Don't Leave Me

Shen Yu would be like this sometimes when his illness acted up, his memories chaotic, not recognizing anyone. When he was scared, it seemed he could only remember these two names, like a lost child, uneasy and at a loss.

Perhaps Sheng Chuan's gaze was too profound. Shen Yu subconsciously wanted to hide but had nowhere to go. He could only quickly bury his face in his knees again, maintaining his previous posture. In such an environment, it seemed only the cold, hard wall behind him and the endless darkness could bring him a sense of security.

Sheng Chuan slowly retracted his gaze, his thoughts unknown. He glanced down at the tray in his hands, then pushed open the door and left.

When Auntie Lin saw him coming downstairs, she subconsciously took a step forward and asked, "Mr. Sheng, has the Second Young Master eaten?"

Sheng Chuan handed her the tray. The porridge bowl on it was empty. "He had a little porridge."

Hearing this, Auntie Lin finally let out a sigh of relief and smiled, not doubting him in the slightest. "Mr. Sheng, you're the one with the methods. The Second Young Master doesn't listen to anyone, only you."

After saying that, she carried the tray to the kitchen to wash it.

'Shen Yu has never been obedient,' Sheng Chuan thought. In his few memories, his definition of Shen Yu was 'trouble,' afflicted with a young master's temperament, feeling unwell if a day went by without a tantrum.

While Auntie Lin was washing the dishes, Sheng Chuan sat on the sofa and quietly began to think about his next steps. Without a doubt, the first person to take down was Shen Run. But Sheng Chuan was currently unable to contend with him. The only leverage he had was the car accident, which was definitely related to him.

At first, Sheng Chuan had only thought Shen Run's goal was the inheritance, that he was, at most, an illegitimate son blinded by jealousy. But he hadn't expected the other party to have other schemes, even daring to take a life.

Although they were partners, Shen Run was very guarded and had been secretly wary of Sheng Chuan. He hadn't revealed a single word about the car accident to him. Therefore, Sheng Chuan currently had no actual evidence. If he wanted to take the other party down, he still needed to plan for the long term.

The surroundings were silent. The gardener was still outside, trimming the lawn in the garden.

Sheng Chuan unconsciously moved his hand. The spot where Shen Yu had bitten him was still throbbing faintly. The wound was a bit deep. The bleeding had stopped after a while and had now clotted into a dark color.

He didn't apply any medicine, just tried to wait quietly for the pain to fade. However, as time passed, it grew more and more painful. He slowly let out a breath and unconsciously furrowed his brows.

The System observed quietly for a moment before finally revealing itself automatically: [Ding, Interstellar Reformation System, at your service.]

A strange, mechanical voice suddenly rang in Sheng Chuan's ears. He subconsciously looked up, only to see a blue ball of light floating in mid-air. It had a pair of wings on its back, which were flapping vigorously. "..."

To suddenly see this scene in broad daylight was, frankly, quite frightening.

For a moment, Sheng Chuan thought he was hallucinating. His pupils shrank, and he unconsciously clenched his fingertips. The System flew in front of him and said in the tone of a certain online shopping customer service representative: [Dear, Interstellar Reformation System, happy to be at your service~]

Up close, he could even feel the gentle breeze from the flapping of the System's wings. Only then did he realize it wasn't a hallucination. A breath caught in Sheng Chuan's throat, unable to go up or down, and his face turned a little pale. After a long while, he finally managed to utter a sentence: "What are you?"

The System flew a circle around him, giving a long, fragmented explanation, and finally concluded: [Dear, our mission is to find scumbags and urge you to reform. Successful reformation will lead to a smooth unbinding from the System. Failure to reform will result in obliteration. You must work hard!]

Sheng Chuan understood its meaning and took a long time to barely digest it. To be honest, it felt quite absurd. After all, this kind of thing could only happen in novels or TV dramas. He silently adjusted his posture, trying to hide his nervousness, and asked in a tone that betrayed no emotion, "So you found me?"

System: [The Interstellar Executor automatically selects hosts and assigns them randomly. We've been assigned to a group together~]

Sheng Chuan wasn't a scumbag; he was purely evil and extremely skilled at pretense and sophistry. Hearing this, he slowly rubbed his fingertips, a highly deceptive smile returning to his lips. "Then where do you think I'm a scumbag?"

Hearing this, the System pulled out its notebook to show him. Two lines of crooked words clearly appeared on the light screen: First, driving Shen Yu insane. Second, illegally scheming for another's property.

The System said: [Dear, you have to change both of these points.]

But Sheng Chuan just smiled and corrected it, "First, I wasn't the one who drove Shen Yu insane."

Shen Yu's mental breakdown was caused by witnessing Old Master Shen die right in front of him. The car accident had nothing to do with Sheng Chuan; he didn't even know about it beforehand. After all, he only wanted money, not to take a life. He wasn't stupid enough to get himself involved in a murder case. It would be very troublesome if the police came knocking.

Sheng Chuan: "Second, the one who schemed for another's property through improper means was Shen Run, not me. The Shen Corporation is in his hands now, and I have nothing."

In conclusion,

Sheng Chuan: "You should go reform Shen Run, not me."

System: [...]

Damn, it was speechless.

Seeing the System remain silent for a long time, Sheng Chuan made a gesture to see it out and kindly reminded it, "Go find Shen Run. He should still be at the company. If you go now, you can still make it."

What a good move to divert the trouble.

The System suddenly felt that this host was a bit tricky, not as easy to fool as the previous host: [... If the binding is removed, the granted right of rebirth will also be revoked.]

Sheng Chuan was about to get up and leave when he heard this. His steps paused, and he slowly turned to look at it. "What do you mean?"

System: [The host's right of rebirth is issued by the Interstellar Executor. If you refuse reformation, your current life value will be reclaimed.]

In other words, either reform or die.

Sheng Chuan: "..."

Auntie Lin was in the kitchen washing the dishes. Although the Shen Family didn't have many people before, it at least had some life to it. Now it was cold and desolate, no different from an empty house. The food cooked for lunch was basically untouched. Later, they would either have to eat it themselves or throw it away and make a new meal in the evening.

Auntie Lin was old and not as wasteful as young people. She sighed internally at the waste of food. Just as she was about to dispose of the meal, Sheng Chuan's voice suddenly came from behind her: "Auntie Lin, portion out another serving of food."

Auntie Lin subconsciously turned around and saw that Sheng Chuan was standing behind her at some point. While portioning out another serving as he had instructed, she asked in confusion, "Mr. Sheng, what's wrong?"

Sheng Chuan didn't want to say more. "Nothing."

Auntie Lin didn't ask further, just assuming he was hungry. She heated the food in the microwave, placed it on a tray, and handed it to him. Sheng Chuan took it and left the kitchen. Auntie Lin secretly peeked out and saw him go upstairs.

Generally speaking, only a few twisted perpetrators enjoy seeing their victims suffer. Most people who have done something wrong dare not face their victims because they would be overwhelmed by shame.

Sheng Chuan belonged to neither the former nor the latter. He was very clear about what he wanted, and pointless guilt would only interfere with his judgment. But undeniably, he didn't really want to appear in front of Shen Yu.

It was hard to pinpoint the reason. He just didn't want to.

Pushing the door open again, the room inside was still pitch black. Sheng Chuan closed the door behind him, found the switch on the wall and pressed it. The light came on, instantly dispelling the darkness and revealing all the furniture and decorations inside.

Shen Yu was still huddled in the corner. The sudden light seemed to make him extremely uncomfortable, and his body began to tremble. Sheng Chuan stood in place for a long time without moving. It wasn't until the System flew out, seemingly unintentionally, that he finally made a move.

Sheng Chuan walked over, placed the tray on the floor, and then reached out to pull Shen Yu out of the corner. The latter, as if he had received some kind of fright, began to struggle violently and in a panic, his face deathly pale. "No... no... don't come over..."

His body was too weak, so his strength was naturally no match for Sheng Chuan's. He was dragged out of the corner in just a few moves, instantly becoming like a snail out of its shell, left only to gasp for its last breath and wait for death.

Sheng Chuan restrained his hands. Due to his long-term pretense, emotions like anger rarely appeared on his face. At this moment, he still had a gentle and refined appearance, and his tone didn't change much either: "Come and eat."

Shen Yu had nowhere to hide and could only try his best to turn his head away to avoid his gaze. The once haughty young noble was now in a sorrier state than a beggar on the street. His sanity was on the verge of collapse as he whispered, "I'm begging you... I'm begging you..."

He was like a small, injured beast, whimpering and trying to hide himself. His voice was choked with sobs, like a child who had been wronged to the extreme: "I'm begging you..."

He was in agony, and his body began to convulse uncontrollably.

It was the first time Sheng Chuan had heard Shen Yu say the word 'beg.' He was stunned for a moment. When he came to his senses, he used a little force to hold him in his arms, lowered his eyes, and said, "Eat. After you finish eating... I'll take you to see Ah Chuan."

Hearing this, Shen Yu's body paused. Those two words seemed to ignite a sliver of hope in him. Even his dark, dull eyes gained an extremely faint glimmer of light. He asked blankly, uncertain, "Ah Chuan...?"

Sheng Chuan looked at him and didn't speak. After a moment, he said, "Mn, Ah Chuan."

Shen Yu's struggles weakened a little, but he was still scared. It wasn't until his back was pressed against Sheng Chuan's chest and he could truly feel something solid, no longer just emptiness, that he finally felt a little sense of security.

He hugged his knees, tugging at his sleeves uneasily, and whispered, "Don't you lie to me..."

Sheng Chuan didn't speak. 'I've lied to you plenty of times,' he thought. He lifted Shen Yu's hair with his fingertips to look at the scar from the car accident, and then his hand slid down the other's thin body with its prominent ribs and touched his sunken abdomen.

It was obvious that Shen Yu hadn't eaten for some time.

Sheng Chuan, for some unknown reason, narrowed his eyes. Then he reached out, took a bowl of porridge from the tray, stirred it twice with a spoon, and asked Shen Yu in a tone that betrayed no emotion, "Have you seen Auntie Lin recently?"

Shen Yu shook his head uneasily, his eyes fixed on the spoon constantly stirring in the bowl.

The steam gradually dissipated. Sheng Chuan scooped up a spoonful of porridge and brought it to his lips. Shen Yu hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and ate it. He then tilted his head up and asked cautiously, "Where's my dad..."

'Your dad died a long time ago. Who asked you to have such a good brother?' Sheng Chuan thought. Although it was pitiful to lose a father, it wasn't his father who died, so it was hard for Sheng Chuan to empathize. Thus, he didn't speak, just scooped another spoonful of porridge and fed it to him. Shen Yu probably finally felt a little hungry and obediently swallowed it. Before he knew it, the entire bowl of porridge was finished.

Sheng Chuan had just been reborn, so his memory of this period wasn't very clear. He placed the empty porridge bowl back down and, seeing the curtains drawn tightly, got up to pull them open. The window faced the back garden, which had the best scenery. It wasn't hard to see Old Master Shen's favoritism toward Shen Yu.

Directly below the window was a circular flower bed with lush green plants. Just as Sheng Chuan was about to look away, he saw a flash of a blue figure in the corner and his gaze froze.

The other person hid in a panic, clearly not just passing by unintentionally.

Sheng Chuan's mind raced for a moment. Seeing that most of the dishes on the tray were untouched, he slid the window open a little, poured the food out, and closed the window again.

After Sheng Chuan did all this, he was about to leave when his pant leg was suddenly grabbed. He looked down and saw it was Shen Yu. "Where's Ah Chuan..."

Shen Yu looked up at him, his jaw sharp and thin, his eyes dark and helpless. His fingertips tightly gripped the hem of his pants, turning a little blue from the force. "You promised... to take me to see Ah Chuan..."

Sheng Chuan originally hadn't planned to pay him any mind and tried to pull his pant leg away with a bit of force. Who knew that at this moment, the System would float in front of him again like a lingering ghost. Although it said nothing, it seemed to be silently warning him about something.

Sheng Chuan wasn't the main culprit who drove Shen Yu insane, but he was the last straw that broke him.

The System had set a goal for Sheng Chuan. The first step was to resolve the karma, which was... to help Shen Yu return to normal.

Before figuring out the System's full capabilities, Sheng Chuan naturally wouldn't bet his own life. He quietly eyed the System. A moment later, he seemed to finally compromise and slowly squatted down in front of Shen Yu.

Sheng Chuan said to Shen Yu, "I am Sheng Chuan."

Shen Yu stared at him fixedly, then shook his head a little neurotically, as if in disbelief.

Seeing this, Sheng Chuan hooked Shen Yu's hand with his fingertip and lightly drew a circle in his palm. It was like the brush of a feather, a light, ticklish sensation.

This was a small, customary gesture between them.

Sheng Chuan looked at him, his highly deceptive appearance taking the word 'refined' to its extreme. He was like a piece of clear, warm jade, warm to the touch, without a single sharp edge. "Do you believe me now?"

Hearing this, Shen Yu looked down at their linked fingertips, his thoughts in turmoil for a moment. "You really are Ah Chuan..."

Because he hadn't seen the sun for too long, his skin was pale and bloodless, showing no trace of his former high-spirited self. The rims of his eyes slowly reddened, a little aggrieved, a little sad. "Why didn't you come to see me..."

If people who do bad things had something like a conscience, they wouldn't do bad things.

Sheng Chuan remained silent, not speaking.

Shen Yu couldn't figure out the reason. He pounded his own head lightly, his red-rimmed eyes filled with tears, and asked stubbornly and naively, "Is it because I threw a tantrum at you..."

Sheng Chuan still didn't speak.

Seeing that he was being ignored, Shen Yu lowered his head and burrowed into his arms. His tears gradually soaked the clothes on Sheng Chuan's shoulder. Like a child who had done something wrong, he said in a choked and helpless voice, "I'll never throw a tantrum at you again... Don't leave me, okay..."

The fear in his words was unconcealable.

This room was too black, too dark...

He was like a lone boat adrift on the sea, with no shore in sight. The surrounding despair surged in like a tide, nearly drowning and suffocating him.

Sheng Chuan still said nothing. What could he say? He was just doing a job for money. He couldn't manage the series of events that followed. If Shen Yu were clear-headed now, he wouldn't care for his apology either. Such words were useless.

Shen Yu probably hadn't slept for a very long time. Now, tired from crying, he curled up in Sheng Chuan's arms, his eyes closed and motionless, as if he had fallen asleep.

Sheng Chuan looked down at him, feeling only a patch of cold on his shoulder. He slowly slid his arm under the crook of Shen Yu's knees and lifted him from the floor. He felt feather-light, without any weight at all.

Since childhood, if Shen Yu wanted the stars, he got the stars; if he wanted the moon, he got the moon. When the day of his downfall suddenly arrived, a small rain was enough to shatter him to pieces.

Sheng Chuan bent down and placed him on the bed. He lowered his eyes and stared quietly for a while. Seeing that Shen Yu remained curled up and unable to relax even in his dreams, he pulled the blanket over him, then turned off the light and went out.

At this time, Auntie Lin was downstairs wiping the table. Although she was old, her hands and feet were nimble. Sheng Chuan came down from upstairs, his gaze sweeping imperceptibly over the blue apron tied around her. He then handed her the tray, sat on the sofa, and casually picked up a magazine to read.

The Shen Family's servants were neither many nor few. A nanny, a gardener, a driver—it was hard to say which one might be Shen Run's informant.

Sheng Chuan asked, seemingly unintentionally, "Auntie Lin, how long have you worked for the Shen Family?"

Hearing this, Auntie Lin subconsciously looked up. After a moment of realization, she smiled and said, "Mr. Sheng, I've been working for the Shen Family for over twenty years."

Sheng Chuan looked at the magazine without raising his head. "Twenty years, that's a long time."

After he finished speaking, as if remembering something, he suddenly said, "By the way, I have something to do tomorrow morning and have to go out. I might not be back until the evening."

Auntie Lin subconsciously asked, "Is it anything important?"

Sheng Chuan nodded. "Yes, a relative is sick and hospitalized. I'm going to visit."

Auntie Lin said, "That is indeed urgent. Please go ahead without worry. I will take good care of the Second Young Master."

Sheng Chuan smiled and said nothing more. He patiently finished flipping through the magazine in his hand before going upstairs to rest.

Too many things had happened that day. Sheng Chuan needed to sort through them slowly. He appeared calm, but the System's appearance had caught him off guard and disrupted his plans. He already had a faint feeling that things were becoming troublesome.

First of all, the first point was not an easy task. To cure Shen Yu, he first had to find a doctor. But their every move was under Shen Run's control, which was easier said than done. Even if he luckily managed to cure him, it would be a wonder if Shen Yu didn't kill him.

Then there was the second point. The System said he couldn't scheme for another's property through illegal means. This really stabbed Sheng Chuan right in the heart. He had done so much for no other reason than money. Now that the System wouldn't let him swindle money, what was the point?

The saying 'trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used to lure it' was about him. Not only could he not get his hands on the money, but now he had to run around endlessly just to stay alive.

Sheng Chuan paced slowly in his room, silently thinking of countermeasures. He was a person who put benefits above all else and wouldn't suffer the slightest loss. Shen Run had screwed him over in his past life, so in this life, he had to screw him back no matter what. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to rest in peace even in death.

The driver at fault was driving a small truck that suddenly lost control on the highway and violently collided with Old Master Shen's car. The driver later died of shock from excessive blood loss. After testing, the alcohol content in his blood was very high, indicating drunk driving.

On the surface, there seemed to be no problem, but that was only on the surface. On the day of the incident, Shen Yu had originally planned to have a meal with Sheng Chuan, but he was suddenly called away by a phone call from the Old Master. The specific reason was unknown. Sheng Chuan, who was nearby, overheard a little and could clearly feel that the Old Master's tone was very low, as if he were suppressing his anger.

Why the anger?

Did someone make him angry? Or was it for another reason?

Probably only Shen Yu knew about this matter, but he was insane now, so there was obviously no way to verify it. Sheng Chuan didn't think anything was strange at the time, but thinking back now, it was eighty percent likely related to Shen Run.

No one filed any charges for this car accident, so it wasn't convenient for the police to investigate deeply. They could only investigate the cause of the accident and close the case once nothing suspicious was found. The subsequent rounds of evidence collection and questioning were only because Old Master Shen's status was significant, and they needed to provide an explanation to the public.

If Sheng Chuan wanted to know more, he could only investigate it himself.

Early the next morning, Sheng Chuan drove away from the Shen Family Residence. He first found a private investigator and had him find out the at-fault driver's family information. After wandering around outside for a few hours, seeing it was almost one in the afternoon, he finally went back.

He had said yesterday that he wouldn't be back until the evening. Auntie Lin was clearly a little surprised to see him. "Mr. Sheng, why are you back so early?"

Sheng Chuan glanced at her. "Oh, that relative of mine has already been discharged from the hospital and returned to their hometown. I couldn't find them, so I came back."

Auntie Lin: "Oh, so that's what happened. Have you eaten? I'll heat up some food for you."

Sheng Chuan nodded, took off his coat and draped it over the sofa, then asked, as if casually, "How is Ah Yu today?"

Auntie Lin was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then nodded and said, "The Second Young Master is doing fine today."

Sheng Chuan smiled. "Has he eaten? I fed him yesterday, but he wouldn't eat at all and even bit me."

After speaking, he poured a glass of water. As he raised his hand, his sleeve shifted up, revealing a clear bite mark on his wrist. Seeing this, Auntie Lin said, "The Second Young Master didn't have an episode today. He ate a little, but not much."

Sheng Chuan nodded and said no more. After Auntie Lin went into the kitchen, he turned and went upstairs, pushing open the door to Shen Yu's bedroom.

Yesterday, he had properly placed the person on the bed. Now, looking at it, only a crumpled blanket remained. His gaze shifted to the corner of the wall; sure enough, Shen Yu had huddled there again.

Sheng Chuan turned on the light. The person in the corner's shoulders trembled, but his reaction wasn't as big as last time. He tentatively raised his head from the crook of his arm like a frightened little animal, his dark pupils full of unease.

Sheng Chuan walked over, slowly squatted down in front of him, and held out his hand. "Come here."

Shen Yu seemed to recognize him. He looked at him and thought blankly for a moment. A glint of light suddenly flashed in his dull eyes, and he seemed a little happy. "Ah Chuan?"

Sheng Chuan hummed in acknowledgment.

Shen Yu seemed to muster up a great deal of courage to force himself away from the corner. He crawled to Sheng Chuan's side, then secretly grabbed his sleeve and asked in a naive tone, "Ah Chuan, are you here to see me?"

The joy in his eyes was unconcealed.

Sheng Chuan glanced at him and didn't speak. Through the clothes, he reached out and touched his sunken abdomen. "Did Auntie Lin come today?"

Shen Yu thought for a moment, then shook his head helplessly, as if he didn't understand what he was saying.

Sheng Chuan changed his question: "Did you eat anything today?"

Shen Yu huddled beside him, a small, thin bundle. Hearing this, he still shook his head.

Sheng Chuan obviously wouldn't feed Shen Yu every day; after all, Auntie Lin was the nanny. Only on rare occasions would he go to feed him. If he couldn't get him to eat, the food would be poured into the flowerbed outside. It was possible that Auntie Lin might happen upon it one of those times.

Sheng Chuan looked down at Shen Yu, seeing him still looking down and fiddling with his sleeve. 'If he starves to death one day, he probably wouldn't even make a sound,' he thought.