The Protagonist and the Villain Both Kissed Me [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 18

Hearing Duan Cheng’s words, Su Xi truly did as he was told, obediently opening his mouth for inspection. Duan Cheng tilted the boy’s chin, pretending to examine it carefully from left to right. As he gazed at those snow-white, even teeth and the tip of a pink tongue, a trace of undisguised heat flashed in his eyes.

“I don’t have any cavities, do I?” Su Xi could tell from Duan Cheng’s expression that he certainly didn’t. Although he enjoyed sweets, he was very meticulous about oral hygiene and visited the dentist regularly for checkups.

“Mm,” Duan Cheng replied softly. He released the boy’s chin and pulled out a chair to sit beside him. Watching the boy’s triumphant smile, he reached out to open the tomato beef brisket noodles he had brought. A rich fragrance immediately filled the room.

Su Xi snapped the disposable chopsticks apart and casually brought a mouthful of noodles to his lips. The texture was perfectly chewy, and the savory tomato flavor whetted his appetite. He lowered his head and ate in small bites. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Duan Cheng staring dazed at the heterochromatic-eyed kitten he had gifted him. Su Xi almost couldn’t suppress the curve of his lips.

It seemed the man really liked the gift. It would be quite unreasonable if the salvation value didn’t increase after this.

“Host, you’ve predicted everything perfectly. The salvation value has already reached 80. The progress is incredibly fast! It’s only been a week; we’ll be able to complete the mission soon,” System 1368’s voice rang out predictably, filled with congratulatory cheer.

“Just wait and see; we’ll definitely be able to go back within a week,” Su Xi lowered his gaze to communicate with the system in his mind. Just then, several new messages popped up on the communicator sitting beside him. He caught a glimpse of the contact names and pretended not to see them.

“Someone’s looking for you. Why aren’t you replying?” Duan Cheng had also noticed the notifications. He spoke up, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

Su Xi swallowed a piece of beef brisket and gave a perfunctory answer without looking up: “It’s just spam.”

“Is that so?” Duan Cheng’s suspicions were clearly not that easily dispelled. He asked again, acting seemingly casual.

Duan Cheng’s sensitivity and suspicion were indeed consistent with his character setting. Su Xi’s brow furrowed slightly. He set down his chopsticks and spoon, turning his head toward Duan Cheng. Just as he was about to speak, he was forced to keep his mouth shut; Duan Cheng had pulled out a tissue to wipe the soup from the corner of his lips. Looking at the man’s face which fit his aesthetic preferences so perfectly Su Xi swallowed the words he was about to say.

The other man had an “end of discussion” look about him. If Su Xi were wise to social cues, he should have known to stop asking. However, he was Su Xi; according to his character setting, he was supposed to demand to know why Duan Cheng was doubting him again.

“I’m full,” Su Xi dropped those words, stood up, and headed straight for the bedroom.

Left alone, Duan Cheng watched the boy’s sudden departure, his thin lips pursed. Only a few bites of the noodles on the table had been touched. How could he possibly be full after so little?

The scent on Su Xi’s body was too heavy. Several strong and familiar Alpha pheromones were clinging to him, their mixed odors making them exceptionally obvious. He knew there were many people around Su Xi; as expected, too many uncertain factors made accidents far too easy.

The moment Su Xi entered the bedroom, Li Huai’s video call and Fu Heng’s messages popped up simultaneously. He didn’t rush to respond, choosing instead to head into the bathroom for a shower. About five minutes later, Fu Heng had stopped messaging, but Li Huai was still persistently calling.

He casually hit the “accept” button, and a large blue-lit screen appeared before him.

On the other end, Li Huai seemed to have just returned to his dorm from the infirmary; the background was his bedroom bed. The moment the call connected, he immediately apologized: “Xi, don’t be mad. I apologize to you.”

Su Xi was already immune to the fact that these people only ever apologized without actually identifying their mistakes. He arched an eyebrow and let out an “Oh?” before asking, “What did you do wrong?”

“My fight with Fu Heng today was just because of a few things said. We had a difference of opinion, so we came to blows. You… you’re in your dorm, right? A few words won’t explain it. Let’s talk in person.”

A few traces of gloom appeared in Li Huai’s usually gentle amber eyes. From his angle, he could see Su Xi flushed with heat from the shower, his face shimmering with a lingering desire. There was a faint teardrop mole at the corner of his eye. His exposed skin was snow-white, his neck slender, and the red marks on his collarbone added a touch of allure.

Su Xi had no idea what was going on in Li Huai’s mind. Hearing that the man wanted to come to the dorm, he pondered for two seconds before saying to the person on the screen: “Don’t come looking for me. I don’t want to see you right now.”

His underlying meaning was that he hadn’t cooled down yet, so Li Huai shouldn’t walk into the line of fire.

If Li Huai came over now and ran into Duan Cheng, Su Xi didn’t even want to imagine the consequences. He figured another trip to the infirmary would be a small matter; the real disaster would be the impact on his mission…

“Xi, did I make you this angry because I fought back against Fu Heng?” Li Huai sat upright, his body clearly swaying slightly as he spoke.

“What?” Su Xi didn’t follow.

“You like Fu Heng,” Li Huai continued bluntly. “So, you’re angry because I hit him, right?”

“What are you even saying? The first person I cared about when I came out was you…” After finishing that ambiguous sentence, Su Xi quickly hung up the call. His words were loaded with hidden meaning; if Li Huai wasn’t stupid, he would surely understand.

After hanging up, he clicked on his chat with Fu Heng. The man’s last message said that he had organized the key points from today’s lecture and Su Xi could ask him if he needed help.

Su Xi: I’m not interested in that at all.

Su Xi watched the status bar at the top, which showed “Typing…” for a long time. Two seconds later, there was a follow-up.

Fu Heng: Then what are you interested in?

Su Xi: You.

He attached a GIF of a “laying flat” bunny emoji.

When he didn’t get a response after a while, Su Xi closed the chat and let out a yawn, muddledly climbing into bed. Resting against the soft pillow, his thoughts gradually drifted into chaos. After the white light faded,

He saw a person in his dream who looked exactly like him, locked inside a massive golden birdcage. He was wearing a very thin, humiliating nightgown. His neck, wrists, and ankles were all bound and restrained by golden chains. Crisp bell sounds emitted a pleasant chime with every movement.

The massive room was filled with a heavy fragrance, making him feel dizzy. Su Xi instinctively took a few steps back, only to realize that at some point, he had become the “him” inside the cage. The sound of footsteps approached from outside the door, but before he could see the person clearly, the absurd dream came to an abrupt halt.

He jerked upright in bed, his forehead drenched in fine sweat. Forgetting he could communicate with the system through his thoughts, he blurted out: “System, what was my final ending in the original world?”

“Your family was ruined, and you died of illness in a rental room that no one cared about. It took several days for the landlord to find you because of the smell,” System 1368 answered succinctly.

Su Xi hesitated for two seconds before describing the scene from his dream to the system. He asked tentatively: “Is a dream like that a premonition or just a coincidence?”

“It should be a coincidence. Perhaps the host has been under too much pressure lately, so you had a dream like that,” System 1368 concluded after a brief search for matching information in the database.

“Mm…” Su Xi nodded, feeling the system’s reasoning made sense. He threw off the covers and stood up. Just as his hand touched the bedroom doorknob, he heard the sound of rustling conversation coming from the outer room.

Su Xi leaned in close to the door to listen. Duan Cheng’s tone was wrapped in frost as he spoke coldly, saying that there were no abnormalities lately and the “release” could proceed as planned—the mission was nearly successful.

Release what? And what mission is finished?

He furrowed his brow, thinking about Duan Cheng’s words. Unable to find a clear lead, he had to give up for the moment.

Just as he was about to turn back to bed for more sleep, Duan Cheng, separated by the door, seemed to sense him. The man lifted his eyes toward the closed bedroom door, a flash of realization passing through his features.

Fu Heng: I saw your physical exam results. Your special period is approaching soon. Take leave and rest in your dorm. Contact me if you need anything.

The “special period” referred to the “Enigma/Alpha Rut” or the “Omega Heat.” The duration varied based on individual constitution, but it generally lasted four to seven days. During this time, they became extremely sensitive and easily seduced by pheromones; loss of control was frequent. They required either a release or the intermittent use of suppressants.

Su Xi blinked and replied with a “received” emoji. He turned off the communicator and closed his eyes to rest. To his surprise, another message arrived the very next second.

Su Xi, who always suffered from “waking up on the wrong side of the bed,” didn’t want to deal with it. He directly enabled the “Silent/Do Not Disturb/Sleep Mode” trio. The sequence of actions was fluid and smooth, as if he had done it a thousand times.

After finishing up outside, Duan Cheng pushed the door open to find the boy sleeping peacefully. Lying on the white bed, he looked like the Sleeping Beauty from a fairy tale fragile, beautiful, and possessing a fatal attraction.

Willing to make countless people fall for him repeatedly, waiting for the predestined prince to wake him up.

He walked to the bedside and sat down. His cool hand tucked the corner of the quilt for the boy. An accidental touch against the exposed skin triggered an unconscious protest from Su Xi.

“So sleepy, stop bothering me…” Su Xi spoke indistinctly.

Drowsiness, a premonitory sign of an approaching heat.

Duan Cheng gave a soft response. Instead of touching the boy further, he stood up and surveyed the room. This was his first time in Su Xi’s school dormitory.

When he was downstairs earlier, before he could even speak, the administrator had asked if he was looking for Su Xi with a “business as usual” look. They also mentioned that Su Xi’s room had special recognition features and people weren’t allowed to linger on that floor.

Every comfort and exception in the school had been given to Su Xi.

Fortunately, he only had to wait at the door for a few hours before Su Xi came out. He couldn’t imagine—Su Xi’s pheromones were already alluring enough now. If he were in heat, the scent would absolutely drive people mad.

The malicious thought of pinning him down and possessing him wantonly, of wanting to see him crying and begging for mercy, slowly surfaced. Duan Cheng lowered his eyes to hide his true emotions. He looked at the old-fashioned clock hanging on the wall; the hands rotated clockwise with a steady “tick-tock.”

One, two… finally settling on 7:15 PM.

The moonlight through the curtain gap was exceptionally prominent in the room lit only by a warm yellow sleep lamp. Duan Cheng caught sight of the photo frame on Su Xi’s nightstand.

He murmured softly to himself, “Night has fallen again.”