Who Wouldn't Want to Be a Wealthy Stepparent? - Chapter 3

Several servants were still standing in the first-floor lobby, their minds completely boggled.

 

The original owner had treated the toddler terribly, abusing him at every turn. Although the hitting and scolding usually happened behind closed doors, everyone living under the same roof knew exactly what was going on except perhaps for Butler Li, who had only been there a week.

 

But strange things were happening left and right today! First, the Eldest Young Madam’s attitude toward the Madam had done a total 180, and now his behavior toward the Little Young Master was even more unrecognizable!

 

What on earth was happening?!

 

Cheng Leyan’s “rocking car” session had paused since no more coins were deposited. He picked up Zhuozhuo and sat back on the sofa, letting the boy sit on his lap.

 

The child in his arms was incredibly light; he felt like a bundle of bones. When Cheng Leyan wrapped his hand around the boy’s thigh, there was hardly any meat on it—just thin bone.

 

How did he get this thin?

 

He asked the nanny standing nearby, “Has Zhuozhuo lost more weight? What’s his current weight?”

 

The nanny, Auntie Zhang, replied with a forced smile, “He was 24 pounds last time we checked. Eldest Young Madam, the Little Young Master is such a picky eater. He won’t eat anything and isn’t well-behaved at all. That’s why he’s so thin.”

 

Picky eater?

 

A child might be small, but they aren’t stupid. They get hungry. No “picky eater” is picky enough to eat absolutely nothing.

 

There were still several plates of snacks on the table, originally prepared for Mrs. Rong, who hadn’t touched them.

 

Cheng Leyan picked up a piece of cake and held it to the toddler’s lips. “Cake? Does baby want some cake? Just one bite, okay? It’s very yummy cake.”

 

The toddler remained silent, his face still timid and easily startled. He didn’t budge for the snack, and when it got too close to his mouth, he simply turned his head away.

 

Cheng Leyan: “Oh, it’s okay. If baby doesn’t want to eat, we won’t. Do you want to try a different cake? Which one do you want, baby?”

 

The system felt its virtual skin crawling: Host, why are you using that high-pitched “baby voice”?

 

Cheng Leyan: What do you mean? This is how you talk to kids. I worked as a daytime nanny for a year. I’ve had professional training and even passed the Doula certification exam.

 

The system was horrified: A Doula? You even took the certification exam for that?

 

Cheng Leyan: Doulas make great money! It’s just that it’s not a very male-friendly field. Sigh, that certificate went to waste. I missed out on so much cash.

 

The system was powerless to complain. What kind of host had it picked up?!

 

Cheng Leyan: But I’ve noticed the kid’s eyes are fine. He can look at people, maintain eye contact, and his gaze interacts with others. He can follow commands. It doesn’t look like autism. The reason he doesn’t speak is very strange. Wait, I’ve got it!

 

Cheng Leyan used his “baby voice” again: “I’m going to tell baby a joke. One day, a little tomato asked, ‘Mommy, Mommy, are we vegetables or fruits?’ How did the Mommy Tomato answer?”

 

He paused for seven or eight seconds before revealing the punchline: “Mommy Tomato said, ‘Good grief! Since when can tomatoes talk?!'”

 

He mimicked the voices of the little tomato and the mother perfectly. When the punchline landed, several servants nearby couldn’t help but chuckle, and even the system was laughing in his head.

 

Zhuozhuo, however, didn’t laugh. He looked at the reactions of the people around him with a sense of confusion.

 

Cheng Leyan felt reassured: the child’s cognition wasn’t delayed; he could understand what was being said. It was normal for a kid not to get the punchline of a joke; toddlers don’t always understand irony. The fact that he was confused proved he had a sense of curiosity.

 

So, was his silence caused by a psychological issue? He needed to have a talk with that language intervention teacher.

 

Just as he was thinking this, he heard the sound of an argument.

 

Cheng Leyan looked up and saw Butler Li dragging a young man who looked like a college student out of the elevator.

 

The man was shouting, “Who do you think you are?! Do you really think you’re a big shot? Even Cheng Leyan doesn’t dare talk to me like that! Who are you to try?!”

 

Cheng Leyan raised an eyebrow.

 

Ha? I don’t “dare”? Is there anything your Father Cheng doesn’t “dare” to do besides spend his own money?

 

The butler’s face was red with anger. Being quite strong, he dragged the man right in front of Cheng Leyan. “Eldest Young Madam, I accidentally left a recording pen in the Little Young Master’s room. It happened to record the entire session. That’s the only way I found out how this ‘teacher’ conducts his classes with Master Zhuozhuo!”

 

With that, he pulled out the pen and played a segment.

 

A man’s voice came through clearly, spewing insults: “Are you stupid? You big idiot, I’ve taught you this so many times and you still don’t get it. ‘Car.’ You can’t even say ‘car’? You’re so dumb. Stupid kid. Moron. Bastard. You’re wasting my time. Speak! I told you to speak! Dammit, are you actually a mute or just brain-dead? It’s because of kids like you that your deadbeat dad turned into a vegetable. A whole family of corpses. Still not talking? If you don’t talk, I’m going to slap your mouth…”

 

What followed was a string of even more foul language.

 

Cheng Leyan, still holding Zhuozhuo, felt a surge of fury. He quickly covered the toddler’s ears.

 

The toddler was trembling, his eyes welling up again, his lips pursed in a look of heartbreaking misery.

 

The so-called “teacher” hadn’t expected a recording. His face flushed red then turned pale, but he blustered, “This kid has an IQ problem. I taught him for half a day and he can’t even say one word. Am I wrong? Tell me, which part of what I said was wrong? You should take him to a hospital for brain damage; no teacher is going to be able to help him!”

 

Cheng Leyan was so angry he laughed. “Who hired this moron?”

 

Butler Li blinked, thought for a moment, and said quietly, “You did, Eldest Young Madam.”

 

Cheng Leyan: “…”

 

When the teacher heard Cheng Leyan call him a “moron,” he looked shocked, as if he never expected Cheng Leyan to insult him. He pointed a finger at Cheng Leyan’s nose. “Cheng Leyan, who the hell do you think you’re calling a moron? You dare insult me?”

 

Cheng Leyan: “I call a moron a moron. You’re the moron, so I’m calling you one. Why wouldn’t I dare? You think you’re so smart that you can learn anything instantly, right? Fine. Let’s make a bet. I’ll say one word. If you can repeat it correctly, this million yuan is yours.”

 

He pulled out the million-yuan check Mrs. Rong had given him and waved it.

 

The teacher looked at the check, his eyes widening before he instinctively swallowed.

 

Cheng Leyan: “If you can’t repeat it, you will bow and apologize to my son. Then you’ll pack your things and get out, and you’ll pay back every cent of salary you’ve ever received—by the way, how much does he get per class?” The last part was directed at the butler.

 

Butler Li: “Two thousand yuan per class.”

 

Cheng Leyan was shocked; his eyes nearly popped out of his head. This guy? Two thousand? TWO THOUSAND?! What’s going on? Has there been hyperinflation in this world? Is the RMB now equal to the Vietnamese Dong?!

 

System: There’s no inflation! This guy’s salary is just obscenely high! Drain him, Host! Get the money back!

 

Cheng Leyan looked back at the teacher. “Well? Do you bet?”

 

The man’s eyes were still glued to the check. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “I bet!”

 

Cheng Leyan: “Fine. Listen up Рентгеноэлектрокардиографического  Rentgeno-elektro-kardiograficheskogo.”

 

It was a long string of sounds that sounded like gibberish, more like a tongue-twister than a single word.

 

The teacher snapped, “You’re playing me! You just made that up!”

 

Cheng Leyan’s expression was mocking. “That’s Russian. It means ‘X-ray electrocardiographic.’ If you don’t believe me, take out your phone and Google it. See if I pronounced it right.

 

“So, you can’t say it either? You think this word is hard, so you can’t say it. But for a child with a language delay, even ‘car’ is hard. He isn’t repeating it because he can’t; it’s beyond his current ability, just like that word is beyond yours.

 

“You’re supposed to be a teacher. You take a salary of two thousand per class. Do you actually understand language delays? Do you even know what the autism spectrum is? If someone says ‘Alzheimer’s,’ you probably think they’re talking about Azkaban.”

 

He concluded, “Alright, start the transfer. Give back all the money.”

 

The teacher grew frantic and shouted, “Cheng Leyan, what is wrong with you? Does my brother know you’re acting like this?! How are you going to explain this to him?”

 

Cheng Leyan blinked. 419 spoke up in his head, sounding equally shocked: Host! I just checked the background! I just found out this guy is actually Xiang Jingzhou’s younger brother! His name is Xiang Jinglin. He’s just a college student studying early childhood education. Xiang Jingzhou recommended him, and the original owner hired him immediately, even giving him a high salary just to funnel money to him!

 

I see. So it’s a family business of scammers.

 

Cheng Leyan narrowed his eyes. “Is there anything your brother doesn’t know? Would I be doing this if he didn’t agree? Ha, I called you a moron, but you really are one. You think your brother is going to babysit you forever?”

 

These words were like a bucket of cold water dumped over Xiang Jinglin. His heart went cold.

 

Cheng Leyan had always been Xiang Jingzhou’s lapdog and had always been extremely polite and fawning toward him. He never expected Cheng Leyan to have such a sharp tongue when he turned against someone!

 

Furthermore—Xiang Jingzhou! Why was Xiang Jingzhou allowing this? What was going on? Had Xiang Jingzhou discovered the plan he and his mother had made? Was that why his brother was letting Cheng Leyan do this?

 

He was in a complete panic.

 

Cheng Leyan said, “You’ve done thirty classes, right? Hurry up. Six thousand yuan. Pay it back.”

 

Xiang Jinglin had been saving that money to rent a car and some designer clothes and watches to impress people. He was loath to give it back. In his desperation, he tried to play rogue: “Why should I? That money was earned through my labor. Why should I give it back to you?”

 

Cheng Leyan wasn’t in a hurry. He said slowly, “You’re a sophomore at X University, right? Don’t worry. Tomorrow, I’ll go find your counselor. While I’m there, I’ll tell all your classmates exactly what happened. I’ll also have a chat with your principal. I believe the Rong family has donated a building to your school before; they should have some influence.

 

“Oh, and we’ll go through legal channels too. I can use the Rong family’s lawyers. I’ll ask for emotional distress damages since you’ve caused indelible psychological harm to my son. I can also arrange some posts on the campus confession wall and the BBS—”

 

Cheng Leyan had truly hit Xiang Jinglin’s weak spot.

 

The reason he wanted to act like a rich guy was because he was currently pursuing a wealthy female classmate. He needed to show off at her birthday party to win her over and climb the social ladder. He knew his brother had become successful because of Cheng Leyan; he looked down on his brother, but he was following the exact same path.

 

If Cheng Leyan actually made a scene at his school, his entire plan would be ruined.

 

He shouted anxiously, “Enough, Cheng Leyan! Fine, fine! I’ll pay you back! I’ll pay, okay?!”

 

Cheng Leyan immediately pulled out his phone and displayed his QR code.

 

Only when he heard the “ding” indicating the 60,000 yuan had arrived did Cheng Leyan feel a bit better.

 

As Xiang Jinglin prepared to slink away in disgrace, Cheng Leyan called out, “Wait! You haven’t apologized to my son yet!”

 

Xiang Jinglin cursed, “Cheng Leyan, you really are sick! Why should I apologize to a three-year-old? Besides, back then you—”

 

Cheng Leyan interrupted, “No apology? Fine. See you at your school tomorrow.”

 

Xiang Jinglin gritted his teeth, various thoughts spinning in his head. Finally, he sucked it up, bowed to the toddler, and said, “I’m sorry. I apologize to you.”

 

Cheng Leyan: “The things you said—who is ‘dumb as hell’? Who is a ‘stupid kid’? Who is a ‘bastard’? Say it.”

 

Xiang Jinglin continued through gritted teeth: “Me! It’s me! I’m dumb as hell. I’m a stupid kid. It’s all me. I apologize. I was talking nonsense. Is that enough?!”

 

Cheng Leyan waved him off. “Fine. Now get lost.”

 

Xiang Jinglin ran off as fast as he could.

 

Zhuozhuo blinked his large eyes, feeling confused and at the same time filled with an unbelievable sense of pleasant surprise.

 

Does this mean. I never have to see Teacher Xiang again.

 

That teacher had scolded him every day and hit his hands with a ruler. He even had a page for Teacher Xiang in his “grudge notebook.” Sometimes he even had nightmares about being yelled at by him.

 

He knew Teacher Xiang had been brought here by his step-father. But now, his step-father had actually kicked the teacher out.

 

Teacher Xiang had even bowed to him. Teacher Xiang had apologized.

 

Was it real? Was all of this real? The toddler could hardly believe it.

 

Cheng Leyan, still holding Zhuozhuo, stroked the boy’s head and said in his baby voice, “Baby, that man was mean. Don’t listen to anything he said; he was just talking nonsense! He’s a bad person. Later, Daddy will have the police catch him. Don’t be scared, baby.”

 

Zhuozhuo stared at him blankly, his eyes still holding a trace of disbelief and timidness.

 

Seeing that look, Cheng Leyan’s heart nearly melted. He said, “Don’t worry, baby. That person will never show his face in front of you again. Daddy promises you—he can never hurt you again. Daddy will make sure he gets punished.”

 

He sighed softly. “Baby must be very sad, scared, and hurt. Daddy knows. You’ve been wronged.”

 

He then pulled the toddler into his embrace.

 

Zhuozhuo had been trying to hold it in, repeatedly telling himself ‘I am a tin man, I don’t have tears,’ but in that moment, he couldn’t stop them anymore.

 

He didn’t know what was going on with his step-father. He didn’t know what the man wanted, or why he was holding him and saying these things.

 

But…

 

He might be a tin man, but he really wanted to cry.

 

The front of Cheng Leyan’s shirt was soaked with the toddler’s tears.

 

When most kids cry, it’s loud like thunder and heavy like rain, with snot and tears everywhere. But Zhuozhuo cried silently, which was even more heartbreaking.

 

Cheng Leyan understood the importance of letting a child process their emotions. He didn’t say a word; he just held Zhuozhuo and gently patted the boy’s back.

 

After a long while, Zhuozhuo finally looked up. His face was a mess from crying, looking like a little striped cat.

 

The nanny, Auntie Zhang, offered, “Eldest Young Madam, let me take the Little Young Master to wash his face.”

 

Cheng Leyan nodded. “Go ahead.”

 

He handed the toddler back to Auntie Zhang.

 

The toddler lived on the third floor. As Auntie Zhang carried him toward the elevator, he peeked over her shoulder, his watery eyes silently, steadily watching Cheng Leyan.

 

He thought he must have cried so hard his vision was blurry his step-father looked different than before.

 

Today, his step-father looked very handsome, almost as if he were glowing.

 

Auntie Zhang took Zhuozhuo upstairs and didn’t come down for a long time. Just as Cheng Leyan was about to go check on them, she returned and said that after his bath, Zhuozhuo had drunk a carton of milk and fallen asleep.

 

Cheng Leyan wasn’t entirely convinced, so he went up himself. Seeing the toddler tucked under a blanket with steady breathing, he finally left.

 

What he didn’t know was that Zhuozhuo wasn’t asleep at all. Half an hour later, in the darkened room, Zhuozhuo silently sat up. He reached into the belly of a worn-out teddy bear by the bed and pulled out an old-model cell phone.

 

There was only one person in his contacts. The toddler quietly sent a message: Brother Gu Qin, Cheng Leyan has changed. He’s become very strange. He made the teacher leave. He even hugged me and didn’t hit me.

 

He had a language delay and couldn’t speak a single word, but he was incredibly fast and skilled at typing using Pinyin. His vocabulary already exceeded a thousand words; it was just that nobody else knew.

 

And “Gu Qin” was none other than the “Protagonist-Gong” of the book Prison of Love, who was currently only eight years old.

 

Gu Qin replied instantly: What kind of trick is he playing now?! Is he trying to use you to suck up to your grandmother? Or is he trying to make you let your guard down so he can sell you off?!

 

The toddler paused for a moment before replying I’ll be careful, Brother Gu Qin.

 

Gu Qin: Good! Send me a message every day. If I don’t hear from you for more than 48 hours, I’m going to your grandmother!

 

Gu Qin: Zhuozhuo, wait for me for a few more years. Just a few more years. Once I have money, I’ll definitely come get you. We’ll eat and sleep together, and if anyone dares to bully you, I’ll beat them to death.

 

The toddler stared at the message for a long time.

 

Later, using the light from the phone, he pulled out his “grudge notebook” and flipped to Cheng Leyan’s page.

 

He didn’t want to draw a sword today.

 

He solemnly drew a giant medicine pill on the page.

 

Just one.

 

If his step-father really was sick, he felt that one pill wouldn’t be enough to cure him.

 

But—if his step-father stayed like this, it seemed like it would be quite nice.

 

Meanwhile, Cheng Leyan had finished dinner and was lying in bed digesting.

 

The Rong family was incredibly wealthy, and the dinner had been lavish, featuring lobster, king crab, and more. It was a dizzying array. Since the daily expenses of the villa weren’t coming out of his own pocket, Cheng Leyan had stuffed himself until he could barely move.

 

Cheng Leyan: Sigh, all that food was so good. I wonder why Zhuozhuo doesn’t like to eat.

 

System: Host, you really care about him.

 

Cheng Leyan: Of course. He’s so cute, he’s my mission, and he’s directly related to my future dog cage. How could I not care? And… how should I put it? My own childhood wasn’t great. Seeing Zhuozhuo makes me want to give him everything I wanted when I was a kid. It’s like a way of compensating myself. I think a lot of adults feel that way.

 

The system chimed in: Then, Host, would you like to accept the world mission? It’s related to Zhuozhuo, and you can earn money from it.

 

Cheng Leyan perked up: Oh? How much?

 

System: *[Let me explain the mission first. According to the plot of ‘Prison of Love,’ the villain’s ending is definitely ‘karma’: the Protagonist-Gong ruins his company, and the protagonist couple finds evidence of his illegal detention and manslaughter—referring to that dog cage leading to the villain being executed.

 

The problem is that in this world, the reality is that the villain is too strong. He’s ruined the companies of the Protagonist-Gong, the Protagonist-Shou, and all the supporting characters. He’s reached the peak of power and is thriving; nobody can touch him. He even locked up the protagonist couple can you believe it?! Even the Protagonist-Gong couldn’t beat him. He’s basically on the verge of destroying the entire world!

 

The ‘Will of the World’ had no choice but to ask the Transmigration Bureau for help. It just so happened the original owner passed away from a sudden heart attack, which is how you got here. Your main goal is to change the fate of the world being destroyed by the villain.

 

Cheng Leyan: Got it. So, System, how much can I make?

 

System:

 

It felt like it had just wasted its breath.

 

System: For changing the world’s fate by 10%, you get 10 yuan.

 

Cheng Leyan:Are you kidding me?

 

System: For 20% change, you get 100 yuan. For 30%, you get 1,000 yuan. After that, it’s 10,000, 100,000, and so on. In other words, for 90% change, you get one billion. For 100% change, you get—ten billion.

 

The system’s heart was pounding. This was the highest price it could offer within its authority. It had even emptied its personal savings; it didn’t know if this would be enough to motivate the host.

 

The next second, Cheng Leyan took a sharp breath and screamed in his mind: System! Dad!! System, you are my long-lost biological father!!! Dad, you’re actually this rich? I couldn’t tell!

 

He then added happily: I can’t believe it’s only my first day in the book and I already have a mom, a dad, and a son! Hahaha! The four of us are one happy family.

 

System: “…”

 

Help…

 

Is this what life is like in the Drama department?

 

It’s nothing like the hosts I used to have.

 

My previous hosts only knew how to say “Mm” or “Ah.”

 

Sob, I actually kind of miss my old missions…

 

System:  I don’t actually have that much money. I just saved up a bit of a nest egg by helping 23 Protagonist-Shous and 107 Protagonist-Gongs.

 

Cheng Leyan asked curiously: Wait? Why is there such a big difference between the number of Shous and Gongs? And when you say you’re an R-18 system, is it what I think it means?

 

System: Host, how about we go back to discussing the mission!

 

Cheng Leyan: You got it!

 

Since Cheng Leyan didn’t have the original owner’s memories, the system began introducing the background and key past events. Later, Cheng Leyan simply asked the system for the original novel of Prison of Love and began reading it passionately.

 

As he read, he eventually fell asleep.

 

It was 2 AM.

 

Cheng Leyan dreamed of his wedding. His partners were a glittering golden apple and a bank check. Even in his sleep, he wore a blissful, satisfied smile and couldn’t stop himself from laughing out loud.

 

It was 2 AM.

 

System 419 was diligently studying the records of transmigration novels, concluding in confusion: The ‘Gongs’ in these stories seem to be missing something below the neck? Is that really okay?

 

It was 2 AM.

 

Mrs. Rong’s head was filled with a looping playback of “Say bye-bye to all your worries.” She sat up in bed, unable to take it anymore: Wait, is Cheng Leyan actually insane?

 

It was 2 AM.

 

The toddler Zhuozhuo’s head was filled with a looping playback of “Daddy’s daddy is Grandpa.” He sat up in bed, unable to take it anymore: No, is Cheng Leyan actually insane?

 

It was 2 AM.

 

Inside the body of a patient at a nursing home in City A, a system let out a tragic wail: What is going on?! I was supposed to be in the Drama department! Why did I suddenly become part of the R-18 department?! What is up with these missions?! And why is my host a vegetable?! A vegetable?? How the hell am I supposed to do these missions?!

 

Host, wake up! Host!!

 

Wake up!!!