Chapter Nineteen: The Mistake

“What is wrong with you people? Wasn’t that brat supposed to be sent to the hospital? How did it end up being Xi Pei instead?” Upon hearing that his precious daughter was unwell, Old Master Pei could no longer sit still.

“It was that rascal Zheng Hao. He accidentally let Miss Xi Pei see Fang Yuan, and then Miss Xi Pei ate the food that was meant for Fang Yuan. So that’s how it happened. But don’t worry, sir, it was just some laxatives. I’m sure Miss Xi will be fine.” Fat Dahai couldn’t help but try to soothe Old Master Pei’s fatherly heart at the end.

“How many times have I told you to stop calling her ‘Miss Xi’? Just call her Xi Pei. There’s no need to cozy up to her.” Old Master Pei was so angry his liver ached. These people were truly useless. If only he had been there himself.

“Book me the earliest train for tomorrow, then head to the airport. It seems I really can’t leave after all.” Upon hearing Old Master Pei’s decision, Fat Dahai nearly fell to his knees. Ancestor, you’re finally willing to come back! Surely all the brothers and sisters here feel the same as I do.

No one knew if the old man wanted to experience the life of the common people or if he was just stingy. Every time he left home, no matter where he went, he would always rent a car and bring very little luggage. Like this time, the two of them only brought the global satellite phone they always carried and a few sets of clothes. Sometimes they wouldn’t even bring a change of clothes, and when it was time to go back, Fat Dahai always felt like a refugee.

Sometimes, even the rental companies didn’t want to let them rent cars, let alone on the plane. Whenever Fat Dahai saw the flight attendants, he wished he could find a hole to crawl into. If only it were possible to dig a hole on the plane, he might have brought a drilling machine just to make an escape route for himself.

“But didn’t that brat eat any of it? Is his health alright?” Even if his own daughter had eaten it by accident, it wasn’t possible that the other party hadn’t eaten any at all.

“I think… he did eat some. But… he seems fine.” Fat Dahai really didn’t know how to answer that. The other party had indeed eaten some, but afterward, it was as if nothing had happened.

Word was, his lips swelled up, but the reason for that had nothing at all to do with them.

“What do you mean ‘seems fine’? Your work is getting less and less reliable by the day. Is he fine or not?” Old Master Pei had a fierce temper. Any careless word could set him off, and when he exploded, nothing would be left of you.

“He’s fine. Apparently, when he returned to his place, he acted as if nothing had happened.” Fat Dahai broke out in a cold sweat as he spoke. Old Master Pei’s protectiveness was legendary.

Now, the other party was fine, but his precious daughter had fallen ill. Who knew what he might do in a fit of anger?

“You… are all a bunch of useless fools.” Old Master Pei fumed, then stormed back to his treehouse. It was said that the little house was usually a storage shed for local residents, which they vacated for them only because the travelers had arrived. Fat Dahai thought that it was fortunate the locals weren’t storing goods at this time of year; after all, food was plentiful now. If they’d come at the wrong time, they might not even have had a place to sleep.

Thinking of the package Fang Yuan had received today, Fat Dahai silently prayed the boy would open it. Even if he didn’t know how to use it, as long as he opened it and left it in his room, that would be enough.

That had become Fat Dahai’s only wish at the moment.

Meanwhile, in his hotel room, Fang Yuan did indeed open the package. But after examining the contents, he still couldn’t figure out what it was.

He turned it over and over in his hands. From the outside, it appeared to be a small, round box, and judging by the ornate decorations, it was probably not cheap. The box was gilded all over with gold leaf. There was a lid, which should have opened, but no matter how many times Fang Yuan tried, it simply wouldn’t budge.

Given its apparent value, he had no intention of throwing it away, even if he couldn’t open it. If he brought it close and sniffed, there was even a faint fragrance.

“Bug, what do you think this is? And who sent it to me?” Fang Yuan thought perhaps the creature in his mind might know. After all, it had eaten so much just now—it ought to do something for him. If it just ate and never exercised, it would get fat.

Hmm, if he had a fat little bug in his head, would his own head get bigger too? Like one of those big-headed dolls?

“I don’t know what it is either, but I can say with certainty that whatever’s inside doesn’t smell good. If you don’t want to embarrass yourself, you’d better take the box outside.” The bug’s tone was flat, as if the matter weren’t serious at all.

“Why not just throw it away then? Why put it outside?” If the contents were bad, why not simply get rid of it?

“If you throw it away, you’ll never know what the sender intended for you. But if you leave the box outside, you can just observe everyone’s reactions tomorrow morning and you’ll learn exactly what the sender was trying to do.” The bug’s tone remained calm, as if there was nothing shameful in this course of action.

“Isn’t that… a bit unscrupulous?” Fang Yuan actually wanted to say it was heartless, but since he’d have to carry out the plan himself, he chose a gentler word.

“Don’t worry, I’m not that wicked. The contents might be unpleasant, but they won’t harm anyone’s health. I just don’t want you to be embarrassed alone—if you were, I’d feel ashamed too.” The bug, full and lethargic, spoke in a lazy drawl.

Though Fang Yuan found the idea a little, well, lacking in propriety, he couldn’t bring himself to argue. So he left his room, carefully placed the box in a well-hidden spot at the center of the floor—out of reach of the cleaning staff—and returned, eager to see what would happen in the morning.

Just as he was about to sleep, the phone rang. There was no need to guess—it could only be Xi Pei.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Fang Yuan, it’s Xi Pei. Are you feeling unwell at all?” Her voice sounded weak over the phone, as if she’d just finished running a marathon.