Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ji Mian took the soup handed to him by Mu Yuman. The chicken soup was savory and fragrant, with the chicken perfectly cooked, tender and juicy.

He took a sip, and as the warm soup settled in his stomach, he realized he had been starving without even noticing.

How could that be? He had eaten something at noon today.

The system instructed, "Look at the clock on the wall."

Ji Mian looked up and followed the system's guidance to the clock hanging on the wall. The date read "August 20th," and it was just past ten in the evening.

"You were out for a full day, and now it's already the second night."

Ji Mian nodded and sipped the hot soup again.

"Today is the original host's sixteenth birthday," the system added.

"Is it?"

"You have no memory, and technically, this body is your new life. So, the original host's birthday can also be considered your birthday," the system said, pausing. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you," Ji Mian said.

But he didn't really grasp the significance of a birthday. What sets a birthday apart from other days?

"By the way, in the original story, 'Ji Mian' confessed to Mu Yuman when he was eighteen. You should stick to this timeline to avoid disrupting the plot."

Ji Mian nodded.

After a moment, the system reminded him, "On your birthday, you can make a wish."

Ji Mian asked, "Do birthday wishes always come true?"

"I don't know, but that's what humans usually do."

Ji Mian thought for a moment but couldn't think of anything he really wanted. So he wished, "I wish for world peace."

The system: "..."

Well, whatever.

...

Ji Mian stayed with Mu Yuman for a few days to recover from his injuries.

After four days, he felt too awkward and decided to leave on the fifth morning.

"Do you want to go home?" Mu Yuman asked gently.

"Home?"

Ji Mian thought for a moment and replied, "No. I want to follow Brother Duan."

"Why don't you go back?"

"I don't know where to return to."

Mu Yuman fell silent and didn't press further.

A lot of boys this age tend to be a bit rebellious, though she felt a kid like Ji Mian should go home. He’s polite and well-behaved, and she couldn’t figure out why a kid like him would end up in a place like this.

She stood up and said, “Come with me.”

Ji Mian didn’t ask what she was going to do; he just followed her without question.

He followed Mu Yuman out of the house and into the street. After a five-minute walk, they arrived at a storefront selling handmade sculptures. Ji Mian remembered this was where Sun Qi had parked his car yesterday.

But today, the gray Volkswagen was gone—probably because Duan Zhuo had gone out to handle some errands.

“These two buildings are my brother’s. Most of the units are rented out.”

Mu Yuman added, “My brother is Duan Zhuo. A lot of people call him ‘Big Brother,’ but he’s just tough and can handle himself in a fight.”

“Don’t let his looks fool you, he’s actually a decent guy.”

Ji Mian gave a nod and looked up at the two buildings Mu Yuman pointed to. The buildings were short, just three floors including the ground floor shop. The one on the left was smaller.

Ji Mian didn’t really get what it meant to own two buildings. He just felt a little jealous that Duan Zhuo had so many places to live.

“The building on the left was handed down to Duan Zhuo by his grandfather, and the one on the right was bought with the money he earned from working hard when he was young. It’s manual labor—the harder you work, the more you make. A few years back, housing prices were nearly half what they are today, and this area’s pretty remote. After working hard for five or six years, he came back and bought it.”

Mu Yuman let out a small sigh. “Even though Duan Zhuo didn’t get much schooling, he’s really sharp. Smarter than just about anyone I know.”

In a neighborhood like this, even if the rent’s not high, having two buildings is still a big deal, and who knows when they might be renovated or rebuilt. Duan Zhuo went out and worked hard for a few years, basically making enough to last a lifetime.

But Duan Zhuo’s not old enough to just live off rent. He only rents out one building, the one he bought on the right. Each floor has two small rooms and a one-bedroom, bringing in a clean ten thousand yuan a month.

As for the one left by his grandfather, Duan Zhuo keeps it for himself. The ground floor is a wood carving workshop—handed down by his grandfather. Duan Zhuo has learned about sixty to seventy percent of his grandfather’s craft and occasionally enjoys carving things, so he keeps the shop open. It doesn’t make much money, but he enjoys hanging out there.

Duan Zhuo himself lives on the second floor. He doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of neighbors, so the third floor has never been rented out.

Mu Yuman took Ji Mian to the third floor, unlocked the door—Duan Zhuo had given her a spare key—and stepped inside. She turned to Ji Mian, who was still standing outside, and said, “Come in and take a look.”

Ji Mian wasn’t sure why he was being shown Duan Zhuo’s place, but he still said “Oh” and walked in.

It was a two-bedroom, two-living-room apartment. The furniture was a bit simple, but it was tidy. There were no signs of anyone living there, and it was very clean.

Mu Yuman looked at him and said, “If you think it’s okay, you can stay here.”

Ji Mian was stunned. He hadn’t expected Mu Yuman’s intention in bringing him here was for this.

He pressed his lips together, feeling touched. But...

He didn’t say yes or no, but instead asked, “Sis Yuman, does Brother Duan agree to let me stay here?”

Mu Yuman smiled. “It’s no problem. I’ll just tell him; he listens to me.”

Ji Mian was silent for a moment, then shook his head, took a step back outside the door, and refused to get closer to the room.

Mu Yuman asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”

“I think I should go and talk to Brother Duan myself. If he’s willing to let me stay, he can give me any place to sleep, and I’ll do anything.”

Mu Yuman was slightly taken aback. “You don’t have to...”

“I don’t want to live here for free and trouble you to take care of everything for me.”

“...”

Mu Yuman was at a loss for words, her heart filled with a bittersweet ache.

...What a kind soul.

Thinking of the injuries on Ji Mian's body, she grew even more resentful toward Duan Zhuo.

Why didn't he stop Sun Qi from hitting him?

After a while, she said, "Duan Zhuo should be back soon. You can wait upstairs."

"If he doesn't want you to stay, don't force it. I still carry some weight around here."

Ji Mian smiled, "I understand. Thank you, Yuman."