The Daily Life of a Depressed Salted Fish Chapter 101

Yin Wuzhi let go, and Jiang Wu naturally fell back onto the bed.

Jiang Wu’s tear-filled eyes were still dazed. Yin Wuzhi reached out to pull the blanket over him and said, “Go back to sleep and dream some more.”

Jiang Wu obediently closed his eyes, sniffling as he drifted off again.

And sure enough, he began to dream.

Yin Wuzhi adjusted the blanket over him again.

This round of exams had taken a toll on Jiang Wu; his already small face seemed even thinner. Despite never having achieved great grades before, no one knew where all his energy had gone.

Sitting at the bedside, Yin Wuzhi noticed Jiang Wu’s hand, resting near his face, unconsciously curling as if grasping something.

Jiang Wu’s dream began.

In the dream, he became an irredeemable villain, slaying gods and demons alike, unstoppable. Then, a person with a red mole near their eye appeared. The great villain Jiang Wu was defeated under their hand. Looking up at this imposing figure, he watched their lips move:

“You are a heinous sinner intolerable in this world. Today, I shall mete out divine punishment to soothe the departed.”

The villain Jiang Wu, arrogant to the extreme, sneered: “In this lifetime, I fear neither life nor death, neither human judgment nor divine law. Bring your best!”

The red-moled figure smirked faintly. “Someone come.”

With a voice low and seductive yet dangerous, they ordered, “Give him the test papers.”

The villain was imprisoned in the lightless Demon-Sealing Tower, where he was forced to complete test papers day and night without rest. Despite having already built a mountain of completed tests, an endless ocean of papers stretched before him.

The villain Jiang Wu eventually broke. Jumping onto his desk, he screamed, “I swear I won’t kill again! I swear I won’t do bad things anymore! Let me out! Let me out!”

Jiang Wu woke up to a hand gently patting his head. “Had a nightmare?”

It wasn’t Yin Wuzhi but his mother.

“Ah,” she sighed. “Look at you. Your grades aren’t great, and you’re not aiming for a top school. Why work so hard?”

Jiang Wu didn’t respond, but he felt an overwhelming urge to cry.

“You’re awake?” His father’s voice came from the doorway. Seeing Mother Jiang wiping away his tears, his father exclaimed, “What’s this? Crying now?”

Jiang Wu felt a deep, unspoken sense of grievance.

His father comforted him. “Alright, alright, get up and eat something. The exams are over.”

“I’ll come down later,” Jiang Wu said weakly.

After some reassuring kisses and words, his parents left the room.

“Ah Wu is so pitiful. It’s a good thing we didn’t pressure him. Just look at him—struggling this much to get into an average high school. If he aimed for a prestigious one, who knows what would happen to him?”

“People who don’t know might really think he’s aiming for a top school.” Struggling to get into an average high school hardly matches the way he looks like his soul is ascending to heaven.

Jiang Wu dawdled until evening before finally coming out of his room, asking Qi Hanmiao to carry him downstairs for dinner.

Recently, he’d been eating and sleeping in his room. The moment he was placed on the sofa, he slumped down again.

He glanced at the calendar on the wall and said, “Mom.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Today, the results are out.”

“Sigh.” His mom, busy baking cookies, replied casually, “Do you even care about that? Don’t stress. Your dad and I are prepared for anything. Even if you end up in a vocational school, we won’t be surprised. Relax, okay? No scolding, promise.”

Someone chuckled, and Jiang Wu realized Mother Yin was there too. “You two really have an impressive mindset.”

“What else can we do? Beat him up and force the results out of him?” Mother Jiang said nonchalantly. Then she added, “Speaking of which, I haven’t heard you mention Ah Zhi’s results these past few days. Aren’t you pretty relaxed about him too?”

“Gotten used to it,” Mother Yin replied casually. “He handles his own matters just fine.”

Both families’ parents had stellar attitudes—no signs of worry at all. The Jiang family had a laid-back, hands-off approach, while the Yin family had long been accustomed to Yin Wuzhi’s excellence.

As Father Yin put it: “Maybe not guaranteed first place in the province, but definitely in the top few.”

Jiang Wu lowered his gaze to the fruits on the table, looking a little disappointed.

“Eat some fruit.” Qi Hanmiao walked over, peeled a grape, and fed it to him. “Here.”

The room quickly filled with the sweet aroma of baked cookies. When the second batch came out of the oven, there was a sudden commotion at the door. Yin Wuzhi burst in as if something exciting had happened.

But in an instant, he composed himself and asked Jiang Wu, “The results are out. How did you do?”

Jiang Wu, chewing on a grape, replied, “Haven’t checked yet.”

“I’ll check for you.” Yin Wuzhi crossed the room in two steps.

Jiang Wu suddenly grew nervous. “Yin Wuzhi.”

Yin Wuzhi put down his phone. “What is it?”

“Your score is really high, isn’t it?”

Yin Wuzhi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile. “I’ll tell you later.”

Mother Yin walked over, patted Yin Wuzhi’s head from behind the sofa, and asked, “Didn’t we guess right? You’ll definitely get into No. 1 High, won’t you?”

Yin Wuzhi didn’t reply. Instead, he entered Jiang Wu’s details on the website.

Jiang Wu kept his head down, avoiding the screen.

But his fingers unconsciously tightened.

He had actually worked hard this time.

Even though he could adapt and survive anywhere, he still wanted to go to the same school as Yin Wuzhi, to be able to see him.

Yin Wuzhi seemed to notice something unusual. He tugged Jiang Wu’s hand and found it clammy with sweat.

Just as he was about to ask, the page loaded successfully. Mother Yin leaned in for a look—and froze.

“Jinwen! Jinwen, come here quickly!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Jiang Wu’s score—this score…”

Yin Wuzhi also saw the number clearly, and the composure on his face shattered in an instant.

“Oh my!” Mother Jiang, after seeing the score, nearly went weak at the knees. Mother Yin reached out to steady her as she took a deep breath. “Am I seeing this right?”

Mother Yin said, “You’re not mistaken. That’s the score.”

“Could it be… that the teacher grading the papers dozed off?”

Mother Yin  snapped, “What nonsense are you talking about! I’ve always said Ah Wu is smart. If he puts in the effort, he can definitely get into the same school as Ah Zhi.”

“Now it’s settled!” Mother Yin exclaimed, pulling both Jiang Wu and Yin Wuzhi into a hug. “You two can go to the same school again.”

Jiang Wu finally let out a long breath, his heart settling completely.

He glanced at Yin Wuzhi with indifference, but Yin Wuzhi brushed his mother’s hand away and said, “I’m going back to play games.”

“Sure, play as much as you want,” his mother replied with a smile. “You’ll have your work cut out for you in high school.”

As Yin Wuzhi headed back home, he turned to find a little lazy perched on a hoverboard, tailing him. Jiang Wu still looked drowsy and dejected, though a trace of confusion flickered in his gaze when he looked at Yin Wuzhi.

Yin Wuzhi asked, “Why are you following me?”

“.”

“Use your words.”

“Why are you upset?”

“Who said I’m upset?”

“.”

“I said, speak like a person.”

Jiang Wu tried to stand but felt too tired, so he stayed squatting, muttering, “Fine, I’ll go back then.”

He slid away on the hoverboard, disappearing from view.

When Father Jiang came home, he grabbed Jiang Wu in a bear hug and ruffled him mercilessly, laughing so loudly it echoed through the entire villa. “You sly little thing! You’ve been pretending to rebel against your mom and me just to surprise us today, haven’t you? You planned this all along, didn’t you?”

Jiang Wu dangled limply in his father’s arms like a noodle, completely disheveled, until his mother stepped in to rescue him and straighten him out. “Enough. The boy got into a top school. Let’s celebrate with something substantial—dinner at a nice place.”

“Let me call Yin Zheng and have him bring Wuzhi along,” his dad said, clearly pleased. “This must be what pride in your kid feels like. I never thought I’d live to experience it. Incredible!”

When their parents asked for their thoughts, Jiang Wu, not one to make decisions, passed the question to Yin Wuzhi.

After thinking for a moment, Yin Wuzhi suggested a private dining restaurant. “I hear the food there is great, though it’s a bit pricey.”

“No matter how expensive, I’m treating tonight,” Jiang Wu’s dad declared with a wave of his hand, ruffling both boys’ hair. “Don’t fight me on this. Let’s go!”

On the car ride to the restaurant, Yin Wuzhi kept his head down, focused on his game. With noise-canceling Bluetooth earbuds, not a single sound escaped. Jiang Wu leaned against the window, watching him with a touch of doubt.

Yin Wuzhi didn’t seem particularly excited.

When they arrived, Jiang Wu’s dad insisted on pouring him half a glass of fruit wine despite his mom’s objections. “It’s just 0.5% alcohol—basically juice. A man can’t go without drinking!”

Yin Wuzhi picked up his glass and downed it in one go.

Jiang Wu: “.”

“How is it?” his dad asked. “Not bad, right? Barely tastes like alcohol.”

Yin Wuzhi nodded, poured himself another glass, and raised it toward Jiang Wu. “To you. Congratulations on your great scores. I’m happy for you.”

He drained the glass again.

Next, he toasted Jiang Wu’s parents. “You can rest easy now. Jiang Wu doesn’t actually need me that much. He’s just lazy—he can succeed on his own if he puts in the effort.”

Another glass gone.

Finally, he turned to his own parents, poured a glass, and hesitated before saying, “Thank you for your support.”

And down it went.

“Alright, that’s enough,” his dad said, patting his back. “Don’t drink too much before dinner.”

Jiang Wu sipped slowly, tasting the wine’s sweetness but still catching a faint hint of bitterness.

Dinner went happily for everyone. On the way back, both fathers were tipsy, and even Yin Wuzhi seemed a little unsteady. Jiang Wu watched as someone helped Yin Wuzhi into the car before climbing in himself.

“Why’d you drink so much?” Jiang Wu asked.

“Happy,” Yin Wuzhi replied, slumped over. “Happy for you. You can finally stand on your own two feet.”

“.” Jiang Wu felt there was a hidden meaning in his words.

After a moment, he said, “I didn’t expect I’d really make it into a good school either.”

“Oh.”

Oh what? Jiang Wu hesitated. “It wasn’t on purpose…trying to end up in the same school as you.”

“Mm.” Yin Wuzhi yawned. “Tired.”

When they got home, their moms helped the dads out of the car. Yin Wuzhi stepped out on his own, as did Jiang Wu, who, having eaten little and drunk even less, felt only a little dizzy from the wine fumes.

Usually, when something good happened, Yin Wuzhi would sleep in Jiang Wu’s room. So, after getting out, Jiang Wu turned to look at him.

But Yin Wuzhi simply walked toward his own house.

“.”

Their parents, thrilled by the boys’ achievements, planned a family trip to celebrate. However, since Jiang Wu disliked anything overly complicated, they settled on a seaside vacation instead.

They booked a spacious villa at the resort, and as soon as Jiang Wu arrived, he plopped onto the sofa, waiting for others to make plans.

Yin Wuzhi soon ran downstairs and said, “There are lots of rooms here, but not all have the best balcony views. Let’s share one.”

“Okay.”

“Come on.” Yin Wuzhi carried their luggage upstairs. “Rest tonight, and we’ll watch the sunrise tomorrow.”

While Yin Wuzhi unpacked, Jiang Wu sprawled onto the bed and quickly fell asleep to the sound of rustling movements.

When he woke up groggily, the first thing he saw was the red mole by Yin Wuzhi’s eye. In this life, as in the last, Yin Wuzhi looked almost identical to his former self. Jiang Wu stared at him, watching him grow from a little boy to the person before him, increasingly resembling the one from his previous life.

“Empress…”

Yin Wuzhi’s face darkened as he flicked Jiang Wu’s forehead. “Dreaming again, aren’t you?”

Jiang Wu snapped awake. “.”

Yin Wuzhi crouched down, face serious. “Who’s this Empress?”

 “.”

Grinding his teeth, Yin Wuzhi forced a calm tone. “Do you smell that?”

“Food.”

“Barbecue,” Yin Wuzhi said. “There’s an open-air barbecue tonight. Want to go?”

Jiang Wu checked his energy levels.

Yin Wuzhi said, “I’ll take you.”

“Alright.”

Five minutes later, Jiang Wu was carried downstairs like a limp noodle.

His head drooped in defeat. Yin Wuzhi had grown much taller by now and could easily carry him with one arm, so he couldn’t be bothered to use both arms to piggyback him anymore.

Jiang Wu felt a twinge of sadness.

But honestly, after spending so much time with someone so lazy, how could anyone remain entirely unchanged?

At least Yin Wuzhi hadn’t started slacking off like him. That was already a lot to ask.

Jiang Wu was deposited on a rock by the seaside.

Yin Wuzhi said, “There are too many people over there; it’ll be noisy. I’ll set up a small grill, and we’ll cook by ourselves.”

“Mom Dad?”

“They went to a bar,” Yin Wuzhi replied irritably. “Said there’s a self-service barbecue stand here and told us to handle it ourselves.”

“Oh.”

Yin Wuzhi brought over a grill, plugged in a portable power source, and set up a small lamp nearby before sitting cross-legged on the sand.

His long legs were folded neatly, and the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt revealed evenly-toned muscles. Despite his young age, he was starting to exude the same captivating charm as the “Empress Yin” from before.

Jiang Wu sat perched on the rock, looking down at him for a while. Slowly and hesitantly, he shifted, inching closer until—shoop—he slid right off the rock.

Yin Wuzhi immediately turned to look at him.

Jiang Wu’s shirt had ridden up his back as he sat at the edge of the rock, legs sticking out awkwardly, staring silently at Yin Wuzhi.

Yin Wuzhi: “?”

He walked over, grabbed Jiang Wu’s waist, and Jiang Wu flopped straight into his arms, saying, “Not going back up.”

Yin Wuzhi carried him over to sit next to the grill and said, “This will take a while. Be patient.”

Jiang Wu lowered his lashes to glance at the nearby food, then looked back up at Yin Wuzhi. “Yin Wuzhi.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you not want me to go to the same school as you?”

Yin Wuzhi shot him a sideways glance and said, “What do you think?”

“I’ve got someone to carry me.”

Yin Wuzhi scowled and replied coldly, “You’ve got so many great classmates—how could you possibly lack someone to carry you?”

“So there’s no need for you to be upset,” Jiang Wu said. “Even if I’m at the same school as you, I won’t trouble you.”

Yin Wuzhi gave him a sinister glare, then let out a cold laugh. “As if I care about you.”

Jiang Wu: “.”

Yin Wuzhi grilled some milk buns first. After they were done, he blew on them, pinched one open to cool it further, and then set it on a plate. “Eat it later—it’s hot.”

“Oh.”

Yin Wuzhi kept grilling, staying silent for a while before he couldn’t hold back. “Who’s this ‘Empress’ of yours? Some great classmate?”

“Yeah, someone amazing.”

“How amazing?”

“The kind,” Jiang Wu thought for a long moment, “where sometimes you feel like the world is a deflated balloon, constantly leaking air—cold and lifeless. But when they show up, all the holes magically seal themselves, and everything feels whole again.”

Yin Wuzhi said, “I don’t understand a word of that.”

Jiang Wu chuckled.

Jiang Wu rarely laughed. Yin Wuzhi had always assumed it was because he was too lazy to bother. But now, he was laughing more frequently than ever.

Feeling annoyed, Yin Wuzhi ventured a guess. “Have you been secretly role-playing online with C?”

Empress this, Majesty that—it all sounds like some weird character-playing game.