The Disgraced Heir of the Wealthy Family Has Gone Mad - Chapter 17

The System shook its head sheepishly. Observing Shen Muyun’s volatile expression, it ventured to say, “Host, well, this is not a side mission. It is a main mission, which means you must pursue Lu Huainan.”

Shen Muyun was stunned. The half-slice of orange he had just swallowed became lodged in his throat, and he could not help but cough harshly. “I… I say, System, what the heck? You are telling me to pursue someone?”

“Yes, it is clearly displayed here. The System has not slept in a day and a night and is currently shutting down. My dear Host, we will see you tomorrow.”

“Hey, hey, do not run off yet! What is the meaning of this? Hey! Come back here! System! You rascal!”

The System showed no hesitation and vanished into thin air instantly, leaving behind only an invitation on the bedside table. The cover featured two intertwined snakes, and inside, it revealed Lu Huainan’s birthday and the banquet venue, bordered with layers of gold leaf.

With the System gone, Shen Muyun felt disinterested. He dwelled on the System’s words regarding pursuit. Had it not previously said Lu Huainan was of extremely high difficulty? Was this a case of saying one thing and doing another?

Shen Muyun lay on the bed, feeling groggy. From time to time, he sensed someone nearby, like a dark shadow pacing around. He felt pinned down, completely unable to move. Who was it? His mind was chaotic; the presence felt familiar, as if…

When he finally woke up, the sunlight was pleasant, spilling through in wisps across his quilt. Yesterday’s gloom had long since vanished. Though his sleep had been mediocre, his body felt much more comfortable. The figure from his dream seemed familiar, and there was an imperceptible scent lingering in the air.

Shen Muyun’s phone screen flashed blue incessantly with notifications, but his brain refused to command his hand to deal with them. He stretched his arms and legs; there was no discomfort, so he decided to leave the hospital, as he preferred not to stay there any longer.

After changing into his original clothes, Shen Muyun decided to go for a stroll. He could not shake his concern for Himi, who had been injured because of him.

Shen Muyun looked up at the sun and then at the distant stables. Following his memory, he found his way. As he walked, he heard the neighing of horses from a distance. He approached and saw Himi running happily in the paddock.

“Second Young Master Shen.” The stable employee cleaning the area stopped his work upon seeing him.

“How is it doing?”

“Recovering well. I did not expect it to be full of energy after only a day or two, but it seems a bit skittish. I suspect there might be some lingering impact.”

Shen Muyun looked at the mango he was holding and handed it to the employee. “You feed it. I suppose it does not want to see me. As long as it is healthy, that is enough.”

A ringing phone interrupted their conversation. Shen Muyun answered, and Shen Liuyun’s voice came through.

“Muyun, it is me. I received notification from Dr. Qi. I am at the entrance of the racecourse ready to take you home. Are your things packed?”

“Yes, almost. I am nearby; I will be there right away.”

Shen Muyun walked along the path and soon saw Shen Liuyun’s car.

“Muyun, over here.”

Hearing Shen Liuyun’s voice, he hung up, turned, and leaned down to look through the half-opened window.

“Brother, actually, I could have gone back myself. I could have just taken a taxi.”

Shen Liuyun instructed him, “Fasten your seatbelt. I happen to have a contract to sign nearby this afternoon. Since you are just being discharged, it works out perfectly for me to pick you up.”

Shen Muyun got into the car. “A contract? Has the company been very busy lately?”

Shen Liuyun glanced at the navigation. “About the same. The company is always busy. There is no partner for the land Lu Corporation owns in the north of the city. But you, why have you been so attentive to company matters lately?”

“Oh, well, perhaps it is just a whim. Brother, you know I have a three-minute attention span.”

Shen Liuyun laughed softly. “That is true. The project in the south of the city folded in your hands before, and as soon as I asked you to keep an eye on it, you ran off abroad.”

Shen Muyun’s mind flashed with the original owner’s memories. It seemed there was such an event. At that time, he was busy living a lavish life abroad and could not be bothered with these matters; furthermore, people in the circles in Jiangcheng had long since excluded him.

“Muyun, I always feel that since you came off the cruise ship, your temper has changed, as if you were a different person.”

Shen Liuyun absentmindedly fiddled with the car’s perfume, and the scent of cedarwood wafted out. Shen Liuyun remained unmoved.

“Not really. Maybe my mood is different. Besides, with the Zhou family lurking like tigers, I cannot just leave things be.”

“If you have this intention, putting in some effort is fine. The company has been very busy lately. I remember your second major was Economics; perhaps giving it a try would not be a bad idea.”

“Huh? Ah, Brother, about that, I think, well, you know I was a slacker in college, just scraping by. I had to retake Advanced Mathematics several times. Managing a company is simply beyond me.”

Shen Liuyun took a turn and looked at a message on his phone. “This afternoon’s contract meeting is canceled. We can head straight home.”

“That is great. Let us go straight home.”

“Actually, I have something else to discuss with you. Why do you not come to the company and help me out?”

Shen Muyun was shocked. He accidentally spilled the perfume he was holding onto his trousers, creating a small, awkward water stain right in the middle. “Ah, Brother, what did you say?”

“I said, how about you manage some of the company’s affairs for me?”

What did Shen Liuyun mean? Did he really intend to do this?

“Brother, I…”

Shen Liuyun took a turn and parked the car in the garage. The housekeeper was waiting there, and Shen Liuyun gave a few casual instructions.

“I think you can do it. I already told the housekeeper to make your favorite pumpkin custard. You like desserts, do you not?”

“Um, thank you, Brother. I want to wander around the neighborhood for a bit and will be back by mealtime.”

Shen Liuyun smiled and agreed.

Shen Muyun immediately left the living room, followed his memory to find his room, and locked the door. Shen Liuyun was setting a trap for him; there might be some hidden agenda.

He checked the time; the System should have finished charging. “System, System, are you there?”

“Biubiubiu! I am here! That felt great!”

Seeing the System’s cheerful demeanor, Shen Muyun’s anger flared. “You are doing great, are you not!”

“Me? I am fine. Are you still doubting the mission to pursue Lu Huainan? Let me take back what I said before: Lu Huainan is a golden bachelor with a harmonious family, and his younger sister is very well-behaved. This kind of character is rare in novels.”

“Stop, stop, stop! I do not want to hear about the mission to pursue Lu Huainan today. I feel like something is wrong with Shen Liuyun’s state, so…”

“Oh? What aspect do you feel is off?”

Shen Muyun pinched the fox plush toy on his bedside. Hiss, the original owner actually liked these things.

“Well, um, he said today he wanted me to help with company matters; it just feels wrong.”

The System sighed, its screen flashing blue like a surveillance monitor, displaying Shen Liuyun and Lu Huainan together.

“Huainan, do you not think Muyun’s personality has changed?”

Lu Huainan put down the contract and looked up at Shen Liuyun, who was pacing back and forth in front of him.

“What of it? He is your younger brother; you should know him best.”

“Know him best? Muyun has not been in Jiangcheng for a while. Now that he is back, who knows what scandalous affairs he had outside? Besides, his health is frail. Last time he fell into the water, I intended to help him, but unexpectedly, he pulled himself up.”

“About that fall, you saw it too. My brother has been weak since he was a child; at the time, I thought he would not be able to get out, so I intended to give him a hand.”

Lu Huainan sipped his tea and picked up the contract that had been set aside, flipping to the last page.

“Liuyun, people are complex.”

“I plan to have him enter the company and try a minor position; it is better than him being idle.”

Lu Huainan signed his name on the contract. “Mhm, as long as you are happy. I have signed the racecourse contract; a pleasure doing business with you.”

The screen display ended there.

Shen Muyun was stunned. What kind of relationship did these two have? When had they become this close? And Lu Huainan grew up in the United States. Could these two be in league together? If that were the case, what would happen to the main storyline?

“System, did not the previous files say Lu Huainan had never returned? Why is their relationship so good?”

The System extended its small wings and gently poked the fox plush on Shen Muyun’s bed, appearing quite fond of it.

“Your families have been close for generations; the relationship was already good. You are all in the same circle. Besides, you were previously engaged to Lu Huainan’s sister. Building a relationship in advance is your standard practice, is it not?”

Shen Muyun remained skeptical. It felt inexplicably strange, and he could not put his finger on it. But since things were this way, he would have to keep going.

“System, do you have any books on business management? I do not know the first thing about it.”

“Ding-dong, you have asked the right person. The Human Bazaar is now open.”

“What is that?”

“You will see when you look. A library card is 500 tokens. It is 5% off now. You can read any book you want at any time.”

“Fine, let us get one.”

Shen Muyun never imagined he would have to study business management books again; he was truly annoyed. The main mission had made no progress, and now he had the added burden of managing a company.

“Ding-dong, library card issued successfully. Respected Host, you must put in some effort. My system indicates that your main storyline progress is slow. As your System, I am quite worried about your emotional issues and the progress of the main storyline, so I have privately designed some small games to enhance the chemistry between you and Lu Huainan.”

“What kind of games?”

“As for that, Host, it is a secret.”