The Protagonist and the Villain Both Kissed Me [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 2

Duan Cheng’s hand, holding his pen, paused slightly. The surrounding gazes were so intense they felt as if they could pierce right through him. Had Su Xi gone through all this trouble to find him at the library just to make him a target of public scrutiny?

Actually, it didn’t matter. He was already a thorn in the side of everyone in the Imperial Capital.

“Young Master Su,” he finally spoke in a flat tone after a long silence.

Seeing that the other man still kept his head down and refused to look at him, Su Xi felt a flicker of annoyance. He glanced around; the crowd of onlookers in the library was growing, and the mixture of various scents made his head spin.

Without a word, he stood up, rounded the table, grabbed Duan Cheng’s wrist, and pulled him toward the exit.

Duan Cheng’s gaze fell upon the hand gripping his wrist. It was fair and slender, with neatly rounded nails cool to the touch and exceptionally beautiful.

They walked all the way to a secluded corner of the back garden before Su Xi let go. He pulled a wet wipe from his pocket to clean his “sticky” hands. When he turned back, he met Duan Cheng’s dark, deep eyes and felt an involuntary surge of nerves.

“What are you looking at? If you keep looking at me like that… I’ll dig your eyes out.” His voice was soft, and paired with that innocent face, the threat carried no real weight.

Duan Cheng’s hair was a bit too long, obscuring his brows and eyes, giving him a particularly gloomy aura. Now that those sharp eyes were exposed, they looked like those of a wolfhound staring down its prey.

Su Xi was surprisingly comfortable being alone with him this time. Had he forgotten the last time he was pulled into the water, choking until the corners of his eyes turned red?

“I mean what I say,” Su Xi repeated with a slight nod, feeling a bit guilty.

Sure enough, a second later, Duan Cheng looked away and resumed his silent, head-down posture.

“Your face is so pale. Are you sick? How can you be even more delicate than an Omega like me?” Su Xi suddenly leaned closer to Duan Cheng. He blinked, wanting to get a better look, but was suddenly pushed away. He staggered back several steps before managing to steady himself.

“Is this fun for you?” Duan Cheng suddenly asked.

“What?”

His voice was so soft that Su Xi didn’t hear him clearly. Su Xi opened his mouth to say something more, but his vision suddenly went dark. He found himself pinned between the wall and Duan Cheng’s arms. The coldness of the wall seeped into his back, making him shiver. He instinctively tried to struggle, but he was held firmly in place.

Duan Cheng looked down at Su Xi’s face. It was indeed an attractive shell, though perhaps not a “world-toppling” beauty. However, those watery eyes and the scent of his pheromones they truly stirred the most wicked impulses in one’s heart.

“What are you doing?” Feeling uneasy under the stare, Su Xi pressed his hands against the other man’s chest to maintain distance. His fingertips turned white from the effort, and his teeth bit into his lower lip.

Duan Cheng’s gaze grew cold. He looked expressionlessly at the youth’s fearful yet feigned bravado and said coldly, “Stop provoking me.”

“Why not? Aren’t you my fiancé?” Su Xi had heard him clearly this time. Since his character setting was a moody, overbearing young master, why not be a little willful? Thinking this, he reached out and looped his arms around the man’s neck. He stood on his tiptoes and whispered playfully into his ear: “Duan Cheng, even if I hate you, you can still only be my fiancé.”

In the secluded corner of the back garden, dark green vines wound their way up the walls, and carefully tended flowers of various colors were in full, delicate bloom. Even the breeze carried a floral fragrance.

Duan Cheng said nothing. The warmth of the body pressed against him made him instinctively want to hold on tighter and take things further. He tentatively started to reach out, but withdrew his hand after remembering something.

What new idea has Su Xi come up with now, that he would come here personally…?

“I’m talking to you, did you hear me?” After waiting a long time without a response, a trace of chagrin flashed in Su Xi’s beautiful eyes. He pursed his lips and muttered, “I’m not forcing you. You make me seem like a bandit.”

Having said his piece, he let go and stepped back. He grabbed a handful of candies from his pocket and stuffed them into the man’s hand. Meeting the other’s surprised gaze, he quickly retracted his hand and fabricated an excuse on the spot: “Someone else gave them to me. I hate candy the most.”

Jiang Wenyan, who had somehow found out where they were, arrived just as Su Xi was emerging from the back garden. He quickened his pace, sweat beading on his forehead. He was carrying a bag of snacks he had just bought, full of candies and cakes.

“A-Xi, why did you come out without telling me?” Jiang Wenyan followed beside Su Xi, pulling a bottle of strawberry milk from the bag. He inserted the straw and handed it over.

Su Xi took the chilled milk and mumbled while drinking, “I’m not a child. Do I have to report my every move to you?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I was just worried about you.” Jiang Wenyan watched him sip the milk, a faint pink flush creeping onto Su Xi’s pale face. He asked cautiously, “Did you just go to find Duan Cheng?”

Su Xi paused slightly and looked back: “Yeah, so what?”

“Did you think of something fun? Call me next time.” Jiang Wenyan then pulled a bag of candies from his haul. He opened it and specifically picked out a grape-flavored one, unwrapping it and holding it to Su Xi’s lips.

“We’ll see.” Since he was eating the man’s food, Su Xi couldn’t reject him outright. He handed the half-finished milk back to Jiang Wenyan and popped the grape candy into his mouth. The sweet and sour fragrance instantly filled his mouth. He squinted his eyes in enjoyment, his long lashes trembling.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Duan Cheng standing not far away, having watched them for who knows how long. His body stiffened for a moment before he feigned indifference and looked away. Beside him, Jiang Wenyan continued to pester him with questions, but Su Xi just gave a few perfunctory replies and ignored him.

In the cool shade of the trees, Duan Cheng watched the departing figure. He looked down at the handful of colorful candies in his hand. After a two-second silence, he walked over to a trash can and threw them all away.

“System, did he eat the candy I gave him?” Su Xi waited until they were a good distance from the back garden before asking in his head.

“He didn’t. He threw them all away,” System 1368 replied. Seeing the host lower his head in disappointment, it quickly added, “It’s okay. Your salvation value is still negative; it’s normal for him to dislike things you give him.”

“Next time, don’t give me a ‘mortal enemy’ identity. If I let him bully me back, can you give me some points?” Su Xi wanted to cry. He could only rely on eating more sugar to release dopamine and soothe his mood.

“Salvation” meant he had to help the villain grow while also building a relationship with him, all while maintaining the original plot. But he was still the “vicious supporting character” everyone hated; how was he supposed to get close to the guy?

Jiang Wenyan had been paying close attention to Su Xi’s mood. Seeing him with his head down, silently eating candy, he frowned and comforted him: “What’s wrong? Who upset you? I’ll take some people over there right now.”

“No one.” Su Xi snapped back to reality. Realizing there was someone next to him he could ask for advice, he moved a bit closer and asked curiously, “Jiang Wenyan, do you have someone you like?”

“Ah… of course.” Jiang Wenyan’s heart raced at the sudden question, and his breathing became difficult. He stared at the youth’s fair face, the faint scent of orchid pheromones lingering in his nose.

This was the smell of Su Xi’s pheromones.

“Then how would you pursue them? Would you just confess directly?” Su Xi pushed all the snacks back toward him and looked at him with eyes full of expectation. “Tell me, I’d be very grateful.”

Half an hour later, Su Xi had seriously listened to Jiang Wenyan’s entire “pursuit strategy.”

He nodded obediently: “I see.”

“A-Xi… do you have someone you like?” Jiang Wenyan picked up a lemon-flavored candy. After unwrapping it and popping it into his mouth, it was sour and bitter, not good at all.

“Yeah.” Su Xi’s voice was soft and carried a hint of youthful innocence. It sounded heart-melting, like a feather lightly brushing against the heart, leaving a slight itch and a sense of longing.

“Who is it?” Jiang Wenyan pressed.

Annoyed by the questioning, Su Xi frowned: “It’s not you, anyway. I’m leaving.”

Su Xi followed the route provided by the system directly to Duan Cheng’s dormitory. It was daytime, and most students were training or in class, so the dorm was relatively empty. Occasionally, a few students returning to grab things would see Su Xi and stop to greet him.

“Su Xi, are you here to find someone?”

“Are you looking for Fu Heng? He went out not long ago.”

“Is your standing tired? Do you want to sit in my room for a bit?”

Seeing everyone crowding toward him, some even reaching out, Su Xi panicked and stepped back. He reached back to cover the scent gland on his neck. The blocking patch was still perfectly intact; it wasn’t the pheromones. Why were these people so excited?

He had no idea that a mere patch couldn’t possibly mask the scent of his pheromones.

As he backed up, he unexpectedly bumped into someone. He turned his head to move out of the way but was caught around the waist.

“Fu Heng?” he exclaimed upon seeing the man’s face.

Fu Heng scanned the crowd with a cold gaze. The faces of the students who had just tried to touch Su Xi turned pale. They liked Su Xi, yes, but the man in front of them was clearly much more dangerous. Within seconds, the crowd vanished.

“It looks like they’re more afraid of you.”

Su Xi made a casual joke. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Duan Cheng coming up the stairs into the corridor. He moved to step forward but was held firmly by Fu Heng’s arm around his waist.

“Was the chocolate I gave you last time good?” Fu Heng asked tonelessly.

Su Xi didn’t want to deal with Fu Heng at all, but bound by the rules, he could only watch as Duan Cheng opened his dorm door and went inside without a single glance. Su Xi forcefully pulled his hand from Fu Heng’s grip and ran over to grab Duan Cheng’s hand. The other man reflexively tried to pull away, but Su Xi held on tight.

“Let go.” Duan Cheng’s voice was devoid of emotion.

Su Xi shook his head: “I won’t.”

Before Duan Cheng could say anything else, the hand holding him began to tremble. He looked up and saw that Su Xi was actually crying. His watery eyes were red-rimmed, shimmering with unshed tears, yet he bit his lip and remained silent.

Fu Heng frowned and stepped forward to pull Su Xi away, but he was swiped aside. The softness that had risen in his heart was instantly depleted. His expression cooled, and he turned to walk away.

“He’s gone. You can go chase him now.” Duan Cheng’s tone was indifferent. In his view, Su Xi was simply using him to provoke Fu Heng.

In the school, everyone knew about Su Xi’s “secret” crush on Fu Heng. His feelings were glaringly obvious; he was as well-behaved as could be in front of Fu Heng, yet so hateful and malicious toward his own actual fiancé.

“Why are you being so mean? I have something to say to you…” Su Xi said, sounding aggrieved but trying to act strong.

Duan Cheng glanced at the clock on the wall; it was almost time for the lunch break, and people were starting to fill the corridor. After a two-second silence, he opened the door. Su Xi hadn’t let go of his hand, so he naturally followed him into the room.

The next second, the door was slammed shut. Su Xi let go of his hand. Remembering what Jiang Wenyan had said, he reached back and peeled off the blocking patch on his gland. The fragrance of orchid quickly filled the small room.

Duan Cheng’s bedroom was small but clean and tidy, with simple furnishings. The sunlight through the window reflected off the glass of a fish tank, making the ripples of water sparkle.

Su Xi was a bit scared. He watched the man walk over to sit on the sofa, clearly ignoring him and waiting for him to leave on his own. Steeling his heart, Su Xi walked forward and sat right next to him. But as soon as he leaned in, the man stood up and moved to the next seat.

After several attempts, he got tired. He finally reached out, grabbed the man’s necktie, and pulled him close. He lowered his voice in a sincere apology: “It was my fault for bullying you before. I apologize. Don’t ignore me, okay? Or… you can bully me back.”

He exposed his fragile, fair neck gland. The skin there was a faint pink compared to the surrounding area, and ribbons of fragrance were beginning to leak out.

This gesture was no different from offering his neck to a blade exposing one’s gland was essentially an invitation for intimacy. Duan Cheng was a Beta, and his sensitivity to pheromones was low. Yet, for some reason, he also smelled a powerful scent of orchid.

(Ding-dong! Congratulations, Host. Salvation Value +1.)

The cold mechanical voice rang in Su Xi’s head. He almost couldn’t hold back a smile. He let out a small sigh of relief after dismissing the notification.

He was just putting on an act, of course; he knew a Beta like Duan Cheng couldn’t actually mark him, so there wouldn’t be any pain. After two seconds, he let go of the man’s tie. But suddenly, his neck felt itchy as a warm breath was exhaled against his sensitive spot.

Realizing the man’s intention, his pupils shrank, and he quickly scrambled back to put distance between them.