Chapter 19: I Can Take a Beating
Returning to the bed, Cheng Ge pulled Wen Ling into his arms and patted his back. Wen Ling really stopped crying and fell asleep shortly after.
Cheng Ge suddenly felt a bit confused about his current thoughts. He reflected: Did I teach the person wrong?
Before, to increase the conquest value and achieve his goal quickly, whenever Wen Ling wanted it, he would satisfy him, with almost no restraint. But this seemed to have caused the little lunatic to have a misconception about such things.
Kissing and hugging were intimacies meant for lovers. He seemed to have made Wen Ling mistakenly believe that these actions were just ways to treat him well, and that he could do them whenever he liked that feeling.
But in reality, to put it harshly, Cheng Ge’s actions were merely exploiting Wen Ling’s ignorance and innocence.
Yes, Wen Ling was an ignorant and innocent person.
Stripping away those erroneous cognitions, he had the mentality of a child. Wen Ling probably lacked too many experiences and had too many abnormal experiences, so he didn’t have time to truly grow up.
If asked whether Cheng Ge still hated Wen Ling, the answer was still yes. He was indeed a person who held grudges. But after seeing Wen Ling’s childhood and spending a month with him, this hatred had not only faded but also became impure.
001 suddenly popped up: [Host has fallen in love with Wen Ling?]
Cheng Ge was startled, not because 001 appeared suddenly, but because of that dumbass content: [Crazy! You’re the one who likes him!]
[I’m a pure straight man!]
001: [Then why is it impure?]
[Just feel that taking revenge like this is meaningless! It seems unnecessary. You’re the one who likes him.]
[Then just don’t take revenge. It’s just a book world anyway.]
Cheng Ge was choked by 001’s words.
001 continued: [Just hurry up and raise the conquest value, then return to the original world. Isn’t that enough?]
[Why think so much?]
[Besides, the Host knows how abnormal Wen Ling used to be. Isn’t he quite good now?]
This time Cheng Ge didn’t curse the machine. Thinking seriously, what 001 said indeed made sense.
Although Cheng Ge hadn’t treated this as a book world since he transmigrated here, this was inherently a novel world. Conquer and leave, part on good terms. Why was he being so indecisive and overthinking!?
Moreover, he wasn’t a good person to begin with. Thinking about making the person a bit more normal was already benevolent enough. Where did the obligation come from to help Wen Ling think about other things? Since when was he, Cheng Ge, such a kind-hearted person!?
Cheng Ge carefully adjusted his sleeping position. [I know. You can leave now.]
001: […]
[Wait!] Cheng Ge suddenly felt something strange. [Why are you so anxious for me to complete the mission?]
001 told the truth: [Host’s mission progress affects the system’s performance metrics.]
Cheng Ge understood: [Oh.]
[Then goodnight.]
Getting up the next morning, Cheng Ge measured Wen Ling’s temperature. The fever had completely subsided.
Apart from the corners of his eyes being a bit red, Wen Ling’s spirits were okay.
Cheng Ge cooked a pot of preserved egg and lean meat porridge for breakfast. Wen Ling’s appetite was also decent; he finished a full bowl in a short while.
“Want more?”
Wen Ling curved his eyes: “A little bit.”
Then Cheng Ge scooped another small half-bowl of porridge for Wen Ling and watched him drink.
Wen Ling was quiet when drinking porridge, inexplicably giving off a sense of seriousness.
Cheng Ge looked at his pale, sickly face and still felt it wasn’t right. Weak and frail, his constitution was too poor, not healthy at all.
Although he decided yesterday to part on good terms, if Wen Ling was still this sickly chicken when he left, wouldn’t it look like he abused him?
“Wen Ling.” Cheng Ge called Wen Ling.
Wen Ling was holding the bowl drinking the last mouthful of porridge, his beautiful eyes revealed: “Hm?”
He actually appeared very obedient.
But Cheng Ge wouldn’t be deceived by the little lunatic’s appearance!
“Cough…” Cheng Ge averted his gaze: “You need to exercise more.”
“Why?”
“Haven’t you noticed your body is very weak?”
Wen Ling shook his head, “I can take a beating.”
Cheng Ge was choked by his words. The little lunatic’s standard for judging physical health was whether he could take a beating.
Being able to take a beating meant good health.
Because he grew up being beaten.
But was that being durable? That was purely being beaten until he was immune to pain.
“No,” Cheng Ge pondered how to explain clearly to him, “When I say weak body, I mean you always have fevers, colds, stomach aches. Normal people aren’t like this. And your face,” he patted his own face, “your face is especially white. I wouldn’t be as white as you even if I’d been dead for three days.”
Wen Ling put down the bowl. Cheng Ge noticed his lips; because he had just drunk porridge, they weren’t as dry as usual and had turned slightly pinker, but they still looked very sickly.
“And your lips, they are also very pale.”
Wen Ling stared at Cheng Ge for a while, then lowered his eyes: “…Understood.”
[Conquest Value 64%]
Cheng Ge blinked: “???”
Cheng Ge was baffled: [What did I do!? Why did the conquest value drop?]
001: [A Mind Reading (30 Seconds) item was stocked today.]
[Requires 0.5 points to redeem.]
Cheng Ge: “…”
[Redeem.]
Cheng Ge redeemed the item and looked at Wen Ling. What echoed in his ears was his own voice.
“Normal people aren’t like this.”
“I wouldn’t be as white as you even if I’d been dead for three days.”
It sounded colder and fiercer than his original voice.
[Did I hurt his feelings?] Cheng Ge realized belatedly. He didn’t feel it when he said it just now, but listening to it in isolation, it seemed indeed easy to be ambiguous.
Especially given that Wen Ling was already abnormal.
001 also wanted to roll its eyes: [Perhaps.]
What to do then!?
Cheng Ge was confused. He couldn’t possibly apologize to the little lunatic, could he? What did Wen Ling misunderstanding his words have to do with him!?
“I’m full.” Wen Ling stood up, taking his bowl and Cheng Ge’s bowl to the kitchen to wash.
“Oh, okay.” Cheng Ge looked at Wen Ling’s back—thin, head slightly lowered, as if weighed down by the word “abnormal.” Kind of pitiful.
“Why is his body so weak? Why is he abnormal? Don’t you know? Huh!?” White-shirt Cheng Ge pulled Black-shirt Cheng Ge’s ear hard. “Go apologize quickly!”
“Apologize for what!” Black-shirt Cheng Ge knocked White-shirt Cheng Ge’s head: “Who can be blamed for his own misunderstanding!?”
“Isn’t his poor comprehension ability because no one taught him! Everyone looked down on him!” White-shirt Cheng Ge gave Black-shirt Cheng Ge a slap. “Even you are bullying him!”
“Not allowed to apologize!”
“Apologize!”
“No!”
“Do it!”
Aiya! Cheng Ge shook his head, shaking off the two fighting thoughts.
Apologize then! Who’s afraid of whom.
Cheng Ge walked briskly into the kitchen, almost bumping into Wen Ling who came out after washing the dishes.
Okay, actually he already bumped into him.
Cheng Ge almost knocked Wen Ling over, fortunately supporting him in time.
“Are you okay?” Cheng Ge didn’t even realize his brows were knitted, and his tone was full of urgency.
Wen Ling smiled at him: “It’s okay, didn’t hurt.”
Damn, making Cheng Ge feel even more guilty.
“That…” The apology was on the tip of his tongue, but Cheng Ge couldn’t say it.
“What’s wrong?” Wen Ling took the opportunity to hug Cheng Ge, burying his face in Cheng Ge’s chest.
[Conquest Value 65%]
Hm? Healed by himself?
“That…” Cheng Ge was somewhat flustered by Wen Ling acting like this, but felt he needed to explain at least: “I asked you to exercise more because I want your constitution to improve, so you won’t always feel so uncomfortable. I didn’t think anything of you.”
(T/N: I really don’t want to roast Little Cheng, but after so many times he still thinks he’s a straight man of steel (〃ˇε ˇ〃). Also, Little Cheng, if you stay straight any longer, you’re going to lose your wife!!!)
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