DASFAM_CH 04
Perhaps considering that Bai Xu was new to the place, assistant Xie Qi took the initiative to act as a guide.
"Mr. Xiao Bai, there are many standalone villas like this one in the manor. The four-story main mansion you saw when you entered is the residence of the Old Mr. and Madam Shang."
The Old Mr. and Madam Shang have four children in total. Aside from the youngest daughter, who lives overseas, the other three children and their families reside in various locations around the manor.
Shang Yanxiao's father is the third in the family. To make it easier for outsiders to address the Shang family members, they simply refer to them as 'first branch', 'second branch', and 'third branch'.
"Mr. Xiao Bai, actually the relationships among the Shang family members are a bit complicated."
Xie Qi carefully chose his words and explained, "If there is no special situation, please do not take the initiative to get involved with the other two branches. Do you understand what I mean?"
There is always some unspeakable vicious competition between the wealthy families.
Since Bai Xu had agreed to the marriage and joined the Shang family, in the eyes of outsiders, he was now a part of the third branch.
"I understand.”
Bai Xu understood the implications and responded briefly.
"Originally, Mr. Shang and his wife had a good relationship and used to live together in the past."
Since the couple had their accident, the third branch was left with only Shang Yanxiao and his brother Shang Queyan, the latter of whom is still in the hospital receiving treatment, accompanied by the butler, Uncle Lin.
The home that was once quite lively now feels indescribably empty.
Xie Qi took Bai Xu on a tour of the villa's interior and exterior before leading him to the bedroom on the far right side of the second floor, "The basic living necessities are all provided in the room. If you need anything else, you can contact me anytime."
“Okay."
Bai Xu tilted his head and saw that his bedroom was separated from Shang Yanxiao's master bedroom by a long corridor.
At this moment, two uniformly dressed bodyguards were stationed at the master bedroom's door, including Chen Yufei, who had earlier served as the driver.
Xie Qi followed Bai Xu's line of sight and said, "The third young master is unable to move now. During this special period, he needs protection."
Bai Xu retracted his gaze and nodded, "I'll take a rest first. I'll go see the third young master after dinner."
After all, they lived under the same roof and were tied to a marriage relationship. It was neither reasonable nor moral for him to ignore his ‘partner’ who was in a coma on the bed.
The door closed.
Bai Xu carefully checked the room and fell on the bed after confirming that there was no problem. He closed his eyes, letting his mind wander with countless thoughts.
In the original real world, Bai Xu was a famous Midas Touch in the investment industry.
Zhouye Ventures, the venture firm that he founded, was one of the top leaders in China’s industry with investments spanning fields from minerals, real estate, and pharmaceuticals to gaming, film, and entertainment.
Every project he invested in hit the mark.
"He is fierce and aggressive, fighting for every cent. He looks gentle on the surface, but secretly he is more ambitious than anyone else."
Although Bai Xu didn’t fully agree with this, it was the most common assessment of him within the industry.
Before entering the book, Bai Xu had pulled two consecutive all-nighters for a multinational acquisition case. After finally completing his work, he put on his headphones, intending to relax his tense nerves with some brainless story. Unexpectedly—
When he woke up again, he had become Bai Xu, the character with the same name in the book—a penniless, despised cannon fodder young master.
Although it was a pity to suddenly be forced to give up the industry in reality, Bai Xu hated to do the most on weekdays.
Since it has come, make the best of it.
Perhaps this was heaven’s way of giving him a second life, and he also wanted to try living in a more relaxed way.
…
When Bai Xu opened his eyes again, it was already completely dark.
He went downstairs and had a simple meal before leisurely returning to the second floor. Glancing over, he saw that the master bedroom door was still tightly shut, and only one bodyguard remained at the door.
Bai Xu approached, "Where's Chen Yufei?"
The bodyguard, Xiao Deng, replied, "Brother Fei went to eat. He'll be back to switch shifts with me later."
Bai Xu nodded slightly, "I'll go in and see the third young master."
Xie Qi had already explained the matters in advance and the bodyguard stayed diligent, "Mr. Xiao Bai, we need to check you before entering the room."
"...…"
Bai Xu hadn’t expected to be so serious, but after a moment’s thought, he agreed.
The bodyguard quickly checked and confirmed that there was no problem before opening the door for him, "Please."
The master bedroom was quite large, divided into three spaces by two archways. The gray and black color decoration gave the room a look of simplicity mixed with understated luxury.
Beep—beep—beep—
The instrument by the bedside continued to emit a light sound as it monitored in real-time.
Bai Xu’s gaze immediately settled on Shang Yanxiao’s face, and he couldn’t help but admire, “He really looks quite handsome.”
Even though he was in a coma for so many days, Shang Yanxiao's face did not have the swollen and dark feeling of illness. The side shadow of the light made his bones look more and more superior.
Bai Xu sat on the chair by the bed, thought for a while and then murmured, “I wonder if you can hear me? Although I don't know you, I guess you probably don’t like this inexplicable marriage.”
“But I’m sorry, I really need to use this marriage relationship to stay for a while.”
Being entrusted by others, that person's money, doing things for others.
The Old Madam asked for comfort, while he needed a short-term place to rest and regroup.
“But don’t worry, I have no other thoughts toward you or the Shang family. By the time you wake up, I’ll probably be long gone.”
If he remembered correctly, Shang Yanxiao remained in a coma for almost a year in the book before waking up, which was practically a medical miracle.
Bai Xu paused, as if to give a cold self-explanation, “We two have nothing to do with each other.”
To him, Shang Yanxiao was just a character in a book who would later continue to be entangled in the brutal struggles of a wealthy family, even losing his life because of it.
Bai Xu always knew how to seek benefits and avoid risks. When it was time to leave, he would certainly go and never repeat the mistakes of the original host.
“......”
The person in a coma on the bed, of course, couldn’t give any response.
Bai Xu shifted his gaze away from Shang Yanxiao’s face, got up, and walked into the bathroom separated by an archway, intending to wash his hands before leaving.
Swish—
As the sound of running water filled the room, there seemed to be another noise from outside, muffled and distant, hard to make out clearly.
Bai Xu turned off the faucet at the right moment, and as he tilted his head, he caught a glimpse of a hurried figure entering the room through the half-open door.
The person was dressed in an ordinary nursing uniform and stood by the bed, staring at Shang Yanxiao with an unusually nervous expression, completely unaware of Bai Xu’s presence.
Bai Xu felt a chill run down his heart and continued to observe through the door slit quietly.
“Third young master? Third young master? Wake up?”
“……”
Shang Yanxiao was still unconscious. What’s the point of calling him?
Bai Xu frowned slightly, thingking that the nurse's actions were strange. He didn't rush to come out but instead just stood against the wall, using the corner of the door and the wall as cover.
As expected, when the young nurse saw that calling Shang Yanxiao didn't have a response, he tried pushing and calling out to him a couple more times, even casually pinching the back of Shang Yanxiao’s hand.
It looked like he was testing something.
Unfortunately, after all these actions, Shang Yanxiao on the bed didn’t show any reaction.
The young nurse took out his phone, snapped a couple of photos of the person on the bed, and seemed to send them to someone. Through gritted teeth, he muttered a short report.
“Boss, I’ve tried, but there’s really no response. Is this enough?”
Bai Xu immediately understood, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes—
It was indeed all about overt and covert struggles in the big wealthy families.
Shang Yanxiao had only been home for the first day and someone already couldn’t wait to test his condition?
Their impatience was a bit much.
The nurse stared at his phone for a while and quickly received some sort of instruction, causing his previously relaxed expression to turn hesitant again.
Perhaps after what seemed like a mental struggle, the nurse's expression became gloomy. He glanced at the kettle, which had already boiled and was now in a state of continuous warmth—
The next second, he seemed to pick up a small nursing basin and began to pour the hot water into it.
In the dim room, steaming water mist suddenly rose up, which was enough to show how hot the hot water in the kettle was.
The nurse walked back to the bed with hot water, trembling and taking a deep breath, "Third young master, I'm really sorry. If you're awake, stop pretending."
People may have a certain tolerance for pain, but when faced with a sudden high-temperature assault, unless they are truly in a coma, they would react instinctively.
Bai Xu guessed the nurse’s intentions and his eyes suddenly changed.
Just as the small basin was about to tilt and pour out the hot water, Bai Xu pushed the door open and stepped in, "What are you doing?"
The calm yet highly oppressive question filled the room, making the atmosphere even more stifling.
The nurse, startled by Bai Xu’s sudden appearance, flinched in panic and accidentally dropped the small basin of hot water onto the floor.
—Bang!
The loud crash shattered the tense moment.
At the same time, a voice from outside the room called out, "Brother Qiao, what happened?"
"Why is the door locked?"
The bodyguard at the door sensed something was wrong and said anxiously, "What's going on?! Open the door!"
Bai Xu didn't have time to explain everything. He shot a cold glance at the nurse, who was now completely flustered, then quickly moved to the bedside and grabbed Shang Yanxiao’s right hand to check the situation.
Although he had intervened in time, a small, noticeable red patch had already appeared on the back of the hand.
—Bang!
Chen Yufei burst through the door and rushed in within moments.
He took in the sight of the two people in the room, then noticed the puddle of still-steaming water on the floor, immediately grasping the gravity of the situation, “Mr. Xiao Bai, Brother Qiao, what happened?”
The nurse Brother Qiao was personally selected by Xie Qi and the Old Madam Shang to care for the third young master and had been reliable and attentive for some time.
So, before Brother Qiao entered the master bedroom, the bodyguard Xiao Deng had only conducted a simple search and let him through, without finding any suspicious items.
“You…”
Bai Xu was about to speak, but the nurse, Brother Qiao, quickly cut in, “It wasn’t me!”
“I came in and saw young master Bai already inside! He, he was trying to use the hot water to…”
Hearing his clumsy excuse, Bai Xu calmly interrupted, “Brave enough to act but not to admit it, right? Who were you reporting Shang Yanxiao’s condition to just now on your phone? Show it to us.”
“......”
Brother Qiao froze.
Chen Yufei saw the flash of panic on his face and then quickly met Bai Xu's gaze.
It was calm and composed, yet exuded a powerful aura.
Bai Xu questioned unhurriedly, "You just stand guard outside and let suspicious people get close? What’s the point of having bodyguards like you? Or are you seriously suspecting me now?"
Chen Yufei’s heart tightened. Even though it was their first day meeting, he had this inexplicable feeling that Bai Xu was already the backbone of the household.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and grabbed Brother Qiao. "Behave yourself!"
Brother Qiao struggled a couple of times, but he was no match for the ex-military Chen Yufei. His wrist was almost broken as he was subdued, “Ah—”
Chen Yufei easily retrieved the phone from Brother Qiao’s pocket and looked at Bai Xu, waiting silently for instructions.
Bai Xu glanced at the puddle of water on the floor and reminded him, "Your third young master was nearly scalded by hot water because of him. What do you think should be done?"
Brother Qiao's face stiffened and his body trembled uncontrollably.
Chen Yufei, realizing the gravity of the situation, also looked grim. He held Brother Qiao with one hand and dragged him out like a chick.
Bai Xu looked at the bodyguard Xiao Deng who was still standing there, "Where's Xie Qi? Where did he go?"
"Assistant Xie went to the company and hasn't returned yet."
Who would have thought that the usually honest and conscientious nurse would harbor ill intentions? If the Old Madam found out, not only would the nurse lose their job, but he would definitely lose his job!
Xiao Deng realized his negligence in his work and was also terrified at this moment.
Bai Xu, hearing this, shifted his gaze back to the back of Shang Yanxiao’s hand—
The skin that had been accidentally scalded by the hot water was increasingly red, obviously burned. If it is not treated in time, it will be more serious.
Bai Xu hesitated for a second and asked, "Do you have a first aid kit and burn ointment?"
Xiao Deng was stunned. "Ah?"
Seeing his dazed reaction, Bai Xu sighed in frustration, "Shang Yanxiao’s hand has been burned. I need to take care of it."
For the seven-digit deposit he received this morning, he was willing to take care of his ill-fated fiancé on the bed.
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