Chapter 17 I’m Not That Talented

Chapter 17: This Humble One Is No Expert

Meng Shu woke up after a short nap. The moment his eyes fluttered open, a task bar appeared: “Compensate character Ling Qingjue for the flowers—amount: 100,000; current progress: 1,000/100,000.”

He was utterly baffled. How had he repaid a thousand gold overnight?

Had he sleepwalked and gone to return the money?

Meng Shu began doubting himself. He pulled up his interface and checked his balance—not a single coin was missing.

No one could explain it.

Running a hand through his hair, Meng Shu rolled out of bed, suddenly remembering he needed to prepare breakfast for Ling Qingjue. The ingredients were already prepped, so he quickly cooked a simple meal, then headed straight to the beach to grind his fishing level.

Meanwhile, Ling Qingjue had also risen early, sitting in his room and watching Meng Shu’s every move through the Spirit Mirror.

After finishing breakfast, Meng Shu packed the meal into an insulated container and strode briskly from the house.

The instant he stepped outside, the task bar reappeared: “Compensate character Ling Qingjue for the flowers—amount: 100,000; current progress: 1,300/100,000.”

Another three hundred paid off.

It seemed every time he did something, Ling Qingjue added to the tab.

This Ling Qingjue really was a fool. Someone was working for him free of charge—and yet he still insisted on payment.

The man was unbearably rigid about boundaries. Even though Meng Shu owed him countless debts—eating his food, using his belongings, wearing his clothes, living under his roof—he still demanded every cent be settled, refusing any emotional entanglement.

No wonder he ranked number one on the攻略 list.

He was utterly unapproachable.

Moreover, all the information Ling Qingjue had given him before had been false. This man wasn’t some useless nobody—he actually wielded high-level magic.

He certainly wasn’t short on funds either. Ling Qingjue probably didn’t even grasp the purpose of money.

His magical aptitude was extraordinary—he could conjure anything with a mere wave of his hand, rendering currency nothing more than a burden.

Meng Shu let out a bitter laugh, paused briefly at the doorway, then headed toward the beach.

He had so little time left in life; during these final days, he needed no concern for the real world. He’d never met anyone who made his heart race—until now. Since fate had brought him this person, he might as well try to win him over.

He fished at the beach until sunset. On his way home, he stopped by a fishmonger and sold his catch, earning 1,500 gold that day.

Carrying a faint, unpleasant fishy odor—something he deeply hated—Meng Shu irritably sought out a bathhouse, scrubbed himself thoroughly, and then returned home.

Otherwise, Ling Qingjue would surely nag and scold him again.

He didn’t want to hear Ling Qingjue’s endless rambling—not at all. He just wanted to kiss him.

With such a stunning face, why did he ruin the entire mood the moment he opened his mouth?

Under the high-hanging crescent moon, Meng Shu walked home, greeting neighbors along the way with a cheerful smile.

“Lord Hero, have you already reached Fishing Level 1?” Alice, fresh off her shift, happened to be walking the same route. “Are you sure you don’t want to switch professions?”

Meng Shu fell silent for a moment. “I’ll stick with this. It’s stable.”

Alice raised an eyebrow. “You don’t seem particularly fond of it.”

“It’s just about making money. What’s there to like or dislike? Honestly, it’s pretty easy.”

He recalled what the old fisherman had told him yesterday—that he simply wasn’t cut out for fishing.

Yesterday, Meng Shu had been too proud to admit it. Today, he’d sat alone all day, and even when a fish bit the hook, he felt nothing inside—only unbearable restlessness.

Fishing required stillness—but Meng Shu had always been an energetic child.

To quiet him, you’d have to render him speechless.

Alice lifted a finger and shook it solemnly. “No, no, no. Our laws guarantee your survival—don’t choose your profession solely for profit.”

“And you? Do you truly love your job?”

Alice smiled. “I’ve tried all sorts of professions—you know that. I’m a Level-10 master in many of them. But now that I’m older, my heart has calmed. I just want to stay in one small place. The community center lets me hear all kinds of gossip, and my friends often gather there. I genuinely love this job.”

“Right…”

Alice looked so young that Meng Shu had forgotten she was eighty years old.

Alice stretched lazily. “Anyway, good luck! Since the laws grant you immortality, even if you decide to switch professions at seventy or eighty, it’s just a matter of filling out a form.”

“Alright—I’ll think about it.”

Meng Shu had another reason for choosing fishing—to win over Ling Qingjue.

He knew far too little about this world, and the only thing that truly interested him was Ling Qingjue.

So far, he only knew Ling Qingjue liked fish—and specifically high-level ones. To win Ling Qingjue over, even if he loathed the profession, he’d sit until his backside ached and remain by the sea until he reached Fishing Level 5.

He swore he wouldn’t stop until he had Ling Qingjue!

Meng Shu parted ways with Alice at the fork in the road. As he approached his doorstep, he immediately spotted a suspicious figure lurking in the nearby bushes.

He halted and called out, “Hey—what are you doing here?”

At the sight of Meng Shu’s striking red hair, the figure leapt from the bushes, eyes gleaming. “You’re the new hero!”

Meng Shu was startled by his enthusiasm but managed a faint smile. “Yeah—that’s me. What’s up?”

“Are you staying at Ling Qingjue’s place?” The youth looked about eighteen or nineteen, with black hair and black eyes—and two dimples appeared when he smiled.

He stood slightly shorter than Meng Shu and gazed up at him. “Do me a favor!”

A classic Eastern face.

Above his head, words popped up: Romanceable Character—Xu Linzhou.

“Yeah, I’m staying with Ling Qingjue. What do you need me to do?”

“I want to meet him—but he’s so cold and keeps refusing to see me. Can you help call him out?”

Meng Shu frowned slightly. “What do you want with him?”

Xu Linzhou said, “That day, the wound struck my friend—but the pain pierced my heart. To save an old friend, I’d brave fire and water—and even take a knife to the ribs without hesitation!”

He spoke with conviction, but unfortunately, Meng Shu couldn't read a room. "What are you saying? Say something I can understand."

Xu Linzhou pondered to himself, What? The "my friend's hurt and needs help" excuse didn't work?

He steeled himself and changed his story: "Kids, huh? Always breaking your heart! My mom was washing clothes by the lake in the dead of winter when some thugs attacked her and she drowned..."

Meng Shu was lost: "What? Are you reading me a wuxia novel? What are you mumbling about?"

Xu Linzhou was floored.

What? Not even the "my mom died" lie worked?

This Lord Hero was way too smart!

Xu Linzhou gritted his teeth and stomped his foot, then decided to switch it up. Putting on a regretful look, he said: "That autumn afternoon, I met my muse. Oh, that chiseled face, that perfect body, that deep voice—I can't get them out of my head. My Venus, my god, I've tried everything but I can't reach him... So, I haven't been able to sleep..."

Meng Shu finally got it. Insomnia? Just pop some pills and you'll be fine.

No wonder this guy was talking weird—insomniacs always go nuts, losing your mind is pretty common.

"So it's insomnia." Meng Shu nodded. "Why didn't you say so earlier? You talk too much nonsense; I thought your family had died."

Did you seriously not hear the whole story I just made up about my mom drowning?

Xu Linzhou wanted to scream at him: Idiot! Moron! Ignorance is scary!

But he needed a favor.

Xu Linzhou softened his voice, getting lost in his own world: "Lord Hero, there's only one person in the world who can cure my illness... Only he, Ling Qingjue, as my Venus, can soothe all my pain."

Meng Shu really couldn't figure out what this guy was rambling about. "Venus? Isn't that a toothpaste brand? When did Ling Qingjue become your toothpaste..."

"You're thinking of Nice, right..."

"Forget it, I don't understand what you're saying." Meng Shu got to the point. "So basically, you want him to treat your illness, right?"

Xu Linzhou twitched the corner of his mouth.

He thought to himself: You uncouth hero, once I've used you, I'll kick you to the curb.

He put on a friendly expression: "Yes, Lord Hero, you're so smart."

Meng Shu asked again: "Ling Qingjue charges a lot for treatment. Do you have the money?"

"I'm just a nobody with a little cash. A measly billion, nothing to brag about."