Chapter 14#
【Chapter 014】#
Jing Shun had never been particularly talented when it came to naming things.
The dog he adopted from a film set back in the day had just used the character’s name from the show. Now, having once again joyfully claimed the title of “Dog Dad,” he had spent the past two days sifting through countless potential puppy names, yet somehow failed to find a single one that satisfied him.
So, for the time being, he could only resort to calling the pup “Dog Bao” or “Baby.”
Luckily, the loose-haired Song dog was naturally intelligent and understood human speech. In just two days, Dog Bao had learned a series of standard commands like using a designated potty spot, shaking paws, and sitting.
Jing Shun had nothing to do right now, so he was playing with the dog in the outer hall of his room. “Dog Bao! Sit!”
Dog Bao plopped down steadily, lifting its head to respond, “Awoo!”
Jing Shun was overwhelmed by the cuteness. “Mhm~ Who’s the bestest little dog in the whole world!”
Dog Bao enthusiastically replied, “Woof!”
“…”
Chi Gui had only just approached the room when he heard the cross-species conversation between the one human and one dog. The corner of his mouth curled up involuntarily.
Jing Shun noticed the figure appearing in the doorway. “Mr. Chi?”
Dog Bao also turned around, warily eyeing Chi Gui, who was nearly 1.9 meters tall. Despite its tiny size, it dared to stand protectively in front of Jing Shun and charge forward.
“—Woof!”
Super fierce!
But not very intimidating.
Standing at the entrance, Chi Gui looked down, maintaining some distance from it.
Seeing that this tactic failed to scare off the suddenly appearing enemy, Dog Bao stretched its neck and launched a series of barks. But it barked so hard that it ended up flipping itself over, landing on its back with all four paws in the air.
“…”
Chi Gui raised an eyebrow slightly.
Jing Shun found Dog Bao’s fearless spirit adorable and couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, come here.”
Realizing it couldn’t defeat the enormous creature before it, Dog Bao ran back to Jing Shun pitifully, pawing at his leg and whimpering.
Jing Shun scooped it up onto his lap to soothe it. “Stop fussing. I’ll soak some dog food in goat milk powder for you later, okay?”
Dog Bao nuzzled his palm and immediately quieted down, lying still.
Seeing this, Chi Gui remarked, “This dog really listens to you.”
A hint of pride glimmered in Jing Shun’s eyes. “Yeah, it’s pretty well-behaved and easy to teach.”
Remembering how Dog Bao had barked crazily at Chi Gui earlier, he explained, “Mr. Chi, puppies tend to be mischievous when they’re young. He was just playing with you just now. Please don’t mind it.”
Chi Gui stared at the little dog burrowing into Jing Shun’s arms, then slowly averted his gaze. “…I’m not about to argue with a little puppy. May I come in?”
Seeing that Chi Gui was still standing at the door, Jing Shun quickly nodded. “Of course.”
Chi Gui walked over and directly pulled a black box from his coat pocket. “For you. Open it.”
“For me?”
Jing Shun took the heavy box, hesitated for a moment, then opened it—
Inside the luxurious black velvet box lay a wristwatch with a black-and-blue color matching , not a brand or style commonly seen on the market.
Jing Shun was startled. “A watch?”
Chi Gui said, “I had someone custom-order a monitoring wristwatch from overseas on an expedited basis.”
This watch was a private service product from the R&D team, integrating comprehensive real-time body monitoring functions currently available on the market, with data analysis precise down to the minute and second.
Of course, it also included basic GPS positioning functionality.
As long as the user was willing to grant permissions, it could provide round-the-clock real-time monitoring, generate data at set intervals and transmit it to the guardian’s phone, and automatically alert and locate the user in case of an emergency crisis.
Additionally, there were some hidden functional permissions that could be enabled if needed. For example, there was a concealed camera built into the side knob that could secretly record video.
Chi Gui briefly explained the watch’s purpose to Jing Shun. “Starting today, you need to wear this watch at all times. This is the ‘punishment’ I mentioned last time.”
Previously, Jing Shun had acted behind Chi Gui’s back, privately taking action and stabbing Chi Sheng in a corner during a banquet. Afterwards, the two of them had discussed the matter of “breach of contract penalties.”
“…”
Jing Shun remembered this but didn’t immediately respond.
Looking at the watch in the box, his mind instead flashed back to what he had experienced in his previous life—
Back then, Chi Sheng had installed surveillance cameras all over the house under the pretense of “doing it for his own good,” claiming it was for convenience in keeping track of his situation in case anything dangerous happened when he was home alone.
In the end, the surveillance had recorded every one of Jing Shun’s humiliations in real time, which later became tools for Chi Sheng to mock him.
The silence stretched on for a while.
Chi Gui saw through the struggle and resistance in Jing Shun’s eyes, but the words that came out of his mouth lacked their earlier forcefulness. “Jing Shun, the internal dynamics within the Chi Corporation are complicated, with constant petty squabbles. Now that you’re living under the same roof as me, it’s inevitable that some people will come looking for trouble with you.”
“Since we’ve signed an agreement, I should be responsible for your health and safety.”
“Also, regarding that matter last time when you hid it from me and confronted an outsider, I selfishly hope there won’t be a second time.”
“…”
Jing Shun’s silence continued.
Chi Gui’s brow furrowed with a hint of resignation. “Forget it, if you really don’t like it…”
“Okay.”
Jing Shun cut in before the other could retract those words, agreeing, “I’ll do as you say.”
There was a contract between them, and he was playing the role of Chi Gui’s “other half,” so naturally he had to cooperate with the other party being able to reach him at any time.
Jing Shun proactively put the wristwatch on his left hand. “Alright, is this okay?”
Chi Gui stepped closer. “You need to set the permissions. It requires your personal consent.”
“Oh.”
Jing Shun did as told, and suddenly felt it wasn’t as uncomfortable as he had imagined.
It was called a “punishment,” but the starting point wasn’t bad, and all operations had to follow his own wishes.
Most importantly, the person in front of him was Chi Gui, not the Chi Sheng of the past.
The heartstrings that had been tensed due to memories loosened. Jing Shun rubbed the watch face. “So my physical data will be transmitted to you in real time? The location too?”
“Mm. My contact information is in it. You can find me if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
Jing Shun studied it for a moment and clicked to authorize.
A mechanical voice sounded: Human face recognized. Real-time monitoring activated. Data will be sent to guardian ‘S’ phone.
Guardian?
Hearing this subtle term, Jing Shun was momentarily stunned.
Ever since he turned eighteen and learned that his parents had divorced, he had no so-called “guardian” anymore.
Even though his legs were disabled, Jing Shun had never asked anyone to be responsible for monitoring his health and safety. Although this was just wording on a custom watch, it still sparked a momentary association in his mind—
If something happened again in the future, at least Chi Gui would know?
Jing Shun’s heart tightened, and he subconsciously called the person in front of him by his full name. “Chi Gui, I…”
Buzzzz.
His phone suddenly vibrated with an incoming call, interrupting what he was about to say.
Jing Shun immediately snapped back to reality and politely corrected himself. “Mr. Chi, your phone is ringing.”
“…”
Chi Gui held his breath and answered the call. “Hello?”
Chen Yiming on the other end of the phone sensed his boss’s faintly irritated tone and hesitated for two seconds before reporting. “Sir, someone is at the gate of the residence looking for Mr. Jing.”
They were standing close together, so Jing Shun heard the message. “Looking for me? Who is it?”
Chi Gui pushed aside that faint, inexplicable irritation and repeated the question. “Who’s looking for him?”
Chen Yiming reported truthfully, “Yu Xiuzhu.”
Jing Shun was surprised. “Brother Yu?”
He had indeed told Yu Xiuzhu his current address, but he hadn’t expected the other man to show up at the door so soon.
The security at Chi’s residence was strict; generally, outsiders couldn’t get in.
Yu Xiuzhu, who had come uninvited, was having trouble at the main gate when he happened to run into Chen Yiming, who was returning after finishing some business. Hence this phone call.
Ten minutes later, Yu Xiuzhu appeared before the two of them.
Jing Shun was the first to call out. “Brother Yu.”
“Mm.”
Yu Xiuzhu responded.
He recognized Chi Gui in the outer hall and offered the proper courtesy. “Chairman Chi, it’s our first meeting. I kept calling Xiao Jing’s phone but no one answered, so I took the liberty of dropping by. My apologies.”
Chi Gui gave a slight nod. “A guest is a guest. Please have a seat, Mr. Yu.”
“Brother Yu, my phone was on silent and charging, so I didn’t notice your calls.” Jing Shun briefly explained, then guessed, “Is it about the show? Did we get the result?”
Yu Xiuzhu nodded, then glanced uncertainly at Chi Gui beside him.
Jing Shun understood his hint and didn’t try to hide anything. “Brother Yu, I have to report to Mr. Chi whenever I go out now. Just speak frankly.”
Chi Gui caught the keyword. “What show?”
“…”
Report?
What exactly was the situation between these two?
Yu Xiuzhu was puzzled, but he knew this wasn’t the time to ask. He had to get down to business first. “Xiao Jing, I’ve already talked with the show’s production team. They are very happy to have you participate in the recording.”
He handed Jing Shun the draft contract he had brought. “Take a look? The appearance fee and everything—the show’s offer is very reasonable.”
Jing Shun was delighted. “They really agreed?”
Chi Gui took the opportunity to lean in. “Would you mind letting me have a look too?”
“…”
The distance between them suddenly closed.
Jing Shun felt that if he tilted his head just slightly, he could touch Chi Gui’s shoulder. The familiar scent of tea from the other man’s clothes slowly lingered and enveloped him, gradually encroaching upon what he considered a safe boundary.
Unconsciously, Jing Shun tightened his grip on the edge of the contract and passed it over. “Mm.”
Yu Xiuzhu hadn’t expected Chi Gui to take an interest in this. After a moment’s thought, he offered a backup contract. “I have a spare copy here.”
Chi Gui didn’t even look up. “No need.”
“…”
Slighted, Yu Xiuzhu could only explain on his own. “The observation room guests need to do a total of four main recordings, each time watching two episodes of the main show.”
The entire season consisted of eight main episodes.
Jing Shun thought about his upcoming surgery. “Brother Yu, have the recording dates been confirmed?”
“The first and second rounds of recording are next week. After that, there will be a two-week break. I’ve confirmed it won’t conflict with your surgery schedule.”
Yu Xiuzhu easily allayed Jing Shun’s concerns. “I know you’ll need time to recover after the operation, so I specifically discussed it with the show’s team—”
“You can skip the third round of recording. The date for the fourth round hasn’t been officially set yet; we’ll see when the time comes.”
Seeing the arrangements outlined in the notice, Jing Shun breathed a sigh of relief.
This way, it wouldn’t interfere with his surgical treatment and would still allow him to meet his need to earn money.
Chi Gui finished reading the draft contract and straightened up. “This show sounds familiar?”
Chen Yiming had already glimpsed the show’s name on the spare contract. “Sir, one of our employees from the investment banking subsidiary under the Chi Group is participating in the recording. General Yue from the subsidiary mentioned it during the quarterly meeting, and you approved it.”
Jing Shun was surprised. “The show also recruited people from Chi Group?”
Yu Xiuzhu had seen the complete show plan. “I heard that Hishi TV this time recruited employees from four major companies: Chi Group Finance, Xiaomai Technology, Baichuan Film and Television, and Yugu Media for the recording.”
The reality show recordings were spread across the headquarters of each company in different locations, but the observation room guest recordings were done locally in Haishi.
Yu Xiuzhu didn’t beat around the bush. “Xiao Jing, the show team is in a hurry. They want to make the official announcement across all platforms next week, so we need to give them an answer today.”
That was precisely why he had come directly to find Jing Shun.
“Brother Yu, since the show team is willing to give me this opportunity, of course I want to participate in the recording.”
Jing Shun expressed his stance without hesitation, but his gaze shifted to Chi Gui. “Mr. Chi, I…”
Chi Gui met his questioning gaze and asked in return, “Are you sure you can handle the show recording?”
Jing Shun had already considered similar issues long ago. “Yes, I’m sure. I also want to do it.”
No one knew better than him what he wanted.
Even if it was just a show recording, not acting, this was an opportunity Jing Shun had dreamed of in his previous life.
Hearing this, Chi Gui didn’t refuse. “Mm, got it.”
He gave in too easily, and Jing Shun was a bit uncertain. “You’re not against it?”
“Your normal work and social interactions, I won’t oppose.”
Chi Gui had never intended to restrict Jing Shun’s freedom or trap him in this mansion prison. They had only signed an agreement, not an indenture contract.
Hearing their exchange, Yu Xiuzhu seized the moment. “Xiao Jing, for the show’s official announcement, the guests need to provide personal posters. It’s still early today; why don’t you come with me to get them taken later?”
Jing Shun hadn’t expected it to be so rushed, but he still agreed. “Okay.”
…
With matters settled, Yu Xiuzhu went downstairs first.
Jing Shun tidied up a bit, but before he could leave the outer hall, he was stopped by Dog Bao.
“Awoo awoo!”
Dog Bao hopped back and forth on the floor, as if reminding him of something. “Woo~ Woof!”
Seeing its empty bowl, Jing Shun realized what was wrong. He quickly prepared some goat milk powder, pouring it into hot water, and added an appropriate amount of dog food.
Dog Bao stared at him eagerly, its tail spinning like a tiny propeller.
Jing Shun’s heart melted. He picked up the tiny Dog Bao. “Baby, be good. I have to go out for a bit. Stay home, eat your fill, and sleep. Don’t cause trouble.”
“Awoo~”
Dog Bao licked his chin.
Suddenly, Chi Gui’s voice came from behind. “Jing Shun, Mr. Yu is waiting for you in the car.”
Jing Shun was startled, realizing Chi Gui was still sitting in the outer hall, hadn’t left.
He quickly put Dog Bao down, setting the softened dog food on the floor. “Baby, eat! Be good at home!”
Dog Bao buried its head in the bowl. “Mm mm mm~”
Having settled his little one, Jing Shun maneuvered his wheelchair out of the room. “Mr. Chi, I’m leaving now. I might not be back for dinner.”
Chi Gui glanced at the wristwatch he was wearing. “Mm, got it.”
Soon, Jing Shun took the elevator downstairs.
Chi Gui didn’t rush back to his own room. Instead, he approached the puppy that was busy eating. Hearing the movement behind it, Dog Bao turned around warily, sniffed the hem of the newcomer’s trousers—
This scent… not someone to mess with!
Dog Bao couldn’t win, so it pretended to be good and wagged its tail.
Chi Gui looked down at this tiny creature, remembering how Jing Shun had cuddled and called it before leaving. “He calls you… ‘Baby’?”
Dog Bao heard its name and enthusiastically responded, “Awoo!”
“…”
What kind of name is that? Who’s calling who baby?
Chi Gui frowned, lightly nudging the dog bowl with the tip of his shoe. “That’s a terrible name.”
Seeing its food bowl kicked, Dog Bao stopped pretending and barked fiercely. “Woof!”
Baby good!
Human bad!!
Human super bad!!!