Save That Miserable Protagonist - Chapter 17

“Do you want to guess if I dare?”

Those words were airy, yet they easily punctured the composure Pei Tingsong was struggling to maintain. Staring fixedly at Xu Hang, Pei Tingsong forced a sentence through his throat. “You had better speak with some respect! Do not assume everyone is as vile as you are. My conscience is clear. If you have a problem, come at me, but do not bother my grandmother!”

“Respect? A clear conscience?” Xu Hang acted as if he had heard a massive joke. He pointed at the jacket Pei Tingsong was wearing; it was a piece Lu Xun had forced upon him during a rainstorm. Xu Hang did not care for explanations. He attacked as if he had found a definitive weakness. “Our upright scholar Pei is already wearing a custom-made jacket worth tens of thousands, yet he stands here talking about a clear conscience. Is that not hilarious?”

Xu Hang took a step forward, his tone becoming increasingly malicious. “You are better educated than I am, scholar Pei. Even if you are truly clean, have you not heard that a thousand pointing fingers can destroy a man? Go out and ask around. Is there anyone in the elite circles who does not know you are Young Master Lu’s current favorite? How do you have the face to call this slander? Can you ever wash this off? Do you think anyone will listen to your explanations?”

Hearing this, Pei Tingsong felt a roar in his head. The entire world seemed to tilt. He thought of the details he had tried to ignore: the whispers that stopped whenever he drew near, the prying eyes, and the forced, fake friendliness. It turned out that the dignity he fought so hard to protect was, in the eyes of some, worth less than a piece of clothing, even if Lu Xun had given him an old item just to preserve that very dignity.

What was wrong with this world? Why did people only choose to believe what they wanted to believe? The truth did not matter. They simply wanted to see something pure become tainted to satisfy their own base, dark, and petty jealousy. Looking at Xu Hang’s face, a wave of profound nausea rose in Pei Tingsong’s stomach. He thought to himself that the person in front of him, this filthy, narrow-minded, and disgusting human being, really deserved to die.

At that thought, his logic collapsed completely. Nothing remained in his mind except the desire to make the man pay. With a low growl, Pei Tingsong lunged at Xu Hang like an agile leopard. Xu Hang did not expect Pei Tingsong to actually strike, and he was caught off guard, pinned to the ground.

Initially, Xu Hang tried to maintain his status. He defended himself while shouting, “Pei Tingsong! Are you insane? Do you have a mental problem? You are starting a fight over some rumors?” His voice grew louder with every word, but Pei Tingsong heard nothing. He tightened his grip around Xu Hang’s neck with all his might.

As the sensation of suffocation set in, Xu Hang realized Pei Tingsong was serious. He began to retaliate violently. Fists fell like rain as the two of them brawled in the dim alleyway.

“Stop! Stop right now!” Amidst the chaos, a passerby saw the scene and quickly called the police.

Meanwhile, several kilometers away at the Lu family villa, Lu Xun was forcing himself to listen as Luan Xiujing excitedly discussed a charity gala. “Your grandmother will be there that day as well. I told her that Lucien seems to be in love recently. As soon as she heard that, she insisted on coming back to see the child.”

There were so many issues with that statement that Lu Xun did not even know which part to refute first. Eventually, he decided he should save his reputation first. “I did not even know I was in a relationship.” Halfway through his rebuttal, the system’s sharp alarm exploded in his mind.

[Warning! Warning! Host! This is bad! The mission target is in custody!]

The retort died in his throat. Lu Xun was so startled by the news that he sat bolt upright, nearly knocking over his coffee. “What did you say? Where is he?” His sudden movement startled Luan Xiujing. “Goodness, if you are not in love, then you are not. Why did you jump like that?”

Lu Xun had no time to respond to his mother. He hurriedly asked in his mind, “System, explain exactly what happened right now!” How could something happen the one night he did not pick Pei Tingsong up from work?

[According to the police report, the mission target, Pei Tingsong, was involved in a public brawl with Xu Hang. He has been taken to the Dele Road Police Station.]

“A brawl? With Xu Hang?” Lu Xun’s expression darkened instantly. “I had not even gone looking for that Xu Hang yet, and he has the nerve to seek trouble himself! How is Pei Tingsong? Is he hurt?”

[888 cannot precisely scan the target’s physical condition, but he is currently at the station awaiting bail.]

Lu Xun could not sit still a moment longer. Without even saying goodbye to Luan Xiujing, he grabbed his keys and headed for the door. He was both angry and anxious, his tone sharp. “Does Pei Tingsong have no self-awareness? Does he not know how to run when there is trouble? With his small frame, who does he think he can beat in a fight?”

[In the original timeline, the mission target almost always fought back whenever he encountered something unbearable.] 888 added silently, [Though he never actually won those fights.]

Those words felt like a needle prick. Lu Xun fell silent. He realized it was precisely because of this temperament, his stubbornness, his toughness, and his refusal to bend, that people like them were drawn to him. Sometimes, Lu Xun thought that if Pei Tingsong’s bones were a bit softer, his life might be less difficult. But if his bones were soft, he would not be Pei Tingsong. He floored the accelerator and sped toward the police station without a word.

At the Dele Road Police Station, Pei Tingsong sat alone on a cold metal bench, his head bowed and his face clouded with gloom. The police had just informed him that he needed a family member or a friend to bail him out.

Family? He only had his grandmother, and he would never tell her about this. Friends? He had almost none. Pei Tingsong’s head was still foggy from the fight. Now that this had happened, a massive sense of helplessness washed over him. With a soft sigh, he buried his head in his knees.

The only friend he could think of was Lu Xun, but he truly did not want to trouble him again. Moreover, this situation was so unsightly. He did not want Lu Xun to see him in this state. It was too humiliating. Just as he was drowning in numbness, a gentle touch landed on the top of his head. “Poor thing.”

Hearing that voice, Pei Tingsong looked up blankly. Against the light, Lu Xun stood before him, looking radiant. When Lu Xun first saw Pei Tingsong, he actually wanted to ruffle his hair roughly as a punishment. He had heard from the officers outside that Pei Tingsong had not said a word since arriving, nor had he asked anyone for bail. Lu Xun had been furious, thinking that Pei Tingsong was always so tight-lipped, choosing to endure everything alone instead of speaking up.

However, the moment he saw Pei Tingsong clearly, all his rough intentions vanished. Pei Tingsong looked like a butterfly with its wings broken by the rain. A corner of his mouth was split, seeping a fine line of blood. There were visible bruises and abrasions at the corner of his eye and forehead. His usually neat hair was now a mess, with several strands matted against his forehead by dried blood.

But what shocked Lu Xun the most were his eyes. The sharp, stubborn gaze was gone, replaced by a sense of helplessness and confusion. They were watery, appearing as if they might shatter at a touch. It was a breathtaking, fragile beauty. Lu Xun’s heart ached sharply. All his anger evaporated, and he ended up stroking Pei Tingsong’s hair with extreme gentleness.

He let his palm slide down to lightly touch Pei Tingsong’s cheek. His voice was soft, carrying a careful, soothing tone. “I am here. It is alright. Do not be afraid.”

Pei Tingsong stared straight at him, his beautiful eyes crystal clear, but he did not say a word. Seeing him like this made Lu Xun’s heart ache even more. He looked at Xu Hang, who was also waiting for bail, and his voice became bone-chillingly cold. “Xu Hang, is it? I had not even come for you yet, but you delivered yourself right to me.”

Hearing this, Xu Hang gave a sinister look. “You did not come for me? Then why was I suspended from my position?”

“Because what goes around comes around.” Lu Xun walked over slowly and looked down at Xu Hang. “Have you forgotten what you did? I merely sent a message to your family, and they could not wait to strike your name from their records. Do you still not know why?”

“Originally, for the sake of Pei Tingsong’s reputation, I did not want to be ruthless. I wanted to leave some face for you and your family. But you clearly did not want it.” Lu Xun leaned down and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear. “Now, do you want to guess if I, Lu Xun, will make sure your family loses all face in the entire city of Jiangcheng?”

After saying this, Lu Xun straightened up and flashed a small smile at Xu Hang. “Do not take it as a threat. I, Lu Xun, am a man of my word.” The color drained from Xu Hang’s face instantly. He widened his eyes and roared, “Lu Xun! You cannot do this!”

“I certainly can.” Xu Hang’s voice became even more shrill and crazed. “All for a person like him? Lu Xun! You are going to take things this far? You have taken a fancy to someone who has nothing but a face! How long do you think your interest will last? We are supposed to be the same kind of people!”

The moment he heard those words, Lu Xun turned and delivered a powerful kick to Xu Hang without hesitation. He used every ounce of his strength, and the impact sent Xu Hang flying. There was a loud thud, heavy enough to attract the attention of the duty officers outside.

“What is going on? Quiet down in there!”

Lu Xun narrowed his eyes and let out a cold, angry laugh. He spoke softly, “I was not sure before, but now, if you are still able to survive in Jiangcheng, then I, Lu Xun, am incompetent.” Gripping Xu Hang with cold fingertips, Lu Xun said word by word, “Go and apologize to him right now.”