The Abused Villain is Always Obsessed with Me - Chapter 4

The man’s voice continued.

Lu Cang heard a hint of regret in his tone.

“It’s a pity. Teacher Zhou is truly a dedicated educator, focused solely on her work. She hasn’t given me much attention. I’ll have to rely on you to put in a good word for me later.”

These words sounded disgusting, yet they perfectly aligned with the original owner’s character.

Feng Hechi stared at Lu Cang, watching his expression gradually stiffen and his lips lose color.

Lu Cang suddenly shoved him away with all his might, but the force sent him staggering backward several steps before he barely regained his balance. He gasped for breath, his eyes fixed on Feng Hechi, bloodshot and terrifying, his fists clenching repeatedly.

Teacher Zhou was still busy mediating between Ding An and his father, oblivious to the commotion nearby.

Lu Cang’s chest heaved violently. An overwhelming nausea surged from the depths of his stomach, forcing him to pant rapidly to suppress the urge to vomit.

His heart felt like it had been crushed in a vise, and his throat burned as if a razor blade were lodged there. Feng Hechi’s tone and expression as he spoke those words mocked Lu Cang’s misplaced affection.

He had only used the excuse of paying fees to steal a few extra words with his homeroom teacher.

Today’s special visit wasn’t for Feng Hechi, but for his homeroom teacher.

How disgusting.

How utterly, utterly disgusting.

How utterly, utterly, utterly, utterly, utterly, utterly, utterly disgusting.

Lu Cang’s mind flashed back to the outdated men’s and women’s relationship magazines Feng Hechi often flipped through on the sofa.

That’s right. Feng Hechi is exactly that kind of person.

The kind who can’t live without alcohol and women.

The kind who uses his looks to deceive women and satisfy his filthy desires.

And I actually thought he was different.

How utterly… laughable.

Lu Cang took a step back, then another, before turning and sprinting out the door, vanishing around the corner in an instant.

Hate value detected: increased. Current hate value: 64.7%.

Feng Hechi froze, momentarily stunned.

He had expected the hate value to rise significantly, but this sudden surge was beyond his expectations.

Teacher Zhou, who had been busy mediating between Ding An and his father, turned around to see only Lu Cang’s retreating figure disappearing around the corner. She urgently called out to Feng Hechi.

“Lu Cang’s guardian, go find him! Don’t let him run off and get lost!”

He’s a big kid already, and he’s at school. Where could he possibly get lost?

Feng Hechi paused, then nodded and hurried after Lu Cang, who had disappeared around the corner.

As he stepped out of the office, he noticed several students standing and crouching on either side of the door, craning their necks to peek inside.

When their eyes met Feng Hechi’s, they froze for a moment. The quickest to react let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, looks like Teacher Zhou’s going to be busy for a while. Let’s come back with our questions next class.”

With that, he grabbed the arm of a dazed classmate and sprinted toward the classroom.

They really did get an earful.

Curiosity is human nature, and these students had probably been eavesdropping for quite some time.

If they hadn’t fled so guiltily, Feng Hechi might have asked if they’d seen which way Lu Cang went.

He stood in the corridor, scanning the surroundings. Students passed by, chatting and laughing, but Lu Cang’s figure was nowhere to be seen. He leaned over the railing and peered down, still unable to spot that frail, hunched back.

Feng Hechi leaned against the railing for a while, confirming Lu Cang’s absence before turning back in the direction he had come from.

 Host, are you giving up the search?  The System’s monotone voice carried a hint of confusion.

Feng Hechi scoffed. “What’s there to search for? Do you really think I’m some parent anxiously looking for a lost child?”

“He’ll be back by evening. There’s no need to waste the effort.”

However, this time, Feng Hechi’s expectations were overturned.

As the first rays of twilight filtered through the wooden windows into the living room, there was still no sign of the front door being opened.

Feng Hechi glanced at the wall clock.

It was already past Lu Cang’s usual time for returning home from school. The last time Lu Cang was a few minutes late, Feng Hechi had deliberately thrown a wine bottle past his head as a warning. Lu Cang should have learned his lesson by now.

He narrowed his eyes, staring at the door with an inscrutable expression.

 Host, do you need my assistance?  The System’s voice echoed softly, startling Feng Hechi.

“What can you even do?”

Since arriving in this world, the System had served no purpose beyond automatically monitoring and reporting numerical values and providing background information.

I can still locate the mission target within the mission world.

Feng Hechi couldn’t shake the feeling that the System’s tone carried a hint of smugness as it delivered this line.

“Then I’ll trouble you,” he said blandly.

A few seconds of silence followed before a beep notification sounded in his ear.

Target detected on a street 2 kilometers from your current location, moving towards your position.

In other words, Lu Cang was on his way home.

Feng Hechi nodded, the slight anxiety he’d felt earlier easing.

Boys of this age are prone to impulsiveness. Even though Lu Cang’s composure far surpassed that of his peers, he was still just a teenager at heart.

When Lu Cang didn’t return home on time, Feng Hechi had worried he might do something rash in a moment of despair.

“Since that’s the case, I won’t go looking for him.”

Waiting for Lu Cang to come home was the best course of action. It aligned with the original character’s personality while further fueling Lu Cang’s resentment towards him.

Time ticked by, minute by minute. Even though Feng Hechi had reassured himself, he couldn’t help but glance at the clock several times.

About half an hour had passed since the System’s last location update. Lu Cang usually walked very quickly; he could cover this distance in just over twenty minutes.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with not even the sound of footsteps in the hallway.

“System, get another location fix.”

Target detected on a street 3 kilometers southwest of your current location, moving southwest.

Why was he getting farther away?

Feng Hechi frowned, his hand unconsciously stroking the glass cup in his hand. He remembered that the southwest direction seemed to…

Lead to a river.

Unlike stagnant, lifeless water, this river flowed steadily, winding around the entire city before merging into larger rivers further downstream.

Because of this, half-person-high railings had been erected along the riverbanks, and the government regularly emphasized the prohibition against children playing near the river without adult supervision.

Feng Hechi’s frown deepened. He set the glass cup on the coffee table and rose to walk toward the door.

Host, didn’t you say you didn’t need to go looking for him?

“I’d rather not have the System’s next location update find him in that river.”

An hour earlier, Lu Cang sat on a park bench, his head tilted back as he gazed steadily at the sky.

The park was small but lush with trees, crisscrossed by winding stone paths. It was frequented mostly by elderly people who strolled and chatted here during the early morning and evening hours.

He often came here himself.

On weekends or when his mood was low, he would sit here, staring blankly at the drifting clouds.

The first time he came was two years ago, after a fight with Feng Hechi.

His mother had been away for several days due to work, and Feng Hechi gradually revealed his true, loathsome nature. He became critical and demanding at home, frequently making snide remarks.

In a fit of anger, Lu Cang stormed out of the house, running down the street until he reached this park.

He sat there from daybreak until nightfall, when only a few dim streetlights remained and all the other visitors had vanished. Yet no one came looking for him.

Not even a phone call.

Lu Cang stared at his phone, glancing at the time: it was already ten o’clock.

He silently got up, walked a long way, and pushed open the door to his home. His eyes fell on Feng Hechi, who was sprawled lazily on the sofa. Feng Hechi glanced casually in his direction before smiling and speaking into the phone.

“Oh, your son’s finally back. I have no idea where he’s been all day. I spent hours searching for him outside but couldn’t find him. You should talk to him.”

Lu Cang stood frozen in the doorway, but Feng Hechi waved his hand and tossed the phone directly at him. He fumbled to catch it, pressed it to his ear, and heard his mother’s voice, gentle yet reproachful.

“Xiao Cang, why are you being so inconsiderate? Didn’t I tell you to get along with Hechi? He was so worried searching for you outside for so long. You can’t do this again, okay?”

Lu Cang listened in silence, glancing up at Feng Hechi.

Feng Hechi looked relaxed, even leisurely opening a fresh bottle of beer.

He hadn’t searched for Lu Cang at all.

Lu Cang opened his mouth to retort, but his mother sighed.

“You know He Chi will be your father sooner or later. I’ve always wanted you two to get along. If you don’t, I’ll worry about you both when I’m at work.”

Lu Cang closed his mouth again.

He had so much he wanted to say.

He wanted to say that he didn’t acknowledge this man as his father and would never call him “Dad.”

He wanted to ask if his mother’s “worry” was for him or for Feng Hechi.

But he remained silent, only murmuring a soft “Mm.”

His mother was lost in a false illusion. In her mind, her family was happy, her boyfriend was sweet-talking and understanding, and he treated her and her child with tenderness. She believed they would soon officially marry Feng Hechi, becoming a legally recognized family.

She couldn’t see the reality of their situation.

“Mm, I understand, Mom,” Lu Cang said softly.

If this was what his mother wanted, even if it was an illusion, he couldn’t bear to shatter it.

As long as she was happy, that was all that mattered.

Lu Cang closed his eyes, then opened them again, finally snapping out of his tangled thoughts and memories.

It was dusk, and the park was still crowded. The laughter of children playing echoed in his ears.

Time to go home.

He had skipped his afternoon classes and sat in the park until now. No one had contacted him, not even Teacher Zhou.

Feng Hechi must have told her not to worry.

Lu Cang’s lips twitched, trying to force a smile, but he couldn’t manage it. He stood up and walked silently toward the park exit, just as he had two years ago.

The streets buzzed with activity. Peddlers hawked their wares, car horns blared, and the air was thick with noise.

Yet amidst the chaos, Lu Cang felt like an outsider.

Whether at home or on these bustling streets, he was always alone.

Footsteps approached nearby, but Lu Cang ignored them, keeping his head down as he walked. In his peripheral vision, he noticed several pairs of shoes blocking his path.

He stopped.

“In such a hurry? Where are you off to?”

The group before him wore flashy clothes and sported gaudily dyed hair. They blew a mocking kiss at him.

Lu Cang recognized them—the notorious street thugs who frequented this area. They often preyed on middle and high school students after school, demanding money under the guise of “borrowing.”

Of course, they never returned the money.

Lu Cang lived in a small, economically backward town with a motley population. Despite such blatant extortion, no one ever intervened.

Lu Cang looked up at them blankly, showing no sign of fear. Their leader, angered by his indifference, stepped forward and grabbed Lu Cang by the collar, his expression menacing.

“What are you staring at? Hand over the money now! We’re going out for a good meal tonight!”

Lu Cang was already thin and small; when the leader yanked him up, his heels nearly left the ground. He maintained his expressionless facade, his eyes cold as he stared at the man before him, saying nothing.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I swear I’ll gouge your eyes out!” the leader snarled, his anger escalating.

“Oh, then try it,” Lu Cang retorted unexpectedly. His hand darted to the hidden compartment of his backpack, swiftly retrieving something. He clenched his fist and thrust it toward the hand gripping his collar.

His movements were clumsy, but the leader reacted quickly, releasing Lu Cang and stepping back two paces. Only then did the group realize Lu Cang was holding a small knife.

Cold sweat immediately broke out on the leader’s forehead. If he hadn’t dodged quickly, his hand would have been pierced through.

He straightened up, gripping the small knife tightly, and glared coldly at the group.

“You want to gouge out my eyes? Taking my knife would make it easier, wouldn’t it?”

“Fucking hell, this kid’s got a screw loose!”

“Yeah, bringing a knife to school? What the fvck!”

The group’s composure crumbled. They exchanged uneasy glances, realizing they were still young themselves. Even though they often bullied students on the streets, their violence rarely escalated beyond fists and kicks; none of them had ever stabbed anyone.

The leader, unwilling to lose face, waved his hand to signal the others to back down. He turned and stalked away in the direction they’d come from, muttering resentfully.

“Forget it, let’s not mess with a mad dog! He’s clearly mentally unstable!”

“Yeah, yeah, his stepfather will definitely beat him when he gets home!”

Lu Cang lowered his gaze.

Most people on this street knew each other to some extent. Feng Hechi’s reputation had always been poor, and it had only worsened after his mother’s death. Nearly everyone in the neighborhood knew that Lu Cang’s family had a scumbag stepfather who mistreated his stepson.

The group of men left, grumbling and cursing. Lu Cang turned his head to look around.

He hadn’t noticed earlier, but he had somehow ended up by the river. The water shimmered, as if someone had crushed golden light into its surface.

Suddenly, Lu Cang lost all interest in going home. He turned and walked down the steps along the riverbank, stopping behind the railing at the water’s edge.

Leaning against the railing, he stared at his reflection in the water.

A woman passed behind him with her child, their voices drifting into his ears. He heard the woman speak in a gentle tone.

“What do you want for dinner tonight? Mommy will make anything you like.”

The little girl whined playfully, “I want to play outside a little longer!”

“Not today, sweetie. Daddy’s waiting for us at home. How about we play again tomorrow?”

“Okay! I want to go home and see Daddy too!”

Lu Cang lowered his gaze.

No one would ever wait for him to come home.

Not in the past, and certainly not in the future.

Staring at the water, he suddenly seemed to remember something. He gently placed his backpack on the ground, glanced around—the mother and daughter had already walked away, and no one else was nearby.

He braced his hands on the railing, then nimbly leaped up and sat on it.

If no one was waiting for him at home, then perhaps he didn’t need to go home at all.

Lu Cang stared fixedly at the water’s surface, then slowly released his grip on the railing, leaning forward with deliberate slowness.

Splash! The sound of a heavy object plunging into the water.

“Help! Someone’s fallen in!”

Feng Hechi had just stepped into the intersection when a high-pitched, desperate cry for help tore through the air from nearby. His movements froze, his pupils contracting sharply.

He whipped his head around, his gaze snapping to the river.