Translator: StormFrost
Editor: Misogi
Illusory Reality [3]
This incident was too sudden for Chen Liguo.
It happened suddenly and ended suddenly. He didn"t even know why that person abducted him.
Perhaps they made a mistake? Chen Liguo was still thinking about it while doing homework at night. They must have kidnapped the wrong person, otherwise they wouldn"t have brought him back so easily.
Having finished his homework Chen Liguo wasn"t willing to think about it anymore. He lay in bed and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, the cla.s.s representative who received Chen Liguo"s homework on time exclaimed in horror, Chen Liguo did you really turn your life around? Do you really intend to study properly? I really don"t need to press you for your homework in the future anymore?
Chen Liguo said, "Yup yup, I"ve decided to turn over a new leaf and properly do my homework."
The cla.s.s representative of the english cla.s.s patted him on the shoulder and said in a deep tone, "Chen Liguo, what on earth happened. Say it, we can help you."
Chen Liguo: "……" He just wanted to ardently show his love for studying once more, that was all.
In any case, the matter of Chen Liguo wanting to study hard shocked everyone. Some meddlesome people even started making bets, saying that Chen Liguo"s enthusiasm would only last a few days.
Chen Liguo stealthily took a look at the rates and found that the odds for more than 10 days was quite high.
Ultimately, Chen Liguo took out some of his pocket money and had his deskmate go and bet for the option "till the end of third year".
His deskmate clutched the money, his expression of horror extremely similar to the english cla.s.s representative. He said, "My beloved Guo-er, is there anything you aren"t happy about? If something happened say it ah, please don"t keep it stifled in your heart."
Chen Liguo glanced at him and said, "What are you so horrified about? Did you already bet?"
His deskmate nodded with grief.
Chen Liguo: "……"
After a moment of silence, he sighed lightly and asked, "Say it, how much?"
His deskmate cried, "All my pocket money."
Chen Liguo asked, "How many days?"
His deskmate proclaimed, "Three days!"
Chen Liguo: "……" How can someone like me who loves studying save someone like you who doesn"t love studying.
Speechless, Chen Liguo could only pat him on the shoulder and say with a sigh, "Son, Dad can"t save you."
His deskmate cried, "Daddy, love me once more ah."
Chen Liguo said, "On the gambling table there is no father and son."
Deskmate: "……"
Chen Liguo"s pocket money counted as quite a bit for high school students. Nearly all the things he wore and used were among the best of the cla.s.s. On his birthday a few months ago his father even gave him a Walkman imported from abroad, the market price was around 4,000 yuan.
More than 4,000 yuan. For the former high school student Chen Liguo, this had been his living expenses for nearly two years.
Chen Liguo didn"t have any music cells and was afraid of breaking it so he had always left it at home and didn"t really use it. Today he brought it with him, intending on listening to English CDs on his way home.
Good home, good character, and good-looking. Such a person would naturally become an object of pursuit in the cla.s.s.
There was no practice today, so Chen Liguo could go home earlier.
He had been inexplicably kidnapped yesterday, so Chen Liguo was a little bit timid and didn"t want to head home too late.
Zhou Yi came and asked Chen Liguo if he wanted to go eat rice noodles at the store near the school together after cla.s.s finished. Those rice noodles were their favorite snack and they"d go there every now and then.
Chen Liguo thought about it and refused in the end. He said, "I"m on clean up duty, you go on first."
Zhou Yi said, "Alright, then let"s go together tomorrow."
Chen Liguo agreed, "Okay."
There were other people on clean up duty along with Chen Liguo. After finishing, the sun was still hanging over the horizon casting an orange glow over the campus.
Chen Liguo carried his bag and headed out of the school.
He didn"t want to invite trouble but trouble always found him.
Chen Liguo felt someone heavily pat his shoulder from behind. When he turned his head he saw four young hooligans.
"Little friend." Although these people called Chen Liguo "little friend" they weren"t much bigger than Chen Liguo. Most of them had their hair dyed into a hideous mess and their clothes were covered with clinch bolts. From their clothes, it seemed to be the "Kill Matt" style that would later on in the future become the most heavily ridiculed style.
Chen Liguo glanced at them and then asked, "What"s the matter?"
"Give us some money to spend eh." These people had good eyes. Though they didn"t know the brand of Chen Liguo"s clothes they could tell with a glance that the walkman hanging from Chen Liguo"s body was worth a lot. They grinned and said, "My brothers want to get a drink."
Chen Liguo blinked and said, "Big brother, I don"t have money."
"No money?" One of the girls in the group reached out to pinch Chen Liguo"s face and said, "This little child looks pretty cute, no money? If you have no money, give us your Walkman to play with eh."
This Walkman looked very good. Presumably, they could exchange it for a few hundred to spend.
Chen Liguo looked down at his Walkman and thought, "If this thing is given to you then I won"t be going back."
Chen Liguo looked around and found that there weren"t any people around.
Chen Liguo said, "But I really like this Walkman." His white skin coupled with his big eyes made this innocent stare of his especially heart aching.
"Either give money or give the stuff." Someone was impatient and shoved Chen Liguo. He said, "Who"s talking c.r.a.p with you huh?"
Chen Liguo staggered from the push and his expression sunk. He said with a smile that wasn"t a smile, "What if I don"t want to give it?"
"Little kid, don"t refuse the toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit." The girl said. "Do you want to get beaten?"
There were four people who came to Chen Liguo wanting money. Three guys and one girl. At first glance it seemed that the girl didn"t have much fighting power.
These students were gangsters from a nearby school and often came to their high school in search of targets. Once they locked onto a victim they wouldn"t let go. This wasn"t something that would be settled after one time, especially after tasting the benefits. So long as they were left alone these people would pounce like flies.
The Chen Liguo of the original would was also threatened but at that time he had nothing to lose and had said, "You want money, I have none. You want life, I have one". Those people naturally didn"t believe him, so they wanted to teach him a lesson.
However, Chen Liguo wasn"t someone easy to bully. Though he was beaten up, those people weren"t well off and they never came for him again.
Chen Liguo said, "Beat me? Just with you guys?" This world"s Chen Liguo was in the basketball team and was well nourished. He wasn"t the thin bean sprout he had been in original world anymore. He was already 176 centimeters and even a little taller than these gangsters. He sneered, his momentum made them shrink back a little.
Chen Liguo said, "Go ah, try it." He was afraid of everything, but not fighting.
Those people didn"t expect that Chen Liguo who looked like such an obedient student could say such words and had a bit of a surprised look on their faces. However, these young people, they were all afraid of losing face, so they looked at each other then walked over to the somewhat out of the way place that Chen Liguo was heading towards.
When Chen Liguo went to the remote area he was still observing the three people and thought that he should probably solve the one with the weakest combat power first……
When they made it to a secluded alleyway near the school, Chen Liguo turned around and put down his school bag.
"Little kid, don"t try to be brave." Seeing that they really did want to fight the girl became a little fl.u.s.tered. She said, "Getting beaten just for a Walkman……"
However, Chen Liguo said, "Make a move."
When the boys heard it, they stepped forward but then they heard a voice come from the alleyway, "What are you doing?!"
Chen Liguo turned his head and to his surprise saw Zhou Yi who should have gone home already.
"How come you haven"t left yet?" Chen Liguo stared.
Zhou Yi helplessly said, "Is that what you should be surprised about now?"
Chen Liguo quipped, "Weren"t you going to eat rice noodles?"
Zhou Yi lifted the rice noodles in his hand and said, "Isn"t this me bringing some back for you?"
The gangsters listened to the duo"s dialogue and got a little impatient. They said, "Why f.u.c.king say so much c.r.a.p, either give money or take a beating!"
If Chen Liguo had thought that he would suffer some losses before then after seeing Zhou Yi he was completely rea.s.sured now. He knew that Zhou Yi had specially studied fighting, and it was the most practical kind.
In any case, when faced with him Chen Liguo had no combat power at all.
Sure enough, Zhou Yi didn"t plan on compromising with these people. He put the packaged rice noodles to the side with a cold expression then rolled up his sleeves and said, "Fight."
So the few people tangled in a melee together.
Chen Liguo had seen Zhou Yi"s combat prowess before.
They had gotten dead drunk in the middle of the night in college and Zhou Yi was sending a girl home. They just so happened to encounter someone holding a knife to rob them and Zhou Yi had only used one move to beat the man down.
At that time Chen Liguo"s jaw was about to drop but Zhou Yi had rubbed his head and said with a smile, "Aren"t you afraid of your eyes falling out, staring like that?"
Evidently, these little gangsters weren"t Zhou Yi"s opponent. Chen Liguo wasn"t a vegetarian either, so the two of them finished the fight quickly. The only fly in the ointment was that Chen Liguo looked at Zhou Yi"s face and his heart jumped wildly. He got a little distracted and his chin was snagged by someone"s fist.
After the fight the girl gangster looked down at her fallen companions and cried that she was going to report them to the police.
Chen Liguo thought that it was only now that she remembered the lovely police uncles, so he pulled out his phone and asked her if she wanted him to help.
The girl"s muddled makeup was ruined from her crying. She didn"t say yes.
Zhou Yi helplessly said, "Let"s go, what are you talking to them for."
Chen Liguo responded with an "ai".
The two left the alley and randomly found a restroom after returning to the school.
Zhou Yi looked at Chen Liguo and furrowed his brows. He reached out and gently tapped Chen Liguo"s chin once. He asked, "How come you got hurt?"
Chen Liguo lowered his head and washed his hands, mumbling that he didn"t pay attention and got snagged a bit.
Zhou Yi said, "Go to the hospital later and check with the doctor if you need to get a teta.n.u.s shot."
Chen Liguo said, "What"s a small injury like this? Ai, how did you know I was in the alley?"
Zhou Yi said, "I happened to hear the people around me say that they saw a student get pulled into the alley."
Chen Liguo said, "Oh."
Zhou Yi said, "You just don"t care about yourself that much?"
Chen Liguo was a little baffled and said, "This really is a light injury ah. It"s nothing, really. There"s no need to go to the hospital."
The more Zhou Yi looked at the wound on Chen Liguo"s jaw the more unpleasant it was to look at and Chen Liguo"s att.i.tude made him feel even more unwell. He didn"t know what he was thinking but he actually directly used his hand to lift Chen Liguo"s jaw and then lightly nibbled at the wound, even using his tongue to lick the damaged skin.
Chen Liguo was startled by Zhou Yi"s action.
When he finished Zhou Yi abruptly realized that his behavior was a little strange and he quickly said, "I just heard that saliva can help disinfect wounds."
Chen Liguo foolishly responded with a nonverbal hum.
Zhou Yi said, "How are you so foolish, bullied by others yet still don"t realize it."
All of Chen Liguo"s attention was still on the sensation of the skin touched by Zhou Yi. His face was a little red. He said, "You"re so pesky."
Zhou Yi pat his head and said, "Let"s go, the noodles are going to become mushy."
In the end the takeout noodles had become mushy.
However, Chen Liguo still ate very happily and with "slurp slurp"s finished it all.
Zhou Yi said don"t eat it if it got mushy.
But Chen Liguo said this noodle is so expensive, it"s a waste to not eat it.
Zhou Yi chuckled, "I never realized before that you were a miser."
Chen Liguo wiped his mouth and said, "This is not called being a miser, this is called being thrifty."
Zhou Yi waited till Chen Liguo was just about done eating before he said to him, "Chen Liguo, if you encounter this kind of robbery in the future just give them the money. Life is the most important thing, without life, there"s nothing left."
Chen Liguo vaguely responded.
Zhou Yi asked, "Did you hear me?"
Chen Liguo said, "Alright alright, I know. They certainly won"t dare come find me again."
Zhou Yi was a little helpless. He knew that Chen Liguo didn"t take his words to heart.
Chen Liguo knew that he hadn"t fully integrated into this world yet. He wasn"t the Chen Liguo who couldn"t afford to lose anything in this world anymore. He could choose to compromise, for this concession wouldn"t threaten his life. However, it was different in Chen Liguo"s original world, a hundred yen was his food money for the next two weeks. If that money was robbed then he really had no way to continue on.
After the noodles were eaten Chen Liguo was warm all over. Only now did he start to feel the pain in his jaw.
Zhou Yi said, "How are you going to explain this to your parents when you go home?"
Chen Liguo froze and realized that he had completely forgotten about this.
Zhou Yi said, "Ai, my ancestor, don"t tell me, you forgot about this."
Chen Liguo said, "I really did forget……"
Zhou Yi was completely helpless.
Finally, the two discussed it and came up with an excuse. When he went home he would say that his chin accidentally got scratched when playing basketball. In any case, they were often injured when playing ball.
Zhou Yi said, "Let"s go, I"ll send you home."
Chen Liguo said, "Don"t we take different routes? I can take the taxi myself."
Zhou Yi said, "What, you even dislike my bicycle?" He was talking about his bicycle.
In the end, Chen Liguo sat on the back seat of Zhou Yi"s bike and said, "How could that be ah. It"s not like I don"t know about this bike of yours, it"s more expensive than a lot of motorcycles."
Zhou Yi said, "Oh, you can even tell this?"
Zhou Yi was very low-key at school and many people only knew that his family"s financial circ.u.mstance was good. However, they didn"t know how good it was.
In fact, Chen Liguo only vaguely learned about it after going to university. After all, he didn"t believe that there would be bikes more expensive than motorcycle"s back in high school.
Sitting on the back seat, Zhou Yi told Chen Liguo to hold his waist.
Chen Liguo was a little embarra.s.sed and held on weakly.
Zhou Yi said, "You still have times when you can be embarra.s.sed with a skin as thick as yours?"
In a fit of anger Chen Liguo held Zhou Yi with all his strength.
Zhou Yi laughed and said, "This is about right."
Chen Liguo asked, "What about your girlfriend? I"ve taken her seat, she wouldn"t come beat me up would she?"
Zhou Yi said, "What girlfriend? Where did you hear this news from yet again?"
Chen Liguo said, "Isn"t Sun Wei your girlfriend?"
Zhou Yi said, "Who said she"s my girlfriend. Obviously there"s only one named Chen Liguo who is my wife."
Chen Liguo sat in the back seat and watched as Zhou Yi"s white shirt blew in the wind like two snow-white wings. He rested his face against Zhou Yi"s back and felt the temperature coming from it, thinking that if this was a dream, then it was too good. So good he didn"t dare continue dreaming.
Arriving at home Chen Liguo"s mother even invited Zhou Yi in for dinner.
Zhou Yi politely said that he had eaten already, then casually mentioned Chen Liguo"s wound and even added that he told Chen Liguo to go to the hospital to wrap it up but he had thought it was too much trouble.
Chen Liguo"s mother said, "This child is just so lazy. Chen Liguo, look at that Zhou Yi!"
Chen Liguo said, "Mom……"
Chen Liguo"s mother said, "He"s definitely going to be within the top ten of the grade again, look at yourself! Don"t come over and act spoiled, you"re covered in sweat, quickly go and take a bath!"
Zhou Yi looked at the interaction between the mother and son duo and his eyes were full of smiles. He said, "Auntie, I"ll go first."
Chen Liguo"s mother nodded.
Chen Liguo stood at the gate and watched Zhou Yi leave on his bicycle.
Chen Liguo"s mother said, "You, this child, don"t even greet others to come in and drink some water."
Chen Liguo thought, "Mustn"t drink. My heart is already about to jump out. If he sits in my house and drinks water and I get hard on the spot wouldn"t it be really embarra.s.sing for everyone?"
So Chen Liguo hummed a little song as he went and took a bath.
After washing his mother told him to come out and she"d help him treat his wound.
Chen Liguo stuck out his chin and let his mother smear some iodine on his skin to disinfect it as he hissed.
His mother said, "Now you know it hurts. How were you so careless when playing basketball?"
Chen Liguo said, "Aiya, boys, what does getting a bit hurt count for?"
Mother said, "Then don"t be afraid of pain."
Chen Liguo thought that he really was too delicate. In those years his shoes didn"t fit his feet but he didn"t feet much pain even when his nails were squeezed till they died. He even pulled out the dead nail himself.
A child loved dearly by people was just going to be a bit more delicate because he knew that when he felt unwell someone"s heart would ache.
After his wound was bandaged up Chen Liguo was urged to read again.
Chen Liguo sat in front of the table and said, "System ah, the world is too wonderful."
The system said, "So long as there are no mosaics the world is always wonderful."
Chen Liguo giggled mischievously as he rubbed the picture of himself in the frame on the desk. He said, "Say, do you think that Zhou Yi likes me a bit too?" He thought of Zhou Yi"s expression when he licked him and his face turned red again.
The system said with horror, "Chen Liguo, you have such pure and innocent times too?"
Chen Liguo said, "I have always been very pure and innocent thank you."
The system said, "What are you hard for if you"re so pure and innocent?!"
Chen Liguo looked down and looked at his □□. He said, "Thankfully I didn"t ask Zhou Yi to come in and drink water……"
System: "……"
Chen Liguo laughed, "Heiheiheiheihei."
The system really was shocked by Chen Liguo"s indecency. It really didn"t understand how Chen Liguo could use such a pure face to make such a evil expression.
Then Chen Liguo recited words for half an hour to calm down a bit. When he fell asleep at night a sweet smile hung from the corners of his mouth.
The next day people secretly asked Chen Liguo if he knew what had happened yesterday the moment he arrived at school.
Chen Liguo asked, "What?"
The deskmate gossiping to him said, "The punks near our school were beaten up yesterday!"
Chen Liguo became enthusiastic when he heard this. He asked, "Beaten? Really?"
The deskmate said, "That"s right. I"ve heard that they were wretched. Several people had their legs broken and the ambulance was called."
Chen Liguo thought that this should be a rumor. He hadn"t broken their legs. Though it looked serious they were mostly skin injuries…..
"It"s true!" The deskmate said. "Someone in our cla.s.s saw it with their own eyes."
Chen Liguo still didn"t believe it until Zhou Yi came to find him at lunch and said that the punks really had their legs broken. Only, it was after they had left.
"Then who broke their legs?" Chen Liguo found it a little inconceivable. "It can"t be that their enemies came knocking on the door so coincidentally?"
Zhou Yi said, "I don"t know." He pondered about it and seemed to think of something but didn"t share it with Chen Liguo.
Chen Liguo said, "Ai…… I didn"t expect it ah."
Zhou Yi said, "Don"t think too much. There"s a basketball match during winter vacation, don"t forget."
Chen Liguo said, "I remember, I remember!"
It had been a few months since he came here and the semester was coming to an end. Chen Liguo"s academic performance had been getting better steadily with the help of the system which made both his parents and teachers very happy.
Chen Liguo"s mother had even promised him that if he got close to the top 200 she would take him abroad to play.
Chen Liguo said that this old life was going to get within the top 200 even at the cost of the system.
The system, whose life had inexplicably been put at stake by Chen Liguo said that the top 200 was possible so long as Chen Liguo"s didn"t "rub" during his third year.
Chen Liguo was shocked by the system and said, "You"re too cruel."
The system said, "Choose! Do you want to feel good or do you want to get good grades!"
Chen Liguo tried to talk it over with the system but the system harshly rejected all of Chen Liguo"s attempts at acting cute.
Finally, Chen Liguo compromised that every time he rubbed would be a test failed.
Chen Liguo: "I"ve never seen such an anti-human system."
The system said, "I"ve never seen such an anti-system human."
Chen Liguo: "……"
The Author has Something to Say:
Hahahaha don"t think too much guys. I just mistyped the wrong t.i.tle. (surprise) You all haven"t forgotten have you? I"ve said that the ending would sweeten the dead. I would never write a kind of ending where Chen Liguo"s actually already dead and it"s all a dream. Every time I see this kind of ending in a movie or novel I feel like my soul has been QJ"d then I"d angrily want to do indescribably things to the author.
Thank you darlings for the mines, grenades, and rockets. Special thanks to dear XiaoZhuZi"s deep-water torpedo. Thank you la!!!!!