After Transmigrating, I Saved the Saintly Male Lead
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After dealing with the group of thugs, Ji Anche noticed a boy curled up on the cement ground not far away. The boy had traces of crimson blood at the corner of his lips, his blue-and-white striped school uniform was stained with mud, and the edges of the uniform were frayed, making him look quite disheveled.
Seeing it with his own eyes, Ji Anche realized that the male lead was far more pitiful than the pale descriptions in the novel.
Ji Anche walked over to the male lead lying on the cement ground.
When he reached the male lead, he squatted down and asked with concern, "Male lead... oops."
Calling him 'male lead' would give away the game.
"Man, are you feeling unwell anywhere?" Huh? Why does this sound so weird?
As long as he acted confidently, the awkwardness would fall on someone else.
Ji Anche stiffened his resolve and widened his eyes, glaring at the male lead.
The boy pursed his lips, his demeanor cold and aloof, making him seem hard to approach. His features were sharp and striking, with a cool-toned palette dominating his appearance.
He had a stunning face.
No wonder so many people liked the male lead.
But those people were all perverts.
Some wanted to imprison the male lead, others plotted to ruin his life, and some even planned to inject him with drugs, turning him into a caged canary devoid of self-awareness.
The male lead had a pure and kind personality, and even when bullied, he didn’t know how to fight back.
Ji Anche’s gaze at the male lead was almost filled with pity.
Gu Hanzhou glanced warily at Ji Anche, secretly hiding the utility knife he was gripping in his palm.
"I’m fine."
"Can you still walk?"
Ji Anche extended his hand. "Let me help you up."
Gu Hanzhou’s right leg had just taken a heavy blow, and the sharp pain was spreading through his nerves, causing his leg to involuntarily twitch and tremble.
It would be difficult to stand up on his own.
Gu Hanzhou grasped Ji Anche’s outstretched hand and, with his help, struggled to stand up from the ground.
He forced a grateful smile, his lips curving slightly.
"Thank you."
"No problem"
Ji Anche supporting the boy and helping him sit down on a nearby wooden bench.
The boy was taller than him but noticeably thinner. When Ji Anche helped him up, he could even feel the boy’s bony frame.
How pitiful. Just how thin was he?
"Poor little thing... ahem." Ji Anche almost wanted to slap himself for the slip of the tongue. He forced a smile, "Little guy, do you need to go to the hospital for a check-up? I’ll cover the medical expenses."
What kind of Mary Sue domineering CEO tone was that?!
Damn, the male lead probably thought he was an idiot.
The air fell silent for a few seconds.
Ji Anche was so embarrassed that his scalp tingled, and he couldn’t help but want to say something to break the silence.
Finally, the male lead spoke.
"No need," Gu Hanzhou shook his head and said softly, "Thank you for helping me."
Ji Anche quickly replied, "You’re welcome, you’re welcome."
Gu Hanzhou’s eyes were clear, and he gave a small, sincere smile. "Also, thank you for saving me earlier."
The boy’s smile seemed to have a calming effect.
Ji Anche was caught off guard and waved his hand. "Hey, it’s no big deal."
Outside the warehouse was a dense canopy of trees, their lush green leaves spreading out, sprouting tender green buds.
This was a street outside the school, named [Qingfeng Street].
The dusky sunset spread across the horizon, its warm orange afterglow casting a hazy light on the reddish-brown brick walls of the alley.
A gentle breeze blew, rustling the leaves of the plane trees.
Gu Hanzhou forced a bitter smile. "Those thugs are always causing trouble, and the school doesn’t do anything about them. If you hadn’t beaten them today, I probably would’ve been beaten up again."
Gu Hanzhou’s hands were clasped behind his back, the sunlight falling on his pale wrists, where the faint blue veins beneath his skin were almost visible.
His slender, bony fingers were clean and translucent, and he idly twirled a sharp utility knife between his fingertips, playing with it out of boredom.
This utility knife had been specially prepared, but unfortunately, it hadn’t been used.
Gu Hanzhou gripped the snow-white, sharp blade and tucked it deep into his sleeve.
A trace of pain flickered in his eyes, and he let out a sorrowful sigh. Anyone who saw the boy in this state would inevitably feel a pang of pity.
“I can’t fight them at all. Whenever I run into those thugs, I just end up getting bullied.”
Gu Hanzhou coughed weakly, his thin back trembling slightly, making him appear even more frail. He forced a smile and said, “But I’m tough-skinned. Getting beaten up once in a while isn’t a big deal.”
Seeing Gu Hanzhou’s pale cheeks and the bruises covering his neck, and recalling the suffering the male lead endured in the novel, Ji Anche felt an indescribable ache in his heart. It was as if he had accidentally bitten into an unripe lemon, the sour and bitter taste melting in his chest.
Ji Anche was about to comfort the male lead when he suddenly realized something.
He, too, had once been one of those who bullied the male lead.
The original owner of this body, in order to curry favor with those trashy bullies and avoid being targeted himself, had gone out of his way to humiliate Gu Hanzhou. The pitiful state Gu Hanzhou was in now was partly due to the original owner’s actions.
This was awkward.
Although it wasn’t something he had done, since he had transmigrated into this body, he had to take responsibility.
Ji Anche sincerely apologized, “I’m sorry. The old me must have been kicked in the head by a donkey to bully you like that. From now on, I plan to turn over a new leaf.”
Ji Anche glanced tentatively at the male lead. “Can you forgive me?”
Memories of the things the original 'Ji Anche' had done flooded his mind.
On rainy days, he would throw away Gu Hanzhou’s umbrella, forcing him to walk home in the rain.
He would hide Gu Hanzhou’s exam papers, making him miss the test.
He deliberately replaced Gu Hanzhou’s fever medicine with laxatives.
The verbal abuse and physical beatings were too numerous to count.
What made it even worse was that Gu Hanzhou had actually saved “Ji Anche” at one point, making these acts of retaliation even more ironic and disgusting.
The more Ji Anche thought about it, the colder his heart felt.
Such a casual apology couldn’t possibly make up for the harm that had been done.
If the male lead were a normal person, not seeking revenge would already be generous. How could he possibly forgive him?
But in this cliché novel, the male lead was born with a saintly filter.
All those who had bullied him, the male lead had never retaliated against. Instead, he had forgiven them all magnanimously. Even the scumbag who had caused him to miss the college entrance exam had been forgiven.
Missing the college entrance exam was such a serious matter, yet he forgave it. ??????? How utterly absurd!!!
Ji Anche had only read two-thirds of the novel before he became too angry to continue.
He hadn’t gotten to the last third of the story, but he guessed the plot would be similar to the earlier parts. The male lead probably wouldn’t suddenly turn dark and kill everyone who had wronged him.
The chances of a teddy bear turning into a spirit and traveling through space were higher than the male lead turning dark and seeking revenge.
Ji Anche wasn’t entirely sure what the male lead was thinking now.
He glanced at Gu Hanzhou, who still had the appearance of a kind, innocent, and naive little white flower. If you put a couple of green leaves next to him, it would probably look quite fitting.
“Can you forgive me?” Ji Anche steeled himself and stammered, “If you don’t want to, that’s fine too. It’s up to you.”
“It’s okay,” Gu Hanzhou said, his eyes curving into a soft smile. “Let’s let the unpleasant things from the past drift away with the wind. I haven’t been holding onto them.”
Ji Anche felt a faint sense of admiration.
He hadn’t expected the male lead to forgive him so quickly.
Putting himself in the other’s shoes, if his longtime bully suddenly extended an olive branch, he would probably kick that idiot hard and tell him to get lost! He wouldn’t want that moron anywhere near him! Not killing the guy would already be generous enough. There was no way he would accept even a shred of kindness from them.
Ji Anche gave Gu Hanzhou a complicated look. It seemed the male lead was genuinely kind-hearted.
In such a hostile environment, the male lead had managed to grow into a pure white flower, untainted by the mud around him. It wasn’t easy.
This innocent, naive little white flower of a male lead—he would protect him from now on.
Ji Anche’s amber eyes reflected a bright, shimmering light as he casually slipped his hands into his pockets and tilted his chin up.
“From now on, I’ll have your back.”
The pride and confidence radiating from the young man were unmistakable. “With me around, no one will dare to bully you.”
Gu Hanzhou secretly hid the knife in his sleeve, concealing the dark, sinister aura in his eyes.
He smiled sweetly, his lips curving like honey, though the sweetness was laced with poison.
Having been reborn, he would repay the torment and humiliation he had suffered a thousandfold. Brother, enjoy it while it lasts.
Gu Hanzhou’s eyes curved into a smile. “Okay, from now on, big brother will protect me.”
The boy’s voice was clear and warm, tinged with the hoarseness of adolescence.
Hearing Gu Hanzhou voluntarily call him "brother," Ji Anche felt immensely pleased. The more he looked at Gu Hanzhou, the more he found him obedient and adorable.
Since the male lead had taken the initiative to call him "brother," Ji Anche felt he should respond in kind. He rummaged through his pockets for a while but only managed to find a single lemon-flavored fruit candy.
Using a piece of fruit candy as a meeting gift seemed a bit shabby. But his pockets were emptier than his face, and he really couldn’t come up with anything else.
Without waiting for a response, Ji Anche shoved the lemon candy wrapped in plastic into Gu Hanzhou’s palm.
"Eat this candy, and from now on, we’ll be good brothers."
The slightly cold fingertips brushed against his skin. Gu Hanzhou took the candy in a daze, a faint smile curling at the corners of his lips. His eyes held a touch of naive innocence as he said, "Thank you, brother."
"Let’s go. We should head to class." Ji Anche turned and walked toward the school building.
Watching Ji Anche walk away, the pure and kind smile on Gu Hanzhou’s face vanished, replaced by a cold, sinister expression.
His gaze clung to Ji Anche’s retreating figure like a venomous snake. Gu Hanzhou raised his right hand and rubbed his ear, which was red from the cold.
He licked the roof of his mouth, his dark eyes gleaming with malicious excitement.
Beneath the blue-and-white school uniform sleeve, even his fingertips trembled slightly with delight.
A new toy had delivered itself to his doorstep.
The unopened fruit candy traced a parabolic arc through the air before landing in the trash can.
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Author’s Note:
Gu Hanzhou: I don’t want to be your brother. I want to be your man.
1. 瑪麗蘇 (Mǎlì Sū) : Refers to a "Mary Sue," a term used to describe an idealized character who is unrealistically perfect.