EPISODE 3

Cen Wu feigned dawdling for a few more minutes to avoid appearing too eager, then took the opportunity when Xie Shangjing went to play snooker to quickly say his goodbyes and pulled the male lead away.

A black Bentley from the Xie family was parked at the entrance of the club, its body washed by the rain and illuminated by the night lights under the rainy sky.

"Second Young Master! Wait for me!" The rain was still pouring down as Red Hair hurried over, bowing and scraping. "Second Young Master, let me hold the umbrella for you. This way, it's closer to the car."

Red Hair, whose real name was Chu Zijian, was the nephew of a small manager at a shipping company under the Xie family. He wouldn’t have had the chance to get close to these young masters otherwise, but he had found ways to cause trouble for Xie Guilan to gain favor with the original protagonist, eventually becoming the original owner's top lackey.

Xie Shangjing was very controlling and had sent a car for Cen Wu. Even if he let Cen Wu go now, he would definitely be watching from somewhere. Cen Wu didn’t refuse and let Red Hair hold the umbrella.

Then he glanced at the male lead from the corner of his eye.

Xie Guilan's wounds were bleeding, his lips were pale, and his schoolbag was covered in dirty footprints. The umbrella was also dirty, and when he opened it on the steps, he found several of the ribs were broken.

Xie Guilan lowered his eyes; his lashes were long but not curled, making his icy gaze even colder.

Cen Wu turned his head just in time to see Xie Guilan close the broken umbrella and walk straight into the rain curtain, instantly soaking wet.

Cen Wu's eyelid twitched.

It felt like the tension between them was growing.

"Get lost," Cen Wu put on a cold face and snatched the umbrella from Red Hair, imitating the original owner's tone. "Who asked you to follow?"

Then, with an overbearing attitude, he lifted his chin towards Xie Guilan. "You... come here and hold the umbrella for me."

It was supposed to be a domineering tone, but Cen Wu stammered, losing half of his dominance.

Xie Guilan didn’t resist. He came over and opened the black umbrella, tilting it towards Cen Wu, though the heavy rain still soaked half of his shoulder and back; it was still better than before.

In the pouring rain, Xie Guilan's posture was very low, like a submissive dog, though his face was cold, his eyes clouded with gloom under the cover of the rain and umbrella.

Cen Wu was close enough to see the tight, bulging veins on Xie Guilan's arm under the cold white streetlight.

He was lean and strong, on the cusp between boy and man.

One punch could easily take down three of Cen Wu.

Cen Wu: "..."

It was never going to get better.

"Second Young Master, please," the driver, seeing Cen Wu approach, respectfully opened the car door but immediately wrinkled his nose in disgust when he saw Xie Guilan's dirty, dripping school uniform.

Needless to say, the male lead had the lowest status in the Xie family.

Cen Wu’s hands were already cold and stiff from the tension of being around so many people. His pale skin made the dark circles under his eyes stand out even more, and his long lashes couldn’t stop trembling.

But he couldn’t show fear. Xie Guilan was just a high school student now and couldn’t resist the Xie family.

If he showed fear, Xie Guilan would be bullied, and according to the original story, Cen Wu would be doomed.

"You," Cen Wu leaned into the car, then called out to Xie Guilan. "Come sit in the back with me."

"...Second Young Master," the driver hesitated, trying to dissuade him. "This isn’t appropriate, and he’s covered in dirt..."

But before he could finish, he was interrupted by Cen Wu. Cen Wu's fingertips, cold and white, rested on the edge of the car door. His tone was equally cold as he said irritably, "Since when do you get to control me?"

The driver immediately fell silent, not daring to say more.

"..." Xie Guilan's pale, thin lips pressed together as he lowered his head and followed Cen Wu into the car.

Chu Zijian, still sporting his red hair, stood frozen in place, only snapping out of it once the car had driven away.

Shit!

Something felt off about Cen Wu tonight. Like, was he seriously protecting Xie Guilan?

Who did Xie Guilan think he was? Was he really worthy of having Cen Wu hold an umbrella for him? Was he trying to replace me?!

"Don't let me catch you!" Chu Zijian raged impotently, before turning back to the lounge in frustration.

Cen Wu had originally intended to take Xie Guilan to the hospital, but since the driver was also from the Xie family, he would definitely report back to Xie Shangjing. So, he pulled out the original owner's phone and sent a message to the Cen family's butler.

He asked the butler to bring a family doctor over.

As soon as he hit send, the phone died, leaving Cen Wu helpless as he put it down. His hands were ice-cold as he clutched them together, rubbing the hem of his clothes. He then turned to stare out the window at the pouring rain.

"..."

How awkward.

The Xie family's extended Bentley provided some privacy thanks to the partition separating them from the driver. Even if they were closer, the driver wouldn't dare speak, just driving obediently.

The atmosphere in the car was silent and oppressive.

Halfway through the ride, Cen Wu noticed Xie Guilan had kept his eyes closed, seemingly asleep, and finally relaxed his sweat-drenched hands.

Cen Wu knew Xie Guilan must hate him, but he wasn't sure just how much. There was no progress bar over his head, after all.

In a best-case scenario, wouldn't he have a system?

Cen Wu didn't dare move, afraid of disturbing Xie Guilan's sleep. He kept his hands on his knees, nervously waiting in silence. After three minutes, his system still hadn't appeared.

"..."

Cen Wu shrugged it off. Whatever, no system, no problem.

Honestly, maybe it was for the best. A system in his head 24/7 would just give him anxiety.

At least he had memorized the entire novel, every line, backward and forward.

Xie Guilan wasn't really asleep. Once the cold from the rain started to wear off, he opened his eyes to see Cen Wu, like a dimming light bulb, his eyelashes drooping.

The backseat of the Bentley was huge, but Cen Wu was huddled by the door, holding onto his bag like it was a lifeline. His pale, slender fingers fiddled with the seatbelt, keeping a distance of at least three people between them.

His knees were obediently pressed together, his chin resting on the schoolbag while his cheeks squeezed out a small patch of snow-white flesh.

It was hard to say who was the bully here.

Xie Guilan sneered inwardly. He couldn't understand what this idiot was pretending to be. Wasn't he quite arrogant at the club just now?

But Xie Guilan didn't care.

He stared at his unusually pale hands in the rainy night, the whip marks and blood scabs on the backs of his hands. A few seconds later, his long, expressionless lashes drooped down, hiding the anger simmering in his eyes.

-

The Cen family's estate villa wasn't far from the horse ranch. The car's bright headlights cut through the late-night rain, and soon the vehicle stopped outside the villa.

As soon as Cen Wu got out of the car, he spotted a dark shadowy figure running towards the villa entrance. Startled, he nearly bolted back into the car like a scared rabbit.

It wasn’t until he calmed down that he realized it seemed to be the old butler.

"Young Master!" The seventy-year-old man in a black tailcoat ran through the pouring rain, calling out, "Young Master!"

Cen Wu: "..."

He was sure the old butler must have eaten some hallucinogenic mushrooms!

But before Cen Wu could ponder what kind of mushrooms the butler had eaten, the old man was already standing in front of him, holding an umbrella.

"Young Master, why did you come back so late?" The old butler asked anxiously, looking Cen Wu up and down. "With such heavy rain outside, why didn’t you answer your phone? How did you get injured?"

When messaging the butler earlier, Cen Wu had asked him to tell the doctor to bring extra bandages, along with medications for external injuries, anti-inflammatories, and fever reducers. The butler assumed Cen Wu was the one who was hurt.

"I... I'm fine," Cen Wu stammered, not daring to say he had been out fighting someone.

He turned his gaze towards Xie Guilan.

Xie Guilan had also gotten out of the car. His face was even paler than it had been at the ranch, his wounds had clotted, and his hand was a striking dark red, with a purplish bruise on his neck.

He had been brutally whipped and had his throat tightly squeezed by a horsewhip, then stomped on by Cen Wu, causing his swollen Adam's apple to ache with every swallow.

Seeing that it wasn’t Cen Wu who was injured, the old butler relaxed. His neatly combed white hair and respectful bow made it clear he was still on high alert as he led Cen Wu and Xie Guilan inside.

It was well past 1 a.m., but the villa's servants were still wide awake. With little to do in the evening, most of them had gathered in the hall. As the door opened, all eyes turned towards them.

"......"

Cen Wu felt suffocated and took a step back, nearly bumping into Xie Guilan. He forced himself to continue walking forward.

The Cen family didn’t have many strict rules, but the original owner had a bad temper. After discovering he was an imposter, his sense of security vanished completely. He became paranoid and suspicious.

If a servant didn’t meet his expectations, he would suspect they had discovered his secret and then find ways to pester his parents and older brother to have the servant dismissed.

At first, Cen Wu's parents indulged him, but after noticing something was off, the original owner dared not act out anymore.

Still, the servants remained cautious, afraid of angering the original owner. With the young master not yet home, no one dared to sleep.

The Cen family's villa was European in style, with a dazzling crystal chandelier and a lavish spiral staircase that made one dizzy.

Cen Wu’s head was spinning. He had no clue where the original owner’s bedroom was and had to find a servant. "Mrs. Wang," he said, "could you please help me take my backpack upstairs?"

When Mrs. Wang was called, she broke out in a cold sweat, thinking the little ancestor was displeased with her.

But when Cen Wu was so polite, she was utterly surprised.

"Yes, Young Master," Mrs. Wang bowed and took Cen Wu's backpack. "I'll go right away."

Cen Wu trailed behind Mrs. Wang, making sure not to give himself away.

He couldn’t risk the Cen family finding out he wasn’t who they thought he was. Who would believe something as crazy as switching bodies? They’d think he was losing it, and if they sent him to a hospital, he’d be done for.

Luckily, Cen Wu's parents weren’t home that night. The original owner had an older brother who was ten years older and ran the family business, rarely coming home.

Xie Guiluan followed him upstairs, his lips pressed into a cold line as he stopped beside Cen Wu’s cashmere carpet.

Rainwater dripped down from his hair and neck, and his school uniform, along with the bag he was carrying, were also soaked, forming a puddle on the floor.

The original owner’s room was a suite, astonishingly large. Cen Wu yanked open a door, revealing a study.

He yanked open another door, revealing a dressing room.

Another yank, and there was yet another dressing room.

Cen Wu：“……”

Damn it, I’m going to take on all you rich people.

Xie Guiluan was still standing there. Cen Wu was already embarrassed to the point of wanting to sink into the floor. All he wanted was to find a towel for Xie Guiluan to dry his hair, but why was it so hard?

With a blank expression, he kept pulling doors open, circling around Xie Guiluan several times. By the time he finally found the bathroom, his cheeks were flushed all the way to his ears.

Xie Guiluan：“……”

Xie Guiluan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as his dark peach blossom eyes fixed tightly on him. Cen Wu’s eyelashes fluttered, and his calves began to tremble. After all, nothing scared a socially anxious person more than making eye contact.

“Stop staring, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Y-you… just… wipe yourself off,” Cen Wu muddle-headedly shoved the towel into Xie Guiluan’s hands.

Xie Guiluan didn’t move, but the towel was thick, and even just holding it made the temperature, which had been extinguished by the rain, seem to revive.

Cen Wu’s breath tightened, staring at Xie Guiluan, who looked fine but felt like he had already died inside. Just then, the old butler knocked on the door, “Young Master, Doctor Lu has arrived.”

Cen Wu：！

Feeling immensely relieved, Cen Wu quickly went to let the doctor in.

Doctor Lu had been the family physician for the Cen family for over a decade, but this was the first time he had been called over in the middle of the night.

Experiencing the life of a family doctor in a tycoon novel.

Rich families often had troubled marriages, but Chairman Cen and his wife were an exception. Rich families also often had sibling rivalries, but unless Cen Wu went completely off the rails and cut ties with his family, even if he wanted the Cen family’s company, Chairman Cen would divide it with him without hesitation.

It was hard to imagine any tycoon drama.

Doctor Lu pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and walked steadily into the Cen estate.

It turned out to be treating the illegitimate son of the Xie family.

Doctor Lu：“……”

The tycoon novel fantasy was shattered.

Today was just another day as a family doctor.

Of course, he didn’t want anything bad to happen to the Cen family. After all, Chairman Cen had been very generous with his salary, and the Cen family had always been kind to him.

He professionally and swiftly treated Xie Guiluan’s wounds.

Cen Wu assisted him by holding the gauze and the dirty clothes cut from Xie Guiluan’s body. The whip wounds were so deep that the fabric had stuck to the flesh, and they had to be cut off with scissors.

Cen Wu’s heart sank. Xie Guiluan would definitely not forgive him. Who could forgive something like this?

"Second Young Master," Dr. Lu turned his head, "Please hand me the antiseptic."

Cen Wu quickly handed it to him.

Xie Guilan's eyes darkened. He thought that guy was acting strange tonight.

He had expected Cen Wu to order someone to cripple his hands, but instead, Cen Wu brought him to the main house of the Cen family. His eyes were timid, filled with obvious guilt and struggle.

What’s wrong with him now?

"Young Master Xie, take this anti-inflammatory medication for a week," Dr. Lu handed the medicine to Xie Guilan, "I'll be staying at the main house tonight. If you develop a fever, come find me for an IV."

"Thank you," Xie Guilan spoke for the first time tonight.

His voice was naturally cold and clear, but it carried a bloody raspiness due to his injuries.

After confirming the wound care instructions with him, Dr. Lu packed up his medical kit and followed the old butler to the guest bedroom.

Cen Wu also quietly thanked him.

Dr. Lu: "..."

What the heck, when has this guy ever been so well-behaved? It scared the crap out of me.

-

The bedroom was left with only Cen Wu and Xie Guilan again.

"..." Cen Wu's lips moved, wanting to speak but unsure of what to say. At this point, he thought it best to just sleep. He muttered awkwardly, "Are... are you tired?"

"I'll go get you some blankets."

He stammered when nervous, and unless he consciously controlled it, he didn't do it well. Earlier at the racetrack, he didn’t dare speak too much at once for fear of giving himself away.

Xie Guilan's face was pale. His mother, Song Lingwei, had undergone surgery just a few days ago. He had been busy for half a month before the surgery and had stayed by her bedside for several nights after.

He was getting no more than three hours of sleep a night.

During the day, he had to attend classes, and tonight, he had been called to the racetrack. His body was already extremely exhausted.

He didn't know what kind of humiliation Cen Wu was planning, but he had no leverage against Cen Wu. Even if Cen Wu suddenly slapped him, he would have to take it without complaint.

"Second Young Master," Xie Guilan swallowed the metallic taste in his throat and rasped, "I was in the wrong tonight for fighting with you. I'll accept any apology you demand."

He needed to check on Song Lingwei during the hospital’s morning rounds. Tomorrow was also the last day to sign up for the chemistry competition.

He didn’t care about the rankings, but the first prize came with a bonus of 30,000 yuan, enough to hire a caregiver for Song Lingwei.

He could only hope that Cen Wu would let him go, even if it meant groveling like a dog.

Cen Wu: "..."

He knew Xie Guilan didn’t trust him, but he really didn’t dare let Xie Guilan leave tonight. Xie Guilan's injuries were severe, and he feared that Xie Guilan might be called away again by Xie Shangjing.

It would be better to keep Xie Guilan occupied to ensure his safety.

Cen Wu finally moved, and although Xie Guilan's face remained expressionless, a flash of sarcasm passed through his eyes.

He knew Cen Wu wasn’t going to let him off easy. So why was he pretending to be nice?

He braced himself for Cen Wu's outburst, only to see Cen Wu pace around the room and suddenly gather a stack of exercise books, slamming them down in front of him.

"Want to apologize, do you?" Cen Wu gave a chilling, villain-like laugh. "If you don't finish these, you're not allowed to leave."

Getting his hand worn out from writing would count as being 'worn out,' right? That should serve as an explanation for Xie Shangjing too.

Xie Guilan: "..."

Xie Guilan: ?

Xie Guilan's deep-set, almond-shaped eyes were black, always exuding a cold, brooding intensity. Cen Wu shivered.

What’s with the intensity? Is he going to hit me or something?

I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?

Cen Wu cautiously grabbed the thickest book from the pile, hoping this would be enough. But when he looked up, Xie Guilan’s fist still looked just as threatening.

Cen Wu: "Oh no!"

"No, it’s fine if you don’t write." Cen Wu swallowed, his voice trembling as he whispered.

Xie Guilan, bracing for punishment: “…?”

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