Chapter 003 The Young Master – “She seemed to have received a great gift.” (03/35)
Five in the morning.
As the enemy’s Crystal exploded, the victory icon appeared, and the young master immediately threw his phone on the sofa and flopped back onto the couch.
“I can’t go on.” Shi Jingge stared blankly at the ceiling, voicing what everyone was thinking. “Who knew playing games could be so exhausting?”
The others nodded in agreement.
After playing for nearly nine straight hours, with the anti-addiction system kicking them off in the middle, how could they not be exhausted?
Shi Jingge glanced at his phone and sighed with relief. “It’s five o’clock. We can go home. Let’s go.”
He yawned, stood up, and headed towards the door, but suddenly stopped. Shi Jingge searched his pockets, as if looking for something.
Wei Han approached and asked, “Young Master?”
“Where’s the key?” Shi Jingge frowned. “Do you have it?”
Wei Han froze for a moment before quickly responding, “Yes, yes.”
He pulled out a small box containing several keys, took one out, and handed it to Shi Jingge with respect.
Shi Jingge snatched the small box from Wei Han’s hand and snapped, “Are all these keys for this place?”
“Yes.” Wei Han couldn’t figure out what Shi Jingge meant, so he just answered accordingly, “This is the bedroom key, this is the front door key, this is the underground garage key, this is the storage room key, and there are also a set of spare keys and spare elevator cards, all here.”
Shi Jingge frowned, saying nothing, his expression looking very unpleasant.
Wei Han felt uneasy. Had he said something wrong again? But he hadn’t said anything out of place just now, had he?
Adhering to the principle “the more you say, the more mistakes you make; the less you say, the fewer mistakes you make; and if you don’t say anything, you won’t make any mistakes,” Wei Han kept his mouth shut.
As a result—
—Shi Jingge’s expression became even more sour!
Not only that, he stared silently at Wei Han, making Wei Han feel uneasy.
What had he said wrong? Those two sentences just now didn’t sound out of place, did they?
Could you spare me the suspense? Wei Han cried out in pain in his heart.
The room was silent, and the temperature quickly dropped below zero.
The young master glanced at Wei Han with disdain, quickly put the key back in the box, then threw it away himself.
It hit the floor with a resounding clatter.
The small box missed its target and hit the floor, making a loud noise.
Hua Mingyi and the others all stared at the small box, then silently looked at Shi Jingge.
The young master’s face was red with embarrassment. “Considering your good performance today, I’ll waive this week’s rent. I’ll come collect it next week. If you drop a star, I’ll chop off your hands!”
With those parting words, the young master quickly opened the door and darted out.
He moved so fast, it was as if he was running away.
A few seconds later, they heard the young master’s arrogant voice. “Why is this elevator so slow? Can it make up for the time it wasted? What kind of broken elevator is this? Why isn’t it here yet?”
Wei Han and Qi Xuan hurriedly ran after him.
Hua Mingyi picked up the small box and hesitated, glancing at Li Zhuoyun.
Li Zhuoyun froze for a moment, then walked out to bid farewell to the young master, only to see him dart inside the elevator as if he were being chased.
Before she could say a word, the elevator doors had already closed.
For some reason, Li Zhuoyun suddenly felt like laughing.
Just now, were the young master’s ears red?
And also, he was glaring at the assistant so fiercely—was he blaming the assistant for not finding him a face-saving way out, forcing him to throw the keys himself?
Li Zhuoyun couldn’t help but smile.
Although she knew that the little master was not quite what she had imagined, the contrast was still too great.
When Li Zhuoyun returned to the living room, Hua Mingyi was on her phone, looking rather unhappy.
Seeing her return, Hua Mingyi gave her an apologetic smile and hurriedly rushed onto the balcony, so that only a faint murmur could be heard.
It sounded like she was on the phone with her agent, and Li Zhaoyun could even hear words like “disband” and “leave the group.”
Li Zhaoyun sat down on the sofa and picked up the box on the coffee table to count the keys.
There were five keys in the box, including the one in her hand, for a total of six. Logically speaking, these should be all the keys for the apartment.
Did Shi Jingge really leave all the keys with them? He didn’t keep a single one for himself?
Why would he do that? And why choose her and Hua Mingyi?
Since he chose her and Hua Mingyi, they must have something in common.
Just what was it?
But whether it was appearance, personality, ambitions, or anything else, she and Hua Mingyi didn’t have a single thing in common.
That left only one possibility.
They had both been saved by the young master from Mr. Wu.
The same must be true for Hua Mingyi.
Yesterday, Hua Mingyi looked so miserable and her emotions were all over the place. She must have been very frightened.
Soon, Hua Mingyi hung up the phone and walked out onto the balcony.
“Sister Li.” Hua Mingyi saw her sorting through the keys and asked in confusion. “Are you really going to live here?”
Li Zhuoyun smiled. “Yes, this neighborhood has good security and is very suitable for entertainers to live in. I’ve lived here for a few days already and don’t have to be as cautious as I was before.”
Moreover, it seemed that since she had moved here, she hadn’t been harassed anymore. Her agent no longer forced her to attend any banquets.
Li Zhuoyun lowered her eyes slightly, paused for a moment, and a flash of realization crossed her eyes.
This young master not only saved her but also took care of the aftermath.
“But…” Hua Mingyi hesitated. “Aren’t you afraid…?”
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Li Zhuoyun laughed. “The young master wouldn’t do anything to us, and all the keys are here. If you’re still worried, we can change the locks.”
Hua Mingyi knew the young master wouldn’t harm them, but what about public opinion? Would anyone believe them?
What if it got exposed?
“Is Zhaoxing’s MX going to disband?” Li Zhuoyun changed the subject, her tone calm.
Hua Mingyi’s expression froze, then she forced a smile. “So everyone already knows…”
Li Zhuoyun patted her on the shoulder. MX was a six-member group, and aside from Hua Mingyi, the others had decent backgrounds. Dissolving and going solo was inevitable.
“Were you threatened by your agent?”
Hua Mingyi looked at her in surprise, wondering how she knew.
“Your agent isn’t a very good person,” Li Zhuoyun said meaningfully. “If she’s making you do something you don’t want to do, I have an idea.”
Hua Mingyi looked up at her.
“Maybe you could tell her that you’re going to stay here for the time being.”
Hua Mingyi stared at her blankly, lost in her thoughts.
Li Zhuoyun stood up and smiled. “I work for the boss, and since he can’t pay wages, rent is deducted from my salary. Is there a problem with that?”
“Being a gaming-companion isn’t considered working?
”We have a clear conscience.“
”It’s just that our boss is making a loss.”
When we have the ability, we’ll repay him.
Li Zhuoyun smiled brightly at Hua Mingyi and turned to enter her bedroom.
Hua Mingyi stared blankly at her back, suddenly coming to a realization.
—She seemed to have received an extraordinary gift.
—————–
Ever since they entered the elevator, the young master’s expression had been very bad, especially when he looked at Wei Han.
When getting into the car, Wei Han had been following Shi Jingge, intending to sit beside him, but Shi Jingge personally motioned for Qi Xuan to come over, leaving Wei Han no choice but to go to the front.
The smile on Wei Han’s face froze.
He was both angry and frustrated. It was just one instance of flattery backfiring—was it really necessary to humiliate him like this?
Sure enough, Shi Jingge was just a spoiled brat with a narrow mind and no use!
Fortunately, Wei Han hadn’t pinned his future on such a spoiled brat.
He put his hand in his pocket, unlocked his phone, and quickly dialed a number. A few seconds later, Wei Han was relieved to see that the call had been rejected.
The car slowly drove away.
Wei Han looked out the window and happened to see a car entering the neighborhood behind them. The corners of his lips curled up slightly.
Although nothing had actually happened, who would believe them?
The car drove back to the Shi family mansion.
Shi Jingge felt lightheaded and almost tripped when he got out of the car.
He tiptoed into the living room and, not seeing Shi Rongqing, let out a sigh of relief. He collapsed onto the sofa and cried out, “Aunt Bai! Aunt Bai! I want to eat your shredded pork noodles!”
“My little master, please lower your voice. You didn’t come home all night, and it’s your birthday. The eldest young master–” Aunt Bai hurried over, but before she could finish, she saw Shi Jingge’s haggard face and exclaimed in shock, “What happened to you? If the eldest young master sees this, he’ll bring out the family rules! Go get cleaned up.”
Shi Jingge knew very well that he looked haggard.
Who wouldn’t look haggard after playing video games all night?
But that was exactly the effect he wanted. Otherwise, how would his brother find out?
“I’m not going,” Shi Jingge said lazily. “My brother isn’t here, what’s there to be afraid of?”
“You…”
“Just don’t tell him, and it’ll be fine. Aunt Bai, you’re not taking my brother’s side, are you?”
“Of course I’m on your side, but…”
Before Aunt Bai could finish, Shi Jingge stood up with a smile and nudged her back. “Aunt Bai, my brother isn’t here anyway. I’ll eat and leave right away. I won’t waste a second. As long as you don’t tell him, I’ll be safe—”
“Tell me what?” At the same time, a cold, firm voice rang out.
Shi Jingge saw who it was and his face froze.
Aunt Bai said helplessly, “I was just about to remind you that the eldest young master is in the dining room.”
Shi Jingge: “… Such an important matter, you should have said it first. ”
Shi Rongqing’s expression was extremely cold as he spoke slowly, “Staying out all night?”
Shi Jingge: “…”
Shi Rongqing slowly walked towards Shi Jingge.
Shi Jingge braced himself, his hair seeming to bristle.
Shi Rongqing looked at his foolish appearance, and the fire in his heart subsided a little. “You…”
Shi Rongqing was very close to Shi Jingge. He softened his tone and opened his mouth.
But in that split second, Shi Jingge suddenly dodged Shi Rongqing, his explosive power reaching its peak, and sprinted up the stairs!
Shi Rongqing: !!
“Shi Jingge!” Shi Rongqing shouted angrily. “Come back here!”
“I’m not coming down!” Shi Jingge shouted from the stairs. “I’m not an idiot—why would I go down? If you’re so great, come up here! Are you that great? If you’re not, then just stay there! Stay there!”
Shi Rongqing: “…”
He couldn’t believe that he had just thought this little bastard was a little pitiful and even a little cute. He must have been possessed by a ghost.
“I’ll give you one minute.” Shi Rongqing took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress his anger. “Come down now, and we’ll forget about what happened earlier.”
“Fine, you said it, I’ll come down.”
Shi Rongqing’s expression finally eased a bit.
Shi Jingge opened the door to his room and shouted, “Then that makes me an idiot!”
Bang—
Shi Jingge slammed the door shut.
Shi Rongqing: “…”
At that moment, Shi Rongqing wanted nothing more than to strangle that little brat.
He was indeed too lenient, wasn’t he?
Look at how arrogant that little brat was!!
“Young Master.” Aunt Bai stepped forward. “Don’t be angry. The youngest master is just a little playful. He didn’t mean anything by it. Calm down. Let me make you a bowl of noodles. Eat something to calm your anger.”
The two brothers from the Shi family had similar tastes: they both liked shredded pork noodles.
How could Shi Rongqing not know what Aunt Bai was up to? She just wanted to take the opportunity to send a bowl to that little brat.
“No need. Lock the kitchen.”
Aunt Bai: ???
“The kitchen will not be used today.” Shi Rongqing sneered. “I want to see how long he can hold out!”
Aunt Bai hesitated, but Shi Rongqing didn’t give her a chance to speak. He pointed at Wei Han and Qi Xuan and coldly said, “Come here.”
With that, Shi Rongqing turned and walked away. Wei Han and Qi Xuan exchanged glances and could only follow him reluctantly.
…The eldest young master is really scary!
Aunt Bai watched their backs and sighed deeply.
Little young master, Aunt Bai really tried her best. Before locking the door, Aunt Bai secretly slipped two eggs into her pocket.
Shi Rongqing took Wei Han and Qi Xuan to the study on the third floor.
This study was prepared for Shi Jingge, but the young master hadn’t been here since elementary school. There were still various exercise books and many children’s books inside.
Shi Rongqing said indifferently, “Sit down. Don’t be so nervous. We’re just going to chat.”
He even smiled.
This smile made Wei Han even more nervous.
“Xiao Ge is still young and doesn’t understand much. You two need to take good care of him,” Shi Rongqing said indifferently. Wei Han and Qi Xuan dared not respond.
Wei Han hurriedly said, “The young master is so capable. He doesn’t need our care. It’s us who need his care.”
Shi Rongqing glanced at him and laughed lightly. “Now it’s the boss taking care of the assistants?
Wei Han: “…”
He just wanted to brown-nose, but it was so difficult!
Wei Han wanted to explain, but Shi Rongqing didn’t say much on the topic. He only asked, “What did Xiao Ge do last night?”
Wei Han didn’t dare to speak up. He only looked at Qi Xuan, who recounted the events in detail. Wei Han chipped in with some additional information.
“…He played video games all night?” Shi Rongqing almost thought he had heard wrong.
“Yes.” Qi Xuan nodded and took out his phone. “It’s all recorded. You can check it if you want.”
“No need,” Shi Rongqing said indifferently. He knew they wouldn’t dare lie to him, but he still found it hard to believe.
Now that he had a better understanding of the situation, Shi Rongqing felt a little better. “Continue,” he said indifferently.
Qi Xuan’s account was extremely detailed, even repeating most of the shameful things Shi Jingge had said to Wen Xusheng, causing Shi Rongqing’s expression to grow even more inscrutable.
Wei Han quickly took over, skipping over those parts and focusing on the house and the keys, subtly expressing his concerns.
Thinking of those keys, Wei Han felt a pang of pain. Before, he could at least go in and pretend to be wealthy. Now?
“That’s enough,” Shi Rongqing said. “This month’s salary will be increased by ten percent, as a bonus for you all.”
Qi Xuan showed a delighted expression and thanked him repeatedly. Wei Han also smiled broadly and thanked him, but a trace of disdain flashed in his eyes.
Only ten percent?
So stingy.
After Qi Xuan and Wei Han left, Shi Rongqing made a call. “Hello, find me an assistant.”
“Wait, did I hear that right? You want to replace your assistant?” the person on the other end asked incredulously.
“Not for me, but for that little brat at home. The two by his side—one’s too honest, the other’s too dishonest. I don’t trust them. Find a few more. I want to interview them personally,” Shi Rongqing quickly added.
“Alright, alright,” the other side laughed. “You’re acting more like a father than an older brother. I feel like you’re actually the dad here.”
“Get lost.” Shi Rongqing hung up the phone and couldn’t help but sigh.
Wasn’t he raising a child?
Even his own father didn’t worry this much.
And he couldn’t even get any praise.
Thinking of what Qi Xuan had just said, Shi Rongqing felt a little sour.
A male god? His idol? Did he like Wen Xusheng that much?
Even his own brother didn’t get this kind of treatment!
Shi Rongqing was angry and heartbroken. He wanted to beat this little brat and then delete a certain phone number.
But after wallowing in his jealousy for a moment, Shi Rongqing sighed and reluctantly opened WeChat.
—Hey, bro, do you still have any signed photos?
What could he do with his own little brat?
It was rare for him to like someone so much.
Edit: Krone
Proofread: Choux_choux
