Category: Let Me Shoulder this Blame!

Translated by: Syeki
Edited by: Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 39

The assistant was crouched by the door, while balancing the hot cocoa on a tray with some difficulty. Startled at the sight of Lin Feng, he was about to stand up and stammer an apology when Lin Feng raised a hand to stop him.

And also pressed himself against the door.

A faint voice sounded in the room, they could hear Lin Jing rambling and crying, occasionally a few sentences floated to the crack at the door.

“…can’t let Brother know, he’ll kill me….”

“I didn’t mean to…”

“Help me one more time, I’ll give you all my money….”

The assistant shivered and snuck a look at Lin Feng. The latter’s eyes were already dark.

The room was quiet for a moment before Mu Jinchu’s voice could be heard: “Okay.”

There was no affection in it, but no resentment either. Just like how he used to greet him as “Brother” in the past, his tone was just as devoid of feeling.

Dark flames erupted fiercely in Lin Feng’s eyes, his hand rose to hit the door, but the voice inside continued frankly.

“I’m not doing it for your money.”

“You behave yourself for the next few days. Brother’s not having it easy, don’t give him any more cause for concern.”

Lin Feng’s breathing stuttered in his chest. The raised hand slowly curled into a fist and lowered to his side.

His expression grew warmer, and his eyes were bathed in a gentle glow.

*

Su Shi watched as Lin Jing wept in front of him with calm indifference, but internally he was brimming with gratitude for the other party, so much so he could keep his photo on an altar to worship.

He had been close to falling asleep when Lin Jing had barged into his room, crying and begging him to claim to be responsible for what had happened at the party that night.

Mu Jinchu’s memory of that night was a complete blank. He still didn’t know what had happened at the party, but was more than happy to embrace the new heaven-sent opportunity.

In this unpredictable world full of ups and downs, he was moved by this stroke of luck.

Considering that Lin Jing wasn’t emotionally stable at the moment, Su Shi did not say much more, just obliquely reminded the other not to “upset” their eldest brother, then closed his eyes again: “I’m tired, you should leave.”

“Jinchu… don’t you want to know what happened that night?”

The other had agreed too readily, it made Lin Jing uneasy as he scrutinised his face, his whispered question born from a guilty conscience.

The more he knew, the more likely he might let something slip. Su Shi had no intention of finding out and gazed at him mildly: “Do you want to tell me?”

Lin Jing tongue was leaden, he guilty lowered his head and didn’t dare open his mouth. Su Shi chewed at the corner of his lower lip, looking at him thoughtfully, his inflection calm.

“Don’t bother, I don’t know anything, it’s better this way— thanks a lot though, do remember to tell me in advance if anything else happens.”

Lin Jing was stunned by his words, his face full of shame, he lowered his head deeply: “Jinchu, you are a good person, I’m in your debt…”

Su Shi smirked and made no reply. A heavy silence enveloped the room.

Staying in the room grew unbearable. Lin Jing got up in disarray and opened the door, and stood petrified as if he had been struck by lightning.

“What’s wrong?”

Su Shi furrowed his brows as he leaned to look past Lin Jing, and his expression suddenly twisted: “Brother… why are you here?”

“I was worried you’d be unable to sleep, so I brought you some hot cocoa.”

Lin Feng answered calmly, turning a blind eye to his horror-stricken younger brother. He picked up the cup of hot cocoa from the assistant’s tray and walked over to the bed.

“Don’t worry, I just got here, I didn’t hear anything.”

Su Shi suddenly felt his stomach hurt.

Seeing Lin Jing still rooted to the spot by the door, the assistant quickly pulled him out of the room and dragged him to the corner of the staircase: “Young master, are you tired of living?”

……

In the stillness of the room, the pleasant aroma of the cocoa drifted.

Su Shi was not happy at all.

Lin Feng didn’t ask anything, just placed the cup down and sat on the edge of the bed. He suddenly raised his hands to hold on to the thin shoulders of the youth.

His heart was overflowing with tenderness from the feel of the softness in his arms.

The young, warm body leaned meekly onto his shoulder, looking up at him silently, his dark eyes restless and upset.

Lin Feng’s gaze was affectionate, he raised his hand to caress the boy’s head: “Jinchu, do you have anything to say to me?”

Su Shi was feeling so aggrieved, he could choke. He hung his head and butted it against the other’s shoulder in silent indignation.

Such a beautiful opportunity!

The windfall that had just landed on his lap was being confiscated!

The fruit that had been just ripe for the picking, snatched away in front of his eyes!

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Vanilla Muse: This is the last of the promised twenty chapters. Whew. Can’t believe I really managed to do it. Many thanks to Syeki for helping me translate and making the latter half of my promise easier to accomplish. Syeki helped me translate up to chapter 45, so there will be weekly updates (or faster) until I’ve exhausted those chapters.

There will be a bonus chapter up tomorrow in celebration of Valentine’s Day, bringing the total chapter count to a nice round number of 40 before I end this daily updating streak. Look forward to it. o(^-^)o 💕

Translated by: Syeki
Edited by: Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 38

When Su Shi hobbled out with the assistant’s support, Lin Jing was kneeling on the ground, shivering and howling as he was beaten by Lin Feng.

Shocked at the sight of Lin Feng’s ferocious face, Su Shi whispered cautiously at the assistant: “Is Elder brother always this violent?”

He took back what he said about the loving brotherly relationship. It would appear that his initial impression was way off from the plot’s reality.

“Jinchu, Chairman Lin’s not in a good mood, you had better go back inside.”
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Looking at the young man who had no idea how lucky he was, the assistant sighed with mixed feelings and tried to drag him away from the scene of domestic violence.

Su Shi refused to budge, stubbornly hanging on to the bannister while looking for an opportunity.

He couldn’t just leave this be. This time, the blame has fallen on Lin Jing. The mission’s chances of success required Lin Jing to be alive and whole.

Watching his precious experience points roller coaster up and down like the belt in Lin Feng’s hand, Su Shi wanted to tear at his hair in distress. He lunged at Lin Feng’s arm, holding him back: “Brother, please stop…”

“Why did you come out? You need to rest well, don’t let these matters concern you.”

Lin Feng turned around and his features immediately smoothed over. He reached out and supported Su Shi: “Go back to bed and get some sleep. Be good.”

“Brother, the fault was mine, don’t punish him.”

Struggling for balance on one leg, Su Shi unconsciously transferred his weight as he was supported. It looked like he was readily leaning against Lin Feng’s body. He was a little shorter than Lin Feng, and had to look up as he spoke. His short hair fell over his forehead, giving him a meek and docile appearance.

Lin Feng softened immediately. He wanted to stroke his younger brother’s hair, but the belt in his hand was in the way. In the end, he simply tossed it aside to his assistant and rubbed at Su Shi’s head with satisfaction.

“Alright, I understand. You’re not well yet, come, let me send you back inside.”

The room was only a few steps away. Su Shi didn’t want to be piggybacked again in front of Lin Jing, and Lin Feng did not insist. He helped him back into the room and onto the bed, making sure he was lying down, before finally getting up to leave.

And closed the door gently behind him.

His eyes fell on Lin Jing, who was still cowering by the door. His expression immediately turned frosty, and in a low voice with barely suppressed threat: “Go to the study room, bring the belt with you!”

Lin Jing swayed as he got to his feet, and retreated to the study room in silence.

They explored the meaning of brotherly ties for close to an hour.

Watching as the young master Lin limped out from the study room, the assistant trembled by the door.

“When the time is right, I want you to investigate this matter.”

Lin Feng leaned back in his chair and slowly kneaded at his forehead, his face faintly showing exhaustion.

Stunned, the assistant hurriedly asked: “Chairman Lin, you want to know who was at the party that day?”

After all, it was a raucous bunch of good for nothings who allowed two drunken idiots to drive themselves. Chairman Lin must be wanting to grab someone to hold accountable.

The assistant poured a cup of coffee for Lin Feng and silently sent up a prayer in his heart for Lin Jing’s friends.

Lin Feng looked at him sharply, and nodded: “Get to the bottom of this. Call up each and every one of them to find out what happened that night. Bring back the car that was involved in the accident, find a way to gain access to all the monitoring systems at the road intersections. I want to know exactly who was the one driving the car that night.”

“Wasn’t it Jinchu?”

Astonished by Chairman Lin’s orders, the assistant looked up in confusion: “Young master and Jinchu said the same thing, would they both lie?”

“Xiao Jing has never taken pains to be concerned about someone. If it really had been Jinchu’s fault, he would have jumped up to fight me as soon as I started beating him.”

Lin Feng shook his head, took a sip of his coffee, and put it aside with a frown: “At that time, when Jinchu actually asked me that, I thought it was strange. If you were in his place, would you be so anxious to make sure that I knew you were in the wrong?”

“Of course not, people are naturally more inclined to avoid admitting their mistakes.”

Convinced, the assistant nodded in agreement, and suddenly recalled: “Chairman Lin, when we were at the detention center, we saw Liang Qiu…”

“Leave him be for now, we’ll wait to see what he’s up to.”

Recalling how touchy-feely that guy was with Mu Jinchu, displeasure rose in Lin Feng. He knitted his brows and rapped the tabletop: “This is too bitter. Change it to a cup of hot cocoa, and add two spoonfuls of milk.”

Dumbfounded, the assistant widened his eyes. He met Lin Feng’s stormy gaze, broke out in goosebumps, and picked up the cup: “Yes, I’ll do it now.”

Watching the assistant creep out of the study room, Lin Feng remained seated at the table for a while. In the end, he couldn’t help but stand up.

Just going to take a look to make sure the child was sleeping well.

Having just left the depressing detention center, and experiencing this kind of shock, it was inevitable that there would be nightmares.

Syeki : Su Shi was happier before you showed up and started sinking his points.

Having come up with a reasonable explanation for his worries, Lin Feng got up and headed to Mu Jinchu’s bedroom. He came upon the assistant at the doorway who was supposed to have gone to make the cocoa.

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Translated by: Syeki
Edited by: Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 37

“Chairman Lin, Jinchu’s leg seems to be giving him some trouble.”

The assistant who had been trailing behind them had seen the limping gait of his right leg. Recalling what he had heard of the accident, he quickly spoke up.

Su Shi inhaled sharply. Before he had time to glare at the assistant, he found himself being supported by Lin Feng’s arms. He reflexively raised his head, and received a slight shock.

The concern in those eyes, they were strangely familiar to him.

It was so familiar that it made his heart hurt incessantly.

“You hurt your leg as well? Why didn’t you say something?”

Lin Feng supported him as he leaned down and pressed on his right knee: “How bad is it?”

It hurt. It hurt so bad he didn’t want to take another step and would rather just collapse onto the ground.

Su Shi hissed and couldn’t speak. Lin Feng had already squatted on the ground in front of him. His tone was calm and gentle: “Come on up, I’ll carry you.”

And so, the option of renting a wheelchair for himself was skipped over.

The protagonist’s way of handling things shocked Su Shi. He instinctively tried to refuse, but found Lin Feng steadily waiting, with no intention of standing up until he got on.
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If the Lin family had such strong brotherly ties and respectful relationship, he should also faithfully play the role of a good brother. Best not to be too capricious, in order not to draw special attention from the protagonist.

After a long while, Su Shi chose to compromise and took advantage of the other person’s back.

“Hold on tightly like this, else you’ll fall off if I jostle you.”

Feeling his cautious hesitance, Lin Feng patiently shifted his little brother’s arm and supported him over his shoulders, making it easier for him to hold on.

Despite being almost 1.8 meters tall, the youth on his back did not seem to weigh much. He lay quietly as he was lifted, unlike that Xiao Jing who, as a child, liked to jump up and down incessantly.

[Syeki : ML keeps unfairly comparing MC with a kid.]

The dimly lit corridors were empty, and with the iron gates on both sides, just looking at it was depressing enough, let alone having had to stay there for several days.

Lin Feng’s eyes were dark, his gaze heavy.

Sensing a shift in the protagonist’s mood, Su Shi twitched a little. He was about ask if anything was wrong when Lin Feng spoke up warmly: “Sleepy? Hold on a bit, there’s air conditioning in the car. You’ll catch a cold if you fall asleep here.”

As if he hadn’t already caught a cold.

Su Shi sniffled, and answered with a “En”. Feeling that he was about to slip off, he tightened his grip again.

Lin Feng walked silently forward, feeling the ache in his chest intensify.

He recalled the quiet child in his memories, even now this person only answers in soft monosyllables. He had obviously been ill treated, who knew how much he has suffered in these few days.

Just like how he wanted to hold on more tightly, but was still so careful about it. The tentative movements poked at the ache in his chest. Lin Feng freed his hand and reached behind to pat the other’s back. His voice was gentle and firm.

“Don’t be afraid, no matter what you did wrong, I won’t abandon you.”

Su Shi hadn’t even managed to ask what was wrong. Blinking, the sudden assurance took him by surprise. A sullen look rose in his eyes.

If it wasn’t because he had to carry a pot – literally any pot he could pick up – then such actions was really too kind.

His previously tense frame of mind finally loosened a little. Su Shi bade his body to rest, and quietly nestled against the strong, warm back.

“Thank you, Brother…’

*

Lin Feng carried him all the way to the car, and upon reaching home, also personally carried him in.

The family doctor was already waiting in the guest room. He not only examined Su Shi’s body, but also brought over Mu Jinchu’s hospital records and handed them over to Chairman Lin who was seated at the bedside.

Lin Jing had already been home for a few days, stewing with anxiety. He had heard that Mu Jinchu had been picked up, and wanted to know how he was doing, but didn’t have the courage to face him. He could only hover outside the door, trying to eavesdrop.

Looking at the medical records in his hand, Lin Feng’s expression sank. The atmosphere in the room was so oppressive that the air seemed to stagnate.

Su Shi sensed that things were about to worsen, and silently exchanged a look with the assistant. He prepared himself to make a run for it, when the situation abruptly changed. Lin Feng put down the medical records and got up.

Then he strode out the door.

Su Shi and the assistant, who seem to have had a narrow escape, exchanged another look. They had not figured out what was going on before they heard Lin Feng thundering angrily.

“He was so badly injured but you didn’t even think to post bail, and even told him to go to the detention center for his crime— don’t you dare run, kneel down!”

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The author has something to say:

Su Shi: It was me who wrecked the car! Me!

Lin Jing: ε=ε=ε=┏(°ロ°;)┛？？？

Translated by: Syeki
Edited by: Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 36

A familiar, ominous sense of foreboding emerged. Su Shi quickly moved backwards and shook his head: “I’m not going back!”

Once he was brought back, he would be bundled up all safe and warm, fed and coddled and well cared for like a child.

And like a trick of a magician’s wand, all his painstaking efforts would vanish in a puff of smoke.

Su Shi worriedly wracked his brains to no avail to figure out where he had gone wrong. Nonetheless, he was prepared to fight tooth and nail to defend his experience points.

If you’re not going to scold me, then I’m staying here!

Not even the young master Lin would dare to brazenly oppose Chairman Lin in such a manner. The assistant crouched at the side of the door in a fright, ready to rush in to make peace. To his surprise, his president not only kept his temper, but leaned forwards slightly to patiently stroke Mu Jinchu’s hair again.

The stunned assistant tottered two steps back.

It’s over.

Chairman Lin must have been driven beyond the limits of his endurance and finally given up on his wayward younger brother, and was now shifting his focus on Mr. Mu to encourage him to try harder to kill off the second brother next time.

[Syeki: This assistant.. what shady deals has he been conducting for the Lin family to have formed such an impression of his boss. XD]

He has to assign some bodyguards to prevent this from happening.

The assistant paced back and forth a few times, carefully fished out his phone, and sent a message to Lin Jing’s bodyguards.

……

“I know you’ve suffered, it’s alright.”

Lin Feng was oblivious to the upheaval he caused to his assistant’s emotional state. He crouched down and looked intently at the youth in front of him, gently running his fingers through the short hair and thoroughly enjoying the sensation.

“Just say the word, and tomorrow onwards you will never see those slanderous remarks on the Internet again, nor anywhere else. I have the means to do so, it’s no issue.”

“No, Brother—”

Seeing that his hundreds of thousands of experience points was about to be flushed down the drain by this person, Su Shi couldn’t breathe. He grabbed his sleeves and whispered softly: “The consequences are too heavy, it’s not worth it…”

“It is worth it. Get dressed, we’re going home now.”

At a time like this, the child was still being considerate of Lin Feng and his company.

Lin Feng’s heart was warm and his expression tender. He grew more determined: “This has not been handled well. I have not even instructed you yet. What basis do they have to make such irresponsible remarks?”

Su Shi squinted at him for a long time, then suddenly let out a sigh of relief.

He had been stressing himself out unnecessarily. He was still the perpetrator, just that the protagonist was not going to admonish him.
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Perhaps the protagonist was being a good elder brother who cared deeply for his younger brothers. The misunderstanding was still there, but it wasn’t enough to turn the protagonist against him. It’s just that his experiences in the previous world had left a psychological shadow in his heart and he was continuously overthinking it.

Logically, it made sense.

Having thus comforted himself, Su Shi’s heart settled, and his manner immediately turned cooperative. Obediently fetching his clothes, he couldn’t help but ask again to confirm: “Brother, you know it was me who wrecked the car, right?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Lin Feng’s gaze fell heavily on him.

The intense stare made Su Shi feel rather awkward. He closed his mouth, lowered his eyes and began changing his clothes.

As he raised his arm, he was held back by a grip on his wrist.

The hand was firm and strong, and the palm was warm and dry, holding his wrist lightly but exerting enough strength to stop his movement.

Su Shi looked up, but Lin Feng had already turned his gaze to a small scar on his neck. He pressed a hand gently over it: “Does it still hurt?”

He was freezing in the room, and his skin had been numb to the pain. The warmth from the palm on his neck brought a tingling sensation back to his nerves, and the wound twinged. Su Shi shivered.

Lin Feng’s eyes darkened.

“Brother, I’m fine. The doctor said it will be like this, it’ll recover in due time.”

Seeing the strange expression on the other’s face, Su Shi hastened to explain.

Meeting the troubled look in his eyes, Lin Feng eased up. He buttoned up the remaining two buttons at the collar of Su Shi’s shirt, and stroked his head: “When you’re done getting dressed, I’ll call the doctor over to the house.”

Not daring to interfere with the established plotline, Su Shi nodded obediently, made himself presentable and followed Lin Feng out.

He had not been able to rest well in the bitterly cold detention room these past few days. The drilling pain in his knee gnawed at him. Afraid that Lin Feng would notice, he could only clench his teeth and keep a steady pace. A thin sheen of sweat soon covered his forehead.

After walking awhile, Lin Feng realized something was amiss.

The corridor was illuminated, and looking back, he could see the youth slowing down. His lowered head hid his expression, but his chest was heaving.

Worried that he was being affected by his negative experiences in the detention center, Lin Feng quickened his steps into a brisk walk, and was about to open his mouth to offer some words of comfort when he noticed the beads of cold sweat on the other’s forehead.

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Translated by: Syeki
Edited by: Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 35

The door was very gently unlocked, there was no sound of the lock clattering. Someone entered on light footsteps, but lingered at the door with no sense of urgency.

The newcomer was travel-worn, his eyebrows hinted at the exhaustion of a long journey, but the eyes were deep and calm, quietly gazing at the sleeping figure.

“Chairman Lin, would you like—”

The assistant behind him whispered, but was stopped by a silent look. His gaze shifted to the door. The assistant took the hint and left.

Lin Feng approached the bedside silently, and, through the lights in the hallway, looked at the man who was quietly curled up in the corner of the bed.

He had been abroad at the time of the accident, and Lin Jing had not dared to relay the news to him. It was only when the news had spread like wildfire that his assistant had alerted him of the matter. After buying the nearest ticket and rushing back, he had learned that Mu Jinchu was being held at the detention center.

Truth be told, although they had shared a roof for almost ten years, he had never paid much attention to this person who also called him brother.

When Mu Jinchu was first brought to their home, he had just gone abroad to study. Later, when he returned to inherit his family’s business, they spent little time to get to know each other before it was the other’s turn to study abroad.

The number of times they interacted could be counted on the fingers of one hand, and that was when his parents were still alive. The other person would have his head lowered, greeted the elder brother, then hid himself in the house. Although the exchange was respectful, there was no feeling of closeness between them.

His impression of Mu Jinchu was actually very vague, only dimly remembering that the other person was silent and perceptive, and Xiao Jing has never been willing to accept the consequences of his mistakes. Having heard that the car accident was caused by Mu Jinchu’s drunk driving, and seeing how lost and scared his younger brother looked, he had, in fact, been boiling with anger.

[Syeki: Xiao Jing = Little Jing, referring to Lin Jing. It’s an affectionate way to refer to someone younger.]

When all was said and done, this was the son of his father’s good friend, and an artist of his company. No matter how furious he was, this was not a matter to be dealt with at the detention center, but better handled on their own turf.

Lin Feng had rushed to the detention center in a temper. He originally intended to bring Mu Jinchu away, but happened to run into the Liang Qiu who had arrived earlier and was delayed for a while.

But it was this delay which led to some stirrings of doubts in his heart.

When Mu Jinchu turned on the phone, he had been observing him from the hallway.

The slight young man was curled up on the bed, cradling the phone in his hands like a baby, rubbing at his eyes while looking at the screen, the thin shoulders trembling from time to time.

He was too far away to make out the details, but it was not difficult to guess at the matter.

The Internet can be harsh and cruel. He was very clear on this.

The both of them had been drunk, yet the fault may not be solely the driver’s. What’s more, Mu Jinchu had an introverted personality, and almost no social circle to speak of. He could have been coerced by Lin Jing to drink, and also bullied into driving the car.

His reason returned, and the growing anger dissipated.

Lin Feng sat down at the bed and lightly moved to cover him with the quilt.

The young man under the quilt curled up more tightly into himself, still sniffling in his sleep. The tip of his nose was slightly red, and faint blue lines shadowed his eyelids.

Seeing this, Lin Feng’s heart softened, and he couldn’t help but raise his hand to caress his short hair.

To his surprise, the youth did not wake up, but shifted closer to him instead. The originally scrunched eyebrows also relaxed, revealing the original soft arches.

The unexpected closeness made Lin Feng hold his breath subconsciously. He lowered his head to gaze at the sleeping youth’s gentle expression, and felt an inexplicable warmth in his chest.

This was obviously a sweet child.

Perhaps it was due to the cold, the quietly sleeping youth suddenly started coughing, his face flushed a painful red.

His whole body curled as he coughed, his back strained and bowed with every painful wheeze for breath, and the peaceful expression was scrunched into a grimace again.

Lin Feng’s heart jumped, and he hurriedly stroked down the trembling back. After stroking twice, Mu Jinchu noticed the sensation, and silently opened his eyes.

[Syeki: Yes, the author wrote Mu Jinchu, and not Su Shi. *shrug*]

The room was dark, the only source of light shone in dimly from the hallway. The door was open, and there was a man inexplicably seated at his bedside.

Su Shi was startled by the dark figure in front of him. He glared as he instinctively scooted back.

They stared at each other for a moment as Su Shi clutched at the quilt and carefully put some distance between them. He still had a cold, his sinuses were still acting up, and a film of tears shone in his eyes. The tip of his nose was faintly red.

One of the nuisances of being human.

Lin Feng’s heart felt warm and aching at the same time. He tentatively reached out and gently patted the top of the other’s head: “Don’t be afraid, it’s your elder brother.”

The protagonist has arrived!

Presented with the irresistible opportunity to double his experience points, Su Shi’s eyes lit up, not noticing that Lin Feng was being strangely gentle with him.

Seeing those eyes light up with joy, the ache in Lin Feng’s chest intensified.

Clearly, this person had been waiting for him.

This child wholeheartedly believed that he would be able to protect him.

Lin Jing had never been a well behaved or obedient younger brother, and hence had never experienced any of the tender brotherly affection which President Lin now displayed. He tugged the quilt up and wrapped it around the boy’s thin body: “I’m sorry, I should have returned sooner.”

His actions were very gentle, so gentle that even Su Shi felt vaguely uneasy. He blinked blankly, his heart suddenly sounding an alarm: “Brother, aren’t you going to scold me?”

Lin Feng lifted his brows, seemingly surprised by his question, but ended up laughing helplessly as he ruffled Su Shi’s hair again: “Nope. Come, let’s go home.”

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The author has something to say:
Su Shi: Please scold! ! !Σ(っ QД Q;)っ

Translated by: Syeki
Edited by: Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 34

“Young master Lin, retracting your statement now is no easy matter!”

The agent grabbed onto him, his face glum and anxious: “Have you given a thought to what they will say, that the young master of the Lin family not only causes accidents by driving drunk, but also shifts the blame onto others?”

“This is what you taught me!”

Lin Jing’s chest heaved as he tried to break free from the agent’s hold: “Jinchu hasn’t recovered from his injuries, I heard its not easy living in the detention center—”

“Yes, I was was the one who taught you, but have you forgotten why? If this is investigated further, Mr. Mu and Chairman Lin will know the truth of what happened that night, it will be impossible to protect you then!”

[Muse: The agent calls Lin Feng 林总 ‘Lin zong’ and zong is short for 总裁 zong cai, which translates as chairman or director (of a company). I opted for ‘chairman,’ since the MC and Lin Jing is in the entertainment industry and I didn’t want it to be confused with movie director. In other words, Lin Feng is the CEO or executive president of the family company.]

Lin Jing had not finished speaking before he was cut short by the agent’s reminder.

It was a stab at his heart’s deepest fear. Lin Jing turned pale. The swell of false courage instantly deflated, and he ceased his desperate struggles.

Seeing that he had regained his senses, the agent was relieved. He pushed Lin Jing into the security van and drove all the way back to the Lin household.

Su Shi alighted from the car and was taken to the detention center.

He had just been discharged from the hospital, and had not even the time to pack a luggage with him. It wasn’t time for him to be interrogated yet, hence he was brought to a single detention room empty handed.

The bed was an ordinary hard cot and he has not adapted to the time difference in this new world yet. Su Shi pillowed his head on his arms, and slowly relaxed his sore body. He yawned, pulled the quilt over himself, and closed his eyes with no worries.

The days in the detention center were rigid and dull. Except for some curious onlookers on the first day, it was almost always peaceful and quiet.

The meals were mostly cold and the portions woefully small. When he first arrived, he had been wearing a suit that did nothing to keep the chill at bay, and within three days he was sneezing from a cold. The whole box of tissues was soon used up.

Su Shi was wrapped up in his quilt, having just taken his medication and was preparing to lie down, when he heard a set of footsteps at the doorway.

“Jinchu, have these past few days been hard on you?”

The voice was anxious and concerned. Su Shi looked up at hearing this, his eyebrows lifted slightly.

He knew this person, a man called Liang Qiu. A superstar of the highest caliber, he was also signed in with a subsidiary of the Lin clan, and was regarded as the pillar of the company.

The metal door swung open. Liang Qiu stepped in and was by his bedside in an instant, holding his arm and sweeping his fingers over his brows.

“I know you are not reckless enough to have committed such an obvious rookie blunder. Your body is still unwell, you can’t be tossed around like this. Let me bring you out, and you can tell me what happened, alright?”

In Mu Jinchu’s memories, Liang Qiu had always been a kind hearted senior of the entertainment industry, and had always taken good care of him. Really now, if they were to compare their relationships, Mu Jinchu was a great deal closer to Liang Qiu than with the Lin brothers.

If the original Mu Jinchu was here instead, he would not be able to hold back from opening his heart and spilling everything to this person.

Even so, if it would jeopardize the chances of him shouldering the blame, he must still be fully on guard and regard the other as his enemy.

Su Shi propped himself up and shifted backwards warily. He lowered his eyes and whispered: “I have nothing to tell you. Brother Liang, thank you, you should head back first.”

[Syeki: Just a polite way to refer to someone older than you, they have no familial ties.]

“Jinchu, keeping silent out of misplaced loyalty will not resolve the issue. Do you know what they’re saying on Weibo—”

Liang Qiu stopped abruptly, his eyes suddenly reflecting his annoyance. After a long silence, he sighed heavily: “Forget it, I should not tell you this.”

Su Shi raised his eyebrows slightly, an avid light flickering in his eyes. When Liang Qiu looked over, he lowered his gaze again. His voice sounded faintly: “Brother Liang, please ask them to return my phone to me.”

“Alright, I’ll talk to them.”

Liang Qiu did not hesitate to agree, and clasped his shoulders affectionately, lowering his voice: “With the mobile phone, you can keep yourself updated. Call me if you’re in trouble, alright?”

Came to pay him a special visit, didn’t even bring any warm clothes for him, but was mindful enough to remind him to use the mobile to check Weibo.

Truly a considerate senior.

Su Shi remained stiff as a statue in his embrace and nodded obediently, watching him get up and leave.

And couldn’t hold back a violent sneeze.

When you have a cold, your nose is much more sensitive than usual. He didn’t know what brand of cologne Liang Qiu sprayed on himself, which caused him to keep sneezing as his eyes teared up and his nose to itch incessantly.

Su Shi rubbed at his nose, and didn’t have long to wait before the mobile phone was delivered to him.

It’s been three days since he last logged in to Weibo, he was curious as to how things have progressed. Su Shi flipped the pages, looking over it. The comment screens were littered with curses and jeers, the creative number of ways of death proposed for him were enough to try a hundred times over without repeating.

The smell of the cologne in the cell had not completely dissipated. Wrapped in a quilt and seated on the bed, Su Shi sneezed again, holding the phone and looking at it with great interest.

He even happily tallied up the messages he received.

Each one would net him 10 points of experience, even if he discounted it by removing a 0 from the figures, it would still give him about 100,000 points, not counting the messages in the other comment areas and network platforms.

Su Shi sighed in relief, feeling a heavy burden lift from his heart.

The cold medication was quite potent. He had been interrupted by an uninvited guest while preparing to sleep, and was now drowsy again. Su Shi rubbed at his eyes, tossed his phone to the side of his pillow, and lay down without a care.

As he slept, the door of the detention room gently swung open.

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Translated by: Syeki
Edited by: Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 33

For someone so cowardly, Lin Jing sure acted fast.

Su Shi raised his eyebrows and his eyes fell thoughtfully on Lin Jing’s pale face. He nodded slightly at the men: “I understand, please give me two minutes.”

With that, he walked slowly towards Lin Jing.

Lin Jing took two steps backwards, his eyes darting around guiltily: “Jin, Jinchu— you help me bear with it for two days. When elder brother comes back, I’ll ask him for help with the PR, it’ll definitely be alright…”

Mu Jinchu was orphaned at an early age, he had been entrusted to the Lin family by his father when he was young. The Lin family held the largest economic company in the entertainment industry, and naturally paved the way for their old friend’s only son. Until the passing of the Lin brothers’ parents, when the company was handed over to Lin Feng, he had lacked for nothing.

It was for precisely this reason that Mu Jinchu had been willing to take the fall for Lin Jing.

“It’s just being away for a few days, it’s not a big deal, elder brother wouldn’t be bothered.”

Su Shi rubbed at his eyebrows and spoke plainly.

Since he was a child, Mu Jinchu’s temperament had been withdrawn and taciturn. He had never been close with the Lin brothers. With his own younger brother in a precarious situation, Lin Feng would certainly not lend a hand to the outsider pegged as the culprit.

This did not concern Su Shi. It was just that Lin Jing’s distraught expression made him worry that he would hinder his efforts to shoulder the blame.

“Don’t talk to anyone about this. When you get home, remember to check if anyone at the party knows something they shouldn’t. Don’t repair the car, dispose of it as soon as possible.”

Lin Jing listened in stunned silence. He stared at Su Shu with traces of shame in his eyes: “Jinchu—“

“Since you have already committed to this, you must see it to the end. I will deal with this myself. Just take care of your own public image, don’t worry about me.”

Protecting the mission was of foremost importance. Su Shi did not have time care about Lin Jing’s emotional state, and reviewed the whole process in his thoughts. After confirming that there were no omissions, he was finally a little relieved and lightly pushed Lin Jing back.

“Alright, go home now, remember to send me the details of the whole situation before and after, so that I will know what to say. Work fast, okay?”

“Jinchu…”

Lin Jing’s eyes were red, his head hung low, and his voice was nasally and choked: “I will talk to elder brother—”

“Don’t you cry, and don’t you dare tell elder brother!”

This time, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect the protagonist’s misunderstanding value. Su Shi cut him off and lowered his voice threateningly.

“If elder brother knows the truth, he would force you to publicly apologize, freeze all your accounts, break both your legs and lock you in a little black room…”

Lin Feng has been controlling the Lin family for a long time. Lin Jing’s face turned a ghastly white. He gaped at him, and shook his head in horror: “I won’t say anything!”

Feeling reassured, Su Shi nodded and turned to leave, but Lin Jing suddenly seized his arm: “Jinchu, how about you also come home first, ask them to wait, wait for elder brother to return…”

“I have already publicly admitted to it in front of the reporters. The news of this should already be all over the Internet. Do you want them to also report that I resisted arrest and refused to cooperate with the investigation?”

This guy was just too hopeless. Looking at the teary eyed Lin Jing, Su Shi finally had to heave two great sighs in his heart, and said patiently: “This is for your future, you have to be strong. Stop crying now, tend to your wounds when you return, and remember what I’ve told you. Now go home.”

With that said, he turned away, nodded to the plain-clothes officers, and walked with them to the parking lot.

Lin Jing looked at his retreating back, his heart hammering. His eyes suddenly reddened and he wanted to rush forwards, but was dragged back by the agent next to him: “Young master Lin!”

Hearing the agent’s voice, Lin Jing snapped out of it, his face was ashen, and his previously agitated movements weakened.

But his heart still clamored in protest. He brought his arm to his face, dashing away the tears, wanting to see that person’s back.

Mu Jinchu did not look back, just calmly followed the officers into the car.

His steps were halting, getting into the car seemed to be a difficult task. It was probably from standing for too long, and that leg injury was still giving him trouble.

Lin Jing bowed his head, and the tears finally flowed out.

He had been prepared, even if Mu Jinchu had denied that it was his fault, there were ways to falsify evidence and push the crime onto his head.

But Mu Jinchu had not reacted in accordance to his expectations. Not only did he not deny the accusation, he unhesitatingly accepted all the blame. Even when he was being taken away, his concern had been solely for Lin Jing’s sake.

Lin Jing had always disliked Mu Jinchu, and felt that the latter was parasitizing their family’s riches. It was only now that he realized, that man would go to this extent to protect him.

Tormented by guilt and unease, Lin Jing took a few steps back, clenched his teeth and lowered his head: “It was my fault, I will find elder brother, and tell him the truth….”

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The author has something to say:
Su Shi:?!?!
#overkill#

Translated by: Syeki
Edited by: Vanilla Muse

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Chapter 32

Such a question was obviously a trap, and was deeply offensive to boot.

At his long silence, the reporter grew embarrassed and hastily backtracked: “Of course, Mr. Mu has the right not to answer—”

“Yes, it was me.”

After a moment’s struggle to completely adapt to his new body, Su Shi cheerfully interrupted the other party and did not hesitate to reply.

His voice had not been loud, but the young man standing by the side immediately turned to gaze at him with ill concealed surprise, breathing out softly in relief.

Su Shi had an inkling of what the situation was about.

This was a parallel world that was similar to the real world. The body he was inhabiting was originally called Mu Jinchu, and had been a very popular actor. But just one month ago, the Film Emperor Lin brought him to attend a party, and on the way back they were involved in a car accident.

[Syeki: Film Emperor Lin is referring to Lin Jing]

Lin Jing did not suffer any serious injuries, but received a few cuts to the cheek and forehead from the windshield fragments. This made it necessary for him to wear a facemask in public.

In contrast, Mu Jinchu looked whole and unscathed, and naturally became the target of the media.

Mu Jinchu was only good at playing brooding characters. Although he was considered popular and somewhat famous, he was in no way comparable to the rising star Lin Jing. Lin Jing walked the promising path of television, song and film, and had tens of thousands of Weibo fans. With this in mind, it was not difficult to imagine what kind of treatment they would receive.

[Syeki: Weibo is a Chinese microblogging website.]

It seems like there were plenty of people who would be quick to pin the blame on him. Su Shi’s heart felt much lighter.

Not expecting him to look so happy, the reporter was silent for a moment. Then he boldly pushed the microphone forward: “Then—could you tell us more about what happened at that time?”

Su Shi nodded lightly and calmly pulled up the character’s plot details. He froze in disbelief.

At this critical moment, the system’s record of that part of the story was actually a complete blank.

The only plausible explanation for this was that Mu Jinchu wasn’t clear on what had happened either.

He did not speak, Lin Jing remained mute, and the atmosphere fell into profound silence. Only the camera continued to run, faithfully recording, as every passing second seemed to hold a deeper meaning.

They couldn’t stay deadlocked forever. Su Shi withdrew his urgent gaze from the unreliable Lin Jing, and spoke in a low voice.

“On that day, we had some pressing issues….”

“We had been drinking a lot of wine—”

The two men spoke and stopped at the same time.

Lin Jing looked at him, his eyes were full of fear and anxiety, apparently already confused and frightened.

Su Shi’s eyes narrowed, he finally understood the implications of the whole thing.

Driving under influence was a punishable offense. Not just a fine, one would also be detained for fifteen days. For a popular idol, it would be a fatal blow to their images.

To preserve the idol’s popularity, to maximize the sympathy of the fans, shouldering this blame was obviously the way to go.

His only cause for complaint was that this Film Emperor was really worthy of being called an Emperor. Even when pinning the blame on someone else, the accused has to be the one to tar himself.

[Syeki: Basically saying that the emperor doesn’t lift a finger. Servants can just slap their own faces.]

“…We all drank, and were in a hurry.”

Su Shi gave him a look, took a deep breath, and calmly adjusted his story.

“It was just a short distance away, I didn’t think anything could happen, and so I didn’t ask anyone to pick us up. This incident has had a negative impact on Mr. Lin’s reputation. I’m deeply sorry, and am willing to take full responsibility and accept any punishment for this.”

Determinedly confessing in one go, he left no opening for interruptions.

The reporters were shocked by the blunt admission, and forgot to pursue with follow-up questions. They also lagged behind and gave the two an opportunity to get away, accompanied by assistants into the side lane.

This body was not as well as it seemed on the surface, the wound on his leg was aching dully. Su Shi‘s steps were unhurried. He took the chance to review the contents of his system’s tasks.

The protagonist of this world was not Lin Jing, but his brother Lin Feng.

His own role in this plot was as a supporting character in the lives of the brothers. As long as he was falsely accused of causing a drunken car accident, chose to go overseas to escape the intensifying cyber bullying, and die in an ill-fated plane crash, he would be able to successfully complete the mission.

In accordance to the plot, the truth of this incident would be accidentally exposed after his death, which would lead to a series of fatal blows to the Lin family. People will pay countless apologies and tributes to him, but it all has nothing to do with him.

Sure enough, it was much less difficult than the last world.

Lin Jing had been watching him all this while, but he didn’t approach him to talk. When the two talents drew near to the exit, several men dressed in casual clothes greeted them and presented some documents to him: “Mr. Mu, can you please cooperate with us for the investigation?”

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Chapter 31

Su Shi’s consciousness gradually separated from the body, and finally fell into complete darkness.

When he woke up again, he had returned to the familiar main world.

“My host, you don’t seem to be in a good mood.”

The mechanical voice rang flatly, but no matter how one listened, it seemed to carry a malicious sense of Schadenfreude.

Su Shi glanced angrily at the big screen with flashing data strips. He flopped onto the sofa, and lazily rubbed his forehead. “Looking at the situation from all angles, is there something I had missed that deserves celebration?”
Translations are by www [dot] vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.
The data on the screen flickered quickly, and after a long silence, the mechanical voice sounded again.

“The score for this world, the host successfully obtained two thousand experience points, consumed one [special anesthetic], deduct fifty experience points…”

“How come there are only two thousand points!”

Su Shi staggered up and interrupted the mechanical voice with incredulity. “It should be that everyone in the country thinks that I am a traitor. Even if the misunderstanding is resolved in the capital, the country is so big—”

“In order to make a bigger impact, the villain BOSS chose global broadcast. People in other cities have either voluntarily or been forced to watch your feat.”

The system replied without missing a beat, and in scrupulous detail. The screen flashed twice. “In fact, the world is currently holding a huge funeral for you. Do I need to broadcast it for you?”

“…Forget it. I don’t want to watch.”

Su Shi fell back onto the sofa, sighed heavily, and put his hand on his forehead. Light seeped into his eyes from between his fingers, stinging his eyes.

That brat didn’t even tell him one thing that was pleasant to the ears.
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Fortunately, it was just this one world. If that damn system gave him a few more worlds like this, he might be angered all the way to the switchboard. Then he would directly drag the data out into the material world and press it hard to the ground.

And along the way, tell him that he didn’t die, but merely changed places to live on…

The host’s mood did not seem to be very good. The system flashed the screen twice dully, and finally switched back to the rigid mechanical sound.

“The remaining one thousand nine hundred and fifty experience points have been calculated into the balance of the new account. Congratulations to the host for accomplishing [not carrying a single pot] achievement. Task completion rating is A. The protagonist’s misunderstanding value is one hundred. And the current world comprehensive rating is S level. Host can choose one skill from anyone in this world to copy, and directly improve the mastery to the highest level.”

“One hundred?”

Su Shi abruptly stood up. His back went cold. He couldn’t feel pleased with the S-grade rating at all.

Could it be that Wayne still felt that he was a traitor? Did Wayne do all of those things just to confuse Su Shi and make him willing to die for him?
Translations by Vanilla Muse.
Thinking of the blazing and sincere flames in those eyes, Su Shi was suddenly out of breath. His eyebrows tightened as he tried to recall any suspicious performances, but his heart was inexplicably filled with extremely empty blankness.

He still couldn’t believe that Wayne didn’t believe in him.

“Was there a mistake in the calculations? Check it again. I remember that the final misunderstanding value has dropped to zero. It doesn’t matter if the grade is B or C, I just need to know the real data…”

Su Shi muttered, his voice faint. His palms even started to exude cold sweat.

The system was silent for a while. The data scrolling on the screen stopped. The mechanical voice was still as tranquil and inflexible as before.

“No mistake. The protagonist still believes to the last moment that you* actually want to live.”

[*T/N: System uses respectful you 您 to address Su Shi.]

Su Shi’s heart suddenly sank.

“So—so it’s like this. I understand…”

His voice was unsteady. He tied to force himself to relax as he swiped his fingertips across the virtual screen in front of him a few times, and then came to a stop on the image of Wayne’s head.

He lightly touched it. The photo suddenly disappeared, turning into several options for skill points.

He clicked on the [Royal Martial Arts] option. Su Shi retracted his hand into a fist. He lowered his eyes for a moment. Then he raised his head and smiled gently. “I’m ready. Enter the next world.”

Everything in front of him quickly turned into a torrent of data. Su Shi closed his eyes and let himself fall, when the system’s mechanical voice sounded in his ear.

“Lord Host, taking into account the hard experience of earning experience points in the last world, the difficulty of the task in the next world will be adjusted appropriately, and strive to make it easy for you to carry the pot. Happy misunderstandings…”

[*T/N: At the end the system says 背得愉快, which means “carrying the pot” and “cheerily/pleasantly” so I translated it as “happy misunderstandings” to sound more like a succinct parting remark.]

In the depths of Su Shi’s heart, he felt anything but reassured. He opened his eyes amidst the torrent of ones and zeros, and watched the void in front of him vigilantly. “What do you mean?”

“Changing to more understandable terms, that is to say-”

The mechanical voice gradually faded. The ending sound seemed to carry a faint smile of interest.

“When you arrive in the next world, be prepared to receive the pot once you open your eyes.”

—–

Su Shi’s body sank suddenly. When he opened his eyes, he was blinded by dazzling flashing lights, and he had to close his eyes again.

People were scrambling to push a microphone in front of him, and excited faces followed behind each other. Finally, a microphone broke through the siege, and the reporter quickly opened his mouth, his eyes flashing with excitement.

“Mr. Mu, is it really like what Film Emperor Lin said, that it was your driving mistake that caused the accident?”

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The author has something to say:
System: You’re awake, here is the pot, for you ＼（￣︶￣）／

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The translator has something to say:

Su Shi’s system is so sassy. Haha. XD
And Su Shi definitely cares about Wayne in some way, even if he is not fully aware of it himself. Heeheehee.

We are now officially on arc 2. Yay! Thank you for your patience up until now. Special shout out to Syeki, who helped me translate the first half of arc 2. Since I only have to proofread her chapters and fix the formatting before posting them, I should feel less pressured now. I’ll continue to work hard at translating during my free time to stockpile some chapters for the future. See you again tomorrow~!

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Chapter 30

The lieutenant couldn’t speak. He looked back and forth helplessly, preparing to turn and call for help, but was stopped by the low tenor of Su Shi’s voice.

“Close the door, Nathan.”

Su Shi worked hard to prop up his body. His arms were trembling faintly. The scent of blood in the air made him uncomfortable, but his train of thought was still as clear and distinct as before.

Translations are by www [dot] vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

“Useless. The protective cover is actually used to shield against anti-matter radiation…”

The short period of calm after radiation exposure has already passed. His body has already begun to rapidly decline all around. His internal organs were rupturing and bleeding. The severe pain made him want to curl up his body like a shrimp.

But he still has something to do.

The lieutenant was also aware of how terrifying the radiation was, but still didn’t want to believe this reality. Choked with emotion, he lent a hand to that man struggling to get up. “Marshal, there must be a way. Persevere a bit longer, I will call His Highness Wayne back–”

“Idiot. If I wanted him to see, then why would I have endured until now?”

Su Su smiled softly, interrupted him in a low voice, and tried to walk over to the desk.

“Marshal!”

There was a sobbing quality to the lieutenant’s shout, but Su Shi still stubbornly sat at the table, spread out his notebook, and fumbled for a pen.

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“Let me finish this task, Nathan. There is nothing much I can leave behind…”

This notebook was a record of Daniel’s crimes, and he could get two thousand points for reward by writing everything down. Before, it was not worthwhile for him to work so hard for these two thousand points, so he did not fight to the death to write everything down.

But in this current situation, perhaps he could count on these two thousand points, so as to not end the first world with negative experience points.

Cold sweat blurred his vision. Su Shi tried not to let the blood he was coughing out land on the book pages. He wrote down the last few decrees one by one, and finally let go of the pen with a breath of a relief.

With tears in his eyes, the lieutenant supported him in the chair and stubbornly wiped the blood on his lips.

When Su Su curved the corner of his mouth weakly, his eyes fell on the notebook that he had yet to close. He sighed lightly, and suddenly started to cough fiercely. In the end, some blood was splashed on the paper.

It was too late for him to do anything else.

There was a sudden rushing sound outside the door. The door was violently thrown open with a bang, causing one’s eardrums to echo with the sound.

Wayne stood panting heavily at the door, his hands resting on the doorframe, his eyes red with blood.

He had just stepped out the door and was glancing at the surveillance screen casually, wanting to confirm whether Daniel was having a good rest.

He just couldn’t help wanting to see that person.

“Go, go with me to see a doctor…”

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

Wayne opened his mouth dumbly. He picked up Su Shi wanting to leave, but the other party gently held his wrist.

Just this brief moment of labor and that hand had become ice-cold and damp, even losing most of its strength, only holding together like an empty shell, looking like it would break away with just a little pressure.

But he couldn’t bear it.

Su Shi’s eyes were already red with blood, and his vision was extremely blurry. He tried his best to open his mouth, but could only force out in a weak voice, “Right here, I have something to tell you.”

“Okay, right here. We won’t go anywhere. You speak, I’ll listen.”

Wayne shook terribly. He carefully put the person in his arms back on the bed. His voice was hoarse and it trembled. He was so regretful that his vision was about to turn black.

Swallowing the surging blood, Su Shi tried to turn over and held his hand firmly. “I don’t blame you. It can’t be cured. I already knew. Just greedy…”

He paused and thought for a while, but added another word: “Sorry.”

Because he knew long ago that this was a dead end without a solution. So he was being very abnormal and forgiving.

But behind those forgiving and accepting words, how could there not be some silent desire that was hidden deep?

Wayne stared at him with his heart hammering in his throat, breathing slowly. Finally, he fell to his knees beside the bed weakly.

Su Shi took Wayne’s hand and stroked his cheek with a trembling hand. His brows softened as his eyes fell silently upon Wayne’s body.

The HP bar was decreasing rapidly, jumping to the single digits in the blink of an eye, one by one the number went down until it finally stopped completely at zero.

“Marshal…”

The lieutenant spoke softly, and there was already some helpless fear in his eyes.

The curve of those eyes was still gentle, but the light inside had been completely extinguished.

Wayne knelt quietly beside the bed, stiffly wrapped in darkness.

“At that time, he asked me, if there were still a lot of matters outside that I had to attend to personally, right?”

He suddenly raised his hand and gently stroked the man’s forehead. His strength was gentle and careful, and the corners of his lips curved into a gentle arc.

But in his eyes there was nothing but desolation. It was so empty that it made one’s heart feel despair just from looking.

“At that time… why didn’t I answer no?”

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