When I woke, Jin Xuan was sitting shirtless at the edge of the bed, his back facing me. A mean scar zigzagged across his lower back.
I knew about that scar from years ago, when he first dropped out of school. With no skills and nowhere to go, he’d worked on building sites for pennies, living in rough sheds through bitter winters.
All so he could climb out of poverty with his own hands.
But a workplace accident left him with a heavy injury and chronic pain this scar was the reminder.
"Do you feel bad for me?"
He startled me, suddenly speaking.
Only then did I realize I’d placed my hand, almost unconsciously, over his scar.
I nodded, and for a brief moment, felt a sharp sense of deja vu hearing his story.
He held my hand, thumb moving gently across my wrist.
"If you really care, will you stay with me a little longer this time?"
"Huh? Jin Xuan, haven’t I always been here for you?"
He gave a dark, unamused laugh. "Is that so?"
His tone made me want to cry, for real.
Did he suspect something?
"You still don’t trust me, do you, Jin Xuan?"
He sighed softly. "What choice do I have?"
He pulled on his shirt, then bent for his tie.
I scrambled back, pulling the covers higher.
"I’m not going to touch you." He smiled, eyes crinkling strangely. "I’m heading out for a while. Don’t wait up."
Suddenly, the system shrieked in my mind:
"Host. His kill intent is about to explode. He’s going to meet the protagonist. Go after him, now."
With no time to spare, I sprang off the bed and grabbed Jin Xuan’s sleeve.
His eyes flickered with something dark, his voice lowering. "Want to keep going?"
It was only then I realized oh god, I wasn’t even dressed.
Face flushing, I grabbed the blanket and stammered, "No, it’s not that."
"Where are you going, Jin Xuan?"
"Can I come with you?"
A last ditch effort, maybe my only hope.
To my surprise, Jin Xuan gave his consent almost at once.
"Host, this is it the final showdown. I put the tool in your coat pocket. Just slip a little into the villain’s drink. He trusts you; you can do it"
I shot a secret glance at Jin Xuan as he drove, racked by guilt.
"System bro, does it really have to be so violent? Isn’t there a gentler way?"
"Forget your mission. He’s a fictional villain; you’re a real person. How many times before you remember you want to go home?"
I groaned, leaning my head in my hands.
Suddenly, Jin Xuan placed his warm hand on my forehead.
"Yanyan, are you feeling okay?"
I shook my head quickly. At his insistent touch, he kept his hand on me, his gaze fond.
"Just wanted to look at you a bit longer."
We entered the banquet hall together. My chest felt tight with regret.
This was how I’d met Jin Xuan the first time a banquet, a reckless kiss.
"That was my first kiss," Jin Xuan said quietly.
I clung to his arm. "That’s why I’m making it up to you, right?"
But my face fell, remembering I was both lying and stealing his heart. Fooling his body, cheating his feelings what kind of person did that make me?
"Mr. Jin, what a surprise."
"Host, the protagonist is here."
I turned toward the voice and I finally understood why he was the protagonist.
Just by standing there, Ban Yansi seemed to draw every spotlight in the room, commanding attention with a presence that was hard to ignore.
He turned curiously, glancing over at me. "And you are... Miss Liu, right?"
Nervously, I smoothed out my dress, flustered under his gaze.
"You know me?"
Ban Yansi’s lips tilted in a friendly smile. "Don’t you remember? We met as kids. I think your father even joked about the two of our families becoming in-laws one day."
I immediately felt Jin Xuan’s grip on my hand tighten.
The villain’s kill intent is spiking. Host, move that dinner knife away he’s seriously about to take a swing at the protagonist.
Rolling with the moment, I raised our interlaced fingers for all to see. "Well, that’s childhood talk can’t take it too seriously, can we? Besides," I gave Jin Xuan’s hand a squeeze, "my boyfriend’s right here."
Ban Yansi, ever the gentleman, apologized gracefully, and as someone called him away, nodded and excused himself.
I triumphantly checked in with the System:
"How’s that for crisis management, System bro?"
To my surprise, the System hesitated.
Host... the villain’s kill intent is even higher now.
Huh?
I turned and looked at Jin Xuan. His head was bowed, lashes hiding a stormy expression.
"Childhood promises mean nothing, huh?"
He repeated my words with tension in his voice.
I nodded. "Really, everything Ban Yansi mentioned, I barely remember. How can you count on that?"
For a moment, Jin Xuan’s lips twisted in a barely there, bitter smile.
"You’re right. A memory that only one person holds onto never really means anything."
Suddenly he leaned in, his forehead resting beside my neck. His hair brushed softly over my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Yanyan, I’m feeling tired. Could you get me a drink?"
Chapter 04
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