Ji Mian pretended to stand up casually, slowly crossing the street and arriving near the red-haired young man. In just two minutes, he had positioned himself behind him, becoming an inconspicuous passerby.
The original owner had a wealth of experience as a pickpocket, and after becoming “Ji Mian,” he inherited this skill as well.
The red-haired young man was walking towards the sun, his shadow short and trailing behind him. Ji Mian's shadow was also cast behind him.
He held his breath, moving as quietly as a cat, while maintaining a nonchalant demeanor to avoid raising suspicion among passersby.
Through a small gap in the zipper of the red-haired young man's shoulder bag, his heart raced as he caught a glimpse—there was a black wallet inside. Although only a corner was visible, Ji Mian was certain it was a wallet.
As the young man entered a shop that sold meat pies, Ji Mian followed closely behind him.
The aroma of fried meat, dough, and meat wafted into his nostrils, so enticing that he nearly stumbled.
There was a line in front of him, and the red-haired young man stood at the back, his voice loud as he shouted, “Boss! Two Xianghe meat pies! Pack them to go, and put them in two bags.”
A woman’s cheerful voice came from inside: “Sure!”
Ji Mian's thoughts wandered: Xianghe meat pies… they sounded delicious, maybe even better than the spinach egg cake from the oden.
【What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and act!】 the system urged.
Ji Mian responded, lining up behind the young man. With his right hand, he quietly reached over, creating a ten-centimeter gap in the young man’s bag.
His hand turned to a slanted position, slipping smoothly through the zipper without disturbing the bag.
At that moment, Ji Mian's fingers brushed against the wallet inside the bag; it was seamless.
He pinched it between his two fingers, gripping it in his palm.
Ji Mian paused, freezing mid-motion.
In his right hand, there was a thick wad of cash. If it were his own, Ji Mian would feel at ease, but since he wasn’t the wallet’s owner, he only felt anxious.
So much money! He just wanted enough to take a taxi.
Ji Mian was extremely unsettled. Was there any way to put it back a little?
【…… Put it back?】 the system scolded in exasperation, 【What pickpocket complains about having too much money?】
【But what if he can’t pay for his food later?】
【Why do you care!】 the system was almost going to explode, 【Why think so much? What if this money is for his sick mother lying in a hospital bed?】
It said that casually, but Ji Mian's expression changed as he took it seriously.
It seemed… not entirely impossible.
Ji Mian’s hand trembled slightly. He was actually stealing someone’s life-saving money!
A pickpocket’s hand must be steady; if the hand trembles while stealing, the stolen item may shake too, alerting the target.
Ji Mian’s slight shake caused a disaster. The wallet accidentally bumped against the inside of the bag, creating a tiny movement that caught the young man’s attention.
“What the hell are you doing, you little brat?” The red-haired young man shouted as soon as he saw Ji Mian’s hand.
His booming voice echoed painfully in Ji Mian's ears.
【It’s over, it’s over…】 the system sighed.
How did it end up with such a task performer?
While it complained about Ji Mian, it couldn’t help but blame itself: Why did it say that extra line earlier?
“Stealing my stuff?” The red-haired young man squinted his eyes.
Ji Mian stammered, unable to say a word.
After all, his hand was still stuck inside the guy’s bag.
The boss lady heard the commotion outside and walked out from the kitchen. Upon seeing Ji Mian, her brows immediately furrowed. “Ah, it’s this kid again!”
“Oh, a habitual offender?”
The red-haired young man chuckled, suddenly grabbing Ji Mian’s wrist with a grip so strong that Ji Mian couldn't pull away at all.
It was then that he noticed a long scar running down the red-haired young man’s face. He looked quite intimidating.
“I’m really sorry,” Ji Mian gave up on pulling his hand out, “Are you going to take me to the police station?”
The red-haired young man raised an eyebrow, surprised at how calm Ji Mian sounded.
“Police station?” He grinned, “I prefer to handle this privately.”
“…”
The red-haired young man yanked Ji Mian’s wrist, roughly pulling him outside.
Ji Mian got beaten up again.
The red-haired young man’s punches were just as hard as the kicks from the last guy; each hit landed solidly. Ji Mian’s old injuries hadn’t healed yet, and sometimes the young man’s punches landed on those spots, causing him pain so intense that he couldn’t even scream.
This time, even the system felt sorry for him and couldn’t help but mutter: 【What did I say? Doing something good doesn’t bring rewards. Next time, be more decisive.】
While Ji Mian was getting beaten, he had the energy to respond: 【But didn’t you say that was life-saving money?】
【……I was wrong.】 Completely wrong.
You can’t joke with a foolish task performer who has no memories. The system reflected deeply on itself.
Just as the red-haired young man was about to throw another punch, a sudden voice interrupted him—
“Did I ask you to do that?”
It was a man’s voice, deep and seemingly indifferent even when expressing displeasure.
The red-haired young man looked up at the newcomer, his raised hand slowly lowering. Still holding Ji Mian by the collar, he stood up straight and said, “Big Brother, why did you come down?”
Big Brother…
Since Ji Mian arrived in this world, the two most important words in his mind were “Big Brother” and “Big Sister.”
He wanted to look up at this “Big Brother,” but he couldn’t manage it.
He heard the “Big Brother” say lazily, “I asked you to buy food, and you’re out here fighting?”
“No… Big Brother.”
The red-haired young man laughed, as if he had stumbled upon something amusing. He switched from holding Ji Mian’s wrist to gripping his hair, pulling him in front of the newcomer.
He said, “I went out to buy a pie and ran into a pickpocket.”
And a not-so-skilled pickpocket at that.
Ji Mian was nearly shoved against the “Big Brother’s” neck. With swollen eyes half-closed, he could only see the clear jawline and the smooth, strong neck of this “Big Brother.”
So this “Big Brother” was quite young.
He struggled to lift his eyelids, wanting to see what the “Big Brother” looked like.
As his gaze finally met a pair of deep black eyes hidden beneath dark lashes, they were cold.
Oh. So this “Big Brother” was really good-looking!
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