LABMY CH3

The eye-catching motorcycle was parked in front of an old pharmacy. In this kind of old residential neighborhood, most of the residents were middle-aged and elderly people, worn down and numbed by life. Such a symbol of vigor and freedom as a motorcycle was rarely seen here.

Although the original owner lived nearby, he had just bought the motorcycle and hadn’t even had the chance to ride it before he suddenly died at home, leaving it to Jian Yuanbai.

Jian Yuanbai came to buy medicine. Wei Zhenge’s face had been swollen and red from a slap by his father, so Jian Yuanbai told him to wait at home.

Worried about Wei Zhenge’s injury, Jian Yuanbai moved quickly, buying the necessary items and returning home.

“The doctor said cold compresses would help, but I also got some medicine to promote blood circulation and reduce swelling. There’s no ice pack at home, so I bought some ice from the nearby milk tea shop. Use this to apply on your face.”

In this area, ice packs were unheard of, so Jian Yuanbai handed the ice wrapped in a clear plastic bag to Wei Zhenge, thoughtfully molding it into a shape that fit his face.

Wei Zhenge accepted it, feeling a bit awkward, but still said, “Thank you.”

Jian Yuanbai was carrying a large bag, which emitted a faint chill despite the warm September weather. He turned and walked into the kitchen.

Soon, he returned with a glass in hand, stood by the water dispenser, and turned on the heating button. While waiting, he spoke to Wei Zhenge, “You didn’t get your luggage. Tell me if you need anything. Tomorrow is Sunday, I’ll take you to buy some clothes.”

Wei Zhenge nodded, holding the ice pack to his face, lost in thought.

The living room fell silent. Wei Zhenge quietly watched as Jian Yuanbai rinsed the glass with hot water, washed it, and then filled it with warm water.

It wasn’t until Jian Yuanbai placed the glass of warm water and the medicine in front of him that Wei Zhenge finally looked up.

The strange feeling in his heart deepened. It was like seeing a ferocious wolf put on an apron and cook a meal for others with care.

Wei Zhenge never expected Jian Yuanbai to buy ice for him, nor did he expect that, when he couldn’t find an ice pack, Jian Yuanbai would go to the milk tea shop to fill a bag with ice.

Even more unexpected was that Jian Yuanbai would rinse the glass with hot water and prepare warm water for him to take the medicine — everything was done with meticulous care.

Such attentiveness was completely at odds with Jian Yuanbai’s cold, aloof personality and tough exterior.

“Are you hungry? I’ll buy some food and get a new bedsheet. Tonight, you can sleep in my bed.” After saying this, Jian Yuanbai turned and left, leaving Wei Zhenge sitting on the worn-out sofa, blinking in confusion.

What was going on with this Jian Yuanbai? Was he here to humiliate him by showing him that filthy, broken room with only a rusty bed frame, only to now offer his own bed for the night?

Then… where would Jian Yuanbai sleep?

Wei Zhenge slowly lowered the “ice pack” in his hand and gently touched his swollen face with the other hand.

Now that he was alone in the living room, he finally let out a soft hiss from the pain.

With no one around, Wei Zhenge carefully sorted out his thoughts and only then belatedly realized…

Jian Yuanbai had jumped from a tree nearly five meters high and landed without a scratch.

And at that time, he was carrying him on his shoulder.

It would be absolutely impossible for an ordinary person to do this. Wei Zhenge frowned in confusion. Could this Jian Yuanbai be some kind of retired soldier?

Anyway, let’s take it one step at a time.

After leaving the house, Jian Yuanbai was no longer in a rush this time. He first went to a large supermarket and leisurely strolled around, buying only daily necessities.

A mouthwash cup, toothbrush and toothpaste, face towels, and body wash—he bought everything in pairs.

The system watched him pick one couple’s item after another and finally couldn’t help but speak up: “Aren’t you just buying daily necessities for Wei Zhenge? Why are you buying everything in pairs, and even couple’s items?”

Jian Yuanbai was stunned for a moment. “I’m going to use them too. Everything in that house was used by the original owner, and I don’t like using things that others have used.”

He made a sound of disgust and said, “What are you thinking? These are obviously parent-child items.”

Jian Yuanbai spoke earnestly, “Long Aotian, Wei Zhenge is only seventeen years old. He’s still a kid. Your thoughts are too impure, seeing couple’s items and immediately thinking of something dirty. You’re too corrupted.”

The system stared at the pink aroma lamp in his shopping cart and was speechless. “Then why is it pink?”

Jian Yuanbai replied matter-of-factly, “Because Wei Zhenge is pretty. He suits pink.”

“Besides, his father treated him terribly. Now that I’m his guardian, I have to show him some care.”

Suddenly, Jian Yuanbai slapped his thigh and said to the system in his mind, “Hey, Tian, isn’t this a perfect opportunity? Why don’t I just be his dad?”

The system responded coldly, “This is your first mission. It’s the simplest beginner-level task. All you need to do is follow the plot, act as a degenerate gambler, introduce Wei Zhenge to jade gambling, and let him obtain an Imperial Green jade from you. Nothing more.”

Jian Yuanbai sighed deeply. “A father can’t neglect his son.”

Saying that, he placed a U-shaped pillow with the slogan “A great helper for kids to relax when studying” into the shopping cart.

The system fell silent and quietly cursed.

The tall and handsome man pushed his cart through the supermarket, carefully comparing items. In this ordinary and domestic setting, the cold aura surrounding him seemed to soften, making him much more approachable.

A girl who had been watching Jian Yuanbai from afar hesitated before finally blushing and walking over. Noticing that he was buying everything in pairs, she guessed something and asked, “Handsome guy, are you buying these for your girlfriend?”

“We girls know better what girls like. How about I help you choose?”

If he said he didn’t have a girlfriend, she could ask for his contact information. If he did, she could just find an excuse to leave.

Jian Yuanbai turned to look at her. His deep eyes gave people the impression that he was fully focused on them, which made the girl’s face turn even redder.

“No, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

The girl was secretly delighted and was about to continue when Jian Yuanbai added, “I’m buying these for my son. Do you know what boys like?”

The smile froze on the girl’s face in an instant. She stammered awkwardly, “N-no, I don’t… I haven’t raised a child before.”

Then she turned and ran off, leaving Jian Yuanbai sighing in disappointment. A heart full of fatherly love, with no one to share it with.

This time, Jian Yuanbai returned home much later. In his hands, he carried not only a takeaway meal but also a large shopping bag from a certain supermarket and a beautifully wrapped box.

Wei Zhenge caught a glimpse of the daily necessities and the words “bedding set” printed on the box through the opening of the bag.

Although he had some guesses in his heart, when he saw that Jian Yuanbai had actually bought a bedsheet and other daily necessities that he hadn’t even mentioned, Wei Zhenge couldn’t help but feel surprised and bewildered.

Jian Yuanbai opened the takeaway box, revealing a serving of braised pork rice, and pushed it in front of Wei Zhenge. He also tore open the disposable chopsticks and handed them to Wei Zhenge while holding the other end. “Eat.”

Wei Zhenge felt even more conflicted inside. He pressed his lips together and said, “Thank you.”

Jian Yuanbai waved his hand. “No need to be polite with me.”

After that, he opened his own takeaway box and began eating slowly.

Even though it was a simple 20-yuan braised pork rice, he ate with elegance and composure, completely unlike a degenerate gambler. In fact, aside from the mountain of trash bags at the door, there was nothing about Jian Yuanbai that resembled a loser.

Wei Zhenge looked at the braised pork rice in front of him, blinked, and couldn’t help but probe, “Why did you come back so quickly last time?”

Even if he was just buying daily necessities this time, it shouldn’t have taken three hours. Besides, the supermarket was nearby—Wei Zhenge had seen it on the way here. Lunch had already been delayed due to visiting the Wei family, and now it had turned directly into dinner.

Jian Yuanbai looked up at him and said, “Your face is so swollen. Of course, I had to rush back.”

“Apply some ice. It’ll hurt less. There are some ice cubes in my fridge. Use them to ice your face again later.”

Wei Zhenge asked, “The Wei family called you over just to humiliate me, didn’t they?”

Otherwise, why would Jian Yuanbai be taking such meticulous care of him? This treatment was far better than what he experienced at home.

At that moment, Jian Yuanbai suddenly remembered what he was supposed to do and abruptly stood up. “Oh, right!”

Wei Zhenge’s heart tightened. Was it finally coming?

He watched as Jian Yuanbai walked toward the cluttered room and pulled out a fist-sized stone. “See this stone? From now on, you have to cut one of these for me every week.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll teach you how to cut jade. Once you’ve learned, you’ll need to cut…”

Jian Yuanbai suddenly recalled that in the original plot, Wei Zhenge had to cut seventy stones a week, with less than ten hours of sleep over the weekend. He paused and said, “Two. Just two.”

One per day, thirty minutes each.

Seeing Wei Zhenge’s dazed expression and the obvious redness and swelling on his face, Jian Yuanbai’s heart softened with fatherly love. His biological father had already treated him so poorly—how could he continue to torment him?

“Alright, just one. One stone a week,” he said with tenderness.

Wei Zhenge stared at the fist-sized stone with a complicated expression. Earlier, when Jian Yuanbai had gone out to buy things, he had looked up what “gambling on jade” meant on his phone after hearing Fu Pengyi and Wei En repeatedly mention it.

A stone this size would only take half an hour to cut.

…This is considered torment?

Jian Yuanbai, standing at 1.93 meters tall, lay on the narrow sofa, feeling utterly uncomfortable. His hands and feet couldn’t stretch out, and after curling up awkwardly for a while, his whole body felt sore.

He simply gave up, sat up, and leaned against the sofa with his eyes closed.

Time slowly ticked by. Eventually, the tall man on the sofa stealthily crept into the master bedroom. After confirming that the person in bed was asleep, he lifted the blanket and slipped in.

The original owner of the body was also poor, so the bed in the master bedroom wasn’t large. Wei Zhenge alone took up most of the space. To fit, Jian Yuanbai had no choice but to half-hug him to make room for himself.

In his mind, the system suddenly screamed, “What are you doing?!”

Jian Yuanbai jolted in shock. “Why are you yelling? This is my bed. What’s wrong with me sleeping here?”

Then, he grumbled with grievance, “The sofa is too small. I couldn’t sleep at all.”

“Besides, I don’t like sleeping on a sofa that someone else has used. The bedsheets are new. And I’m not pushing Wei Zhenge off the bed. Why are you panicking?”

The system fell silent once again. Jian Yuanbai was already used to its occasional silence and didn’t care.

At this moment, holding Wei Zhenge in his arms, Jian Yuanbai’s thoughts began to wander in the quiet night.

“He’s so tiny,” he murmured.

In reality, Wei Zhenge was 1.75 meters tall, with a slender and tall frame. But in Jian Yuanbai’s 1.93-meter embrace, he seemed small and fragile.

The system chose to stay silent, afraid it might die of anger if it responded.

Under the faint moonlight shining through the window, Jian Yuanbai could clearly see Wei Zhenge’s face.

He was only seventeen, with a youthful, slightly chubby face. His long and delicate eyelashes cast a faint shadow on his pale cheeks as he slept. He looked beautiful and innocent.

But on the other side of his face, the swelling was severe. The thin skin revealed tiny blood vessels, and the bruised area had turned dark purple. It was shocking to look at, making it hard to imagine how anyone could strike such a beautiful face so cruelly.

Jian Yuanbai had avoided looking too closely during the day, but now, the more he looked, the angrier he became. He felt like a complete failure as a guardian. How could he let his “son” be beaten in front of him?

Reaching out, he gently touched the swollen area and whispered softly, “Don’t worry, I’ll get revenge for you.”

Then, he closed his eyes as if drifting off to sleep.

At the Wei family estate, at 3 AM.

Father Wei, who was sleeping soundly, suddenly felt a sharp slap land on his right cheek.

The intense pain startled him awake. He looked around in confusion and saw only his wife, Jiang Xuelan, sound asleep beside him.

He touched his burning right cheek in bewilderment.

Was that… a dream?

But wasn’t it his left cheek that got hit during the day? Why was the right side hurting now?

…Or was he just too groggy?

No one else in the world knew what had happened—except for Jian Yuanbai.

Even the system hadn’t noticed.