The Protagonist and the Villain Both Kissed Me [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 31

The biting winter wind whistled through the air, and white frost melted atop the silver-white buildings. Sunlight scattered, reflecting a shimmering luster off the transparent glass windows. Accompanied by a crisp mechanical sound, the heavy, closed doors slid open to either side.

Su Xi walked into the room at an unhurried pace, standing before a console to record data. He wore a long black robe that reached his ankles, covering him so thoroughly that not a single patch of skin was exposed. Only when a colleague working beside him finally left did he reach out to pull down his hood.

“Ugh… suffocating.” A faint blush rose on his fair face. He casually set the clipboard on the table. Just as he was about to loosen his collar, a rhythmic set of footsteps approached from the hallway.

Panicked, he pulled the hood back up and turned to look at the person entering. His voice was slightly cold. “The data after the screening is all standard. Why did you barge in suddenly?”

“Why is the Project Leader so startled? I just came in to grab something.” The newcomer spoke in a lazy tone, nonchalantly pushing up his gold-rimmed glasses. He walked over to Su Xi’s side, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes. “I’ve been here for three months, yet I still haven’t seen the Leader’s true face.”

As he spoke, he reached out to touch Su Xi’s face. Su Xi’s expression darkened, and he took several steps back to distance himself. He scowled and barked, “Didn’t Xu Su tell you to stay away from me?”

Su Xi turned and left immediately after speaking, completely ignoring whatever else the man had to say. He kept his head down, following the route in his memory toward his office. At a corner, he failed to watch his path and crashed into a firm chest. His wrist was instantly caught in a tight grip.

The instinctive stiffness of his body caused Su Xi to daze momentarily. He tried to pull his hand back, but the person only gripped him tighter.

“Let go,” he parted his lips to say.

“So cold to me?” The man reached out to lift Su Xi’s chin, using his other hand to make a move toward the hood. His tone was laced with a hint of grievance.

But Su Xi heard the undisguised malice beneath it. His eyelashes trembled, and he pressed down on the man’s hand. His body beneath the black robe was shivering uncontrollably.

“Xiao Yangyao, don’t go too far.” He held the man’s hand down, preventing him from flipping the hood.

The electronic clock on the wall flickered for two seconds before changing to 11:30 AM the start of the institute’s lunch break. The number of staff emerging from the laboratories increased. In the hustle and bustle of the crowd, someone would surely notice the anomaly here soon.

In the corridor, Su Xi walked ahead with pursed lips, while Xiao Yangyao followed him closely. It wasn’t until they entered the room and the door was locked that Su Xi’s racing heart finally slowed.

After entering, Xiao Yangyao made himself at home, taking off his coat and placing it on a cabinet. He walked lazily to the sofa and sat down. Looking at Su Xi, who stood there stiffly, he arched a narrow eyebrow: “Take it off.”

“…”

Su Xi remained silent for a long while before finally doing as told. The wide black robe fell to the floor, revealing his true appearance. His slightly disheveled hair and flushed cheeks instinctively invited imagination. His thin clothing and jade-like skin appeared even softer under the warm lights, making him look like an exquisite porcelain doll.

Xiao Yangyao looked at the boy’s face, a dark glint flashing in his eyes. He beckoned him: “Come here.”

Su Xi wanted to refuse, but the man’s noncommittal expression and subsequent words quickly forced him to succumb. He walked over obediently, but before he could even steady himself, his vision blurred as he was pulled into the man’s embrace.

The tingling sensation and pleasure spreading from where their skin met left him dazed. He bit his lip and remained silent, allowing the man’s warm hands to wander over his exposed skin. As a slight itch brushed past, Su Xi’s curled eyelashes trembled. He reached out and proactively embraced the man.

“Hold me.” His voice drifted into the man’s ear like a breeze.

Xiao Yangyao let out a few soft laughs. Meeting those misty black eyes, he asked tenderly, “Do you just want a hug?”

Su Xi only felt miserable. He blinked in conflict and replied muddledly, “Just… a hug is fine.”

The moment the words fell, Xiao Yangyao indeed embraced him as requested. Su Xi nuzzled gently against the man’s chest. The abnormal sense of emptiness was filled, providing him with comfort and relief. He obediently allowed the man to stroke his soft hair.

“A new batch of test subjects is arriving soon. Don’t go provoking anyone while I’m away, do you hear me?”

Xiao Yangyao looked at the boy’s stunning features, then recalled the reason Su Xi never showed his true face in the institute. He used a tone that was half-threat and half-enticement: “I’ll be back in a week at the latest. Su-Su, you don’t want everyone to find out your secret, do you?”

Su Xi lowered his eyelashes, hiding his emotions. He released the man and spoke softly, “We agreed on half a month last time. What do you mean by this?”

“What do I mean?” Xiao Yangyao scoffed, lifting the boy’s chin to force him to look him in the eye. “I’m the only one in the whole institute who knows your secret. Su Xi, you can’t shake me off. Besides, without me, could you even survive it?”

After the man left, Su Xi flopped onto the sofa in exhaustion. He curled into a ball, hugging a plush toy in an attempt to smooth over the abnormality in his body, but the sensation was a drop in the bucket. He wanted… he craved to be touched, to be held…

“Xiao Ba, what is going on?” he cried out for the system in his mind. It took a long while before he felt slightly better.

Ever since he left the last world, he had been instantly transported to this new one. Curiously, System 1368 hadn’t followed him immediately. He had spent a whole week acting as if nothing were wrong based on the information he heard at the end, all while trying to prevent his character setting from collapsing.

Then, last time, he was careless. After recording data, he forgot to remove his gloves and ran into the psychopath Xiao Yangyao. Armed with the knowledge of his secret, the man had coerced him into doing strange things.

“Host, don’t worry! I’m here,” System 1368 hurried to respond. “Hold on, I’ll send the specific world information over right now.”

A large block of text appeared before Su Xi’s eyes. He skimmed through the dense but clear words.

The primary setting of this world takes place in a famous local research institute. An external task force has captured a new batch of test subjects and is secretly transporting them to the facility. The story unfolds from there.

“So this time you only gave me a summary? I have to find the mission target myself?” Su Xi asked the system. His already irritable mood was now fueled with more frustration.

“Because the last world was a rookie world, it was more detailed. But don’t worry, your identity this time is very convenient, and you definitely haven’t crossed paths with the villain before.” System 1368 continued with a thoughtful and considerate tone: “The host’s mission in this world is also much clearer than the last one.”

Su Xi looked at the mission information on the interface, unsure if he should let out a curse.

System 1368 proudly claimed this was a “special surprise” it had applied for from the higher-ups. The main mission was to save the villain, while the side mission required him to raise the protagonist’s favorability.

Just hearing the world setting made it clear that strange creatures existed here. Before acting out, he had to weigh whether he would be penalized. The scene of being locked in a golden cage by Duan Cheng in the last world was still fresh in his memory. He glanced at the account balance in the bottom right corner: 12,000 points. This was a massive sum.

“Is my shop open?” he asked, changing the subject.

“It’s open.” System 1368 obediently pulled up the shop interface.

On the massive screen, Su Xi saw various product categories. Most of them were displayed as question marks, meaning they couldn’t be viewed. His permissions only allowed him to browse the initial “Primary Items”—mostly common small things with no special effects.

He finished looking in three minutes without finding anything he liked, so he casually closed the interface. Catching a glimpse of the time on the wall, Su Xi stood up and dressed. Before he could even leave the room, he heard noisy discussion from outside.

“A weirdo like Su Xi can actually be a Project Leader.”

“You’re new, you don’t understand. He’s strange, sure, but he’s a PhD from a top-tier university who studied abroad. Besides, the Director likes him very much.”

“Who knows, really. Maybe he’s just too ugly to be seen in public, that’s why he’s always hiding…”

A few people who had just left the lounge were huddled together gossiping. It was so coincidental that they were right in front of his door; clearly, someone wanted him to hear it. Su Xi’s hand on the doorknob paused for two seconds. He pretended not to hear the conversation and turned to walk away.

“Host, why aren’t these people afraid of you?” System 1368 was puzzled. “You’re a Leader, after all. This is too much.”

“These people are just NPCs following the plot,” Su Xi chuckled, responding to the system in his mind. “I don’t know the plot progression right now, Xiao Ba. What if I identify the wrong mission target?”

“No way, Host. I believe in you.” System 1368 gave Su Xi its greatest verbal encouragement.

As long as the villain’s Salvation Value fluctuates, a notification will sound. Su Xi would definitely be able to identify the target immediately. Furthermore, most villains differ from protagonists in that they start in a weak position and become powerful later, often possessing tragic pasts.

Su Xi, dressed entirely in black, looked out of place among the crowd in white lab coats. These past few days, it wasn’t that he hadn’t heard people whispering about his attire or saying he only got in through connections. However, these rumors meant nothing to him as long as they didn’t obstruct his business.

But the secret on his body… was indeed troublesome.

“Xiao Ba, is there any medicine in the shop for this symptom?” He could only place his final hope on the returned Xiao Ba.

The system was silent for two seconds before answering sheepishly: “Host, it’s not that I don’t want to help, but this is a character setting. It can’t be changed. Besides, medicine doesn’t work for this. The best method is to find the villain quickly and rely on him. If that doesn’t work, finding someone who catches your eye isn’t a bad idea either.”

Su Xi was silent for two seconds. How was this System 1368 different from the one he first met? When they weren’t familiar, it was timid and weighed every word; now, it was talking nonsense and making wild claims, actually telling him to go find more people.