My Superpower Is Kind of Cute

Chapter 2: Aladdin and the Magic Lamp

The ancient vase I’d flung aside lay all alone on the ground, with a large chunk missing from its base. But that wasn’t what concerned me. Having made it this far, the vase could die with no regrets. Besides, with that crack, it actually looked a bit like something unearthed from the Western Zhou Dynasty… When the robber saw me standing right in front of him, he looked slightly panicked. He clutched the back of his head and tried to get up to run away, but with the motorcycle pinned on top of him, he was powerless to move. After hesitating for a moment, he stammered, “Buddy, give me a hand?” “If you’d been on a bicycle instead, none of this would’ve happened,” I said, looking at him mockingly. He had shifty eyes, and—most importantly—a scrawny build; he didn’t have a shred of what it takes to be a robber. No wonder he couldn’t even get up with the motorcycle pinned on top of him. I bent down, picked up the cell phone lying next to him, and gently blew the dust off it. I pressed a few buttons—it seemed to be in perfect working order—and immediately felt relieved. No wonder they say no-name phones are built to withstand drops; if it were an iPhone, it would either be cracked in half or have a black screen. I know a guy with a short fuse whowho always carries two phones with him whenever he goes out—one iPhone for making calls, and another no-name brand phone whose main job is to be smashed whenever he gets angry on the phone. Over the years, he’s gone through several generations of iPhones, but that no-name phone has never broken once… When the robber saw the phone in my hand, his face immediately fell. He said plaintively, “Dude, why bother? That teapot you just smashed on me was worth more than this phone. If I’d known you were using this piece of junk, I’d never have robbed you in the first place…” I put the phone back in my pocket and glared at him menacingly. “You don’t know shit. It’s all about nostalgia… Hey, do you still want me to help you?” The robber immediately fell silent, lying on the ground and nodding frantically. “Give me a hand.” “Dream on,” I sneered. “You stole my phone and now you want me to help you up? What if you try to extort me next?” These days, faking injuries to extort money isn’t just an old lady’s privilege anymore—it’s becoming more common among younger people. I definitely need to be more careful. Besides, he did just steal my phone; the fact that I didn’t kick him while he was down already shows I’m being pretty civilized. “No way,” the thief snapped, flustered, rushing to explain. “Please let bygones be bygones. Give me a hand—don’t call the police. I’ll pay you.” With that, he immediately reached for his wallet. I furrowed my brow, thinking to myself, “Am I really that petty?” The next second, I reached out and grabbed the motorcycle’s handlebars, giving it a hard yank to pull it upright. The robber stood up with a gasp. I glanced at him—apart from his dust-stained clothes making him look a bit disheveled, he didn’t seem injured anywhere else. Especially that head of his—I don’t know how it’s built—he smashed the teapot against it and came out completely unscathed. The robber pulled out his wallet, glanced inside, hesitated for a long time, then took out the meager 300 yuan that remained and asked tentatively, “Dude, you’re not really going to call the cops, are you?” “Do you realize you were wrong?” I didn’t take his money, nor did I answer his question directly. Instead, I put on a serious expression and asked him earnestly. “I know, I know. I’ll never do anything petty like this again.” The mugger nodded like a chick pecking at grain and said with a pout, “Besides, this was my first time. I won’t dare do it again.” I gave him a meaningful look and patted him on the shoulder. “Your mistake was not wearing a helmet. Keep that in mind next time.” The robber: “……” I pushed the money back toward the robber. He’d only snatched a no-name phone from me and gotten his head smacked with an antique teapot—if I took his money now, my conscience wouldn’t let me. I hadn’t even considered calling the police; it just wasn’t worth it over a phone like that. Seeing that I hadn’t called the police or taken his money, the robber gave me a grateful look, put the money back in his wallet, and casually checked his own phone. Instantly, tears streamed down his face, and he exclaimed with deep regret, “If I ever rob anyone again, I’ll be your grandson.” The corner of the iPhone in his hand was already chipped, and the screen had a few cracks. Just what did I say a moment ago? Apple phones really aren’t built to withstand drops… But I wasn’t paying much attention to what he was saying at the moment. I’d spotted a figure behind the robber—a man in his mid-twenties with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, handsome features, and a head of snow-white hair casually falling over his shoulders. He was wearing a linen robe and staring blankly at his surroundings… Originally, there had only been the robber and me on this entire country lane; I had no idea when he’d appeared. When I saw him, I instinctively took a step back. Staring at them, I said warily, “I was planning to let you off the hook, and you go and call for backup?” Hearing this, the robber looked completely bewildered. Realizing my gaze was fixed on something behind him, he turned his head to glance behind him, then looked back at me in confusion. “Dude, what are you talking about? I don’t get it.” “Still playing dumb?” I pointed at the guy who’d popped up out of nowhere. “Do you think I’m blind?” The robber turned around, half-believing me, and took a closer look. He turned back with a helpless expression and said, “I really don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s no one behind me.” I rubbed my eyes and looked again. There was definitely someone standing there, but judging by the robber’s tone, he didn’t seem to be lying to me. If he were lying, I’d have believed him—his acting was good enough to win an Oscar. I couldn’t help but mutter under my breath, “Then who is he…?” As I spoke, the man gradually walked toward me. While I was sizing him up, he was staring right back at me. When the robber saw my gaze drifting toward the empty lot, he suddenly remembered the recent rumors about patients running loose in the hospital. A chill ran down his spine, and he surreptitiously pulled his motorcycle over, plopped down on it, twisted the throttle, and sped off. “Hey, don’t go yet!” Only then did I realize the robber had already left, so I hurriedly called out to him. I’d originally intended to ask him to give me a ride to the station. When the robber heard me, he glanced back at me, then decisively sped up, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone. Now it was just me and that stranger left here. I kept a wary eye on him. His outfit looked like something a non-mainstream kid would wear, but combined with his handsome features, he seemed different—he immediately gave off the vibe of someone into S&M. But no matter what he was up to, his sudden appearance in front of me certainly didn’t bode well. The atmosphere grew a bit awkward. After a few seconds of silence, I was about to speak when, before the words could leave my mouth, the man extended his finger and lightly touched my forehead. In that instant, I felt a sudden jolt, as if I’d been electrocuted. The sensation was fleeting; by the time I’d recovered, he’d already withdrawn his hand and was looking at me with a half-smile. A hint of excitement crept into the man’s voice as he muttered to himself, “So I’ve ended up in another world, huh.” “Damn idiot,” I thought, my body tensing as I instinctively tried to walk away. When someone says something like that to you, there are only two possibilities: either he’s crazy, or he thinks you’re crazy. I’m more inclined to believe the former. Just as I took my first step, the man wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pointed at the broken teapot at my feet, and whispered in my ear, “I came out of there.” “A magic lamp?” I paused for a moment, blurting it out. The man chuckled softly. “Not exactly. But since you’ve summoned me, you must grant me three wishes.” I looked at him in shock. “I thought you were a magic lamp, and you’re actually playing the role of Aladdin?”