The Protagonist Is in the Right Position to Get Along With the Villain Chapter 4 part2

Li Jinzhi ate this meal in a good mood. After he ordered the servants to clean up, he started reading at the table. 

This is a common Qi-refining method, with no distinctive qualities other than that it's the Li family's book for entering the cultivation path. Once you enter the Foundation Period, there's various other manuals to continue cultivating from. 

That's what the original protagonist had done; after entering the Foundation Period, he cultivated with a high-quality manual that he found in a snowy ice cave.   

It seems like the male lead had met the mute female lead in that secret territory. As soon he recalled the female lead's appearance, the image of a gentle girl abruptly transformed into the chrysanthemum-exploding monster Ye Yu, followed by 'pa pa' sounds….
(TN: slapping below the neck)

Swallowing his saliva, Li Jinzhi came to a decision expressionlessly. He can't have the female lead! He must avoid her!

He looked down at the large, gold letters on the cover of the manual, his brow slightly furrowed. A manual that can be passed down through generations in the Li clan that possesses ice phoenix blood must not be a common object. However, it wasn't written in the original novel, so he could only investigate in the future.

After all, that novel only updated to the male lead reaching Nascent Soul stage. Anyway, since he came here, several things have become different from the novel. No, things have completely changed. 

His personality is different from the male lead's, so there's no need to do things he doesn't agree with just for the plot.

Such as getting close to Hu Sisi.

Disgust is disgust, only the oblivious male lead would consider this kind of girl as a close female friend.  

The girls in the harem are charming, but in the end it's from a fictional novel. It's just to enjoy a bit when reading novels. If you really brought a whole group of girls in front of him, no one would be able to take it. Not to mention that this is the cultivation world, a place where people can turn on each other for a magic weapon.  It's purely seeking death if he were to take in a large group of women and entrust them with his life!

However, future events will prove that even though some plot events were gone by the butterfly effect, the protagonist's halo did not falter.

For example, the "Cute Girl Halo."

However, no matter how much a certain someone tried to avoid it, no matter how he grieved incessantly, or how another certain someone tried to prevent and suppress it, what ought to come still came, and in continuous waves….. 

"What are you thinking about?"

"Harem." Li Jinzhi propped up a book and replied with a serious expression.

The voice by his ear became increasingly deeper, "Is 'harem' referring to the emperor's harem? A lot of women? Hm?"

"……" Once he realized what he had said, Li Jinzhi denied it completely, "No, no, no! I was just musing over how mysterious this manual is." He snuck a peek at the youth close at hand. Seeing the other party was still skeptical, he tried to change the topic, "Do you want to try? You might have a spiritual root too. If so, then you can accompany me to the celestial sect a month later." 

Although Ye Yu still had some suspicions, his attention was diverted away at Li Jinzhi's last words. Without a thought, he nodded, "I'll try!" This way they won't have to part, this way he….won't be abandoned again.

Ye Yu solemnly picked up the book on the table, reading each word closely.

Li Jinzhi watched his serious appearance, his eyes narrowing, "You know how to read." He stated, with certainty. 

Ye Yu's hands froze. He raised his head with difficulty and looked at Li Jinzhi blankly.

"You know how to read." Li Jinzhi observed his face, his tone even more certain, "How is a servant who's been written into the servant records able to read?" Peering into Ye Yu's eyes, he asked, "You….what did you hide from me?"

"No!" Ye Yu hastily denied, melancholy dying his features. "I- I never hid anything from you." His eyes lowered, becoming quiet for a while before saying, "My mother knew how to read. I lived with her before I was ten." Hidden in those lowered eyes was a dark and deep pool.

Li Jinzhi furrowed his brows, "And then? You don't seem to have ever mentioned your mother before."

"She's dead." Ye Yu said these two words with unexpected calmness, "She had some illness, with good and bad times. In the good times, she would teach me how to read, and could be considered gentle. When she had a bout of sickness…." His voice became smaller.  

"How did she treat you when she had a bout of sickness?" Li Jinzhi watched Ye Yu's face, his heart feeling like it was being thrashed.

Ye Yu lowered his eyes and pulled up his sleeves. When Li Jinzhi took a closer look, he sucked in his breath.

He hadn't noticed before, but now that he looked at it closely, there were bruises and scars along the honey-colored arm. If more time passed and they faded, it would be harder to make out if you don't look too closely.

"She chased me all over the house with a pair of scissors in her hands, stabbing me. I didn't dare to cry out, in fear of attracting the attention of the part-time workers." The youth hugged himself, trembling. "They would drag mother to the woodshed, lock her up, then leave."

Li Jinzhi opened his mouth, wanting to console him, yet discovering that he couldn't find any words to say. He could only pat Ye Yu's back with a hand, comforting him wordlessly. 

"Does it hurt?" He traced those scars, the uneven texture under his fingers made his heart ache.  

"No. As the wounds increase, you become numb to the pain." Ye Yu chuckled lowly, sounding a bit scary coupled with the sniffly tone. "In the summer doing work under the hot sun, the sweat flowing into the wound, the swelling–that's when it hurts the most."

Li Jinzhi's hand stopped, heartache spreading in his chest, smothering him. His thoughts naturally floated back to that orphanage and the two days where he was locked in the warehouse by the king of the kids, until a nun noticed that they were missing a child and found him nearly unconscious.

His darkest memories being recalled, Li Jinzhi found that this kind of experience could not even compare one bit to what Ye Yu had gone through. Being abused by one's own biological mother didn't just hurt the body, but the heart as well. He suddenly regretted it, regretted probing Ye Yu, regretted forcing Ye Yu to recall this kind of memory.

"It'll all become better. From now on…" Li Jinzhi paused, his gaze warm but determined, "you can count on me."

Ye Yu bent his waist, hiding his face in the shadows. The warmth of the palm on his back penetrated through the thin fabric to his heart and the angle of his mouth rose further and further. In the end, even his body was slightly shaking, "Remember your words…" He muttered.

Feeling the shaking under his hand, Li Jinzhi panicked and gave a few pats, "Don't cry, I'll live up to my word. Even if we temporarily part, I will definitely find you." 

Ye Yu nodded wordlessly. He skirted around the heavy details and gained sympathy, easily getting past the test. His experience is real, but he's afraid to let Li Jinzhi know about his mother's identity and his own identity.

Clearly aware that it's a test, yet purposefully revealing these openings; it's all to make Li Jinzhi completely accept him.

Falsely wiping his eyes with his sleeve, Ye Yu picked up the manual that had fallen to the ground and started reading again. One hour later, he quietly sat cross-legged on the bed, his hands making complicated seals, trying to guide the Qi into his body…

Li Jinzhi closed the door for him, heading towards the small dog hole with heavy feelings. Since he's promised others to "count on [him]", then he needs to work harder to cultivate and use his might to live up to his vow.

However, he was even more concerned about Ye Yu's cultivation. Did he have a spiritual root or not?

Chapter end