I Bully Her Cause I Like Her

Summary: The last slow paced chapter with meaningless comedy before the first batch of love interests are introduced. It's rather light hearted and going nowhere. Everyone has different scripts from different genres and Jiang Cheng's eyes are dry.
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Jiang Cheng had left for bed much earlier and didn't eat anything the night before. His hunger woke him up alongside the rising sun. Even though he wished to curl up and enjoy the subtle warmth of the thick quilt, there was no time for drowsiness. He has to get up, put the clothes in the machine, do dishes he had left overnight and then cook.

Wait, how come he's sleeping under a thick quilt? It should be much thinner than this and shouldn't be this soft! Jiang Cheng sprung up on his butt and winched once the dry sheet mask pulled at his skin. Then he sat there, looking silly, for two whole minutes.

Jiang Cheng tiptoed his way over the sleeping people on the floor and out of the room. But he didn't even make it to three steps away before a running girl collided into his arms. Jiang Cheng groaned out in pain, while the girl took steps back with a stoic face, her temple red from the impact.

Mian Mian still had coal on her face, and a strong smell of smoke around her. Her hair was even greasier and fell haphazardly over her face. Seeing Jiang Cheng's dark face, she seemed to furrow her eyebrows and her lips also twitched wordlessly.

"Oh, good morning! Could you show me the way to washroom again?"

The girl kept silent with an indescribable expression hanging on her face. Just when Jiang Cheng thought she'd walk away any moment, she gestured him using her chin to follow instead. This time Jiang Cheng was taken to the washroom outside. It was just a big drum of water and a mug sitting inside a fenced shut small square area with a water chanal made for the used water to flow out. Someone thoughtfully kept a small handheld mirror on a corner. Jiang Cheng held it up and took a casual glance at his face, involuntarily thinking that he looked similar to the girl, Mian Mian, with this dry, black mask stuck to his face. Anyone who didn't know, would assume he was trying to mock her, he thought and laughed a little inside his head.

"..."

Jiang Cheng washed his face and subconsciously started thinking of ideas to delay them from seeing his face when he's in such state of... sudden profound beauty. Of course, he knew well enough that he was just delaying the inevitable but the farther he could drag it out, the more he could prepare. Once he turned around to leave the washroom, to his fright, Mian Mian was still standing there with her black face, staring at him. It was still very early and the sun barely shone through the slight fog.

Jiang Cheng: Sister, can you either wash your face or not stand in the dark with those bright eyes wide open like that?

The eyes looked like they were floating in the air. And for some reason Jiang Cheng had the sudden feeling of being misunderstood.

"Good morning!" Wow, that was smart of me. Now she thinks I'm mentally retarded.

Mian Mian followed the black mask floating on the water and flowing out with her obscure gaze, before looking up again. "I have already prepared food for you guys. Will you eat it now or once they all wake up?"

Jiang Cheng forgot about the weird episode just now and instantly smiled warmly. Food is the most important matter at hand no matter when or where. Food is needed to keep a good health, good health is the key to a long, happy life, and Jiang Cheng's first priority.

"I'm quite famished."

Mian Mian looked at him like he was silly and again did that gesture with her chin, as if telling him to follow her if he wanted food. They reached the hut used as the kitchen on the other side of the long yard before sitting on a short stool made of wood and covered with overused heating pads. He sat there silently, waiting for food, and Mian Mian readied a platter silently, about to give him food. Such a harmonious picture was what Tong Tong uncle saw once he came back with fresh honey just taken from their garden's honey comb.

"This...this... Who... This lad-This lady-This lad... Mian Mian.."
The old man scrunched his nose trying to take a better, greedier glance of Jiang Cheng's face while trying to ask Mian Mian something.

Since winter was almost gone, it shouldn't have been too cold. But in the mountains, it's naturally colder than land by a few degrees. But Jiang Cheng froze all over like he was standing butt naked on the top of the Himalayan in the middle of December.

His face, he hadn't hidden his face.

"What are you talking about, uncle? Who?" Why are you staring at nothing and speaking nonsense. You're going to scare me, I'm telling you?" Came Mian Mian's trembling voice, nothing alike the Mian Mian from minutes before.

The old man looked perplexed and seemingly finally coming to the conclusion that the breathtakingly beautiful creature was indeed a man, he stuttered out, "Nothing? Impossible! This good-looking boy-..."

Mian Mian acted frightened, "wha-..what? Are trying to tell me ghost stories so early in the morning? There's no one home. If I die from fright, will you take responsibility?"

Tong Tong uncle, gave her a helpless look, trying to say he wasn't lying. Wasn't she trying to scare him away instead?

But then the handsome boy suddenly rolled his eyes and grinned at him like an evil thing.

Great heavens!

Tong Tong uncle's honey pot fell and stood perfectly on the ground, without spilling more than three drops while the poor guy turned and ran out like he was back to his twenties again.

Mian Mian soundlessly walked to the pot and brought it back to serve some honey with the otherwise bland rice cakes. Her face back to being stoic again. Jiang Cheng did not mention this episode either, and quietly started eating his food. The rice flour was not kneaded properly and had a rough taste. But Jiang Cheng was easy to satisfy.

"You don't want anyone to see your face. Is that why you wore that black paint overnight?"
It was the scene where the character playing his role chokes, wasn't it? But fortunately, Jiang Cheng swallowed his food without any unhappy occurrence.

Jiang Cheng: Black paint...

Mian Mian: why are you staring like a fool? Am I giving you time to explain yourself and wash off your sins or not?

They both had their own thoughts and had another silent minute between themselves for the day. Jiang Cheng was the first to compromise, since he was the one desperate for a way out. Putting down the plate he softly spoke, "You're right. I don't. There's this temple, far from here. On top of a tall hill. It's very famous and many people go there to fullf-"

"The point is,..."

Okay, kids are awesome and cool these days. And I'm an Old man who talks a lot.

"I need to hide my face and not show my bare face to anyone under thirty and over twenty for ten days to have my wish fulfilled. I'm doing it for the longevity of my brother. The red shirt uncle that came with us."

Jiang Cheng thought he handled it very smartly. He was inevitably a little proud of his quick wit. But soon the look in her eyes made him rethink. She looked at him with pity, as if trying to ask, did you take me for a fool or take yourself for a fool? Then with her stoic face, she turned to the vegetables she was washing just now.

That's it? Didn't she ask cause she wanted to help?

"Umm, if they wake up and see me... After all they're all twenty year old or above,.. I heard the temple is pretty old and mighty, you see. What if something happens to my brother?"

Mian Mian: Vegetables are fun to cut. Few in rectangle shape, few round.

"...?" Jiang Cheng stood up to go find a way out on his own and was finally stopped by her, "The room next to yours, there's a hat hanging on the door outside. You can use it if you're too cold."

Since they'd be travelling inside a conditioned vehicle to a conditioned venue, none of them brought too many warm clothes. While the cold was indeed light, it could still be used as an excuse. He happily nodded and left towards the said room.

Ever since his rebirth, everything's been conspicuous and good. Nothing remotely bad has happened and nobody was harmed. It must be a devine sign of his future happiness. A healthy body, enough money and a small house in a distant country.

The honourable ticket that died in vain: Human conscience, do you eat it or put it on your head?

Mian Mian, who will be twenty five this year, stared blankly at the back of the man skipping towards the main house: ...Sigh!

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After waking up at around an unusual eight am, eating food and getting a little warm sitting beside the mud stove, the four of them finally remembered the lack of Jiang Cheng in the scenario. Once asked, Mian Mian softly answered, "He ate already. I think he's in the drawing room."

They did not annoy the hardworking, black faced host, especially after a couple of not-so-subtle hints for them to leave her alone, wondering towards the drawing room instead. Even without mentioning it openly, they all were still a little flabbergasted by Jiang Cheng's oddity last night. After a proper night's sleep, that feeling seemed to ferment and sink farther in their head. Yanli was wondering what could have brought such sudden downcast in his mood while the the others tried to guess what new trick he might be coming up with this act.

Under the subtle, strained by fog, sunlight, there was a person sitting on the centre of the sofa. Their back was straight as an armour, black clothes obscured by the dark, a white, gauzy veil hat on the head covered the face to the clavicles.

"Immortal Gongzi?"
The male cousin unconsciously whispered, simultaneously with Yanli, "Cheng er? What are you wearing?"
He looked at her, then the 'immortal', then at her again.

"Where'd you find that? It's cute on you!"
Yanli's voice cheered up as time went on, she walked towards her brother, sitting down beside him.

"I was cold."

Jiang Yanli: ...Okay I believe you.

Jiang Cheng was also feeling wronged. There was only such a fancy hat hanging on the door once he reached there, and he could only play a fool and insist it helped him keep warm to the bitter end.

"Have you guys eaten?" Jiang Cheng murmured, while holding her hand with both of his in almost a religious manner.

"Yes, we have. Mian Mian might be small, but her cooking skill is great. I really liked the noodles."
The male cousin was brought back to reality once Wei Wuxian's loud voice chimed in. Apparently he had a varying opinion, "I beg your pardon? That would have burned a human stomach upon consumption. That was not a bowl of noodles, that was definitely some kind of alien chilli paper served in hot spring."
The female cousin butt in here, softly saying that the little girl made dumplings pretty well.

While the three of them argued about the foods, Jiang Cheng sat there baffled. Noodles? Dumplings? Wasn't it just dry, bland rice cakes? What multiverse were they living in?

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According to his memories, even though Jiang Cheng forgot many details, before long Wei Wuxian should offer to go out on a mini adventure in the unknown woods. As a typical urbanized flock of towns kids, they would follow along, overestimating their own tracking skills and soon would get lost in the dark, cold mountain forest right behind the village. And that's how Wei Wuxian would stumble upon his first love interest, the second Male Lead of the Fanfic, Nie Huaisan.

A typical rich kid, playboy: flirtatious, fun loving, all for the thrill blah-blah-blah, etc-etc. Except, it was all but a fake persona created by Nie Huaisan himself. By the very smart, very shrewd Second master of the Nie family, the undercover special officer, National Security Bureau. Jiang's thought thread was broken as a set of fingers snapped right onto his face.

"Hey, what's your deal?"

"What?" Infront of Jiang Cheng stood his male and female cousins. Jiang Cheng couldn't help looking around for Wei Wuxian and his sister, but they were not in the room.

"I told you he was in a daze."

"Whatever! What do you want for that?"

Jiang Cheng stood up, ignoring their arguments. But the female cousin blocked his way, instantly backed up by the male cousin. "Your sister went to take a bath, and Wei Wuxian just left to look around the village to kill time. Were you not listening?" She was a dominant Alpha and her brother was a recessive. Jiang Cheng suddenly couldn't help but notice their presence and shake a little inside from the oppressive air in the room.

"Jiang Cheng."

"Yes, Jiang Cheng." The brother said, imitating his sister's tone.

Jiang Cheng:....!...Should he go, 'yes yes Jiang Cheng Jiang Cheng'?

"Come at us openly, instead of all this messy games you're playing. Even though we've never met before, I have heard about your reputation. While I want to stay out of your hair, I'm no cowardly bitch either."

"Yes, we're no cowardly female dog either." The male cousin repeated after her like always. Beg your pardon but could you say that while not shaking all over your body, please?

The female cousin also gave her younger brother an annoyed look before glaring back at Jiang Cheng and continued, "Last night, I was ...was wrong to hurt your self-esteem. But it wasn't that deep either, was it? I hope you'll not do anything drastic to get back at us. And if anything, I said whatever I said to you, not my brother. So hopefully you'll be a man and keep him out of it."

"Yes, keep hi-.. sister, what are you doing? You don't have to sacrifice yourself for my sake! We can face whatever this man makes us go through. We're together through thick and thin."
The brother's eyes almost got tearful, while the older one chuckled a little, petting her idiot brother adoringly, "Dummy, it's my duty as an elder sister."

"Sister!"

While the two of them tearfully bid their last goodbyes, Jiang Cheng the antagonist stood there with emotional eyes. He wanted to follow suit and cry a little too. His voice was sticky with discomfort, "I....I am not... I will not..."

"Jiang Cheng, how could you be so heartless? You won't even spare my little brother? He's a minor. And I just joked a little about the cow dung."

Jiang Cheng forced his voice a little louder, "Elder Sister, I-..."

The female Alpha smelled like citrus and cinnamon. Which reminded him of the tin full of cinnamon rolls his sister made the week before she died in her previous life and then that led him to remember how the house owner he used to work for as a servant also liked to eat cinnamon rolls. That woman was an Alpha and had a nick for beating people at the drop of a hat. Jiang Cheng personally believed she pretty much enjoyed it and only looked for excuses so she could beat him to her fullest enjoyment.

This memory however successfully made Jiang Cheng cry out loud. Now that he's over it and can't be beaten by that scary lady anymore, the fear finally made itself evident and once triggered the waters wouldn't stop falling down his cheeks.

The pair of Alphas were obviously stupified by such turn of events. They had come here to defend themselves and save eachother from their preconceived doom, yet the show was stolen by someone else at the last second. "What? Why are you crying?"

"Yes, why are YOU crying?"

"Shut up!"

"Woah~ Sorry, sister."

Hence, such a phenomenon occured where the infamous brat of the Jiang family sat on a cheap homemade sofa, sobbing softly, and his distant cousins tried various means to stop him from crying his eyes dry.

"And I just.... I was sleepy.... I wasn't even lazy... I am obviously sick... But... Wuwu~ and and I washed myself so good.. I knew it was okay... Sniffle.... And since I could not take long either...wuwu~"

The female and male cousin looked quite given up and didn't try to make sense of his meaningless, muffled sobs anymore, letting him wipe his snot with her customized handkerchief. After all, they had made the boy cry.

"Well, you're sweating. Take the stupid hat off, will you?" When the female cousin tried to help him take the hat off, Jiang Cheng suddenly sobered up, eyes free of tears and nose lacking any snot. With a sweet smile and stable voice, he excused himself off the couch, "No need. I'm quite alright in this hat."

"...?"

"If you are alright, I guess .."

The skeptical pair of siblings shared a mutual glance, before the male cousin spoke up, "Where would you find this thing, anyway? It looks quite cheap. Are those gauze or wind pape-ouch" His sister pinched him shut and seamlessly took over, "Did that girl give you this? And you wouldn't even take it off? What, you like her or something?"

"She made an ugly face when we brought up Jiang Cheng after breakfast, I'm sure she wouldn't give it to him willingly..." The male cousin confidently whispered to her, in return she gave him an amused look, "When does she not wear an ugly face, again?"

The male cousin dragged the female cousin aside a little, "Maybe he cornered her and took it from her forcefully?"

"You think this crying wuss can do that?" The woman whispered back to him.

Jiang Cheng could obviously hear everything in such a close distance, but ignorance is bliss.

"He can, if all this is just a part of his bigger plan. I think he's coming up with a very sadistic plan to make us all suffer, and we're just little pawns in his chess court."

Jiang Cheng thinks you two belong to a different genre and came into the wrong fanfic.

"So you think he's after the girl? How old is she? Is she even an adult?"

"You think the kind of him would care? I say he's trying to court her. And villains always court the heroins in a twisted way."

This made the female cousin snap. She turned back at Jiang Cheng who was sitting on the tall stool now, and scolded him like an old math teacher, "You still eat the 'I bully her cause I like her' set? That's out of market now."

"Elder sister, I really don't like Mian Mian."
Jiang Cheng wanted to cry again but unfortunately his eyes were already dry. And his expression was covered by the thick white draperies hanging from the straw hat.

The later only scolded more vigorously,
"This is no way to court an Omega. You should just tell her you like her right at her face. I don't think she will reject you anyway. Is it about your...looks? Don't worry, you two both have pretty... ... original appearances. I bet she'll like you."

Mian Mian the poor 'Omega' who had entered the room just a while ago: ...

Jiang Cheng the vile 'Beta' who was caught red handed after bullying his crush: ...

Jiang Cheng concluded he's getting just water for lunch.

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Right before noon, when the sun should be glaring through the somewhat cold, late-winter air, the village lied in eternal black and white instead. The thick forest surrounding the village did help block the cold air, however the environment was droopy and wet because of such a geographical position. Jiang Cheng's red and puffy eyes were fortunately hidden, so the three of them could successfully avoid grabbing Wei Wuxian and Yanli's attention. Only Mian Mian, who seemed to refuse to wash her face clean, gave the three of them obscure looks time to time. Otherwise, the three of them acted like nothing had happened.

The village was out of reach of the internet, there was no telephone connection and only one single tractor. Which was driven out yesterday afternoon by the village head, Mian Mian's father to the town nearby. Only when he returns, they could go to the town and contact the outside world again. Before that, they could only sit there and spend their uneventful village lives, dying of boredom.

Jiang Cheng was sweating. It's almost lunch time, shouldn't they be going to the forest area by now? If he remembered correctly, they didn't stay till lunch here in the past life. If they waited any longer, wouldn't the Nie brothers leave the designated place already? Then how would Mian Mian be saved?

Jiang Cheng glanced at the said girl and got that same old obscure look in return. Okay, fine, maybe she will be saved anyway. But they will have to meet the Nie brothers to get out of this village on time.
Jiang Cheng came closer to Wei Wuxian who was playing offline games on his dying phone and tried to whisper in his ears,
"Wuxian gege, could we, maybe..."

"What.. did you call me just now?" Wuxian loudly exclaimed.

Jiang Yanli ignored them, considering they fought verbally quite often. But the pair of cousins stared diligently at them as if they'll catch him breaking his character setting any minute now and successfully save the world from his mischievous plans. He let them live their fantasy scripts and concentrated on his brother. Grabbing onto the gauze to make sure it doesn't fly up under Wei Wuxian's ministrations, "Wuxian... Let's go to the forest. Aren't you bored?"

"No no, say that thing again...."

"Could we, maybe -"

"No no..." Wei Wuxian's hands grabbed him on the arms and shook him until his head felt mushy and all the good impressions of the main protagonist shook out of his person, "Call me gege, little brother.~"

"Gege, gege ... Wuxian gege....!" You shameless moron, you're months younger than me. If you were not registered before me or were not the main character of this goddamn fanfic, who'd call you gege? Blind I was to think you were smart....

"Yes, we'll go to the forest. We'll go to the Himalayan forest if you do will. We'll go to freaking Amazon if you call me gege one more time, alright?" Wei Wuxian was simple minded and didn't see the ups and downs of the others' moods in the room, He skipped towards Jiang Yanli to boast about how Jiang Cheng had called him gege for the first time. Jiang Yanli could not help but feel skeptical, yet she only smiled and congratulated Wei Wuxian. Mian Mian seemed to see all of them as airheads and left the room full of idiots lest her IQ also runs out.

Anyway, the butterfly flapped its ugly wings and things changed. But Jiang Cheng wasn't unhappy with the changes. It meant he could live a happy life without the fear of the plotline forcing its way into reality and everything going just like the script despite his efforts. With that worry settled, only money and time stood between him and his dream, slacker's life.

Even if the changes brought by his rebirth caused someone else misfortune, Jiang Cheng could only try to help them not fall too low. After all, he was not a God and wouldn't be able to save everyone. Like how he made sure Nie Huaisan would reach Mian Mian on time despite the deviating storyline, he could try. Beyond that wasn't his responsibility. Definitely.

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Author's Note: I know I'm few hours late. AO3 crashed on me. But here's a longer update.
Again, there might be sensitive topics discussed or taken lightly, read on your own responsibility.

Mini theatre:

Jiang Cheng: Not my responsibility. My dad will handle the rest.

God dad: Our dad still hasn't come back with the milk, brother...

Jiang Cheng: Fuck~ you're still pretending? Are you addicted to acting?

Female and male cousin: Someone called us?

Jiang Cheng: Oh God....!

God dad: Oh father...!

Female cousin: You two are so dramatic!

Male cousin: Yes, You Two are so dramatic!