Chapter 6 - You Leave With Me
Lin Quan actually had a rare, good night’s sleep. Worried that the strange
hereditary illness of the Lin family might worsen, he only dared to limit
himself to three hours of sleep. It was only after the system repeatedly
reassured him that nothing would happen, that he reluctantly agreed to stretch
it to six hours.
Perhaps it was because he finally relaxed, Lin Quan had a dream. He dreamt
that he was sitting in a room, reading a book. He couldn't recall the contents
of the book, but the surroundings was one he was familiar with. It was Lin
Quan’s home, the place he had lived before transmigrating into this world.
Lin Quan wondered if anyone would notice his disappearance, or if anyone would
realise something had happened to him. Maybe they would, maybe they
wouldn't. Lin Quan felt a hollowness inside; he couldn't quite describe
what he felt.
He could vaguely sense that he had forgotten something, but he just simply
couldn’t recall what it was. Since arriving in this world, his memory has been
deteriorating. He was even starting to suspect that the system had secretly
slapped an amnesia buff on him.
Lin Quan's dream was quickly interrupted by the system's alarm. The system was
always precise—six hours meant exactly six hours, nothing more, nothing less.
He casually grabbed his phone from beside the pillow, and the sheer number of
missed calls and unread messages nearly gave him a fright. Every time the
young master of the Lin family woke up, all the relevant people would rush to
action, desperately vying for his attention and wrangle benefits from him.
But despite the overwhelming flood of messages, there weren't many that showed
genuine concern. The bulk of it was fake pleasantries and passive-aggressive
remarks that could easily pile up into a mountain.
That foolish older brother of Lin Quan had sent him a video of island scenery,
saying he'd take Lin Quan boating and fishing once he was better. Lin Quan's
older brother also didn't miss the chance to remind him to take his medicine
on time, to listen to the doctor, and not throw tantrums. This dear brother
even wished Lin Quan success in pursuing his love interest.
Lin Quan sighed. Did this guy even know what kind of nightmare his little
brother had gone through? How painful his death had been?
As Lin Quan lazily scrolled through the messages, one person seemed
particularly sincere. This person enthusiastically cursed Lin Quan for several
pages without pause—it was Lin Quan’s maternal cousin, who was madly in love
with Childhood Friend No. 6.
This cousin's message was clear and direct. He berated Lin Quan for being
despicable and shameless, for taking advantage of Ji Shang's feelings to do
whatever he pleased. He couldn't stand Lin Quan making unreasonable demands on
Ji Shang.
Lin Quan was confused. When had he made unreasonable demands of Childhood
Friend No. 6? All he did was nervously eat a few roasted chestnuts and
received an unsolicited hug from Childhood Friend No. 6. He didn't even have
time to dodge and almost instinctively gave Ji Shang a kick.
He couldn't understand how he'd been despicable or shameless. Was it because
he instigated No. 6 to target No. 7? Or was it that his cousin couldn't even
stand Lin Quan eating a few chestnuts?
Lin Quan couldn't be bothered with these people. He put away his phone,
deciding that out of sight was out of mind. Not wanting to disturb Elder
Qian's rest, he quietly left the hospital room and headed downstairs for a
run.
Lin Quan: Little Temtem, after some serious thought—one's health is the
greatest asset. I should seize the time to exercise diligently and not easily
give up on managing my physique.
System: Isn't your purpose for exercising to run faster when escaping?
System: I highly recommend unlocking driving and piloting skills. That’ll give
you a much higher chance of a successful escape. Having bodyguards around you
is the norm; you can't outmatch them physically.
Lin Quan: You have a point. Little Temtem, do you have any new skill buffs?
Boost us with some skills to take home.
Lin Quan jogged slowly for a while before switching to a walk. The little
Young Master Lin has been bedridden for so long, spending most of his time
asleep. His body wasn't in great shape, so everything had to be done
gradually.
When Lin Quan returned to his ward, Elder Qian was gone. Lin Quan took a nice,
relaxing shower and was about to have breakfast when Qian Gu unexpectedly
arrived. The man was dressed in a dark grey suit, his expression as aloof as
ever, not revealing a hint of his inner emotions.
Lin Quan greeted Qian Gu warmly and casually. He gestured to his breakfast and
asked, "Care to join me?"
It was just an offhand remark, he didn't expect Qian Gu to actually come over
and sit across from him. Only, it was Lin Quan who was having breakfast while
Qian Gu had coffee.
Lin Quan heard Qian Gu say, "Grandfather will be discharged next week to
recuperate at home."
Lin Quan froze momentarily. With Grandpa Qian gone, he'd lose his safe hiding
place. Additionally, without the elder around, Qian Gu would stop coming here
as well. Lin Quan wouldn't be able to restore his HP and the difficulty of
escaping this place just escalated.
"So soon? I thought I'd be able to hide out for a few more days," Lin Quan
said with a smile, not bothering to hide his thoughts.
As of now, his
whereabouts and current situation were no secret to Qian Gu. If the Qian
family wanted to investigate him, his detailed information was likely already
in front of Qian Gu.
However, there were missing parts to that information, such as the fact that
the current Lin Quan wasn't the original Lin Quan, or the fact that Lin Quan
had a divination system. These were all secrets no one knew.
Qian Gu took a sip of coffee before changing the subject, "I met Fu Yunteng
yesterday."
Upon hearing those words, Lin Quan looked up at Qian Gu. Fu Yunteng was the
name of Childhood Friend No. 7. He was the only son of the Fu family with four
older sisters before him.
Lin Quan steadied his emotions, maintaining a relaxed and natural expression.
"Oh? What did you discuss? A marriage of convenience between the Qian and Fu
families?"
In recent years, the Fu family's business has been booming. Partly due to Fu
Yunteng's intelligence and meticulous nature, but also partly thanks to Lin
Quan directly providing them with all-around support. If the Fu family were to
absorb all the assets under Lin Quan in the future, their growth would
undoubtedly accelerate, becoming increasingly powerful.
Unfortunately, this Lin Quan was not that Lin Quan. The young master of the
Lin family had been swapped midway, and this Lin Quan wasn't going to continue
giving away what belonged to Lin Quan. He could keep it to do more meaningful
things like building schools or hospitals—anything was better than giving it
to Childhood Friend No. 7. It's not like he had so much money that it was
burning a hole in his pocket, desperate to please some jerk who wasn’t even
sincere with him.
Lin Quan had asked the system about it, and it was the Fu family who had
proposed the marriage alliance with the Qian family. The marriage partner
wasn't one of Childhood Friend No. 7's older sisters, but No. 7 himself. The
Fu family's intentions couldn't be any more obvious.
Rumour had it that Qian Gu didn't like women. But in truth, no one knew how
much interest Qian Gu had in men either. Qian Gu had no scandals or rumours;
he kept his distance from everyone, regardless of gender.
Whether Childhood Friend No. 7 was interested in Qian family wealth or both
that and Qian Gu himself, either way, things were looking bad for Lin Quan.
It's as the system had said, in a game of intrigue, Lin Quan was bound to
lose.
Lin Quan kept his head down and continued eating his breakfast, pretending not
to care. "What did the Fu family promise? That they have more money to throw
around than me?"
Qian Gu's voice was calm. "Fu Yunteng gave me a few project proposals as a
show of sincerity for the marriage alliance between the Qian and Fu families.
There are a few innovative and bold new projects that could be implemented
once our families join forces. They've got great potential, with promising
prospects."
System: Friendly reminder, among these projects, the most innovative,
promising, and potentially lucrative one involves that plot of land that you
didn't give Childhood Friend No. 7.
System: Even though the land isn’t officially in his hands, the Fu family is
confident that, given your special relationship with him, it’s only a matter
of time. That’s why they're using it as their trump card to win Qian Gu's
favour.
Lin Quan couldn't hold back a laugh and snorted, which quickly escalated into
a full-blown laugh, almost pounding the table in his amusement.
Meeting Qian Gu's bemused gaze, Lin Quan waved at him between giggles, "Sorry,
I just thought of something absolutely hilarious and couldn't help myself.
Anyway, please continue. So, did the Fu family’s offer match your
expectations?"
Lin Quan: Ahahahaha1 Little Temtem, you're really good at telling jokes with a
straight face.
Lin Quan: Everything is ready and all that's missing is the piece of land
waiting for my signature. Ha! As if I'd sign. Wouldn't I be happier keeping it
to growing potatoes and corn? Why would I hand it over to Fu Yunteng to help
grow his family business and let him push me into an early grave?
Lin Quan: They’ve got everything all sorted so smoothly[1]—using my land to
discuss his long-term plans, without even asking whether I agree or not.
Lin Quan wasn't exaggerating when he said that the Lin family had a bizarre
rule that only those with the family’s strange illness could become heirs. He
didn't understand why this rule existed, but it did offer him some protection.
As long as he didn't sign anything and give his nod of approval, no one could
take even a single cent away from the Lin family. The family assets were Lin
Quan's final protection charm—once he lost them, he'd lose his value, and
death wouldn't be far behind.
Lin Quan listened to what Qian Gu was saying for a bit but found himself lost
in all the technical jargon the man was using. He could only shrug helplessly.
"My idea of sincerity is just money, money, money. All this project planning
and future prospects stuff—I don’t get it."
He flashed. Qian Gu a smile. "I've offered what I can. As for other aspects,
sorry, but I can't manage that. Those are his strengths. Comparing his
strengths to my weaknesses isn't exactly fair, is it?"
"Indeed, it's unfair," Qian Gu nodded in agreement. "which is why I turned him
down."
"What did you say?" Lin Quan was about to persuade Qian Gu that rather than
comparing whose proposal was better, it was better to compare who had more
money between him and Childhood Friend No. 7—even though the Qian family
wasn't short of funds. Lin Quan stopped himself abruptly and looked at Qian Gu
in surprise.
Qian Gu turned him down? Did that mean what he thought
it meant?
In the next moment, Qian Gu confirmed his thoughts. "I declined the marriage
proposal from the Fu family."
The corners of Lin Quan's lips curled into a smile. "I beat the competition
and secured the spot?"
Qian Gu didn't answer that question. Instead, he finished his coffee, got up
to his feet and straightened his suit. "On the day Grandfather's discharge is
processed, you'll leave with me."
"Great, it's settled then." Lin Quan's smile blossomed, beaming brightly.
Escaping this sanatorium meant taking a crucial step forward. When Qian Gu
said those words, Lin Quan's HP suddenly showed "+1", breaking through its
stagnation and beginning to grow again.
Unable to contain his excitement, Lin Quan pounced at Qian Gu and gave him a
big hug. If Childhood Friend No. 6 could use this trick, so could he. Might as
well boost his HP while he could.
The radiant smile on his face was blinding to the eye. "Here's to a pleasant
collaboration!"
As expected of his Lucky Lifesaver Charm, he has good judgement and knew he
was the right choice. If Qian Gu were to choose Childhood Friend No. 7, he
would surely regret it.
The old Young Master Lin might've willingly bled himself dry to feed the Fu
family, but not this Lin Quan. With only a thin layer of health left, He was
already hanging on by a thread, living on the edge. He didn’t have time to
care whether the Fu family was thriving or if Childhood Friend No. 7 was
living the high life.
This marriage alliance with the Qian family was the perfect chance to cut off
support to the Fu family once and for all.
After happily watching Qian Gu leave, Lin Quan began to contemplate his next
moves.
Lin Quan: Little Temtem, do you think Childhood Friend No. 7 will come after
me? I didn’t sign over the land, and the Qian-Fu family alliance is off since
Qian Gu rejected it. If No. 7 shows up, will I be able to beat him?
System: Have you forgotten Childhood Friend No. 7's character setting? There's
no way he will seek you out, you're supposed to be the one eagerly chasing
after him.
Lin Quan: Well, alright. I love this setting where he ignores me.
System: Don't celebrate too soon. Just because he doesn't come doesn't mean
others won’t. There are plenty of people around you who are on his side and
will speak on his behalf.
1. "如意算盘" which would translate to "wishful thinking". But "算盘" translates to abacus, which is a tool used for calculations in the past, so more often than not, "如意算盘" is used to describe calculative schemes. So in the raws, a more direct description is more like "wow, they're so good at using this scheming abacus"????? lmaoo↩
A/N:
Lin Quan: Let me hug for two more seconds, my precious HP
Qian Gu: …So handsy every time we meet.
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reading experience ahahah what a tongue twister XD
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Thank yous!! (˶‾᷄ ⁻̫ ‾᷅˵)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a great day!!
You can support me by sending some love in the comments or through the button below
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