It was the end of the week long cruise party and Xiu Lin was ever so happy to stepped on land.
He even wanted to kiss the floor if given a chance. After such long parting. He didn't even want to ride a cruise again if possible.
"Little Lin, come here." Xiu Wan called his little brother.
Xiu Lin turned to him and followed like an obedient kid. In the past days where he stayed in his room, Xiu Lin had been very quiet and had little words to offer his family.
Because of this, they worried that the youngest son was traumatized so they accepted Lu Jian's offer of having the young man go with him to have psychological check ups.
As soon as he was there, they were once again facing Lu Jian who catered to them for two days before docking. He was very considerate towards the Xius, almost capturing the trust of said family.
He also spoiled Xiu Lin with different expensive gifts as means of 'apology' because of his negligence to security of his guests. Indulging the little kitten with delicious meals and VIP of the VIP treatment anyone would ever get from him. This was the greatest encouragement that made the Xiu family trust him in a familiar way.
Because the Xiu's weakness is their third young master.
Looking at each other, Xiu Lin courtesies respectfully to Lu Jian who accommodated him for two days in the cruise. "Thank you, Jian ge."
It was also Lu Jian who told him to be called like that. This male protagonist was so nice, Xiu Lin felt goosebumps raising to the back of his neck.
Because all protagonists who were nice to him became his wall. A wall between him and his lovelife honestly. But Xiu Lin didn't care anymore. So what if Lu Jian is being nice?! As long as he gives him all, as in all delicious food in the world, he doesn't care about all the grudges he had against male protagonists.
"Be careful on your way then." Lu Jian reached out for Xiu Lin's soft white hair and stroke it fondly. It was soft and fluffy like a kitten.
"Then we'll be on our way, Mr. Lu." Xiu Wan reached out his hand.
Lu Jian did the same and shook Wan's hand, adding it with a friendly smile. After that, the two separated.
Xiu Wan held his brother's shoulder and lead him to the car with their parents.
Usually, Xiu Lin would already have left when they docked to go somewhere else with his friends, but due to this unfortunate miracle of being drugged and nearly assassinated, he was less than enthusiastic.
"Lin darling, are you hungry?" Mother Xiu asked as she looked at her son worried.
Father Xiu, who was driving the car looked at the mirror and checked on his son. Xiu Lin still looked lazed and unbothered but he nodded his head.
"Then, let's go to the restaurant! Have them prepare your favorites!" Mother Xiu tapped her husband on the shoulder. Father Xiu nodded to acquiesce.
Today, they will appease their son and indulge him with love.
"Call Rin as well, we're going to eat together!" Mother Xiu told Xiu Wan which the boy had nodded on to.
Xiu Lin leaned on the chair lazily and looked out the tinted bulletproof window. The scene outside changed differently every time the car moved from traffic.
From the port, it took their drive for at least an hour before they reached the restaurant where they'll be eating. Xiu Lin checked the area. It was actually a five star restaurant in the city and according to memory, this is where Xiu Lin loved to eat with his family when he was young.
And now they are back again as if it was just yesterday when their spoiled and bubbly son was running around this place and pulling his busy dad's hand and scolding him that he eats very less whenever he's at work.
The Xiu parents reminisced those days their son was such a bean. Those moments that he was a ball of sweetheart jumping with excitement. Then their eyes darted to the eighteen year old who was traumatized by the assassination, leaning on his brother's side so dependently.
On the entrance door, another young man was waiting for them with a smile on his face. When he saw the four Xius he immediately waved his hands and approached them.
"Mom, dad." He greeted before approaching his older and young brother.
This young man was Xiu Rin, the Xiu's middle child.
He went and checked onto the youngest, his eyes observing Xiu Lin. Although he heard of what happened to him in the cruise but since he was the only one left to tend to the company with all the paper works needing his attention, he can't leave all the sudden. He could only wait for the news of how his brother is.
Now that he's seen that he's 'fine' now, he decided not to ask much or it might stimulate his brother from remembering such a thing.
"Were you hungry on the trip, Baby brother?" He asked.
Xiu Lin hummed. "Brother Rin..." he called tamely.
"Alright! Our little is hungry!" Xiu Rin relayed on tending to his younger brother from Xiu Wan as they entered the restaurant hearing an earful of stories from Rin along the way.
Soon enough, they were lead to the dining beside the terrace with the marvelous city view through the chair. The waiters held different wine and others were on the wait.
Mother Xiu's chair was pulled out by Father Xiu in a gentlemanly way while the three sons settled on their own seats.
"Then, let's start!"
Upon Xiu Rin's announcement, trays of food was pushed towards the family and were served different colors of meals allowing them of several choices.
Seeing as this influential family of five are going to meet their fall down, Xiu Lin didn't feel well. This family was quite good and very much like any normal household who have a loving team. He was pampered too even if he was this typical problem child in the family.
Doing nothing will poke his sense of conscience.
'By the way 1204, how is the family going bankrupt?' Xiu Lin asked in his mind.
The system gasped. [Host, are you finally going to do the task?!] It asked with glee.
'No, so how?' Xiu Lin asked.
[Sigh... well according to the original story, a shareholder of the Xiu's has been tampering papers and embezzling millions from company assets. The longer he was doing that, the more debt the company earned only in the end did the family found out that their hard earned money had been transferred ownership so many times. The shareholder hid it so good, the Xius finally collapsed. This is also where the host's original body was kidnapped by the shareholder and turned him into his sex slave, killing him after a month of torturous activities.]
'So my soul fragment died like a butchered pig here?' He asked in distaste.
[If that's how it sound to Host, then yes. The original owner died like a butchered pig.] 1204 replied. With this, system hopes that his host will become motivated in doing the task to avoid his unsavory end.
However, his thoughts had jinx him in the worst solution.
'Then I'd better kill my self than others doing it for me!' Xiu Lin picked up his fork and knife. He then started eating the steak in his plate.
The system cried once again. His future Janitorial jobs is waving hello at him. Oh, with a host like this, he will be demoted... demoted I tell you!
[Host... wuwuwuwu... please don't do this to me.] The poor system begged.
'Who chose me to be bounded to them? Without permission, by the way. Hmm?'
[I'm sorry host! This system didn't have a choice! You are my only option wuwuwuwuwu.]
Xiu Lin ignored him already and continued his meal as he shut down his conversation with his system.