After Getting Bound to Both the Protagonist and the Villain at the Same Time - Chapter 15

The expected agonizing pain never arrived.

Perhaps everything had happened too fast; it was only after blood had already soaked through the back of her shirt that Shen Qing belatedly felt the sting.

Everyone had been caught off guard by Niu Qianqian’s first swing, but by the second, bystanders and officers had already moved to subdue her.

The blade Niu Qianqian swung with all her might was knocked aside by an external force, sent skidding across the ground. Niu Qianqian herself was kicked hard, pinned face-down against the rough concrete.

The person who subdued her used considerable force, fearing she might still have the strength for another indiscriminate attack. Niu Qianqian instantly burst into tears, one side of her face burning from the friction.

The knife had grazed Shen Qing’s back, leaving a long, deep gash.

Lin Chuyi’s brow furrowed with anxiety as she pulled out her phone to dial 120. As she reported their location and the situation, her hand began to tremble uncontrollably.

The scene descended into chaos. The screams and hushed whispers of onlookers blurred together, and Shen Qing’s vision began to flicker between light and dark.

Niu Qianqian’s face was scraped and bleeding from the impact, but not a single soul looked her way with concern.

“Take her away.”

Hearing those cold, relentless words, Niu Qianqian was filled with both pain and terror. The knife was placed into an evidence bag. She seemed to regret her actions now—drooping like a heavy weight, struggling and sobbing for mercy—but she was shown no leniency. Handcuffs were snapped onto her wrists, and she was dragged and hoisted for several meters before being tossed into the police car.

Niu Qianqian looked pitiful, like a withered autumn leaf trembling in the wind, but no one pitied her.

The gazes directed at her were either cold or fearful; no one was fooled by her current display of frailty. Everyone had seen her moment of madness, and no one was willing to waste sympathy on a violent person who couldn’t control her impulses.

Before the ambulance arrived, the school doctor reached them.

The wound on Shen Qing’s back was both long and deep. The doctor could only provide basic first aid; further treatment would have to wait until she reached the hospital.

Lin Chuyi gripped Shen Qing’s hand, her heart racing with lingering fear. She fought back tears, determined not to let her own distress affect the girl.

Surprisingly, it was the usually fragile Shen Qing who showed strength. She comforted Lin Chuyi: “It doesn’t hurt, really—it just looks scary.” She curled her lips into a forced smile. “It truly doesn’t hurt.”

“Nonsense, your lips are completely pale.” Lin Chuyi’s tears fell faster. At this moment, Shen Qing felt a strange sense of satisfaction. If a single wound was all it took to bind her sister’s attention solely to her.

Seeing Lin Chuyi’s tears, a deeper desire took hold of Shen Qing’s nerves. She suppressed the urge to kiss her, but her lips—which had grazed Lin Chuyi’s in that split-second crisis—began to burn uncontrollably.

Lin Chuyi accompanied Shen Qing to the hospital. Meanwhile, the police reviewed the school’s surveillance footage. An already malicious incident was made even worse by Niu Qianqian’s final act of violence. Combined with the fact that Niu Qianqian was legally an adult, there was no way she would escape the consequences this time.

In the treatment room, Shen Qing lay prone on the narrow metal bed. To make it easier to apply medication at home later, Lin Chuyi had cut open the back of her shirt. As Lin Chuyi’s cool fingertips, coated in moist ointment, touched her back, Shen Qing’s pale face flushed with a heat that made her ears turn crimson.

Hugging a pillow, Shen Qing whispered, “Sister.”

Lin Chuyi felt a tickle in her ear but didn’t catch the words clearly. “Hmm?”

“Thank you, Sister.”

“Don’t mention thanks between us.” After carefully changing the dressing, Lin Chuyi applied the gauze with extreme care. “If you want to shower these next few days, you’ll have to endure. The doctor said you can wash once the stitches are out.”

“Okay.”

Shen Qing’s recovery was swift. Within two or three days, aside from being unable to bend her back too far, the wounds on her hands and back were already beginning to scab. However, the healing process brought its own small frustrations.

While her back was manageable, the wounds on her hands were trickier. Her palms would frequently stretch open during daily movements, making it difficult for the small cuts to close fully; her cells had to work overtime every day to stitch her back together.

Lin Chuyi’s application to audit classes at the H University Affiliated High School had been approved. She happily bought Shen Qing a new uniform and stationery and sent her off to school.

As an auditor, Shen Qing didn’t have a dormitory spot. Fortunately, the place Lin Chuyi provided was very close to the school. By waking up just a bit earlier, Shen Qing could keep pace with the rest of the students.

Shen Qing cherished this opportunity. She organized her books and entered the campus with a mix of caution and anticipation. Seeing Shen Qing gradually lose her awkwardness after school each day, Lin Chuyi felt much more at ease.

Lately, Gu Mian seemed to have become incredibly busy, appearing and disappearing like a ghost. She rarely had time to come home; when she did, it was only for a fleeting moment before she had to rush off again. She was clearly navigating a critical period in her own affairs.

“Is my mission almost finished?” Lin Chuyi felt a bit of relief seeing both Gu Mian and Shen Qing occupied with their own lives, yet she also felt a trace of unidentifiable melancholy. She quickly shook it off. “How is Grandma’s health?”

“Host, I have good news and bad news, which do you want first?” Mengmeng shuffled over to Lin Chuyi, affectionately rubbing against her shoulder.

Lin Chuyi glanced at it. “Just say it.”

“Well, the mission was almost complete. We had a short-term transaction agreement, and once the protagonist’s current milestone passed, we could have ended things as planned,” Mengmeng said.

“But?” Lin Chuyi raised an eyebrow. She had only signed a temporary contract because her grandmother’s condition had been dire at the time.

“But Grandma’s health suddenly took a turn for the worse. It has reached a point where the points from your ‘gig worker’ contract can no longer cover the costs—I even added 0927’s points, but it’s still just a drop in the bucket.”

An elderly person’s health is unpredictable. For a system to defy the natural laws of a world, the price is immense. This sudden illness was too aggressive to be reversed through occasional task points.

“We have another mode of operation: you become a formal Task-Taker. You would help the protagonist and antagonist through their major life milestones, and in exchange, we can guarantee Grandma’s health and longevity.”

In her previous role, Lin Chuyi was essentially a “cannon fodder” extra—free, but with low rewards. Now, she was being asked to take on a lead role, which meant more rewards but much less freedom.

“And if the mission fails?” Lin Chuyi asked calmly.

“Immediate soul obliteration.”

“Let me think about it.” Lin Chuyi sat down and brewed a cup of tea to settle her chaotic thoughts. The leaves drifted and sank in the water, much like the fluctuations of the world.

On the weekend, it was Lin Chuyi’s turn to staff the library. Shen Qing brought her backpack and sat beside her to do homework.

When someone came to check out books, Shen Qing was quick to stand up and handle the procedure for Lin Chuyi. Returning to her side, she said with feigned nonchalance, “Sister, it’s my birthday next week.”

I’m going to be an adult. I won’t be a child anymore.

Shen Qing wanted to say it, but felt it sounded childish, so the words remained unspoken. When she had originally planned to work to pay Lin Chuyi back for the phone, she had been counting down the days until her legal adulthood. She never imagined then that her life would be this good—and all of it was given to her by her sister.

Lin Chuyi was momentarily stunned, then smiled. She realized Shen Qing was still just a young girl with a child’s innocent excitement for birthdays.

“Alright. Which day specifically? We’ll celebrate it with your Sister Gu Mian.”

Shen Qing replied, “Next Saturday. But I just want to spend it with you, Sister. Gu Mian hasn’t been home much lately; I don’t want to disturb her important business.”

Shen Qing had heard bits and pieces about the major moves Gu Mian was making. Gu Mian’s absence had left a void beside Lin Chuyi, and Shen Qing was more than happy to fill it.

Lin Chuyi nodded, thinking that made sense. Gu Mian was busy reclaiming her family inheritance and expanding her territory; it wouldn’t be good if an invitation became an added burden.

“Okay,” Lin Chuyi agreed. Shen Qing couldn’t help but let a smile slip.

Her good mood lasted all the way home. As they reached their floor, Shen Qing lingered by her door while Lin Chuyi unlocked the door opposite, seemingly not planning to come in.

Shen Qing called out nervously, “Sister.”

“Yes?” Lin Chuyi turned around.

“Could you help me apply the medicine again?” A faint flush crept up Shen Qing’s ears.

Lin Chuyi agreed immediately. “Of course. I’ll come over to your place.”

Shen Qing beamed. But just as she pulled out the gel for her wound, Lin Chuyi’s phone rang. It was Gu Mian.

As soon as Lin Chuyi answered, she heard Gu Mian’s voice: “Did Sister miss me?” Her tone was unusually tender and melodic.

Lin Chuyi didn’t know how to answer such a question; she only felt the phone in her hand grow incredibly hot.

“Where are you now, Sister?”

“At home,” Lin Chuyi replied.

Shen Qing watched Lin Chuyi, her eyelashes fluttering uncontrollably.

Gu Mian’s soft chuckle came through the receiver. “Since you’re home, then if you really missed me, open the door and look at me.”

A nerve in Lin Chuyi’s brain twitched.

Oh boy.

She hadn’t had a chance to tell Gu Mian that she had rented the apartment across the hall for Shen Qing. Because Gu Mian had been coming and going in such a rush, she hadn’t realized Lin Chuyi was often absent from her own unit.

And now, Gu Mian sounded like she had prepared a surprise.

Ha.

Lin Chuyi hesitantly opened the door. To Gu Mian, who was standing in front of the opposite door holding a bouquet of flowers, she gave a weak “Hi.”

Gu Mian turned to look at her.

Lin Chuyi felt a sudden sense of danger. Looking at Gu Mian, she unconsciously swallowed.

At that moment, Shen Qing’s voice rang out with a strange clarity from inside her apartment: “Sister,” her outer buttons were already undone, and upon seeing Gu Mian, she only loosely pulled her collar together, letting her glowing skin peek through. “Are we still doing the medicine?”

Author’s Note:
Lin Chuyi: I don’t know why, but—help, help!