LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 455: Chang Xia (2)
After the weird but adorable girl left, the smile on Jiang Li's face slowly disappeared, then replaced by a solemn expression.
As there was nothing to distract his mind anymore, as Jiang Li closed the door, he let his thoughts run freely.
It took an entire millennium just to return to his world. A full thousand years, an amount of time unimaginable to normal people. Well, to be fair, it even sounded unimaginable even to the current him.
Before meeting the system, if somebody told him that traveling from world to world was possible, he would have definitely dialed a mental hospital's number for that person. He would have definitely deemed it a service to society to help send a mentally sick individual to where he belonged.
Yet the impossible happened.
Jiang Li died. He met the system. He agreed to its condition and then embarked on a stupidly long journey that apparently would not end even if he managed to finish his personal matters in his original world.
When he took his first step on this path, all that mattered to him was that there was a way back and that he could correct his past mistakes.
However, just to return, the process had been incredibly long. The system adamantly refused to lower its demands.
Time and time again, Jiang Li was forced to go along with its arrangement and go wherever it decided to send him. He could not say no. Or maybe he could. But even the unhinged newbie him was clear in his heart that everything he possessed now was because of the system. So he sought to complete every mission as his approach to repay the favor.
Of course, there was no denying that all the world-hopping brought him a lot of gains. The knowledge and skills he picked up from various worlds remained with him. Those were very precious treasures indeed. Even though he loved to criticize the system, in actuality, he was eternally grateful.
Yet deep in his heart, a sense of crisis was constantly growing. Jiang Li was always worried.
Time was his greatest enemy. He could not tell for sure the passing of time would not erode his desire to come back.
Once that happened, what would he do? What would be his centuries of struggle to collect points for?
He remembered how he died, how he got bound to the system, and how he slowly adapted to his role as a world hopper.
He went through a lot and experienced many identities.
He remembered that the system had kept track of the times Jiang Li went against his supposed persona just to give the villainess or the two leads some trouble. Jiang Li was made aware of it since the system sometimes mentioned it alongside its warning or enforcement of punishments.
The rule was to not cause major disruption of the plot more than three times.
Jiang Li never claimed to be an intelligent person, but logically speaking anybody doing the same thing over and over would always remember all the rules and not commit the same mistakes again after a few times.
Yet Jiang Li managed to keep doing mistakes. In fact, before leaving the previous world, he actually got punished. Jiang Li lost a few points for purposely inflicting the male lead a virus that would gradually turn him and his fairy race into humans. That was his fourth blunder there. The system bluntly told him that if not for the rewards he got later, his points would not have been enough to send him back.
But was every mistake a result of his carelessness?
Actually, not all. Some were. But many were done on purpose just so Jiang Li could remind himself that he is Jiang Li, not He Chen, not Chen Wang, not Master Yue.
...
So who was Jiang Li before the system formed a contract with him?
The sudden zombie outbreak took place on the same day that he lost his parents and basically everything. But before that, Jiang Li was but a normal fresh graduate from a fairly affluent family.
His family was rich. They had a few properties in the capital and had some profitable businesses under their name, so they were quite renowned in the city.
Since Jiang Li was aware that his parents' wealth was more than enough to feed and clothe him for life, he did not deem improving himself a priority. Why would he do so? There was no point, right? After all, even if excelled at nothing or even did nothing, he would still enjoy a good life ahead lacking in nothing.
Because nobody was pressuring him to worry about money and survival, he could have so much time for romance and other random stuff. Jiang Li had to admit that the comfort and conveniences provided to him by his birth turned him into someone incompetent. It was no wonder people with malicious intentions easily deceived him and made a fool out of him.
'If I were still that same irredeemable fool, I would not even have the face to cry for forgiveness from my mom after being given this chance.'
Jiang Li clicked his tongue.
A few minutes after Chang Xia left the apartment, Jiang Li also went out with nothing but his phone and wallet in his person. He ended up in an internet cafe.
Jiang Li looked up from the screen of the monitor and glanced sideways. It was already nighttime, but the view outside could be seen with little problem thanks to the countless lights filling the streets. He took in the various colors produced by the passing cars and the lights coming from the various shops and signage.
Ever since he came to this internet café an hour ago, he had already done this over a dozen times. The shop was on the second floor of the commercial building directly opposite the Jiang company's building.
Not long after, a familiar car drove out of the exit to the underground parking lot.
It had been a really really long while since he last saw that car. There was no way he still remembered the plate number or the interior of that car. Yet he knew it belonged to his parents.
The problem lied in him. He did not want them to see him yet.
Jiang Li had a fallout with his parents for his then-girlfriend, Wu Huiling. The reason was simple. His parents did not approve of her and think that she was not sincere to Jiang Li. The emotionally sensitive girlfriend felt hurt and chose to break up with him. Later, he learned that a large part of the reason was Mrs. Jiang. His mom probably imitated some absurd afternoon drama when she domineeringly presented a check to the girl before ordering her to leave him.
Wu Huiling was the campus belle that he had pursued for months. Rumors said that she was from an affluent family abroad who owned an airline.
However, Jiang Li personally confirmed from his mother that Wu Huiling accepted the money.
Jiang Li back then was a thousand times stupider than his current self. His heart had always sided with Wu Huiling so his brain unhesitatingly made up a lot of excuses for her.
'She's rich too. Mom is either lying. Or Mao Xing'er wants a reason for me to dislike her.'
'Her pride has always been high and so mom's words must have really offended and hurt her.'
An inaudible sigh escaped from Jiang Li's lips at the various excuses that his past self made. Later it was revealed that his parents had someone investigate Wu Huiling and they were about to tell him about her actual background when he suddenly ran away to chase that girl.
Imagined. If he just stayed a few minutes to listen to them, he would have known in advance that Wu Huiling was related to that detestable cousin of his.
"So embarrassing."
Jiang Li got up from his seat. He left the café but did not immediately go back to the unit given to him by Chang Xia.
The system was urging him to accept the plot. But Jiang Li was not in the mood so he told the system to just transmit it to him in his sleep.
In this world, Jiang Li planned to not care much about the plot. He had been doing that for so many centuries. It was no exaggeration to say that he was tired of it. Even a normal worker would be given a break. They could even go AWOL if they feel like it. Who said he must stay an exception?
Jiang Li wandered around and enjoyed the familiar yet unfamiliar night scenery before going back to the house. After taking his jacket off, he threw it on the sofa.
He was about to place his phone on the table when he suddenly saw it flashed. His phone was in silent mode so if he had not seen the notification, he would have missed the call from Liu, the housekeeper of the Jiang family.
"You kid, you finally answer my call."
The old guy was very familiar with him and treated him as his grandson so Jiang Li did not find it weird when the old housekeeper spoke quite informally to him. All he noticed was the anxiousness and concern mixed in the old man's aged voice.
"Jiang Li, your mom and dad are really worried about you. It's been several weeks. Do you really not plan to go back anymore? No matter how much you like that girl, it's just wrong for you to ignore the ones who raise you for several years."
Jiang Li remained silent. He sat down on the edge of the bed with his phone still on the bedside table. Naturally, he set it on loudspeaker.
As he listened to the Housekeeper Liu, a complicated expression flashed across his face. He actually had no idea what to say. But he did not interrupt the other since he did not dislike being lectured.
His parents should be back home now. Were they secretly eavesdropping on this call?
In the end, he just said to the person on the other line, "How are my mom and dad?"
"They are in good health."
"That's great to hear."
"Yes. Good that at least you remember to ask how they are doing." A sigh resounded from the old man. "Jiang Li, like I said, they are really worried about you. How about you call them too? While at it, also tell them that you regret it and that you plan to come back."
"I will go back soon."
"Your mom's birthday is coming. You don't plan to not show up, right?"
Jiang Li chuckled. "Grandpa Liu, I'm not that heartless."
After the call, he shut down his phone then closed his eyes. He knew his attitude just now was not the best, and his body was not really tired. But his mind was. The exhaustion was from the millennium spent on assuming others' identities. In no time, he fell asleep. The system did its part and transmitted the plot to him without disturbing his sleep.
When the next morning came, an angry Chang Xia appeared before him.
"You forgot to call me last night!"
- Absent without leave