Save That Miserable Protagonist - Chapter 13

Lu Xun was jolted awake from his sleep by a sudden and jarring alarm.

He and Pei Tingsong had stayed out late the night before, and Lu Xun had only returned home after dropping Pei Tingsong off. Being a severe germaphobe, he felt as if the smell of gasoline from the racetrack had clung to every strand of his hair. Consequently, he scrubbed himself twice from head to toe before finally getting into bed to rest.

By then, it was already the early hours of the morning. The world outside was silent, save for a few floors of major tech companies where the lights remained brightly lit for those still working overtime. It was a perfect time for sleep, especially with a few dark clouds drifting in the distance accompanied by scattered raindrops. Lu Xun lay down on his soft and large bed, fully prepared for rest.

Unfortunately, just as Lu Xun fell into a deep sleep, that damned alarm exploded in the depths of his mind.

[Warning! Warning! The mission target’s vital signs are abnormal! Body temperature is rising, and the heart rate is too fast! Host, please go and investigate immediately!]

The system had been missing for an entire day, only to reappear and disturb his peaceful slumber. Lu Xun was so incensed by the voice that his brain felt foggy with rage.

“Damn it!”

Turning over, he grabbed a nearby throw pillow and pressed it firmly over his ears, hoping for some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, the system’s voice was not something he could block out just by covering his ears. The mechanical voice sounded shrill and piercing, ringing incessantly in his head.

[Host! Stop sleeping! You need to go now!]

“Are you ever going to stop?”

Lu Xun sat up abruptly in bed and grabbed the phone on his nightstand with a dark expression. He looked down to see it was 3:30 AM, which only fueled his anger. Outside, the silence was broken only by the pitter-patter of rain against the window.

Frustratedly running a hand through his hair, Lu Xun tried to drive the noisy voice of the system out of his mind. “Damn it. What kind of madness is this in the middle of the night? Pei Tingsong is a grown man with hands and feet. What is the big deal if he has a fever? He is a medical student himself!”

888 became angry at Lu Xun’s self-righteous indifference. It flew out with a whoosh, and a series of blue electric currents flickered on its small circular body.

[Host! Pei Tingsong is sick because of you.]

“What does that have to do with me?”

Before he could finish his rebuttal, 888 cut him off bluntly.

[The mission target’s physical constitution was already poor. First, he was drugged and spent the night with you at the hotel. Then, he skipped lunch to study at the hospital all afternoon. Finally, because you dragged him out to race, he spent the entire evening in the cold wind! Even a man made of iron could not withstand such treatment!]

“What do you mean I dragged him?”

Once again, his words were cut short as 888 released a crackle of electricity.

[According to the scan, the mission target’s temperature has risen to 39.8°C. At this temperature, humans tend to experience clouded consciousness. Without timely intervention, Pei Tingsong faces the risk of febrile seizures or dehydration.]

The system had not even finished its sentence before Lu Xun’s irritation at being woken up was scared away by the list of risks.

“Shit!”

He practically jumped out of bed. He did not even have time to change out of his pajamas, simply grabbing a long trench coat and his car keys before rushing out the door. The impatience from his interrupted sleep was replaced by a strange anxiety, and Lu Xun’s mood grew even worse.

“Is Pei Tingsong an idiot? Does he not know how to speak up when he feels unwell? Does he just let himself burn up with a fever? Some medical student he is! What patient would dare let a doctor who does not even care about his own body treat them?”

At this point, Lu Xun added indignantly, “My family’s hospital will absolutely not hire a doctor who does not take himself seriously!”

Hearing this, 888 flew out from somewhere again. [So, the host was previously thinking about letting the mission target work at his own hospital?]

Lu Xun had not explicitly thought about having Pei Tingsong work at his hospital, but if he were to say he had no such thought, he would be lying. In his heart, he had already defaulted to the fact that Pei Tingsong would go to Minglai after graduation. This was not just an idea; it was a fact Lu Xun had long since taken for granted.

However, at this moment, Lu Xun suddenly realized that his line of thinking was a bit strange. He seemed to have naturally included Pei Tingsong in the category of his personal property. If Pei Tingsong knew that Lu Xun had already arranged his post-graduation job, he would surely be livid.

After a pause, Lu Xun pulled open the car door and started driving before answering the question from 888.

“I can think whatever I want, but it still depends on what he thinks. What if Pei Tingsong wants to continue his studies? Or what if he suddenly loses his mind and decides to go to Africa to sacrifice himself? It is hard to say.”

Regardless of what Pei Tingsong chose, Lu Xun would pave the way for him.

Hearing this, 888 remained silent for a long moment before floating over to settle on Lu Xun’s shoulder. [Host, you seem to have changed.]

“Oh?”

There were few cars on the road in the early hours of the morning. Lu Xun sped along, pushing the speed limit. Hearing the system’s remark, he tilted his head and let out a light laugh. “That is a novel thought. Why do you not tell me how I have changed?”

888 was silent for another long while. Just when Lu Xun thought it would not answer, 888 finally spoke again. [At first, the host was openly bad, so 888 naturally thought you were a villain. But gradually, 888 feels that you might not be a bad person after all. Lately, you have not only been considerate toward the mission target, but you have also started to respect him.]

Hearing the system’s words, Lu Xun argued in his own defense while swerving the steering wheel. “Your statement is both right and wrong. Everyone views things from their own perspective. At the beginning, you thought I was scum because you were looking at things from Pei Tingsong’s perspective. If you had stood in my shoes from the start, you might have felt there was absolutely nothing wrong with me providing money and resources.”

The system could not be bothered to argue with him. However, after holding it in, 888 could not resist adding, [In short, 888 now feels that people who are openly bad are not the worst. The worst are those who appear to be good people at first, only to be full of schemes and calculations.]

The implication in its words was incredibly obvious, but Lu Xun was preoccupied with thoughts of the nearby Pei Tingsong and did not notice the deeper meaning.

“You are talking about hypocrites. I have been upright and honorable from start to finish. Are we almost there?”

The car finally stopped at the spot where Pei Tingsong had gotten out the night before, but Lu Xun did not know the exact location. Following the system’s navigation, Lu Xun strode into a dilapidated residential area. This was a place Lu Xun had never set foot in during his twenty years of life. The walls of the buildings were peeling and crumbling with not a single intact patch. Trash and debris were piled up everywhere at the entrances of the stairwells. The air no longer carried the fragrance of a luxury apartment but rather a rotten and sour smell of sewers churned up by the rain.

Seeing this, Lu Xun’s brows knit tightly together. He knew about slums, but he truly could not have imagined what they looked like. He certainly could not imagine Pei Tingsong living here.

How could anyone live in this place? How could Pei Tingsong live here? How could one live here and not get sick?

[The mission target is on the first floor of the stairwell on the left, Room 102.]

Hearing this, Lu Xun frowned and strode toward a rusty iron door with almost all its paint gone. Looking left and right, he realized the door indeed had no doorbell, forcing him to resort to the most primitive method of calling someone.

“Pei Tingsong! Pei Tingsong!”

He pounded on the iron door. The dull thudding sounds were exceptionally piercing in the silent corridor, but there was no response from inside.

“Damn it! System, did you get the address wrong? Can anyone even live in this ghostly place? Pei Tingsong! Open the door!”

He knocked harder and harder. A neighbor, unable to bear the disturbance, opened their door and cursed at him, confirming that people did indeed live there. However, the door in front of him remained unresponsive.

A fire began to burn in Lu Xun’s heart. He did not know if he was angry at the person cursing him, at the lack of a doorbell in this dump, or if he was actually angry at Pei Tingsong for not knowing how to take care of himself.

After banging for a full two or three minutes with nothing but dead silence from within, Lu Xun began to doubt the system and was prepared to call him directly when a click sounded. The door opened.

Pei Tingsong’s figure appeared at the doorway. He looked as if he had been fished out of the water. His hair was completely soaked with sweat, clinging limply to his temples and cheeks. His skin was flushed with an abnormal redness, and his breathing was labored. Lu Xun could even feel the heat radiating from him.

Pei Tingsong was wearing only a faded old T-shirt. His eyes were unfocused and lacked clarity. He was clearly struggling just to stand and open the door. Seeing Lu Xun outside, Pei Tingsong seemed to dither for a moment. Lu Xun could clearly see the other man’s lips move, but no sound came out.

The next second, he seemed to have all his bones removed, falling straight forward.

Lu Xun was startled for a moment, then immediately opened his arms to catch him.

He was so hot! That was Lu Xun’s first thought. The person in his arms felt like a small and burning furnace. Through the thin fabric, Lu Xun could clearly feel a temperature that almost felt like it would burn him.

“Pei Tingsong? Pei Tingsong!”

He gently shook the man in his arms, but there was no response. Only the burning breath hitting the crook of his neck reminded Lu Xun that the man was still breathing. Lu Xun was truly frightened. He had never seen someone burn with such a fever.

Without a second thought, he took off his trench coat to wrap around Pei Tingsong and picked him up in a horizontal carry. The moment his arms slipped under Pei Tingsong’s knees and back, Lu Xun’s heart sank further.

He was too light. Lu Xun had always known Pei Tingsong was thin, but when he had picked him up at the hotel previously, his mind had been a mess and he had not felt it clearly. This time, Lu Xun felt the weight distinctly. He was light as a feather, possessing almost no substance in his arms. The protruding bones were even a bit sharp against his hands, making it feel as if Lu Xun could break him with just a little bit of strength.

An indescribable emotion instantly swept through Lu Xun’s heart. It was heartache, pity, and a touch of inexplicable fury. He was angry that Pei Tingsong could let himself get into such a state.

His grip on Pei Tingsong tightened as he tried his best to block the rain with his own back. He practically sprinted to his car in three steps, carefully tucking the man into the passenger seat and buckling the seatbelt. Then, Lu Xun floored the gas pedal and drove toward the nearest hospital.

Inside the car, Pei Tingsong’s head leaned unconsciously against the window. While driving, Lu Xun could not help but observe him. He could clearly see the brow furrowed in pain and hear the faint and agonized groans. Outside the window, the rapidly passing raindrops swept across Pei Tingsong’s pale profile, adding a layer of fragile shadow to his appearance.

This version of him was so different from the image Pei Tingsong usually projected. Lu Xun’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. His grip was so firm that his knuckles began to ache slightly. The night scenery outside the window retreated rapidly along with the smashing rain, but only one thought remained in Lu Xun’s mind.

Drive faster. Even faster.