Pei Buxian dragged Qiao Chuchu to a corner and looked at Song Yu, who was standing guard in the hallway. "Can you ask your n to leave?" he asked.
Song Yu's mouth twitched as he glanced at Qiao Chuchu's face. The bloodstains on her face were gone, likely wiped off without her knowledge. Song Yu sighed, shook his head repeatedly, and left with his n.
Pei Buxian stared ominously at Qiao Chuchu. "Are you very happy now?"
Qiao Chuchu: "? Is it wrong to be happy?"
[What kind of question is that? I fought off the enemy, protected my family, not only am I happy, I'm over the moon!]
Pei Buxian's expression gradually turned resentful. "So many n like you, are you thrilled to death?"
Qiao Chuchu gave him a disgusted look. "How can you be so one-sided? It's not just n who like ; even girls like . After all, I treat everyone with sincerity. If you all treat well, I treat you well in return. Isn't it natural for people to like ?"
She spoke reasonably. "Emotions are mutual. If you didn't treat well, I wouldn't waste my ti with you!"
Pei Buxian was taken aback and felt a bit irritated.
What he ant wasn't that kind of "like."
Whatever.
He thought about her shooting earlier and licked his lips, feeling restless. "Why did you protect today?"
Qiao Chuchu was stunned.
[He must be talking about when Rayla charged at him, and I pushed her away.]
She sighed, amused. "Are you stupid? You're my brother."
Pei Buxian frowned, tilting his head in confusion. "That's all?"
Qiao Chuchu: "? Otherwise?"
Pei Buxian lowered his eyes, his long lashes casting a shadow.
What about her anger?
Wasn't it because she feared he might be killed?
His brow furrowed deeper, unsure of how to put it into words. Hesitantly, he managed to say, "I thought our relationship… you wouldn't protect like that anymore."
Qiao Chuchu was montarily stunned.
Pei Buxian stood with his head down in front of her, his platinum blonde hair softly falling over his milky white skin, giving him a delicate, almost fragile appearance.
Qiao Chuchu sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. "Brother, I’ve made mistakes. I’ve embarrassed you in front of so many people, and you’ve endured it all. I’ve hurt you, and I want to make ands. I want you to live a normal life."
Pei Buxian stared into her eyes, bewildered. "What counts as a normal life?"
Qiao Chuchu hesitated for a mont, then looked out the window, envisioning the future. "You focus on your work, earn money, et a woman you like, date, and get married."
Pei Buxian's eyelids twitched, and his face darkened abruptly. "How can I get married when you won't let ?"
She chuckled. "I told you, that’s all in the past now."
[After all, it was part of my mission. If I didn’t do the task, I’d be electrocuted or punished, in utter agony. I had to do it. Now that there’s no mission, I should go back to normal.]
[Unfortunately, I can’t explain this to him.]
Qiao Chuchu sighed helplessly. "I’ve told you multiple tis, I’ve reford. I won’t bother you anymore, I don’t love you."
Pei Buxian shuddered, looking at her incredulously. "What did you say?"
She sighed and enunciated clearly, "I. Don’t. Love. You. Anymore!"
Pei Buxian's face drained of all color, and his expression turned even darker. He pressed eagerly, "Is it because I didn’t respond to you back then?"
Qiao Chuchu: "? Why would you ask that?"
Pei Buxian took a step forward, his gaze intense. "If I had kissed you when you wanted to, would things be different now?"
She widened her eyes in astonishnt. "Why would you kiss ?"
Pei Buxian’s gaze burned. "Because you wanted to kiss ."
Qiao Chuchu gasped, feeling her head buzz. She slapped her forehead. "Oh my god!"
[I flirted with him because the system made do it! The system wanted to turn him into a monster!]
[Even though I have no idea why pushing him like that would make him a monster, that’s what the mission dictated. I wasn’t really trying to flirt with him!]
Qiao Chuchu racked her brains, trying to co up with a plausible excuse. "Actually, I had a case of 'newborn affection,' not understanding what love really is. Now I understand. I mistook family for love, you can’t keep misunderstanding."
Pei Buxian retreated a few steps, hiding in the shadows, his eyes narrowing with a hint of mockery. "So… you don’t have a shred of romantic feelings for . And you helped when I was in danger rely out of family solidarity?"
Qiao Chuchu nodded vigorously. "Exactly!"
Pei Buxian stared at her coldly. "Now that you’re telling , if I were to find a girlfriend, you’d be happy for , right?"
Qiao Chuchu thought for a mont, then answered earnestly. "If you found a girlfriend, I probably wouldn’t feel much, it’s your private life, after all. But if you were to get married, I’m sure I’d be moved to tears at your wedding!"
"Ahhh… so moved to tears for ," Pei Buxian drawled, his voice flat. "I envy you so much. I can’t be that generous."
Qiao Chuchu felt sothing was off. "What?"
"You protected at the art exhibition, didn’t you?" Pei Buxian erged from the shadows, standing in front of her. "The way you stood in front of , pushing Rayla away, I still shudder when I think about it."
Qiao Chuchu: "? What does 'shudder' an?"
Pei Buxian didn’t answer. His gaze was like a hook, locking onto hers. "I used to imagine you getting married, and I’d feel nothing but sadness and pain. But seeing you protect , I can’t stand the thought of another man taking my place."
He looked emotionless. "If, one day, I see you standing in front of another man, holding his hand, kissing him, doing more intimate things… I’d want to kill him."
His voice was soft, almost a whisper in her ear. "I’d love to send the man you love straight to hell."
Qiao Chuchu’s face gradually changed, shocked. "? Do you know how ssed up this thinking is?"
She was in turmoil. [Did I push him to this point of no return? Why is he saying such strange things?]
She hesitated, then tentatively asked, "Is it because I hurt you—"
"It’s not because of you," Pei Buxian said, his tone calm and detached. "Before, I thought so things were impossible to overco because just imagining them made feel guilty, like I’m betraying everyone, like I’m a beast, a pervert, a scoundrel."
He gazed down at her, his glistening eyes like a net, enveloping her completely.
His calm tone carried a hidden excitent. "Being normal ans losing you. Being a beast ans having you."
Qiao Chuchu’s face twisted, her eyes wide with terror. [No way…]
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