Stabilizing Madness [Interstellar]

Chapter 2: Family

Chapter 2: Family
West 3-6 District Junction Rest Stop in Red City.

Leaning against a wall adorned with a map of the area, two girls holding hot coffees were engaged in casual conversation.

The girl with short hair shook her head, "Although the relationship between those three is rather murky, sending a wreath on his own brother's engagement day, hiring someone to wail in mourning, and delivering a suicide note to the groom... that's just going too far!"
"I heard his mother fainted from the shock. Utterly insane!"
"Well, she was just the big young master's stepmother, so he probably doesn't care much, right?"

The two girls chuckled together, continuing their gossip.
Xu Qingran twisted open the cap of his grape juice, noticing the words 'Can accelerate MT recovery' engraved underneath the lid. Just as he was about to take a sip, he noticed a blue mark on the back of his left hand holding the bottle.

The size of a thumbprint, its pattern twisted and turned, resembling flowing water or flames.
"So, what happened next? Did Xu Qingran really, uh... do that thing?"
"Who knows? The engagement party ended, and there's been no update on the online gossip. The short-haired girl murmured softly, "Maybe the Xu family isn't even looking for him. They might prefer him dead outside rather than bringing back his body..."
"That can't be true, right?! Xu Qingran's father is at least his biological parent!" exclaimed a friend in shock.

The girl lowered her voice even more, and Xu Qingran had to focus intently to catch her words.
"Before the Xu family's alliance with the Qi family, they were nearly bankrupt. Now, most of their assets are rebuilt by merging with the Qi family's share. Although the Qi family is no longer prominent, I heard that the big young master's mother left a huge fortune in her name."
"Her will stated that all her wealth would go to the big young master, which he would inherit upon turning 22. His father is just managing it temporarily."

"Think about it, if you were the big young master's father, would you willingly return the wealth, including control over part of the business?"
"Eek, you sound so conspiratorial, it's giving me the chills..."

They continued their conversation for a while until the announcement of the high-speed train's imminent departure rang through the rest station. They quickly finished their remaining coffee, threw their paper cups in the trash bin near the water vending machine, and passed by Xu Qingran, casting a casual glance.

Then, whispering excitedly to each other, "Wow, he's so handsome!"
"I get it, I get it, there's a kind of sick beauty to it!"

"Haha, if Xu Qingran looked like that, I might feel a bit sorry for him, especially since his brother's fiancé is his long-time love..."
The atmosphere at the rest station became tense again with the countdown for the high-speed train's departure.

As the crowd in front of him changed wave after wave, Xu Qingran leisurely sipped his drink and asked the system in his mind, "Was the 'me' from before really like what they described?"
It did sound pretty crazy.

But the system replied, "Not at all."
"Aside from disliking his stepmother and brother who came later, the original host was quite a simple and kind person. He loved his childhood friend deeply and could be a bit impulsive about him, but he wouldn't go to such extremes."
"At most, he was just awkward with words, a bit melodramatic, and cried easily."