What to Do if You Transmigrate Into the Body of the Number One Scumbag? - Chapter 3

Gu Shiyan never imagined that a fictional character would one day manage to dismantle his psychological defenses bit by bit.

He raised his hand and gave the boy’s thin back a comforting pat, simply offering a quiet “Mhm” in response.

Sleeping in a completely foreign place for the first time, Gu Shiyan had expected to suffer from insomnia, yet he passed the night without dreams. When he finally woke, it was to the persistent ringing of his phone.

“Hello?” He answered the call as he climbed out of bed and headed toward the bathroom.

“President Gu, you and the Madam are scheduled to return to the old family residence for dinner today,” Tan Yu reported, fulfilling his duty of keeping every detail on track.

Gu Shiyan looked at himself in the mirror. He had heavy dark circles under his eyes, and the skin beneath them was tinged with a weary blue. Although it seemed like he had slept normally, his rest had been far from peaceful. Before falling asleep, he had harbored a faint, desperate hope that he might wake up back in his real life, but this phone call had unceremoniously shoved him back into reality.

“I understand.”

After hanging up, he stood before the sink and closed his eyes for a moment of quiet reflection. His phone chimed again with a new message notification. Upon opening it, he saw a contact labeled simply as “Luo.” Such a cold, detached name was undoubtedly the work of the original owner. He tapped into the chat, and the latest message at the bottom read:

Good morning, Husband.

Gu Shiyan’s fingers moved slightly as he edited the contact to the boy’s full name. Only after doing so did he return to the interface to reply:

Good morning.

After a quick wash, Gu Shiyan changed his clothes and headed downstairs. He still wasn’t entirely familiar with this vast, unfamiliar space, and because the villa was so large, he had to scan the corridor briefly before finding the stairs based on his memory from the night before.

As he passed the master bedroom, he noticed the door was still tightly shut. Since the boy had sent him a message, he assumed he must be awake, so after a moment’s thought, Gu Shiyan proceeded downstairs first.

The servants in the living room were all busy with their respective duties, some cleaning while others watered the plants. In the kitchen, the chef was busy preparing breakfast, and soon, dishes began to be served one after another.

As he walked through the house, the servants bowed their heads respectfully as he passed, only returning to their work once he was out of sight. On the dining table, a black coffee and a glass of milk had been set out, making it immediately obvious which belonged to whom.

The butler pulled out a chair for him, and Gu Shiyan sat down. The television was tuned to the daily financial news, the standard broadcasting tone echoing through the dining room. He switched the channel, only to stumble upon a report about the previous day’s lavish wedding between the original owner and Luo Mu.

What was supposed to be a sweet report on a happy newlywed couple had turned into a scandal, as the groom had been photographed drifting between bars immediately after the ceremony, leaving his new bride to keep watch over an empty house alone.

The media outlets were filled with sighs of disapproval.

Gu Shiyan felt nothing while watching the report since he wasn’t the one who had done it, yet even though his soul now inhabited this body, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of heartache for Luo Mu, the twenty-year-old “kid.”

He took a sip of his black coffee and had just set it down when the sound of light, brisk footsteps approached from a distance. After the encounter the previous night, he could now instantly recognize who this movement belonged to. A second later, as if confirming his suspicion, Luo Mu appeared from around the corner. He was carrying two plates of sliced fruit, his eyes sparkling with a bright, unmistakable smile.

“Good morning, Husband!”

Given his entrance, it was clear he had just come from the kitchen. Gu Shiyan hadn’t expected the boy to be up and ready so early. He raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Why are you up so early?”

“It’s not early! You’re up too, Husband, and I wanted to have breakfast with you…” Luo Mu placed the fruit plates in front of him, which contained neatly sliced strawberries, bananas, and cucumber, along with washed blueberries.

Gu Shiyan’s brow furrowed as he watched those slender, fair fingers move. “You should let the servants handle these things.”

Luo Mu paused and gave the man a slightly aggrieved look. He let out a dejected “Mhm” and then stood to the side, lowering his head in silence once more.

Gu Shiyan was stunned for a moment, realizing he might have caused another misunderstanding. He pulled out the chair beside him and patted it, signaling for the boy to sit, while offering a second explanation.

“Even though the weather isn’t cold yet, the water in the morning is still quite chilly. Since you are the master of this house, you should leave these small tasks to the staff.”

Only then did Luo Mu look up, peeking at him cautiously. “Is that really the only reason? You don’t think I’m stupid?”

Gu Shiyan looked at the pitiful, aggrieved expression on his face and felt a slight tightness in his throat.

“Of course.”

Luo Mu beamed, his mood restored instantly. He picked up a piece of cantaloupe with a fork and tentatively held it up to the man’s lips. “Husband, try this melon. It’s very delicious.”

“Did you slice this as well?”

Luo Mu studied his expression and nodded slowly. Gu Shiyan sighed. “Stretch out your hands and let me see.”

Luo Mu put the fork down and held out both hands. They were white and delicate, but even without picking them up, Gu Shiyan noticed a faint blood-red scratch on his index finger.

The President, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, began to frown again, feeling the mental exhaustion that came with looking after a child.

Sensing that he wasn’t happy, Luo Mu quietly tried to pull his hands back, whispering a defense for himself. “It’s nothing… I just accidentally grazed it while cutting…”

A long silence followed, broken only by a loud rumble from the boy’s stomach. Luo Mu flushed a deep red instantly and strategically buried his head as low as it would go. Gu Shiyan watched him acting like a timid little quail and found it somewhat adorable. He sighed inwardly like a worried old father.

“Let’s eat first. I’ll apply some medicine for you in a moment.”

“I don’t need medicine, a band-aid is enough. Husband, could you help me put one on later?” Luo Mu’s mood seemed to have brightened significantly, losing the timidness from before and gaining a bit of liveliness.

Gu Shiyan picked up the piece of melon that the boy had set down and ate it. It was sweet and juicy, truly delicious.

He nodded and said, “Alright.”

After breakfast, the maid brought over the band-aids.

Since he had already promised, Gu Shiyan took the band-aid, and a pale, delicate finger was quickly held out to him. The scratch did indeed look like an accidental graze; it was shallow and not serious at all, looking as if it might heal at any second. Previously, Gu Shiyan would never have cared about such a thing, nor would he have even noticed such a tiny mark. But with just a casual glance, he had caught it immediately, and more than that, his heart had instinctively tightened.

Luo Mu kept his eyes lowered. Seeing the man’s lips pressed into a thin line, he assumed the other had regretted the offer and no longer wanted to help. He began to withdraw his hand tremulously, speaking with forced maturity.

“If you don’t want to do it, Husband, it’s okay. I can do it myself.”

It was that pitiful, aggrieved look again. Gu Shiyan hadn’t even realized how much he was susceptible to this tactic, but he found himself giving in once more. He quickly tore open the band-aid.

“Give me your hand.”

The maid standing nearby was also surprised, watching their interaction with a look of utter disbelief.

Luo Mu placed his hand in the man’s palm. Gu Shiyan naturally held the hand, exposing only the injured knuckle, and slowly aligned the band-aid before smoothing it down.

As he watched the man carefully apply the bandage, Luo Mu’s heart began to thud wildly against his ribs, his cheeks dimpling with a smile.

“Husband… do you think I’m too much trouble?”

Gu Shiyan picked up his hand to inspect it thoroughly. After confirming there were no other injuries, he felt relieved. Hearing the question, he asked in confusion, “Trouble? Why would you think that?”

“It’s such a small injury, yet I had to ask for your help. Since I’m a man, it probably seems far too delicate…”

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