After Getting Bound to Both the Protagonist and the Villain at the Same Time - Chapter 14

In the end, Gu Mian did not reach out to hold Shen Qing’s hand, and Shen Qing kept a respectful distance from Gu Mian as well.

Forget holding wrists—even standing slightly close to one another made their expressions sour. Not to mention they each had their own hidden agendas, both of which had been seen through by the other.

Gu Mian: “…” Humph.

Shen Qing: “…” Heh.

Lin Chuyi found a corner seat for Shen Qing to sit down while she and Gu Mian went to the counter to order food.

“Any dietary restrictions?” Lin Chuyi leaned down to ask the seated Shen Qing. The moment Shen Qing looked up, her gaze crashed straight into Lin Chuyi’s neckline.

Her throat went dry instantly. “N-none.”

Gu Mian cast a sidelong glance at Shen Qing. Using a bit of force, she pulled Lin Chuyi up and began intimately adjusting Lin Chuyi’s clothes right in front of Shen Qing.

“When you’re outside,” Gu Mian’s hands were slender and strong, like a gift from the heavens, every inch etched with an enticing charm. She chuckled, though her words carried a pointed meaning, “don’t leave the top button of your shirt undone.”

Gu Mian’s hands were very warm. As she adjusted the clothes, her fingers inevitably brushed against the skin of Lin Chuyi’s collarbone. The contact sent a shiver through Lin Chuyi, who couldn’t help but ask, “Are you done yet?”

“This button is a bit tricky,” Gu Mian replied.

“Sister, do you want me to help—” Shen Qing stood up from her seat, but before she could fully clear the cafeteria table, Gu Mian snapped the button shut. “Done.”

Shen Qing: “…”

Shen Qing sat back down.

Lin Chuyi finally sensed that something was slightly off. However, the protagonist was helpful and the antagonist was a bit self-centered—both traits seemed to fit their personas perfectly. While waiting in line for a tray, she took the opportunity to ask Mengmeng, “Is the protagonist acting a bit weird?”

Mengmeng pulled up the interface. “No, everything is normal.”

“And the antagonist?” Lin Chuyi looked at 0927. 0927 glanced at Mengmeng and replied, “Everything is normal.”

Lin Chuyi rarely had such intimate friends before. She thought about it and decided she might just be overthinking. Seeing that they had reached the front of the line, she stopped dwelling on it and began picking out today’s lunch.

0927 continued to stare expressionlessly at Mengmeng. Mengmeng bounced a little and, seeing 0927 still staring, couldn’t help but shrink back. “What are you looking at me for?”

“What are you planning to do?”

“I’m not planning to do anything. Isn’t a qualified system supposed to avoid interfering too much in the lives of the task-taker and the protagonist?” Mengmeng said righteously.

It knew a bit more than the cold 0927 in front of it. At that thought, Mengmeng’s tail curled up in excitement.

The protagonist and the antagonist were clearly two sides of the same person, yet they were fated to be so hopelessly at odds. Thrilling—it was truly thrilling.

If it weren’t for the secrecy protocols in its programming, Mengmeng would have loved to whip out a bowl of melon seeds and gossip about the “ship” with 0927.

Word was that at certain intense moments, the two halves of a person would experience synesthesia—the desires felt by one half would be felt just as vividly by the other.

As Mengmeng thought of this, its processors began running at high speed for some reason, and its interface started to overheat.

It wondered who the Goddess would choose. Would she choose neither, or—

Mengmeng had seen many stories in the System Management Bureau, but that didn’t stop it from enjoying the current story with great interest.

0927 saw that Mengmeng clearly noticed the changes happening between the protagonist and the antagonist but was choosing to sit idly by. Strange.

Even the slightest deviation could change the ultimate fate of a small world. It and Mengmeng were supposed to ensure the protagonist and antagonist followed their established trajectories to maximize the world’s safety. They had spent so many points to bring in Lin Chuyi to support the plot precisely for this safety. 0927 reminded Mengmeng, “If the world fails, we face the risk of being downgraded or even scrapped.”

“Don’t worry,” Mengmeng said with confidence.

In the afternoon, Lin Chuyi called the school’s Director of Student Affairs to ask about the disciplinary actions against Niu Qianqian and the others. The Director hesitated and spoke in circles before finally promising a period of probation and a major demerit for those involved.

“When incidents like this happen on campus, the police usually focus on mediation. Since there was no major ‘impact,’ the school’s punishment is already near the maximum limit,” the Director said. “If we expel Niu Qianqian and she becomes a street thug, she’ll be even harder to manage. That wouldn’t be good for Shen Qing either, right?”

The Director was experienced in handling parents; usually, mentioning the child’s well-being made parents soften their stance, especially since Shen Qing was in her senior year and needed the school’s support.

“We promise to move Shen Qing to a better class and pay more attention to her at school.”

Lin Chuyi was silent for a moment, then said, “Alright, I understand the school’s decision. I’ll be blunt: I am not satisfied with the solution or the results. Now, it’s my turn to handle it.”

What “harder to manage if expelled”? Once expelled, she’s a civilian; if she keeps gang-banning like that, she belongs in jail, not under school management.

Moreover, this incident had reached a malicious level. This wasn’t a matter for school mediation; it involved detention and criminal charges.

Lin Chuyi had previously considered uploading the video to use public opinion to ensure Niu Qianqian and the others were punished, but she couldn’t bring herself to expose Shen Qing. Even with blur effects, the spread of such a video would be deeply traumatizing for the girl.

She had looked up similar precedents; even for minors, sentences reached two years or more. She was determined to make sure Niu Qianqian and her group paid the price.

A student ID should not be a shield for criminals!

Lin Chuyi hung up and immediately called the police. Upon seeing the evidence of suspected criminal activity in the video Lin Chuyi provided, the officers decided to take action immediately.

A moment ago, Niu Qianqian was still bragging about how she had only received a light slap on the wrist. As for the thousand-word self-reflection she had to write, her lackeys would do it for her anyway; she never touched a pen.

That said, she absolutely loathed Shen Qing for making her look like a fool in front of the whole school. If it weren’t for Shen Qing and her mysterious “family,” she wouldn’t have been beaten by her parents in the Director of Student Affairs’s office until she wailed like a ghost, losing all face.

“Boss! Boss! Shen Qing just entered the school gates!” one of Niu Qianqian’s underlings rushed in to report. Niu Qianqian let out a cold snort. “She still dares to show her face here? Come on, let’s go corner her. It’s just another demerit.

Those things disappear after six months anyway—who’s afraid?”

Niu Qianqian couldn’t even wait until school was out. She wanted to beat Shen Qing to the ground in front of everyone to reclaim her tattered dignity.

To Niu Qianqian’s surprise, when she rushed toward Shen Qing with a pocketknife hidden in her pocket, she didn’t find the same weak, silent Shen Qing.

Shen Qing seemed to have changed. In just a few days, her gaze had become something that made Niu Qianqian instinctively flinch.

Several officers in deep blue uniforms stood beside Shen Qing. The Dean and the Principal had both come out to report the situation. The officers carried an aura that demanded confession and discouraged resistance, making Niu Qianqian’s legs go weak.

“This is Niu Qianqian, right? Let’s find a place to confirm the details.”

Niu Qianqian was shocked and terrified. She never expected Shen Qing to actually call the police. She thought everything had blown over and she could go back to being the school bully.

Niu Qianqian began to scream and struggle. “I didn’t do anything! Why should I go with you. Oh, right, I’m a minor! The date on my ID was changed; I’m a minor, you can’t arrest me!”

“Breaking the law has nothing to do with whether you are a minor or not,” the officer said sternly. “You must come with us. Additionally,” the officer pulled out a list, “we’d like to see these other students to understand the situation.

Those circled in red will be taken in today. Please take a look.”

The Dean felt a surge of bitterness as he notified the homeroom teachers to round up the students. Some hadn’t even come to school and were eventually found in nearby internet cafes before being sent to the police station.

As they waited for everyone to be gathered, Niu Qianqian was fuming. She reached into her pocket and gripped the knife tight.

It was all Shen Qing’s fault. If it weren’t for her, she wouldn’t be in this mess. She had just lied about being a minor to escape punishment, but it seemed useless against the police. If she was actually detained or sentenced—

The mere thought made Niu Qianqian feel like she was suffocating. No! No! Even if she died, she would take Shen Qing down with her!

While everyone was waiting to head to the station, there was a momentary lapse in security.

Niu Qianqian watched for an opening and suddenly lunged! The silver blade traced a long arc through the air!

Lin Chuyi reacted first. She grabbed Shen Qing and tackled her to the side, causing Niu Qianqian to miss. Niu Qianqian, now seeing red, didn’t stop and charged at them again!

Lin Chuyi desperately shielded Shen Qing. Seeing the blade approaching, Shen Qing used every ounce of her strength to flip over, pinning Lin Chuyi beneath her!

In that instant, Shen Qing’s amber eyes flickered with a light Lin Chuyi couldn’t decipher—steady and lingering, filled with unquestionable courage. She leaned down, her trembling, dry lips grazing the corner of Lin Chuyi’s mouth with restrained intensity. A faint but firm voice reached Lin Chuyi’s ear: “Sister, I’ll protect you.”

This might be the last time. Shen Qing lowered her head, breathing heavily, pressing her face tightly against Lin Chuyi’s cheek. These past few dream-like days, were they something she had just picked up by chance?

If so, she really was far too lucky. Meeting her sister was so wonderful.

Shen Qing felt the last bit of warmth from being pressed against Lin Chuyi and pursed her lips.

They were too dry.

If she had the chance in the future, she wanted to kiss her sister with moist lips. She wanted to tell her that she loved the hand her sister reached out to her, loved her smile, loved it when she gently stroked her head, and loved her goodnight kisses.

She loved her sister. Very, very much.

Truly, she loved her.