After the Black Moonlight’s "Death Escape" Failed [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 28.1

Chapter 28.1: The Wolf and the Whip-Wielder

◎ You like me at least a little bit, don’t you? ◎

Nameless thought she must be going insane. Otherwise, why—after Jiao Qingyin said such a thing—did she feel not anger, but an uncontrollable surge of excitement?

The person before her was like a flower entwined with thorns; even knowing the danger, Nameless wanted to lean in and catch its scent. She even wanted to pluck this flower and hide it away in her own embrace.

The desires she had suppressed over the past few days resurfaced. She met Jiao Qingyin’s gaze with burning intensity, her eyes and brow clearly written with joy and anticipation.

Jiao Qingyin’s anger cooled slightly as she sensed something was off. The protagonist’s reaction was strange. Or rather, since that night a month ago, her behavior had gradually veered off course. She was constantly staring, and occasionally doing things that seemed intended to catch Jiao Qingyin’s attention.

The more Jiao Qingyin gave her the cold shoulder, the more obvious these anomalies became… like right now.

Thinking this, Jiao Qingyin’s grip on Nameless’s cheek loosened. But a second later, the girl proactively leaned forward, resting her chin in the crook of Jiao Qingyin’s hand—

Nameless tilted her head and nuzzled against her. Like a puppy resting its head in its master’s palm.

Nameless narrowed her eyes and offered a sweet smile. “I’m already your dog, aren’t I?”

The moment those words left her mouth, Jiao Qingyin’s pupils constricted. As if burned, she reflexively shoved the girl away.

Nameless, restricted to her wheelchair, was pushed back a significant distance, colliding with a waist-high crystal vase. As the vase tipped over, Jiao Qingyin strode forward and grabbed Nameless by the collar, pulling her from the chair and into her arms before the girl could even react.

Crash!

Broken crystal showered down like rain, and water splashed everywhere. Jiao Qingyin shielded the girl from the shards, but her own hair was inevitably soaked by the water. Nameless, held tightly in her arms, was not only unhurt but hadn’t even been splashed.

Feeling the warmth radiating from Jiao Qingyin, Nameless blinked in a daze.

Jiao Qingyin’s face was grim. Nameless was nearly her height, and since her legs couldn’t support her, Jiao Qingyin had to pull her body flush against her own to keep her steady. She had never been this intimate with anyone; the foreign experience made her even more flustered.

Servants rushed in at the noise. Jiao Qingyin immediately barked, “Bring a chair over.”

“…Thank you.” Nameless finally snapped back to reality, her voice a beat slow.

Water dripped from Jiao Qingyin’s hair, sliding into her collar and soaking a large patch of her shirt. She wanted to deal with it, but hearing Nameless’s thanks, her mood soured even further. I put her in danger, what does she have to thank me for!

When the chair arrived, she dumped the girl into it.

“Do you have any idea what you just said?” Jiao Qingyin stared at Nameless, looking as if she wanted to crack open the girl’s head to see what was inside.

Jiao Qingyin did like it when Nameless was obedient, but the girl’s behavior was crossing lines every day. She had to face the problem: How did a perfectly good protagonist mutate like this? If it was just to lower her guard, was it really necessary to go this far?

Jiao Qingyin leaned down, her warm breath hitting Nameless’s veil. The girl’s face flushed hot.

Nameless met her gaze, her breathing heavy. After a moment, she spoke: “I know.”

The artificial sweetness in her tone had faded, replaced by a sincerity that made Jiao Qingyin’s scalp tingle. Reflexively, Jiao Qingyin tugged at the girl’s collar again. The expensive fabric couldn’t take the abuse; a button popped off, and the neckline became wrinkled.

However, Nameless didn’t react to the rough treatment. Instead, she seized the opportunity to hook her fingers around Jiao Qingyin’s hand, guiding her fingers to touch her own neck.

For a moment, Jiao Qingyin thought the girl was seducing her. Before she could dismiss the thought, her fingertips brushed against soft leather.

Nameless’s eyes remained fixed on her. Seeing Jiao Qingyin’s expression go blank for a second, her tone turned triumphant. “I’m still wearing your collar.”

…If the girl was indeed trying to seduce her, she had succeeded.

Jiao Qingyin struggled to breathe deeply to calm herself, but with someone staring at her so intently, she couldn’t hide the shift in her emotions.

Nameless was indeed trying to seduce her—she didn’t even understand her own motive; it happened naturally. Before her brain could react, her body had already moved toward the other woman. As the one leading the interaction, her heart was racing faster than Jiao Qingyin’s, pounding so loudly she feared the woman would hear it.

Impulse defeated logic. Nameless lost her usual composure and gave Jiao Qingyin no time to cool down. Her throat moved as she intensified the pressure, pressing the woman’s hand tighter against her neck.

Jiao Qingyin’s fingertips were pressed against Nameless’s throat, separated only by a thin layer of leather. With the girl’s movement, she felt the illusion of touching her skin directly.

Nameless had placed herself in a completely vulnerable position, handing her weakness over to Jiao Qingyin while her voice held a raw, seductive quality. Yet, her actions were an act of utter defiance. How could a submissive slave repeatedly disobey her master and test her limits like this? She clearly wanted—

Nameless lowered her head. Through the veil, her lips pressed against Jiao Qingyin’s index knuckle. Then, she gave it a light rub.

Jiao Qingyin’s usually well-controlled emotions finally shattered.

She felt split in two. One half told her to push the girl away and whip her to teach her that “Otillia Hughes” would never tolerate such insolence from a slave. The other half said that as “Otillia Hughes,” she should be extremely satisfied with the protagonist throwing herself at her. She should welcome this. The long table nearby looked quite suitable; she could lift the girl onto it. The girl’s legs couldn’t move, so she could only let her push the skirt up bit by bit—she had picked that dress out, so she should be the one to take it off—

[Warning: Abnormal psychological state detected in Host. Error correction function activated. 1 Role-Play point deducted.]

It was like a bucket of ice water over the head. Jiao Qingyin’s reason returned instantly. Realizing what she had been thinking, she wanted to slap herself.

“Acting like the original owner,” “What would Hughes do”… those were just excuses she used to convince herself. In reality, the person who wanted to do those things to the protagonist… was herself. This deep self-analysis made her want to slap herself even more.

Nameless watched as the flicker of hesitation vanished from the woman’s face in a single second, replaced by her usual armored coldness. Her heart sank.

Why—!

Her beautiful eyes flared with intense frustration. She was so close to peeling away the mask and seeing the real woman underneath. Why—!

Jiao Qingyin’s fingers suddenly tightened. Caught off guard, Nameless was pulled forward by the collar. She looked up and saw Jiao Qingyin’s lips curl into a smirk. Then, those beautiful lips parted to utter wounding words:

“Since you know you’re a dog, surely you know the difference between a pet and a stray picked up off the street?” Jiao Qingyin paused. “Pets get names. Strays… at most get a mouthful of leftovers.”

The warmth Nameless had been chasing was gone, replaced by high-and-mighty contempt.

But ironically, this was the emotion Nameless was most used to seeing. Her slave status, her abnormal appearance, her eccentric personality… people had too many reasons to ostracize her. Even those as lowly as her found superiority in her presence.

But Jiao Qingyin was different. Even under this humiliating gaze, Nameless felt a strange calm. She had a bizarre faith in this woman—she was certain this was a pose meant to provoke her, not her true intent.

The collar tightened, forcing Nameless to tilt her neck higher.

“Don’t get distracted,” Jiao Qingyin threatened, narrowing her eyes.

Nameless snapped back. “Do you think I’m not as ‘good’ as your pet dog?”

This was another angle Jiao Qingyin hadn’t expected. In her mind, Al wasn’t exactly “good”—the cub might not destroy the house, but she certainly talked back (or bit back) plenty. Thinking of Al, Jiao Qingyin’s lips twitched upward for a brief moment before cooling again. “Which of my slaves isn’t more ‘good’ than you?”

Nameless’s expression shifted subtly. If she were just being compared to “Al,” she wouldn’t care—after all, she was Al. But once other people were involved, her competitive streak was ignited.

“I am not like them,” Nameless said, looking Jiao Qingyin in the eye with sudden gravity.

Her reaction was exactly what Jiao Qingyin wanted. The woman gave an interested smile. Her finger on the collar shifted, a well-manicured nail pressing against Nameless’s throat and tracing a line downward.

Unprepared, Nameless let out a sharp gasp. Hearing herself make such a sound for the first time, she froze entirely.

Jiao Qingyin acted as if she hadn’t heard, but she found it intriguing. She pressed further: “How are you different?” As she spoke, she pinched a bit of skin at Nameless’s neck, kneading it idly. Hmm… feels as good as I imagined.

Nameless’s neck and ears immediately turned pink, like a delicious dessert. She opened her mouth to answer but only let out another embarrassing sound. Jiao Qingyin laughed.

[Warning: Abnormal psychological state detected…] Another Role-Play point lost.

Before her mood could plummet over having only 6 points left, Nameless reached out and tugged at Jiao Qingyin’s sleeve. The strength was small, but the presence was strong. Jiao Qingyin knew this move too well—Al always did this when she wanted food.

But this time, it wasn’t a cute puppy’s whimper. It was Nameless’s slightly raspy whisper:

“The difference is… you like me at least a little bit, don’t you?”

Nameless was being held by her collar, her clothes were a mess, and her breathing was uneven, but her eyes were blindingly bright as she said it.

[Ding! Abnormal psychological state detected…]

Having her secret feelings exposed, Jiao Qingyin didn’t even have time to react before the system’s warnings filled her head. This “forced calm” made her shock and embarrassment disappear in a second, leaving only cold logic.

Nameless regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth, but the die was cast. She stared at Jiao Qingyin, waiting for a reaction. But she only saw the woman’s lips flatten. Not only was she unmoved, she even let out a mocking scoff.

Nameless’s heart plummeted. Her nails dug into her palms, leaving crescent-shaped marks.

Facing the biggest setback of her career, Jiao Qingyin (with only 5 points left) gave a self-deprecating smile, then noticed the girl’s distress. Years of experience told her she should clear up the misunderstanding now, or it would take root forever.

[System Judgement: The current misunderstanding is beneficial for the mission. Suggest Host let it be.]

Jiao Qingyin paused. She swallowed her words and told the system: I know… besides, it’s not really a misunderstanding. I don’t like her; I just think she’s pretty.

The system detected her brainwaves and judged there was some truth to the statement, so it only reminded her again about the importance of her persona.

The atmosphere turned to ice. All the previous tension vanished as Jiao Qingyin released the collar. Nameless watched the distance between them grow, her chest filled with a stinging ache. Breathing felt harder now than when the collar was tight.

Jiao Qingyin turned to leave; she had several side quests to complete in the palace for points. Nameless reached out to stop her but faltered at the last second. Yet, seeing the woman about to vanish from sight, she had an intuition that if she didn’t seize this chance, she would lose something forever. She instinctively tried to stand up and give chase—

Thump. She fell to the floor.

Jiao Qingyin spun around and saw Nameless sprawled face-down, unable to get up. Without thinking, she rushed over and helped her up. In the process, Nameless’s veil slipped, revealing her scarred face.

Nameless reflexively tried to cover herself, but Jiao Qingyin held her hands down. “Don’t move. You’re bleeding.”

Nameless blinked. Then she felt fabric brushing under her nose—Jiao Qingyin was using her own handkerchief to wipe the blood. Nameless watched her gentle, skilled movements and gritted her teeth. How can she do this and not like me at all?

Even if there’s no love, there should be some goodwill… She likes my beast form so much, surely there’s some transferred affection for my human form? Even if she doesn’t know I’m Al, our forms share similarities…

Jiao Qingyin didn’t notice the girl’s chaotic thoughts. She was focused on arguing with the system while stopping the bleeding.

The protagonist doesn’t think I’m out of character, and my emotions are stable. No points should be deducted. “Host, according to system analysis, your behavior does not match the original owner…” The protagonist thinks it does. “The system judges based on big data…” Do you know the original owner better, or does the protagonist?

Stumped by that final retort, the system let out a sound like a short circuit and went quiet. Finally having saved her precarious points, Jiao Qingyin sighed and stuffed the blood-stained silk into the girl’s hand. “The bleeding has stopped. If it starts again, just press down.”

She turned to leave again. This time, Nameless grabbed her hem and said softly:

“Then… can I be called ‘Al’ from now on?”

Jiao Qingyin froze. Her teeth felt itchy. This again!

Thinking of calling “Al” and having both the protagonist and her puppy look at her at the same time… halfway through the mental image, Jiao Qingyin sadly realized she actually found the idea endearing. Same white hair and blue eyes—one was the most beautiful human she knew, the other was the cutest puppy. If they both begged her at once, she knew she’d be powerless.

No… still no! She planned to take the puppy with her when she faked her death. she didn’t want to be in another world doing missions and constantly remembering this world’s protagonist just because of her dog’s name.

So, Jiao Qingyin gave a flat “No” to the wide-eyed girl trying to act cute.

“Why?” Nameless looked wounded.

You’re asking why… Jiao Qingyin was almost laughing with rage. If the system panel hadn’t shown everything was normal, she’d think the protagonist had been swapped out.

…Wait. It wasn’t impossible. The protagonist’s behavior was too strange. She had heard of similar cases before…

The system, detecting her thoughts, let out another grating electronic sound. Over Jiao Qingyin’s protests, it sent a report to its superiors requesting a virus self-check. Seconds later, the system hurriedly explained the situation: “Host, the self-check will take 12 hours. During this time, you must execute the mission alone. Please maintain the persona strictly and push the plot reasonably.” Then, it vanished from her mind.

For any other host, the system wouldn’t leave so casually. But Jiao Qingyin was a veteran who got perfect scores on nearly every mission. The system trusted her. (That was also why it was so desperate to check for a virus—her behavior in this world was so abnormal it looked like a glitch.)

Accustomed to having a voice in her head, Jiao Qingyin was momentarily dazed, eventually feeling a sense of relief. No system meant no supervision and no point requirements. She was temporarily, completely free.

“What’s wrong?” Nameless’s worried voice pulled her back.

Matching gazes with Nameless, Jiao Qingyin immediately regretted letting the system go. How could it leave her alone with the protagonist? If the girl tried her tricks again, without the system to force her to be calm, what if she couldn’t control herself…!

At the thought, her breathing grew heavy, and she glared at Nameless.

Nameless, being glared at while her face was still smeared with blood, looked piteously small.

Jiao Qingyin decided to settle the name issue quickly to get away from her. She didn’t argue further and just nodded vaguely. “Fine, whatever.”

Nameless’s entire face lit up. “Really?”

“…I said whatever,” Jiao Qingyin turned away, her tone self-defeating. “If you want to be a dog so badly, how can I stop you?”

Nameless smiled. She had learned to translate Jiao Qingyin’s habitual dishonesty—those words were clearly a “yes.”

“Mhm,” her eyes shone beautifully. “I really like this name.”

She meant it. Legends said names had power—the first blessing a person receives in this world. And Jiao Qingyin was the only person who had ever seriously given her that blessing.

She didn’t want Jiao Qingyin to find out she was the Al yet, but she wanted to claim the name as her own. She wiped the blood from her face with the back of her hand and offered a genuine smile. The blood smeared over her old scars, looking like a spring peach blossom blooming amidst the melting frost.