The Abused Villain is Always Obsessed with Me - Chapter 2

As the words fell, he turned and walked to a corner of the living room, pressing his knees against the icy wall and his kneecaps against the hard floor, his wrists twisted behind his back.

“Straighten your back,” Feng Hechi commanded, his voice still cold and indifferent.

Lu Cang closed his eyes briefly, biting down hard on his lower lip. His thin back straightened rigidly as he stared silently at the wall before him.

Detected increase in target’s hatred value. Current hatred value: 41.5%

Behind Lu Cang, where he couldn’t see, the corners of Feng Hechi’s lips curled upward slightly.

This method had always worked, and today was no exception. He turned away, casting no further glances at the boy in the corner.

Bang! The bedroom door slammed shut behind him.

Lu Cang lowered his lashes and slowly exhaled, his expression now devoid of the fear and timidity he had shown moments earlier.

In the silent living room, only the ticking of the clock remained.

He stared at the snow-white wall, the man’s icy gaze piercing his mind like needles.

That… damn man.

The way he had looked at him, as if he were an ant to be crushed underfoot, roadside trash.

Yet he was the one who shouldn’t exist in this house.

That shameless, filthy man, clinging to rotting flesh like a fly, making him nauseous.

He wouldn’t let this go. Absolutely not.

He just needed to endure a few more years, until he came of age and could support himself. Then he would make that man pay for everything.

Beneath the fringe of hair shadowing his forehead, the boy’s dark eyes flashed with a ruthless light. His hands, obediently clasped behind his back, trembled involuntarily.

But not from fear.

In the room, the System’s emotionless mechanical voice echoed.

Host, you’re truly ruthless. You’re perfectly suited for this mission.

Most people would hesitate when dealing with a mere teenager, their hearts softening with pity. But this man showed no mercy whatsoever, his coldness bordering on cruelty.

“Just completing the mission,” Feng Hechi replied, his expression unchanging, not even lifting his eyelids.

The System fell silent, then abruptly changed the subject.

Was that dish… intentional?

Though the flavor was perfect, Feng Hechi had deliberately found fault with it, as if it were utterly worthless.

Feng Hechi pulled his phone from his pocket and casually swiped to unlock it. “Of course.”

So the host isn’t entirely heartless after all.

The System searched its database for flattering phrases, but what emerged was still its monotonous mechanical tone, creating an unintentionally comical effect.

It seems you’re quite kind-hearted, Host. Deliberately finding fault with the meat dish to leave it for the growing teenager? That’s a clever way to ensure he gets proper nourishment.

Despite his stern and aloof demeanor, Feng Hechi was clearly concerned about the mission target’s frail physique, seizing the opportunity to leave the untouched food for him. A truly ingenious approach.

“Huh?”

The expression on Feng Hechi’s face finally shifted. He lazily lifted his eyelids, his tone questioning.

“I’m simply looking for him to increase his hatred value. It’s quite effective, don’t you think?”

……

After speaking, Feng Hechi raised an eyebrow. “For a system, you certainly have quite the imagination.”

The System remained silent, refusing to acknowledge the faint mockery in Feng Hechi’s words.

Feng Hechi tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, recalling Lu Cang’s frail figure.

When it came to needing nourishment for growth, Lu Cang undoubtedly needed it more than his peers.

His pale skin was tinged with the sickly yellow of malnutrition, his slender frame as thin as paper, and his wrists so delicate they seemed they could snap with the slightest pressure.

But what did it matter?

Feng Hechi was merely fulfilling his mission. All he needed to do was ensure Lu Cang didn’t die from any unforeseen accidents before the hatred value reached the target threshold, thus causing mission failure.

Besides, even if he showed Lu Cang kindness, the boy might not appreciate it.

The hatred and loathing in Lu Cang’s gaze, which Feng Hechi could feel piercing his back like a sharp blade, were too intense to ignore, even without looking.

Whatever the reason, the food had been left uneaten. If Lu Cang was willing to eat it, all the better. But if his youthful pride prevented him from yielding, then he could go hungry.

Suddenly, Feng Hechi remembered the “materials fee” Lu Cang had mentioned earlier.

Lu Cang was in his final year of junior high, preparing for high school entrance exams. He wouldn’t falsify the school’s required fees, and Feng Hechi had just rejected his request. There was no way Lu Cang could possibly gather the 350 yuan on his own.

Feng Hechi continued the original owner’s practice of giving Lu Cang 300 yuan per month for groceries.

This was clearly insufficient, falling far short of what was needed to sustain two people’s daily meals.

He knew Lu Cang meticulously planned his spending each day. After school, he would go to the market and carefully select the least damaged vegetables from the leftovers, buying them at their cheapest price for the next day’s meals.

Yet even with such careful budgeting, the monthly grocery money would be completely exhausted by the end of the month, leaving Lu Cang with no savings.

What would be a casual expense for children from ordinary families was an insurmountable sum for Lu Cang.

Although he hadn’t looked into it in detail, Feng Hechi knew Lu Cang’s grades were excellent. Even though Lu Cang rarely spoke in class, he was highly regarded by the teachers.

The teachers had specifically emphasized that failing to pay the small materials fee was a deeply humiliating matter for someone his age.

Being publicly called out for the fee, with no idea where to get the money, would undoubtedly intensify Lu Cang’s hatred toward him.

But Feng Hechi had another idea.

He casually opened his phone’s contacts and scrolled down.

The original owner’s social connections were abysmal. Most of the numbers in his contacts belonged to fair-weather friends he’d only shared drinks or meals with, and many were people he’d met just once or twice and never seen again. Beyond that, there were hardly any normal people to be found.

When he reached the bottom of the list, his finger stopped.

Amidst a jumble of flashy, nonsensical notes, one unusually normal entry stood out:

Teacher Zhou

Lu Cang’s homeroom teacher.

His finger hovered over the name for a second before lightly pressing the dial button.

The bell rang, and the classroom erupted into chaos once more.

The sounds of boys and girls laughing and teasing each other mingled with the scraping of chair legs against the floor, startling the birds perched on the windowsill into flight.

Lu Cang didn’t even lift his head. He capped his pen, closed the textbook from the previous class, and stowed it in his desk drawer, replacing it with the workbook for the next lesson.

Students jostled and shouted in the hallway, but no one glanced his way.

He had no friends, and it had always been this way.

Gloomy, withdrawn, he sat alone in the last row.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a golden glow across the classroom. His shadow stretched across the mottled wall, resembling a patch of mold growing on damp plaster.

Sometimes, during class, Lu Cang would stare blankly at the wall, wishing he truly were a silent patch of mold or just a fly crushed against the wall, its remains smeared into a stain.

Both were equally dirty, quiet, and utterly ignored.

At the podium, the Class Monitor clapped his hands to draw everyone’s attention. He waved a form in the air. “Everyone, please bring your textbook fees to me and check your names on the list so I can keep track of who’s paid.”

Lu Cang’s hand, which had been resting on his desk, suddenly clenched into a fist. His pale lips pressed into a tight line.

He instinctively reached for the hidden compartment in his backpack, but froze for a moment before letting go.

He simply couldn’t afford the money, not even the meager three hundred yuan.

The shattering crash of a broken bottle seemed to echo in his ears, and Lu Cang unconsciously raised a hand to touch his ear.

After a few minutes, the crowd around the podium gradually dispersed, most having paid their fees. The Class Monitor leaned over the podium, marking off names on a form before taking it in hand and walking down the aisle.

Lu Cang didn’t want his classmates to know about his family situation.

He didn’t want anyone to know he had to live with that disgusting man, forced to obey his commands in exchange for the bare necessities to survive.

Even he found his own existence pathetic and laughable.

Though he had always been practically invisible in class—noticed only when teachers praised his test scores—he still clung to his dignity like a man in a dilapidated thatched hut with half its roof missing, futilely clutching the straw mat beneath him in a vain attempt to protect his last shred of self-respect.

As the Class Monitor drew closer, Lu Cang’s hand tightened into a fist on the desk.

The boy didn’t stop beside him but turned directly to the row on his right.

Lu Cang froze, momentarily stunned.

Had he forgotten?

After hesitating, Lu Cang gently tapped the boy’s shoulder. When the boy looked over, Lu Cang murmured, “My book money…”

The Class Monitor stared at him for a few seconds, then slapped his forehead as if suddenly remembering something, his expression tinged with regret.

“Oh, right! I almost forgot!”

Lu Cang frowned slightly, staring at him in confusion.

The boy grinned and waved the form in his hand. “Teacher Zhou gave me your money this morning and checked your name off right away. But I was so sleepy after morning study that I just went back to sleep and forgot to tell you. Sorry about that!”

On the form in his hand, Lu Cang’s name was already marked with a check.

Lu Cang’s gaze shifted from the form to the boy’s face, still processing the information.

Teacher Zhou?

The young homeroom teacher of Lu Cang’s class. Unlike other homeroom teachers who constantly hovered at the back window watching the students, she often returned to the office immediately after class. Lu Cang had barely spoken to her, except for the few times she praised him as a model student during class meetings after exam results were announced.

The Class Monitor thought for a moment. “Perfect! Teacher Zhou said to see her after class. Go now.”

With that, he turned back to his conversation with the person next to him, their voices drifting over.

“Ugh, you know how I used to lie to my dad about school book fees and use the money for internet cafes? Now he doesn’t believe a word I say and refuses to give me any money. He says he’ll only give me money if the homeroom teacher calls him. And I was dead last on the last exam! How could I face Teacher Zhou? What if she scolds me again…?”

Lu Cang silently stood up, glancing at the boy’s expression. Though he claimed to be troubled, his face showed no sign of it.

At least he has a plausible reason to refuse outright, Lu Cang thought, lowering his gaze as he left the classroom through the back door.

The office wasn’t far, just a hundred meters away, past two classrooms.

The door was open. Lu Cang stood at the entrance and peered inside. Only a few teachers were present, all bent over their desks preparing lessons, oblivious to the sounds around them.

Lu Cang raised his hand and gently knocked on the door. The woman grading papers at her desk looked up, a smile spreading across her face as she recognized him. She waved him in.

Lu Cang stepped into the room with a hint of awkwardness. He hadn’t visited the office often before and felt a little nervous.

He approached Teacher Zhou and asked softly, “You wanted to see me, Teacher?”

Teacher Zhou pulled out a chair and gestured for him to sit. Without further preamble, she said, “You got first place in the grade on the last monthly exam. As a reward, your materials fee has been waived this time. Keep up the good work!”

Lu Cang blinked in surprise.

He hadn’t heard of any such reward system in their class. Teacher Zhou, who had been their homeroom teacher for three years, was well-acquainted with each student’s family circumstances.

She must have paid it for me, Lu Cang thought.

He murmured his thanks. Teacher Zhou smiled and asked if he was facing any difficulties with his studies, reminding him that he could always come to the office if he needed help.

Lu Cang kept his eyes lowered, avoiding direct eye contact, but he could still see the gentle curve of her lips in his peripheral vision.

In a daze, the man’s expression from the previous night resurfaced in Lu Cang’s mind.

The corners of his narrow eyes tilted slightly upward, his voice remained calm and even, and when his dark eyes looked down at Lu Cang, they revealed not a trace of emotion.

Lu Cang wasn’t particularly close to Teacher Zhou.

He never looked up during class, never asked questions, and never interacted with anyone. As soon as class ended, he would hurry out of the classroom. Over three years of junior high, this was one of the few times he had spoken to Teacher Zhou.

She was willing to help him pay his book fees and even fabricate a lie to protect his dignity.

Meanwhile, his nominal stepfather—the man who had lived with him and his mother for several years—had taken his mother’s compensation money and wouldn’t even spare him a glance.

Lu Cang lowered his gaze and bit his lower lip, his fine lashes concealing the deep-seated resentment in his eyes.

If only that man would disappear.

That person, more vile than a sewer and more repulsive than maggots, if only he could vanish from this world completely.

Detected increase in hatred value. Current target hatred value: 49%.

A beep sounded in Lu Cang’s ear, signaling the System’s notification.

The man stood by the window, his slender, bony fingers gripping the handle of a watering can as he carefully watered a potted plant on the windowsill.

Sunlight glinted off the water droplets on the leaves, illuminating his handsome features bathed in warm golden light—a stark contrast to the dilapidated surroundings.

Hearing the System’s notification, a faint smile curved his lips, his previously indifferent expression softening with a hint of pleasure.

Just as he’d anticipated.

This time, the increase in the hatred value was significantly higher than before, nearly reaching ten points.

Host, you seem quite pleased.

“It’s naturally gratifying when things unfold as planned,” Feng Hechi shrugged, setting down the watering can and strolling toward the living room.

Did you also plan your phone call with the target’s homeroom teacher last night?

The previous evening, Feng Hechi had called Teacher Zhou, explaining that Lu Cang was reluctant to ask him for money due to their strained relationship. He transferred the textbook fee to her, requesting she use the funds to cover Lu Cang’s expenses.

He emphasized the need to protect Lu Cang’s pride, urging Teacher Zhou to conceal the source of the funds and fabricate a plausible explanation.

Teacher Zhou, young and kind-hearted, had heard about Lu Cang’s family situation and Feng Hechi’s reputation. She naively believed that this scumbag stepfather had finally had a change of heart and wanted to make amends, so she readily agreed to his request.

Feng Hechi picked up a water glass from the coffee table. Cheap tea leaves, steeped for too long, floated in the glass. He took a sip and said calmly, “Even though we despise each other, we still live under the same roof. He naturally knows me better than any outsider, and subconsciously, he expects more from me.”

“In his eyes, even his homeroom teacher, a complete stranger, was willing to cover the cost of the materials, while I refused. This comparison will make him hate me far more than if he had simply been unable to pay and humiliated in front of everyone.”

Host, you’re so devious.

Being described this way by a system made Feng Hechi chuckle.

Before he could reply, his phone suddenly vibrated.

Feng Hechi glanced casually at the screen, his hand pausing mid-motion.

It was a call from Lu Cang’s homeroom teacher.