ASFTB 41: Made the Protagonist Cry 2

Jian Chengxi crossed something off on his shopping list again and said, “Then I’ll eat first with the kids and leave some for you in the pot.”

Li Lingfeng’s stern face showed no expression, but his eyes had softened quite a bit: “Mm.”

He had arrived at his destination and seeing that it was getting late, Jian Chengxi waved his hand as a casual goodbye, turned his head, and got off the warship.

The warship took off again.

The operator sitting in the main cockpit at the front could hardly believe their own ears.

That gentle conversation just now—was that really the same iron-blooded, cold-hearted marshal from the army?!

Why does it feel like he’s completely changed into someone else!!

The deputy general on the other side turned his head, unable to resist gossiping. “General, Madam really treats you well. He even checks on your health every day. With your relationship being so good and now that your children are already grown and going to school, I’d say the third one must be coming soon, right?”

Li Lingfeng: “…”

His wife had complained of being tired and fell asleep faster than anyone else.

The deputy general, completely oblivious to danger, continued asking, “General, you already have both a son and a daughter. Are you hoping for a boy or a girl this time?”

The cabin fell into complete silence.

Li Lingfeng lifted his eyelids. His gaze was cold as he looked at the man, carrying an invisible sense of pressure. His voice was low and deep. “If you’ve got too much free time, then once we’re done here, go back to the base and train an extra hour.”

The deputy general froze, his face instantly twisting into one of misery. “Your subordinate knows his mistake. I still have to accompany my wife tonight—she’s been planning for a second child lately. Can’t I just train for half an hour instead?”

Li Lingfeng, unable to have his own meat, still had to overturn someone else’s pot and said expressionlessly, “Two hours.”

Deputy General: “…”

Are you the devil?!

Meanwhile, at the shopping mall.

Jian Chengxi checked his own list to confirm the items he needed to buy.

The shopping mall on this planet was located on a dedicated floating island in Sky City, and the island was enormous, with a heavy flow of traffic coming and going. Fortunately, there were signboards everywhere, and with the system’s assistance in answering questions, Jian Chengxi moved around quite smoothly.

Once he entered, what came into view were rows upon rows of large shelves.

On these shelves, the most abundant items were all kinds of fruits, all imported, along with many small pastries.

Every customer who entered had a salesperson following them, providing one-on-one service.

Jian Chengxi looked at the fruits and the salesperson beside him said enthusiastically, “These are the freshest fruits just put on display, you’re welcome to take your pick.”

Jian Chengxi was also thinking of buying some for the children to eat, so he walked closer and casually picked up a piece of fruit. Yet after one glance at the price, he nearly dropped it. “Fifty?”

The salesperson said, “This price is actually quite cheap. This is cherry fruit, is it your first time trying it?”

Jian Chengxi shook his head and said, “Not really, this is just my first time buying it myself.”

The salesperson found it a little strange. Anyone who had lived in Sky City for over ten years would surely know the price of fruit—so why did Jian Chengxi look so confused?

Jian Chengxi then looked at the other fruits.

It was fine when he wasn’t looking, but the more he looked, the more horrifying it became. A regular cherry fruit cost 50 credits each, while fruits like grapes and wax apples were priced at over 200 each!

Jian Chengxi was inwardly alarmed and quickly put it back.

The salesperson asked, “You don’t like it?”

Jian Chengxi sighed and said, “No, it’s just that back when I was in the Underground City, prices weren’t this high, so I was just a bit surprised.”

The salesperson looked as if they had heard something unbelievable. “You’re from the Underground City before?!”

Jian Chengxi furrowed his brows. “What’s wrong?”

The salesperson, who had just been respectful, suddenly changed their gaze, their voice turning somewhat dismissive. “That’s very normal. The markets in the Underground City are full of sour fruits. Those fruits are cheap goods, shipped to outer planets every year to feed livestock. How can they compare to imported fruits? If you’ve tasted our fruits, you would know that you get what you pay for.”

Jian Chengxi replied, “I’ve eaten it before, it’s just an ordinary sweet fruit.”

The salesperson smiled and said, “It’s exactly this kind of sweet fruit that the Underground City doesn’t have, so the price is different.”

Jian Chengxi: “…”

For a moment, he felt like something was off.

Logically speaking, the Underground City is also a part of this planet. With the Sacred Tree withering and the planet unable to grow healthy fruits, the suffering falls on a portion of the common people, who are forced to eat sour and bitter fruits.

Yet, others from the same planet—

Due to good luck, some are able to live in Sky City.

So they can eat imported fruits and begin to look down on those who can’t get them.

Jian Chengxi put the fruit down and said to the salesperson, “Just because it’s a little sweeter, does that mean it can be sold for such a high price?”

The salesperson thought he was unhappy. “Yes, regular fruit is just different.”

Jian Chengxi thought about the fruit he grew and said, “Actually, we can grow sweet fruit in the Underground City. If we grow it on a large scale and bring it here to sell, would there be a market for it? Can we cooperate with your mall?”

The salesperson said somewhat impatiently, “What good fruit could the Underground City possibly have? If you don’t have money, you don’t have to buy it.”

Their job was commission-based, following around a poor beggar was just a waste of time.

Jian Chengxi gave her a glance and said, “Are you in a hurry?”

The salesperson was a giant and with a dismissive glance, said, “Of course not, it’s just that our supermarket’s prices are quite high, and if your shopping budget is limited, I’d suggest you stop shopping here.”

Jian Chengxi gave a light smile and said, “I’ll just browse around myself, you don’t need to follow me.”

The salesperson sneered, seeing that he dared to refuse to be followed. “As you wish.”

Jian Chengxi ignored him and walked off on his own.

As soon as he left, the salesperson rolled their eyes. A colleague nearby, seeing this, walked over and said, “Why aren’t you still following the customer? If you don’t follow him, his commission from the purchase won’t be counted for you.”

The salesperson replied, “He’s from the Underground City, a poor beggar. What could he possibly afford? This is just bad luck!”

The colleague was surprised for a moment. “What?!”

The salesperson complained. “I don’t even know what people from the Underground City are doing here, coming to the mall with no money.”

The colleague clicked their tongue and said, “There’s hardly anything here they can afford.”

The salesperson sneered. “Isn’t that right?”

…

Half an hour later—

The marketing center completed a large transaction using a card.

Jian Chengxi bought a lot of meat and vegetables, as well as fresh melons and fruits, and the total amount was almost over a thousand. Even the manager came over,

After all, the delivery address for this order was Floating Island A, where the residents are either rich or noble.

The manager eagerly processed his payment and asked who his salesperson was.

“No,” Jian Chengxi replied, “I don’t have a salesperson, you can just ring me up directly.”

The manager widened his eyes. “How is that possible? We do one-on-one service, there must be some misunderstanding here. Actually, your spending at our mall has already reached our membership level, if you’d like to apply for a card…”

Jian Chengxi replied, “I don’t want to.”

The manager stared at him, somewhat stunned. “Why?”

“Your salesperson told me that if my shopping budget was limited, I shouldn’t buy here.” Jian Chengxi’s expression was calm. “Today, I need to pick up my kids and don’t have time to change malls so I did shop here, but I won’t come back after this.”

The manager widened his eyes, unable to believe that such a big customer had just walked away.

The salesperson behind, confused, walked over and asked, “Manager, what was going on with that person just now? I heard him say he’s from the Underground City, how could he afford to buy so much…”

Slap!

A crisp slap landed on the salesperson’s face.

The manager angrily said, “Useless fool, do you know that customer is from Floating Island A? The people from there, no matter where they’re from, are not someone you can afford to offend!”

The salesperson was completely stunned. “How, how is that possible…”

The manager, enraged, said, “Idiot, your entire salary for this month will be deducted. Get back to your work and think about your mistakes!!”

Jian Chengxi finished coordinating with the mall’s delivery staff before preparing to leave.

He took the passenger elevator while thinking about how to return to the main entrance, but downstairs, he saw the salesperson, who, having lost a commission and salary, glared at Jian Chengxi with resentment.

It was baffling.

Jian Chengxi didn’t want to waste more words with the salesperson and was about to take a step and leave.

Yet as they brushed past each other, the salesperson sneered and said, “What’s so great about it, if you didn’t have a good husband, you wouldn’t even make it to Sky City!”

Jian Chengxi stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him.

The salesperson looked at him warily. “What, did I say something wrong?”

“I really don’t have anything special,” Jian Chengxi said. “But I also don’t know what’s so special about you.”

The salesperson froze for a moment.

Jian Chengxi’s calm gaze fell on him. “You live in Sky City, and I live in the Underground City, that’s true, but so what? You look down on the people in the Underground City who eat sour fruits and nutrient solutions, but from what I know, during the war against the Zerg with a total of over two hundred thousand soldiers, over 150,000 of them were from the Underground City. Without them, could you still be here boasting your power?”

The salesperson choked on his words. “You…”

“Is eating some fruit really such a big deal?” Jian Chengxi thought about his arrogant tone and couldn’t help but laugh. “Those wild fruits you said are exported to feed livestock, they’re all grown on your own planet.”

The salesperson snorted coldly. “So what, we don’t eat them.”

Jian Chengxi gave a light laugh. “You don’t eat them and you look down on others, yet you don’t realize that this planet is polluted. In the eyes of aliens, perhaps those who need to import their fruits are just as pitiable as us. We’re all from the same planet, so why mock others when you’re just as bad? We only have sour fruits on our planet and you don’t feel ashamed, but instead, you take pride in foreign things. That’s what’s truly laughable.”

The salesperson was left speechless by his rebuttal, and his eyes even started to redden.

Having lived in Sky City for so many years, this was the first time he had been spoken to like this, and it even felt like his values had been shaken.

The salesperson’s voice trembled. “You, you… but everything I said is the truth! The kind of sweet fruit you’re talking about wouldn’t sell either.”

Jian Chengxi looked at the salesperson and said, “If it’s for people like you to eat, I’d rather rot on the ground than sell it. Let me correct you one last time, I didn’t marry into Sky City, both my husband and I are from the Underground City. It was your emperor who invited us to live here.”

Jian Chengxi looked at the salesperson, his smile unchanged. “Goodbye.”

He had just walked a short distance, when someone walked up from behind the salesperson.

The salesperson looked at the man beside him, surprised and fearful, and said, “Boss?!”

The angel beside him was dressed in fine robes, looking at the person leaving in the distance with a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

It had been a long time since he had encountered someone with such a sharp tongue.

The salesperson said, somewhat aggrieved, “Boss, this customer is really rude…”

“The fruits he mentioned, contact a receptionist to bring some samples back for a trial sale.” The archangel spoke slowly to his secretary. Just as he was about to leave, he turned back and said, “By the way.”

The salesperson thought the boss was going to back him up.

The boss glanced at him, and calmly said, “You’re fired.”

…

After Jian Chengxi came out of the mall and an afternoon of shopping, he glanced at the time and realized it was time for the kids to be picked up from school.

He boarded the airship and prepared to head to the school gate to pick up the kids.

While thinking about what to have for dinner tonight on his shopping list, he had bought quite a few things in the mall today, and he should be able to cook a big meal. He can also provide some nourishment for Li Lingfeng.

The school gate was bustling with people coming and going, very lively.

Jian Chengxi waited for a while and finally, the students started coming out in an orderly line.

From a distance, he saw his daughter, smiling and waving, as he called out, “Suisui!”

Li Suisui happily ran over, “Daddy.”

Jian Chengxi caught his child and asked, “How’s that? Was Daddy on time?”

Li Suisui nodded and said, “On time!”

Jian Chengxi wiped the sweat from her forehead and asked, “Did you have fun at school today?”

Li Suisui replied cheerfully, “It’s fun.”

Jian Chengxi felt a little relieved. As long as the child was happy, that was good. He had always worried that his child couldn’t fit in at school, but now it seemed fine. As long as the child grew up safely like this, it seemed the dream he had before wouldn’t come true.

“But…” Li Suisui continued, “Suisui doesn’t like sitting next to my deskmate.”

Jian Chengxi furrowed his brows. “Your deskmate?”

Why is it the deskmate again?

He asked, somewhat nervously, “Did your deskmate bully you?”

Li Suisui shook her head and said, “My deskmate is also a transfer student, but she always grabs me and says a lot of strange things. I don’t like her.”

Jian Chengxi asked confusedly,“A transfer student?”

Li Suisui nodded, then as if she saw someone, she raised her arm and said, “It’s her.”

Jian Chengxi followed his daughter’s gaze, not thinking much of it at first, but froze completely when he saw the young girl with sky-blue curly hair.

His daughter’s voice rang in his ears. “She’s my deskmate, Alice.”

Jian Chengxi widened his eyes, his voice trembling, “Alice Jian?”

Li Suisui looked at him in confusion and asked, “How does Daddy know?”

How could Jian Chengxi not know!

In his dream, someone locked his two children and organized everyone to team up and defeat the so-called villains. There were two righteous protagonists, one of them was Alice Jian!

The sky-blue hair was the protagonist’s signature.

Unlike the image of adulthood in his dream, pure and benevolent towards the world, the young girl’s face now was still quite youthful.

Even so, he could still recognize her. It was definitely the same person.

That dream was real.

So the so-called protagonist really does exist!

Li Suisui looked at her father in confusion and softly said, “Daddy, what’s wrong?”

Jian Chengxi was feeling quite nervous inside, he hugged his daughter and asked,  “What strange things has she said to you?”

“She always teaches me not to do this or that.” Li Suisui’s face scrunched up, her little face pouting with frustration. “I don’t like her.”

“…”

Daughter, just give in a little to her.

She’s the protagonist, after all.

A good villain doesn’t fight the protagonist!

Jian Chengxi’s mind was in chaos, unsure how to explain to his daughter. He cautiously opened his mouth.

To his surprise, Alice unexpectedly ran over on her own from not far away.

Alice is a little angel. She walked up to Li Suisui with hands on her hips and said, “Suisui, I haven’t finished what I was saying. Why did you leave?”

Li Suisui pouted. “Suisui doesn’t want to listen.”

Alice was exasperated. The three-year-old girl, with a serious face, said, “In today’s biology class, the teacher asked us to observe the growth of the little rabbits. Rabbits are so cute, how can you say you want to eat them!”

Li Suisui gave a light grunt. “Suisui didn’t eat your rabbit.”

“Other rabbits can’t be eaten either.” The little angel protagonist, Alice, with great empathy, patiently persuaded her. “They are all lives and we need to protect life. If you eat the little rabbits, that’s something only bad people would do. The rabbit mom will be sad, don’t you feel heartbroken?”

Other children would definitely be shaken by such a question.

Li Suisui shook her head decisively and said, “No way!”

Alice was short of breath. “You!”

The two children were about to argue.

Jian Chengxi noticed the situation was off. What he wanted most was to avoid the protagonist, turning hostility into peace. How could his own child fight against the protagonist with such a halo, they surely wouldn’t win.

Just as he was about to speak to mediate—

Li Suisui stood with her hands on her hips. She was facing her with a fair little face full of seriousness. “But fruits are also life. The fruit moms would be sad too, don’t you eat fruits every day, Alice?”

Alice was stunned by the logic. The three-year-old girl, who had been spoiled and sheltered, had never seen anything like this. Her lips trembled. “You… you’re talking nonsense, fruits aren’t life!”

The two children were about to argue.

Jian Chengxi watched from the side. The girl in front of him was the one who would eventually oppose his daughter.

The system had told him before. The protagonist is protected by the world’s consciousness, and the villains who go against the protagonist will not have a good ending.

But the system also said—

Things that haven’t happened yet can be changed.

As long as he controls the situation and prevents the protagonist from clashing with his child, maybe he can still salvage things?!

Jian Chengxi was about to speak—

However, Li Suisui stepped in first. The two little figures were standing side by side, her voice crisp and clear. “Rabbits grow on the ground, fruits also grow from the earth, they’re all the same, so you’re a bad person too!”

Alice was completely tangled in it, she tried to resist: “You’re talking nonsense, this is different…”

Li Suisui nodded and said, “We really are different.”

Alice blinked, her voice tinged with confusion. “Really?”

“Hmm, because Suisui hasn’t eaten a rabbit yet, so I’m not considered a bad egg.” Li Suisui’s eyes sparkled with sincerity, and her voice was soft yet comforting as she said, “But you eat fruit every day, so you’re already a bad egg.”

Even though Alice would be the protagonist in the future, she was just a three-year-old child at this moment. Her intellect was clearly insufficient and her eyes were reddened with fear. “What should I do?”

Li Suisui even kindly patted her shoulder, comforting her as she said, “It’s okay, Suisui believes the fruit mom won’t blame you.”

Alice said with anticipation. “Really? Why?”

“So silly.” Li Suisui looked at her with big and watery eyes, her voice crisp and clear. “Because the fruit mom can’t talk!”

Alice was completely thrown off. The little girl’s lips pouted and her sky-blue eyes were filled with misty tears. She took a deep breath and finally couldn’t hold back, her tears burst out as she wailed loudly, “Wow!!”

Jian Chengxi: “…”

It’s over.

She made the protagonist cry.