The Cannon Fodder is Always Coveted by the Paranoid Protagonist [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 3

Gui Wen quickly took a step back, stepping back into the half-shade of the rain. The cat in his arms let out a few more meows, and only then did Zong Xian look down at the small kitten wrapped in the jacket. “A cat?”

“I didn’t close the door properly, which is why it ran out. Now that I’ve found it, we’re heading back.” Gui Wen used the jacket to wipe away the rain and mud stains on the white cat. “It might have a cold; I need to take it to the vet first.”

The rain blurred Gui Wen’s glasses. When he was searching for the cat, he had simply taken them off and slipped them into his pants pocket, allowing Zong Xian to meet his gaze directly once again.

Zong Xian once more suspected that his memory had failed him. In his impression, Yan Guanbai’s gaze towards him was always calculating, as if pondering how to win his favor or researching how much wealth the eldest son of the Zong family was actually worth. Yet the Yan Guanbai holding the white cat spoke with sincere earnestness, his eyes completely devoid of impurities, as though everything he did was genuinely for the sake of the white cat in his arms, an animal he had previously shown countless signs of impatience toward.

Yan Guanbai had never cared for his father’s cat, acting as though the small pet simply didn’t exist. He never mentioned feeding it, showed no concern even when it fell ill, and certainly would never have rolled his own designer jacket into a ball of rags for its sake.

The rain had soaked Yan Guanbai through, leaving him completely drenched and caked in fresh mud, looking not a bit better than the cat in his arms.

When Zong Xian returned to the villa, his mother had instructed him to check on Yan Guanbai’s condition, which was why he had no choice but to step into this room. He discovered that the door was unlocked and pushed open effortlessly. The room was completely empty, the door leading to the back courtyard stood wide open, and splashing rainwater had soaked the floor.

He had merely intended to see what kind of game Yan Guanbai was playing when he opened his umbrella and stepped into the torrential downpour.

Was this just another one of the other’s little acts? Yet Yan Guanbai’s attention wasn’t on him at all; even while soaked in the rain, he wanted to bring the cat under the shelter of his umbrella. “Can you send it back? If not, move aside.”

Zong Xian hesitated visibly for a moment, reached out toward Gui Wen, and scooped the jacket-wrapped white cat into his arms.

Gui Wen seemed surprised that Zong Xian was being so cooperative, freezing in place for a fraction of a second. Seeing him stand there like a wooden post, Zong Xian frowned at him. “Come over. What are you standing there frozen for?”

“Me?”

“Is there anyone else here?” Zong Xian shifted the position of the umbrella, making it look as though he had cleared out space beside himself. “Keep this in mind: I’m only doing this for the cat and for Mother’s sake.”

Gui Wen had no interest in standing out in the rain anyway. Regardless of what Zong Xian was thinking, he hurried over to shelter beneath the umbrella. He followed the other man back to the room doorway, where the umbrella overhead snapped shut instantly.

The white cat was handed over to a servant by Zong Xian, who specifically instructed the staff member to take the cat to a pet doctor for a checkup.

Witnessing this scene, Gui Wen finally relaxed completely. The drenched short-sleeved shirt still clung tightly to his skin, clearly outlining the contours of his body. Unaware that Zong Xian was still inside the room, he stripped off his soaking-wet clothes down to nothing.

Zong Xian inadvertently let his gaze fall onto Gui Wen. The rain outside showed no signs of stopping, and Yan Guanbai was sitting on the edge of the bed wearing only a half-wet pair of underwear, using a towel to dry his hair. Water droplets slid down Yan Guanbai’s cheeks, tracing a wet path along the side of his neck before dripping heavily downward.

His gaze instinctively drifted to Gui Wen’s abdomen. The red marks left by the slap Zong Xian had delivered earlier had completely vanished, leaving him with an inexplicable sense of dissatisfaction.

Another one of these abnormal reactions. Zong Xian quickly averted his eyes.

[Host, the target’s hatred value has decreased and is currently at 70 percent.]

Gui Wen nearly dropped his towel on the spot. He hadn’t done anything, yet compared to last time, the value had dropped by a full 7 percent.

[Right now the host isn’t wearing clothes, which makes it a great opportunity to farm hatred value. Keep it up.]

Gui Wen: […] That’s easy for you to say.

He let go of his grip, and the towel fell naturally onto the bed. Rising from the bedside, Gui Wen circled around in front of Zong Xian and reached out to grasp the other man’s hand directly. “I’m so cold.”

Zong Xian unconsciously clenched his fists. Seeing Gui Wen inching forward to push his luck and climb onto his shoulders, he stripped off his own jacket and tossed it onto the other’s body. “Put some clothes on.”

Gui Wen draped the jacket over himself, barely covering his hips while leaving his two legs completely exposed. “Hold me.”

Zong Xian didn’t budge an inch, watching coldly as Gui Wen wriggled his body in front of him.

Gui Wen was quite anxious; since the system hadn’t prompted any increase in the hatred value, he simply went to untie Zong Xian’s belt, only to be easily pinned down onto the seating area by the other man.

Their faces were separated by mere inches, their breaths tangling for a fleeting moment.

“I warned you not to play games, and it seems you didn’t hear a single word.” Gui Wen’s jacket remained unzipped, and Zong Xian pressed his palm flat against the skin of his chest while his other hand clamped down on his waist. “You had better be careful. I have plenty of ways to deal with you.”

Zong Xian released his grip, turned on his heel to leave the room with an icy expression, and slammed the door shut behind him.

Gui Wen looked down at his waist. He had felt a dull ache just moments before, and sure enough, another red mark had been pinched into his skin.

After getting caught in the heavy rain, Gui Wen came down with a high fever once again. Servants bustled in and out to take care of him, his adoptive parents frequently checked in on him, but Zong Xian almost never appeared.

It wasn’t until early evening, when Gui Wen’s physical condition had improved and someone knocked on the door, that he answered and saw Zong Xian push the door open to step inside.

“Brother Zong Xian,” Gui Wen clearly hadn’t expected the other man to make a sudden visit. Although the system indicated that Zong Xian’s hatred value had dropped to 70 percent, the target’s actual attitude in reality remained as indifferent as it was at the beginning, after all, a lower hatred value didn’t equate to a higher favorability rating. “Why are you here?”

“I told you not to call me brother, and you still don’t listen. It seems talking to you is completely useless.”

Gui Wen chuckled inwardly; how else was he supposed to farm hatred value?

It wasn’t until Zong Xian placed the white cat onto the bed that Gui Wen noticed the small creature the other man had been carrying in his arms. He quickly reached out to pull the kitten toward him, checking it from head to toe. Compared to how it looked in the rainstorm, the white ball of fluff had been washed thoroughly clean. “How is it?”

“Just a minor illness, it’s already recovered.” Zong Xian watched the kitten licking its paws in Gui Wen’s arms.

Only then did Gui Wen feel reassured enough to pet and rub the cat, even planting a quick kiss on its cheek. Why hadn’t he realized cats were this cute before? Once he escaped this world and returned, he was going to raise one himself.

Without warning, Zong Xian pressed his palm against Gui Wen’s forehead. The latter stared up at him in a daze, and seeming to only just realize what he had done, Zong Xian quickly pulled his hand back. “Have you taken your temperature?”

“I took it, the fever’s almost gone.” Gui Wen had measured it before dinner; though still running a low-grade fever, he was basically recovered.

Zong Xian said nothing more and stood up from the bedside, his visit looking as though it had been purely for the sake of delivering the cat. “Nothing major. I’ll help you submit a leave of absence to the school tomorrow.”

Yan Guanbai was an art student admitted to the oil painting major at a nearby university, with grades sitting at the lower end of the class. Zong Xian generally never meddled in his studies.

“You’ll help me?” Gui Wen couldn’t help asking.

“Mother asked me to keep an eye on you,” Zong Xian replied without turning back to give him a glance, “Don’t go thinking about any unnecessary things.”

Gui Wen naturally lacked the energy to entertain any unnecessary issues, keeping his focus entirely on the hatred value.

By daybreak, Gui Wen checked his temperature, and the fever had completely subsided. The driver’s car was parked downstairs, and Gui Wen packed his personal belongings to prepare for school, deliberately taking the jacket Zong Xian had thrown at him during the rainy day and wearing it himself before leaving.

Zong Xian was sitting in the main hall and naturally noticed the jacket the moment Gui Wen emerged from his room. Unwilling to make a scene in front of his parents, he maintained his silence until they got into the back seat of the car, where he fixed a cold stare on Gui Wen’s clothing. “Take it off.”

“I’m recovering from a major illness and I’ll catch a chill.” Gui Wen offered a thoroughly valid excuse.

Zong Xian frowned imperceptibly, apparently losing interest in arguing with Gui Wen over such trivial matters. He shot an icicle-like glare at Gui Wen’s body before quickly looking away. “Drive.”

Seeing that Zong Xian didn’t fly into a rage, Gui Wen felt a tiny trace of disappointment.

Zong Xian’s commute to his company and Yan Guanbai’s commute to university happened to share the same direction, making it convenient. Ever since their mother accidentally caught the two arguing, she had instructed the driver to keep watch in order to foster better sibling relations, requiring them to report on their phones whenever these nominal brothers departed in separate vehicles.

Yan Guanbai had gotten his wish, whereas Zong Xian had attempted to persuade his mother otherwise to no avail. His mother’s health wasn’t robust, so unless absolutely necessary, Zong Xian avoided defying her to prevent triggering her emotions.

The car stopped first at the university gates. Gui Wen shouldered his canvas backpack and stepped out of the car, receiving not a single parting glance from Zong Xian.

Gui Wen knew nothing about painting, coasting through an entire day of specialized classes entirely by relying on the system’s buffs. All he needed to do was hold a paintbrush, and he would instinctively know which colors to use and how to apply strokes.

At noon, Gui Wen returned to the dormitory to rest. Yan Guanbai’s relationship with his roommates wasn’t great; though they shared the same room, they rarely communicated most of the time, each minding their own business.

By evening, as the final bell for the major lecture sounded, Gui Wen packed up his art supplies, slung his backpack over his shoulders, and stepped out of the classroom. Before he had walked many steps, he was blocked by one of his roommates with a fierce-looking facial expression. “You’re just going to leave like this? Stop playing dumb.”

“What?” Gui Wen asked out of reflex.

The male classmate forcefully grabbed his arm, dragging him into the concealment of a nearby tree grove while deliberately lowering his voice. “You asked me to help arrange a meeting with that person, did you forget?”

Memories of the plot finally surfaced in Gui Wen’s mind. Yan Guanbai believed in keeping his options open; aside from trying to squeeze benefits out of Zong Xian, he would also find ways to mingle with other wealthy young masters. One of his roommates, namely the classmate before him, seemed close to a certain rich heir, prompting Yan Guanbai to propose paying one hundred thousand yuan into the classmate’s account if a meeting could be arranged.

His adoptive parents treated Yan Guanbai quite generously and never skimped on his allowance, meaning he had more than enough to spare one hundred thousand yuan from it.

“You aren’t planning to go back on your word, are you?” The classmate’s expression turned ferocious, looking as though he might throw a punch at any second.

Gui Wen had zero need to inherit the original owner’s lifestyle. Having never been skilled at fighting since childhood, he couldn’t help panicking. “What happens if I say I am?”

“I’ve already made the arrangements with him. If you bail now, I’m the one who’s screwed.” The classmate stepped closer to him. “There aren’t any security cameras around here anyway, so I’m going to beat you until you stop backing out.”

Gui Wen instantly raised his backpack as a shield. It contained two heavy textbooks, and when the classmate struck it without holding back, the impact caused him to wince in pain, proving the bag to be an exceptionally solid and effective tool.

“You mother…” Before the classmate could finish cursing, Gui Wen hurriedly swung the backpack at him. Taking advantage of the brief moment before the classmate recovered, he bolted out of the tree grove, running straight toward the school gates without daring to catch his breath.

With people coming and going around the school entrance, surely the other person wouldn’t dare make a move in broad daylight. Gui Wen clutched the wall and took several deep breaths in a row.

Yet the classmate’s persistence exceeded his expectations. He caught up and grabbed Gui Wen’s arm, both of them gasping for air. “You, why do you run so fast?”

Gui Wen instinctively tried to shake him off, but every time he pulled away, the other person grabbed right back on. “Don’t, let’s talk this out, okay? If Young Master Jiang finds out I’m messing with him, I’m done for. A rich kid like you must have plenty of connections; if worst comes to worst, can’t you just find someone to take your place?”

Now that he had been struck with a backpack, he finally knew how to speak politely. “When did you set up the meeting?”

“Tomorrow! Didn’t you say so?”

“That’s less than a day! Where am I supposed to find someone on such short notice?” Gui Wen felt like rubbing his temples.

“Why don’t you just go see him? I already said it’s just a meal. Maybe Young Master Jiang won’t even take a fancy to you, yet you’re acting like your life depends on it.” The classmate’s expression soured again. “What’s your deal? Don’t you usually go around school trying to hook up with rich guys? Now that one’s delivered right to your doorstep, you don’t want him anymore. Could it be…”

The classmate intentionally lowered his voice at that moment. “That nominal older brother of yours finally deigned to look at you?”

If Zong Xian’s attitude counted as taking a fancy to him, then everyone on earth would be lining up to kiss him. Gui Wen clearly had no desire to dwell on this topic. “Mind your own business.”

“You think I want to manage this? If it weren’t for Young Master Jiang…” Before the classmate could finish speaking, a voice suddenly interrupted from behind him: “Yan Guanbai.”

Gui Wen abruptly glanced sideways to find Zong Xian standing nearby in a sharp business suit, looking fiercely eye-catching among the casually dressed college students.

“The car can’t drive in. Follow me to the intersection.” Dropping those words, Zong Xian walked off toward the parking area on his own.

Ignoring whatever reaction his classmate was about to have next, Gui Wen slipped out of the other person’s line of sight and followed closely behind Zong Xian at a distance to get into the car.

Zong Xian was already waiting in the back seat. When Gui Wen opened the door and climbed in, the other man addressed him sternly: “If you’re going to meet up with some young master, do us all a favor and give notice with an excuse ahead of time. Don’t leave your parents worried.”

His mother cared deeply about Yan Guanbai, and despite him being an adult, she always asked extra questions whenever Yan Guanbai stayed out late after classes.

Gui Wen gave the sleeve of his jacket a light tug. “I’m not going.”

Zong Xian’s gaze turned toward him for a rare moment.

“Brother, I don’t want anyone else. I only like you.”

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