LABMY CH7

Jian Yuanbai, feeling aggrieved, shut his mouth and reached out with the back of his hand to touch Wei Zhenge’s forehead. It was still burning hot, but at least he had regained consciousness, and the fever was gradually subsiding.

“How are you feeling now?” Jian Yuanbai asked again, “Are you thirsty? Do you want some water?”

Without waiting for Wei Zhenge’s response, he directly filled a paper cup with warm water from the water dispenser in the ward. Then, he adjusted the hospital bed to help Wei Zhenge sit up and handed him the water.

“Your lips look dry. Have a sip,” Jian Yuanbai said.

Wei Zhenge held the paper cup in one hand, took a small sip, and let the warm water slide down his throat into his stomach, bringing a slight comfort to his still shivering body.

He lowered his gaze and, with a slightly hoarse voice, softly said, “Thank you.”

Perhaps it was the vulnerability that comes with illness, or the dream he just had of his mother from childhood. Wei Zhenge’s eyes welled up with tears. His biological father had always been indifferent to him, yet this temporary guardian had helped him again and again.

Jian Yuanbai noticed his reddening eyes and asked anxiously, “You’re… going to cry again?”

Seeing Wei Zhenge’s increasingly reddened eyes, Jian Yuanbai panicked, “Don’t cry, okay? Be good.”

Jian Yuanbai’s tone was like that of a loving father, which instantly wiped away the sourness in Wei Zhenge’s heart. “I’m not crying,” he denied.

Watching a crystal-clear tear slowly slide down Wei Zhenge’s beautiful face, Jian Yuanbai wanted to argue. But an inexplicable intuition made him hold back.

Under Jian Yuanbai’s gaze, Wei Zhenge felt extremely uncomfortable. He finally decided to speak his mind: “Don’t look at me like that.”

Jian Yuanbai blinked, confusion filling his deep eyes, “What look?”

Feeling irritated by his gaze, Wei Zhenge gritted his teeth and said, “The look of a father watching his son.”

Jian Yuanbai felt wronged but couldn’t argue with a sick person. He could only vent his frustration to the system, “Tiantian, how can he be like this?”

“I genuinely treat him as a son, but Wei Zhenge won’t let me look at him with fatherly affection. Isn’t that too much?”

The system sneered, “If you can’t say this to Wei Zhenge, don’t say it to me either.”

Why should it suffer? Does the system not have rights?

Hit with two emotional blows within a minute, Jian Yuanbai’s eyes were filled with grievance, so much so that even without speaking, Wei Zhenge could sense his unspoken emotions.

“I must have been out of my mind to think Jian Yuanbai was cold and unapproachable,” Wei Zhenge thought with a blank expression.

Knowing he needed to make things clear, Wei Zhenge said, “Look, my biological father is the way he is. If you keep acting like this, I’ll only be reminded of him every time I see you. Do you want me to associate you with Wei Chengye?”

“Besides, you’re just my guardian for this year. You’re young, at most like an older brother. I respect you and will repay your kindness in the future, but I really have no interest in gaining another father.”

Jian Yuanbai furrowed his brows and remained silent. Wei Zhenge thought he was reflecting, so he didn’t press further.

However, Jian Yuanbai’s silence lasted too long, to the point that Wei Zhenge couldn’t help but ask, “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m wondering… How could you possibly associate my handsome face with Wei Chengye’s old one?” Jian Yuanbai replied with extreme seriousness and confusion.

Even someone as composed as Wei Zhenge couldn’t hold back the urge to curse at that moment.

Very much.

It was hard to endure.

Jian Yuanbai’s thought process was always impossible for him to grasp and incredibly infuriating.

Noticing the murderous look in Wei Zhenge’s eyes, Jian Yuanbai finally said, “Alright, I won’t try to be your dad anymore. A forcibly picked melon is not sweet, and a forcibly recognized son won’t be affectionate.”

After a moment’s hesitation, he asked, “Can I call you ‘Little Pillow’ then?”

In comparison to gaining an unnecessary father, this request seemed trivial, so Wei Zhenge agreed, “Fine, but just call me ‘Pillow’.”

Jian Yuanbai automatically ignored the latter half of his words and smiled warmly, calling out, “Little Pillow.”

Wei Zhenge’s heart skipped a beat.

The next second, Jian Yuanbai said, “I’ve brought Fu Pengyi and the others to the hospital.”

Wei Zhenge was puzzled as to why he would bring them here, but having somewhat understood Jian Yuanbai’s personality, the system asked, “Why are you calling him ‘Little Pillow’?”

Jian Yuanbai replied, “It’s the nickname I gave him. Sounds cute, right?”

The system responded with a cold laugh, “Heh, I knew it.”

“What do you mean by ‘heh’? Doesn’t it sound nice?” Jian Yuanbai complained, “I put a lot of thought into it.”

The system ignored him.

Meanwhile, Wei Zhenge asked, “Why did you bring them here?”

Jian Yuanbai guiltily rubbed his nose and tried to persuade him, “They treated you that way, and you’re definitely upset. I brought them here so you could vent your anger. Say whatever you want to them.”

This was a line assigned by the system, something Wei Zhenge would have said in that situation.

Although Jian Yuanbai found it a bit childish, he decided to respect this little habit of Wei Zhenge’s.

However, Wei Zhenge calmly averted his gaze, “I have nothing to say. Just let them go.”

“You… have nothing to say?” Jian Yuanbai was stunned.

“Mm,” Wei Zhenge replied simply.

With just that one word, Jian Yuanbai felt deeply hurt.

“How could you have nothing to say? You should be pointing at their noses and saying: ‘You bullied and humiliated me today, relying on the Fu family’s power and strength in numbers. One day, I will single-handedly crush the Fu family’s gate!'”

Wei Zhenge slowly turned to look at him, forcing a smile while patting his shoulder, “You…”

“Read fewer cringy novels.”

Jian Yuanbai and Wei Zhenge stared at each other.

Seeing the complicated expression on Wei Zhenge’s face, Jian Yuanbai felt as though his pure reputation had been tainted.

In his heart, he shouted at the system with righteous indignation, “He’s the real edgy one here! How can this ‘Long AoTian’ act like this?!”

The system remained silent.

Jian Yuanbai, unwilling to give up, turned to Wei Zhenge and said, “But… that’s how you usually talk, right?”

Wei Zhenge shook his head in denial while patting Jian Yuanbai on the shoulder. “Jian-ge, having a ch syndrome in your twenties isn’t shameful. You don’t have to pin it on me.”

Jian Yuanbai looked as though he had suffered a massive blow, his soul practically leaving his body as he murmured, “This… shouldn’t be happening.”

Wei Zhenge’s emotions were so complicated that he couldn’t find the right words to describe them. Exposing Jian Yuanbai’s chunnibyou syndrome shouldn’t have hit him this hard, right?

After contemplating for a while, Jian Yuanbai suddenly lit up at the mention of the word “shameful.” He understood now—Wei Zhenge, being young, was simply too embarrassed to admit his little hobby.

“Little Pillow, you’re right. I admit it. I have chunnibyou syndrome.”

As the day was about to end, he had no choice but to pinch his nose and accept the blame. Saying these words almost brought tears to his eyes. He had never been wronged this much in his life.

“I’ll call Fu Pengyi and the others in later. Just say that line to them, okay?”

Jian Yuanbai sniffled, his voice filled with sorrow and suppressed grievance. “Just consider it… fulfilling my wish, alright?”

That simple “alright,” spoken in a low and soft tone, was so pitiful that Wei Zhenge couldn’t help but hear the deep plea within it.

But even so, Wei Zhenge, with a heart of stone, mercilessly rejected him:

“Actually…

Jian-ge, you can have other wishes.”

The situation was simply too humiliating. Wei Zhenge thought to himself expressionlessly. He still wanted to walk tall and proud in front of those scumbags, Fu Pengyi and his gang.

Suddenly, the system chimed in: “Although I don’t think words spoken out of context will have any impact, at a moment like this, you can use this as a way for Wei Zhenge to repay you for saving him. Given his personality, he won’t refuse.”

Jian Yuanbai hesitated. “Wouldn’t that be emotional blackmail?”

The system replied meaningfully, “You’re not harming him. Maybe he actually wants to say it but is too embarrassed. You’re simply giving him an excuse.”

It had to capture this scene. It was too amusing. In Jian Yuanbai’s mind, Wei Zhenge was already burdened with the “Chunnibyou Syndrome” label.

Jian Yuanbai, unaware of the system’s twisted logic, suddenly saw the light. “You make a good point. As expected of you.”

“You said you’d repay me in the future, right? No need to wait. Just saying that line to Fu Pengyi and the others now would be enough.”

Jian Yuanbai spoke with an air of authority, leaving no room for refusal.

Since he wanted to protect Wei Zhenge’s pride and avoid making him admit his strange little hobby, he had to act tough and make it look like Wei Zhenge was being forced.

As expected of himself—truly brilliant.

Wei Zhenge stared blankly at the IV needle in his hand, wondering about the probability of fainting after pulling it out.

Despairingly, he realized the probability was zero.

Why did he have to wake up? He should have just stayed unconscious.

With Jian Yuanbai’s persistence, Wei Zhenge had no way to refuse.

In the hospital corridor, Fu Pengyi and his gang, who had been waiting impatiently, were finally called in.

Fu Pengyi, with a dark expression, said coldly, “He’s awake now, right? Can we leave?”

Jian Yuanbai blocked their way, “Hold on, Wei Zhenge has something to say.”

Fu Pengyi’s footsteps halted. “If you have something to say, spit it out.”

Under the gaze of four people and eight pairs of eyes, Wei Zhenge felt for the first time how difficult it was to speak.

His lips trembled slightly, and his voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum, “You… today… I… I will… your gate…”

Jian Yuanbai grew anxious. Was it still too embarrassing? Even though Wei Zhenge clearly enjoyed this kind of thing, was he too ashamed to say it out loud?

Recalling the system’s instructions—“Express it with full emotion and a powerful voice”—Jian Yuanbai leaned in and whispered, “Louder. Don’t be afraid. Say it with emotion.”

Wei Zhenge couldn’t bear to look at him.

With emotion? What is this, a drama class?

With a weak voice, Wei Zhenge said, “Jian-ge, my throat hurts from the fever.”

He even coughed twice for effect.

Jian Yuanbai stood up with a bitter face. He glanced at Fu Pengyi and the others, then at Wei Zhenge, “Wait for me here. All of you, stay in the room.”

Fu Pengyi sneered, “Why should I—”

“I’ll delete the video when I get back,” Jian Yuanbai cut him off. “If you dare touch Wei Zhenge, you’re done for.”

With that, he quickly dashed out of the ward.

Lying on the hospital bed, Wei Zhenge finally breathed a sigh of relief. His nerves, which had been stretched to the limit, finally relaxed.

He survived.

…

Twenty minutes later, Jian Yuanbai stormed back into the room, panting heavily. With an excited expression, he pulled a large megaphone from behind his back and placed it in front of Wei Zhenge’s mouth.

“Surprise! I ran through three streets to buy this. Now you can say whatever you want, loud and clear!”

Wei Zhenge stared at him, expressionless.

A surprise, he was indeed fcking surprised.