“Nothing much. Why did you come here?” Xun Ji looked at Lin Yule.
“It was all because of that Troublemaker Luo Xunan.” Lin Yule complained. “Following your instructions, I told him about Lu Zhou’s little sister being sick. He immediately wanted to skip class and come to the hospital, but his family driver was on leave today, so he begged me to bring him along.”
“Why didn’t you just lend him your driver?” Xun Ji asked, puzzled.
Lin Yule flashed a sly grin. “Because I wanted to skip class too!”
He flipped through the picture book in his hands with a rustle and said to Xun Ji, “Earlier, I saw how pitiful Lu Zhou’s little sister looked, so I specially went downstairs to buy her this book to cheer her up. It’s about the sun and stars. Do you think she’ll like it?”
Xun Ji pondered for a moment. “You feel sympathy for her?”
“Of course,” Lin Yule nodded matter-of-factly. “I have to say, although Lu Zhou overestimates himself by insisting on attending Yao Xing, which is pretty annoying, he and his sister are truly quite pitiful.”
Xun Ji suddenly understood how today’s Daily Tasks had been completed.
The Protagonist thought he was helping out of sympathy, while also remembering the humiliation of being teased like a dog.
A well-dressed person passing by a drenched stray dog on a rainy day casually tossed it a piece of bread out of pity.
Lu Zhou had put himself in the place of that rain-soaked stray dog.
But clearly, he was not a dog. His current situation required that bread to fill his stomach, yet his pride would not allow others to treat him like a dog and give him charity.
Having figured out the key to it, Xun Ji felt that his future Daily Tasks were now assured. In short, as long as he raised the Protagonist like a stray dog, it would be fine.
“Go deliver the book, then get rid of Luo Xunan,” Xun Ji instructed Lin Yule. “Keep a close eye on him. Don’t let him get near Lu Zhou.”
“Got it.” Lin Yule replied reluctantly. “You treasure Lu Zhou way too much. Is that fierce Little Dog really that fun to play with?”
Xun Ji ignored his nonsense and left the hospital directly.
Two hours later, in a suburban mountain cemetery, Xun Ji found Lu Zhou’s mother’s grave.
He took a lustrous piece of white jade from his pocket and placed it in front of the tomb. After thinking for a moment, he felt it wasn’t right, so he untied his school uniform necktie, wrapped the jade in it, and tucked it into a hidden crevice behind the tombstone.
“Hello, I’m Xun Ji, the one who broke the Peace Jade you gave to Lu Zhou,” Xun Ji said to the tombstone. “I’m returning it to you now. Consider this matter settled between us.”
“Although it’s been repaired and looks a bit different, it’s at least intact. The jade repair master went on about materials and techniques, which I didn’t understand. Anyway, I had them use the most expensive restoration method.”
“I came today to tell you that I’ve bullied Lu Zhou a few times, and I might continue to do so in the future.” Xun Ji looked up at the gathering rain clouds overhead. “It’s about to rain, so I’ll keep it short.”
“Lu Zhou will become a very formidable villain. Those who bully him won’t meet a good end. So you don’t need to worry.”
Xun Ji turned and went down the mountain.
“As long as one has the ability to protect oneself, there’s nothing wrong with being a bad person.”
The mountain rain poured down, solemn and compassionate, gentle yet merciless.
Three days later, Lu Ting was discharged from the hospital.
Lu Zhou had stayed at the hospital for three days. Upon returning to the villa, he learned that Xun Ji was also sick.
“Young Master got caught in the rain that day,” Brother Wang said self-reproachfully. “It’s all my fault. Young Master told me not to follow, so I didn’t ask further.”
Lu Ting’s acute pneumonia had come and gone quickly, but Xun Ji’s ordinary cold dragged on for three days without improvement.
“Why didn’t you go to the hospital?” Lu Zhou asked.
“What’s the point of going to the hospital for a cold?” Xun Ji came downstairs in pajamas and slippers. “Just a slight fever. Sleeping for a couple of days will fix it.”
Lu Zhou frowned slightly. “A low fever can become a problem if it drags on.”
“Then I’ll wait until it becomes a problem.” Xun Ji grabbed a tub of ice cream from the fridge and shuffled back upstairs in his slippers.
Brother Wang and Uncle Li both turned pleading gazes toward Lu Zhou.
“Young Master never listens to advice. He eats ice-cold and spicy things without restraint and stays up all night gaming!”
“He won’t go to the hospital and doesn’t let us notify his family. He nods obediently when we bring him medicine, but by the next morning, he still hasn’t taken it!”
The two were clearly desperate and pinning their hopes for Xun Ji’s recovery on Lu Zhou.
【Host, they’re complaining to the Protagonist about you. They want the Protagonist to supervise your recovery.】 The System hurriedly tattled to Xun Ji as well.
“No need to worry. Lu Zhou won’t agree,” Xun Ji said as he scooped a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth, squinting in satisfaction before coughing harshly.
【The Protagonist agreed!】
Xun Ji: “…?”
【The Protagonist… The Protagonist is coming upstairs!】 The System perked up its ears to listen.
Xun Ji ignored his sore throat and hurriedly shoveled two more mouthfuls of ice cream.
【The Protagonist…】 The System hesitated. 【The Protagonist went back to his room to take a shower.】
Xun Ji breathed a sigh of relief and flopped softly onto the bed.
“He just pretended to agree to save face for Brother Wang and Uncle Li. After all, I’m not his sister. Why would he care when I get better?”
As expected of the Protagonist—two-faced, just as he liked.
Finally, he had a minor illness to skip school for a few days and live a decadent life of reversed day and night. He couldn’t let anyone ruin it.
Xun Ji turned on his Bluetooth speaker and launched another game amid the intense music.
Knock knock knock.
He didn’t know how long the fierce battle had lasted when the room door was knocked on.