Do Villains Have to Be Heartthrobs Too? [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 13

Violating School Rules and Engaging in Early Romance

Yun Zhixue opened the door just a crack, keeping his body hidden behind it. Xu Chi could only see his damp arm, glistening with water droplets, stretching out. When Xu Chi handed the bag inside, he accidentally brushed against Yun Zhixue’s palm. Xu Chi coughed twice, feeling a bit guilty, but told himself that no one had seen.

He suddenly covered his nose and took a deep breath. What was the harm in sniffing? It smelled so good; wasn’t it meant to be smelled?

The bag contained a new towel, a new dress, and a complete set of accessories, including jewelry, socks, and shoes. Yun Zhixue used the towel to carefully dry off all the water droplets before taking out the dress.

It was an Empire-style long dress in a powdery pink hue, featuring shimmering gold-laced lace along the hem. Yun Zhixue was very familiar with how to put on such a dress and had it on in moments. However, he looked down in confusion.

Why did his chest feel so empty? The Empire-style dress followed a unified design where, a few inches below the collarbone, the fabric was gathered and layered delicately to form a series of elegant, dense vertical pleats. It resembled the base of a blossoming flower, fitting the figure while leaving a small amount of space.

That was why Yun Zhixue felt it was a bit empty. After a moment of confusion, he did not pay it much mind. The floor was wet, and once the dress was on, he had to carefully lift the hem to keep it dry.

He opened the stall door and was so startled by the tall figure standing outside that he nearly slipped. He hurriedly grabbed Xu Chi’s reaching hand. Xu Chi used his other arm to support Yun Zhixue’s waist and lifted him directly off the ground. The slippers, soaked with water, made a squelch-squelch sound.

As they walked, Xu Chi explained, “The bathhouse floor is too slippery, and those slippers were just bought randomly from the school shop; they are not non-slip.” He then set him down on a public bench, which he had thoughtfully covered with a towel beforehand.

Yun Zhixue had not even reacted yet and was already seated, so he swallowed the words he had intended to say and thanked him instead.

He took the socks out of the bag, pulled them on, and slipped into the off-white flat leather shoes. As the weather was getting cooler, a shawl had also been thoughtfully prepared. Yun Zhixue wrapped it around himself piece by piece. Finally, holding the pearl necklace in his hands, he looked at Xu Chi in a dilemma.

In truth, he could go without wearing it, but Yun Zhixue was a little vain and enjoyed hearing others praise him. Besides, since such a beautiful necklace had been prepared, it would be a shame not to wear it.

With a towel draped over his neck, Xu Chi stood before Yun Zhixue, watching intently as the boy put on the white socks. Yun Zhixue bent one leg, and the dress slid upward with the movement, revealing pink knees and soft, fleshy thighs. He rested his heel on the towel Xu Chi had laid out.

Xu Chi felt uncomfortable and used his towel to dry his hair. He had not expected that even though Yun Zhixue was so light to carry, his thighs would still tremble and shake; everywhere he touched felt soft, like a ball of glutinous rice.

Xu Chi watched Yun Zhixue dress himself up like a beautiful doll and felt an inexplicable sense of pride. This dress was something he had had someone buy. If Yun Zhixue were willing, he would give him a new dress every single day.

When Yun Zhixue looked at him while holding the necklace, he did not wait for Yun Zhixue to speak. He took the necklace, undid the clasp, and bent down to put it on for him.

His fingers inevitably brushed against the delicate skin of Yun Zhixue’s neck, which still held the warm, damp heat from the steam of the bathroom. Yun Zhixue shrank his neck slightly, and Xu Chi’s movements paused for a split second. He then held his breath, extremely carefully fastening the clasp.

That round pearl hung perfectly in the hollow of Yun Zhixue’s collarbone. There was a faint red mole in the hollow—so light it was barely visible without close inspection—which shone brilliantly alongside the pearl.

Xu Chi straightened up and took a half-step back, but his gaze seemed stuck, lingering from the pearl to Yun Zhixue’s lowered eyelashes, and then to his cheeks, which were flushed pink from his recent bath. Beyond the lingering mist in the air, there was a faint, sweet fragrance emanating from Yun Zhixue, a blend of shower gel and his own natural scent.

“There.” Xu Chi’s voice was a bit hoarse. He cleared his throat again. “It looks quite fitting.”

Yun Zhixue raised a hand to touch the pearl at his neck; it felt cool and smooth. He tilted his head up and smiled at Xu Chi, his eyes curving into crescents. “Thank you, Xu Chi. The dress is very beautiful.”

The smile was bright, filled with unguarded trust and contentment. Xu Chi felt as if something had nudged his heart, neither too hard nor too soft; it felt dull, yet also a little itchy. As if to cover it up, he wiped his face vigorously with his towel and quickly packed his things into the black paper bag. “Let us go eat. If we delay any longer, class will start.”

Yun Zhixue responded, only then realizing he had not had lunch, which explained why he was a bit hungry. He carefully gathered his shawl and stood up from the bench. His new leather shoes made a crisp tap-tap sound against the damp terrazzo floor.

Xu Chi kept his composure as he collected the towel from the bench, then scooped Yun Zhixue up in his arms and carried him out of the bathhouse.

He did not put him down until they reached the entrance. Yun Zhixue’s feet touched the ground. He finally remembered to let down the long hair he had tied up for his bath. His silk-like black hair cascaded down instantly, the cool, damp sensation brushing against Xu Chi’s arm before he could pull it away.

Yun Zhixue did not notice Xu Chi’s momentary rigidity and proceeded to pull the hair tie onto his wrist, using his fingers to comb through the ends of his hair.

Xu Chi’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he looked away.

“What does Little Xue want to eat?”

Yun Zhixue thought about it while combing his hair and hesitated. “What is delicious?”

When Xu Chi asked what flavors he liked and learned he actually enjoyed spicy food, he looked at Yun Zhixue with surprise and teased, “You look so sweet; I assumed you only liked candy.” Xu Chi laughed and ruffled his hair. “Then let us go to the second floor of the cafeteria. There is a Sichuan restaurant there with very authentic flavors. Is that okay?”

Yun Zhixue’s eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly. His long hair swayed gently with his movements, and the sunlight falling on Yun Zhixue shone brilliantly.

“You two! Stop right there!”

Just as Yun Zhixue and Xu Chi reached the entrance of the cafeteria, they were called out by the patrolling Dean of Moral Education. He wore glasses and had a sharp gaze.

Yun Zhixue froze instantly, standing perfectly still like a very obedient child. Xu Chi was still holding Yun Zhixue’s hand. One tall, one short, holding hands—the Dean’s eagle eyes fixed firmly on their joined hands.

He narrowed his eyes, his face darkening with anger as he roared: “Which class are you two from! During the flag-raising ceremony on Monday, it was emphasized that girls cannot go to the East Cafeteria and boys cannot go to the West Cafeteria! Not only did you violate this rule, but you are also holding hands! This is early romance!”

Yun Zhixue had not even grasped the situation before he was stunned by the teacher’s barrage of words. What East Cafeteria? What West Cafeteria? What early romance? He stood there blankly, obediently listening. Finally, when the teacher stopped, he wanted to defend himself.

But he was interrupted by the teacher’s rapid-fire speech and could not get a word in. He could only lower his head, offering a view of his fuzzy head as a sign of protest. He felt aggrieved in his heart; he did not even know what mistake he had made.

When Xu Chi heard the words “early romance,” his face flushed bright red for some reason. His neck and ears were completely red, and the two words looped in his brain. He did not hear a single thing the Dean said afterward. He looked down at their joined hands.

His own hand was big, and Yun Zhixue’s was small. His hand was rough and dark, while Yun Zhixue’s was fair and tender. His hand could completely envelop the other’s; they were an extraordinarily perfect match.

In an instant, Xu Chi’s mind seemed to clear. No one ever said you could not like men! Why could two men not fall in love! What brother? Did a brother deserve to be pampered by him? He liked Yun Zhixue!

He wanted to hold Yun Zhixue’s hand for a lifetime.

He looked at the teacher, whose spit was flying everywhere. Because his mood was so wonderful, he even ignored the food stuck in the teacher’s teeth. If we get married, teacher, you can sit at the main table.

The Dean’s throat was getting dry from talking. He looked at this young couple—one was grinning like an idiot, the other had his head down and probably had not listened to a single word. He felt frustrated and said to the girl, “This girl student, come here, look up.”

The Dean looked at what was arguably the most stunning face he had ever seen. When did their school get such a pretty little girl? That did not seem right. If she had been here, she would have been recruited to film the school’s promotional video last time.

He paused for a moment, then regained his dignity as a teacher.

“Come here, this girl student. Look up. Now turn around and face this male student. Other than looking decent, what strengths does he have? Currently, his flaws are evident: he has no sense of responsibility.”

“He could have risked going to the West Cafeteria himself, yet he let you risk being caught by teachers to come to the East Cafeteria. It is clear he does not care about you at all. How long do you think you two can last?”

“Look at you again. Good family background, prettier than a movie star, and your grades are probably good, too. You are a dancer, right? Once you get to college, you will have your pick of anyone you want.”

Yun Zhixue obeyed subconsciously and turned around. The hem of his skirt swayed, shimmering in the sunlight. He looked up at Xu Chi, then down at his own dress, and finally realized the situation. He said slowly, “Teacher, I am not a girl; I am a boy. And the two of us are not engaging in early romance.”

Yun Zhixue’s words brought Xu Chi back to reality. His heart broke; he and Yun Zhixue truly were not dating yet.

The Dean did not believe him. His face was full of suspicion, and he felt this was just a new tactic dreamed up by students in early romance. Although he was nearsighted by over seven diopters and wore glasses, he was not yet so old and senile that he needed reading glasses or could not tell a boy from a girl.

The lenses of the Dean’s glasses reflected a white light in the sunlight. He frowned, his gaze scanning Yun Zhixue’s face and body back and forth.

“A boy?” He pushed his glasses up, his tone becoming even more severe. “You think you can get away with it by changing your story? This dress, this hair, and—” He pointed at Yun Zhixue’s face, then at the necklace on his neck. “Such a pretty face! Big eyes, small mouth, pointed chin! And this necklace! Student, lying is a mistake on top of a mistake!”

Hearing this, Yun Zhixue touched the pearl necklace at his neck and then felt his Adam’s apple. Although it was delicate and small, it was there. He swept his hair behind his ears, lifted his chin slightly, revealing the Adam’s apple clearly to explain.

“I am truly a boy. I have an Adam’s apple.”

With his pointed chin and smooth, fair neckline, the small protrusion was indeed clearly visible.

Xu Chi also woke up from his fantasy. He stared at the Adam’s apple for a moment, then immediately took a half-step forward, blocking Yun Zhixue slightly behind him. Although his ears were still red, his tone had regained his usual composure.

“Teacher, you saw it yourself. He is a boy, so there is no violation of school rules. I am Xu Chi from Class 1, Grade 12. If there is anything else, you can come to me.”

The Dean’s gaze remained frozen on that delicate Adam’s apple. He opened his mouth, momentarily speechless. His expression shifted from anger to astonishment, mixed with a chaotic sense of disbelief.

He had caught students engaging in early romance, carrying cell phones, and eating snacks. He was a veteran who had even caught two students who were straightening their teeth with wire; they had kissed, and their wires had tangled together, yet he had not even blinked. For the first time in ages, he felt awkward.

Some students had already quietly gathered around to watch the show, and whispers were drifting over.

“Isn’t that Yun Zhixue?”

“Old Wu doesn’t recognize Yun Zhixue? How did he become the Dean? Change him, change him.”

“With these looks, you should have told us Yun Zhixue looks like this. Doesn’t he like men? Do you think I have a chance?”

“Narcissist. Idiot. Go take a piss and look at your own reflection, will you?”

The Dean was silent for a second, then immediately turned to look at the direction the crowd was heading. He channeled his energy and shouted with wide eyes:

“What are you looking at! The one in the red shirt, hand over your phone! Do not think I did not see you taking it out to take pictures!”

“Why are you running? Bring it out yourself, or should I check the surveillance cameras later!”

“…”

The incandescent lamp lit up the small shop brightly. The owner ticked a few items on the menu and verified, “Two students, that is boiled fish, diced chicken with chili, Mapo tofu, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a pot of plum juice. Is that correct?”

Xu Chi replied, “Yes, that is it.”

“Alright, here is the light-up buzzer. Remember to call us when it lights up.”

Yun Zhixue sat on the stool and looked around curiously. Since the apocalypse, he had not been to a place with so many people to eat for a long time. It was lively and full of human vitality; the shop was filled with the sound of people talking, chatting about games, homework, and TV dramas.

His heart was still preoccupied with what the teacher had said earlier. Why did boys and girls need to eat separately?

He rested his chin in his hand, his elbows resting on the table covered with paper towels, and blinked, hoping to get an answer from Xu Chi.

“Xu Chi, why is there an East and West cafeteria, and why do they have to eat separately?”

That was a question that actually stumped Xu Chi. He had only transferred here a few days ago, and he was not very curious; until now, he only recognized Yun Zhixue.

Before he could speak, a guy with a crew cut at the neighboring table seemed to overhear Yun Zhixue, and, as if meeting a kindred spirit, he said happily, “Classmate, are you a new transfer student, too? What a coincidence! I also transferred recently, and I was curious about this the first time I came to the cafeteria. Then I heard someone say it is because boys and girls eat separately, so there are two cafeterias.”

“One in the east, one in the west.”

Seeing that Yun Zhixue was attracted to him, with his beautiful eyes filled with his reflection, the crew-cut guy continued even more enthusiastically, “Does it not sound ridiculous at first? Is it necessary to separate boys and girls, and why are the two cafeterias so far apart?”

Yun Zhixue nodded. It was quite ridiculous.

The crew-cut guy laughed, “But there is a saying: behind every ridiculous rule is an even more ridiculous real event that happened.”

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