Junior Brother Has No Idea - Chapter 3

The light sphere discovered that although the System was gone, it could still access the “System Mall.” Perched on Xie Yong’s pillow, it explained, “Oh, Hubby, you probably don’t know what a ‘Mall’ is. It’s like a marketplace or a series of shops.”

The moment the System had forcibly brought the light sphere from its own world, a bond had been forged. Now that the System was offline, the sphere could open the mall interface itself. It grumbled as it browsed: “Why is everything locked? What’s going on? Oh? Here’s a Task Book.”

Xie Yong, not understanding a word, rolled over. “You’re so noisy.”

The light sphere clicked into the Task Book. “Holy crap, I can open this! Let me see, It shows a Newbie Task: ‘Before leaving the Xie Estate, reach a Favorability Rating of 50 with your biological brothers. Binding Reward: 20 points. Random Reward: Item drop.’”

The light sphere saw Xie Yong’s name on the Task Book, written in ancient characters formed by golden lines.

Xie Yong.

“Xie Yong? Hubby, your name is Xie Yong?” The sphere was now only the size of a palm, looking like a piece of dark, smooth ginger. It stood on the pillow and poked the back of Xie Yong’s head. “Don’t sleep! Help me study this task. If I finish it, I might actually be able to go home.”

So loud. Xie Yong pulled the blanket over his head.

“Xie Yong, Xie Yong, Xie Yong!” the sphere screamed in his ear. “Speak to me! I know you’re awake!”

“Shut up.”

Xie Yong finally snapped. He sat up abruptly, but because he rose too fast, he saw stars and tumbled right back down.

The sphere noted, “Xie Yong, your health is really trash. The mall has ‘Body Strengthening Pills’.”

Xie Yong said weakly, “Give me one.”

“They’re 18 points each,” the sphere replied. “We currently have 0 points.”

It continued with sudden energy: “But once we finish this newbie task, we can buy one! Let me look… Wow, there are ‘Spirit Gathering Pills,’ but they’re locked. I can’t see the descriptions ‘Marrow Cleansing Soup,’ ‘Body Tempering Pills’… so much stuff! And it’s all locked. Hubby, say something!”

Marrow Cleansing Soup. It could wash away the impurities of the physical body, reshape one’s foundation, and improve cultivation talent. Xie Yong had heard of it but never seen it. He had once asked his mother about it; if his talent could be reshaped, he wouldn’t be such a “waste.”

To his surprise, his mother who usually granted his every wish had refused him.

Everything has pros and cons. In cultivation, many people die from “qi deviation” or their bodies exploding. While the soup could change one’s aptitude, the slightest error would destroy one’s meridians, ending any hope of immortality forever. Moreover, Xie Yong was naturally too weak to endure the agonizing medicinal force of the cleansing process.

Xie Yong had been depressed for a long time after that refusal. Now, hearing the sphere mention it, his heart stirred.

“Yong-yong~”

“Don’t call me that.”

The sphere chatted to itself for a while before falling silent. It sat on the pillow, leaning its back against Xie Yong’s shoulder. “I want to go home,” it whispered.

Xie Yong remained silent.

“Yong-yong, you know,” the sphere continued, “if you don’t do these tasks, people will keep being sent to this world to replace you and complete the plot.”

“What do you mean?” Xie Yong stared at the canopy of his bed, his chest rising and falling slightly as his breathing grew labored.

“Based on my understanding,” the sphere organized its thoughts, “everything that happens in your world follows a set path. Think of the world as a storybook with a fixed ending. You are one of the protagonists. According to the Task Book, you’re about to meet another protagonist. Before that, you need to finish a certain ‘plotline.’ But you… well…”

The sphere tried to find the right words. “You are a ‘variable.’ Something about you caused the world to drift off its original track. The System appeared to ‘fix’ this variable.”

According to the Task Book, although Xie Yong was born into a great family, he was supposed to be dull-witted and talentless. His body was so fragile he could die at any moment. Such a character should have been unloved by his parents, stepped on by everyone, and grown into a “Universal Loathing” archetype cowardly, sensitive, and dwelling in the shadows.

He was supposed to counter-attack step-by-step through the plot, touching those around him with his “sincerity and kindness” (essentially giving everything up selflessly), eventually becoming a “Universal Heartthrob” and ending up with the other protagonist.

However, the Xie Yong in front of it was anything but cowardly or sensitive. He had a massive temper and made everyone’s life difficult the moment things didn’t go his way. He certainly didn’t look like someone who would selflessly please others. Aside from his breathtaking face, he was the exact opposite of the “Protagonist Shou” (Bottom) setting.

Because the protagonist was so “off,” the plot couldn’t move forward. Thus, Systems were sent to fix the “error.”

Their method was simple and brutal: Eliminate Xie Yong and let a soul from another world occupy his body to play the part.

Xie Yong said, “So, if I don’t follow the plot, they will keep coming back?”

“Yes.” The sphere nodded solemnly.

After a moment, Xie Yong laughed. “This is absurd. Why should I believe you?”

The sphere scratched its bald head. “I know it sounds like total BS. But,” it countered, “this isn’t the first time this has happened to you, is it?”

Xie Yong fell silent again. It was true. Ever since Daoist Master Fuying’s visit, strange things had happened. Every time he was in danger, something from “outside” tried to take his body.

“Daoist Master Fuying taking you as a disciple is the start of the story,” the sphere said. “Which means we’re about to enter the main plot.”

No wonder the freak accidents had ramped up this month; the System couldn’t wait to fix the “error.” Previous attempts had failed, so the System found this current sphere. Its soul compatibility with Xie Yong was high; with the System’s help, it likely would have succeeded.

But the sphere hadn’t taken advantage of him. It had helped him and given up the fight for his body. It had no reason to lie.

Xie Yong lowered his gaze and mocked himself, “You say I’m a protagonist? What kind of protagonist is a waste like me?”

The sphere poked his chin with its stubby “ginger” arm. (Xie Yong hadn’t given it fingers, so it just had four cylindrical limbs). It said seriously, “Hubby, most protagonists in stories grow slowly. How do you know this isn’t just your ‘fated opportunity’ (Jiyuan)?”

Fated Opportunity.

Xie Yong’s eyes flickered. He was clearly wavering.

“Let’s just try the newbie task,” the sphere suggested. “If we get a reward, then the Task Book is real. What do you think?”

Xie Yong bit his lip, his fingers gripping the blanket. He was tempted.

“Let’s get those 20 points and get you a Body Strengthening Pill, okay?”

The whole thing was mind-boggling. Xie Yong closed his eyes, slowly digesting everything. It took so long that the sphere thought he had fallen asleep. Finally, a response came:

“…Fine.”

The sphere was a quick learner. Within a few hours, it had mastered the System’s functions. The “murderer” system actually had a name: the “Universal Heartthrob System.”

Since Xie Yong had destroyed the original System with his jade ring, the sphere had to take over as the “Acting System.”

It opened the Task Book. The newbie task seemed easy: reach 50 Favorability with his brothers. They were blood relatives; how hard could it be? The sphere confidently opened the progress bars, saw the numbers, and nearly fainted.

• Xie Wuyin (Eldest Brother): Favorability 27/50
• Xie Jiusi (Third Brother): Favorability -99/50

-99?!

The sphere didn’t doubt for a second that -99 was simply the lowest the bar could display, not the actual floor of their hatred. How long would it take to fix this?!

The sphere looked at Xie Yong with a long face. Xie Yong, exhausted from the day’s ordeal, had already fallen fast asleep. His breathing was steady, his face peaceful, and his hair smelled faintly of incense. The sphere lay down next to him, pulled a strand of his hair over itself like a blanket, and stared into the dark.

“Oh? My Eldest Brother’s favorability isn’t zero?”

The next morning, after washing and drinking his “Spirit-Nourishing Soup,” Xie Yong leaned lazily on his daybed. The sphere sat on the table, peering curiously into the soup bowl.

Xie Yong had taken the news of the -99 rating with Xie Jiusi in stride, it was exactly what he expected. But Xie Wuyin’s rating was a surprise.

The sphere sighed against the rim of the bowl. “Hubby, when are you leaving the Xie family? Do we have a chance to fix the progress bar with Xie Jiusi before then?”

Xie Yong took a sip of the warm soup with a jade spoon. Just as he was about to answer, the sphere jumped up excitedly. “Xie Wuyin’s favorability +1!”

“What?” Xie Yong paused.

“Your brother’s favorability just went up!” The sphere lunged forward and hugged his hand. “Hubby, there’s hope for the mission!”

Xie Yong hesitated, then took another sip. “Xie Wuyin favorability +1 again!!!” the sphere screamed happily.

Xie Yong put down the spoon, picked up the bowl, and drained it in one go. He then rang the bell and asked for another.

“Xie Wuyin favorability +1!”

To grind favorability, Xie Yong drank soup until he felt like vomiting. After the fifth bowl, the sphere announced the points had stopped moving. “The ‘soup-drinking’ action has reached its threshold.”

The sphere patted its round hands. “This Xie Wuyin… he likes watching you drink soup? If he’s this easy to please, why was the starting score only 27? Well, it’s 32 now.”

Xie Yong leaned back, deep in thought. “I think I know how to max out Eldest Brother’s favorability.”

“For real?” The sphere did a “carp skip” jump off the table, its simple face splitting into a wide grin.

Infected by its joy, Xie Yong smiled. “Just watch.”

The sunlight was perfect. Dressed in a loose green robe, Xie Yong looked as elegant as a stalk of bamboo. His lower legs were bathed in light, his skin porcelain, even his ankles looking refined. As the “Protagonist Shou,” he was likely the most beautiful person in this world.

The sphere was dazed by his smile. Before it could speak, a notification popped up: Xie Wuyin favorability +1.

What was with this Eldest Brother? Drinking soup gained points, and smiling gained points too.

“Yong-yong,” the sphere asked, bewildered, “is your brother a ‘Bro-con’ (Brother Complex)?”

Xie Yong didn’t know the term, but it didn’t stop him. He changed his clothes, tucked the sphere into his collar, and headed out. The sphere snuggled into his chest, intoxicated by his scent.

As he limped slowly down the winding corridors, his leg still not healed, he explained to the sphere:

“Since I was old enough to remember, I knew my father didn’t like me. In my ignorance, I used to hurt myself to get my father and brother’s attention.”

He would break porcelain bowls and cut his hands on the shards. He would fake a fall and scrape his knees until they bled. He would stand in the rain to catch a fever. At first, these tricks worked.

Then Xie Jiusi was born. Their father’s attention shifted entirely. One day, Xie Yong ran to his father with a bloody palm, only to be seen through. His father, holding the infant Xie Jiusi, didn’t even look at him. In front of the whole family, he said, “Yong-er is just making a fuss over nothing.”

Everyone laughed at him. Only his mother reached out and said, “Yong-er, come here.”

“I was heartbroken. I hid my hands and ran away. After that, I became a laughingstock. Even when I was truly hurt, they didn’t believe me.”

Xie Yong sat on a bench, watching the fish in the pond. “The father should be considered a failure if his child has to hurt himself just for a glance,” the sphere muttered angrily.

Xie Yong smiled and placed the sphere on the railing. “When Xie Jiusi was born, the elders announced he was a once-in-a-century genius, just like Father. Father named him himself: Jiusi (Nine Considerations). The name implies a gentleman of great virtue and wisdom.”

Xie Yong: A fuss over nothing. Xie Jiusi: A paragon of virtue.

“Father didn’t love me, so even though he knew I was hurting myself, he never stopped me. No one told me it was wrong, so I kept doing it.”

Back then, the young Xie Yong only knew that pain equaled attention. Xie Yi was too busy training the “genius” Jiusi to play games of fatherly love with Xie Yong, which is why he exposed him so cruelly in public. He could have pulled the boy aside privately to talk, but he didn’t care enough about Xie Yong’s dignity.

Xie Yong closed his eyes, looking tired. “I never had a conflict with my Eldest Brother. He only ‘dislikes’ me because he thinks I’m constantly acting out to get attention.”

The sphere had an epiphany. “Xie Wuyin doesn’t want you to hurt yourself! You drinking the nourishing soup is good for you, you’re taking care of yourself, so his favorability goes up!”

This isn’t just a brother complex, the sphere thought. Xie Wuyin is a total closet bro-con!