Chapter 2439: Another Me 08

The next day.

Lai Chi woke early, his eyes slightly swollen from crying, but his spirits were better than any day before.

He tidied up quickly, pulled a thick manila file bag from under the mattress; inside were the inheritance proof Jin Chen found in the study, the bank statement, and that crucial bank card.

Lai Chi carefully placed the file bag in the innermost compartment of his backpack and zipped it up.

He looked at the mirror, his lips twitching into a somewhat awkward smile.

"Good morning, Brother."

Today he wore a simple white hoodie, pulled the cap low so the brim hid half his face, looking quiet and harmless.

"Good morning, Xiao Chi." Jin Chen replied quickly, as if he had just woken up, lazy.

Lai Chi shouldered his backpack and silently walked through the living room, where a low-pressure atmosphere lingered after the chaos.

Lai Fendou was still drunk and unconscious, Qiu Juan's eyes swollen as she slammed things around in the kitchen, yelling at nobody in particular, as if she were yelling at everyone.

Lai Donglai's gaze toward him remained complicated and hard to read, and no one bothered to ask where he was headed.

Stepping out of that heavy door, the outside air carried the freshness of a summer morning.

When they arrived at the place to change the procedures, Jin Chen saw Lai Chi even more silent and hurriedly said, "Xiao Chi, we're here—rest a bit, I'll take it from here."

Lai Chi closed his eyes and sank his consciousness deep within.

When he opened his eyes again, the timidity and confusion in his gaze had vanished, replaced by a calm sharpness.

Jin Chen pulled back the hood of his sweatshirt, revealing an overly handsome face tinged with coldness.

He slung his backpack over one shoulder and headed for the specialized agency handling inheritance disputes and legal consultations.

Ling Gun Gun popped out, 【To become a school tyrant from a top student, all you need is one host!】

【……】 Jin Chen flicked it away.

【You handle the online procedures; my available time each day is too short.】 Jin Chen was dissatisfied.

【Got it!】

Jin Chen handled the subsequent procedures quickly.

He presented Lai Chi's identification, produced the crucial original inheritance document and bank‑statement evidence, and clearly laid out how Lai Fendou had seized Lai Chi's father's inheritance, taken over the villa, and misappropriated the support funds sent by Lin Wan.

"I need to apply for recovery of the inheritance and report Lai Fendou's encroachment." Jin Chen finally said.

Over the next few days, Lai Chi would occasionally find a chance to leave home, and Jin Chen would use that time to handle the procedures, compressing everything into one online hour.

——

With Ling Gun Gun's help, the inheritance processing went quickly; they had already received part of the money, and Jin Chen prepared to buy school supplies for Lai Chi.

In the Computer City, Jin Chen strolled through the crowd, holding the bag of his newly bought notebook.

As he walked, he chatted with Lai Chi in his sea of consciousness: "This spec is enough for you, Xiao Chi; once your grades come out, I'll get you a better one…"

Before he finished speaking, a male voice laden with exaggerated surprise suddenly sounded in Jin Chen's ear.

"Lai Chi?!"

Jin Chen didn't stop his steps; he merely turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over lazily.

Several boys in flashy T‑shirts blocked the way ahead, the leader wearing a look of having seen a ghost.

"Xiao Chi, who are they?" Jin Chen asked.

Lai Chi's tone made his dislike obvious: "It's Zhao Qian, a classmate and friend of Lai Donglai."

Ling Gun Gun instantly pulled up the original plot data.

Zhao Qian, Lai Donglai's ardent pursuer, had always regarded the Lai Chi living in Lai Donglai's home as a thorn in his side, believing he was a parasite living off the Lai family's charity.

Jin Chen's eyes turned cold.

If he'd bullied his wife, he deserved a beating.

Seeing Lai Chi ignore him, Zhao Qian's temper flared; he strode forward a few steps and blocked Jin Chen's path.

"Well well! A mute living off others dares to buy a computer—surely you're spending Donglai family's money, you shameless thing!"

His three lackeys behind him immediately jeered, "Exactly, mooching food and drinks, now even mooching a computer?"

"Some people—if they've got books to read, they should be burning incense, yet they're addicted to being vampires!"

Zhao Qian sneered, "Hey, mute, you'd better show up at the class reunion in a few days—I'm waiting to see you!"

Jin Chen glanced at Zhao Qian's spite‑filled face, then curled his lips into a smile devoid of warmth.

"All right."

Those two light words were like hitting the mute button.

Zhao Qian's smile seized up instantly, his expression freezing on his face.

One lackey pointed at Jin Chen, eyes wide, stammering, "I… I fuck! The mute actually spoke!"

Zhao Qian lunged forward a step, almost poking Jin Chen's nose, "You fucking pretending to be mute? You…"

Before he finished, Jin Chen raised a hand, seemingly casually resting it on Zhao Qian's shoulder and pressing a certain acupoint.

A sharp, numbing pain shot instantly from shoulder to neck across half of Zhao Qian's body.

"Damn it!" Zhao Qian cried out in pain, the rest of his curses choking in his throat.

Jin Chen leaned in slightly, glanced at him askance, the faint smile still on his lips, "What do you want to say?"

Zhao Qian grimaced in pain, shocked and furious.

He caught sight of a mall security guard patrolling nearby, swallowed his cry, gritted his teeth, and lowered his voice to threaten.

"……You've got the guts to come with us over there!"

He said it, jabbing his thumb hard toward the public restroom behind him, his eyes fierce.

【Heh, you little rascal, you're kinda brave.】 Ling Gun Gun laughed, perched on Jin Chen's head.

Jin Chen's eyebrows rose slightly, as if he had heard something amusing, and a low, inscrutable laugh rose from his throat.

Okay.

Lai Chi's worried voice sounded, "Brother......"

"It's fine," Jin Chen soothed him, his tone relaxed, "Watch how Brother will entertain them."

Jin Chen lifted his laptop bag, unhurriedly following Zhao Qian and the others toward the public restroom in the corner.

Just as they turned into the secluded spot at the restroom entrance, Zhao Qian gave a look, and his three lackeys immediately surrounded him, faces bearing vicious smiles.

Jin Chen leisurely leaned against the cold ceramic wall, his gaze lightly sweeping over Zhao Qian.

"Xiao Chi," he asked in his mind, "What has this brat done to you before?"

Lai Chi fell silent for a moment, images surged in his sea of consciousness, a voice repressing emotion sounded.

"They locked me in the classroom, that day...... was my Father's memorial day."

Jin Chen's gaze instantly sank.

He tilted his head slightly, almost imperceptibly, and moved his wrist.

Ten minutes later.

On the ground outside the public restroom, Zhao Qian and his lackeys lay sprawled, their postures Distorted, each grimacing, clutching their stomachs and arms, pain making them suck in cold breaths.

Jin Chen leisurely picked up the wet mop leaning against the wall corner and walked to Zhao Qian's front.

The mop head, carrying filthy water, pressed neither lightly nor heavily against Zhao Qian's panicked face.

"I'll go to the class reunion, before this......"

He slightly bent his body, brought his mouth close to Zhao Qian's ear, his voice pressed extremely low, a fierce threat.

"Help me keep a sense of mystery; today's affair, not a single word may leak out."

The smell of the filthy water on the mop and its icy sensation made Zhao Qian's stomach churn uncontrollably.

He met those eyes devoid of warmth, terrified out of his wits, hastily nodding, making a hoarse sound from his throat.

Jin Chen straightened up, casually tossing the mop aside.

He walked to the sink, washing his hands, his gaze falling on Lai Chi's face in the mirror.

In the mirror, the youth's cheeks rare showed a hint of blood color, his lips also more rosy than usual.

Jin Chen looked at the mirror, suddenly curled the corner of his mouth, raised his hand and pinched the cheek, "Xiao Chi, are you happy?"

Lai Chi: "...... Happy."

He seemed a little choked up.

Lai Chi responded, repeatedly shouting silently in his heart many times.

Brother, brother...... brother.

A voice in Lai Chi's heart shouted, he could not leave Brother.

In this lifetime, he could not leave.

Jin Chen smiled even deeper.

【Detected Villain Heartthrob Value +4, total 17!】