The Protagonist in This Bad Ending (BE) Story Is Reborn [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 4

“Host, why didn’t you agree to his request?” 99 asked, sounding thoroughly confused.

[As a Time Reversal System, its mission was a unique blend of simple and complex. Compared to its colleagues, however, its task was relatively straightforward: bring together a couple who failed to stay together in their past life. In its eyes, if Shang Linyi simply agreed to Yan Chen, the mission would be more than half finished.]

“Don’t be in such a hurry.”

Shang Linyi retrieved his phone and thanked the staff before putting on his mask; he then strode away under their watchful gazes. 99 didn’t understand his restraint, yet it had no authority to interfere.

The system was about to say something else when the phone in Shang Linyi’s hand began to ring. It was a call from a private hospital. At that moment, Shang Linyi’s mood finally relaxed completely.

He pressed accept. “Hello.”

“Hello, Mr. Shang. At the request of the boss, your mother’s surgery has been scheduled for tomorrow. Please make sure you are here by nine o’clock to sign the papers.”

“I understand. Thank you.”

Connecting the dots, 99’s blue eyes widened in realization. “Host, I think I understand now.”

Everything Shang Linyi had done suddenly made sense. He hadn’t participated in that performance for money; instead, Yin She had promised to bring in the most advanced technology to treat his mother. Because the head of the Yin family had a frail younger brother, they had poured massive funds into medical research, leading to the highest success rates for certain diseases.

******

In his previous life, Shang Linyi believed that having money was enough to get his mother treated. Reality, however, had proven him wrong. Even after he became wealthy, a single word from Yin She meant he didn’t even have the right to get a queue number. Later, Yin She’s people told him that if he agreed to one thing, he would be given a spot. The first task was to perform at the Gezi Auditorium, and the second was to sleep with him.

Naturally, Shang Linyi chose the former. In his last life, his mother’s surgery had been a success following that performance. Even with a second chance, he didn’t dare gamble with her life; he had to go to that auditorium.

With the heavy stone in his heart finally lifted, Shang Linyi felt that everything was proceeding smoothly, which improved his mood considerably. He looked relaxed as he prepared to hail a taxi home, but then a Maserati parked by the curb flashed its lights twice. A pair of hands waved to him from the window.

Shang Linyi didn’t hesitate to climb inside; it was Wei Cheng’s car. “Garden Apartments, please.”

Wei Cheng was speechless, staring at him in disbelief. “Do you really take me for your chauffeur?”

“Would the young master be so kind as to give me a lift? Thank you,” Shang Linyi rephrased.

Wei Cheng was the type of person who flared up easily, so one had to soothe him before he exploded; once pacified, he would willingly do almost anything. His anger immediately deflated, and he grumbled, “That’s more like it.”

The Garden Apartments stood in stark contrast to the modern, luxury complexes of Hai City; the name alone suggested a place time had forgotten. It was a relic from a previous era, and Wei Cheng couldn’t imagine what Shang Linyi was doing there.

Recalling media reports about how Shang Linyi was devastatingly poor, Wei Cheng felt a wave of bafflement. After so many years, Shang Linyi should have saved up a fair amount of money; why was he still living like this?

He cleared his throat and asked cautiously, “I heard your family situation is… average.”

“Wrong,” Shang Linyi interrupted, correcting him. “It’s not average; it’s desperately poor.”

Wei Cheng: “…”

The media’s reports lacked the impact of Shang Linyi’s direct admission. Wei Cheng glanced over at him; Shang Linyi had already closed his eyes. His face was split between the streetlights and the shadows, highlighting the high bridge of his nose and his thin, perfectly shaped lips.

“Watch the road, not me,” Shang Linyi said abruptly. Startled, Wei Cheng slammed his foot on the accelerator. The car surged forward.

Shang Linyi: “…”

Feeling a bit guilty, Wei Cheng offered a weak explanation. “It’s your fault for scaring me.”

Shang Linyi didn’t argue. He looked ahead, and upon spotting something, he suddenly ordered, “Stop the car.”

“?” Wei Cheng pulled over anyway. Shang Linyi opened the door and stepped out.

Two minutes later, he returned cradling a cat. He was still wearing that tattered shirt, which looked particularly conspicuous in the dark. Wei Cheng stared at his lap, where Shang Linyi’s suit jacket was now wrapped around a tiny kitten, his expression turning complex.

“You made me stop just to pick up a cat?”

Shang Linyi smoothed the fur of the kitten in his arms. It was likely a newborn; its white fur was stained yellow and looked incredibly dirty. “And if I did?”

“Are you going to keep it?” Raising a cat required both money and time, neither of which Shang Linyi seemed to have.

This question actually stumped Shang Linyi. It was true that he lacked the time, but… “My brother will raise it.” He had a younger brother in high school; it would be good for him to have a companion.

Wei Cheng fidgeted, a mountain of questions building up in his mind. After a long silence, he ventured, “I heard your conversation with Brother Yan earlier.”

“Mhm.” Shang Linyi wasn’t surprised. Wei Cheng wouldn’t have waited for him if he didn’t want to gossip; for someone of his temperament, waiting was a fate worse than death. Shang Linyi had only closed his eyes earlier to avoid these very questions.

Wei Cheng simply didn’t understand. His voice rose an octave. “Why on earth didn’t you agree to be with him?” In his eyes, no one in their circle was cleaner or better than Yan Chen; being noticed by him was a blessing for someone like Shang Linyi.

Shang Linyi gently rocked the kitten. He paused at the question. “Do you really love gossip that much?”

Wei Cheng went silent. After a moment, he muttered, “To be honest, Yin She and the others aren’t good people.” The more he spoke, the worse it sounded, as if he were trying to force Shang Linyi to sell himself.

He decided to give up; Shang Linyi didn’t seem like that kind of person anyway. Wei Cheng didn’t see him all the way home; Shang Linyi got out in front of a pet shop, leaving Wei Cheng to drive off alone.

*****

Two o’clock in the morning.

A tall figure entered the Garden Apartments. Everything about the complex—the mottled walls, the rusted railings, and the uneven road—betrayed its age. Shang Linyi pulled out his keys and opened the door.

Inside, the person sleeping on the bed suddenly rolled over and bolted toward the door in a fit of excitement. “Ge, you’re back?”

Because the kitten was so small, it was staying at the pet hospital for temporary care, so Shang Linyi had returned empty-handed. His younger brother, Shang Linhe, was a high school student with a clear, handsome face. Since high school was the busiest time for a student, Shang Linyi looked at him with some disapproval. “Don’t you have school tomorrow? Why are you still up?”

Shang Linhe secretly studied his brother. His brother seemed to have grown taller and more handsome; more importantly, he was now a shining star. “Ge, I haven’t seen you in so long; I just wanted to see you.” Otherwise, you’ll be gone again by the time I wake up.

Thinking of this, Shang Linhe couldn’t help but argue, “You were working at night while studying during the day in high school, too. I can do it as well.”

Shang Linyi placed his keys on the coffee table. The apartment was small, roughly seventy-five square meters. Three people lived in this cramped three-bedroom unit. The sofa was a relic, and the walls were covered in old posters. This was where they had lived for years. Once Shang Linyi became famous, he had suggested a down payment on a new place, but his mother and Shang Linhe had strongly opposed the idea. Both felt the money shouldn’t be wasted, and they were too attached to the home they had occupied for so long.

“I went through that so you wouldn’t have to. There’s no need for both of us to suffer together,” Shang Linyi said.

Shang Linhe looked up at him, thinking: I’m not suffering as long as I see you.

Shang Linyi carried a pleasant scent, and Shang Linhe couldn’t help but lean in to catch a whiff. He wanted to pounce on his brother and hug him like he used to, but his status was ambiguous. He wasn’t his biological brother, yet he was his brother nonetheless.

“Ge, why did you come back tonight?”

“Mom has surgery tomorrow. I came back to pack some things.”

Shang Linhe’s eyes widened, his face lighting up with joy. “Really? Ge, I’ll take the day off tomorrow to stay with her at the hospital.”

“Okay.” Shang Linyi believed family was the most important thing; missing a few classes was a small price to pay, so he let his brother have his way.

As he packed, Shang Linhe naturally helped. He was meticulous and thought of many details his brother might have missed. After he had gathered three bags of supplies, Shang Linyi stopped him. “That’s enough.”

Shang Linhe poked his head out from the pile of things, tossing his long bangs aside and looking at his brother like a loyal puppy. “Is it really enough, Ge?”

Shang Linyi nodded. In a month, their mother would be back home. Shang Linhe gave up on the packing but scratched his ear and suddenly said, “Ge, I’ll be going to university in a few months.”

“Congratulations.”

Shang Linhe couldn’t resist stealing a few more glances. His brother’s face looked so gentle under the indoor lights; only at times like this did his brother’s time truly belong to him. He wanted to say he would soon be an adult too, that he could finally help and stand by his side, but in the end, he only smiled.

“Ge, go get ready and sleep.” Before leaving, he called out, “Goodnight, Ge.”

“Mhm, goodnight.”

After setting the bags on the table, Shang Linyi grabbed a change of clothes from his room and headed to the shower. Once finished, he stood alone on the balcony for a while. The phone on the coffee table kept buzzing, its vibrations disturbing the silence of the night. After a moment’s pause, he turned back.

The screen glowed brightly in the dark, filled with a long list of unread messages. He didn’t want to see them, so he turned the device off and went to bed.

The next morning, the first rays of light slanted through the window, illuminating a figure sleeping soundly on white sheets.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Ge (means brother), are you still asleep? It’s time to wake up; we have to see Mom,” Shang Linhe’s voice came from outside.

“I’m up.” Shang Linyi rubbed his eyes and sat up. The small alarm clock by the bed showed 7:00 AM. The doctor had said to be there by nine.

Shang Linyi had specially arranged for someone to care for his mother at the hospital. Since he was busy and his brother was preparing for the college entrance exams, they had hired a professional caregiver.

Shang Linyi pulled the curtains and changed his clothes.

“Ge, you’re finally awake!” Shang Linhe, who had been waiting for thirty minutes, was visibly excited. “I made breakfast; come eat.”

99 appeared at that moment. “Host, your brother is so hardworking.”

As Shang Linyi washed his face, 99 watched him, finding everything fascinating. “Host, your mother is getting her treatment today. Are you happy?”

It was an obvious question, but Shang Linyi asked one of his own first. “What is most important to you?”

99 tilted its head and thought for a long time. “Fulfilling the mission, I suppose.”

“If you fulfill your mission, will you be happy?”

99 imagined itself draped in red robes, receiving a crown from the Commander while other systems watched in awe as it was awarded a five-star rating. It couldn’t help but feel giddy. “I will.”

“Mhm. It’s the same for me.”

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