Every Day the Villain Continues to Fail
[Quick Transmigration]
o0o
Ruan Yao was gone.
The only things left where he had stood were a melted puddle of ice cream and a crushed waffle cone. Not a single strand of hair remained.
Pei Xinan had watched him happily run out the door. And then he never came back.
The security footage from the neighborhood only captured a brief moment of Ruan Yao standing under a tree, taking a phone call.
After that, the screen dissolved into meaningless static. The property management wiped their sweat nervously, apologizing profusely to the young singer.
They insisted the cameras had malfunctioned at the worst possible moment.
One glance was all Pei Xinan needed to understand what had happened.
He crouched in silence, his lips pressed into a sharp, thin line.
His dark eyes, heavy with gloom, stayed fixed on that fading, milky stain on the ground.
From the time the sun rose high in the sky until dusk arrived, Pei Xinan finally stood up. His legs, long numb, felt a stabbing pain, and the wound on his arm seemed like it would reopen.
He had to take Ruan Yao back.
That was the only thought left in Pei Xinan’s mind after staring at a melted ice cream puddle for hours.
At that moment, the boy he longed for lay dazed in a room suffocated by darkness.
Heavy velvet curtains blocked every inch of the outside world, sealing away even the faintest sliver of light.
The door remained locked at all times, only opening when meals were brought in.
Pitch-black and silent, the room swallowed everything. There was nothing to see, nothing to hear, only the soft bed beneath him and the faint warmth of the metal cuffs encircling his wrists and ankles.
It felt like floating in an endless void. No walls, no ceiling, no floor. Only the mattress beneath him, the only solid thing in an ocean of nothingness.
Time lost all meaning. Sight and sound had been stolen away, leaving him doubting whether he was even alive. The absolute darkness and suffocating silence gnawed at his mind, pressing in until the weight of it threatened to drive him mad.
The brass lock turned with a quiet click.
A sliver of golden light cut into the deathly still room.
The heavy mahogany door cracked open just enough to let in a faint glow.
It fell across the center of the bed, revealing a single long, pale leg nestled among the dark sheets.
Even his delicate toes curled in on themselves, a soft shade of petal pink.
A slender ankle, white as fine porcelain, bore the mark of a thin metal chain, no thicker than a pinky finger, twisting around it like an unrelenting vine.
The man who entered locked the door behind him with slow, deliberate ease. His gaze lingered on the sleeping boy, lips curved in a smile so gentle it could almost be called kind.
Trapped in the darkness, Ruan Yao had long since handed control of his body over to the system.
No matter how oppressive his surroundings were, the tiny version of himself inside his consciousness was happily playing games with the system, killing time without a care.
When the system’s warning light blinked red, informing him that Sheng Yirong had arrived, Ruan Yao let out a regretful sigh.
A few more days locked up wouldn’t have been so bad.
The mattress dipped slightly under the weight of another person. Sheng Yirong had settled himself beside him.
Close enough to reach out and pull him fully into his arms.
After three days in absolute darkness, Ruan Yao’s nerves had been stretched thin. The moment the man sat down, his body shivered involuntarily beneath the sheets.
A calloused hand traced the delicate curve of his face, one that had driven countless people to obsession. His fingertips were warm, rough with hardened skin from years of use.
The slightest brush left a faint red mark against Ruan Yao’s paper-thin skin. But he didn’t flinch away.
Instead, trembling, he pressed his face against Sheng Yirong’s fingertips.
He had been locked away for too long. In this state, even the smallest sensation could ignite an overwhelming need—for pain or for comfort. Anything that would remind him he was still alive.
Anything at all.
Was this Stockholm Syndrome?
Pathetic.
But he couldn’t hold back anymore.
The second those fingers pulled away, a soft, helpless whimper escaped his lips.
“Don’t go”
His delicate hands, unsure and desperate, clutched at the fabric of Sheng Yirong’s sleeve.
His amber eyes, glistening in the dim light, shimmered with something unnatural, like shattered stars scattered across their depths, drawing in anyone who dared meet his gaze.
Sheng Yirong paused.
His voice, quiet and fragile, wavered with the hint of a sob. Again and again, he pleaded, “Don’t go”
A strong hand brushed back the stray strands of hair clinging to Ruan Yao’s pale skin.
Sheng Yirong’s voice, deep and smooth, echoed in the empty room. The words were merciless. “I told you before, crying is the least effective weapon against me.”
“Bad children need to be punished. That way, they’ll remember their lessons”
The edges of his eyes, delicate like strokes of ink, bloomed with a hint of red. His lashes trembled, struggling to hold back the tears threatening to spill.
Shivering, desperate, he clung to Sheng Yirong’s sleeve like a lost fawn.
His round amber eyes, impossibly bright, shimmered like rare gemstones. Just one look was enough to make a person’s heart melt.
“I was wrong” he whispered, sincerity dripping from every syllable, even though he had no idea what he was apologizing for.
He buried himself against the man’s broad shoulders, his sharp chin resting obediently against him. The delicate chains on his wrists jingled softly with every movement.
“I’ll always be yours” His voice, brimming with unshaken devotion, wove a spell of longing.
A lie, but there would always be someone willing to throw themselves into the fire for it.
Sheng Yirong laughed, but his fingers were cold.
“Naughty boy.”
“Did you really think I’d let you off so easily?”
o0o
"This is the upcoming issue of Gray Blue. They sent over the sample and negatives for us to check first" Qin Shuang hurriedly handed Pei Xinan a magazine wrapped in kraft paper.
"If everything looks good, it'll be set for release next week."
Pei Xinan took the package without a word. As he did, a memory surfaced, the fleeting kiss Ruan Yao had left on his lips.
Qin Shuang frowned as she glanced at his arm. "How's your injury? You should get it checked again. You can’t risk leaving a scar."
"I'm fine."
Pei Xinan pulled the magazine from the envelope, and his expression shifted instantly.
It was supposed to be a joint photoshoot. Yet in every single image, Ruan Yao’s face was nowhere to be seen.
The edits were too precise, too deliberate. That captivating face had either been cropped out or obscured with mist and effects. Not even a glimpse of it remained.
Pei Xinan flipped through every page, scouring the corners for a mention of Ruan Yao’s name. Nothing.
It was as if an invisible hand had erased him, leaving behind only the filth and scandal smeared across his name in the industry.
Qin Shuang looked unsurprised "I told you it was best not to get involved with him. We can't afford to"
"Can't afford to?" Pei Xinan let out a sharp laugh. "Now I'm curious to see just how powerful this old bastard really is."
Qin Shuang's expression changed. She lowered her voice in a warning. "Do you even realize what you're saying?"
Glancing around to make sure no one else was nearby, she pulled him into a corner, her tone urgent "If you piss off Sheng Yirong, none of us will get out of this unscathed. If you drag yourself into this mess, the whole company will go down with you."
"Do you have any idea how long Ruan Yao has been by Sheng Yirong’s side? Everyone knows he’s Sheng Yirong’s greatest weakness. You think you can touch him? Do you have a death wish?"
Standing by the window, Pei Xinan lowered his gaze. Outside, the camphor tree looked listless beneath the blazing sun.
The weight of the magazine in his hands felt heavier than it should. He tossed it onto the table, running his tongue over his back teeth.
"I won’t drag you all into this"
But Ruan Yao had to be his. That was non-negotiable. After all, they had already kissed.
Until now, Pei Xinan had never thought he’d fall for another man. The feeling wasn’t bad, though.
A fiery red sports car was parked outside the K Agency building, its bold color drawing every eye that passed by.
A stiletto-clad foot stepped out from the car. A woman with cascading brown waves and oversized sunglasses moved with effortless elegance toward the entrance.
"Damn, when did K Agency sign someone this stunning?"
"What are you talking about? No new trainee would have that kind of presence."
Two employees stood frozen, staring as the woman, draped in a flowing gown and towering in ten-inch heels, strode straight to the front desk.
Behind those dark lenses, her tea-colored eyes curved into a seductive smile. "Call Pei Xinan for me. I need to see him."
"Why are you here?"
Qiao Xinyan leaned her face against her palm, watching Pei Xinan through half-lidded eyes. "Just making sure you don’t forget our little agreement"
Her lips curled into a knowing smile as she studied his cold expression. "Your manager must have already told you what kind of man Sheng Yirong is. Going up against him won't be easy."
"I warned you before. Liking him is a mistake. There’s still time to pull back before it’s too late" She lit a cigarette, letting it dangle lazily between her fingers.
Taking in the sharp defiance in Pei Xinan’s gaze, she let out a slow, amused hum. "Looks like I spoke too late"
A USB drive slipped from her crimson-painted nails, landing silently in front of him. "Consider this repaying the Pei family’s favor. But think carefully. What’s inside isn’t something a little pop star like you can handle."
Her smile twisted into something darker. "Depends on whether you’re Pei Xinan..." she tilted her head, "...or the Pei family's young master."
Just as she finished speaking, Pei Xinan’s phone buzzed.
His expression shifted the moment he saw the caller ID. The frost in his eyes melted into something almost gentle, though he stubbornly held onto his composure. His voice was stiff. "Hey. Thought you’d have run off by now."
A faint, almost imperceptible cough came from the other end, as if Ruan Yao had choked on something.
For some reason, Pei Xinan could vividly picture that pale face tinged with a delicate flush. His fingers unconsciously tightened around the phone.
"I didn’t run away" His voice carried a hint of grievance, rough and slightly hoarse in an unintentional, enticing way.
There was a trace of hesitation in his tone. "I just... suddenly had something urgent to take care of."
What was Ruan Yao doing right now? Why did he sound like he had been crying?
The softness in Pei Xinan’s gaze slowly cooled, his brows lowering as an idea, wild and reckless took shape in his mind.
His eyes flickered toward Qiao Xinyan. Dark pupils unreadable, lips curving slightly, he spoke with deliberate casualness. "A friend of mine has an important event coming up. I was wondering if you’d be interested in.."
Before he could finish, a gentle voice chimed in from the other end, light and sweet. "Sure, I’ll be there."
Pei Xinan lowered his lashes, hiding the brewing storm in his eyes. Sheng Yirong wanted to keep Ruan Yao hidden, but he refused to let that happen.
Qiao Xinyan stood up, snuffing out the cigarette between her fingers. A slow, amused smile played on her lips. "The fiercer the fight, the more entertained I am."
"Hopefully, you’ll both end up destroying each other."
o0o
Author’s Note:
I seem to have developed an incurable condition where I get sleepy every time I open my document. zZ