CH 88

Si Chu was sobbing uncontrollably. Si Di wrapped his arms around him, gently patting his back and comforting him softly. He couldn’t help but ask, “Did something happen to Xiao Fei?”

“Huh?” Si Chu seemed confused about why Si Di would ask that. He sniffed and shook his head in bewilderment.

It had nothing to do with Ye Feiran? Si Di paused in surprise and then asked in disbelief, “Could it be that something happened to you?”

Si Chu, who had barely managed to stop crying, burst into tears again. Like a little kid complaining to his teacher, he raised his right hand towards Si Di, “Brother…”

Si Di quickly grabbed his little Brother’s hand, expecting to find some restraint marks on his wrist. But when he looked closely, he saw the skin was smooth and unblemished. Looking further up, he saw the knuckles on the back of Si Chu’s hand were scraped, with tiny spots of blood dotting the surface…

Usually, such injuries are from hitting someone.

In the bathroom, Xiao Zhenyun was sitting on the sink with a bowl of porridge, tidying his clothes and leisurely sipping spoonfuls. He noticed the sudden prolonged silence outside the door. After a long pause, Si Di finally asked, “Are you hurt anywhere else besides your hand?”

“No, no.”

“Not even a little?”

Si Chu shook his head vigorously, tears flying off.

“…” Si Di was at a loss. “So you beat someone up and now you’re crying your eyes out?”

“I, I got too worked up,” Si Chu sniffled. “I couldn’t control the tears.”

“…Who did you hit?”

By now, Si Chu had stopped crying. Clutching a tissue, he said angrily, “A pervert who tried to do something to me!”

“Jefferson?”

Si Chu looked up in surprise, “How did you know?”

He paused for a moment, his mind spinning with various strange thoughts, then suddenly realized, “Brother, did you already suspect that guy might not be a good person, so you called me yesterday morning to warn me, asking me to be more careful… Damn it, I didn’t even catch the hint in your words.”

Si Di: “…” It was normal not to catch it, because there wasn’t any hint in his words. He was even encouraging Ye Feiran to interact more with Jefferson.

“So what exactly happened?” Si Di asked.

According to Si Chu’s account, Jefferson’s behavior in the beginning was exactly the same as in the original plot—just replacing Ye Feiran with Si Chu. In the novel, the one who saved Jefferson was Ye Feiran, but in reality, it was Si Chu, so Jefferson’s target also changed.

But the problem arose when Jefferson tried to drug Si Chu after being rejected for a one-night stand, which Si Chu immediately saw through.

In the original text, Ye Feiran only realized something was wrong after the drug took effect, and he was brought back to the room by Jefferson in a dazed state, with the process of self-rescue being quite thrilling and dangerous. But in reality, Si Chu smashed the drink he found suspicious over Jefferson’s head on the spot, skipping all the perilous events and directly reaching the climax of beating up Jefferson.

He boldly claimed that since being kidnapped and imprisoned by his Little Uncle before, he felt it was a kind of experience and warning for himself. So for the past half year, he had been systematically improving his vigilance and had gained a deep understanding of most scams.

No, the biggest scam was actually right beside you, but you were completely oblivious.

“So did you drink that suspicious drink?” Si Di looked down at the collapsed little dog. Si Chu awkwardly covered his face and turned away from the other’s naked gaze, “Brother, what are you looking at? Of course I didn’t drink it. If I knew it was suspicious, why would I drink it?”

Who knows, what if? Si Di asked again, “Where’s Jefferson?”

“I don’t know. I beat him up and confiscated his drugs, then left. I originally planned to go back to the room to find Feiran, but halfway there, I suddenly saw you, so I followed you all the way here…” Si Chu tossed away the tissue, “My face hurts from crying, I’ll wash it.”

“Okay,” Si Di agreed but suddenly remembered something and immediately changed his mind, “No, go back to your room and wash your face.”

Xiao Zhenyun was still squatting in the bathroom eating.

“Why are you stopping me from washing my face…” Si Chu looked back at him in confusion, but halfway through his sentence, he quickly realized and then disregarding everything, he was about to rush into the bathroom. Si Di quickly intercepted him, “What are you doing!”

“Your lover is inside, right!” Si Chu no longer looked like the crying mess from earlier, he seemed more like a ferocious wolf than a little dog, desperately trying to break through Si Di’s blockade, “His identity has been exposed by us, why hide him? Let me see him!”

“Si Chu,” Si Di sternly stopped him, “What are you looking at, get out!”

“Why won’t you let me see him?”

“Why do you want to let you see him!”

“Are you afraid? You must have kept Little Uncle’s matter from him, right?” Si Chu stubbornly stared at Si Di, refusing to leave. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he saw the bathroom door crack open slightly, and a male voice, hoarse as sandpaper, came from inside, “Si Chu…”

In an instant, the two men outside stopped arguing and looked towards the bathroom.

Si Di thought: Is there heating in the bathroom? Why does Little Uncle’s voice sound even hoarser?

Si Chu thought: This guy’s voice is too unpleasant, ten thousand times worse than Little Uncle’s.

“I know about your Little Uncle’s situation,” Xiao Zhenyun said softly, his voice barely recognizable due to his cold. The difference between his cold voice and his usual tone was like night and day, adding a natural touch of bitterness due to his hoarseness. “I also know about his relationship with your Brother. He didn’t keep it from me, don’t misunderstand your Brother. He is with me because of the similarities between me and your Little Uncle, but I volunteered, willingly becoming his substitute lover. Once your Little Uncle returns, I will voluntarily withdraw. I only hope to cherish the stolen time between us… So please, don’t take it away… I beg you.”

Si Di: Impressive.

Si Chu stared at him with wide amber-colored puppy eyes, at a loss for words. From his little uncle imprisoning him while leading a double life, to his brother’s open relationship, and now this willing substitute, Si Chu’s worldview was continuously challenged by things that shouldn’t have been his concern. Shocked as he was, he also vaguely felt that this substitute’s level was truly high, so pure and willing to endure, he almost convinced him… When his Little Uncle returned, he probably wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

“You heard that, right?” Si Di reached out to Si Chu with a sarcastic smirk, “What about the drugs confiscated from Jefferson?”

Si Chu cautiously stepped back, “What are you going to do?”

“What can I do?” Si Di knocked Si Chu’s head irritably, “Take them back to the guild after the trip and have the inspection department examine the ingredients and make backups.”

Si Chu obediently handed over the drug and the aphrodisiac. “It seems to be a type of drug I’ve never seen before. This inhalable drug is colorless and odorless; just a whiff will knock you out, and it’s harmless to the body. If I hadn’t reacted quickly, I might have really fallen for Jefferson’s trick. This aphrodisiac is even more potent; it can accurately identify a man’s attributes, and its effects vary depending on the attributes. A ‘1’ drinker instantly gets hard and swollen, weak to attacks, while a ‘0’ drinker will have an excessive urge for water and suffer unbearable itching.”

Having been forced to read the entire novel and influenced by Xiao Nian’s guidance, Xiao Zhenyun, who had some understanding of online literature, thought to himself, “…”

Truly two drugs with typical online literature characteristics, completely illogical.

After Si Chu left, Xiao Zhenyun could finally come out of the bathroom. He saw Si Di smiling mischievously, gesturing towards the toilet with his chin, “Was it delicious?”

“…” Xiao Zhenyun imitated Si Di’s earlier action of knocking on Si Chu’s head, raising his hand to tap Si Di’s forehead, “Delicious. I had a feast in the toilet, enjoying it to the fullest.”

Si Di held his forehead, laughing with curved eyebrows, “Ugh, you’re disgusting.”

Xiao Zhenyun didn’t waste any more words, “The plot is messed up again. Xiao Nian’s video call will be here in less than ten minutes. What’s your plan?”

“I’ve got Jefferson’s drugs, haven’t I?” Si Di shook the liquid and capsules in two bottles, “Since he failed, let’s go and drug Ye Feiran ourselves.”

Si Di in the novel really died too early, otherwise, with his talent, he would have been a perfect main antagonist.

Xiao Zhenyun also thought the same thing, “What about this character ‘Jefferson’? Should I play him or you?”

“Let’s find someone else,” Si Di said, “Neither of us is suitable. It’s already exhausting to hide your identity, there’s no reason for you to actively engage with them.”

“Who should we find?” Xiao Zhenyun asked, “Brown short hair, foreigner, reliable, tight-lipped.”

“…” Si Di squinted slightly, “I hadn’t thought of a candidate yet, but as soon as you mentioned those four points, a face instantly popped into my mind.”

Xiao Zhenyun also smiled, “Funny, I had the same thought. Could it be the same person?”

That night at 11:00 p.m.

Hedgehog appeared in Xiao Zhenyun and Si Di’s room, looking disheveled, and guzzled down a bucket of spicy beef flavored instant noodles.

“You guys are something else.” Hedgehog flipped the brown hair hanging in front of his eyes and said while eating, “How did you know I was on a mission over here? My flight was last night, and your video call was this morning.”

“Just a coincidence, but it proves that you’re the right person to help us with this task,” Xiao Zhenyun said expressionlessly, “We can discuss the price.”

Hedgehog gulped down the entire bucket of noodles, soup and all, like a starving ghost, “I won’t charge this time.” He wiped his mouth clean, “Coincidentally, I also need help with a task I’m currently handling, and the reward you’re offering fits perfectly.”

“Wait a minute,” Si Di raised an eyebrow, “Tell us about your task first. What we need you to do for us is very simple, it might not necessarily equate.”

“Mine is simple too,” Hedgehog smiled suggestively, looking at Xiao Zhenyun, “Or maybe for him, it’s very simple.”

“You’re asking for his help?” Si Di became wary, “What is it, is it dangerous? Why does it have to be Zhenyun doing it?”

“Not dangerous, but it really does have to be him because it’s his specialty.”

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