Transmigrated as the Villain and Driven Crazy by the Vengeful Male Lead - Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Wind Chimes — I can’t dance, and I don’t like it…

They walked to the Bottle-Tear Tree He Zixu had mentioned. The light wasn’t bright enough to see exactly what was hanging from the branches, but the backdrop of snow-capped mountains and fireworks was stunning. The surrounding townsfolk had their hands pressed together, making wishes toward the night sky.

“They’re cheating,” Lv Shuyao joked. “They haven’t hung any tear-bottles, yet they’re making wishes under the tree.”

Su Cheyue gave him face and let out a soft laugh. Lv Shuyao watched him from the side; his profile was as pale and sharp as the snowy peaks, and when he smiled, he was more beautiful than the fireworks.

Finally, his mood wasn’t so bad anymore.

They stayed in place silently for a long time, neither of them speaking of making a wish.

After a while, the people in town who had finished their reunion dinners began to gather here. Lead by elders, they built a bonfire under the tree and lit torches, illuminating the entire Bottle-Tear Tree. The faces of the townsfolk were reflected in a glowing red. They spontaneously held hands, forming a medium-sized circle, singing and dancing around the roaring fire.

The atmosphere was electric. Lv Shuyao and Su Cheyue had been standing nearby, but as more people joined the dance, they instinctively backed away until they were completely outside the crowd.

During this time, Su Cheyue never looked back at him. But even without looking, he knew how handsome and captivating the person standing behind him was.

Even though they were hidden in the darkness beyond the bonfire, a young and lovely Xizhou girl, with playful dark twin-tails, ran out from the depths of the crowd, her eyes sparkling as she invited Lv Shuyao to dance.

As she ran over, her gaze was fixed on Lv Shuyao. It wasn’t until she got close that her eyes fell upon Su Cheyue, letting out a soft “Ah” of sincere, well-meaning apology.

She hesitated for less than two seconds, but her fondness for the young man was irrepressible. Feeling quite embarrassed, she spoke up.

“Master… would you like to join the bonfire dance?”

The bonfire crackled loudly. Su Cheyue’s heart tightened. Even though she wasn’t asking him, and even though he knew dancing had nothing to do with him, his back felt scorched by the sparks of that fire.

Since his injury, he had never felt so stifled. It felt as if everyone had stopped moving, the air had ceased to flow, and every eye was staring at him while every ear strained to hear the young man’s answer.

It made him wish he could vanish on the spot.

He closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to hear Lv Shuyao speak, but pitiably, he couldn’t even flee.

“…”

“No, thank you,” it felt as long as an entire cycle of seasons before he finally heard the person behind him speak softly.

His heart suddenly relaxed. He opened his eyes to see the girl running back, looking over her shoulder every few steps with a lingering gaze. However, before he could even decide what to say to Lv Shuyao, she returned with another girl.

“Master, could we have a word in private?”

Lv Shuyao looked at him hesitantly. Su Cheyue suppressed his emotions and said indifferently, “Go ahead.”

Lv Shuyao followed her a short distance away. He kept his head lowered as he listened to her speak, the firelight dancing across his face in a rhythm that matched Su Cheyue’s palpitations.

…Why does he have to be so strikingly handsome? Su Cheyue thought with immense displeasure. So striking that people target him and try to steal him away at any moment.

Lv Shuyao’s gaze remained fixed on Su Cheyue, never wavering.

“Young Master?”

The other girl who had been pulled along was still standing by Su Cheyue. She said friendly, “Young Master? Would it be convenient to let that gentleman dance with my friend? I can look after you for him!”

Su Cheyue’s chest felt blocked.

“May he? Young Master, please!”

May he? May he? May he?

What reason or standing did he have to say no?

Su Cheyue didn’t answer. He raised his eyelids and locked eyes with Lv Shuyao.

The girl hadn’t finished her plea.

Su Cheyue knew Lv Shuyao’s personality; whether he wanted to or not, he usually didn’t refuse people or make things awkward. If the previous refusal was out of concern for Su Cheyue being unattended, now that the girl’s affection was thoughtful enough to solve that problem, would he still refuse?

Would he?

Su Cheyue looked away, a balloon of resentment expanding in his heart. He thought petulantly: If Lv Shuyao doesn’t refuse, then I won’t like him anymore. If he wants to leave, let him leave; it has nothing to do with me.

But… what if he refused?

Before Su Cheyue could finish the thought, Lv Shuyao was already back. He smiled at the woman beside Su Cheyue with an apologetic expression. The girl understood immediately, stuck out her tongue, and ran off with her friend waiting nearby.

This time they didn’t look back, and they likely wouldn’t return.

Su Cheyue narrowed his eyes, putting on a front: “Why didn’t you go?”

Lv Shuyao didn’t even walk back behind him; he just propped his hands on the wheelchair, leaning down slightly to look at him: “I don’t know how to dance, and I don’t like it.”

“…”

It wasn’t “Because you can’t dance,” or “I’m worried about you,” or even a calculated comfort like “I want to stay with you.”

It was simple. He didn’t like it. He didn’t want to.

This was an answer Su Cheyue hadn’t expected, but at this moment, he had to admit it was the best, most effortless answer—one that made him feel relaxed and genuinely happy.

Beyond not knowing how to refuse, Lv Shuyao was even worse at expressing himself. During their eye contact, Su Cheyue spent a few seconds searching his memory and couldn’t recall Lv Shuyao ever saying “I like this” or “I don’t like that.”

He said it on purpose for my sake. He put thought into it, choosing the phrasing that would least trigger my sensitivity or insecurity. Is that right?

Thus, this “I don’t like dancing” was like an invisible hand untying the knot of the balloon in Su Cheyue’s heart. The balloon wasn’t popped; the resentment and anger were let out bit by bit, leaving only a light, rising joy.

Fine.

Su Cheyue thought.

Then… I’ll just keep liking him.

At Su Cheyue’s request, they stayed out for a long time. It wasn’t until Lv Shuyao said, “It’s too late and the night is cold, let’s go back early,” that he reluctantly agreed.

Before the hour of Zi, the manor had long since fallen quiet, yet the sound of firecrackers outside still filled the air. Fiery red streaks of smoke shot into the clouds, their blooming moments enough to light up the lonely eyes of anyone standing by a window.

Lv Shuyao felt he should be homesick, but “home” couldn’t withstand his scrutiny.

Lv Yizhou, Shen Yun, Juanjuan… if he thought further, he would only realize with cold sadness that he no longer had a home.

He tried to send a voice transmission to Xifeng Ferry, but the distance was too great and he received no response from Lv Qingsong.

He let out a faint, bitter smile, undressing for bed. All the joy and noise outside no longer had anything to do with him.

It was mid-winter on New Year’s Eve, and Lv Shuyao was covered by a thick quilt, yet tonight he felt unnaturally hot. He slept fitfully, sweat beading on his brow. In his tossing and turning, he felt an uncontrollable restlessness in his body.

Why is it so hot?

He eventually opened his eyes, tossed the quilt aside, and got out of bed, gulping down a cup of cold tea.

It seemed a bit better.

He exhaled heavily, pressing hard on his forehead. His heartbeat gradually slowed down.

Suddenly, a wind carried the sound of a bell. It pierced through the thunderous noise of ten thousand fireworks, striking Lv Shuyao’s crown and making his whole body shiver.

Ding-ling.

Lv Shuyao stared blankly for a moment before realizing it was the wind chime he had given to Su Cheyue.

It rang only once. It was calling him.

This was the first time Su Cheyue had used the wind chime to call him since coming down the mountain. In fact, back at Zhuohua Palace, Lv Shuyao had transferred spiritual energy to him several times; using a Voice Transmission Spell wouldn’t harm his body now.

Furthermore, they were separated by only a single wall. A Voice Transmission Spell wouldn’t consume much energy. If Su Cheyue really had something to tell him, why didn’t he just send a transmission?

And…

Lv Shuyao narrowed his eyes.

Why did hearing the chime tonight make him feel an eerie sense of panic, as if facing a great enemy? Subconsciously, he felt that right now—this very moment—he could not go see Su Cheyue.

His heart began to race again. Thump, thump, thump. It crashed against his internal meridians, making him burn up once more.

Ding-ling.

It rang again.

The chime should have been crisp, yet he felt he was hearing the warm wind of an incense burner blowing through curtains, the sound of a raging fire consuming dry grass, the sound of surging tides flooding the heartland…

Ding-ling.

Lv Shuyao’s scalp felt numb. Maintaining his logic, he struggled to cast a Voice Transmission Spell: “Su Cheyue? What is it? Did something happen?”

No answer.

…Ding-ling.

Calling him with the chime, yet not responding?

Why?

…Whatever.

If something really happened… then his current hesitation was nothing but foolishness.

Lv Shuyao took another gulp of tea, threw on his outer robe, and took heavy steps to knock on the door next door.

“Su Cheyue?”

Just as he reached the door, the chime stopped.

With burning anxiety, Lv Shuyao pushed the door open. The room was pitch black. As Lv Shuyao approached the candle stand, he heard a single word: “No.”

That one word froze Lv Shuyao in place.

It was Su Cheyue’s voice, but it was thick, hoarse, deep, and burning. A short syllable, yet it contained ten thousand emotions—anger, terror, shame, pleading… and desire.

In the darkness, Lv Shuyao’s pupils dilated. His breath hitched, his throat burned, and his mind went blank.

Both of them wanted to remain silent in the dark, but their heavy breathing betrayed them. They could hear each other’s heartbeats clashing in the confined space. The entire room felt as hot as if it were being roasted on a furnace.

Lv Shuyao’s palms were slick with sweat. In the end, he lit the lamp, trying to save the atmosphere from collapsing into complete eroticism.

Su Cheyue was curled up on the floor. The sheets and quilts were wrinkled and damp. His fists were clenched tight, his dark hair a mess. The wind chime had been torn from the bed curtain and lay by the pillow.

Lv Shuyao’s heart skipped. He rushed over: “Su Cheyue.”

Su Cheyue buried his face deep, not letting him see. Lv Shuyao reached out to brush away the sweat-soaked hair. Su Cheyue growled: “Don’t touch me!”

“Su Cheyue, look at me.” Lv Shuyao’s voice was stern. He had to confirm what was happening.

Su Cheyue didn’t respond. He was burning hot, far hotter than Lv Shuyao—so hot he was trembling.

“Su Cheyue!”

Lv Shuyao forced his face toward him.

Their eyes met—a flash of lightning.

Su Cheyue’s eyelashes were drenched in sweat. The moisture flowed into his eyes; his pale pupils couldn’t hold it, so it overflowed, pooling at the corners of his eyes in a misty blur.

He had bitten through his lower lip. Fresh red blood beads adorned the corners of his pale mouth, looking strikingly vivid and captivating. His slender white neck was burned crimson by desire, with red marks trailing up his neck and lingering behind his ears.

Lv Shuyao’s heart hammered. Before he could react, Su Cheyue gave him a weak push: “Go.”

“…”

He remembered now. This was a segment of the plot that was cliché but critical.

On New Year’s Eve in Pingluan Town, a mysterious Gu (poisonous insect) would flare up in Su Cheyue’s body. No one knew who planted it or when. The person who planted the Gu knew his temperament perfectly; they knew Su Cheyue would rather break than bend. Once he knew he was poisoned, he wouldn’t beg for mercy or medicine even if he died, let alone hand over the Desire-Probing Pearl.

But what if the Gu didn’t just harm him?

What if it wasn’t a lethal poison, but a Love Gu—one that would destroy Su Cheyue’s sanity and make him lose control, spiraling into a fever of lust that could only be quenched by death?

Truly malicious.

When he read the book, he didn’t know who the mastermind was. But experiencing it now, Lv Shuyao was seventy to eighty percent certain.

Su Cheyue currently posed no threat to the outside world, and the secret of the Desire-Probing Pearl wasn’t fully exposed. The person who would pursue him relentlessly, know him so well, and plant a Gu that required time to mature…

Su Xun. The medicine Su Xun had given him.

It was the insect eggs buried in the medicine Su Cheyue had been taking for a long time.

It must be that Su Xun returned to the Baoshan Sect on New Year’s Eve and discovered Su Cheyue had left his control. Realizing his goal of using the Gu to find the Desire-Probing Pearl hadn’t been met, he activated the poison in a rage.

In the book, this part was summarized in just a few words. He hadn’t paid it much mind, only caring about whether the cultivation would be recovered later.

But seeing Su Cheyue now, he realized how agonizing this was for the victim!

Su Xun. Lv Shuyao’s teeth itched with hatred. If he had known, he should have acted like the original body in the book and killed Su Xun earlier!

The leads… the leads…

Right, Tao Xuanxuan…

In the original book, Tao Xuanxuan was supposed to discover something was wrong with Su Cheyue by chance. Then, under the combined force of the Gu and their emotions, the two would have a “rough and simple” encounter. But now that Lv Shuyao had interfered…

Lv Shuyao was at a loss. He stood up abruptly: “I—I’ll go get someone…”

Su Cheyue’s eyelashes were so wet he could barely open them. He had pushed him away a moment ago, but now he held onto him weakly, his face still buried in the shadows: “Who… are you going to call…”

“Tao Xuanxuan. I’ll get Tao Xuanxuan.”

Sorry, Miss Tao. I know this is sudden, but you’re the female lead, Su Cheyue’s destiny. Some things must be done when the time is right!

Su Cheyue suddenly looked up, staring at him with a stubborn effort: “I don’t want her.”

The words “I don’t want her” sounded far too much like pouting. Combined with his restrained expression immersed in desire, it instantly threw Lv Shuyao’s mind into chaos.

You don’t want her? Why not??

Then who did he want?

Suddenly, the fire inside Lv Shuyao surged up again.

He abruptly remembered… he had also drunk that medicine.