How To Survive as a Villain

Xiao YuAn quickly squatted down and tried to coax her with a soft tone of voice: “Ah hey, don’t cry, don’t cry. Where does it hurt? Will you let Gege take a look?”

The child suddenly stopped crying, and after a few seconds of complete silence, she hit Xiao YuAn’s arm with her small fist: “Gege is bad! Gege didn’t look ahead! Gege has to apologize!”

‘Whoa! Little girl, I think that you look like a Female Lead. Would you like to learn about the Tyrannical President route?’

Xiao YuAn, who was still squatting, looked straight at her eyes, and apologized with a smile on his face: “I’m sorry, it was my mistake. Does your nose still hurt?”

In the end, it turned out that after wasting time in trying to coax her, it was easier and faster to give her some candy canes. As Xiao YuAn looked at the child happily eating the candy, he thought: ‘Hmm, I was wrong after all. I shouldn’t have thought that you looked like a Female Lead, since your material desires reflect that you’re a good kid that isn’t pretentious.’

The child, who had been bribed by Xiao YuAn with a bunch of candy, pulled on Xiao YuAn’s clothes as she chewed on the candy.

“Hmm?” Xiao YuAn squatted down again in front of her and asked: “What’s wrong?”

“Dage, are you unhappy?” The little girl, with her cheeks covered with sugar crumbs, asked dubiously.

“Yes.” Xiao YuAn, with the corners of his mouth raising a smile, answered truthfully.

“Then why is Dage still smiling?” The child was puzzled.

Xiao YuAn gently grabbed her braid and shook it back and forth: “It’s precisely because I’m unhappy, that I have to smile.”

The child showed a confused expression, murmured a half-hearted ‘oh’, and asked: “Dage, why are you unhappy?”

“Because everyone seems to know where they want to go, what their final destination will be. But it seems like I’m the only one who doesn’t know where to go.” After he said that, Xiao YuAn bent his eyes.

The child, while hearing his answer, put the last candy into her mouth: “Then why don’t you ask your mother to take you out to play?”

Xiao YuAn’s hand that was playing with the girl’s braid subtly twitched, and even though he was still smiling, his smile was noticeably much lighter: “My mother is too busy to take me out to play.”

“Then, is there anyone who’s willing to take Dage out to play?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Dage, you’re pitiful.”

“Hahaha, I think so too.”

Xiao YuAn reached out and rubbed away the sugar crumbs from the corners of the kid’s mouth, then stood up: “Okay, I won’t tease you anymore, I’m going to work now.” After bidding farewell, he waved at the child while walking away, resuming his original path towards the medical shop.

However, as soon as he arrived at the medical shop, a serious and urgent voice suddenly raged from inside: “No! I don’t agree!”

Xiao YuAn was so startled at this, that he quickly walked inside.

Inside, at the inner hall, Zhang Changsong was sitting on a wooden chair, stroking his beard as if he was thinking of something. Zhang Baizhu was standing beside him, looking slightly angry.

Usually, Zhang Baizhu, who didn’t have a sense of decency, would be reprimanded by Zhang Changsong, but he would never get angry. However, when Xiao YuAn looked at the current situation, he thought that something truly terrible must have happened.

“What happened? Shifu?” Xiao YuAn looked back and forth between them, very puzzled.

Zhang Changsong waved his hand: “Don’t say anything. I’ve already decided to go.”

“No! I’ll take your place, I’ll go!” Zhang Baizhu quickly replied clenching his teeth and fists, showing a strong stance that didn’t leave room to be contradicted.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Zhang Changsong glared at him: “You just got married to Shenling, so you two should live a good life first! Brat, you only know how to act courageous.”

“Dad, I’m not trying to act brave! You’re the one who’s trying to be a hero. You’re an old man with back problems and a bad leg, why don’t you stay home? Do you really have to go through that hardship? Will you even be able to keep up with the army’s pace, if you go to the barracks?” Zhang Baizhu replied indignantly.

“Army? What army?” Xiao YuAn interjected at the right time, asking further about the situation.

Zhang Changsong sighed and explained what was going on to Xiao YuAn.

It turned out that Zhang Changson’s wife was once the daughter of a famous General of the Southern Yan Kingdom.

Zhang Changsong traveled throughout the Four Kingdoms at a young age, healing people along the way and helping people in need. While he was at the markets in the Southern Yan Kingdom’s Imperial City, he fell in love with his wife at first sight.

However, Zhang Changsong was only a poor and shabby doctor who couldn’t even afford a dowry, so how could a General of the Southern Yan Kingdom marry his daughter to him?

The two of them loved each other so much that their love could cross over thousands of barriers. But since Zhang Changsong’s heart ached for his wife, he couldn’t bear to see her suffer, so he decided to give up. However, the day he was about to leave, his wife sneaked out of the General’s residence, took Zhang Changsong’s hand and said: “I must go with you!”

That same night, when Zhang Changsong and his wife were about to run away from the Southern Yan Kingdom, the General found out about their plans and became furious; so he sent his men to take his daughter back and break Zhang Changsong’s legs.

At that critical moment, Zhang Changsong’s wife’s younger brother, the man dressed in black from the Southern Yan Kingdom who came to find Zhang Changsong, stepped forward. He had been close to his sister since he was a child, and that moment he couldn’t bear to see her suffering. At that time, he was very young and had a strong temper, so he rebelled against his father, letting Zhang Changsong and his sister go.

After that, Zhang Changsong and his wife came to Taoyuan Village, where they lived like a couple of Immortals¹.

However, his wife later died due to an illness, and Zhang Changsong then adopted Zhang Baizhu. Afterwards, when the Southern Yan Kingdom was trampled by the Northern Kingdom’s army, and even when the Southern Yan Kingdom rose again, he never heard any news from his wife’s family members. Over the decades, everything was buried under the unpredictability of the world’s affairs, slowly turned into dust, crushed by the wheels of history.

“So, Zhang Baizhu’s uncle came to meet him? Isn’t that supposed to be a good thing?” Xiao YuAn asked after hearing Zhang Changsong’s explanation.

“But he also asked my dad to become their army’s physician!” Zhang Baizhu clenched his fists and shouted angrily.

“What?” Xiao YuAn’s eyes widened in surprise.

Zhang Changsong coughed twice and unhurriedly said: “It’s not that I’ll become an army physician, but there have been too many casualties on the front line recently, so I’ll go to help in what I can. Besides, I’ll be back once the battle finishes. He also said that the salary wouldn’t be small, and that the physician doesn’t have to go to the front line, so my life won’t be in danger.”

“If they say something won’t happen, then it won’t happen? When did any war go by without thousands of people dying? If they fail to support the front lines and the Eastern Wu Kingdom destroy their barracks, who will guarantee that your life wouldn’t be in danger? No, I can’t let you go no matter what.” Zhang Baizhu’s words were said ungently and with anger, but they were reasonable.

Zhang Changsong, who had been a stubborn man for most of his life, at this time wouldn’t change his mind only because of what Zhang Baizhu said: “When your mother and I were able to leave the Southern Yan Kingdom, it was all thanks to your uncle. Your mother always used to say that the only person she owed in this life was your uncle. Now that I finally have the opportunity to repay my debt, how can I bear to be indecisive?”

“Repay a debt? Alright, I know Dad, you have taught me since I was a child, that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring², and I understand these great principles. In this case, wouldn’t it be the same if I go instead of you? They’re in need of a physician anyway, so I’ll be the one to repay the debt!” Zhang Baizhu argued with perseverance.

Zhang Changsong was so angry that he picked up his walking stick and smacked Zhang Baizhu on the back: “Even if you’re willing to go, why don’t you think about Shenling? You two just got married, and you’re eager to leave her alone? Moreover, in case something happens to you, how would I explain it to Shenling?”

“Dad, look at you, you’re also worried that something might happen! Since you know it’s dangerous, how can I agree to let you go?” Zhang Baizhu argued back.

Zhang Changsong was so angry that he started to shiver while he stood up, raising his walking stick to hit Zhang Baizhu again. At that moment, Xiao YuAn quickly reached out his hand and stopped Zhang Changsong, helping him to sit back down on the wooden chair: “Shifu, don’t be angry, Zhang Baizhu is just worried about you.”

Zhang Changsong, who was about to lose his temper again, tried to relax himself and let out a long sigh: “I know that he’s worried about me, but this debt, I can’t not repay it.”

As soon as he said that, Zhang Changsong started coughing violently. Zhang Baizhu quickly blamed: “Look how your own body reacts, and yet you’re still saying you will go to war?” And then hurriedly ran to get some water.

Xiao YuAn patted Zhang Changsong’s back to help him soothe the cough. At that moment, a small thought hovered inside his mind, slowly taking over his consciousness. At this moment, his mind was full of memories of Zhang Changsong taking care of him for the past year, with memories of his and Zhang Baizhu brotherhood.

If the issue is repaying the debt, then why doesn’t he, Xiao YuAn, repay it in their name?

“Shifu, if you join the army, when will you return?” Xiao YuAn asked.

Zhang Changsong replied: “I was told that I will come back in three months at most. Tell me, with such a short request of three months, how can I refuse?”

Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: “Yes, I also think that this debt has to be repaid.”

Zhang Changsong agreed: “Right, then please help me to persuade Zhang Baizhu to stay.”

Xiao YuAn, instead of agreeing with him, asked: “Shifu, tell me, I’ve been studying with you for a year now. Do you think that I would be able to be on my own?”

Zhang Changsong waved his hand: “Don’t you already know how to treat injuries? You’re even able to handle small pain and fever, so you can deal with common— wait, you ….” Zhang Changsong suddenly understood what Xiao YuAn was suggesting, so he looked up at him with his eyes wide open: “You? You’re not thinking of…?”

Xiao YuAn came forward to hold Zhang Changsong’s hand, and with a warm smile, he said: “Shifu, I’ve been studying with you for a year, it’s time for me to repay you³.”

XYA will go to war? ! (∩´﹏`∩)

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