After Transmigrating as the Northeast CEO's Pampered Little Husband - Chapter 7

Regardless of what this world was made of or why he had come here, life still had to be lived. For Gu Jiaoyang, unknown challenges were just another way to enrich one’s existence; there was no need to be afraid or overly constrained.

 

Sitting across from him, Dai Gucan finished trimming his nails and pondered how to broach the subject. His secretary had always been efficient, so the moment Dai Gucan called to request amendments to the agreement, it was revised, finalised, and faxed over in record time. The document was currently sitting on the fax machine in his study. Now, he just had to persuade the boy to agree…

 

Of course, even if the boy didn’t agree, Dai Gucan would still provide the necessary compensation.

 

However, Dai Gucan was confident. The terms he was offering were generous; the boy would agree nine times out of ten. Otherwise, as a suspected commercial spy, how else would he extract intelligence from him?

 

Feeling that he had firmly nipped a potential threat in the bud, Dai Gucan habitually adjusted his cuffs a subconscious gesture he made during negotiations when he was certain the other party had fallen into his trap.

 

“We didn’t finish discussing the agreement earlier. I imagine you’re curious about its contents.”

 

“Right.” Gu Jiaoyang locked his phone screen, crossed his arms, and looked at Dai Gucan with amusement as the man put on his stern, serious face.

 

Given that the boy hadn’t cried, made a fuss, or actively made demands after being ‘hurt’, Dai Gucan felt the responsibility agreement he had drafted was quite reasonable.

 

“…Your physical condition won’t allow you to take the university entrance exams in four days. What’s done is done. I hope you can adjust your mindset. If you really can’t cope, I will arrange for a psychologist to provide counselling. As for missing the exams, I will arrange for you to attend the Changjing Academy of Fine Arts for your degree, and I will support you financially until you graduate over the next four years.”

 

” regarding the rumours from that night…” Dai Gucan paused, then continued, “They were the product of malicious business competition. regarding the damage caused to your reputation, once you have recovered physically, we will hold an engagement ceremony as a form of security and compensation. Once you graduate, the engagement will be voided, and you can go live your own life.”

 

Dai Gucan spoke slowly, his eyes fixed on the boy’s expression, not missing a single subtle change.

 

Upon hearing the terms, the boy was visibly stunned. Clearly, he hadn’t expected this. There was no excessive joy at being kept for four years; instead, he radiated an air of confusion and bewilderment.

 

Either he was acting very well, or he truly didn’t care about the money.

 

But to determine if the boy was a pawn planted by his opponents, Dai Gucan would need to keep him close and observe him over time.

 

“Oh.” Gu Jiaoyang closed his mouth silently after his initial surprise.

 

Why isn’t it a direct marriage registration? What happened to the plot?

 

Gu Jiaoyang suppressed his internal questions. He figured that since the livestreaming career had appeared out of nowhere, it wasn’t a big deal if other plot points had been tweaked slightly.

 

“Then what obligations do I need to fulfil?” Gu Jiaoyang crossed his legs imitating a negotiation stance and raised an eyebrow, capturing the man’s reflection in his eyes.

 

“During the term of this agreement, you will accompany me to various functions as my fiancé to prevent similar incidents from happening again.”

 

“Also, I will need you to participate in one of our business competitions and put on an act.”

 

“And finally, you must make regular video calls to my aunt.”

 

When mentioning the last condition, Dai Gucan’s tone clearly soured. The scrutinising look in his eyes shifted, replaced by the look of someone sinking into a specific, perhaps unpleasant, memory.

 

Gu Jiaoyang mulled it over. Although he didn’t know what the original agreement in the book was like, this version seemed fair to both parties.

 

He would help Dai Gucan with some tasks, and Mr Dai would guarantee his education and livelihood.

 

“If you don’t want to sign, that’s fine too. I will…”

 

“I’ll sign,” Gu Jiaoyang grinned, looking completely defenceless.

 

It seemed a four-year marriage had turned into a four-year engagement. There must be variables here he wasn’t aware of, or perhaps his behaviour had altered Dai Gucan’s perspective.

 

Still, four years was enough time for him to try and start a sweet romance with this handsome man.

 

Free food and accommodation, a guaranteed profit, and a harmonious… intimate life. Gu Jiaoyang’s mental abacus clicked loudly as he nodded his agreement.

 

Seeing the boy agree so readily, Dai Gucan experienced the feeling of being interrupted yet again. He shut his mouth, went upstairs to retrieve the printed agreement from the study, and brought it down for the boy to sign.

 

Gu Jiaoyang picked up the pen and twirled it around his thumb. With a subtle flow of spiritual energy, the movement of the pen tip on the paper formed a simple magical array.

 

“Done. Well then, from today onwards, please look after me, Mr Dai.” Gu Jiaoyang finished signing and pushed the agreement now embedded with a small array back to Dai Gucan, smiling with pure, harmless innocence.

 

Dai Gucan took the agreement. He noted that the boy’s signature was a bit messy, but said nothing.

 

Boys of this age always liked adding flashy flourishes.

 

Looking at the chaotic arcs of the three characters “Gu Jiaoyang” on the paper, Dai Gucan had a fleeting sense that he had heard this name somewhere before.

 

Probably just an illusion.

 

Not much time had passed by the time they finished signing. Although the fruit bought by the kitchen auntie was organic and pollution-free, she had a habit of soaking it in warm salt water, so it took a while. By the time she brought out the platter of cut fruit, the two had just finished their talk. The atmosphere was harmonious much better than the awkwardness at the start.

 

“You two eat; I’ll get on with my work.” The kitchen auntie looked at Mr Dai with great relief. Sure enough, a smart man like Mr Dai knew how to coax the little young master into a good mood in no time.

 

The afternoon seemed to drag on longer than the morning. After signing the agreement, Dai Gucan went to his study for a meeting. Gu Jiaoyang waited for Mr Dai’s assistant to buy him new clothes, then changed and prepared to go to his own home to pack and move in.

 

The driver was, naturally, Mr Dai’s driver. Dai Gucan had suggested that given his poor health, he shouldn’t go out, and that packing could wait until he felt better.

 

Gu Jiaoyang didn’t really want to move either, but he was intensely curious to see if there were other things missing from Gu Mian’s memories. He wanted to look for clues at Gu Mian’s house, so he used “feeling down” as an excuse to go out for a breather.

 

How could Dai Gucan refuse? He could only tell the driver to take him for a spin.

 

“To Yingshui Gardens, Building 12.”

 

Mr Dai’s driver was a man in his forties who looked a bit thick and wooden. He was built like a tank, easily reminding one of a bear that had wandered out of a Northeast forest. Upon seeing Gu Jiaoyang get in the car, he simply offered a brief greeting and drove out of the gate.

 

The Dai estate was truly as massive as Gu Jiaoyang had observed from the third floor. Below was a lawn the size of a basketball court this was the first perimeter. The road outside the fence was lined with French plane trees, blocking the view, so one couldn’t see what was next door. It wasn’t until they had driven eight hundred metres and turned a corner that the trees thinned out, revealing the golf course behind likely the second and third perimeters. Beyond the outer fence was a ring of woodland; it was unclear what trees were planted there, but behind them, the small roof of another villa peeked out.

 

This appeared to be an exclusive detached villa district, likely built over a series of low, rolling hills.

 

Truly rich.

 

Gu Jiaoyang clicked his tongue and pinched his thigh to ensure he wasn’t dreaming. Just like that, a soul transmigration and a one-night stand had catapulted him to the peak of life, stepping right into the aristocracy.

 

Yingshui Gardens wasn’t close. The Dai residence was located in the rear, inland part of Changjing. The entire city of Changjing was shaped like a fan. The capital government buildings formed the centre point; the area where the ‘fan’ opened its arms forward was the bustling urban district, while the rear housed the ancestral lands of various Changjing families, including a palace dating back thousands of years.

 

The busy modern metropolis was crowded into the embrace of Changjing’s forearms. Despite past “height restrictions”, hundred-metre skyscrapers had broken through various limitations to rise from the ground, centred around the commercial districts.

 

This was a place where profit reigned supreme, where politics and commerce fed off one another.

 

It was both a mire and a dragon’s den.

 

It took about two hours to arrive. Gu Jiaoyang left the driver in the car park and followed his memory to the original host, Gu Mian’s, home.

 

“Cough, cough…!”

 

The room was dim and extremely dusty. Clearly, it hadn’t been cleaned in a long time. Yet, according to his memories, Gu Mian not only had a nanny but also cleaners who came regularly, as well as a driver.

 

But from the night Gu Jiaoyang transmigrated until now, having stayed out all night, the nanny hadn’t even called to check on him?

 

The house didn’t look lived in at all.

 

Did the original host live on campus? Had he fired the cleaners?

 

Gu Jiaoyang put on slippers and cast a Cleaning Spell as he inspected this ordinary household.

 

The decoration was very average. Only a few appliances, which stood dusty and unplugged, were recognisable brands from his memory.

 

But according to his memory, Gu Mian’s family was well-off. Apart from these appliances, there should have been other valuable items.

 

After all, in both the original novel and his memories, Gu Mian was a generous classmate. The house should have been full of watches, the latest electronic products, and various fashion accessories.

 

At the very least, there should have been plenty of trainers.

 

But when Gu Jiaoyang looked at the shoe rack, there wasn’t a single pair of the limited-edition trainers worth over eight grand that he remembered. There were only a few casual shoes worth one or two thousand.

 

The drawer under the coffee table contained only three empty watch boxes.

 

Not a single electronic product was in sight.

 

Gu Jiaoyang went to Gu Mian’s room. The decor was standard for a teenage boy.

 

Empty figurine boxes, empty display cabinets. The drawers in the walk-in wardrobe meant for accessories were also empty.

 

On the desk and bookshelves, there were only textbooks and some ordinary manga. Gu Jiaoyang noticed torn wrapping paper next to the manga—likely packaging for premium books. Judging by the thickness the plastic film had once held and the slightly blurred text, it had probably been a complete collector’s edition set.

 

There really wasn’t a single electronic device.

 

Tablets, laptops, computers… even the boxes for the various branded phones Gu Mian supposedly swapped like trading cards, along with game consoles and discs, were all empty.

 

Gu Jiaoyang sat on the chair and pulled open the desk drawer. The notebooks inside contained study notes.

 

There was no diary.

 

Furthermore, Gu Jiaoyang noticed that the traces left in this room dated almost exclusively to Gu Mian’s senior secondary school period. Yet, he had lived in this house since junior high. There were zero traces of his middle school years.

 

“Tch, what’s going on?”

 

Gu Jiaoyang stood up and checked every room again. He found that indeed, there were only traces of senior high life, and mostly limited to Year 1 and Year 2. There were no books or notes for Year 3 at all.

 

Did he throw them all away to bid farewell to the past?

 

Gu Jiaoyang stroked his chin. Even so, something should have been left behind. Don’t people usually keep notes as souvenirs? Even without that habit, there should be other things unused exercise books from middle school, for instance.

 

Was he so rich he didn’t care?

 

Gu Jiaoyang couldn’t figure it out. He just felt that this house was weird in every way.

 

The fact that no one had cleaned it for so long, coupled with the absence of so many items proving a lived life, was incredibly suspicious.

 

If Gu Jiaoyang were at his original cultivation level, he could have used a Soul Recall Technique to view what had happened in this room. But now, at the Qi Refining stage, apart from physical traces, he really couldn’t discern any other clues.

 

These were things that didn’t exist in his memory.

 

Gu Jiaoyang now felt that the original host’s memories were truly incomplete useful, but not to be fully trusted.

 

“There’s a problem. A big problem.”

 

The incompleteness of the memory likely wasn’t the original host’s choice. It must have been caused by some external factor. These chaotic discrepancies constantly reminded Gu Jiaoyang that this was a riddle. Even if he didn’t want to solve it, now that he’d found it, he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

 

additionally, Gu Jiaoyang had a naturally mischievous and inquisitive nature. When messy things happened to him, he simply had to get to the bottom of them. Most cultivators possessed this spirit of curiosity; otherwise, how could they walk the path of cultivation with no return?

 

But no matter how big the problem was, without memories, he couldn’t make a judgment. All his thoughts were merely guesses based on his current worldview. So, Gu Jiaoyang could only take photos of the suspicious areas with his phone.

 

The house hadn’t been cleaned for so long that the original host’s clothes were probably too dusty to wear. He decided to just buy new ones.

 

Gu Jiaoyang put away his phone and returned to the car park. He tapped on the driver’s window to tell him he wanted to walk around the neighbourhood and asked him to stay put.

 

The driver was very easy-going. He simply gave a silent grunt of acknowledgement and continued playing on his phone in the car. He followed the boss’s orders to “take the young master for a drive to clear his mind, and don’t ask anything else” perfectly. Aside from polite greetings, he asked absolutely nothing he shouldn’t, acting practically mute.

 

Gu Jiaoyang was happy for the peace. He walked from the car park to the garden, organising his thoughts. He planned to stroll around the vicinity to see if he could bump into any neighbours the original host might have known, hoping to gather some useful information to help crack these puzzles.