Every Day the Villain Continues to Fail
[Quick Transmigration]
o0o
Ruan Yao wasn’t really good at drinking.
Yan Hui, looking friendly, placed a glass in front of him with a clink. A sprig of mint and a slice of lemon floated on top. “First time here? Then you have to try this.”
The way this man looked at him carried an inexplicable intensity, something strange and unsettling. Instinctively, Ruan Yao refused. “I don’t drink.”
The mixed-race man’s deep, narrow, iron-gray eyes seemed to hold a layer of frost, like a lone wolf prowling the Siberian tundra: cold, ruthless.
Yet he still coaxed him with ill intentions, smiling as his eyes curved. “This one’s not strong. It’s perfect for a good kid like you who doesn’t usually drink.”
Being called a good kid by this man sent a shiver down his spine.
Ruan Yao shifted back, resisting.
Pei Xinan grabbed the glass and placed himself between them, flashing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Long Island Iced Tea. How many times have you used this trick, Director Yan?”
Ruan Yao’s fingers stiffened.
The system promptly provided him with information. “Long Island Iced Tea, also known as ‘the losing-control drink.’ Its color and taste can easily fool those unfamiliar with bars.
It tastes like iced tea, but the alcohol content is as high as forty percent. It could knock out ten of you, Host.”
A chill ran down Ruan Yao’s spine. They had only met twice. What did Yan Hui want by getting him drunk?
Was he trying to make him embarrass himself in front of everyone?
Maybe this was just the natural curse of being a background character. Maybe Yan Hui just wanted to see him lose control and make a fool of himself.
His reputation was already bad enough. If people saw him drunk and making a scene in a nightclub, it wouldn’t be surprising.
Yan Hui wasn’t just anyone. He was a genius director who had won the Golden Deer Award in D Country before turning thirty.
In the entertainment industry, his status was untouchable. With his looks rivaling top celebrities, he was adored by the masses.
Neither Ruan Yao nor Pei Xinan could afford to offend him.
Qiao Xinyan had brought them here to introduce them to important connections. This was a chance to build resources.
Besides, it was the grand opening of Qiao Xinyan’s bar. No matter how unpleasant the situation, they couldn’t cause a scene.
Pei Xinan had never spoken so politely to someone he clearly found insufferable. “Ruan Yao doesn’t drink. I’ll take this one for him.”
Ruan Yao tensed, watching him closely. He wanted to reach out and stop him. That drink could knock him out.
Pei Xinan’s deep black eyes held a glimmer of fractured starlight, shining in the dim lighting. For a fleeting moment, Ruan Yao’s heart skipped a beat.
“You’re worried about me?”
Pei Xinan’s lips and teeth were filled with the faintly intoxicating scent of lemon mixed with liquor, sending a flush to Ruan Yao’s cheeks.
He looked like he was in a good mood, his brows relaxed, as if the frozen surface of a lake had melted into the gentle ripples of spring.
"This liquor is really strong" Ruan Yao furrowed his brows and leaned in to examine Pei Xinan’s flushed face.
Great. The main character shou didn’t seem to be good at drinking either.
For some reason, Pei Xinan wanted to act tough in front of Ruan Yao. His burning palm wrapped around Ruan Yao’s pale wrist as he flashed a provocative smile at Yan Hui. "I’m fine. I can handle it"
The system spoke up, sounding worried. "The main character shou is a rock singer. He shouldn’t be drinking too much. It’ll damage his voice."
Ruan Yao grew even more concerned. The main character shou’s career arc was important. There was no way he could let it be ruined because of this.
Qiao Xinyan’s crimson nails stood out in the hazy, smoke-filled booth. She leaned in close, so close that her fingertips trembled with excitement. "Yao Yao, do you want a drink?"
"There are rules here. If you’re late by ten minutes, you drink one cup. You were half an hour late, so that’s three cups" Yan Hui sat beside a tall foreign man named Allison, an international A-list actor with several major commercial films under his belt.
The blond-haired, blue-eyed man curiously observed the delicate beauty from the East.
A slow-burning heat crawled from his stomach up to his throat.
How could someone make people feel parched just by showing their face?
He couldn’t resist the urge to tease him, to see how he would look when he cried.
Just one glance and he already wanted to hide him away where only he could see.
"I’ll drink those three for him." Pei Xinan had always been confident in himself. It was just three drinks.
No big deal. After three years in the entertainment industry, he knew exactly what kind of filthy thoughts were running through these people’s heads when they urged Ruan Yao to drink.
Ruan Yao couldn’t let him have another.
A cool hand pressed down on Pei Xinan’s arm, stopping him from pushing himself further.
"Don’t drink anymore" Ruan Yao’s long lashes dipped as he spoke softly. Yet in Pei Xinan’s fevered mind, the words felt like a douse of cool water, calming him instantly.
"Yao Yao..." Pei Xinan unconsciously called his name.
Ruan Yao took the glass from his hand and, without any warning, tilted it back and downed it all.
He wasn’t used to drinking and swallowed too fast and too fiercely. A trail of crystal-clear liquor slipped past his lips, running down the hollow of his throat and soaking a small patch of fabric at his collar.
Luckily, the glass was small and didn’t hold too much.
Ruan Yao choked, and a layer of tears quickly welled up in his eyes.
Every gaze in the booth was drawn to him. There wasn’t a single low-proof drink at this table.
The moment the liquor went down, a deep, intoxicating flush bloomed across his cheeks.
The untouched paleness of his skin made the color even more striking.
His slender, delicate neck peeked from his collar, tilted slightly forward as if weighed down by the alcohol.
Like a swan bowing its head. Deep blue hair cascaded over his snow-white nape, breathtakingly beautiful.
Pei Xinan never expected Ruan Yao to step in for him. An unfamiliar emotion spread through his entire body.
"Would you like to spend 100 points to exchange for a detox pill?"
Ruan Yao had never thought his alcohol tolerance would be this bad.
His vision swam as he tried to keep his eyes open, but everyone around him seemed wrapped in a thin veil of mist.
Even so, he could still tell that director had a smirk that was just a little too smug.
Even drunk, it was obvious that curve of his lips was way out of line.
The hangover pill from the system’s little shop only worked to dilute the side effects of alcohol, preventing it from harming the body.
Even after taking it, Ruan Yao still felt dazed, like he was floating on soft, cotton-like clouds.
When drunk, Ruan Yao was actually very well-behaved.
He sat beside Pei Xinan without moving, staring at him with those amber eyes shimmering with water-like light. He kept staring until the cold-faced boy started to feel uneasy.
"Why are you staring at me?" Pei Xinan frowned, trying to look impatient as he awkwardly pinched Ruan Yao’s cheek. The soft flesh spilled out between his fingers.
Ruan Yao whimpered from the pain, teary-eyed as he weakly pushed at Pei Xinan’s hand.
"It hurts" His voice was muffled and slurred. He only held onto Pei Xinan’s wrist, looking at him pitifully, making no effort to hit or bite.
He was already slow-witted, and after drinking, he completely turned into a soft, pliable mochi that anyone could poke and squeeze.
It felt like anyone could just come up and bully him.
"He looks like he’s really drunk" Qiao Xinyan reached out to take Ruan Yao’s hand. Her tea-colored eyes darkened slightly. "I’ll take him upstairs to a private room to rest for a bit."
Pei Xinan swatted her hand away. "I’ll do it."
The once lively stage, filled with pounding music and flashing lights, had now quieted down.
Exhausted from dancing, the clubgoers gathered around the bar, sipping their drinks. Occasionally, soft bursts of laughter floated through the air.
A drunk man had stumbled onto the stage, clinging to a microphone as he sang an off-key mess of a song. His voice wavered wildly, jarring and unpleasant to the ear.
The crowd below booed at him, jeering for him to get off the stage.
Ruan Yao seemed particularly sensitive to music.
He turned his head, listening with great focus as the drunk man butchered the song.
When it ended, he curved his lips into a smile, looking quite pleased with himself. "I sing way better than him."
Pei Xinan helped him up. "Yeah, yeah, you sing great."
Ruan Yao noticed his perfunctory tone. His delicately inked brows furrowed slightly, and in a fit of childish frustration, he shoved Pei Xinan’s hand away. "I’m serious"
His gaze locked onto Pei Xinan’s face, more solemn than ever before.
"You don’t believe me?"
His eyes swept across the group seated in the booth.
They all stared back at him with a mix of amusement and indulgence, like they were watching a little kitten throw a tantrum.
Their expressions held a touch of fondness, but more than that, they seemed entertained, like they had stumbled upon something novel and amusing.
No one believed a word from a drunk.
For no reason at all, a faint sadness rose in Ruan Yao’s chest. But that feeling was quickly drowned out by something else.
He pushed Pei Xinan’s hand aside and, though swaying slightly, made his way toward the empty stage with unwavering determination.
Pei Xinan called after him, but Ruan Yao didn’t stop.
It had been a long time since he had stepped onto a stage.
The one in the club was small, the overhead lights dim and hazy.
They cast a dreamy glow over his delicate features, his soft, ocean-blue hair cascading against his frost-white complexion, like a little mermaid dissolving into seafoam.
At first, people were too caught up in their own drinks and conversations to notice him.
They were waiting to catch their breath before the next round of wild revelry.
But when Ruan Yao stood under those lights, every pair of eyes in the club turned to him.
"Whoa, who’s that guy? He’s gorgeous!"
"I swear he looks familiar. Isn’t he some kind of celebrity?"
"Wait, I know him! That’s Ruan Yao! He was on that show Chasing Light!"
"He’s so pretty, oh my god. Should I go up and ask for his WeChat?"
"Is he about to sing?"
Ruan Yao lowered his gaze and calmly adjusted the microphone.
It was as if everything was just beginning again. He stood in the center of attention, his heart still carrying the remnants of a dream he once held dear.
With a bright, unwavering smile, he spoke.
"Hello, everyone. Tonight, I’ll be singing an English song for you."
At some point, the stage lights had been adjusted, casting a soft, warm glow that pooled gently at his feet.
The white light traced the contours of his blue hair, weaving layers of deep and shallow shadows across his figure.
"Oh, nowhere left to go."
"Are we getting closer, closer?"
"No, all we know is no."
Ruan Yao's voice had always been pleasant, something Pei Xinan had realized the first time they met.
But he never knew that when Ruan Yao sang, it would be like this.
His voice, both splendid and sorrowful, contained a lazy, indifferent, and almost decadent undertone.
The main verse was a slow, melancholic murmur, while the chorus felt more like an unrestrained emotional outpouring, wild and fearless, free and romantic.
At that moment, Pei Xinan believed the ancient siren myth must be true.
He would willingly shatter the mast under the lure of the sea creature, sinking into the depths with the soul-stirring melody.
"They say we'll rot in hell."
"But I don't think we will."
"They've branded us enough."
“Outlaws of love.”
He’s a born singer, effortlessly shifting emotions, and the tremor at the end of the song is mesmerizingly beautiful.
The murmurs of impatience in the bar completely faded, leaving only a small group of shadows in the center of the stage, trying to express themselves.
Ruan Yao must still be drunk, but when he spotted Pei Xi Nan through the dark crowd, his smile was bright and clear.
The flush on his cheeks under the pale light looked even more like a delicate splash of vermilion against the snow.
His amber eyes shimmered with emotion, almost overflowing, and they gazed so intently and lovingly at the young man he 'loved' from a distance.
Pei Xi Nan recalled the information he had gathered about Ruan Yao from the beginning.
There were few videos of him, but Pei Xi Nan could still recall the first season of the talent show, the pretty boy with chestnut-colored hair, smiling with his eyebrows raised, proudly stating that his talent was singing.
He shouldn’t have brushed him off.
For the first time in Pei Xi Nan’s brief eighteen years, he felt regret.
o0o
The author’s note:
This song is “Outlaws of Love” by Adam Lambert, which I loved listening to in high school.
The song is about homosexuality and the singer himself. The story behind it is quite sad, and you know the religious background of Europe and America.