Chapter 3 Old Man, I’m Done For

Chapter 3: Old Man, I'm Screwed

Before the old man could get close, he heard a heavy sigh, laced with a sense of bad luck.

"Something bothering you?"

Cheng Ge didn't turn his head, replying flatly, "Old man, I'm screwed."

The old man paused, bent down to carefully take Cheng Ge's pulse, and after a moment spoke, "You've still got a few days left."

Cheng Ge: "......"

Cheng Ge swapped hands to rest his chin on, watching birds circle above the bamboo grove in the distance. He raised his hand and slapped a mosquito on his wrist, splattering blood that stuck to his pale skin.

"Tch, I told you, that's enough, and you kept sucking!"

"Got anything to eat? I'm kinda hungry."

"Yeah."

The old man said, casually pulling half a steamed bun out of his sleeve and handing it to Cheng Ge.

Cheng Ge stared at the dry, shriveled bun, the corner of his mouth twitching. "That's all?"

The old man started to pull his hand back. "That's all I've got. If you don't want it, I'll save it for breakfast."

Cheng Ge was quick, snatching the half-bun away, muttering, "Who gives something and then takes it back?"

He bit into the dry bun, hard as a rock, almost chipping his tooth.

He glanced at the old man, then gave up and gnawed on the bun.

As he swallowed, his neck stretched out like a goose, but he still nearly choked.

He quickly got a bowl of water from the kid and chugged it, barely avoiding kicking the bucket. He took a deep breath, barely recovering.

Staring at the bun, he suddenly felt like crying.

But now wasn't the time to cry. The big question was how to protect his precious flower.

He'd had the bad luck of skimming Zhou Ming's crappy novel—won't get into the details.

Basically, it was about a pretty boy named Cheng Ge getting messed with by all sorts of people, over and over.

Totally disgusting, filthy as hell...

As a socialist youth born under the red flag, raised in the spring breeze, and never missing a Youth Study session, Cheng Ge was dead set against gambling and drugs.

Suddenly remembering the group he ran into on his first night after transmigrating—wasn't that the starting area of Zhou Ming's trashy novel?

In this world, Cheng Ge was heading to the capital when mountain bandits ambushed him. They robbed him and killed all his servants and maids.

But the bandits took him up the mountain to be their "mountain wife."

When Cheng Ge read that part, he already knew something was wrong.

He thought, are these bandits nuts? Why grab a guy when there were soft, sweet-smelling maids around? Maybe the pretty boy would suddenly get a system and take down these scumbags?

Holding onto that belief and trust in his fellow man, he barely kept reading.

Later, his worldview got shattered. He had to go back and read the novel's summary, realizing he'd been played.

This wasn't some epic rise to godhood and crushing everyone else.

No, this was about the protagonist getting crushed by everyone else.

Cheng Ge broke off a small piece of bun, dipped it in water, stuffed it in his mouth, chewed, and sighed.

Back when he was just a guy, the only risk was phone scams. Now, he had to watch out for guys too.

Though he hadn't finished that trashy novel, based on the summary's map, even an iron butt wouldn't make it.

If things followed the novel's plot, Cheng Ge figured he'd be shitting his pants before middle age.

At that thought, he shivered.

It's over, it's over! He had to fight back—couldn't let fate boss him around!

"Old man, you know where there's a blacksmith's shop?"

"Not really. The capital's not far, it's busy—you can check there."

Cheng Ge nodded, figuring he'd rest a few days, then head to the capital to make some self-defense tools.

But fate had other plans. The next day...

"Old man, you need a disciple? I'll be your apprentice." Cheng Ge's face was sour, his voice pleading.

"I'm old now, one apprentice is plenty. You'd better go." With that, he placed a bundle into Cheng Ge's arms.

"Really won't reconsider? Someone as smart as me—miss this chance and it's gone. I'd think it over if I were you."

The old man didn't answer, instead pulling a porcelain bottle out of his sleeve.

"This is the medicine I made for you. My skills are limited; I can't cure the poison, only suppress it for now.

Take one pill when the poison acts up. Don't do anything rash or get worked up. Rest as much as you can, don't overdo it.

I've heard Bai Yuxing was in the capital recently. If you can find him to treat you, there might still be hope."

Cheng Ge's eyes went wide. What did the old man mean? Was he about to kick the bucket?

But then he thought, maybe if he really croaked, he'd go back to his original world. "What poison did I get? How many years I got left?"

The old man gave him a strange look. Why was this young man almost excited at the news of his impending doom?

"With my medicine suppressing it and proper rest, you should live three to five years without issue."

He looked at Cheng Ge, sighed, took a veiled hat from his young apprentice, and plopped it onto Cheng Ge's head.

Cheng Ge glanced at the harsh sun outside and didn't refuse, tying the hat's strings.

"Damn, I still have to live that long? Old man, you're not messing with me, are you?"

The old man rolled his eyes in exasperation and shot back, "If you really meet Divine Doctor Bai, have him check if there's something wrong with your head."

With that, he led his young apprentice off to roam the world and save the masses.

"Old man, you haven't told me your name! Could you lend me some money? Otherwise, I'll starve to death before the poison gets me."

But the other didn't look back, just waved casually.

Cheng Ge: Did he have to run off that fast? It's not like I said I wouldn't pay it back.

Watching the two figures—one big, one small—Cheng Ge suddenly felt a pang of sadness. That's how partings were, he knew.

He reached into the bundle, pulled out a steamed bun, took a bite, and found it still rough on his throat.