What’S Wrong With Just Eating His Majesty’S Soft Rice? Chapter 17

Chapter 17 Ruling the World

Fang Cheng was the type of person who could be swayed by kindness but would bristle at force. Zhou Yinli’s words made him quite dissatisfied, and he narrowed his eyes, letting out a laugh. “And what if I do dump you?”

Zhou Yinli smiled as well, though his smile carried a sinister edge of threat and absolute certainty. “First, you have already promised to take me in. You are not a man who breaks his word lightly. Second, if I leave, you will lose a source of labor to help with your various household chores. Third, I will help you earn money.”

Fang Cheng had to admit, this guy really saw right through him.

Of the three points he mentioned, there wasn’t a single one Fang Cheng could refute.

Refusing to let him off the hook, Zhou Yinli continued, “You are absolutely not permitted to abandon me on a whim ever again.”

There was a hint of indignation in his accusatory tone, giving Fang Cheng the strange illusion that he was being treated like a scumbag who had toyed with someone’s emotions. “When did I ever abandon you!”

“Hmph,” Zhou Yinli snorted coldly.

Fang Cheng felt a bit guilty, his eyes darting around.

Taking advantage of the moment, Zhou Yinli pressed on. “As long as you do not discard me at will in the future, I will continue to help you with chores and earn money for you. I will do my utmost to get you as much as you desire.”

Fang Cheng was a little tempted, but he quickly snapped back to reality. “Anyone can brag. Can you guarantee you’ll actually make money? You’ll be lucky if people don’t treat you like a mental patient when you go out.”

Zhou Yinli no longer cared about the term “mental patient” and didn’t get angry. “Rest assured. I cannot give you a definitive promise right now only because I do not yet understand the rules of this place. However, I have observed that most people here are not as capable as I am; they are simply more familiar with the rules and the way of survival. Once I understand enough, I guarantee I will fulfill everything I have promised.”

Listening to his serious tone of explanation, Fang Cheng felt that even though the words sounded nonsensical, they seemed to be the result of deep deliberation. In the past, he would have mocked Zhou Yinli for his baseless confidence, but now, he said nothing.

Zhou Yinli watched him quietly for a moment before speaking again. “If you truly find me a burden and a nuisance, I can leave immediately.”

If he had played it tough, Fang Cheng could have been even tougher. But now that his tone had softened into a show of weakness, Fang Cheng felt a pang in his heart. He couldn’t help but wonder if he really was being a bit too much. Regardless of whether the man had amnesia or was a mental patient, he was truly penniless, with no family or friends looking for him.

If he went out like this, sleeping on the streets would be the best-case scenario. What if he was kidnapped to have his kidneys harvested or forced into the sex trade?

If it were the latter, he’d probably have good business. But if it were the former, it would be tragic.

“Stop talking about that. I promised to let you stay at my place, and I won’t go back on it. We’ll talk more once your ID is sorted out. But you should know, staying at my house isn’t free. You said it yourself, you have to give me…”

“Do the chores. I will do them.”

Fang Cheng thought about it. “That’s fine. It’s about right. It would be perfect if you knew how to cook, too.”

“I know how to cook the noodles you taught me.”

“How does that count as knowing how to cook?”

Zhou Yinli fell silent for a moment. “Although a gentleman stays away from the kitchen, I will learn.”

Fang Cheng didn’t bother arguing. He had something else on his mind right now, but he needed to verify it further.

Zhou Yinli thought Fang Cheng was taking him home, as he still had books to finish reading. He had so much knowledge to absorb lately that he wished he could split one hour into five.

To his surprise, Fang Cheng wasn’t in a hurry to go back. Instead, he found a fast-food restaurant, bought two ice cream cones, and stuffed one into Zhou Yinli’s hand.

Zhou Yinli was a bit surprised to receive the cone. But seeing Fang Cheng squinting his eyes and licking the milky white tip, he smiled slightly. He mimicked Fang Cheng and took a lick, his expression shifting as the flavor hit his tongue.

Fang Cheng chuckled. “Is it good?”

Zhou Yinli nodded.

Fang Cheng was happy too, his eyes curving even more. “I haven’t had this in ages. Only because the second one was half-price, and I couldn’t let them take advantage of me! Now there are finally two people to eat them!”

The two of them sat quietly until they finished. Fang Cheng ordered a combo meal for him, handed over his own smartphone, and took back the old-fashioned phone. “Watch some videos here and wait for me. I have something to take care of.”

Seeing him stand up, Zhou Yinli suddenly grabbed his hand. “Where are you going? You promised…”

Fang Cheng looked at his hand. Zhou Yinli was gripping him very tightly. It hurt, and Fang Cheng winced.

“I have some business, I’ll just be out for a bit. Call me if something happens. You know how to make calls now, right?”

Zhou Yinli realized his reaction was a bit excessive and let go, but his expression remained tense.

“How long will you be?” Zhou Yinli asked.

“An hour?” Fang Cheng gave a rough estimate. “Watching two episodes of a show should be enough.”

“Then I will wait for you for one hour.” Zhou Yinli let go. He had previously used ancient terms for time, but now he had changed his phrasing.

“Alright. Don’t talk to strangers. And don’t go picking fights with people. Don’t believe anything anyone tells you, or I won’t care if the bad guys take you away.”

After this interruption, Fang Cheng felt awkward and restless, unable to stop himself from nagging a few more instructions.

“Alright.” Zhou Yinli nodded obediently. He didn’t look at the phone, but kept his eyes fixed on Fang Cheng.

Fang Cheng opened a video app for him and plugged in the headphones. Only then did he leave, looking back every three steps. Every time he turned around, Zhou Yinli was watching his retreating back, until they both disappeared from each other’s sight.

The small shop owned by Fang Cheng’s friend was located in a cramped corner of the antique street. Those unfamiliar with the area wouldn’t be able to find it. Fang Cheng had only been there once before and had to wander around for quite a while to find it again.

“I dug up a thumb ring from my grandmother’s belongings. Help me take a look at it.” Fang Cheng pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to Xiao He.

Xiao He was young but had styled himself with a pair of sunglasses and a Tang suit. He didn’t comment on Fang Cheng’s story but took the thumb ring and examined it carefully against the sunlight.

The moment Xiao He felt the ring, his expression changed. “Tsk tsk. Cheng-zi, wait a second.”

He pulled out some tools from the side and performed a detailed inspection, looking very professional.

After a long while, he spoke to Fang Cheng seriously. “This is high-quality mutton-fat jade. You could even call it top-tier. Look here, there’s a faint trace of a dragon. If this formed naturally, it’s incredibly rare—far more rare and precious than the jade itself. In ancient times, this would probably have been presented to the Emperor as an auspicious omen. I’m not entirely sure about the era of the craftsmanship, but with this pattern, there are definitely collectors who would want it. The price will only go up. Where did you get this? Tell me the truth.”

Fang Cheng took it back silently and looked at the pattern Xiao He mentioned. Indeed, there was a faint, flowing dragon-shaped inclusion. If he stared at it long enough, he even had the illusion that the dragon was moving, which sent a chill through him.

He had seen too many dragon elements lately.

On Zhou Yinli’s clothes, shoes, belt, and even his sword, dragons were everywhere.

And as for this thumb ring that Zhou Yinli had given him on the very first day, he truly hadn’t given it a second glance, so he naturally hadn’t noticed the dragon shape.

Now, the final piece of the puzzle in Fang Cheng’s mind was finally slotted into place. The picture was complete.

It was a perfect fit.

Fang Cheng’s mind was a mess. He shook his head at Xiao He. “My grandmother gave it to me. I’m leaving now.” He clutched the thumb ring and prepared to walk out.

Xiao He grabbed him. “Hey, Cheng-zi, are you selling this? I’ll give you fifty thousand. Sell it to me.”

Fang Cheng felt a bit of a sting in his teeth, a complex emotion rising in his heart. For such a small thumb ring, Xiao He’s opening offer was fifty thousand, and that was likely a lowball price.

Based on his understanding of Xiao He, the actual value of this ring was probably at least double that.

He shook his head and continued toward the door.

Xiao He gritted his teeth again. “Hey, hey, Cheng-zi, if you’re serious about selling, we can negotiate the price. Look at our relationship—I’ll give you eighty thousand! How about that?”

Fang Cheng waved his hand, indicating he really wasn’t selling, and stepped out of the shop. Xiao He’s voice followed him from behind. “Hey, how about a hundred and twenty thousand, Cheng-zi? Final offer. That’s the most I can do. You won’t find a better price anywhere else.”

Fang Cheng left the street and wandered back aimlessly.

He looked up at the sun, feeling that the scientific knowledge he had learned clearly couldn’t explain the situation he was facing.

However, the world was clearly full of unsolved mysteries. Meeting Zhou Yinli was perhaps just another one of them.

He walked to the front of the fast-food restaurant where he had left Zhou Yinli. He didn’t want to face him just yet, so he sat on the edge of a flower bed outside, unsure of what attitude he should use to face that guy.

From where he sat, he could see Zhou Yinli through the glass doors. He was sitting upright, watching the phone with impeccable posture. Even in cheap, worn-out clothes from a street stall, he looked different from everyone else.

It turned out he really was from a completely different world.

World.

The literal meaning of the word.

So, after eliminating all other options, no matter how bizarre or impossible the final one seemed, it was still the truth.

Fang Cheng couldn’t help but sigh. He didn’t know which was better: a real mental patient or a real emperor.

Zhou Yinli hadn’t lied. He didn’t have a delusional disorder. He was exactly as he presented himself and exactly what he claimed to be. His identity was that of an Emperor.

An Emperor—an extinct species from ancient times!

Fang Cheng cursed inwardly. How could he be an emperor? Aren’t those things extinct? Feudal society was abolished ages ago; how could he possibly run into an emperor? What the hell was the difference between this and picking up a stray dinosaur!

On second thought, it was a good thing he picked up Zhou Yinli. If he’d picked up a dinosaur, he would have been swallowed in one bite. Fang Cheng gave an optimistic smile, then immediately wiped it off. What was there to be happy about?

As someone who had received nine years of compulsory education and believed in science, no matter how strange Zhou Yinli acted, he would only believe the man was mentally ill rather than a real time-traveler. Therefore, his previous lack of trust in Zhou Yinli was completely understandable. He suddenly stopped feeling guilty.

Once he wrapped his head around it, Fang Cheng realized that since time travel was real, why wasn’t he the one who traveled? His role even felt a bit like a villain setting traps for the protagonist!

Now that Zhou Yinli had traveled here, was he the absolute protagonist? What was his purpose? Was it to rule the world?

Fang Cheng rubbed his chin, thinking of the way Zhou Yinli washed dishes and mopped the floor for him.

If the mission of a chosen one like Zhou Yinli was to rule the world, then his own mission was to rule Zhou Yinli. Heh heh.

Pondering these thoughts and still unsure how to face Zhou Yinli, Fang Cheng sat in the flower bed for an unknown amount of time. Suddenly, the old-fashioned phone in his hand began to vibrate, emitting a strange and loud robotic female voice: “Your grandson is calling! Your grandson is calling!”