Become the Sickly Villain in the Novel - Chapter 50

“Can this be eaten?” Qin Xu pointed to a dish on the menu and asked.

Li Nuo looked at Li Yan with a hopeful expression.

Li Yan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Eat less of it.”

Mo Chuan unhesitatingly placed a whole skewer of meat onto Li Nuo’s plate. “You’ll be hospitalized soon, so you should enjoy eating as much as you can now.”

Li Nuo nodded enthusiastically. Time passed too quickly; three weeks had flown by in the blink of an eye. Just a couple of days ago, Brother He Yan had specially called to remind him not to forget the hospitalization date.

The group was in a barbecue restaurant.

This was Li Nuo’s suggestion, saying he just wanted to eat something unhealthy.

As a result, Qin Xu and Mo Chuan ended up in a barbecue restaurant that was miles away from their preferences.

“Don’t stare so anxiously. It takes time for the barbecue to be ready,” Li Yan patiently advised the eager Li Nuo. “You can eat this first.”

As he spoke, he pushed over a plate of snacks.

Li Nuo waited for the meat to cook while accepting Li Yan’s feeding.

“Speaking of which, the hospitalization date is Monday, right? That means there’s still tomorrow. What do you plan to do?” Mo Chuan asked Li Nuo softly, who was eating ice cream.

“Hmm… Cleaning and packing things to take to the hospital, since I’ll be staying for quite a while.”

“You can pack tonight too, can’t you? Can’t you leave tomorrow completely free for me?”

“Yes, no.”

Before Li Nuo could respond, Li Yan rejected the idea as usual. Though there weren’t any specific plans, he still preferred to spend weekends alone with Li Nuo.

Mo Chuan didn’t give up. “It’s not like there’s much to do anyway. Secretary Li, you can join us too.”

“Forget it.”

Li Nuo waved his hand, interrupting their conversation. He asked, “Director, what are you planning to do tomorrow?”

“Hmm… Let’s go to the movies. You like watching videos, so you should enjoy movies too.”

Hearing this suggestion, Li Nuo’s eyes lit up. He was also very curious about the cultural industry of this self-contained world and something he hadn’t experienced before.

“Are we going to the cinema to watch it?”

“Yes. Do you want to go?”

“Yes, yes.” Li Nuo nodded vigorously.

“Then let’s go tomorrow. After the movie, we can go shopping,” Mo Chuan suggested.

Li Nuo was about to agree but hesitated, glancing quietly at Li Yan. Lately, Li Yan had been constantly taking care of him without much rest, so he hoped Li Yan could join them tomorrow too.

Faced with Li Nuo’s hopeful gaze, Li Yan smiled wryly and nodded.

Elated, Li Nuo pulled out his phone to decide what movie to watch the next day, enthusiastically discussing it with Mo Chuan. Even Qin Xu was asked if he wanted to join, and he gave a positive response.

Li Yan slowed his pace, watching the three of them ahead. Somehow, the time they spent together had increased, and the atmosphere had softened considerably.

Was it after Li Nuo lost his memory?

Qin Xu and Mo Chuan’s attitudes gradually changed, and the interactions between him and them also became less sharp.

But…

Looking at the three walking side by side, attracting attention from others, Li Yan wondered, Aren’t they standing a bit too close together?

Sandwiched between the two, Li Nuo looked especially petite.

Before they could walk any farther, Li Nuo stopped and stretched his hand backward.

“Hurry up!”

Looking at the small hand reaching out to him, Li Yan stepped forward and grabbed it, his complicated emotions vanishing instantly.

Forget it, as long as my brother is happy.

……………

Standing in front of the mirror, Li Nuo brushed his hair and muttered, “Is it getting a bit long?”

“Brother, time to change clothes. We’re about to leave,” Li Yan’s voice came from the living room.

“Got it,” Li Nuo replied, quickly changed into a new outfit and grabbed his phone.

Li Yan glanced at his brother’s attire; an ordinary shirt and long pants.

It looked suitable. Since the UV rays were strong today, wearing a hat would be best.

“Let’s go. We’re running late.”

Mo Chuan had offered to pick him up the night before, but Li Nuo refused. Now, Mo Chuan was sulking as he drove to the destination. He also had to pick up Qin Xu along the way.

Originally, Li Nuo was supposed to sit in the front passenger seat, but now Qin Xu occupied that spot.

“Couldn’t you just have the driver take you?”

“Why would I need the driver when you’re here?”

Mo Chuan sarcastically remarked, “I thought I was fired. Turns out I wasn’t.”

“Just kicked out of my house, not fired.”

The two bickered nonstop on the way, mostly with Mo Chuan complaining and Qin Xu retorting.

Li Nuo and Li Yan, who arrived at the meeting point first, walked towards the cinema.

Mo Chuan said he would buy the tickets and after much deliberation the previous night, they decided on a comedy film.

As the appointed time drew near, Li Nuo looked around and soon spotted the two approaching figures. Their heights were quite striking.

Catching Mo Chuan’s gaze, Li Nuo immediately waved enthusiastically.

As the two approached, Li Nuo couldn’t help but light up and circled around them once.

He was used to seeing them in formal attire, so their casual outfits felt refreshing.

“Why are you circling us the moment we meet?”

“It’s so novel. I rarely see you two dressed like this.”

“You look nice too.”

“Ah, I know that,” Li Nuo replied with a cheeky smile.

“…Ha,” Mo Chuan laughed out loud. “Hard not to know that, huh?”

Li Nuo gave him a bright smile.

Li Yan looked at their interaction with a complicated expression.

Mo Chuan, on the other hand, noticed his expression and redirected his sharp yet sugar-coated remarks toward him.

Li Yan frowned and began responding with sarcasm.

While the two of them were quarreling, Qin Xu and Li Nuo stood nearby.

“…Brother Qin, do you have any pets at home?”

“No.”

“Then why do you always like patting my head?” And you’re so skilled at it.

From the moment they met until now, a hand had been placed on Li Nuo’s head, gently stroking it.

Li Nuo’s carefully styled hair from the morning had been messed up. He shook his head to escape Qin Xu’s large hand.

“I spent a long time doing my hair this morning.”

Li Nuo adjusted his hairstyle.

“I see, it suits you. That hairstyle.”

Li Nuo’s hand froze mid-adjustment. When Mo Chuan complimented him, he had no reaction, but when it was Qin Xu, he felt strangely affected.

“…Thank you.”

Qin Xu narrowed his eyes. Why was there such a different reaction when he complimented him?

He flicked Li Nuo lightly on the forehead with his finger.

“?”

Although it didn’t hurt, the sudden action made Li Nuo reflexively cover his forehead with a bewildered expression.

“What, why did you suddenly do that?”

Noticing their interaction, Li Yan quickly came over and pulled his brother away. Mo Chuan also glanced over.

“Director, why did you hit my brother?” Li Yan confronted him unceremoniously.

“Oh, it’s not that serious. I wasn’t even using much force.”

Li Nuo quickly grabbed his younger brother. “Alright, the movie’s about to start. Let’s go.”

He pushed Li Yan forward forcefully. Soon, they arrived at the cinema.

Watching Li Yan queue up for tickets and Mo Chuan line up for drinks and snacks, Li Nuo took a few steps back to stand closer to Qin Xu and whispered, “Sorry about earlier. Li Yan exaggerated the situation.”

“It’s nothing. I don’t mind.”

“I know, Brother Qin is broad-minded,” Li Nuo paused, then continued hesitantly, “I was just a bit… unused to it, uh… being complimented by you, so I froze for a moment.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll compliment you more in the future,” Qin Xu said with a smile.

Li Nuo froze again. There it was again. He really couldn’t handle Qin Xu’s sudden gentleness. His entire face turned red, and he quickly moved a few steps forward, avoiding eye contact and trying to calm his emotions.

When Li Yan returned with the tickets, he saw his brother covering his face with one hand and fanning himself with the other.

“Brother, what’s wrong?”

Startled, Li Nuo replied, “Ah, it’s too hot here. My face is a bit red.”

“Really?” Li Yan glanced suspiciously at Qin Xu, then comforted his brother. “It’s a bit crowded here, but it’ll be better once we go inside.”

The movie was about to start soon. Mo Chuan had booked a small screening room. Originally, he had planned to book the entire screening room, but Li Nuo firmly refused. “It’s just a movie. There’s really no need.”

The group entered the small theater early, well before the other audience members arrived.

Li Nuo wanted to sit down directly, but it was obvious Mo Chuan and Li Yan wouldn’t allow it.

“Brother isn’t going to sit with me? Would he sit with you instead?”

“I’m holding the popcorn, so Li Nuo should sit with me.”

“Just hand it to me.”

“What about me?”

“You’re an adult. Do you still eat popcorn?”

Among the four of them, Li Nuo was the only one interested in the popcorn. After glancing around, he decisively pulled Mo Chuan to the innermost seats.

He still wanted popcorn, even if he couldn’t eat much.

“……” Faced with his brother’s “betrayal,” Li Yan looked aggrieved, but Li Nuo ignored it. Tomorrow he would be hospitalized; today he deserved to enjoy himself.

“Let’s just sit like this. None of you are eating, anyway.”

The reason the popcorn remained in Mo Chuan’s hands was because he could turn a blind eye to Li Nuo’s constant snacking. If Li Yan held it, that wouldn’t happen. Earlier, in the lobby, whenever Li Yan’s attention wavered, Li Nuo quickly grabbed a piece to eat. Each time, Mo Chuan would cover for him.

Just as other people entered, Qin Xu pulled Li Nuo’s arm and sat on the other side of him. Watching Li Nuo sneak-eat popcorn was quite pitiful, so Qin Xu decided to block the view from the other side as well.

“…Director?”

“Sit down. You’re blocking the way. I know you don’t want to be separated from Li Nuo, but it’s just two hours. Can’t you hold back?”

“……” Li Yan reluctantly sat down, only to realize he’d ended up the farthest away.

“It’s just a little bit. What’s the harm in letting him eat?” Qin Xu looked at the large screen that lit up and spoke.

“Sometimes it’s fine, but I’m worried my brother might want to keep eating…”

“His self-control isn’t that bad. He didn’t even eat much at yesterday’s barbecue, right? Don’t you trust your brother at all?”

Perhaps shocked by Qin Xu’s remark, Li Yan fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.

……………

The comedy’s plot was good. Choosing a highly rated movie yesterday had been a wise decision.

As Qin Xu predicted, Li Nuo ate popcorn sparingly, only having a piece occasionally. Mo Chuan, who had been watching him closely, finally relaxed.

The movie itself didn’t interest Mo Chuan much; comedies weren’t his genre. However, since it was a group outing, a comedy seemed the most suitable choice.

What kept him from feeling bored was watching Li Nuo beside him.

He glanced at the storyline on the large screen showing a poignant scene.

For a comedy, why include a tragic subplot? Was it to reflect the adage that comedy’s essence is tragedy?

Feeling bored, Mo Chuan turned to look at Li Nuo and was so startled he sat up straight.