The Sickly Villain Only Wants to Survive

27

The bicycle stopped at the hotel entrance.

When Zhu Tong jumped off the back seat, his legs felt a bit stiff.

He had been sitting sideways on the back seat.

Though it didn't take much effort, keeping the same posture for a long time without a place to rest his legs inevitably caused some discomfort.

He couldn't help but stretch his legs.

Shao Ming immediately understood what was going on and smiled, "Let's go, I'll walk you upstairs."

Zhu Tong refused, "No need, it's late..."

"Let's go."

Shao Ming gently placed his hand on his back.

Zhu Tong: "..."

He felt like he was being treated like a child who didn't know how to walk properly.

Zhu Tong allowed himself to be half-pushed into the hotel lobby.

The lobby was very quiet, except for a young woman at the front desk dutifully working, with no one else around.

The elevator was also empty.

As they reached the floor where Zhu Tong was staying, the dimly lit corridor felt cold and quiet. Their footsteps echoed unevenly through the hall.

A more imaginative person might start envisioning a ghost story.

Shao Ming felt a pang of guilt, as if his conscience had been pricked.

He lowered his gaze to Zhu Tong, "...Are you comfortable staying at the hotel?"

By the time they had walked upstairs, Zhu Tong's legs were no longer stiff.

He replied, "It's fine, it doesn't matter where I stay."

Having spent years sleeping in hospital wards, as long as the place was clean, he wasn't picky.

Shao Ming: "..."

But the guesthouse is closer to school.

He thought he'd found a reason to convince Zhu Tong, just as a ringing phone interrupted him.

"..."

Zhu Tong was pulling out his room card when his phone suddenly rang.

He took it out, glanced at the caller, and gave Shao Ming an apologetic look before answering, "Hello."

"Tong Tong? Are you done with class?"

The voice on the other end was a clear, bright female voice. In the quiet corridor, even without the speaker on, the person next to him could hear it clearly.

Zhu Tong responded with a simple acknowledgment.

The other side immediately laughed, "I heard you transferred to our city. Your auntie has been meaning to call you but didn't want to disturb your rest. How have you been? Where are you staying? Have you adapted to the new school? Why don't you come over for dinner this weekend? Your auntie will cook something delicious for you."

"..."

A barrage of questions came without even a breath.

The person on the other end of the call was Zhu Tong's maternal cousin.

She was his maternal grandfather's sister's daughter.

Although his maternal grandfather only had one daughter, his mother, there were still other relatives and descendants.

Among them, this particular cousin had the closest relationship with his mother.

Since calling her "cousin" didn't sound affectionate and seemed awkward, she had always referred to herself as "auntie" from when Zhu Tong was young.