Chapter 6: Yaoxing Academy 6 Part 2

A big “FAIL” popped up on the screen. Xun Ji put away his Mobile Phone disinterestedly. “Whatever.”

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and pointed to a pile of food on the table. “Uncle Li brought these. Save the porridge in the thermos for when Xiao Ting wakes up. I ate half of the breakfast; eat the rest.”

“I’ll get the school to approve your leave. Take these days to care for Xiao Ting properly.”

Xun Ji opened the ward door, one foot already out.

“Xun Ji!”

He paused and looked surprised. This was the first time the Protagonist had called him by his full name.

Was he holding back some scheme again?

“This time…” Lu Zhou’s throat tightened. The words on the tip of his tongue wouldn’t come out.

“This time?” Xun Ji tilted his head slightly to look at him, full of suspicion.

Lu Zhou’s eyelashes trembled lightly as he averted his gaze.

“This time was my mistake. It won’t happen again. I won’t… disturb your sleep anymore.”

“That’s it?” Xun Ji felt like that wasn’t what he wanted to say.

“Mm, goodbye, Young Master Xun.” Lu Zhou gently pushed Xun Ji out and closed the ward door.

A long while after the footsteps outside completely faded, Lu Zhou still stood rigidly behind the door.

“Thank you.” Lu Zhou rested his forehead against the door, closing his eyes which could no longer hold up, and murmured silently:

“Thank you, Xun Ji.”

【The Protagonist says: Thank you, Xun Ji!】 The System repeated loudly.

“You can hear that from so far away?”

【Of course!】 The System sounded smug but soon grew worried. 【Host, why do I feel like the Protagonist doesn’t hate you that much? Won’t this hinder farming Blackening Value?】

“Impossible.” Xun Ji dismissed it. “I didn’t do anything just now, and the Daily Tasks completed automatically. What does that mean?”

【What does it mean?】

“It means Lu Zhou feels humiliated just being around me.” Xun Ji stated confidently. “He must hate me a lot.”

【That makes sense!】 The System realized. 【Then why did he thank you?】

“Basic politeness,” Xun Ji explained. “Whenever I do a good deed, people always thank me.”

【Right, if not for Host this time, his sister would’ve been in danger.】 The System praised. 【Host really manages to do tasks and good deeds without conflict!】

Xun Ji entered a café inside the hospital and ordered a hot Americano, sitting in a corner.

“Keep an eye out for me,” Xun Ji said to the System. “Remind me when Luo Xunan arrives.”

【How did you know Luo Xunan was coming, Host?】

“I told him about Lu Ting’s illness through Lin Yule.” Xun Ji tapped his Mobile Phone. “If he’s a Tasker, he’ll probably rush over before school ends to farm favor.”

【You’re testing him, Host?】

“He didn’t show up last night, so the original plot apparently doesn’t have Lu Ting getting sick. Since he didn’t know, I made sure he did.” Xun Ji sipped his coffee. “After all, Taskers can’t just guess—they need to see it for themselves.”

Xun Ji didn’t wait long.

After finishing his refill, the System’s reminder sounded.

【Host, Host, Luo Xunan’s here. He’s heading to the ward.】

Xun Ji tossed the empty cup into the trash and followed.

In the stairwell one corridor away from Lu Ting’s ward, Xun Ji leaned against the wall and asked the System, “Can you hear?”

【Yep, clear as day!】 The System activated real-time broadcast for Xun Ji.

In the ward, Lu Ting had woken up, and Lu Zhou was feeding her porridge.

“Let me feed her. You go rest for a bit,” Luo Xunan said to Lu Zhou.

Lu Zhou shook his head. “No need. Hurry back to school for class.”

Luo Xunan sighed. “You won’t let me help here, won’t let me help there. You didn’t even tell me Xiao Ting was sick, won’t let me cover the medical fees. Do you even see me as a friend?”

“Blond Brother paid for Xiao Ting’s medical fees.” Lu Ting had recovered some spirit and said crisply, “Blond Brother brought Xiao Ting to the hospital last night too.”

“Blond Brother? Xun Ji?” Luo Xunan was shocked. “Why is he taking such good care of you?”

“I don’t know,” Lu Zhou said, head lowered. “Maybe out of sympathy.”

“Sympathy? Impossible.” Luo Xunan frowned. “He must have some ulterior motive!”

【Well now, this Luo Xunan is fawning over the Protagonist and slandering the Host!】 The System grew indignant and stopped broadcasting.

“He’s not wrong. I do have an ulterior motive.”

To do good deeds.

“But why does the Protagonist think I sympathize with him?” Xun Ji wondered.

【Uh…】 The System was stumped. 【Aren’t you doing good deeds for the Protagonist out of sympathy, Host?】

“How could that be?” Xun Ji was baffled. “What does doing good deeds have to do with sympathy?”

【Nothing?】 The System was confused.

“Where I grew up, the most unnecessary emotion is sympathy.”

【Where Host grew up?】 The System perked up. 【Can you tell the System? The System bound the wrong person by mistake back then, so Host’s info is still blank.】

“It was an orphanage.” Xun Ji saw no need to hide it.

【What’s it called?】

“The name?” It had been ages since he last thought of that place. His thoughts yanked back to childhood, and Xun Ji subconsciously uttered the name:

“Shanxin Welfare Institute.”

“Welfare Institute? What welfare institute?”

On the stairs, a head of fiery red hair bounced right up to Xun Ji in a few hops.

“A Xun, what did you just say about a welfare institute?”