What a treacherous betrayer!

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Butler Jing grumbled as he returned to his dormitory.

After all the effort to transmigrate, wielding a divine script that foretold the future, he still couldn’t do anything.

Although everything was unfolding according to the novel’s plot, every time he was about to act, the crises inexplicably vanished. The young masters of the Li family were displaying unprecedented clarity and rationality.

No, this is definitely out of character.

His divine script was utterly useless. Couldn’t the transmigrator be given a sliver of hope?

He wondered if he had transmigrated into a fake tragic novel.

Jing Yi angrily packed away his pajamas, stormed into the bathroom, slammed the door shut, and saw his furious reflection in the mirror.

It was still the same face, with familiar features, though the original butler was thinner, making his chin look sharper and giving him a somewhat cold and distant demeanor when expressionless.

He really needed to eat more.

Being too thin wasn’t healthy.

Jing Yi quickly took a shower, then climbed into bed, wrapping himself like a dumpling in the soft blanket, lying there with glistening eyes.

The deep stillness of night was perfect for brooding.

Wrapped in his quilt, his mood slowly rose.

He wondered if, after his wrongful death, his classmates had safely left the mountains, and if his body had been properly buried.

His golden finger had been stolen; he cursed the dark and light messengers to never taste a warm little cake in this life...

And Li Wenzhao, the stingiest overlord in history, who wouldn’t even give him twenty thousand yuan...

Zzzzzzz, he fell asleep.

---

Jing Yi slept soundly until dawn, feeling refreshed.

As soon as he opened his eyes, someone knocked at the door. Jing Yi, too lazy to get up, rolled over and said groggily, “Come in.”

The lock clicked open, and Li Mingzhi entered. “Wow, Butler Jing, you still haven’t locked your door while sleeping?”

Jing Yi hugged his pillow lazily. “The lock’s too advanced; I don’t know how to use it.”

“What’s so hard about it?” Li Mingzhi said. “It’s a voice-activated lock. It recognizes your voice; you just say ‘lock’ or ‘unlock.’”

“?”

The novel world really was advancing rapidly.

“That’s not urgent,” Li Mingzhi continued. “Let’s get to business. I borrowed some bodyguards from my second brother and have already put Ning Jiang under surveillance.” He looked at Jing Yi. “Butler Jing, you should come with me.”

Another field mission.

For some reason, though he hadn’t achieved anything since transmigrating, he still felt exhausted.

Who stole his energy?

“Young master, you have bodyguards now; me going along won’t help.” Jing Yi flipped over like a sea lion, already sleepy again.

“That’s not the same.” Li Mingzhi retorted. “I consider you a friend.”

And a useful extra, he added silently.

With that said, how could he refuse? Jing Yi patted Li Mingzhi kindly. “Alright, I’ll come with you.”

“Yay!”

Butlers on field missions must report to the head of the family. Jing Yi changed into regular clothes and knocked on the study door. Soon, Li Wenzhao’s voice called, “Come in.”

Jing Yi poked his head in. “President Li, I’m going on a field mission today.”

Li Wenzhao looked up. “With Mingzhi?”

“Yes,” Jing Yi said. “To deal with that lying fraud.”

Li Wenzhao hesitated, his gaze flickering with vague hesitation before lowering his head to continue working. “Mm, go ahead.”

Jing Yi narrowed his eyes in puzzlement.

Hmm? Did the eldest young master have some hidden secret?

But since the boss hadn’t said anything, he wouldn’t ask. Off he went with the younger master to deal with Ning Jiang.

Jing Yi walked happily away.

---

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Only then did Li Wenzhao lift his head and rub his brow. This little butler knew too many secrets and could spot bugs wherever he went.

Today was a company signing day; Li Wenzhao had originally planned to bring this living radar to vet the trap but was beaten to it by Li Mingzhi.

Forget it.

He’d just be more careful himself.

---

Li Mingzhi and Jing Yi, accompanied by ten burly men in black suits, left the house. These were elite bodyguards sent by Li Xu, who was worried his younger brother might get hurt by Ning Jiang.

Their leader was named Fei Lun, the head of the security team.

“Young master, Mr. Jing, Ning Jiang has been moved to a private hospital owned by the company and placed in a private room. The hospital has made arrangements, saying he’s filming a drama, so no one will disturb him.” Fei Lun reported in detail.

Li Mingzhi half-listened, as if Ning Jiang were an irrelevant character, even chatting with Butler Jing about which chocolates tasted better.

Not long after, their car stopped outside a high-end private hospital. Li Mingzhi, two bodyguards, and a butler went straight to Ning Jiang’s ward.

“Zhi Zhi!” Ning Jiang looked devastated, clutching at Li Mingzhi like a life raft. “Zhi Zhi, you finally came! Why didn’t you come yesterday? I thought about you all night and couldn’t sleep.”

Jing Yi glanced at Ning Jiang’s eyes, rimmed with dark circles — clear signs of sleeplessness.

Before entering, Li Mingzhi adjusted his expression back to the innocent younger master. “Boo hoo, Jiang Jiang, my brother locked me up and wouldn’t let me see you. I barely escaped.”

Ning Jiang relaxed and smiled. “Sorry, I was just too eager to see you.”

He reached out to stroke Li Mingzhi’s cheek. “My Zhi Zhi has suffered; let me see if you’ve lost weight.”

Jing Yi: ???

Excuse me?

One night and you expect to look like a grasshopper? If you want to act sentimental, put some effort into it, please.

Jing Yi’s commentary was heartfelt. Li Mingzhi almost burst out laughing but buried his head, thinking through all his sorrows, barely containing the smile.

“Zhi Zhi, I don’t want to stay here.” Ning Jiang said urgently. “Let’s get out of here. The doctors and nurses won’t let me. What’s going on, Zhi Zhi?”

“Jiang Jiang.” Li Mingzhi wiped the corner of his eye, voice hoarse. “The doctor’s tests came back — you really have leukemia. If you don’t stay hospitalized and get treatment, you’ll die. Stay put and get better first, then we’ll talk.”

Ning Jiang’s eyes widened in disbelief. “No... I don’t... how could I...”

“How could you what?”

“...”

Ning Jiang swallowed the truth he was about to blurt and said, “I don’t want to trouble you. I don’t want this.”

“Jiang Jiang.” Li Mingzhi patted his arm. “We’re lovers. I’m willing to share your hardships. Don’t worry. I’ll cure you. We’ll find a donor match soon. The surgery’s already being prepared. Just focus on recovery.”

“I don’t...” Ning Jiang began.

The ward door was gently knocked; several doctors and nurses in white coats approached. “Bed 36, Ning Jiang, prepare for pre-op exams. You didn’t eat this morning, right? There’s blood testing today.”

Ning Jiang’s face turned pale with fear. “I won’t go... I’m not sick. Zhi Zhi, save me!”

Li Mingzhi soothed him, stroking his hair. “Jiang Jiang, I’m saving you. Be good and go with the doctors.”

Ning Jiang stared at Li Mingzhi, sensing something was off. “You…”

But on closer look, the person before him was still the same hot-headed, utterly devoted fool.

What exactly was wrong?

Ning Jiang failed to detect anything unusual and was forcibly taken by the medical staff.

Jing Yi watched Ning Jiang’s frantic struggles and quietly asked, “Are they really going to operate?”

“No.” Li Mingzhi said. “That would be a waste of resources. I just wanted to scare him so he won’t dare cheat others anymore.”

Jing Yi blinked. “Then the blood test?”

Li Mingzhi clenched his fists angrily. “It’s just a routine check. Let him try to fool me—I’ll scare him to death.”

They chatted a bit in the ward, about to go find a dessert shop, when Fei Lun burst in sweating. “Young master, sorry, Ning Jiang escaped.”

“Escaped?” Li Mingzhi was shocked. “How?”

“He did follow the doctor into the blood draw room. Our men didn’t go in. He quietly knocked the doctor out, put on a white coat, and ran.” Fei Lun explained.

He had underestimated Ning Jiang.

A professional con artist had a keen sixth sense for anything out of control. Maybe Li Mingzhi’s accidental OOC behavior tipped him off to the ruse.

---

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Li Mingzhi stood stunned for a moment, glanced out the window, and surprisingly remained calm. “Let it be. If he runs, he runs. I’m fed up with this daily performance; I’ll let him go.”

Fei Lun hesitated. “Don’t worry, young master. The eldest has already gathered all Ning Jiang’s scams from the past few years, compiled a dossier, and filed a police report. Ning Jiang won’t get away.”

Jing Yi raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Turns out even in overlord novels, there are “hat men.” When reading, he had thought this was a broken worldview because of all the criminals, but it wasn’t so.

And Li Wenzhao, while secretly investigating Ning Jiang, still gave Li Mingzhi an outlet for venting, completely severing his feelings for Ning Jiang.

Not everyone can be an overlord.

With such scheming and calculation, no wonder he’d been battling the main cast for over three thousand chapters — impressive.

---

Ning Jiang escaped, so Li Mingzhi and Jing Yi had no reason to linger. Fei Lun escorted them back to the Li residence.

It hadn’t taken long. When they arrived, the three young masters were still having breakfast at home. A stranger sat in the living room.

Chef Aunt Fang brought out breakfast, surprised to see Li Mingzhi. “Young master, you’re back. Your classmate’s here; he’s been waiting for you a while.”

Li Mingzhi paused, curious. “My classmate?”

Aunt Fang said, “Yes, a very kind young man, seems to be an actor? He even chatted with the eldest young master for a bit. He’s waiting in the living room now.”

Jing Yi, about to sneak off to the kitchen, stopped and came back. “An actor?”

“Yes, Butler Jing.”

Jing Yi sneered. In the original, Li Mingzhi had only one classmate who became an actor—but he treated the other as a friend, while the other saw him as a fool, exploiting and scheming for over a decade. Tsk tsk.

Jing Yi quietly crept forward.

“Let me see what this backstabber looks like.”

Li Mingzhi almost tripped over the threshold.

Another con artist?

He wandered into the living room dazed, not yet reacting before being enveloped in a hug.

“Mingzhi! You’re back! I’ve waited so long.”

Wen Su’an hugged Li Mingzhi excitedly and passionately.

From a distance, Jing Yi saw this flimsy, easily broken plastic affection. Wen Su’an was young, handsome, with dyed blue hair, like a delicate figurine from a comic.

“Are all the con artists in this world so good at disguising themselves? He looks so innocent; who would believe he’s a backstabber?”

Jing Yi’s voice echoed through the Li mansion. Li Wenzhao put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and rose to go to the living room.

Li Xu and Li Ting also lost their appetite and went to watch the con artist.

Wen Su’an was a rising star under Li Wenzhao’s entertainment company, known for being low-key and gentle.

Thanks to his talent and some connection with the younger brother, Li Wenzhao instructed the company to promote him more. Wen Su’an was promising, rising quickly, winning top ten artist and best supporting actor awards last year, poised to make a mark in the industry.

Such a diligent, obedient artist—what could be wrong with him that Jing Yi called him a “backstabber”?

Li Wenzhao calmed himself and asked Jing Yi without emotion, “Are you a fan of Wen Su’an?”

Jing Yi was startled, shaking his head repeatedly. “No, no, I’m not. Really not.”

Who would be his fan? That would be a lifetime stain!

He played a positive role publicly but was involved in all sorts of shady dealings behind the scenes.

He messed up personally but when doing bad things externally, he always used Li Mingzhi’s name, ruining the Li family’s reputation.

Hearing this, the Li family’s brows and mouths drooped.

Apparently, last month, under the Li family’s name, Wen Su’an had coerced a newcomer actress, pushing her to the brink of suicide.

He kept his own image pure while blaming the Li family.

Jing Yi finished his tirade, then looked at Li Mingzhi with disdain.

“What a foolish kid. Meeting you is a con artist’s blessing—they probably don’t even have to worry about targets anymore.”