The Protagonist 'Gong' Became my Wife - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Encounter Again

As the Protagonist Shou favored the world, the interview naturally passed smoothly.

Not only that, in order to restore the plot, Gu Zhuo gave the third-floor post to Gu Xiao. Although the supervisor, Sister Li, didn’t quite understand, she still nodded after seeing that Gu Xiao’s appearance was not inferior to Gu Zhuo’s.

After working for two days like this, 77 prompted that the next plot point was coming.

The Protagonist Gong had returned to the country, and after handling several days of work, he finally found time to gather with friends. This time, it wasn’t just Ji Zenan. There were also Cannon Fodder Gong #1, Wen Xiyu, and Cannon Fodder Gong #2, Li Mengze.

The four of them grew up together since childhood. Three years ago, when the Protagonist Gong went abroad, the four-person group separated to develop their respective careers. Now reunited, Ji Zenan had long been shouting in the group chat to let them taste a bottle of good wine. Therefore, the location was again set at Twilight.

Looking at the three names marked in red on the light screen, 77 jumped up and down happily.

Great, great, Host! Three out of eight suspects came all at once. Maybe we can find the fragment today!

Gu Zhuo slowly and methodically wiped the wine glass in his hand.

Don’t be happy too early. We don’t even know what the fragment looks like.

No, no, no, Host! As long as the distance is close enough, I can sense it!

It flapped its little wings and flew to Gu Zhuo’s shoulder, only to be swatted away in the next second. While dizzy, it suddenly sensed a familiar aura and happened to crash into a person’s chest.

Jiang Yanning had just walked in the door and waved to Ji Zenan on the second floor when he suddenly felt something hit him. He brushed the clothes on his chest in confusion. Lifting his eyes, he met Gu Zhuo’s burning gaze. Following the direction of his sight, Jiang Yanning lowered his head, hurriedly moved his hand away, and left with somewhat flustered steps, inwardly cursing the word “hooligan.”

In a corner where he couldn’t see, 77 flew coyly toward Gu Zhuo, the entire ball turning pink.

Host, so “Q-bounce” (springy)

Gu Zhuo gave it a cold look. There won’t be a next time.

After so many days, the bitter coffee scent on Jiang Yanning was already very faint. Thinking that as he walked a circle in Twilight, he would be stained with other scents, a surge of irritability arose in Gu Zhuo’s heart for no reason. He knew this was an Alpha’s bone-deep possessiveness toward a partner.

…

Jiang Yanning walked into the private booth and hugged his friends one by one.

The most lively one, Ji Zenan, stuffed a bottle of wine into his arms. “Yanning arrived last, punish yourself with a drink first!”

Wen Xiyu sat on the sofa, adjusted his glasses, and joined in the heckling. “Yeah! Someone returned to the country without a word; I was actually the last to know, you must be punished with another drink!”

Li Mengze held his newly-dated girlfriend, slumping cynically in his seat, his tone very resentful. “We agreed I’d pick you up the day you returned. As a result, I rushed over early, waited for a long time without seeing anyone, and couldn’t get through on the phone. It was only when Nan-zi told me that I knew you had long since returned. To compensate me, punish yourself with another drink!”

Jiang Yanning shook his head helplessly. Knowing his friends held deep resentment, he didn’t decline and neatly drank three glasses.

“Sorry, that day after finishing drinks with Nan-zi, I went back and fell ill. It took two whole days to recover, so I came to find you right after finishing work today.”

Jiang Yanning had developed a high fever after finishing the morning meeting that day. He stayed at home for two days without going out, taking good care of his body.

Ji Zenan nodded in agreement. “Right, right, right. Yanning was groggy with illness the day before yesterday, I can testify!”

Wen Xiyu and Li Mengze weren’t truly looking for trouble, so they let the matter pass.

After drinking two more glasses, Wen Xiyu, who had a poor tolerance for alcohol, was already slightly tipsy, his cheeks turning pink. He propped his chin with one hand and used the other to fumble with Jiang Yanning’s clothes. His slightly cool fingers brushed over the waist intentionally or unintentionally. Jiang Yanning dodged unobtrusively and looked at him helplessly.

“What is it?”

“Since you’re back this time, what did the one at the old residence say?”

“What else can he say? He’s afraid I’ll return to snatch things from his precious son. He gave me a large flower vase as soon as I walked in.”

Recalling last night, Jiang Yanning’s gaze turned cold. If he hadn’t dodged in time, he might already be lying in the hospital.

Wen Xiyu used his tipsiness to vent loudly. “That old man with blurred vision! They are both his sons, how can he discriminate like this! If you ask me, you should just squeeze him out directly, let him get nothing, and anger him to death!”

“No need. I’m not interested in his company. Those shares were left to me by my mother, and I don’t want to give them back to him. I’ll just wear him out like this; anyway, he doesn’t have many years left to live.”

“Fine then…”

On the other side, Li Mengze noticed the movement here and immediately leaned over to be annoyed. “Yo, Teacher Wen is down after only two glasses? Tsk, can’t even compare to my Sisi. Right, Sisi?”

The girl named Sisi held up the empty bottle in her hand and passed the last sip of wine from her mouth to Li Mengze.

The semi-conscious Wen Xiyu could least withstand provocation. He stood up abruptly and gulped down a glass. Before long, he was holding Jiang Yanning’s arm and saying something unclearly.

“You-you, don’t leave… wait for me…”

Ji Zenan leaned over to look and was amused. “It’s been so many years, and he’s still muttering about his You-you?”

Jiang Yanning shrugged. He was also quite curious about Wen Xiyu’s “White Moonlight.” What did the legendary You-you actually look like to make Wen Xiyu pine for so many years?

“Forget it, don’t worry about him. Just find someone to send him to the room upstairs later. Come, let’s continue drinking!”

After years of not seeing each other, the few of them could still find many topics to chat about. By the end, only the consistently stable Jiang Yanning retained a few points of clarity in his consciousness. Li Mengze had already taken his girlfriend upstairs when his excitement was highest.

Looking at the mess before him, Jiang Yanning shook his head and pulled open the door of the private booth. Gu Xiao, who was guarding the door, was startled, but quickly reacted and looked down at his toes.

“Go, go call someone to send them to the rooms upstairs. You should know their usual suites; don’t send them to the wrong ones.”

Sister Li had specifically instructed him before, so Gu Xiao didn’t dare forget and nodded quickly. There were two drunks inside; Gu Xiao couldn’t move them alone, so he went downstairs and called the only person he was familiar with: Gu Zhuo.

Gu Zhuo had been waiting for this moment and brought 77 up to the third floor. When the two entered, Jiang Yanning was sitting in his seat resting with his eyes closed. Suddenly, a familiar scent of bitter coffee lingered around the tip of his nose. It instantly made him recall that night.

Opening his eyes, Gu Zhuo’s face appeared before him. He reflexively dodged backward, nearly falling off the sofa.

“Gu Zhuo, you!”

Gu Zhuo cast a puzzled look, while helping Wen Xiyu up and simultaneously giving Ji Zenan a pull for Gu Xiao. It turned out it wasn’t what he thought… Jiang Yanning felt embarrassed and silently sat back in his original position, pretending nothing had happened.

Hearing the footsteps recede, he had just breathed a sigh of relief when he suddenly remembered that Ji Zenan’s phone was still with him. So, he followed them upstairs.

…

77, scan quickly.

Gu Zhuo commanded, his hands not stopping. He took off Wen Xiyu’s jacket and shook it upside down. Only a cell phone fell out. He then went to feel the two trouser pockets, still finding nothing.

Host, nothing was sensed. He is not the one we are looking for.

Gu Zhuo tossed the things in his hand aside and walked to the room next door. Gu Xiao had just placed the person on the bed; seeing Gu Zhuo enter, he was a bit confused.

“Zhuo-zhuo, what’s wrong?”

“I have more strength, let me help you. By the way, can you go to the next room and see if there’s anything left undone? I’m afraid of being complained about by the guests.”

Gu Xiao was confused but obediently did as told and went to the next room.

77, quick. Yes, Host!

The person and the system were working busily, completely failing to notice someone was approaching.

“Stop! What are you doing?”

Gu Zhuo’s hand stripping the clothes paused. Meeting Jiang Yanning’s incredulous eyes, he felt inexplicably guilty. 77 happened to finish scanning and hurriedly flew behind the Host to hide its round body, even though Jiang Yanning couldn’t see it.

Host, he isn’t the person we are looking for either. Let’s escape!

Gu Zhuo shook his head helplessly. If I dare to escape now, he can catch me immediately. 77, do you have any other ideas?

Let me look. Found it! There’s a Hypnosis skill in the mall that can wash away this segment of his memory, but Host, your points are already negative. Are you sure you want to use it?

Use it!

Gu Zhuo thought of the card Assistant Zhou sent a few days ago and bit his teeth. Exchange all the money in that card for points!

Points in the System Mall are very difficult to obtain. Besides doing tasks, there is another method: throwing money at it. This was a benefit 77 specifically applied for from headquarters; 10,000 yuan can only be exchanged for 1 point, which could be said to be quite not worthwhile. With the current urgent situation, they couldn’t care so much.

In the time the person and system were discussing, Jiang Yanning had rushed to the bedside and used the quilt to firmly cover the disheveled Ji Zenan. Just as he was about to question them, a familiar burst of bitter coffee scent smashed over his head. His mind relaxed for a moment.

Taking this opportunity, 77 used the Hypnosis skill and reset this segment of his memory.

The hypnosis was completed just as Jiang Yanning’s phone rang; it was a message from Assistant Zhou. He was already waiting in the parking lot. Afraid of any further accidents, Gu Zhuo picked up the sleeping Jiang Yanning in his arms, took the elevator to the parking lot, and stuffed him into the car. He also carefully wrapped the person in a blanket. His palm unintentionally brushed Jiang Yanning’s neck, causing the sleeping man to subconsciously nuzzle against his warm palm.

Gu Zhuo’s body stiffened; he hurriedly withdrew his hand and gently closed the car door. Assistant Zhou took one look. It was the same familiar setup and felt a pang in his heart, nearly collapsing. Did the President… again?

“He was too drunk to walk, I happened to see him and sent him down.”

“Ah, oh, I see. Thank you for the trouble, Mr. Gu. Take this, consider it a tip.”

Gu Zhuo looked at the stack of hundred-yuan bills in his hand. He poked 77.

Isn’t this what the Protagonist Gong gave to Gu Xiao in the original plot?

It’s likely because you snatched the Protagonist Shou’s role, Host. After all, in the original plot, it was Gu Xiao who sent the Protagonist Gong to the parking lot.

Does that count as twisting the plot?

77 looked at the light screen and breathed a sigh of relief. It’s fine, Host. You just need to give this money to the Protagonist Shou and say the Protagonist Gong gave it. It’s not a big problem.

Gu Zhuo pursed his lips but said nothing.

Ding! The two plot points tonight Wen Xiyu reuniting with his White Moonlight and sending the drunken Protagonist Gong downstairs have both been completed!

Returning inside the bar, Gu Zhuo heard this and glanced toward the third floor. Gu Xiao isn’t hurt, right?

No, no, he was just frightened. Mm.

77 flew around cheerfully. Yay, today’s tasks are perfectly completed! Host, we finished two in one night; completing the mission is just around the corner!

Wait, no, it’s about to be three! Host, look over there!

Gu Zhuo looked in the direction 77 was pointing. In a dimly lit corner sat a man with dyed yellow hair. His face, with superior bone structure, was half-lit and half-dark. The purple stud in his right ear was exceptionally bright under the lights. Importantly, he looked somewhat like Jiang Yanning.

Reviewing the original text, Gu Zhuo quickly thought of his identity. Jiang Yanning’s half-brother. Jiang You’an. Also another Cannon Fodder Gong.