LABMY CH2

Chapter 2: The Poor Child Abandoned by the Wealthy Family

The narrow residential building was cluttered with tangled wires. The dimly lit corridor was stained with strange yellow-green marks, possibly mold or mildew. Piles of black garbage bags lined the doors, which, even in such a dirty environment, stood out for being exceptionally grimy.

Jian Yuanbai stood silently at the door with Wei Zhenge. Neither of them spoke.

Upon seeing the condition of the apartment, Wei Zhenge’s expression remained calm. There was no hint of disgust or surprise on his face, even though he was indeed taken aback that a man who looked so refined would live in such a place.

But thinking about who had sent this man, he wasn’t surprised at all.

A person who looked decent on the surface might be trash underneath.

As Jian Yuanbai fumbled for the key, Wei Zhenge noticed that his brows were furrowed tightly. The already sharp features on his face carried a trace of hostility, like a wolf on the edge of rage—dangerous yet wild and filled with an irresistible sense of power.

Once again, Wei Zhenge reminded himself: Stay away from this man as much as possible.

Unaware of Wei Zhenge’s thoughts, Jian Yuanbai held the key in his pocket, unwilling to take it out.

“…Do I really have to live in this kind of place?”

“So filthy… Just how disgusting was the original owner of this body?”

The system ruthlessly crushed his hopes:

“For now, you can only stay here. If you make money in the future, feel free to move out.”

“Besides, the body you’re using now belongs to the original host. Even the name ‘Jian Yuanbai’ is just a modification in everyone’s memory to help you blend in.”

What the system didn’t say was that it could alter memories only because the original owner was a complete nobody. It wasn’t because the system itself was particularly powerful.

Jian Yuanbai let out a long sigh and muttered, “This isn’t the original host’s body anyway.”

Seeing Jian Yuanbai hesitate and not open the door, Wei Zhenge spoke up:

“You didn’t have to bring me here.”

“The Wei family gave you money for my living expenses and tuition. Just hand it over, and I can find my own place to stay.”

Wei Zhenge calmly negotiated, “This way, you get the money, you don’t have to deal with me, and you won’t have someone you dislike living in your home.”

Jian Yuanbai’s reluctance to open the door and his unwelcoming attitude were obvious. This was exactly what Wei Zhenge wanted—if he brought it up himself, it wouldn’t make Jian Yuanbai look like he was taking the money without doing his job.

Unexpectedly, Jian Yuanbai pulled out the key and said as he opened the door:

“Don’t even think about it.”

He turned his head and glanced at Wei Zhenge with an ambiguous smile.

“Besides… I actually quite like you.”

In the original plot, this “Long AoTian” protagonist would eventually achieve great success and marry three beautiful wives: one sweet, one charming, and one gentle.

As someone who was good-looking yet single, Jian Yuanbai was genuinely curious—how did this kid manage to pull that off?

If it was because of wealth and power, Jian Yuanbai had way more resources than Wei Zhenge did.

Maybe after spending a year as his guardian, he could ask for some tips. He didn’t need three wives, just one would be enough.

To Wei Zhenge, however, that look was pure intimidation.

He sneered in his heart.

Sure enough, he was too naive.

How could someone the Wei family hired to humiliate and torment him let him off so easily?

At the entrance of the old apartment, the two stood there with completely different thoughts, both spiraling in completely opposite directions.

When they stepped inside, the situation was slightly better than the garbage-filled hallway. It wasn’t exactly clean, but at least it wasn’t so filthy that you couldn’t step inside.

In the living room, there was a worn-out leather sofa with peeling edges, a glass coffee table, and a water dispenser covered in colorful stickers. That was all there was.

Following the system’s guidance, Jian Yuanbai walked to the door of a room at the back and turned to Wei Zhenge.

“This will be your room from now on.”

As he spoke, he pushed the door open.

What greeted them was a chaotic pile of rough, gray stones covered in mud. In the middle of the room stood an iron-framed bed without a mattress—just a cold, bare metal frame.

In the corner was a machine with sharp blades that Wei Zhenge couldn’t understand.

The floor was covered in mud stains, rock fragments, and a thick layer of dust.

This place looked more like a storage room on a construction site than a bedroom.

Jian Yuanbai, who had opened the door without looking inside, followed Wei Zhenge’s gaze and turned around.

When he saw the state of the room, his brow furrowed deeply.

He complained to the system:

“How can anyone live in a place like this?”

The system replied coldly:

“Before the ‘Lon AoTian’ protagonist rises, he must endure hardship. Why can’t he live here?”

Jian Yuanbai: “Tian Tian (the system’s nickname), you’re so heartless.”

The system, after a second of delay: “Please do not call me that. I am System 000. You may call me ‘000.’”

“But you’re the Long AoTian Support System. If the protagonist isn’t called Long AoTian, that means you’re the only one who can be called Long AoTian,” Jian Yuanbai said matter-of-factly.

System: “Please call me 000.”

“Okay, okay. Got it, Tian Tian,” Jian Yuanbai replied dismissively in his mind.

Out loud, he said to Wei Zhenge, “Let’s head back to your house to grab your stuff.”

Without hesitation, Wei Zhenge refused, “No need. I’ll get it another day.”

Today was Saturday. At this time, either his “good brother” would be at home, or that couple would be. Worse yet, all of them could be there.

He planned to take Monday off to go back and grab his things.

But Jian Yuanbai, who had already read through the plot, knew that in the original storyline, Wei Zhenge was beaten severely by his father when he snuck back on Monday, with the excuse of skipping school.

However, if he went back today, his father would be out with his mistress, and his stepmother, Jiang Xuelan, would be busy shopping. It would actually be easier to avoid them.

Of course, Jian Yuanbai couldn’t explain all that, so he simply said,

“If you don’t go get your things now, how are you planning to sleep tonight?”

Not only did this make it seem like he genuinely cared about Wei Zhenge, but it also prevented the future conflict.

By then, Wei Zhenge would probably be willing to teach him how to find a girlfriend, right?

Jian Yuanbai thought happily to himself.

His straightforward words, paired with his slightly impatient expression, made the hand that Wei Zhenge had been holding at his side tighten slightly.

He should’ve expected this.

When the man opened the door earlier and glanced at him without seeing the humiliation he had hoped for, he knew this man would find other ways to force him into submission.

“Let’s go,” Wei Zhenge said flatly.

However, what Jian Yuanbai hadn’t expected was that even though he had done everything to help Wei Zhenge avoid running into his family,

When they arrived at the Wei family’s home…

In the living room, the entire Wei family was sitting there, waiting leisurely for him.

The man in a suit with faint wrinkles on his forehead, exuding a stern and composed aura, was the father. The elegantly dressed woman, adorned with jewelry, radiated luxury and grace. And the young, energetic man beside them was their son.

The three of them sat on the sofa, chatting and laughing—a picture of a perfect family.

No one would know that this “perfect father” had driven his pregnant ex-wife to her death, that this so-called noblewoman was once a mistress who climbed her way up, and that their son was born even earlier than the legitimate child of the first marriage.

The moment Wei Zhenge stepped into the house, the laughter on their faces faded, replaced with disgust and disdain. Their synchronized expressions were perhaps the only thing that made them look like a real family.

Ironically, it was Wei Zhenge, the legitimate son from the first marriage, who now looked like the outsider.

The head of the Wei family spoke first, “Why are you back?”

Wei Zhenge replied coldly, “To get my belongings.”

“Oh, your things?” Wei En, his “good brother,” grinned, “I already had the maid pack them up. I was just about to throw them out.”

“Hope you enjoy your stay at that gambling addict’s house.”

Wei Zhenge didn’t even glance at him and turned to head upstairs.

“Stop right there!”

Father Wei slammed the newspaper down and shouted, “You come back to this house and don’t even greet your father, your mother, or your brother?”

“You still think this is your home?”

A wave of nausea churned in Wei Zhenge’s stomach.

Even though he knew what would happen next, he couldn’t resist the urge to fight back.

“My mother died long ago. After she died, I never considered this place my home.”

“And you… living in the Su family’s villa, occupying someone else’s nest for so long that you actually think this place belongs to you?”

Jian Yuanbai, who had been watching from the sidelines, couldn’t help but marvel.

This young, unpolished protagonist was like a little kitten—normally obedient, but when cornered, he’d scratch back with his dull claws.

SMACK!

The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the room, startling Jian Yuanbai, who instinctively stepped forward.

He watched as Wei Zhenge’s pale face quickly swelled red.

Jian Yuanbai’s expression darkened.

“Why did you hit him?”

“I’m his father. It’s only natural for me to discipline my son,” the man said coldly.

“Since you no longer consider this place your home, don’t even bother taking your things. Get out.”

Wei Zhenge turned around and left without a word, without hesitation or a trace of lingering attachment.

“Wait.”

Jian Yuanbai stopped him and raised his chin slightly.

“You, call me grandpa.”

Wei Zhenge, his face still red and swollen, slowly met Jian Yuanbai’s gaze.

His eyes seemed to say:

Are you out of your mind?

Seeing that his “teammate” wasn’t cooperating, Jian Yuanbai wasn’t discouraged.

At 193 cm tall, he towered over Father Wei, looking down at him with contempt.

“From now on, I’m his legal guardian. I’m his grandpa.”

Jian Yuanbai raised a finger and pointed arrogantly at Father Wei.

“That makes me your dad.”

The next second…

SMACK!

The sound echoed even louder than before.

The entire living room fell into dead silence.

Father Wei stared at him in shock, his face burning with pain.

“You… you dare hit me?”

The entire Wei family stared at Jian Yuanbai in disbelief.

Even Wei Zhenge, the one who had just been slapped, looked more stunned than anyone else.

His expression was one of pure confusion mixed with a strange sense of… “I can’t believe this lunatic actually did that.”

Before Father Wei could speak again, Jian Yuanbai bent down, scooped up Wei Zhenge in his arms, and bolted.

Having done this once before, his movements were smooth and precise this time.

The moment they stepped out of the villa, the iron gates began to close, and men in black suits—Wei family’s bodyguards—rushed out in pursuit.

Jian Yuanbai clicked his tongue in annoyance and adjusted his grip, slinging Wei Zhenge over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

With a running start, he stepped on the tree trunk next to the gate, grabbed a branch, and effortlessly launched himself over the five-meter-high wall.

Landing smoothly on the other side, he tossed Wei Zhenge onto the back of the motorcycle.

Wei Zhenge sat there in a daze, feeling the dull ache in his stomach from being slung over like luggage.

…Did this man just jump a five-meter-high wall while carrying him?

…Was this even human strength?

As the motorcycle roared to life and sped off, the wind whipped past his ears.

It wasn’t until that moment that Wei Zhenge fully processed what had just happened.

Jian Yuanbai had actually slapped his father.

…Wasn’t this guy sent by the Wei family to humiliate him?

Why did he slap his own employer?

Was this some new trick from his stepmother, Jiang Xuelan, to make things worse for him?

After all, Jiang Xuelan had always treated the Wei family’s assets as belonging to her son, Wei En, and wanted to completely erase Wei Zhenge from the line of inheritance.

…

Also…

Although Jian Yuanbai did stand up for him…

He really didn’t want to randomly gain a “guardian-grandpa.”

And…

Was this the legendary “hit-and-run” strategy that only true thugs mastered?

Fast, ruthless, and absolutely shameless.