Damn It, I Completely Forgot Today Was the Five-Day Mark!
The following afternoon, the sky hung low and dark, and the air was so stifling it set one’s nerves on edge, a clear sign that rain was coming.
There were no customers in the shop. Su Jingyang stood at the doorway out of sheer boredom and craned his head to glance outside. Passersby hurried along with anxious expressions, while the street vendors had already begun packing up to take shelter from the rain. He watched for a while, yawned, and was about to head back behind the counter to sit and rest. He hadn’t slept well the night before and felt drowsy all day.
Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted an elderly woman carrying a basket of vegetables stumble and fall not far away. She cried out in pain and couldn’t get back up for quite some time.
Su Jingyang jumped in alarm and hurried over. He helped her to her feet and picked up the scattered vegetables for her. Thankfully, she hadn’t been seriously hurt. The woman thanked him repeatedly, gratitude written all over her face.
It had been an instinctive reaction on Su Jingyang’s part, nothing he thought much about. Yet after walking a few steps, he abruptly noticed faint, flickering rings of seven-colored light drifting around him. They slowly floated closer, then faded into tiny points before melting into his body and disappearing entirely.
His mouth fell slightly open in surprise. Only then did he recall what System #1 had said about collecting energy. Could this be the so-called positive energy gained from doing good deeds?
Hmm… the visual effects alone were worth at least one yuan.
He had been worrying about filling his stomach before, and these past few days he had been so busy working in the shop that he hadn’t had the chance to think about deliberately doing good deeds. This was a timely reminder. It seemed he needed to be more proactive from now on.
Even if the hope was slim, it was still better than doing nothing at all. One day, he would leave this place.
“Hmph, overestimating yourself,” the system chimed in with its usual perfectly timed mockery. “It told you about that, didn’t it? Allow me to be blunt, even if you collected energy for a lifetime, you still wouldn’t succeed.”
Su Jingyang’s mouth twitched. He didn’t bother responding. He knew that the more attention he gave it, the more smug it would become.
He had been delayed outside for a bit. When he turned back toward the shop, he hadn’t even stepped inside yet before he noticed someone extra in the room.
It wasn’t a customer, but a small child in a light gray tunic, about three or four years old. The child’s thin little body was turned away from him, standing on tiptoe and stretching his arms as carefully as he could to reach the pastries on the table.
Unfortunately, his arms weren’t long enough. He failed to grab the pastries and instead knocked into a teacup. Su Jingyang rushed forward and caught it just in time, steadying it with one hand. That had been close. If it shattered, he would have to pay for it.
Once the teacup was safe, Su Jingyang turned back to look at the child. The boy stood there blankly staring at him, drool trickling down from the corner of his mouth. His skin was fair and his features delicate and lovely, yet his expression was dull and vacant. One look was enough to tell that this wasn’t a typical child.
Su Jingyang froze. Recalling the rumors he had heard, a certain guess surfaced in his mind almost against his will.
Could it really be… such a coincidence…?
He glanced outside the door, but there was no sign of any adult.
A strange feeling stirred in his chest. He crouched down halfway and noticed a bib tied around the child’s neck. He loosened it and gently wiped the drool from the child’s mouth. The more he wiped, the more drool spilled out. The child’s big eyes slipped past him, staring longingly at the table.
“Do you want to eat?” Su Jingyang smiled. The child grinned back at him with a silly smile, revealing little white teeth. He only made vague ah-woo-ah sounds, clearly not yet able to speak properly.
Su Jingyang felt a sting in his heart. He reached for a soft pastry and placed it into the child’s hand, but the child didn’t eat it right away. He clutched it happily, giggled, then turned and ran outside.
Afraid the child might get lost, Su Jingyang quickly grabbed him.
A beautiful yet mentally impaired child was rare in this town. Su Jingyang was already nearly certain of the child’s identity. What puzzled him was why Ling Li wasn’t with him.
Not long after, a torrential rain began to pour down, thunder cracking overhead. The child was badly frightened and clung to Su Jingyang’s leg, refusing to let go. Su Jingyang picked him up and sat at the table, holding him close as the child whimpered and trembled, burrowing desperately into his arms.
“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.” Su Jingyang comforted him.
The child’s clothes were old beyond repair, yet his body was clean and neat. It was obvious that Ling Li took great care of him and loved him deeply.
After calming the child, Su Jingyang couldn’t help glancing toward the heavy curtain of rain outside. A child wandering alone meant either he had gotten lost, or Ling Li had run into trouble and couldn’t watch him.
While hesitating over whether to ask around for Ling Li’s address, Su Jingyang suddenly spotted a frantic, staggering figure on the rain-lashed street. The person was slender and unprotected by any umbrella, drenched from head to toe and in a miserable state. He was calling out in panic, his voice mostly swallowed by the rain, yet the despair radiating from him was unmistakable.
Without thinking, Su Jingyang stood up with the child in his arms and rushed to the doorway, shouting his name at the top of his lungs, “Ling Li! Over here! Your child is here!”
He raised his voice deliberately, worried Ling Li wouldn’t hear him. Ling Li seemed to freeze for a moment upon hearing his name, then abruptly turned around. His gaze landed on Su Jingyang standing at the shop entrance, and on the child safe and sound in his arms.
Ling Li nearly scrambled over, stumbling as he ran. His legs went weak at the doorway, and he almost collapsed. Su Jingyang hurriedly freed one hand to steady him.
“Ah Xuan, Ah Xuan, Ah Xuan…” Ling Li’s clothes clung to his body, soaked through. His eyes were terrifyingly red. He reached out to take the child but hesitated, afraid of soaking him. He could only keep calling the child’s name, gripping his tiny hand tightly and pressing kisses to his little face. Su Jingyang could feel his whole body shaking uncontrollably.
The child lifted the pastry he’d been holding all this time and tried to feed it to Ling Li, making happy, muffled sounds. Su Jingyang thought it sounded like he was calling for his papa.
Tears streamed down Ling Li’s face, mixing with the rain. He took a small bite, then let the child eat the rest. Only then did the child begin chewing happily.
Su Jingyang patted the child’s head. The little guy was surprisingly thoughtful.
He urged Ling Li to come inside. Ling Li was standing too close to the entrance, and rainwater was splashing onto him. Ling Li hesitated, his pale face shaking as he slowly shook his head.
He had been feeling unwell for some time. Earlier that day, dizziness had overwhelmed him at home and he had blacked out. When he woke up, his child was gone. At that moment, he felt as though he would rather die. He knew all too well how much malice this town held toward both him and his child.
Panic and despair had driven him to search everywhere. He even prepared himself for the worst. Thankfully, the child was safe.
Ling Li recognized that this was the person who borrowed the bowl that day. Hearing Su Jingyang call his name meant the rumors were already known. Despite that, Su Jingyang still allowed him into the shop. Ling Li was deeply grateful, yet he didn’t want to drag Su Jingyang into being cursed alongside him.
His eyes filled with gratitude as he rasped hoarsely, “I’ll take my child home. Thank you so much today. If I ever get the chance, I’ll repay you. I swear I will.”
Su Jingyang seemed to understand his concern. He gestured toward the rain behind him. “It’s pouring like this. Even an umbrella wouldn’t help. What if the child catches a cold? You should come in and wait until the rain eases.”
Mention of the child made Ling Li falter. Su Jingyang took the opportunity to gently pull him inside. “A sudden shower like this won’t last long. You won’t be waiting long.”
Ling Li left a puddle of water wherever he stepped and hurriedly stopped. “I should leave. I’ll dirty your place.” Having met someone who remained kind even after knowing his story, Ling Li was extremely cautious.
“It’s fine. I’ll wipe it up later,” Su Jingyang said, turning his head and flashing him a bright smile.
He wasn’t afraid of being close to Ling Li, yet this was Liang Lu’s shop. Considering the townspeople, Su Jingyang couldn’t act entirely on impulse. Seeing Ling Li’s unease, he settled him in the small partition where he slept at night. He folded up the bedding on the floor, handed Ling Li a dry towel to wipe his hair, and brought out one of his only two spare sets of clothes for him to change into. Their builds were similar, with Ling Li being even thinner. The clothes would fit.
Ling Li was already grateful just to take shelter. He didn’t want to trouble him further. Yet seeing the sincerity in Su Jingyang’s eyes, he pressed his lips together and finally accepted the clothes, changing inside the partition while holding the child tightly. Staring at the child’s face, the tension in his body finally eased.
Su Jingyang brought over a chair for him and drew the curtain partway, keeping them hidden from view while allowing airflow. Best of both worlds.
He peeked through the gap and smiled softly. “Feeling more at ease now?”
Ling Li gazed at him, moisture shimmering in his light brown eyes. His voice no longer carried the distance of their first meeting. It trembled gently, soft yet resolute. “Thank you. Truly. I will repay you someday… if you don’t mind.”
The more Su Jingyang looked at him, the more agreeable he found him, nothing like the rumors. He answered briskly, “Sure. That’s how the world works. You help me, I help you. If I need something one day, I won’t be polite.”
With his damp hair draped over his shoulders, Ling Li looked even more refined. However, his face lacked any color, lending him a fragile air. Hearing Su Jingyang’s words, he offered a faint smile, life finally returning to his expression.
Su Jingyang scratched his head shyly and laughed along. Ling Li hesitated before softly asking his name. Su Jingyang introduced himself quickly. “Su Jingyang. Jing as in scenery, Yang as in sunlight. You can call me Jingyang.”
Ling Li held the child closer, a subtle ripple passing through his eyes. “All right, Jingyang.”
Su Jingyang let him rest there and lowered the curtain before returning to the counter.
After taking just two steps, the seven-colored light rings appeared again, far more numerous and intense than before. Before he could even react, they surged into his body.
He immediately turned to look toward the partition. It seemed this was Ling Li sincerely thanking him, so the energy was so abundant!
He hadn’t helped Ling Li with any ulterior motive. Receiving such a windfall of energy was an unexpected bonus, and his mood lifted noticeably afterward.
When the rain finally eased, Ling Li left with the sleeping child. Before going, he promised to wash and return the clothes as soon as possible. Su Jingyang took the chance to ask where he lived. This time, Ling Li didn’t hide it and told him everything.
Su Jingyang was genuinely happy. He finally had a friend here. He even hummed cheerfully while scrubbing himself during his evening wash.
He usually fetched water from the public well outside, though it was a bit far. Since it had rained, he opted for convenience and set out a bucket to collect rainwater, using it to bathe that night. This era’s air wasn’t polluted. So the rainwater was clean enough.
Bare-chested and happily washing, Su Jingyang was startled when the half-closed shop door suddenly creaked open. Someone pushed their way inside.
The weather was muggy, so he usually left the door ajar for ventilation and locked it before sleeping. He had never expected someone to barge in at midnight. His heart tightened. A robbery? Just as he turned around in alarm, Liang Lu’s drunken voice rang out, “J-Jingyang, leaving the door open… were you waiting for me to come? I-I knew you…”
His sloppy laughter cut off abruptly. Liang Lu had spotted Su Jingyang bathing. His bleary eyes snapped wide open, greedily raking over Su Jingyang’s bare, smooth chest beneath the dim lamplight. His gaze grew deeper.
Su Jingyang got goosebumps from that wolf-like, tiger-like stare. He reached for his shirt, but Liang Lu lunged forward reeking of alcohol, wrapping him tightly in his arms. Half-dressed, Su Jingyang was pinned as Liang Lu planted messy kisses all over his face, calling him pet names and groping shamelessly at his waist.
Su Jingyang was dazed for a moment before he finally reacted. Rage surged up as he cursed several times in succession, “f*ck, f*ck, f*ck!” When Liang Lu’s mouth tried to press toward his own, Su Jingyang shoved him away hard, then grabbed him and gave him a vicious round of kicks.
Su Jingyang snarled, “I’ll beat you to death, you bastard!” This piece of sh*t might look decent on the outside, yet he actually dared to try taking advantage of him while drunk!
Liang Lu seemed a little stunned from the kicks. While clutching his backside and yelping as he dodged, he asked, “Hey, hey, hey, why are you hitting me?! Don’t you like me? Didn’t you deliberately leave the door open to seduce me? You even deliberately bathed here naked!”
Su Jingyang was furious. He knocked Liang Lu to the ground and beat him relentlessly. “Me bathing is none of your damn business! There are plenty of people bathing naked at Yanhu Lake. Are you going to f*ck every single one of them?!”
Liang Lu had recovered his wits by now and no longer just took the beating. He also began resisting with all his might. The two rolled together in a panting scuffle. Just as Su Jingyang was striking in earnest, his vision suddenly went black and his body went limp.
…Damn it! He had completely forgotten today was the five-day mark!
When that now-familiar body wrapped around him again in the darkness, Su Jingyang lay there with his eyes wide open. He couldn’t be bothered to think about what would happen to Liang Lu. A sense of dread crept over him. This would probably be another rough round of brute force.
Unexpectedly, the man lowered his head and cupped Su Jingyang’s face, kissing him slowly and deeply. The faint scent of alcohol lingered, just like before.
Su Jingyang even found himself wondering if this time he had been drinking fruit wine. There was a hint of sweetness on his lips.
Some preparation was done before it began. Su Jingyang was so moved he nearly cried. There was still discomfort in the end, yet it was nothing compared to before.
Midway through, the realization struck that this strange body of his could actually become pregnant. A sudden wave of shame flooded him.
He weakly raised his hand and pinched the man’s arm with all the strength he had left.
He couldn’t hear the man’s voice, but he sensed a moment of confusion before the man leaned down to kiss him again, the sweet taste of wine making Su Jingyang dizzy.
He was out of strength. In the end, he gave up resisting.
When Su Jingyang woke, light filtered through the crack in the door. Dawn was approaching. He sat up slowly. His clothes were still half-open, just like the day before, except now his body bore unmistakable marks.
As he reached to straighten his clothes, Liang Lu stirred awake. One glance at the marks on Su Jingyang’s body left him frozen, his eyes snapping wide.
Su Jingyang shot him a cold look and stood to grab his outer robe. He couldn’t stay in this shop any longer.
Liang Lu scrambled up as well and noticed Su Jingyang’s unsteady gait. His suspicions hardened instantly. He rushed over, grabbed Su Jingyang’s arm, and said earnestly, “Jingyang, don’t worry. I’ll take responsibility. I’ll marry you.”
Su Jingyang stared at him for a long moment, then swung a punch straight into his eye. “Marry your f*cking ancestor!”
IsitRo: Damn it, I completely forgot today was the five-day mark and somehow we are already at Chap 5!! lol jkjk.
In all seriousness, I’m still figuring out the posting schedule since I’m planning to work on another story with this PSFGB. I’m thinking this one might go up MWF, and the other TTH, especially since that one’s heavier with ancient writing and will take more time.
Once I sort everything out, I’ll update the schedule tab. :’) Thank you so much cattos!!
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