The Sickly Villain Only Wants to Survive

53

"Don't be afraid of me."

That one light sentence, devoid of any noticeable emotion, was accompanied by an embrace that felt unexpectedly cautious.

Zhu Tong turned his head slightly, the strands of hair at his ear brushing against his face, a little prickly. He instinctively wanted to lift a hand to brush it away, but before he could move, the arms around him tightened even more.

"..."

Who's really afraid here?

Zhu Tong felt a slight pang in his chest. It wasn't painful, but there was an unexplainable sense of sorrow.

Shao Ming always wore a smiling mask. No one knew what he was truly thinking or what he cared about. His emotions were so deeply restrained that no matter what happened, his face rarely showed signs of anxiety.

Even when they encountered Qiu Shaoping earlier, Shao Ming hadn't seemed anxious or angry. In fact, despite the violence of his actions, his face had remained eerily calm.

After the fight, he didn't even offer a single excuse. It was as if he hadn't nearly beaten a man to death but merely scolded someone, making jokes on the way back and even applying medicine without a hint of worry.

Yet, the Shao Ming standing before him now felt burdened, heavy with unspoken emotions.

It was as though he had suddenly let down all his defenses, leaning his full weight against Zhu Tong.

Does this guy remember I'm a frail person? Has he considered whether my small frame can handle his weight?

But he was holding on so tightly, and Zhu Tong couldn't bring himself to push him away.

With a soft sigh, Zhu Tong said, "I'm not afraid of you."

"..."

"I'm just afraid you'll go too far and hurt someone badly. You'd have to take responsibility, and that man clearly wanted to drag you down with him..."

As he spoke, Zhu Tong paused, feeling that his attempt to comfort Shao Ming was rather weak.

Qiu Shaoping had clearly provoked Shao Ming on purpose, and his intentions were obvious. Zhu Tong understood this, and so did Shao Ming.

That man wanted nothing more than to drag Shao Ming down with him into hell.

But with someone like Qiu Shaoping, if you couldn't shut him up by force, what other option was there?

Hesitating for a moment, Zhu Tong placed a hand on Shao Ming's back and, with sincerity, said, "I'm not afraid of you."

The simple but resolute words were like a breeze that swept away the fog weighing down his heart.

After a long silence, Shao Ming chuckled softly. "You're pretty brave."

Zhu Tong didn't know how to respond.

Shao Ming's breath brushed against his neck as he spoke, sending a shiver down his spine.

Suddenly, Shao Ming said, "Zhu Tong."

Caught off guard by the direct address, Zhu Tong was momentarily stunned. "Hm?"

Shao Ming asked, "If I had really killed him today, what would you have done?"

The thought made Zhu Tong frown slightly. "You wouldn't."

"Why not?" Shao Ming pressed.

"..."

Because in the original story, you make it through just fine, Zhu Tong thought. But setting aside what he already knew, based on the time they'd spent together, Zhu Tong could tell that Shao Ming wasn't the type to lose control just because of a few taunts from a scumbag.