Every Day the Villain Continues to Fail
[Quick Transmigration]
o0o
Pei Xinan, through the phone, could clearly hear the low, suppressed breathing from the other side, tinged with a faint sobbing tone.
It was like a soft feather brushing against sensitive nerves, making his whole body feel weak.
He thought Ruan Yao had been 'bullied' by some bastard again.
However, this bullying was not quite what Pei Xinan had imagined.
Ruan Yao glanced once more at the tightly drawn curtains and double-checked that the door was locked before tremblingly telling Pei Xinan "Someone followed me when I came back just now"
His mind flashed with scenes from classic horror movies, images of various psychopathic killers flickering like a revolving lantern in his brain.
The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became, gripping his phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
From Pei Xinan’s side, there was a clattering noise. After a moment, Ruan Yao heard his voice drop to a serious tone "Stay in your room and don’t go out"
Ruan Yao’s eyes were red. His lashes trembled as he softly murmured "Mm"
"If you’re really scared," the boy, who was in another city, suddenly softened his voice "don’t hang up. I’ll stay with you the whole time"
Despite being only eighteen, his words carried an unexpected steadiness
Ruan Yao leaned against the wall to stand up, his voice light and soft through the phone. A faint dimple formed on his cheek as he smiled "Pei Xinan, thank you"
What the heck? The boy's ears turned red.
Protecting his partner was something a man should do anyway.
Even though Ruan Yao wasn’t by his side, Pei Xinan instinctively averted his gaze and let out a couple of hums "You can think of a way to thank me later"
It better be something good...
Pei Xinan twirled the keychain around his finger, his face burning hot. If he were to say out loud all the messy thoughts in his head, Ruan Yao would definitely be so mad that he would cry.
Given Ruan Yao’s personality, Pei Xinan could already imagine him softly cursing him for being a pervert, his porcelain-like skin tinged with a faint blush, looking both fierce and beautiful.
Ruan Yao poured himself a glass of water and took a few small sips. The physical panic that had gripped him finally eased a little.
Once his emotions settled, he realized that he had broken out in a cold sweat. The thin fabric of his clothes clung uncomfortably to his back. Hesitating, he clutched his phone and said "Um… I need to hang up for a bit. Can I call you back later?"
Pei Xinan seemed to be doing something. From the other end came the sound of hurried footsteps echoing in a hallway, mixed with the bustling noise of a lively crowd and the faint rumble of a car engine starting.
"Why?" That familiar, slightly rebellious voice carried through.
Ruan Yao answered honestly "I'm going to take a shower"
There was a brief silence on the other end before Pei Xinan spoke again, his voice sounding somewhat odd. "Oh… a shower, huh…"
He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, and then, with complete confidence, added "It’s not like we’re on a video call, so I won’t hear anything weird… unless you plan on doing something else while showering"
He didn’t finish his sentence, but Ruan Yao instantly understood the implication behind his words.
His face immediately flushed pink like a ripe strawberry, and he frowned, scolding in a soft voice "I would never do that while showering!"
Pei Xinan laughed heartily on the other end. "That kind of need is totally normal. I wouldn’t judge you"
His voice lowered over the phone, a husky tone creeping in that made Ruan Yao’s ears tingle. "I do it too, you know"
In the end, Ruan Yao couldn’t argue against Pei Xinan’s flimsy excuse of "What if something happens while you’re in the shower?"
So, he had no choice but to leave the phone on speaker inside the bathroom while he bathed.
Outside the car window, neon lights flickered past, casting colorful reflections on Pei Xinan’s delicate side profile. His expression was hard to describe as he listened to the sound of running water on the other end of the call.
He imagined droplets rolling down Ruan Yao’s pale skin, pooling around his flushed heels.
Ruan Yao’s skin was so delicate that the hot water would surely stain his snow-white complexion with a beautiful, rosy hue.
His ink-black eyebrows would blur within the misty air, and even his eyelashes would glisten with tiny beads of water.
With just a soft blink, those droplets would slide down his cheekbones and disappear into the hollow of his collarbone.
He would also need body wash. His slender fingers would dip into the creamy, white liquid, spreading it inch by inch over his jade-like skin.
The intoxicating fragrance would permeate the small bathroom, while the fully drenched beauty remained completely unaware, bending over to carefully lather every inch of his body.
Just the thought of it made Pei Xinan’s throat go dry.
"Fuck, get a grip" He had officially reached a level where even he thought he was turning into a pervert.
“What did you say?” Ruan Yao’s voice was slightly muffled, as if soaked in moisture. Cool and gentle, yet it made Pei Xinan’s heart burn even hotter, igniting every inch of his body like a spark carried by the night breeze.
“Nothing, I was just talking to Sister Qin” Pei Xinan swallowed and changed the subject “Are you done showering?”
Perhaps because of the earlier frightening experience, Ruan Yao showered unusually fast today. In about ten minutes, he had already washed his hair and body thoroughly.
Holding a soft, thick towel, he wiped his damp hair. His body, fresh from the shower, felt more relaxed than ever, each pore seemingly releasing a clean fragrance.
Even his voice carried an unintentional brightness as he returned the greeting with a slight chuckle “Yeah, I’m done. What are you doing right now?”
Pei Xinan felt lightheaded, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out “Are you worried about me?”
“Of course”
Perhaps because he was still in the bathroom, Ruan Yao’s voice sounded especially captivating through the phone.
His clear, youthful tone carried an added husky allure, like a cat gently extending its claws to tease at the edge of Pei Xinan’s heart, leaving him utterly at a loss.
Pei Xinan’s fingertips burned. “I’m attending a charity gala…” He suddenly recalled the scene of their first meeting and, in a serious tone, explained “Don’t misunderstand. I’ve never been interested in those people throwing themselves at me”
His voice was steady, but the usually cold and detached young man seemed slightly embarrassed. His tone was stiff as he declared “You are my first love”
And then, he felt the need to add “And you will always be the only one”
But no response came from the other end.
Ruan Yao was wearing a loose bathrobe. Strands of damp black hair dripped water down the back of his pale neck, the droplets sliding down into the soft fabric of his collar.
The sensation of being wet all over again was unpleasant, but Ruan Yao had no time to care about that.
His face was still flushed from the warmth of the shower, and his fingers stiffened in the middle of reaching for the towel.
The bathroom door was slightly ajar, making the rhythmic knocking sound from outside seem even more distinct.
It was as if someone was standing outside the door, knocking patiently, one tap after another, like playing an eerie, hurried melody. The tension that had just drained from Ruan Yao’s body coiled tightly once more.
There was a doorbell.
Yet the person outside seemed oblivious to it. They just stood there, knocking. It didn’t matter that no one responded, they knocked as if they could do so for eternity.
Ruan Yao recalled a horror movie that had haunted his childhood. In it, the female protagonist experienced the same thing. Out of fear and curiosity, he looked through the peephole.
Only to lock eyes with a grotesque, blood-red pupil.
That was an image Ruan Yao never wanted to remember again. It had once made him hurl a pillow across the room.
“Yao Yao? What’s wrong?” Not hearing any response for a long moment, Pei Xinan sensed something was off. His voice turned urgent as he called Ruan Yao’s name twice.
Ruan Yao’s voice trembled. “S-Someone is outside my door”
Terror had overtaken him entirely. His pupils dilated instinctively “They keep knocking”
Pei Xinan’s expression darkened. His voice turned sharp “Do not open the door! Call the police right now!”
Ruan Yao stared at the door, which shuddered slightly with each knock. Pei Xinan’s words jolted him awake. Right, calling the police was the most logical thing to do in a situation like this.
His hands trembled so much that he could barely hold his phone. In a panic, he hung up on Pei Xinan and dialed the police station.
“Hello? Help me! There’s a stalker knocking on my door!”
Ruan Yao forced back his terrified tears, refusing to let them fall. He stared at the door that was still being persistently knocked on, the crisp sound echoing through the room.
Keeping his voice as steady as possible, he trembled as he clearly recited his location to the person on the other end of the call.
That person had been knocking for a full hour.
At first, Ruan Yao had been consumed by fear, but eventually, numbness took over. He even began to wonder, wouldn't that pervert’s hand start to hurt?
The police arrived quickly. The station was close to the hotel, and within roughly thirty minutes, the sound of sirens blared from downstairs.
That pervert clearly had not expected Ruan Yao to call the police.
The moment the sirens rang out, the knocking abruptly stopped.
Ruan Yao immediately straightened his back and placed his hands on his hips, thinking smugly, Let’s see if the police can’t deal with you now.
With the officers there, the overwhelming fear dissipated in an instant. Ruan Yao cooperated fully with the police report, and the hotel provided surveillance footage from the hallway on his floor.
The lead officer was a man in his forties or fifties. He gave Ruan Yao a kind look and assured him that they would catch the pervert.
By the time everything was wrapped up, the sky was already faintly beginning to brighten.
As Ruan Yao climbed back into bed, his phone screen lit up again with a call from Pei Xinan.
“How is it? Did they catch the pervert?” Pei Xinan’s voice was filled with urgency.
Ruan Yao buried himself under the blanket and let out a small laugh. “Not yet. The pervert ran off the moment he heard the police coming. But they said they’ll definitely catch him”
Only then did Pei Xinan let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness”
“Are you going to sleep now?”
Ruan Yao hesitated for a moment. After such a long and exhausting day, with his emotions rising and falling like a rollercoaster, he did feel a little sleepy now that everything had settled down.
“A… a little”
Pei Xinan had earned the adoration of countless young girls at such a young age, and when he wanted to, his voice could be deep and gentle, like a soft evening breeze brushing against one's ear. He coaxed Ruan Yao in a warm tone “Don’t sleep just yet. Get up and take a look at the balcony”
Ruan Yao’s eyelids were already drooping, but he obediently crawled out from under the blanket. The cold floor sent a shiver up his spine the moment his bare feet touched it.
“Why do I need to go to the balcony?” Ruan Yao asked in confusion.
His room was on the second floor, and he usually kept the heavy curtains drawn, shutting out all light. He grasped the fabric and gave it a firm tug.
A streak of deep blue dawn light spilled into the room, so bright that his eyes stung with unexpected moisture.
Pei Xinan’s voice was still coming from the phone. “Step out onto the balcony”
Dressed in a loose-fitting robe and still half-asleep, the delicate beauty followed the instructions step by step until he reached the wide balcony.
“Look down”
Through the intricate wrought iron railing, his light amber eyes locked onto a pair of deep black ones, brimming with mischief and laughter.
Ruan Yao froze.
“Pei Xinan, why are you here?”
Flinging open the door, he hurriedly pulled the cool and confident young man with short black hair inside.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at a charity gala?” Ruan Yao still hadn’t processed what was happening, staring dazedly as Pei Xinan moved closer and closer to him.
He must have really rushed over from the event. His face was still adorned with expertly applied makeup, but from running, the dark eyeliner had already smudged slightly.
The way he looked at Ruan Yao had an unsettling, almost hypnotic intensity.
"I was attending a gala, but then I received a message from my boyfriend. Since it was just in the neighboring city, I figured it wouldn’t take much time to get here, so I rushed over"
Pei Xinan was a little smug. "Tsk, no need to be too moved. After all, I truly am a perfect, invincible, super handsome, incredibly romantic, and charmingly sophisticated man"
Ruan Yao's lips twitched as he lightly punched him, only for the boy to catch his fist completely in his palm.
Pei Xinan huffed in displeasure. "Hey, I traveled all this way to protect you. Not only do you refuse to sleep with me, but now you're hitting me too"
Before Ruan Yao could react, Pei Xinan suddenly pressed the slender boy beneath him on the bed, pulling the blanket over them both completely.
"Are we filming today?"
"No, we’re not"
"That’s good then"
"???"
"Shh, I’m exhausted. Let’s sleep first. When we wake up, I’ll take you out to have some fun" Pei Xinan yawned as expected and wrapped Ruan Yao in his arms like a small child.
Ruan Yao had already been unbearably sleepy. Hearing Pei Xinan say that, he didn’t even catch the latter half of his sentence before a wave of drowsiness engulfed him completely.
The filming base was located in Yun City, which had a famous attraction called Renxi Temple, well known as a place to pray for love. Behind Renxi Temple was a small forest called Sansheng Forest.
It was said that couples who walked through this forest would face one of two extreme fates—either they would stay together happily for a lifetime, or they would never see each other again, even in life and death.
Ruan Yao had originally wanted to say that if people wanted to form relationships, they might as well seek out peach blossom demons like him.
^ 'peach blossom demon' who are often associated with love and destiny in mythology.
After all, before the Heavenly Dao collapsed, Ruan Yao’s predecessors had been working for Yue Lao in the Eastern Heavenly Court.
^Heavenly Dao (The universe system or law of destiny in this fantasy world)
The temple was bustling with worshippers, and by the time Ruan Yao and Pei Xinan arrived, it was already around two in the afternoon. The temple was filled with visitors, and the lingering mist carried a faint scent of incense.
Pei Xinan held his hand as they walked up to the Grand Hall, took three incense sticks, and bowed three times with sincere devotion.
Watching Pei Xinan, Ruan Yao mimicked his actions and bowed three times as well. However, in his mind, he still felt that completing his mission and getting promoted with a salary raise was a much more important priority.
Amidst the thick incense smoke, Ruan Yao furrowed his brows slightly as he looked at Pei Xinan’s back.
If he didn’t finish accumulating the necessary hatred points soon, he was worried he might start hesitating.
Renxi Temple was massive, impossible to explore in a short time.
Pei Xinan led Ruan Yao up a flight of stairs. Worried that Ruan Yao might get tired, he took him to a small pavilion to rest for a while.
Under the eaves, camphor trees planted by the monks stood tall, each branch adorned with vibrant red ribbons that swayed gently with the breeze.
The treetops were close to where Ruan Yao was sitting. Whether due to its placement or some other reason, one slightly faded red ribbon drifted down, landing precisely in his hand.
Ruan Yao accidentally caught sight of the name written on the ribbon.
"Gu Rongming…"
He was momentarily stunned and subconsciously read the name out loud.
The name felt oddly familiar.
However, before he could get a clearer look, the ribbon slipped from his fingers and floated away.
Pei Xinan, having heard the name he uttered, mused thoughtfully "The person you just mentioned has been gone for a long time"
Ruan Yao slowly blinked.
Pei Xinan’s cold demeanor was just an act. Deep down, he was more gossipy than anyone.
"The Gu family used to be a prestigious family in Yun City. That Gu Rongming you just saw was the last head of the Gu family"
"The last?"
"That was all more than ten years ago. Back then, I was still crawling on the ground. The uncle and nephew of that family tore each other apart fighting over the family assets, playing mind games one after another. In the end, the old fox had the upper hand and became the head of the Gu family. But he was crazy—after all the effort he put into becoming the family head, he set the entire main residence on fire the very same day"
"One of them disappeared after burning down the main residence, while the other seemed to have lost his mind and locked himself up in a psychiatric hospital. A few years ago, he passed away in the hospital. He actually looked quite happy when he died, they say his final expression was even a smile"
"Some say the uncle and nephew turned against each other over a beautiful man, but I don’t know the exact reason. Either way, a once-powerful family was completely ruined in their hands"
Ruan Yao's eyelashes trembled ever so slightly.
"Brother System, are those people really dead?"
"Host, you can rest assured. The small worlds you travel through are all made up of vast streams of data. Even if there are souls, they will ultimately return to the real world"
"For all you know, you might have even saved a coma patient"
"Yao Yao, your hand is so cold" Pei Xinan held Ruan Yao’s hand, pressing it against his forehead with a hint of concern.
Ruan Yao’s fingers twitched slightly. "Maybe the wind is too cold"
Pei Xinan, carefree as ever, said "Yeah, we shouldn’t be listening to such depressing stories when we’re out having fun" They got up and continued along the stone steps until they reached the legendary Sansheng Forest.
Without hesitation, Pei Xinan stepped forward, setting foot on the winding pebble path between the trees.
Ruan Yao grabbed his hand, looking a little lost. "Aren’t you afraid?"
Pei Xinan curled his lips into an arrogant, punch-worthy grin. "If I dare to walk this path, it means I’m confident we can be together for a lifetime"
"Yao Yao, as long as you’re willing, I will never give up on you"
o0o
Author’s note:
Ever since spring arrived, little Pei has transformed from a cold and aloof tough guy into a gossip-loving romantic.