Chapter 67 The Luckiest Moment

Chapter 67 The Luckiest Moment

The fire had gone out at some point, and Ye Man, feeling cold while asleep, kept burrowing into Xu Huaiting's embrace.

In this kind of weather, you could really freeze to death.

Xu Huaiting wanted to reach over him to restart the fire and add some wood.

But as soon as he moved slightly, the person in his arms let out a sob-like whimper, clinging tightly to his waist as if his leaving for even a moment would be as serious as breaking a sacred rule.

Xu Huaiting froze in an awkward position, looking at Ye Man.

Just like that night on the boat.

Ye Man probably didn't know it himself, but when he slept at night, he was like a sticky dumpling; whoever touched him would be firmly stuck.

And there was that morning spent at his house, where initially, Xu Huaiting was the one holding him, but later, when Ye Man fell into a deep sleep, Xu Huaiting almost couldn't leave and had to have Secretary Chen reschedule the flight.

Xu Huaiting smiled.

He pulled the person tighter into his arms and managed to inch closer to the fireplace. Fortunately, his arms were long enough; just a slight shift put the firewood within reach.

Using one hand was awkward, especially since he could only sit up halfway, careful not to make too large a movement that might disturb or wake him. By the time the fireplace in the attic was relit, Xu Huaiting, moving cautiously, lay back down with the person in his arms, sweating from the effort.

As the temperature rose, Ye Man felt warm even in his dreams, nuzzling against Xu Huaiting, as if silently praising him.

The storm outside raged, rattling the windows in the attic, and it wouldn't stop until the weather cleared. Normally, Ye Man would find it hard to sleep in such conditions, and if he did, he would have nightmares, waking up feeling even more exhausted and with a terrible headache.

But this time, he slept deeply.

Surrounded by a special feeling of safety, his dreams were pleasant and soothing.

He dreamed of the Arctic, seeing the aurora, glaciers, polar bears, and even went to see whales.

There was always a nameless companion accompanying him. He remembered sitting on a boat heading out to sea, reaching out to touch the water's surface. A whale swam by, causing a wave that almost swept him overboard, but the person beside him pulled him back forcefully.

He turned around with a smile to thank them, and they leaned over to gently kiss his cheek.

At the most beautiful and blissful moment—

He heard a voice saying something to him. He listened closely, the voice was intermittent, like an old, rusty radio.

"Xiao... Man... you..."

Listening more carefully, the voice became clearer.

A panicked woman's voice screamed at him hoarsely:

"You know nothing! I beg you! You didn't see, you saw nothing, don't say it, you really can't—"

"...police...blood..."

"Xiao Man, don't make a sound."

All joy and cheerfulness, along with the colors of the entire world, faded like the tide, leaving only an endless expanse of darkness.

Ye Man trembled all over.

Xu Huaiting quickly noticed something was wrong with Ye Man. The person in his arms, who had been like a cat comfortably warmed by the stove, lazily resting in the crook of his arm with steady, long breaths, suddenly started trembling with cold sweat.

His once stretched body curled up, as if enduring some kind of pain.

Xu Huaiting's expression turned grave. Curling up is a highly defensive posture; survival instincts prompt one to shield their most vulnerable parts when facing danger or pain. Shortly after he first met Ye Man, Ye Man had made this gesture when Xu Huaiting tried to touch his stomach.

Based on his experience, Xu Huaiting deduced that Ye Man had been beaten—more than once.

Was he dreaming of being beaten?

...No.

This seemed different from that time.

Xu Huaiting tried to wake him. Ye Man seemed trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake up, his breathing growing increasingly rapid. Suddenly, Xu Huaiting's pupils narrowed sharply.

Ye Man let go of him, his face twisted in pain as he used both hands to choke his own neck.

Xu Huaiting's mind went completely blank.

He flipped Ye Man over, pinning him down and restraining his hands in one swift motion.

When Xu Huaiting regained his senses and breath, he had already pressed Ye Man firmly beneath him, gripping his hands tightly. A cold sweat broke out on his back as he dared not let go.

In the faint glow of the fireplace, he saw Ye Man frowning in discomfort, his lashes damp. Ye Man opened his mouth, taking small, shallow breaths.

Still unconscious.

"Ricardo..." A faint, barely audible voice murmured his name.

"I'm here."

"It hurts so much..."

Xu Huaiting's chest tightened with pain. He didn't dare let go, fearing Ye Man might do something dangerous again. So he held onto him, leaning down to embrace and kiss him, whispering, "It's okay, don't be afraid."

Ye Man had been clingy before, but this was the first time something like this happened.

He was hard to console, refusing to explain what was wrong.

Xu Huaiting held him, patiently repeating that he was there until Ye Man fell back asleep.

When Ye Man woke up, he felt refreshed, the warm glow of the fireplace filling his vision, just as before.

The only difference was finding himself lying on Xu Huaiting, who still gripped his wrist.

Ye Man twisted his wrist, trying to free his hand, but Xu Huaiting tightened his grip instantly. "Let go of me," Ye Man said.

"Not letting go," Xu Huaiting answered groggily before fully waking up.

He scrutinized Ye Man, confirming he was truly awake and wouldn't scare him again, before releasing him.

Ye Man muttered, wondering why this guy liked holding hands while sleeping, and prepared to climb off Xu Huaiting.

Halfway off, he was pulled back, his head pressed down.

Xu Huaiting, with a mix of vindictiveness and fear, held him down, teasing him before letting go. "Xiao Man, last night..."

"Host, is this what you show me as soon as I get back?" A resentful voice echoed in his mind.

Ye Man let out a surprised "Eh."

He froze for a moment.

Then, a wave of joyful cheers exploded in his mind: "Brother Tong!"

"Wuwuwu wawawa—"

Ye Man's heart was wracked with sobs.

"I'm telling you, because you weren't here, I had to trek to the North Pole for a mission," he hurriedly complained. "I couldn't see the aurora, the polar bears, nothing at all wuwuwu wawawa..."

"..."

A sharp snap.

After a brief silence, a familiar, crisp sound broke the quiet.

"Wuwawuwawa!" The system responded with a series of beeps.

"Wuwuwu wawawa!"

"That's just heartbreaking, Host!"

"If you vanish without a word again, I'll... I'll make a point of sleeping in the cabinet every single day!" Ye Man threatened, though he couldn't come up with a more convincing threat, and it lacked any real menace.

But the system responded in a soft, gentle tone, "That's too harsh, I promise I won't do it again."

Because it cared about him, even the smallest things could be wielded as threats. For those indifferent to him, even the gravest issues might be brushed aside.

Ye Man's eyes welled up with tears.

Xu Huaiting studied him for a moment before suddenly asking, "Are you chatting with that system in your head right now?"

Ye Man blinked, bewildered.

The system, now addressed, fell silent: "..."

"Ahhhh!"

...

Chi Yan stood at the foot of the attic stairs, checking his watch.

A full twelve hours had gone by.

He frowned, finally giving in and heading up to knock on the door.

After a brief wait, just as he was gearing up to break the door down, it swung open on its own.

Xu Huaiting was the one who opened the door. Xu Huaiting showed no surprise at his presence, having spent twelve hours alone with his brother, and still managed a calm smile.

Chi Yan's gaze immediately shifted behind him. Ye Man, likely briefed by Xu Huaiting about the visitor, stepped out from behind him with an awkward look, clad in Xu Huaiting's jacket.

Xu Huaiting's tall frame meant his jacket enveloped Ye Man entirely, hiding whatever lay beneath.

"Big brother," Ye Man stammered, his expression a blend of awkwardness and tension.

Chi Yan scanned him from head to toe.

His gaze cooled slightly when it landed on Ye Man's disheveled collar and hair.

"Come down for dinner," Chi Yan said, his voice low.

He didn't ask why his brother, who had promised to sleep with him, had spent the entire night in the attic with another man, nor did he inquire about the series of actions from the previous night.

Xu Huaiting first escorted Ye Man back to his room to tidy up. After both of them had freshened up and changed clothes, they finally sat down downstairs.

By the time they came downstairs, Chi Jue and Meng Yao had already taken their seats at the table, with a somewhat subtle atmosphere between them.

"Xiao Man, you're awake," Chi Jue greeted naturally, only pausing slightly when he saw Ye Man tugging at Xu Huaiting, but quickly averted his gaze as if nothing had happened.

Ye Man's face was tense.

He was worried about being questioned; they must have all noticed how strange his previous actions were.

The current calm felt like the eerie stillness before a storm to him.

And indeed, it remained calm.

After a night, Chi Yan's cooking skills had miraculously improved a lot. The buttered toast he made filled the house with a milky fragrance, and he even managed to fry a perfect soft-boiled egg.

Chi Jue took a bite and sneaked a glance at his eldest brother's unreadable face, the dark circles under his eyes quite prominent.

Xiao Man and Xu Huaiting had been holed up in the attic all night, so the eldest brother likely didn't sleep a wink, spending the whole night perfecting his cooking.

Chi Jue's situation, however, was easier to manage.

System: "I checked the logs. Shortly after you went to the attic, Chi Yan knocked on Chi Jue's door and told them to go back to their respective rooms to sleep, though they still spent some time alone together."

"You have no idea, I was so startled when some points suddenly appeared."

"...Thank you, Host. You've really worked hard these past few days. You're amazing, managing to complete the task all by yourself."

Ye Man's cheeks tinged with pink at the praise.

"I didn't have much hope, actually. I just did everything I could for you, to ensure your return. Who made me adore Brother Tong so much?" His voice was full of unconcealed pride, and he continued to sweet-talk the system to earn its favor.

"I'm glad, Ye Man," the system said, its voice softening.

"Meeting you has been the luckiest thing in my system life, truly."

Ye Man was even more delighted by the praise, his whole face beaming with joy.

The system wasn't deceiving him either. The fact that it could return so quickly and smoothly this time was indeed thanks to Ye Man's seemingly futile efforts.

Its task was to assist Ye Man in becoming the predetermined villainous cannon fodder, to advance the protagonist's career and love life, and provide appropriate compensation in exchange.

Ye Man's tasks kept failing, and the plot had already gone off the rails, so the system no longer had a reason to exist. Points were deducted repeatedly, and since there was no need for it to exist, it naturally had to leave—the system was uncontrollably detaching from Ye Man.

Perhaps if it had forced Ye Man to complete the tasks, at least roughly following the plot, it could have held on a bit longer.

But Ye Man declared he was done with all that.

Staying here would just mean waiting for the points to run out and being forced to leave. Looking at its dwindling balance, the system gritted its teeth and decided to use its remaining savings to exchange for a 'sealed world' opportunity.

—Seal off this world, preventing any external forces from interfering with Ye Man's fate, and eliminate the plot inertia that would lead to Ye Man's death.

By all accounts, it's now impossible for Ye Man to be expelled from the Chi family, nor will he get into a car accident, break a leg, or be committed to a psychiatric hospital afterward.

The system suspects that even if Ye Man stood at the entrance of the Chi family and demanded all their assets, no one would oppose him.

Especially with Xu Huaiting by his side, protecting him.

But the inertia of the plot indeed exists. In a somewhat clichéd manner, this is called fate, or the butterfly effect.

That is to say, if he isn't hit by this incident, it will be another; there's no escaping it. Without the system to alter his fate, Ye Man might spend the rest of his life under the constant threat of an unexpected accident leading to his death. He truly doesn't have long to live.

Ye Man can break free from the system, but the system must resolve this hidden danger.

Since the task is incomplete, there are no rewards to issue. It can only dip into its own reserves to exchange for such an opportunity for him.

Originally, it was never supposed to return.

Everything is over; the system will leave here and continue to assist the next villainous cannon fodder, each to their own path.

The system calmly watches its numerical display reset to zero, waiting for the next task to begin.

Humans say, all good things must come to an end.

Having the chance to walk part of the journey with someone is already a very fortunate thing.

It plays back its tasks in this world, which can be described as a complete failure, over and over again.

It should have been used to saying goodbye to its hosts by now.

The system is not a novice; it is an experienced system that has been through many hosts.

Yet, as it faced the unfolding scene, the system suddenly emits a series of wailing alarms.

Ye Man's world begins to fade away.

And it can do no more.

Amidst the alarms, a row of zeros mysteriously changes to a 1.

In the following time, the numbers begin to skyrocket.

A prompt suddenly appears at the last second: "You have previous tasks that can be continued, do you choose to abandon the current task and move to the next world."

The system gazes in stunned disbelief at the suddenly rapidly increasing numbers—the task points for the villainous cannon fodder Ye Man are increasing.

It's clearly no longer there.

There's only Ye Man alone.

The lens clouds over, as if weeping.

A thousandth of a second later, the system bursts out with the loudest volume in its system life: "No! No! I choose no!"

...

Ye Man will never know that the system's lens once inexplicably clouded over with moisture.

He just does as he does at every important moment in his life, grabbing everything he wants with all his might, never learning to let go, never learning to compromise, never giving up.

This little fool of a liar is still foolishly smiling and asking it: "Then you won't leave again this time, right? Am I amazing? I can actually still save the situation."

He no longer mentions not wanting to do bad things.

The system's lens clouds over again: "This was just an accident, what's with all the malfunctions? Don't underestimate me, now that it's fixed, rest assured, your Brother Tong won't leave again."