The Male Lead Always Thinks My Script is Wrong - Chapter 29

Qi He had come here specifically to reverse his innate talent. With his mother’s help, he had already prepared the “price” – a candidate with decent cultivation potential. In the original story, his encounter with Xiao Shu was a mere whim, fueled by a sudden desire for an even more powerful talent.

Thus, his presence here made perfect sense, but Ji Shinian couldn’t fathom why Xiao Shu was here.

Could it really only be chalked up to fate?

Inside the teahouse, Xiao Shu’s gaze flickered subtly. He kept his head down, looking every bit like someone at the mercy of others. “I followed that young girl from the inn to this place.”

“Oh,” Ji Shinian recalled the frail girl from the inn, miraculously remembering what the waiter had called her. “Xia?”

Xiao Shu nodded.

“Hey, I say, there are people right here, you know. Don’t talk to each other like no one else exists,” Shan Yunzhu blinked, looking at Ji Shinian with a smile. “It seems this Young Master Ji and your friend are staying at the Elegant Residence?”

“That’s right, we’re here to study.” Ji Shinian hadn’t expected his surname alone to give him away. “Are you two close with this ‘Little Xia’?”

“Not really,” Hong Yu shook his head.

Shan Yunzhu nodded, his smile widening. “Hong Yu is right, but being here in Tianshui Bank, how could anyone not have heard of Xia Zhi’s reputation?”

To the residents of the Elegant Residence, Xia Zhi was unremarkable, but in Tianshui Bank, she had been quite famous over the last few years.

Xia Zhi wasn’t a local. When she arrived three years ago, word was that she was an orphan who had come to make a living. Unfortunately, her personality was honest and timid, making her an easy target for local thugs. She was forced to work two jobs a day just to survive, and eventually, she became known as a “jinx” whom no one wanted to involve themselves with.

“The Elegant Residence is the place she’s worked the longest. Everyone in Tianshui Bank knows there’s a Xia Zhi at the inn,” Shan Yunzhu shrugged. “Besides, ‘Xia’ isn’t exactly a common surname in the Western Lands. Since you mentioned the inn and ‘Little Xia’, it would be hard for any local not to know.”

“I just didn’t expect her to be here tonight,” Hong Yu said, scanning the surroundings. “Wasn’t her last job in the kitchen of the Billowing Cloud Tower?”

Shan Yunzhu sighed with a hint of pity. “Likely ruined by those thugs again.”

“Ahem, so in all these years, no one has stepped up to help her?” Ji Shinian truly couldn’t understand why a victim of bullying was treated like a jinx. He looked around the establishment. “And the waiters here at the Shiquan Restaurant don’t seem to care either. What kind of work is she doing here?”

“We wouldn’t know. Hong Yu and I have been sitting here for two days and haven’t seen a trace of her.”

“She’s on the second floor.”

Shan Yunzhu and Xiao Shu spoke almost at the same time, showing a strange bit of synchronicity.

“Huh?” Ji Shinian heard this and his mind immediately flashed to the image of the arrogant Qi He. He couldn’t help but wonder if that guy was involved.

As if reading his mind, Xiao Shu calmly added, “She is alone. I saw her being harassed, so I escorted her part of the way.”

Fine, he was overthinking things. Ji Shinian apologized to Xia Zhi in his head for the suspicion, but when he turned back, he realized Shan Yunzhu and Hong Yu were both staring at Xiao Shu with bizarre, unreadable expressions.

Ji Shinian: …?

What was going on now?

Before he could ask, Shan Yunzhu placed a heavy, mournful hand on Xiao Shu’s shoulder. “You’re doomed, kid.”

Hong Yu’s expression wasn’t as exaggerated, but guilt flickered across his scarred face. It was clear he agreed.

Xiao Shu dodged Shan Yunzhu’s hand and sat down between the two with perfect composure. “May I ask why?”

“Didn’t Young Master Ji just ask why no one has helped Xia Zhi all these years?”

Shan Yunzhu’s hand hit empty air, but he pulled it back calmly and spoke in a mysterious tone. “The truth is, in the beginning, it wasn’t that no one wanted to help her.”

It turned out there was a reason for her “jinx” reputation.

When Xia Zhi first arrived three years ago, there was no shortage of warm-hearted heroes willing to lend a hand. Once they stepped in and saved her, she would cling to them with endless gratitude.

It should have been a heartwarming tale of repaying kindness, but after being followed by her for over three months, every single one of those heroes vanished from Tianshui Bank without a trace. Not even a body was ever found.

“At first, people thought it was a coincidence. But one after another, every person who helped her, local or outsider, disappeared without exception. Even Xia Zhi herself couldn’t explain why. After that, who would dare help her?”

Shan Yunzhu finished his grim tale and delivered his verdict. “So, I’d say Young Master Ji’s friend is in grave danger.”

This was the first time Ji Shinian had heard such a story, and his gaze toward Xiao Shu turned solemn. He pressed his palms together in a mock prayer. “Rest in peace… wait, no, it really does seem like you’re doomed.”

Xiao Shu didn’t say a word, only offering a faint, indifferent smile. “You exaggerate.”

While the three talked, the storyteller on the high stage had departed. With the stage empty, the energy in the room dimmed, and as the night grew deeper, the loud chatter turned into hushed whispers.

After a long while without seeing the supposed boss, Ji Shinian tapped the table in boredom. “Hey, you’ve been here for two days and haven’t seen the boss once?”

Shan Yunzhu nodded. “The boss doesn’t necessarily show up on the first floor. However, if you’re qualified to enter the second floor, you can see the boss whenever you like.”

“What counts as being qualified for the second floor?”

“One way is to be like Qi He, someone with immense wealth and a prestigious family background,” Shan Yunzhu smiled with a touch of roguish charm, his voice trailing upward. “The other way is to have the skills of Lord Huoxiang, someone for whom no place is off-limits.”

Forty-five minutes later, in the back alley of the Shiquan Restaurant, Shan Yunzhu watched a red shadow leap gracefully onto the window ledge. A faint click echoed in the air, making his eyes nearly pop out of his head.

“You, you, you,” he stammered, leaning on Hong Yu for support as he stood shaky in the alley. “How did you manage to tear a hole in the formation?”

“What did you say?” The wind was strong, and Ji Shinian, who hadn’t heard a word, had already forced a large gap in the array. He tossed back a casual reply, not caring if they heard him.

As he climbed toward the second floor, he remembered to check his “OOC System”, only to find the bottom left of the electronic screen was silent.

Ji Shinian was surprised: [I didn’t lose points?]

Tiansuan immediately pulled up his status panel, sounding proud. [I knew you were unreliable, Host. Before the main system went into hibernation, it added a new tag for you. Look, look!]

Pixels flickered on the screen. On the attribute panel that still looked like a glitched mess of code, four large words appeared behind his name.

[Innately Gifted].

[Well, thank you very much then,] Ji Shinian thought. While communicating with Tiansuan, he didn’t forget to pry open the window.

Inside was a wooden corridor.

He took a quick scan to make sure no one was there before whispering down to the others. “Stop mumbling and get up here. I can’t guarantee how long this gap will hold.”

Seeing the unstable gap in the formation, the three below didn’t hesitate and jumped up one after another.

In the dead of night, the four of them crept through the window of the Shiquan Restaurant and slipped inside.

The second floor featured a square corridor. The wooden planks were newer than those downstairs and were fitted together quite neatly. Decorations and spiritual plants lined the walls at intervals, radiating spiritual energy. Strange characters were carved into the ornaments. Directly across from the window were three wooden doors, and muffled conversation drifted from the corner on the far left.

“…If…, then must…”

“…In that case…”

The voices were blurry, but they could distinguish Qi He’s voice along with that of another man. Luckily, there was a large plant right next to the window they had used. Shan Yunzhu didn’t miss the opportunity, leaning against Hong Yu as he poked his head out.

“It’s Western dialect,” he whispered, his eyes fixed on the closed door. “Something about a ‘protection link’. That’s common talk in the West.”

“That must be the device maintaining the outer array then,” Hong Yu added, reaching out to steady Shan Yunzhu, who was leaning out a bit too far.

“I see,” Ji Shinian stood there openly, though he didn’t ruin the stealthy atmosphere. “You said we’d see the boss if we broke in. We’re in, so where’s the boss?”

Xiao Shu stood behind him, closing the window, still as silent as an NPC.

Just as Ji Shinian finished speaking, the door on the far left creaked open. The four of them reacted instantly, shrinking into the shadows of the pillars and the spiritual plant.

It wasn’t Qi He or his followers who emerged, but a small, thin figure in the uniform of a Shiquan Restaurant servant. She held an empty tray and kept her head down, walking hurriedly. Who else could it be but Xia Zhi?

She seemed to have just finished serving tea and was about to leave. Shan Yunzhu was quick, lowering his voice as she passed their hiding spot. “Miss Xia Zhi?”

Xia Zhi jumped, nearly dropping the tray. She looked up in terror, but when she saw the four men in the shadows, particularly Xiao Shu, a flash of surprise and joy crossed her eyes, though her habitual timidity remained.

“Y-you all…” Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

“Don’t be afraid,” Shan Yunzhu gave her what he thought was a warm smile, whispering quickly. “We are old acquaintances of Master Xiao and happened to be here. Inside… is Master Qi still discussing business?”

He asked cleverly, linking Xiao Shu to their presence to lower her guard while naturally steering the conversation toward the room’s occupants.

Xia Zhi instinctively glanced at Xiao Shu and nodded gently. “Master Qi… and the manager are talking about the ‘price’. It seems… they are deciding on a date.”

As she spoke, her fingers nervously tugged at the corner of her clothes.

“The price?” Ji Shinian’s heart skipped a beat as he caught the keyword. He glanced at Xiao Shu before turning back to Xia Zhi with a gentle tone. “It’s nothing. Go on with your work. We… will go say hello to Master Qi in a moment.”

Xiao Shu followed up with a smile. “Thank you for your hard work.”

“No, it’s no trouble,” Xia Zhi shook her head gratefully, looking as if she’d been granted a reprieve. She gave them one last timid look before clutching her tray and hurrying toward the other end of the corridor.

Something feels off… Ji Shinian watched her disappear, unable to shake a nagging sense of unease.