Yun Hexian breezed through his afternoon classes and the evening study session. Having already graduated from university, navigating high school lessons should have been effortless for him—if only he knew anything at all.
To make matters even more absurd, the one foreign language Yun Hexian was actually good at had been abolished due to the Grey Mist.
"Brother Yun, school's out." Pang Xin finished writing Yun Hexian’s homework, placed it into his desk with the familiarity of a practiced routine, and then tapped Yun Hexian’s arm to wake him from his slumber.
"Finally, we can go. My butt’s gone numb." Yun Hexian stretched and stood up, giving his homework not a second thought. "Let’s go."
"You got it, Brother Yun." Pang Xin stood up, shouldering his own backpack. It contained his own homework; he’d only had enough time during the study session to finish Yun Hexian’s.
"You lead the way." As soon as Yun Hexian stepped out of the classroom, he remembered he didn't know the route, so he stepped aside to let Pang Xin take the lead.
Pang Xin let out an "oh" and walked ahead, glancing back every so often to make sure Yun Hexian was still following, much like one would look after a child.
Yun Hexian and Pang Xin’s apartment was directly across from the place where Lin Qiye’s auntie lived; they were in the same building, 401 and 402, with Yun Hexian living in 402.
As soon as Pang Xin pushed the door open, a man over 1.9 meters tall emerged. He had black hair, brown eyes, and a sturdy build. He was wearing an apron and holding a spatula.
"Ah He, come over and eat with us later. I made enough for three." The man looked like an honest, hardworking fellow—aside from being a bit on the large side.
[That is Pang Lifeng, Pang Xin’s father. I named them both, you know. Good, right?] the BKing System prompted. [I’ve installed a ‘Chef’ module; he is capable of cooking any delicacy from any era.]
[Hello, System. Thank you.] Yun Hexian thought to himself.
[You are welcome.]
"Got it, Uncle. I'll be over in a bit," Yun Hexian replied. Following the BKing System’s lead, he used his key to open the door to 402.
The apartment had two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen, plus a balcony. While checking the place over, Yun Hexian caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.
His current body was identical to his own in his previous life: black hair, amber eyes, handsome and scholarly-looking, with fair skin and a gentle temperament. Standing at about 178 centimeters, he looked every bit the standard "good student."
—Well, although his grades were strictly average, he’d managed to bluff his boss into hiring him as an intern simply based on his looks and temperament.
In the middle of the living room sat a box. Yun Hexian opened it to find twelve stacks of cash folded in the corner, with a note on top: *A friendly donation of 120,000 from the BKing System. No need to repay.*
Beside it were the property deeds for both his and Pang Xin's apartments, both under Yun Hexian’s name. There was also a full set of identification documents—everything was complete.
After taking everything out, the box vanished.
He tucked the documents into a cabinet and pulled out one stack of cash, stuffing the rest under a pile of clothes at the bottom of the closet, hidden from view. He put the cash he’d taken into the backpack hanging by the door, then took 1,000 yuan and slipped it into his jacket pocket. The school uniform pockets weren't big, but the inner pocket of his jacket had a zipper and was more than large enough to hold the money.
When he pushed the door open to head to Pang Lifeng’s place, he was greeted by an appetizing aroma before he even stepped inside. The scent of meat and stir-fried vegetables with a hint of spice in the hallway made his mouth water.
On the dining table, he saw braised pork, spicy stir-fried chicken wing tips, minced meat with garlic sprouts, and century eggs with bitter greens—all dishes Yun Hexian loved.
Yun Hexian: (?????·?????)
"Come on, Brother Yun, I’m about to die of hunger!" Pang Xin brought a large bottle of soda from the fridge, holding three glasses.
After pouring one for Yun Hexian, Pang Lifeng brought out three bowls of rice from the kitchen. "There you go, eat up!"
Yun Hexian, enjoying the spoils, began to feast happily.
BKing System: [Welcome to the world of *Renegade Immortal*.]
It said to Yun Hexian once again.
...
In the full week before the plot officially began, Yun Hexian hadn't been idle. He began adapting his body to be as agile as a monkey. Through tireless effort, his wall-climbing evolved from the clumsy movements of a monkey scaling a tree into the effortless, graceful motions of a seasoned parkour runner.
His nimble figure was never spotted while he practiced parkour on the rooftops; the roofs were quiet, and his movements were fluid.
When he occasionally wanted to increase the difficulty, Yun Hexian would carry the little dog from Lin Qiye’s auntie’s place while he ran. Surprisingly, the puppy wasn't afraid; in fact, it seemed quite happy. It was cute, interesting, and didn't bite, as if it understood human speech perfectly.
It was Yun Hexian's dream dog.
"Xiao Hei, come here." Yun Hexian beckoned, offering it a braised chicken leg. He ruffled the dog's head vigorously, praising, "Why are you so cute?"
Xiao Hei: ???????
Pang Xin, who hadn't eaten his own chicken leg yet, watched as Yun Hexian gave the leg to the dog instead of eating it himself: ′?`
*If you aren't going to eat it, give it to me! Why give it to the dog? I bite, too!*
The door was wide open, and Yun Hexian naturally sensed Pang Xin’s gaze. Seeing him staring at Xiao Hei, he said dryly, "I’ll give you my two, you can have them."
"Thanks, Brother Yun!" Pang Xin was overjoyed.
Pang Lifeng had made five large chicken legs per person. Yun Hexian couldn't eat that many—there were other dishes, after all—so he had three left over.
The little dog ate quickly, and once it finished, it started licking Yun Hexian’s palm. Yun Hexian sat at the entrance of 401 holding it, tempted to kiss it.
—He didn't, however, worried that it might have been eating poop and hadn't been washed.
"Xiao Hei—"
A young man came down from upstairs and called out at the stairwell. He didn't look very old, was wearing middle school uniform pants, and was quite handsome. He froze when he saw Yun Hexian playing with the dog.
"Hello, this is your dog, right? I’m Yun Hexian. You’re Auntie Yang’s son?" Yun Hexian scooped up the dog called "Xiao Hei" and walked to the stairwell with a smile.
"I’m Yang Jin." The youth nodded at Yun Hexian. "I know who you are. You’ve been going up on the roof a lot lately; I’ve seen you several times."
Yun Hexian gave an awkward smile, then turned the awkwardness into amusement. "You can see me even in the middle of the night? Don't you sleep? I’m going to tell your mother."
"Who’s out there?" the woman upstairs asked. A few moments later, footsteps echoed as she reached the landing. Her eyes lit up. "Is that Ah He? Just like Old Pang said, you’re so handsome! Do you have a girlfriend yet?"
Yun Hexian, suddenly being pressured about a girlfriend, was left speechless: ...?
"Not yet," Yun Hexian said. In his arms, Xiao Hei was squirming to jump into Yang Jin’s arms. Fearing it would fall, Yun Hexian quickly handed the dog over to Yang Jin.
Watching Yun Hexian’s careful, protective movements toward the dog, a hint of a smile flashed in Yang Jin’s eyes. He took the dog and set it on the floor, saying, "If it meets someone with a soft heart, it’ll take liberties. You even gave it a chicken leg; it’s going to latch onto you from now on."
"Woof, woof, woof!" Xiao Hei rubbed against Yang Jin’s feet, barking several times as if to argue with him.
"Let it latch on then, I’ll feed it." Yun Hexian loved dogs and said it without a care, then ruffled Yang Jin’s hair. "You’re in middle school now?"
Yang Jin, who had just had his hair ruffled by Yun Hexian: (☉_☉)
BKing System: ...
Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
"His grades are quite good." Auntie seemed very happy. After answering for Yang Jin, she spoke cautiously, "Um, Ah He, I have a favor to ask. Would you mind?"
"Just say the word, Auntie." Yun Hexian looked at her, smiling. "If I can help, I will."
"It’s like this: my little Qi—Lin Qiye—he’s transferring to your school tomorrow, you know that, right? Could you keep an eye on him and walk to and from school with him?" Auntie breathed a sigh of relief, carefully choosing her words. "His eyes... they still aren't very good with light."
Yun Hexian raised an eyebrow. "No problem." Seeing the moon rising outside, he said, "I’m going back to sleep now, Auntie Yang. Get some rest. This kid Yang Jin stays up all night; he won't grow tall at this rate."
Yang Jin: ...
*How can someone be such a snitch?!*
Oblivious to Yang Jin’s thoughts, Yun Hexian returned home and finally gave his arm a triumphant pump.
*Yes!*
In these past two days, he hadn't just practiced his skills; he had logically used the puppy... no, used human-dog interaction to connect with the protagonist's family. Although it was a bit of a hassle, it was highly plausible and wouldn't easily be suspected as intentional stalking—after all, protagonists who aren't transmigrators are usually quite sharp.
Besides, since Lin Qiye’s aunt had personally asked him to walk Lin Qiye home, when the Masked Ghost appeared, Yun Hexian would have the perfect opportunity to show off right in front of Lin Qiye. It couldn't be more natural!
Yun Hexian happily took a shower and lay in bed, waiting for sleep to come.
[Did you do that on purpose?] the BKing System asked, sounding confused.
Yun Hexian was jolted awake by the sudden question, but he simply nodded helplessly.
The BKing System didn't make a sound. Yun Hexian waited for a while, and when it didn't speak again, he fell asleep.
*Anticipating tomorrow.JPG*