Please support the translation by reading the translation and commenting on otakutl official site.
Thank you.
Everyone from Otaku Translation
Chapter 29: You’re Something Else
Edogawa Ranpo had left the editor in charge of Chronicles of Mystery utterly astounded, and Gu Lu was equally floored by Fan Xiaotian.
“Xiaotian, why the long face?” Gu Lu asked.
“Well, yesterday I told my dad that you won first prize in the provincial writing competition and got a short story published in Story Digest. I thought he’d give me some extra pocket money as a reward,” Fan Xiaotian said, his voice tinged with frustration. “Instead, he took away my phone again and started lecturing me about how bad my Literature grades are… Blah blah blah… He even blamed it all on the phone.”
Fan Xiaotian sighed heavily. “Why does everyone always blame the phone? It’s not like it can defend itself. The truth is, I’m the one who can’t focus. I’m the one who can’t control myself. I just want to play games.”
Gu Lu stared at him for a moment, unsure where to even begin unpacking that mess. Too many things were wrong with this situation.
A random memory from an old TV drama, Empresses in the Palace, flashed through Gu Lu’s mind. “It was I who insisted on marrying Chunyuan. It was I who insisted she become Empress. It was I…”
Shaking off the thought, Gu Lu turned back to Fan Xiaotian. “Come on, let’s go somewhere for lunch.”
“Where? Fat Boss’s place?” Fan Xiaotian guessed.
“If it were Fat Boss’s, would I be making such a big deal out of it?” Gu Lu replied dryly.
That made sense. Fan Xiaotian didn’t press further, content to follow along quietly, trusting that Gu Lu knew what he was doing.
On their way, they passed a group of elementary school students heading out for a spring outing. The line stretched endlessly, snaking down the road like a caterpillar. Their teacher walked along the edge of the sidewalk closest to the street, eyes darting everywhere, hyper-vigilant to ensure none of her charges wandered off or got into trouble.
“When we were in seventh and eighth grade, we went on spring outings too,” Fan Xiaotian mused aloud. “Eighth grade, we went to Zhazidong in Gele Mountain. We…” Suddenly, he cut himself off, realizing Gu Lu hadn’t been there.
“Zhazidong and Baigong Mansion? That must’ve involved hiking, right? Was it exhausting?” Gu Lu asked casually.
“Exhausting doesn’t even cover it,” Fan Xiaotian groaned. “A lot of the girls couldn’t keep up and fell behind.”
Gu Lu wisely kept quiet about how the original owner of his body—his past self—had spent hours crying at home, heartbroken over not being able to join that trip. Instead, he said, “Well, I had a great time that day. I stayed home, played video games all day, no homework. Life was good.”
“I should’ve stayed home too,” Fan Xiaotian lamented. “The hike to Baigong Mansion took an hour and a half. Even though middle schoolers have endless energy, without any experience managing stamina, it felt brutal.”
Fan Xiaotian went on to recount how several boys in his class tried to show off by running ahead to “scout” the path, only to collapse halfway through from exhaustion. Some even offered to carry snacks for the girls, only to regret it later when they could barely move.
He recounted these stories with a mix of amusement and exasperation but conveniently omitted his own struggles. After all, he’d been lugging around enough snacks to feed an army and ended up just as tired as everyone else.
To outsiders, their antics might seem ridiculous, but to those kids, it probably felt cool. That’s what being young was all about.
After walking for about twenty minutes, Gu Lu and Fan Xiaotian arrived at Ferry Park. But instead of stopping, Gu Lu led them through a narrow alleyway tucked between overgrown trees. The path was hidden, almost secretive, and Fan Xiaotian wouldn’t have ventured here alone if not for Gu Lu guiding him.
“What are we doing here?” Fan Xiaotian asked, eyeing the dilapidated building before them.
The sign above the entrance read Rehabilitation Training Center, coated in a thin layer of dust. From the outside, the place looked worn down, almost forgotten.
“This is a facility run by the city government for elderly people who don’t have families but are still physically capable,” Gu Lu explained. “They teach them skills so they can support themselves.”
“Is your grandpa here?” Fan Xiaotian asked, glancing at Gu Lu.
“…Elderly without families, remember? If my grandpa were alive, I wouldn’t exactly call him ‘elderly without family,’ would I?” Gu Lu shot back. “I’m volunteering here.”
“Wow, you really sold that act,” Fan Xiaotian said, clearly impressed.
“I’ll be entering the writing competition soon,” Gu Lu continued. “Whether I win or lose, I won’t have much time to come back here afterward. So today will be my last visit.”
“I get it, but why bring me along?” Fan Xiaotian asked sincerely.
“Sharing the load, sharing the fun,” Gu Lu replied with a shrug. “Yesterday you enjoyed my spicy rice noodles; today you help me carry oranges. Fair enough?”
Fan Xiaotian’s eyes lit up. “I can come help again the day after tomorrow! Or maybe tomorrow?”
Volunteering once or twice a month wasn’t unusual, but the original owner of Gu Lu’s body hadn’t done it out of charity. Based on fragmented memories, the real motivation had been the promise of a hearty meal afterward.
The reason he hadn’t come more often? Not enough confidence—or rather, too much pride—to admit he needed the food.
“If humans came with stat sheets, the original owner would max out survival skills,” Gu Lu muttered to himself. Even now, he found himself instinctively picking up empty bottles from the streets to sell for cash.
Helping classmates cheat on homework, volunteering at the center in exchange for meals, and planning to collect plastic bottles cluttering stairwells—it was all part of the original owner’s hustle. And while Gu Lu was carrying on these habits, he couldn’t shake a faint sense of unease.
Pushing the thought aside, Gu Lu stepped inside the center. He navigated the space effortlessly, greeting the elderly residents and staff with familiarity. Within moments, he found something useful to do.
Carrying crates of fruit was simple work, and both Fan Xiaotian and Gu Lu pitched in. After forty minutes of hard labor, sweat dripping down their faces, they were ravenous. They wolfed down lunch before finally leaving.
The center probably wouldn’t last much longer. Nestled near the park and close to City Hall, the land was prime real estate. Developers would likely demolish it within a few years.
Feeling full and lethargic, neither of them wanted to walk back to school. Gu Lu decided to splurge on a motorized rickshaw instead.
Just as he flagged one down, a familiar voice called out from behind him.
“Gu Lu, you came to the park too?”
Zhang Yudong, Wang Hongming (the dance prodigy), and Chen Xue stood nearby, each holding a popsicle and lounging against the curb like a trio of loafers.
Hmm… Did they actually think squatting there looking scruffy was stylish? Gu Lu glanced at their smug expressions and figured maybe they did.
“I’m helping out with something,” Gu Lu said. “What about you guys? What brings you here?”
“Winning first prize sure changes things, huh? Busy helping others now?” Chen Xue teased, her tone light and playful. Unlike Wang Jianhua, she didn’t mean any harm. “We were bored, decided to take a walk, and ended up here.”
Ferry Park was a good twenty-minute walk from No. 37 Middle School. Just taking a stroll? Gu Lu couldn’t wrap his head around it.
“You realize Ms. Yan’s class starts soon, right? If we’re late, we’ll get detention,” Gu Lu reminded them.
Fan Xiaotian stayed silent, awkward as usual around people he didn’t know well.
“We’ll finish our popsicles and run back,” Zhang Yudong said confidently. “It’ll be fun.”
“Let’s make it interesting,” Wang Hongming suggested. “Whoever finishes last gets flicked on the forehead by everyone else. First place gets bragging rights.”
“Sure, sounds good!” Wang Hongming declared without waiting for anyone else’s input, assuming everyone was onboard.
Seriously? Just because you’re the tallest guy in Class Five, standing at 175 cm, doesn’t mean you can boss everyone around!
“No thanks…” Gu Lu began, but his words were cut short by a loud crash just a few steps to their left. An elderly man exiting the center had swerved to avoid a child who darted out suddenly, causing his tricycle to tip over.
Thankfully, the man was unharmed, though he staggered a bit before regaining his balance. Unfortunately, two large baskets of oranges spilled across the ground.
Without hesitation, Gu Lu and Zhang Yudong sprang into action, bending down to pick up the scattered fruit.
If you like this project, please vote for this novel through the above link, thank you.
Join our discord you will receive update notification
If you would like to support this translation, you may choose any one of the options below.
How to find a list of chapters
Please find the chapter label next to your favorite translator's name, and click the label.
