Forced To Take Care Of The Protagonist, She Can't Leave [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 8

By the time Gu Qingshi finished all the paperwork, three months had passed, and autumn was almost upon them.

Huo Chen was eight years old this year. Logically, he should have started elementary school, but the welfare home lacked such conditions. Consequently, Gu Qingshi hired private tutors and a full-time nanny. Raising a child was an expensive endeavor, and he still had his own career to manage.

996 was not without its tasks; currently, the directive was: 【The protagonist, Huo Chen, needs to enter Qionglin Elementary School, get to know “White Moonlight No. 2” Chu Xian, gain her assistance, and recruit subordinates like Chen Shu and Zhao Kuo.】

Gu Qingshi furrowed his brows, thinking, What kind of plot is this? “White Moonlight No. 2”? If he remembered correctly, the first “White Moonlight” was the girl surnamed Cui. Why is he so fickle?

Huo Chen was eating honestly at the time, wondering if he could visit his old welfare home; what if it had not been demolished yet?

“You are young; prioritize your studies and do not let your mind wander to useless things,” Gu Qingshi could not help but say.

996 shouted in his mind: 【Host! You cannot interfere with the protagonist’s plot points. That is your first warning; it will lead to penalties.】

Gu Qingshi: 【I am simply teaching him to prioritize his studies. I did not say anything else.】

996: 【Ah, it seems you did not.】

Huo Chen nodded blankly and continued burying his head in his meal.

However, the nightmare arrived soon after.

Only a few days later, tutors arrived at the house. They taught every subject. He was assigned four lessons in the morning and four in the afternoon, totaling eight classes. In the evening, a violin teacher came until 9:30 PM. On weekends, he had to attend horseback riding lessons. The nanny, who seemed to have studied abroad, spoke only English to him.

Huo Chen felt like a top being spun by his surroundings, with not a moment of free time. He rarely saw Gu Qingshi, who seemed extremely busy, often disappearing for weeks at a time. However, he had left his phone number, telling the boy to call if anything happened.

In truth, Huo Chen harbored intense anxiety. Ever since that night when Gu Qingshi had clarified that he would not replace his real relatives, the boy had fallen into an inexplicable state of unease. He had not even changed his name; he was still surnamed Huo.

“Mmm, what is it?” A magnetic voice came from the other end of the line.

Huo Chen had wanted to ask why there were so many lessons, but once the connection was made, his courage faltered. He spoke vaguely: “When will you be back?”

It was past ten o’clock at night. He had snuck out of his room, as the nanny was already asleep.

There was a light chuckle from the other side, and Huo Chen’s face turned bright red. He held the phone as if it were a burning iron, yet he could not bear to hang up.

“I will be home in ten minutes,” the man replied calmly.

Huo Chen was stunned, letting out an “Ah!” completely caught off guard.

“Not happy to see me?”

“No! I, I am hanging up first!” Huo Chen slammed the end call button, threw the phone back into the drawer, and sprinted upstairs to the master bedroom. He breathlessly hugged his pillow, moved it back to his own bedroom, carefully straightened the wrinkles on the sheets, and then glanced around nervously.

Are there any traces left?

He immediately walked to the master bedroom door and guiltily closed it.

Just then, the sound of a car parking came from outside. Huo Chen hurried back down the stairs, running toward the entryway, only to slam on the brakes near the shoe cabinet.

The door opened. The man walked in wearing a black woolen coat, his hand bandaged, his hair slightly disheveled but still dashing.

“Mmm?” Gu Qingshi looked surprised.

Huo Chen stared blankly at the man’s hand and asked unconsciously, “What happened to you?”

“Nothing, a small matter.” The man walked past him. Huo Chen seemed to enter an auto-follow mode, reaching out to grab the hem of his coat. He wore a rare expression of grievance.

Why won’t you hug me? You have not hugged me in over three months. Is it because I hurt your feelings that night? Does Mr. Gu hold grudges? I did not mean it like that.

Huo Chen’s mind was a mess as he followed dejectedly.

Gu Qingshi took off his coat and was just about to hang it up himself when Huo Chen, standing by his leg, diligently reached for it. “I will do it,” he muttered.

The coat was heavy.

“Alright then.”

Huo Chen did not complain; he was truly showing off. He hugged the heavy pile of clothes and struggled to hang them up on a dedicated hanger, though he had to stand on a stool to reach.

“Well done,” Gu Qingshi praised.

Huo Chen’s face flushed with shyness. Just as he was about to reach for the man’s leg, Gu Qingshi walked away.

“Come here.” Gu Qingshi hooked his finger, gesturing for him to follow.

996 protested in his mind: 【Host, dealing with the protagonist so passively is wrong!】

【I am not being passive.】 Gu Qingshi felt a bit confused.

【By treating the protagonist like a slave, if you push him into the dark side, all our efforts will be in vain.】

A warm sensation traveled through his fingertips. Gu Qingshi paused and looked back. Huo Chen was holding his hand earnestly, blinking up at him like a well-behaved baby.

996: 【Never mind.】

【I am not enslaving him.】 Gu Qingshi reiterated.

He is holding my hand? Let him hold it then.

Gu Qingshi walked to the sofa and let go of the boy’s hand. “Are you tired from studying at home?”

The child paused, as if his secret had been poked, and whispered, “Tired.”

“But you are learning very well.”

Huo Chen looked up, thinking, You are not even here, how would you know?

Perhaps the look of doubt was too obvious. The man explained simply, “They are not taking my money for free; naturally, they report your progress to me.”

Huo Chen bowed his head, still feeling dejected as he stared at those slender, fair hands.

“You missed too many lessons at the welfare home, so we have to make them up. It is almost September; you can start school soon.”

“Qionglin Elementary School, do you know it?” Gu Qingshi asked, frowning. What is wrong with this child? Is he listening?

Huo Chen replied dully, “I know it, the famous elementary school.” Why send him there? It was full of the children of the wealthy. It was annoying.

“Mmm, as long as you know.” The man seemed to be here just for this. Huo Chen watched the man’s chin, inexplicably unable to move his feet. He did not want to go to sleep.

“Not resting?” Gu Qingshi looked at Huo Chen and suggested, “Go play your practice piece for me.”

Huo Chen felt like he had been struck by lightning. Another test? Despite his reluctance, he went upstairs to get his violin and stood in the center of the living room.

He began to play slowly. It was Elgar’s Salut d’Amour.

The melody was slow and melodious, gentle and moist like water, as if whispering tender love. Huo Chen remembered the teacher’s advice: put emotion into it for the music to come alive.

But he? His hands were so nervous that he couldn’t even hold the bow steady. After an unknown amount of time, the song ended, and Huo Chen stood there, feeling awkward. This was not a test; his head felt like it was going to burst from the heat.

“Mmm, you learned well. It seems the teacher was right when they said you have talent.”

Huo Chen lowered his head, watching those house slippers enter his field of vision. Sweat seeped from his spine.

“Go to sleep.”

Gu Qingshi only looked down for a moment before the person in front of him fled in a panic, leaving a single sentence in the wind.

“Then, goodnight.”

What is he nervous about? Am I that terrifying?

Gu Qingshi rubbed his eyes, tidied up, and went to rest. He had to leave early tomorrow morning. He had returned today just to tell the boy about school so the child would not feel neglected.

【Host, do you want to know what your favorability rating is?】 996 chirped in his head.

Gu Qingshi: 【No. Turn off the notifications.】

996 was baffled: 【Why? This is very helpful for—】

【Turn it off.】

996 remained silent for a long time, then murmured indignantly: 【Done.】

【Mmm, get some rest.】

996 stopped talking, but halfway through the night, it suddenly realized something was wrong. Why was it so obedient to the Host? He said turn it off, so it turned it off? It was the great 996! And that “get some rest” phrase—was it used too frequently?

It was not a synonym for “shut up,” was it?

Gu Qingshi got up early in the morning, looking down at the medical report by the bedside, his expression as cool as water.

Normal.

He had no illness; he possessed a perfectly normal, beating heart. Gu Qingshi even checked himself in the mirror—he was identical, down to the mole beneath his neck. Was it false? Or was it real?

Huo Chen, thinking he had woken up early, pressed himself against the master bedroom door to eavesdrop, but there was no sound inside.

The nanny next to him saw this and smiled: “The master is gone; you will not see him now.”

Huo Chen’s face changed instantly. He asked in disbelief: “Really?”

Realizing she had said the wrong thing, the nanny switched to soothing him: “The master is busy working to earn money, so he left early.”

Huo Chen went pale. He pushed open the master bedroom door and searched it several times over. Finally, he went downstairs to eat breakfast without a word.

The air pressure was low.

Huo Chen wanted to poke his soup dumplings into a pulp, but he restrained himself in front of others and finished his meal obediently.

“Will you tell him about what I do at home?” Huo Chen asked.

The nanny felt it was strange. The way the child looked upstairs made it clear he did not want his adoptive father to leave, so why did his tone sound so distant now? Why does he not call him ‘Dad’?

“Yes, the master is very concerned about you.” The nanny did not know if saying that was appropriate, but she did not dare pry into the employer’s family affairs.

The child hummed dismissively.

Gu Qingshi was changing his bandage during a break on set, his expression steady. The medical staff opposite him seemed a bit cautious. A metal rack had fallen; a stuntman was drinking water underneath, and Gu Qingshi had reached out to pull him away, accidentally grazing his own hand.

Fu Lian stood to the side and added: “Be gentle.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” The young girl’s hand holding the cotton swab shook.

Gu Qingshi frowned, then said gently: “Give it to me; I will do it.”

The medicine was applied quickly, and the rest was easier to handle. The girl finished wrapping the bandage properly and then scurried away.

“Are you not afraid of pain anymore? I recall you being the most afraid of pain,” Fu Lian said with a smirk.

Gu Qingshi frowned at him, his expression odd.

Fu Lian felt he was truly asking for trouble, actively trying to be friendly only to be met with a cold shoulder. What was wrong with this person? He would just shoot him a sideways glance after a few words. He had not done anything bad.

【996, how does Fu Lian know so much about me?】 Gu Qingshi’s expression remained unchanged as he asked 996. It made no sense; why would he know he was afraid of pain? If it were a stranger, they would have said “you are very good at enduring it.”

Gu Qingshi remained guarded.

996 did not know why the Host kept asking this, but answered patiently: 【Host, after investigation, Fu Lian is a derivative character of this world, classified as a close friend of the Host. The information is as stated.】

Gu Qingshi looked at the man’s smile; it did not seem fake.

Just then, his phone rang.

“Who is it?” Fu Lian leaned in to look, spotting the contact name, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Gu Qingshi answered the phone and said in a low voice: “What is it?”

Huo Chen had just finished his class in the villa. He stood in a corner of the living room, holding the phone very seriously.

“Um, the day I start school, could you return?”

The nanny stood nearby, also feeling inexplicably nervous.

Gu Qingshi frowned slightly but said: “I can.”

Following the frequency of meeting once or twice a month, it should not violate the Support Character Code.

As soon as he finished speaking, heavy, labored breathing came from the other side. Gu Qingshi raised an eyebrow, finding it somewhat amusing. Why are you holding your breath?

“Okay, then bye-bye!”

“Mmm.”

The call ended.

Gu Qingshi sat back in his chair to read the script, his expression returning to normal.

“Was that the kid?” Fu Lian raised his chin and probed.

Gu Qingshi: “Mmm.”

Fu Lian was so angry his teeth itched. He wanted to give a few more warnings, but after the words rolled around in his mouth, he only said:

“Remember to eat with me after work.”

The man in the chair was reciting his lines silently; he simply nodded without looking up.

Fu Lian got up and left, heading straight for the director’s team, saying with a smile: “Director Li, long time no see! Is filming going smoothly?”

Director Li had been busy directing a scene, but when he turned around and saw the major shareholder, he had to stop his work to exchange pleasantries.

The two shook hands and exchanged a few words. Director Li assumed he was being asked to look after Gu Qingshi, so he said directly: “Little Gu’s work is fine; it is going quite smoothly. His injury was my fault for not managing it well. I will let him rest after we finish the re-shots.”

These words were very sincere.

But Fu Lian just laughed: “No, do not do that. Give him more scenes. Schedule them until October.”