The Villain I Loved Has Broken Free and Transmigrated Out of the Story - Chapter 8

Just after saying that, Yin Ya still thought she was being clever.

But when she met the Big Villain’s skeptical gaze, the flickering flame of confidence in her heart was instantly extinguished.

She must have… said the wrong thing.

It was too late to take it back, so Yin Ya pretended not to notice the Big Villain’s look and smiled.

But Cang Lanyan’s follow-up question froze her smile. “Wasn’t I protecting you earlier?”

Yin Ya froze for a moment before realizing “earlier” must refer to when she was picking up her takeout. Back then, the Big Villain had specifically asked her why she was being so cautious just to get food.

In truth, being cautious about takeout, calmly taking out the trash, and even using “shy and afraid of strangers” as an excuse weren’t contradictory. Any other single woman might have done and said the same.

The problem was that her household now included a powerful villain who had just bestowed upon her a “Protection Halo” that morning.

Yin Ya adjusted her glasses, taking the opportunity to relax her stiff expression. When she met Cang Lanyan’s eyes again, though still nervous, she had already devised a half-baked explanation.

“Please calm down,” she began, acknowledging her mistake. “This is my personal issue. I’ve lived alone for a long time, and over the years, I’ve developed certain habits. I’ve only been under your protection for half a day, and haven’t fully broken my old habits yet…”

“Mountains may crumble and rivers may shift, but fundamental nature is hard to change?” Cang Lanyan suddenly interjected, quoting an ancient saying.

“Exactly,” Yin Ya nodded vigorously, solidifying her contradictory behavior under this excuse.

Sensing the Big Villain’s gaze shift from full skepticism to guarded acceptance, Yin Ya finally allowed her tense nerves to relax slightly.

“No wonder you rejected my Cold-Dispelling Surveillance Spell earlier,” Cang Lanyan said, sounding like she had finally understood.

Yin Ya thought, Is she bringing up old grudges now? She kept smiling. “Yeah, I’m used to heating with the AC.”

“Last night…”

“Last night was an accident!” Yin Ya cut her off before the Big Villain could dig up more past grievances. “There was a massive power outage here… The electricity just suddenly went out. It’s really rare. I’ve never experienced anything like that before! Otherwise, I would have kept the AC on all night!”

Cang Lanyan looked thoughtful, her long, slender nails tapping lightly on the table. A mysterious emotion flickered in her eyes that Yin Ya couldn’t read.

Yin Ya maintained her apologetic smile, forcing herself to meet the Big Villain’s gaze.

She had a vague suspicion that now that the Big Villain knew her situation, she might revoke the Cold-Dispelling Surveillance Spell. That’s why she had to keep her expression steady. If the Big Villain sensed anything amiss, she’d definitely abandon the idea.

Yin Ya tensed up as she waited. Finally, Cang Lanyan spoke: “In that case, I won’t interfere further.”

With a flick of her finger, the Light Screen that had been enveloping Yin Ya immediately dissolved into shimmering light, surging toward Cang Lanyan like rolling waves.

Yin Ya was almost in tears with joy that the Big Villain had so readily dispelled the Surveillance Spell.

Now that she wasn’t constantly being watched by the Big Villain, she finally had a chance to fix her plot holes!

She quickly turned on the air conditioning, checked the delivery time for her takeout, and said to Cang Lanyan, “The Culinary Cultivator won’t arrive for about fifteen more minutes. I need to… you know, take care of business.”

After getting permission from the Big Villain, Yin Ya calmly walked into the bathroom. As soon as she closed the door, she switched her phone back to the home screen. Just as she was about to open her writing app to outline the next plot points, she noticed several unread messages on the WeChat icon.

Yin Ya didn’t even have to think about who would be messaging her at this time. She opened WeChat and, as expected, the conversation with her childhood friend Cen Xiang was already at the top.

****

[Er Xiang: Kid, why did you actually write the Big Villain as missing?!]

[Er Xiang: I just went to bed early last night and slept a few extra hours this morning. When I woke up, your comments section was exploding!]

[Er Xiang: “Are you awake, Kiddo Ya? I know you are. ][Aunt Xue knocking on the door.jpg]

[Are you okay? Make a sound, or I’ll worry. [Tugging Kiddo Ya’s hair.jpg]”

Having been tormented by the Big Villain all morning, Yin Ya felt terrible, but she still managed a helpless “beep.”

[Cen Xiang: “Have you seen the comments? Don’t read them if you haven’t. Don’t take it to heart. I know you always have your own ideas.”]

[Er Xiang: “Even if some of those ideas are weird—unfathomable divine plot twists—they always manage to wrap up the story somehow. <Patting a dog’s head.jpg>”]

These were perfectly normal words of comfort, but Yin Ya had just experienced the unscientific event of a “2D character coming to her side.” Her heart churned with conflicting emotions, overwhelmed with regret. Unable to resist, she swore to her:

Has Fusheng Written Today: “Next time, I definitely won’t favor the villain, and I absolutely won’t write any divine plot twists!”

Er Xiang: “?”

Er Xiang: [You’re acting strange.jpg]

[Has Fusheng Written Today: “??? What’s with that reaction? [Puzzled.jpg”]

[Er Xiang: Never mind whether you’ll continue favoring villains in the future, but I remember you said “I’ll never write a God-tier twist” right before finishing your last book.]

[Er Xiang: Like an old general on a stage, flagrant contradictions sticking out of your back.]

[Has Fusheng Written Today: This time I’m serious! I’m genuinely, wholeheartedly regretting it!]

[Er Xiang: Honestly, I don’t believe you.]

******

Reading Cen Xiang’s message, Yin Ya felt like crying, but no tears came out from her eyes. She couldn’t reveal the Big Villain’s involvement, so she bit her lip and gently pressed her forehead against the cold tile wall, trying to soothe her distress.

Even though the Big Villain had temporarily suspended her Surveillance Spell, Yin Ya didn’t dare linger in the bathroom. After replying to her sharp-tongued childhood friend, she hastily jotted down some ideas, timing her movements carefully. With a quick press of the flush button, she pretended she’d used the toilet.

Just as the delivery was about to arrive, Yin Ya decided to be bold this time. But then the delivery person sent a message: “Hello, are you home?”

The message made Yin Ya’s nerves immediately tense up. Her fingers flew across the keyboard: “Not home. Just leave it on the doorknob and remember to send me a photo.”

As she typed the reply, she tiptoed over to Cang Lanyan, afraid of making any noise that might alert the person outside. But the Big Villain chose that exact moment to ask, “What are you afraid of now?”

Her voice was neither loud nor soft, but Yin Ya reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her tense nerves were suddenly jolted. She instinctively turned around and pressed a finger to her lips: “Shh!”

Their eyes met. Cang Lanyan frowned slightly, then suddenly stood up. In a flash, she was at the door. With a downward motion of her hand, she flung it open!

Yin Ya saw the delivery person standing outside, holding a phone. He looked like he was about to take a photo of the delivery hanging on the doorknob. Her heart nearly stopped from fright.

She vaguely remembered the Big Villain saying earlier that day that she wouldn’t reveal her presence outside. So what the delivery person must have seen just now was the front door suddenly opening, but with no one behind it, right?

That’s a textbook supernatural event! If the delivery person tells anyone about it—

Just as her mind was spinning with wild thoughts, she heard a man’s hurried voice say, “Enjoy your meal,” followed by the heavy sound of a door closing. Her gaze fell upon Cang Lanyan, looking exactly the same as this morning as she walked toward her, carrying the takeout bags.

The crisp jingling of metal bracelets and copper chains drifted faintly through the air. As Yin Ya snapped back to reality, a scent of minty sea salt mixed with lamb powder settled beside her.

“Nothing more than a frail human,” Cang Lanyan remarked, pulling the plastic bag’s knot loose.

Yin Ya: “……”

She had clearly seen the delivery person’s silhouette. Though not exceptionally tall, he was a young, strapping man. To think, in the Big Villain’s eyes, such a grown adult male could be considered “frail.”

As Yin Ya mentally cursed, Cang Lanyan lifted the lid of the plastic box. After a single glance, she looked up and asked, “Where’s the cilantro, chili, and kimchi?”

Yin Ya opened her mouth to brush it off, but saw the Big Villain’s slender nails jabbing at the delivery receipt. The words died in her throat, and she choked on a gasp, coughing violently.

The receipt clearly stated, “No cilantro, chili, or kimchi,” a note she had deliberately added to avoid offending the Big Villain’s taste or wasting ingredients.

Coughing with her hand over her mouth, Yin Ya didn’t dare glance at the Big Villain, fearing her gaze would be caught.

After all, the Big Villain had explicitly instructed the restaurant to follow her order exactly. It was Yin Ya who had presumptuously added her own “thoughtful” touches, just like how she had served the Big Villain a cup of concentrated saltwater last night.

She had been too presumptuous.

“Could it be you were afraid I wouldn’t like it?” Cang Lanyan asked, her voice cold as soon as Yin Ya caught her breath.

Yin Ya didn’t dare meet her gaze. Biting her lip, she lowered her eyes and nodded silently.

“Do you know what happens to those who defy God’s commands?” Cang Lanyan’s voice was calm, but Yin Ya felt a chill slither up her spine like a venomous snake.

She almost forgot that the beautiful merman before her was the Big Villain, unpredictable and utterly irrational. She might be chatting amiably one moment and have someone’s head rolling the next.

“I… I don’t know…” Yin Ya answered, her voice trembling.

In the next instant, she felt her body stiffen, likely immobilized by some spell. A cold sensation brushed her neck as something slimy and slippery coiled around it, not tightening but slowly sliding against her chin, cheeks, and ears, inch by inch.

Fear made Yin Ya whimper involuntarily. Her breathing quickened, and her heart pounded violently in her chest, threatening to burst out of her ribcage.

Meanwhile, the Big Villain casually snapped open a pair of disposable chopsticks, mimicking her earlier actions. She stirred the powder, picked up a small pinch, brought it to her lips, and elegantly inhaled it before chewing slowly.

“…Acceptable.”

A few seconds later, Cang Lanyan offered a mild assessment. With a wave of her hand, she conjured a small portion of the soup, flecked with scallions and chili oil, causing it to rise and drift to her lips for her to taste.

Yin Ya remained immobilized under Cang Lanyan’s restraint, unable to move. The slick substance continued to smear across her face, enveloping her in an overwhelming sense of dread.

Yet, witnessing the Big Villain devour nearly half a bowl of lamb noodle soup in no time, Yin Ya felt a strange surge of emotion.

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