Chapter 3: A-Ting

The waiter clearly had something more to say, and a few young masters laughed for a while. But seeing that the other party didn’t refute, not even bothering to explain, cold as a frozen block of ice, they instantly lost the mood to continue teasing.

Seeing that money couldn’t buy him off, the club’s young master, who had his eyes on the spot, could only stand beside Gu Mingchen, secretly exerting all his strength, trying to push him aside.

The club’s young master exerted so much force that the muscles in his cheeks were trembling, yet the person beside him didn’t move an inch. If it weren’t for the wrinkled shirt from being pushed, one would absolutely think this person was a pillar!

The club’s young master was panting heavily, his eyes turned, suddenly thinking of something.

Could this guy also have the intention of climbing up the social ladder?

The club’s young master immediately focused on the other party, only to see the half-exposed face of the waiter, which was definitely outstanding. There was a bit of fine sweat on his forehead, seemingly a bit hot, but the buttons of his cheap shirt were fastened to the top, his expression cold and abstinent, with frosty brows, looking like someone who had developed frigidity at a young age.

After examining him, the club’s young master felt slightly relieved. People like this, deep down, are still very proud and would never do anything to attract attention or lower their status.

Suddenly, the soundproof door made a noise, indicating someone was coming out.

Everyone in the corridor instinctively stood up straight. Upon seeing who came out, the waiters on both sides were the first to step forward, eyes full of eager concern.

“Mr. Xie, is there anything you need?”

Xie Ting’an, who had just come out of the private room, didn’t respond, his gaze searching nearby. He quickly walked past two people who looked disappointed, and a few club young masters immediately put on smiles, showing their best service attitude, raising their well-maintained faces.

“Sir, do you need someone to accompany you for a drink?”

Xie Ting’an smiled and waved them off, walking through the group, and immediately spotted Gu Mingchen standing against the wall, with a pink “91” above his head, his eyes downcast and breathing unsteady, with a layer of light sweat on his forehead.

His health value was still quite high.

Xie Ting’an stepped forward, only to see Gu Mingchen almost unable to stand. Xie Ting’an instinctively raised his hand to support Gu Mingchen, who was leaning towards him, his gaze sweeping over his flushed ears and the faint color on his face, then looking towards another private room not far away.

“Is there anyone in that private room?”

“No one, Mr. Xie.” The two waiters tried hard to suppress their expressions, their back teeth almost grinding to pieces, quickly stepping forward to open the door of another private room, watching helplessly as the big boss helped the new colleague inside.

Even after the soundproof door closed, the four or five club young masters hadn’t recovered, looking at each other in shock.

What the heck is this new trick!!!

Xie Ting’an supported Gu Mingchen with one hand and turned on the light in the private room with the other, helping Gu Mingchen to sit on the sofa.

He lightly kicked the trash can in front of Gu Mingchen, sent a message to his private doctor, and put down his phone, only to see Gu Mingchen staring at the trash can, looking a bit dazed.

“The wine you just drank was drugged.” Xie Ting’an stood beside him, looking down with calm and steady eyes.

“Spit it out.”

Hearing the voice beside him, Gu Mingchen tried hard to lift his head, his deep blue eyes unfocused, staring at the silver tie clip of the person in front of him, shimmering with a gentle light under the lamp.

Noticing that Gu Mingchen’s consciousness seemed unclear, Xie Ting’an’s gaze shifted slightly, then he smiled with an unclear meaning.

Gu Mingchen saw the person standing in front of him take out a wet wipe, carefully wiping his long fingers.

It was like wiping an extremely delicate piece of art, leaving a slightly wet trail where the wet wipe passed, which quickly evaporated without a trace, leaving only the fine white skin.

Sitting beside Gu Mingchen, Xie Ting’an recalled the scenes he had seen in fragments.

And that rose stem that had gone deep into his mouth.

The melody still echoed in his ears, Xie Ting’an pinched Gu Mingchen’s chin with one hand, meeting his cold and confused gaze, his white slender fingers prying open his lips and teeth, sliding into his mouth.

Xie Ting’an saw Gu Mingchen’s eyes change slightly, seemingly becoming a bit clearer, but soon overwhelmed by the waves of illusion, his eyes half-closed, long lashes covering the flickering ice.

Feeling it was enough, Xie Ting’an lightly hooked his finger, the person under his hand froze, his spine stiffened, and Xie Ting’an quickly withdrew his hand, watching Gu Mingchen suddenly lower his head, vomiting into the trash can for a long time without being able to straighten up.

Xie Ting’an quietly watched as Gu Mingchen, unable to vomit anything more, weakly raised his head, his forehead covered in fine sweat.

Xie Ting’an’s lips curled slightly, reaching out to wipe the liquid that had just touched his fingers on this young face as cold as frost and snow.

Gu Mingchen’s gaze was fixed, his eyes silently staring at the person in front of him, seemingly due to the drug, a layer of mist covered his cold eyes, his earlobes red as if they were about to bleed.

After the previous commotion, two buttons of Gu Mingchen’s cheap white shirt had popped open. Xie Ting’an glanced at it, then looked at the number above Gu Mingchen’s head, a light pink “90,” indicating he hadn’t completely shaken off the drug’s effects.

Having taken over the Xie family for so many years, Xie Ting’an was already experienced with such matters. He got up to fetch a few bottles of imported mineral water from the cabinet, unscrewed the cap, and pressed it to Gu Mingchen’s lips, pouring bottle after bottle into his mouth.

Gu Mingchen tilted his head back, continuously swallowing the clear and sweet water, the light in his eyes unconsciously flickering bit by bit.

The frequency of swallowing water was disrupted twice, and Xie Ting’an watched as Gu Mingchen lowered his head, coughing and choking, his shirt soaked with water, half-transparent and clinging to his body.

From the past rival Gu Qiu’s mouth, Xie Ting’an had heard him boast about his son’s excellence more than once, not just in terms of lifestyle habits, but also academic achievements, artistic talent, and even outdoor sports abilities.

Diving, surfing, rock climbing, horseback riding, skiing… and shooting, with various sports and nutritional support, Gu Mingchen’s height had already shot up to 1.8 meters at the age of fifteen. By the time he just reached adulthood this year, Gu Mingchen was half a head taller than Xie Ting’an, who was 1.85 meters, with a perfect build.

Watching Gu Mingchen finish coughing, his consciousness seemingly clearer, Xie Ting’an placed the water bottle on the table, watching him pick up the bottle himself, sipping lightly, Xie Ting’an sat beside him, keeping a distance.

As long as he concentrated, the semi-transparent panel reappeared in front of Xie Ting’an, the system scanning like a radar, searching for the next task.

Xie Ting’an pulled out the previously rewarded Soft Light Filter Plus, discovering that this tool could be manually activated with a snap of the fingers, and also had an automatic mode, intelligently turning on when there were many people or when a highlight was needed.

Its main function was to cover Xie Ting’an’s pale complexion, the bluish tint under his eyes, and to bring a soft and gentle light around him, as if everything was fine, the world full of love, simply a must-have for the king of workaholics. Until the moment of exhaustion, no one else could see how bad your complexion was.

What a useful thing!!!

Recalling the small clip shown by the system, where he worked tirelessly, yet the company still went bankrupt due to various external forces a year later, Xie Ting’an’s fingers moved lightly, sending a message to the board to take a leave, arranging a temporary person in charge. Although the group had a lot of issues, no matter what, Xie Ting’an needed to sleep for two days first.

Someone pressed the bell outside the private room, and Xie Ting’an opened the soundproof door. The private doctor walked in with a medical kit, asked about the situation, and skillfully gave Gu Mingchen an injection and an IV.

There was no place to hang the IV bag in the private room. After exchanging a couple of glances with the soon-to-retire doctor, Xie Ting’an quietly got up, holding the IV bag while standing beside Gu Mingchen. With a slight tilt of his head, he could see those blue eyes, always watching him.

Like some kind of large carnivorous animal, wanting to imprint the other person’s appearance into his mind without missing a detail.

As the IV fluid was almost finished, Gu Mingchen had already fallen asleep, the pink number above his head returning to green. The nearly 1.9-meter-tall figure lay on the sofa with his eyes closed, breathing evenly. He didn’t wake up even when the doctor removed the needle.

“Didn’t expect you to help his son.”

The doctor packed up the medical equipment, glanced at Gu Mingchen’s face, and couldn’t help but sigh. As a private doctor serving the Xie family for over a decade, he knew best how fiercely Xie Ting’an and Gu Qiu fought in their youth.

“He’s somewhat better than his father.”

After saying this, Xie Ting’an recalled the later parts of the novel, with various revenge methods emerging one after another, the pathological madness, even leaving traces of affection everywhere despite being blind, Gu Mingchen, and couldn’t help but frown slightly.

“Maybe not much better.”

The person lying on the sofa had his fingers slightly curled, a very small movement, like a natural reaction in sleep.

The doctor didn’t say much more, carrying the medical kit and leaving the private room with Xie Ting’an. The other private room had been chaotic for a long time. When Xie Ting’an and the doctor entered, the boy who had been beaten was already awake, in front of everyone, treating a cushion like a teddy bear.

With a calm expression, Xie Ting’an instructed the waiters and the doctor to stop the farce, taking Xie Yurun and leaving the club first.

The vehicle sped along the road to the villa, Xie Ting’an leisurely took off his suit jacket, removed the watch from his wrist, and with each movement, Xie Yurun, sitting beside him, would tremble a bit.

“Brother…” Xie Yurun’s voice was trembling, “I know I was wrong.”

Xie Ting’an didn’t look at his younger brother, who was four years younger.

“I shouldn’t have trusted others so easily, nor should I have been used as a tool by others…”

Xie Yurun cautiously lowered his eyelids, “Mainly… when I saw Gu Mingchen right in front of me, working as a waiter, I really wanted to teach him a lesson for you.”

“Teach him a lesson for me?” Xie Ting’an slowed his speech, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“Yes.” Xie Yurun nodded like a pecking chicken, his back slowly relaxing.

“Brother, do you remember? When Gu Qiu and his wife were still around, during Gu Mingchen’s coming-of-age banquet, Gu Mingchen deliberately insulted you in front of so many people!”

Xie Ting’an recalled for a moment, remembering the incident Xie Yurun mentioned.

It was at Gu Mingchen’s recent coming-of-age banquet, where Gu Qiu proudly brought Gu Mingchen to toast him. Gu Mingchen, having already toasted several glasses to his family elders, was a bit tipsy. Looking at Xie Ting’an, he didn’t call him “Uncle,” nor did he even say “Mr. Xie,” but directly called him “A-Ting.”

Xie Ting’an, being a generation older than Gu Mingchen, shouldn’t have been addressed by a younger person with a casual “A” prefix to his name.

At that time, someone at the table couldn’t stand it and reminded Gu Mingchen to watch his address, but Gu Qiu was happy to see Xie Ting’an displeased, letting Gu Mingchen call him that, even encouraging him to call it a few more times. With Gu Qiu around, Gu Mingchen could address him however he wanted.

Although he didn’t have much interaction with Gu Mingchen, Xie Ting’an knew that Gu Mingchen had a proud nature since childhood and wouldn’t cause trouble for no reason. He also saw that he wasn’t very sober at the time, so he drank the toast without making a fuss. He didn’t expect the matter to spread, even reaching Xie Yurun’s ears.

“Just because of this little thing?” Xie Ting’an really didn’t take it to heart and couldn’t imagine that Xie Yurun would trouble Gu Mingchen over it.

“What else, brother!” Xie Yurun instantly sat up straight, full of momentum, poking his eyes with two fingers.

“Anyone who dares to go against you is going against me and the three dogs I raise. I’ll keep watching him!”

Xie Ting’an pressed his hand to his brow, closing his eyes with a myriad of thoughts.

Not to mention that among the three dogs Xie Yurun raised, one was a three-month-old Pomeranian.

If he remembered correctly, one of the reasons why Xie Yurun ended up singing the prison blues in the future was because he listened to so-called friends’ advice. After Gu Qiu returned, he tried to trip up the Gu family, investing all his money in the stock market, attempting to maliciously short Gu’s stock, and even found many accomplices, with the situation so severe that he was sentenced to the maximum.

You say he’s stupid.

He committed economic crimes.

You say he’s smart.

He held such a large shareholding advantage, yet still harbored the illusion that his actions wouldn’t be discovered by others.

With that energy, he might as well have bribed a hotel to serve a table full of cold mixed fish mint when the Gu family entertained partners.

“How much money do you have on hand now?” Xie Ting’an propped his head with one hand, vaguely recalling that in future scenes, Gu Mingchen also called him “A-Ting.” Thinking about these family matters, his head began to ache faintly again.

“I haven’t really paid attention.” Xie Yurun touched his ear, not knowing why his brother suddenly asked this.

“Count it when you get back.” Xie Ting’an showed a slight smile, gently and harmoniously looking at his brother.

“I have a pretty good investment project here, and I want to help you earn a bit.”

“Thank you, brother! You’re the best!” Xie Yurun’s eyes lit up, almost instantly taking the bait. If he had his card and checkbook on him, he would have transferred all his money to Xie Ting’an on the spot.

The driver dropped Xie Yurun off at his place, and Xie Ting’an went from the garage to the main bedroom of the villa. After taking a shower, he stood in front of the mirror in a bathrobe, and with just one glance, he saw the number above his head.

A light green “28.”

All sorts of discomforts in his body seemed to surge up in an instant, like a non-anesthetized craniotomy headache, bringing out the dizziness of cervical spondylosis, the soreness in his wrist, the dull burn in his stomach, and even the position of his tailbone, which ached bit by bit from sitting for too long.

Just before climbing into bed, Xie Ting’an couldn’t help but wonder if he had just died suddenly once when he was bound by the system in the car.

His consciousness fell into nothingness after the thought broke off, the bed soft, the dream dark, something seemed to be circling in the darkness. He didn’t know how long he slept, but he vaguely heard the system’s “beep beep” sound by his ear, not wanting to open his eyes for a long time.

[New task detected, the system has automatically accepted the order for you, please handle it as soon as possible~]

[After your parents passed away and the Xie family went bankrupt, you and your sister lost your home, yet the Gu family is now full of joy, welcoming an upcoming good event. Even though you are now down and out, without an invitation and at risk of being thrown out in public, can you sleep peacefully without causing them some trouble?!]

[Task 2: The Gu family is about to have a good event, use various means to obstruct and sabotage it!]

[Task Reward: Item +1, Money +66,666 RMB, Achievement Value +50, Data Point +1.]

[Warm reminder, when the host obtains two or more data points, the system will automatically open the data point management mode, please keep up the good work and seize the power to control the world!]