The Villain Has A Yuri Halo [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 24

Steam curled in the bathroom as the hot water poured down her body. Tilting her head back, Tang Qingqing pressed her palms over her face, savoring that suffocating sensation of being swallowed by heat. She liked it—that stifling rush that almost felt wrong. Only in that discomfort could she soothe the restless heart beating in her chest.

Her pale skin flushed pink under the shower’s mist. Every bead of water slid across her like temptation itself. In the hazy glow she looked decadent, sinful, as though she were already imagining the scene on the other side of the bathroom door—what awaited her once she stepped out. Ripe sweetness, sound asleep, waiting to be claimed.

Qingqing’s lips curved. Her pulse urged her to get out quickly, yet a scrap of reason whispered: Don’t overdo it tonight.

The conflict pulled her both ways, but she was content. After all, she had waited far too long for this moment.

She dried herself, slipped into a fresh nightgown, the faint scent of her body filling the room. Droplets from her damp hair trailed down her neck, disappearing into the hollow of her chest. Gone was the aloof ice-beauty; she was now every bit the lovesick fool, drunk on longing.

On the bed, nestled in pale yellow sheets, slept Li Ju.

Qingqing sat at the edge, her heated fingers brushing the softness of Ju’s bare arm. She leaned closer, breath quickening.

That delicate face, that unguarded sleep… and those lips, flushed red, were exactly what she had coveted all along.

One more inch, just one tilt of the head and she could steal a kiss.

But she stopped. A sigh slipped from her throat, bitter and helpless.

“…Am I sick? I can plot and scheme, but at the very last step my so-called conscience suddenly resurfaces?”

She cursed herself. Hypocrite. Pretending decency after doing so many shameless things.

The truth was simpler: love had her bound hand and foot. She couldn’t bear to touch Li Ju while she was defenseless, because she knew one taste wouldn’t be enough. And Ju… Ju was a poison. One drop, and she’d be lost forever.

She turned her face away, frustrated, and buried it against Ju’s stomach.

Taking Ju’s wrist, she lifted it reverently to her lips, pressing a kiss where a red string once circled. Her voice dropped low:

“Fine, so it broke. Our bond doesn’t need a string to hold it together.”

Bold words—though she was the one who had once believed in charms and fate.

Her lips trailed there again, leaving a phantom mark. But she stopped herself from biting down, afraid to leave evidence.

And then… an idea bloomed.

If she lacked the courage to take what she wanted, why not let Ju give it to her? Ju had promised, hadn’t she—whatever punishment Qingqing wanted, she would accept.

Her eyes lit up, heart pounding with mischief.

She carefully guided Ju’s slender hand, drawing it over her skirt, inching higher until it rested exactly where she ached most.

Her face burned crimson. Her lashes trembled. She looked every bit a demoness, both delicate and dangerous.

But her strength gave out quickly. Hugging Ju’s arm, she collapsed, breath ragged, dizzy with shame and longing.

“Ju,” she whispered, eyes glazed on the ceiling, “don’t be so gentle with me. I don’t deserve it. Your kindness only feeds my madness. That time when you apologized… my ‘grievances’ were all an act. You said you’d bear anything from me but it turns out, I’m the one who can’t bear it.”

Her self-mockery was relentless. “I must be cheap. When you were cold, I prayed for you to go crazy for me. Now that you’re soft, I beg you not to be. What kind of person does that make me?”

Her cheeks deepened in blush, her pulse pounding against Ju’s skin. Happiness and torment tangled into one.

At last, with trembling restraint, she slipped Ju’s hand back out, bringing the fingertips to her lips in a possessive kiss. The faint scent clung, marking her. It was enough. For now.

She curled beside Ju, draping an arm over her waist, drifting toward sleep with a satisfied smile.

The oatmeal-laced milk had done its work. What she didn’t know was that another creature had witnessed everything.

A’Ci, the system, let out a burp, finally full. Knew it, it thought smugly. 

My host attracts nothing but perverts. One cup of doctored milk, and she’s out cold. Meanwhile this lunatic smothers her in fragrance and obsession. Heaven! It’s like a banquet after starving for half a lifetime!

【Eh?! That’s it? You’re not going to kiss her wrist again? Or her fingers?】

【Tang Qingqing, you coward! Use your mouth, woman!】

Stuffed but unsatisfied, A’Ci pouted. Usually, Qingqing and Ju’s sticky sweetness was just an appetizer. Tonight’s indulgence had been a full feast.

【Sometimes, parasite, I really envy you…】 it muttered. 

【If only I had hands, I’d pin Tang Qingqing down myself and not let her up! Look at her—slipping things into milk to knock you out, all the while trembling with guilt as she touches you. And you? Sleeping like a baby. Tch. No justice in this world.】

Excitement made its tiny form sprout a second leaf. Soon, it believed, it would bloom into the most dazzling flower—so long as its host didn’t mess things up.

And if this world ran its course? It would tear open a rift and carry Li Ju to another world, to feast on love all over again.

【Heh. Then you’ll really laugh like a goose, parasite.】

For now, though, it was content to sleep off its meal.

Beside Ju, Tang Qingqing nestled closer, murmuring against her cheek:

“Goodnight, my darling.”

Ju stirred faintly, lashes trembling as if she’d heard.

The room brimmed with warmth, shielding them from the snow falling quietly outside.

********

The next morning, Li Ju’s delighted cry broke the silence:

“It’s snowing!”

She pressed to the window, marveling at the white blanket on the ancient rooftops.

“Jiejie, come look!”

Qingqing rubbed her eyes, the strap of her nightdress slipping carelessly off one shoulder, hair tousled in a picture of sensual disarray.

Ju’s heart skipped. Her skin was whiter than snow itself.

Flustered, Ju fled to the bathroom. “I’ll go wash up!”

Qingqing chuckled fondly. “Slow down.”

Behind the closed door, Li Ju smacked her cheeks, trying to calm her thoughts. Staring at her reflection, she forced a smile but only to nearly jump when A’Ci’s snickering echoed in her head.

“Honestly, your voice could be cute,” she scolded. “But that laugh ruins everything. Can’t you let me keep a good image of you?”

【Hehehe.】

【Please, I don’t need your good opinion. I’m not supposed to be a good thing anyway.】

【But fine, fine. I’ll be serious. Good news or bad news first?】

Ju squeezed toothpaste onto her brush, sighing. “Good news first.”

【Good news: I, the mighty A’Ci, am full! For now, anyway. But if you keep feeding me love, I can reward you. Not just here—other worlds too. This place is just one little plane, but I can take you on a tour of many more!】

Li Ju rolled her eyes. “See? You are painting pies in the sky. Other worlds? What is this, a novel? I’ll settle for surviving today, thanks. But… wait. I only slept. How did that make you full?”

【Heh heh heh. That… is the bad news.】

Ju froze, toothbrush mid-air. “…What is it?

From the lively tone of A’Ci’s voice alone, it was obvious this creature had the type of personality that thrived on chaos. A plain, uneventful life? Utterly boring. It preferred the thrill of peeking in on other people’s messy drama.

【That dear sister of yours? Don’t be fooled—she’s not all that innocent either.】

【If I could catch her scent, I’d have chosen her body to live in instead! Because whenever she sees a host, she reeks of “love.”】

【To be honest, I didn’t think much of her. Just some fragile, weepy woman—no fun at all. Before yesterday happened, I was convinced you were the real star: the host who was bold enough to throw away her life for Tang Qingqing. That’s love! I was practically drooling, waiting for a feast of affection. And then—bam—you go and lose your memory】

【But! Just when the mountains seemed endless and the river ran out—turns out there’s a hidden path through the willow trees!】

【Your sister last night… hehehehehe…】

Li Ju had been listening forever without hearing any point. She groaned, “Why the creepy laugh? Spit it out already!”

【Hmph! Suspense, you boring little parasite. Learn a little sense of drama.】

【Fine, fine. Your sister added something to that cup of milk. And once you fell asleep… do you know what she did?】

*******

Meanwhile, Tang Qingqing herself seemed blissfully unaware of how serious this all was. Fresh from brushing her teeth, she moved on to combing her hair.

The woman in the mirror had a small bandage at her temple, the faint wound lending her already delicate beauty a fragile air. Lips red, teeth white, a smile that could set fire to snow. She was the kind of woman who stole attention just by existing.

Li Ju absently ran the comb through her own hair and asked, “What could my sister possibly do?”

【What could she do? Just nearly do you!】

【Well… “desecrate” is too strong. Let’s go with… take liberties.】

【She wanted to kiss you, but lost her nerve. So she compromised by kissing your wrist and mouthing your fingertips. And the best part? She even took your hand and made you do something filthier.】

Li Ju jerked her hair, yelping when it snagged. She stared at her reflection, stunned.

【Okay, maybe not filthy-filthy. Let’s say… she pressed your hand against her heart, just so you could feel it race.】

Her brain was completely short-circuited. Heartbeat? Left or right? Oh, right—the left side.

The moment she pictured it, that glimpse of flawless white skin she’d seen earlier popped back into her head. And as a woman herself, she knew perfectly well that Tang Qingqing’s skin at her chest would be even paler.

Li Ju smacked her cheeks, cheeks burning. What the hell was she thinking? Cut it out! Stop imagining weird things!

【Yep, with that hand.】

Li Ju blinked at her left hand, feeling it grow hotter just from the vivid way A-Ci described things. She could practically see it.

【Wait, wait—why are you blushing?】

【Ohhh, I get it now. Here I was thinking your sister was doing something terrible, but turns out it wasn’t terrible at all! Look at you, enjoying it. Humans really are complicated.】

Li Ju immediately snapped, “Who enjoyed it? Who?! I was asleep—I couldn’t feel anything!”

【Ehh, sure, keep telling yourself that.】

Li Ju’s head was about to split. She shoved A-Ci out of her thoughts and pressed her hands to her chest, thinking hard. Finally, she whispered, “Does that mean… sister likes me?”

【Yeah. Did I never mention that?】

She nearly choked. “Mention my ass! You spend all day sleeping—I’m lucky if I even see you!”

【Oh… must’ve slipped my mind then. Anyway, when you had the car accident, I overheard her telling someone, “If Li Ju dies, I won’t live either.” Because you’re the one she loves. I couldn’t hear super clearly from that far, but that was the gist.】

Li Ju’s messy thoughts suddenly went still. She didn’t even know what kind of reaction was appropriate. But hearing those words… it felt like she didn’t need to overcomplicate things anymore.

Like or dislike. Hearts don’t lie.

She let out a long breath. “I get it now.”

【Get what?】

“I must just be too adorable. That’s why my sister couldn’t help herself. So… I’ll forgive her.”

She said it with deadly seriousness.

【And after that?】

“After that? Pretend I don’t know anything, of course.”

Li Ju pushed open the door.

There she was—Tang Qingqing, standing with her back to her, long hair spilling down like a veil. Her slim frame was silhouetted against the snowy window, fragile, like she might dissolve into the winter light.

Snow blanketed the world outside. The silence carried a kind of loneliness.

Something in Li Ju’s heart ached.

She bounded forward, hugging her sister from behind hard enough to make Tang Qingqing bend slightly with the force.

“Jiejie, the first snow is so pretty. You can’t watch it alone. You need me!”

Lonely? What was there to be lonely about?

The cool mask on Tang Qingqing’s face melted, her lips curving into a smile warm enough to thaw frost.

Her eyes shone tenderly as she answered, “How could I ever watch it alone? I was waiting for you.”

Li Ju stepped around to face her properly, studying her intently.

And she noticed something—her sister’s whole aura had changed. No longer so aloof, no longer blending into the background like dust.

Her smile now held warmth, her presence tugged at the heart. She’d stepped closer to the world of flesh and blood.

Li Ju tilted her head, suddenly wondering—was that because of her?

“What are you thinking?”

Li Ju’s eyes glimmered mischievously. “Secret. Can’t tell you.”

【Fine, don’t tell your sister. But you could tell me, A’Ci the Benevolent!】

Li Ju broke into helpless laughter. “It’s nothing.”

She tugged her fairy sister down to earth. Was that a blessing—or a curse?

Tang Qingqing patted her hair. “I already tidied up while you were washing. Go change and come eat.”

She bent to smooth the messy quilt, the curve of her waist and the lines beneath her sweater drawing Li Ju’s gaze before she could stop herself.

Her eyes darted away—then slid back again.

She was watching. And the left hand tucked behind her back traced invisible shapes across her palm, as though replaying something… remembered.

Abruptly, she coughed.

Tang Qingqing glanced up in concern. “Is your throat sore?”

Li Ju raised her brows, lifting her wrist with deliberate slowness. Her smiling eyes flicked between her wrist and her sister as she asked innocently, “It’s the strangest thing—when I woke up, my wrist was aching, like someone pinched me while I was asleep. Do you think maybe I was haunted?”

For just a moment, Qingqing’s expression faltered. But she smoothed it over instantly. The speed of that switch made Li Ju whistle inwardly.

Her sister’s tone stayed calm, even gentle. “Maybe it’s just because you’re not used to a new bed.”

“Oh? And did you sleep well last night, jiejie?” Li Ju’s grin was sly, eyes dancing.

Qingqing’s hands froze briefly before resuming their folding. Her voice was soft, steady: “I slept very well.”

“Well of course you did,” Li Ju teased, then trailed off.

That little pause hooked Qingqing completely.

Li Ju darted in close, pinching her waist with a playful squeeze. “After all, you had me there.”

Her sister shuddered uncontrollably, cheeks turning pink.

Really—why had she ever told Li Ju about her ticklish spots?

The little devil leaned in with a smirk. “Ah, silly me—I forgot jiejie’s ticklish. You’re not mad, are you?”

Biting her lip, Qingqing forced out, husky, “I’m fine.”

“Good! Then I’m off to breakfast.”

Classic Li Ju move: tease and run.

“Won’t you stay and keep me company?” Her sister’s voice almost pleaded.

Already at the door, Li Ju spun back, smiling sweetly enough to melt snow. “Sorry, but I’m starving. Auntie Lan’s soup dumplings are calling me. I’ll have to abandon you.”

She stepped out, only to poke her head right back in.

Her eyes curved like crescent moons as she sang out, “But I like you soooo much, jiejie. You’ll forgive me, right?”

【Ahhh! The taste of love, again!】

【I swear I starved to death in a past life!】

【Rejoice! The mighty A’Ci’s stomach will finally be fed!】

【Host, do us all a favor—devour Tang Qingqing completely by tomorrow. For my sake!】

“A’Ci, do you moonlight at the civil registry office or something?”

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