The Protagonist and the Villain Both Kissed Me [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 26

“I don’t want to be locked up here anymore.” Su Xi bit his lip. He was wearing only a thin nightgown in the room. Reaching up, he undid the top button and grabbed Duan Cheng’s collar, leaning in close with a show of weakness. “Give me a permanent mark, and I won’t be able to run away.”

His words were undoubtedly a test. He was gambling, gambling that Duan Cheng, whose salvation value was at 100, would not yet force him into such a thing.

Sure enough, upon hearing Su Xi’s words, Duan Cheng’s eyes darkened. He gazed at the boy’s exquisite features, his thumb lightly stroking his soft lips. With undisguised desire in his eyes, he curled his lips and chuckled: “Do you know what you’re saying?”

Su Xi’s eyelashes trembled as he reached out with the tip of his tongue to lick the man’s fingertip; his meaning was self-evident. The once-faint orchid fragrance intensified instantly, making Duan Cheng’s heart race like a drum and his throat go dry. After a long silence, the man lowered his head and bit the corner of Su Xi’s mouth; the co-mingling of their breaths carried the metallic sweetness of blood.

Su Xi’s muffled cry of pain was swallowed by the long, deep kiss.

“Want me to help you unlock it?” Duan Cheng released his hold and let his hand drift to Su Xi’s sensitive waist, moving over the snow-white, delicate skin. When he moved further down, he was stopped by a warm hand.

Su Xi looked up at him, a sliver of hope flashing in his eyes. He wanted to use his advantages to make Duan Cheng let him out.

“Be gentle, I’m scared…” His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

“It would have been better if you were this obedient from the start.” Duan Cheng’s hand fell to the slender ankle, hooking the gold chain. With a click, the clasp was released. A red ring was visible on the previously fair skin, exceptionally striking. “So delicate.”

Su Xi moved his foot. The lack of restraint made him feel somewhat dazed. Striking while the iron was hot, he continued, “A-Cheng, I’ll be good. Don’t keep me locked up here, okay?”

Perhaps it was because he looked too frail and vulnerable, or perhaps it was because Duan Cheng felt he was just an Omega who couldn’t survive without him the man nodded in agreement.

In the living room, Su Xi curled up bonelessly on the sofa watching TV. The internet in the house had been cut, so he had no way to contact the outside world. Having just earned Duan Cheng’s trust, he wouldn’t try to escape so soon; instead, he stayed home obediently waiting for Duan Cheng to bring him back a cake.

“Host, what exactly are we doing now?” System 1368 was somewhat puzzled by Su Xi’s actions.

“Since the original owner’s family was targeted by Duan Cheng, I naturally have to act pitiful so as not to blow my cover. However… there are still two months left; I can’t possibly let Duan Cheng keep me locked up the whole time.”

Su Xi picked up the remote and changed the channel to a cartoon. He let out a casual smirk and continued, “In the novels I’ve read before, they all say that people like Duan Cheng don’t get happy endings.”

“Huh?” System 1368 was bewildered. When did Su Xi read novels behind its back? Recalling the mission from above and the legends told by colleagues, it felt a bit anxious.

Su Xi lowered his eyes, pretending to think seriously for a moment. “I’m forced to separate from Duan Cheng, but after he misunderstands me, he has to go through the ‘wife-chasing crematorium’ phase. That’s the gist, right?”

“…Yes.” System 1368 was shocked. For a rookie host, he certainly knew a lot about their mission tasks and procedures.

Following the mission requirements, Su Xi had raised Duan Cheng’s salvation value to the maximum. To better complete the mission, he was forced to say things against his heart to separate from Duan Cheng, only to be captured by a now-powerful Duan Cheng who just wanted to confirm if Su Xi truly loved him.

“Xiao Ba, keep an eye on Fu Heng and Li Huai for me these next few days.” Su Xi’s face showed no emotion. He watched the bright screen playing a cheerful cartoon—a yellow sponge and a pink star were catching purple jellyfish. He blinked gently, the corners of his lips curving into a playful arc.

The real show was just beginning, and a grand curtain was about to be slowly drawn back.

The warm afternoon sun spilled into the room through the glass window. In the courtyard, the carefully planted Pink and White Lychees were blooming fervently the pink was tender and charming, while the white was cool and elegant. Under the sunlight, they wore a gentle layer of warm gauze. The petals swayed in the breeze, intense and flamboyant, making one feel intoxicated by the fragrant scent.

Su Xi stood by the window, looking down at the flowers, murmuring softly, “The flowering period for the Pink and White Lychee is very short. I wonder how much longer they can live…”

Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned back, crashing into Duan Cheng’s gaze. His eyelashes flickered as a few flashes of joy passed through his eyes. He ran to the man’s side and mysteriously fished a newly folded paper crane from his pocket.

In the past, he would never have given such an ordinary origami gift, but times were different. Even so, Duan Cheng still loved his gifts as much as ever.

Only after putting away the paper crane did Duan Cheng take the various cakes from the bag and place them on the table. He unwrapped a fork and set it on the tray beside the boy, his tone softening: “Eat.”

Su Xi sat on the sofa eating the sweet cake, appearing quite normal. The strawberry fragrance spread between his teeth. Seeing Duan Cheng just sitting across from him without moving, he scooped up some strawberry cake and brought it to the man’s lips, only withdrawing his hand after feeding him.

He didn’t ask Duan Cheng for any information about the outside world; he just obediently shared his favorite cakes. For half a month, he played the role of a clingy and pampered “canary,” exhausting quite a bit of energy to gradually rebuild Duan Cheng’s trust and make him lower his guard.

Until one quiet night, Duan Cheng emerged from the bathroom to see the slender boy standing on the balcony. The wind outside seemed quite strong, blowing his oversized clothes so they billowed in the air, making it look as if he might be swept away at any second.

Panic surged through him, and he stepped forward quickly, grabbing the boy’s wrist. His words carried a hint of interrogation he hadn’t even noticed: “What are you doing out here?”

Su Xi tried to pull his hand back in panic, but after failing, his eyes turned red instantly. He let out a slightly choked sob: “You’re hurting me…”

“I just came out for some air,” he explained with a slight scowl.

Duan Cheng released his hold and stepped back. Gazing at the boy’s red and swollen wrist from the rough treatment, a trace of regret flashed in his eyes. He reacted by wanting to take the boy’s hand, but he suddenly heard Su Xi’s voice, which was as light as a breeze.

“A-Cheng, do you not believe that I like you?” Su Xi bit his lip hard, crystalline tears hanging from his moist eyelashes. His broken beauty made one’s breath hitch, instinctively wanting to apologize and show him pity.

Duan Cheng was no exception. He pursed his lips and apologized: “Don’t be mad. I just thought…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but both knew what he meant.

“It’s okay. I don’t blame you.” Su Xi’s fingertips gripped the hem of his shirt so hard they turned white. In his dazed state, only one thought remained in his mind: “It’s all my fault.”

Duan Cheng’s heart, which had just returned to calm, felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand. He had clearly intended to retaliate against Su Xi, yet in the end, he was the one feeling heartache and reluctance. He stepped forward and pulled the boy into a forceful embrace, only loosening his grip for fear of hurting him.

Finding comfort, Su Xi simply remained silent. His breath was filled entirely with Duan Cheng’s scent. He proactively reached out to hug the man, nuzzling against him like a small animal that desperately lacked love and feared being abandoned.

The once-pampered “canary” could not live long without love just like the Pink and White Lychees in the courtyard, which required meticulous care to bloom vibrantly, yet were so fragile they withered easily.

It made one unable to resist wanting to get closer, wanting to caress, wanting to… claim as one’s own.

Outside, the wind howled through the pitch-black night, and the bright moonlight was obscured by gloom a premonition of approaching rain. As the minutes and seconds ticked by, a drizzling rain fell wantonly over the Imperial Capital. The branches of the lush rainforest grew frantically, and all things were revitalized by the fine rain, like the nectar long-yearned for by parched earth.

Perhaps the misunderstanding today had made Duan Cheng feel a bit guilty, for he actually returned the communicator to Su Xi. But Su Xi knew this was merely a test; after all, Duan Cheng had installed a monitor on the device. But he didn’t care.

Casually deleting the spam and unfamiliar contacts, Su Xi only kept a few people. He lowered his eyes to look at Li Huai’s long string of concerned and worried inquiries, then pursed his lips and typed a reply.

Su Xi: I’m fine.

The other side showed “Typing…”, and then a flurry of messages popped up in quick succession.

Li Huai: Xi, they all said you were dead, but I didn’t believe it. Li Huai: Where are you now? I’m coming to find you. Li Huai: Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side.

Su Xi bit his lip, debating for a while on how to reply.

Su Xi: Don’t come looking for me. If there’s a chance, we’ll meet again.

Fearing Duan Cheng would find too many traces, he replied to a few other acquaintances. Looking at Fu Heng’s chat box, he remained silent for a long while before composing a message.

It was the location of where he was currently staying. He followed it with a lot of random links, only to retract them all seconds after sending. But Su Xi wasn’t worried; the other man had definitely seen it, and he had the system to provide cover.

Duan Cheng had been busy with something lately, leaving early and returning late. Su Xi took the opportunity to get a clear picture of his current situation. The place he was staying was a very secluded suburban area, and the surrounding villas all looked uninhabited it was very lonely.

Su Xi glanced at the bright red numbers on the clock, calculating how much longer it would be until Duan Cheng returned.

“Host, you aren’t thinking of running away, are you?” System 1368 guessed Su Xi’s intent and offered a “friendly sponsorship” of two bags of knockout powder.

“I’m bored to death staying at home. I thought Duan Cheng would do something excessive, but it seems he really loves me to death he can’t even bear to be rough with me.” Su Xi’s words were spoken with a flat tone, as if he were recounting a perfectly normal story.

System 1368 was about to speak but stopped itself, finally saying after a long pause: “Host, take it easy. Don’t seek your own doom.”

Su Xi looked soft and weak, and he had an innocent, harmless, and deceptive face. Who would have thought his heart was so dark? To be able to say such things… it seemed the proverb “you can’t judge a book by its cover” was truly no lie.