Chapter 24 The Protagonist Uke and Four Suitors XXIV

Chapter 24: The Protagonist (the Uke) and the Four Suitors (Part Twenty-Four)

"Hello, what's up?" Ms. Chen answered the phone.

"Do you think he'll like me..."

Fu Yichen, a man confident in everything he did, was surprisingly insecure when it came to matters of the heart.

Shu Xian always seemed to treat him only as a friend.

"Don't overthink it. Just ask him directly when the time comes," Ms. Chen comforted him.

"What if he rejects me?"

The thought of Shu Xian turning him down made his chest tighten, leaving him breathless.

"You... have you eaten yet?"

Ms. Chen didn't know how else to comfort him, so she changed the subject.

"No, Mom. Where are you? I'll come to you."

"Ah, where am I?"

Ms. Chen glanced at Shu Xian, unsure how to answer.

"It's fine, let him come over," Shu Xian said.

"Then come to me. Xian Xian and I are having hotpot together."

"Mom, why are you two having hotpot together?"

And without inviting him...

"We'll talk when you get here."

Ms. Chen hung up the phone.

Fu Yichen was eager to see Shu Xian. He made the half-hour trip in just fifteen minutes.

"Xian."

Fu Yichen called his name softly.

"Mm, have a seat."

"You can't eat these spicy ones. Order something else."

Shu Xian handed him the menu.

"It's fine. I like spicy food too. I like whatever you ordered."

Fu Yichen took some food from the pot and started eating.

Vegetables absorbed the oil even more, making them spicier than the meat.

"You can eat spicy food?"

"Why don't you eat it at home then?"

"Don't you like eating with your parents?"

Ms. Chen fired off three questions in a row.

"No, I just didn't feel like eating spicy back then."

As if.

"It's great that you can eat spicy! You should eat with your parents more often."

"Okay, I will."

"You tell him, Xian Xian. Get him to listen to me."

"Did you hear that?"

Shu Xian asked, turning his head.

"I heard. I'll listen to Mom."

Fu Yichen nodded obediently.

"Hmph, only Xian Xian can keep you in check."

With Ms. Chen there, the meal went fairly well and wasn't too awkward.

"Xian, I have something I want to tell you."

What was coming had to come.

"Wait a moment, let me make a call first."

Shu Xian stopped him from speaking and walked toward the entrance of the hotpot restaurant.

"Shu Xian?"

The figure approaching from ahead looked somewhat familiar.

"Yu Jingxing?"

"Yes, it's me."

Yu Jingxing walked closer.

"Are you here alone for hotpot?"

"No, with friends. What about you?"

"I'm alone. I haven't eaten yet."

"You... could you do me a favor?"

Shu Xian had originally planned to call Gu Tingyuan to run interference—he suspected Fu Yichen was going to confess to him.

Since Yu Jingxing happened to be here, he might as well ask him for help. After all, he was also a target for future tasks.

"What kind of help?"

"Um, well, could you pretend to be my boyfriend?"

"The honor is all mine. And it doesn't have to be pretend."

Doesn't have to be pretend?

Shu Xian's brain short-circuited.

Yu Jingxing's lips curved upward, his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses deep and unfathomable.

Now he could get close to Shu Xian.

"Let's go then, my little boyfriend."

Yu Jingxing took Shu Xian's hand, who was still lost in thought.

Who are you calling little...

"Fu Yichen, what was it you wanted to tell me earlier? Go ahead."

"Xian, who is he?"

Please don't let it be what he's thinking.

"I'm his boyfriend, Yu Jingxing. Hello."

Yu Jingxing raised their tightly clasped hands.

"You two..."

He was a step too late...

"I have nothing more to say. I wish you happiness..."

Fu Yichen forced out the blessing, choking back the suffocating feeling.

"Well, Ms. Chen, we'll be going now."

"Okay, you two go on."

Ms. Chen could only sigh helplessly. It seemed Shu Xian really didn't like her son.

...

"Phew~"

Shu Xian let go of Yu Jingxing's hand.

"Don't like him? Or just couldn't refuse?"

Yu Jingxing asked.

"Couldn't refuse. We're friends."

"Hmph, friends? He doesn't see it that way."

Shu Xian looked up at him.

This man who always maintained an elegant smile.

"Yeah, thanks for helping me out. Is there anything you'd like me to do for you?"

"Join me for a bite."

"What would you like to eat?"

"Could you cook me a bowl of noodles?"

"I suddenly really want some homemade noodles."

You really are sudden, Shu Xian thought to himself.

Since Yu Jingxing had just helped him, he had no choice but to agree.

"Sure."

"Can we go to my place then?"

"Okay."

"006, give me Yu Jingxing's profile."

"Host, the plot is all messed up now, so it might not be accurate."

"I just want it for reference."

"Receiving now, host."

{Yu Jingxing is someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.}

"That's it? Just this?"

"Yes, host, just this one line."

...

"Come in."

"Your place is so tidy."

Clean and perfectly organized.

This person probably has some obsessive-compulsive and cleanliness tendencies.

"Take me to the kitchen."

Shu Xian quickly threw together a bowl of noodles. It might not be delicious, but at least it was cooked.

Yu Jingxing asked for it, so he couldn't complain.

"Is it good?"

"Mhm, not bad."

He clearly saw Yu Jingxing frown, yet he was still being stubborn.

"Shu Xian, I like you. Will you be with me?"

?

That's sudden?

Confessing over noodles?

"You can like me, but I can't be with you yet."

"And your liking isn't enough yet."

No prompt from the system.

"How can liking be considered enough?"

"When I can feel that you like me, then it's enough."

Shu Xian made an excuse to dodge the question.

Just as Shu Xian was about to leave, 006 issued a task.

"For Yu Jingxing's birthday, replace Li Wu and spend it with him."

"Why didn't you give me the task sooner?"

"The system only issues a task once it's confirmed Li Wu can't make it."

Fine.

"Do you have any hobbies?"

Let him think about how to give him an unforgettable birthday.

"Dissection."

...

"How about you dissect me after I'm a corpse?"

Shu Xian joked.

But to Yu Jingxing, it meant: I can die for you.

Yu Jingxing's heart raced wildly.

He looked at Shu Xian with burning eyes.

"Are you really willing?"

"Sure."

Anyway, he was going to fake his death in the end, so he could be dissected however he wanted.

"Think of it as my birthday present to you, just not today, alright?"

"Okay."

Tsk, Yu Jingxing really is a pervert.

You could see the eager red glint in his eyes.

"Host, he's fallen for you, and he really wants to dissect you."

"Tsk tsk tsk, so can I slip away now?"

"Yes."

After saying goodbye to Yu Jingxing, Shu Xian went home.

006 said he could leave once the main system confirmed the task was complete.

One day, Shu Xian received a notice from the hospital for a follow-up check.

He didn't really want to go since he was about to leave this world anyway, but thinking of Mo Sen, he really wanted to see him.

"How have you been lately? Any discomfort anywhere?"

"No, I feel pretty good overall."

Shu Xian said truthfully.

"Doctor Mo, I think you're getting more handsome."

Shu Xian looked up at Mo Sen, watching as he carefully checked the healing bones in his leg.

"Does that make your heart flutter a little?"

"Hmm... just a little."

He was just envious of his looks, height, and muscles, wuwuwu.

"Just a little?"

"Hey, Doctor Mo, we're friends, right?"

"Yes, why?"

Mo Sen looked at him, not quite understanding what he meant.

"If I died, would you remember me?"

Mo Sen was his first friend outside of his mission targets.

"Why are you suddenly saying this?"

He didn't really like this.

"It's nothing, just a random thought, haha."

Shu Xian forced a dry laugh.

A doctor should be used to this sort of thing.

Death happens every day.

"Host, the main system confirms the task is successful."

"Yay~ First mission, complete success!"

Feels quite rewarding, hehe.

"Host, you'll detach automatically in three days."

"Alright."

Thinking about everything I've experienced here, I'm actually kind of sad to go.

"Doctor Mo, if there's a chance, I'd really like to date you."

Shu Xian said, meaning it.

"So why not start now?"

Mo Sen fixed his dark eyes on him, intent.

"There's not enough time for that."

"What do you mean, 'time is short'? Are you going somewhere?"

A dull ache settled in Mo Sen's heart.

Shu Xian looked out the window, "To where I belong."

"Hahaha, don't be so serious, I'm just joking."

Shu Xian patted his shoulder.

I knew I shouldn't have said anything. Making someone overthink after I leave is worse than if I'd never been here at all.

"Shu Xian, be with me. I like you—I have since the day you came to my office."

"Really?"

Shu Xian was surprised. Was his charm really that great?

"Will you?"

"Give me three days to think about it."

I hope you won't be too sad then.