Chapter 126

Page Nineteen Chapter 0: Zero Assault

After sharing the soup buns my father brought back with Xiao Qianxia, I used a cane to personally escort her back to the Zhu family next door.

It was the first time I had entered the Zhu household.

Though it was the home of the young patriarch of a criminal organization, there were no tiger skin armchairs or axes hanging on the walls. The interior was decorated in a simple and elegant Chinese style. Although the furniture and decorations were exquisite, they didn’t seem to fit the image of a criminal organization.

Because of my fractured foot, putting on and taking off shoes was difficult, so I stood in the entrance hall without entering the house.

Brother Zhu Beihai was practicing putting golf balls in the living room—a single patch of grass with a hole, and he would play for hours with just a club. I couldn’t understand what he found enjoyable about it.

“Oh, today has been quite troublesome for you, young man. Qianxia hasn’t been this happy in a long time.”

He knew his daughter was at my place but seemed completely unconcerned… perhaps too trusting…

“No, I’m the one who’s been healed. Innocent girls are so adorable, like little angels.”

Xiao Qianxia clung to my clothes, and I patted the back of her head.

“Brother, will you play with me again next time?”

I looked up at Brother Zhu again and said, “Your daughter is really smart.”

This wasn’t flattery. A ten-year-old girl who played PS4 for the first time became proficient after just ten minutes and defeated Gouda in less than half an hour. If she isn’t truly smart, then she must be reincarnated.

Alright, I admit I gave Xiao Qianxia “Big Slim Snail 3” to play just to see her struggle! But it didn’t go as planned.

“Why don’t you let her go to school? She looks so… lonely.”

Even though it’s someone else’s family business, I couldn’t help but ask. It felt disrespectful to talk about this with the young boss of a criminal organization.

“Sigh, young man, I understand what you’re trying to say, but it’s not possible… I’ve caused her suffering. If her father wasn’t me, maybe she could have lived a more ordinary life.”

Rarely did he show any smile when talking about Xiao Qianxia, and he blamed himself.

“Don’t be so pessimistic, Brother Zhu. I’ll spend more time with her.”

Hearing this, Xiao Qianxia smiled and showed her tiny white teeth.

“Yes, I can tell she really likes you. Please take care of her in the future.”

What did Brother Zhu mean by that?

“I’ll head back now~”

I turned to leave, leaning on my cane. Father and daughter watched me depart from the entrance hall.

“Goodbye, Sister!”

My cane slipped, almost causing me to fall.

…………

The next day, September 6th, Saturday.

I woke up hungry at 10 AM. Optimistically, not only did I save breakfast, but I also managed to lose some weight.

Father was working overtime, leaving me alone at home. The fridge was empty, emptier than my wallet. Ordering takeout seemed too much trouble, so I settled for instant noodles.

Being alone was boring, so I called Xiaohaitang while slurping on the noodles. Since she lived closest to Zhao Zhao’s place, I wanted to ask if she had any free time to come over.

“Sorry, Chairman. I’m in the student council office right now. It’s just the start of the semester, so we need to hand over work between the old and new student councils. We also need to organize things moved from the junior high department. I’m very busy. Why don’t you go play with Zhao Zhao?”

“But I heard game music-like sounds?”

A noisy 8-bit melody, quite monotonous, sounded like old arcade games.

“Oh, that? That arcade machine is part of the student council’s property.”

I wish she was lying, but having an arcade machine in the student council office seemed too decadent. What kind of place is the student council of a girls’ school anyway?

“What about Juzi?”

“She went out to play with classmates. Don’t interfere with her making new friends.”

“Are you saying I might interfere with her?”

That cat-girl who constantly calls for Onii-chan is already a real middle schooler.

“Oh, the senior student from the previous student council is here. I’ll hang up now.”

Xiaohaitang hung up on me, so I called Zhao Zhao. When he answered, I heard him panting heavily.

“Huff… huff… Chairman?”

The sound of a grown man panting heavily was terrible…

“… Did I call at an inconvenient time? Are you doing electrical work?”

“Huff… What are you thinking? I’m playing basketball!”

To prove it, I heard two sounds of a basketball hitting the ground.

I mimicked a shrill voice, “Master Zhao, come play?”

“Now’s not possible. I’m helping someone with a match. Can’t leave. Come over in the afternoon?”

“Forget it, don’t come. Let me be alone.”

Zhao Zhao even abandoned me to play with others.

I glanced at the Zhu family’s house next door, but I didn’t dare go there.

A black luxury car was parked there today, possibly conducting some secretive transactions.

Although Xiao Qianxia was cute, Brother Zhu was still intimidating. Without a phone, there was no way to lure her out… The instant noodles were quickly finished. Though my stomach was full, my mouth felt unsatisfied.

Originally, I wanted to call Lin Hua, but recalling the previous meal, I decided against it.

She never fully trusted me and always tried to pry information out of me. Being around her made me feel like a suspect under police interrogation.

Back in my bedroom, I lay on the bed, took out a bookmark, and traced my name with it.

During this period, I enjoyed the convenience of bookmarks, and the process of splitting was familiar. The only discomfort was a slight sense of shame.

But there was no need to get used to it. If I got used to being naked, what difference would it make with an exhibitionist artist?

Wrapped in a blanket, it felt like wearing a tight skirt and cheongsam, making it hard to move. I sneaked into my father’s room and borrowed a white shirt. Despite my father’s laid-back personality, he had a tall and strong build, perfect for suits.

The white shirt was loose all over, but only three buttons could be fastened from bottom to top, creating a deep V-neck look. Below, I wore men’s briefs, mostly covered by the long shirt. Though my body had slightly shrunk, my butt became more prominent, eliminating concerns about the pants slipping down, although the waistband was uncomfortable.

“This feeling is… better not to wear anything at all…”

Once dressed, I picked up a rag and broom.

I had a bit of an obsession with cleanliness. My father, who usually wore tank tops and shorts at home, was a messy middle-aged man. During my recovery, he hadn’t taken care of the house properly.

Cleaning a two-story house took time, but human motivation comes from positive feedback. As the house gradually became cleaner, I felt a sense of accomplishment. This increased my energy and improved my mood, and I couldn’t help humming a tune.

“A weekend spent alone isn’t bad either~”

I couldn’t help but sigh like an old person.

However, my protagonist aura ensured I wouldn’t enjoy peace for long.

After wiping the furniture and sweeping the floor, I carried a wrung-out mop out of the first-floor bathroom. Suddenly, I saw a strange black shadow dart past the closed curtains in the living room.

“Who—?”

Due to tension, my voice sounded odd, unnaturally high and sharp.

It was a person.

I was sure I hadn’t mistaken it. It wasn’t a stray cat or dog. The midday sun hung high, and shadows were clearly visible on the curtains.

I gripped the mop handle tightly, as if wielding a guandao.

The mop handle was wooden and sturdy, heavy to use but somewhat intimidating as a weapon. I carefully approached the curtains behind the sofa, pulling the handle to create a small gap.

No one was there. Outside the window was the yard’s fence, covered with twining jasmine vines. Large leaves appeared especially green in the sunlight, dotted with small curled white flowers. They were beautiful during early summer but had mostly fallen off now.

Gathering courage, I opened the window and peered out, looking left and right. Still, no one was there, but there were footprints in the grass and some in the drainage ditch leading toward the front door.

Could there be a thief scouting the place?!

I quickly pulled my head back, locked the window, and rushed upstairs. Seeing no one, I ran to the entrance hall and peeked through the peephole, but still saw no one.

The peephole had blind spots. If the person hadn’t run away, they must have hidden beneath the door.

I yanked open the door and thrust the mop outside!

“Scoundrel! Eat my big mop!”

“Ouch!”