Chapter 10: Yao Xing Academy 10 Part 2

Lu Zhou had gradually grown accustomed to living with Xun Ji. At first, he woke up startled every night, unsure of where he was, staying up until dawn with eyes open. But he faintly heard the sound of slippers thudding downstairs outside the door. That footstep sounded every morning, like a signal waking him from the damp, cold night. It was as if the blanket on him only began to serve its purpose from that signal, emanating warmth and gently melting his stiff limbs.

Lu Zhou began to crave that brief moment.

But he feared this craving even more, just as he feared the restless stirring in his heart that was growing harder and harder to ignore.

It had nothing to do with pride or feelings; it was simply that people shouldn’t and couldn’t be this shameless. Until he paid back everything he owed, until he could speak to him as an equal, any extra thoughts were shameless delusions.

Yan Feng was at least right about one thing: he did have ulterior motives toward Xun Ji.

“What’s wrong?” Xun Ji stood still and asked him.

Lu Zhou didn’t answer or move. He just stared at Xun Ji, as if testing, as if expecting.

The wind brushed over the golden tips of his hair, creating a gentle curve. Xun Ji walked back to Lu Zhou’s side step by step.

“Does the wound hurt a lot?” he asked Lu Zhou. “Should we ask for leave to go back and rest?”

People shouldn’t chase after the sun.

Lu Zhou knew it clearly. He knew it clearly.

“It hurts a bit.” Lu Zhou reached out and gripped Xun Ji’s arm, lowering his head and eyes. “Young Master Xun, can you escort me back to the classroom?”

【Host, why is the Protagonist becoming more and more dependent on you?】 The System couldn’t help but voice its concern. 【Is it because the Host has been slacking on Daily Tasks lately, so the Blackening Value hasn’t increased?】

“People tend to be a bit fragile when they’re not feeling well.” Xun Ji reassured the System in his mind. “Don’t worry, I’ve already thought of a once-and-for-all way to farm Daily Tasks.”

Xun Ji let Lu Zhou hold onto him and matched his pace as they walked slowly. He casually asked, “You work so hard and go to bed early at night. Do you have time to prepare for the Physics Competition?”

Lu Zhou’s brows furrowed slightly; Xun Ji had hit his sore spot.

“I squeeze in some study time before bed at night, but… studying on my own isn’t very efficient.” Lu Zhou didn’t hide it.

“I can teach you.” Xun Ji turned his head and grinned at him. “I’ll take some time every evening to teach you. Guaranteed to make it easy for you to win an award.”

Remembering his previous reluctance, Lu Zhou instinctively sensed a catch.

“What’s the condition?”

Xun Ji cleared his throat, feeling that he was getting more and more proficient at saying such things.

“From now on, every day, you have to take the initiative to act as my Little Dog once.”

Every day, the Daily Task rewards would come knocking.

Lu Zhou wondered if he had misheard. “What?”

“I mean, act like a Little Dog every day.” Xun Ji patiently explained. “Like last time, carrying your nest in your mouth… ah, no, hugging the blanket and sleeping by my bed…”

“Enough!” Lu Zhou flung Xun Ji’s arm away, his face rapidly flushing red. “You, you…”

He stammered “you” for a long time, cursing “pervert” a thousand times in his heart, but couldn’t say it out loud.

【Ding! Completed Daily Task: Humiliate the Protagonist. Reward: 10 Points.】

The effect was immediate. Xun Ji was pleased, feeling like a genius.

“It’s very simple. No pressure.” Xun Ji comforted him. “For example, lick the plate like a Little Dog at dinner, or fetch a ball I throw…”

“Stop talking!” Lu Zhou gritted his teeth. “Change the condition.”

“No, this isn’t negotiable.” Xun Ji was firm.

Lu Zhou’s face flushed red, then pale, then green. No one was perfect, not even the sun. Lu Zhou kept convincing himself in his heart—it was just a personal hobby. Just play along…

“Have you decided?” Xun Ji pressured him. “With your self-study progress, winning an award is a pipe dream.”

“…I agree.” Finally, Lu Zhou squeezed out the answer through clenched teeth.

Yay! Xun Ji and the System high-fived in his mind to celebrate, then magnanimously said, “Not today. Starting tomorrow.”

Lu Zhou shed his earlier frail demeanor and strode away from Xun Ji. After a few steps, he stormed back furiously and sinisterly threw at Xun Ji: “I absolutely won’t lick plates or fetch balls!”

*

Days passed in Xun Ji’s laziness and Lu Zhou’s busyness.

Lu Zhou didn’t quit the ice-moving job. After mastering the knack, he no longer got frostbite. He even built up a layer of thin muscle on his slender arms and waist through the daily heavy labor; the boy’s body had become much sturdier.

His Physics Competition studies went very smoothly too. Xun Ji was an excellent teacher; Lu Zhou learned not only physics knowledge from him but also learning experiences beyond his years. However, Lu Zhou asked nothing and merely let his gaze on Xun Ji grow even hotter.

Meanwhile, Xun Ji’s self-service Daily Tasks plan progressed… barely successfully.

For the first self-service attempt, Xun Ji waited until Lu Zhou’s bedtime but saw no sign of him, so he planned to go urge him. But as soon as he opened the door, Lu Zhou stood at the doorway, black-faced and fiercely barking “Woof!” at him. Then, with a stiff body, he pretended to be calm and shuffled back to his bedroom same hand and foot.

Hearing the task reward prompt in his mind, Xun Ji nearly burst out laughing—plan successful! But after a few days of this farming method, not only did Lu Zhou’s “woofs” grow more perfunctory, but the System’s rewards went from instant to delayed, and eventually stopped altogether.

So Xun Ji required Lu Zhou to change his Little Dog act. After a fierce glare from Lu Zhou, Xun Ji watched the freshly showered boy, neck flushed red, shake his head and shake off the water like a Little Dog.

The System reward arrived instantly.

But after a few days of Little Dog water-shaking, the System played dead again. In this way, Xun Ji exploited the System’s bug, stipulating that Lu Zhou change his self-humiliation routine every few days. Apart from frequent glare attacks from Lu Zhou, everything else went fairly smoothly.

Time flew by. As students swapped their spring-summer uniforms for autumn-winter ones, the day of the national Physics Competition finally approached.