Become the Sickly Villain in the Novel - Chapter 84

After Li Yan left, another two weeks passed.

Just as Li Nuo was about to succumb to boredom, Aunt Zheng informed him that someone would come to pick him up the next day.

After a brief moment of surprise, Li Nuo noticed Aunt Zheng’s slightly dejected expression, and whatever little excitement he had was carefully concealed.

Over time, as he became more familiar with Aunt Zheng, this capable housekeeper had indeed treated him very well. Stepping forward, Li Nuo held her hand and said, “I’ll come back again in the future.”

Aunt Zheng clasped his hand tightly. “Xiao Nuo, what do you think of my young master?”

Li Nuo blinked. Young master… She must be referring to Mo Chuan, right?

“Uh—Brother Mo, he…” Li Nuo hesitated, suddenly unsure of what to say.

“Actually, I’ve watched the young master grow up. My mother was also a housekeeper for the Mo family,” Aunt Zheng, for some reason, began reminiscing about the past. “Although he may seem a bit unreliable, he’s actually a very dependable person…”

She continued to talk at length about Mo Chuan’s good qualities, and Li Nuo couldn’t help but feel that her filter was particularly thick.

“I wasn’t originally assigned to work here. It was the young master who specifically asked me to come,” Aunt Zheng turned to look at the villa. “Although this is one of the Mo family’s properties, hardly anyone ever stays here. Normally, only a few caretakers are around.”

Li Nuo silently pondered. So, was the villa specially renovated because he would be staying for a long time?

“The young master truly likes you. The master and madam are also very open-minded, so you don’t need to worry.” Aunt Zheng winked at him. “Alright, enough talk. If I go on, I’ll just annoy you. Tonight, I’ll prepare a grand farewell dinner for you.”

Li Nuo awkwardly nodded, thanking her for her kindness.

He did like Mo Chuan, of course, but at this point in his life, he couldn’t be certain about the future, so he wasn’t able to give a definite answer.

Perhaps because he was about to leave this place where he had stayed for quite a while, that night, memories flooded his mind.

A hazy, floating sensation took over. Li Nuo knew he was dreaming again.

As soon as he became aware of this, he felt himself suspended in mid-air, watching everything from a third-person perspective.

The moment he saw the young boy below, Li Nuo furrowed his brows.

So thin…

Compared to before, his past self had grown significantly—taller and more mature in appearance. However, he was still so thin that he seemed almost like a sheet of paper. The hand resting on his lap had prominent knuckles and visible veins, his complexion pale.

It was still the same hospital room, the ever-present scent of disinfectant that he had grown used to.

No matter how the scene fast-forwarded, the only person by his side remained the caregiver who had been looking after him since he fell ill.

After some time, a familiar figure appeared. The woman who called herself his aunt had come looking for him.

Li Nuo found it odd. She had seemed very kind to him at his grandfather’s funeral. So why had she not visited her only nephew all this time?

And now, as she looked at him, there was no trace of concern in her eyes. Instead, she gazed at him like a thirsty traveler spotting an oasis.

“The surgery is done. Do you still need to stay in the hospital? Come back with me. It’ll be easier for me to take care of you.”

She seemed eager to take him away, even though his health was still far from good.

“Your uncle and Lin Ji are looking forward to seeing you,” she said gently, but there was an undeniable impatience in her voice.

Lin Ji, his aunt’s child, his cousin. When they were young, they had a good relationship.

Naturally, Li Nuo recalled all these details.

“You can go to school with Lin Ji. There are plenty of kids your age there.”

Was she joking? Did she really expect him to attend school while still in poor health?

His younger self didn’t respond, merely staring out the window.

“I understand that you’re struggling to accept everything. But Xiao Nuo, we are the only family you have left… My father has been gone for a year. Isn’t it time to move on?”

No matter what she said, his younger self remained silent.

Finally, she grew impatient. “You know, don’t you? My father and brother left most of their wealth to you. A trust fund was set up solely for you!”

The small hands resting on his lap clenched tightly, his knuckles protruding even more.

“Isn’t that unfair? I’m family too, yet I received so little. I won’t even mention the cash, but most of the real estate and shares were given to you. Is this some kind of joke? You, a child who might not even live much longer!”

The words ringing in his ears grew sharper, stripping away the facade of family. His aunt only wanted money from him.

“If you’re only here to complain about this, then I can’t help you. The law has already determined everything. Besides, most of it was my father’s inheritance. Of course, as his child, I have the right to it.”

For the first time, the boy who had been staring out the window turned to face her.

His aunt’s expression immediately stiffened.

“If you’re only here for the inheritance, then please leave. I don’t care.”

“What kind of attitude is that? Have you been watching too many TV dramas?” she scoffed. “I came here to ask if you wanted to go to school. With Lin Ji looking out for you, you’ll be fine. He’s the top student in his entire school, and he’s exceptional.”

“If it’s about learning, I can just hire a tutor. There’s no need for me to attend school.”

It seemed that he and his aunt didn’t get along well; his words were distant and cold.

The last time he saw her, she had seemed so caring. So why had things turned out this way?

His younger self had spoken harshly, yet his aunt wasn’t angry. Instead, she lifted her chin and said, “Rebelling is fine, but know your limits. In the end, the only family you have left is me. And don’t forget, I am your legal guardian.”

“Since you don’t want to be discharged, so be it. I’ll come visit you next time.”

Without sparing a glance at the caregiver beside her, his aunt walked straight out of the hospital room.

The caregiver showed a look of distress and opened her arms, pulling the frail figure into a tight embrace.

That moment of memory froze on the young boy’s face, which remained devoid of any emotional fluctuations.

After that, his aunt would occasionally come to visit, sometimes alone and sometimes with her whole family. Li Nuo saw his cousin, Lin Ji, as well.

Unlike Li Nuo, who was frail and sickly, Lin Ji was tall. Though they were around the same age, there was a stark contrast in their physiques.

Lin Ji sometimes visited alone.

He never mentioned anything about his mother or Li Nuo’s health. Instead, he would talk about interesting things that happened at school. At first, Li Nuo remained indifferent, but after a while, he gradually began responding to him.

A long time passed in this way, until one day, Lin Ji appeared at the hospital alone, dressed in casual clothes.

When Li Nuo saw him, the usual brightness in his demeanor was gone. Instead, he seemed unusually quiet.

Looking at Li Nuo, he remained silent for a long while before finally exhaling a deep breath. “My mom keeps pestering you… I’m sorry.”

“Hm? Why are you suddenly saying this?”

“But you can’t keep wasting away like this. Your mindset is important too. If you continue like this, you might actually die before my mom does.”

If his aunt were here to hear this, she would probably be furious at her own son.

“Do you want me to die?”

Lin Ji’s brow twitched. “That’s not what I meant. Never mind. Seeing you act sharp-tongued like this is actually a relief.”

He scratched his head, looking slightly apologetic. “I won’t be able to visit you for a while. I’m graduating from high school and heading abroad for my studies.”

“……”

“I’ll be back during the holidays. I’ll bring you a gift.”

Li Nuo remained silent, only lowering his head in sadness.

He had always liked this cousin. Their improved relationship was entirely due to Lin Ji’s persistent efforts. But now, even he was leaving.

“Mm… Thank you for visiting me all these years.”

“I’m sorry, but this time, I really couldn’t refuse my mom.” Lin Ji reached out and ruffled his hair. “I’ll definitely come back to see you. So please, hang in there.”

Lin Ji gave him one last, lingering glance before slowly walking out of the hospital room.

Li Nuo looked at his younger self, who was covering his face and crying. Forgotten emotions surged back to him.

Among the few remaining family members, the only one who had ever genuinely cared for him was leaving too. Back then, he had felt truly sad.

But before he could sink into the mire of emotions, a new memory pulled him out.

Whether in the hospital or back at home, it had always been just him and the caregiver. With too much time on his hands, he had started reading novels on his phone out of boredom.

Fantasy, martial arts—he read all kinds of genres, including the very novel he had ended up transmigrating into.

It had been recommended to him by an online friend who shared his taste in novels. When he saw his own name in the synopsis, curiosity got the better of him, and he started reading.

Now, revisiting the novel through the lens of his own memories, he could recall exactly how he had felt while reading it.

From the moment the character “Li Nuo” appeared, his brows had furrowed. He has the same health issues as me… a heart condition, no less.

He should have been a pitiful character. And yet, he was nothing more than a minor villain destined to be cannon fodder.

There was someone right beside him who cared for him unconditionally, yet he failed to cherish it.

At the time, the character Li Yan had reminded him of his grandfather. If he had a family member like that, he would have done everything in his power to hold on to them.

He was very wealthy. His grandfather had made his fortune as an industrialist, and his father had surpassed him. The bulk of their inheritance had fallen to him, which explained why his aunt was so unwilling to accept it.

In the novel, Li Nuo’s role was concentrated in the first half, but since the main perspective was focused on the company, he didn’t have many scenes.

Every time he appeared, he was either bullying Li Yan or on his way to bullying Li Yan.

Reading it had made his blood boil. “Ha! He should’ve been here with me, fighting my aunt. That would’ve been far more interesting.”

And yet, deep down, he couldn’t help but feel envious. Pure, unconditional love…

“Could I ever have something like that?”

In the novel, Li Yan found Qin Xu and Mo Chuan’s affections incredibly annoying, rejecting all their advances and temptations without hesitation.

Li Nuo had admired this tenacious protagonist, which only made him even more exasperated with the novel’s version of “Li Nuo.”

In the end, that Li Nuo was taken away by Qin Xu’s men and disappeared without a trace.

If he doesn’t know how to cherish his family, then let me take his place!

That was what he had thought at the time.