The Downtrodden Villain In A Redemption Romance Novel Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Help

Screech—!

A small electric scooter skidded to a near-drifting halt, barely stopping in front of a dilapidated, peeling apartment block. The young man on the scooter didn’t even wait for the vehicle to settle, yanking out the key and bolting into the dim stairwell like a cannonball.

“System! Which floor?! Specific door number!!” Xu Wen’s heart was already a stampede of ten thousand horses. He had driven the scooter like a reckless youth, speeding the entire way. He had no time to worry about how many red lights he ran or how many “friendly” greetings he received from passersby.

Host, sixth floor, 602. The target has already lit the charcoal. Estimated effective self-rescue time remaining is less than five minutes. The cold electronic voice delivered content as chilling as a summons from the King of Hell.

Five minutes!

Xu Wen’s scalp instantly prickled, and adrenaline surged through him. He leaped three steps at a time, charging upward. His God of Wealth! His ten million! His future life of Domestic Bliss! He absolutely could not lose it all now!

In the midst of his frantic dash, he suddenly remembered something. He fumbled for his phone, his fingers trembling as he dialed. The moment the call connected, he practically roared the address: “Xingfu Road… the Urban Village next to it! Yes, that shabbiest apartment block, sixth floor, 602! Someone is committing suicide by burning charcoal! Hurry! Someone is going to die!!”

He didn’t even wait for confirmation before hanging up and stuffing the phone back into his pocket, pouring all his strength into his legs as he sprinted toward the sixth floor.

After charging up six flights in one breath, Xu Wen felt like his lungs were a broken bellows. Every breath brought a burning pain, and his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of his throat, the deafening thumps making his brain numb.

“I’m here! System, quick! Change into a key!! How do I get in?!” He anxiously hammered on the cheap-looking iron door.

Ram it. This System only provides necessary information assistance and does not provide physical tools. The mechanical voice responded mercilessly.

“Damn it!” Xu Wen couldn’t help but curse. What kind of useless System was this! What kind of ridiculous mission! The body of the office worker he was inhabiting was even thinner and weaker than the one he had overworked to death in his previous life!

Cursing aside, the door in front of him felt like a death warrant. Behind that door was his ten million, his only hope of survival.

He gritted his back teeth, casting aside all distractions. This was no time to complain. Even if it were a solid wall, he had to smash through it!

Xu Wen stepped back two paces, clenched his jaw, and used all his strength, turning sideways to slam his shoulder violently against the iron door!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The heavy sound of the door being struck penetrated the gradually blurring consciousness of the person inside the room.

Lu Qingrang, whose eyes had already closed peacefully, felt his eyelashes flutter a few times. He seemed to hear a loud, indistinct shouting amidst the noise.

So noisy…

His head felt like it was splitting open…

So cold… so sleepy…

Don’t bother…

Just sleep…

To just drift off like this, that would be perfect…

Lu Qingrang, curled up, hugged himself with his slightly hypothermic arms, attempting to sink into eternal tranquility.

BANG!!!

The latch of the old iron door snapped. A massive sound erupted from the doorway, and the light from the hallway instantly flooded the room like a broken dam. Lu Qingrang squinted against the sudden glare. In his blurred vision, he only saw a tall, slightly thin figure in a bright yellow delivery uniform sprinting toward him with reckless abandon.

The person was shouting something loudly, but all he heard was a buzzing Tinnitus in his ears; he couldn’t make anything out.

Xu Wen burst through the door, his shoulder stinging from the impact, but he ignored it. The moment he rushed into the room, a strange, sweet, suffocating odor assaulted him, making him dizzy. He immediately spotted the figure curled up on the floor, long-limbed, yet so frail he looked like he might shatter if touched.

“Ahhh! I’m done for! I’m done for! Lu Qingrang! Lu Qingrang! Wake up! Don’t die!!”

Xu Wen’s mind was blank, leaving only the instinctive, panicked shout.

His body moved faster than his brain. He lunged toward the room’s only window, throwing it wide open with a loud “whoosh!”

The instant fresh air rushed in, he turned, his gaze locking onto the charcoal basin glowing with dark red fire in the center of the room.

He rushed over, ignoring the heat, and grabbed the heavy metal basin. He dashed into the small bathroom, tossing the burning charcoal and the basin into the sink, then turning on the faucet!

“Sizzle—” A plume of white steam rose up.

He quickly shut the bathroom door, trying to isolate any residual harmful gases.

“Help me, System! Tell me what to do next?!” Xu Wen knelt beside Lu Qingrang, looking at the man’s ashen face and shallow breathing, making him appear completely unconscious.

As a modern young man, his knowledge of first aid for charcoal suicide was virtually zero. His hands and feet were numb with panic, and he didn’t dare move the man carelessly.

Host, the ambulance has been detected entering this area, estimated arrival in four minutes. To maximize rescue time, it is recommended that you immediately move the target downstairs. The electronic voice calmly offered a suggestion that completely disregarded Xu Wen’s own survival.

“Carry… carry him down? System, are you trying to get both of us killed?!” Xu Wen was speechless. Looking at Lu Qingrang’s frame, which, though thin, was clearly taller than his own, and feeling the weakness of his own “three-hours-dead” body, he figured they would both end up tumbling down the stairs if he tried to lift him.

The System backend has comprehensively evaluated the Host’s current physical function and the target’s weight. Please trust yourself, you can do it.

“Trust you, my foot!” Xu Wen roared internally, but the increasingly clear wail of the ambulance siren was faintly audible outside the window.

He couldn’t wait any longer!

He crouched down, took a deep breath, slipped one hand under Lu Qingrang’s knees and the other around his back, and pulled up hard—

He was surprisingly light!

The long, slender body in his arms had almost no weight. Holding him, Xu Wen could clearly feel the sharp, protruding bones through the thin layer of clothing.

A mix of sadness and strange emotion swept over Xu Wen. His first-ever princess carry was not of a soft, cute girl, but of a handsome, down-on-his-luck man who was taller than him.

Er… he was handsome, at least.

Xu Wen looked down at the face in his arms—hollow-cheeked and heavily shadowed with dark circles, yet still unable to conceal its refined features. While his mind wandered, he carefully carried Lu Qingrang, step by step, down the stairs.