Wan You thought he heard a familiar name.
He paused and turned his head, only to see a female cleaner standing up from the corner and walking hurriedly in the opposite direction. Her steps were rushed, even the hem of her clothes fluttering as she moved.
That person… looked so familiar.
"Mr. Wan, please come this way." Secretary Liu led the way ahead, knocking twice on the door of Ward No. 4 before pushing it open and stepping inside.
Wan You politely thanked him, "Thank you."
Xiaojuan suddenly left, and You Jiu couldn’t help but feel that the person entering Ward No. 4 looked somewhat familiar. Could they also be an NPC from the Chenyuan instance?
"Wan You, what brings you here?" Chao Musheng was still hooked up to an IV drip, so Wan You’s visit came as a surprise.
"Last night, some of your colleagues came to my place for barbecue and mentioned you were sick, so I thought I’d drop by." Wan You glanced at the IV bottle, where the medicine was steadily dripping, then placed his get-well gift on the round table. "Why the indwelling needle? How many more days do you need the IV?"
"Probably three more days." Chao Musheng gestured for him to sit. "Make yourself comfortable. How’s business lately?"
"Same as usual—gets busy after six in the evening." Wan You took a seat on the chair beside the bed. "You always seem so energetic. How did you get this sick?"
His well-built biceps reminded Chao Musheng of when they first met—back then, Wan You had been pale and thin, stumbling every few steps.
Yet in just a few months, Wan You had become a completely different person.
Clearly, the barbecue business wasn’t an easy job.
"It’s just a minor viral cold, not that serious." Chao Musheng smiled. "Oh, I almost forgot—congratulations on scoring straight A’s in last semester’s final evaluations."
Last summer, the school had released grades by mid-July, but this year, due to some system upgrade, the results weren’t out until August. As a transfer student, Wan You’s grades were announced a week later than the regular students’.
"Thanks." Wan You grinned. "I heard you aced everything too?"
Chao Musheng feigned modesty. "Just luck, pure luck."
"I hope I have that kind of luck in every exam." Wan You stood up. "Let me wash some fruit for you."
"No need—"
"Of course it’s needed. Fruit helps with vitamins." Wan You glanced at Chao Musheng’s pale face. Being good-looking wasn’t enough—you needed a strong physique too.
He got up and scanned the room. The high-end ward was well-equipped, featuring a small kitchen, bathroom, meeting room, and even a lounge. Wan You hesitated, unsure which door led to the best place to wash the fruit.
Just then, one of the doors opened, and out stepped a refined, strikingly handsome man. He had his sleeves rolled up and was carrying a plate of freshly washed fruit, gleaming under the light.
"Hello," the man greeted, placing the fruit on the bedside table before drying his hands with a handkerchief.
"Hello," Wan You responded quickly, realizing this must be the person taking care of Chao Musheng in the hospital.
No wonder he didn’t need to wash the fruit—someone had already done it.
Even while holding a plate of fruit, the man carried an air of authority that discouraged any casual disrespect. Definitely not a hired nurse.
"Mr. Su, this is my schoolmate Wan You." Chao Musheng introduced him to Su Chenzhu. "He also runs a barbecue stall on the pedestrian street opposite our Kunlun. The food’s amazing."
At the words "our Kunlun," a faint smile flickered in Su Chenzhu’s eyes. He set the handkerchief aside and extended a hand. "Hello, Mr. Wan."
"Hello, Mr. Su." Wan You hurriedly shook his hand with both of his own.
"Wan You, Mr. Su is my boss and also a good friend," Chao Musheng explained with a smile. "He’s been taking care of me these past couple of days."
Boss?
Chao Musheng was currently an executive assistant, so his boss would be…
Wan You’s hands trembled as he let go of Su Chenzhu’s grip, turning to stare at Chao Musheng.
Don’t tell me this young, absurdly good-looking man is the big boss of Kunlun?
A CEO personally tending to an employee in the hospital was strange—but if that employee was Chao Musheng, maybe it wasn’t so strange after all.
"Chaochao, what fruit would you and your friend like? I’ll peel some for you."
"N-no, thanks! I’m not hungry at all." Wan You shook his head faster than a rattle drum.
No way. Who was he to have the Kunlun CEO peel fruit for him?
But when he saw Su Chenzhu effortlessly carve a melon into little bears, cats, and dogs, he fell completely silent.
Even if this was happening to Chao Musheng, it still felt bizarre.
Did the big boss really need to handle such trivial tasks himself?
Su Chenzhu speared a piece of melon with a silver fork and held it to Chao Musheng’s lips. "Try it?"
Chao Musheng took a bite from his hand. "Sweet."
"Good." Su Chenzhu placed the fork in his unbandaged right hand. "Have a few more pieces then."
"Mr. Wan." He set another plate of washed fruit in front of Wan You. "Help yourself."
"Thank you." Wan You grabbed a grape and tossed it into his mouth, chewing hastily without even spitting the skin or seeds before swallowing.
He hadn’t done anything wrong, yet he couldn’t shake the inexplicable feeling that he was intruding.
"The IV’s done." The bottle was nearly empty. Su Chenzhu pressed the call button, and a nurse soon arrived to remove the IV line from Chao Musheng’s arm.
"Boss." Secretary Liu entered and reminded softly, "The video conference starts in ten minutes."
"Mr. Su, I’ll take my friend downstairs for a walk." Chao Musheng pushed back the covers and got out of bed. "Been cooped up in here for two days—feels stuffy."
Su Chenzhu touched his forehead to confirm his temperature was normal, then helped him into a sunproof jacket, careful to avoid the IV port on his hand. "Don’t stay out too long."
"Got it." Chao Musheng tugged his sleeves up slightly and led Wan You out of the room.
"The company’s having a video meeting, and you’re not joining?" Wan You scratched his head. He’d never held a formal job and wasn’t sure if this was normal, but he assumed bosses preferred employees who worked like dogs.
"I’m on sick leave." Chao Musheng shook his head. "I’m not involved in company matters right now."
"This hospital isn’t your home. If everyone keeps asking for leave, what will happen to the patients?"
"Saving lives is the duty of medical staff. You’ll just have to tough it out."
The director of the 9th-floor VIP ward was berating an intern who had requested leave. When he noticed Chao Musheng and Wan You approaching, he immediately cut himself off and turned toward them with a smile.
"Mr. Chao." The director’s expression warmed. "You’re looking much better today."
Chao Musheng returned the smile. "Your hospital’s expertise is remarkable. I’m feeling much improved."
The intern being scolded kept his head down, his spirits visibly low. Even the conversation between Chao Musheng and the director didn’t draw his attention.
"Is this doctor facing some difficulties?" Chao Musheng observed the young man’s haggard state.
"He’s one of our interns. Needed a couple days off for family matters." The director, aware Chao Musheng had overheard his earlier reprimand, laughed awkwardly. "But the hospital’s swamped right now. It’s hard to approve leave."
"If it's something important at home, I hope the director can grant him a day off." Chao Musheng noticed the young intern standing there like a man on his last legs and spoke up on his behalf.
"Well..." The director hesitated for a moment, then remembered that the man before him was the executive assistant of Kunlun Enterprises—and their hospital was a subsidiary under Kunlun’s umbrella. He nodded.
"I can approve one day off, but you must return by noon the day after tomorrow."
"Thank you, Director! Thank you, Mr. Chao!" The intern’s lifeless eyes suddenly brightened. He rushed to Chao Musheng, thanking him repeatedly while stripping off his white coat and darting toward the elevator.
Thank goodness—he could still make it back to see his grandmother one last time.
"Ah." The director sighed, offering Chao Musheng an apologetic smile. "Mr. Chao, our young staff can be a bit thoughtless. Sorry for the trouble."
"Concern for family is only human," Chao Musheng replied with a smile. "You must be busy, so I won’t take up any more of your time."
"Take care, Mr. Chao."
Hospital rules were hospital rules. Even if the director wanted to grant the intern’s request, he couldn’t just disregard protocol.
Luckily, Mr. Chao had spoken up, giving him a graceful way to resolve the issue.
If higher-ups questioned it later, he could simply mention that Kunlun’s executive assistant had personally vouched for the intern—no one would dare hold it against him, and the intern’s performance review wouldn’t be affected.
As a mere floor director of the 9th ward, this was the best he could do.
Chao Musheng took Wan You to the small garden on the 9th floor and chatted with him about his studies. But he was still thinking about Wan You’s barbecue business, so he sent all the potentially useful materials to his phone. "Boss Wan, go make your money. I’ll be discharged in a couple of days—no need to worry about me."
Who’s worried about you?
Wan You’s cheeks burned. He just… just didn’t want people to think he was heartless, that’s all!
He, Wan You, did not like handsome men!
"Then I’ll go." Wan You stood up, took two steps, then turned back. "Let me take you to your room first."
He was the one who brought him out, so he ought to return him safely.
"Uncle Chao!" Zeng Ning ran up to him, her once-pink wig now a shimmering sapphire blue, puffed up like a big watermelon rind.
A little silly, but also kind of cute.
"Thank you for finding those caregivers with Uncle Su. They’ve been taking great care of my mom." She placed two red bracelets in Chao Musheng’s hand.
"I asked a friend to get these love cords from a Taoist temple. They say this temple is really powerful—if couples get these cords, they’ll stay together forever."
Her eyes sparkled. "I hope you and Uncle Su grow even closer!"
With that, she covered her flushed face and scampered off, embarrassed.
Uncle Su?
Love cords?
Wan You’s already large eyes widened into two round searchlights.
"Don’t overthink it. The kid just misunderstood," Chao Musheng said, unnerved by Wan You’s stare. "Mr. Su and I are purely platonic friends."
"Oh." Wan You averted his gaze, offering a polite smile. "Kids misreading adult relationships is pretty normal."
Su Chenzhu emerged from the other end of the hallway. Spotting Chao Musheng by the garden exit, his previously indifferent expression softened into a gentle smile. "Chaochao."
Platonic?
Wan You rubbed his sharp chin. The way Su Chenzhu looked at Chao Musheng wasn’t exactly platonic.
Wan You tactfully excused himself. As he strolled down the corridor, he noticed a janitor in the corner sneaking glances at him.
It reminded him of the unpleasant sensation of being watched by monsters in the game. "What’re you staring at?"
The man before him was muscular, fierce-eyed, and rough-voiced—someone who could flatten two of him with one punch.
You Jiu silently looked away. This was definitely not the Wan You he knew.
Seeing You Jiu back down, Wan You snorted and let it slide.
Qi Shi, standing nearby, glanced at the numerical values floating above Wan You’s head—Anger: 25, Fatigue: 5.
Fatigue so low?
This must be someone brimming with zest for life.
Wang Xiaojuan, carrying a bag of trash from the director’s office, froze when she spotted Wan You in the hallway and immediately turned to retreat.
"Wang Xiaojuan, so it really is you." Wan You spotted her instantly. "What’re you doing here?"
He’d known it—how many people in the world had such a bizarre name?
Seeing her here, Wan You quickly realized: this hospital had been turned into a game instance by the Infinite System.
He eyed the bulging trash bag in her hands, his expression twisting. "You’re just a janitor?"
Back in the hospital instances, she could at least land a doctor or nurse role. How had she downgraded so badly?
Qi Shi stared at Wang Xiaojuan in shock. How did this random NPC know her name?
"Don’t even ask. It’s not exactly something to brag about." Wang Xiaojuan smiled with the weariness of ages. "We’re all in the same boat here."
Utter humiliation.
Never in her life had she felt so debased—either losing face or sprinting headlong toward it.
Wan You nodded sympathetically. The System was getting more pathetic by the day.
Good thing he’d had the foresight to quit—otherwise, he’d be starving nine meals out of three.
Noticing Qi Shi and You Jiu subtly observing their exchange, he guessed they were players too.
"Excuse me, do you happen to know a man named Wan You?" You Jiu approached, his confidence in his own judgment crumbling.
"Hello, allow me to introduce myself. I am Wan You, prospective student of Jinghua University and owner of Wanxiang Barbecue on the pedestrian street opposite Kunlun Tower." He emphasized "Jinghua" with a slight lift in tone.
"You’re actually Wan You?!" You Jiu’s trademark fox-like grin vanished, replaced by sheer disbelief. "What’re you doing here?"
"Like I just said, I’m a prospective student at Jinghua." Wan You tilted his chin up, pride radiating from every pore.
Qi Shi kept his eyes locked on the data values above Wan You’s head, his expression grave.
A player with NPC stats—was he even a player anymore?
"Be careful. He has stat values," Qi Shi whispered. "This might be a player-modeled decoy the instance created to trick us."
You Jiu’s face was a picture of complexity.
What kind of half-baked instance would mimic a player—and a mutated version at that?
Were they even trying to fool anyone?
