Chapter 6: Returning Home

Twenty million would be troublesome, but with twenty thousand… During the moment of silence from Yu Hui, he could only think of two words: true love.

However, the other person had hacked into his computer and hinted at a relationship with the butler on his social media. This seemed to contradict the concept of true love.

【Yu Hui】: I’ll give you twenty thousand. Answer me one question truthfully.

Lin Jindu immediately perked up; this was a true big shot!

【Er Mu】: Three kowtows to the big shot! I guarantee it’s authentic.

Yu Hui’s question was straightforward. He asked why Lin Jindu had chosen to hide and stir up trouble if he was willing to be with Yu Yizhi for the twenty thousand.

Lin Jindu, being someone who kept his promises, couldn’t always express everything directly, so he answered indirectly.

【Er Mu】: I need to stay close to Yu Yizhi. The butler and you are the people he’s close to.

Lin Jindu’s translation: Because you’re close to him, one can easily make a mistake when trying to expose you, and the other is used for provocation.

But what Yu Hui heard was: Spend money on his close people to stay close to him.

“…”

The transfer of twenty thousand arrived a minute later, and Yu Hui ended the conversation.

At the villa.

“It seems this gentleman is more reliable.”

“Give money, and you’re the boss.” Lin Jindu’s respectful tone represented everything.

He looked at the balance, grinned, and quickly ordered clothing from Tian Ni Fang, informing the store that he had an urgent occasion.

Tian Ni Fang had a physical store, and after Lin Jindu added extra money, the shopkeeper arranged same-city express delivery for him.

Not being sure about the situation on Yu Yizhi’s side, Lin Jindu continued to go out and take selfies, ensuring that the butler appeared in every photo.

Explaining over the phone would only make things worse. The butler laughed in frustration, “Sir, you won’t consider me as an imaginary enemy.”

Lin Jindu held his phone with one hand and propped up his chin with the other, “You don’t have a correct self-awareness.”

“…Character and emotional stability are essential, and you possess both. You don’t behave like Yu Yizhi, who treats his stand-ins carelessly. I can guarantee that if it came down to choosing between you and him, nine out of ten people would pick you.”

He wasn’t trying to flatter; he spoke matter-of-factly.

The butler’s face turned from red to his neck.

Indeed, he had never received such praise before, so he couldn’t handle compliments well!

“I’ve got it!” Lin Jindu’s eyes brightened, and he turned the phone screen towards the butler.

The Yu family was a prestigious one, and Yu Yizhi was quite popular online. By following his fan page, Lin Jindu could get the latest updates.

Not long ago, someone had uploaded a picture of Yu Yizhi at the airport.

The photo seemed to be taken by a young fan, and the caption read: “The flowers blossom on the roadside; he should take his time returning.”

Lin Jindu clicked his tongue, “Taking his time all the way to the sky.”

Flying from the southern region to the northern region, crossing a vast ocean.

The butler scrutinized the photo and furrowed his brow, “Why didn’t you contact me in advance when the master returned?”

Usually, Yu Yizhi would notify him before returning.

“Why bother?” Lin Jindu said, “Catch the thief in the act, catch the adulterer red-handed.”

Who would politely notify in such a situation?

Lin Jindu checked the time the fan had posted the picture. Within a two-hour window before and after that time, there was only one flight returning to the country. It required a layover, and by the time it arrived, it would be evening.

“It’s dark, and the wind is strong,” Lin Jindu swallowed, “And if Yu Yizhi returns without anyone picking him up…”

Wouldn’t this be a heaven-sent opportunity?

After all, Project A was quite challenging, and Yu Yizhi’s room was usually locked, only the butler could open it, making sneaking in troublesome.

The system clenched its teeth, “This is it! If he doesn’t faint, I’ll hit him with a brick until he does.”

“…,” Lin Jindu suddenly remembered that this guy had once helped him close the curtains; he had some control over objects.

“He’s also a living Yama.”

When he was checking the flight information, Yu Yizhi was about to board the plane. He sent a message to Lin Jindu just before entering the cabin door.

Lin Jindu had Yu Yizhi saved as “One Fish.”
*It’s Yu Yizhi but the characters are different – 鱼(Yu) meaning fish, 一(yi) meaning one, 只(zhi) which is a classifier for birds or certain animal or can also mean just/only/merely

[One Fish]: Delete all your past social media posts and don’t go out recently.

Yu Yizhi was worried that the incident from that night might cause trouble. His brother would privately investigate anything related to Lin Jindu. Whether it was coming out or having stand-ins, once exposed, it would be quite explosive.

The former was troublesome, and the latter was absurd.

If Lin Jindu knew what Yu Yizhi was thinking, he might be shocked that such a clear-minded genius existed.

He started by cleaning up his social media presence. Lin Jindu also searched for information about the original male lead.

There were quite a few rumors about Yu Yizhi in the entertainment industry. He was often rumored to be involved with both men and women, and there were numerous tabloid stories about him.

One day, a C-list female celebrity would post a photo with him, and the next day, an E-list actress would imply that she had an abortion for him. Some internet-famous male streamers also claimed to have had connections with Yu Yizhi. True and false information mixed together, and while the general public enjoyed the spectacle, few believed these claims.

As for those in the industry, many were well aware of Yu Yizhi’s playboy reputation, but no one would actively leak such information and risk offending him.

So, over the years, Yu Yizhi had been relatively confident.

However, this time, after the bizarre interview incident, even privately, Yu Yizhi hadn’t asked. Considering Lin Jindu’s anxious performance that day, Yu Yizhi couldn’t help but repeatedly remind him.

Lin Jindu began to make his final preparations.

“If the driver only drops him off at the gate, I’ll appear under the streetlight in the courtyard.”

“If someone else helps Yu Yizhi with his luggage and brings it inside, I’ll stay put. I’ll create some noise later in the evening to draw someone out. We’ll have an encounter in the dimly lit corridor, with only moonlight.”

As he was contemplating this, the delivery arrived.

Lin Jindu went downstairs to sign for it, and the butler checked the package to ensure it wasn’t snacks before returning it to him.

In his room, he unpacked the “new appearance,” and the white clothing softened his facial features.

He stood in front of the mirror and whispered, “Resurrect, White Moonlight!”

System 40: [….]

---

Misfortunes never come singly. Due to the weather, many flights were canceled, but Yu Yizhi’s flight took off on time.

The plane encountered strong turbulence several times in the high altitude, and a first-class passenger was terrified, yelling and screaming, which made Yu Yizhi unable to even close his eyes for a moment’s rest.

During the layover, they experienced yet another transfer. When they finally landed, Yu Yizhi’s eyes were seriously bloodshot.

A secretary who had accompanied him on the trip also looked worse for wear, utterly exhausted.

The car for pick-up was already waiting at the airport gate.

“Take me straight home,” Yu Yizhi said to the driver, massaging his temples.

The roads were not congested at night, and the car quickly arrived around the villa.

“Enough,” Yu Yizhi held the suitcase handle, “It’s getting late; you can take her home first.”

The driver left with the secretary.

The villa had a spacious interior and exterior. Upon entering through the iron gate, there was a fountain directly ahead, and after passing the fountain, there was still a distance to walk. The sound of the suitcase wheels rolling over the bluestone was muffled and heavy.

As he walked, Yu Yizhi contemplated whether he should just kick Lin Jindu out of the house.

Self-righteous and fond of playing tricks, apart from a somewhat familiar face, there was absolutely no resemblance to the person in his memories.

Thinking of that person, Yu Yizhi’s headache eased a bit.

In fact, no matter who it was, they could never replace him. The memories seemed frozen in time, and the young man standing deep in the past was still showing a gentle smile. The teardrop mole hanging from the corner of his eye was forever captivating.

Yu Yizhi closed his eyes.

He had never believed in Buddha before, but over the past few years, he had prayed to Buddha countless times, wishing for the chance to meet again in the next life.

If they could meet again, he would definitely…

F*ck

The most genuine voice from the depths of his heart reflexively burst out.

Just as he turned the corner, a pale face appeared in his sight without any warning!

Yu Yizhi suddenly took a few steps back. When he regained his composure a bit and looked closely, his breath became noticeably heavier.

Exquisite eyebrows and eyes, a wide smile at the corners of the mouth, reddened at the corners of the eyes, making the teardrop mole appear as if it were shedding blood… Apart from the teardrop mole, the vintage style of clothing made him appear even more ethereal.

Lin Jindu had been silently waiting here for a long time, biding his time.

With the help of the system’s lifelike appearance buff, the faint night wind tousled his messy hair, making his skin look even paler in the moonlight.

“Xiao Zhou…”

Before the second syllable of “Zhou” could come out of Yu Yizhi’s throat, there was suddenly a muffled sound in the air.

Yu Yizhi: “?”

“…”

The system was also searching, what was that sound?

[Cuckoo? Crow? Owl?]

Lin Jindu blushed and admitted, it was my stomach growling.

[Hurry, make it stop!]

Lin Jindu replied helplessly, “You can’t make a delicious meal without rice.”

Fortunately, he still maintained some distance from Yu Yizhi, and the continuously running fountain covered up some of the noise.

Cuckoo.

Yu Yizhi: “??”

It seemed like a chirping sound.

On the third time his stomach growled, the system took action. Sparrows on a nearby tree were startled and flew away in an instant.

Yu Yizhi was naturally distracted by this sound.

When his line of sight returned to the front, the pale figure was approaching, and a barely perceptible sense of resentment seemed to materialize.

At this moment, Lin Jindu truly appeared like a vengeful ghost crawling up from hell, looking at everything with the eyes of someone looking at food.

Yu Yizhi also keenly felt this malevolence.

…He wants to eat me.

Days of exhaustion, coupled with the recent shock, attacked his fragile nerves when the “White Moonlight,” who should have died long ago, appeared before him. Yu Yizhi suppressed his chaotic emotions and attempted to remain calm and assess the situation.

Reality did not give him that opportunity.

Hunger, hatred, anger… Lin Jindu suddenly rushed towards him.

Under Lin Jindu’s “teleportation,” Yu Yizhi felt a splitting headache, and the figure in front of him became increasingly blurred.

His form wavered unsteadily.

At this moment, Lin Jindu reached out.

Although according to the system, the male lead had extraordinary luck and couldn’t be killed easily, Lin Jindu saw that he seemed to be about to fall and quickly reached out to stop him, preventing him from hitting his head.

A ghost’s peeking and a ghost’s reaching hand.

Yu Yizhi’s first instinct was to push away.

With this push, he overbalanced, his lower body lost its center of gravity, and he tumbled backward.

Bang!

Yu Yizhi’s vision turned black, and he fainted. The last thing he saw was a *bloody mouth wide open like a sacrificial bowl, as if it were a gaping maw.
*ferocious mouth of a beast of prey

Lin Jindu stared in shock.
What happened in the past three seconds?

The system checked the male lead’s head: [Scanned, no major issues.]

Lin Jindu sighed with relief, but as soon as he relaxed, his stomach started rumbling again.

Resentment returned.

Looking down at the unconscious man on the ground, Lin Jindu half-crouched and said with a sigh, “Brother, I got plastic surgery to look like him.”

“I got plastic surgery for love; Brother, look at me.”

Look at how you’ve starved me!

The mansion was too large, which was not entirely a good thing. The commotion of Yu Yizhi fainting did not reach the main house. The lifelike effect had not lasted long, and Lin Jindu calmly called an ambulance.

Seven minutes later, the urgent siren of the ambulance pierced the dark night.

The lights inside the villa gradually lit up, and the first person to run out was the butler.

Without the disguise, the blaring sirens were extremely noisy. In this atmosphere, when the butler saw Lin Jindu without his disguise buff, he was just momentarily stunned.

“What happened?”

Lin Jindu looked somewhat wronged. “Didn’t you say that Yu Yizhi likes gentle and demure people? I wanted to surprise him by dressing up that way…”

The butler looked at the unconscious man.

Was this a surprise?

You’ve sent the person away!

The next person to rush out was a household servant. Seeing the butler and Lin Jindu helping to place the man on a stretcher, she gasped in shock.

Wang Aunty had the longest tenure and was more qualified to speak. She unconsciously asked three questions in a row:

“Was it for real?”

“Exposed affair?”

“Murder and silencing!”

It’s not her fault for thinking too much. Their employer, who had suddenly returned in the middle of the night, had fainted on the grounds. With only Lin Jindu and the butler remaining at the scene, all the factors seemed to converge into a situation where the two of them were caught in the act of doing something unspeakable.

Moreover, it happened in the courtyard, outdoors, which was simply… uncivilized.

Upon hearing such a hidden insinuation, the ambulance personnel almost dropped the stretcher in shock.

The butler’s face turned dark. “I also came out because I heard the ambulance siren. It’s not what you’re thinking.”

“Those who are innocent have nothing to fear,” Lin Jindu remained quite composed. “Anyway, when Yu Yizhi wakes up, he will explain it himself, and everyone will know the truth.”

At this moment, System 40 decided to chime in.

[Oh, is that so?]

[When he wakes up and someone asks you why he fainted?]

[He’ll say it’s because he had a body double, and in the middle of the night, he accidentally mistook it for the real one and got scared.]

[Well, that’s better than being caught cheating.]

“…”

TN:

Unfortunately, I’ll be dropping this novel. No matter how much I try I can’t seem to get into it. I can barely finish translating one chapter without needing to break away and work on something else. Usually I test whether I can continue with a novel by reading ahead using MTL(unedited) and if I’m immersed enough to continue despite the torture, then I know it’s worth it. But this just wasn’t it. I had no interest and was just going through the motions. I’ve never dropped a project before so I feel really bad about this. But there’s no point in working on something that I don’t find interesting since I might end up putting out subpar work. I’m sorry to the people who were following this story. I’ve learned a lesson from this and in order to avoid a situation like this in the future, I’ll only post once I’m completely sure I’ll see it to the end. No more reading while I translate. You can request other translators to pick it up or read the MTL here.