Xu Chenghao was stunned for a moment before he realized what the sentence meant. His face turned into a myriad of colors, almost like a color palette: “Are you offering yourself to me?”
Ruan Chenxuan replied calmly, “If you are willing.”
“Of course I’m not willing!” Xu Chenghao raised his voice. “Who knows who would benefit more from this? You’re dreaming.”
Ruan Chenxuan retreated slightly: “Fine, if you’re not willing, we won’t talk about it for now. What about the project? If you’re willing, we can sign the contract right now.”
Xu Chenghao tried to change the subject: “Given your current situation, do you still have the capacity to present a project? You should be more concerned about your own status.”
Ruan Chenxuan instinctively wanted to explain, but then thought of something. What came out of his mouth instead was: “If I can’t, would President Xu be willing to help me?”
Xu Chenghao sneered: “No, I would join forces with Han Haofeng to take you down.”
Ruan Chenxuan: “But you haven’t helped him yet.”
Xu Chenghao: “That’s only because my leg injury makes it inconvenient.”
Ruan Chenxuan couldn’t believe such a petulant excuse, but he didn’t want to discuss it further. He tried to steer the conversation back: “So, President Xu doesn’t intend to cooperate with me?”
Xu Chenghao replied expressionlessly: “No. I suspect you’re trying to tie me to the same boat, making me join forces with you against Han Haofeng.”
Ruan Chenxuan: “He doesn’t need us to team up against him.”
Xu Chenghao glanced at him: “If you’re so confident, why don’t you confront Han Haofeng directly? Why do you keep coming to me?”
Ruan Chenxuan: “Because he is not as important as President Xu.”
This sentence was spoken so naturally and smoothly that Xu Chenghao’s expression changed. He said disdainfully: “You really should talk less. Otherwise, you’ll regret it once you regain your memory.”
Ruan Chenxuan was unmoved: “I don’t care what happens after I regain my memory. At least, this is how I feel now.”
Xu Chenghao: “You should leave quickly. Don’t annoy me anymore. I wish you a speedy recovery of your memory.”
Ruan Chenxuan had no choice but to get up and say: “Then I’ll leave the contract here. Think about it, and I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Xu Chenghao firmly said: “I’m not considering it. Take it with you!”
Ruan Chenxuan pretended not to hear: “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Xu Chenghao: “Don’t come!”
Ruan “Can’t Hear” Chenxuan: “Mr. Xu, you should get some rest. Goodbye.”
Xu Chenghao: “……”
Damn it, I really want to punch him! Ruan Chenxuan’s skin is getting thicker and thicker!
Xu Chenghao pressed the bell to call the caretaker outside and said coldly, “Did you see that person just now? He’s not allowed to come in again!”
The female caretaker silently bowed her head: “Okay.”
However, although the female caretaker agreed quickly, she definitely wouldn’t be able to stop Ruan Chenxuan the next time he came. Xu Chenghao was extremely annoyed by Ruan Chenxuan, who showed up every few days to make his presence known. Finally, he called Li Nian and had him hire two bodyguards to stand at the door and allow no one to enter. This finally restored some peace and temporarily rid him of Ruan Chenxuan’s shadow.
Time passed quickly after that. Xu Chenghao was working when he suddenly heard the words “Mission failed” and was stunned for a moment. It was only then that he realized the mission time was up, but Jing Yicheng still hadn’t returned.
[Ding——Little Chili Pepper Harvest Master is online!]
[Ding——Detection failed. The Little Chili Pepper mission was not completed. You currently have 11/50,000,000 chili peppers. Please keep up the effort, host.]
[Ding——Little Chili Pepper mission penalty activated. Since you did not complete the mission within the stipulated time, the system is forced to freeze for three weeks, deduct ten percent from the yield rate, and confiscate one reward. Your current rewards are: one Gay King Aura and one Strong Durable Waist. Please choose which reward to forfeit.]
Xu Chenghao put down his pen, sat on the bed, and appeared to be in a daze while silently processing this… This was his first mission failure.
He had suspected that failure would have the greatest impact on later planting, and sure enough—freezing the system for three weeks to extend the mission period was like a small knife to the heart, and losing ten percent of the yield rate was a fatal blow!
Especially since the yield rate was so important. When the number of missions increased in the later stages, it would definitely have a critical impact.
Jing Yicheng really did a great job!
He actually didn’t come back!
Xu Chenghao couldn’t tell if he was angry or worried. He held his head and didn’t speak for a long time.
[Ding——Please choose which reward to forfeit.]
Xu Chenghao said angrily: Take them both.
[Ding——Please choose which reward to forfeit.]
Xu Chenghao: …… The halo.
[Ding——Deduction successful. The system will now enter penalty freeze mode for three weeks.]
Xu Chenghao waited for a while: 2333?
[Ding——System 2333 at your service!]
Xu Chenghao: …… Aren’t you supposed to be frozen?
[Ding——The frozen system is the Little Chili Pepper system bound to 2333. System 2333 itself is a book-transmigration system and will not be frozen. Strictly speaking, it was 2333 that froze the Little Chili Pepper system.]
Xu Chenghao: Oh.
He got excited for nothing.
Disappointed, Xu Chenghao abandoned the system and lay on the bed, closing his eyes to sort out his thoughts.
Time flew by, and before he realized it, half a month had passed since his car accident, and many days had gone by since Jing Yicheng left…
Xu Chenghao looked at the text message on his phone, the one he had sent saying, “If you don’t come back this month, I’ll change my mind.” But silently, he thought to himself: I’ll give him six months!
For Jing Yicheng, six months should be enough time to come back no matter what has happened. If he doesn’t return in six months, then it’s just like Li Nian said: Jing Yicheng doesn’t care enough and won’t make the effort to come back for him, so there’s no need to keep waiting.
Just six months!
After setting a reminder for his change of mind plan, Xu Chenghao locked his phone and put it under his pillow. He got up and went back to work.
Like Li Nian said, since he had decided to wait, he should wait peacefully and not be discouraged. Even if the other person really doesn’t come back or something really happens, he will only feel sad when the time comes and he doesn’t see him. At least now, there is still hope!
Silently thanking his life mentor Li Nian in his heart, Xu Chenghao focused on his work, striving to lessen the burden on Teacher Li Nian.
Living alone like this was dull and boring. Although going from luxury to simplicity is hard, gritting his teeth and getting through it will ultimately be beneficial for him. Not relying on anyone will be good for him in the future!
As the New Year approached silently in the frost, there was good news and bad news. The good news was that Ruan Chenxuan seemed busier, so even the annoying phone calls had decreased significantly. The bad news was… the two elder Xus, who were traveling, had returned.
Because he was afraid they would worry and not enjoy their trip, Xu Chenghao hadn’t told them anything. He didn’t expect their sudden return, turning the surprise into a shock, completely exposing the car accident.
Mother Xu almost cried in anger, “How dare you hide such a big thing from us? Are you trying to make us worry ourselves sick? Do you know how upset we were when we saw you like this?”
Xu Chenghao could only chuckle awkwardly and take the scolding in silence.
Father Xu said, “Alright, the kid was scared to tell you because of this reaction… Let’s call the doctor first and check his condition.”
Xu Chenghao whispered, “My accident was just bad luck. Only my leg was stuck, so it’s this serious. The rest are just scratches.”
The Xu elders, not listening, focused on waiting for the doctor. After confirming Xu Chenghao’s condition in twenty minutes, they finally breathed a sigh of relief: “As long as you’re okay.”
Xu Chenghao helplessly said, “I told you I’m fine, but you didn’t believe me.”
Mother Xu retorted, “You said you were fine while we were traveling too. Who would believe you now?”
Xu Chenghao: “…”
Alright, he was in the wrong.
Mother Xu frowned, seeing Xu Chenghao working on a small table set up on the bed. She said worriedly, “You’re this injured, alone in the hospital with no one to take care of you, and you still have to work?”
Seeing his mother’s expression of ‘my son is suffering,’ Xu Chenghao quickly explained, “No, no, I have a caregiver. Li Nian is holding things down at the company. I’m just working because I’m bored.”
Mother Xu: “Your dad is also idle, let him do it.”
Xu Chenghao looked up and glanced at Father Xu. Father Xu said deeply, “Yes, you just focus on getting better.”
Xu Chenghao sighed helplessly, “I have made you worry.”
Mother Xu: “Since you know we’re worried, you should take better care of yourself and rest more. The doctor just said that your recovery is slow and you need to stay in the hospital for at least two more months for observation.”
Xu Chenghao sighed, “Got it.”
With the addition of the Xu elders, Xu Chenghao’s life suddenly became more lively. Father Xu went to the company to oversee things, while Mother Xu, being a full-time housewife, could stay with her son all day. She would chat and watch TV with Xu Chenghao, which, although he wasn’t busy with work anymore, distracted him even more.
As for Zheng Yunyun, being Mother Xu’s favorite girl, her visits to the ward increased significantly. It wasn’t that they hadn’t given up on the idea of marriage; Mother Xu simply liked Zheng Yunyun very much. She felt that even if they couldn’t become a couple, it would be good for the younger generation to become friends, continuing the goodwill of their elders.
So, whenever Xu Chenghao was bored alone in his ward, Mother Xu quickly decided to have a young person accompany her son, and her chosen target was Zheng Yunyun.
Mother Zheng, fully supporting her daughter’s connection with the promising Xu Chenghao, always agreed. Whenever Mother Xu felt bored and called, Mother Zheng would bring her daughter over for a visit, then they would leave the younger ones alone in the living room.
Zheng Yunyun, sitting on a stool by the bed, eating an orange, said, “Ever since people found out I was coming to see you, Zheng Xiaoxiao has looked at me like she wants to eat me alive.”
Xu Chenghao: “Happy?”
Zheng Yunyun: “Of course I’m happy. If she’s unhappy, then I’m happy.”
Xu Chenghao: “Have you ever thought about what you’ll do if you keep using me as a shield?”
Zheng Yunyun suddenly lost her appetite and sighed while holding the orange, “That’s true. Where else can I find such a perfect guy like you?”
Xu Chenghao smiled, “Thank you for your high praise.”
Zheng Yunyun silently looked at him, “Well…”
Xu Chenghao was puzzled, “Hmm?”
Zheng Yunyun hesitantly asked, “Did you and Jing Yicheng break up?”
Xu Chenghao’s expression became more serious, “Why do you ask?”
“I haven’t seen him here recently, and I thought you didn’t plan to tell your parents. But recently, there’s been no news about him in our circle either,” Zheng Yunyun said softly. “It’s like he’s disappeared.”
Xu Chenghao remained silent and did not answer.
Zheng Yunyun’s voice lowered, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought up something that upsets you. But people say the fastest way to forget a relationship is to start a new one. So, um… if you’re considering it, would you consider me? Your perfect match.”
The author has something to say: During the days when Jing Yicheng was not around, how many people were trying to steal his place?!
T/N: Cheng-ge where are you? There are so many people trying to steal your Haohao.
