Having Played the Villain for Ten Years, I Came Back - Chapter 19

The wind at the summit was cold. Looking out, one could see layers of clouds swirling around the peaks a soothing, leisurely sight that offered a moment of absolute tranquility just by watching.

Wen Linyu captured this scene as well. At this moment, only he and Gu Chi were at the summit. He was soon pulled along by Gu Chi toward the “Three-Lives Stone.”

Upon seeing the stone, Gu Chi was profoundly disappointed. It was just an ordinary rock, artificially engraved with characters and adorned with several red strings symbolizing marriage. There was nothing special about it.

Nevertheless, following the principle of “when in Rome,” Gu Chi still tied a red string to the stone with Wen Linyu.

Wen Linyu remained silent throughout the process. However, unlike the intense disgust and guardedness he had shown at the beginning, he had been observing Gu Chi. He soon realized that the smile flickering in the man’s eyes wasn’t malicious or mocking; it was a normal smile.

It was a look of normal satisfaction, like a regular couple reaching the summit and finally “checking in” at a famous landmark.

This, in itself, was abnormal, wasn’t it?

After all, when Gu Chi first arrived, he had coerced Linyu. Their relationship was nowhere near that of a couple. Why did he step into this role so naturally, as if it were meant to be?

After the Three-Lives Stone, Gu Chi led Linyu to the cliffside.

The cliff had safety railings, offering the best view from the peak. In the distance were endless clouds and the glow of the sunset; below was the bustling world of mortals. It was a sight that could only be described as breathtaking.

Wen Linyu took more landscape photos, while Gu Chi spent a long time rummaging through his spatial bag before picking out the largest, most vibrantly colored red lock.

Wen Linyu was certain that when the lock was brought out, he heard it let out a faint cry.

This red lock was either a demonic creature or a spiritual artifact. Gu Chi took Wen Linyu’s hand in his own and used it to hang this sentient lock onto the cliff railing.

Once finished, he even gave the red lock a threatening glare: Don’t you dare try to run!

Red Lock: Excuse me? 

Listen, brother! I’m a high-grade Soul-Lock. Even if I’m not being used to trap enemies, you’re actually hanging me out here to endure the wind and sun like a common padlock?!

I’m a weapon of slaughter, not a security guard for your romance, dammit!

Unfortunately, no one could hear the silent roar of a lock. Wen Linyu only glanced at it twice before looking away; whatever Gu Chi chose to use had little to do with him.

In his mind, his relationship with Gu Chi wasn’t something that could be turned into a romance just by hanging a lock.

Having finished the “procedure,” Gu Chi looked at Wen Linyu with an expression of satisfaction and expectation. His gaze lingered on Linyu’s indifferent face, moving down from his eyes and nose before finally stopping on his lips.

In that idol drama, after the leads hung the lock, they embraced and kissed.

His disciple’s lips looked very soft. He hadn’t kissed them yet; what would it feel like?

However, despite Gu Chi staring intently for a long time, Wen Linyu ignored him. He simply took more photos and waited for Gu Chi to finish so they could head down the mountain.

“Tsk tsk tsk…” 998 munched on seeds, the corners of its beak twitching upward.

Look at that, look at that! The great Demon Lord looking so pathetic and needy! Following the procedure without winning the heart is useless, hahahaha! Trying to learn from idol dramas? Do you even understand the plot?!

The System was drowning in schadenfreude, its tail practically pointing to the sky. This was payback for the Demon Lord treating it like a slave!

Gu Chi didn’t understand. He didn’t understand why things were different from the TV show. But he was never a man who would wrong himself. If the mountain will not come to me, I shall go to the mountain!

He pulled Wen Linyu into his arms and, catching him off guard, went in for a kiss. Startled by the sudden movement, Linyu reacted instantly, turning his head so that the warm sensation only landed on the corner of his mouth.

“What are you doing?” Wen Linyu’s brow furrowed deeply as he shoved Gu Chi away and wiped his face hard.

998 let out a private “ga-ga” laugh. Forcing things is great! There will be plenty of time for this guy to cry later!

Gu Chi had only barely touched him and hadn’t tasted anything. Feeling unsatisfied, he wanted to pull the boy back, but then he saw Linyu’s face turn cold again.

He didn’t understand. What was wrong now? Was this not allowed? Everyone else was doing it, so why couldn’t they?

Wen Linyu looked at Gu Chi. Reading the frustration on the man’s face, he let out a cold sneer. “Others can do it because they are lovers. You and I are not.”

Not? How are we not? Gu Chi’s face darkened as he led the way down the mountain.

While his mood was at its worst, a group of people suddenly surrounded them. “Young Master, President Wen requests your return home!”

Passersby looked on with curiosity; such a dramatic scene was rarely seen in reality outside of movies.

Looking at the formation, Wen Linyu wasn’t surprised. He just hadn’t expected them to be so fast. He and Gu Chi had only been at the resort for two or three hours, and this place was not close to City A.

To find them so quickly, besides modern technology, had his “dear parents” used some other methods?

“Get lost!” Gu Chi was already annoyed, and the sight of these eyesores made him even more irritable.

The men exchanged glances. They hadn’t seen Gu Chi before and hadn’t heard of anyone being by Wen Linyu’s side. Assuming Gu Chi was a bodyguard Linyu had hired, they didn’t hesitate and attacked immediately.

Gu Chi didn’t hold back either. With a single slap per person, they were sent flying. In the blink of an eye, the ground was covered with men who weren’t just knocked out, but had fallen into a “baby-like” deep sleep.

This was even with Gu Chi holding back; he knew the laws of this world were different and he couldn’t just kill people.

It wasn’t that he feared trouble, but he didn’t want to cause trouble for Wen Linyu.

At that thought, Gu Chi felt even more depressed. Look at that, I’m actually considering so much for his sake. In the past, when did I ever care about such things?

And yet, his little disciple had so coldly said they weren’t in that kind of relationship.

How annoying, truly annoying. I really want to destroy the world!

Wen Linyu, oblivious to Gu Chi’s inner turmoil, looked at the men sleeping on the ground. He wasn’t so socially inept as to blame Gu Chi for fighting back. He simply said, “I have to go back and take a look.”

Gu Chi’s mood rose slightly at those words—at least the boy was consulting him, right?

To Gu Chi, it didn’t matter where they went in this world. The only thing that mattered was being with Wen Linyu.

Naturally, he had no reason to disagree. Besides, during those ten years of teaching, he had learned a bit about Linyu’s parents. Like his own parents, they were complete trash.

It worked out perfectly; his anger hadn’t fully dissipated, so he could use some other “sandbags” to vent.

This time, Wen Linyu booked a flight back. In modern society, cameras were everywhere, and he didn’t want to attract official attention—especially with Gu Chi around.

Of course, Linyu wasn’t in a great rush on the return journey.

He spent a little time browsing the airport shops and bought a few interesting trinkets before boarding the plane home.

He wondered what his family members had turned into during his absence. Thinking about it, he felt a flicker of anticipation.

Throughout the journey, Gu Chi was uncharacteristically silent. Whenever he had a free moment, he was glued to his phone, seemingly chatting with someone. Wen Linyu didn’t want to bother him and didn’t ask.

When the car stopped at the villa gates, Wen Linyu got out. Gu Chi followed a beat later.

The expression on his face was one of confusion, shock, and disbelief, causing Linyu to steal a few extra glances. He wondered what on earth the Demon Lord had been chatting about to make such a face.

Wen Linyu shook his head and walked through the gates. Passing the wide driveway and lawn of the front yard, he saw Wen Hongbo and Lin Wanxiu.

It was a perfectly standing Wen Hongbo and a glowing, radiant Lin Wanxiu.

The corners of Wen Linyu’s mouth curled up slightly. So, they found a way to counter me?

The two of them were chatting and laughing, seemingly in a great mood. They didn’t even notice Wen Linyu until he blocked the light at the doorway.

The moment they saw him, their pupils instinctively shrank. Then, with a very unnatural effort, they forced loving smiles onto their faces for Linyu.

Wen Linyu frowned and said bluntly, “That smile is disgusting. I’m going to puke.”

Gu Chi, who had been immersed in whatever he’d seen on his phone, burst into a loud laugh at his disciple’s words. Good! As expected of the boy I raised!

The forced smiles on the Wens’ faces froze. Wen Hongbo was about to bark an insult but was pulled back by Lin Wanxiu. The two exchanged a look before maintaining their nauseating smiles and speaking to Linyu in a tone they had never used before.

“Look at you, child. Being gone for so long without a word—your father and I were so worried!”

“Exactly! You are a bit too undisciplined. Now that you’re back, starting tomorrow, a social etiquette teacher will come to the house to instruct you.”

“And school is still mandatory. You’re so young; what would people say if you didn’t attend?”

It was as if the sun had risen from the west. They smiled, and Wen Linyu smiled back. But his smile made a chill run down their spines.

“Brother, you’re back?” The sound of wheels on the floor echoed. Wen Cheng appeared in the hall, pushing a wheelchair. He offered Linyu a smile, but his face was ghastly—pale, with deep dark circles under his eyes. He looked utterly exhausted and frail.

Wen Linyu looked at Wen Cheng’s legs in the wheelchair, then at Wen Hongbo’s now-perfect legs. This time, he was genuinely disgusted; his stomach churned.

He remembered that Wen Cheng’s birthday was the exact same day as Wen Hongbo’s.

And Wen Xi’s was the same as Lin Wanxiu’s.

In the past, whenever they celebrated birthdays, the atmosphere was harmonious, and they would talk about their “natural parent-child bond.” Only Wen Linyu was the disconnected outsider. Back then, he was envious; he wanted to belong.

But now, he only felt sick.

It wasn’t just him; every child in this family was merely a tool for this couple to siphon life from.

As if to confirm his suspicions, Wen Xi, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, emerged from her room. Like Wen Cheng, her face was weary and her physical state appeared equally frail.

This forced Linyu to think deeply—where exactly did Wen Hongbo and his wife learn all this? And who was acting as their accomplice?

The Wen Linyu in Wen Xi’s memory was so different from the one standing before her that she didn’t recognize him at first. She asked Wen Cheng, “Brother, who are these two?”

“These two”—only then did the others shift their gaze to Gu Chi, who had entered with Wen Linyu.

Gu Chi was not a small man; logically, he was hard to ignore. But the Wens’ attention had been entirely on Linyu. Only now did they think to ask: “And this is…?”

Wen Cheng opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again.

Gu Chi wanted to say “Dao Companion” or “Lover,” but unfortunately, every netizen who responded to his emotional Q&A online during the trip had told him that he wasn’t in a relationship at all—he was a “creepy stalker” who could be sent to jail at any moment.

So, he didn’t have the confidence to answer.

Instead, he looked toward Wen Linyu with a trace of unconscious expectation, wanting to hear how the boy would describe him.

However, Wen Linyu’s answer was the same as the day he arrived: “No one important.”

“No one important” those few words were like a sword piercing Gu Chi’s heart. No, I’m not unimportant. The disciple only says that because he doesn’t know I’m his teacher!

The Wens didn’t care much who Gu Chi was, only slightly surprised that Linyu actually had a friend he could bring home.

The seemingly ordinary family reunion ended peacefully. That evening, the family had dinner together.

This time, Wen Linyu didn’t deliberately fight for a seat. His attention was on Gu Chi.

Gu Chi acted with his usual habit, picking out the things Linyu didn’t like from his portion, leaving only his favorites.

Wen Linyu tested him on purpose, telling Gu Chi what he wanted to eat. Gu Chi would put it directly on his plate, even giving him a look that said ‘Do you even need to ask?’

Wen Linyu silently ate everything Gu Chi gave him.

The Wens’ expressions grew increasingly strange. Several times during the meal, Wen Hongbo looked like he was about to blow a fuse but held it in. Wen Xi, who had just returned, couldn’t hide her surprise and curiosity, frequently glancing between Linyu and Gu Chi.

After dinner, Wen Linyu took Gu Chi back to his room. During the evening, he deliberately ordered Gu Chi around, asking for clothes one moment and a book the next.

Despite grumbling about Linyu being “high maintenance,” Gu Chi brought him everything and didn’t get angry.

Was this normal? Of course not. A Great Demon Lord was used to being the one giving orders; how could he be so obedient?

Unless he isn’t just a Demon Lord, or he has more than one identity, Linyu thought.

The thought felt like it burned him. He pulled his hand back sharply, not daring to think further.

His mind was in a mess. Seeing Gu Chi out on the balcony, frowning at his phone again, Linyu turned and went to his “treasure room” to store his newly taken photos.

He didn’t know that even though Gu Chi was reading online replies, his attention was always on him.

Late that night, after confirming Linyu was asleep, Gu Chi crept into the treasure room. What is he hiding in here?

With a soft click, the array Linyu had set was bypassed. Gu Chi easily obtained the small box inside.

Opening the box, Gu Chi saw photos of landscapes and food. They didn’t seem particularly special, but if they truly weren’t special, there would be no reason to “lock” them up. Gu Chi practiced patience and kept flipping through. Finally, at the very bottom, he found a thin slip of paper with only two words written on it: “Teacher.”

Gu Chi froze. He instantly understood what the contents of the box represented.

This photo was of a sweet cake—it was what his little disciple told him was “delicious” that day.

This one was of lotus flowers in a park—the ones the disciple said were “beautiful.”

Every photo, every item… was at once light and incredibly heavy.

All the dissatisfaction and competitive urges from the mountain climb vanished in an instant, replaced by a surging tide of wild ecstasy.

Ha! He likes me!

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