Become the Sickly Villain in the Novel - Chapter 56

This was a contact he intentionally kept, as it felt like someone who was completely unmentioned in the novel might be someone who knew some secrets unknown to others.

Although he had come across this fact while searching through his phone, it became clear that the original owner of the body truly had no friends.

At first, he was relieved that no one was contacting him with a familiar attitude because he still didn’t understand the original owner’s interpersonal relationships. However, as time went on, Li Nuo suddenly realized that it wasn’t that no one was disturbing him; rather, the original owner simply had no friends at all.

Even though he and Li Yan had graduated from the same school, and while the original owner was weak and often ill, it shouldn’t have been to the extent of having no contacts at all.

Well, even if he rarely went out and didn’t have any friends, Li Yan wasn’t like that.

What was strange was that the novel never mentioned Li Yan’s former friends either. All the characters who appeared were people he had met after he started working.

So, this person who kept sending messages could very well be a breakthrough point.

He hadn’t forgotten his role as a cannon fodder villain.

However, there was no rush; he decided to wait until his body was in better condition before seeking out this person. Given Zhang Wanhui’s persistence over the past several months, leaving him hanging for a while shouldn’t be a problem.

Putting away his phone and taking his medicine, Li Nuo sincerely looked forward to the day when all his confusion would be resolved.

After Li Yan returned, he noticed the luggage that had already been unpacked and said worriedly, “I told you I would handle it. You just need to rest.”

“I’m not that fragile. I can still manage simple tasks,” Li Nuo waved dismissively, speaking nonchalantly.

Li Yan studied him for a moment. Seeing nothing unusual in his expression, he felt reassured, but this scrutiny led him to notice something else.

“Brother, your hair has grown quite a lot.”

“I think so too,” Li Nuo said, tugging at his bangs. “It’s getting in the way. I’ll go to the barber shop another day.”

“Hmm, I need a haircut too. Let’s go together when I have a day off.”

After dinner, Li Yan washed the dishes and, while drying his hands, asked, “Do you need a towel to wipe yourself down tonight?”

“Hm? No need, I can take a shower now.”

He Yan had mentioned that the wound was healing well, and by the third week, he had said it could be gently rinsed. Though the wound was still covered with a waterproof dressing, Li Nuo eagerly picked up his clothes and entered the bathroom, saying, “I plan to take a shower today and wash away the hospital smell.”

“Alright, just be careful, Brother. Don’t let the wound get wet,” Li Yan shouted from outside.

For the first time in a while, Li Nuo took a shower at home. Warm water flowed over him from head to toe, as if washing away his lingering illness. The steam filled the bathroom, fogging up the mirror until it became completely unclear.

Reaching out to wipe the mirror, Li Nuo found that his reflection was still barely visible on the blurry surface.

The waterproof dressing on his chest was a bit of an eyesore, but even if it were removed, underneath lay a long scar.

Fortunately, if he took good care of himself this time, there wouldn’t be a need for surgery again.

After drying himself off, he walked out of the bathroom. Li Yan was already waiting outside. “Brother, quickly change your dressing and put on your clothes. The weather’s getting colder, and you can’t afford to catch a cold.”

Although the wound had healed, to prevent scratching it unconsciously in his sleep, he still needed to apply the dressing for a while.

The wound itched, and Li Nuo often found himself unconsciously touching the area. It was a natural bodily reaction and hard to resist.

After reapplying the dressing, Li Yan hurriedly threw a soft fleece pajama top over his brother’s head. “Hurry and put it on.”

“I know, I know,” Li Nuo said, his discomfort making him reach up to help himself.

“In about a week, I won’t need the dressing anymore. Then I can start eating the foods I’ve been craving.”

Li Yan smiled and nodded, glancing around the room they’d lived in for so long. He frowned slightly. It was still too small, the poor soundproofing made it noisy, and it wasn’t conducive to his brother’s recovery. It was time to move.

In the days that followed, Li Nuo stayed at home peacefully, sorting through the plot that had already deviated ten thousand miles from the original story and the original owner’s severely limited interpersonal relationships.

One morning, while watching various video-editing tutorials at home, Li Nuo heard a commotion outside.

“Huh?”

Most people living here were busy with their lives and would typically be at work during the day. Why was it so noisy?

Moreover, it seemed to be right in front of his door.

Li Nuo cautiously tiptoed to the door. He hadn’t misheard—there really were noises on his floor.

But this was the top floor, and there was only his apartment on this level. Why would there be strangers outside?

Li Nuo’s body trembled.

Could it be debt collectors?

He felt a wave of panic. Although Li Yan had been steadily repaying the debts, could it be that the loan sharks were dissatisfied and wanted to demand full repayment all at once?

He stepped back a few paces, keeping a close eye on the direction of the door, his finger hovering over the emergency call button on his phone.

His smartwatch, sensing his rising heart rate, began issuing warnings.

Just as he was about to make the call, his phone vibrated, displaying the name “A Qin Xu” on the screen.

Confused, Li Nuo answered the call.

“Hello?”

To avoid being overheard by the people outside, he lowered his voice.

“Open the door.”

“What?”

“I said, open the door.”

This time, he heard clearly, and the voice coming through the phone echoed outside the door.

Li Nuo froze for a moment, then finally let his guard down.

If Qin Xu was outside, there probably wasn’t anything to worry about, right?

He cautiously opened the door and locked eyes with Qin Xu, who was standing outside.

Seeing that it was indeed Qin Xu standing at the door, Li Nuo finally relaxed completely.

Noticing the clear relief on his face, Qin Xu’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“What’s wrong with you?”

He glanced at Li Nuo’s smartwatch, which was still displaying a red warning signal.

“Why are you so scared?”

Li Nuo chuckled awkwardly and fully opened the door. “I thought it was debt collectors… It’s usually very quiet here during the day.”

Qin Xu raised an eyebrow. Debt collectors? Did he look like one?

But was he in debt?

He had asked Li Yan about this matter before, but at the time, Li Yan only said he would handle it.

Li Nuo didn’t continue the topic. Instead, his gaze shifted to the group of people behind Qin Xu, and he curiously asked, “Brother Qin, um… Why are you here now?”

Qin Xu gestured for him to step out while signaling the others to go inside.

“The environment here isn’t good for your recovery. It’s time to move to a better place.”

Li Nuo’s eyes widened. So, this group of people was here to move his belongings?

Wait, I’ve never heard of this!

He reached out and grabbed Qin Xu’s arm. “But I haven’t found a new place yet, and no one told me about this in advance…”

Qin Xu flipped his hand to hold Li Nuo’s, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ve already found a place.”

“Huh?”

Did Li Yan know about this? What if he comes home from work tonight and finds their house gone?

As Li Nuo stood there in a daze, someone approached and asked, “Excuse me, are there any personal items Mr. Li Nuo needs to pack himself?”

The person, dressed in a formal suit, was tall and serious in demeanor.

This person was Qin Xu’s right-hand man, Special Assistant Fang Che.

Like Liu Ming, who worked for Mo Chuan, Fang Che was a highly versatile talent, typically handling behind-the-scenes matters for Qin Xu. It was rare to see him in person.

Fang Che exchanged a glance with Li Nuo and bowed slightly without expression. Li Nuo hurriedly bent forward to return the greeting.

“Hello, I’m Fang Che, Director Qin’s Special Assistant.”

Li Nuo blinked and immediately recognized who this person was.

The novel mentioned him several times as Qin Xu’s trusted confidant.

He quickly introduced himself, “Hello, I’m Li Nuo.”

Fang Che repeated the question from earlier.

Li Nuo’s face flushed red, and he quickly said, “I’ll do it myself.”

After speaking, he was about to go inside, but Qin Xu didn’t let go of his hand. Instead, he turned to Fang Che and said, “It’s fine, you handle it.”

Just as Li Nuo was about to refuse, rapid footsteps echoed from the stairwell.

Turning around, he saw that Li Yan had returned.

Li Nuo immediately called out in delight, “Li Yan!”

“Brother.”

Li Yan, who had hurriedly run up the stairs, caught his breath and immediately confronted Qin Xu. “Director! I didn’t say you could move us out without permission!”

“What’s the difference? You already said you wanted to move. Isn’t it better to switch to a better environment before winter arrives?”

A vein popped on Li Yan’s forehead. “Even if we’re moving, that’s a family matter. What you’re doing is completely unreasonable.”

At this moment, Li Yan regretted ever letting Qin Xu know about his intention to move.

Just a few days ago, in the office, while discussing the matter with Secretary Yang, Qin Xu happened to overhear.

When Li Nuo had been hospitalized previously, Qin Xu had brought up the topic of moving.

【 The place you’re living in now isn’t great for someone recovering. How about moving to a better place? 】

【 I don’t have time to think about that right now. 】

【 If you don’t have a suitable place in mind, I can help. 】

【 Thank you, but I’ll handle it myself. 】

Since then, Qin Xu hasn’t brought up the topic again. Li Yan hadn’t expected that after overhearing his recent plans, he would take action on his own.

If Secretary Yang hadn’t revealed Qin Xu’s whereabouts today, he would still be in the dark about the situation.

Listening to their conversation, Li Nuo finally realized that Li Yan truly hadn’t been informed about this.

Fang Che attempted to explain for his boss, “The plan was to pack everything up first and then inform Secretary Li. Don’t worry, it’s a place that’s very suitable for someone recovering from an illness.”

“Special Assistant Fang, shut up for now. What’s this? Were you seriously not planning to tell me that I’m moving?” Li Yan asked, his anger accompanied by a bitter laugh.

Fang Che remained unfazed. “What can I do? Everything is almost packed already.”

There was no denying it—the people Qin Xu had brought were incredibly efficient. With countless boxes already prepared, the apartment was nearly emptied in no time.

Li Yan glanced inside and pressed a hand to his temple to soothe his rising frustration.

Seeing his distressed expression, Li Nuo broke free from Qin Xu’s grip and moved closer to Li Yan. “Maybe let’s just forget about it. I’m fine living here.”

He knew that Li Yan wanted to move for his sake.

Li Yan had been concerned about his brother’s recovery, knowing he needed adequate rest. The poor soundproofing at night in their current home could hinder his healing.

Li Yan sighed, then turned to Fang Che. “Fine, let’s just move. But I’m going to help with the packing.”

He then turned to Li Nuo and said, “Brother, there’s going to be a lot of dust soon. You should go downstairs and wait somewhere. Once I’ve finished organizing everything, I’ll contact you.”

Qin Xu walked over and led Li Nuo away. “It would have been better if you did this earlier.”

He held onto Li Nuo and guided him downstairs.

At this moment, he really did exude the aura of a domineering CEO.

Li Yan remained rooted in place, his expression dark, watching as Qin Xu took Li Nuo away.  After taking a deep breath, he stepped back into the apartment and joined the effort to finish packing.