Chapter 51: Looking for a Friend

Translated by Eve

Edited by Kara

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Thank you M. Landers for the kofi! ????

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Just as Sun Jinren had spoken, the System’s notification had also sounded：【The scene has begun.】

Song Xuanhe turned his head around suddenly, movement abrupt. His action made Sun Jinren, who had been smiling flatteringly, startled. Because of this, neither of them noticed Xiao Yuanmu’s sudden outburst of emotion.

“This…” Sun Jinren’s narrowed eyes flickered between Xiao Yuanmu, whose eyes were lowered and whose emotions couldn’t be read, and Song Xuanhe, who had on an icy expression and pursed lips. The words he wanted to say were suddenly stuck in his throat. Intuition told him that this wasn’t a good time to say those words.

It was just that the gaze behind him that followed him like a shadow forced him to follow the plan. He rubbed his hands nervously, cursing the situation inwardly. He then regretted again having offended Xiao Yuanmu for the nth time before sucking in his belly and saying, “It’s like this, Er shao, I have something to discuss with you.”

Song Xuanhe’s face was tense, and his cold gaze was sharp as a knife, slicing at Sun Jinren’s face.

“What do you want to discuss?”

When he heard Song Er shao’s overbearing and arrogant tone and thought about how the other actually seemed to care about Xiao Yuanmu, contrary to what the rumours said, Sun Jinren thought that telling the other that he wanted Xiao Yuanmu would be the same as provoking him.

Even though Song Qiyi had said that Song Xuanhe would not inherit the Song Family, he was still currently publicly acknowledged by the Song Group as one of the successors. Even before his company had changed hands, he still had had to put on a smile around the other. The current him had even less confidence around him and was even more wary of offending him. Furthermore, there was also Xiao Yuanmu, who he couldn’t read.

Sun Jinren complained incessantly inside. Originally, although he had been very tempted when Song Qiyi had asked him to participate in this plan, he still feared the Song Family and Xiao Yuanmu. However, aside from the fact that Song Qiyi’s reward was difficult to refuse, he was even more afraid of offending the person in the dark who had told him to do as Song Qiyi said.

By accepting this deal, Song Qiyi would help him get his company back, and he would be able to comply with that mysterious person’s orders. Furthermore, Sun Jinren believed that if his company hadn’t changed hands, he would have definitely continued with the previous plan to get his hands on Xiao Yuanmu with Song Qiyi’s cooperation. After all, Xiao Yuanmu was indeed a top quality product. Therefore, even if he did have his misgivings about Xiao Yuanmu, he had no choice but to do this.

The Sun Jinren from before had been full of lust and courage to pursue said lust. But now, all of that was gone. However, he still had to cautiously implement the same plan.

Sun Jinren cast a discreet glance at Xiao Yuanmu and then took a step towards Song Xuanhe. He lowered his voice and said, “I would like to chat with you alone.”

Song Xuanhe’s gaze turned even sharper, and his voice took on an icily arrogant tone. “What would you need to talk to me in private for? I don’t think that we’re close enough for that.”

When he heard this, Xiao Yuanmu looked up, a surprised expression colouring his eyes. In his memories, Song Xuanhe hadn’t said that.

The System also reminded Song Xuanhe：【This is the important scene where you’re supposed to give Xiao Yuanmu to him. It would be best for you to follow your lines.】

Song Xuanhe’s expression didn’t change though as if he hadn’t heard the System at all. He only stared at Sun Jinren coldly, watching for his reaction.

Sun Jinren sucked his belly in even more. Even though he was displeased with Song Xuanhe’s rude tone, he didn’t dare comment on it. He only continued to smile apologetically. “It’s just that it isn’t appropriate for other people to hear about this. If you are unwilling to speak to me in private, we can chat right here.”

When Song Xuanhe heard Sun Jinren say something different from what had been in the original plot because of his interruption, the light in Song Xuanhe’s eyes flickered slightly. He asked, “What if I don’t want to talk to you?”

Sun Jinren licked his chapped lips awkwardly. He swallowed, feeling very ill-at-ease. A while later, he said, “Er shao, I have come to speak to you with good faith. You absolutely will not suffer any losses by speaking with me.”

Upon saying his line, Sun Jinren had abruptly made a return to the original script.

Once again, Song Xuanhe got a taste of how futile it was to try and resist the world’s storyline, especially when it came to a crucial scene. His eyes dimmed slightly, and he subconsciously turned to glance at Xiao Yuanmu. What he found was that the other’s eyes seemed to have been on him the whole time.

Although their gazes had met, Song Xuanhe could not read anything from the other’s serene eyes.

Song Xuanhe suddenly realized that Xiao Yuanmu now, who had been reborn early, was not like the Xiao Yuanmu from before at all. While the pre-rebirth Xiao Yuanmu would have hidden behind an icy expression, he would have also occasionally revealed his weak and lonely side. Meanwhile, post-rebirth Xiao Yuanmu…as long as he didn’t want Song Xuanhe to know how he was feeling, Song Xuanhe would have no way to read him.

The reason why he had even sensed the anomaly in Xiao Yuanmu at all was partly because he had been intuitive since young, and Xiao Yuanmu hadn’t particularly tried to pretend to be like his pre-rebirth self. Even so, he still hadn’t been able to confirm that there was really something off about Xiao Yuanmu until a few days ago.

So, just what emotions were hidden beneath those calm eyes?

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The finger Song Xuanhe had on the sofa curled up slightly, his nail gently tracing the somewhat crude pattern of the fabric sofa. The sound of his nail against the sofa was so quiet that it was almost negligible, but Xiao Yuanmu had heard it loud and clear.

Xiao Yuanmu paused, and then, his gaze shifted to Song Xuanhe’s pale, slender finger. The other’s nails were neatly trimmed and looked very good. His nails were a faint pink colour, looked healthy, and did not seem at all feminine. His hands were a pair of very good-looking, masculine hands.

Right now, the other was gently carving his nail into the sofa’s cushions. Xiao Yuanmu knew that this was something the other did when he felt uneasy and anxious or when he felt guilty.

For example, in his memories prior to his rebirth, Song Xuanhe had done this when he had flipped all the dishes on the table onto the floor without any warning. Another example was when Song Xuanhe had bossily ordered him to go buy him congee on that rainy night.

Xiao Yuanmu’s gaze drifted upwards. He looked into Song Xuanhe’s limpid eyes. The other’s emotions were very obviously displayed on his face. Right now, he had a look of impatience and agitation on. Despite this, Xiao Yuanmu also knew that Song Xuanhe’s pair of seemingly pure eyes were able to hide any and all emotions he genuinely wanted to conceal.

He was really curious. He wanted to know just what exactly Song Xuanhe was thinking about to cause his deceptive eyes to become so enigmatic and conflicting.

Sun Jinren watched as Song Xuanhe turned to look at Xiao Yuanmu rather than respond. As time passed, he couldn’t help but grow nervous. He once again licked his dry lips and cautiously called out, “Er shao?”

Song Xuanhe’s pupils moved slightly as he transferred his gaze back to Sun Jinren. However, he still kept his silence, waiting for the other to continue.

According to the plot, after the last line Sun Jinren had said, his next line was destined to come soon after. There was no need for Song Xuanhe to reply.

When Song Xuanhe turned his head, Xiao Yuanmu’s gaze finally left Song Xuanhe’s body and fell onto Sun Jinren.

Sun Jinren was suddenly the object of both people’s gazes. One was cold and laced with impatience while the other was serene but unreadable. This caused him to swallow back down the words he had been about to say. His lips flapped, but he still didn’t speak even after mulling over it for half a day.

But even if he didn’t speak, Song Xuanhe had no intentions of speaking up either.

The three of them thus entered a deadlock, looking at each other like this. The atmosphere around them seemed to grow stagnant.

“I…have something to discuss with you,” was what Sun Jinren said in the end.

Song Xuanhe gave him a frosty, askance look. “You have already said that three times.”

Sun Jinren swallowed and cast a careful look towards Xiao Yuanmu. “I heard that you’re in charge of your company’s marketing department. I was wondering if you would be interested in cooperating with Roller Company.”

“I can help you with that. As long as you snatch this huge contract with Roller, after you succeed the Song Group, your prestige and reputation will be all the greater.”

Song Xuanhe laughed. Although he was reciting his lines word for word, his words were genuine. “I have no interest in inheriting the family business. If this is what you wanted to talk about, then you can leave.”

“Of course it’s not just this.” Sun Jinren pulled his phone out and took another glance at Xiao Yuanmu. He then said, “I want to show you something. I am certain that you will find this very interesting. However, only you can look at it.”

“Then, I won’t look at it.”

Song Xuanhe’s expression was cold. There was no interest on his face whatsoever.

Sun Jinren unlocked his phone. His expression suddenly went from apprehensive to confident. There was a strange smile on his face. “Trust me, you will definitely be pleased with this. If you don’t look at it now, you’ll definitely regret it later.”

As Song Xuanhe took in Sun Jinren’s nervous but certain expression, lines from the story appeared in his mind:

【Sun Jinren’s smile was that of confidence. His features were all squished together on his chubby face, causing his smile to appear all the more lascivious：“Trust me, you will definitely be pleased with this. If you don’t look at it now, you’ll definitely regret it later.”

Song Xuanhe was interested. He asked, “What is it?”

Sun Jinren whispered into his ears. He then saw Song Xuanhe’s expression change. A smile finally appeared on his face.

Although Song Xuanhe was willing, there was a threat in his voice. “If you can’t arouse my interest, the one who will regret this will be you.”

“Of course.”

Song Xuanhe then followed Sun Jinren to a nearby corner. Sun Jinren handed his phone over to Song Xuanhe. As expected, he saw Song Xuanhe’s expression change drastically. Sun Jinren then took his phone back and smiled. “Er shao, as long as you’re willing to strike a deal with me, the person you see on my phone…that person will be yours. How about it?”

“What do you want?” There was determination to have what the other had offered in Song Xuanhe’s eyes.

“Xiao Yuanmu.” Sun Jinren’s lustful gaze shifted in Xiao Yuanmu’s direction. He did not conceal his desire at all. “Xiao Yuanmu is nothing but an orphan. I heard that he’s not very sensible and is unable to gain Er shao’s fondness. How about you give him to me to train for some time? I promise that I’ll give you back an obedient, good boy.”】

The book didn’t say what Sun Jinren had shown Song Xuanhe. Even near the end, there was no mention of it.

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Therefore, Song Xuanhe was very curious about what Sun Jinren had in his phone that had made the original Song Xuanhe change attitudes so quickly and agree to give him Xiao Yuanmu.

After all, with the character settings of the original Song Xuanhe, even if he hadn’t liked Xiao Yuanmu, he would have become furious and wanted revenge on anyone who dared to drool over his things. This was because in the original host’s mind, even if he didn’t want something anymore and was throwing it away, it still was not something that other people could just pick up, let alone something people could ask him directly for.

The thing the book never mentioned but could make the original host agree to this deal right away must be something the original Song Xuanhe had really wanted but had found difficult to get. This thing had been able to make him instantly forget about his rage over having someone drool over what was his. It was even enough to make him willing to hand Xiao Yuanmu over to Sun Jinren. This had been very abnormal behavior. Therefore, Song Xuanhe was very intrigued.

Song Xuanhe’s gaze fell on Sun Jinren’s phone. He asked, “What is it?”

Sun Jinren’s foot moved. He had wanted to take a step towards Song Xuanhe. However, as soon as he had lifted his foot, he felt a bone-chilling gaze fall onto himself. His foot froze in midair. When he looked at the owner of said gaze, he placed his foot back down in its original position.

“Er shao, only you can see this. I promise that you will be interested in it.” Sun Jinren cautiously looked at Xiao Yuanmu while he spoke to Song Xuanhe. “I would not lie to you. You will understand when you see it.”

When he saw that Sun Jinren didn’t come in close to speak to him, Song Xuanhe’s disdainful expression loosened. Obviously, he didn’t want Sun Jinren, this greasy old man, to whisper into his ear, but he couldn’t help but find this odd. Although the book didn’t mention what Sun Jinren had said, it probably hadn’t been this.

This was because there was nothing in these words that would have aroused the original Song Xuanhe’s interest.

Regardless, Song Xuanhe was still very curious as to what this thing was. Therefore, he continued with his lines. “If you can’t arouse my interest, the one who will regret this will be you.”

Sun Jinren sighed in relief. A weird smile once again appeared on his face. “Of course.”

Song Xuanhe stood up and was about to head to another corner with Sun Jinren. However, as soon as he had taken one step, Xiao Yuanmu grabbed hold of his hand. He turned to face him.

Xiao Yuanmu had changed his sitting position at some unknown point in time. His legs were no longer crossed. His long, slender legs were casually planted on the floor, slightly bent at the knees. His pants legs were slightly pulled up, revealing the contoured muscles beneath his slacks. Just like him, they seemed quiet and harmless but were actually capable of releasing stored up explosive strength at any time.

Song Xuanhe’s gaze shifted away from Xiao Yuanmu’s legs. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Yuanmu stared at him, eyes like a bottomless well. His cold voice seemed to be holding back some emotion. “I asked you just now, if I wanted to leave, would you leave right away? You haven’t answered me.”

Song Xuanhe’s pupils trembled slightly. It felt like there was no blood travelling to the hand that was in the other’s hold. It felt stiff. He stood there in place for a long time, his expression fluctuating slightly. It looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only pressed his lips into a straight line and cast his eyes downwards.

“Is the answer important?”

Song Xuanhe’s voice was quiet, but Xiao Yuanmu had heard it loud and clear.

Neither of them spoke.

Sun Jinren, who had already walked quite a bit of a distance ahead, realized that Song Xuanhe was still where he had been. He stopped his steps and gazed in their direction. He had been about to speak, but upon seeing the atmosphere between them, his parted lips closed once more.

A few seconds later, the corner of Xiao Yuanmu’s lips curled up slightly, a sliver of derision flickering through his eyes. He let go of Song Xuanhe’s wrist.

Song Xuanhe moved his stiff hand a bit, curling and unfurling his fingers to get rid of that rigid feeling. He took a step back and glanced at Xiao Yuanmu’s half-lidded eyes. He then replied, “If you say you want to go, I will go right now.”

Xiao Yuanmu looked up abruptly and met with Song Xuanhe’s pure eyes. Song Xuanhe asked him, “Do you want to leave right now?”

Sun Jinren was taken aback. He promptly took a few steps closer and interrupted, “Er shao, I still have something to say to you. Let’s talk before you leave!”

Song Xuanhe didn’t pay Sun Jinren any attention. He simply stared at Xiao Yuanmu.

Xiao Yuanmu’s lips curved up even more, but Song Xuanhe couldn’t hear any emotion in his voice. “Since you have something to do, you should deal with it first.”

Song Xuanhe, thus, looked away and walked over to Sun Jinren.

The System, who had been watching this the whole time, sighed in relief：【Brother, this is an important scene! If any accidents occur, your life will be in danger! Don’t play around anymore! Even if Xiao Yuanmu isn’t reborn this time, there will still be another chance in the future. However, it’s not the same for you. If you mess up this important scene, you won’t get another life!】

Song Xuanhe’s steps faltered. He asked：【Is the important scene me giving Xiao Yuanmu to Sun Jinren, or is it the car accident that occurs after Sun Jinren has taken him away?】

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【Both!】The System was afraid that Song Xuanhe would cause the scene to deviate again by adding in lines：【They are interrelated. If you don’t give Xiao Yuanmu to Sun Jinren, Xiao Yuanmu won’t be reborn. All steps must be taken. Without the cause, there is no result. Therefore, Brother, please take this seriously. Don’t play with your life! 】

Song Xuanhe smiled, his gaze on Sun Jinren in front of him. He asked in an insipid tone：【You should also know that Xiao Yuanmu has already been reborn. Does he have to be reborn again?】

The System was silent for a few seconds. He avoided Song Xuanhe’s verbal trap and said：【Regardless of whether or not he’s been reborn, you cannot avoid such a crucial scene. You should know that what is about to happen is the most important point in the novel. Any previous deviations will not produce any huge effects. However, everything that had happened before this was all for this moment. It is only by completing this scene that you will be able to get to the later scenes. It is only by completing this scene that you will be able to go back to your original world.】

The System didn’t hear Song Xuanhe reply immediately. Therefore, it warned again：【Xiao Yuanmu is the protagonist. He can be reborn, but you do not have that privilege. Don’t be reckless.】

Sun Jinren stopped walking. Song Xuanhe stood a step away from him.

The System was right. He had no way out of this.

In the past, he had thought that he wouldn’t care if he were to be sent back with only half a year to live. But now that it was actually time to make a choice, he was selfishly choosing himself without any hesitation.

Song Xuanhe looked at Sun Jinren, waiting for him to speak.

When Sun Jinren met with Song Xuanhe’s gaze, his back felt cold for some inexplicable reason. He took out his phone hesitantly and handed it over to Song Xuanhe. He quietly said, “Er shao, as long as you’re willing to strike a deal with me, the person you see on my phone…that person will be yours. How about it?”

It was the same line, but the tone was different. It was completely different.

Song Xuanhe’s gaze fell onto the screen of Sun Jinren’s phone, and his eyebrows furrowed.

What had made the original host hand Xiao Yuanmu over excitedly hadn’t been some kind of contract or treasure like he had expected. It was just one photo.

Specifically speaking, it was a photo of a man. The man in the photo looked refined and graceful. His skin was fair, and when he smiled, he looked gentle and reserved. He looked like a very lovable and well-behaved child. He also looked faintly familiar.

It was just that, although the young man was good-looking, compared to Xiao Yuanmu, he was nothing but dirt. Based on looks, he wasn’t even a tenth as good-looking as Xiao Yuanmu.

Song Xuanhe completely did not understand why the original Song Xuanhe had wanted this young man in exchange for Xiao Yuanmu. Furthermore, he couldn’t find any information related to this young man in the original host’s memories.

The original host didn’t know this young man at all. So, why had he sent Xiao Yuanmu away in exchange for him?

Song Xuanhe pondered over this for a long time but still couldn’t understand. If the original host had known this person, then perhaps his actions could have been justified. However, the original host had never met him before.

Sun Jinren watched as Song Xuanhe stared at the photo silently. There was no interest on his face as he had expected. Sun Jinren couldn’t help but get nervous. Song Qiyi had been certain that Song Xuanhe would agree to the deal as soon as he had seen this image. But now, looking at Song Xuanhe’s expression, it didn’t look like he would agree.

Some time later, Song Xuanhe finally looked up. “What do you want?”

When he heard this, Sun Jinren relaxed. He was still a bit hesitant though. Song Xuanhe’s reaction was completely different from what Song Qiyi had predicted. This made him feel very unsure. However, they had already reached such a point, he might as well continue on with the plan. “I want Xiao Yuanmu.”

Contrary to Sun Jinren’s expectations, Song Xuanhe didn’t look angry or moved. There was no expression on his face at all. Although his eyes made it look like he would be easy to deal with, there were no emotions inside.

Sun Jinren didn’t dare speak for a moment, being stared at like this by Song Xuanhe.

A while later, Sun Jinren wiped the sweat off his forehead. He said, “Er shao, as long as you give Xiao Yuanmu to me, the Roller contract is yours. Furthermore, this man will be given to you right away.

“…Xiao Yuanmu doesn’t look well-behaved at all. Moreover, you treat him so well, but he doesn’t seem to like you at all. He seems completely cold to you. There’s no point in keeping him by your side. How about you give him to me, and I’ll train him properly before giving him back to you?”

These lines are not the same as those in the original plot was what Song Xuanhe was thinking. However, he still recited his own according to the script. “You just want him temporarily? When will you give him back to me?”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Seeing that the deal was on the right track, Sun Jinren immediately said, “When the time comes, both the person in the photo and Xiao Yuanmu will be yours. You definitely won’t lose out.”

Sun Jinren looked up, lips curling into a smile. Song Xuanhe turned to look at Xiao Yuanmu, who was still sitting on the sofa. He then said his last line, “I can give him to you. But, I have to speak to him first. If he agrees, then I’ll let him go with you. How about it?”

Sun Jinren’s mind whirled. Although he didn’t know about Xiao Yuanmu’s history, he had an inkling about the other’s personality. If someone like him, who emitted a noble aura from his bones, heard his own boyfriend ask such a question, he would very likely agree either because of his dignity or because he was peeved.

Therefore, as long as Song Xuanhe had agreed to this, his mission would be complete.

“Of course, of course.” Sun Jinren smiled flatteringly. “Of course you should ask Mr. Xiao for his opinion.”

Song Xuanhe glanced at Sun Jinren and then left. He walked over to Xiao Yuanmu and then cast his eyes down on the other. “Boss Sun asked me for you. I have already agreed.”

After saying this, Song Xuanhe felt like something in his chest had suddenly dropped. He didn’t feel relieved. Instead, he felt like he had been heavily struck by whatever had fallen. It was a complicated feeling that he found difficult to put into words.

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