Chapter 13 - Genius Cannonfodders Counterattack Record (13)

translator: baumkuchen editors: serefina, glitterypanda

Cheng Jian had given his parents a heads up in advance, so Chi Xiaochi wasnt met with an interrogation after returning home.

He shut off his phone, and locked himself in his room with his Xbox to play Aircraft Wars.

As far as he knew, Cheng Jian had the habit of playing games with Cheng Yuan.

This young Mister President only played Aircraft Wars, so almost all the game files from Aircraft Wars in the game console had been left by the two brothers.

If Cheng Jian had any free time, there was an 80% chance he would come find him to exchange pointers to help him relieve some stress.

Even though there was the excuse of his mood affecting his playing, the sheer level of Chi Xiaochis ineptitude was clearly far beyond the scope of emotional influence.

After playing for about an hour, Chi Xiaochis score was still hovering at about the fiftieth place. He couldnt even squeeze into the rankings. His vision flashed with the spark-spitting special effects of the little planes exploding.

He threw down the controller and complained to 061, My eyes hurt.

061 thought for a moment, then pulled up his audio library.

Soon, an articulate female voice sounded by Chi Xiaochis ears,

For the Revolutionary Party, to protect your eyesight and prevent myopia, eye health exercises, begin

.

Chi Xiaochi, Sir, please give me a break.

061 said, I know you want to assimilate into Cheng Yuans life as soon as possible, but you dont have to work so hard.

Chi Xiaochi remained unresigned, When I was younger I was awesome at games.

061, Fine fine fine, awesome it is.

Chi Xiaochi then said, This controller is too old.

061, En, its a little old. From the scanned factory information, its already two years old.

061 was accommodating to the point where not only did he make a path for Chi Xiaochi out of the embarrassing situation, but also personally brought and rolled out a red carpet for him.

But with him being like this, Chi Xiaochi felt like there was no point in continuing.

He dispiritedly slumped back onto the floor, Fine, I suck.

061 gently said, You can still do some eye health exercises.

Chi Xiaochi,

Under the systems guidance, Chi Xiaochi performed a set of eye exercises, then practised gaming a while longer, before obediently coming downstairs when it was just about time for dinner.

His parents were already waiting for him downstairs.

He stood on the stairs facing his mother, who was sitting at the table, and called, Mom. Then he turned towards his father, Dad.

Cheng Yuan looked perfectly fine, as if he hadnt cried, but his eyes were bloodshot from a lack of sleep, looking incredibly tired, dazed, and unable to focus.

His mothers eyes stung with tears, and she looked away.

Cheng Yuans father pointed at the chair he usually sat in, Sit.

At this moment, Auntie Chen carried out a pot of piping hot

sliced fish

from the kitchen covered with plump bean sprouts and crisp pickled mustard greens. The fish slices were shiny, soaking in the boiling-hot soup, its meat delicate and tender, the fresh soup golden yellow.

Cheng Yuans eyes lit up. He rushed down the stairs and swiftly took the offered pot from her. Right after he settled the fish onto the table, he took a spoonful and shoved it into his mouth, burning his mouth and making him huff frantically.

Cheng Jian strode out of the kitchen, No ones going to take it from you! How many years has it been since you last ate meat, huh?

Their mother once again felt distressed for him, Its alright, dont worry. Sit down and eat slowly.

The fish had been cooked to perfection, practically melting in his mouth.

Cheng Yuan smacked his lips, incredibly satisfied, In the future, wherever I go, Ill bring Auntie Chen with me.

Auntie Chen laughed, Okay, after Xiao Yuan grows up, wherever Xiao Yuan goes, Auntie Chen will follow.

These words werent false.

Not long after Cheng Yuan committed suicide, Auntie Chen, whod worked as a nanny in the Cheng household for more than twenty years and had watched Cheng Yuan grow up, had a heart attack and went with him.

At deaths door, her mind was no longer clear but her mouth kept repeating, Im going to go join Xiao Yuan. Ill make some Sichuan fish for him. He hasnt had it for years now.

Cheng Yuan rolled up the sleeves of his cotton pajamas, Auntie Chen made fish for me, so

Ill return the favour

. Ill also prepare two dishes for Auntie Chen.

Auntie Chen hurried to stop him, Aiyo young master! Youre so impulsive! The other dishes will be ready in a minute, so sit down. If you get the smell of cooking fumes on your body, youll have to go wash them off!

Cheng Yuan turned around to plead for assistance, Ge.

The moment Cheng Jian thought of Cheng Yuans cooking skills, his mouth actually started watering.

Ever since that time Cheng Yuan brought him a meal, when he went back to eating the food from the cafeteria afterwards, he often felt like it tasted weird.

He waved a hand, Go. Theres still some chicken and a bit of

matsutake

in the kitchen, do as you like.

With Cheng Jians order, Cheng Yuan immediately snatched Auntie Chens apron.

Auntie Chen was a little worried, Dont burn the pot, okay?

Ten minutes later, Cheng Yuan brought his dishes out to the table.

Hed stir-fried, then simmered the chicken with chillies till they were fragrant, golden-yellow, and tender, ladled them into a deep-bottomed pan, then poured the remaining boiling water on top; hed roasted the matsutake with butter until they were overflowing with fresh juices, cut them into slices, then arranged them beautifully into an umbrella shape. When being eaten, they felt plump and fleshy, like meat. With the addition of some stir-fried Indian lettuce, they made a lively arrangement on the table.

Seeing this, both his mother and Auntie Chen were stunned.

Cheng Yuan wiped his hands off on his apron, then said to his father, Dad, try some.

Since taking over Cheng Yuans body, Chi Xiaochi had never once made a meal for Yang Baihua.

Firstly, everyone had different styles of cooking, so the taste of their dishes would definitely be different. Once Yang Baihua were to notice that the taste of his meals were different from before, it would be hard for him to not become suspicious.

Secondly, Chi Xiaochi was only willing to cook for those who deserved it.

The entire family sat in front of a table full of piping hot dishes. Cheng Jian and their father were discussing a recent company account. Their mother was asking, concerned, about what had happened during Cheng Yuans interview, and Auntie Chen kept picking out vegetables for Cheng Yuan, fearing that he wouldnt eat his fill.

Everyones faces became somewhat blurred in the steam from the home-cooked vegetables, but they still felt unusually warm.

By the time they were done with their meal, there was almost no food left on the table. Cheng Jian even dipped his steamed buns into the leftover soup before eating them, still wanting to continue the dinner.

After dinner, Auntie Chen chased Chi Xiaochi, who tried in vain to continue washing the dishes, back upstairs to his room.

A moment after he returned to his room and picked his controller back up, Cheng Jian knocked on his door.

Cheng Jian originally wasnt here to play a game with him, but seeing the game starting screen on the TV that Chi Xiaochi hadnt managed to close in time, he inevitably felt the urge to play and suggested, Lets play a round.

Chi Xiaochi, Okay.

Chi Xiaochi looked as steady as an old dog on the surface, but on the inside he was in utter panic.

Inwardly, he lamented to 061, Its over.

061 said, Dont worry.

Chi Xiaochi didnt pay any heed to 061s reassurances and started to quietly think up some excuses.

The breakup made me sad and depressed, and my broken heart made me terminally

handicapped

.

As the two people settled down in front of the TV, Chi Xiaochi suddenly heard 061 say, Dont be scared, its me.

Chi Xiaochi, ?

Soon, a warm and dry feeling covered Chi Xiaochis hands as if they were being held by another pair of hands, but he couldnt see anything there with his naked eyes.

Chi Xiaochi trembled, almost dropping his controller.

The owner of that pair of hands was an expert at placating others, and he lightly pinched the area between Chi Xiaochis thumb and index finger, placing those slightly trembling hands in his. His voice was as gentle as water, Its alright, leave it to me.

When 061 said leave it to me, he meant completely leave it to me.

Chi Xiaochi didnt need to move at all, he just had to hold onto the controller. A pair of nonexistent but slender and soft hands held his, controlling them for him.

That pair of hands were shockingly fast. Chi Xiaochi felt almost as if his hands were emitting a destruction beam under his lead, and the little plane 061 was controlling quickly weaved through the rain of bullets, precisely killing every single enemy.

Eventually, those enemies and their aircrafts gradually turned into dense patches of colour, and the lights of the explosions in Chi Xiaochis eyes blurred into beautiful, multicoloured pools of oil paints.

Chi Xiaochis expression looked normal, but his palms had started to become cold and sweaty. His hands that were held by 061 felt as if theyd exploded into a nest of ants, and were both itchy and uncomfortable.

At the end of the match, Chi Xiaochi easily broke a new record.

He turned to smile at Cheng Jian, Ge, youve gotten rusty.

Cheng Jian was a very competitive person. Just as he was going to ask for a rematch to make a comeback, he turned and saw Cheng Yuans forehead beaded with sweat and paused, stunned, for a moment. He reached out a hand and touched it to his forehead, Whats wrong?

Chi Xiaochi dodged backwards and whispered, I might have eaten a bit too much. My stomach feels uncomfortable.

Cheng Jian immediately forgot about playing, See, youre so weak. Ill get you some medicine.

Chi Xiaochi said, Its nothing, dont make mom worried. Ill be fine after a bit of rest.

Cheng Jian still wasnt reassured. He helped him to the bed and immediately turned and left the room, saying he would get some digestive tablets.

When he believed that Cheng Jian had reached downstairs, Chi Xiaochi got up, rushed into the toilet, and started puking violently.

061s tone changed, Mister Chi?

Chi Xiaochi couldnt free his mouth to answer him. He vomited till his face turned pale. His stomach was like a glove that had been turned inside-out,

overturning seas and rivers

, and twitching spasmodically with each wave of pain.

When he could finally catch his breath, the first thing Chi Xiaochi said was to express his regrets, Its rare for me to get the chance to eat like that, but now Ive vomited it all up.

061 was a little at a loss as to what to do.

Truthfully, he didnt need to use his hands to help Chi Xiaochi play.

As long as he invaded the gaming system with a virus, even if Chi Xiaochi used his toes to play, he could give Chi Xiaochi a million points.

But hed wanted to test something.

The facts showed that he was right, that Chi Xiaochi was touch-averse, but 061 hadnt thought itd be this serious.

No wonder Chi Xiaochi had been like

Sun Erniang of Cross Slope

,

drugging

Yang Baihua without the slightest provocation, even at the expense of goodwill points.

After he was finished vomiting, Chi Xiaochi rinsed out his mouth with water, leaning against the sink as he recovered.

061 apologised, Sorry.

Chi Xiaochi wiped his mouth, Its alright, I saw that there was still some glutinous rice flour and rice wine. After everyone else goes to sleep, Ill make myself some supper,

tangyuan in fermented rice wine

.

Despite knowing that Chi Xiaochi wasnt feeling well, hearing this, 061 still couldnt quite hold back a smile, I wasnt asking about that. What happened for you to become like this?

They just touched hands, but he vomited until his stomach spasmed. It clearly was a psychological issue.

Chi Xiaochi glossed over it, Its an old problem.

061 asked, When walking in runways and shooting movies, isnt it hard to avoid coming into contact with others? Whats more, there were usually scenes like kissing scenes and bed scenes.

Chi Xiaochi said, Its no problem, I can usually hold it in until scene changes.

061,

Chi Xiaochi was even quite proud of himself, Ive vomited so much that Ive gotten used to it.

061 asked him, How did that happen?

Chi Xiaochi looked up at Cheng Yuan in the mirror. His eyes were misted over with a thin layer of tears, making people feel sorry for him, but Chi Xiaochis utterly indifferent expression really diluted the effect of this pitiful loveliness.

He walked out of the bathroom. Because he couldnt find any cigarettes, he just dug out a box of pocky and held a stick in his mouth, Other than reading to me, Liuliu-

laoshi

is even responsible for psychological counselling.

That meant he wasnt willing to talk.

061 sighed, Sorry. In the future Ill try my best to pick worlds where the host isnt that close to the target.

Chi Xiaochi gave him some heartfelt praise, Liuliu, youre so cute.

061, Fine fine fine, Im cute, so be it.

In order to comfort Chi Xiaochi, 061 said, I saved the live footage of the game we played just now.

Chi Xiaochi immediately perked up and rubbed his hands together, Quick quick, send it to me.

061 thought, if you send it to Cheng Jian and get beat up, it has nothing to do with me. He then obediently sent the recording to Chi Xiaochis phone and a duplicate to the

quantum computer

terminal.

Chi Xiaochi turned on his phone.

He ignored the more than ninety messages and thirty phone calls from Yang Baihua, and in the midst of the annoying, constantly beeping notifications, downloaded the recording.

He watched it happily, Thats one small step for me, but one giant leap for the noobkind.

He continued, When I return to my original world, make a copy of this recording for me.

061, Hmm? What for?

Chi Xiaochi said, When I go to clean Lou-ges grave, Ill burn this video onto a CD for him to see that with Liuliu-laoshis guidance, my hands are no longer handicapped.

061 couldnt help but laugh.

Chi Xiaochi was a very strange man. He was rational beyond compare, meticulously planning out his every move when dealing with his tasks, but occasionally he displayed a stubborn childishness.

061 cherished this stubbornness.

Chi Xiaochi might be the very first person in the hundred worlds he had been through who was likely to return to his original world.

Just like that, Chi Xiaochi stayed at home, eating, drinking, and occasionally interacting with his fans on Weibo. He would send short videos of his daily compositions, and of him playing instruments and singing.

Before, Cheng Yuan never showed his face on his Weibo. In Chi Xiaochis words, this was simply as much of a waste as

sitting on a goldmine while gnawing on Chinese cornbread

.

He posted a video of himself playing the guitar, and the next day he got up to find that he had gained two thousand more followers, and this number was still growing.

!!! Mother! How can this blogger be this cute!

Please marry me! Or please crossdress!

Whats upstairs sexual orientation?

I used to think @ChengYuan depended on his talent to eat, and now youre telling me he could actually depend on his face? [doge face] [goodbye]

Chi Xiaochi picked out a few comments to respond to, then continued to periodically upload his daily compositions.

But ever since he first showed his face, there was a large queue of all kinds of people asking for photos on his Weibo.

Chi Xiaochi said to 061, You see, a lot of people like to say that appearances dont matter, that once youve seen a beautiful face, youve seen them all, and its the soul inside that matters. But without a good-looking appearance, who would be willing to waste their time to understand their unique soul.

061 thought that these words were a little unreasonable.

In the beginning, when he first took on Chi Xiaochi, he also didnt know what he looked like, but still found him quite interesting, enough for him to go find 023 to look up more information on him.

But seeing Chi Xiaochis steadily growing follower count, 061 felt like his words lacked any persuasiveness, and simply remained quiet.

One day, when Chi Xiaochi came downstairs to grab some fruit, he heard Cheng Yuans mother in the living room excitedly chatting with her old friends on the phone, They broke up, they broke up, they really broke up. That young man surnamed Yang, I always knew he wasnt good enough for our Xiao Yuan. Its not that I look down on poor people, isnt Old Chengs dad still farming fish? But the idiom the families are well-matched in terms of social status exists for a reason, Xiao Yuan and Yang Baihua arent even from the same world, so why should they insist on staying together?

Chi Xiaochi smiled.

He quietly returned to his room, not disturbing Cheng Yuans mother from her wanting to cover the entire world in flowers happiness.

But Yang Baihua didnt want to break up with Cheng Yuan.

After so many years, his feelings were already deep-rooted. They couldnt just be dismissed so easily.

Yang Baihua noticed that no matter what he tried, he couldnt get contact Cheng Yuan and could only stalk Cheng Yuans Weibo. Whenever Cheng Yuan made a new post, he would always secretly give it a like and send out a constant barrage of messages asking him how he was and if hed calmed down yet.

Without Cheng Yuans cooking, without his meticulous care, and without the piano music and singing that would randomly start up around the house from time to time, Yang Baihua suddenly found that his days didnt feel right anymore. Whenever he drifted off during work, there was often a little Cheng Yuan who would jump out to stir up trouble, making it impossible for him to focus. He started making lots of mistakes during work and was even pulled out by his supervisor for a round of scolding.

In the beginning, Yang Baihua still had confidence in himself.

This was just one of Cheng Yuans temporary fits. He loved him so much, so he definitely would come back.

However, a week passed, and then half a month.

After toughing it out for more than 20 days, Yang Baihua finally couldnt take it anymore.

How come he still hadnt come back?

Could it be that he was being trapped by his family? He couldnt come out?

sere: thanks for waiting sorry a week passed for us too ^-^ hopefully you guys could still take it. also look forward to the next chapter because its 15/10 <333

baum: thanks for your patience! were back to the three times a week schedule again, dont worry~ also lets welcome our new editor, GlitteryPanda <3

also, thanks to MiccieT and Somebody for the ko-fis!