“A’Shao… A’Shao?”

“Ding-dong~”

“A’Shao!”

A distant and blurry voice became clear and close after that sudden bell chime.

Wen Shaozhuo suddenly snapped back to reality, looking up blankly at Brother A’Heng.

…Ah, the public part of the funeral was over.

Brother A’Heng shielded him in front, holding his arms out in mid-air to prevent the passing crowd from bumping into him.

Seeing him come to his senses, Brother A’Heng’s eyes curved into a smile. He bent down and whispered in his ear, “A’Shao, in a bit we’ll follow the burial procession and leave mixed in with their team!”

Wen Shaozhuo suddenly remembered their important goal for leaving the house today—

Running away from home!

The hand gripping his handbag tightened abruptly.

Wen Shaozhuo held Brother A’Heng’s hand tightly with his other hand and asked in a soft, timid voice, “Brother A’Heng, is this… really okay?”

Brother A’Heng raised his eyebrows and asked him with a half-smile, “What, regretting it? Does A’Shao still remember how firmly he told his brother before leaving the house that he didn’t want to stay at home anymore?”

Wen Shaozhuo panicked instantly.

He said helplessly and nervously, “But, Brother A’Heng, if we leave home, we’ll have nowhere to live, nothing to eat, we… we’ll freeze to death on the street…”

Brother A’Heng laughed out loud, raising his hands to cup Wen Shaozhuo’s face from both sides, his expression turning serious: “Wrong, A’Shao. Even if we leave home, we won’t freeze to death, nor will we starve to death. At most, we won’t eat as well as at home, or live in as spacious a place as at home.”

“But, correspondingly, our lives will be completely under our own control—no one will be nagging in your ear anymore, no one will force you to do things you don’t want to do all day, and no one will barge into your room to boss you around. We will live for ourselves and see the true colors of the world.”

Wen Siheng’s tone was so certain.

Wen Shaozhuo had never left his parents’ nest. Hearing this, he was immediately shaken.

He still had worries: “But housing costs money, eating costs money too. I heard making money is hard. Even those capable adults can’t always find jobs to make money. I… I can’t do anything… and it’s impossible for me to find a job…”

Wen Siheng was surprised: “Who said A’Shao can’t do anything? A’Shao’s drawing is clearly very amazing. You can totally support yourself by drawing!”

Wen Shaozhuo’s eyes widened, his face turning pale with fright, shaking his head like a rattle drum: “I can’t, I can’t! Brother A’Heng, my… my drawing skills are terrible. I’ve never even studied formally…”

Wen Siheng shook his head: “It’s not like I haven’t seen A’Shao’s drawings. I know better than anyone how unique and excellent A’Shao’s drawings are!”

Wen Shaozhuo gripped Brother A’Heng’s wrist tightly, his whole body trembling with fear, pleading: “Really, I can’t, Brother A’Heng… Those are just things I drew randomly. No one would want to buy them! How about… how about we just go home!”

Wen Siheng embraced him and coaxed: “Don’t be so nervous, A’Shao. Brother didn’t say you must make money by drawing—since Brother dared to bring you out, of course, I have a way to support you. It’s just that the conditions definitely won’t be as good as at home. Taking ten thousand steps back, isn’t freezing or starving to death better than dying of suffocation and anger?”

Wen Shaozhuo blankly felt that there was actually a grain of truth in these words. Brother A’Heng continued: “However, if there are people like me who like A’Shao’s art style and are willing to pay to commission A’Shao to draw, would A’Shao be willing to try? You don’t need to communicate or contact anyone. Brother will handle everything for you. A’Shao just needs to draw with peace of mind.”

…Pay him to draw? He just needs to draw with peace of mind?

Wen Shaozhuo zoned out for a moment.

Subconsciously, he felt the possibility of this happening was infinitesimal, yet he couldn’t deny that there was indeed a trace of temptation in the bottom of his heart.

Wen Siheng seized this sliver of wavering temptation and struck while the iron was hot: “A’Shao doesn’t need to rush to give an answer. We can try two orders first—if you think it’s okay, we continue; if not, then forget it. How about that?”

Wen Shaozhuo dared not agree.

But in the gaze Brother A’Heng cast upon him, there was no immense expectation that made people nervous and full of pressure. Brother A’Heng was asking him with a relaxed, free attitude where whatever answer he gave would be fine.

Wen Shaozhuo was silent for a long time. Countless voices fought in his mind, either sharply or gently.

Finally, when his silence lasted until his feet stood stiff, he made a low sound and answered softly: “Okay, brother… A’Shao will try.”

…

The burial procession wasn’t large.

Li Yunhui knew his brother wasn’t someone who liked to show off.

Given his brother’s personality, he certainly wouldn’t want his burial to be known to the whole city. Therefore, Li Yunhui handled the entire funeral in a low-key manner.

The funeral procession, pallbearing, and burial.

When Li Yunhui finally buried his brother in the earth with his own hands, the dreamlike beautiful life of the past year finally shattered into reality.

Li Yunhui stroked the cold tombstone, feeling dizzy for a moment, his feet somewhat unsteady.

Shuyun…

As expected, no matter how much time passed, he still… still couldn’t accept Shuyun’s departure.

Just then, Li Zhengshen’s voice suddenly came from the side, calm and quiet: “Don’t be too sad. Shuyun will continue to watch over you from heaven.”

Li Zhengshen couldn’t return to the country. At this moment, he was participating in the funeral remotely via video call, with the butler holding the phone.

Li Yunhui hung his head deeply in front of the tombstone. He didn’t look up, only mocking lightly: “Enough, Li Zhengshen. If you can’t speak properly at a time like this, then don’t speak. No one will treat you as a mute.”

Li Zhengshen frowned slightly, tapping the cigarette butt between his fingers heavily twice in the ashtray. He said, “I am comforting you!”

Li Yunhui: “…”

Li Yunhui looked up with a face full of fake smiles: “AGAIN, I won’t treat you as a mute if you don’t speak!”

Li Yunhui was originally immersed in the sorrow of his brother’s departure, his whole body almost devoid of strength. But upon hearing Li Zhengshen’s somewhat annoying words, he was instantly filled with strength again from annoyance.

He already felt Li Zhengshen’s presence made the funeral less solemn. having endured it for a whole day, he couldn’t endure it any longer now.

He said succinctly and grumpily: “Mind your own business. Retire early. Don’t get blown into the sky by someone outside one day; I won’t be able to collect your corpse.”

After speaking, he snatched the phone, muted the video, turned off the speaker, and pretended not to see however dissatisfied Li Zhengshen looked in the video, before stuffing the phone back into the butler’s hand with a relieved mood.

He let out a long sigh.

Turning back, he looked down at his brother’s tombstone, his gaze becoming sorrowful again.

After a long silence, he sighed deeply, bent down, and gently placed a kiss on the tombstone. With a voice only he and the tombstone could hear, he whispered: “Sleep well, Shuyun. If you encounter any trouble down there, you… can come find Big Brother. Anytime is fine. Big Brother will be waiting for you.”

He patted the tombstone gently and stood straight again.

After gazing reluctantly at the tombstone for three seconds, he finally turned around.

The sadness and emotions in his eyes were all concealed the moment he turned.

Beside him, Fang Ji, He Wenyan, and other friends and brothers had been waiting for him all along.

He could finally say loudly: “Thank you everyone for sending Shuyun off on his final journey with me. I, Li Yunhui, will remember this kindness in my heart. It’s getting late. I’ve booked a place at the Xiyalama Hotel. If you have time, I hope you can do me the honor so I can express my gratitude.”

He beckoned everyone to get into their cars.

At this moment, a brother saw his low spirits and kindly came up to ask: “Brother Li, want to go race a couple of laps after eating later? Feel the speed and passion, change your mood?”

Hearing the word “racing,” the image of Shuyun closing his eyes forever in his passenger seat subconsciously surfaced in Li Yunhui’s mind—

He closed his eyes forcefully, composed himself, and said as calmly, politely, and apologetically as possible: “Sorry, I probably won’t go for a very long time. If you guys want to play, ask someone else.”

Fang Ji then stepped forward and stuffed a few tickets into his hand.

Fang Ji: “I’m holding a concert in the Imperial Capital in a while. These are tickets specially reserved for you. Remember to come and listen, treat it as a change of mood. I won’t join the dinner later; I still have to go back and adjust the jewelry’s sound.”

Li Yunhui took the tickets and looked; the serial numbers were right at the front, up to number six.

Li Yunhui: “Are your dad, mom, brother, and sister all coming again this time?”

Fang Ji raised his eyebrows: “Of course, don’t you look at whose concert this is!”

Immediately after, He Wenyan also came up.

He Wenyan similarly said to Li Yunhui: “You guys go eat, I won’t go. By the way, how is your game project recently? Are funds sufficient? Need my investment?”

Li Yunhui sighed: “President He is really generous lately. No need for investment; Li Zhengshen won’t short me on money. But why aren’t you coming to eat either? Busy making money?”

“Not really.” He Wenyan clicked his tongue lightly.

He scanned the surroundings vigilantly, pulled Li Yunhui to a place with no people on the side, and whispered: “I’ve had some business conflicts with the You family these past two years. Days haven’t been too peaceful recently.”

Li Yunhui: “?”

Li Yunhui pricked up his ears and perked up a bit: “Tell me in detail.”

He Wenyan said expressionlessly: “The day before yesterday, I walked at night and met eight thugs trying to rob me. Yesterday on the way home, I met a crazy drunkard trying to hack me with a knife… I suspect if I go to Xiyalama to eat today, ninety-nine percent chance I’ll find poison in the food.”

Li Yunhui: “??”

He widened his eyes: “The You family? No, buddy, I haven’t paid attention to the outside world for a few months. Is your Sky Eye Company’s momentum so fierce that people have to lay such heavy hands on you?”

He reacted quickly and immediately pointed in the direction of the butler: “My dad is right there. If you need, I’ll immediately ask my dad to shake out some reliable, capable bodyguards with actual combat experience for you.”

He Wenyan immediately covered his mouth and lowered his voice: “Shh—keep it down. The You family people are here today too!”

“…Thanks, brother. Quote whatever price it should be. I need quite a few people. Besides me, the company headquarters also needs someone stationed. There’s also a research genius in the company, you know him, Xiao Lin. He needs more manpower than me.”

He Wenyan paused: “There’s one more person—”

He thought of that investor who had carried the “Death Mark” for several years.

Everyone he had seen with the Death Mark, except Lin Chen, was basically gone now. Lin Chen… was it just that his time hadn’t come? Could it be that now was his time?

He Wenyan frowned tightly, feeling that speculating on such things using the Death Mark was unreliable, but…

He Wenyan: “There’s someone I suspect will also be implicated. Arrange more manpower for him too.”

Li Yunhui: “…”

Li Yunhui murmured: “Such a big order…”

Li Yunhui had always been loyal to friends, so he agreed immediately: “No problem, don’t worry. I’ll tell my dad on the way. I’ll definitely make him arrange it for you as soon as possible!”

The system listened quietly and conveyed the conversation word for word to its host.

Lin Chen was surprised: “…The original plot is still running?”

The system was shocked: “Host! Have you forgotten our initial mission?!”

Lin Chen ignored it and pondered to himself: “Letting First Dad arrange bodyguards? That’s actually a pretty good idea. Say, can bodyguards produced by First Dad hold back the hidden Reaper killers in the city?”

The system answered distressfully: “Sys-system doesn’t know either, Host. In the original plot, He Wenyan started getting assassinated after the five-year period was up and he fought his way back to the Imperial Capital, which was several years later. By then, Li Yunhui had long died on the race track, so no one could arrange such high-quality bodyguards for him!”

Lin Chen didn’t know exactly how powerful the original plot would be.

He thought for a moment and said, “Then from now on, keep one camera fixed on He Wenyan, working 24 hours a day. Have another camera patrol the You family home at least three times a day. If any special movement is detected, notify me immediately.”

The system wasn’t that nervous and said relaxedly: “Host, don’t worry. In the original plot, He Wenyan took knives for several years. Your original body didn’t appear until he forced most of the Imperial Capital families into a corner with no retreat!”

Lin Chen never wasted words with the system.

Lin Chen smiled: “Go!”

The system burst into tears at this cold command, responding aggrievedly and loudly: “Okay, okay, Host!”