Reborn as a Substitute

Ji Sheng felt that his life was magical.

He, physical age nineteen years old, actual age twenty four, dying once and coming back to life, a genius in his past life and a potential genius at present, obviously should be seizing the time to shine, but in actuality, was sitting half-undressed on the sink in a nightclub luxury toilet, witnessing real-life mortal kombat.

Not far from him, the stranger who had just attempted to rape him was currently slumping on the floor like a big garbage bag, being beaten up by the subject of his scandalous affair in the past, now his potential golden master.

Xie Xuanming made a fierce move. He grabbed Brother Jiu’s head and slammed it against the wall. At first Brother Jiu screamed bitterly, crying and begging for mercy, but then gradually there was no sound.

A string of red flew out of his mouth and there was an echo when it hit the floor.

Ji Sheng’s scalp was numb; it took him a while to realise that it was probably Brother Jiu’s teeth that flew out.

Xie Xuanming’s methods were violent, but his face was impassive. Except for his hair that quivered slightly due to his body movements, his whole face could be said to be static, with a terrifyingly calm expression.

He looked too abnormal, like a serial killer in a movie.

Ji Sheng’s body was stiff; he suddenly thought of an evaluation of Xie Xuanming he had heard on the mobile phone broadcast during the month and a half when he was lying in bed.

“Severe depression, suspected of mental illness, prompt medical attention recommended.”

The cold, even voice of the anchor floated in Ji Sheng’s mind, providing the most infernal commentary to the bloody and brutal picture in front of him.

Ji Sheng shivered instinctively, wondering whether he had taken a rebirth script or a horror movie script…

If it weren’t for the fact that he had known Xie Xuanming for many years, retaining a little trust in his humanity and believing he wouldn’t take his anger out on others… or even if he did, then not to the extent of beating people into a bloody pulp… 

Ji Sheng probably would have grabbed the doorknob and fled.

Even if you run away from here, you don’t know when you might be kidnapped and end up in a plastic bag, dead, Ji Sheng persuaded himself calmly. 

There was no smooth road in any direction for him, so it was better to take a gamble.

Ji Sheng bit the bullet and stood close to the sink like a prisoner, waiting for Xie Xuanming to finish his great career of beating people up.

Who knows how long it took, but Xie Xuanming finally stopped.

He threw the bloodied Brother Jiu away, turned around and approached Ji Sheng step by step.

Ji Sheng swallowed and stood straight.

Xie Xuanming approached gradually.

Distance two steps, one step——

Ji Sheng held his breath.

They were face to face.

Xie Xuanming walked past Ji Sheng without looking at him, stopped in front of the sink beside him, turned on the faucet and cleaned up the filth on his hands.

The water gurgled.

Ji Sheng looked away in embarrassment and his gaze happened to fall on Brother Jiu who was unconscious not far away.

There was nothing he could do. Whoever entered the bathroom at this moment would definitely see Brother Jiu at first glance.

After all, there was a large pool of blood on the platinum-white tiles that gave people a visual impact equal to witnessing a murder scene with their own eyes…

Of course, this might be a murder scene as well.

Ji Sheng looked at the motionless Brother Jiu feeling his heart palpitating.

No one will die, right?

If he does, will Ji Sheng be convicted as an accomplice?

He glanced at Xie Xuanming out of the corner of his eyes and realized that he was concentrating on cleaning up. After figuring out the guy was too lazy to pay attention to him, Ji Sheng slowly moved a few steps towards the half-dead Brother Jiu.

Squatting down beside Brother Jiu, he stretched out his hand to explore.

Still breathing.

Ji Sheng didn’t have time to sigh in relief when he was suddenly pulled back by force and staggered up, unable to keep his balance.

Xie Xuanming picked Ji Sheng up abruptly, turned back and forced him to take a few steps until he was pressed heavily to the sink.

The collision between his backside and the countertop made Ji Sheng grit his teeth. It was too late to cry out, and Xie Xuanming’s Shura-like expression silenced him anyway.

Xie Xuanming had some blood on his face that had not been wiped clean, his skin was pale and his aura was frighteningly hostile.

He looked at Ji Sheng condescendingly: “What did I tell you?”

Xie Xuanming’s expression was too gloomy, and Ji Sheng had no doubt that if he could not give a reasonable explanation, there would immediately be another bloody lump on the bathroom floor, similar to the first one, but smaller in size. 

Ji Sheng’s mind worked quickly and he said frankly:

“I have amnesia.”

Something finally changed in Xie Xuanming’s eyes. He grimaced and sneered: “Continue.”

Ji Sheng continued: “I was kidnapped and beaten up, and when I woke up… I lost part of my memories.”

Without waiting for Xie Xuanming to question, he neatly pulled up his sleeves.

Xie Xuanming lowered his head to look at his pale wrists covered with large bruises and red marks.

He stared at the purple green, took Ji Sheng’s hand expressionlessly and gently rubbed the marks with his fingers, causing Ji Sheng’s skin to shift, and then patted him soothingly. As soon as Ji Sheng relaxed, he maliciously pressed down again, making him grunt in pain.

Ji Sheng pursed his lips and frowned.

After confirming the authenticity of the wounds, Xie Xuanming let go and said coldly: “I hate this look.”

Ji Sheng broke out in a cold sweat from pain. A bit of anger bubbling in his heart somewhat washed away his fear. He gritted his teeth and said:

“I am a human being, and I will naturally scream if it hurts.”

He was a human being, but Xie Xuanming not necessarily was.

As the boy in front of him frowned, his eyes a little red and his lips slightly open, red and swollen as if they had been ravaged, Xie Xuanming’s expression darkened.

The hand wringing Ji Sheng’s shoulder loosened and pressed against his skin through the fabric with a suggestive rub.

Ji Sheng was faintly aware of the nastiness of this gesture and struggled.

Xie Xuanming completely ignored his resistance, stretched his arm and wrapped it around Ji Sheng’s back, followed down and stopped ambiguously below his waist. Feeling the instant stiffness of the body under his touch, Xie Xuanming sneered: “You’re afraid of pain but not afraid of shame. Even injured, you don’t forget to climb on a man’s bed. I should praise you for your dedication. ”

“Emperor Xie.” Ji Sheng’s upper body leaned back. He found the harassing presence above his buttocks so refreshing that he managed to regain his composure, his thin lips twitching as he reminded, “Now it is you who are flirting with me.”

Xie Xuanming said indifferently: “So what?”

Ji Sheng first choked and then laughed in exasperation, his mind free from fear, absurd irritation taking its place.

Their status was so unequal that Ji Sheng simply shut up and tilted his head. He looked like “I’ll quietly watch you play”.

With Ji Sheng lying flat and not resisting, Xie Xuanming stopped, removed his hands from Ji Sheng’s backside and placed them on the sink.

“What are you looking for me for?”

“If I say I miss you so much…”

“Scram.”

“…” Ji Sheng calmly finished, “I really want you to cooperate with me.”

Xie Xuanming showed his third expression today——surprise.

He raised his eyebrows slightly as if he heard something ridiculous: “Cooperate?”

“En.” Ji Sheng uttered the prepared statement, “Before today, Emperor Xie, you didn’t know that I was beaten by someone, did you?”

Xie Xuanming didn’t make a sound but the corners of his eyes moved slightly.

“Those people are very heavy-handed. If it weren’t for good luck, I might not be able to stand here and talk to you now. Personally, I don’t think that I have enough value for someone to kill me, so it was actually directed at you, Emperor Xie.”

“Me?”

“Correct.” Ji Sheng said, “I heard that you have a conflict with some people because of a certain person. I also heard that I and that… senior are somewhat similar in appearance.” 

“This is your bargaining chip?” Xie Xuanming’s eyes narrowed as he sneered, “Rumours and a rip-off version of the face.”

“Drunk driving.” Ji Sheng raised his voice and looked straight into Xie Xuanming’s eyes, “That senior, did he really have an accident because of drunk driving?” 

Xie Xuanming’s calm mask fell apart in an instant.

“Who told you that?”

He clenched his shoulder again with a heavy hand.

“The one who hit me,” Ji Sheng frowned in pain.

He knew that he had taken the right step——he used an unknown secret and forced Xie Xuanming to face his request for cooperation.

“What did they tell you? ”

“This kid looks so similar to the guy surnamed Ji who was killed by a car,” Ji Sheng said one word at a time.

The hand clenching his shoulder suddenly tightened, and he groaned in pain.

“What else?”

“I don’t remember.”

Xie Xuanming’s eyes flashed. After a while, he calmed down and his hand relaxed.

Ji Sheng took a breath: “I have the value necessary for you and you can keep me safe… Cooperation is a win-win situation.”

Xie Xuanming did not speak.

Ji Sheng waited patiently until he heard footsteps vaguely.

Ji Sheng’s expression changed. Xie Xuanming made so much noise just now and made such a mess.

There were only three of them in the bathroom.

Brother Jiu was still unconscious and there was blood on the ground.

It was really hard to explain this scene to people.

With the sound of footsteps approaching, Xie Xuanming said, “You are not qualified to discuss cooperation with me. ”

Before Ji Sheng could say anything, he felt weightless and then his back slammed against a cold and hard object, sharp pain piercing his neck.

Xie Xuanming lowered his head and bit Ji Sheng’s neck.

Ji Sheng instinctively raised his palms and struck, but Xie Xuanming immediately squeezed his wrists with one hand, raised them and pressed them against the mirror behind his back.

At this moment, the two whose footsteps they heard walked into the bathroom with a smile and were stunned by the scene inside.

The marble tiles were stained with blood horribly and a lifeless body lay on the ground, but the two people on the sink ignored it. One man pressed down the other man, scantily dressed, and bit him roughly on the shoulder.

To be honest, at first glance this scene looked a bit like a zombie invasion.

Between the two onlookers, one of them recovered and took a half step forward to stop them, but was held back by the other.

“Xie Xuanming…” he reminded in a low voice.

Everyone who could enter this palace-like nightclub had some status and also had heard that Xie Xuanming was unpredictable and not to be messed with.

The two men did not move.

On the sink, Xie Xuanming leaned to Ji Sheng’s ear.

“You said you have value, prove it to me.”

He quoted a string of digits and got up, whispering: “Let your company dial this number, and you can use it in an emergency. Don’t call indiscriminately on a regular basis.”

Xie Xuanming stood up, wiped the blood on his face in front of the mirror, turned his head and walked to the door.

The two people at the entrance automatically gave way, watching him walk away, leaving one man unconscious and the other one undressed.

Although Ji Sheng was not beaten, he did suffer some injuries.

The agent was shocked when he saw him: “How come you’re like this, you have to rely on your face to eat. ”

“The injury is on the body, not on the face. I don’t rely on my body to eat.” Ji Sheng licked the wound on the corner of his lower lip and laughed at himself, “Not necessarily at least.” 

The agent did not want to accompany him in his sorrow and asked urgently, “How was it? Did Brother Jiu leave a message? Can we get the resources?”

Ji Sheng looked at his eager face and couldn’t hold back his mockery: “Your Brother Jiu may not be able to get out of the hospital anytime soon.”

“?”

“But the resources should be available.” Ji Sheng lowered his eyes and moved his sore wrist, ” After all, we Emperor Xie are not the kind of people who visit a prostitute for nothing.” 

“What do you mean? Ji Hui, are you having a fit today? Why are you talking so weird?”

Ji Sheng reported the number: “Xie Xuanming gave it, call it.”

The agent shut up instantly, fished out his mobile phone, his face changing to more enthusiastic at once: “What? I didn’t write it down just now, Xiao Hui, repeat it, I will call.”

Ji Sheng repeated and the corners of the agent’s mouth lifted in a smile before he asked in passing, “By the way, what’s wrong with your neck?”

… …

Ji Sheng touched his neck silently and his face completely darkened after he saw the dazzling red on his fingers.

Damn.

This son of a b*tch hasn’t grown up in ten years.