Transmigrated as the Villain and Driven Crazy by the Vengeful Male Lead - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Sharing a “Beautiful Night” — I Certainly Won’t Leave You Alone…

They moved quickly, sweeping from the first floor to the top and back again, moving nearly twice as fast as when they arrived.

Yet, after several frantic laps, they found nothing. Aside from the two of them, the palace remained empty—eerily, terrifyingly silent. Truthfully, they hadn’t wanted to witness Chang Huaichen’s debauchery on the couch again, but the total disappearance of everyone was even harder to accept.

“What is going on…” Su Cheyue breathed heavily, sweat beading at his temples. He had covered the distance of nearly ten floors in less than fifteen minutes.

Man and butterfly stood rooted to the spot, helpless, as if someone were intentionally trapping them here. Worse still, perhaps because it was now the dead of night, the temperature in the hall plummeted, as if they had been tossed into a glacial cellar.

Butterflies have far less cold resistance than humans. Lü Shuyao soon found himself unable to endure it; his wings grew too heavy to lift, and he began to plummet straight down.

Just as he thought he would smash into the ground like a “butterfly pancake,” a pair of slightly cool hands gently caught him.

“Lü Shuyao.”

Lü Shuyao lay in his palm, enveloped by the scent of green pear. He felt frustrated; at a time like this, he should have been the one taking care of Su Cheyue—asking if he was cold, giving him extra clothes. If Su Cheyue were truly freezing, he wouldn’t even mind a reluctant hug.

But now, the roles were completely reversed. Lü Shuyao felt too embarrassed to even ask Su Cheyue how he was feeling.

It must be freezing.

“I’m sorry.”

“Cheyue.”

Su Cheyue froze, his voice tightening slightly from the cold: “What kind of ‘bug-talk’ are you saying?”

“I promised Big Brother, but I didn’t take good care of you.” The butterfly trembled weakly in Su Cheyue’s palm. “Who the hell could have predicted this… Fuck.” He couldn’t help but curse. “Cheyue, if I freeze to death before you, can you please stop hating me…?”

Su Cheyue: “Hate you?”

“You still despise me now, don’t you?” The Hatred Value was still so high.

“…” Su Cheyue did not answer.

After a moment, Su Cheyue said, “Actually, you can go back.”

“Huh?”

“The mantra for the Soul-Shifting Knot—go back the same way you came.”

Lü Shuyao was shivering violently, yet he said earnestly: “No. Chang Huaichen has vanished. Without the token, I won’t be able to get back in.”

Su Cheyue let out a cold laugh. “We’re finally out, why would you want to come back to this hellhole?”

“I certainly won’t leave you here alone.”

Lü Shuyao clearly felt his butterfly heartbeat growing weaker. He didn’t know if his soul could successfully return to his body if this butterfly died here.

“Su—”

“Shut up.”

Su Cheyue suddenly tightened his palm, pulled open the front of his robe, and slowly, very slowly, tucked him inside.

Against the place closest to his heart.

Lü Shuyao’s eyes widened. He watched as he drew closer and closer to that warm, soft skin, until finally, they were pressed tightly together.

Blood surged like a torrent, suddenly accelerating. For a moment, Lü Shuyao couldn’t tell if the heartbeat he heard belonged to the butterfly or to Su Cheyue.

Like a withered tree meeting spring in the middle of a frozen wasteland.

[Congratulations, Visitor! Male lead Su Cheyue’s Hatred Value has decreased by 100. Current Hatred Value: 730. Keep up the good work!]

Lü Shuyao thought that if he ever became addicted to this green pear scent, it would be a very bad thing indeed.

“Cheyue, Cheyue.”

Su Cheyue said, “Mhm.”

“Are you cold?”

“I’m fine.”

“When we get out of here, what do you want to do most?”

Su Cheyue said, “Recover my cultivation, find Dangyan, and protect the world from evil.”

Lü Shuyao smiled. “Then you will definitely achieve it.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me?”

Su Cheyue: “Nothing worth asking.”

“Oh,” Lü Shuyao didn’t know that Su Cheyue could read his “wicked thoughts” about escaping, playing video games, and eating snail noodles. He said to himself, “I want to raise another cat.”

“To bully it like last time?” Su Cheyue blurted out.

Lü Shuyao’s brain wasn’t functioning at full capacity; he didn’t realize he had just missed a major piece of information. He argued, “When did I ever bully anyone?”

“…Stop talking. Save your strength.”

The night dragged on. Lü Shuyao woke up repeatedly against Su Cheyue’s chest, and every time, he would ask: “Are you cold?”

And every time, Su Cheyue would say: “I’m fine.”

They couldn’t see each other, but they shared a tacit understanding, relying on these two simple phrases to confirm each other’s status. The incense clock ticked away; unknowingly, the Hour of the Rabbit passed. Lü Shuyao was eventually woken up by the sound of voices.

“Ah, Second Young Master,” it was Chang Huaichen’s voice. “I seem to have forgotten you here last night. The winter night is bitter; can your body handle it?”

Su Cheyue tiredly lifted his eyelids and used a transmission spell: “Is Palace Master Chang done playing hide-and-seek?”

“How can you call it playing?” Chang Huaichen suppressed a laugh, using a threatening tone. “I did it for your safety. It is much more appropriate for you to stay here during the night.”

“Unnecessary,” Su Cheyue said coldly. “Please have Miss Jiang and Manman escort me out.”

“Tsk. We haven’t met for a night, yet you don’t ask about me, nor do you ask about Young Master Lü. Instead, you look for others in Zhuohua Palace. Could it be that you are a sentimental man as well?”

The golden butterfly fluttered over to Chang Huaichen. At this moment, Lü Shuyao really wished he could turn into a moth and spray a cloud of toxic powder right into that arrogant face to vent his frustration.

Su Cheyue simply repeated: “Where are Jiang Zhiqing and Manman?”

Since Chang Huaichen was standing perfectly fine before them, if the “evil thoughts” Su Cheyue heard last night were true, then something must have happened to either Jiang Zhiqing or Manman.

Chang Huaichen frowned in displeasure. “Fine, fine. Your eyelashes are literally covered in frost from the cold, yet you still use that tone to question me. Do you really think I don’t know how to show pity to a beauty?” With a wave of his red sleeve, the barrier opened. “See those two pavilions opposite? If you have the energy, go find them yourself.”

Hearing this, Su Cheyue felt slightly relieved. However, he did not immediately reveal that he could see; he remained seated and unmoving.

As expected, Chang Huaichen didn’t notice anything amiss. He said, “I forgot again, the Second Young Master can’t see. How about I have someone invite Young Master Lü over?”

He didn’t need to say it; the golden butterfly had already flown back to the guest hall like a Great Roc spreading its wings. When Lü Shuyao returned to his human form and arrived on his sword, his handsome face was darker than a demon from purgatory.

Lü Shuyao stepped off his sword without a word, first tying a thick cloak around Su Cheyue.

Then, ignoring everything else, he pushed the wheelchair past Chang Huaichen. The latter stood behind them unhurriedly, watching their retreating backs, and remarked meaningfully: “A good match.”

Shut up, you.

Once they were far from Chang Huaichen’s sleeping quarters, Su Cheyue spoke: “Where are we going?”

“Back to the guest room to boil some hot water.”

“No need,” Su Cheyue shook his head, pointing toward the two pavilions standing opposite each other nearby. “Go there and see if Jiang Zhiqing and Manman are inside.”

Once he focused on the task at hand, he didn’t even care that he had just spent a night freezing and hungry. Lü Shuyao knew he couldn’t talk him out of it, so he did as he was told.

When they first arrived, Jiang Zhiqing had mentioned that these two pavilions were the daily living quarters for the female disciples. Normally, a place where girls lived should be strictly off-limits to strangers. However, these pavilions weren’t as heavily guarded as Chang Huaichen’s quarters. Lü Shuyao pushed Su Cheyue to the front of the pavilion without obstruction. Before entering the main doors, they stopped politely and knocked.

For a long time, no one answered. Lü Shuyao explained to Su Cheyue, “They might be out practicing. Don’t worry. Let’s go to the valley—”

With a “creak,” the door opened.

A delicate but haggard face appeared, soaked in tears. Qinzhu wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. Seeing the two men at the door, she quickly turned away.

Lü Shuyao helped her pull the door partially closed and asked softly through the gap, “Is it convenient, Fairy?”

“My apologies, Young Master Lü, Young Master Su… it’s not very convenient…” Low sobs came from inside. Lü Shuyao said, “It’s all right. Are Fairy Jiang and Fairy Manman inside?”

Qinzhu paused for a moment, likely wiping away her tears and calming herself. When she spoke again, her voice was much clearer: “Are you looking for them for a reason?”

“Well, nothing major.” Lü Shuyao didn’t want to alarm her, so he told a small lie. “We were worried you were startled by the events in the valley yesterday and wanted to check in. I also wanted to see if Fairy Jiang is feeling better.”

“It’s good to know you’re okay. If it’s truly inconvenient, the Second Young Master and I will head back.”

The wheelchair scraped against the ground as if it were really turning around. Silence hung inside the pavilion for a moment before the door was pulled open again.

“Young Master.” Qinzhu stood there once more, calling out with a mix of shyness and distress. “Forgive me for making a scene. Please, come in.”

“What about the other Fairies? Will it be inconvenient for them?”

Qinzhu shook her head. “They have all gone out to practice. Only Manman and I are here.”

Lü Shuyao caught the key point: “What happened to Fairy Manman? Is she injured?”

Qinzhu’s red-rimmed eyes widened in surprise. “Why would you ask that?”

Her answer was “Why would you ask that?” rather than “How did you know?”, which suggested Manman likely wasn’t physically injured. Lü Shuyao squeezed Su Cheyue’s shoulder to reassure him and said, “Yesterday in the valley, didn’t Manman stand in front of you to protect you?”

As soon as he mentioned it, Qinzhu’s tears began to fall again like broken strings of pearls. “But today, she…”

“What happened to her?”

“Forget it. Since you are here, come and help me see her off…”

See her off? To where?

Qinzhu led them into the pavilion. Although the other girls were away, these were still private quarters; one should not look or touch things they shouldn’t. Therefore, from the moment he entered, Lü Shuyao kept his eyes only on Su Cheyue. Su Cheyue also kept his eyes lowered, not glancing around.

They reached a spacious room where Qinzhu said toward the interior, “Manman, the two young masters are here to see you.”

Lü Shuyao leaned against the doorframe with his back turned, asking first, “Is it convenient, Fairy?”

Manman did not respond at all.

Qinzhu’s nose turned red. “Manman, the Young Master is talking to you. You’re ignoring me, but are you going to ignore them too?”

Manman ignoring people?

Yesterday in the valley, she was the most active and outspoken. How could she ignore someone? This was completely out of character.

But Manman remained silent.

Qinzhu grew frantic, her tears flowing uncontrollably. She grumbled, “Fine, fine. Yesterday you were criticizing Muling, and today it’s your turn. Go then, just leave!”

She rushed inside, and Lü Shuyao followed her gaze. He saw a large shared sleeping area where Manman was standing with her back to them, seemingly packing a bundle of belongings. Qinzhu snatched the bundle from her hands and said, “I know, this is the rule of Zhuohua Palace. Any sisters who spend the night in the Palace Master’s sleeping quarters have to move to the other building. But even so, can’t you say a proper goodbye to me?” Her voice choked up further. “Can’t you just hug me and tell me you’ll miss me…”

Manman was unnaturally calm. She looked at her former sister—the one she had practiced, eaten, slept, and joked with—yet her eyes were merely dark and bright, showing no emotion despite the other girl’s tears.

Qinzhu continued to cry and complain, but her hands didn’t stop as she neatly folded the bundle for her. She then pressed the bundle into Manman’s arms. “Go!”

Manman looked at her and seemed to smile slightly. Holding the bundle, she walked past everyone toward the exit.

“Fairy Manman?”

Just as she was about to step out the door, Qinzhu said: “That hairpin I gave you… are you taking it with you?”

“We’re still sisters, right? Can I still practice and eat with you?”

Her voice was thick with sobs, but she spoke incredibly fast, fearing Manman would leave before she could finish. “It’s only a few hundred paces from here to there. It’s not far. You’ll wait for me, won’t you? Just wait for me a bit longer, I… I’ll go and beg the Palace Master in a few days—”

Manman suddenly looked up, turned around, and rushed over to embrace Qinzhu, murmuring: “The hairpin, the hairpin.”

Qinzhu froze, her tears falling even faster, wetting Manman’s shoulder. “Where is the hairpin?”

“In the bundle.”

Manman’s hands were behind Qinzhu’s back, frantically tearing the bundle open as if she were in a great hurry—as if if she didn’t move fast enough, it would be too late. The bundle was ripped open, clothes and cosmetics scattering across the floor, until she finally found that simple yet exquisitely crafted silver hairpin.

“The hairpin.”

Qinzhu didn’t know why she was suddenly so agitated. She habitually patted Manman’s back, the way they always comforted each other when they were upset. “The hairpin is still here, it’s okay. I wasn’t really mad at you.”

Qinzhu couldn’t see it, but behind her back, Manman was gripping that silver hairpin tighter and tighter.

So tight that Lü Shuyao felt the angle of her arm looked completely wrong.

“I’m sorry.” Manman suddenly swung her arm upward. The silver hairpin flashed abruptly in the dusty light.

At the same moment the silver light plummeted in her hand, Qinzhu could still be heard saying: “It’s okay.”