Who Wouldn't Want to Be a Wealthy Stepparent? - Chapter 4

“Let the winds of fortune blow through this world, filling my hundred and eight thousand dreams.” Cheng Leyan slept exceptionally well that night.

He slept in the villa’s master bedroom, which used to be the bed of his vegetable husband, Rong Wangzhi. It was incredibly comfortable, with bedding so light and skin-friendly that the temperature and humidity felt perfect. When Cheng Leyan woke up, he felt as if he were sinking into a cloud of cotton, and he didn’t want to get up at all.

The system was beyond surprised: It’s only five o’clock! Host why are you awake at five?!

Cheng Leyan: I didn’t finish that novel yesterday. I have to finish it before I start work today. My body clock woke me up because I was keeping that in mind.

System: Host, you are a bit too serious about your job.

Cheng Leyan: Naturally. I’ve worked six different sales positions, and I was the top salesperson in every single one. I’m the type who memorizes every product detail on the very first day. System-Dad, you think it’s easy being a Top Salesman?

System: Host, please stop calling me “Dad.” I’m afraid it’ll shorten my lifespan.

Cheng Leyan gave a “haha,” lingered in bed for two more minutes, then climbed out to freshen up. Finally, he leaned against the sofa, clutching his golden apple, and continued reading Prison of Love.

When he turned the last page, his brain felt like it was buzzing.

The logic in this book was simply incomprehensible!

Why did the villain fall for the protagonist? Just because “his smile was bright and unpretentious, as if it gathered all the vitality in the world”?

And why didn’t the villain just pursue him properly? Instead, he assumed the protagonist would never love him and resorted to constant torment. With the villain’s “tall, rich, and handsome” stats, he probably would have had a real shot if he’d just been a decent human being.

Also, the villain was a heavy smoker. The author kept describing how cool his hand looked holding a cigarette, but smokers get yellow teeth is that really okay?

Most importantly, after finishing the novel, Cheng Leyan found it impossible to connect the “legal-offender” villain from the book with the soft, sweet toddler he had seen yesterday.

Zhuozhuo turns into that?

That guy???

That’s not character development; that’s a genetic mutation!

For example, take the description of “Cheng Leyan’s” ending in the book:

Rong Jishi entered the room, the hand holding his cigarette gesturing vaguely in one direction: “Open it.”

An assistant stepped forward and pulled back a blackout tarp, revealing the dog cage beneath.

The cage reeked of filth and decay. A lump of something no longer resembling a human lay slumped inside, motionless. The assistant covered his nose and leaned in to check. “Young Master Rong, he did indeed bite off his own tongue.”

Rong Jishi let out a tsk and walked over, looking down at the cage.

His cigarette finished, he kicked the cage and said with disgust, “Revolting.”

Then he left.

By the way, that “lump no longer resembling a human” referred to Cheng Leyan.

He didn’t even get to keep his name!

What a miserable way to go. Cheng Leyan felt phantom pains just thinking about it.

And that “assistant” what kind of bad luck did he have to be responsible for inspecting a corpse? How much was he getting paid a month to hold his nose and do that job?!

Luckily, the child was only three years old. There was still time.

Go, Cheng Leyan! Nip that villainy in the bud!

Also, one vital point: No dogs in this house. Ever.

PERIOD!!!

It was about time, so Cheng Leyan changed his clothes and went downstairs.

In the first-floor dining room, a lavish breakfast was already laid out, featuring both Chinese and Western dishes.

Zhuozhuo, wearing a pair of checkered overalls, was sitting quietly in his high chair.

Cheng Leyan’s first instinct was to rush over and say in his baby voice, “Baby, Daddy has to tell you: we are never, ever going to have a doggy, okay?”

Zhuozhuo: ?????

But internally, the boy breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been wondering all morning which step-father he would see today: the old one who hit and scolded him with eyes full of filth, or the one with the broken brain who seemingly needed a giant medicine pill. Fortunately, it was the latter.

The nanny, Auntie Zhang, said, “Eldest Young Madam, you’re here.”

Cheng Leyan said, “Auntie Zhang, just call me Xiao Cheng from now on, or Mr. Cheng. No more ‘Eldest Young Madam.’ That title makes my chest hurt. Everyone else too change how you address me.”

Auntie Zhang blinked. “Alright, then… Mr. Cheng. We’ll call you Mr. Cheng from now on. I was just about to make breakfast for Master Zhuozhuo.”

Cheng Leyan thought to himself that with so much food on the table, they still had to make something separate for Zhuozhuo? The rich really were particular.

The next second, he saw Auntie Zhang bring over a blender and begin her performance.

She put in some purple sweet potato. Zzzzzt—it turned into mush.

She put in some green vegetables. Zzzzzt—it turned into mush.

She put in some oranges and apples. Zzzzzt—it turned into mush.

There were other things too, a chaotic variety of ingredients. The steps seemed complicated, but the result was always the same: Zzzzzt—mush.

Finally, she mixed all the mushes together, poured them back into the blender, and gave it one final Zzzzzt to create a combined sludge.

The liquid in the blender was a color somewhere between purple and brown, thick and viscous. Auntie Zhang poured the sludge into a child’s bowl, added a few drops of walnut oil, stuck a thick straw in it, and placed it before Zhuozhuo. She said kindly, “Master Zhuozhuo, time for breakfast.”

Cheng Leyan: “Gag…”

It wasn’t intentional, but he really wanted to vomit.

What the hell was that?! He almost lost his dinner from the night before!

She looked so professional, but after all that work and all those ingredients, this was the result?

This???

Only a ghost would eat that!!!

Sure enough, the toddler didn’t even look at it.

Auntie Zhang took a spoon and tried to feed him. When she brought it to his lips, the boy squeezed his mouth shut, terrified of letting even a crack open.

Auntie Zhang sighed and looked at Cheng Leyan helplessly. “Mr. Cheng, you see? The Little Young Master simply refuses to eat.”

Cheng Leyan: “Gag, gag, gag, gag…”

He spoke up directly: “Auntie Zhang, what is your monthly salary?”

Auntie Zhang: “Mr. Cheng, this…”

Cheng Leyan: “Just say it.”

Auntie Zhang looked left and right, pursed her lips, and whispered, “Twenty-eight thousand.”

Cheng Leyan gasped. Damn!! So high! Nannying really is a career with growth potential!

He said bluntly, “Fine. You drink that stuff, and I’ll give you twenty-eight thousand right now.”

Auntie Zhang’s lips trembled, and she forced a smile. “Mr. Cheng, you’re joking. This breakfast is made according to a nutritionist’s specialized recipe for the Little Young Master. It’s nutritionally complete. The nutritionist said a blender could be used.”

Cheng Leyan: “That’s for things that are hard to chew! You can pulse them, but that doesn’t mean you dump everything in at once and Zzzzzt it into a sludge. Could you eat this?? It’s revolting. If you’re really willing to eat it, I’ll have all your meals blended into mush from now on. Let’s see how many meals you last.”

“The kid is small, but he’s not an idiot!”

He wasn’t being polite.

Mainly because when he read Prison of Love yesterday, besides his own “dog cage” ending, it mentioned that the villain had a wicked nanny who abused him as a child. However, before the villain reached adulthood, the nanny died of cancer, so he never got his revenge.

The book didn’t give the nanny’s name, so Cheng Leyan couldn’t be sure if it was Auntie Zhang, but he was suspicious.

Seeing how thin Zhuozhuo was, and seeing Auntie Zhang serve this disgusting mess while blaming the child for being “picky,” he couldn’t help but be angry.

He stopped talking to her and reached for a pumpkin bean-paste bun on the table. He broke it in half, took a bite himself, and finding it tasty, placed the other half on the plate in front of Zhuozhuo. “Baby, it’s a pumpkin bun. I think it’s good. Want to try?”

Zhuozhuo hesitated, remaining motionless.

Cheng Leyan didn’t mind. He took a purple potato swirl bun and shared half of that too.

Zhuozhuo still didn’t eat.

Auntie Zhang looked aggrieved. “Mr. Cheng, you see, the Little Young Master won’t eat it. If you ask me, the mush is better. At least it’s balanced. If he takes a few sips, it’s enough. Let’s use the old method—Xiao Sun and I will feed him together.”

Xiao Sun was another nanny. It took two people to feed him? Cheng Leyan realized her “old method” meant force-feeding the sludge to Zhuozhuo.

He looked at the cup of sludge, thought about the terrible things the original owner had done, felt his stomach turn, and frowned.

Seeing his disgusted expression, Zhuozhuo’s body trembled slightly.

Will his step-father… will he force it into my mouth like before?

The boy’s entire body tensed. His stomach churned, and he felt a dry heave in his throat.

But—nothing happened.

Cheng Leyan said, “The past is the past. Since everyone is here today, let me make myself clear: my brain was kicked by a donkey before, and I did a lot of wrong things. I’ve turned over a new leaf now, so don’t bring up the old ways anymore.

“You all heard what I told my ‘Mom’ yesterday. I’ve staked my reputation on this. I’m going to take good care of Zhuozhuo, and I don’t want any of you holding me back. From now on, report everything about Zhuozhuo directly to me. No cutting corners. Understood?”

The servants in the living room had varied expressions, but they all gave their acknowledgments. Auntie Zhang’s face flushed red and white.

Cheng Leyan ignored their reactions and turned back to Zhuozhuo. “Baby, just think of me as a ‘New Step-dad.’ The old one is gone. I’m brand new. I’ve changed, and I won’t force you to do things you don’t like anymore.

“You don’t like this stuff, right? That’s fine. Eat what you want, and if you don’t want to eat, don’t.”

Then, as if nothing had happened, he started eating his own breakfast.

He had excellent table manners chewing slowly and making no sound—but he ate quickly. His eyes narrowed in a look of deep satisfaction, like a cat that had finally gotten its favorite treats.

Watching him eat actually made one feel hungry.

Yes, he had been a professional mukbang streamer for a while.

As Zhuozhuo watched, his stomach, which had been clenched with hunger, felt even emptier.

The toddler thought a bit stubbornly: Step-father is definitely a bad man, teasing me on purpose. But it’s okay; I’m a tin man. I’m not afraid of hunger.

The next second, Cheng Leyan placed half a shumai on Zhuozhuo’s plate, followed by a piece of buttered toast, then a slice of crispy bacon.

Everything he thought was delicious, he shared half with the toddler.

This was also from his experience as a nanny: sometimes children need to see an adult eating before they’ll join in.

Finally, he finished, let out a satisfied breath, and looked at Zhuozhuo with curving eyes. “All this food is for Zhuozhuo. You can eat whenever you want. And if you don’t want it, that’s fine too.”

He added, “Auntie Zhang, why is that sludge still here? It’s ruining the appetite. Throw it away.”

Auntie Zhang: “…Yes, Mr. Cheng.”

The toddler watched Auntie Zhang walk away. He looked at the pile of food on his plate, then at Cheng Leyan’s bright, smiling eyes.

He blinked, suddenly feeling his nose sting.

Maybe Cheng Leyan really was planning something sinister. Maybe he was just trying to win him over so he’d let his guard down and could be sold off.

But… but…

But he felt his tin heart was starting to melt.

The toddler could only tell himself over and over: I am a tin man. I won’t be sad, I won’t cry, and I won’t melt.

He didn’t refuse to eat because he was being “bad.” It was just that in the past, whenever he ate, he would always fall into a deep, unexplained sleep for a very long time. When he woke up, his head would hurt terribly.

He didn’t want to sleep that long. Since then, he had eaten less and less. He was afraid to eat, scared that if he fell asleep again, he might never wake up.

But… what about this time?

He finally picked up the pumpkin bun Cheng Leyan had given him first, then the purple potato bun, then the rest.

After eating, his stomach finally stopped its agonizing cramping.

Cheng Leyan also breathed a sigh of relief. At least he had eaten. It was a small step forward.

Looking at Zhuozhuo, it didn’t seem like a psychological aversion to food; he ate quietly and didn’t look disgusted by the actual food. So why had he stopped eating before?

He had to see a doctor. He would take Zhuozhuo to one this afternoon.

As for the morning… there was another important thing to do.

Cheng Leyan said, “Auntie Zhang, I’m taking Zhuozhuo out in a bit. Help me pack the things we’ll need.”

While she went to prepare, he turned to Butler Li. “Butler Li, I don’t think Auntie Zhang knows how to care for children. Look at what she was feeding him. Keep a closer eye on Zhuozhuo. Install more security cameras in the house especially in Zhuozhuo’s room. Install them everywhere.”

Regarding Teacher Xiang yesterday, it was too much of a coincidence for the butler to “accidentally” leave a recording pen in the room, but Cheng Leyan chose to look the other way. He wouldn’t look too deeply into it.

He didn’t trust Auntie Zhang, but Butler Li was different. He was a character with a name in Prison of Love.

The novel mentioned that he was the only person who had been kind to the villain in his childhood. When the villain grew up, Butler Li was still his butler and even said the classic line to the Protagonist-Shou: “This is the first time the Young Master has brought someone home.”

In the game of “Werewolf,” Butler Li was definitely on the good side.

Hearing these instructions, Butler Li understood immediately and nodded.

He still couldn’t figure out why the Eldest Young Madam’s personality had changed so much, but at least—

He felt the current “Eldest Young Madam” wasn’t a bad person.

Half an hour later, Cheng Leyan led Zhuozhuo, now dressed in outdoor clothes, to the garage.

It was clear that Rong Wangzhi had once cared deeply for the child; many of the cars in the garage were equipped with child seats.

Cheng Leyan chose a Rolls-Royce Phantom.

The moment he opened the door, he was screaming internally.

419 suddenly remembered that the host had died in a car accident. Would he be traumatized by driving?

The system asked with concern: Host, if you have a psychological shadow regarding driving, you can just have a chauffeur take you!

Cheng Leyan: AHHHH! THIS CAR IS WORTH OVER TEN MILLION! OVER TEN MILLION! AHHHH!

He kept screaming.

System: “…”

I wasted my concern.

This was Cheng Leyan’s first time driving such a luxury car. He touched everything, feeling completely satisfied.

Zhuozhuo, however, was extremely nervous.

This was actually his first time going out with his step-father. His heart was in his throat. He kept thinking: Is it really like Brother Gu Qin said? Is my step-father going to take me away and sell me?

Where would I be sold?

Would I be able to find my way back? Would I ever see Daddy or Grandma again?

But… but his step-father said he had changed. He was a “New Step-dad.”

Should he believe him?

While the toddler was filled with unease, he heard Cheng Leyan say, “Baby, I’m taking you to see your daddy.” Then, he started the car.

The boy’s eyes lit up. Daddy! I’m going to see Daddy!

Yes, Cheng Leyan intended to visit his “cheap husband.”

Mainly because, while he didn’t have the memories, 419 had the background info, which mentioned that the original owner had been secretly tormenting the comatose man, venting his hatred and dissatisfaction on him.

Although Cheng Leyan truly couldn’t understand what someone with a million-yuan monthly salary could possibly be dissatisfied about, he was anxious to see the current state of his husband.

Rong Wangzhi was staying in a high-end nursing home. Cheng Leyan drove Zhuozhuo there. The receptionists all knew him and took him up to the top-floor suite.

The environment was excellent. The suite was large, with greenery outside the window, and the ventilation system kept the air perfect. The room was equipped with all kinds of medical monitors, and security was top-notch with 24-hour patrols.

Cheng Leyan took a quick look around and was satisfied with the environment.

His vegetable husband was currently lying on the bed.

“This is my benefactor,” Cheng Leyan said, leaning in to take a look.

He gasped internally: Wow, he’s so handsome. He could be a movie star.

Then he called out, “Baby, look, look! It’s your daddy! And he’s my ‘Sugar Daddy’! Your daddy and my daddy are both daddies, and I’m also your ‘Daddy’—we’re all daddies to each other, hahahaha!”

Zhuozhuo: “…” Step-father’s condition seems to be getting worse.

But when the toddler looked at Rong Wangzhi, his eyes turned red.

Grandma hadn’t brought him here, and he hadn’t seen his father in nearly a year.

Daddy was thinner.

Would Daddy ever wake up?

Would Daddy ever play with blocks with him or read him fairy tales like before?

Would Daddy ever buy him another… tin man?

Daddy… I miss you so much.

Memories swirled in the toddler’s mind, and he was about to burst into tears.

But just then, he saw his step-father lean in close to his father’s ear and shout:

“Yo-ho! A loud crash from the sky, and your old servant makes his grand entrance! Husband, I shall be the guardian of your health!

“Next, I will broadcast today’s news for you. Item one: A man in Qingdao was diving and got caught by a fisherman who thought he was a giant fish. After being released, he moved to a different spot and got caught again. Hahaha, hahahaha!

“Item two: A man in Ningxia broke into a house to steal. He stayed for three hours, fried 15 eggs, drank the owner’s hidden wine, and conveniently tore up the child’s summer homework. Hahaha, hahahahahaha!”

He then proceeded to read ten pieces of ridiculous news.

Zhuozhuo was stunned.

His eyes no longer hurt, his nose no longer stung, and he no longer wanted to cry. He just blinked in pure shock.

What… what was his step-father doing?

Was he… “bringing luck”?

Is this how “bringing luck” works???

Does it really help???

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