The Spoiled Little Beauty is Always Abusing the Protagonist [Quick Transmigration] 7

Chapter 7: The Spoiled Villain in a Period Novel 7

The System only felt a blade hanging over its program, ready to fall at any moment, and the name of that blade was—

【That Tone】

Ahead, Xu Nongqing suddenly stopped.

Shu He, who was following behind him, also stopped and stared at him with reddened, bewildered eyes. His eyelashes were damp, and his lips were pressed together.

He looked utterly pitiful, as if he had suffered some great injustice.

Seeing him like this, the words Xu Nongqing was about to say suddenly vanished. He was silent for a few seconds, his fingers tightening around the hoe. “…What’s wrong?”

“Xu Nongqing.”

Shu He took a few steps forward and stood dejectedly in front of the man, his head lowered as he stared at the hoe resting in the dirt. “When was the last time you cried?”

Xu Nongqing hadn’t expected him to ask that. His dark eyes narrowed slightly as his memory rewound several years.

“When I was fourteen.”

“How old are you now?”

“Twenty-four.”

“Oh.” Shu He’s focus shifted slightly. “You’re six years older than me.”

Xu Nongqing looked at him.

“Ten years ago, huh? Why did you cry?”

Xu Nongqing’s tone was calm. “My grandparents passed away.”

Shu He’s eyes widened. That was indeed something to cry about. If it were him, he would have cried for three months and it still wouldn’t have been enough. He would have cried a river.

The protagonist was so strong.

But he…

“The last time I cried was just now. The time before that was also just now.” Shu He finally felt a little embarrassed. He puffed out his cheeks and fidgeted with his fingers.

He kept his head down, his fine, soft black hair resting obediently on his forehead. A small dimple appeared as he pursed his lips. “And it was over something small. I’m not very happy, Xu Nongqing. How can I be like you and not cry for ten years?”

His voice was a little soft, his nature exceptionally frank, like a mischievous raccoon cat who was causing trouble one second and then rubbing against a human’s palm with its proud tail raised the next.

His emotions came and went quickly, leaving the person still caught in them unable to escape.

Xu Nongqing gazed at Shu He, his dark eyes reflecting the boy’s frail appearance, his eyelids still a little red. After a long moment, he said, “Why do you want to be like me?”

Shu He tilted his head. “To be strong.”

“Crying can also be a form of strength.” Xu Nongqing shifted his gaze, sweeping it over the farmers in the fields who were furtively glancing their way. His tone was flat. “You don’t need to change. If you can’t hold back the tears, then don’t.”

Shu He loved those words.

He cheered up and pulled the tin box from his pocket, taking out two soft candies and handing them to Xu Nongqing. “For comforting me and not holding a grudge, you can have these.”

Xu Nongqing looked away from the fields and down at the offering, but didn’t take them.

Shu He stood on his tiptoes, leaned in, and popped them into Xu Nongqing’s mouth before turning and running off.

His fingers were a little cold, carrying a faint, fresh scent. For the few seconds Xu Nongqing was stunned, the cool touch of those fingertips on his lips slowly faded.

He watched Shu He’s retreating back, their earlier conversation flashing through his mind.

Why did you cry?

My grandparents passed away.

But he hadn’t cried out of sadness.

He cried because the atmosphere of the funeral demanded it, because he had to in order to blend in like a normal person.

The grip on the hoe in Xu Nongqing’s hand gradually tightened. His dark eyes were deep, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. He took two short breaths before suppressing the various absurd thoughts that were unseasonably rising in his mind.

Don’t think about it.

—He was not someone he could covet.

*

After lunch, Shu He sat in the house, flipping through The Complete Guide to Villainy. Xu Nongqing was installing an old-fashioned bed curtain for him.

The atmosphere in the room was peaceful.

Only the System—suddenly realized Shu He was ignoring it.

After they returned, it had intended to talk to Shu He about his conversation with the protagonist regarding crying.

Villains and protagonists couldn’t have such calm chats. It had to remind him, but it was also worried it would unintentionally use 【That Tone】 with Shu He. So, its first move was to lay some groundwork: 【Was lunch good?】

Shu He didn’t seem to hear, his eyes fixed on his book without any reaction.

The system’s mechanical voice was cold: 【I don’t really understand human tastes.】

【…】

【What are you doing?】

【…】

After a few attempts, the system confirmed that Shu He was genuinely ignoring it.

The system had never experienced this before and had no countermeasures. If a host broke off relations with their system, what was it supposed to do?

Unable to find a solution, the system finally did something it thought it would never do.

It silently logged into the system forum linked to its backend, hid its designation, and, after much deleting and editing, posted a thread:

【: My host is ignoring me. What should I do?】

The Interstellar Universe Maintenance Center had tens of thousands of systems. Some were guiding hosts on missions, while others had free time to browse the forums.

The thread’s view count instantly skyrocketed.

【: Haha, your host has quite a temper.】

【: No way, there are hosts who aren’t afraid of their systems? Did you fail to maintain your cold robot persona? Did you become friends with your host?】

【: Reply: No.】

【: Then let him be angry. It’s no big deal. The host needs the system. Eventually, he’ll give in on his own when he realizes that throwing a tantrum gets him nowhere.】

【: Details. Why is your host ignoring you?】

【: Reply: He was raised to be a bit spoiled by his parents, and he cries a lot… I told him tears are cheap, and he hasn’t spoken to me in six hours.】

【: Ah…】

【: Well…】

【: Bro, you’re a Villain System, not a Simp System.】

【: Reply: …】

The system calmly logged out of the forum.

From its omniscient perspective, it glanced at Shu He, who was engrossed in studying The Complete Guide to Villainy. Its program felt a slight sense of collapse.

It couldn’t do it.

It couldn’t just ignore Shu He and wait for him to give in.

After a long moment, the system logged back into the forum.

In that short time, many new replies had appeared, most of them telling it to just ignore the situation.

The systems of the Universe Maintenance Center were all created from programs. Although they had self-awareness, they were not “human” in the traditional sense.

They were more rational and understood their duties as systems. While they each had their own personalities, their core nature was cold and emotionless.

So, what System 1 was concerned about seemed somewhat baffling to them.

The system ran a virus scan on its own program, then paused on a reply: 【: Crying? Let him cry. When the tears run dry, there won’t be any left. You don’t need to do anything.】

Its program glitched several times before it quoted the reply and posted a message that was enough to break the entire forum—

【But I want to comfort him.】

The moment it was posted, the forum instantly exploded into chaos.

【:!!! Are you in a relationship with your host?】

【: Brother System, what’s your designation? Do you dare to reveal it?】

【: The system handbook prohibits office romances…】

【: Reported.】

The system posted a picture of Shu He. 【My host. He’s very serious, always reading to advance the mission.】

【If he’s happier, he’ll be more motivated to complete the mission.】

1 had found a perfectly suitable reason.

But the thread suddenly went quiet.

From their inception, intelligent systems were designed with references to human aesthetics, emotions, and values. Therefore, what was considered top-tier beauty in human eyes was the same for systems.

In the silence, all the systems widened their non-existent eyes, utterly stunned by the picture.

The angle of the photo was clever.

The boy’s head was lowered, his long, slender white hand resting on the edge of the book as if about to turn the page. He had a stunning face that was unforgettable at first glance, with delicate and refined features, and pink, tender lips. His philtrum was slightly pursed, making him look focused and serious.

This angle captured both his tall, slender figure and his features in perfect detail.

All the systems went wild.

【: Damn it, that’s obviously my host, how did he become yours? Give him back!】

【: Yes, Brother System, you’re in the wrong. Go apologize already!】

【: What’s with the high-and-mighty act, Brother System? That’s your host, not your enemy! He’s someone who needs to be treated with care.】

【: Oh my god, I can’t imagine how you made him cry. That’s too much. The relationship between a system and a host is an equal partnership. In fact, the system is supposed to assist the host in completing missions. How could you stand by and say his tears are cheap?】

【: They’re clearly very valuable! I’d spend a ton of points to buy those tears!】

【: I showed this to my host, and my host is interested. Please give me your coordinates, I’m bringing my host to pursue love.】

【: It seems that the worlds managed by the Villain System don’t allow a second mission-taker… so, can you let your host come to our department?】

1 scrolled through the replies, its program inexplicably sizzling.

It coldly and emotionlessly deleted the picture it had posted, deleted the thread, and logged out of the forum.

It took a full five minutes to barely suppress its nearly overheating program—the system’s originally cold electronic voice was now strangely heavy: 【Shu He.】

【I’m sorry. It was my fault.】

【I won’t use that tone with you again.】

Shu He, who was reading, paused.

He closed The Complete Guide to Villainy, moved his small stool to the doorway to bask in the sun. The system thought he still wouldn’t respond.

But the next second, the boy’s familiar voice sounded in its mind.

【I forgive you.】

The system, which had been tense, finally relaxed. The sizzling in its program subsided.

Shu He actually wasn’t angry anymore. His temper flared up quickly and died down just as fast; he rarely held a grudge overnight.

The reason he hadn’t spoken was just to hear the system apologize.

A system that used that tone was bad!

Shu He hugged the book, the bright sunlight illuminating his pale face. He mumbled, “Alright, I’ll work hard to complete the mission. This is our shared mission.”

The system recorded this sentence and stored it in its program—in its very core.

For a human, it would be like engraving it on their heart.

【Mm, just do what you can.】 The system finally spoke. 【I know you can do it.】

Shu He’s eyes curved into a smile. “Right.”

He had already started reading The Complete Guide to Villainy for the second time and was more confident than ever. Next, he could apply Rule X from the book: 【An annoying villain starts with small things. If you are fortunate enough to live under the same roof as the protagonist, try rummaging through his things to find his reverse scale. It has a miraculous effect.】

【Friendly reminder: When a protagonist’s reverse scale is touched, their combat power will be unprecedentedly strong. Be cautious of your personal safety.】

Did the protagonist have a reverse scale?

Did Xu Nongqing… have a reverse scale?

Shu He carefully reviewed the plot again and found that this was actually quite difficult.

The story said that Xu Nongqing’s father had married into his mother’s family, which was why he took his mother’s surname. He had lived with his parents in the city until he was eight.

Later, his mother’s family went bankrupt. His father had an affair with another heiress, and his mother also remarried. Both of them found his sullen personality unlikable and considered him a burden, so they threw him into the countryside.

So, parents like that were unlikely to be his reverse scale.

If not a person… then an object?

Didn’t seem like it either.

Shu He’s eyes widened as he suddenly realized a frustrating fact.

Xu Nongqing had no reverse scale.

He was invincible.

“The bed curtain is installed.”

A voice suddenly came from behind, interrupting Shu He’s thoughts. He instinctively stood up from his stool and turned around to see Xu Nongqing picking up a dustpan covered in dirt that was by the door.

“Where are you going?” As Shu He asked, he had already blocked Xu Nongqing’s path. He lifted his pale face, his almond eyes dazzling, making it clear that he would follow wherever he went.