qin Zhi alone there for the second time today, without even saying a word of farewell.

Su Duan sat blankly in his seat, the joy of seeing his brother diluted a bit, and an indescribable bitterness welled up.

He poked his head out of the car window, wanting to take a look at Qin Zhi, but as soon as he saw a black figure with the corner of his eye, Su Zheng supported his head and gently but firmly pulled him back in.

\"Duan Duan, be good, don't stick your head out, it's too dangerous.\" Su Zheng said as he closed the window on Su Duan's side.

Su Duan stared at him blankly for a long time before softly making an \"en\" sound.

Su Zheng patted his head and said to him, \"Duan Duan rest for a bit first, it will still be some time before we get home.\"

Su Duan nodded, his gaze lowering, and saw the umbrella that Su Zheng had thrown by his feet. With a simple dark blue plaid pattern, it lay there like a half-bloomed flower facing upwards.

Su Duan bent over to pick up the umbrella, carefully tying it up with a cable tie, then put it in the small bag on the front seat.

Seeing his younger brother go to pick up the umbrella, only then did Su Zheng realize his carelessness, he had actually forgotten to return the umbrella to Qin Zhi.

Watching Su Duan's earnest actions, he couldn't help frowning slightly.

......

Since Su Zheng who could take charge had returned, Su Duan no longer had to force himself to go to work at Su Group, and Qin Zhi also no longer had to secretly help Su Duan handle affairs under the identity of an assistant. As long as he handed over all the work at hand to Su Zheng, there was nothing much left to do.

The handover was very troublesome, but it was mainly Qin Zhi and Su Zheng who were busy. Su Duan had not gotten involved in the company's affairs in the first place, so of course there was nothing for him to do now. He just rested at home all day.

After a period of going back and forth between home and the company, suddenly having nothing that required him to do, Su Duan instead felt a bit unaccustomed, especially since he hadn't seen Qin Zhi for several days. He always felt that a part of his heart had collapsed, feeling empty.

Although he had already decided that he could not agree to be Qin Zhi's partner, ever since Qin Zhi kissed him that day, Su Duan could never bring himself to refuse Qin Zhi's intimacy.

He didn't know if his feelings for Qin Zhi were really liking him, because except for that time when Qin Zhi's kiss made him bloom, he seemed to have no intense feelings for Qin Zhi. But as soon as he thought about never being able to see him again, he felt a thudding ache in his chest.

The inexperienced Su Duan couldn't figure it out no matter how much he thought about it, so he asked the system: \"Have I fallen for Qin Zhi?\"

The system replied instantly as always: \"Please wait a moment, let the system collect the host's emotional fluctuation data.\"

Su Duan made an \"en\" sound, a bit apprehensive, unable to say what kind of result he hoped to get.

After a full half minute, the system weakly spoke: \"Sorry, due to rule restrictions, the host's data is all a mosaic in the system's eyes... So the system can't analyze the host's emotional state QAQ\"

Su Duan: \"...It's okay.\"

Although he felt a bit disappointed, thinking about it, it was understandable. The rules the system spoke of were the Heavenly Dao. This was his trial, some things he could only figure out on his own.

Su Duan thought in a daze, could this be the legendary most difficult of the three great tribulations to pass - the love tribulation? It really made the spiritual herb very conflicted, he felt that his few remaining leaves were about to fall off.

Reaching out to touch his hair and confirming they were all still there, only then did Su Duan feel slightly relieved.

\"Young Master, are you feeling unwell somewhere?\" The butler placed a glass of juice in front of Su Duan, worry appearing on his weathered face as he voiced his concerns, \"You seem to have lacked energy these past few days.\"

Su Duan put down the novel he had lost interest in halfway, shaking his head, \"No, it's just... suddenly having free time, I don't know what to do.\"

The butler smiled, the wrinkles on his face becoming more apparent, \"Staying cooped up at home all the time is indeed not good. Young Master has grown up, when it's time to go out, you should still go out.\"

Su Duan nodded in agreement. He hadn't felt it deeply when staying at home before. But in the past month or so of going to Su Group for work every day, although there weren't many things that actually required him to do, just running around a bit every day, he indeed felt much more energetic compared to staying at home.

Su Duan bit the straw and took a sip of the juice in front of him, then said, \"I want to go to the company to see Brother tomorrow.\"

He could pour tea or water for Su Zheng. Anyway, he had done these things for Qin Zhi before and had a little bit of experience, so he shouldn't cause trouble for Su Zheng.

The butler said softly, \"Then Young Master will definitely be very happy.\"

After Father and Mother Su passed away, although Su Zheng didn't say it, he obviously became more concerned about his only relative. Even if Su Duan did nothing, just being by his side would greatly improve Su Zheng's mood.

Su Duan blinked and showed the butler an obedient smile, not daring to say that he had other intentions.

It had only been two days, Qin Zhi shouldn't have finished the handover with his brother so quickly. He wanted to go to the company... to see Qin Zhi.

Su Duan thought for a bit and discussed with the butler, \"Butler Uncle, don't tell Brother. Let's go secretly tomorrow and give him a surprise.\" He was worried that if Su Zheng knew he was going, he would deliberately send Qin Zhi away, then he wouldn't be able to see him again.

Su Duan felt that he had rarely considered things so thoroughly for once, very clever.

The butler paused for a moment, not knowing what he was thinking. He said softly, \"Young Master is thoughtful.\"

Su Duan made two \"en\" sounds, afraid of revealing his guilty conscience, not daring to make eye contact with the butler. He lowered his head and focused on drinking his juice in small sips.

So he didn't see the trace of complexity revealed in the butler's turbid eyes as he looked at the top of his head.

Young Master was still... as obsessed with a substitute as he was two and a half years ago?

......

Su Duan got up very early the next day. After seeing Su Zheng's car disappear through the main gate of the Su family home, he waited for three hours. After confirming with the system that Qin Zhi was still at Su Group, he and the butler brought lunch and hurried to Su Group.

At Su Group.

Su Zheng was still haggling with Qin Zhi.

He had been away for more than half a year. In the meantime, Su Group had undergone two changes, the changes that occurred were definitely not small, and there was also some internal chaos. So re-sorting out all the affairs was not something that could be done in a day or two, especially since Qin Zhi seemed to be deliberately delaying progress during the handover of affairs. It had been two days, yet he had only handed over less than one-fifth.

President Su was very displeased in his heart. They were both old hands, yet he dared to play this trick with him? Did he really think he wouldn't notice?

Su Zheng felt that things couldn't go on like this, but reality once again showed him how shameless people could be.

He had urged him several times, almost directly telling him to hurry up and get lost once finished, yet Qin Zhi still maintained that slow, elderly pace. His attitude was impeccable, making it impossible to find fault, as if he deliberately wanted to drag out this handover that could have been quickly resolved in five days to half a month.

It was so slow that it made Su Zheng, who had never had any violent tendencies, want to get into a fight with him!

But Su Zheng could only curse in his heart. At this juncture, he absolutely could not fall out with Qin Zhi.

Su Duan had no wariness and the trusted aides he left behind didn't have enough power to restrict Qin Zhi. This led to Qin Zhi gaining an understanding of many of Su Group's core information over a month. If he fell out with Qin Zhi now, and Qin Zhi vindictively leaked that information, it would spell utter disaster for Su Group.

Besides, no matter what, Qin Zhi had helped their family greatly. If he had a falling out with Qin Zhi now, he would inevitably be labeled as an ungrateful wretch. Did they still want to maintain the Su family's reputation?

So even though President Su really wanted to hit someone, he had to forcibly put down his sleeves and reason with Qin Zhi calmly.

Su Zheng took a sip of strong coffee to calm himself down and reasoned with Qin Zhi for the umpteenth time, \"President Qin, Qin Group must also be very busy recently. Let's finish things up here as soon as possible so you can return to take charge of Qin Group early and avoid delaying important matters. After all, there is no one in this world who can be absolutely trusted.\"

One of the behind-the-scenes masterminds who framed him and sent him to prison back then was one of his bosom friends. Although they couldn't be called friends who would die for each other, they had played together since childhood and the relationship between the previous generation was also very good. Their family businesses didn't overlap, so there was no talk of competition. That's why Su Zheng never imagined that bosom friend would collude with others to frame him so viciously.

Qin Zhi was now lingering at Su Group, refusing to leave. He must have found someone else to temporarily manage Qin Group for him. Although Su Zheng's main intention in urging Qin Zhi to return to Qin Group was to ensure his precious younger brother wouldn't be snatched away, he also wanted to remind Qin Zhi not to stumble into the same pitfall as him.

Qin Zhi was unmoved and smiled, \"Thank you for your concern, President Su.\"

Su Zheng: \"...\" This guy always just says okay okay okay, never directly confronting him. It made him feel like punching cotton, and if this continued, he felt Qin Zhi would annoy him until his hair fell out.

So difficult to deal with. If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have helped Qin Zhi back then. Now that he had made his fortune, he was still obsessing over his younger brother. It was so vexing that it left one speechless.

—No, that's not right. If Qin Zhi hadn't been able to rise up, after he was imprisoned, putting aside whether Su Duan could have single-handedly supported Su Group, the main thing was, without anyone protecting him, who knows how badly bullied he would have been.

Although he was very averse to Qin Zhi trying to lure away his younger brother, Su Zheng couldn't deny Qin Zhi's protection of Su Duan.

That said, looking at this other company's president sticking to Su Group like a fly and refusing to leave, President Su still couldn't control his inner irritation.

However, in reality, Qin Zhi wasn't much better off than him. Although he appeared calm and collected, he wasn't much more composed than Su Zheng.

No matter how much he delayed, he would definitely have to leave Su Group in half a month at the latest. And seeing Su Zheng's completely unyielding attitude, he had reasonable concerns that he might not even get to see Su Duan once in this half a month.

To be honest, he had indeed considered delaying things to make Su Zheng get out of prison a bit later, but quickly abandoned that idea.

Firstly, no matter what, Su Zheng had shown him kindness back then. Since he had the ability to get him out early, deliberately dragging it out and letting him stay cooped up in prison seemed a bit ungracious. Secondly, although Su Duan had never mentioned it to him, he had in fact been eagerly looking forward to Su Zheng's release from prison. He could see that.

Besides, the hurdle of Su Zheng was one that had to be crossed sooner or later. There was no point in constantly avoiding it.

As a result, after Su Zheng came out, things had come to this deadlock.

Of course, if Qin Zhi wanted, there were naturally other ways to see Su Duan. But unless absolutely necessary, Qin Zhi still didn't want to provoke his future brother-in-law too much.

Seeing the undisguisable irritation in Su Zheng's eyes, Qin Zhi maintained his smile on the surface while remaining calm. He then sat back at his assistant's desk and began to slowly organize the documents to be handed over to Su Duan.

Just as the atmosphere in the office was getting strange, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Su Zheng was in a bad mood and said coldly, \"Come in.\"

However, the one who opened the door and walked in was not a subordinate coming to report on work, but Su Duan and the butler.

The expressions in Su Zheng and Qin Zhi's eyes changed at the same time.

Seeing that it was his precious younger brother, Su Zheng's tone instantly softened. He stood up from his office chair and asked while walking, \"Why is Duan Duan here?\"

Su Duan glanced at the butler behind him—at the lunch boxes in his hands, and said very obediently, \"Brought lunch for big brother.\"

Seeing his obedient younger brother, Su Zheng instantly felt refreshed all over. The depression in his heart from being annoyed by Qin Zhi was swept away in an instant, and even the air he breathed felt much fresher. He gestured for the butler to place the lunch boxes on the coffee table in front of the sofa and walked up to Su Duan, patting his head, \"Has Duan Duan eaten at home?\"

Su Duan said, \"Not yet.\" As he spoke, his eyes shifted to the side.

Su Zheng followed his line of sight and turned his head to look. He found that Qin Zhi had also left his desk and was standing not far behind him, grinning at his younger brother with a beastly smile on his human face.

Su Zheng: \"...\" Su Duan's arrival today was too sudden, not giving him time to send Qin Zhi away. This was a problem.

Vigilantly putting an arm around his younger brother's shoulders, Su Zheng brought him to sit on the sofa. \"Duan Duan, wait here for a bit first. Big brother will finish discussing the last bit with Mr. Qin.\"

In fact, there wasn't really anything to discuss. With Qin Zhi's delaying tactics, they didn't need to exchange more than a few words in a day. He was just preparing to find an excuse to send him away.

After casually discussing the morning's project with Qin Zhi for a couple of sentences, Su Zheng naturally threw out his purpose, \"You've worked hard. It's lunchtime now, Mr. Qin can go rest.\" And don't come back.

Out of courtesy, he was originally supposed to invite Qin Zhi to have lunch with them. But when Su Zheng thought about the sight of Qin Zhi and his younger brother eating at the same table, he felt it was an eyesore. So he decisively ignored etiquette and issued an order for the guest to leave.

Unfortunately, Qin Zhi was still as clueless as ever.

Qin Zhi smiled modestly, \"President Su, don't mind me. I still have a little something I haven't finished handling on my end.\"

Su Zheng: \"...\" I'm listening to your nonsense. Don't you know how much you've done all morning?

Just as the two were bantering with each other, putting on fake smiles, a voice came from behind.

\"Um...\"

The two turned their heads at the same time and saw that Su Duan had already opened the four-layer lunch box, looking at them with bright eyes: \"I brought too much food, let's eat together.\"

Su Zheng: ?????

Author's note:

Su Zheng: The cabbage at home seems to be a bit disobedient. Domineering CEO frowns.jpg

Su Duan: Secretly peels off its own leaves (:з」∠*)

Qin Zhi: Picks up the leaves and munches on them (～￣▽￣)～

","published_time":"2024-11-13T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-10-23T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-11-13T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":1096,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":31,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 31","content":"

The chef at home knew very well how much food he and Su Duan ate. Their family had no habit of wasting food, so unless instructed by the master, the chef would definitely make the exact amount for their appetites.

So there was no possibility of \"making too much\" by accident. It could only be that Su Duan had planned in advance and specifically asked the kitchen to make an extra person's portion.

This was clearly calculated to invite someone to eat.

Realizing this in just a few short seconds, Su Zheng was momentarily at a loss for words with complex emotions. Although he had felt that Su Duan seemed to have some dependence on Qin Zhi the day he was released from prison, he didn't expect the situation to be much more serious than he had anticipated.

Thinking of his younger brother's past issues with Qin Feng, Su Zheng's heart couldn't help but sink.

But since Su Duan had already invited the person to stay for a meal, he certainly couldn't slap his own brother in the face. Su Zheng's expression stiffened for a moment, preparing to perfunctorily invite Qin Zhi along with his brother's words.

In any case, the person couldn't be driven away today, the depressed Su Zheng thought.

However, before he could open his mouth, Qin Zhi had already agreed with exceptional readiness: \"What a coincidence? Then I won't refuse, thanks Duan Duan.\"

Su Zheng: \"......\" You're really so pure and unaffected.

Qin Zhi turned to look at him and politely said, \"Thank you too, President Su.\"

Su Zheng replied expressionlessly: \"...No need to thank me, it's what I should do.\" No thanks, get lost.

After saying that, Qin Zhi nimbly locked his computer, showing no intention of dealing with the so-called \"little thing\" he had just mentioned, looking like he would starve to death if he didn't eat right away.

Su Zheng closed his eyes for a moment, his eyes aching. Facing Qin Zhi's face all day these past few days, he estimated that even his vision had worsened by several degrees.

Frowning, he looked at the butler standing beside Su Duan, a hint of scrutiny flashing in his eyes. It was one thing for Su Duan to have his own little thoughts, but the butler clearly knew yet didn't even notify him, making Su Zheng feel very displeased.

As for this butler who had worked for the Su family for more than twenty years, Su Zheng actually had quite a headache. Although the butler never disobeyed his orders and had kept a close eye on Su Duan recently, the butler's biggest problem was that as long as it was Su Duan's own request, he would indulge him without any bottom line.

For example, bringing Qin Zhi in behind his back two and a half years ago, and now directly playing dumb and taking Su Duan to the company to meet Qin Zhi without any notice.

The butler gave him a very respectful smile, the traces left by the years becoming more obvious on his face. Su Zheng had no intention of making a scene here. After staring at the butler for a few seconds, he shifted his gaze away. Besides—

Before he noticed, Qin Zhi had already taken the initiative to sit down beside his brother, and so close at that!

They even started chatting!

Qin Zhi lowered his head slightly, asking Su Duan in a gentle tone, \"After getting so tanned last time, did you feel unwell after returning home?\"

Su Duan shook his head and replied obediently, \"No.\"

Qin Zhi chuckled and asked softly, \"Then what has Duan Duan been doing at home recently?\"

\"Nothing much.\" Su Duan pursed his lips and said in a low voice, \"There's nothing to do at home, it's very boring.\" Perhaps he himself didn't even notice, but when he said these things to Qin Zhi, there was actually a hint of complaint in his tone.

Su Zheng felt indignant. Why didn't his brother tell him if he was unhappy, but instead went to complain to an outsider?

Qin Zhi said, \"Is that so? If there's a chance...\"

The two chatted very naturally, clearly used to talking often. After listening for a few sentences, Su Zheng felt smoke rising from his head. He walked over and mercilessly asked Qin Zhi to move aside, then plopped down between the two, only then feeling a bit more at ease.

The cooking skills of the Su family's chef were as good as ever, not to mention that there were a few dishes that Su Zheng used to love to eat the most. But Su Zheng felt that this meal could be counted as one of the most unappetizing meals he had ever eaten in his life.

He didn't want to recall the process. In short, after finishing the meal, he had the butler take Su Duan back.

Even though Su Duan very obediently expressed his desire to stay and help, the hard-hearted President Su was not moved in the slightest, and refused to let Su Duan stay no matter what.

Looking at his brother slowly shuffling away, dejected like a pickled cabbage, Su Zheng couldn't help sighing in his heart.

After Su Duan left, the expression on Qin Zhi's face also cooled down as he neatly continued with his own work.

In the silence, Qin Zhi suddenly asked, \"Come to think of it, Duan Duan is already twenty years old, right?\"

Su Zheng gave a cold \"hmm\" and said, \"Why is President Qin asking this?\"

\"I believe that a twenty-year-old adult should have the right to choose their own life.\" Qin Zhi smiled and politely asked, \"What does President Su think?\"

Although his attitude was very polite, the question Qin Zhi asked didn't have the slightest hint of politeness.

The air was tinged with a sense of tension.

Su Zheng paused for a moment before saying in a deep voice, \"This is my family matter, President Qin doesn't need to trouble himself with it.\"

Although his possessiveness towards his brother was strong, he didn't completely forbid Su Duan from dating. Su Duan would eventually have his own family and life, separating from his life. He was actually mentally prepared for all of this.

The reason he was so opposed was because of the person in front of him—

Unsuitable, really unsuitable.

The two people who disliked each other didn't speak again. Su Zheng kept flipping through documents, while Qin Zhi did something unknown on the computer. After a while, his complexion looked a bit better than before.

It was the end of summer with some lingering heat, and the sunlight outside the glass windows was gentle and warm, but the office seemed as cold as if the air conditioning was set to sixteen degrees.

......

Su Duan returned home in low spirits.

It was just past lunchtime. The butler asked if he wanted to take a nap. Although Su Duan nodded in agreement, he didn't fall asleep lying in bed, but chatted with the system from time to time.

He said to the system, \"System, actually I think I probably know what my brother is thinking.\"

System: \"Eek! The host is so smart!\"

Su Duan said, \"He doesn't dislike Qin Zhi, he dislikes people who look like Qin Feng.\"

System: \"That's right! The system's data analysis came to the same conclusion! The host is awesome!\"

Su Duan suddenly curved his lips into a smile, \"Did you forget? It was you who told me this conclusion in the beginning.\"

Since the system discovered that it seemed unable to help him in any way, it began to seek every opportunity to lavishly praise and flatter him. Su Duan was a bit uncomfortable at first, but after listening for a while, he got used to it. Anyway, the system's flattery was too fake and didn't really resonate with him.

The system's electronic voice stuttered for a moment: \"Is... is that so... Ah, it seems to be the case, Host Q_Q\"

Su Duan continued, \"When you told me back then, I felt that big brother was being unreasonable.\"

System: \"Yes, yes, yes! That's exactly right!\"

Su Duan paused for a few seconds before softly continuing, \"But now, I can no longer blame big brother.\"

\"The original owner of this body had been hurt by Qin Feng before. Big brother disliked Qin Zhi because he was biased towards me, and at that time, my relationship with Qin Zhi was a bit closer than with big brother, so I thought big brother was bad.\" Su Duan explained bit by bit, \"Now I won't think big brother is bad because of this matter, precisely because big brother and I have also become close, so I'm biased towards both of them.\"

The system took the opportunity to flatter him: \"Being partial to companions that one is closer to is a normal human psychology! It seems that the host has integrated well into the human identity!\"

The sunlight sneakily slipping through the gaps in the curtains felt a bit itchy on his face. Su Duan rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand and rolled over on the bed: \"Maybe so. I'm going to take a nap now, good afternoon.\"

The system said, \"Good afternoon, Host!\"

Although this afternoon nap was a bit later than usual, his internal biological clock still allowed Su Duan to wake up on time at 2:30 pm.

He lay in bed for a while with drowsy eyes, yawned after opening his mouth, and then reached out to grab the phone placed beside his pillow.

However, as soon as he lit up the screen, a message popped up right in front of him.

[New friend request received!]

Su Duan was stunned for a moment before remembering that this was a message from a chat software.

This chat software came pre-installed on the original phone. Before Father and Mother Su's incident, they often chatted and made video calls through this software. He couldn't bear to change phones, so those chat records could still be found in the history.

The original body had never attended school and was tutored by private teachers at home. Naturally, he didn't have any classmates or friends. Apart from relatives, he basically had no social circle, so of course, no one would contact him through social software. As for Su Zheng, he would directly call if there was anything, so after Father and Mother Su left, he basically never opened this chat software again.

He didn't expect it to have been automatically logged in in the background of the phone all along.

Hesitating for a moment with his fingertip hovering over the screen, Su Duan still followed the message prompt and opened the software. A small red dot was popping up in the lower right corner, reminding him of a new friend request.

Someone actually added his long-dormant account?

It should be someone who added him by mistake. He would go and tell them before deleting it, Su Duan thought as he tapped on the small red dot.

However, after opening it and seeing the ID [Duan Duan is the cutest in the world] lying in the friend request list, Su Duan's movement suddenly paused, \"...\"

After being stunned for a long time, Su Duan felt a hint of heat appear on his cheeks. He softly said in his heart, \"System, I think I know who this person is.\"

Author's note:

Su Zheng: No, no, no, you can't know! Hurry up and refuse, ahhhhh (ノ｀Д)ノ

Su Duan: (〃/ω＼)

Qin Zhi: The pig's guts are as big as the cabbage is tasty! (/ω＼)

","published_time":"2024-11-20T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-10-30T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-11-20T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":1113,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":32,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 32","content":"

The system said: \"Host, you were able to guess even this? Amazing!\"

It's very simple, Su Duan thought, there's only one person he could think of that would use this kind of ID.

Su Duan made an \"en\" sound and chose to accept the friend request.

He had just switched the page to the chat list, and in less than two seconds, he received a message from this new friend.

Su Duan hesitated for a moment before slowly opening the chat window. This was obviously a newly registered account, even the profile picture was the default coffee cup.

[Duan Duan is the cutest in the world: Duan Duan woke up from his nap? -3-]

Seeing the pouting emoticon after the question, Su Duan suddenly felt that Qin Zhi and the system must have a lot in common.

After thinking for a bit, Su Duan replied to him.

[Su Little Duan: Woke up.]

Because it had been a long time since he used his phone to chat with anyone, Su Duan typed very slowly, two characters took him longer than a whole sentence from Qin Zhi.

The other side \"is typing\" for two seconds, and the reply appeared in the chat box.

[Duan Duan is the cutest in the world: Duan Duan isn't going to ask who I am?]

Su Duan slowly typed.

[Su Little Duan: Not asking.]

The other side replied in a flash again.

[Duan Duan is the cutest in the world: Our Duan Duan must have already guessed it! So cute! Kiss kiss!]

[Su Little Duan: Don't know you, no kisses.]

The other side suddenly went silent, for a full half minute there was no reaction at all, Su Duan couldn't help but feel a bit hesitant, was the person on the other side angry?

Just as he was holding his phone thinking about how to word his inquiry, a new message quickly popped up.

[Qin Big Zhi: Then can I get kisses now?]

...Changed the ID?

En, this new ID made it clear at a glance who it was.

Su Duan looked at his own username, then looked at the username Qin Zhi had just changed to, and felt his cheeks getting even hotter.

Su Little Duan, Qin Big Zhi.

It was like couple names... so did this count as him and Qin Zhi being in an online relationship?

The system strictly reminded him: \"No, online relationships in the early stages don't involve reality, while the host and the healing target first met in the real world, so it can't be considered an online relationship.\"

Su Duan said: \"So that's how it is, thank you.\"

[Qin Big Zhi: Give me a little kiss -3-]

Su Duan replied to him very seriously:

[Su Little Duan: No, can't reach to kiss.]

He and Qin Zhi were so far apart, one at home, one at the company, no matter how long Qin Zhi's neck was it couldn't reach here.

[Qin Big Zhi: Can reach!]

[Qin Big Zhi: Piggy puckering lips.jpg]

Su Duan stared blankly at the emoticon of the pink piggy puckering its lips to kiss the screen, to be honest he actually quite disliked pigs, because there was a period of time when he stayed beside a farm field, and when a pig came to steal vegetables to eat, it passed by his side and thought he was an overly blackened potato, opening its mouth to take a bite out of him.

Although that pig hadn't turned into a spirit, Su Duan used a bit of spiritual power to drive it away, but the feeling of that dark pig mouth looming over him at the time still left a deep impression on Su Duan.

However, the pig Qin Zhi sent looked clean and pink, not so detestable.

Su Duan moved his gaze away from the picture, and suddenly noticed that Qin Zhi had also changed his profile picture, he clicked to enlarge it and saw that it was still the little pink pig from the emoticon just now, but at a different angle puckering its lips.

Su Duan blinked and thought, Qin Zhi was really persistent about this species that was usually slaughtered and eaten by humans.

[Su Duan: ...So you're a pig.]

[Qin Zhi: If you say so, then I am.]

[Qin Zhi: My little cabbage -3-]

How did he become a cabbage?

Su Duan was stunned for a moment before realizing that Qin Zhi called him that because of his own profile picture.

His profile picture was a simple hand-drawn cabbage, drawn by Mother Su, a round and plump green one, with a little pink flower on its head.

Although cabbage flowers don't grow like that, it was one of the few memories Mother Su left him, so he had been using it all along.

Su Duan looked at Qin Zhi's profile picture, then at his own, he knew pigs really liked to eat cabbage, so he asked the system in his heart: \"Is he hinting that he wants to eat me? I shouldn't have exposed my identity, right?\"

The system accurately replied: \"Yes. No.\"

Su Duan frowned in confusion, not quite understanding, since he hadn't discovered that he was an edible herb, why use a profile picture with such strong implications?

The system kindly explained: \"Host, in human definitions, besides eating food, 'eat' also has the meaning of [beep--].\"

Oh, so Qin Zhi was hinting that he wanted to pollinate with him, seemed a bit rogue.

Su Duan: \"...\" The human language was indeed very complex, he still had a lot to learn.

Seeing that he hadn't replied for a long time, Qin Zhi sent another message:

[Qin Big Zhi: Did Duan Duan fall asleep again?]

[Su Little Duan: No, getting up. Aren't you at work?]

[Qin Big Zhi: Yeah, but not very busy, what is Duan Duan planning to do this afternoon?]

......

The two chatted aimlessly like this through a small window for a long time, even when drinking afternoon tea, Su Duan's gaze never left his phone.

An afternoon passed by unnoticed like this.

Because of a certain assistant's passive laziness, Su Zheng had been getting off work on time these past few days, when he returned home from work today, what he saw was his younger brother lying on the sofa absorbed in his phone.

Hearing the sound of him entering, Su Duan turned off his phone and quickly raised his head, calling out: \"Brother.\"

Su Zheng walked over and patted his head, urging: \"Don't play with your phone like this, it's not good for your cervical spine, sit up and play.\"

Su Duan obediently sat up and said: \"Not playing anymore.\"

Su Zheng seemed to smile guiltily: \"Leaving you at home is indeed a bit boring, wait until the company is a bit more stable, your brother promises to take you out to play, okay?\"

Su Duan said understandingly: \"No need, brother is busy with work.\"

Su Zheng patted his head again without saying anything.

Actually, he had long sensed it, early on when Qin Zhi left the Su family, perhaps due to the shock, his younger brother's temper had subsided a bit, becoming more obedient and also much quieter than before, and after their parents' incident, he became even more cautious, never causing him any trouble, no longer showing any traces of his former spoiled willfulness.

Back then, his whole family opposed Su Duan going after Qin Feng, but Su Duan still did it regardless. Now, just because of one sentence of disagreement about being with Qin Zhi, even though it's very obvious his eyes are practically glued to the other person, he still obediently listens to his words with a wronged expression.

Su Zheng would rather he be a bit more willful, make a bit more of a fuss, and doesn't want to see his younger brother being so well-behaved that it makes one's heart ache.

Originally... Su Duan should have had the right to be willful, it's just that he was too incompetent, causing Su Duan to voluntarily give up this right.

Looking at his younger brother's black eyes that held no shadows, Su Zheng suddenly felt a bit dizzy. He closed his eyes and said in a low voice: \"Duan Duan, after dinner, your older brother has some things he wants to discuss with you.\"

Su Duan nodded and said: \"The food in the kitchen should be cooking, I'll have the housekeeper go hurry it up a bit.\"

......

After finishing the meal, Su Zheng accompanied Su Duan on a walk in the small garden to aid digestion. The sky had already completely darkened, and the path lights in the garden lit up one after another, shining on the deep green leaves mixed with yellow, reflecting a glossy white light.

Su Duan quietly observed the details of the surrounding environment. In this season, his fellow species no longer displayed their reproductive organs to humans. There were many mosquito-killing lamps hung along the road, and large swaths of mosquito-repelling mint were planted in the garden, the scent very strong. So even though the lights were on, there weren't many mosquitoes flying in the air, making it seem very quiet and peaceful.

In the tranquil atmosphere, Su Zheng suddenly spoke: \"Duan Duan, tell your older brother the truth, do you still like Qin Feng?\"

Su Duan shifted his gaze back from the trees on the roadside and shook his head: \"Not anymore.\"

Su Zheng frowned: \"But Qin Zhi's face...\" Indeed, it was undeniable that it held the shadow of Qin Feng.

Actually, it was even more similar two years ago, but in these two years, Qin Zhi had matured, and his entire temperament had undergone a very big change. So, the similarity with Qin Feng had decreased a lot, to the point it could only allow people to tell at a glance that they had a blood relation, at most sighing that these two brothers both took after their dad in looks.

\"But they are two completely different people, with independent personalities and conduct.\" Su Duan looked up at him, his pure black pupils appearing exceptionally serious under the lamplight.

Looking at those clear pupils, Su Zheng found that he could not find any traces of lies within them.

Su Zheng said in a deep voice: \"You need to know what you're doing, Duan Duan.\"

\"Older brother.\" Su Duan said: \"If I still liked Qin Feng, then I should really hate Qin Zhi right now.\"

Now, the entire A City knew that because of the illegitimate child's rise in status, Qin Feng had already lost Qin Group, going from the high and mighty Qin family heir to a failure that everyone could kick while he was down.

In this kind of situation, if Su Duan still held lingering feelings for Qin Feng, he should wish he could beat Qin Zhi to death. How could he possibly be so close with him?

Su Zheng: \"...\" It was probably because he had been too tense recently, surprisingly he hadn't noticed such an obvious flaw.

As for Su Duan pretending to be close to Qin Zhi, then finding a way to take revenge for Qin Feng—

Mm, it wasn't that he had any objections towards Su Duan, he just felt that with his younger brother's pure and simple personality, he probably didn't have such advanced schemes yet.

Su Zheng was silent for a while. The matter he had been worried about for so long was so easily overturned, causing an indescribable emptiness to arise in his heart.

He let out a deep sigh: \"I'm sorry, it's your older brother who has been too tense recently. In the future... your older brother will try his best to give you more freedom. Let's take it slow, okay?\"

Su Duan nodded. Under Su Zheng's gaze, his eyes slowly curved into two little crescent moons.

......

After finishing their walk, Su Duan was sent back to the bedroom. He didn't immediately start preparing to take a bath like usual. Instead, he took out his cell phone from his pant pocket, the one he hadn't dared to open ever since Su Zheng came back. Sure enough, he discovered several unread messages.

[Qin Big Zhi: I think this one would look super cute on Duan Duan, I ordered it, it should arrive the day after tomorrow.]

[Qin Big Zhi: ... Duan Duan, where did you go??]

[Qin Big Zhi: Your older brother came back? Duan Duan, go take care of things first, see you tonight.]

[Qin Big Zhi: Give me a kiss. Piggy-puckering-lips.jpg]

......

Su Duan pursed his lips. Holding his cell phone, he typed out word by word:

[Su Xiaoduan: You can kiss me now.]

Author's note:

Su Duan: About to be kissed (*≧∪≦)

Qin Zhi: Kiss kiss kiss! Baby, hurry up and bloom! ヽ(=▼ω▼=)ノ

Su Zheng: T-This president needs to smoke... Smoke my ass (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

","published_time":"2024-11-27T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-11-06T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-11-27T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":1130,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":33,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 33","content":"

After sending out this message, there was no response from the other side for a while. Su Duan guessed that Qin Zhi might be busy, so he decided to take a shower first and then come back to see if Qin Zhi had replied to him.

Just as he was about to put down his phone, a reply popped up in the chat window. There was no text, only three very excited punctuation marks.

[Qin Big Zhi: !!!]

A second later, Su Duan's phone rang.

Seeing the video request displayed on the screen, Su Duan hesitated. He hadn't washed up yet, having just returned from a walk outside. He was covered in dust and his hair was a mess...

The pink pig on the screen pouted at him persistently. Su Duan touched his hair and face to make sure there was no dirt on them before accepting the video invitation.

Qin Zhi's enlarged face appeared on the screen, at first only showing a hard-angled chin. As the camera pulled back, it revealed his face and upper body.

The man on the other end had apparently just taken a shower, with obvious dampness at the ends of his hair. He was wearing a loose, deep blue bathrobe, exposing his chiseled collarbones and a small patch of pale chest.

Su Duan's face instantly flushed red, and he didn't hold his phone steady, dropping it onto the soft pillow.

Qin Zhi's deep voice came out muffled, with a hint of urgency: \"Duan Duan, what's wrong? Pick up the phone quickly.\"

Su Duan quietly picked up the phone and met Qin Zhi's gaze on the screen again. His eyes drifted a little as he asked softly, \"Did you just take a shower?\"

Looking closely, water was slowly dripping from the ends of Qin Zhi's hair, and there were water droplets on the exposed parts of his body, as if he had hurriedly wiped himself down before putting on his clothes.

Qin Zhi laughed softly, \"Yes, I just finished. Duan Duan hasn't finished what he was saying...\"

Su Duan blinked. Qin Zhi's voice was very magnetic now, making his ears itch even through the phone.

Qin Zhi paused here, his Adam's apple bobbing. He brought his face closer to the screen, the hoarseness in his voice more evident: \"Why are you suddenly willing to let me kiss you? Wasn't it not allowed before?\"

Su Duan scratched his cheek, suddenly feeling very embarrassed and not knowing what to say: \"No... it's just...\" His voice got lower and lower as he spoke.

Just now, he was so giddy with happiness that he sent that message to Qin Zhi without thinking. Now that he had to explain, he didn't know what to say for a moment.

Wait - hadn't he already decided that he couldn't be Qin Zhi's partner? He had already rejected Qin Zhi before, so what was he doing now?

Thinking of Qin Zhi's healing value that had already risen to 91 points, it was as if he had suddenly been hit by frost, and the whole herb felt a bit dazed.

After completing the task, he could leave at any time. Although he didn't know what the standard for completing the task was, the higher the healing value, the closer he would undoubtedly be to that standard.

Before, Su Duan would be very happy every time he saw the healing value increase by a point. Now, looking at such a high healing value, he suddenly hoped that it could regress.

\"Duan Duan.\" Qin Zhi noticed the change in his expression and his tone became much gentler, with a hint of coaxing: \"Duan Duan, be good, speak slowly. What happened just now?\"

Su Duan stared blankly at the person on the screen.

After taking a shower, Qin Zhi's temperament had become a bit more languid, his black pupils appearing even deeper than during the day, but looking especially gentle when gazing at him, his pupils focused, reflecting only his shadow.

Su Duan had been a blade of grass for thousands of years, occasionally interacting with passing creatures, but most of the time he was quiet and lonely, growing on the inconspicuous roadside watching other people's lives.

This was the first time he had become a participant in life, placed in the most important position by another person, all his faults tolerated, even the slightest unhappiness sensitively perceived and treated as a top priority with utmost care.

Of course, if put that way, Su Zheng also treated him very well, also regarding him as the most important person. However, he didn't feel as strongly as he did when facing Qin Zhi.

Perhaps it was because some things were always different. For example, he wanted to pollinate with Qin Zhi, but had never thought about pollinating with his brother.

Uh, of course, he didn't want Qin Zhi to pollinate with his brother either-

What was he thinking? How could his thoughts wander to such a strange place? Su Duan grabbed his hair, forcing himself to stop this train of thought that made him break out in a cold sweat.

Su Duan originally felt like he was about to burst into tears, but his thoughts took a turn into a strange direction and he calmed down oddly.

He asked the system in his heart, \"If Qin Zhi and I are in a relationship, will the healing value drop?\"

The system said, \"The key points in the healing target's destiny line have all been reached, so the system speculates that it probably won't drop.\"

Su Duan: \"...Oh.\" He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

The system quietly reminded him, \"Host, this is only the first task world. There will be many more task worlds in the future. Our goal is to pursue faster and higher healing values! So that the host can take human form as soon as possible!\"

It shouldn't be its imagination. Its host seemed a bit unmotivated?

The system couldn't help but start to worry. The task process was completely independent. It couldn't contact the research institute now and could only think of ways to encourage the host's enthusiasm on its own.

But it was just a newborn system. Because time was too tight, it hadn't even gone through enough testing before being bound to a host to start work. It lacked experience in many aspects...

Faced with the system's reminder, Su Duan didn't have much of a reaction, only letting out a soft \"en\".

System: \"...Okay, host, you can do it!\"

Qin Zhi watched Su Duan go from excited and shy at first to frowning, and finally starting to tug at his own hair. His whole heart tightened along with it.

\"Duan Duan, what exactly is wrong?\" Qin Zhi asked cautiously, \"If there's something making you unhappy, say it and I can help you think of a solution...\"

Su Duan withdrew the hand that was tugging at his hair, his brows and eyes relaxing, as if he had figured something out. He showed a small smile at him: \"It's nothing.\"

\"Just now, my brother and I were taking a walk in the garden...\" Su Duan honestly repeated what Su Zheng had said.

Qin Zhi listened quietly and found it a bit unbelievable. Even though Su Zheng's attitude of opposition had been very resolute during the day, how could such a big change occur in just a short afternoon?

Even though he didn't directly agree to them being together, at least he indicated that he would no longer obstruct them, which was already a very significant softening of his stance.

Although he had some doubts about Su Zheng changing his tune so quickly, the overwhelming joy quickly dispersed those doubts. Thinking about the message Su Duan had just sent asking for a kiss, even with water droplets still clinging to his body from rushing to reply to the message, Qin Zhi felt his entire being burning up with desire.

Especially since... Su Duan was lying on the bed during their video call, his collar hanging down. Although nothing substantial could be seen, just the exposed fair skin was enough to make his heart flutter.

Qin Zhi took a deep breath and surreptitiously moved his phone camera up a bit, making sure Su Duan wouldn't see anything he shouldn't.

He lightly coughed, his voice tinged with a hint of huskiness: \"Didn't you say you wanted me to kiss you? Be good, move your face a bit closer.\"

Su Duan earnestly pointed out: \"You can't reach to kiss me.\"

Qin Zhi said: \"If I say I can kiss you, I definitely can. Come, move your face closer to the phone.\"

Su Duan hesitated for a moment before choosing to bring the phone a bit nearer to his face.

Then he saw Qin Zhi's face on the screen gradually enlarging, his thin lips getting closer and closer until they pressed against the screen, making a \"smack\" sound.

Su Duan threw his phone again. Just now when Qin Zhi kissed him through the screen, even though he knew it wasn't real, he still felt his cheeks heating up as if he had really been kissed.

Facing the pillow for the second time that night, Qin Zhi let out a disgruntled plea: \"Duan Duan, quickly pick up the phone, let me kiss you again.\"

Su Duan: \"...\"

......

Early the next morning, although he had promised his younger brother that he would be an open-minded good brother, Su Zheng, who had still spent the night tossing and turning uncomfortably, discovered a strange phenomenon.

Who knows what had stimulated Qin Zhi, but he suddenly changed his original old man's work pace. Before even half the morning had passed, he had already organized and handed over two major projects to him, as efficient as if he had become a different person. If he maintained this speed every day, they could complete the handover within three days.

Moreover, what was even stranger was that Qin Zhi's attitude was very good. This kind of good was not the superficial calm of the past few days when they had mutually hurt each other, but a very sincere friendliness.

Simply put, his entire being radiated a joyous aura, making it hard for Su Zheng to give him the cold shoulder.

Su Zheng was very suspicious. What had gotten into Qin Zhi?

It wasn't until noon that he finally got the answer.

Qin Zhi bent over and placed the last stack of documents on his desk, saying very humbly: \"President Su can rest assured, I will definitely treat Duan Duan well.\"

Su Zheng: \"...\"

He recognized every word Qin Zhi said, so how come he couldn't understand them when strung together?

Although he had loosened his stance with his younger brother last night, he still planned to keep Qin Zhi in check on this side. After all, the past incident between his brother and Qin Feng was a hidden danger that he hadn't yet figured out how to resolve.

But now, how could Qin Zhi act as if he had already agreed, and start making promises to him?

He certainly didn't remember ever giving Qin Zhi the green light. This person couldn't possibly have mind-reading abilities, right? He could also confirm that Qin Zhi wasn't so well-connected that he would know about every move in the Su residence.

Then could it be... his brother had tipped him off?

Su Zheng: \"...\"

Thinking of this possibility, President Su felt his already somewhat dejected mood from lack of rest take another tumble.

But words spoken are like water spilled - he had already relented in front of his brother, so he certainly couldn't take it back.

Therefore, after a long silence, President Su snorted coldly and said: \"What's the rush, it shouldn't be at the stage of discussing marriage yet, right? President Qin doesn't need to make this promise to me.\"

Qin Zhi immediately changed his words: \"President Su is right, we'll take it slow.\"

\"...\" Su Zheng was speechless for a moment before saying as calmly as possible: \"However, there are some ugly words I still need to say upfront to President Qin.\"

Qin Zhi had a very humble expression: \"Please go ahead, big brother.\"

Su Zheng: \"...\"

Su Zheng: \"No need to call me big brother, we're not that close yet.\"

Qin Zhi changed his form of address with a very regretful expression: \"Alright, President Su.\"

Su Zheng was silent for a long time before recovering from the impact of being called \"big brother\". He said in a deep voice: \"Duan Duan's health is not good, so in the short term, he probably won't be able to satisfy President Qin's needs. Please carefully consider if you can accept this. If not, it's best to break it off early for everyone's sake.\"

What he meant by \"needs\", any man should know. When saying these two words, Su Zheng's tone could almost be described as speaking through gritted teeth.

Although Su Zheng's ugly words could be considered very impolite, Qin Zhi's attitude didn't change in the slightest because of it. He smiled and said softly: \"Even if President Su didn't say so, of course I wouldn't disregard Duan Duan's health. I can wait.\"

Unless they had an innate special physique, for same-sex couples' first time doing that kind of thing, even with ample preparation, it is generally very painful for the receiving party.

Even healthy normal people may feel unwell and feverish afterwards, let alone the innately frail and delicate Su Duan who gets injured at the slightest touch. To be honest, even if Su Duan stripped naked in front of him right now, he wouldn't dare do anything to him.

At the very least, he had to wait until Su Duan's health improved a bit more and he was a bit more prepared...

Although no matter how Su Zheng looked at this person trying to compete for his brother, he found him disagreeable, whether sincere or pretending, in the face of his forceful attitude, Qin Zhi didn't show the slightest bit of impatience, which made him somewhat satisfied.

However, what needed to be emphasized still had to be emphasized. Su Zheng tapped on the desk and added: \"If you agree but then fail to do as you say... I won't let the matter rest.\"

Qin Zhi said: \"Of course. If I really make a mistake, I won't forgive myself either.\"

......

After making things clear, the most notable change was that the speed at which Qin Zhi transferred Su Group's affairs increased exponentially. In just two short days after that, Qin Zhi had completed the handover of all matters to Su Zheng and then decisively got out of Su Group.

In any case, now that the person had finally disappeared from his sight, Su Zheng breathed a sigh of relief.

Ever since learning that his younger brother had private dealings with Qin Zhi, every time Qin Zhi sat in front of the computer, he couldn't help but suspect that he was slacking off during work hours to hook up with his brother.

There was no logical reason to keep going to the assistant's desk to check on the situation. Seeing Qin Zhi's seemingly focused face, President Su couldn't help but be suspicious, and even got a bit distracted while working.

Now that the person had finally left, at least he could start focusing on work.

He had to say, Qin Zhi's ability to handle affairs was even stronger than he had imagined. Although he had only worked at Su Group for a short month, he had already sorted out most of the internal structure. Su Zheng didn't feel too overwhelmed taking over now, which was indeed unexpected.

In fact, while Su Group had a deep foundation, it had a particularly fatal flaw - the departmental structure was too complex, with overlapping and ambiguous responsibilities between departments, resulting in the company's operating efficiency never improving.

Now, this flaw had been largely corrected by Qin Zhi, with only some finishing touches and small details left to be gradually addressed. Things were much easier than he had imagined. As long as he followed Qin Zhi's line of thinking, the company would soon be able to completely fix this flaw.

Even if Qin Zhi indeed had innate talent in management, to be able to achieve this level in such a short time must have required an unimaginable amount of effort.

Actually, he had also thought about making changes back then, but there were too many things to balance. Before he was ready, he was framed and sent to prison. If it were him, he wouldn't have had Qin Zhi's decisiveness.

Su Zheng rubbed his brow in frustration. As the object of his younger brother's affection, of course the more capable Qin Zhi was the better. He should feel gratified by this.

But his brother and Qin Feng's past still hung over his heart like a ticking time bomb.

Although several years had passed and not many people specifically remembered anymore, as long as Qin Zhi formally appeared in City A's social circles, his face that undeniably resembled Qin Feng's would definitely rekindle people's memories.

By then, there was no way Qin Zhi wouldn't find out that Su Duan had once pursued Qin Feng almost to the point of madness.

A person's character could be glimpsed from their attitude in handling affairs. Qin Zhi's style in dealing with company matters could be described as ruthless and decisive. When handling Qin Feng, he also didn't leave any room for hope, showing that ruthlessness was engraved in his nature.

Qin Zhi liked Su Duan now, so he treated him preciously, afraid of the slightest bump. If one day he stopped liking him, he would also be colder than anyone else.

In any case, before Qin Zhi decided to enter City A's social circles, he had to make this matter clear with him. He couldn't wait until Qin Zhi discovered it himself, or else things would get muddled then.

What a headache.

Sighing deeply, unable to think of a better solution for the time being, Su Zheng refocused his energy on work.

......

Since there were no particularly urgent matters, President Su, who had already resolved to take more time to accompany his younger brother, still got off work on time today.

But as soon as he got home, he discovered his younger brother no longer needed his company.

Because sitting on the sofa was a familiar figure.

Indeed familiar. In the morning, he had just moved his things out of his office. In the afternoon, he appeared in their home, sitting beside his adorable younger brother. What a delightful surprise.

The two of them seemed to have just had afternoon tea. The plate on the coffee table held only one remaining cookie. The milk in front of Su Duan was almost finished. Qin Zhi took a tissue and lowered his head to wipe the white liquid stuck on the corner of his mouth.

Su Zheng calmly glanced at Qin Zhi's hand on his younger brother's face, feeling the world was not kind to him at all.

After wiping Su Duan's face, Qin Zhi stood up from the sofa and warmly welcomed him, \"Big brother is back.\"

Su Zheng: \"...\" Who's your big brother? Why is this person calling him that again?

Su Duan also stood up, his crescent eyes smiling as he called out, \"Brother is back. Do you want some cookies? Qin Zhi and I baked them together. There are still some in the oven that we specially saved for you.\"

Hehe, they even baked cookies together. Looks like Qin Zhi had been at their home for quite a while.

Inwardly criticizing, Su Zheng squeezed out a smile, \"I'll eat them.\"

Of course he had to eat the cookies his younger brother personally baked. As for the cookies' other creator, he chose to pretend not to see him.

After stretching his head to let his younger brother feed him the last cookie on the plate, Su Zheng used the excuse of going to change clothes to call the butler to him.

The butler reported the situation, \"Mr. Qin came over around 3pm. Since you were working, we didn't bother you with this small matter.\"

Su Zheng glanced at him, his expression not very happy.

The butler continued, \"Mr. Qin spent the whole afternoon baking cookies with the young master. Nothing inappropriate happened.\"

Only then did Su Zheng coldly say, \"Next time Mr. Qin comes over, I don't want to only find out about it after I get home, understand?\"

The butler lowered his eyes, \"Yes, young master.\"

Soon it was dinner time. With a guest at home today, dinner was a bit more sumptuous.

According to the rules, Su Zheng sat at the head of the table. No longer able to use his body to separate the two, he could only watch helplessly as his younger brother and Qin Zhi sat close together, putting food in each other's bowls, looking all sweet and affectionate.

Fortunately, Su Duan still remembered to give him food, slightly comforting his cold heart.

Until the meal was finished and his younger brother had gone hand-in-hand with Qin Zhi for a walk in the garden, Su Zheng still couldn't wrap his head around how Qin Zhi could make this series of events seem so natural.

Looks like sometimes being shameless really could achieve many goals, Su Zheng sighed again.

He stood by the living room window, watching the tall and short figures gradually disappear in the distance, feeling he needed some time alone.

In any case, there were security guards in the garden and the lights were on. Qin Zhi couldn't do much out there, so Su Zheng wasn't too worried.

In the garden, Qin Zhi led Su Duan to a hidden spot. This was a blind spot, where the light couldn't reach. As long as one stood in the shadows, even if someone passed by, it would be hard to discover people hiding here. Having worked in the garden for a while, Qin Zhi was very familiar with this place.

Perhaps it was the night that always stirred the deepest desires in one's heart. Even knowing Su Zheng could jump out at any time, he still couldn't help wanting to do some mischief under the cover of darkness.

It had been a long time since Qin Zhi last came to the garden at the Su residence. The changes here weren't big, but there were still some.

For example, originally planted in this hidden corner were delicate butterfly orchids, but now they had been replaced by a tree of glowing red begonias.

The weather today was perfect for a walk. The evening breeze carried a hint of floral coolness. Qin Zhi leaned against the rough tree trunk, encircling Su Duan in his arms. He touched Su Duan's little arm and asked, \"Are you cold?\"

Su Duan shook his head and said, \"Not cold.\"

Originally he was a little cold, but Qin Zhi's body was as hot as a furnace. After being held, he no longer felt cold.

Qin Zhi chuckled softly, \"Really not cold? Let me kiss you to check.\"

Before Su Duan could figure out what relationship there was between \"cold\" and \"kiss\", Qin Zhi's face had already gotten closer and closer.

\"Mmm...\"

Compared to Su Duan who still wasn't very good at kissing, Qin Zhi's kissing skills had already improved by leaps and bounds before Su Zheng was released from prison. Su Duan was kissed until he was in a daze. Even when Qin Zhi reached out and fiddled with his chest, he only let out a small moan.

Just as Su Duan was getting even softer, a cold electronic voice suddenly sounded in his mind, making him open his eyes in disbelief.

[Ding, the healing value of the healing target Qin Zhi has increased by 2 points. The current total healing value of the healing target is 93. Host, please keep up the good work!]

Author's note:

Su Duan: No no no you can't go up QAQ

System: Ho ho ho—— suddenly excited.jpg

","published_time":"2024-12-04T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-11-13T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-12-04T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":1147,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":34,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 34","content":"

Su Duan remembered that the first time Qin Zhi kissed him, his healing value did increase a little. But after that, even though they kissed many more times, the healing value never changed again.

So he felt at ease letting Qin Zhi kiss him, thinking nothing would happen. But now, why did the healing value suddenly increase again?

Su Duan was completely stunned with fright.

Meanwhile, the system happily pulled up a light screen in front of Su Duan that only he could see, turning the prompt that just sounded in his mind into scrolling text, with the especially eye-catching enlarged \"93\".

Su Duan: \"......\"

Su Duan stared blankly, eyes wide open with shock. He even forgot to adjust his breathing. In just a few seconds, his breathing became erratic. Suffocating slightly brought him back to his senses. He hurriedly tried to push the other person away with his hands.

If they kiss a bit longer, the healing value might increase again...

Su Duan's strength was weak. Pushing against Qin Zhi's hard shoulders felt more like a massage. Qin Zhi thought he was just a little shy and tightened his arms to hold him even closer. Only when Su Duan bit down on his lower lip with some force did Qin Zhi realize Su Duan might truly be unwilling.

Qin Zhi released him and opened his dark eyes, pupils still carrying a trace of unfaded depth. He used his thumb to rub the corner of his mouth where not even a mark was left by the bite. Lowering his gaze to look at Su Duan for a moment, he asked in a hoarse voice, \"What's wrong?\"

Su Duan couldn't tell him the truth. Unable to find a suitable explanation for the moment, he just pursed his lips and cautiously took a step back, leaving Qin Zhi's warm embrace.

Seeing the unease revealed in Su Duan's eyes, Qin Zhi's body stiffened. Was he too hasty after all...

Qin Zhi sighed inwardly and asked in a low voice, \"Duan Duan, did I scare you?\"

Su Duan lowered his eyes, mind in a mess. Following Qin Zhi's words, he gave a very light nod.

Qin Zhi said guiltily, \"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have touched you without your consent. Can you forgive me this once?\"

Wait... touched him?

Su Duan's chaotic mind was suddenly struck by a flash of insight. Thinking carefully, Qin Zhi seemed to have indeed done something a little more intimate than kissing to him just now.

Could it be that the healing value increased because of that?

They had kissed so many times already. Except for the first time, the healing value never changed. So the healing value increasing this time shouldn't be because of that.

Su Duan felt he had found the culprit responsible for the healing value increase.

Seeing him standing there in a daze, eyes unfocused, Qin Zhi thought he had really scared him badly. His heart clenched nervously. He carefully touched Su Duan's arm, voice trembling, \"Duan Duan, are you alright?... Say something to me.\"

Only then did Su Duan come back to his senses. He shook his head and said softly to Qin Zhi, \"It's nothing, I just suddenly felt like spacing out.\"

Qin Zhi's Adam's apple bobbed as he reached out to touch his face. His warm palm covered Su Duan's cheek, rubbing gently as if wanting to confirm something.

Su Duan habitually nuzzled his cheek against his palm.

Seeing that Su Duan didn't reject his touch because of what just happened, Qin Zhi finally let out a sigh of relief. He held him in his arms again and apologized once more in a low voice, \"I'm sorry, I was too impulsive just now.\"

Su Duan moved his head in his embrace and said, \"It's alright, I'm not angry at you.\"

Although it felt a bit unfamiliar, he really didn't dislike Qin Zhi doing that to him. He was just startled by the healing value that suddenly started increasing.

However, now that he seemed to have found the culprit, he wasn't so nervous anymore.

Qin Zhi lightly rested his chin on top of his head, occasionally rubbing against it. Su Duan obediently let him hold him. Their heartbeats gradually synchronized until they became exactly the same.

The evening breeze blew by, causing the tender pink crabapple petals to fall from the tree. A petal landed on Qin Zhi's arm.

Su Duan's eyes caught this crabapple petal. He immediately felt uncomfortable. With great effort, he stretched his arm out from Qin Zhi's embrace and patted his arm, making this fellow reproductive organ part fall off Qin Zhi's body.

Feeling him moving around again, Qin Zhi quickly loosened his hold and lowered his head to ask, \"What's wrong?\"

Su Duan looked up at him. Qin Zhi's features appeared especially deep in the night. His usually neat black hair had become a bit messy after the recent turn of events, scattered over his forehead, concealing his overly sharp brows and eyes. Qin Zhi looked down at him, long lashes hiding his dark eyes. Those eyes, darker than the night, held a hint of caution.

Qin Zhi is so good-looking, Su Duan thought.

After observing Qin Zhi for a while, he suddenly wanted to test his guess about the healing value increase. So he patted his arm and said, \"Lower your head a bit more.\"

Qin Zhi cooperatively lowered his head. \"Hm?\"

Su Duan slightly tiptoed, raised his head, and took the initiative to touch his lips.

Qin Zhi's pupils instantly constricted. He actually froze in place, hands stiffly hanging by his sides, not knowing whether to hug the person in front of him. He had a bit of a helpless air about him, like a young lad who just lost his first kiss.

This was the first time Su Duan actively kissed him.

Su Duan waited apprehensively for half a minute. No prompt sounded in his mind.

It seemed it was indeed because of that reason. Simple kisses were fine.

Having gained some assurance, he opened his eyes and met Qin Zhi's dark pupils staring straight at him.

\"You're not supposed to open your eyes when kissing.\" Su Duan stood steadily and repeated to Qin Zhi the words he had taught him before.

Qin Zhi lightly coughed and said in a low voice, \"I forgot. Next time I will definitely remember.\"

As if to hide some unusual emotion, he tidied his collar and said, \"We've been out for a while now. Duan Duan, let's head back. Otherwise, Big Brother will worry.\"

\"Wait a moment.\" Su Duan, having just confirmed his guess, indicated he had something to emphasize. He looked at Qin Zhi. \"You have to promise me one thing.\"

Qin Zhi paused and asked gently, \"What is it?\"

Su Duan said solemnly, \"From now on, you... can't do anything to me besides kissing.\"

Qin Zhi couldn't help frowning in confusion. Of course, he already regretted what he did just now. But he and Su Duan were both adult men. Sooner or later, they would reach that step.

Because Su Duan's body could endure for a few years, he was willing to do so, but this \"later\" was too broad in scope.

Qin Zhi actually couldn't quite understand. Su Duan clearly didn't reject his kisses, so why did he react so strongly to that kind of thing? Could it be that Su Duan had experienced something he didn't know about?

Seeing that Qin Zhi didn't answer immediately, Su Duan slightly pursed his lips, revealing a bit of uneasy dejection.

He also knew that his request was a bit excessive. Unlike plants that bloom on a schedule, humans are creatures that are in heat all year round. If Qin Zhi kept holding back, it would undoubtedly be very hard for him.

But if Qin Zhi did weird things to him, his healing value would rise, and the possibility of him leaving would increase. He didn't dare...didn't dare to gamble on this.

Just as Su Duan was so conflicted that his leaves were about to fall off, Qin Zhi suddenly stepped forward, gently touched his forehead, then rested against it and said in a very soft and gentle voice, \"I'll listen to Duan Duan. There's still a long time, we'll take it slow.\"

Su Duan blinked, made an \"en\" sound, and was led by him back to the villa.

Su Zheng probably didn't expect that Qin Zhi could find a hidden corner in the brightly lit garden to do bad things to his younger brother. Seeing that there were no marks on their faces or bodies, he didn't say much and politely told Qin Zhi to get lost.

Although Qin Zhi successfully stayed at the Su family to freeload a meal by relying on a surprise attack and thick skin, it was already late now. No matter how you look at it, Qin Zhi and the Su family's relationship was definitely not close enough for him to stay overnight, so Su Zheng didn't hold back in kicking him out.

......

Although very reluctant, the process of his younger brother gradually becoming someone else's was also unstoppable.

Especially after half a year passed, under his observation, Qin Zhi never showed anything that displeased him. When he promised not to touch Su Duan for a short period of time, he really kept his hands to himself properly. Of course, he also didn't do anything outside because he couldn't hold back.

How did Su Zheng know about this?

There was no need to hire a private detective or anything like that, because Qin Zhi still hadn't publicly taken control of Su Group and didn't go to work. He came to their house to freeload meals at the frequency of three times a day. When he wasn't there, he practically reported his location to Su Duan every minute. Although it was a bit annoying, it could also be considered another level of holding nothing back.

Men are all creatures driven by their lower halves. Su Zheng was of course very clear about this. It was indeed quite rare for Qin Zhi to be able to endure for the sake of his younger brother, not going beyond kissing at all.

He originally thought that even if Qin Zhi didn't do anything substantial, he would be unable to control himself and try to test the waters a bit. But who knew that Qin Zhi would actually hold back so forcefully and not touch at all.

However, in fact, his initial thought was correct. Qin Zhi had already been eyeing Su Duan for several years, and was at the most energetic age of 25 or 26. He finally brought the person he liked back to his den, how could he have such a noble awareness to not take a bite?

His body wasn't good so they couldn't go all the way, but rubbing against each other and helping each other out definitely wasn't a big problem.

If Su Duan was willing, he had countless ways to secretly have a taste while keeping it from Su Zheng. But the problem was that Su Duan seemed to be serious. Other than his mouth that could be kissed, he didn't allow Qin Zhi to touch anywhere else. Although his personality was dull, he was unusually vigilant about this kind of thing. Qin Zhi was so pent up that he was constantly irritated, but he didn't dare to do anything.

However, compared to the difficulty of relieving his physical needs, what he was actually more worried about was...whether Su Duan had some kind of psychological barrier towards that kind of thing?

He still needed to find a time to have a good talk with Su Zheng about Su Duan's psychological issues. He had consulted doctors, and the longer this kind of barrier was delayed, the harder it would be to overcome.

Who knew if it was a telepathic connection with the brother-in-law, but Su Zheng was also planning to talk to him.

He was still quite satisfied with Qin Zhi, although he was very reluctant to have his younger brother taken away by someone else. However, he also knew that according to Su Duan's personality of needing to be taken care of, Qin Zhi was the most suitable one. Therefore, Su Zheng planned to have a frank talk with Qin Zhi about his younger brother's past relationship with Qin Feng when he returned from abroad this time.

Qin Zhi planned to officially become the public leader of the Qin family in a month. By then, once he entered the social circle of City A, everything would naturally be brought up. So even if this matter might... no, it would definitely affect Qin Zhi's relationship with his younger brother, he couldn't let Qin Zhi learn about such an embarrassing thing from outsiders.

After Su Zheng went abroad, Qin Zhi still came to the Su residence three times a day as usual. After half a year, he occasionally gained the right to stay overnight at the Su residence—of course, he stayed in the guest room, separated from Su Duan by a staircase.

This day, after obtaining remote consent from Su Zheng, who was abroad, Qin Zhi came to the Su residence in the morning, planning to have lunch with Su Duan, take a nap together after lunch, then watch a movie in the home theater in the afternoon, and continue... sleeping on different floors after dinner in the evening.

Although the rooms were a bit far apart, it was still very feasible to go for a goodnight kiss before going to bed, Qin Zhi thought meticulously.

However, the first step of today's plan was disrupted by a phone call.

Frowning after listening to the rambling narration on the other end of the phone, Qin Zhi showed an apologetic expression to Su Duan: \"Sorry, Duan Duan, a friend of mine has encountered some trouble, and I need to go now.\"

\"I promise to come back before you wake up from your nap, okay?\" Qin Zhi added.

Although this reason sounded very much like an excuse for a scumbag to leave, Qin Zhi was actually telling the truth. The friend he mentioned was none other than the one who had been helping him manage the Qin family on the surface for so long. For some reason, he drank all night at a high-end club last night and was still in a daze in the early morning. When the person in charge of the club woke him up, he groggily reported Qin Zhi's phone number.

Qin Zhi had few friends and basically did not overlap with the rich circle in City A. This friend of his was also from an ordinary background and had struggled along with him all the way up. Qin Zhi actually couldn't figure out why this person would go to a place like a club?

And he went there alone.

In any case, he definitely had to go and safely bring the person out of the club.

Su Duan was very well-behaved and didn't ask him what was going on. He stuffed a cookie into his mouth and said earnestly, \"You go ahead. It's okay if you come back a little late. I won't watch the movie in advance. It's almost noon, so remember to find something to eat while you're out.\"

\"Alright, baby.\"

Qin Zhi swallowed the cookie in two bites and kissed Su Duan with his lips that still retained the cookie's sweet aroma. Then he grabbed the car keys and headed out.

Author's note:

Su Duan: (:з」∠*)→(:з」∠×)

Qin Zhi: ...... Watching my sex life gradually slip away (ΩДΩ)

Su Zheng: Although I don't know what happened, my mood suddenly got a little bit better ヽ(￣ω￣〃)ゝ

","published_time":"2024-12-11T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-11-20T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-12-11T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":1164,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":35,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 35","content":"

The traffic in A City has always been a mystery. Qin Zhi wanted to go fast but couldn't, stuck in the rolling traffic for nearly an hour before finally arriving at the club.

Following the service staff who were already waiting downstairs, Qin Zhi took the elevator to the 28th floor and found his friend with a swollen face due to a hangover.

Although his friend wasn't especially handsome, he usually stood out in a crowd with his good looks. But now, after a night of heavy drinking, not only was his silver-gray suit wrinkled, his hair was a greasy mess, and his eyes were swollen like two walnuts. Under the dim, ambiguous lighting, he looked like an unidentifiable object sprawled on the dark red sofa.

With a \"click\", Qin Zhi switched the lighting to normal mode. Seeing his friend's appearance clearly, he couldn't help but gasp. He had a slight germaphobia and had a reflexive aversion to such an eyesore.

Driven by the remaining bit of friendship, Qin Zhi reluctantly reached out his arm to help his drunk friend up. But before the person woke up, his mouth opened first and he vomited all over Qin Zhi.

Qin Zhi: \"...\" Okay, their friendship officially ended at this moment.

He let go, and his friend immediately fell back onto the sofa like a pickled radish.

Qin Zhi dejectedly took off his soiled jacket. Fortunately, he had dodged just now, so only the jacket was stained, and the clothes underneath were spared.

Looking at the jacket in his hands that was emitting a strange odor, Qin Zhi's brows furrowed so tightly a fly could be pinched to death. This jacket was personally picked out for him by Su Duan. Su Duan had the same style, and every time he wore it together with Su Duan, it would infuriate Su Zheng half to death. He had finally waited until Su Zheng went abroad for work to have a chance to wear it, but he was so unlucky that it got ruined...

Enduring the disgust, Qin Zhi used the tissues brought by the attendant to wipe off the filth on the surface. He sighed and decided to send it to the dry cleaners on the way home for a thorough cleaning.

He was carefully wiping his clothes when his friend suddenly squirmed on the sofa and groggily opened his eyes. Seeing it was him, he called out his name in a voice that was barely human, \"Qin... Qi... Zhi...\"

Qin Zhi: \"...\"

With his voice distorted like this, at least he didn't have to worry about his name being known by the people in the club. His current identity was still a secret. If it was leaked prematurely, it could cause some trouble.

His friend stared at him with eyes that could barely be seen for a few seconds, then suddenly let out a wail and started sobbing.

Qin Zhi's hand that was wiping his clothes hesitated. He remembered that he shouldn't have done anything too cruel to this friend. How could a grown man start crying for no reason?

Besides, the clothes the little one at home gave him were all messed up like this. If anyone should be angry, it should be him first, right?

The attendant who was handing tissues to Qin Zhi also froze. Watching this scene that seemed like an emotional entanglement between a scumbag and a pitiful person, he couldn't help but swallow nervously.

......

Through his friend's incoherent narration, Qin Zhi finally managed to understand the cause of today's events.

It was very cliché, extremely cliché, completely unsurprising, and still about those relationship matters.

To put it simply, it was a story of \"I love her, she doesn't love me but still wants to be with me to take my money to support other pretty boys\", a common plot in many melodramatic romance novels and TV shows.

\"Yun yun, hic, wuwuwu...\" His friend let out a final weak moan, then closed his eyes and fell asleep again.

Qin Zhi: \"...\"

Qin Zhi knew that his friend had a girlfriend he had been dating for nearly five years. Just the day before yesterday, he had heard his friend showing off their love in front of him. He didn't expect this to be the result.

But Qin Zhi actually didn't quite understand. Details don't lie. They had been together for five years, almost to the point of discussing marriage. How could there not be any awareness of whether the other person was sincere or not?

At least he was someone who could hold down Qin Group for more than half a year in his place, so he must have had the intelligence and skills. How could he be so stupid when it came to relationships?

Moreover, after discovering that he had been betrayed, his first reaction wasn't to go make trouble for that dog couple, but to curl up like an ostrich without any backbone and drown his sorrows alone. It was so cowardly that Qin Zhi wanted to beat him up to sober him up.

Qin Zhi silently complained in his heart. Of course, if he knew that this complaint would soon come true for himself, he would definitely feel heartache for his friend.

However, many surprises in life cannot be predicted. So after Qin Zhi finished his internal grumbling, he went over to confirm that his friend was just drunk and not in any life-threatening danger for the time being. He then gave the attendant a sizable tip and asked him to help clean up his friend a bit.

The attendant was a very clever and diligent young man. He immediately found a towel and wiped that face full of snot and tears clean. The soiled suit jacket was directly discarded. The shirt underneath was also stained, but it couldn't be taken off, so he could only make do with wiping it. The attendant finally found a piece of clothing that was probably his own and put it on the person. At least he looked much cleaner.

Qin Zhi helped put the clean jacket on his friend. Feeling that it was good enough, he let the attendant watch over him for a while as he went to the restroom to clean himself up.

Although he didn't get any more filth on him later, after all the fuss, he was covered in a foul smell. He at least needed to go wash his face.

This club was one of the top clubs in A City. The decor was luxurious, the cold, hard marble floors reflected light, and it looked very proper. It also protected the privacy of its guests well, so it had a good reputation in A City. Although it was said to provide some improper services, many people indeed chose to discuss business here.

His friend still had some intelligence, choosing a safe place to get drunk. If it were a place like a bar, he might have already been taken away by someone.

The water flowed through his fingers. Qin Zhi rolled up his sleeves and thoroughly lathered his hands and entire forearms with hand soap.

Suddenly, a faint conversation reached his ears.

\"Guess who I saw here last night?\"

\"Hmm? Who?\"

\"The head boss of the Qin family came alone, looking quite unhappy. I specially waited outside the door a few times and saw the waiters constantly sending in wine, who knew what was happening inside...\"

\"Hey, why do you care so much about other people's business?\"

Hearing the words \"Qin family\", Qin Zhi slowed down his hand washing, tilting his ears slightly to carefully listen to the conversation between the two people in the restroom.

\"At this juncture, who isn't keeping an eye on the Qin family... But speaking of which, this boss is just a puppet. The one really controlling the Qin family from behind the scenes is that illegitimate son named Qin Zhi.\"

\"Have you seen him?\"

\"How could that be possible? This illegitimate son of the Qin family is very mysterious. I tried to find information about him not long ago, but apart from a name, I couldn't even find a single photo. It's really strange.\"

\"Speaking of which, Qin Feng is really unlucky. He had already inherited half of the family business, yet he was still forcibly driven out by an illegitimate son.\"

\"Well, I don't sympathize with him one bit. Qin Feng is not a virtuous person. When my family just stumbled a bit, he was quicker than my rival company to kick me when I was down. To be honest, the day I found out Qin Feng was finished, I was so happy that I ate two extra bowls of rice, hehe.\"

That young man who seemed to have an old grudge against Qin Feng, as if getting into the mood as he spoke, began to tirelessly spread Qin Feng's dark secrets.

\"...The tide turns. Back then, Qin Feng lived such an extravagant life. He was bold and had means. On the surface, he was engaged to the eldest daughter of the Xie family, got married in a sweet and loving way, enjoying the support of the Xie family. But behind the scenes, he kept who knows how many mistresses, even young boys. For four years, not a single clue was discovered. His devoted image couldn't have been more solid. If it weren't for being taken down by that illegitimate son last time, he could have deceived the Xie family for a lifetime.\"

\"Miss Xie is also a formidable person. As soon as Qin Feng lost his shares in the Qin family, his newlywed little wife broke his legs, cleaned him out and threw him out. It couldn't have been more miserable, hahaha.\"

\"And... I heard Qin Feng even had his third leg broken. Who knows if it has fully recovered by now and whether he can still have those hundreds of rounds of battles with his mistresses?\"

\"...\"

\"Speaking of which, didn't Qin Feng go abroad? Is he thinking of making a comeback?\"

It was still the gossip circulating in the wealthy second generation circles. Although the protagonist was his own biological brother, Qin Zhi had no interest in these things. He indifferently glanced at himself in the mirror, rinsing off the foam on his arms. The fresh scent of the hand soap diluted the smell that had rubbed off on him from his good friend. He was barely satisfied with this effect.

But the next second, he heard his brother-in-law's name.

\"Come back my ass. If Qin Feng still has a brain, he should honestly stay abroad for the rest of his life. A City is full of his enemies. Not to mention our family's level, even the few big shots at the top don't think much of him. The Su family, you know, the one Su Zheng is from, right?\"

\"I know. Su Zheng is also formidable. He was in prison for more than half a year. Just as the Su family was about to fall into chaos, he came back and immediately brought the Su family to heel again. My family's old man found it incredible, saying that if he keeps up this momentum, the Su family will quickly return to the top three in A City.\"

The low-key Qin Zhi quietly washed his arms clean and splashed some water on his face.

\"The Su family also has an old grudge with Qin Feng. Come, let me tell you the inside story... This happened quite a while ago, so probably not many people specifically remember it.\"

\"It was probably around five or six years ago. The young master of the Su family was completely bewitched by Qin Feng, causing quite a stir. You know about that young master, right? He was born with an illness and had poor health to begin with. He fell seriously ill from the heartbreak over this matter. Madam Su cried until she fainted. The Su family also hated Qin Feng to death. If the eldest son of the Su family had been around when Qin Feng fell from power, he would have happily joined in stomping on him.\"

Qin Zhi's motion of splashing water on his face faltered for a moment. With his face full of water, he raised his head and looked at the mirror, at that face that undeniably still bore a resemblance to Qin Feng. His thoughts seemed to be pulled by someone on the other end, momentarily unable to think.

The water that hadn't been wiped dry flowed down along the contours of his features, sliding along the blue veins on his neck, dripping all the way down to his collar, creating a large patch of wet traces, vaguely outlining the robust muscles under his clothes.

Qin Zhi suddenly felt as if he had returned to that morning three years ago when he left the Su residence. That cold, hard iron gate of the Su family, with thorns and roses climbing on it, perhaps had never truly opened for him.

\"That young master was only fifteen or sixteen years old at the time. Because of his weak health, he was always cooped up at home. What did he know? If it wasn't Qin Feng deliberately seducing him, I'll twist my head off for you to use as a wine goblet...\"

\"Pff, forget it, forget it. I don't have such heavy tastes. Besides, you didn't even wash your hair last night...\"

The people inside were still talking intermittently. Qin Zhi didn't continue listening. He pulled some tissues from the side to wipe his hands and face dry, and with the scent of hand soap all over him, he turned and walked out of the restroom.

He returned to the private room, looking at his dead drunk friend, and suddenly let out a heavy sigh.

Qin Zhi dragged the person back to the apartment, called a doctor to prescribe medicine and give injections as needed, and finally managed to wake him up.

\"I'm sorry for troubling you today.\" His friend, who had finally sobered up, apologized to him weakly, \"You were originally at your boyfriend's place, right? Hurry back, don't keep him waiting too long.\"

Qin Zhi nodded and opened the plain congee that his assistant had just bought, pushing it in front of him, \"Eat a little.\"

His friend was very touched, \"I can't believe you didn't just kick me aside and go back to accompany your boyfriend, and even bought me food. Brothers are indeed reliable.\"

With that, he started slurping away, not showing any of the half-dead state from earlier.

Qin Zhi: \"...\"

Watching his friend eating the congee like a starving refugee, Qin Zhi calmly said, \"It's not like you did anything wrong. What's the point of secretly drinking yourself into a stupor alone? You're a CEO after all. Do what you need to do. Who are you putting on this self-tormenting show for here? Me?\"

His friend's motion of eating the congee paused. When he spoke again, his voice carried a hint of a choked sob, mumbling, \"Damn it, how can feelings and work... be the same? You yourself spoil your boyfriend like there's no tomorrow. Try using your work methods on him if you can. And you're lecturing me...\"

Qin Zhi: \"...\"

Feeling upset and confused, he found a few bottles of beer from his friend's fridge and chugged them down. Only after his mind was numbed by the alcohol did he feel a bit calmer.

However, after drinking, he was in no state to drive. Qin Zhi had no choice but to call his personal assistant to come pick him up from the apartment.

After the assistant called to say he had arrived, Qin Zhi said to his friend who had crawled back into bed to play dead: \"I'm leaving. I'll give you two days off to rest. Remember to go to work the day after tomorrow, counting today.\"

His friend's eyes suddenly opened wide and he said in anguish: \"Come on, don't you think you're being a bit stingy? I just went through a breakup and you're still treating me like this...\"

Qin Zhi glanced at him with unfathomable dark eyes, said nothing, turned and left decisively.

Watching his retreating figure, the friend thought in despair, couldn't Qin Zhi share just a tiny bit of the tenderness he shows his little boyfriend with him? He wasn't asking for much, just one percent would do!

......

Sitting in the back seat, Qin Zhi dialed a number and spoke softly for a moment, then leaned his head back and closed his eyes to rest.

His alcohol tolerance was actually quite good, but today he seemed to get drunk especially easily. After drinking just a few bottles of low-alcohol beer, he already felt dizzy. Qin Zhi closed his eyes and thought for a while, feeling like he had vaguely forgotten something, but no matter how hard he tried, he really couldn't remember what it was.

In the clubhouse, the waiter who had just finished lunch returned to the locker room and frowned in consternation at the coat he had retrieved from the private room.

Although with his eye, he couldn't tell the price of this coat, the gentleman's actions when wiping it earlier clearly showed cherishment, indicating it held extraordinary significance.

Just as he was about to leave the room, he unexpectedly discovered that this coat had been forgotten. If left unattended, it would quickly be thrown out by the cleaning auntie who came to tidy up, so he hurriedly picked it up.

But bringing it back was also worrying. The coat's owner had left early and he didn't have the person's phone number, so how could he return it?

......

Qin Zhi first went home and took a thorough shower, washing off the various strange smells on his body, before having his assistant take him to the Su residence.

It was 2:40 in the afternoon, and as expected, Su Duan was still taking his afternoon nap, his biological clock very punctual. The Su residence was very quiet. At this time, even the servants walked on tiptoe, afraid of waking the young master. No one objected to his appearance. Qin Zhi went upstairs and gently pushed open the door to Su Duan's bedroom.

Then with a click, he locked the door from the inside.

Qin Zhi walked to the bedside and quietly looked down at Su Duan sleeping on the bed.

The window was half closed, with only a small sliver of light shining through the gap onto the corner of the bed. Su Duan was lying on his side, body slightly curled up as he slept, half his face buried in the soft pillow, looking very obedient, as if he would whimper pitifully as soon as he was bullied.

Qin Zhi reached out his hand, using his palm to touch that tender cheek. The sensation against his palm was soft and slightly cool.

Su Duan had a cold constitution. When not sleeping together with him, no matter how thick the quilt, his body never held much warmth.

Perhaps accustomed to his touch, Su Duan only moved his head slightly, showing no signs of waking up at all.

Qin Zhi lowered his eyes. In the shadows cast by the curtains, a hint of darkness flickered in his eyes.

Some things, when too many people know about them, simply can't be covered up. As long as you grab hold of a tiny thread, the rest naturally unfolds before you.

On the way home, he had someone investigate. In just over an hour, by the time he finished showering, he had already received a definitive answer, even accompanied by a more detailed account.

However, Qin Zhi didn't finish listening to all those details before hanging up the phone.

Thinking back, how could there be such coincidences in the world? Three years ago, the Su family lacked a servant, and he, without any relevant experience, happened to be recommended by a not-so-close classmate. Just like that, he was muddleheadedly hired.

Qin Zhi remembered at that time, his resemblance to Qin Feng was much higher than now. Anyone who had seen Qin Feng would definitely do a double take upon seeing him, wondering if they recognized the wrong person. That's why Qin Feng despised him so much. Even though he posed no threat to Qin Feng at the time and never thought of fighting for the Qin family business, Qin Feng still forced him into a desperate situation, leaving him no choice but to become a servant.

When he met Su Duan back then, he only thought he had a stroke of good fortune amidst misfortune. But the investigation results just now felt like a cold slap to his face. Most of the coincidences in the world may have been deliberately orchestrated by someone.

When his little young master's eyes curved into crescent moons as he smiled at him, who was he really thinking of in his heart?

No wonder - no matter what, he refused to let him touch him.

Qin Zhi thought, at noon he was still mocking his friend for being foolish and unable to read people, but now it seemed he himself wasn't much better.

The slight tipsiness that had dissipated during his shower now inexplicably reared its head again, growing more intense and quickly eroding his reason.

He gasped for breath, releasing the hand covering Su Duan's cheek. Eyes half-closed, he forcefully pressed down on those pale lips.

With such a commotion, Su Duan, who was not sleeping very deeply to begin with, was quickly awakened. He opened his eyes in confusion amidst the familiar scent, only to see Qin Zhi's tightly furrowed brows and incessantly trembling eyelashes.

How strange, Qin Zhi seemed especially forceful today, as if wanting to devour him whole. Su Duan couldn't help feeling an instinctive unease in his heart and wanted to shrink back into his little quilt.

But kissing should be fine, and it kind of feels good this way too, Su Duan thought hazily.

However, Su Duan soon discovered that things were starting to go awry. Qin Zhi had clearly promised him last time that he wouldn't do weird things to him, but now he seemed to have completely forgotten about it -

Su Duan was so startled he shivered and completely woke up. Using all his strength, he pushed against Qin Zhi's chest, his blocked mouth also struggling to make \"mmph mmph\" noises.

Qin Zhi remained silent, his body as immovable as a cold, hard boulder, firmly restraining him. Su Duan pushed so hard his fingertips ached, but couldn't budge him an inch.

Although he hadn't heard the sound of his healing value increasing yet, based on his speculation, if Qin Zhi did new weird things to him, the healing value would definitely -

Feeling his flower being pinched, Su Duan completely panicked. Tears spilled from the corners of his eyes in his anxiety, but Qin Zhi was acting completely out of character today, utterly disregarding his opinion and resolutely letting himself go.

......

[Ding, the healing value of the healing target Qin Zhi has increased by 3 points. The total healing value of the target is currently 96. Host, please keep up the good work!]

\"Wuwu - hic...\"

Although his body was still trembling slightly, upon hearing the expected notification sound of the healing value increasing, Su Duan could no longer hold back. He fiercely bit Qin Zhi, and after being released, he let out a sorrowful hiccup.

Author's note:

Su Duan: No, no, no, it really can't go up any further! Σ(；д；|||)

Qin Zhi: Men are all big assholes! buying_drinks.jpg

","published_time":"2024-12-18T00:00:00.000Z","paid":false,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-11-27T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-12-18T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":1181,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":36,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 36","content":"

Three points, Qin Zhi had only rubbed some powder out of his flower, and hadn't even given him his powder yet, so how did it increase so much?

It was already as much as the previous two times combined!

Looking at the healing value that was only four points away from being full, Su Duan asked the system in disbelief.

The system explained: \"According to the system's data analysis of the healing value increases over the past few times, there is a positive correlation between the healing value and the intimate behavior between the host and the healing target, and the pattern of point increases conforms to the pattern of a second-order arithmetic sequence.\"

Suddenly, Su Duan's hiccuping motion paused: \"...\"

Su Duan asked in a low voice, \"What is a second-order arithmetic sequence?\"

How come he could understand every word, but when put together, they made him dizzy?

As a little spirit, his memory was actually very strong, but for some reason, ever since studying and homework appeared in his life, this rule was ruthlessly broken.

So Su Duan only vaguely remembered seeing this term in one of his textbooks, as for the specific content, he really had no impression at all.

The system stalled for three seconds and explained in the most easy-to-understand way: \"It means that each increase is a little more than the previous increase.\"

Su Duan calculated in his heart: \"One, two, three, four... so the next time it will increase by four points, ninety-six plus four.\" His voice paused for a moment, then asked tremblingly, \"- Full?\"

The system ruthlessly confirmed his speculation: \"According to the pattern, that's right.\"

Su Duan was stunned for a while, feeling that he could not face this reality. He asked blankly, \"System... how exactly do you calculate this healing value? Why does it increase when Qin Zhi does weird things to me, which doesn't seem to have anything to do with his illness?\"

The system said, \"Actually, it does.\"

\"Stockholm syndrome is an illness from being 'imprisoned', and in the original plot, the healing target also fell in love with 'Su Duan', but that kind of love appears because of the healing target's illness, it is a passive and abnormal state. Now that the healing target is beginning to actively love someone in a normal way, it indirectly offsets the possibility of illness.\" The system explained.

Su Duan seemed to understand, but also seemed to not understand, slowly saying, \"I see.\"

......

When he heard Su Duan's whimpering cries, Qin Zhi's bit of drunkenness, whether real or fake, sobered up a lot.

His body stiffened, his hand withdrew from under the covers, not daring to use this hand with criminal evidence to touch Su Duan, but afraid that he would run away, so he tightly grasped Su Duan's shoulder with his other hand, his body also only rising up a little, keeping him still confined.

Su Duan seemed to understand that his strength could not match Qin Zhi's, after struggling a few times, he no longer moved, lying there quietly like a dying fish.

When Su Duan cried, he was also very well-behaved, transparent tears quietly rolling down from the corners of his eyes, flowing down his fair cheeks, occasionally making a small sob, his nose slowly turning slightly red.

After crying for a while, not knowing what he thought of, he began to space out, and then slowly started hiccuping again.

Qin Zhi lowered his eyes to look at Su Duan's eyes, those eyes that were originally as clear and pure as obsidian, now lost their luster, like two inorganic glass beads, lifelessly inlaid there.

In the dim room shielded by the curtains, Qin Zhi lost his sense of time. He stared fixedly at the little young master in his arms, feeling half of his heart scorched by surging emotions and half soaked in ice water, almost being split into two.

A little person knocked on his head, muttering and saying, the little young master is so stupid, he doesn't even know how to lie, if he really doesn't like you, how could he not show any signs? Details don't lie, Su Duan's closeness and dependence on him, the soft light shining in his eyes when he looks at him, couldn't all be an act.

But another little person solemnly reminded him in his ear, have you forgotten today's cautionary tale from your good friend? Their five-year relationship is a full ten times the length of your interactions with Su Duan, and he still didn't notice anything before things were exposed?

Moreover... Qin Zhi's Adam's apple rolled. Because he suspected Su Duan had a psychological barrier to that kind of thing before, he had looked up a lot of psychology materials and happened to come across the term \"transference\" and had some understanding of it.

If a person has a particularly deep obsession with a past regretful relationship or person, then in their later life, they are very likely to seek fulfillment from another new relationship or person.

Especially when the two have overlapping characteristics, this phenomenon is even more likely to occur.

For example, his face that resembles Qin Feng's is a very typical overlapping characteristic.

Actually, when his subordinate gave him a reply, he didn't listen carefully to the details of what happened between Su Duan and Qin Feng, but the fragmented words that entered his ears were enough to prove how unreservedly the sixteen-year-old Su Duan liked someone at that time.

He could feel that Su Duan definitely had feelings for him, but whether those feelings originated because of him or were transplanted from someone else, he had no basis to explore.

The little people with opposing opinions in his mind fought, turning his brain into a pot of paste. Qin Zhi lost his usual calmness, all sorts of messy and even self-contradictory thoughts flashing through his mind.

In this unresolvable chaos, the only clear thought was that he could not let go of his little young master.

Dragged back to the den, he is his, and he will not let Su Duan leave again.

Qin Zhi's hand on Su Duan's shoulder trembled slightly.

Three years ago, Qin Feng stood in a high position and forced him into a desperate situation, easily grasping his mother's life in his hands. In order to gather the surgery fees that he didn't know would come in time or not, he did not hesitate to abandon his studies and dignity to become a servant. In the end, he still had to use his newly born love as an exchange to get enough surgery fees.

Three years later, their identities were reversed. Qin Feng had already become a drowning dog that anyone could step on, only daring to hide far away from him and live a frugal life abroad, but he could still easily snatch away his things.

When Qin Zhi drove Qin Feng out of the Qin family, he felt that he had finally won. From then on, Qin Feng could no longer bully and rob the people close to him at will. But until today, he realized that he was still living under Qin Feng's shadow and had never walked out of it.

Qin Zhi bit his teeth, the soreness of his gums making his throat taste bitter.

......

Feeling the hot liquid dripping onto his chin, Su Duan, who was still immersed in the sadness of his healing value rising by a full three points, was stunned for a moment. He hiccupped lightly and finally came back to his senses, blinking his eyes to look at Qin Zhi.

Qin Zhi was crying.

There was no expression on his face, his brows and eyes drooping very low, and wet tears fell along his eyelashes, slowly dripping onto Su Duan's cheeks and neck.

Su Duan had never seen him cry. In his impression, when Qin Zhi was unhappy, he would only furrow his brows deeply and occasionally sigh.

This was the first time he had seen Qin Zhi like this. Su Duan's mind began to stall. He wanted to reach out and wipe away Qin Zhi's tears, but his body was being suppressed. The tiny gap between their chests was not enough for him to lift his arms up. Moreover, as soon as he moved, Qin Zhi pressed him even tighter, so his arms were stuck there, neither up nor down.

\"Qin, Qin Zhi,\" Su Duan called out to him with the remnants of his crying voice, hiccupping as he called, \"Hic - wuwu, Zhi Zhi...\"

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhi's body suddenly stiffened. His pitch-black eyes lifted slightly, but before Su Duan could see the emotion in his eyes clearly, Qin Zhi buried his head in the crook of his neck, his whole body's muscles tense like cold, hard rocks, enveloping him and making it impossible to move.

Su Duan looked at the ceiling in confusion and panic.

There was the smell of alcohol in Qin Zhi's mouth. He had smelled it when they kissed just now, and it had made him a little dizzy. So he subconsciously thought that Qin Zhi had been drinking outside and was stimulated by the alcohol, unable to control himself. That's why he came back so fierce, as if he wanted to devour him. He didn't think of anything else.

They say drunk people are unreasonable.

After all, humans are animals that mate all year round. Qin Zhi had been holding back for so long, so he could barely understand if Qin Zhi couldn't help himself after getting drunk, although the rise in healing value made him very sad. But this wasn't Qin Zhi's fault in the first place.

Actually, he had stopped crying by the end, but he couldn't stop hiccupping, which made him look a bit miserable.

It wasn't until he saw Qin Zhi crying too that Su Duan finally realized that something seemed wrong. He was dumbfounded, being pressed down by Qin Zhi, staring at the ceiling for a while. Only when he felt the wetness on his neck becoming more and more obvious did he hurriedly ask the system, \"What's wrong with Qin Zhi? Why is he crying? Was he... bullied by someone outside?\"

The system said, \"Please wait, the system is conducting relevant tests.\"

The system asked, \"Testing completed, a suspected cause has been found. Does the host want to see the relevant playback?\"

Su Duan said, \"Yes, I want to see it, thank you.\"

The system pulled out a light screen and played back in front of Su Duan what Qin Zhi had heard in the hotel at noon, the gossip between the two rich second-generation heirs.

Su Duan watched quietly and said softly to the system, \"No, that's not it.\"

It's not like that. What's between him and Qin Zhi has nothing to do with Qin Feng. To be honest, except for those images in the original's memory, he hasn't even seen Qin Feng once in reality. His only impression of him is \"a bad guy who bullied Qin Zhi\".

The system said, \"Please remember that the host must conform to your own character settings and must never reveal that you are a task participant.\"

Su Duan said softly, \"I know. But can I say I don't like Qin Feng?\"

The system said, \"The host can say you don't like him now. What the original did cannot be changed. Forcibly denying it may lead to the collapse of the character setting. But fortunately, humans are fickle creatures, so it's very normal for the host to have a change of heart later.\"

Su Duan sighed, \"Okay then.\"

Feeling his arm going numb, Su Duan couldn't help but start to struggle. His arm was still squeezed between the two of them and couldn't move at all. After a while, he felt uncomfortable.

Qin Zhi felt that he seemed to want to struggle, so he vigilantly pressed him down a bit tighter. Su Duan felt like a turtle being crushed by a giant rock, and his little turtle shell was about to be crushed.

Su Duan, who was almost out of breath, \"...Hic.\" Even his hiccups were not smooth, and they slowly stopped on their own.

\"Zhi Zhi, my arm hurts.\" Su Duan said softly.

As if he had lost his language function, only then did Qin Zhi have a little reaction. He reached out and fished Su Duan's arm out from under him, rubbing his stiff veins.

The numb and sore feeling spread with the rubbing, and Su Duan whimpered uncomfortably a couple of times.

Qin Zhi's eyelashes were still wet, sticking together in strands and drooping down. His black pupils were filled with emotions that Su Duan couldn't understand, and his face was still expressionless and taut.

Su Duan looked up at Qin Zhi's eyes, and Qin Zhi's sluggish gaze crossed with his, then quickly moved away.

If one day he found out that Qin Zhi had liked someone who looked a lot like him a long time ago, he would definitely be very sad too. Su Duan imagined that situation and felt like the leaves on his head were about to explode. He wanted to hit someone.

Su Duan looked for a while, then used his other hand that hadn't gone numb to touch Qin Zhi's eyelashes. His fingertips quickly became wet. Qin Zhi closed his eyes from his touch, and when he opened them again, he said to him in a low voice, \"Sorry.\"

His voice was hoarse with an undeniable roughness, like an injured giant beast unable to even lick its wounds.

After saying that, Qin Zhi continued to silently rub Su Duan's arm, turning his originally numb arm warm.

Su Duan immediately said softly, \"I forgive you.\"

He moved his hand from Qin Zhi's eyelashes and covered Qin Zhi's still damp cheek with his palm. But his hand was much smaller than Qin Zhi's, and Qin Zhi's face was also larger than his. Of course, he couldn't easily cover half of his cheek like Qin Zhi could.

Su Duan spread his slender fingers, trying to cover as much area as possible with his palm.

With his cheek covered by a slightly cool palm, Qin Zhi seemed to not have expected to be actively touched after doing something excessive. His movements stopped, and his jet-black eyes turned to stare fixedly at the boy beneath him.

Su Duan thought for a moment and said, \"You're not happy.\"

Without waiting for Qin Zhi to answer, he asked, \"Were you bullied outside?\"

His thoughts still somewhat empty, after a long while, Qin Zhi lightly hmmed in response.

The other arm that had been rubbed had already regained normal sensation. Su Duan took the opportunity while Qin Zhi was not moving to pull it out, and pressed his other hand on Qin Zhi's face, cupping Qin Zhi's entire face. Although his voice was small, it was very forceful as he said, \"Who bullied you? Tell me, I'll go - uh, I'll go ask my brother to bully them back for you.\"

Qin Zhi looked at him and shook his head very slightly, saying, \"No need, I already bullied them back.\"

His young man not only didn't get angry with him, but quickly turned around to comfort him. Qin Zhi didn't expect things to develop this way at all.

Looking at the tear stains left on Su Duan's face from his bullying just now and the glimmer of starlight in his eyes, a sense of panic suddenly uncontrollably spread in Qin Zhi's heart.

After the impulse mixed with the effects of alcohol subsided, he belatedly realized that even if Su Duan had lied to him, treating him as a substitute for Qin Feng, an emotional container, he had never hurt him, whether it was three years ago or three years later. The warmth and tolerance his young master had given him were rare in his life.

He was the one who did something wrong first, violating the agreement between the two of them and forcibly touching Su Duan -

Realizing this point, Qin Zhi hurriedly stretched out the hand he had not moved, grasping the back of Su Duan's hand covering his cheek, and pressed it hard against his own face before feeling a little sense of truly holding the person in his hand.

Su Duan's hand was actually a little sore from his pinching, but it wasn't a big problem. He looked into Qin Zhi's eyes, and although he couldn't quite understand the messy emotions entangled in them, he felt his own heart tighten up as well.

Qin Zhi looked so sad now. If he withdrew his hand at this time, Qin Zhi might continue crying, Su Duan thought. He felt that as a spirit who had lived for thousands of years, he should show more responsibility at this time.

In a situation where his body could hardly move, he laboriously raised his head from the pillow, pecked the corner of Qin Zhi's lips, and after falling back, he said seriously, \"Kissing you, don't be sad.\"

Apart from this kind of comforting method, Su Duan couldn't think of any good ways for the time being.

Qin Zhi held his hand even tighter, his Adam's apple trembling, and said in a shaky voice, \"Okay, I won't be sad anymore.\"

The two stared at each other for a while. Just as Su Duan was pondering whether to try to raise his head and kiss Qin Zhi again, Qin Zhi suddenly spoke.

\"Young Master.\" Qin Zhi called out a title that Su Duan hadn't heard for a long time. He paused for more than ten seconds, waiting until Su Duan began urging him with his eyes, before asking in a very soft voice, \"Do you like me?\"

Su Duan blinked and said without hesitation, \"I like you.\"

Qin Zhi turned his head, kissed his palm hard, and asked again, \"Do you love me?\"

This time Su Duan didn't answer immediately. Love seemed to be a very complicated matter. With his current level of understanding of human emotions, he still couldn't comprehend what this word actually represented, let alone talk about whether he loved or not.

Seeing that he didn't answer for a long time, the light in Qin Zhi's eyes began to dim. Su Duan hesitated for a moment, but still honestly said, \"I have never loved anyone, I don't know.\"

\"But I only like you. No, that's not right, I also like my brother, but you two are different.\" Su Duan said softly.

The light in Qin Zhi's eyes gradually brightened again. He was like a person who had walked in the desert for a long time, firmly grasping his lost and found water bag. \"Then it's agreed, apart from your brother, you're only allowed to like me.\"

Su Duan said, \"Mm.\"

Qin Zhi repeatedly kissed his palm, forehead, cheeks and lips, like a still somewhat doubtful and uneasy beast, wanting to leave marks and scent on his prey.

After kissing for a while, Qin Zhi suddenly said, \"Duan Duan, call me.\"

\"Qin Zhi?\"

Qin Zhi corrected him, \"Call me Zhi Zhi.\"

\"...Zhi Zhi.\"

\"Duan Duan.\"

......

The two played the seemingly boring game of \"you call me and I call you\" until half an hour past nap time. The somewhat anxious butler knocked on the door and asked if something had happened. Only then did Su Duan clear his throat and reply that he had just woken up and would get up in a while, telling him not to worry about him.

There was still a hint of hoarseness in his voice, which matched well with the claim of just waking up. The butler didn't suspect anything and said okay, quickly leaving from the front of the door.

Qin Zhi got up from the bed, still pinching his wrist, and said in a low voice, \"Want to take a bath? You're sweating.\"

Su Duan had been covered by him for so long that his body had been completely warmed up by him. He saw fine beads of sweat adorning Su Duan's neck.

Su Duan nodded and asked, \"Are you washing too?\"

Qin Zhi said, \"I'll wash after you're done.\" He hadn't fully calmed down yet and was a little afraid to touch Su Duan.

Su Duan made two \"mm\" sounds and pulled his wrist out of Qin Zhi's hand, preparing to get out of bed to take a bath.

Not right.

Just as he was about to lift the quilt, Su Duan moved his right hand closer to himself.

There was something on it, it seemed to be - his pollen?

It was originally on Qin Zhi's hand, but Qin Zhi held his hand, so it got on his hand.

Su Duan, who remembered what had just happened, froze for a moment, and then a heat spread from his neck to his cheeks, making his whole person dizzy.

Come to think of it, this was the first time he had seen his own pollen. So this is what it looks like.

Su Duan got closer and sniffed, unable to say what the smell was, anyway it seemed to be an unpleasant smell.

Sigh, it seemed that his flower smelled a bit strange. He didn't know if the flowers that would bloom when he turned back into a herb would have this kind of smell.

Seeing his movements, Qin Zhi's body also froze strangely. How did he forget about this just now, holding Su Duan for so long with that hand that hadn't been wiped clean.

His breathing became rapid. Qin Zhi clasped Su Duan's wrist with his other clean hand in a futile attempt to cover up, half-hugging him from the bed all the way to the bathroom door, opening the door for him, \"Go wash quickly.\"

Su Duan looked at him blankly, \"But I haven't taken a towel and clothes to change into yet.\"

Qin Zhi pushed him into the bathroom, bent down and kissed his flushed cheek, and said in a low voice, \"I'll hand them to you in a moment. Don't catch a cold, go wash up.\"

Author's note:

Su Duan: Raises hand o(^▽^)┛

Qin Zhi: Stares——Licks.

","published_time":"2024-12-04T00:00:00.000Z","paid":true,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-12-04T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2024-12-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":1198,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":37,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 37","content":"

Since Qin Zhi had said so, Su Duan could only obediently go take a shower. He took one last look at his pollen, feeling a bit strange as he washed it all away.

After cleaning up, Su Duan called out. Qin Zhi opened the bathroom door a crack and passed in a towel and change of clothes.

Su Duan had no sense of wariness. He ran over barefoot and unguarded to get them. Although Qin Zhi knew he should avert his eyes for safety's sake, Su Duan's water-soaked skin seemed to stick to his gaze, making it impossible to look away. He even forgot to loosen his grip.

Su Duan tugged on the other end of the towel he was holding. Finding he couldn't pull it free, he asked the increasingly craning Qin Zhi in puzzlement, \"Why aren't you giving it to me?\"

Only then did Qin Zhi seem to startle awake. He coughed a couple times and released his death grip on the towel. \"Be good and go dry off. Be careful not to slip.\"

Su Duan nodded. \"Mm-hmm.\" Actually, after slipping that first time showering, he had never slipped in the bathroom again.

Just as Qin Zhi was about to close the bathroom door, the corner of his eye suddenly caught something amiss.

He opened the door again. After frowning for a few seconds, he stepped forward and turned Su Duan by the shoulders to look.

There were some glaring red marks on Su Duan's body, interspersed with a few small patches of bruised fingerprints.

The young master had been raised pampered. Even when his parents passed away and his older brother was imprisoned, the family butler had still taken care of his every need. He had never suffered any hardships in life. So his skin was not only dazzlingly white, but also so tender it seemed it would break with a pinch.

A level of force that might only leave white marks for a few seconds on an ordinary person would turn into eye-catching red marks on Su Duan. If the force was a bit heavier, it would leave even more serious bruising.

The corners of Qin Zhi's mouth tightened. These marks were obviously freshly made. As for the culprit, that went without saying.

Seeing the small but glaring marks on Su Duan's body, the flirtatious thoughts from earlier seemed to be doused with a basin of cold water. Qin Zhi's Adam's apple bobbed. Afraid of hurting him again, he loosened the hands gripping Su Duan's shoulders.

Every time he thought the mistakes he had made were outrageous enough, reality would give him new punishments.

Su Duan was still hugging the towel cluelessly, looking completely unaware of what had happened. He asked, \"What's wrong? Did I not rinse off all the foam on my body?\"

Qin Zhi touched one of the red marks and asked, \"Does it hurt?\"

After asking, he felt it was all pointless words meant to comfort himself. With how delicate Su Duan was, how could it not hurt?

Su Duan shook his head and said softly, \"It doesn't hurt.\" Actually, when the hot water hit them earlier, it was a bit uncomfortable. But if he didn't touch them, he couldn't really feel anything. If Qin Zhi hadn't brought it up, he would have almost forgotten about it.

Qin Zhi apologized to him again in a low voice. He bent down and kissed Su Duan's misty cheek, then took the towel from his hands. Using the gentlest force, he dried the water from Su Duan's body and roughly toweled his hair half-dry. He didn't put the clothes he had brought on Su Duan, but directly wrapped him in the towel and took him out.

Su Duan held the towel wrapped around his head with both hands and asked Qin Zhi for his clothes. \"My clothes... I'm not wearing them?\"

Qin Zhi said, \"Mm, after blow-drying your hair in a bit, I'll put some medicine on you before you get dressed.\"

The bedroom heating had been turned on. Wrapped in a small towel, Su Duan wasn't cold at all. After Qin Zhi blow-dried his hair into a soft fluff, he found some blood-activating and stasis-dissolving medicinal oil from the medicine kit. He warmed it in his hands before massaging it onto the marks.

Su Duan whimpered as Qin Zhi rubbed him. The medicinal oil was very cooling. Rubbed on the slightly sore bruises, it stimulated him so much he couldn't help wanting to escape. But he was immediately pressed back by Qin Zhi.

\"Bear with it a bit longer, Duan Duan.\" Qin Zhi kissed the top of his head. \"It'll be fine once it's worked in.\"

Su Duan: \"...Okay.\"

However, although Qin Zhi coaxed him sweetly, his hands didn't stop at all. Su Duan was rubbed until tears glistened in the corners of his eyes and the whole herb wilted listlessly.

After applying the medicine, Qin Zhi didn't put on the clothes he had prepared earlier. Instead, he found a set of soft pure cotton pajamas, making sure they wouldn't chafe the injuries on Su Duan's body at all.

Su Duan was pressed to sit on the edge of the bed. Like a child with no self-care ability, he was attended to and dressed by someone else. Feeling very embarrassed, he reached out and tugged on the pajamas in Qin Zhi's hands, saying softly, \"I can put them on myself.\"

Ever since Qin Zhi had left the Su family, because he wasn't used to having a completely unfamiliar servant attend him closely, he had started learning to dress himself. It had been a long time since he let anyone help him.

Qin Zhi pried open his slender fingers and held them in his hand. His jet-black eyes gazed at Su Duan intently. \"I want to help the young master dress one more time, okay?\"

Su Duan blanked for a moment and curled his fingers. \"Um, I already said you don't need to call me Young Master anymore.\"

Qin Zhi bent down and kissed his forehead, then deliberately provoked him by whispering in his ear.

Scorching breath blew into his ear with the exhale. The tips of Su Duan's ears instantly flushed pink. When Qin Zhi moved his head away, he touched his ear and found it hot.

......

By the time Su Duan was finally dressed, it was almost 5pm. It was spring, so the sky darkened relatively quickly. The sunlight outside the window had already turned very gentle.

Su Duan ate dinner in his own bedroom that night.

Although he felt that other than his body feeling a bit chilly after the medicinal oil was applied, nothing was wrong, Qin Zhi was as nervous as if he had fractured his whole body. He wouldn't even let Su Duan go downstairs.

And he could never win against Qin Zhi, so he could only obediently stay put in his room and wait to eat.

When the butler helped bring up the meal, he saw that Su Duan had already changed into pajamas so early and asked what had happened.

Su Duan said he was feeling a tiny bit unwell.

The butler smelled the medicinal fragrance filling the room. Frowning, he rolled up Su Duan's sleeve and saw a bruise on his arm. His eyes grew a bit heavy as he asked, \"Young Master, what happened to your body? Are there injuries anywhere else?\"

Su Duan said softly, pretending to be honest, \"I bumped it while showering, just a little. Qin Zhi already massaged it for me.\" The butler silently lifted Su Duan's clothes and examined his body, confirming that the injuries weren't severe and had been properly treated. He didn't pursue the matter further.

Su Duan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He was a terrible liar, and if the butler had questioned him further, he might have gotten stuck.

Fortunately, the butler didn't seem to suspect anything.

However, as soon as he walked out the door, the butler's face darkened. With his vast life experience, his eyes were exceptionally sharp. The bruise on Su Duan's arm couldn't possibly have been from a bump - it was clearly a fingerprint left by someone gripping forcefully.

When the butler went downstairs, Qin Zhi was still helping Su Duan make juice. The crushed fruit kept spinning in the juicer as the tall young man rolled up his sleeves, carefully observing the process.

The butler approached him and politely said, \"You are a guest. Please let me handle this.\"

Qin Zhi was equally polite. \"There's no need to be so formal. I'm just making Duan Duan a glass of juice.\"

But the butler insisted, \"Our young master has always been spoiled since childhood and is picky about his drinks. I'm more familiar with his tastes, so please allow me.\"

Although his words were courteous, his tone was cold, and his cloudy eyes held a piercing chill.

The butler had practically watched Su Duan grow up and doted on him like his own child. He listened to Su Duan even more than Su Zheng. As long as Su Duan was willing to be with Qin Zhi, he wouldn't interfere much.

However, Qin Zhi had now caused harm to Su Duan. Although the butler understood Su Duan's physique and knew the bruises only looked frightening but weren't serious, his life experience told him that if it happened once, it would quickly happen again and again.

If this continued, it would eventually spiral out of control.

Yet the young master clearly didn't realize the gravity of the situation and was even covering for Qin Zhi.

So he had no choice but to warn Qin Zhi.

Qin Zhi met his gaze and didn't respond until the juicer automatically stopped with a \"beep\". Then he said softly, \"It won't happen again. I promise.\"

......

Su Zheng returned to China three days later.

By then, the bruises on Su Duan's body hadn't faded yet, and Qin Zhi still had to regularly apply medicinal alcohol, leaving a strong scent that was impossible to hide. However, the perpetually single President Su was far less perceptive than the butler. Hearing Su Duan's explanation, he actually believed the marks were from bumping into things in the bathroom.

Seeing how carefully Qin Zhi cared for Su Duan, he felt quite satisfied.

Now that he was back, Su Zheng planned to have a talk with Qin Zhi as scheduled to properly discuss Qin Feng's situation.

He prepared a whole host of reasonable arguments and was even ready to hold his breath and reason with Qin Zhi if he became angry.

After all, they had concealed the truth first, and Su Duan was already in too deep. If the two broke up over this now, his brother would definitely be heartbroken.

If Su Duan fell seriously ill like last time with Qin Feng, Su Zheng felt he really couldn't bear it.

To his surprise, after listening to him, Qin Zhi showed none of the negative emotions he anticipated. He just nodded calmly, his voice steady. \"I understand.\"

Su Zheng: \"...\" He's this rational? All the persuasive arguments he prepared hadn't even been used yet.

He imagined if he encountered this situation himself, his first feeling would definitely be the sting of a green hat. Forget staying calm - not beating someone up on the spot would be a man's last shred of reason.

How could Qin Zhi be so magnanimous?

Or perhaps - this person was especially good at enduring, appearing calm on the surface while his heart might already be twisted with rage.

Su Zheng frowned, leaning towards the possibility that Qin Zhi was hiding his emotions too deeply.

So Su Zheng didn't dare let his guard down. He still meticulously broke down all the explanations he had prepared and went over them with Qin Zhi, trying to make it clear that \"although my brother once liked your brother, he definitely loves you now, so don't worry.\"

\"If Duan Duan still had feelings for Qin Feng, with how badly you hurt Qin Feng, he wouldn't be able to get close to you. He doesn't have that kind of scheming heart. You should understand this yourself.\" Su Zheng brought out the reasoning Su Duan had used to convince him before.

Qin Zhi's eyes flickered with complex emotions from time to time, but he listened calmly from start to finish. When Su Zheng finished talking until his mouth was dry, Qin Zhi even thoughtfully poured him a glass of water.

Su Zheng: \"...\"

He stared at the glass for a few seconds, then tilted his head back and drained it dry. Frowning at Qin Zhi, he said, \"If you feel uncomfortable or have any doubts, you can speak frankly or go talk to Duan Duan. You don't have to act so magnanimous.\"

President Su, known for his tough and domineering methods in A City's business circles, swore that aside from family, this was the first time he had been so patient with someone.

Qin Zhi still smiled with a good attitude. \"Big Brother, you don't need to worry so much. Of course I can feel whether Duan Duan likes me or not.\"

Su Zheng felt conflicted. \"...It's very surprising that you can remain rational.\"

Hearing Qin Zhi call him \"Big Brother\" in this situation, for the first time he felt the term wasn't so annoying.

Qin Zhi lowered his eyes and said softly, \"Rest assured, Big Brother. No matter what, I will never hurt Duan Duan.\"

It was unclear whether he was promising Su Zheng or himself.

......

Soon after, Qin Zhi also went abroad on business.

Of course, business was just a front. The real purpose of his trip was to meet someone.

His biological elder brother, Qin Feng.

Although the two had clashed several times, strictly speaking, Qin Zhi had never exchanged more than a few words face-to-face with Qin Feng, and they had rarely even met.

When Qin Zhi first graduated, as a penniless, powerless, and unfavored illegitimate son, he wasn't worth Qin Feng personally dealing with. Qin Feng simply had to give orders and a bunch of people would tirelessly create obstacles for him.

Later, when Qin Zhi fought Qin Feng for Qin Group, he didn't confront him directly either, but hid in the shadows, slowly eroding Qin Feng's power bit by bit.

Until Qin Feng was driven out of the Qin family and fled abroad in a sorry state, he had never directly faced Qin Feng.

He had always thought he didn't want to see Qin Feng out of extreme disgust, but after losing control last time, he suddenly realized there was probably also an element of avoidance.

The root of his avoidance of Qin Feng was likely the fear from when his mother was dragged to the brink of death back then.

Having just graduated from a top university in the country with the hottest major and grades far ahead of his class that year, he actually didn't have any grand ambitions for the future at the time, just wanting to quickly work and save up money for his mother's medical treatment.

It was such an ordinary wish that didn't harm anyone, yet because his brother whom he had never met looked too similar, before he could even take the first step, it was ruthlessly crushed.

The feeling of his only close relative's life being in someone else's hands ultimately left an indelible shadow in his heart.

Even later when he became powerful and could easily trample those who had bullied him under his feet, he still couldn't get over that hurdle in the end.

When he found out back then that Su Duan had liked Qin Feng and directly lost control, violating their agreement to touch Su Duan, although the feeling of betrayal did play a part, at the root of it was that the name \"Qin Feng\" itself was a scar he didn't dare touch.

He subconsciously feared that the person who had nearly taken his mother away from him would once again snatch away his lover too.

......

After getting off the plane, Qin Zhi didn't rush to inspect the policies and environment here according to his work plan. Instead, he changed into casual clothes, slightly concealed his appearance, and drove to a bar in the neighboring city.

It was an ordinary small bar found everywhere, with an area under 100 square meters, an environment so mediocre it was even a bit dirty and messy. The prices were low too, and those who came here were basically all poor folks without much money.

Qin Feng had fled the country in a sorry state to seek asylum. He didn't have much money to begin with, let alone that he had found people to trip Qin Feng up at every turn, just like how Qin Feng had done to him back then. So Qin Feng's life became more and more destitute, and he could only come to this kind of bar to drown his sorrows.

But he was a bit kinder than Qin Feng and didn't drive him to complete ruin. Instead, when the other party was at a dead end, he tossed him a bit of hope so he could continue eking out a living.

According to the report from his informant monitoring Qin Feng abroad, Qin Feng was in this bar right now.

Frowning as he approached this bar that looked quite unclean, then holding his breath to endure the stench of stale alcohol mixed with all sorts of strange odors inside, Qin Zhi painstakingly searched for Qin Feng's figure among them.

There weren't many people in the bar, just seven or eight, but each one was dead drunk, snoring loudly in the corners of the bar in various contorted postures.

Many had their faces hidden, so to confirm which one was Qin Feng, Qin Zhi had no choice but to turn each person over one by one to take a look.

The bar's security was nowhere to be seen, and the waitstaff paid no heed to his actions rummaging through the patrons.

In fact, after he entered the bar, the listless waitstaff only asked him \"Sir, would you like a drink?\" Upon receiving a negative reply, they continued leaning against the bar counter spacing out disinterestedly.

It seemed this bar didn't guarantee the safety of its customers, Qin Zhi thought.

When he flipped over the fourth person, Qin Zhi, who was dizzy and nauseous from the fumes and about to throw up at any moment, couldn't help but search his soul and ask why he had to come to this hellhole to see Qin Feng today.

Fortunately, life still had a shred of mercy for him. The fourth person under his hands was the target of this trip.

Honestly, at first glance, Qin Zhi couldn't recognize this was Qin Feng at all.

He had fallen too far. His hair had grown long enough to cover his face but hadn't been cut, and was greasy too. Although his features hadn't changed much, his skin had darkened and roughened a lot. His eyes were filled with decadence, and his entire bearing was completely different from before. It was only natural Qin Zhi didn't recognize him at first glance.

If not for the fact that the man's face was clearly East Asian, and he scrutinized him a couple more times, perhaps he would have left disappointed today.

On this person who seemed like a vagrant, he couldn't see a hint of the ambitious Qin family heir from back then.

Qin Zhi closed his eyes for a moment, feeling like something that had been weighing on him had left his heart.

Originally, he had only come to see Qin Feng with the intention of giving it a try, wanting to overcome that hurdle in his heart. But after seeing the person, he discovered things seemed much simpler than he imagined.

After all, no matter when, strength was the most convincing thing.

Compared to his current self, Qin Feng was just an ant he could easily crush.

Qin Zhi released Qin Feng's collar, letting the back of his head hit the ground with a thud, then took out a wet wipe and carefully cleaned the unknown liquid from his hands.

Qin Feng groaned from the impact and cursed, blearily opening his eyes. Seeing the person in front of him, he started swearing: \"Fuck... who the hell hit me? ...I'll - hic - find someone to kill you.\"

Qin Zhi stood up from the ground, ignoring Qin Feng's threat that he couldn't carry out anyway. With a cold expression, he lifted his foot and prepared to leave.

He didn't want to waste any more time here. He had to quickly finish his work and return to accompany his little boyfriend. What was Su Duan doing right now? Once he returned to the hotel and thoroughly washed off the filth from this place, he would video call Su Duan first.

He missed him.

However, Qin Feng inappropriately hugged his calf, eyes wide: \"No... you are? Why do you look so much like me? You're...\"

Qin Zhi thought I'm way more handsome than you, don't get familiar with me. Then he mercilessly kicked the man away and strode out of this bar permeated with foul odors.

Taking a deep breath of the fresh air outside, he felt reborn, in every sense of the word.

\"...Qin Zhi.\" Lying on the ground and watching that tall, unyielding back that loose casual clothes couldn't conceal, Qin Feng murmured a name.

......

At the Su family home, Su Duan, who didn't have his boyfriend to keep him company, was making milk cookie biscuits with his brother when an electronic voice suddenly sounded in his mind:

[Ding, the healing value for the healing target Qin Zhi has increased by 4 points. The total healing value for the target is currently 100. Congratulations to the host for perfectly completing the mission!]

With a splat, the dough that Su Duan had just kneaded fell from his hands onto the ground.

Author's note:

Qin Zhi: Satisfied ︿(￣︶￣)︿

Su Duan: Wait, what did you do behind my back Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

Milk Cookie: But what did I do wrong o(T^T)o

","published_time":"2024-12-11T00:00:00.000Z","paid":true,"show_flag":true,"show_scheduled_time":"2024-12-11T00:00:00.000Z","unpaid_scheduled_time":"2025-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"},{"content_id":1220,"novel_id":12,"chapter_no":38,"chapter_title":"Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 38","content":"

The flattened dough fell out of the tin foil and plopped onto the floor in a messy heap.

Su Zheng turned his head to look at him, \"What's wrong?\"

Su Duan stood there with his hands held dumbly in front of his chest, like a little mouse that had dropped its sunflower seed and didn't know to go pick it up, looking confused and pitiful.

Su Zheng stuffed the dough he had just flattened into his younger brother's hands, used his fingertip to rub the tip of Su Duan's nose, leaving a small trace of white flour, and called out again: \"Duan Duan?\"

Su Duan blinked, looking at the oddly shaped spiral of yellow dough that his brother had flattened and placed in his hands. He pursed his lips slightly, \"Mm, brother.\"

In his heart he said: \"System, I didn't go anywhere, right?\"

The system said: \"It appears so, host.\"

Su Zheng bent down and used a tissue to pick up the dough Su Duan had dropped and threw it away. He asked: \"What were you spacing out about just now?\"

Su Duan shook his head, \"It's nothing.\" I can't tell you, brother.

\"Sigh, even if you don't say it your brother knows. After Qin Zhi left you've been spacing out every day,\" Su Zheng sighed gloomily and said: \"Baby, can't you spare a glance for your empty-nested older brother?\"

Su Duan raised his head and said very obediently: \"I'm looking.\"

However, having his request fulfilled did not make Su Zheng happy. He questioned: \"Wait a minute, you're not going to refute it?\"

Su Duan: \"Uh...\"

Su Zheng: \"......\"

Although the person who usually fought with him over his younger brother wasn't here, President Su still did not feel the joy of having his younger brother all to himself today. He felt awful.

The time Qin Zhi spent abroad was even shorter than the last time Su Zheng went overseas. He only went for three days before hurrying back, so fast it made one suspect he had only gone abroad to take a glance at the scenery.

After returning to China, Qin Zhi began preparing to appear in public. As the holder of over 50% of Qin Group's shares, it was impossible for him to always remain behind the scenes.

So, the legendary new owner of the Qin family who had lucked out as an illegitimate child finally showed his face at a Qin Group board meeting half a year after the change in ownership.

With this appearance, the mood of Qin Group's shareholders became somewhat complicated.

This new boss was clearly of the Qin family stock, because he looked so much like the former head of the Qin family that their features seemed carved from the same mold. Naturally, he also bore an undeniable resemblance to the ousted Qin Feng. Although he appeared much more reserved and steady than Qin Feng, it still made people think of the connection at first glance.

At the board meeting, the shareholders looked at the new boss who was clearly the biological brother of the old boss. They glanced at each other, expressions a bit indescribably subtle.

Of course, the Qin family relationships were a mess to begin with. Moreover, over half of Qin Group's shares were already in his hands. In fact, Qin Zhi alone could decide everything about Qin Group. Most of the directors, aside from muttering a bit in their hearts, did not dare to tactlessly oppose Qin Zhi.

The wise are the true elites. Who cares who is chairman as long as they get their dividends.

And the facts proved that this new boss was far more capable than Qin Feng. Although Qin Feng also had talent, he was too impetuous with excessive sharpness. He had achieved brilliant results but also caused Qin Group to suffer no small losses.

Qin Zhi was different. Although he was technically even younger than Qin Feng, who knows how he had cultivated himself to appear reserved and steady. In reality, he was even more scheming than these old foxes. At least after the change in leadership, Qin Group had yet to show any signs of decline.

A few directors were unwilling to give up and planned to test Qin Zhi's abilities. But who knew, before they could even start, they each suffered misfortunes. After one director's shares were acquired by Qin Zhi, they all quieted down like chickens, not daring to make a peep.

This new boss was even tougher than the former head of the Qin family when he was in charge.

As Qin Zhi officially entered A City's business social circles, all sorts of bits of gossip began to spread silently through the community.

His identity as an illegitimate child, his youthful experiences, his grudges with Qin Feng, along with Qin Feng's previous romantic scandals... Everything was dug up like pulling radishes.

And these rumors reached a fever pitch after he attended a banquet hosted by the Su family arm in arm with Su Duan, clearly a couple in the throes of passionate love.

They had an impression of Su Duan - the sickly little young master of the Su family. Apparently he had some congenital deficiency or something. Anyway, he always stayed at home and rarely came out. But those who had heard of him said he wasn't bad looking and hadn't wasted his parents' genes at all.

Although it had been five or six years since the little young master Su had wanted to die for Qin Feng, which was indeed a bit long ago, the memory of the gossip crowd was endless. Even if they couldn't remember the details clearly, they could reasonably fill in the blanks. As long as someone mentioned it a little, the whole story from back then would come out.

Qin Feng and Qin Zhi not only looked alike, but even had the exact same taste in people?

Who knows what Su Duan was thinking in his heart. Although Qin Zhi indeed looked like his past love and shared half his bloodline, making him a flawless stand-in, did he not see what Qin Zhi had done to Qin Feng? How could he still be lovey-dovey with him without reservations?

Could it be he had really let go?

But if he had truly let go, why find a lover who looked so much like Qin Feng?

And Su Duan's only relative, the current head of the Su family Su Zheng, who knows what he was thinking. He actually turned a blind eye to this matter. Could it be that seeing Qin Zhi's success, he wanted to cozy up to him?

But based on Su Zheng's domineering personality and the Su family's current status, he shouldn't stoop to selling out his younger brother, right?

Could it be that half a year in prison had changed his temperament?

Of course, the most perplexing part of this whole affair was still Qin Group's new boss Qin Zhi. It was understandable if he didn't know about his boyfriend and biological brother's past before. After all, so much time had passed, who would bother to inform him if they had nothing better to do? But now that the matter had been dug up again and was spreading like wildfire in A City, it would be unreasonable for him to still not know.

If he knew, shouldn't he feel that he was being made a cuckold?

But Qin Zhi could act as if nothing had happened. The cooperation between Qin Group and Su Group continued to deepen bit by bit. And rumor had it that even now, there was still a photo of Su Duan in his office that had never been taken down.

Su Zheng still went to the Qin family's place from time to time, staying in Qin Zhi's office for the whole day. The two of them seemed completely unaffected.

As for the other key figure, Qin Feng? He was still in some unknown corner abroad, impossible to find.

...It was truly strange.

Seeing how calm the main characters were to the point of being a bit eerie, the gossiping crowd fell into contemplation one by one, hugging their \"melons\".

But in fact, some of the main characters were not as calm as they appeared on the surface.

For example, regarding the speculation that he sold out his younger brother, President Su was very angry.

How could people say such things? If he hadn't conveniently helped Qin Zhi back then, who knows in which corner Qin Zhi would be playing in the mud now, let alone openly competing with him for his younger brother?

He was so angry that he didn't pay attention while drinking coffee, gulping down a big mouthful of scalding hot coffee, nearly making him, a domineering president, tear up.

Su Zheng nervously asked him to stick out his tongue for a look. President Su felt embarrassed to lose face like this in front of his younger brother, mumbling and refusing to stick out his tongue for inspection. As a result, his younger brother forcefully poured a big glass of cold water into his mouth and checked him over, only letting go after confirming there were no major issues.

Su Zheng: \"...\"

Actually, in terms of strength alone, Su Duan was no match for him at all. But the problem was, faced with his slender-limbed younger brother, he didn't dare resist from the start.

After pouring the water, Su Zheng asked him, \"Does it still hurt, big brother?\"

Su Zheng calmly wiped the water from the corner of his mouth and said, \"Not anymore.\"

Su Zheng cleverly retorted, \"Big brother is lying.\" According to the information provided by the system, even if treated promptly, a scalded tongue would hurt for a long time.

After a moment of silence, Su Zheng lowered his noble head befitting a CEO and said, \"...Just a little bit.\"

Su Zheng advised him, \"Have the doctor take a look when you get home, otherwise it will hurt when eating dinner too.\"

Su Zheng said, \"Okay.\"

Su Zheng then lay back down on the office sofa to play. He didn't spend much time at home now, his main activity changing from photosynthesizing at home to visiting the company, going to Su Group one day and Qin Group the next, very regularly.

Glancing at his younger brother lying on the sofa, hugging his phone with a faint smile, Su Zheng pouted, accidentally pulling on his injured tongue and nearly hissing out loud.

He didn't need to guess to know who his younger brother was chatting with. Su Duan didn't have much of a social circle, and there were only him and Qin Zhi in his chat software. With him sitting right across from Su Zheng, it went without saying who Su Duan was currently chatting with.

Thinking of Qin Zhi's shameless pink piggy avatar that he had accidentally glimpsed, he was so angry he wanted to roll his eyes in an undignified manner. What the pig and cabbage were hinting at, anyone could see at a glance.

How could this person set such a shameless avatar?

Angry, but helpless. He had already accepted this brother-in-law, and there was no return service.

Time passed by neither fast nor slow. The enthusiasm of the gossiping crowd came and went quickly. With no reaction from the main characters, they soon turned their interest to other topics.

Qin Zhi and Su Duan got engaged and quickly got married. The same-sex marriage law in this world was very well-developed, with same-sex couples having the same right to enter the marriage hall as heterosexual couples.

The wedding venue was chosen on a small vacation island. On the wedding day, the weather was very sunny, with layers of curly blue in the sky. The cyan seawater, carrying seaweed, lingered back and forth on the beach, like a devout believer prostrating and offering kisses at the feet of their god's throne.

The guests who came were all very close, relatives and a small portion of close business partners. There weren't many people, but it was held very warmly.

After exchanging rings, Su Duan very actively raised his little head for Qin Zhi to kiss. Qin Zhi held his waist and kissed him for a full three minutes. Laughter erupted from the audience below, making President Su, who was beside them, so anxious he was almost unable to sit still in his seat as if he had hemorrhoids, before Qin Zhi released Su Duan, whose cheeks were flushed from being kissed.

President Su looked at his younger brother on stage, wearing a pure white suit that made him look even cleaner and more delicate than usual. While feeling gratified that his younger brother had finally completed a major life event, he also felt a sense of emptiness in his heart. His eyes turned sour and he quickly raised his head to look at the sky.

What was the saying... the mentality of an old father marrying off his daughter?

Qin Zhi's mother, who was sitting beside him, spoke to him, \"Mr. Su.\"

Qin Zhi's mother had a very gentle appearance, but her face appeared a bit weathered due to the trials of life. She was also gentle, not at all like a mother and son with his sinister and cunning son-in-law.

Su Zheng quickly responded, \"Auntie, just call me by my name.\"

Qin Zhi's mother gently said okay, and continued gently, \"Duan Duan is a very well-behaved child. When he smiles at me, it feels like my heart is about to melt. If our Zhi Zhi dares to mistreat him in the future, I will definitely break his legs first.\"

As parents, most of them definitely like to hear their children being praised. Of course, the successful President Su was no exception in this regard.

He said a few words of modesty, then reciprocated, \"Zhi Zhi is also very good.\"

Su Zheng: \"...\"

Su Zheng: ???

What did he just call Qin Zhi?

Thinking of the scary nickname that Qin Zhi's mother had just led him astray with, Su Zheng's vision went dark. He couldn't help but reach out and rub his arms, feeling that he had successfully murdered all the goosebumps on his body today.

......

Although there weren't a large number of guests to entertain, going through a set of wedding procedures was still very tiring.

Qin Zhi was fine, his physical fitness was good and he didn't feel anything. But Su Duan was not okay. Although his health had improved a lot in the past few years, he was still a bit lacking compared to ordinary people. Towards the end, it was almost Qin Zhi half-holding, half-hugging him to complete the steps.

When they could finally return to the bridal room, Su Duan was already so tired he was almost asleep, his entire body hanging in Qin Zhi's arms like a soft noodle.

Qin Zhi helped him take off his suit and nibbled on his cheek, \"Baby.\"

Su Duan struggled to open his eyes a crack and asked in a daze, \"What is it...\"

Qin Zhi asked, \"Hold on for a bit, let's take a bath before sleeping.\"

Su Duan said with his eyes closed, \"Okay... mm...\"

Qin Zhi cleaned both himself and Su Duan, then carried him into the bathroom.

Su Duan was really tired. After being carried into the bathtub together, Su Duan rested his head on Qin Zhi's shoulder and contentedly started snoring softly.

Afraid that the person might slip into the water while sleeping, Qin Zhi could only support Su Duan's shoulders with one hand while cleaning him with the other. It was an arduous bath.

What was even more torturous was that during this process, it was inevitable to have certain thoughts develop.

Looking at his little boyfriend who had already been upgraded to his lover, Qin Zhi's Adam's apple bobbed as he began to shamelessly do bad things...

Su Duan finally woke up in the end, staring blankly at the flower pollen scattered in the bathtub by him and Qin Zhi.

After his healing value was full, he no longer restricted Qin Zhi from touching him. It was just that his brother didn't allow them to pollinate before marriage, so he and Qin Zhi hadn't pollinated until now.

However, besides pollination, it seemed they had done everything else that could be done.

He didn't know if the first pollination would really be as painful as described in the information.

Spacing out slightly, Su Duan moved a little on Qin Zhi's scorching chest, then felt a slight sting on his legs. His delicate brows furrowed as he called out, \"Zhi Zhi...\"

Qin Zhi kissed his sweaty forehead from behind and asked, \"What's wrong?\"

Su Duan said softly, \"The water is dirty.\"

\"Then let's go out and rinse off.\"

After saying that, Qin Zhi scooped him up. With the motion of getting up, water flowed down from their bodies with a splash, much of it spilling out of the bathtub.

Using the shower head for a final rinse, Qin Zhi brought the thoroughly cleaned Su Duan out of the bathroom.

As soon as Su Duan touched the soft bed, he began to rapidly doze off again, hugging Qin Zhi's arm to sleep.

Although he really wanted to thoroughly make Su Duan his own, now that they had publicly sealed the deal, waiting another day or two didn't matter.

His little lover was truly exhausted today.

So Qin Zhi exchanged a long kiss with Su Duan before holding him in his arms and saying, \"Sleep, good night.\"

\"Good night, Zhi Zhi,\" Su Duan said softly.

After saying that, he moved around to find a comfortable position in his embrace and quietly fell asleep.

......

The next morning, Qin Zhi got up very early. Su Duan in his arms was still sound asleep. Wanting to let Su Duan sleep a bit longer, he carefully let go of him after kissing his soft hair a couple of times.

Suddenly losing the familiar embrace, Su Duan was clearly a bit unsettled and squirmed a little.

Qin Zhi pulled over the soft piggy hug pillow from the corner of the bed and stuffed it into his arms. Only then did Su Duan quiet down again while hugging the pillow.

After getting up to wash, Qin Zhi ate a simple breakfast and then went to diligently pick flowers in the island's garden. It was the peak of the flower season now, and the island's flowers were blooming brilliantly, shyly unfurling in the morning light.

Qin Zhi cut a full basket of flowers and brought them back, spreading them on his and Su Duan's wedding bed. He had chosen flower branches without thorns and trimmed the cut ends very smoothly. Even if Su Duan accidentally pressed against them, there was no need to worry about getting scratched.

Although he knew doing this was very childish, seeing his delicate and soft lover surrounded by the vibrantly blooming flowers he had personally picked, Qin Zhi still felt his heart swell with a strange sense of satisfaction.

Thinking of Su Duan's dazed look upon waking up and finding himself surrounded by a bed full of flowers, Qin Zhi laughed softly. He propped himself up on the bed with both hands, leaned over the bed of flowers to gently kiss Su Duan, and only then went out to take care of business.

This small island was not only a place for holding their wedding, but also the first stop of their honeymoon. So after the wedding ended, the guests would gradually leave one after another. Only he and Su Duan would stay here. After spending enough time on the small island, they would then go to other places according to their itinerary.

The sun gradually rose, its light reflecting off the seawater in a shimmering glow, like countless gold shards scattered by a deity across the mortal world.

The guests gradually woke up. After having breakfast, they bid farewell to Qin Zhi and slowly sailed away from here on yachts.

Su Zheng stayed a bit longer. He had his own private plane to use, so theoretically he could leave anytime.

But Su Zheng didn't plan to stay too long. Although he was very reluctant, the fact was that his little brother had grown up, gotten married, and now had his own independent and private life. The areas where he could intervene in the future would become fewer and fewer.

He stayed behind just to have a few last words with Qin Zhi.

Su Zheng asked, \"Is Duan Duan still sleeping?\"

Qin Zhi nodded. \"He was so sleepy as soon as we got to the room that he couldn't keep his eyes open. He was too tired from the wedding during the day.\"

Su Zheng pondered thoughtfully, \"Mm.\" From the sound of it, Qin Zhi meant that nothing seemed to have happened last night?

After a moment, he lightly coughed and said with lingering concern, \"You... be careful, there are doctors on the island.\"

Qin Zhi also paused for a moment before saying in a low voice, \"Don't worry, Big Brother.\"

Su Zheng: \"...\" His brother-in-law's words sounded strange, how could he not worry about this kind of thing? Sigh.

\"Alright then.\" Su Zheng reached out to pat his shoulder, only to find that because Qin Zhi was a bit taller than him, he had to lift his hand a little to reach, making him feel very conflicted.

Su Zheng tried to act nonchalant and said, \"I'll get going first then. Your next stop is C Country, right? Let me know when you arrive.\"

Qin Zhi said, \"Okay, I'll see brother-in-law to the plane.\"

......

Finally, everyone including his brother-in-law had been sent off. Qin Zhi slowly exhaled.

Glancing at his wristwatch, it was 10:50 AM. They had actually gone to bed quite early last night. Calculating the time, nearly twelve hours had passed. Su Duan should be waking up too.

Even if Su Duan was still sleepy, he couldn't let his little lover continue sleeping. Su Duan's biological clock was too precise. Sleeping too much would still make him uncomfortable.

So Qin Zhi made up his mind that even if Su Duan acted spoiled with him and was unwilling to get up, he had to steel his heart and wake him.

After having the kitchen prepare Su Duan's breakfast, Qin Zhi gently pushed open the bedroom door.

Golden sunlight poured in wantonly through the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows, filling the entire room with a sense of vibrant liveliness. The fragrance of flowers had already spread, and Qin Zhi's nose was filled with a scent so rich it was nearly sweet.

Su Duan was still asleep, hugging the pink and white piggy, maintaining the slightly curled up posture from before he left.

His back was to the sunlight, his slightly curled lashes casting a small shadow on his face.

Qin Zhi walked to the bedside, his itchy hand caressing Su Duan's lashes. He also brushed aside the soft black hair on his forehead and called out, \"Duan Duan, time to get up.\"

Su Duan continued sleeping, completely ignoring him.

Qin Zhi muttered \"little pig\" and went to pinch his ear tips, pinching them until they turned slightly red.

Still no response.

Qin Zhi furrowed his brows slightly. Could he really be sleeping this deeply?

He hesitated for a few seconds, then went to pinch Su Duan's nose tip and touch his mouth. Su Duan still didn't give him any reaction.

He tried all the methods of waking him up, but the person lying on the bed still didn't open his eyes.

Author's note:

Su Duan: Suffocated by the d*cks all over the bed (:з」∠)

Qin Zhi: ......emotions gradually going out of control.jpg

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I Won't Treat This Patient

I Won't Treat This Patient

Chapter 38 - Young Master of a Wealthy Family × Substitute Servant 38

Fishsticks