I Really Am a Scumbag Bottom [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 7

When Chi Zhao was a child, his mother worried that because he was prettier than most little girls, he would be ostracized or even bullied by his peers. Acting on a “prepare for the worst” mentality, she sent him to a martial arts school, where he trained for over a decade.

That school wasn’t some flashy place meant for children’s extracurricular hobbies; the instructors were the real deal. Two of them were even retired from a national leader’s security detail.

Despite studying for all those years, Chi Zhao never had the chance to use his skills—until he found himself in another world.

After hearing Chi Zhao’s explanation, the System fell into a deep silence.

It truly is a System with an eye for talent.

On the way home, Chi Zhao and Li Yihan sat in the backseat, separated by about forty centimeters. Chi Zhao sat perfectly straight, hands neatly folded on his knees, looking every bit the student waiting for a scolding.

Throughout the drive, Li Yihan didn’t spare him a single glance. Chi Zhao began to worry: Did I overact? Did it backfire?

Back at the villa, Uncle Zhang watched in confusion as a large group of people entered. Li Yihan led the way, with Qi Yuan following two steps behind, shadowing his every move. Behind them were Assistant Zhao and a group of men dressed like bodyguards.

Li Yihan strode upstairs directly to the study. Qi Yuan followed closely, while Assistant Zhao and the others remained downstairs.

Once inside the study, Li Yihan finally turned around. He gazed at Qi Yuan, who bit his lip and met his eyes.

“You know how to fight?”

Chi Zhao blinked softly and nodded. “Yes. I learned it back in school. But I only use it for defense; I never initiate a fight.”

“You seem quite skilled.”

Li Yihan’s voice was flat. Chi Zhao couldn’t tell if it was a compliment or sarcasm, so he didn’t dare answer recklessly.

Seeing his silence, Li Yihan leaned back against his desk, arms crossed and long legs folded. He quietly searched Chi Zhao’s eyes. “If you’re that skilled, why didn’t you resist from the start? Did you let them take you on purpose?”

【Crap, that’s his takeaway? No wonder he was so quiet in the car. Host, think very carefully before you answer!】

Chi Zhao ignored the System. His expression shifted. “I.”

“Don’t lie to me. I despise people who deceive me.” Li Yihan stood tall, looking down at him with an imposing air.

With the distance between them closed, Chi Zhao was forced to tilt his head back to meet Li Yihan’s sharp gaze. He eventually lowered his head in a gesture of surrender. “If I had fought back, you wouldn’t have come to save me.”

Li Yihan froze for a second, then his brow furrowed. “Then why did you fight back later?”

“You took so long to get there. If I hadn’t fought back, my face would have been ruined,” Chi Zhao whispered, stealing a glance upward with an innocent look. “I’m not stupid, you know.”

Li Yihan: “…”

And this isn’t stupid?

He saw a flicker of expectation in Qi Yuan’s eyes—as if the boy were hoping he would understand something. Li Yihan wasn’t made of stone; he knew exactly what that look meant.

At eighteen, it was the age where one falls into passionate love easily. Moreover, he was the boy’s benefactor and the man who had plucked him from the university. Qi Yuan was an orphan who had grown up in collective housing; he had received very little love in his life. Suddenly, Li Yihan had appeared, giving him money and a home. Qi Yuan had clearly mistaken this for genuine, precious affection. Li Yihan had no reason to be surprised that the boy had developed feelings for him.

Realizing the boy’s feelings had “soured” into romance, Li Yihan didn’t feel happy, nor was he angry. He just felt that this was a problem—a very, very tricky problem.

He had brought Qi Yuan home only for a performance. Occasionally, he acted concerned simply because he felt it wasn’t easy for Qi Yuan to keep up the act for so long. Once the contract ended, Li Yihan would use a formal “disownment” letter to cast him out. While they both knew it was a sham, the public wouldn’t, and people would surely gossip behind Qi Yuan’s back.

Because of that, Li Yihan tried to make Qi Yuan’s life comfortable while he was here. After all, he was the one who dragged the kid into this deal. But he never expected his actions would cause Qi Yuan to misunderstand and fall for him.

The silence stretched long enough to become awkward. Finally, Qi Yuan broke it. He stood up straight and gave a serious promise: “I’m sorry. I won’t cause you any more trouble in the future.”

The light in Qi Yuan’s eyes had gone out. In that moment, he looked like a mature adult. Li Yihan felt a pang of discomfort in his chest, though he couldn’t quite name what kind of discomfort it was.

Staying any longer would just be embarrassing himself. Qi Yuan gave a small smile. “Regardless, thank you for coming to save me. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it back today. I’m going to check on Fatty. Please, carry on with your work.”

With that, Qi Yuan turned and left. A minute after the door closed, Assistant Zhao opened it again and walked in. “Boss, at the club, you said you were cutting all ties with the Duan family. Were you serious? Should I proceed with the announcement?”

Li Yihan looked up. “Of course I was serious. Why would it be a joke?”

Because Qi Yuan is a fake! Falling out with the Duan family over a fake heir would have a massive impact on the conglomerate. Was it really worth it?

Assistant Zhao didn’t say those words aloud—he didn’t dare—but his expression said it all. Li Yihan looked at him coldly. “Zhao Bin, as long as the contract isn’t over, Qi Yuan is my heir and the heir to the Li family. He is no different from Duan Bo. What Duan Bo insulted today wasn’t just Qi Yuan, but the successor of the Li Clan. You should look at those two facts together, not separately. If you can’t grasp that, you can hand in your resignation.”

Li Yihan’s eyes were like ice, piercing Zhao Bin’s skin and making him want to bow and apologize immediately. Only after walking out of the study did Zhao Bin wipe the sweat from his forehead.

The boss was right. Even if they knew Qi Yuan was a fake, the world believed he was real. If Duan Bo bullied Qi Yuan, he was bullying the Li family. The math checked out.

And.

He glanced downstairs. Qi Yuan was sitting cross-legged by the cat’s milk bowl, staring unblinkingly as Fatty drank. The moment the last drop was gone, Qi Yuan scooped the kitten into his arms with practiced speed and began petting it with a look of pure bliss.

Zhao Bin retracted his gaze. Perhaps he really had misjudged the kid. People change. Growing up in that harsh environment, Qi Yuan naturally had to be aggressive. Now that the boss had provided him with a peaceful life and genuine care, he no longer needed to attack others to protect himself. Naturally, he had changed.

At midnight, when almost everyone was asleep, Qi Yuan’s door was pushed open. Uncle Zhang crept in, squinting as he scanned the room. Finally, he spotted the watch sitting on the pillow next to the boy’s head.

Uncle Zhang gave Qi Yuan a look of profound pity.

What a poor, endearing child. This must be the first gift he’s ever received, which is why he treasures it so much he keeps it right next to him even while sleeping.

He picked up the watch, crept out, and closed the door. He handed it to Li Yihan, who was waiting in the hall. Li Yihan took it and gazed down at the pristine watch face.

Uncle Zhang didn’t quite understand. “Sir, didn’t we agree this was a gift for the Young Master? You’re taking it back so suddenly—what if he asks about it tomorrow?”

“I have an identical one in my collection. Take that one from the cabinet and give it to him tomorrow.”

As he spoke, Li Yihan closed his fist around the watch and turned to leave. Uncle Zhang was stunned. “Oh, understood.”

As soon as they were gone, the “soundly sleeping” Chi Zhao snapped his eyes open. He grinned at the System. “See? I told you he’s a good guy. He took the bugged watch away already.”

System: “…”

For some reason, I feel a little sorry for Li Yihan.

Chi Zhao rolled over, now wide awake. “Didn’t you say the next plot point was coming soon? What is it? Tell me so I can prepare!”