Hospital. Dean’s office.
“The patient had multiple bruises on his body and a minor crack in his leg bone. Fortunately, the certification machine pinned him down and blocked most of the ice spikes, so he wasn’t pierced full of holes. However…”
The dean pointed at an injury report. “The worst part is his ears.”
“How serious is it?” The middle-aged man who spoke wore a worried expression. He was none other than the principal of Yaoxing Academy.
“His ears first suffered from something like a sonic explosion, causing temporary nerve deafness. Then, an ice spike pierced his right ear, severely damaging the eardrum.”
The dean sighed. “Although there are organizations abroad researching Ear Tissue Regeneration Drugs, they’re reportedly still in the early stages. With current medical technology, this kind of damage can’t be fully cured.”
“You mean…” The principal furrowed his brows.
“His left ear will recover its hearing after some rest, but I’m afraid his right ear will be permanently deaf.” The dean shook his head. “You hold a sports meet, and you end up crippling a student.”
“Can you blame me? Who knew the Ice Cellar would collapse like that…”
Oh, someone knew.
The principal glanced at the blond teenager lounging on the dean’s office sofa with his long legs propped up, playing a game. He swallowed hard and forced a smile.
“Xun Ji, what do you think we should do about Lu Zhou?”
Xun Ji glanced at him. “Why are you asking me, Principal? Shouldn’t you investigate the cause of the accident first?”
Investigate? Who would dare? The principal thought bitterly.
According to several students who had participated in the Ice Marathon together, Xun Ji had clearly known something was going to happen in the Ice Cellar. He had deliberately kept the others outside and let only Lu Zhou in.
“The track should have been inspected and maintained before the race. Who was responsible for that?” Xun Ji asked.
“That… naturally falls to the school,” the principal answered. “All the ice event venues are handled by a long-term cooperating construction firm for pouring and maintenance. We’ve held so many Winter Sports Meets without any issues.”
“No one else involved?” Xun Ji asked again.
“No… Oh, right,” the principal suddenly remembered something. “The sponsors also participate in the venue inspections. In previous years, it was people from Xun Corporation, but this year it was…”
The Lin Family.
“Get someone to investigate the scene. I want a detailed report by tomorrow.” Xun Ji tossed those words at the principal and turned to leave.
After a few steps, he remembered something else. “Oh, and Lu Zhou’s injuries—don’t let a single word leak out.”
Xun Ji didn’t get home until very late. After eating the midnight snack Uncle Li had cooked, he checked on the soundly sleeping Xiao Ting. Then he returned to his room, stripped off the sportswear he’d worn all day, and soaked himself in a bathtub full of hot water. Only then did he feel a bit alive again.
【Host, is your body okay?】 the System asked.
“Mm, the drug’s effects have worn off.” Xun Ji replied lazily.
【Although it deviated a bit from the Host’s plan, we successfully completed the Key Plot Point Task today. 1000 Points credited.】 The System praised. 【Host is amazing!】
Successful? Xun Ji’s mind flashed to the sight of Lu Zhou being carried out from the collapsed Ice Cellar track, covered in blood.
“You mean… has his Task been completed?” Xun Ji mused. “If his Task was to save Lu Zhou, then with Lu Zhou completely deaf now, doesn’t that mean he’s been erased for failing the Task?”
【No.】 The System refuted Xun Ji’s idea. 【The System can sense that the other Redemption System still exists. The Tasker hasn’t been erased.】
In other words, there was still room to turn things around with Lu Zhou’s deafness. Xun Ji’s handsome brows relaxed, then furrowed again.
He had been thinking about it ever since the Ice Cellar Collapse Incident, but he still couldn’t figure it out. That person… why had he done it?
【What is the Host worried about?】 the System asked with concern.
“I remember you said that the person I saved before dying in my previous life was a murderer.” Xun Ji suddenly recalled what the System had told him when he first transmigrated.
【Yes, the System had originally selected him, but the Host rushed out to save someone, and the System accidentally bound the wrong person.】
“Could it be… that the Redemption System also bound the wrong person?” An absurd idea rose in Xun Ji’s mind.
The System glitched for a second and drew in a cold breath. 【You mean, the people selected by the Blackening System and the Redemption System were swapped?!】
Xun Ji sighed and sank deeper into the hot water. “We were completely off before.”
【Could all those things outside the Host’s plan today have been done by him?】 The System belatedly realized the severity. 【The Protagonist almost died today! What’s in it for him?】
“Yeah, I can’t figure it out either.” Steam rose from the hot water, veiling his amber eyes in mist. “So, we need to find a way to test him.”
The next day. Hospital.
“A Xun, it’s your birthday today. Why come to the hospital?” Lin Yule complained. “The places to play are all booked, the guys are all there—just waiting for us.”
Because of the Ice Cellar Collapse Incident, the school had to re-inspect all venues, forcing the Winter Sports Meet to be suspended. To quell the public outrage, the school simply gave everyone two days off.
Xun Ji’s group of underlings had taken the opportunity to prepare a birthday banquet for him. The gifts delivered to his house were already piled as high as a small mountain.
“The whole school is saying I caused Lu Zhou’s injuries. Shouldn’t I come see him?”
Xun Ji wore a light green pilot jacket today, paired with a rice-gray hoodie inside, water-washed jeans below, and a backpack slung over his shoulders. He exuded a refreshing aura.
Lin Yule’s almond eyes widened. “Did you really do it?”
Xun Ji smiled and stopped in front of a VIP Ward. “We’re here.”
The ward was luxurious and spacious. Lu Zhou sat alone against the head of the bed, tilting his head and staring blankly out the window.
“You’re already awake?” Xun Ji was a bit surprised. Lu Zhou had just had surgery the day before; he hadn’t expected him to wake up so soon.
But being awake saved him some trouble.
Lu Zhou didn’t move, still staring out the window.
“Hey, Little Poor Ghost, A Xun is talking to you.” Lin Yule yelled discontentedly.
“Don’t shout. He can’t hear you.” Xun Ji walked up to Lu Zhou, bent down, and waved a hand in front of him.
Lu Zhou’s pitch-black eyes slowly turned to him and fixed on him steadily.
“Didn’t they only bandage one ear? The other one can’t hear either?” Lin Yule asked curiously.
Lu Zhou’s right ear was wrapped in thick bandages, nearly covering half his face. He looked utterly pitiful.
“Want to try it yourself?”
Lin Yule shook his head frantically. “Forget it. He looks so pitiful. Should’ve bought a fruit basket on the way.”
“Pitiful?” Xun Ji smiled. “Do you think Lu Zhou’s ear can be cured?”
Lin Yule was stunned. “How would I know? Ask the doctor.”
“The doctor said it can’t be cured.” Xun Ji said. “But I have a way.”
Xun Ji pulled a laptop from his backpack, opened a foreign webpage, then sat on the edge of Lu Zhou’s bed and placed the laptop on his lap.
Lu Zhou glanced at him and obediently started browsing the page.
“This is a Research Institute specializing in eardrum repair technology. They publicly claim the Ear Tissue Regeneration Drug research is still in the early stages, but they’ve actually succeeded and are conducting undisclosed clinical trials.”
Xun Ji grasped Lu Zhou’s right hand and guided him to open his email. In the drafts folder lay a pre-written email.
“Xun Corporation has deep cooperation with this Research Institute. If I email their person in charge in my name, we can get qualification for clinical treatment.”
On the narrow hospital bed, Xun Ji and Lu Zhou were pressed very close. He tilted his head slightly toward Lu Zhou and found those pitch-black eyes had been watching him the whole time.
“Lu Zhou, this is your only hope for a full recovery.”
“A Xun, he can’t hear you. You’re wasting your breath.” Lin Yule couldn’t help interjecting.
“Is that so?” Xun Ji laughed. He pressed the laptop’s lock screen key, and the screen went completely dark in an instant.
“But that’s what makes it fun—because he can’t hear.”
Lin Yule blinked. “A Xun, you…”
“Lu Zhou, I’ll leave the laptop here. You can send the email yourself anytime you want.”
Xun Ji stood up and looked down at Lu Zhou, his smile casual and indifferent. For some reason, Lu Zhou recalled the blond teenager from their first meeting in the Abandoned Warehouse.
Like a god toying with the world, high above, casually bestowing a bit of pity.
“I’ll tell you the lock screen password,” he said with a smile. “If you can hear it.”
He really recited a string of numbers.
But what use was telling a password to someone who couldn’t hear?
Lin Yule hesitated and asked softly, “A Xun, isn’t he your Little Dog?”
Don’t you like him anymore?
Lu Zhou remained quiet, looking up at him.
“Yeah.” Xun Ji reached out and gently stroked Lu Zhou’s head, wrapped full of bandages. “I’m a bit tired of him.”
He let go and turned to leave.
But his wrist was caught by a sudden force.
Lu Zhou opened his mouth but made no sound. He touched his vocal cords with his other hand and finally managed to produce a voice. But since he couldn’t hear himself, he couldn’t control the volume—it came out too loud. And due to the post-surgery dryness, his voice was unpleasantly hoarse.
Like a roar, it echoed through the empty ward.
“Happy… birthday… Xun Ji, happy birthday.”
![No Redemption for Dark Protagonists [Quick Transmigration]](https://i0.wp.com/dobynovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/quickkk.jpg?resize=151,215 "No Redemption for Dark Protagonists [Quick Transmigration]")
