After Getting Bound to Both the Protagonist and the Villain at the Same Time - Chapter 2

“I, I don’t really know how to use this shower,” Gu Mian said haltingly.

“Should I come in now?” Lin Chuyi hesitated for a moment. “But are you not wearing anything right now?” She gave a small cough. “Wrap a towel around yourself first. I’ll come in and take a look.”

“Okay.”

Gu Mian obediently did as told. “I’m ready.”

But even with only a towel hastily knotted around her, Gu Mian was beautiful. The soft fullness beneath the terrycloth was outlined by the pressure of the fabric, and the curve revealed was so perfect it could awaken anyone’s longing for beauty.

Lin Chuyi didn’t dare let her gaze wander. She was afraid to disturb the luminous glow before her, and she didn’t even know why she suddenly felt so restrained.

Her eyes skimmed over Gu Mian in a quick, tense sweep—unable to linger for even a second. Gu Mian was like an oasis in the desert, a fatal temptation to a traveler like her.

But still, she couldn’t help looking.

Lin Chuyi slowed her breathing, as if afraid to startle her.

No wonder she’s the protagonist, she thought with a quiet sigh. Every inch of her is a gift of creation.

With two people squeezed into the narrow bathroom, the space felt instantly cramped.

Gu Mian had never experienced this kind of awkwardness before. This bathroom wasn’t even as big as the refrigerator in her old home. A slight shift of position was enough to bump into something—or someone.

Bending down to check the water, Lin Chuyi lowered her head, turning the showerhead on and off to test the temperature. As she leaned forward, her waist arched with a delicate softness that made Gu Mian’s gaze drift instinctively toward the small dip of her lower back.

Lin Chuyi’s damp hair clung to her skin; faint perspiration glistened like dew. Her camisole was soaked through, clinging to her form, and at times revealing glimpses of deep, shadowed lines that made Gu Mian’s throat tighten.

The agitation Gu Mian originally felt from the day’s events began to shift without her noticing. She was still agitated—but now her heart thumped wildly, a strange heat rising along with a restless breathlessness. She retreated a little into the corner.

Then she closed her eyes.

See no evil.

When Lin Chuyi looked up, she found Gu Mian squinting—trying to open her eyes but also trying to hide. Pressed into the corner, even her breathing had softened.

She looked a little cute.

“The water’s ready. Just don’t touch this handle and you’ll be fine. Try this temperature.” Lin Chuyi splashed a bit onto Gu Mian’s ankle. “Does that feel right?”

“Y-yes, it’s good.”

“Do you need me to do anything else?” Lin Chuyi deliberately looked at her. The way this little girl was burrowing into the corner was unexpectedly adorable, making her want to tease her.

“N-no, that’s enough.” Gu Mian’s voice wobbled, and Lin Chuyi leaned in slightly. “Really no need?”

The unfamiliar warmth of Lin Chuyi’s presence closed in on Gu Mian. She was already as far in the corner as she could go, pressed even tighter now. Her eyes cracked open just a little. In the tight bathroom space, Lin Chuyi’s beauty became even sharper, her natural confidence gathering around her like light—bearing down on Gu Mian with startling intensity.

Gu Mian’s heart hammered against her ribs.

Her throat tightened; she wanted to speak but couldn’t manage any sound.

Lin Chuyi simply thought she was teasing a younger girl. She had no idea what was happening in Gu Mian’s heart. Someone like Gu Mian—she’d never seen before. No wonder she was the protagonist; she was so cute it made even her own heart soften.

The protagonist’s path always had various forces smoothing the way. Her current misfortune was only temporary. Looking at Gu Mian, Lin Chuyi’s lashes lowered slightly.

She and I are only crossing paths for a moment.

With a soft smile, Lin Chuyi stepped back.

“Alright, I’ll head out.”

The moment her presence withdrew, a wave of loss unexpectedly washed over Gu Mian.

In her hand was the water temperature Lin Chuyi had adjusted for her—perfectly warm, just right. Mixed with the strong rush of the spray, it made Gu Mian give a soft, involuntary sound.

She clamped her lips shut immediately, her face turning an even brighter shade of red.

“The protagonist really is pretty cute,” Lin Chuyi remarked to the system.

The system bounced proudly. “Of course. She is the protagonist.”

While soaking her cold medicine in hot water, Lin Chuyi asked, “By the way, how’s my grandmother’s health?”

“No abnormalities so far.” The system pulled up the data panel. “We spent a lot of initial points—mainly on securing a nursing home and medical treatment. I even covered part of the points for now,” it added kindly. “But don’t worry.

Since we’ve taken in the protagonist, you’ll earn points every day going forward—maybe even more when things are good.”

“Mm. Thank you.”

Lin Chuyi focused more carefully on dissolving the medicine. When Gu Mian exited the bathroom, she handed her the warm cup. “It’s a little hot—good for driving out the cold.”

She watched Gu Mian take the cup, then stepped aside to grab her own change of clothes for her shower.

“Jie.”

Gu Mian suddenly called to her. Her knuckles were pale from how hard she gripped the cup, her lips nearly the same color. “Why, why are you so good to me?”

Lin Chuyi froze for half a second, then smiled.

“Maybe because you happen to need me.”

Gu Mian’s chest warmed as if someone had set a spark inside her.

It felt strange. The family who should’ve been her closest blood ties had thrown her out, yet a complete stranger had offered her a roof over her head.

When Lin Chuyi went to shower, the sound of water hitting the floor brought vivid, overwhelming images to Gu Mian’s mind—shadows and curves, heat and motion. Flustered, she stood abruptly.

She couldn’t keep thinking like that.

She gulped down her medicine in a few hurried swallows, washed the cup in the little corner sink that seemed to serve as a makeshift kitchenette, and clumsily brewed a cup of cold medicine for Lin Chuyi as well.

When Lin Chuyi finished and they both settled down, the two of them finally exchanged simple introductions.

“My name is Gu Mian. I’ll be attending H University soon.” She hesitated, pressing her lips together. “Though, I’m not sure if I can still go.”

“If you got in, then you go,” Lin Chuyi said. “School is something you must attend.”

Gu Mian’s situation was a little embarrassing at the moment. Her bank card had been frozen, and her suitcase contained nothing useful—just a few changes of clothes.

Lin Chuyi could see the awkwardness in her expression, but she wasn’t the type to directly offer to pay for someone’s tuition or living expenses. Being overly attentive would only make her seem unreliable instead.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Chuyi said, “Don’t worry about tuition or living expenses just yet. For tuition, the state offers student loans. You can pay them back once you graduate and can support yourself. As for living expenses, I can help cover a little for now, but you might need to find your own solutions for the rest.”

“T-thank you.” Gu Mian hadn’t expected Lin Chuyi to come up with a solution for her at all.

“And as it happens,” Lin Chuyi added with a smile, “I’ll be at H University next semester too. I’m not a student, though—just a temporary library assistant.”

University library assistants only earned about four thousand yuan a month; after insurance and housing fund deductions, they took home barely a little over three thousand.

As a temporary worker, Lin Chuyi would receive a year-end bonus, but it wasn’t anything impressive.

Still, the job came with the same winter and summer breaks students had. And for Lin Chuyi, there was another advantage.

She could be at the same school as Gu Mian, taking care of her little one in between shifts. If you looked at it that way, maybe being a library assistant was the actual part-time job.

When Lin Chuyi smiled, she was gentle—but there was a quiet strength in her gentleness.

Gu Mian found herself staring, dazed, before quickly looking away. A faint blush crept up her ears.

The house they were in now was basic housing the system had applied for on Lin Chuyi’s behalf—a standard provision to ensure the main character’s living conditions. It was paid for by the System Administration and registered under Lin Chuyi’s name.

It was very close to H University—step out of the alley, and the university gates were right there. A place where every inch of land was precious.

It was just a bit small.

“It’s getting late. We’ll make the beds in a bit,” Lin Chuyi said as she stood and glanced at the rain outside. “If you don’t mind, you can stay here tonight.”

“Thank you.” Gu Mian lowered her eyes. Her phone was dead, and when she instinctively tried to turn it on, the dark unresponsive screen only reflected her own embarrassed face.

“Don’t feel pressured,” Lin Chuyi said softly. “Everyone goes through hard times.”

Gu Mian looked down. She wanted to do something—anything—to repay her. But right now, she had nothing.

Her phone was dead. She had no money to get by.

She was exhausted, disheartened—she had nothing but trouble to bring.

And yet Lin Chuyi accepted all of it without hesitation.

Gu Mian’s nose reddened, a sour ache bubbling up inside her.

“Try to sleep early tonight,” Lin Chuyi said. “You take the inner room’s bed. I’ll sleep in the outer room.”

“I can sleep in the outer room.” Gu Mian had never slept on a small bed before, but when she saw the foldable iron cot Lin Chuyi had pulled out—a short, low thing that barely counted as a bed—she knew it wouldn’t be comfortable at all.

“No need. You’re still at the age where you should be getting proper rest,” Lin Chuyi said naturally. “Sleep well tonight. Think about everything else tomorrow.”

Maybe it was because Lin Chuyi was simply too gentle. Gu Mian pressed her lips together, too shy to express her gratitude openly. The wind and rain that night were heavy, and somewhere in the haze of half-sleep, Gu Mian felt someone quietly pull the blanket up over her shoulders.

“I want jiejie to sleep with me.”

Gu Mian clutched the corner of her blanket, her eyes wet and shining as she looked at Lin Chuyi. “Rainy nights always put me in a bad mood.”

Her life had stabilized a little now. She had applied for the national green student loan, had spent over a month getting used to school, and whenever she wasn’t in class or busy, she would head straight to the library, wait for Lin Chuyi to get off work, and eat dinner with her at the cafeteria.

Her old friends also tried to help her, and she kept in contact with them. Things were no longer as desperate as they once were.

After contacting her parents’ lawyer and receiving the small inheritance they had left her, she had already repaid her green loan and even saved some money. But she instinctively hid any trace of her financial recovery.

She wanted to live with Lin Chuyi. Even if they were squeezed together in a tiny apartment, she still felt warm and safe.

“I want jiejie with me,” she pleaded again, tugging gently at Lin Chuyi’s sleeve.

Thinking back to how pitiful Gu Mian had been at the start, Lin Chuyi simply couldn’t bring herself to say no.

“My sleeping posture isn’t very good—I’m warning you first,” she said.

“It’s fine.” Gu Mian quickly made space beside her, scooting close to the wall to leave the larger area for Lin Chuyi.

But the moment Lin Chuyi sat down on the edge of the bed, Gu Mian suddenly hopped up and dashed toward the bathroom.

“Jiejie, I’m going to wash up!”

“Didn’t you already wash.” Lin Chuyi looked genuinely confused.

“I took medicine earlier,” Gu Mian mumbled through toothpaste foam. She glanced at herself in the mirror—her bright eyes sparkled like stars, and her cheeks were burning uncontrollably.

She washed up again. Carefully. Thoroughly. Even washed her hands again.

Holding her breath, she approached the bed, feeling the soft, warm space waiting for her.

She slipped under the covers quickly but lightly. Lying flat, her heart thudded wildly—racing up her throat as if it had no intention of stopping.

Then, all at once, Lin Chuyi turned on her side—toward her.