BUWAH CH2

Chapter 2 This Heartthrob Really Punches People

In all fairness, at least in terms of face card, Duan Ling was a legit heartthrob.

Although the novel, ‘The Heartthrob Justs Wants to Throw Punches,’ had a very alpha title, it was actually a shou-centric story.

As the protagonist shou, the adolescent Duan Ling’s facial features weren’t particularly rugged or handsome. Ignoring those ink-dark eyes clouded with aggression and the fierce-looking brow, he was simply a fair-skinned, red-lipped young beauty.

Others might have different impressions, but to Xie Ning, the protagonist’s rebellious and harsh aura completely overshadowed his facial features. Even if he was as beautiful as a flower, it was a dangerous, fearsome carnivorous flower.

The red-haired leader looked over, his eyes filling with contempt. “Ha, that well-behaved boy? Your boyfriend?”

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Xie Ning didn’t know how to react. He forced a stiff smile at the red-haired guy, silently moved his feet, and used He Manjuan to block the glaring eyes.

He Manjuan, who had been hostile towards him half an hour ago, now shoved him out as if offering a treasure. “Why are you hiding behind me? Ling-ge is calling you!”

Xie Ning, who was pushed back into the spotlight: “……”

As soon as the clock struck six, the school bell rang for dismissal. The crowd lingering at the school gates grew denser, with cars on the road occasionally honking to summon students. Yet no one seemed in a hurry to leave. Instead, everyone lingered around the gate, watching the spectacle while whispering to each other.

The conflict between Yangcheng High and South High had been brewing for a while, but this was the first time they had so blatantly confronted each other right at the school gates.

Seeing that more and more students were gathering nearby, Xie Ning realized he couldn’t avoid the situation. He steeled himself and took a step toward the center, silently repeating to himself that he just needed to play his role as the protagonist’s tool.

When he reached Duan Ling’s side, he keenly noticed that Duan Ling shifted slightly to the side, a gesture that seemed to signal him to keep his distance.

Xie Ning paused briefly, then stopped in his tracks. After a moment’s thought, he even took a small step further away.

“Him?”

Surprised that Xie Ning actually dared to step forward, Red Hair looked him up and down with a scrutinizing gaze. He had initially intended to belittle him with a comment like, ‘A guy like this can’t compare to Xiao Mao’ but as he met Xie Ning’s anxious, watery eyes, his throat tightened, and the words he was about to say changed inexplicably.

“Even if… even if you’re with someone, you still have to come with me to see Xiao Mao. That idiot…”

As the exchange continued, Duan Ling’s patience finally ran out. Midway through Red Hair’s speech, he abruptly swung his schoolbag straight at the other’s face.

With a muffled thud, the schoolbag landed, and two streaks of bright red blood flowed from Red Hair’s nose.

Duan Ling looked at him sideways and asked, “Why would your old man want to see an idiot?”

The sudden turn of events silenced the noisy chatter at the school gate. Xie Ning, who witnessed everything up close, couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

Perhaps his gasp was too loud, because Duan Ling turned his head and shot him a glance.

“Damn it!” the mohawked guy behind Red Hair cursed, “You pulling cheap shots?!”

Duan Ling narrowed his peach blossom eyes, their watery sheen shimmering with eagerness. “Want to fight?”

Xie Ning turned his head just in time to see Duan Ling’s crimson tongue sweep across his lips, and his grape-like eyes flickering with sparks as if they might explode at any moment.

Fight? Who wants to fight?

The South High boys were momentarily stunned, exchanging bewildered glances with each other, trying to figure out which idiot was foolish enough to want to start a fight right at the gates of someone else’s school?!

Red Hair, still wincing from the pain, held his nose and cursed angrily, “Duan Ling, don’t pull that shit with me! It’s always you who fucking wants to fight!”

Every time they got into a fight, he would always slap them with the self-defense excuse, making it look like they started it first. How shameless!

Although their leader had been hit with a schoolbag, the South High students weren’t stupid enough to actually fight at their rival’s school gate. Even though most Yangcheng students were spoiled rich kids, they still had the strength in numbers.

Seeing Duan Ling’s clenched fist, Red Hair remembered past nightmares. He instinctively took a step back, his face alternating between pale and flushed, though he still managed to threaten. “Duan Ling, are you really not coming? Meng-ge…”

“Then piss off if you’re not going to fight!”

Duan Ling cursed, kicking at Red Hair again. This time Red Hair, having learned his lesson, barely dodged it, and and only managed to avoid falling thanks to his lackeys supporting him.

Glancing at his watch, Duan Ling’s annoyance deepened. Too lazy to deal with this bunch of useless trash who only dared to bark, he pushed aside Red Hair blocking his way and was about to leave.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly remembered something, stopped, and turned to look at Xie Ning, who was still standing there dumbfounded.

“Tsk, what are you spacing out for?”

Among the crowd were not only the small fry from South High but also a few idle gossipmongers from his own school. Duan Ling’s voice, neither too loud nor too soft, addressed Xie Ning, “I’ll give you a ride home.”

Looking at the ‘little thugs’ from the other school surrounding him and the irritated protagonist who was walking away, Xie Ning eventually chased after him with a long face.

What a mess…

“Hahaha, these grandsons can finally fricking roll back to South High.”

He Manjuan, puffing out his chest as if he was the one who caused Red Hair’s nosebleed, boasted, “That disgusting dogskin cap finally shut up. Why didn’t Ling-ge knock out that creep’s teeth?”

Surprisingly, Red Hair didn’t retort. Clutching his still-bleeding nose with both hands, he looked at He Manjuan mockingly, as if looking at a fool.

“With one less stalker, Ling-ge must be much more at ease. Now he…”

As He Manjuan continued, he noticed the dark expression on Gu Zizhen’s face and finally sensed that something was wrong.

As the two figures slowly moved further away, He Manjuan watched from a distance as Xie Ning got into Duan Ling’s family car. His bright smile froze on his face.

After a moment of mental paralysis, He Manjuan suddenly exploded in anger.

“Fricking little sissy! Xie Ning!!!”

Thanks to Duan Ling’s casual mention of having a boyfriend and He Manjuan’s loud outburst, by that evening, not only was the entire Yangcheng High abuzz with the news, but even the security guard’s pet parrot was squawking ‘Xie Ning.’

……

The novel completely lacked any storyline regarding the protagonist and his first cannon fodder boyfriend, not to mention their manner of interaction. As a cannon fodder who was dismissed in just two lines, Xie Ning’s current feeling after getting into the luxurious private car with Duan Ling could be summed up in one word.

Awkward.

If he didn’t have his host’s memories, he might not have felt this awkward. But after understanding the entire situation, aside from embarrassment, all he felt was utter despair.

Even as a cannon fodder mentioned only in two lines, the novel’s worldbuilding automatically filled in the other settings. His host’s backstory wasn’t exactly melodramatic, but it could be described as a series of dramatic rises and even more dramatic falls.

The Xie family had once been a moderately well-known nouveau riche in A City. Three years ago, they opened a candy factory with a secret sugar formula and did very well for a few years. It’s no exaggeration to say that everyone in A City, from the elderly to children, had tasted their Diamond Candy.

As the son of an upstart, his host was a carefree young master. However, the Xie family’s good fortune didn’t last long. Boss Xie was cruelly swindled, causing the candy factory that had operated for three years to teeter on the brink of bankruptcy almost overnight.

On that day, which happened to be his host’s eighteenth birthday, the overwhelmed father had spent the entire night crying while holding Xie Ning, turning his coming-of-age ceremony into a tearful event.

Yangcheng High was a private school catering to wealthy families. With the Xie family on the brink of bankruptcy, they naturally couldn’t afford the expensive tuition. At the beginning of the new semester, with the intention of leaving no regrets before applying to withdraw from the school, his host confessed to Duan Ling.

And then… they started dating.

So, who was Duan Ling?

Besides being a heartthrob, he was also the only son of the business tycoon Duan Tiancheng.

The Xie family sold diamond-shaped candies, while the Duan family dealt in real diamonds!

A counterfeit mingling with the genuine article. When Boss Xie heard the news, he almost laughed with delight.

Although the Xie family’s candy factory was on the verge of closure, it could still operate for a while. Boss Xie decided to sell several properties to keep the factory afloat and moved Xie Ning back to an old neighborhood left by his grandfather. The goal was to buy time and maintain connections with the Duan family in hopes of making a comeback.

Understanding the backstory, Xie Ning felt even more burdened. Originally, he felt the matter was none of his business, but until he could find a way back to his own world, he had no choice but to deal with the mess left by his host.

Surprisingly, Duan Ling actually knew where he lived. After getting into the private car, he told the driver the address, which was the small villa where the Xie family had lived before moving out. It wasn’t far from the school, but it was in a secluded location.

Xie Ning opened his mouth but ultimately chose not to correct him.

His host’s motives were impure, so naturally, he wouldn’t reveal his family’s actual situation. In high society, the emphasis on matching social standings is significant. It goes without saying that a nouveau riche family has more prestige than a bankrupt one.

Even though Xie Ning knew it was practically impossible to rely on Duan Ling to change the Xie family’s fortunes, it wasn’t the right time to reveal his family’s predicament.

Anyway, they would break up soon, so he might as well follow his host’s plan to avoid complicating things further.

The nominal couple sat silently in the back of the car. Xie Ning clutched his backpack. Curious about the protagonist, he frequently glanced at Duan Ling.

He had flawless, fair skin and strikingly beautiful features like an oil painting. If it weren’t for the defiance in his eyes, his appearance would be so exceptional that it would transcend gender boundaries.

Xie Ning silently reflected that perhaps only someone with looks that could captivate both genders could truly be called a heartthrob.

His gaze traced Duan Ling’s profile. Even he, who didn’t place much importance on looks, found his eyes lingering. Those who prioritized looks would probably be even more captivated.

Midway through the journey, Duan Ling finally lost his patience.

“Have you had enough?” he asked with a furrowed brow and a harsh tone. “Stare again and I’ll toss you out.”

He didn’t sound like he was joking, and Xie Ning didn’t take it as a joke either.

“Is there a bus station nearby?” Xie Ning asked quietly.

Duan Ling removed one of his earbuds and raised an eyebrow. “There’s a junkyard nearby. Want me to drop you off there?”

Xie Ning fell silent.

“Next time, don’t dawdle when I tell you to come over.”

It wasn’t that Xie Ning feared a heartthrob who could fight, but rather a heartthrob who could fight and was smart enough to handle trouble.

Xie Ning thought about his own two-line screentime in the novel. Although he didn’t think he would necessarily have another ‘block the bullet’ episode, under Duan Ling’s heavily imposing gaze, he still nodded his head like a statue that had come to life.

The next ten minutes passed in complete silence. Duan Ling had his earbuds in and was engrossed in his phone, showing no intention of conversing with him. After nearly twenty years of single life, he was suddenly labeled as a boyfriend. Xie Ning sat stiffly, sweating profusely, feeling even more uncomfortable than Duan Ling.

Typically, new couples go through a phase of awkwardness mixed with pink bubbles, but theirs was more like a mixture of awkwardness and quicklime. Not only was it stiff and uncomfortable, but there was also a risk of suffocation if one was not careful.

A few days ago, Duan Ling had accepted his host’s confession on a whim. Although they both understood the underlying reasons without explicitly stating them, they hadn’t signed any agreements or stated that it was just a fling. Objectively speaking, they were indeed a proper couple now.

Thinking about this, Xie Ning broke out in even more cold sweat. The thought of all the influential figures who would later surround Duan Ling made him wish he could jump out of the car right then and there.

When they finally reached the entrance of the neighborhood, Xie Ning hurriedly got out of the car after thanking Duan Ling.

Before he left, Duan Ling rolled down the window and said, “Tomorrow…”

“I’ll go to school by myself tomorrow!” Xie Ning quickly interrupted, adding, “And I can come back home on my own after school too!”

Hearing him say that, the irritation on Duan Ling’s face subsided a bit, and his gaze appeared to appreciate Xie Ning’s perceptiveness.

“Suit yourself.”

Xie Ning gave a dry smile and waved. “Well then… see you tomorrow.”

Only after the Duan family’s luxury car turned the corner at the end of the street did Xie Ning lower his hand with a grimace. He turned back to glance at the unfamiliar yet familiar neighborhood entrance, and let his shoulders slump.

The villa district was always sparsely populated. Not to mention how far it was from his current residence, but the bigger problem was… how was he even supposed to get there?

……

Xie Ning didn’t get home until seven in the evening.

The house left by Xie Ning’s grandfather was small, about sixty square meters with two bedrooms and a living room. It was located in an old residential complex where the average age of residents was around fifty. Since the father and son lived here for a month, the entire neighborhood knew that a big fat guy and a handsome young man moved into Unit 3.

As soon as he stepped inside, Daddy Xie greeted him with a cheerful smile, “Ningning, why are you so late today? Were you out on a date with Young Master Duan?”

“His name is Duan Ling,” Xie Ning replied as he changed his shoes, sounding somewhat resigned.

Strangely enough, even though this was their first meeting, Xie Ning felt no aversion toward this suddenly acquired father. On the contrary, he even felt an odd sense of familiarity and closeness.

In his memories, although Boss Xie was often swindled in business, he was quite good to his son, as long as this son wasn’t compared to his candy factory.

“Hey, when you’ve got money, you’re a young master,” Daddy Xie said casually, waving a spatula without a hint of nouveau riche arrogance. “So, did you make any progress?”

“What?”

Daddy Xie gossiped eagerly, “Didn’t you come back so late because you went on a date?”

Xie Ning’s face turned pale, more from fright than shyness.

“No!”

A date? He had neither the heart nor the guts for that.

The consequences of coveting beauty could lead to a future full of darkness. If he actually did date, Duan Ling’s jealous suitors, who were practically raised in a vinegar vats, would likely make his life a living hell.

“Oh, it’s okay, no rush. You two have just gotten together, take your time.”

“……”

As Daddy Xie busied himself in the kitchen, Xie Ning took the opportunity to head to the bathroom and examine his new appearance.

Compared to Daddy Xie’s loud voice and his round, almost abstract appearance, he himself looked far too delicate and understated.

He didn’t know what his host looked like, but the face in the mirror was entirely his own and bore no resemblance to Daddy Xie.

If the two of them strolled down the street together, they wouldn’t look like father and son but more like a young master taking his cook for a walk.

However, Daddy Xie was only fat and had no culinary skills whatsoever.

During dinner, Xie Ning silently swallowed the awful dish, then went back to the kitchen to cook two bowls of noodles. He shared the meal with Daddy Xie, whose face was red with embarrassment.

“Ningning, is your old dad too useless…” Daddy Xie asked cautiously.

Xie Ning shook his head and changed the subject, “Dad, how’s the factory doing?”

Mentioning the candy factory made Daddy Xie’s small eyes, squeezed by fleshy face, suddenly lit up. “Today was okay. No profit, no loss! At this rate, we can hold on for at least three more months, but if it goes longer than that…”

Daddy Xie trailed off. Xie Ning understood and avoided his hopeful gaze while silently pondering.

Up until now, he still hadn’t figured out why he transmigrated into the book, but since things had come to this, he could only continue living under his new identity until he found a way out.

Three months… time was a little tight. The factory might not even last until he graduated, and the funds needed to get the operations back on track were certainly not a small amount.

“I’ll do my best.”

Unable to shatter Daddy Xie’s hopes, Xie Ning could only make a vague promise for the time being.

The next day, the sun rose as usual, and Xie Ning woke up in ‘someone else’s’ room.

The house had poor soundproofing. Around one in the morning, he had been woken up once by the sound of a door opening upstairs.

Waking up for the second time, Xie Ning saw the ceiling still adorned with the printed photo of the heartthrob, forcing him to fully accept that he had become a character in a book.

And today was his first day on the job as the heartthrob’s tool boyfriend.