Chapter 2: The Male Lead with X-Ray Vision VS Five Female Leads (2)
Huo Xian fell from the sixth floor, miraculously escaping unscathed. He was discharged from the hospital the day he woke up.
Huo En sent him home. The once lively villa, filled with laughter and joy, was now empty and desolate. The gloomy sky made the house look like a haunted mansion. Remembering their past happiness and seeing their current ruin, Huo En couldn’t help but weep.
A hand gently brushed her cheek. A man’s hoarse voice sounded from above: “Don’t cry.”
This was the first thing Huo Xian said after “waking up.” Just two short words caused Huo En to burst into tears again. She threw herself into Huo Xian’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “Axian,” she cried, “what did our Huo family do wrong to suffer such hardship?”
She wasn’t genuinely seeking an answer, nor did she expect one from Huo Xian.
Huo Xian’s body stiffened. He wanted to push her away, but hesitated, allowing her to cry until she was exhausted and fell asleep in his arms. Only then did he carefully move his stiff limbs.
With some difficulty, he carried her into the villa. Huo Xian lacked the energy to go upstairs, so he placed her on the sofa.
The villa seemed to have been unoccupied for days. The kitchen was cold, the heating was off. Indeed, the Huo family’s maids, drivers, and housekeeper had all resigned a month ago.
The original Huo Xian hadn’t dared to return home, hiding in his old apartment building. Before his parents’ accident, Huo’s father had bought the entire block, hearing rumors that it would soon be demolished by the government. He invested significant time and money to acquire the residential buildings, shops, and parking lot. However, shortly after his parents’ death, the government issued a denial, stating there were no demolition plans, further worsening their already dire financial situation.
The original Huo Xian hid there because he believed the creditors wouldn’t find him there. But did they?
Huo Xian didn’t dwell on it too much, but he couldn’t help questioning the term “son of destiny.” Would a true son of destiny experience such a miserable life?
As if sensing his doubts, the system said: [Destruction precedes creation. Besides the son of destiny, no one can obtain abilities.]
Huo Xian twitched the corner of his lips and communicated with the system: [System, next time you speak, could you give a warning? Or better yet, don’t speak at all.]
The system seemed to be choked, responding coldly after a two-second pause: [Host, the system doesn’t depend on you. Please pay attention to your attitude towards the system. Mind your own business.]
The only edible thing in the villa was rice; there were no vegetables. Therefore, Huo Xian went out to buy groceries. Unsurprisingly, he attracted several gazes, not because of his outstanding appearance, but because of his attire—he wore sunglasses that covered half his face and a black mask covering the other half. It wasn’t exactly out of place, but it certainly didn’t make him look like a good guy.
Huo Xian didn’t want to attract attention, but he still couldn’t control his ability. Sometimes, with a little concentration, his ability would activate. After unintentionally “seeing” Huo En, he was more careful, trying not to look below people’s necks to avoid seeing anything embarrassing. The sunglasses provided better isolation.
[Ding, one of the female leads, Fang Manyun, is ahead. Please actively pursue her and gain her favor.]
[…Are you a dating sim system?] Huo Xian’s focus was a bit off.
The system repeated: [Please actively pursue Fang Manyun and gain her favor.]
Huo Xian looked ahead and saw a couple walking hand-in-hand, flirting. The man was handsome, the woman had a beautiful figure and a captivating demeanor. The man had his arm around her waist, ignoring the traffic in the parking lot, whispering sweet nothings or kissing her cheek, without a care in the world.
The man looked familiar, but he couldn’t remember his name. The woman was Fang Manyun, the original Huo Xian’s girlfriend. She was a model, beautiful and with a perfect figure. The original Huo Xian had pursued her for three months before they started dating. Unfortunately, just as they started dating, the Huo family’s troubles began, leaving Huo Xian with no time for Fang Manyun.
Huo Xian passed Fang Manyun. He was covered up, and she didn’t look at him. They went their separate ways until he got in his car, when the system, once again, couldn’t help but speak: [Host, Fang Manyun is one of your targets!]
[Mm.] Huo Xian responded.
[What did you do?] The system’s mechanical voice sounded like an accusation.
[I don’t think now is a good time to talk to her. Speaking rashly will only decrease her favorability towards me.] Huo Xian started the car, then added casually: [Also, system, I don’t care if you depend on me or not. If you want to kill me, feel free. If you don’t, then don’t repeatedly threaten me or tell me what to do. It’s bothersome.]
System: [……]
A long time passed before the system mechanically spat out a few words: [Host, mind your own business.]
Huo Xian heard a distinct gritting of teeth in the system’s words.
He narrowed his eyes, thinking: It seems the system can’t easily kill him. Is it a lack of permission? Or a lack of ability?
Huo Xian wasn’t thrilled to be picked up by the system and have a time-travel adventure. On the contrary, he was wary of the system. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. He never believed in free gifts from heaven, especially after becoming the original Huo Xian, receiving the system’s missions, and receiving no answers to his questions about the world’s bugs and the original Huo Xian. His suspicions grew stronger.
However, he also knew that uncovering the system’s secrets wouldn’t happen overnight.
…
Huo En hadn’t had a good rest in a long time. She slept until nightfall, and when she saw the time on her phone—22:15—her expression changed drastically. She grabbed her coat without bothering to pick up the blanket that fell off her and prepared to leave.
“Second Sister.” Huo En had just come downstairs and softly called out.
Huo En stopped abruptly, turning her head to see her younger brother standing at the foot of the stairs in his pajamas. The warm light cast a gentle glow on him.
Huo En remembered her brother’s suicide attempt the previous day, her expression turning serious. She didn’t rush to leave, worried that he would attempt suicide again after she left.
Before she could speak, Huo Xian spoke first: “Second Sister, are you hungry? There’s food in the kitchen, I’ll get it for you.”
Huo Xian’s voice was hoarse but gentle. Huo En felt as if she were under a spell. When she came to her senses, she was already sitting at the dining table. There was hot porridge and a few simple dishes. She didn’t connect the food with Huo Xian cooking, but even so, eating this warm meal on a cold winter night made her eyes water.
She belatedly realized that her swollen eyes no longer hurt. When she touched her eyes, she didn’t feel any swelling.
Huo Xian noticed her surprise and explained, “Your eyes were very swollen, so I put a compress on them.”
“…Thank you, Axian.” Huo En choked out.
Huo Xian smiled. “Family, no need to thank each other.”
This dinner, or perhaps late-night snack, was the quietest and warmest meal Huo En had had in six months. After this brief warmth, her thoughts gradually cleared, and she calmed down. She looked across the table at Huo Xian, meeting his calm gaze.
It was Huo Xian’s face, but the Axian in front of her felt very strange. Her younger brother had always been spoiled since childhood, with a flamboyant and unrestrained personality, never hiding his emotions. But the person sitting opposite her felt like a calm pool of water, emotionally reserved and without fluctuations, yet possessing an undeniable presence.
Was it her imagination?
“Second Sister, let’s apply for bankruptcy for the company,” Huo Xian said calmly.
“What?” Huo En didn’t immediately understand.
“The company’s market value, shares, securities, real estate, and cars, I calculated that everything combined will not only repay our debts and bank loans, but also have some left…”
“Are you crazy?” Before Huo Xian finished, Huo En slammed her hands on the table. Her eyes instantly reddened. She glared at Huo Xian like a wild animal, saying word by word, “Ting En Real Estate is Dad’s life’s work. How can you, how can you…” She was unable to continue after that sentence.
Huo Xian remained calm, staring at her. After she calmed down, he spoke again: “The company’s cash flow is broken. Unless we can find an investor willing to invest at least 1.5 billion within half a month, the bank loans and outstanding payments will force us to take the final step.”
“We are only temporarily facing a cash flow crisis. I’ve already spoken with your brother-in-law, and he is willing to help me contact the Qiao family. As long as the Qiao family is willing to help, we will definitely overcome this crisis!”
Huo Xian stared at her for a few seconds, then lowered his eyelids, his hands on the table, his right index finger gently rubbing a yellow diamond ring on his left middle finger. He said in a voice devoid of emotion: “Second Sister, don’t you understand?”
Huo En was stunned: “Understand what?”
Huo Xian looked up and met her gaze: “From beginning to end, it’s all a setup, a carefully planned conspiracy against the Huo family. The commercial spies among the company’s senior management, my brother’s arrest, and you being framed and your reputation ruined… Do you think all this is just a coincidence?”
Huo En’s face turned pale, her body trembled, and she couldn’t stand steady, falling back into her chair.
There are no such coincidences in the world. Huo En knew this, but the company’s predicament left her no time to think. Her father was in the hospital, her brother was under investigation. If the charges against her brother are upheld, he will face legal consequences. The company’s shareholders were demanding answers from her every day, but what answers could she give? She was only still standing because of sheer willpower.
“Your brother-in-law promised he would help…”
“Why would he promise you? Because of your shallow feelings? Or because he pitied your injuries?” Huo Xian interrupted her, his words sharp as knives, piercing her heart.
Huo En’s brother-in-law, Liu Chengpei, was a notorious playboy. After meeting Huo En, he “reformed” and became a “changed man,” but old habits die hard. Shortly after their marriage, Liu Chengpei started acting up. Ironically, the original Huo Xian and his playboy brother-in-law were in cahoots, and the brother-in-law used his skills to cover it up from his sister. But eventually the truth came out, and Huo En discovered her husband’s infidelity and his abusive nature.
In short, Liu Chengpei wasn’t a good person, and neither was the original Huo Xian.
This further fueled Huo Xian’s suspicion of the system. The original Huo Xian was useless and incompetent. With his personality, obtaining the X-ray vision ability was just like a cliché rags-to-riches story, and the five female leads and the world setting added to the old-fashioned, cliché feel.
The only thing that made the original Huo Xian slightly better than a typical poor protagonist was his wealthy birth. Were there any other differences?
Was such a person truly a son of destiny? A fake one perhaps?
“You’re not Huo Xian, who are you?” After a long silence, Huo En stared sharply at Huo Xian. Her fingernails dug deep into her palms, but she seemed not to feel the pain.
Huo Xian met her gaze without flinching. He said, “I am Huo Xian.”
“You’re not!” Huo En’s tone was certain.
Huo Xian curled his lips, about to speak again when the system “dinged” and appeared, its mechanical voice slightly urgent: [Warning! Warning! The host must not reveal their identity, nor reveal the system’s existence. If revealed, the system will immediately kill the host’s soul. The death of the son of destiny will cause the world to collapse. Please be careful!]
Huo Xian didn’t pay much attention to the first part of the warning, but when he heard the last part, a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes. He didn’t respond to the system’s warning but looked back at Huo En and said word by word: “I am Huo Xian, the Huo Xian who came back from the gates of hell. You probably don’t know, people who walk through the gates of hell, here,” he pointed to his head, a cold smile playing on his lips, “become extraordinarily… sharp.”
Huo En’s breath hitched, startled by his eerie smile. She opened her mouth several times, unable to make a sound, finally showing a trace of fear in her eyes.
Huo Xian: Did I overact?
Author’s Note: There will still be red envelopes in this chapter!
PS: The setting of the first story will have many inconsistencies and awkward parts, which are necessary for the plot.