Who Wants to Be the Affectionate Cannon Fodder?! [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 3

“He is Lin Zhou’s older brother, Lin He. They are not biologically related. Lin Zhou’s mother had not conceived after five years of marriage, so the couple adopted a child from a foster home. To their surprise, Lin Zhou was born just three years after he arrived.”

Yu Lin tilted his head, staring at Lin He’s face as he drove, and asked strangely, “Then why was he not in the previous worldline?”

The group Xu Ze’an had sent realized they had underestimated a Beta’s strength after clashing with Yu Lin. With the addition of Lin He, an Alpha, they stood no chance and scurried away after a few minutes of stalemate.

Yu Lin obediently followed Lin He into the car. This “cheap” older brother of his only spared a glance at the footprint on Yu Lin’s abdomen and said one thing: “I will apply medicine for you when we get back.”

There was no further conversation.

“Lin He is an Alpha. To prevent his adoptive parents from suspecting he would compete with Lin Zhou for the family inheritance, he went abroad at eighteen and only returned during holidays.”

Yu Lin pressed further, “Then what is he doing here now?”

007 was silent for a moment. Yu Lin could even feel a bit of data turbulence scurrying through his mind.

“He came back to start a business. Since he has not found a place to live yet, he is staying here temporarily, and supervising his underachieving younger brother while he is at it.”

Yu Lin felt the logic of these sentences did not quite track, but he did not dwell on it.

The car entered the residential area’s underground garage. Lin Zhou’s father had purchased a high-end apartment for him near the school, just a five-minute drive away, to make his daily life easier.

The two entered the elevator in silence.

The apartment was on the top floor. It was a duplex with three bedrooms. The first floor consisted only of the living room and kitchen. The area was large, and the decor was extremely minimalist, appearing somewhat cold and unlike the residence of a privileged youth like Lin Zhou.

Once past the foyer, Yu Lin was like a cat that had just arrived at a new home, curiously taking in the living room layout and scanning the murals on the wall with great interest.

Lin He entered the dining room and returned a moment later with a first-aid kit, holding a can of chilled cola in his left hand. As he passed Yu Lin, he pressed the cold can against Yu Lin’s cheek.

The icy temperature made Yu Lin flinch. He turned his head to look at Lin He complainingly, only to see the other man shove the cola into his hand and sit on the sofa. “Use it to reduce the swelling; it is not for drinking. Come here for the medicine.”

In the next second, Yu Lin used his thumb to pop the tab and downed a large gulp.

“O” Lin He let out a sigh but said nothing, simply repeating, “Come here.”

Yu Lin walked over holding the cola, looking at him innocently. “It tastes good. I could not help myself.”

Lin He glanced at him, ignored the comment, and found the external trauma spray in the kit. He gestured to Yu Lin, “Clothes. Pull them up.”

Yu Lin froze for a second, belatedly remembering that Xu Ze’an had kicked him several times that afternoon. It had felt painful back in the warehouse, but it had probably gone numb by the time he returned to the classroom, and he had quickly forgotten about it.

He took another stealthy sip of cola and lowered his head to pull up his shirt. His fair, soft abdomen was covered in a large patch of blue and purple bruises, looking even more horrifying than the one on Xie Zhirang’s arm earlier.

Lin He’s brow furrowed instantly. “Who did this?”

Yu Lin did not think much of it. In fact, aside from that initial hit, he had not noticed anything unusual; it had not even affected his fight with the fat man’s gang. It was far less annoying than the intermittent stinging in his brain, or that strange, unfamiliar dread.

“That coward who sent those guys to block me,” Yu Lin said calmly. “I already paid him back, Brother?”

He tentatively called out “Brother” in his mind a few more times, finding the title quite magical, as if saying it gave him a sense of support. This emotion was rare for him, and Yu Lin could not help but savor it.

He was snapped back to reality by Lin He’s fingers touching his abdomen.

The cold spray landed on his skin, followed by a warm palm that slowly rubbed the edges of the bruise. Lin He’s movements were very light and gentle, giving Yu Lin the sensation of being cherished.

Long fingers sank into the soft flesh, and a searing heat gradually spread across his abdomen. This overly intimate touch eventually made Yu Lin uncomfortable. He shrank back into the corner of the sofa, but he was quickly pulled back by Lin He’s hand on his waist.

“It tickles.” Yu Lin shrank back again, reaching out to grab Lin He’s fingers. He tilted his head back to look at his face. “That is enough, Brother. It does not really hurt.”

The original owner’s face was delicate and well-behaved, though it had previously been masked by his “little tyrant” attitude. Now that the soul inside had changed, he appeared somewhat innocent and naive.

Lin He looked away and withdrew his hand. “Stay still, or you will suffer for it tomorrow.”

What was even stranger was that Yu Lin realized if it were anyone else, he probably would have kicked them away already. Was it the power of residual brotherly affection? He seemed instinctively close to Lin He.

As Lin He continued to search for other injuries, the phone in Yu Lin’s pocket vibrated. He hooked it out and glanced at the screen. It was a message from Xie Zhirang:

[Are you okay? I am sorry, this is all because of me.]

Yu Lin did not have a free hand to type, so he sent a voice message directly: “I am fine. I suggest you go ask those other people that question.”

Just as the message sent, Yu Lin turned to meet Lin He’s probing gaze. Lin He’s eyes swept over the phone screen. “Is it because of him?”

“Mhm.” Yu Lin hesitated for a moment but admitted it. “Sort of.”

Lin He asked again, “Is he an Omega?”

“Yes.”

Lin He pursed his lips, placed the spray on the coffee table, and stood up expressionlessly. Perhaps seeing the younger brother who used to follow him around finally start chasing after some other Omega made him feel a sense of bitterness and insecurity as an older brother.

While Yu Lin was curious about Lin He’s reaction, he heard two electronic pings in his head:

[Affectionate Points +20. Contributor: Lin He] [Total Affectionate Points: 50. Keep up the good work!]

Yu Lin’s attention was completely diverted; he did not even notice when Lin He went upstairs. He called 007 to open the data panel. Aside from the 20 points Lin He just contributed, the rest came from Xu Ze’an, the boy in the front row, and the fat man’s crew.

Although he had defied the original plotline, it was likely because those people mistakenly believed he had fought Xu Ze’an for Xie Zhirang’s sake, resulting in many scattered points.

Yu Lin suddenly understood. “What you want is Affectionate Points, not plot completion.”

007 remained silent.

Yu Lin continued, “So even if I do not follow the original plot, I can still clear this world?”

The data turbulence began to roar in his head again. After a long wait, Yu Lin heard 007 say, “Go take a look at the place where Xie Zhirang lives.”

Yu Lin was confused. “Huh?”

007: “Just go take a look. You will not lose anything anyway. Maybe you will be misunderstood as caring for your beloved and gain a few more Affectionate Points.”

Yu Lin thought about it and decided it made sense. He lowered his shirt and got up to leave. Just as he reached the foyer, he heard footsteps on the stairs, followed by Lin He’s refined voice. “It is almost time for dinner. Where are you going?”

Yu Lin leaned against the wall and looked back. After a moment’s thought, he told the truth. “To see a classmate.”

“That Omega?”

Yu Lin nodded.

Lin He gave a light chuckle and said, “I happen to be heading out to buy ingredients for tonight’s hotpot. I will give you a lift.”

Yu Lin’s thought was: “What is hotpot?”

007: “It is when you throw a bunch of vegetables into a big pot of soup to boil until it is all bubbling.”

Yu Lin asked, “Is it good?”

007: “Beyond comparison.”

So Yu Lin forced a stiff smile at Lin He. “Okay, thanks, Brother.”

Xie Zhirang’s home was in a tenement building in the west of the city. It was one of the few areas that had not been developed. It took twenty minutes just to drive there from Lin Zhou’s apartment, not to mention the time required for other forms of transport.

Luchuan High had arranged a dormitory for him, but Xie Zhirang’s grandmother had developed Alzheimer’s disease last year and could not be left alone. He had to struggle to commute between both places, and at night, he had to work part-time at a nearby bar.

The mottled paint on the exterior walls had faded, and the windows were draped with all sorts of sunshades, looking like a collection of patchwork quilts. The distance between buildings was narrow and cramped. Small advertisements were plastered everywhere on the walls, their dates indistinguishable. Some were reduced to tattered corners after years of wind and rain.

The bustle of the city faded here, replaced by the clatter of mahjong and chess pieces and coarse shouting. Two or three children who had just finished school ran through the corridors laughing. Occasionally, the sound of a wok hitting a spatula could be heard from the first floor. The aroma of food drifted through the air, creating a strange, earthly atmosphere.

Further in, the road was piled with clutter, making it difficult to enter or exit. Yu Lin asked Lin He to park at the intersection while he walked in along the uneven concrete road.

Xie Zhirang lived on the third floor. The kitchen window was small, with a piece of old cloth blocking the sun. An old exhaust fan creaked as it turned, and the choking smell of oily smoke drifted out.

“Little Xie, your oil smoke is drifting up again! It is choking me to death!” A window on the fourth floor opened, and a woman in her forties leaned halfway out to shout down.

The sound of the spatula stopped, followed by Xie Zhirang’s muffled, youthful voice: “Sorry, Auntie Zhou. I will get it fixed in a few days.”

The corridor was filled with puddles of dark water, and the walls were covered in stickers. Bicycles were squeezed together on one side, leaving only a tiny space for people to pass through.

Yu Lin scanned everything before him. There was no disgust or disdain in his eyes, only pure curiosity. A stray cat with a vertical tail rubbed against the wall as it approached. Yu Lin looked down expressionlessly, letting it rub against his trouser leg repeatedly. He just pursed his lips and stared, saying nothing.

007 spoke earnestly: “This is Xie Zhirang’s life. If he does not end up with Xu Ze’an, he might never escape this for the rest of his life.”

“Xu Ze’an saves him and gives him the wealth and glory he would never dare to imagine. If you forcibly reverse the plot, Xie Zhirang’s hard life will only continue like this. Think about it: a parentless youth with a grandmother suffering from dementia. Not to mention he is an Omega. An Omega in a poor family is no different from an object.”

Yu Lin finally knelt down, reached out to rub the stray cat’s belly, and keenly caught its paw when it tried to resist.

In the original worldline, Xie Zhirang’s grandmother would die next April. Due to a prank by Xu Ze’an’s friends, Xie Zhirang would accidentally be locked in the school at night. By the time he managed to get the school janitor to open the door and rushed home, he would encounter thugs on the way.

007 was right; a poor Omega was just an object. It was not hard to imagine what kind of treatment Xie Zhirang would have faced if no passersby had intervened.

But when he finally reached home, he would find that his sickly grandmother had fallen in the pitch-black corridor while trying to find him, and neighbors had already sent her to the hospital for emergency treatment. The massive tragedy and exorbitant medical fees would leave him helpless. He would borrow every cent he could, drop out of school, and work multiple jobs to fill the hole, but it would still be a drop in the ocean. In the end, his grandmother would not survive and would pass away soon after.

Xie Zhirang would also be unable to take the entrance exams, and because his early withdrawal involved a breach of contract, he would have to repay the school scholarship. He would spend the next two years struggling until his reunion with Xu Ze’an.

Rather than saying Xu Ze’an saved him, it was more accurate to say that without Xu Ze’an, he would have had an entirely different life.

“Lin, Zhou?”

Xie Zhirang stood holding a trash bag, looking in surprise at the beautiful boy who looked completely out of place in these surroundings.

Yu Lin let go, releasing the stray cat that was causing trouble at his feet. He slowly stood up and looked him in the eye.

“Why are you here?”

Xie Zhirang still spoke in that thin, weak voice, and he was even a bit flustered by Yu Lin’s sudden appearance. Such a dirty environment and dilapidated alley were a complete mismatch for someone as polished as Lin Zhou.

Xie Zhirang had never perceived the chasm between them so clearly.

Yu Lin did not answer his question. Instead, he asked, “What I said to you before, have you thought it through?”

“What?”

“I am asking: do you want to leave him? Leave Xu Ze’an?”