Forced To Take Care Of The Protagonist, She Can't Leave [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 6

996 seemed to have gone haywire, chirping incessantly in Gu Qingshi’s mind.

【Congratulations, Host! Congratulations, Host! Congratulations to the great 996!】

Gu Qingshi had taken off his suit jacket, leaving him in just his white dress shirt. His forehead was slightly damp. He was using the inner lining of his suit jacket to wipe Huo Chen’s face because there were no towels in the car. The boy was filthy, covered in all sorts of messy leaves.

【What are you congratulating yourself for?】 Gu Qingshi asked in his mind.

996 was in high spirits: 【Host, you are the first person to successfully complete a task, and the protagonist’s favorability rating has finally turned positive! It is currently at 1! This is truly unprecedented! My performance rating finally has a positive value too! I have a salary! I have a salary!】

Gu Qingshi felt a headache coming on from the noise and unconsciously furrowed his brows. As a result, the boy noticed.

“Am I very dirty?” the child asked timidly.

Gu Qingshi’s movements paused. He smiled softly, put down his wrinkled suit jacket, and reached out to wipe Huo Chen’s forehead. There were still green remnants of leaves stuck there.

“Why are you looking at me with that expression?” Gu Qingshi withdrew his hand and tilted his head to ask.

An onlooker might think the child liked him very much. But the favorability rating was only 1.

Huo Chen was so teased that he did not dare to lift his head, his earlobes turning bright red. He just reached out and gripped the man’s jacket, refusing to let go, even though this person was using a priceless garment as a towel.

Outside, the rain grew heavier, drumming a dull rhythm against the car windows. The interior was quiet, and the air conditioning kept the temperature comfortable.

Huo Chen could not help but want to look at the man. His gaze slowly shifted upward, landing on long fingers and a slightly disheveled shirt with the collar partially undone.

Asleep?

Realizing this, he stopped concealing his gaze and began to steal a look openly.

Gu Qingshi usually kept his hair styled back, but the rain had forced a few strands to fall, making him look less distant and more approachable.

His eyelashes are so long…

Huo Chen leaned toward him unconsciously, moving like a little thief.

“Mr. Gu, the rain outside is really coming down hard!” The door to the driver’s seat suddenly opened. Huo Chen jumped, startled, and grabbed Gu Qingshi’s arm, looking like a frightened rabbit.

“Eh, who is this?” The designated driver was confused, wondering where his employer had picked up a child, but he did not dare ask.

Gu Qingshi was exhausted. He struggled to open his eyes and said gently, “Give the things to me. Thank you, you can go now. Back to Jiangwan Lin.”

The driver handed over a large bag from the front seat and did not dare ask any more questions.

“Raise the partition.” A voice came from the back seat.

Huo Chen watched as a black frosted partition rose, completely blocking the driver from view. Gu Qingshi leaned back against the seat to rest and closed his eyes again.

Huo Chen instinctively looked at him again.

“Looking at me won’t fill your stomach. Eat your food.” The voice was faint and magnetic.

Huo Chen turned his head in shock. How did he know?

Gu Qingshi was genuinely tired. It was only when he heard the sound of rustling packaging next to him that he felt at ease enough to sleep, his eyes shadowed by faint dark circles.

Huo Chen had a bun in his mouth and was busy unwrapping the other items. Shuangwawa? His grandmother used to buy them for him.

He glanced sideways in disbelief, but the man was already resting, his neck slightly tilted and his breathing deep and low.

Huo Chen could only take a straw, poke it into the drink, and gulp it down, eating and watching at the same time.

Gu Qingshi rested for about twenty minutes. The driver had already parked the car and left as instructed.

He opened his eyes and saw his own wrinkled suit jacket, along with Huo Chen curled up into a ball in the adjacent seat.

Gu Qingshi frowned, moved the jacket aside, stood up, and opened the car door to get out.

Huo Chen’s eyelids flickered, and he curled up even tighter.

Only a few seconds later, the other side of the car door opened.

Gu Qingshi picked the boy up, efficiently closed the door, and walked toward the house. The child on his shoulder made a sleepy sound, seemingly just waking up.

Gu Qingshi did not call him out, only saying, “Awake?”

Huo Chen rested on his shoulder, sniffed him secretly, and replied, “Mmm.”

“Then get down.”

“…”

Huo Chen was placed on the ground, his face flushed. Not knowing what to say, he stood obediently to the side.

Gu Qingshi opened the digital lock, but as he pushed the door open, he reached a hand behind him.

Huo Chen paused, reacting slowly, lost in thought.

“Hand.”

The child hurriedly grabbed it and followed him inside.

It wasn’t until they reached the entryway that Gu Qingshi realized a small problem: he didn’t have clothes for an eight-year-old boy. He hadn’t had time to prepare.

Huo Chen stood on the doormat, confused as to why they stopped. He stared at his own feet and shrank back a little, feeling uneasy. Does he think I am dirty?

Just as he thought that, Gu Qingshi picked him up again and reached out to remove Huo Chen’s shoes. They were filthy; he did not know how long the boy had been in the grass. Gu Qingshi simply tossed them into the trash.

“Go take a bath first.” Gu Qingshi carried him inside, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his free hand. He was still very tired.

Huo Chen was short, barely over a meter tall, likely due to malnutrition.

Gu Qingshi frowned as he opened the bathroom door and gathered some supplies, eventually clicking his tongue impatiently. He didn’t even have a children’s bathtub; the fastest he could get one was tomorrow.

Just make do.

“Should you put me down?” the child in his arms whispered.

Gu Qingshi didn’t even look up, saying coldly, “We will talk after you wash up.”

Huo Chen pouted, thinking to himself that he really did think he was dirty, and turned his head away.

When the water was ready, Gu Qingshi turned off the faucet, switched the child to his other arm, and prepared to take off his clothes.

Huo Chen curled up like a hedgehog, panicked: “What are you doing?”

“You need to bathe,” Gu Qingshi explained, frowning.

Huo Chen: “Put me down, I can take them off myself!”

Gu Qingshi knit his brows. He didn’t understand why an eight-year-old would be so shy, but he didn’t say anything. Fine, he could change himself.

He carried the boy out of the inner bathroom area, bent down to grab a pair of slippers, and set him down. The boy’s feet weren’t even half the size of the slippers, which looked rather comical.

“We have to wait a while to buy the right size,” Gu Qingshi explained.

Only then did Huo Chen realize that the man had been carrying him the whole time because there were no proper shoes. He really hadn’t prepared anything. He hadn’t lied; it had been three days.

Huo Chen was dazed until a confused question came from above.

“Why haven’t you taken them off yet?”

Huo Chen’s forehead burned red, but he only said, “You go out first, I will wash by myself.”

He was still quite shy.

Gu Qingshi glanced at the child and then asked 996 in his mind.

【Will the protagonist drown in the bathtub?】

996 was in a great mood today, and even its tone was sweet: 【How could the protagonist die? Don’t worry, Host. The Law of Undying Golden Body applies to all worlds.】

Gu Qingshi did not comment, only telling Huo Chen, “Call me if you need anything.”

He then walked out efficiently.

Huo Chen stood in the oversized slippers, watching the retreating back, his small eyes filled with curiosity.

After watching for a long time, he slowly took off his clothes and carefully stepped into the bathtub.

Gu Qingshi stood by the door, searching on his phone: Can an eight-year-old take a bath independently?

He had not even finished reading when a plop came from the bathroom.

Frowning, he opened the door and went in to find Huo Chen had choked on several mouthfuls of bathwater, thrashing about. It was a miserable sight.

【996!】

【Well, Host, isn’t he… not dead yet?】 996 said cautiously.

Gu Qingshi scooped him out like a god descending from heaven, frowning as he patted the boy’s back. After confirming he was not choking anymore, he checked Huo Chen’s lower back. There was a large bruise from the fall.

I definitely need a children’s bathtub.

After being rescued, Huo Chen became much more obedient, raising his arms or turning around exactly as instructed. The process ended much faster than expected. Gu Qingshi wrapped him in a dry towel and carried him out, his brow finally smoothing out.

This was, of course, the result of Huo Chen knowing his place.

“The auntie is here. Remember to greet her when she comes up, finish your meal, and then you can sleep.” Gu Qingshi’s clothes were already wrinkled; his expensive shirt was rolled up casually, looking quite effortless.

Before Huo Chen could say anything, the man was about to disappear from his sight.

He had to stammer, “Wh-wh-where are you going?”

Gu Qingshi felt it was a bit noisy, but all children were noisy, right? Maybe it was a lack of security? He found a rare bit of patience.

“To take a bath.” He walked up to the boy and replied word for word.

Huo Chen did not even dare to raise his head, fiddling with his fingers and saying, “O-o-oh, okay, okay.”

Gu Qingshi had intended to turn and leave, but he thought for a moment and added, “Behave yourself at home.”

The door closed.

Only then did Huo Chen slowly lift his head, looking dazed, before staring blankly at his own wrists.

He had left something behind at the orphanage.

Gu Qingshi did not appear in the villa for the entire afternoon. No matter where Huo Chen looked, he could not find him.

Huo Chen sat at the dining table on the first floor, eating a large bowl of egg noodles, along with a bottle of children’s juice, a cheese stick, and a small pudding.

He had already captured the auntie’s heart.

“Oh my, Chenchen is so great! You finished everything!” The auntie’s face was filled with happiness. The value of her cooking had finally been realized. Where did this little cutie come from?

Huo Chen: “Thank you for cooking for me, Auntie.”

This sentence made the auntie’s happiness bubbles pop even more, and she said “It is nothing, it is nothing” several times over.

Many people came to the villa that afternoon—delivering clothes, shoes, toiletries, and even a team of decorators.

Huo Chen stood behind the auntie, unable to hide the disappointment in his eyes.

That person was not there.

Gu Qingshi was not there.

The decorators quickly finished a new room. The main color tone was blue, overflowing with youth and vitality, and it was equipped with decorations like basketballs, soccer balls, and posters.

Basically, it was the kind of room that could not go wrong.

“I do not like it.” When they asked for his feedback, they were caught off guard by Huo Chen’s answer.

Since the employer had paid the money, it was difficult to deal with a dissatisfied client. So, they had no choice but to call to ask.

Gu Qingshi was currently at a restaurant. He answered the phone and spoke to the person opposite him apologetically.

The person opposite him was none other than Fu Lian.

This man had peach-blossom eyes with a mole on the bridge of his nose, and his hair was permed into a stylish slight wave, making him look extremely languid.

Fu Lian was dressed very casually—a T-shirt in a high-end Western restaurant—but no one would dare mock him.

He stared at Gu Qingshi as if he could see a flower growing on him; one would have thought he had seen something fascinating.

“Then change it to whatever he likes.” Gu Qingshi hung up the phone with his expression unchanged.

Fu Lian probed, “Who? That kid you brought back?”

“Yes.” Gu Qingshi did not deny it and answered directly. Then, without lifting his head, he began to cut his steak and eat.

Fu Lian raised an eyebrow and said speechlessly, “Are you really that hungry?”

“Yes, I have not eaten.” Gu Qingshi looked up and replied.

Fu Lian was silent for a moment before waving the waiter over to add a serving of pasta.

“What is wrong with you? Why bring home a child for no reason? And you did not even tell me when you started training for the secret service! You threw away over a million just to uncover the truth.”

“Should I award you a banner for ‘eliminating harm for the people’?” Fu Lian propped his chin on his hand, asking sarcastically.

Gu Qingshi: “The police are the ones who eliminate harm for the people.”

“So you are a mysterious ‘Chaoyang Mass’ member?”

“…”

For the first time in a while, Gu Qingshi was left speechless. He frowned and asked 996.

【Is Fu Lian a character from the original book?】

996 pondered: 【Returning to the Host, no.】

Gu Qingshi was surprised: 【Then what about me? Does the original body not exist in the book?】

996 explained rigorously: 【Of course not. Your purpose as the Host is to sweep away all obstacles for the young protagonist, accelerate his awakening process, and ultimately push the protagonist to reach the peak of his career and love life!】

【Speak human language.】

996 replied, aggrieved: 【Actually, it is to prevent the Host from interfering with the protagonist’s plot. Therefore, you are not assigned an existing identity from the book, but rather the world flexibly fleshes out the side stories based on the Host’s past life experience.】

Gu Qingshi frowned: 【Then Fu Lian—】

【Query failed; he should be a derivative character of the world.】 996 hesitated.

In other words, he was a wealthy NPC of this world with a complete life path and romantic arc. The process of getting to know him was just slightly omitted, taking only the result.

Gu Qingshi suddenly lost his appetite. Had the World Will perfected the life trajectory of Gu Qingshi? But he did not have friends in his original world. This was too sloppy.

“So what do you plan to do with that kid?” Fu Lian crossed his legs and asked curiously.

Gu Qingshi: “Adopted him.”

Fu Lian nearly spat out his red wine in disbelief: “No way, you are becoming a dad at such a young age? Is something wrong with you?”

Gu Qingshi looked at his salad, which was almost contaminated, lost his appetite, and looked up.

“Nothing is wrong.”

Fu Lian seemed truly anxious now; he set down his glass and leaned forward slightly: “Is your next role a father? So you are finding a kid to get some experience?”

“Let me tell you, that is easy to handle. No need to adopt—I will just take you to stay at a private nursery. I will vet the environment for you.”

“I am not joking.”

Fu Lian was choked up and speechless: “Then why do you not have one yourself? Why adopt?”

“…” Gu Qingshi’s distant gaze swept over.

“Oh, I mean you could find a wife.”

The man still did not speak.

“People say adopted kids are not easy to raise well!” Fu Lian tried to persuade him again, his tone quite intense, though his demeanor remained leisurely as he looked Gu Qingshi up and down.

Melodious music played in the Western restaurant, the lighting was soft, and a waiter was even waltzing nearby—a local specialty.

But in this atmosphere:

“Do you have some kind of orientation issue? Is that why you must adopt a kid?” Fu Lian frowned and asked in a low voice.

Gu Qingshi’s expression actually turned unpleasant. Why would he connect it to that? Why would the world determine that he would need a friend with such a personality?

He picked up his coat, stood up, and left.

Fu Lian hurriedly grabbed his own coat and followed, taking out his card to pay the waiter, asking anxiously, “Hey, wait a second.”

The air outside the restaurant was cool, and the ground was still damp, with a few noticeable puddles. They reflected two young men with elegant, jade-like figures.

“But you are only twenty-one this year. Do you not want your career anymore?” Fu Lian turned his head to ask, the corners of his eyes curved into a smile.

Gu Qingshi looked confused: “He is eight years old and has an auntie to look after him. Why would that affect my career?”

Fu Lian seemed stunned by the retort. He took a deep breath and countered: “He is already eight? Then you are finished. I do not know what kind of sudden benevolence got into you, or why you are pitying the kids there.”

“But I am telling you, you will definitely regret it. He is eight—he is destined to be ungrateful.”

“He will not be filial to you!” Fu Lian reiterated, his eyebrows raised.

Gu Qingshi did not care. Huo Chen would be recognized by his wealthy parents when he was seventeen. The subsequent plot would have nothing to do with him; naturally, there was no need for him to be filial.

A car arrived just then. Gu Qingshi sat in the back seat, preparing to go home.

Seeing the man’s stubbornness, Fu Lian felt even more frustrated. He pulled on the car door and reminded him one last time: “You need to think this through carefully. Is it because you empathized with your own experience in the orphanage? Do you think he is pitiful?”

Gu Qingshi’s face turned cold. He did not know the world could be perfected to this degree. Did the other party know everything?

“But what if you raise a wolf that bites back? He is already eight; it is impossible for him to be close to you.” Fu Lian’s eyes remained fixed on Gu Qingshi, his tone still the standard persuasive one—the typical friend mode.

Why must you adopt? What is so good about raising a drag-along burden?

Gu Qingshi lowered his eyes: “I am leaving.”

Seeing that he could not get any answers, Fu Lian’s expression became helpless. He had no choice but to close the car door for him.

“Then take care not to be bitten back.” The tone was flat, delivering his predetermined lines.

After the car left, Fu Lian looked up at the sky, feeling that the sunlight in this place was actually not bad.