The Aloof Junior Brother I Was Supposed To Be Is Actually A Hopeless Romantic! - Chapter 4

Chen Ji gripped the heavy pouch of silver as his heart raced with anxiety. “Sect Leader Shibo, why are you giving me so much money? Why are you telling me to buy him something good to eat?”

Tianjizi’s words gave off the distinct and unsettling impression that the boy was dying soon and should enjoy a final meal. Chen Ji’s hand began to tremble uncontrollably as he held the silver.

“That child, Zhimu, is destined for an early grave,” Tianjizi said.

Tianjizi possessed the ability to calculate destiny. Whenever a new disciple entered the sect to light their Life Lamp, he would watch from the sidelines to discern whether their path would be one of constant hardship or great fortune.

When Chen Ji had lit his own Life Lamp, Tianjizi remained silent after watching the flame. He simply held the boy for a long time in heavy silence. At that time, Chen Ji had seen a flash of profound pity and sorrow on his face. Chen Ji had asked many times what his fate held, but though Tianjizi could glimpse the calamities of others, he never revealed the results to the person involved.

As for Liu Jingyun and Qiu Lingzhou, Tianjizi had spoken to him about them. Because one was the protagonist and the other was the villain—both possessing “cheat-like” existences—the answer Tianjizi gave was that they were unobservable.

Chen Ji could understand why their fate stars were hidden, but Feng Zhimu should not be dying young. In the later stages of the story, he was supposed to trade blows with the protagonist and the villain for hundreds of rounds. It seemed impossible for him to face an early death.

Heaving the weight of the silver in his palm, Chen Ji asked worriedly, “Sect Leader Shibo, when you say early, exactly how early is Zhimu’s death?”

“Heaven’s secrets must not be revealed,” Tianjizi replied. “Chen Ji, take this silver and buy him plenty of good food. If it is not enough, come to me again.”

Tianjizi’s response only terrified Chen Ji more. He was counting on Feng Zhimu to change the ending. If Feng Zhimu died young, the entire finale would be at risk. Chen Ji pressed him with several more questions, but Tianjizi refused to answer. Left with no choice, he walked out of the Great Hall clutching the heavy pouch.

The moment he exited, he spotted the soft and adorable Feng Zhimu. His heart ached, and he pulled the boy into a sudden hug. “My cute little Junior Brother, your Senior Brother will definitely protect you!”

The expressions of Qiu Lingzhou and Liu Jingyun darkened simultaneously.

“Senior Brother, is his life the only one that matters?” Qiu Lingzhou asked, his voice dripping with jealousy. “Is my life worth nothing?”

“Your life is indeed worth nothing,” Liu Jingyun remarked coolly as he drifted past.

Qiu Lingzhou glared at him fiercely. Seeing that they were about to start another fight, Chen Ji warned them, “If you two fight, I am the one cooking dinner tonight.”

“Hmph!” Qiu Lingzhou snorted and turned his head away. Liu Jingyun also became uncharacteristically obedient and stopped retorting.

Nighttime at Emerald Bamboo Peak

Once they had settled Feng Zhimu’s affairs, the group returned to Emerald Bamboo Peak. However, the revelation about Zhimu left Chen Ji’s mind in a state of chaos. He had thought the boy was the best candidate for changing the ending, but now he was told the kid was going to die young.

This thought swirled through Chen Ji’s mind like a fog. Before he knew it, night had fallen. After eating dinner and bathing, he lay stiffly on his bed and continued to brood over the situation. Suddenly, a knock at the door broke the silence of the room.

“Come in,” he said.

The door pushed open to reveal Liu Jingyun, who was tucking a pillow under his arm. “A-Ji, can I squeeze in with you tonight?”

“No!” Chen Ji rejected him without a second thought. “If you hadn’t torn down Qiu Lingzhou’s house first, would you be without a place to sleep tonight?”

Liu Jingyun lowered his head in silence, his thick eyebrows drooping slightly. “It is early spring. The wind is cold and the dew is heavy. If I have to use the sky as my quilt and the earth as my mat, I will freeze to death.”

Chen Ji stared at him. He did not believe a word of that nonsense. This guy had already reached the Golden Core stage. With his vast internal energy, he could wander through a snowy mountain for days and come out perfectly fine. To suggest that this bit of cold could kill him was an insult to Chen Ji’s intelligence.

When Chen Ji did not answer, Liu Jingyun looked up. His dark eyes were clear and bright in the candlelight, shimmering as if filled with water. At first glance, he looked like a pathetic, abandoned puppy.

“Does A-Ji not want me anymore?” he asked softly.

Chen Ji sighed at the ceiling. He really wanted to teach Liu Jingyun a lesson so he would realize that demolishing the house was wrong. Unfortunately, this guy was playing the victim with his “green tea” act. Furthermore, considering this was the protagonist who could change the ending, being too dismissive might be risky.

Chen Ji finally relented. “Only for tonight!”

Liu Jingyun’s brow cleared, and a faint smile played in his eyes. He walked to the bedside with his pillow and unceremoniously squeezed in. Chen Ji was forced to move toward the wall to make room, but Liu Jingyun was like a piece of adhesive tape. No matter how much space was available on the outside, he insisted on sticking close to Chen Ji.

Liu Jingyun’s childhood had been tragic. When he was young, his father had abandoned his wife and son to marry into a wealthy family. After his mother died of illness, relatives seized their home and threw the young Liu Jingyun out onto the streets.

While living as a beggar, he was kidnapped by bandits. Seeing the boy’s extraordinary talent—he could kill a tiger with his bare hands at a young age—and his handsome features, the bandits kept him. They used him as a distraction. He would stand in the middle of the road to draw travelers’ attention while the bandits ambushed them.

Liu Jingyun was stubborn and hated taking orders, but the bandit leader was skilled in sorcery and placed a parasitic “Gu” bug inside him. Whenever he disobeyed, the bug was used to torture him. But Liu Jingyun was the male lead with a righteous moral compass. Refusing to be an accomplice to evil, he endured the torture of the Gu bug and eventually slaughtered the entire bandit den.

Haiyangzi, passing by and learning of his situation, took pity on him and brought him back to Emerald Bamboo Peak.

When Chen Ji first met Liu Jingyun, the boy had been fierce and full of resentment. His eyes were devoid of light. He resisted everyone’s approach so violently that Chen Ji nearly mistook him for the villain. It was only after months of effort that Liu Jingyun finally became willing to be close to him.

In the original story, the “original” Chen Ji had been traumatized by witnessing a village massacre, which made him cowardly and conflict-averse. He would hide from problems he could not solve and flee from those he could not hide from. In that timeline, he had been terrified by Liu Jingyun’s ferocity and never dared to get close. Consequently, there was no bond between them, and Liu Jingyun never helped him when he was in danger.

Chen Ji thought to himself that since Liu Jingyun was so clingy now, he surely would not leave him to die in the future. Chen Ji had already pressed himself against the wall, but Liu Jingyun did not just stick to him; he boldly rested his hand on Chen Ji’s waist.

Chen Ji frowned and asked with annoyance, “You are this old and you still need to cuddle to sleep?”

“Yes,” Liu Jingyun replied.

“Yes, my foot! How is this comfortable?”

“It is comfortable.”

“Comfortable, my foot! Let go!”

Chen Ji tried his best to push him away, but Liu Jingyun was like the Five Finger Mountain pressing down on Sun Wukong. No matter how much strength Chen Ji used, he could not budge him.

Just as he was about to break a sweat from the struggle, the door was kicked open. Qiu Lingzhou burst in with a cheerful voice. “Senior Brother, I want to sleep with you tonight!”

“Get out,” Liu Jingyun said.

His icy command cut Qiu Lingzhou off mid-sentence. Hearing the voice, Qiu Lingzhou spotted the person in the bed. His eyes instantly turned cold and predatory, like a bloodthirsty venomous snake that wanted to swallow Liu Jingyun whole.

“Big Senior Brother,” a small voice called out.

Little Feng Zhimu walked in timidly while clutching a small pillow. He carefully avoided Qiu Lingzhou and looked at Chen Ji with a pitiful expression. “Big Senior Brother, the sound of the wind blowing through the bamboo leaves is so scary. Can I sleep with you tonight?”

Feng Zhimu blinked as tears shimmered at the corners of his eyes.