In late July, most high schools in the city were already on summer vacation. Only No. 1 High School was still holding regular classes, except that apart from the third-year students pushing for the college entrance exams, most people were becoming restless, their minds long having flown far away from their studies.
At the corner at the end of the playground, the chipped blue iron door of the old equipment room was half open. The pried-open lock was covered in rust, lying on the brick-and-stone ground that had seen better days.
Behind the clutter of desks and chairs inside the room, a fair, thin male student wearing a school uniform was being held down, kneeling in front of a teenage boy.
The kneeling student’s body trembled slightly, tears brimming in his reddened eye sockets, yet he still gritted his teeth and held back his cries.
The next second, his chin was snatched upward.
The boy’s slender eyes half-narrowed, looking down at that face from above. His gaze gradually turned cold, and the long, slender fingers pinching the other’s chin increased their strength.
Amid the jeers of the crowd, the boy pressed the thumb-wheel of a utility knife, the sharp blade pointing directly at that thin, pale face.
The atmosphere was instantly pushed to its peak, the crowd’s gazes burning with intense anticipation, eager to see that fair face seep with fresh blood.
However, the boy’s knuckles suddenly froze in place as if experiencing a mechanical failure.
His expression shifted from fierce to bewildered. His slightly open mouth failed to utter a single word for a long time.
His bedroom was gone, his computer was gone, and the desk full of clay little figures was also gone. Replacing them was a group of high school students wearing school uniforms.
Then who was this student kneeling in front of him, with clothes so dirty and ragged?
Brother Yan?
Seeing that Ji Yan was acting a bit abnormally, a nearby person spoke up to remind him. Only then did Ji Yan snap back to reality, noticing the school name badge on the speaking boy’s uniform: Canglan No. 1 High School.
This name sounded so familiar…
He swallowed slowly, tightly closing his eyes and reopening them. The scene in front of him remained unchanged.
A terrifying thought surfaced: he had transmigrated into a book!
Not many people had paid attention to his cousin’s previous web novel. He had opened a secondary account, occasionally sending comments and subscriptions, and even gifted her free character concept art to use as book covers.
To thank her cousin for his constant support, she had arranged a character for him in her new novel, reportedly a handsome rich second-generation heir.
Having been busy with his personal sculpture exhibition previously, Ji Yan had only found time to click on her new novel a few days ago.
It was almost finished, had tens of thousands of comments, and was quite popular.
Looking at the synopsis, his character was a supporting role. Full of expectations, he clicked on it.
Half an hour later, he sent a string of question marks to his cousin.
AAA Clay Wholesale Old Ji: Excuse me, is this shameless, unscrupulous, vicious, and manipulative bootlicking simp the character you arranged for me?
A casual screenshot of the comment section was filled with abuses directed at him. The protagonist didn’t even have as much discussion as he did.
Jiangnan Desolate: (Doggy Crying.gif) I didn’t expect it to become this popular either.
AAA Clay Wholesale Old Ji: …
Jiangnan Desolate: Hehe, how about this: if this book hits the top three on the charts, I’ll treat you to a month’s worth of grand meals.
Ji Yan silently deleted the long paragraph of friendly greetings he had typed out.
AAA Clay Wholesale Old Ji: Plus a year’s supply of wood and oil-based clay.
Ji Yan casually sent over the names of a few brands.
Jiangnan Desolate: Deal!
His cheap cousin didn’t have much else to do all day, either carving away with his little broken knife or rolling up clay to sculpt little figures. The materials shouldn’t be that expensive, but who would have known that a quick online search would show prices bright enough to blind a dog’s eyes.
She gritted her teeth and tried to bargain.
Jiangnan Desolate: Then you have to sculpt a new book’s CP figurine model for me, the exquisite version!
Ji Yan thought about it and agreed; after all, it wasn’t a difficult task.
The carving knife in his hand went back to work, and fine wood shavings fell onto the tabletop accordingly.
The palm-sized figure’s facial features gradually gained spirit. Only then did Ji Yan put down the carving knife and continue browsing through the subsequent content.
For the sake of the grand meals and a year’s supply of sculpture materials, he had to understand the protagonist’s persona.
Unexpectedly, this dog-blood novel possessed a strange kind of attraction. Several times he wanted to drop the novel because it was too absurd, but he couldn’t help continuing to read.
In the book, the villain Ji Yan used every possible means to win over Shen Que, repeatedly humiliated, and yet repeatedly threw himself forward shamelessly.
To frame Zhu Youran, the book’s protagonist CP, he challenged moral bottom lines countless times. Many innocent people were implicated by him, and some even lost their lives because of it.
His unbridled behavior was largely related to the unconditional cover-ups and support from his family each time. Near the end, under Shen Que’s manipulation, Ji Yan sold his family’s trade secrets to a competitor.
The Ji family went completely bankrupt; his father fell into massive debt and committed suicide by jumping from a building out of momentary despair, and his mother also fell into a severe depression because of it.
Unable to accept the drastic changes, Ji Yan became completely decadent, spent his days dead drunk, and even got hooked on drugs under the instigation of friends. After a bout of heavy drinking, he was picked up by someone, humiliated thoroughly, and thrown into a desolate wilderness, where he lost his soul and drowned in a river.
Looking at the tear-stained boy pinned to the ground, Ji Yan’s heart turned half cold, wishing so badly that it was himself kneeling on the ground right now.
Every single bullying act he committed against Zhu Youran was just adding dirt to his own grave.
The original owner only started taking notice of Zhu Youran because the latter was being bullied in a bar, and Shen Que stepped in to save him.
Seeing Zhu Youran’s beautiful face untainted like a lotus rising from mud, the original owner became so furious his eyes turned red, and that very night he directly went to the bar owner to get him fired.
Who would have known that a month later, the other person would actually transfer into No. 1 High School.
In the original book, his little finger was trampled until it fractured, and his face was slashed with a cut. When Shen Que appeared, the original owner had already had most of his only remaining shirt stripped away by two leering boys.
This incident caused an uproar throughout the school, and ultimately Ji Yan’s father stepped in to smooth things over, while the original owner only received a verbal reprimand from the head of discipline.
Although Ji Yan’s father cut off his credit cards, the original owner knew the school wouldn’t dare do anything to him, so he became even more unbridled, subjecting Zhu Youran to repeated insults and frame-ups, which directly accelerated the progress of the romantic relationship between Zhu Youran and Shen Que.
Zero additives, a pure tool character.
This bitch is acting pitiful again, Brother Yan, don’t soften your heart!
He was seducing Young Master Shen just like that back at the bar!
They knew very well that Shen Que’s name was the detonating fuse for Ji Yan’s bomb; it only needed a slight touch, and Ji Yan would be instantly ignited.
Sure enough, Ji Yan leaned down once more. Amid the expectant gazes of the crowd, he forcefully pried apart the two hands tightly pinning Zhu Youran down, and carefully helped Zhu Youran up, like holding a fragile vase.
Everyone froze, looking at Ji Yan in incomprehension.
Feeling Zhu Youran’s body trembling uncontrollably, Ji Yan patted his shoulder in a reassuring manner.
Don’t be afraid!
Zhu Youran thought he had misheard, but when he raised his head, he found Ji Yan looking right at him, completely different from the murderous look he had just a moment ago.
Everyone else was dumbfounded too.
Ji Yan turned around, swept a casual glance across the crowd, and pointed at the person who had instigated the loudest earlier.
You, take off your school uniform and lend it to classmate Zhu to wear.
Ding Chong, who was pointed at, widened his eyes. Huh? Why?!
Ji Yan let out an impatient tch. Since when are there so many whys? Hurry up, and the pants too.
Ding Chong gritted his teeth and stripped down to a pair of underwear, revealing a skinny physique like a straw stalk. A few people nearby almost laughed out loud.
Ji Yan took the clothes from his hands and handed them to Zhu Youran. Don’t mind it; make do with this for now.
Ding Chong rubbed his bare arms and asked aggrievedly, Then… then what am I going to wear…
Ji Yan raised his chin toward Zhu Youran.
Looking at the clothes on Zhu Youran that had been torn apart by them, Ding Chong wore a complicated expression on his face.
Recognizing Ding Chong’s reluctance, Ji Yan offered a helpful tip: You can also choose to go out naked and show off your figure.
Ding Chong: I’ll change!
The two went behind the pile of desks and chairs to change. Someone couldn’t help the confusion in their heart.
Brother Yan, are you just letting him off that easily?
Ji Yan looked at them as if looking at complete idiots.
Given the protagonist’s vengeful personality, offending the apple of his eye meant he wouldn’t even know how he died later on.
These people really needed to thank him properly!
When the two came out after changing, Ji Yan immediately put on a smiling face and naturally threw an arm around Zhu Youran’s shoulder.
Let’s go, I’ll take you to the infirmary!
The figures of the two disappeared at the entrance of the equipment room.
For a long time, the first Fuck exploded from the crowd.
Brother Yan… has he gone mad?
On a bench in the woods not far away, Shen Que peered through the layers of tree shadows toward the equipment room, casually tearing open a bag of marshmallow candy.
The shade blocked most of the sunlight, but it was still hot enough to drain everyone’s patience. The wind blew through the leaves, instead wrapping the heat from outside the woods inside, making it feel like being trapped in a sealed jar.
The soft, sweet, and sticky texture gradually melted on his tongue, and his irritated mood finally eased somewhat.
He had finally found a quiet, secluded place, only to have his peace disturbed by Ji Yan and his group.
He closed his eyes to rest, yet his mind conjured up the image of Sang Yingxia secretly wiping away tears.
Because of this son who stirred up trouble all day long, the usually pampered and elegant woman had lowered her pride to beg people countless times, and her eyes had been swollen from crying countless times.
With a sense of irritation, Shen Que ruffled his hair twice and stood up, walking toward the equipment room.
Ji Yan had been keeping an eye on his surroundings ever since leaving the equipment room, but he didn’t spot Shen Que.
Good thing he acted fast enough; otherwise, the matter of him bullying his precious darling would have been firmly pinned on him.
Walking a distance with his arm around Zhu Youran’s shoulder, Ji Yan suddenly stopped and asked with some embarrassment, You know where the infirmary is, right?
It was indeed very bizarre for someone who had stayed at the school for two years to ask a newcomer who had just transferred in a week ago, but Ji Yan genuinely had no memory of the layout of this school.
Zhu Youran was clearly startled, looked up at him, and then lowered his head in a flurry.
I, I know…
In the woods, Shen Que stopped in his tracks, crossed his arms, and watched the two of them walking away with their arms around each other, his eyes narrowing slightly.
What is this guy up to again…
His pocket vibrated once, and he took out his phone. It was a message from an unknown number.
Brother, Dad said to let me go to high school in Canglan City after the term starts. I can finally be in the same school as you. I’m so happy!
The taut sensation at his temples flared up again. After an unknown amount of time, Shen Que realized that the fingertips pinching his screen had lost all color.
He deleted the message and blocked the number, but the suppressed emotions in his heart refused to dissipate.
He leaned against an old tree, tilting his head back to stare directly at the sun.
The sunlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves into his light-colored pupils, as if melting into a pool of grey-greenish lake water.
It wasn’t until the area around the sun began to darken that he closed his eyelids, letting the grey-green light spots wander wantonly beneath them.
The tip of his tongue tasted a bit bitter. He patted his pants pockets, but not a single piece of candy was left.
After a while, He Zhi sent over a few screenshots.
Little He Is Not Hungry Today: Saw this on Shen Junchi’s secret account. Quite a few people liked and commented on it. He even posted that kind of photo of you and Ji Yan… Though it’s photoshopped very poorly, of course!
Shen Que clicked on the final image. It was a suggestive bed photo, very blurry, with certain parts pixelated as if to make it look legitimate, which only made it all the more suggestive.
The other few images were screenshots of Ji Yan boasting in the group chat, ambiguous remarks that everywhere implied his relationship with him had reached an inseparable level.
Little He Is Not Hungry Today: I knew he had feelings for you, but I didn’t expect him to be so desperate. He really is crazy. I’m truly worried that one day he might do something even more outrageous to you.
Even more outrageous?
A trace of a smile curved the corner of Shen Que’s lips.
Judging by his intelligence, it really was somewhat worth looking forward to.