After Unbinding the Simp System, I'm Targeted by the Villain - Chapter 41

Ding-dong!

The glass door of the small teahouse was pushed open, and the visitor’s bell chimed throughout the shop.

The owner, wearing a pair of reading glasses, was sitting in a chair reading the newspaper. Hearing the sound, he looked up to see a youth walking in.

Strange, he thought. His little teahouse usually didn’t see much foot traffic, but business was surprisingly good today; someone else was coming in even this late.

Yu Chucheng casually ordered a pot of tea and some sunflower seeds, then found a corner where he could keep an eye on the second floor.

Because of the nature of his job, the private investigator found it inconvenient to meet with his employer, so he had already left by the time Yu Chucheng arrived. Yu Chucheng had a Bluetooth earbud in his ear, and the two communicated via phone.

“Are you sure the person in room 201 is Lin Mei? You didn’t see wrong?” Yu Chucheng asked while cracking seeds. He had never actually seen what Lin Mei looked like.

The private investigator was silent for two seconds. “Positive. Please do not question our professional capabilities.”

Yu Chucheng’s attention was drawn to a man in a suit approaching outside, carrying a briefcase. The man wore an exquisite tie, and his hair was groomed meticulously—not the type of person who would typically visit a small teahouse like this.

However, the man looked left and right at the teahouse entrance, then pushed the door open and walked straight in.

Yu Chucheng immediately went on high alert. He pulled his hat down and lowered his head, catching a glimpse from the corner of his eye as the man ignored the standing owner and headed straight for the second floor into room 201.

Now, Yu Chucheng knew he had come to the right place. For Lin Mei to meet someone like this in such an inconspicuous spot, there was definitely something fishy going on.

Inside room 201, the moment the man in the suit walked in, Lin Mei looked up eagerly. However, she didn’t see the person she wanted to see.

“Where’s Hanzhou?” Lin Mei’s eyes reddened, the smile on her face gradually freezing.

The man placed his briefcase on the table and pulled out a stack of papers, introducing himself in a businesslike manner. “Hello, Ms. Lin. I am Mr. Zhang’s representative. Mr. Zhang finds it inconvenient to meet with you recently, so he has asked me to deliver this to you on his behalf.”

The man handed over the document. Lin Mei took it and looked at the title.

“Relationship Confirmation Contract…” Lin Mei looked up at the man blankly. “What does this mean?”

“Mr. Zhang is very dissatisfied with the inconvenience you have caused him previously. Therefore, he has drafted a contract. You only need to fulfill its contents, and Mr. Zhang will honor the agreement accordingly.”

Lin Mei hurriedly read further down. The duties to be fulfilled by both parties included:

Neither party shall allow any third party to know of their blood relationship.

Neither party shall interfere with the other’s life, nor allow those around them to interfere; otherwise, all ties will be severed.

Ms. Lin Mei must prioritize Mr. Zhang Hanzhou in all matters. Mr. Zhang Hanzhou will provide Ms. Lin Mei with 20,000 yuan in living expenses per month.

…

There were many more clauses below, but Lin Mei couldn’t read any further. She crumpled the contract in her hand, her heart stinging as if pricked by needles.

“I don’t agree! Is he trying to draw a line between us? I am his mother! Hanzhou would never do this!”

The man looked at her coldly. “Please turn to the final page.”

Lin Mei’s hands trembled, making the paper rustle loudly. When she saw Zhang Hanzhou’s personal signature on the last page, she stared at the name for a long time in disbelief. Being ruthlessly nailed to a contract by her own biological son caused her mental pillar to collapse.

“No, I don’t believe it. Tell him to come see me himself! Call him right now and let me see him—just for a moment.”

The man placed a pen on the table. “I’m sorry. Mr. Zhang will only consider meeting you once you have signed the contract.”

“I’m not signing it!” Lin Mei grabbed the pen and threw it onto the floor.

Yu Chucheng heard the commotion from the private room and looked up suspiciously toward the second floor. The teahouse owner, acting as if nothing was wrong, continued reading his newspaper. Yu Chucheng glanced at him.

Lin Mei must be a regular here, otherwise the owner wouldn’t be this calm.

Suddenly, the door to 201 opened. There seemed to have been a struggle inside; the man in the suit didn’t even have time to straighten his disheveled tie as he hurried downstairs, stuffing papers back into his bag.

Yu Chucheng couldn’t look away in time and locked eyes with the man for a split second. But the man didn’t pay much attention, simply striding out the door. As a double-degree returnee, he had never met someone as rude and crude as Lin Mei; she had actually tried to tear the contract just now. If he hadn’t been afraid of someone piecing the fragments back together, he wouldn’t have had to wrestle it back from her so pathetically.

Yu Chucheng watched the man exit the teahouse, where a black car was waiting at the curb.

The wind was howling outside, and the temperature had plummeted over 10 degrees since the daytime. Yu Chucheng ducked behind a row of bicycles and snapped a photo of the license plate before the car drove off, sending it to the private investigator.

“Just sent a photo via WeChat. Remember to check this car; keep an eye on it for a while.”

“Received.”

“Oh, right,” Yu Chucheng sniffled. “Can your team watch one more person for me? I’ll pay double.”

Hearing “double pay,” the voice on the other end immediately replied: “Of course, just give us the name.”

“Duan Huaijin. Keep an eye on his movements. If any suspicious people appear around him or if he goes to any suspicious places, let me know.”

The incident at the resort that night had been too terrifying. Yu Chucheng didn’t want to think about what would have happened if Duan Huaijin had faced those men in black alone. Since the mastermind failed once, there was bound to be a second time. It was safer to have someone watching.

After hanging up, Yu Chucheng finally felt the cold. He sneezed twice in a row, his nose turned red by the biting wind. Kyoto’s weather was truly a joke; the temperature drops whenever it feels like it.

When Ji Zhou woke up, his room felt like an ice cellar. He hissed as he shut the window tight, complaining about the weather while digging thick clothes out of his closet.

On his way to school, he habitually glanced at the door across the hall. A delivery bag was sitting on the floor in front of Yu Chucheng’s door, looking like it had been ordered early in the morning.

Ji Zhou knocked on the door. “Hey! Are you awake? This delivery at your door is going to be stone cold!”

Ji Zhou knocked a few more times with no response, so he used enough force to nearly punch through the wood, banging loudly twice. After a moment, the sound of dragging slippers finally came from inside.

“What?” Yu Chucheng stood at the door sluggishly, staring at Ji Zhou with a dark face.

Seeing this massive case of “morning grumpiness,” Ji Zhou said slowly: “Your. Delivery.”

Yu Chucheng glanced down, only then remembering that he had vaguely answered a delivery call while half-asleep. He lifted the bag, but for some reason, he suddenly had no appetite and didn’t want to eat anything.

“Why do you look so terrible?” Ji Zhou scrutinized him. “Do you have a fever?”

Yu Chucheng touched his forehead. “Maybe a little.”

The temperature had dropped so fast last night, and he had only been wearing a single layer. He had nearly frozen to death on the way back.

“I’ll call Brother Chen.” Ji Zhou reached for his phone.

Yu Chucheng grabbed it immediately. “Don’t call my brother.” His head and hand injuries hadn’t healed yet; Yu Jingchen would only worry more if he saw him like this.

“Then what?”

“Just go, don’t you have classes? I’m fine, I’ll just sleep it off.” Yu Chucheng pushed Ji Zhou toward the door and tossed him a spare key. “Remember to bring me a roasted goose leg from your school gate when you get back. I might be sleeping and won’t hear you knock.”

Thud.

The door slammed shut, narrowly missing Ji Zhou’s nose.