Xie Yu stayed in the psychiatric hospital for more than two months.

During this period, his emotions were stable, and he never engaged in any self-harming behavior again. Xu Qingshan observed carefully and concluded that Xie Yu shouldn't have any major issues, but there was a minor problem.

—He would smile into the void for no reason.

This kind of smiling was irregular. Sometimes it was in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, and the duration was also irregular, sometimes lasting an hour, sometimes half an hour. When Xu Qingshan first stumbled upon this, he almost rushed in to inject Xie Yu with a tranquilizer. However, after observation, Xie Yu was just smiling. When you spoke to him, he was clear-headed and logically normal, without any other abnormalities.

To be fair, Young Master Xie was good-looking, and his smile was sunny and cheerful. Except for the fact that him staring and smiling at the corner of the wall was a bit creepy, everything else was very pleasing to the eye.

Xu Qingshan pondered for a moment and wrote on the medical record: "Suspected visual or auditory hallucinations caused by mental disorder, no other obvious symptoms."

He sighed softly and shared this discovery with Shen Ci, who had come to visit.

Shen Ci paused for a moment and didn't speak. He watched as Xu Qingshan tapped his fountain pen on the desk, hesitating for a moment. "Mr. Shen, you don't need to worry. We are a professional psychiatric hospital and will provide the best treatment. The other issue is..."

"Do you need a diagnosis as well?" Xu Qingshan pushed his glasses up and smiled. "I mean no ill will, it's just that your obsessive-compulsive disorder seems to have gotten quite severe too."

In the ward, Xie Yu and the System were happily picking a movie.

"What are we watching today? Action again?"

"...Is there anything else? I'm getting a little tired of it."

"Comedy?"

Although there was a TV in the ward, it was an old desktop model with a screen size of only 22 inches, not even as big as Xie Yu's computer. The screen quality was poor, the picture was blurry, and the sound was grating. How could it compare to the System directly broadcasting it in his mind, with a 75-inch large screen and lossless sound quality that was so much more thrilling?

They had already finished watching nine Fast & Furious movies and six Transformers movies. They were sick and tired of watching explosions and recently planned to switch to comedies.

The System picked Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Xie Yu lay on the bed watching, the corners of his mouth turning up, occasionally telling a cold joke to the System, completely unaware that in the notes Xu Qingshan made for him, his medical condition was no longer optimistic.

This ward was a single VIP room. Thanks to his donation five years ago, the interior decor had been completely renovated, the mattress had been changed, and someone cooked meals for him every day. Although he had to get a shot every day, with the System around, these medications wouldn't have any effect. Xie Yu was so happy he didn't want to leave. He lived a comfortable and cozy life; the only thing missing was some popcorn.

During the breaks in the movie, he took some time to argue with the System about the score.

At this point in the plot, Xie Yu's part was basically over, just needing a little wrap-up work, and the score was practically set in stone. The System reasoned with him: "There are problems with some parts of the plot, especially after returning to China. You didn't say a lot of your lines, but we've gone through all the major plot points. You were dragged out of the gathering... Uh, although it wasn't Shen Ci who dragged you, and you didn't look like a dead dog, you were still dragged out after all."

"Your finger, it was broken. Even though it wasn't Shen Ci who broke it, and only one was broken, not ten, but it was still broken."

"The psychiatric hospital, mm, this point is the most accurate, you stayed in it... There is also a restraint strap plotline that you haven't completed." The System patted its non-existent fingers. "Let me see, your comprehensive score is 59.75. You're just a little bit short."

The restraint strap plotline referred to when Shen Ci came to visit him, he would be lying on the bed tied with restraint straps, his heart like dead ashes and his face hollow, to show the miserable end of the villain.

So Xie Yu shamelessly went to Xu Qingshan to ask for restraint straps.

As a doctor with medical ethics, Xu Qingshan naturally wouldn't casually use restraint straps on patients. After all, this thing wasn't comfortable. He pushed up his glasses, scrutinized Xie Yu from head to toe, and frowned, "Your condition is quite stable, why do you need restraint straps?"

'Of course it's because of that unlucky 0.25%,' Xie Yu thought to himself, but facing Xu Qingshan, he still silently said sorry, and then said aloud, "I have violent impulses when I sleep."

Xu Qingshan's eyes instantly became serious. He gazed at Xie Yu solemnly: "Can you specifically describe your feelings at the time?"

Xie Yu: "...Uh."

High school was a long time ago, and Xie Yu's memory of bipolar disorder had long faded. He relied on his sparse remaining memories to make something up: "I have visual hallucinations. I always feel like there are other people in the room."

Xu Qingshan's fountain pen paused, drawing a long straight line on the medical record.

It matched.

He quietly increased the dosage of the medication.

And that very night, Xie Yu got the restraint straps as he wished.

This thing was a bit like a seatbelt, four fingers wide, tying up the four limbs to restrict movement. In order to prevent the patient from struggling blindly, they were often tied very tightly, which affected blood circulation. After a long time, the limbs would become numb and sore; it was not comfortable at all.

'All for that 0.25%,' Xie Yu thought.

Shen Ci was very busy with work now, and for some unknown reason, he always visited in the dead of night. He never appeared when Xie Yu was awake, as if it was a taboo for him to be discovered.

Xu Qingshan more or less guessed the awkward relationship between the two. He also believed that this beautiful young man wouldn't hurt his nephew, so after opening the door and letting Shen Ci in, he left him alone.

Shen Ci sat down at the head of Xie Yu's bed.

His gaze swept over the four restraint straps. He sat quietly for a long time, and only after a while did he tentatively reach out his hand and rest it on the marks left by the straps.

He gently rubbed them.

Xie Yu silently sighed.

Shen Ci thought he came very late and that he was already asleep. But Xie Yu slept every day now, and his physical activity during the day was limited, so he was exceptionally awake at night. If he wasn't chatting with the System, he was watching a movie. Every time Shen Ci came, he was wide awake.

The other party came under the cover of night and left under the cover of night. He only sat for ten to twenty minutes each time, looking hurried. Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital was quite far from the city, taking more than half an hour to drive. Going back and forth like this, Xie Yu couldn't help but worry that Shen Ci would be overly exhausted and get dark circles under his eyes.

It would truly be a pity for such a beautiful person to get dark circles.

As the number of visits increased, even someone as dense as Xie Yu felt something was wrong.

Why was Shen Ci doing this?

Five years ago, they met by chance. Although he didn't cause any actual harm, Xie Yu admitted that his attitude had been terrible, and he had even said some very idiotic second-generation rich kid things. After returning to China later on, even if Shen Ci didn't hate him to the bone, based on the plot completion, he shouldn't be so... caring.

He lay on the bed, thinking silently. The System was still blasting the movie. Today it was a comedy, and it was watching happily, trying to find Xie Yu to discuss the plot, when suddenly there was a ding in the background, and a notification popped up.

"50% plot completion achieved."

At this, both the System and Xie Yu froze.

After a brief lag, the System let out a long sigh of relief.

Although it was its first time guiding a host, based on the experience of its seniors, Xie Yu's level of difficulty could definitely rank in the top three. He looked lackadaisical and careless, but he was more stubborn than anyone else in his bones. Once he set his mind on something, he refused to take a single wrong step, so much so that the plot became a total mess with no order whatsoever.

Fortunately, the dust had now settled, and this mission was finally successfully completed.

The System poked its host, its tone excited: "Host, it's a success! You can go home!"

When Xie Yu initially signed the contract with it, the condition was that upon reaching 50% completion, Xie Yu could return to his world.

Xie Yu, however, was slightly stunned and didn't speak for a long time.

He had agreed to do tasks for the System because he had died inexplicably in his previous life. Not long after his mental illness was completely cured, and just after escaping the gloom cast by his father, he suddenly died. He was very unwilling, which was why he agreed.

But truthfully speaking, he was used to coming and going alone. In his previous life, he really didn't have anyone he cared about.

Later, when he arrived here and followed the plot, he also had the mindset of a casual bystander. He didn't put much heart into it and didn't put in much effort. His meeting with Zhou Yang was a chance encounter; he and Xie Yuanshan and He Zhiyuan mutually disliked each other; he didn't care at all about Xie Yuanhai; as for Shen Ci... it was hard to say.

He knew the predetermined ending early on, making even the process seem dull. The only thing that could be considered his own independent choice was reading a bit more during his study abroad. That school had a tight curriculum and high graduation difficulty. He actually lived quite a fulfilling life and enjoyed a university experience he had never imagined having in his previous life.

Besides that, there was nothing else worth praising.

But now that he had finally reached the ending, he felt a little lost.

Xie Yu closed his eyes: "If I choose to leave, what will happen here?"

The System froze for a moment: "Uh..."

It thought for a bit: "In the plot, 'Xie Yu' hasn't died yet. After you leave, I will create a replica of 'Xie Yu's' body and let him temporarily fall into a coma. Of course, there are still some brief, scattered plot points later on, namely Shen Ci coming to the psychiatric hospital to visit 'Xie Yu.' You can come back and act them out then."

The original owner was an unimportant supporting character in the novel. The ending only had a few sentences, and he wouldn't need to come back many times. It would have almost no impact on Xie Yu's life in his own world.

Xie Yu didn't speak.

The restraint straps bound his limbs; the only thing he could move was his neck. He slightly turned his face and looked at Shen Ci by the window.

Shen Ci had stood up at some point and was facing away from him, looking out the window, not knowing what he was thinking about. The curtains in the ward weren't drawn. A bright moon hung high in the sky, and the moonlight shining down made things look somewhat lonely.

If this body fell into an unconscious coma from now on, Shen Ci would probably still come to see him. Perhaps once every few days, once every few months, or once every few years. But no matter what, every time he came to visit, he would probably be sad.

Xie Yu sighed softly and said, "Let's not go back for now."

The System didn't understand what he was thinking. He had gone through so much hardship to achieve the goal, yet he wasn't going back immediately. Still, it nodded blankly: "Okay."

With the plot completed and no more System restrictions, in Xu Qingshan's eyes, Xie Yu was getting better day by day.

Other than that one night, he never asked for restraint straps again. Although he still spaced out facing the corner of the wall, he no longer showed that creepy smile.

...Actually, it was because they had finished watching all the good comedies, and the System and Xie Yu had switched to watching drama films.

Shen Ci still came to visit him from time to time. Xie Yu took his medicine and watched movies as usual. Everything was peaceful and uneventful. However, Xie Yuanhai, who hadn't contacted Xie Yu for a long time, suddenly called and invited him to attend the Xie family's banquet. At that time, a group of shareholders and Jiang City celebrities would attend, and they would also discuss the issue of equity transfer.

This call was novel. When Xie Yuanhai's deep bass voice came from the phone, Xie Yu even thought he had called the wrong person. He covered the receiver and asked the System, "When did this plotline exist?"

The System shrugged: "The plot has already ended. Anything is possible going forward."

They analyzed it briefly. It was possible that by this point in the original plot, all of Xie Yu's contact methods had been controlled by Shen Ci. The original owner had inherited part of his father's equity and should have had a place at the shareholder meeting. Although the equity would soon be manipulated away by Xie Yuanhai's schemes, Xie Yu had rushed through the plot, so this part of the content hadn't happened yet. Now, inviting him to attend and taking the opportunity to coerce and bribe him into signing a transfer contract was quite reasonable.

The System: "Host, are you going?"

Xie Yu: "Let's go. I'm idle with nothing to do anyway."

The cashed-out equity would be a large sum of money. At that time, whether he used it to upgrade hospital facilities for Xu Qingshan or just donated it to a charity organization, it would be better than being stuck with it when the Xie family's stock price plummeted after Xie Yuanhai got into trouble.

His condition was stable now, and it wasn't impossible for him to leave. It was just that Xu Qingshan wanted to keep him for a couple more days of observation, which was why he hadn't been discharged from the hospital.

On the day of the banquet, he borrowed Xu Qingshan's dilapidated Santana. He rummaged around and found that the suit at the bottom of his trunk hadn't been taken care of for a long time and was horribly wrinkled. So, he simply threw on some casual clothes and drove there.

The banquet was held in a high-end hotel. The parking lot was full of luxury cars: Bentleys, Mercedes-Benzes, Maseratis. Xie Yu hit the brakes, and the Santana wobbled its way into the group of luxury cars, stopping with a clatter. He himself was relaxed and content, but he scared the directing security guard half to death.

—"Mother of God, a highly skilled person is truly bold. If he scraped one, wouldn't he go bankrupt paying for it?"

Xie Yu's mission was complete, and he could leave whenever he wanted, so why would he care about this? He pulled out the keys and went upstairs, completely ignoring the security guard's strange look, and asked, "I'm going to the W Hotel, could you tell me which way to the elevator?"

Following the directions, he found his way to the entrance of the banquet hall. From afar, he saw the greeters. Xie Yuanhai's biological son, Xie Yi, was welcoming guests at the door. He was wearing a handmade custom suit, with a Swiss luxury watch on his wrist, looking in high spirits. Now that Xie Yuanhai had taken over the company, he was considered the first in line to inherit; it could be said that he was riding the crest of success.

The original owner wasn't familiar with this cousin, and Xie Yu didn't even recognize him at all. He had purely come to get the money and freeload a meal along the way. He had no interest whatsoever in who took over the company. He nodded in greeting and walked inside.

Xie Yi, however, was taken aback and blurted out, "You're dressed like this?"

Everyone present was a notable figure in Jiang City. The ladies were all uniformly in high heels and evening gowns, and the gentlemen in shirts, ties, and tailcoats. Xie Yu was shuffling around in sports shoes, his entire outfit not exceeding three hundred yuan.

Xie Yu waved his hand: "I'm down and out, it's not like the old days."

......

Xie Yi looked at him with a strange expression.

He knew this cousin Xie Yu. He had a bad temper and hated being overshadowed by others more than anything. Now he was so shabby, which was practically a complete disgrace, yet he didn't have any reaction?

Someone bumped into him: "What are you looking at?"

Xie Yi withdrew his gaze: "My cousin, he's a bit odd."

The man picked up his wine glass: "Want me to test him out for you?"

Xie Yu strolled in leisurely and found a seat on the edge. Everyone present was socializing, and no one paid attention to him. The announcement regarding the equity was placed at the end of the banquet, so he could only wait for now.

While drinking champagne, Xie Yu asked the System: "Will Shen Ci come?"

It was strange to say; they stayed in the same room every few nights, yet they hadn't seen each other for a long time. After taking his medicine, Xie Yu would dutifully pretend to sleep, while Shen Ci would sit without a word and then leave, let alone speak. It got to the point where if Xie Yu wanted to strike up a conversation with him, he had to find an occasion like a banquet.

The System: "This concerns a major change in equity, there is an 87% probability that he will come."

It asked curiously: "If you meet, what are you going to say to him? Say goodbye?"

Xie Yu's movement of swirling his wine glass paused slightly. Then he smiled and said vaguely, "Perhaps."

But the moment he thought of this kind of ending, his heart suddenly contracted and throbbed, turning into an unspeakable, hidden pain.