Chapter 11: No Matter the Cost!

Streams of sunlight poured through the window, casting golden beams onto the carpet beside the bed. A faint, delicate fragrance lingered softly in the air.

Zhou Quan twitched his nose and slowly opened his eyes.

What was that scent?

He rose from the bed and glanced outside to gauge the time of day, curiosity flickering in his mind.

The sun had just risen; the servants should not have returned yet.

Who was cooking?

With a puzzled heart, Zhou Quan stepped out of his room and approached the kitchen.

Peeking inside, he was momentarily stunned.

A petite figure stood atop a chair, busily stirring a spatula in a pan.

The aroma of scrambled eggs wafted through the air.

“Oh, little ancestor, when did you wake up?” Zhou Quan couldn’t help but speak out.

Zhou Changle turned her head and beamed brightly. “Brother!”

Zhou Quan stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her from behind as he took the spatula. “Why didn’t you wake me up when you got up? How come you’re cooking by yourself?”

The eggs in the pan were already cooked.

Zhou Quan turned off the stove and lifted Zhou Changle down from the chair.

“The maids aren’t here. I didn’t want to wake you up, and besides, I wanted to surprise you,” she said playfully, winking.

Zhou Quan ruffled her little head, his expression soft with affection. “You always want to surprise your brother.”

He truly had the best sister in the world.

Zhou Changle stared at his face for a couple of seconds, then hesitantly asked, “Brother, did our family go bankrupt?”

Zhou Quan blinked in slight surprise. “Why do you ask that?”

“The maids have all left, and the sofa and table in the living room are gone,” Zhou Changle whispered.

“Did we go bankrupt? Couldn’t afford the maids anymore, so you sold the sofa and table?”

She clenched her tiny fists and furrowed her brows, looking utterly adorable.

Zhou Quan gazed at her worried expression and couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.

“I gave the maids a day off,” he paused, “As for the sofa and table, they got dirty, so I moved them outside.”

Ripping things apart gave temporary satisfaction, but cleaning up the mess was a nightmare.

He had flushed the remains down the drain, but the bloodstained carpet, table, and sofa were beyond saving.

The best he could do was move them outdoors and cover them with sheets.

Later, he planned to rent a storage unit and shove these items in there, never to see the light of day again.

“Oh!” Zhou Changle nodded.

Zhou Quan carried her to the dining table, then heated some steamed buns in the microwave and brought them over alongside the scrambled eggs.

“Brother, quickly try the eggs I cooked. Are they good?” Zhou Changle looked at him with eager eyes.

Zhou Quan nodded and picked up a piece of egg, chewing it carefully.

The taste was perfectly seasoned—tender yet not greasy.

He showed a flicker of surprise. “Little ancestor, these are quite good, not worse than Chef Guo’s.”

“Hehe!” Zhou Changle beamed joyfully. “Brother, eat more!”

“Alright,” Zhou Quan nodded.

The siblings fed each other, sharing the single plate of scrambled eggs, but it felt especially warm and comforting.

Zhou Quan silently cherished this peaceful moment.

After a few minutes, only oily traces remained on the plate.

“Brother, when will Mom and Dad come back? I miss them so much,” Zhou Changle put down her chopsticks, her expression dim.

Zhou Quan fell silent for two seconds, then said, “Mom and Dad are already back. They’re in their room.”

“Really?” Zhou Changle’s face lit up.

She hopped off the chair and dashed upstairs like a lively little rabbit.

Zhou Quan followed quietly, lowering his voice, “Little ancestor, Mom and Dad had some trouble.”

Zhou Changle paid no mind to his words.

She happily pushed open the master bedroom door and saw her parents lying on the bed. Overwhelmed with joy, she ran toward them.

“Daddy!”

“Mommy!”

Zhou Quan stood silently behind her.

“Don’t sleep anymore!”

“The sun is calling you to wake up!”

Zhou Changle hugged her mother’s arm, shaking it gently. After a few seconds, she noticed her parents didn’t respond.

Confusion clouded her face.

“Mom and Dad are sick.”

Zhou Quan knelt down, embracing Zhou Changle. “They need to sleep for a long, long time before they can wake up, just like you.”

Zhou Changle froze.

“But don’t worry,” Zhou Quan said softly, “Brother will heal them. And you too—Brother will heal you.”

Suddenly, he heard her stifled sobs.

Tears welled in Zhou Changle’s eyes as she choked out, “Did I infect them?”

Her innocent face was filled with guilt.

Zhou Quan’s heart ached. He comforted her, “It’s not your fault. Brother has already found doctors. Soon, you and Mom and Dad will be well again.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a happy gummy, feeding one to Zhou Changle.

With the candy melting in her mouth, the mist in her eyes gradually cleared.

“Brother, you must heal Mom and Dad!”

Zhou Changle wiped her tears, then solemnly extended her pinky finger. “Pinkie promise!”

“Yeah, pinkie promise,” Zhou Quan smiled and hooked his pinky with hers.

Looking at her earnest expression, he vowed silently in his heart: I will cure you all, no matter the cost.

...

The next three days passed quietly.

Whether the Gray Night Society was intimidated or merely observing from the shadows, nothing occurred during these days.

[2 hours later]

Zhou Quan sat beside his parents’ bed.

He watched the death countdown hovering over their bodies with a heavy heart.

The sinister god had not cured his parents but merely extended their lives by five days.

In the blink of an eye, those five days had elapsed, and his parents’ faces had once again turned pale and lifeless.

“I will not let you die.”

He opened the sinister god’s notebook. The writing inside remained unchanged.

[Successfully simulated: The Orphanage Director Who Seeks Fame and Fortune]

[Start next simulation?]

Zhou Quan’s thoughts stirred.

The words on the notebook began scrolling.

[Once, a gifted female singer burst onto the scene, releasing several albums and dominating the music world, crowned queen of pop. Yet after gaining fame and fortune, she did not succumb to decadence, instead holding charity concerts everywhere, donating all her earnings to the poor...]

[Target: The Compassionate Female Singer]

[Comment: Not only does she not exploit the poor, but she gives her own money to them. Such foolishness requires re-education.]

Zhou Quan stared at the screen for several seconds, silently clenching his fists.

Though the sinister god did not reveal her name, he already knew.

Weng Lin!

She was the only pop queen known for her devotion to charity.

Back in school, he had listened to many of Weng Lin’s songs and even bought her albums.

Though crowned queen of pop with ample means to amass wealth, she treated money like dirt, willingly using her income to help the needy—a beacon of morality in the entertainment industry.

Later, even though he stopped listening to her music, he still sincerely admired Weng Lin.

He never imagined the sinister god’s next target would be this virtuous queen of pop.

[Simulation starting]