ASPWL Ch101: Coming Home

2:23 a.m., at the gate of the Huo family villa.  

Qin Yao unbuckled Ye Leyao’s seatbelt, tilted his head slightly, and looked at him: “Are you ready?”  

Ye Leyao took a deep breath and, after a moment, shook his head in a small arc.  

Qin Yao chuckled silently, the warm light highlighting the noticeable redness and swelling around his eyes.  

Ye Leyao met his gaze for a moment, mustered up some courage, then quickly lost it again: “I… Do you think my parents won’t be so mad they’ll hit me?”  

Qin Yao said, “They won’t.”  

Ye Leyao sighed again.  

In fact, even before meeting Qin Yao, Ye Leyao had already secretly visited Mama and Papa Huo.  

Not only had he seen them, but he had also gone to see Huo Jing, who was working overtime at the company, visited Huo Yan on set, and finally took a quiet tour of Huo Ze’s club.  

But each time, Ye Leyao had only quietly observed them from a distance before slipping away unnoticed.  

During the two years he had been asleep, Ye Leyao had remained in a dormant state, yet he had witnessed everything happening in the A20231007 world.  

It was precisely because he knew everyone had been eagerly awaiting his return that Ye Leyao chose to return to this small world as soon as he regained consciousness.  

However, now that it was time to truly appear before them again, Ye Leyao was feeling apprehensive.  

Seeing that Ye Leyao hadn’t spoken for a long time, Qin Yao reached out to hold his hand, comforting him: “They won’t blame you, Yaoyao.”  

Ye Leyao pressed his lips together and finally gathered his courage again: “Alright, let’s go in now…”  

Ye Leyao took the initiative to open the car door.  

Qin Yao followed him out of the car.  

After getting out, the Huo family villa became even clearer.  

The courtyard lights were on, illuminating well-tended flower beds beneath them.  

Qin Yao said, “Uncle Huo retired, and over the past two years, his favorite hobbies have been gardening and fishing. These flowers were all moved here from my house.”  

Ye Leyao’s eyes widened slightly. “Then the flowers on the balcony…”  

“I grafted them again. Didn’t you see them just now?” Qin Yao asked.  

Ye Leyao smiled. “I saw them. They’re blooming beautifully.”  

Summer was the season when roses bloomed.  

On Qin Yao’s balcony, vibrant roses in various colors were in full bloom.  

Ye Leyao had stood on the balcony, admiring them for a long time. Unable to resist, he plucked one before heading to the kitchen in search of his milk.  

Since Ye Leyao left, Qin Yao had been making a glass of milk every morning. Before leaving for work, he would pour it into a glass and put it in the fridge.  

Every evening when he returned home, Qin Yao would immediately check the milk in the fridge.  

For two whole years—730 days—the glass of milk he put in the fridge each morning remained untouched by night.  

Until tonight, when, for the first time, someone other than Qin Yao took it out.  

However, Ye Leyao, in a moment of carelessness, spilled the milk.  

It wasn’t because he was nervous but because he had been in a state of digital dormancy for two years and hadn’t used a human body in a long time—let alone this brand-new one.  

Ye Leyao’s original body had been completely destroyed in the car accident, and the Points Mall had recycled and processed it.  

The body Ye Leyao now inhabited was one he had redeemed from the Points Mall before the fourth timeline reset—a perfect replica of his original body.  

“Let’s go.” Qin Yao came over and held Ye Leyao’s hand.  

After hesitating outside for so long, it was finally time to go in.  

But after taking just two steps forward, Ye Leyao hesitated again. “Isn’t it… too late today?”  

Qin Yao laughed suddenly. “You’re just realizing this now?”  

After reuniting, neither Qin Yao nor Ye Leyao had been able to calm down for a long time.  

By the time their emotions had finally settled, it was already 1 a.m.  

Ye Leyao suddenly mentioned that Mama and Papa Huo didn’t know he was back yet.  

Without hesitation, Qin Yao grabbed the car keys and took Ye Leyao out.  

Now, having arrived at the gates of the Huo family home, Ye Leyao finally realized that the timing was off.  

It was almost 3 a.m. Wouldn’t knocking on the door to announce his return be a bit…  

Ye Leyao hesitated, staring at Qin Yao for a long time without speaking.  

Of course, he wanted to go in, but the closer he got to home, the more nervous he felt.  

Qin Yao, knowing exactly what was on Ye Leyao’s mind, didn’t hesitate. He directly took Ye Leyao’s hand and led him forward.  

This time, Ye Leyao didn’t stop.  

Both Qin Yao and Ye Leyao had fingerprint access to the Huo family villa. After opening the courtyard door, they walked straight toward the villa.  

At the door’s fingerprint lock, Qin Yao released Ye Leyao’s hand.  

Ye Leyao took a deep breath and pressed his finger onto the scanner.  

With a beep, the door unlocked.  

Ye Leyao pushed the door open and cautiously peeked inside.  

At nearly 3 a.m., the Huo family villa was exceptionally quiet. The first-floor living room was illuminated by only a single small, warm-colored light.  

Looking at the familiar furnishings, Ye Leyao finally felt some of his tension ease.  

He didn’t step inside immediately. Instead, he turned back and smiled at Qin Yao: “President Qin, what should I do…”  

Qin Yao chuckled softly.  

Ye Leyao laughed as well, then said, “If my parents are asleep, what should we do?” Without waiting for Qin Yao to reply, he quickly added, “If they’ve already gone to bed, let’s go to my room to rest. They must’ve kept it for me. But tomorrow morning, the two of us will probably get mistaken for burglars…”  

As Ye Leyao spoke, he started laughing at himself.  

Qin Yao thought about it and felt that the scene would definitely look a bit ridiculous and funny. Just as he was about to say something, a sharp voice shouted—

“There’s a thief!”  

“Somebody, help—”

Ye Leyao’s pupils instantly widened.  

Qin Yao’s face was equally filled with shock.  

No way?  

Did they really think they were thieves?

In the next moment, two blinding flashlight beams shone directly on the two of them.  

Simultaneously, the entire villa lit up inside and out.

The butler, leading several security guards, quickly surrounded the two of them.  

Qin Yao: “…”  

Ye Leyao: “…”  

“No…” Ye Leyao tried to explain.

“I saw the two of you sneaking around outside! I saw everything!”  

“Raise your hands! No resistance!”  

“I’ve already called the police!”

Ye Leyao was completely dumbfounded. He quickly turned his head to look at Qin Yao.  

“President Qin…”  

How did they end up being mistaken for thieves?

Qin Yao could no longer hold back. He tilted his head slightly, laughing so hard that even his shoulders trembled with small movements.  

Ye Leyao was momentarily stunned.  

A faint bitterness suddenly arose in his heart.

After all, Ye Leyao was a system. As long as the data existed, he wouldn’t vanish.  

Moreover, he was the supervisory system of World A20231007. Even though he had been unconscious for the past two years, he was still aware of everything happening in this world.

Since his departure two years ago, Qin Yao had not laughed so freely.  

Ye Leyao looked at the smile on Qin Yao’s face and couldn’t help but join in with a smile.  

“President Qin!”  

But the little system was shy after all. After laughing for a while and seeing that Qin Yao was still laughing, he couldn’t help but utter a reproachful “Hey!”  

At this point, the butler began to sense that something was amiss.  

The flashlight beam was bright, and upon closer inspection, these two people looked incredibly familiar.  

Also, “President Qin”?  

The butler only knew of two “President Qin”s.

The butler slowly moved the flashlight and then aimed the beam directly at Ye Leyao’s face.  

Ye Leyao only felt the light glaring at him. Before he could shut his eyes, Qin Yao had already reached out to shield them.  

Qin Yao finally stopped laughing and called out loudly, “Uncle Zhang, it’s us.”  

The butler, Uncle Zhang, was the senior housekeeper of the Huo family. Upon taking a hurried glance at Ye Leyao’s face, his hand holding the flashlight began trembling uncontrollably.  

“Y-Young Master?” Uncle Zhang stammered.

Ye Leyao, now accustomed to the light, peeked out from behind Qin Yao.  

“Young Master!” Uncle Zhang cried out, dropping the flashlight as he ran toward Ye Leyao in tears.  

“My dear Young Master! My little ancestor, you’ve finally come back from abroad!”  

Uncle Zhang embraced Ye Leyao tightly, tears streaming down his face. “Why have you been gone for two years? You should’ve come back sooner…”  

Ye Leyao had been missing for two years. To the outside world, the Huo family had announced that Ye Leyao had gone abroad to study.  

Other than Qin Yao and Father Qin, only Chu Cheng knew the real situation.  

So, Uncle Zhang and the others had always believed Ye Leyao was studying abroad.  

Though Uncle Zhang’s tone seemed reproachful, it was more filled with heartache.  

Ye Leyao, a bit at a loss, could only comfort him, saying, “I’m back now, aren’t I? I’m back…”  

“Back is good, back is good…” Uncle Zhang’s tears flowed freely.

At this time, Papa and Mama Huo, who had been asleep upstairs, were finally woken by the commotion downstairs.  

Papa Huo hurried down in a coat, grumbling as he walked, “In the middle of the night, what thief dares to rob my house?! I’ll…”  

Papa Huo stopped mid-step.  

Mama Huo followed closely behind. “Did you catch them?”  

Seeing Papa Huo stop, she asked in confusion, “Why did you stop?”

The next moment, Papa Huo’s tears suddenly streamed down.  

He shouted with a voice full of emotion, “Ye Leyao! You ungrateful little brat, you still know how to come back!”

When Mama Huo heard the name “Ye Leyao,” she froze. Ignoring Papa Huo’s words, she pushed past him.  

When she saw Ye Leyao, tightly embraced by Uncle Zhang at the entrance, her tears immediately fell. She wanted to scold like Papa Huo, but the moment she opened her mouth, it came out as sobbing. Covering her lips, she cried uncontrollably.  

Uncle Zhang let go of Ye Leyao.

Ye Leyao looked at the two still standing at a distance. He took a few tentative steps forward.  

His heart was full of anxiety, but he couldn’t say nothing. So, he softly said, “Dad, Mom, I’m back…”

“You’re back! That’s all that matters!” Mama Huo hugged him tightly, tears flowing endlessly.  

Papa Huo’s eyes reddened as well. He took a step forward and wrapped both of them in his arms.  

A man in his fifties, his eyes brimmed with undeniable redness. “You’re back; that’s all that matters. From now on, don’t leave again…”  

Ye Leyao felt hot tears rolling onto his shoulder. He nodded heavily and said in a muffled voice, “Mm, I won’t leave. Even if you chase me out, I won’t leave…”  

“Why would I chase you out?” Papa Huo said. “If I were to chase anyone out, it would be him!”  

He pointed to Qin Yao standing to the side.

Ye Leyao suddenly laughed.  

Mama Huo, also smiling through her tears, glared at Papa Huo. “If you chase Xiao Qin away, Xiao Yao would probably follow him out!”  

The four of them couldn’t help but laugh together.

It wasn’t until Papa and Mama Huo calmed down that half an hour had passed.

By now, the Huo residence was brightly lit. Uncle Zhang had sent the security guards away, and most of the household staff were awake.  

Seeing Ye Leyao back, everyone was thrilled. The cook and maids were busy in the kitchen, preparing a feast for him.  

Ye Leyao didn’t stop them. Sitting between Papa and Mama Huo, he chatted and laughed with them.

At this moment, a voice came from outside the Huo family’s main gate.  

“What’s going on? What’s going on? Was there really a thief at our house?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Ye Leyao’s eyes lit up. He stood up, ready to go out.  

Mama Huo pulled him back.  

“Let him come in himself,” she said. “Otherwise, he’ll embarrass himself at the door.”

Ye Leyao thought about it and found her reasoning impeccable.

After all, he and Qin Yao had already caused a big misunderstanding upon their return.  

The security guards had even called the police, and the officers were still outside taking statements.

Hearing Huo Yan’s loud voice, the guards quickly explained, “No, no… It was a misunderstanding.”  

They smiled and said to Huo Yan, “Alright, please come in!”

Huo Yan didn’t overthink it.  

After receiving a call from Mama Huo saying something had happened, he had rushed back without stopping. Hearing that everything was fine, he hurried inside.  

Just as the door was pushed open, a familiar voice could be heard saying, “I haven’t decided yet, but going to school… I feel like that’s unnecessary. After all, I’m already a fully capable system. Don’t even mention college-level stuff; even…”

Huo Yan froze mid-step, furious. “Ye Leyao!”

Ye Leyao was so startled by the voice that he shivered and immediately hid behind Mama Huo. “Mama, save me!”

Huo Yan, brimming with anger, stormed toward Ye Leyao. “Come out! Now! Don’t even think about hiding!”

“Mama Huo! Papa Huo!” Ye Leyao hid behind Mama Huo, refusing to come out, all the while calling for reinforcements.

Papa Huo reached out to block Huo Yan. “What are you doing?!”

Mama Huo added, “Calm down.”

Qin Yao was about to speak when Huo Yan glared at him, his eyes wide with fury. “Qin Yao! I’ll fight you—”

Ye Leyao instantly teleported in front of Huo Yan. “Second Brother!”

The shout made Huo Yan’s eyes sting. 

His eyes, red with emotion, stared at Ye Leyao.

As Ye Leyao looked at him, his own eyes gradually turned red too.

Ye Leyao chuckled softly, “I was wrong, Second Brother.”

Huo Yan, still glaring, demanded, “What did you do wrong?”

Ye Leyao thought for a moment. “Everything! I was wrong about everything. So, Second Brother, please don’t be mad anymore!”

Without waiting for Huo Yan to respond, Ye Leyao stepped forward and gave him a big hug.

Whatever else Huo Yan wanted to say got stuck in his throat. His eyes reddened further, but he remained silent.

Just then, another screech of brakes could be heard outside, followed by hurried footsteps and a voice shouting, “When did the security in our neighborhood get this bad?! Dad! Mom! Are you all alright?!”

Huo Ze rushed in, his steps hurried. His eyes swept across the living room, and just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, his gaze froze. “Huh? Second Brother, you…”

Ye Leyao tilted his head.

Huo Ze’s eyes reddened instantly. He quickly walked over, enunciating each word, “Ye-Le-Yao—”

Ye Leyao hesitated and took two steps back.

But instead of scolding or chasing him, Huo Ze suddenly stepped forward and gave him a tight hug.

Before Ye Leyao could react, Huo Ze began bawling uncontrollably. “You actually came back! Do you even know… sob, sob, sob…”

Ye Leyao was once again at a loss, his hands and feet unsure where to go.

“Third Brother, don’t… don’t cry…” Ye Leyao tried to comfort him softly.

Huo Ze cried even louder upon hearing this.

Huo Jing arrived hurriedly, pausing at the door when he heard the crying. He was so alarmed that he thought something serious had happened, his expression filled with concern.

But when he walked in, he saw one, two… four people with eyes swollen like walnuts sitting in the living room. Among them, Huo Ze was hugging Ye Leyao tightly, his eyes quickly heading in the same direction as the others.

Huo Jing froze in place for a long moment before he called out hoarsely, “Xiao Yao?”

Ye Leyao gently pushed Huo Ze aside and smiled. “Big Brother, I’m back.”

Huo Jing’s eyes also began to redden. He stared at Ye Leyao for a long time before finally smiling. “It’s good that you’re back.”

It’s good that you’re back.

After two years apart, the family was reunited once more.

At four in the morning, the entire family, along with Qin Yao, sat together for an incredibly hearty late-night meal that doubled as breakfast.

After eating, the sky outside had begun to brighten. The family, exhausted from the emotional night, finally prepared to head upstairs to rest.

Ye Leyao brought Qin Yao into his room, but before he could close the door, a hand suddenly reached in. “Can I sleep with you guys?”

Ye Leyao’s head slowly tilted in confusion.

Huo Ze quickly corrected himself. “No, no, I don’t mean sleep. I just want to come in and chat with you guys!”

Ye Leyao chuckled and nodded.

Not long after, Huo Yan also knocked on the door. Shortly after that, Huo Jing joined them too.

Seeing this gathering, Qin Yao resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight. And honestly, he wasn’t particularly tired anyway.

The four brothers sat together in the small sitting area of Ye Leyao’s room, and Qin Yao went downstairs to grab a few bottles of beer.

The servants, noticing the brothers were still awake, prepared some barbecue and snacks for them.

Ye Leyao sat beside Qin Yao, while his three brothers sat across from him. The group began chatting.

Huo Yan shared how he had been focusing on acting these past two years and had just won a Best Actor award last year. He even left the room to fetch his trophy to show off.

Huo Ze talked about the development of his team over the last two years. Under his leadership, they had finally won the world championship and even achieved a grand slam last year.

However, this year, Huo Ze had suffered a minor injury, so he had been recovering lately.

Ye Leyao quickly asked about Huo Ze’s injury and only relaxed when he learned it was a common occupational hazard for professional players.

“Will you continue competing after you recover?” Ye Leyao asked.

Without hesitation, Huo Ze replied, “Of course! Your Third Brother was born for this!”

Ye Leyao laughed, then turned to look at Huo Jing. “What about you, Big Brother?”

Everyone’s attention shifted to Huo Jing.

Huo Jing was silent for a moment before saying flatly, “Became the chairman, got busier.”

Ye Leyao blinked. “That’s it?”

Huo Jing: “That’s it.”

Huo Yan: “…”

Huo Ze: “…”

Huo Ze muttered, “So is Big Brother bragging now? Bragging about how he’s standing at the top, earning the most, and utterly crushing his two little brothers!”

Huo Yan gritted his teeth. “What else could it be?!”

After all, they had spent so much time boasting about their achievements over the past two years, only for Huo Jing to drop a single line about being a chairman. That wasn’t just overshadowing them—it was crushing them outright!

What Huo Jing earned in a single month was more than what they made in two years combined.

Was he really leaving them no room to breathe?

Huo Yan and Huo Ze were visibly deflated.

Ye Leyao couldn’t hold it in anymore. Seeing his three brothers’ colorful expressions, he burst into laughter.

Qin Yao tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed on Ye Leyao’s face, with a faint smile lingering at the corner of his lips.

Their laughter was contagious, and soon the others joined in.

But as they laughed, Huo Ze suddenly remembered something and asked, “What about you?”

Ye Leyao’s laughter came to an abrupt halt.

Huo Ze stared at him, not allowing him to avoid the question. “What about the past two years? What have you been doing?”

Although they had been together for some time now, Ye Leyao had only asked about their experiences over the past two years but had remained silent about his own.

This wasn’t entirely Ye Leyao’s fault.  

For the Huo family and Qin Yao, the incident two years ago was like a thorn deeply lodged in their hearts. Even though Ye Leyao had returned and was now standing before them, safe and sound, that buried thorn had never been removed. Any slight touch would still cause searing pain.

They had deliberately avoided mentioning it during their long conversation, pretending it didn’t exist, just to avoid reopening the wound.

But if the thorn wasn’t pulled out, the wound would never truly heal.

So, Huo Ze asked.

And once he had, Huo Yan followed, “Why did it take you two years to come back?”

Huo Jing added, “This won’t happen again, will it?”

Caught off guard, Ye Leyao hesitated, his gaze instinctively seeking Qin Yao’s deep and unwavering eyes.

Qin Yao asked just one question, “Did it hurt?”

Ye Leyao opened his mouth but felt as though something was blocking his throat. He wanted to say it didn’t hurt; after all, he was just a system. How could he feel pain?

But the words got stuck in his throat and were swallowed back down.

Because at the moment when the truck hit, Ye Leyao had felt intense pain.

After all, at that time, Ye Leyao had been in a human body.

So, after hesitating for a while, Ye Leyao finally spoke. “It only hurt for a moment. Since I’m a system, I quickly blocked out the pain, so I didn’t feel anything afterward.”

“As for why it took two years to come back, it’s because my data got scattered in the collision. Unlike humans, systems are composed of data. A lot of my data was lost, so I had to return to the mainframe to restore it. It just… took a bit longer than expected.”

“But you don’t have to worry anymore. I won’t leave again, and nothing like this will ever happen again!”

When he finished speaking, the living room fell into silence.

Qin Yao stared at Ye Leyao, his eyes filled with sorrow, anguish, and overwhelming heartache.

The three Huo brothers couldn’t hide their distress either. After a long pause, Huo Yan finally blurted out in frustration, “Qin Yao, if you ever dare to treat Xiao Yao badly, I swear—”

“I will treat him well,” Qin Yao interrupted.

Unable to help himself, he held Ye Leyao’s hand and said earnestly, “I’ve waited so long for him to come back. How could I ever…”

His voice choked with emotion.

Ye Leyao couldn’t bear to let him continue and quickly changed the subject. “By the way, Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, I have a question—”

The three brothers turned to look at him simultaneously. “What question?”

At that moment, dawn broke, and a warm ray of sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating Ye Leyao’s radiant face.

With a playful smile, he asked, “It’s been two years. Don’t tell me you’re all still single?”

The room instantly fell silent.

After a long pause, Huo Yan and Huo Ze’s voices broke the silence one after another.

“Ye Leyao—”  

“Do you even know how to talk?! What kind of little brother are you?! You come back after two years and stab us right in the heart?!”

Only Huo Jing remained seated, frowning slightly as he listened to the commotion. He muttered softly, “Well, it’s not exactly that I don’t have anyone… it’s just…”

Ye Leyao seized the chaos to ask, “Big Brother, does the person you like not like you back?”

Huo Jing: “…”

Huo Jing stood up and rolled up his sleeves.

Ye Leyao hurriedly ducked behind Qin Yao, yelling at the top of his lungs, “Papa Huo! Mama Huo! Big Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother are bullying me—”

Downstairs, Papa Huo, woken up again by the noise, sighed as he sat up in bed and cursed, “A bunch of little brats!”

Though he was scolding them, he couldn’t hide the smile spreading across his face.