Shen Yuqing let out a sigh of relief as he sat in the car. He had been hiding outside for quite some time, originally intending to make sure Song Wangzhuo left safely. Unexpectedly, the man went back inside carrying something.
Shen Yuqing couldn’t figure out what he was up to. Just as he was hesitating whether to follow him inside, he saw Song Wangzhuo rushing out with the same items in hand.
It seemed nothing was wrong after all.
Only then did Shen Yuqing feel at ease and prepare to leave.
After all that back-and-forth, his drowsiness had completely vanished. Gazing at the scenery receding outside the car window, he asked, What did he call me for earlier?
No idea. The system, now relieved that the male lead had emerged unscathed, added, But Host, since you were already there, why didn’t you just meet him?
Why hide?
Shen Yuqing replied, What’s the point of meeting him? Besides, how would I explain knowing he got detained in the first place?
That would indeed be hard to justify.
Shen Yuqing yawned. As long as he’s out, that’s all that matters. Why do you care so much? And don’t you dare chirp at me while I’m catching up on sleep later. All that constant noise drives me crazy.
Despite being scolded, the system wasn’t upset. Instead, it said, Host, you’re so good to me.
Even though he complained about it, he never neglected his tasks.
Wasn’t this, in some way, a form of love?
Shen Yuqing couldn’t comprehend the AI’s thought process. By the time he got home, it was already past six in the morning. The beta servant had just woken up and was preparing breakfast when he spotted Shen Yuqing returning from outside, clearly surprised.
Shen Yuqing waved him off. “Don’t make breakfast for me, and don’t wake me up. I’m going to sleep.”
The servant quickly nodded in acknowledgment. Shen Yuqing returned to the bedroom, where Pei Yiyan was still asleep. He yawned again, changed into his pajamas, and slipped quietly under the covers. The moment his head hit the pillow; he was out like a light.
Even the system couldn’t help but marvel at his incredible ability to fall asleep instantly. If the male lead had wanted to kill him right then, he probably wouldn’t have even noticed.
The familiar sound of breathing reached his ears. Pei Yiyan frowned. Blind as he was, he had no way of telling the time, but he estimated that Shen Yuqing had been gone for over an hour.
Highly unusual. So what had he been up to?
By the time Shen Yuqing woke up, it was well past ten. The extra hours of sleep left him feeling refreshed and light. After freshening up, he stepped out of the bedroom and noticed the renovated home gym was wide open, the sound of instructions drifting out from inside.
He paused at the doorway and peeked in. Pei Yiyan stood on the treadmill while Wu Yi stood beside him.
The sunlight was particularly bright today, streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows and casting a warm glow over the equipment and Pei Yiyan’s figure. It was a strangely serene sight.
Shen Yuqing watched for a while. The treadmill was set to its lowest speed, and Pei Yiyan moved at a sluggish pace. It was obvious his legs still struggled with the effort.
Strange. All these years, has Pei Yiyan never considered intensive rehab?
His eyesight depended on medical advancements, but why hadn’t he worked harder on his legs?
For someone of his status, it didn’t make sense.
Leaning against the doorframe, Shen Yuqing observed for a long moment before finally turning away and heading back to the living room.
Once there, he noticed the omega servant was missing.
“Where’s the other one?” he asked.
The beta servant, busy preparing lunch, replied, “He took Lucky for a follow-up checkup. They should be back soon.”
Ah, right. That makes sense.
Shen Yuqing felt like he’d slept himself into a daze. Lucky’s leg indeed needed a follow-up check every couple of days.
After pouring himself a glass of water and sitting down, he suddenly realized how idle he was now. The aimlessness felt strangely unfamiliar.
He decided to summon the system: [How’s Song Wangzhuo doing?]
[He’s currently resting,] the system replied. [Host, would you like to go see him?]
[Why would I go see him?] Shen Yuqing curled up on the sofa, opening his phone to play a few rounds of games, when the system suddenly said: [I’ve detected that Song Wangzhuo seems to be slightly ill.]
Just as Shen Yuqing was about to respond that some sleep would fix it, an unprecedented message popped up in his mind.
[Side Quest Issued: Take care of Song Wangzhuo and let him feel the warmth of friendship.]
Wait, what kind of quest is this?
Not only did Shen Yuqing see this new quest message, but the system noticed it too.
It hurriedly explained: [Host! This wasn’t issued by me!] The crucial point was that its code had never included such a side quest.
However, their confusion was soon resolved.
[Random side quest issued by the Main Brain. Host may choose to accept or decline.]
So it was a side quest directly issued by the Main Brain!
[No wonder,] the system muttered. [Host, I just ran a self-check on the quest port’s code and indeed found traces of higher-level data. It really was issued by the Main Brain.]
Shen Yuqing clicked his tongue: [What benefits come with accepting it?] He wasn’t kind-hearted enough to make a trip for nothing.
[This much I do know. Accumulating a certain number of side quests allows you to exchange for one wish from the Main Brain,] the system said.
That sounded decent, but what exactly was this “certain number”?
Fortunately, the system quickly clarified: [This number is tied to the male leads. Right now, we can’t determine how many random quests might appear.]
Got it. So he should accept any side quest that appeared—otherwise, there’d be no point.
Exchanging for a wish from the Main Brain…
Hiss, that was indeed tempting. With so many uncertainties in the future, an extra reward meant an extra layer of security.
Shen Yuqing declared: [I’ll accept this side quest.]
[Host, please proceed to No. 98 Wangchen Road and complete Song Wangzhuo’s side quest as soon as possible.]
Shen Yuqing searched the address on his neural link—it was on the next street over from the police station he’d visited that morning, quite a distance away.
He got up, changed his clothes, and the beta servant asked, “Young Master, will you be back for lunch?”
“No,” Shen Yuqing replied.
The beta servant quickly acknowledged, and after a moment’s thought, Shen Yuqing added, “Also, keep an eye on that person from the Pei family. Make sure he doesn’t disturb Pei Yiyan’s rehabilitation.”
“Understood, Young Master. Don’t worry!” the beta servant assured him.
Once everything was arranged, Shen Yuqing hurried out the door.
Not long after, Wu Yi came out to fetch some mineral water and casually asked, “Huh? Where’s Young Master Shen?”
The beta servant replied, “The young master went out on business. He won’t be back until evening.”
Wu Yi gave an acknowledging “Oh” before returning inside.
Pei Yiyan had already stepped off the treadmill and was resting by the floor-to-ceiling window.
Wu Yi reported, “Young Master Shen has gone out. The servant said he won’t be back until evening.”
Pei Yiyan gave a noncommittal hum. “Have some people look into what Shen Yuqing has been up to lately.”
His recent well-behaved demeanor had been making Pei Yiyan somewhat uneasy.
Wu Yi replied, “Yes.”
Pei Yiyan took a deep breath. “What about the Pei family?”
Now that they were undisturbed, Wu Yi glanced at the open doorway and lowered his voice. “Just as you suspected. They’re only a thin layer of window paper away from tearing it all apart.”
After the old master of the Pei family passed away, his sons had divided the assets among themselves—each one an ambitious schemer, all vying to swallow the entire fortune.
Unfortunately, greed knows no bounds.
Pei Yiyan said coldly, “Go and add fuel to the fire.”
He wanted the flames to burn even fiercer.
