Chapter 17: Can Villains Also Play Dirty?

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Chen Xingmiao straightened her back, showing no intention of getting up.

Lin Yu watched her in silence, her brows drawing together slightly. Her voice was cold and resolute. “If you want to kneel, then kneel. I will not take him as my disciple.”

With that, the door slammed shut.

So she really was that heartless? As Chuntao had said, she was indeed difficult to deal with. But for the sake of preventing the little villain from turning evil—and for the sake of returning home as soon as possible—Chen Xingmiao would never give up.

Time passed by, second after second. Chen Xingmiao’s vision grew increasingly blurred, and her head gradually drooped, looking exactly like a student dozing off during class.

I’m so sleepy. I can’t fall asleep. Absolutely not…

She abruptly raised her head, steeled herself, and pinched her thigh viciously. The pain jolted her awake at once.

Ouch, that hurts!

Tears welled in Chen Xingmiao’s eyes. When she looked up, the sky had already darkened. The people in the academy had gradually left, and before long, the surroundings were plunged into darkness. Only a few faint barks from dogs in the streets broke the silence, lending the night a profound sense of peace and tranquility.

Xiao Ziyu stood at the gate, looking left and right. He had waited for a long time, yet there was still no sign of Chen Xingmiao.

“Chuntao, where exactly has your young mistress gone? Why hasn’t she come back even this late?” he asked in a low voice, his tone tinged with anxiety.

Chuntao hesitated, glancing at the sky, which had grown completely dark, before slowly replying, “She should have gone to Zhuoyu Academy.”

She had really gone?

Thinking back to their conversation over dinner the previous night, Xiao Ziyu had assumed that making his position clear would be enough to make her give up. Yet she had actually gone to find him a teacher.

“I understand. Prepare some food. I’m going to find her.”

Without waiting for Chuntao to reply, Xiao Ziyu threw on his coat and hurried away.

Scattered snowflakes drifted down from the sky, and his footsteps quickened unconsciously. The journey was not far, yet at that moment, Xiao Ziyu felt as though the road stretched on endlessly.

That foolish woman. He had already told her he did not need one, yet she insisted on doing things her own way. She was really going out of her way to cause trouble for herself.

[Congratulations, host. The villain’s favorability has increased by ten.]

Little Six’s sudden voice startled Chen Xingmiao so badly that she broke out in gooseflesh.

Are you trying to scare your host to death by appearing out of nowhere in the middle of the night?

Chen Xingmiao grumbled in displeasure, only to freeze the next moment.

Wait. Ten points? I didn’t hear that wrong, did I? Could there be a bug? Why does his favorability keep inexplicably increasing whenever I haven’t done anything at all?

The sudden change left Chen Xingmiao incredulous. Just as she was about to ask, a figure appeared indistinctly in the darkness, walking toward her.

The figure was thin and frail, yet also possessed the sturdy build of an ordinary man. The contradictory impression felt strangely familiar.

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Chen Xingmiao called out tentatively, “Husband?”

A quiet “Mm” sounded. The figure gradually became clearer before finally stopping in front of her.

Xiao Ziyu lowered his eyes to look at her. She was still kneeling there, dressed in thin clothes, the tip of her nose, her cheeks, and even both ears frozen bright red.

Who could have imagined that someone in such a state was actually a pampered young lady?

“Husband, what brings you here?”

Chen Xingmiao instinctively tried to stand, but her legs had gone numb. With a thud, she fell back to her knees.

Seeing the pain shimmer in her eyes, Xiao Ziyu removed his cloak and draped it around her. Then he turned around and crouched in front of her.

“Get on.”

His voice was as calm as still water, yet there was a faint tremor of restraint in it.

From the second floor of the academy, Lin Yu silently watched the two figures beneath the moonlight, her eyes rippling faintly.

She lowered her gaze in thought. When she looked again, Xiao Ziyu had already carried Chen Xingmiao onto his back. The woman’s arms were wrapped around the man’s neck as the two of them slowly disappeared into the night.

The crescent moon hung like a hook, while a few stars glittered in the deep, dark sky, as though trying to illuminate the pitch-black night with their feeble light and guide those still walking outside.

Pressed against Xiao Ziyu’s back, Chen Xingmiao listened to his strong, steady heartbeat, and a trace of reassurance filled her heart.

She had been afraid of the dark since childhood, but tonight, it was this little villain who gave her a sense of security.

When they returned home, Chuntao’s eyes filled with deep anxiety and unease at the sight of Chen Xingmiao. All her tension and worry were written plainly across her face.

“My lady, what happened to you? What’s wrong?”

“Don’t be nervous. I’m perfectly fine.” Chen Xingmiao put on a faint smile.

“Chuntao, bring a basin of warm water and wet a towel,” Xiao Ziyu ordered as he set her down. Chuntao did not dare delay for even a moment and turned to leave the room.

Xiao Ziyu sat down beside the bed, lowered his head, and remained silent for a long while.

What was wrong now? Had she somehow provoked him again, and was her favorability about to drop?

Chen Xingmiao watched him cautiously, not daring to say much.

“Master, the water and towel are here.” Chuntao returned to the room.

Xiao Ziyu rose and took them from her. “I’ll handle the rest. Go warm up the food and bring it in shortly.”

After Chuntao left again, Xiao Ziyu set the basin aside and returned to the bedside. His deep-set eyes fixed on her.

Chen Xingmiao was wondering what Chuntao would prepare for her to eat this time when Xiao Ziyu suddenly said, “Take them off.”

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His expression and tone were utterly serious, without the slightest hint of a joke.

Chen Xingmiao instantly looked at him in disbelief.

Seriously, what are you trying to do?

When she failed to react, Xiao Ziyu bent down and reached for her trousers.

What? Had he gone mad?

No one had ever told her that villains could be lecherous!

“Wait! Wait!” Chen Xingmiao resisted with all her strength and seized his hand.

Xiao Ziyu pressed his thin lips together, raised his expressionless face, and looked at her.

“Husband, although we are married, there’s always supposed to be some preparation for this sort of thing…”

As she spoke, she stared intently at Xiao Ziyu’s expression, unwilling to miss even the slightest detail.

He merely frowned, looking somewhat puzzled.

“Preparation is necessary for this?”

His tone was cool and detached. He gently withdrew his hand and reached for her trousers again.

“It’s my first time! I have no experience!” she cried out in desperation.

Xiao Ziyu’s hand paused, suspended in midair.

Only after he finally stopped did Chen Xingmiao let out a sigh of relief.

Although she had filmed plenty of kissing scenes in real life, she had been single for all these years. She absolutely could not surrender her precious first time so casually!

Besides, the other person was a villain who might kill her at any moment. She certainly did not have a masochistic streak.

Xiao Ziyu stood up and picked up the towel. Then he crouched down in front of her again, gently rolling up her trouser leg before pressing the warm towel against her knee.

“I truly have no idea what goes through my wife’s head every day.”

His voice was filled with helplessness, along with a trace of mockery.

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