Save That Miserable Protagonist - Chapter 9

Pei Tingsong noticed something was wrong on his way back to the kitchen after clearing some tables.

At first, it was just a dry throat. He assumed it was the stifling, smoky air of the bar. Soon, however, a strange and surging heat exploded from deep within his body without warning, rapidly spreading to his every limb.

His legs turned weak almost instantly. Pei Tingsong could barely support his own weight. His vision began to blur and a buzzing sound filled his ears, leaving nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat, which grew louder and more frantic by the second.

It was hot. It was far too hot.

Large beads of sweat began to roll off his forehead, splashing onto the cold floor. In a flash of clarity, Pei Tingsong suddenly remembered the man wearing gold-rimmed glasses from half an hour ago.

The man had blocked him in the hallway, spouting nonsense about admiration and liking him. Pei Tingsong, of course, did not believe a word of it. After he coldly rejected the man, the stranger handed him a shimmering cocktail. He said with a sincere tone, “Then have a drink. Just consider it making a friend.”

To escape as quickly as possible, Pei Tingsong took the glass and drained it in one gulp. Thinking back now, that damned drink must have been spiked with something else.

Struggling to lift his eyes, Pei Tingsong indeed spotted the man at the edge of the swaying lights of the dance floor. He was leaning in a corner, watching the scene with a smirk. When he caught Pei Tingsong’s gaze, the man’s eyes were filled with a disgusting, predatory triumph.

“Damn it,” he whispered.

Cursing under his breath, Pei Tingsong used the last of his strength to stumble into the nearest staff restroom. He reached back and locked the door of the innermost stall.

His body slid down the cold partition until he sat on the floor. Pei Tingsong felt like a fish tossed onto the shore, capable only of gasping for air in great, futile gulps. The cold tiles provided temporary relief to the burning sensation on his skin, but they did nothing to quench the wildfire raging inside him.

Desire coiled around his internal organs like vines, swallowing his logic. Pei Tingsong curled up, his nails digging deep into his palms and his teeth clamped firmly onto his lower lip. He attempted to use pain to combat the surging, unfamiliar emptiness.

“No. I cannot. This cannot happen,” he told himself.

At the moment his sanity was about to vanish, a set of hurried footsteps echoed outside. The soles of the shoes clicked against the floor, beat after beat, as if treading directly on his heartbeat.

It was that pervert. He was here.

A shiver ran through his body. The despair in Pei Tingsong’s heart poured down like cold water, only to be instantly evaporated by the flames within him. Biting his lip until he nearly tasted blood, he racked his brain for what to do. Should he rush out and fight, or keep the door locked? If he fought, did he have any chance of winning? If he stayed locked inside, would he die of thirst?

In that moment, an image of someone else’s face flashed incongruously through his chaotic mind: Lu Xun.

Pei Tingsong thought that if it were Lu Xun, it seemed it would not be that difficult to accept. At the very least, Lu Xun’s eyes were beautiful. They were a rare amber color, and if one looked closely, they held a hint of misty green, like a forest after the rain. His scent was also pleasant. It was not the cloying cologne wealthy heirs usually wore. Instead, it was very clean. It smelled like what?

Before his muddled brain could find an answer, a familiar voice suddenly called out from outside the stall.

“Pei Tingsong?”

The moment he heard that voice, Pei Tingsong shuddered. His clouded mind could not even distinguish if it was an illusion or reality. The voice outside continued, carrying a hint of hesitation and tension. “Are you alright?”

It really was Lu Xun’s voice.

His tense mind finally relaxed. In an almost instinctive reaction, Pei Tingsong struggled to unlock the door.

The moment the bolt slid back, Lu Xun pulled the door open from the outside. When he saw the state of the person inside the stall, Lu Xun’s pupils shrank.

Pei Tingsong sat paralyzed on the cold floor, drenched in sweat. His black uniform shirt clung tightly to his body, outlining the supple curve of his waist and his slightly trembling spine. His cheeks were flushed an unnatural crimson, his gaze was vacant, and his wet black hair was plastered to his temples. His bitten lips were a swollen, vivid red.

He was curled up, gasping for breath. Lu Xun felt as though he could feel the scorching heat of the other man’s breath. He looked beautiful, fragile, and as captivating as a juice-filled flower blooming fully in the night rain.

Lu Xun froze for only a second before the reality of the situation clicked.

“Damn it!”

With a low curse, Lu Xun’s expression turned terrifyingly dark. He knelt down and tried to help Pei Tingsong up. “Can you walk?”

Pei Tingsong no longer had the strength to speak. He only shook his head weakly, his body as soft as if he had no bones. Lu Xun did not hesitate any longer. He scooped the man up in a princess carry.

Pei Tingsong flinched instinctively at the sudden movement, but then, upon contact with the cool fabric of Lu Xun’s clothes and that familiar scent, he let out a sigh that was almost a whimper. He finally realized how to describe the scent on Lu Xun: it was like a warm, solid embrace.

Lu Xun walked quickly with the man in his arms. As he passed the panicked manager, he dropped a cold remark. “He is unwell. I am taking a leave of absence on his behalf. Also, find out who gave him that drink half an hour ago.”

Lu Xun’s voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority. The manager did not dare offend him and could only nod repeatedly, not daring to ask a single question.

He carried him into the elevator and straight to the penthouse suite he had booked. Lu Xun kept his lips pressed thin the entire way, the nameless fire in his heart burning hotter.

“Are you stupid?” Opening the door, Lu Xun finally could not help but scold the man in his arms. “You have worked in a place like this for so long. How could you dare to drink something given to you by a stranger?”

Hearing this, Pei Tingsong felt he was in the wrong. He could only bury his burning cheek into the crook of Lu Xun’s neck. The heat he exhaled almost scorched Lu Xun’s skin. He was both angry and aggrieved, but the words were stuck in his chest. He could only let out small, labored gasps that brushed against Lu Xun’s eardrums and nerves like feathers.

The system was as quiet as a mouse in his mind, but the irritation in Lu Xun’s own heart had reached its peak. He kicked the bathroom door open roughly, carefully placed Pei Tingsong into the large bathtub, and turned on the cold water.

“Listen to me,” Lu Xun said, glancing away. He did not dare to look at Pei Tingsong’s body, which was even more tempting now that it was soaked. “There is no other way for this drug. You just have to endure it. Rinsing with cold water for a while will make it feel better. I will be right outside. Call me if you need anything.”

After saying that, Lu Xun practically fled the bathroom and closed the door. He leaned against the wall, listening to the sound of splashing water inside. He tugged at his collar, feeling distracted and restless.

However, several minutes passed, and there was nothing but the sound of water. It was far too quiet. A sense of foreboding suddenly surged in his heart. Fearing something had happened to Pei Tingsong, Lu Xun threw the door open.

In the bathroom, Pei Tingsong was still curled up in the bathtub. The cold water had submerged his body, but he seemed not to notice. He was biting his own wrist hard. Thin trails of bright red blood seeped from the corner of his mouth and his pale knuckles, staining a small patch of the cold water red.

The scene was shocking, possessing a cruel beauty that bordered on self-destruction. Lu Xun’s heart felt as if it had been violently squeezed.

Looking at Pei Tingsong like this, Lu Xun suddenly thought of the original plot the system had described to him. He thought that perhaps it was because Pei Tingsong was too handsome and his temper was too stubborn that he repeatedly attracted perverts. Perverts simply wanted to see a beauty with a backbone forced to kneel and beg for mercy.

Walking over quickly, Lu Xun knelt down and carefully but firmly pried Pei Tingsong’s mouth open, rescuing the scarred hand.

“Pei Tingsong,” he murmured.

Looking at the other man’s blurred and pained eyes, Lu Xun’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice was low and tender in a way he had not even noticed. “Do not do this. Let me help you, alright?”

Pei Tingsong’s vacant gaze focused for a moment. He seemed to recognize Lu Xun, yet also seemed not to.

Lu Xun took a deep breath, as if he were speaking to Pei Tingsong or making a solemn promise to an absent system. “Do not be afraid. I will not do anything. I am just helping you.”

However, simple help was like trying to put out a bonfire with a cup of water. Once a long-suppressed desire found a small outlet, it would strike back with even greater ferocity. The wildfire instantly consumed everything.

Pei Tingsong suddenly grabbed the front of Lu Xun’s already soaked shirt, his fingers turning white from the force. He tilted his head back, his wet eyes filled with unfulfilled pain and deeper longing. His voice was broken beyond recognition. “No. It still hurts.”

Lu Xun was helpless as well. Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. He asked in a hoarse voice, “Then what should I do? Should I go out and find a doctor for you now?”

But help from afar could not solve the immediate crisis.

Pei Tingsong looked at the Lu Xun who was right in front of him. He saw the hair also dampened by the mist, the reddened rims of his eyes, and those green pupils now clouded by desire.

Driven by some sort of instinct, Pei Tingsong suddenly tilted his head up. With a desperate determination, he pressed his lips directly against Lu Xun’s.

It was an uncoordinated, even crude kiss, yet it acted like a spark.

A buzzing sound rang in Lu Xun’s head. All his logic and persistence snapped completely at that moment. He forgot about the system and the mission of salvation. He lowered his head and kissed back deeply, taking the initiative and relentlessly plundering Pei Tingsong’s breath.

His consciousness was blurring, but his senses became incredibly sharp. Pei Tingsong felt as though he were floating on the sea, or caught in an endless summer rainstorm. His body was damp and stifling.

At some point, heavy rain had begun to fall outside. The sound of the rain was pitter-pattering, tapping against the window and against his burning skin.

A gentle yet powerful force lifted him from the cold bathtub. Pei Tingsong fell into a scorching embrace, and then he was placed gently onto a bed that was as soft as a cloud.

In a daze, Pei Tingsong raised his hand. He looked at his own wet fingers under the light with eyes full of confusion. Water droplets slid down his fingertips, shimmering with a crystal-clear light.