Lin Chen’s irritable mood eased slightly, and he said to Cheng Huanzhen, “Alright, thank you. Next time, you don’t need to ask me about playing music, just go ahead.”

The system looked at Cheng Huanzhen, then at its host, and suddenly felt a strange sense of competitive pressure.

It thought hard and excitedly came up with an idea: “Host, I’ll go do a field inspection for you!”

Saying so, it threw its camera out.

Lin Chen let it be.

He put aside the chat page with the Wen family patriarch; Lin Chen really didn’t feel like responding right away, so he simply pretended to be busy with something else.

Cheng Huanzhen chose a German piano piece, and the melodious music flowed slowly through the air. Lin Chen listened to the music, simply closing his eyes and leaning back on the sofa, waiting for the system to return.

After setting up the record, Cheng Huanzhen walked back to the sofa and sat down next to Lin Chen. He asked, “Work stuff?”

Lin Chen hummed with his eyes closed, “Sort of.”

“Oh,” Cheng Huanzhen thought quietly for a moment, then asked seemingly casually, “Whose family is it this time?”

Lin Chen opened one eye a slit.

Seeing a trace of hesitation and nervousness beneath Cheng Huanzhen’s calm gaze, he chuckled lightly: “What, trying to fish for my work info?”

Cheng Huanzhen calmly looked away and answered naturally, “No, Uncle, I was just curious. I didn’t mean to pry.”

The system returned.

Lin Chen smiled faintly and patted Cheng Huanzhen: “Go sit on the other side.”

Cheng Huanzhen disappointedly went back to his seat.

Lin Chen lit up his phone, pretending to check messages, while saying to the system: “Tell me the situation.”

The system’s voice wasn’t very energetic: “Host, I just placed the camera on the Wen family’s young master. Guess what I saw?”

Lin Chen: “What?”

System: “The Wen family’s young master is currently lying in the hospital. His entire left hand is wrapped tight. I heard the nurse say he just cut an artery two days ago and almost died!”

The system’s voice was somewhat indignant: “When I went over, his mother happened to be there. Host, let me imitate her for you—”

The system simulated a female voice: “Shao Zhuo, it’s good you’re awake. I had someone take away the paints from the studio. The doctor says you need quiet rest now…”

“…Always doing these messy things. Slitting your wrist? Did you think that would make us let you stay in that room painting all day? Your dad and I are so busy every day, we don’t have time to play these games with you!”

“You’re eighteen this year, not young anymore. Instead of planning your life properly, you paint those useless things every day. Your dad and I don’t demand you do better than us, but you at least have to uphold the Wen family’s reputation… Say something, Wen Shao Zhuo! Did we not teach you manners since childhood?!…”

The system imitated it perfectly.

Lin Chen felt as if he were there, his head buzzing with pain.

He interrupted the system, asking nicely: “Are you trying to anger me to death? Why recount something that makes even you angry so completely to me? Do you want to go back to the mute zone?”

The system froze. It responded aggrievedly: “Then, then I won’t recount it, Host.”

The system paused, then couldn’t help but say indignantly: “But this is too much! It’s even worse than the Li family’s situation where the parents were absent for long periods!”

Lin Chen asked indifferently: “You want to take it?”

The system said shyly: “N-no, this system just thinks that kid is a bit pitiful…”

The system whispered: “Then are you going to refuse this order?”

Lin Chen tapped his index finger lightly on the coffee table and didn’t answer immediately.

The first four families he took on, although the parents’ ideas initially differed from the young masters’, they weren’t completely contradictory.

The Wen family’s situation seemed different.

Just from the description, what the Wen parents wanted the young master to do was definitely something the young master resisted extremely.

In other words, even if he went to the Wen family, trying to bring the young master and his parents in the same direction would be an extremely difficult task.

Lin Chen pondered, then suddenly looked up at Cheng Huanzhen.

Cheng Huanzhen’s gaze was always on him, but sometimes when he looked up, Cheng Huanzhen would pretend not to be looking and quietly shift his gaze away.

Just like now.

When he looked up, Cheng Huanzhen lowered his head, then looked back at him with an expression of confusion and surprise.

He suddenly remembered when he first met Cheng Huanzhen back then; Cheng Huanzhen was still like a robotic creature. Now, just two years later, Cheng Huanzhen was almost like a real person.

This was the influence he brought; Lin Chen knew this clearly.

He only needed to spend a year to earn a handsome fee and completely change a person’s life.

Changing a person’s life…

Lin Chen sighed softly.

He lowered his head and finally replied to the message.

Lin Chen: [Tomorrow morning at 8 AM, BB Teahouse on AA Street. I will bring the contract. I need both you and your wife present so we can discuss details on the spot.]

Wen: [Tomorrow morning? No, she and I both have plans tomorrow morning. Make it the afternoon.]

Lin Chen: [I apologize, Mr. Wen. I have an appointment with another family in the afternoon.]

Lin Chen: [To ensure the effectiveness of the transformation, the ‘Professional True Young Master Substitute’ studio only accepts one order at a time. If not for Young Master Wen’s special and urgent situation, I wouldn’t have scheduled you for tomorrow morning.]

Lin Chen: [If you and your wife really cannot find the time, that’s fine. We can schedule for next year.]

Lin Chen typed these words calmly.

This was a tactic he used when he first entered society, though later he disliked using such methods to put invisible pressure on clients.

The other side was probably weighing their options.

After waiting for about ten minutes, they finally replied: [Alright, contact tomorrow morning.]

Lin Chen put down his phone and said indifferently to the system: “It’s okay, not completely hopeless.”

Saying so, Lin Chen looked up in the direction of the unabashed gaze.

Meeting Cheng Huanzhen’s bright and serious eyes, Lin Chen softened his tone and said: “I have to go out tomorrow morning.”

Cheng Huanzhen: “Work?”

Lin Chen: “Yes.”

Cheng Huanzhen: “Okay.”

Cheng Huanzhen held back what he wanted to say until the next morning.

When his uncle finished the breakfast he bought and planned to leave, he finally spoke: “Uncle, where are you going? I’ll drive you.”

Lin Chen was sitting on the bench in the entryway changing his shoes. Hearing this, he looked up and said patiently to Cheng Huanzhen: “I’m meeting someone to discuss business today; it’s not suitable to bring you.”

Cheng Huanzhen didn’t give up.

He didn’t even need to change clothes; since going out to buy breakfast, he had been dressed formally.

Now he came to the entryway, crouched down, and while changing his shoes, looked up at Lin Chen: “It doesn’t matter, Uncle. I won’t join in, I’ll just drop you off.”

Lin Chen laughed: “Is Young Master Cheng here to be my driver or my nanny? Go busy yourself with your own affairs; you should pay some attention to your family company. I’ll go by myself.”

Cheng Huanzhen insisted: “It doesn’t matter, Uncle. I can go there after dropping you off; it’s very convenient.”

His voice was a bit disappointed: “Uncle, you used to like going out with me… Was that happiness a lie too?”

Lin Chen: “…”

Lin Chen said sincerely: “You really are so clingy.”

He picked up his briefcase from the coat rack, eyes smiling, and lifted his chin slightly: “But, fine. Since you want to drive me so much, let’s go.”

Cheng Huanzhen didn’t think he was clingy. He just hadn’t seen his uncle for a long time and wanted to stay with him more.

He opened the car door for his uncle, then sat in the driver’s seat.

Today his uncle wore a single-vent suit with a dark blue shirt underneath. This was the first time he had seen his uncle in a suit. Back when his uncle was Cheng Yiming, he always said suits were boring clothes and wouldn’t wear them, yet now he wore one himself.

But… his uncle suited a suit very well.

Different people wore suits very differently.

Some people put on a suit and you knew instantly they were insurance salesmen without looking closely.

But for some, a suit elevated their already outstanding temperament. Just sitting there, every smile, every move, every gesture exuded presence.

And his uncle was the latter.

His uncle’s presence wasn’t the aggressive, high-visibility type. But it definitely wasn’t low-profile either.

If he had to describe it, Cheng Huanzhen felt it was a kind of restrained flamboyance.

But perhaps this would change at any time?

In daily life, his uncle was very low-key, only showing restraint, rarely flamboyance. But maybe Uncle at work was different?

…Just like Uncle’s flamboyance back then.

The car hadn’t started yet. Lin Chen rested his elbow casually on the lowered window.

He thought about buying a car, but since he didn’t have a license, he decided to delay it a bit longer.

When Lin Chen came back to his senses, he found the car hadn’t started yet. He looked curiously at Cheng Huanzhen: “What are you looking at?”

Uncle rarely wore perfume, but today he did.

White sandalwood and cedar scent—the sandalwood fine and rich, the cedar cool and dry. Combined, they gave Uncle a somewhat distant scent today.

But Cheng Huanzhen felt that this distance was definitely directed at the partner he was meeting today, certainly not at him.

Thinking this, Cheng Huanzhen answered honestly: “Looking at you, Uncle.”

Lin Chen asked: “Do I look good?”

Cheng Huanzhen answered seriously: “Yes, Uncle.”

Lin Chen laughed and patted Cheng Huanzhen’s arm lightly: “What are you saying. Drive properly, don’t crash.”

Cheng Huanzhen said “Oh” and looked away.

Mm. Not directed at him.

Cheng Huanzhen put on soothing light music and asked his uncle: “By the way, Uncle, it’s already March. When is your birthday?”

Lin Chen’s eyes curved: “March 10th. You celebrated my birthday last year, I know.”

Cheng Huanzhen’s eyes widened, almost slamming the brakes: “March 10th, isn’t that today?”

Lin Chen replied: “Mm, yes.”

Cheng Huanzhen: “…Why didn’t you tell me earlier? You have to work on your birthday?”

Cheng Huanzhen pursed his lips in dissatisfaction, staring fixedly at Lin Chen: “Uncle, how did you spend your birthday last year?”

Lin Chen said: “I’m not a child, I don’t like birthdays that much.”

Cheng Huanzhen: “But you told me before that a birthday is a person’s most important anniversary.”

Lin Chen: “I was coaxing you.”

Cheng Huanzhen: “But I believed it.”

Lin Chen laughed: “Good that you believed it.”

Cheng Huanzhen said seriously: “So, today I’ll celebrate with you.”

He changed tack: “I won’t go back to the company later; there’s nothing urgent anyway. When you come out, I’ll take you to celebrate your birthday, Uncle.”

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes comfortably and said: “Oh, alright.”

The car soon arrived at the destination. Lin Chen didn’t let him walk him into the teahouse for the appointment.

Cheng Huanzhen stared at his uncle’s retreating figure until he completely disappeared into the teahouse entrance before withdrawing his gaze.

He had to prepare for his uncle’s birthday later; time was a bit tight.

But he didn’t start preparing immediately. He had an equally important matter to investigate—

Cheng Huanzhen calmly drove the car out of the parking lot and slowly circled the teahouse.

Based on the price of the house his uncle bought, his uncle’s financial strength was very strong. So the person discussing a contract with his uncle must also have a high net worth.

Cheng Huanzhen estimated a price range in his mind.

He searched carefully around the teahouse and quickly locked onto three cars above this price range.

He observed patiently for over half an hour. Two of the cars left one after another.

The last one remained, with a driver guarding it. Cheng Huanzhen noted the license plate and sent it to ask the old mansion’s butler. Before long, he knew the owner of this car—

The Wen family.

His uncle’s… new family?