The male protagonist awakened his ability after being severely injured while acting bravely to help someone in danger.
Mu Jing thought about it again and again and felt that showing up late at night to play the role of a hero saving the beauty would not make much sense. So she simply slept well and only went to Xu Ge’s residence the next day.
The narrow, worn-out stairway and the rust-covered iron door reflected the poverty of the people living there.
“Xu Ge, are you there?” Mu Jing knocked on the door, causing small flakes of rust to fall down.
After waiting symbolically for a moment, she stepped back a few steps and gave space to the bodyguard.
“Open the door.”
“Yes.”
The bodyguard was a fire-type Ability User. He placed his hand on the door for a moment, and soon the lock melted. He stepped inside first and immediately saw Xu Ge lying on the floor.
Xu Ge had a high fever. According to the original story, he had been unconscious for three days before eventually waking up at home.
The fever twisted Xu Ge’s dreams and memories. White laboratory searchlights and distorted figures surrounded him in the dream, spinning and tangling around him as if trying to drag him deeper into the abyss.
“The patient’s condition is due to prolonged work, psychological stress, and injuries across his body…” The nurse looked at the medical report and quickly explained the reason for the high fever to Mu Jing.
Finally she added, “Also… we detected that the ability inside his body has already awakened. However, we are not sure which category it belongs to yet. Cases of awakening after adulthood are relatively rare, so we recommend going to a specialized Superpower Testing Center for a proper examination.”
Mu Jing nodded in agreement. When she returned to the ward door, she said to the bodyguard beside her, “Go downstairs and buy some porridge and eggs. After three days of glucose drips, he must be hungry.”
“Yes.”
The bodyguard followed her instructions, though he still felt puzzled about his Young Lady’s attitude toward that boy. But… the boy did look quite handsome. It seemed their Young Lady cared about appearances after all.
Mu Jing paid no attention to what the bodyguard was thinking. After entering the private hospital room, she met Xu Ge’s deep and silent gaze.
She paused slightly, then smiled naturally.
“You’re finally awake. You’ve had a fever for three days.”
She pressed the call button. After the nurse came to examine him and left again, Mu Jing sat down on the sofa beside the bed.
“You want to ask why I happened to know you had a fever, right?”
Xu Ge nodded, watching as Mu Jing took out her phone from her bag and showed him the screen.
It was a group chat interface. The group name was “Barbie Dream Mansion.”
“These are the three classmates I’m closest to,” Mu Jing explained. “Our class graduation gathering is planned. We’re going to a resort villa in City C for three days and two nights. Everyone can bring their boyfriend or girlfriend.”
“So?” Xu Ge moved his gaze from the phone screen to Mu Jing’s face.
“Silly. I came to ask you to pretend to be my boyfriend.”
Mu Jing put the phone away and leaned back on the sofa.
“I’m this good-looking. Without even thinking, you should know a lot of people in class like me.”
Xu Ge looked away again. His mind was still slightly dizzy, but he finally understood what she meant.
“You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend to block your pursuers…”
He had noticed the time displayed on the chat earlier. It was exactly three days ago, so her coming to find him had simply been a coincidence.
“I’m just an ordinary person. Just like your father said that day, a poor boy. Even if I pretend to be your boyfriend, I won’t be able to intimidate those people.”
So petty, Mu Jing complained silently in her heart. Crossing her arms, she began acting like a spoiled young lady.
“As long as you’re handsome, that’s enough. Besides, the nurse just told me that your ability has awakened. We just don’t know what it is yet. By the way, do you feel anything now?”
Xu Ge froze, thinking he had misheard.
“What did you just say?”
“Your ability has awakened. Once you’re discharged, we’ll go to the Superpower Testing Center to check it.”
His ability had awakened?
Xu Ge frowned deeply and raised his hand, only to be stopped by the IV needle still inserted in the back of his hand.
“Hey, hey! What are you doing!” Mu Jing watched as he pulled the needle out. Even watching it made her feel pain. “That’s way too ruthless…”
Xu Ge glanced at her, lifted the blanket, and got out of bed. But his legs were weak, and he nearly fell to the floor.
Mu Jing immediately stepped forward to support him.
“What are you trying to do? Even if your ability awakened, you don’t have to get this excited. It’s not like there haven’t been cases of people awakening after adulthood before.”
Xu Ge felt his head ache from her constant talking. He raised his hand and covered her mouth.
“I just… want to go to the bathroom.”
Mu Jing froze for a moment, and her face quickly turned red.
“T-Then why didn’t you say so earlier…”
After helping Xu Ge into the bathroom, Mu Jing stepped out. Feeling uneasy, she called through the door.
“If something happens, just call me.”
There was no response from inside. Mu Jing patted her cheeks, and at that moment the bodyguard returned carrying porridge, buns, and eggs.
“Young Lady, y-your face… why is it so red?”
“Ah? No… is it red? Maybe it’s just too hot.”
She sat down on the sofa and put her phone back into her bag.
Originally, she had not planned to attend that three-day gathering. Even though she had the memories of the original Mu Jing, she still wasn’t exactly the same person.
But later she realized that it could be used as a convenient reason. It would make her approaching Xu Ge appear more natural and prevent the male protagonist from becoming suspicious.
After waiting for a while, Xu Ge came out of the bathroom, water still dripping from his hair and face.
Mu Jing pointed at the food on the table.
“Eat something. After that, go to the Superpower Testing Center with me. Then the day after tomorrow we’ll leave for the three-day trip.”
Xu Ge didn’t touch the food. His cold gaze swept toward her.
“I never agreed to that.”
“What? Are you planning to repay the money now, or are you planning to ignore the fact that I saved your life?”
“…I’ll repay the money I owe you.”
“And what about the life-saving favor?”
“…Fine. I understand.”
Xu Ge wasn’t sure whether he would have died from the three-day fever if Mu Jing hadn’t intervened. But when he was younger, he had seen experimental subjects who had indeed died after developing high fevers.
From that perspective, Mu Jing had indeed saved his life.
After a pause, Xu Ge looked at the suddenly cheerful Mu Jing again.
“I’ll go to the Superpower Testing Center by myself.”
“Alright. Then we’ll meet again the day after tomorrow. Hmm… I’ll come pick you up downstairs at your house at seven in the morning.”
She thought for a moment and added,
“You don’t need to bring anything. I’ll prepare our luggage.”
She knew very well that the male protagonist Xu Ge already understood what his ability was. As long as he touched someone, he could Copy that person’s ability. This had once been the research project of the male protagonist’s father.
At the Superpower Testing Center, the male protagonist would conceal his true ability and only display one type of power. Only after becoming stronger would he gradually reveal his real capabilities.