The Protagonist and the Villain Both Kissed Me [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 36

Su Xi, as expected, fell ill after returning to his quarters. Having hastily taken some cold medicine, he curled up in bed, clutching a plush doll. His jade-white face was flushed deep crimson as if he were intoxicated. His long, curled lashes trembled slightly as he let out unconscious, low murmurs.

On the wall, the clock ticked rhythmically. Before his eyes, images flickered and overlapped, blurred by a hazy glow. Su Xi propped himself up with his arms and leaned against the headboard.

He was too dizzy to sleep, so he simply opened the mission interface to check the so-called “Hidden Mission.” He had been too exhausted during his earlier confrontation with A04; he only vaguely remembered that the penalty for failure was “obliteration.” Under normal circumstances, missions other than the Main Quest were optional.

In his previous world, no Hidden Mission had ever appeared. Su Xi stared blearily at the description on the screen:

The Fuguang Institute hides a massive secret waiting to be unearthed. Beneath its calm exterior, the institute is fraught with peril. After December 20th, heavy snow will block all roads to the outside world. Once the institute falls into isolation, the status of the test subjects and researchers will be reversed…

Su Xi stared at the words, wondering if his fever was making him hallucinate. However, the red disclaimer at the end clearly stated that failure would result in his erasure. He glanced at the time in the bottom right corner. If he remembered correctly, today was already December 15th. He had only five days to ensure his survival within the institute.

“Xiao Ba…” Su Xi called out to the System in his mind. “That’s not what you told me back then.”

“No, Host! Listen to me, as long as you complete the Main Quest, you don’t need to worry about these unexpected events. The Villain will protect you!” System 1368 responded vaguely.

The System’s words had some logic, but it was essentially a bait-and-switch.

Su Xi let out a cold sneer, enunciating each word: “Five days. You expect me to win over Mephisto in five days?”

Under normal circumstances, he might have tried, but he was currently ill and so weak he couldn’t muster an ounce of strength. Forget work, he didn’t even want to leave his room.

“Host, I believe in you. You can do it!” Since its update, System 1368 had a new voice, and it sounded quite cheerful as it offered encouragement.

Far from being comforted, Su Xi felt his head spin. He couldn’t see a future for himself at all. “I understand,” he sighed after a long silence.

Because of his illness, he took half a day off to rest. While he was in a heavy, feverish sleep, he didn’t notice a figure suddenly appear by his bedside.

The intruder wore a voluminous black robe that completely concealed their features, though their tall stature was evident. Standing by the bed, they blocked what little light remained in the room.

Water droplets fell from the figure, pooling on the clean floor. Mephisto’s cool hand brushed against Su Xi’s forehead. The searing heat from the fever climbed up through the contact point. He knelt by the bed, tracing the lines of the sleeping man’s brows with his fingertips.

“You’re sick,” Mephisto murmured softly.

Su Xi opened his eyes dizzily. He didn’t react immediately to the person standing before him; his subconscious assumed he was dreaming. He reached out and grabbed Mephisto’s hand just as the latter was about to withdraw it.

Blinking, Su Xi whispered, “Mephisto?”

Mephisto raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised that Su Xi had recognized him. “It is I,” he replied softly.

“Your hair is so long… so beautiful.” Su Xi reached out aimlessly to touch Mephisto’s pale golden hair, his lips curling into a slight smile. “Are you Merfolk? Do your tears really turn into pearls?”

In his half-dreaming state, he believed it was impossible for Mephisto to leave the containment cell. Therefore, the man in front of him had to be a figment of his imagination, making him lose all his inhibitions.

“The files said… your kind are hermaphroditic…”

Mephisto listened in silence, the words largely going in one ear and out the other. He watched the bedridden man’s crimson lips move as the rich scent of orchids wafted around them. He stared at Su Xi for a long time. “Sleep. Come see me tomorrow.”

Su Xi frowned, kicking off the blanket in his feverish heat. He wanted to say more, but his eyelids felt like lead. His consciousness was dragged back into endless darkness, his body feeling as though it were submerged in a cold pool.

When he woke up again, it was three or four in the morning. Su Xi was parched. He reached for the glass on the nightstand, but his eyes caught the puddle of water on the floor, leaving him confused.

“Xiao Ba, did I knock over some water while I was asleep?”

“No, Host.” System 1368 looked where Su Xi was pointing. “Maybe you accidentally spilled it when you came back today?”

Su Xi downed three glasses of water before his throat stopped burning. Having slept for so long, he found it impossible to drift off again. Leaning lazily against the sofa, he began to flip through the research materials and books spread across the table.

They were filled with professional jargon he didn’t understand, but thanks to the original host’s memories, he could grasp the gist. The Fuguang Institute had been established for over a century and had always been a key project supported by the state, with countless talents sent here for training.

There were over a hundred types of test subjects, classified by danger levels. Su Xi found a few interesting ones: B722, who could change a person’s color instantly; C690, who secreted sugar water; and A031, who could temporarily alter a person’s genetic sex…

As he read on, he discovered a blank file. There was no photo, only a designation: A001.

In his memory, this subject seemed to be the responsibility of Team 1. However, the Team 1 leader was away for training, and the person currently in charge wasn’t even a member of that team, but the Deputy Director. This subject was a “special existence” within the institute, but Su Xi didn’t know the specifics.

“Xiao Ba, this A001 is only an A-level subject. What makes it so special?” he chatted idly with the System.

“Probably some terrifying-looking monster,” System 1368 replied succinctly. Many subjects in the institute weren’t sentient and took on bizarre, grotesque forms. Su Xi was lucky that the subjects he handled were high-level and humanoid; he hadn’t had to deal with the monstrosities yet.

“Makes sense.” Su Xi nodded seriously. “If it’s too ugly, it’ll scare me. I won’t go looking for it.”

Yesterday’s events had been too intense, and Su Xi still hadn’t fully recovered. Nevertheless, the next day, he had to drag his sickly body to see the Director to discuss the matter regarding A04.

The morning corridors were sparsely populated. A few people waved at Su Xi, but he only gave cold responses. The unusual atmosphere made him suspicious; he felt as though something bad was about to happen.

After he knocked, Director Xu’s voice came from behind the door: “Come in.”

Su Xi entered. Director Xu seemed to have been there for a long time, with the latest documents awaiting signatures spread across his desk. Su Xi glanced at the dense text and looked away. “Director.”

“I heard about what happened yesterday. I was just about to look for you.” Director Xu put down his pen and looked up. His usually gentle face was now etched with gravity. “What exactly happened with A04 yesterday? The surveillance only showed you entering, and then the feed cut out.”

“Director, what are you implying?” Su Xi caught the hidden meaning. He frowned and asked coldly, “Do you think I deleted the footage?”

“Cui Yue is the Deputy Leader of Team 3. She had a spat with you at the door, but we are talking about a human life here. They were wearing protective suits; how could something have gone wrong? And yet, Xiao Su, from the moment you rushed in until the Control Team arrived, nothing happened to you.” Director Xu rambled on, his words clearly shifting the blame for the accident onto Su Xi.

Su Xi remained silent for a moment. “A04 has its own way of thinking. I don’t know why it attacked Cui Yue, but I will not accept the Director accusing me without even investigating the facts.”

As his voice fell, the room went silent. Someone who had just pushed the door open paused in their tracks, the words they were about to speak dying in their throat.

Director Xu’s brow furrowed. He opened his mouth to argue, but his expression flickered. He let out a long, helpless sigh, appearing conflicted. “I understand. You may leave.”

Su Xi hadn’t expected the Director to let it go so easily, but the outcome favored him. He nodded curtly and stated his true purpose for the visit: “Director, A04 is clearly not suited for Team 3. To avoid further trouble, hand it over to me.”

The request wasn’t unreasonable in fact, it solved a major headache for the Director, so the latter quickly agreed. The transfer process would take some time, so Su Xi turned to leave. He passed a colleague waiting outside but didn’t even bother to look up.

As he walked, he turned over the strangeness of the meeting in his mind. Before he knew it, he had reached Mephisto’s containment cell. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should enter.

But time was tight. To prevent any future disasters, he needed to raise Mephisto’s “Salvation Value” as soon as possible.

Five days to raise it from 25 to at least 85. This was going to be a monumental task.

The silver-white mechanical doors slid open after his ID was verified. Su Xi’s weary face was hidden beneath his black hood; only his slightly unsteady footsteps betrayed his condition. In his line of sight, the stunningly beautiful merman leaned lazily against the edge of the pool, appearing to be fiddling with something in his hand.

Su Xi had only intended to check in and didn’t plan on staying long, so he hadn’t removed his cloak. He had been intentionally avoiding close contact with Mephisto, so the other man still didn’t know his hidden secret.

“Why don’t you come closer?” Mephisto had been waiting for him, but Su Xi simply stood before the console, looking up at the constantly updating data on the screen.