It was a time-out, not destruction.
Gong Ze wasn’t that insane. He had merely temporarily disabled the system’s access permissions.
The time-out could only last ten hours.
After ten hours, Gong Ze would mute the system again, until the little thing gave in.
Gong Ze threw the ‘truth’ file back into the safe.
Then he stubbed out his cigarette, let the smell dissipate for a bit, and returned to the bedroom.
He turned the doorknob and paused.
Inside the room, the young master he loved deeply — in just one day — had become gaunt and haggard, sitting motionless by the table like a faded sculpture.
Sang You’s face, as beautiful and alluring as an evil flower, yet pure and innocent, was as fragile as thin snow on the verge of evaporation under the warm light of the night.
In that moment, Gong Ze’s resolve to stay was solidified.
He walked over quietly and stood behind the young master. Sang You’s eyes grew hot. He closed his eyes and leaned back against Gong Ze, the corners of his reddened eyes moist.
“Gong Ze, I don’t have a father or mother anymore…”
“I have to find the murderer who killed my parents. I will never let them go!”
After speaking those hateful words, Sang You suddenly opened his eyes, twisted around, and hugged Gong Ze’s waist.
He looked up at the man, fear in his gaze. His pale lips were chapped. He clutched at Gong Ze’s clothes with both hands, as if terrified that the man might disappear in the blink of an eye.
“A Ze, I only have you now. Will you stay with me forever?”
He shivered, pleading with his eyes.
If Gong Ze shook his head, it might extinguish the last flicker of will to live within him.
“…I will.” After a moment of silence, Gong Ze cradled Sang You’s face, wiped away the wet streaks with his thumb, and curled a smile. “We will never be apart.”
“…”
At night, Sang You could only fall asleep with Gong Ze holding him.
The air conditioner was set to a high temperature, yet Sang You was shivering cold. His hands and feet were icy as he curled up in Gong Ze’s arms, trembling, his eyes vacant, his face pale.
After just ten or fifteen minutes of sleep, he would jolt awake, screaming and crying Gong Ze’s name over and over. Only when Gong Ze woke and held him would Sang You feel a little better.
If Gong Ze had to go out and wasn’t by his side, a suffocating fear would crush Sang You, turning into increasingly irritable behavior. He would call Gong Ze.
The first time, he just said dryly that he missed him and asked if he could come home earlier.
The second call came quickly. He would cry, saying there were noises outside the door, that the house wasn’t safe, that there were ghosts and killers.
By the third call, Sang You would be screaming, crying, raging — demanding angrily that Gong Ze come home.
When Gong Ze returned, Sang You would run to him, shaking, and cling to him, as if he had been severely terrorized.
Even though Gong Ze had tried to shield him from seeing the state of his parents’ bodies, as a relative, Sang You had still seen the photos of his once-gentle mother and loving father — turned into bloated, grotesque, decomposed corpses with their autopsy reports.
From then on, Sang You grew increasingly afraid of water.
He couldn’t bathe alone; he couldn’t close his eyes when washing his hair.
Gong Ze had to bathe with him.
But Gong Ze also noticed that Sang You seemed very dazed at times. Sometimes when Gong Ze spoke to him, Sang You would need a moment to react.
Gong Ze had misjudged one thing only.
Sang You was far more fragile than he had imagined.
Soon after, Gong Ze arranged for a psychologist to see Sang You. After meeting with him, the psychologist’s expression was grave.
“The situation is not good, Mr. Gong.”
“Little Young Master Sang is exhibiting severe anxiety. It’s normal for someone who has lost their parents — with whom they were very close — to be unable to accept reality and fear that they might be killed as well. Especially since he’s only nineteen years old, still in his adolescence — a stage of ongoing psychological development.”
“At this age, the psyche is very delicate and sensitive. I noticed he’s also experiencing auditory hallucinations. Simple conversation may no longer be enough to alleviate his anxiety.”
The psychologist said, “I recommend prescribing some medication to help stabilize his mood.”
Gong Ze: …
Gong Ze followed the doctor’s advice and got some mood-stabilizing medication for Sang You.
He was busy going to the police station to assist with the investigation, handling the formalities related to Sang You’s parents’ deaths, and dealing with the changes in the inheritance — all while staying by Sang You’s side.
Two months passed quickly.
With the help of medication and Gong Ze’s companionship, Sang You’s condition began to improve. He was even smiling again.
Sang You even started making plans to celebrate Gong Ze’s birthday.
Gong Ze called the psychologist, who warned him not to let his guard down. Sometimes an apparent improvement could actually be a sign of deterioration. During this period, it was crucial not to trigger or stress him out.
Gong Ze hung up and drove home from the police station.
The Yan and Qin families were in turmoil recently. With everyone dead, their vast businesses were left unattended, causing an uproar across Black City.
Because Sang You hadn’t been going out lately, and Gong Ze had deliberately kept quiet, the young master was still unaware of this. Gong Ze planned to wait until Sang You had improved, then show him the fabricated ‘truth’ and tell him that the Qin family was dead.
Then, he would stage a car accident and leave this world.
Would that be enough?
Would that satisfy him?
Wouldn’t he still be leaving Sang You behind to suffer alone? Countless nights, looking at Sang You’s weak, sleeping face, Gong Ze wondered: Was I wrong?
Perhaps, rather than leaving him alone, it would be better to take the young master with him — to die together, to leave together.
As he was driving back to the Sang residence, a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind.
[Ding]
[Mute has ended.]
Then a little golden ball squeezed out of thin air and, like a golden shooting star, wrapped itself around Gong Ze’s hand.
[Wait! Don’t mute me yet!]
The system, covered in cold sweat, shouted urgently: [Host! The protagonist gong Qin Chuan’s affection score is fluctuating!]
“Screech—”
The car braked sharply at the side of the road.
Gong Ze’s expression was terrifying as he grabbed the little golden ball, his pupils constricting. “What did you say?!”
Forgetting everything else, the system spoke rapidly:
[Previously, the protagonist gong Qin Chuan’s affection score was still 20 points short of full, but it had already reached the passing line. But starting last week, his score began to fluctuate. Today, it has dropped to 10!]
Gong Ze: …
The system had been beside itself with anxiety during the mute period, wanting to report the affection change to Gong Ze but unable to do so.
A dead person’s affection score doesn’t change. Only a living person’s will!
What did that mean?!
[Qin Chuan isn’t dead, Host!]
The moment the system finished speaking, Gong Ze had already floored the accelerator, the engine roaring like a beast. The car shot forward at breakneck speed.
As the car pulled up to the front door of the Sang residence, a familiar system tone sounded in Gong Ze’s mind —
[Ding——]
[Protagonist bottom Sang You’s affection -10. Current affection: 80.]
[Ding——]
[Protagonist bottom Sang You’s affection -20. Current affection: 60.]
[Ding——]
[Pro… Sang You… -30… cur… 40.]
[Ding——]
[Protagonist… Sang You… -10… cur…]
The rapid-fire notifications of decreasing affection kept flashing. Gong Ze’s footsteps froze at the door. And the system’s final notification was like the last crackle of a fireworks show — the final echo in the night sky.
[Ding——]
System notification.
[Protagonist bottom Sang You’s Forgiveness Value -100. Current affection: -20.]
“…”
The little golden ball let out a frantic scream.
[It’s over! It’s all over!]
As Gong Ze stood before the Sang residence, he silently looked up toward Sang You’s window. The curtain there flickered — there and gone. As if understanding something, Gong Ze paused for a long moment, then still walked forward and stepped inside.
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