Xu Jia was somewhat distracted.
She sat on a bench in the center of the plaza, having arranged to meet her best friend there. She had been stood up for ten minutes already, yet she had no intention of using her phone to urge her friend along.
This was because her entire focus was fixed on the youth sitting under the shade of a tree not far away.
The youth appeared pale and thin, his eyes covered by a thin layer of white gauze. He sat quietly in a wheelchair, his blue-and-white striped hospital gown exceptionally striking.
But even so, the youth was still breathtakingly beautiful. He was so handsome that after a single fleeting glimpse, Xu Jia couldn't stop thinking about him, watching him secretly from the sidelines.
As she watched, she grew increasingly nervous.
*Oh dear, that brat’s ball almost kicked right into him!*
*Good grief, you two lovebirds shouldn't be wandering around so recklessly while billing and cooing!*
*Hey, mister! You guys shouldn't be arguing right next to someone else! What if a fight breaks out and he gets hurt!*
*No, I can't just sit here.*
Seeing a ball narrowly brush past the youth’s wheelchair once again, Xu Jia stood up.
"Shall I help you move to a different spot?"
She gripped the handles of the wheelchair. Seeing the youth turn his head in confusion, she lowered her voice and explained somewhat awkwardly, "Um... there are a lot of people here. I feel like it might not be very safe for you..."
Fine beads of sweat broke out on Xu Jia’s forehead, though she wasn't sure if it was from the sun or from nerves.
*Please don't think I'm a bad person, please don't think I'm a bad person... If I'm hated by such a beautiful boy, I might actually cry...* she muttered to herself inwardly.
"Ah, thank you."
The youth was startled for a moment, then his eyes curved as he thanked her softly.
At such a close distance, Xu Jia could clearly see the eyes beneath the white gauze. A hint of purple irises shimmered through the hazy fabric, making Xu Jia, who was already stunned by the youth's beauty, even more mesmerized.
*He actually has purple eyes!*
Suppressing the urge to immediately take a photo with her phone as a memento, Xu Jia pushed the youth to another corner under the shade where there were fewer people. During the process, she specifically held up an umbrella to prevent the sun from hitting his eyes.
"Thank you very much. You are truly a considerate person."
As she closed the umbrella, Xu Jia heard the youth’s overly polite thanks again and hurriedly waved her hands, saying it was no trouble.
"Wh-why are you here all by yourself? Did you come out alone? It’s very dangerous..." Her worried words sounded almost like a cross-examination, and Xu Jia bit her lip in frustration. "Uh... you don't have to answer. I'm just worried..."
Fortunately, the youth didn't mind.
He even answered seriously and gently, "I'm not alone. Someone is with me; he just stepped away for a moment."
He pressed his hands together and tilted his head slightly, his blue-violet eyes watching Xu Jia through the gauze. This movement softened his pale, sickly aura and the faint sense of aloofness surrounding him, making him appear suddenly vivid and well-behaved.
"I'm lucky I ran into you. You've been a big help."
Xu Jia’s face instantly turned bright red, and she waved her hands frantically. "No, no, no, it was just a small effort, haha..."
*Help!! How can there be a beautiful boy with such a gentle voice and such a lovely smile!*
Her heart was itching; she only wanted to stay with the youth a bit longer, so she took the initiative to speak. "Then I'll stay with you for a while. I don't have anything to do anyway."
...
After chatting for a bit, Xu Jia noticed the youth’s slightly pale lips and how his eyes frequently cast downward. She asked nervously, "What's wrong? Is it heatstroke?"
The youth’s originally gentle and clear voice sounded somewhat weak.
"I'm a little dizzy..."
He shook his head gently, his misty purple eyes blinking as if he were trying to act strong.
"It's alright. Just let me rest for a moment..."
Xu Jia was frantic. "Dizzy? Then it might be low blood sugar..."
She turned to look at the convenience store across the road and stood up. "I-I-I'll go buy you some drinks and candy. Wait for me..."
Watching the girl hurriedly run off while holding up her skirt, and feeling a faint warmth in his pocket, Mu Ran called out to the System in his mind.
[Mu Ran: Come quickly.]
—
By the time Xu Jia rushed back with several bottles of drinks and various emergency high-calorie snacks, she found a young man had already beaten her to it.
The youth was holding a boxed drink, taking small sips like a little animal. The young man tore open a box of chocolates and held one to the youth’s lips. His other hand was free to check the youth’s forehead, seemingly feeling his temperature.
Xu Jia, clutching a pile of items: "..." *Dammit, someone got here first!*
Just as she was about to step forward to help, she was met with the young man’s cold, sharp gaze. "Who are you?"
Xu Jia was startled. "I-I-I came to help..."
The young man’s attitude softened slightly, but he remained quite guarded. "I'll take it from here."
"Don't be so tense. She just helped me; she's a good person."
The youth reached out a hand to tug at the young man’s hem, casting an apologetic smile at Xu Jia. "I'm sorry, my brother is just too worried."
*Oh, oh! They're family! That's fine then.*
Xu Jia caught her breath and belatedly realized that the young man was also exceptionally handsome and elegant, even possessing unusual azure-blue eyes. No wonder they were family.
Just as she was about to say something more, she saw the young man glance at the items in her hands and then hand her several large bills.
She hurriedly refused. "It’s fine, really! I can drink these myself."
The young man paused and looked down at the youth.
"Please take it. I've taken up a lot of your time, haven't I? Consider it a small bit of compensation."
The youth understood the cue and spoke softly with curved eyes. His tone was so gentle it sounded like he was acting spoiled, possessing a magic that made it impossible to refuse.
Xu Jia felt a shiver of delight run down her spine and unconsciously accepted the money.
Since the brother had arrived, she had no reason to stay. She could only say goodbye somewhat reluctantly. "Then I'm going now~ stay safe..."
The youth nodded with a smile and made a finger-heart at her.
Mustering her courage, she also gave the young man by the wheelchair a piece of advice: "Don't leave your brother alone for so long next time... it's dangerous!"
The young man rubbed the handles of the wheelchair and gave only a low grunt in response.
...
Seeing the girl gradually walk away, looking back every few steps, Mu Ran pulled on the System’s hand and said softly, "Then let's go too... Brother."
They brushed past two people.
One was a black-haired young man in a detective’s outfit, looking bored and yawning; the other was a long-haired man in a light-colored suit, looking helpless and sighing incessantly.
Feeling a sudden, abnormal heat from the tool in his pocket, Mu Ran understood.
[Mu Ran: Okay, those two are likely the protagonists! Remember them!]
The System turned its head ever so slightly, using its peripheral vision to memorize the characteristics of these two people.
The black-haired young man seemed to sense something and looked back, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
"What? Thinking of another excuse to slack off?"
The voice beside him dispelled the momentary sense of strangeness. He turned his head to argue with his companion.
"What do you mean slacking off! Dammit! You bastard, don't talk nonsense and ruin this Great Detective’s reputation!"
...
A brief encounter with the protagonists, nothing happened, and the experiment concluded normally.
[Mu Ran: Yay!!]
They returned to a shop where they were temporarily staying in this world.
This shop was nominally inherited by Mu Ran; it was a small shop selling handmade goods. Exquisite jewelry, novelly designed toys, lifelike dolls... they were all displayed in the transparent windows, looking very attractive.
However, Mu Ran had no intention of selling them. He had hung up a "Closed" sign early on, using the place only as a spot for the two of them to rest after completing their experiments.
This shop was a gift from Ye Lan to Mu Ran.
"Oh my~ the protagonist of this world is a detective. If he realizes something is wrong with you and finds out you're undocumented residents, the suspicion will be even greater!~"
Mu Ran had replied humbly, "We will try our best to avoid them..."
Ye Lan covered her mouth and laughed. "Forget it~ Big Sister will help you out. Let's see... how about I give you a shop?"
Thus, for the first time, Mu Ran had an identity during an experiment—though this identity was relatively blank and inconsequential, at least he wasn't an undocumented resident!
Though the System was still undocumented, haha...
But the System’s combat power in this world was quite high. Even if there was a special situation, the System could just run away; there was no need to worry about a background check.
This experiment was to see how passersby treated a disabled person in need of help on the roadside.
Although Mu Ran’s current body was indeed a bit sickly, it hadn't reached the point of being disabled; the wheelchair was merely an experimental prop. This experiment still only required Mu Ran to perform, but due to the weakness of the body itself, the System also had the opportunity to choose a physical form to protect Mu Ran in certain situations.
...Of course, the System’s appearance just now was actually to speed up the experimental process and avoid the protagonist group.
Mu Ran stood up from the wheelchair and unwrapped the white gauze from his eyes. He tried to open his eyes wide to observe the various small props placed in the cabinets.
The System held a small orange lamp, carefully helping him dispel the darkness.
[Mu Ran: Ah, this body's eyes are beautiful, but they're also too pitiful...]
His vision came with a built-in hazy effect; he couldn't handle light that was too intense, or his tears would flow uncontrollably. On a sunny day, even if he wasn't directly under the sun, he needed to wrap a layer of white gauze for protection.
However, he still needed to familiarize himself with the shop. Otherwise, if someone came knocking, his lack of familiarity would be enough for the protagonists to imagine a whole host of things.
"Eh?"
Following the contour of the cabinet downward with his fingers, Mu Ran felt an uneven texture. He called for the System to look down with him, but his eyes were accidentally stung by the light from the small lamp.
Mu Ran: QAQ
His blue-violet eyes welled up with tears almost instantly. He tried to blink, but it only caused more tears to accumulate.
"You look first, I'm going to go calm down."
He tried to find some tissues in the dark, but his knee ended up bumping into a chair, and in his pain, his arm accidentally knocked something off the table.
*Clang—*
Mu Ran: Help...
[Mu Ran: I'm probably a useless person...]
[System: Don't move.]
The System put down the lamp, came to Mu Ran’s side, and knelt to roll up his pant leg. The artificial lifeform’s unobstructed vision in the darkness allowed him to clearly see the redness and swelling on Mu Ran’s knee.
[System: You're injured. Let's treat it first.]
He picked up Mu Ran, who didn't dare move in the dark, turned off the little orange lamp, and went up to the second floor.
...
"Now the wheelchair will actually come in handy..."
Feeling the stinging pain in his knee, Mu Ran sighed. He thought optimistically: *Then I can act even more convincingly. It's not too bad.*
*Unless the chosen passerby is a bad person.*
*Could it be that coincidental?*
...
*Yes.*
Looking at the several people surrounding him, Mu Ran cried cat-tears internally.
[Mu Ran: I'm never setting flags again!!]
[Mu Ran: Come quickly, qwq]
However, the System did not reply immediately.
The System took a deep breath, looking at the crime scene it had accidentally stumbled upon and the wary, threatening gazes of the several people present. Its tone was cold.
"Carry on as you please. I'm just passing through."
***
