Popularity is everything; I play a super genius.

Chapter 19 I'm Too Handsome

"How is that possible?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Ji could no longer contain himself!

Judging from Huomu's words, he seemed to think that Huomu wore a mask because he was too ugly to be seen by others.

This is slander! Pure slander!

Qi Ji put down his chopsticks, not even bothering to eat his noodles.

"Haven't you heard the rumors about me?"

"I hear it all the time, like when he was ten, he beat his teacher so badly he cried, and when he was eleven..."

"Stop, stop, stop! Not those, I'm talking about the rumors about my face."

"Rumors about your face? I haven't heard much about that."

"Never heard of it? Impossible! Think about it carefully, like the rumor that 'beneath this handsome mask of mine lies an even more handsome face'—haven't you heard of such rumors?"

Huo Mu tried hard to recall, then honestly shook his head.

"All right."

Qi Ji was somewhat disappointed, thinking to himself that his publicity work was still not good enough.

That's right, these kinds of rumors were spread entirely by Saki himself.

The purpose was to create a sense of anticipation and to establish a persona of a "masked handsome man".

Unfortunately, the results seem to be mediocre.

However, it's also possible that Huomu doesn't have many friends, so he's not very well-informed.

In short, Saki told the other party:

The reason I wear a mask is simply because—

I'm too handsome.

He would be stopped and confessed to by girls he didn't know on the street, and he was always disturbed by the opposite sex while cultivating.

Even more unusually, stalkers occasionally appear.

It's troublesome, isn't it?

I don't want to get distracted by these trivial things, so this is the only way.

"I see!"

Upon hearing this, Huo Mu suddenly understood, and his admiration for Qi Ji deepened even further.

"I completely understand! Saki-kun, you're amazing!"

Others wear masks to hide their ugliness, but Saki wears a mask to hide his handsomeness.

As expected of Saki!

Even their worries are on a completely different level from those of ordinary people!

Hōki looked at Saki, as if he were admiring an idol:

Despite having such an outstanding appearance, he has not become complacent at all.

Instead, in order to pursue power without distraction, he chose to wear a mask.

"Saki-kun, I feel like I've learned so much from being with you!"

"I'm glad you understand."

Saki tried hard to suppress the corners of her mouth and gave a faint reminder.

"Alright, hurry up and eat, the noodles are going to clump together."

At the same time, comments scrolled by:

"He's really that handsome? Really?"

"Take off your mask! I need to check your license!"

"Sigh! Actually, I've always had the same worries as the streamer. Looks like I should buy a mask and wear one too."

……

They finished their ramen in a whirlwind, both patting their bellies with satisfied expressions.

Huo Mu got up to leave, but Qi Ji told him to wait a moment. He then went to the ramen window and bought another bowl to go.

Seeing this, Huomu assumed that Qiji hadn't eaten enough, so he quickly ran over to pay as well.

However, Saki refused.

"This ramen wasn't for my own consumption, so you shouldn't be paying for it."

Huomu was no match for Qiji.

In addition, his own financial situation was not very good, so he did not persist.

"Hilarious! What do you mean by 'saving money with principles'?!"

"But who is this takeout ramen for?"

The comments section was filled with all sorts of speculation and guesses.

……

Saki left the academy carrying the packaged ramen.

As night deepened, I walked towards the residential area on the outskirts of Xinzhi City, where the lights were relatively sparse and the buildings were somewhat old.

They turned into a narrow alleyway as if they knew the way well.

At the entrance of the alley, a slender girl in a wheelchair was craning her neck and peering out under the dim streetlights.

The girl looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old, wearing a plain white dress and white sandals.

Her skin was translucent white, and her hair and eyes were also very light-colored.

At first glance, it looks as if the colors have been accidentally lost.

It's worth mentioning that the girl had some silvery-white crystals growing on her cheeks, like shards of ice embedded in her skin.

This is unique to this world: "echo erosion".

"elder brother!"

When the girl saw Qi Ji, the worry in her eyes was instantly replaced by relief.

Okisaki waved happily.

Saki quickly stepped forward, gently placed the still-warm ramen bag on the girl's lap, ruffled her hair, and spoke in an unprecedentedly gentle tone:

"Xiao Xi, are you starving? I brought you some ramen, try it and see if you like it."

Feeling the warmth emanating from the paper bag, the younger sister was initially happy, but then she frowned slightly, looking at Saki with a hint of reproach:

"Brother, I already told you not to bring me dinner! I can cook myself, which will save me a lot of money!"

Saki pushed her sister's wheelchair slowly towards their rented little house, deliberately drawing out her words in a teasing tone:

"Please, the thing you made—"

"I didn't let my brother eat any!"

As if knowing what Saki was about to say, his younger sister immediately interrupted him, puffing out her cheeks.

"Brother can eat delicious food outside! I only like to eat what I make myself! Don't bring me food anymore, it's such a waste."

"The real waste is by the people who make the food taste bad."

Xi Wang knew that her brother said that because he didn't want her to feel guilty.

She suffers from a rare condition called "echo erosion," which not only prevents her from walking but also makes her hands weak and limp, making even the most basic task of holding a knife and cutting vegetables difficult.

Therefore, even the simplest dishes are a huge challenge for her.

She didn't want to be a burden to her brother...

Even so, she already is.

"Brother, I promise I'll make delicious food! Even if you beg me to cook for you while you're crying, I'll have to consider it..."

"Then I'll just have to look forward to that day."

Saki pushed the wheelchair, and the two turned into a somewhat old apartment building.

Enter the door.

The brother and sister's home was small, and the furniture was simple, even old and worn out, clearly cheap.

The small space was kept clean and tidy, with a few potted plants on the windowsill, adding a touch of elegance to the simple environment.

There were several crayon drawings on the wall, depicting two little people holding hands and a crooked sun.

The brother and sister have a very good relationship, and their interactions and conversations are full of warmth.

In front of his younger sister, Saki is completely different from the lazy and occasionally rude persona he displays at the academy. Instead, he is meticulous, patient, and even has a bit of a "motherly" quality.

At this moment, comments kept scrolling by:

Wow! The little girl is so cute!

"Hey streamer, if I call you 'brother-in-law,' will you dare to accept?"

"Throw this lolicon out and shoot him!"

"Wait! I think I smell a knife..."

"Where's the knife? I'm asking. Isn't this quite heartwarming?"

"That's perfect! This is clearly preparation for the knife-wielding scene later!"

"Shut up! Don't jinx it!"

……

……