DASFAM_CH 04

Perhaps considering that Bai Xu had just arrived, assistant Xie Qi proactively took on the role of guide.

"Young Master Bai, there are many standalone villas like this one within the estate. The tallest four-story mansion you could see when entering the grounds earlier is where the elder Shang couple resides."

The elder Shang couple had raised four children in total. Apart from the youngest daughter, who lived far overseas, the other three children and their families lived year-round in various parts of the estate.

Shang Yanxiao's father was the third-born in the family. For the sake of convenience, outsiders simply referred to the various branches of the Shang family as 'first branch', 'second branch', and 'third branch'.

"Young Master Bai, the relationships among the Shang family members are actually somewhat complicated."

Xie Qi carefully weighed his words before explaining, "Unless there is a special circumstance, please refrain from proactively getting involved with the other two branches. Do you understand what I mean?"

Among the powerful clans, there was always some unspeakable, cutthroat competition.

Since Bai Xu had agreed to the arranged marriage and entered the Shang family, he was, in the eyes of outsiders, a member of the third branch.

"Understood."

Bai Xu grasped the stakes involved and responded lightly.

"Originally, the relationship between Mr. Shang, his wife, and their two young masters was very good, they used to live together."

Ever since the couple met with their accident, the third branch was left with only Shang Yanxiao and Shang Queyan, the pair of brothers. The latter was still receiving treatment at the hospital, accompanied by the butler, Uncle Lin.

A home that had once been fairly lively now carried an indescribable emptiness.

Xie Qi showed Bai Xu around the interior and exterior of the villa before finally returning to the bedroom at the far right of the second floor, "The basic necessities are all provided in the room. If anything is missing, you can contact me at any time."

"Alright."

Bai Xu tilted his head to look, his bedroom was separated from Shang Yanxiao's master suite by a long corridor.

At that moment, two bodyguards in matching attire stood guard at the door of the master suite. Among them was Chen Yufei, who had served as the driver earlier.

Xie Qi followed Bai Xu's gaze, "The Third Young Master currently has no mobility. It's a special period, necessary protection."

Bai Xu withdrew his gaze and nodded, "I'll rest for a bit first. After dinner later, I'll go check on the Third Young Master."

After all, they were living under the same roof, bound together by an arranged marriage. By both sentiment and reason, he could not simply ignore his 'partner', who lay unconscious in bed.

The door closed.

Bai Xu vigilantly inspected the room and, only after confirming there were no issues, did he collapse onto the bed. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts run freely through his mind.

In his original world, Bai Xu was a renowned golden hand in the investment industry.

The venture capital firm he had founded, Zhouye Investments, was one of the top leaders in the industry within China, with investments spanning from mining, land, and pharmaceuticals all the way down to gaming, film, and entertainment sectors.

Every project he invested in hit its mark.

"Swift and decisive, fighting for every last cent; outwardly all smiles and warmth, but inwardly harboring more wolfish ambition than anyone else."

Though Bai Xu didn't entirely agree, this was the most common assessment of him within the industry.

Before transmigrating into the novel, Bai Xu had pulled two consecutive all-nighters for a cross-border acquisition deal. Once he finally finished the work at hand, put on his earphones, and was about to listen to some mindless story to unwind his frayed nerves, unexpectedly—

When he next awoke, he had become the Bai Xu within the book, a character who shared his exact name, penniless and despised by all, a cannon fodder young master.

Although it was somewhat of a pity to be suddenly forced to abandon his real-world enterprise, the one thing Bai Xu had never been fond of in his daily life was wallowing in self-pity and complaints.

Since he was here, he would make peace with it.

Perhaps this was a second life granted to him by fate, and he too wished to try living in a somewhat more relaxed way.

...

When Bai Xu opened his eyes again, the sky had already gone completely dark.

He went downstairs, ate something simple, and then unhurriedly made his way back up to the second floor. Tilting his head to look, the master bedroom door was still tightly shut, and only one bodyguard remained standing at the entrance.

Bai Xu walked over, "Where's Chen Yufei?"

Bodyguard Xiao Deng answered, "Brother Fei went to eat. He'll come back and switch shifts with me in a bit."

Bai Xu gave a slight nod, "I'm going in to check on the Third Young Master."

Xie Qi had given instructions in advance. The bodyguard was diligent in his duties, "Young Master Bai, I'll need to search you before you go in."

"……"

Bai Xu hadn't expected things to be this strict. He thought about it for a moment, then agreed nonetheless.

The bodyguard carried out a quick check, and only after confirming there were no issues did he open the door for him, "Please."

The master bedroom was quite spacious, divided into three sections by two archways. The grey-and-black color scheme of the decor looked sleek and quietly luxurious.

Beep— Beep— Beep—

The device beside the bed continued its soft, steady rhythm of real-time monitoring.

Bai Xu's gaze landed immediately on Shang Yanxiao's face, and he remarked sincerely, "He really is quite handsome."

Despite having been unconscious for so many days, Shang Yanxiao's face showed none of the puffy, sallow signs of illness. In the sidelong light, his bone structure looked all the more striking.

Bai Xu sat down in the chair by the bed, thought for a moment, then murmured quietly, "I wonder if you can hear me. We don't know each other, but I imagine you probably don't like this inexplicable arranged marriage either."

"But I'm sorry. I do genuinely need to make use of this arrangement and stay here for a while."

Entrusted by someone, paid by that someone, doing a job on their behalf.

The Old Madam sought comfort and peace of mind, while he needed a place to rest and regroup in the short term.

"But rest assured, I have no other intentions toward you or the Shang family. By the time you wake up, I should have long since left."

If he remembered correctly, Shang Yanxiao remained in a coma for nearly a year in the novel before waking, something that could almost be called a medical miracle.

Bai Xu paused, as if making a cool, matter-of-fact declaration to himself: "The two of us, we have absolutely nothing to do with each other."

As far as he was concerned, Shang Yanxiao was nothing more than a character on paper. In the later parts of the story, he would be drawn back into the brutal power struggles of the wealthy clans— and would even lose his life because of it.

Bai Xu had always prioritized self-preservation. When the time came to leave, he would leave without hesitation, and would never fall into the same trap as the original host.

"……"

Naturally, the unconscious figure on the bed gave no response.

Bai Xu shifted his gaze away from Shang Yanxiao's face, stood up, and walked through one of the archways toward the bathroom, intending to wash his hands before heading out.

The rush of water filled the room—

From outside, a sound seemed to drift in, muffled, indistinct, carrying some distance.

Bai Xu turned off the tap at just the right moment. He had barely tilted his head when, through the slightly ajar door, he caught sight of a figure slipping hurriedly into the room.

The person wore an ordinary caretaker's uniform and stood at the bedside staring at Shang Yanxiao, but his expression was oddly tense, so much so that they hadn't noticed his presence at all.

Bai Xu felt a chill run through him and observed through the gap in the door without letting on.

"Third Young Master? Third Young Master? Wake up?"

"……"

Shang Yanxiao was still unconscious, so what was the point of calling out to him?

Bai Xu's brow furrowed slightly. He could tell that this caretaker's behavior was suspicious. Rather than stepping out immediately, he pressed himself flat against the wall, using the blind spot formed by the door and wall as cover.

Sure enough— the young caretaker, getting no response from calling out, began pushing and calling again, and even pinched the back of Shang Yanxiao's hand, seemingly deliberate yet casual about it.

It looked like a test.

Unfortunately, after all of that, Shang Yanxiao on the bed showed not the slightest reaction.

The young caretaker pulled out a phone, took two photos of the person lying in the bed— apparently sending them to someone— and then, as if squeezing the words out through clenched teeth, reported back in a single low utterance.

"Boss, I've tried. There's really no reaction at all. Is this enough?"

Bai Xu immediately understood, and a flicker of amused curiosity surfaced in his eyes—

Sure enough, this was the cutthroat world of the great wealthy families.

It was only Shang Yanxiao's first day back home, and someone had already been unable to hold back and come to test whether his condition was genuine?

What impatience.

The caretaker nearby stared at his phone for a moment. Very quickly, he received some new instruction on the phone, and the expression that had just begun to ease immediately turned hesitant again.

Perhaps after some internal struggle, the caretaker's face gradually darkened. His eyes fell on the electric kettle, already boiled and kept on continuous warm—

The next second, he picked up a small care basin in what seemed like a perfectly reasonable gesture and poured the hot water into it.

In the dim room, a rush of steam surged upward at once, testament enough to how scalding that water was.

The caretaker carried the basin of hot water back to the bedside, drew a trembling breath, and said, "Third Young Master, I- I'm truly sorry. If you're awake, stop pretending."

A person might endure a certain degree of pain, but when faced with a sudden surge of intense heat, anyone who was not in a coma would instinctively react.

Bai Xu guessed what the other party intended, and his expression shifted sharply.

Just as the basin was about to tip and pour the hot water, he shoved the door open and stepped out, "What do you think you're doing?"

The question came out calm yet crushingly forceful, and it seemed to compress the very air in the room by several degrees.

The caretaker, faced with Bai Xu's sudden appearance inside the room, was caught completely off guard and startled so badly that his hands gave way, sending the basin of hot water crashing to the floor.

—Clang!

The impact shattered the frozen moment.

At the same time, a voice called out from outside the room, "Brother Qiao, what happened?"

"Why is the door locked?"

The bodyguard at the entrance sensed something was wrong, and his tone turned urgent, "What's going on?! Open up!"

Bai Xu had no time to explain everything. He shot the caretaker— who was by now completely flustered— a cold look, strode quickly to the bedside, took Shang Yanxiao's right hand, and began examining it.

Though he had intervened in time, a small but vivid patch of redness had already appeared on the back of the hand.

—Bang!

Chen Yufei burst through the door and came running in within the blink of an eye.

He took in the two people in the room, then caught sight of the puddle on the floor still giving off wisps of steam. Grasping at once what had happened, he said, "Young Master Bai, Brother Qiao, what's going on?"

Caretaker Brother Qiao was someone Xie Qi and the Old Madam had personally selected. He had been looking after the Third Young Master for quite some time and had always been reliable and attentive.

So when Brother Qiao entered the master suite, bodyguard Xiao Deng had only given him a brief check before letting him through— and indeed, nothing suspicious had turned up.

"You–"

Bai Xu had just opened his mouth when the caretaker, Brother Qiao, cut him off first, "It wasn't me!"

"As soon as I came in, I saw Young Master Bai already inside! He, he was trying to take the hot water and-"

Bai Xu heard his clumsy excuse and cut in calmly, "Bold enough to do it, not bold enough to own it, is that right? Who were you just reporting Shang Yanxiao's condition to on your phone? Let's have a look."

"……"

Brother Qiao's words dried up.

Chen Yufei caught the flash of panic that crossed his face, then turned and met Bai Xu's gaze.

Unhurried. Unruffled. Yet carrying an unmistakable weight.

Bai Xu pressed on at an even pace, "All you do is stand guard on the outside and let suspicious individuals waltz right up, what exactly are you bodyguards here for? Are you actually going to pin this on me?"

Chen Yufei's chest tightened. They had only met for the first time that very morning, and yet he couldn't shake the strange, inexplicable impression that Bai Xu was already the steady center of this household.

Without another word, he stepped forward and seized Brother Qiao, "Stay still!"

Brother Qiao struggled a couple of times, but he was no match for Chen Yufei, a former soldier. The wrist locked in his grip was nearly wrenched out of joint, "Ahh–"

Chen Yufei fished the phone out of his pocket with ease, then cast Bai Xu a silent look, waiting for direction.

Bai Xu glanced at the puddle on the floor and remarked, "Your Third Young Master nearly got scalded with hot water because of him. What do you plan to do about it?"

Brother Qiao's face stiffened, and his body gave an involuntary shudder.

Chen Yufei, thinking of how serious the consequences could have been, looked equally grim. He kept Brother Qiao pinned with one hand and hauled him out as if lifting a scrawny chick.

Bai Xu turned to bodyguard Xiao Deng, still standing rooted to the spot, "Where's Xie Qi? Where did he go?"

"Assistant Xie went, went to the company. He hasn't come back yet."

Who could have predicted that a caretaker who had always seemed honest and straightforward would harbor such malicious intent? If the Old Madam found out, it wouldn't just be the caretaker who lost his job, his own position would certainly be gone too.

Xiao Deng, now fully aware of his own negligence, was equally terrified.

At those words, Bai Xu's gaze drifted back to the back of Shang Yanxiao's hand—

The skin that had been caught by the hot water was turning an increasingly alarming shade of red. It was clearly a burn, and if not treated promptly, it would likely worsen.

Bai Xu hesitated for a second, then asked, "Is there a first aid kit and some burn ointment?"

Xiao Deng blanked, "Huh?"

Bai Xu looked at him, too stunned to think straight, and said with a helpless sigh, "Shang Yanxiao's hand has been burned. I'll take care of it."

Given the seven-figure deposit that had landed in his account that morning, he was willing to tend to the undeserving misfortune of the unconscious fiancé in that bed.

Previous|TOC|Next