The Sick Villain Just Want to Live

The students in the teaching building were working hard in class, and the students in the playground were running hard.

The side of the pool – where the sink was – was relatively quiet. When a voice suddenly sounded out, Zhu Tong was slightly taken aback. His hands were still dripping water under the faucet, and he turned his head to look over.

He didn’t expect someone to approach him. 

Under the sun, beside moss and stones, the speaker seemed to be shining.

‘He came with a beauty filter or something?’ 

Zhu Tong frowned, and mumbled under his breath. “Xia Yang.”

It was Xia Yang who came.

Xia Yang heard Zhu Tong call out his name, making him freeze for a moment. Then, he smiled and said, “It seems that you still remember me.”

“…”

In actuality, Zhu Tong didn’t remember at first. But System 666 told him about the novel that encompassed this world, so he got reminded of Xia Yang. 

But they seem to have only met more than a week ago, why did it qualify for “a long time”?

He glanced at Xia Yang. As the heartthrob protagonist shou of the novel, Xia Yang’s appearance was quite stunning. He had soft black hair, almond-shaped eyes, a high nose bridge, fair skin like porcelain, and delicate features.

But Zhu Tong was not in the mood to appreciate his face.

He doesn’t want to have anything to do with the protagonist.

After washing his hands for a solid 2 minutes, he ignored Xia Yang and left. 

Xia Yang didn’t expect him to walk away so simply. He quickly reached out to stop him and said, “Zhu Tong.” 

“…” 

Looking at the hand reaching out to him, Zhu Tong showed impatience. He raised his eyes to look at him. “What’s the matter?”

Xia Yang met his eyes, and suddenly froze.

It’s that look again. This kind of condescending, disdainful eyes aimed at him. 

Xia Yang couldn’t help but pursed his lips, but he was still trying to appear friendly. “Last time at my family’s dinner party, I accidentally spilled wine on you. I always wanted to apologize to you properly.” 

Zhu Tong didn’t reply.

Xia Yang continued, “At first, they told me that the new transfer student was you, but I didn’t believe it to be you. Why did you come to Gongshui County? Didn’t Uncle Zhu say that you are not in good health? A place so far away from a major hospital like this–” 

“Does this have something to do with you?” Zhu Tong lightly interrupted him.

In Zhu Tong’s thoughts, they had only met once, during the banquet. They weren’t friends, so there’s no need for a reunion-like vibe. 

Xia Yang’s face froze suddenly, and his smile was a bit forced. “…I’m sorry.”

Zhu Tong said in a patient tone, “I have received your apology. And we have nothing to talk about, so I’m leaving first.” 

He wanted to join the rest of his class. Quickly.

It would be bad if Shao Ming saw him and Xia Yang together, creating a misunderstanding. It would be troublesome to explain.

His mind was full of “running away”, but he didn’t expect a sudden change.

Seeing that he was leaving, Xia Yang followed him subconsciously, “Wait… ah!”

Zhu Tong only heard the exclamation. When he turned to look over, Xia Yang had already slipped on the mossy stone, and fell flat on the wet ground in a daze.

With a “bang“, Zhu Tong was startled, “Are you oka–” 

“Zhu Tong! What are you doing!”

Zhu Tong was about to reach out his hand, when there was a shout not far away, and a person rushed over from the direction of the playground. Pulling Zhu Tong away, that person lowered his body to help Xia Yang.

“Yangyang, are you okay?”

The young man helped Xia Yang up, turned around and glared at Zhu Tong. “What did you do to him?”

‘Why is he putting the blame onto me? What did I do??’

Before he could defend himself, the young man looked at Xia Yang again.

Xia Yang seemed to have fallen hard, his face turned pale from the pain, and he had to be supported to stand still. 

The boy who supported him looked very distressed and angry. He asked Xia Yang, “Did he cause you to fall?”

Zhu Tong also looked at Xia Yang.

Xia Yang frowned and leaned on the boy, “Xiang Chuan, he didn’t do it on purpose, don’t…” 

“ …” 

Zhu Tong suddenly widened his eyes in pure shock.

“Not intentional?” Xiang Chuan said angrily, “You said it wasn’t intentional even after you fell like this?”

Zhu Tong’s eyes were slightly cold, and his face darkened. He didn’t expect Xia Yang to say that.

What did he mean by “he didn’t do it on purpose”? 

Was he implying that Zhu Tong caused Xia Yang to fall?

He coldly said, “I didn’t touch him.”

“You fucking…”

Before he finished speaking, Xia Yang had already let go and stepped forward.

Xiang Chuan grabbed Zhu Tong’s collar with one hand, and yanked him forward, pinning him against the wall behind.

The shock permeated across his back, reaching his chest. A warm build-up was felt inside his chest, climbing upwards to his throat. Zhu Tong’s face turned pale. 

Xiang Chuan yelled, “You didn’t touch him, did he fall on his own like this? Do you think that’s logical??”

Xiang Chuan moved too fast, and Xia Yang couldn’t react in time.

Just as he wanted to ask Xiang Chuan to let go, several people came running to the playground.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Xia Yang, what’s wrong with you? Why did you hurt your knee?”

“Where did the mud on his body come from?”

Shao Ming came back with popsicles, chocolate, and water. After rewarding the two students who ran the fastest, Shao Ming glanced at the team, “Where’s Zhu Tong?”

Luo Suo took a sip of water and pointed to the direction of the sink. “I saw him going there… Huh? Why are there so many people over there?”

“Fuck! Is that Zhu Tong? Why is he surrounded?”

Shao Ming looked over, frowned, and walked quickly.

A few passersby looked at the sudden commotion by the pool. They soon become curious, and join in the fun not long after.

Xia Yang didn’t expect Xiang Chuan to do it directly, making things worse.

He didn’t want to make matters worse.

However, under Xiang Chuan’s embellishment, things got out of hand.

Xiang Chuan had already let go of Zhu Tong.

Zhu Tong tried his best to lean against the wall, his chest was throbbing with dull pain, pain churned continuously. He couldn’t speak, he could only listen to what others said.

“Bullying Xia Yang? You push people like that?”

“Can high school second years bully their underclassmen so easily?”

“Is there anything you can’t say properly?”

Zhu Tong listened silently to the buzzing discussions around him, sneering inwardly.

History really ran in a circle. He vaguely remembered the same thing at the banquet last time. After Xia Yang spilled his wine and left the venue with a cold face, he heard the same voice as he went back:

“That child from Zhu’s family is too rude, who is he showing a cold face to?”

“Didn’t he just spill some wine accidentally? Hasn’t he already apologized?”

“Very hypocritical.”

Both times, he was obviously the victim. And yet, he became the target of public criticism.

Was it because he didn’t worship the ground that the protagonist had walked on? He didn’t always greet him with a smile? 

Why does everything have to revolve around the protagonist? What happened to this world?

‘Ah, it has been taken over by the protagonist.’

Zhu Tong couldn’t help but sneer.

He suddenly made a sound, and the surroundings fell silent for an instant.

Finally someone noticed his abnormality, and whispered, “God… why is his expression so gloomy?”

“I didn’t use much strength at all, what are you pretending? Say quickly…”

“Cough–!” 

Before he could start speaking, his body convulsed, making him cough a few times as something warm traveled from his chest, to his esophagus, and finally to his mouth. 

Zhu Tong finally spat out a mouthful of choked blood. It hit Xiang Chuan, and some droplets splashed onto his sneakers.

The color of blood was dark red. It was a dazzling touch of color against the white sneakers. 

Xiang Chuan was stunned. The surrounding discussions stopped. Xia Yang, who always wanted to speak but didn’t know what, was dumbfounded.

As soon as Shao Ming ran to the sink, he ran into the scene of the sick beauty coughing up blood.

Seeing Zhu Tong’s figure was so unstable, his heart tightened. He pushed aside the crowd with all his strength, and quickly stepped forward to take the sickly youth into his arms.

“Zhu Tong!”

Zhu Tong almost thought that he was going to hit the wet and dirty ground, but he fell into a warm hug instead. 

With his blurry vision and racked lungs, it took quite a while to register that a handsome boy was calling out to him. 

“Thank you,” Zhu Tong managed to say. 

Shao Ming: “…”

‘Why should you thank me at this time?’

Shao Ming looked at the splatter of glaring red. He frowned deeply as he supported Zhu Tong and said, “I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Zhu Tong held him back and said, “Wait… give me a moment.”

Shao Ming paused.

When Shao Ming lowered his head, he saw the sickly youth in his arms slowly take out a tissue from his pocket, and wiped his mouth clean. 

Shao Ming: “…”

Zhu Tong wiped off the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at Xia Yang.

Xia Yang met his gaze and flinched involuntarily — Zhu Tong’s gaze was very cold.

From the moment Zhu Tong vomited blood, Xia Yang’s heart turned cold, as he knew something went horribly wrong. Seeing Shao Ming appear and go straight to Zhu Tong, his face lost all color altogether.

What Xia Yang experienced was akin to the stomach-churning weightlessness feeling you felt as you fell down from a high place. 

But Zhu Tong had no sympathy to give. He looked at Xia Yang and said, “Tell me yourself, how did you fall?” 

There were more and more people around, even the 2nd and 3rd year students soon gathered after seeing Shao Ming coming over. 

As soon as someone saw a puddle of blood diluted by water on the ground, they connected it to the left-over blood trace on Zhu Tong’s lips. They shouted in shock, “Who? Who the hell beats Zhu Tong until he coughs up blood?” 

Xiang Chuan: “…”

Xia Yang: “…”

Xia Yang felt extremely regretful. He didn’t want to explain at this time.

It was too late now. If he could turn back time, he would do whatever it took to explain what actually happened the moment Xiang Chuan started going at Zhu Tong. 

But the more people came to care about him, the more people blamed Zhu Tong.

Xiang Chuan had already beaten Zhu Tong.

If he explained that he fell by himself, what if others turned the blame on him? What if others scold him and blame him?

That’s why, he dare not explain. 

He’s afraid.

But now he is still pushed to the forefront!

All eyes were on him. Scrutinizing every of his movements. 

Seeing that Xia Yang didn’t speak, Xiang Chuan protected him and said, “Yangyang, don’t be afraid! Tell me, did Zhu Tong push you?!”

He beat Zhu Tong because of Xia Yang, and now the sickly teen directly coughed up blood. As long as it could be proved that it was Zhu Tong who started this all, the final blame wouldn’t fall to him. 

Xiang Chuan desperately wants Xia Yang to tell the truth.

Xia Yang hesitated and said, “I…I…”

“If you can’t tell everyone the truth, then let’s turn to a faster avenue. We can check the monitoring,” Shao Ming coldly interrupted. 

Xia Yang was taken aback. His face changed again, he lowered his eyes and gritted his teeth, “It’s all my fault. I originally wanted to apologize to Zhu Tong. Last time at my family’s banquet…” 

“No one asked about what happened at your banquet,” Zhu Tong immediately turned the conversation back on track, “Let me ask you again, did I touch you when you fell?”

Xia Yang: “…”

“Xia Yang, tell me.”

“What’s going on?”

The questioning voices around them became louder and louder. Xia Yang bit his lower lip tightly, and was humiliated into saying, “No, I was not careful…” 

“Yangyang, make it clear, you don’t have to be afraid of him. Did he trouble you until you fell?” Xiang Chuan grabbed Xia Yang’s shoulder fiercely.

Xia Yang looked at him aggrievedly and said, “Xiang Chuan, I was really careless. I know you misunderstood me because you saw me hurt, but you really shouldn’t have done anything to Zhu Tong.”

Xiang Chuan looked like as if the sky had fallen onto him.

There was a sudden sneer coming from Zhu Tong, who was still leaning weakly in Shao Ming’s arms. He said with an undisguised disgust: 

“Xia Yang, are you Biluochun1 from Dongting Mountain?” 

The author have something to say:     

The character design of the heartthrob is definitely controversial, and I will explain it later~