The Abused Villain is Always Obsessed with Me - Chapter 20

“You mean your phone got wet and won’t turn on?”

The balding shop owner, wearing a loose T-shirt, leaned lazily against the glass counter, picking up the phone and fiddling with it.

“Yeah, I spilled soup on it. It’s been completely black ever since.” Lu Cang stood with his hands in his pockets, staring at the owner with a look of feigned distress.

“No problem, just leave it to me. I’ll check the motherboard for water damage first.”

The owner’s expression remained relaxed as he grabbed a toolbox from the side, skillfully unscrewed the phone’s casing, and carefully examined the interior.

“It’s not too bad. None of the major components are damaged, not even the motherboard. It probably just overheated momentarily. I’ll clean it up for you, and it should work fine.”

Lu Cang nodded, his brow furrowing slightly as if in deep thought. After a long pause, he asked, “How much will it cost?”

“I won’t charge you much—just twenty.” The owner waved his hand generously, continuing to work on the phone while glancing up at Lu Cang. “Are you a student at this school?”

Lu Cang nodded.

“You look like one too. This school’s full of good students. If only my kid could get into a place like this.”

The shop owner chuckled, chatting casually as he quickly repaired the phone. After pressing the power button to confirm it was working properly, he placed it on the counter, gesturing for Lu Cang to take it.

But Lu Cang didn’t reach for it. He stared intently at the owner before suddenly asking, “I wanted to ask, can you install a GPS tracker on this phone?”

The owner paused, a flicker of wariness in his eyes. “I could, but what do you need it for?”

Students often came to him to unlock passwords or hack devices, and he usually turned a blind eye—after all, it was a gray market. But installing a GPS tracker was an unusual request.

The owner sized up the boy before him, but Lu Cang didn’t seem like the type to cause trouble.

“Oh, it’s like this,” Lu Cang said, pressing his thumb to his lips and gently biting it, feigning nervousness and worry.

“This phone belongs to my grandmother. She has Alzheimer’s and doesn’t like answering calls.”

“She’s wandered off several times before, and it took me ages to find her each time. I heard you can fix anything, so I was hoping you could help me.”

He lowered his gaze, looking dejected.

“I don’t know if you understand, but I’m really worried about her. What if I can’t find her next time…?”

“Alright, that’s enough,” the shop owner interrupted, raising a hand.

“What a filial child! If only my own kid could be half as good as you—dutiful and academically gifted. Ah, it’s truly wonderful.”

See? the owner thought. He’s clearly a well-behaved kid. There must be a good reason for this request.

Perhaps Lu Cang’s reputation as a model student served as a perfect cover, because the owner harbored no further suspicions.

“Thank you so much,” Lu Cang said, his eyes downcast, his gaze deep and unfathomable. A shallow, perfectly calibrated smile played on his lips.

Truly, thank you so much.

Lu Cang returned when the minute hand reached the 9.

Hearing the door open, Feng Hechi glanced at the time. Lu Cang had been gone for about forty minutes.

Lu Cang walked over to Feng Hechi, hesitated as he pulled out his phone, then placed it on the coffee table and pushed it toward him.

As Feng Hechi leaned forward to retrieve the phone, the screen suddenly lit up.

It was a message from Shen Wenyu.

Feng Hechi froze for a moment, then immediately looked up at Lu Cang.

Lu Cang was staring out the window, but as if sensing Feng Hechi’s gaze, he turned his head, his eyes showing a hint of confusion.

He probably didn’t see it.

Though Feng Hechi wasn’t guilty of anything, he had been contacting Shen Wenyu behind Lu Cang’s back and didn’t want him to discover their communication so soon.

Feng Hechi took back his phone, thoroughly checked it to ensure everything was working properly, and waved casually at Lu Cang, signaling that he could leave.

Lu Cang obediently turned around, walked to the desk where he had been doing his homework earlier, sat down with his back to Feng Hechi, and picked up his pen again.

Only then did Feng Hechi turn his attention to the phone screen and open Shen Wenyu’s message.

Brother, are you there?

Feng Hechi raised an eyebrow. Why is he messaging me at this hour? What does he want?

What’s up?

A reply popped up almost instantly.

Actually, I wanted to ask if you know of any part-time jobs.

Part-time job?

Feng Hechi paused, surprised.

He remembered Shen Wenyu’s family was well-off. At his age, he shouldn’t need to work part-time.

Why suddenly want a part-time job? High school must be busy enough.

Just for weekends. It won’t affect my studies. There’s a new game console I want, but my parents won’t let me buy it, so I’m planning to earn the money myself.

Ah, the typical teenage dilemma, Feng Hechi thought. After a moment, he replied:

At your age, no one will hire you.

That’s not true! I started school late and just turned eighteen. I’m an adult now!

Feng Hechi paused, then glanced sideways at the figure with his back turned to him.

When was Lu Cang’s birthday again?

He couldn’t remember. To be honest, he’d never really thought about it.

Feng Hechi wasn’t one for celebrating holidays. For years, he’d barely remembered his own birthday.

Especially after taking over the company, most of his birthdays were spent buried in stacks of documents, punctuated by the constant pings of email notifications.

How old is Lu Cang this year? Thinking this, Feng Hechi summoned the System.

“System, how old is Lu Cang this year?”

Target is currently 17 years old.

One year younger than Shen Wenyu, which meant he’d be turning eighteen soon.

As Feng Hechi pondered this, his phone vibrated again. He hadn’t replied in a while, and Shen Wenyu had sent a questioning emoji.

Feng Hechi picked up his phone and typed a few words:

The bar where I work might still be hiring servers. If you’re interested, I can take you to try out.

That’s great, thanks bro! How about this Sunday? I’ll call you beforehand!

Shen Wenyu typed with the same boundless energy he usually spoke with, his enthusiasm radiating through the screen.

After all, he had grown up in a happy family.

With this thought, Feng Hechi glanced back at the figure sitting rigidly at the table, his back turned to him. The pen in Lu Cang’s hand had stopped moving, as if he were deep in thought.

Feng Hechi withdrew his gaze.

Unseen by him, Lu Cang’s eyes were fixed intently on the draft paper before him.

The pristine white sheet was now marred by dark, forceful strokes, the pen’s pressure so intense that it had pierced through the paper, leaving black marks on the sheets beneath.

He had seen it—the notification that popped up when Feng Hechi’s phone vibrated, revealing the sender:

Shen Wenyu.

Lu Cang tightened his grip on the pen, its tip unconsciously tapping against the paper, leaving scattered dots.

When had they exchanged contact information?

Had Feng Hechi asked for it, or had Shen Wenyu taken the initiative to add him?

Why was he messaging me now…? What did he want?

The pressure of the pen tip against the paper grew steadily until it pierced right through.

In the dim light, Lu Cang’s eyes glowed faintly, dark and malevolent.