Chapter 4

Probably because Bai Xu was new, Xie Qi volunteered as tour guide.
“Mr. Bai, there are a lot of standalone villas like this on the estate. That tallest four-story mansion you saw at the gate—that’s Old Master and Old Madam Shang’s residence.”
The old couple had four children. The youngest daughter lived overseas. The other three branches and their families spread across the estate year-round.
Yanxiao’s father was the third son. Outsiders called the branches First House, Second House, Third House for convenience.
“Mr. Bai, relations inside the Shang family are… complicated.”
Xie Qi chose his words. “Unless something special comes up, please don’t engage the other two houses on your own. Clear?”
Rich families always had dirty competition you didn’t say out loud.
---
Bai Xu had agreed to the marriage and entered the Shang estate. In outsiders’ eyes, that made him Third House.
“Clear.”
Bai Xu got the stakes. Soft acknowledgment.
“The third branch used to live together—Mr. Shang, his wife, both sons. They were close.”
Since the crash, only Yanxiao and Queyan were left. Queyan was still in the hospital with Butler Lin.
A house that used to feel alive now felt hollow.
Xie Qi showed him inside and out, then brought him to the bedroom on the far right of the second floor. “Basics are stocked. If you need anything, call me anytime.”
“Thanks.”
Bai Xu glanced over. His room and Yanxiao’s master bedroom were separated by a long hall.
Two uniformed guards stood at Yanxiao’s door. Chen Yufei was one of them.
Xie Qi followed his gaze. “Third Young Master can’t move on his own. Special period—protection required.”
Bai Xu looked away. Nodded. “I’ll rest first. After dinner I’ll check on him.”
Same roof. Marriage on paper. He couldn’t ignore the man in the bed—not if he wanted to look decent.
Door shut.
Bai Xu checked the room carefully. Only then did he drop on the bed, eyes closed, mind running.
In his original world, Bai Xu was a legend in investment—the Midas touch.
Day-Night Capital, which he built, ranked at the top in Huaguo—mining, land, pharma on one end; games, film, entertainment on the other.
Every bet landed.
“Ruthless. Counts every cent. Smiles in public, wolves behind the smile.”
Bai Xu didn’t fully agree. That was still the industry’s favorite line about him.
Before transmigrating, he’d pulled two all-nighters on a cross-border acquisition. Work done, headphones on, dumb story to unwind his nerves—
Next thing he knew, he was this Bai Xu—broke, despised, cannon-fodder young master.
Letting go of his real-world empire stung a little. Bai Xu wasn’t the type to whine about fate.
In for a penny.
Maybe this was a second life. Maybe he wanted to try living freer.
…
When he opened his eyes again, it was full dark.
He ate something downstairs, then took his time back to the second floor. Master bedroom door still shut. One guard left at the post.
Bai Xu walked up. “Where’s Chen Yufei?”
The guard—Xiao Deng—said, “Fly’s at dinner. He’ll swap with me later.”
Bai Xu nodded slightly. “I’m going in to see Third Young Master.”
Xie Qi had given orders. The guard did his job. “Mr. Bai—pat-down before entry.”
“……”
Stricter than he’d expected. Bai Xu thought a beat, then agreed.
Quick search. Clean. The door opened. “Please.”
Huge master suite. Two archways split it into three zones. Grey-black palette—minimal, expensive.
Beep—beep—beep—
Monitors still ticked by the bed.
Bai Xu’s eyes went straight to Yanxiao’s face. Honest murmur. “Yeah. He’s that good-looking.”
Coma for weeks and no bloat, no grey sick pallor. Side light made the bone structure criminal.
Bai Xu sat in the chair by the bed. Thought, then spoke low. “Don’t know if you can hear me. We’ve never met, but I’m guessing you hate this marriage as much as anyone would.”
“Sorry anyway. I need to use it to crash here a while.”
Take the job. Take the pay. Do the work.
Old Madam wanted peace of mind. He wanted a short buffer and a roof.
“Don’t worry—I’ve got no designs on you or the Shangs. By the time you wake, I’ll probably be gone.”
If he remembered right, Yanxiao stayed out nearly a year in the book—borderline medical miracle.
Bai Xu paused. Almost cold, talking to himself. “You and me? Worlds apart.”
To him Yanxiao was a paper character—destined for brutal family war later, even death.
Bai Xu always picked his exits. He’d leave when it was time. No original-owner road for him.
“……”
The man in the bed gave nothing back.
Bai Xu looked away, stood, walked through an arch to the bathroom to wash his hands before leaving.
Shhh—
Water ran. Something moved outside—muffled, far off.
Bai Xu shut the tap. Turned his head. Through the cracked door he saw someone hurry in.
Ordinary caregiver uniform. Standing by the bed, staring at Yanxiao—tense, wrong—and never noticing Bai Xu.
Bai Xu went still. Watched through the gap.
“Third Young Master? Third Young Master, wake up?”
“……”
Still out. Why yell?
Brow tight. Fishy. Bai Xu didn’t step out. Pressed to the wall, door and corner covering him.
---
Sure enough, no response—the caregiver shook him, pushed, even pinched the back of Yanxiao’s hand.
Testing?
Still nothing from the bed.
The young man pulled out his phone. Two photos of Yanxiao—sent to someone. Words squeezed through his teeth.
“Boss, I tried. No reaction. This enough?”
Bai Xu got it. Amusement flickered—play watching mode.
Of course. Big family, big knives.
First day home and someone already had to probe whether the coma was real?
Impatient.
The caregiver stared at his phone. New orders came. His face tightened again.
Internal war. Then his expression sank. He looked at the kettle—boiling, kept hot.
Next he picked up a small care basin like it made sense and poured hot water in.
Steam rolled up in the dim room. That water was scalding.
He walked back to the bed, hands shaking, deep breath. “Third Young Master—I’m sorry. If you’re awake, stop faking.”
People can endure pain—to a point. Instant heat gets a reflex unless you’re truly out.
Bai Xu’s eyes changed.
The basin tilted toward Yanxiao. He shoved the door open. “What are you doing?”
Calm. Pressure. The air in the room shrank.
The caregiver jumped—lost grip. The basin hit the floor.
—Clang!
The frozen second shattered.
Outside: “Joe, what happened?”
“Why’s the door locked?”
The guard sensed wrong. Urgent. “Open the door! Now!”
No time to explain. Bai Xu cut a cold look at the panicked caregiver, rushed to the bed, grabbed Yanxiao’s right hand to check.
Almost in time—but a patch of red already showed on the back of his hand.
—Bang!
Chen Yufei broke the door in and was across the room in a heartbeat.
Two people. Steaming water on the floor. His face went hard. “Mr. Bai, Joe—what happened?”
Caregiver Joe was picked by Xie Qi and Old Madam Shang. Reliable for weeks. The guard had pat-downed him at the door—nothing suspicious.
“You—”
Bai Xu started to speak. Joe cut in first. “Not me!”
“I walked in and Mr. Bai was already here! He—he was going to use the hot water to—”
Bai Xu heard the bad lie and cut him off, easy. “Brave enough to do it, not brave enough to say it? Who did you just text about Yanxiao’s condition? Show the phone.”
“……”
Joe locked up.
Chen Yufei caught the panic on his face, then met Bai Xu’s eyes.
Light. Quiet. Still commanding.
Bai Xu asked, unhurried, “You stand outside and let sketchy staff touch him—what are we paying you for? You’re not actually suspecting me, are you?”
Chen Yufei’s chest tightened. First day—and he already had this weird feeling Bai Xu was the one running the house.
He moved without debate, pinned Joe. “Don’t move!”
Joe struggled. Useless against ex-military Chen Yufei. Wrist nearly snapped. “Ah—”
Chen Yufei pulled the phone, looked at Bai Xu for orders.
Bai Xu eyed the water on the floor. “Your Third Young Master almost got scalded. Your call.”
Joe went white. Shaking.
Chen Yufei thought about the fallout. Face ugly. One hand on Joe, dragged him out like a chick.
Bai Xu turned to the guard still frozen in place. “Where’s Xie Qi?”
“Assistant Xie—at the company. Not back yet.”
Who’d have thought the quiet caregiver had a knife in his pocket? Old Madam finds out, Joe’s done—and so is my job!
Xiao Deng realized his screw-up. Terrified.
Bai Xu heard that and looked back at Yanxiao’s hand—
The splash had turned the skin an ugly red. Burn. Without care it would get worse.
One second of hesitation. “First-aid kit? Burn cream?”
Xiao Deng blanked. “Huh?”
Bai Xu watched him fail to process. Resigned. “Yanxiao’s hand is burned. I’m treating it.”
After seven figures hit his account this morning, he could spare a little care for the fiancé who’d caught shrapnel for nothing.