NANSO Chapter 27

Bonus chapter 2/5

I will post the rest of the bonus chapters tomorrow (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

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Xie Yu stayed in the mental hospital for over two months.

During this time, his emotional state was stable, and he no longer engaged in self-harming behavior. Xu Qingshan observed him closely and concluded that Xie Yu likely had no major issues, but there was a minor one.

—He would laugh at empty space for no reason.

This laughter was irregular; sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, and the duration was also inconsistent, sometimes an hour, sometimes half an hour. The first time Xu Qingshan witnessed it, he almost rushed in to inject Xie Yu with a sedative. However, after his observation, Xie Yu was just laughing, and when spoken to, he was articulate and logical, with no other abnormalities.

Honestly, Young Master Xie was handsome, and when he smiled, he looked sunny and cheerful. Everything was pleasing to the eye, except for the slightly unsettling fact that he would stare at a corner of the wall and laugh.

Xu Qingshan pondered for a moment and wrote in the medical record, “Suspected visual or auditory hallucinations due to mental disorder, with no other obvious symptoms.”

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

Shen Ci paused for a moment, saying nothing. Xu Qingshan tapped the table with his pen and hesitated: “Mr. Shen, you don’t need to worry; we are a professional psychiatric hospital and will provide the best treatment. Another question is…”

“Do you need a diagnosis yourself?” Xu Qingshan pushed up his glasses and smiled. “I mean no harm, but your obsessive-compulsive disorder also seems quite severe.”

—

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

“What are we watching today? Still action?”

“…Is there anything else? I’m a bit tired of it.”

“Comedy?”

Although there was a TV in the ward, it was an old desktop model with a screen size of only 22 inches, smaller than Xie Yu’s computer. The screen quality was poor, the picture blurry, and the sound rough. It couldn’t compare to the system’s direct brain-playback, which offered a shocking 75-inch large screen with lossless audio quality.

They had already watched nine Fast and Furious movies and six Transformers movies, and were sick of explosions. Recently, they planned to switch to comedies.

The system chose Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Xie Yu lay on the bed, a smile playing on his lips as he watched, occasionally sharing a dry joke with the system. He was completely unaware that, in Xu Qingshan’s annotations, his condition was already grim.

This ward was a single VIP suite. Thanks to his donations five years ago, the interior decoration had been completely renovated, the mattress replaced, and meals were provided daily. Although he still received an injection every day, with the system present, these medications had no effect. Xie Yu was thoroughly enjoying himself, living a comfortable and carefree life, only missing some popcorn.

In between watching movies, he took some time to haggle with the system about his score.

The plot had reached this point, and Xie Yu’s part was essentially over, just needing a little wrap-up work. His score was now finalized. The system argued with him: “Some parts of the plot had problems, especially after returning to the country; you didn’t say many of your lines. But we’ve completed all the major plot points. You were dragged out of the party… erm, although it wasn’t Shen Ci who dragged you, and you weren’t dragged out like a dead dog, you were still dragged out.”

“You broke your finger. Even though it wasn’t Shen Ci who broke it, and you only broke one finger, not ten, you broke it after all.”

“Mental hospital, hmm, this point is the most accurate; you stayed here… There was also a restraint belt plot, which you haven’t completed.” The system tapped its non-existent fingers. “Let me see. The overall score is 59.75. Just a little bit off.”

The restraint belt referred to the scene where Shen Ci visited him, and he was lying on the bed, tied with restraint belts, looking ashen and hollow, symbolizing the villain’s tragic end.

So Xie Yu brazenly went to Xu Qingshan to ask for a restraint belt.

As a doctor with medical ethics, Xu Qingshan certainly wouldn’t casually use restraint belts on a patient, as they were uncomfortable. He pushed up his glasses, scrutinized Xie Yu, and frowned: “Your condition is quite stable. Why do you need a restraint belt?”

Xie Yu thought, Of course, it’s because of that miserable 0.25%, but to Xu Qingshan, he silently apologized, then said, “I have violent urges when I sleep.”

Xu Qingshan’s expression instantly became serious. He gazed at Xie Yu gravely: “Can you describe the feeling in detail?”

Xie Yu: “…Uh.”

His high school days were long gone, and Xie Yu’s memories of bipolar disorder had faded. Relying on his remaining recollections, he pieced together, “I hallucinate; I always feel like there’s someone else in the room.”

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

It matched.

He subtly increased the medication dosage.

That same evening, Xie Yu got his wish and received a restraint belt.

This device was somewhat like a seatbelt, four fingers wide, used to bind the limbs and restrict movement. To prevent patients from struggling wildly, it was often tied very tightly, hindering blood circulation. Over time, the limbs would become numb and sore, making it uncomfortable.

Xie Yu thought to himself, “For that 0.25%.”

—

Shen Ci was currently busy with work, and for some unknown reason, he always visited late at night when everything was quiet, never appearing when Xie Yu was awake, as if he was wary of being discovered.

Xu Qingshan more or less guessed the awkward relationship between the two and also believed that this handsome young man wouldn’t harm his nephew. After opening the door and letting Shen Ci in, he didn’t bother him further.

Shen Ci sat down by Xie Yu’s bedside.

His gaze swept over the four restraint straps. He sat quietly for a long time. After a moment, he tentatively reached out and placed his hand on the indentation left by the strap.

He gently rubbed it.

Xie Yu silently sighed.

Shen Ci thought he was arriving very late, believing Xie Yu was asleep. However, Xie Yu slept daily now, and with limited physical activity during the day, he was especially awake at night. He was either chatting with the system or watching movies. Every time Shen Ci visited, he was awake.

The other party would come under the cover of night and leave under the cover of night, each visit lasting only ten or twenty minutes, always in a hurry. Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital was quite far from the city, a drive of over half an hour each way. With the back-and-forth trips, Xie Yu even started to worry that Shen Ci would be overtired and develop dark circles under his eyes.

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

After many visits, even someone as slow-witted as Xie Yu began to feel that something was off.

Why was Shen Ci doing this?

They had met by chance five years ago. Although no actual harm was done, Xie Yu admitted his attitude was poor, and he had made some very idiotic rich second-generation remarks. Later, after returning to the country, while Shen Ci wouldn’t hate him to the bone, based on the plot completion, he shouldn’t be so… attentive.

He lay on the bed, silently pondering. The system was still loudly playing a movie, a comedy today. It was enjoying itself and trying to discuss the plot with Xie Yu when suddenly, a notification popped up in the background.

“*60% plot completion achieved.*”

At this, both the system and Xie Yu paused.

After a brief stutter, the system let out a long sigh of relief.

Although this was the first time it led a host, based on the experience of its predecessors, Xie Yu’s difficulty level could definitely rank in the top three. He appeared lazy and nonchalant, but deep down, he was more stubborn than anyone else. He refused to deviate a single step from what he had decided, leading to a messy plot with no coherence whatsoever.

Fortunately, now that the dust had settled, the mission was finally completed.

The system poked its host, its voice excited: “Host, it’s a success! You can go home!”

When Xie Yu had signed the contract with it, the condition was to achieve 60% completion, and then Xie Yu could return to his own world.

Xie Yu, however, was slightly stunned and remained silent for a long time.

He had agreed to the system’s mission because his death in his previous life was inexplicable. He had only recently fully recovered from his mental illness, had just escaped his father’s shadow, and then suddenly died. He was unwilling to accept it, which was why he agreed. But truthfully, he was used to being a loner; he truly had no one he particularly cared about in his previous life.

Later, when he arrived here and followed the plot, he viewed it with a detached, sightseeing mentality, not putting much effort or thought into it. His encounter with Zhou Yang was a chance meeting; with Xie Yuanshan and He Zhiyuan, it was a mutual dislike from the start; and with Xie Yuanhai, he was indifferent. As for Shen Ci… it was hard to say.

He already knew the predetermined ending, and even the process seemed dull. The only truly autonomous choice he made was to study more during his time abroad. That school had a rigorous curriculum and high graduation difficulty, but he found it quite fulfilling and even enjoyed a university life he hadn’t imagined in his previous life.

Other than that, there was nothing particularly noteworthy.

But now that he had finally reached the end, he felt a bit lost.

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

The system was stunned for a moment: “Uh…”

It thought and said, “In the plot, ‘Xie Yu’ isn’t dead yet. After you leave, I will create a body for ‘Xie Yu’ and put him into a temporary coma. Of course, there are some scattered minor plot points that are quickly mentioned later, specifically Shen Ci visiting ‘Xie Yu’ at the mental hospital. You can return to perform those if you wish.”

The original owner was a minor character in the novel, with only a few lines at the end, and he wouldn’t need to return many times. It would have almost no impact on Xie Yu’s life in his own world.

Xie Yu said nothing.

The restraint belts tied his limbs, leaving only his neck free to move. He slightly turned his face to look at Shen Ci by the window.

Shen Ci had stood up at some point and was facing away from him, looking out the window, lost in thought. The curtains in the ward weren’t drawn. A bright moon hung high in the sky, and the moonlight streamed in, making the scene feel somewhat lonely.

If this body were to remain in a coma from now on, Shen Ci would probably still come to see him, perhaps once every few days, or months, or years. But no matter what, he would likely be sad each time he visited.

Xie Yu sighed softly and said, “Let’s not go back for now.”

The system didn’t understand what he was thinking, achieving the goal after so much difficulty, yet not immediately returning. Still, it nodded blankly: “Okay.”

With the plot completed and no longer restricted by the system, in Xu Qingshan’s eyes, Xie Yu improved day by day.

Except for that one night, he never requested restraint belts again. Although he still stared blankly at the corner of the wall, he no longer displayed that creepy laugh.

… Actually, they had finished watching the good comedy, so System and Xie Yu switched to watching a feature film.

Shen Ci still visited him from time to time. Xie Yu continued to take his medication and watch movies, everything peacefully. However, Xie Yuanhai, who hadn’t contacted Xie Yu in a long time, called to invite him to the Xie family’s dinner party. A gathering of shareholders and Jiangcheng’s prominent figures would be present, and they would also discuss the issue of equity transfer.

This call came out of the blue. When Xie Yuanhai’s deep baritone voice came through the phone, Xie Yu thought he had dialed the wrong number. He covered the receiver and asked the system, “When did this plotline appear?”

The system shrugged, “The plot is over. Anything is possible now.”

They briefly analyzed it. It was possible that, as the original story progressed, all of Xie Yu’s contact information was controlled by Shen Ci. The original owner inherited some of his father’s shares and should have had a seat at the shareholders’ meeting. Although the shares were soon taken away by Xie Yuanhai through some means, Xie Yu’s plot was rushed, and this part had not yet arrived. Now, inviting him to attend and, by the way, coercing him into signing a transfer contract seemed reasonable.

“Host, are you going?” the system asked.

Xie Yu replied, “Yeah, I’ve got nothing else to do anyway.”

The shares, even if cashed out, would still be a large sum of money. Whether he used it to upgrade Xu Qingshan’s hospital facilities or simply donated it to a charity, it would be better than losing the money after the Xie Group’s stock price plummeted after Xie Yuanhai’s accident.

His condition was stable now, and leaving wasn’t out of the question, but Xu Qingshan wanted him to stay for two more days for observation, which was why he hadn’t been discharged yet.

On the day of the banquet, he borrowed Xu Qingshan’s old Santana. He rummaged through his things and found his old suit, which had been at the bottom of his trunk for a long time, was so wrinkled it was practically unwearable. He simply put on a casual outfit and drove off.

The banquet was held at a high-end hotel, and the parking lot was filled with luxury cars—Bentleys, Mercedes-Benzes, Maseratis, etc. Xie Yu slammed on the brakes, and the Santana wobbled its way into the group of luxury cars, stopping with a clunk. He, himself, was relaxed and at ease, but he thoroughly scared the security guard who was directing traffic.

“Oh my god, he’s got guts with his skills. If he scratched one of those, wouldn’t he lose everything?”

Xie Yu had completed his mission and could leave at any time, so he didn’t care about that. He pulled out the key and went upstairs, completely ignoring the security guard’s strange gaze. He asked, “I’m going to the W Hotel. Which way is the elevator?”

Following the directions, he found the entrance to the banquet hall. From a distance, he saw Xie Yi, Xie Yuanhai’s biological son, welcoming guests at the door. He was wearing a custom-tailored suit and a luxury Swiss watch on his wrist, looking high in spirit. Now that Xie Yuanhai had taken over the company, Xie Yi was considered the primary heir, clearly on the fast track to success.

The original owner wasn’t close with this cousin, and Xie Yu didn’t even recognize him. He was purely here to get the money and perhaps a free meal, with no interest in who took over the company. He simply nodded in greeting and walked inside.

Xie Yi, however, was stunned and blurted out, “You’re just going to wear that?”

Everyone present was a notable figure in Jiangcheng. The ladies were all in high heels and evening gowns, and the gentlemen wore shirts, ties, and tuxedos. Xie Yu, on the other hand, was wearing sneakers, and his entire outfit cost no more than three hundred yuan.

Xie Yu waved his hand. “Fallen on hard times. Not like back in the day.”

Xie Yi looked at him with a strange expression.

He knew this cousin, Xie Yu, was hot-tempered and hated being outdone by anyone. Now he looked so shabby, which was simply embarrassing, but he had no expression?

Someone bumped into him. “What are you looking at?”

Xie Yi withdrew his gaze. “My cousin. He’s a bit odd.”

The person raised their glass. “Want me to test him?”

Xie Yu entered the venue gracefully and found a seat on the periphery. Everyone else was busy socializing, and no one paid him any mind. The announcement of the shares was scheduled for the end of the banquet, so he could only wait.

While sipping champagne, Xie Yu asked the system, “Will Shen Ci come?”

It was strange. They were in the same room every now and then at night, but they hadn’t seen each other for a long time. Xie Yu dutifully pretended to sleep after taking his medicine, and Shen Ci would just sit for a while and leave without a word, let alone talk. As a result, Xie Yu had to find occasions like banquets to talk to him.

The system replied, “It’s a major change involving shares, so there’s an 87% chance he’ll come.”

It asked curiously, “If you meet, what will you say to him? Are you saying goodbye?”

Xie Yu paused slightly while swirling his wine glass, then smiled and vaguely said, “Perhaps.”

But thinking of such an ending, his heart suddenly constricted, turning into an inexpressible dull ache.

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Author’s note:

Xu Qingshan: Condition worsened!

Xie Yu & System: Giggling while watching a movie.