Kaleidoscope

001.4 | Gratitude For Saving Me

[A/N: Qi Sying and "Jun Zihao" will be used interchangeably. Please comment if it gets confusing.]

Later that day, Qi Sying arranged a family dinner. It was at a five-star restaurant known for its delicious home cooking. The Jun family used to enjoy spicy food; the more spicy, the better. But due to Jun Zihao's health condition, they rarely eat one together.

Thus, Qi Sying ordered a lot of Sichuan dishes.

The Jun Family was not aware that Jun Zihao had returned to the city. Though they did know he graduated from university, they expected that he would be taking a vacation first before returning. The person himself did not divulge them his plans, leaving him vulnerable to all kinds of bullying.

If ever his family were there when he needed help the most, Jun Zihao won't die tragically.

Once the table had been set, he contacted the main house. The people were discussing the meal for dinner when Jun Zihao's call came in. Mother Jun immediately answered the phone, happily asking about her son's condition.

"HaoBei, are there anything you need?" Mother Jun glanced at the clock on the wall and calculated the time difference between the two cities. "It must be lunch there in City A, right? Have you eaten already?"

Qi Sying was silent. Mother Jun became aware of her child's uneasiness. She headed towards the living room, where Father Jun was leafing through some books. He placed the book down when he saw Mother Jun sitting next to him with a frown.

"Mom, I'm actually fine. You don't have to worry," Qi Sying reassured.

"Really?" Mother Jun didn't believe it. She had been hands-on with her sons, so she knew when something was up. Her intuition was also on tenterhooks.

"Haobei, you can tell me. What is it? Do you need something? Do you need some money?"

Father Jun reacted. "Xiao Wu needs money?"

Qi Sying immediately interjected. "No! Actually..."

Afraid of causing any misunderstanding, Qi Sying told the truth about being in the city for many months. When Mother Jun heard about it, she was furious. She instantly seized her five other sons and hauled them to the address Qi Sying told them.

The parent's heart was always squeezed with worry. Mother Jun nagged Qi Sying for more than an hour before calming down and querying him to sit down to tell her about his work.

She had always blamed herself for what happened to Jun Zihao before. Jun Zihao wouldn't have lost his path if only she had been good enough as a mother. Whenever she sees that patch of scar on Jun Zihao's head, she can only feel heartache.

Jun Zihao was always kind to his elders thus Qi Sying acted in place. With an adorable smile, he honestly revealed his workplace and the place where he was currently residing. The Jun Family happily listened to their youngest recount them stories about his colleagues and new friends, watching him with eyes filled with affection.

One can clearly see how they treasured Jun Zihao the most.

After the meal, the group separated. Mother Jun almost wanted to bring the youngest back to the main house, but she restrained the urge to do so. Even though they wanted him to go back to their main house, they both knew that they could no longer control their son.

Jun Zihao was already an adult man.

Like his brothers, he had to become independent. He has a stable job with a generous salary, has his own apartment, and lives a comparatively comfortable life. How could they just suddenly destroy the hard work their son had made?

Hence, instead of worrying, they all gave their blessings to the youngest, wishing that he would live his life to the fullest. Of course, Qi Sying promised that he would visit them every weekend. Even though it wasn't part of the regret list, Jun Zihao never had met his parents before he died. He must be terribly grieved.

On the other hand, Qi Sying thought that this kind of set-up was very foreign to him. He did not know why, but he always felt that this warm and heartfelt unconditional love was something that he had always been seeking.

Shaking his head, Qi Sying threw these thoughts to the back of his mind as he returned to his apartment.

The original Jun Zihao surely does have a lot of money, taking into consideration that the family spoiled him all throughout. However, seeing the modest apartment, it seems that he indeed changed from being a luxurious man into a commoner.

It wasn't hefty like what those second and third rich generations have, but big enough for two people to fit in with an ample amount of room to spare. He expected that the original would at least buy a condo unit, but having this apartment in the central district was not that bad either.

It was actually considered a luxury for a recent graduate like him. Not all graduate students can find work and a house to live in immediately after finishing university. This small apartment must have cost a lot since it is inside the city.

Qi Sying latched the door after entering and examined the whole place.

There are four rooms inside the apartment, with two of them as bedrooms, one as a bathroom, and the largest one being the living room and kitchen joined together.

The living room is ordinary and consists of only a three-seater brown sofa with a glass table in front, holding a few stacks of old magazines and a potted small decoration plant in a transparent bowl filled with colorful orbeez.

A 32-inch flat screen stood a few feet before the setting, resting in the middle part of a furnished wood cabinet in the shape of a "U". The lower part contains compartments enclosed with small square doors with button knobs, while the sides are vertical shelves with a few thin books and figurines.

Treading only a few steps, you reach the kitchen. Like the living room, this place was also simple.

The sink was in the far corner, with drawers above containing stored goods. Not far from its side were the microwave and the electric stove with an oven. The pots and pans were hung on hangers, while the knives and cutlery were stored in the small cupboard.

The plates were kept inside a cool compartment together with other necessary kitchen materials. In just one look, Qi Sying can see that the original knows how to cook. Seeing that not only was the fridge full of fresh food, but there are also baking essentials resting on the counter.

He tottered around the kitchen for a while before moving to the three rooms separated by the wall. There are two bedrooms in his apartment; one of them belongs to him, while the other is for the guests.

Even though he never brought someone over, he always thought that a time would come when he would invite his brothers over. Not wanting to squish in a narrow bed, he prepared a guest room where they could rest.

The last one is a bathroom tiled with white walls, with the usual set-up of a shower head, toilet bowl, vanity sink, and bath tub. In just one round of walking, Qi Sying was able to see the entire whole place.

"This person... he seems very average for a young master."

Qi Sying said as he opened a can of orange juice. He just finished taking a shower and took all of his medications. He now wanted to relax after the whole day of chaos and had chosen to watch TV for a while before going to sleep. He sipped the drink as he sat down on the comfort of the sofa.

「The original character reformed fully. He merely wanted to become a salaryman and serve the person who saved his life.」

"Isn't that dull? Even though I can't judge him for being such a grateful person, at least he should have thought further."

Qi Sying pressed the remote to switch channels.

"You know, what if he had paid his debt? What would he do next? What is the reason for obtaining a new lease on life? Sacrificing it towards a stranger who never actually knew him?"

Ru Weimin did not know who Jun Zihao was. That minor encounter in the past was just a trick brought on by fate. It could be done by any person; it doesn't have to be Ru Weimin. Yet, Jun Zihao has dedicated his life to Ru Weimin as if he were the god of his life.

"Have you ever wondered why I didn't inform Jun Zihao's parents about the brain surgery?"

The system did not respond right away. Based on its analysis, telling Jun Zihao's parents about his condition will increase the chance of completing the missions. It was indeed questionable why he didn't reveal any of it.

「Why?」

"Because it will only increase Jun Zihao's guilt."

The system was more confused. 「It will?」

"Of course, it will. Ru Weimin only saved Jun Zihao by calling for help. You could say it was just a timely rescue. It is normal to feel thankful. There was nothing wrong with that. But not to the extent where you offer your life to the other."

Qi Sying took a sip of his drink, his eyes unfocused. The TV was showing a comedy skit where the actors made a joke. Sounds of laughter resounded throughout the entirety of the studio, making the small, quiet room filled with noise.

He remembered the dinner he had earlier. While he was talking about Jun Zihao's life, he was also observing the Jun Family. As an outsider, he could clearly see the love and affection in their eyes, especially Mother Jun, who seemed to have a strict tongue but pampered Jun Zihao dearly.

"But his parents," Qi Sying continued. "It was his parents who couldn't sleep at night while thinking about when Jun Zihao would wake up. It was his brothers who accompanied him when he was undergoing rehab, helping him stand and learn to walk when that sense of touch had gone awry. It was his family who supported him the most, so he could get back to the society..."

His family, who suffered together with him but still cherished him very dearly, yet he exchanged his life for a stranger, who wouldn't feel any regret?

"Asking his parents' for help will only increase his regret points since he will realize how stupid he was."

The system in his mind was only quiet for a while. It realized how Q Sying was different from all the hosts it handled. While most of them were a 'yes man' who did whatever the management ordered, just doing the opposite of the mistake, since it was safer, Qi Sying was trying to uphold logic.

The cold system never considered the consequences. The people around the host will think, just follow the script and things will be done well. It never hindered work and had generated good results, so it never deviated from that tactic. It is only now that someone has asked about it.

The system wanted to give an answer, but its mechanical mind only stated an error.

Qi Sying was rather rhetorical and didn't expect that the system would answer his questions. He was just thinking and muttering his thoughts. After finishing his drink, he made one last attempt to watch whatever was on the TV before turning it off.

He made his way over the sink to brush his teeth, then brought a glass of water to his room and placed it on the nightstand. With a last glimpse at the dark ceiling, Qi Sying dozed off and had a night empty of dreams.