Everyone Loves the Villainous Scumbag [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 5

Luo Jianghe did not know what Fu Chen thought of him. He only knew that when he called the other person’s name, Fu Chen would not even nod in acknowledgment. Furthermore, while Luo Jianghe was clearly standing at the door, Fu Chen had deliberately closed it, leaving him to stand in the cold corridor. This caused his fondness for the character of Fu Chen to decrease slightly.

Luo Jianghe wondered why Fu Chen was only the second male lead. If he were more enthusiastic and cheerful, would the protagonist have been so easily led astray by the first male lead? It seemed Fu Chen did not understand the advantage of being close at hand, effectively wasting these three years of high school.

As Luo Jianghe was thinking this, Yu Wuyang opened the office door and walked out. He froze for a moment when he saw Luo Jianghe standing there.

“How long have you been standing at the door?” Yu Wuyang asked. What he truly wanted to know was whether Luo Jianghe had overheard his conversation with the class teacher.

That morning, Luo Jianghe had asked if he disliked staying at his uncle’s house. If Luo Jianghe had heard the conversation, would he pity him? Perhaps pity would make Luo Jianghe treat him better, but Yu Wuyang hated that feeling, especially if it came from Luo Jianghe.

“What is wrong? Are you unhappy that I waited for you at the door? Let’s go; it is freezing,” Luo Jianghe said, acting as if he had not noticed the worry in Yu Wuyang’s eyes.

As he spoke, he tossed Yu Wuyang’s backpack to him. Once Yu Wuyang caught it, Luo Jianghe started walking ahead without waiting. Yu Wuyang pressed his lips together and looked at the bag in his hands, then at Luo Jianghe’s retreating figure, relaxing his expression slightly.

“He probably did not hear anything,” Yu Wuyang thought.

As time passed and final exams ended, the long winter break arrived. To avoid hurting Yu Wuyang’s pride, Luo Jianghe did not ask about his winter break plans after that day at the office.

The original host’s family was similar to Luo Jianghe’s family in his past life, though they were wealthier. The family consisted of his parents, an older brother, and a younger sister. Because the Luo family had money, Luo Jianghe could have been a commuter student. However, since his father was the primary breadwinner and could not leave work to care for the children, that responsibility fell to his mother.

Luo Jianghe was in his senior year of high school, while his sister, Luo Xi, was in her final year of junior high. Since their schools were far apart, his mother had considered buying an apartment near Luo Jianghe’s school and hiring a nanny. However, the original host had insisted on living in the dormitory. His parents agreed, deciding that if he was unhappy there, they could discuss other options later. As it turned out, the original host adapted well and stayed in the dormitory until his senior year.

Now that winter break had started, his family came to pick him up. The other two roommates had left for home the day the holiday began. Luo Jianghe chose to stay one extra night just to spend more time with Yu Wuyang.

On the first day of the break, his mother and sister arrived to pick him up. Although their home was far from the school, it was only a thirty-minute drive. With the New Year approaching, everyone was going home, and even the senior students had a week or two of rest.

Upon meeting the original host’s mother and sister, the tension Luo Jianghe felt from transmigrating almost completely vanished. Fortunately, the mother and sister in this fictional world looked entirely different from his real family. If they had looked the same, he might not have been able to control his desire to go home.

His mother wore a cashmere coat with a turtleneck, while his sister wore a thick padded jacket. His mother smiled warmly and called him “son,” while Luo Xi crashed into his arms, shouting, “Brother! Brother!”

His father was too busy with company business to pick him up, but they would likely see each other that evening. The scene was so warm that Yu Wuyang, standing in the dormitory, felt his smile grow stiff. He was not jealous of Luo Jianghe; rather, he simply wished he could belong to such a family. He felt a deep longing for something he did not have. As he thought about his own loneliness, his smile faded.

Luo Jianghe understood Yu Wuyang’s situation and did not want to flaunt his happy family. After a brief chat, he left the dormitory with his suitcase, his mother, and his sister. To be mindful of Yu Wuyang’s feelings, Luo Jianghe began chatting with him on a messaging app as soon as he got into the car.

Because Fu Chen had closed the door while Luo Jianghe was eavesdropping, Luo Jianghe did not know if Yu Wuyang had arranged to stay at the school. Since Yu Wuyang did not bring it up, Luo Jianghe did not ask.

The Luo family home was a small two-story villa with a basement containing a bar and a pool table. Outside, there was a small swimming pool. The second floor held the living room and two kitchens, while the third floor had four rooms: one for the parents, one for Luo Jianghe, one for Luo Xi, and a guest room. Since the Luo family had worked hard for their wealth, they occasionally hosted relatives from the countryside in that guest room.

Surprisingly, even though this house was larger and the family looked different from his real one, Luo Jianghe felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he were truly home. His room was about twenty square meters and included a wardrobe, a bed, and a desk. Beside the desk was a floor-to-ceiling window that opened onto a large, open balcony where the air was quite cold.

Luo Jianghe threw himself onto the bed, feeling the softness of the blankets. “Such a realistic touch for a fictional world,” he whispered into his pillow.

Just as he was about to contact the system, Luo Xi ran into the room. It seemed to be a universal truth that his sisters in both lives were equally bold. She gave two polite knocks before bursting in and shouting, “Mom says to come down and eat!”

“I am coming,” he replied. He did not feel any dislike toward this version of his sister. Having always had a sister, it would have felt unnatural not to have one.

Lunch was occasionally prepared by his mother, but usually by a housekeeper. By the time Luo Jianghe went downstairs, the meal was ready. Having familiarized himself with the house, he ate naturally and interacted with his mother and sister. His father remained at work.

Luo Jianghe knew that, according to the plot, the Luo family would go bankrupt shortly after he graduated. His father’s current busyness was likely a sign of the impending downfall. With two students in the house facing major exams—one for college and one for senior high—the atmosphere was serious. Since the holidays were approaching, there were no tutors scheduled, but their mother urged them to study on their own.

Luo Jianghe knew he would eventually leave this world, so he did not want to get too close to this family and risk feeling the pain of departure. Using study as an excuse, he returned to his room after lunch. Although Luo Xi wanted to spend time with her brother, their mother stopped her, saying, “Your brother has college entrance exams next year. That is the priority for this family. Go to your room and study; do not disturb him.”

Luo Xi pouted and stomped her foot in frustration, but she eventually hurried back to her room.

With the system to help him, Luo Jianghe was not actually studying. He lay on his bed and messaged Yu Wuyang. Eventually, he steered the conversation toward whether Yu Wuyang was going home for the New Year.

Luo Jianghe: Are you getting ready to go home now?

By “home,” he meant the house of Yu Wuyang’s uncle. Yu Wuyang usually replied instantly, but after this question, a minute passed as he typed and deleted his response. Finally, he replied with a single word: “Mm.”

Luo Jianghe felt somewhat relieved. Even in a fictional world, it was impossible not to develop feelings after months of friendship. However, the system suddenly spoke: “He is lying.”

Luo Jianghe frowned and stopped the chat to speak with the system in his mind.

“017, do you mean he is staying in the dormitory?”

“Likely so. He might return to his hometown or stay in a hotel, though a hotel is unlikely as he has little money. He will probably stay in the dorm or go back to his old home.”

“But you said his uncle is not home,” Luo Jianghe argued. “The original plot said the uncle would take the family to Hainan. Surely staying alone at his uncle’s house is better than staying in the dorm?”

“That was the original plot. But remember, your presence has created a butterfly effect. In the original story, Yu Wuyang discovered his aunt had rented out his room for the New Year. Even if he went back, he would have to sleep on a small bed on the balcony. He would rather endure the cold and lack of electricity at school than stay there.”

“Will he go back to his hometown?”

“It is hard to say. He has not tried to buy a ticket yet, and it is difficult to get one during the Spring Festival. Even if he does, it is expensive and time-consuming, and no one is waiting for him there.”

Hearing the cold, mechanical voice of 017 say those last words, Luo Jianghe sighed for someone else’s life for the first time.

“He really is a pitiable person,” he thought.

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