Translator: Lynn
When Zhu Yan burst out of the door, at least seventeen or eighteen versions of scenes flashed through his mind, depicting him alternatively as the Khitan wolf, the unjustly aggrieved gang leader Qiao Feng, or the young dragon-slaying boy embarking on a village’s hopeful journey. Simultaneously, he transformed into the cow from countless fantasy novels, enduring humiliation and awaiting his triumphant return twenty years later, with the forced protagonist shining.
As the ancients say, if life is unsatisfactory, one should ruin the boat and get a new one! Fireworks descend on Yangzhou in March! Sail from Yangzhou to the Western Ocean, rushing toward the great shipping route!
Zhu Yan always believed that his life experiences destined him for greatness since childhood. For all male protagonists with deceased parents, God would surely compensate by granting them an inspirational and challenging life, enabling them to achieve a great career!
Unfortunately, with his grand dreams of breaking free from the mundane, he forgot to bring his wallet and mobile phone when leaving the house.
“…” Such is life.
After digging through his pockets for a while, he managed to retrieve over twenty yuan in change. With this meager sum, he could only afford an old popsicle in the autumn wind before heading to the internet cafe.
He logged into the “Prosperity” interface.
Seeing the ID “Wang Huohuo” light up, Li Weidu, the president of “Prosperity,” wore an indescribable smile.
…
Zhu Yan actually had three or four favorite games, and “Prosperity” was not his top choice.
“Prosperity” is not a mindless shooting or lawn-mowing game based on hand speed; it’s a world of management and maneuvering where players compete to outwit each other. As a straightforward young man, Zhu Yan was consistently outsmarted by others in this game.
Fortunately, there was a way for less strategic players to survive.
That way was not to rise up and seek dominance but to navigate this troubled world by buying and selling, escaping, and, if lucky, building a business and amassing wealth.
Various items could be resold in the world of “Prosperity,” but Zhu Yan favored reselling weapons.
Mainly because Xiong Laoer, a burly man running a weapons stall at the entrance of the Demon Sect’s Nether Blood Palace, struck him as friendly in terms of appearance, attire, figure, and unwavering generosity.
The mysterious gossip about the weapons dealer Xiong Laoer and the young master of the Nether Blood Palace, Li Aotian, originated from a hot post that sparked an explosive discussion on the “Prosperity” forum.
It remained at the top of the list: “Pure curiosity, just want to ask, a guy who sells weapons, why do you dare to often go shirtless and set up a stall in front of the murderous demon sect? And why haven’t you been caught and killed after revealing secrets about Li Aotian, the young master of the Nether Blood Palace, for so long?”
This post created ripples, shocking everyone. Yes, this audacious individual was bold and destined for greatness!
After multiple analyses, conjectures, research, and demonstrations, Xiong Laoer was firmly identified as the “young master’s wife” and “the knife seller on the BOSS’s bed” in the world of “Prosperity.”
“Daaad~” The little Lolita in yellow, “Wang Huohuo,” bounced around next to NPC Xiong Laoer.
“I don’t believe it! The two of you obviously have such a good relationship, how could you suddenly get divorced?”
“Dad, you couldn’t be… really abducted by the young master of the Demon Cult, right?”
…
Earlier that morning, Zhu Yan encountered a blond and fair-skinned man who rushed into the house, accusing Ji Kai of stealing his man and tearfully demanding Zhu Yan know “the truth of the whole thing.”
Zhu Yan found it ridiculous. Uncle was so infatuated with his dad; where would he find the time to mess around with your man outside? Do you have persecution delusions?
So he interrupted the man and asked a crucial question.
“Who are you?”
“Xiao Yan, don’t listen to his nonsense!” Lei Nanyu finally reacted and stepped forward, decisively pulling Zhu Yan behind him.
“I said you… you are enough, right? You’re not satisfied with seducing Zhu Ling and getting them divorced? What’s your ability to talk nonsense to children? And you have the nerve to confuse right and wrong and bite back?”
Zhu Yan: “Divorce…”
Ye Yin: “It’s not me who came; it was Zhu Ling’s uncle and aunt who asked me to tell him the truth! Also, Xiao Yan, your grandma is very worried about you and told you to come back. Please go home, don’t always stay in other people’s homes and trouble them!”
Lei Nanyu: “You dare to call Xiao Yan too?!”
After a lot of quarrels, Zhu Yan silently remembered what Xia Xia had said not long ago with a worried look on his face: a few words.
[My mother said that your uncle is very popular on the set, with many fans jumping on him like crazy in front of you.]
[Even if it is a hidden marriage, you should go to multiple studios to visit the studio to show your face and shock you.]
All the details were outlined, making him feel that he was really slow and stupid.
…
“But, Uncle, he obviously has dad; why would he do that kind of thing? I don’t understand, and I think Uncle also loves him very much!” The little girl in yellow continued to fidget, airing her grievances in front of non-responsive NPCs.
“Also, even if they are really divorced, why did they hide it from me? I’m not a child anymore! I’ve known for a long time that they are having trouble. During this time, Uncle Nan and Uncle Li come to pick me up and drop me off every day. When I ask about them, he just changes the subject; I’m not stupid!”
It’s just that they had disagreements in the past, but they always made up quickly.
“The two of them are so good to each other, yet still divorced. I’m afraid… I’ll never believe in love again.”
A flash of light struck, and the little girl’s health instantly bottomed out.
Zhu Yan entered battle preparation mode in a second, and everything from his perspective seemed off. Did he read it wrong? The BOSS of the “Prosperity” world, Li Aotian, the young master of Nether Blood Palace, just walked out of the palace!?
Could this have triggered some serious branch plot? Zhu Yan was covered in cold sweat, and he immediately launched a few big moves, but the BOSS’s health didn’t budge.
“…”
The BOSS tossed him a few potent potions arrogantly: “Young man, I will take you to the Netherblood Extreme Underground Palace to get the only big orange weapon in the whole server. Do you want to go?”
Damn it. Extreme, extreme underground palace?! There is only one big orange weapon in the whole server?
“But young master, at my level, I will die if an ordinary monster in the underground palace pokes me?”
Li Aotian: “I will protect you.”
“!!” Zhu Yan remembered a novel he had read a while ago, where an NPC in an online game developed a sense of autonomy and favored the protagonist in various ways.
So, is this the time to activate the golden finger and become an online game master from now on?
…
…
“Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo… Dad!”
Ji Kai: “Okay, stop crying! I’m not dead!”
He raised his eyes and looked helplessly at Li Weidu.
Why? Why bring him here? How many times have I said, just find the child, make sure he is safe, and let Lei Nanyu pick him up! Don’t tell him that I’m in the hospital!
Li Weidu: Why?
Why did you lie here and suffer for so many days? As soon as you woke up from the car accident, you called Lei Nanyu and asked him to help you take care of the child, for fear that the little bear child would have no one to accompany you and starve.
And the little bear should be relaxed and know nothing?
What else is “for the sake of his studies, I don’t want to distract him?”
The points in “Prosperity” are so high, at first glance, he looks like a naughty kid who can’t even be stopped by the anti-addiction system.
Studies?
But forget it now. Maybe he will misunderstand me and blame me after hearing the instigation of dissension. No! Why should I be wronged? He can’t hurt me anymore!
“By the way, Ji Kai, you can deduct half a year’s pocket money from him.”
Zhu Yan: “!?”
“You are fifteen or sixteen years old, and you agreed to go with someone after playing a game for half an hour! And you carelessly eat and drink other people’s food without any precautions, and then coax you into the car after just saying a few words? Let me ask you, What would you do if I were a bad person?”
Zhu Yan: “…But you are Li Weidu, how can you be a bad person?”
“Do you recognize me?!”
Zhu Yan: Ugh. Mr. Li…have you completely underestimated the popularity of your own game?
The largest guild in “Prosperity” is called “Li Weidu’s Harem Group”, and the president is called “Li Weidu’s Little Wife”. Whenever someone draws the magical horse “Red Rabbit on the Snow” in the game, congratulatory messages from the loudspeakers will be “I drew the Rabbit on the Snow today, and I can sleep with Li Weidu tomorrow.” Who doesn’t recognize you?
By the way, Young Master Aotian, where is the great weapon that you promised me just now?
…
…
A week later, Ji Kai was discharged from the hospital with his arm hanging.
Li Weidu drove, and as they proceeded, Ji Kai sensed that the street scene was deviating from the route to his house.
“Mr. Li, it seems like we’re heading to your house, not mine?”
“You’re hanging by one hand and can’t move the other. Can you survive independently when you return to your own house? If nothing else, can you turn on the faucet?”
“…” He couldn’t open it, and self-sufficiency was out of the question.
“I have everything at home; don’t worry. Anyway, I’ve gotten used to taking care of you recently. If you are missing something or want something, Qi Yang will go to the supermarket to buy it for you later.”
“But Mr. Li, this… do you know how embarrassing is it?”
Indeed, it was embarrassing! Ji Kai felt increasingly guilty for being the recipient of so much care – Mr. Li even came to the ward to work just to keep him company! Not to mention he couldn’t take a shower for the past few days, and yet Mr. Li personally helped him wash his hair and wipe his body?
Zuo Yan, Ying Jian, and other friends took everything seriously during this period, praising Li Weidu’s virtuous virtues.
“Brother Kai, this is true love; just accept it!”
“It feels like no one will be more interested in you than him! Why are you still hesitating?”
Ji Kai sometimes wondered if Mr. Li really liked him with all his gentle care. Yet, considering Li Weidu’s unique mindset, a lack of love might have led to the inclination to nestle in after being rescued. Thus, Ji Kai decided to stay still and observe the situation.
Li Weidu struggled to sleep for a long time, feeling extremely tired yet unable to rest.
Gazing at the stars and moon through the window, he thought longingly about Ji Kai in the guest room.
In truth, Li Weidu didn’t want Ji Kai in the guest room at all. But what could be done? You can’t just say, “Come and sleep with me.”
Qi Yang had warned him that convincing someone to come home was already a victory, and feeling at ease knowing Ji Kai was right next door was perfect!
The rest had to be done slowly, impressing him little by little with time and patience, avoiding rushing or asking for too much.
Of course, Li Weidu knew Qi Yang was right, but he couldn’t sleep, thinking about Ji Kai behind the wall.
Recently, he felt like a completely different person. He, a germophobe, had endured a cold, hard bed outside his home for so long.
While feeding Ji Kai every day, he resisted the urge to touch and kiss him.
Picking chicken and fish bones didn’t feel troublesome. Even while chatting once, Ji Kai fell asleep on his shoulder after drinking water, and Li Weidu held on like that, remaining motionless for three hours.
He wouldn’t like someone like this.
Qi Yang once criticized him severely, saying no one would want someone who is mentally deficient, easily unbalanced, and a bit scary!
Li Weidu felt desperate; he didn’t want to be like this. He wanted to be as chic, funny, and worldly as Qi Yang, with a hint of evil and cruelty. But it seemed impossible.
Over the past few days, his feelings have grown uncontrollable, pushing him towards Ji Kai. Despite knowing he couldn’t be like this, he couldn’t stop his emotions.
What to do?
He liked Ji Kai so much and didn’t want to scare him.
How could he make Ji Kai see him too?
Suddenly, there was a slight sound of movement in the living room. In the middle of the night, Ji Kai got up.
…
Ji Kai awoke with hunger gnawing at him.
Having spent a few days at Li Weidu’s house, he became mindful of regulating his dinner portions. It was essential, given the irresistibly delicious food prepared by Li Weidu; otherwise, he’d indulge to his heart’s content.
But he couldn’t afford to do that. Rebuilding the muscles he had worked hard on for days would be in vain, not to mention gaining excess weight.
In two months, Zhu Ling would return.
Although Ji Kai had no intention of rekindling their relationship, he imagined the scenario where the little goblin would still look beautiful while he transformed into a disabled and less attractive figure. The idea of the cheaters laughing together convinced they had made the right choice, lingered in his thoughts.
With this in mind, his weakened hand reached for the refrigerator door.
While his Parkinson’s disease had improved significantly, making his hand tremors less severe, it still posed challenges in picking up things.
Ji Kai found it rather unscientific.
After several attempts, he managed to open the refrigerator door. Li Weidu’s double-door refrigerator was stocked with an array of items: raw ham, caviar truffles, air-shipped wild venison, and various organic foods.
Unfortunately, the only ready-to-eat item was a jam-filled oatmeal bread.
It probably wouldn’t taste too good, but it would at least quell his hunger.
Just this once.
Eat it! Only once tonight; starting tomorrow, he would formally exercise restraint and moderation!
Just one bite… yum!
The bread, coarse and frozen, clung to his teeth, but the raspberry jam flooded his taste buds, sweeter than he had imagined. After the initial bite, he couldn’t resist taking a second and third. As he ate, the satisfaction and soothing of his sore stomach grew.
“I can’t eat anymore, really, but… I’m so hungry and tempted!”
Suddenly, he couldn’t swallow.
What was happening? Ji Kai, who had blamed Zhu Ling for not resisting temptation, realized he wasn’t as determined as he thought.
It was just a piece of mediocre bread, yet he couldn’t put it down after picking it up.
If he was this weak, why should he blame others for succumbing to the temptation of the sweet honey-cream goblin? Why?
Why.
The overwhelming self-loathing was interrupted by a sudden voice from behind, “Isn’t that hard to eat?”
“Ahem… Ouch.” Ji Kai jumped, startled, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Turning around, he found Li Weidu silently approaching, looking pale as a ghost. Caught red-handed!
“What’s delicious here?”
The bread was taken away by Li Weidu. Ji Kai braced for criticism and reprimands, but instead, Li Weidu merely reached out, as if it were his own possession, as if holding his belongings was the most natural thing. He gently held Ji Kai’s weak hand.
“Come on, come on.”
“Don’t eat that non-nutritious thing. I’ll make something delicious for you to eat.”
Ji Kai shook his head, “No, I won’t eat it…”
“I know you’re controlling your diet. It doesn’t matter. I’ll make something low-calorie but very delicious. You’ll definitely like it.”
…
Li Weidu’s kitchen boasts an open-plan design.
Adjacent to the stove, there is a heated iron plate where mushrooms sizzle enticingly. Oil consumption, teriyaki sauce, secret ingredients—slender white fingers expertly navigate the culinary dance.
“Venison won’t make you fat. It’s very fresh and sweet. It’s especially delicious when rolled with vegetables. You’ll know in a moment.”
“Hmm…”
“Here, let’s cut some for you to taste first.”
Ji Kai, not fully attentive to the previous words, extended the fork before him and took a bite subconsciously. Indeed, the dish was delicious, sweet, and melted in his mouth.
Yet, these culinary details became secondary.
His gaze was fixated on Li Weidu, impossible to divert, almost as if he were in a trance.
This time, it wasn’t just his hands that seemed enchanted, but his entire being.
Under the slanted window, aglow with starlight, a dim chandelier hangs in the kitchen. Observing Li Weidu’s wrinkled white shirt, the top two unbuttoned buttons, his perfectly shaped neck, his skillful movements, and his gentle, somewhat verdant smile, Ji Kai found himself captivated.
In Ji Kai’s perception, “Li Weidu” and “Mr. Li” had always seemed like two distinct personas.
“Mr. Li” represented the powerful, somewhat bothersome, and hard-to-approach wealthy CEO, whereas Li Weidu, with unkempt hair, a lack of awkwardness, and an absence of sarcastic remarks, occasionally donned black-rimmed glasses to conceal the weariness from late nights. He appeared bloodshot—a harmless, good-natured man skilled in preparing a variety of delectable dishes.
However, just a moment ago, when the gentle young man “Li Weidu” felt his bangs obstructing his view, he casually lifted them with wet fingers.
As a result, the aura of “Mr. Li” fully emerged.
Observing “Mr. Li” cook, Ji Kai couldn’t suppress a laugh.
The savory aroma swiftly permeated the living room. Ji Kai, with a beaming smile, teased while Li Weidu fried, occasionally feeding him.
As he indulged in the culinary delights, Li Weidu suddenly looked up and remarked, “If you get hungry again at night, just wake me up. I’ll cook whatever you want to eat anytime.” After saying this, he lowered his head once more to continue his culinary endeavors.
Ji Kai was momentarily stupefied, the delectable red wine foie gras in his mouth slowly melting. The smile in his eyes froze, transforming gradually into something deeper.
Confused, obscure, and then gradually brightening.
The starlight outside the window dimmed.
Comes a time when one’s sweet smile.
Has its season for a while.
Then love’s in love with me.
…
A song not heard in a long time, unsung by anyone, yet the voice whispers in Ji Kai’s ears with clarity, echoing in the soft night.
Translator’s Notes:
I think I forgot to tell you guys that I’m having final exams rn. I think it’ll end this week, I’ll try to upload as many as I can in the meantime ^^
Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
Support me on ko-fi if you like what I do^^
