While the rest of the world was going on with their lives changing the world, Wen Qinxi was stuck in a game delivering lunch for his ungrateful boss who apparently had been ignoring him for three days straight. All part of Qie Ranzhe's plan to remain vigilant against Lin Jingxie with minimal contact so as to reduce the risk of attachment.
The first day Wen Qinxi had just brushed it off as him being moody but on day two the guy literally passed him without a word, giving him an ice cold shoulder. Its only after the third day that Wen Qinxi decided to exert vengeance and so Wen Qinxi added something extra to Qie Ranzhe's portion before disappearing with no trace.
Machu received Qie Ranzhe's food as per usual but that was only after Lin Jingxie ate some to test for poison. Yep, they were still making him taste the food he brought first before they dug in. Satisfied, Machu took the bowl of today's special which was wonton noodles courtesy of chef Wen Qinxi and delivered it to Qie Ranzhe who was lazily lying in the debilitated hut.
He had been hiding in here so he didn't have to suffer Lin Jingxie's fierce gaze which was almost similar to how he used to look at him before the waterfall incident. Qie Ranzhe couldn't help but wonder if the blackened Lin Jingxie was finally showing his true colors.
"Did he taste it?" asked a cautious Qie Ranzhe stirring the noodles with a pair of chopsticks.
"Yeah why? Do you think he did something to your food?" asked a panicked Machu gazing at the delicious food he wouldn't mind eating again.
Qie Ranzhe twirled the noodles on his chopsticks while saying, "His been giving me a suspicious look these past few days. Don't know what his pla- AH fuck!" he swore loudly spiting out the noodles he had just placed in his mouth.
"Ran-ge! Ran-ge!" yelled a concerned Manchu not sure exactly what do to. His best-friend had just been poisoned and he didn't know how to react.
"Its so fuckin spicy, give me water. That little shit added chilli!" yelled Qie Ranzhe while Machu handed over a cup of water but in reality it was actually making it worse, "Are you sure he tasted this?"
"Yes he did and a whole mouthful of it," said Machu recalling the scene. He couldn't help but wander if that was why Lin Jingxie was extra cheerful today?
"I ignore him for three days and he pulls off this kind of stunt?" said Qie Ranzhe with plump bright red lips, "Fine, he wanted my attention? Now his got it!"
***
An oblivious Wen Qinxi was swaggering along the path heading home while listening to some hit songs the system was playing in his head. "Achoo....who has the balls to gossip about me?" he said rubbing his itchy nose.
'Haha that should be Qie Ranzhe, he must have had a taste of your special noodles. That was fuckin epic hahaha!' said the system applauding Wen Qinxi's bad behavior.
'Of course, you would like it,' replied Wen Qinxi in his mind while exiting the forest.
'Well l do but can't help but worry about you. If Qie Ranzhe remembers all the crap you dished at him in the game aren't you worried that you would lose your job?" asked Jolie imagining the scene when Wen Qinxi receives his retrenchment letter. The thought of him wailing on the ground made the system grin from ear to ear. Don't blame the system, it was just too bored.
'Haha l will be an unemployed billionaire!' rejoiced Wen Qinxi when a familiar cute loli caught his attention. From the character files, Lin Jingxie was well acquainted with this little meimei. If the stupid cannon fodder hadn't met his tragic fate, this would have been his future wife.
'Did this jerk of a character lack anything? Nice rich family, gorgeous future wife and potential to become a future scholar working for the emperor but he just had to fuck with Qie Ranzhe. Tsk, tsk,' he said to the system in his head.
'Aren't you doing the same thing, you little cannon fodder?' asked the system before disappearing.
The loli came running towards him with such a beaming smile that he almost thought she was smiling at some else that wasn't him. "Jin-ge l have missed you, l am glad you are okay," she said in a timid serene voice that brought Wen Qinxi to his knees.
'Sigh.....if only she wasn't an NPC,' he thought smiling back at her. "Little meimei l am fine thank you for asking. What are you doing here?" asked Wen Qinxi as they walked side by side.
Lee Jienji, the little meimei, shyly tucked her stray strands behind her ear and replied, "l heard you have been hanging out with Qie Ranzhe and l was just worried about you. I know how you two never got along," with genuine concern in her eyes.
"We worked out our differences, no need to worry yourself," he replied ticking all the boxes for a perfect future wife. 'Pretty, caring and sweet. What more can a man want?' he excitedly thought before the system interrupted him.
'Cool your jets player, she's just an NPC,' said Jolie rolling its eyes if it had any.
'An NPC thats crazy about me,' he replied in his mind while listening to Lee Jienjie.
'She's most definitely more interested in Qie Ranzhe than you,' replied the system with a sneer.
'Don't you have somewhere else to be?' he asked as they approached the boisterous town square that seemed more busy that usual with a noisy crowd gathered in one spot as though watching a performance.
'Fine but you might need to deal with that,' said the system referring to the unruly crowd. Wen Qinxi took the hint and decided to take a look.
"Lee Jienjie wait for me here l will be right back," he said before pushing through the crowd only to find the boy Lin Jingxie had bullied at the waterfall, the one Qie Ranzhe saved. A bruised Xie Ruen was cowering at the centre while being tormented by a group of rich young masters that used to run the same circles as Lin Jingxie.
"I told you to stay away from her and clearly warned you that the next time l catch you, it would be the day you die!" yelled the beefcake Sun Huxian of the Sun family. The reason why he was harassing Xie Ruen was because his little sister hung around him all the time.
Poor Xie Ruen had tried to distance himself from the little miss but no matter how hard he tried, she would always find him thus the predicament he was currently in.
Wen Qinxi scanned around but Qie Ranzhe wasn't anywhere in sight, he had to do something otherwise this innocent boy would beaten till he was wheelchair bound.
Wen Qinxi grabbed Xie Ruen's arm dragging him behind while saying, "Dage, why not pick on someone your own size?"
The hostile beefcake suddenly grinned saying, "Lin Jingxie the famous young master who cheated death. How is this any of your business? Hand him over and go home, this has nothing to do with you," lunging forward to grab Xie Ruen who was contemplating on whether to run as he was more terrified of Lin Jingxie than Sun Huxian.
Wen Qinxi placed his hand on Sun Huxian's chest pushing him back. "Don't try me Huxian otherwise l won't hold back!" said Wen Qinxi while silently pleading within, 'Please don't try me l am just a fuckin nerd and the only person l ever fought was my little brother, a fight l lost miserably.'
"Aiyo....so its true! Young Master Lin came back from the dead and teamed up with the ruffians! l never thought l did see that day," bellowed Sun Huxian before grabbing hold of his collar with dark eyes, "you fucking disgust me!"
Sun Huxian didn't waste anytime throwing a punch at Wen Qinxi's face while our inexperience nerd shut his eyes tightly, welcoming pain in advance but pain never made its debut. Qie Ranzhe had shown up seizing Sun Huxian's arm just in the nick of time.