Ah! The Villains I Forced to Turn Evil Can Read My Mind

Pei Buxian dragged Qiao Chuchu to a corner and looked at Song Yu, who was standing guard in the hallway. "Can you ask your men 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 men.

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 men 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 men who like me; even girls like me. After all, I treat everyone with sincerity. If you all treat me well, I treat you well in return. Isn't it natural for people to like me?"

She spoke reasonably. "Emotions are mutual. If you didn't treat me well, I wouldn't waste my time with you!"

Pei Buxian was taken aback and felt a bit irritated.@@novelbin@@

What he meant wasn't that kind of "like."

Whatever.

He thought about her shooting earlier and licked his lips, feeling restless. "Why did you protect me 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 me like that anymore."

Qiao Chuchu was momentarily 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 amends. 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 moment, then looked out the window, envisioning the future. "You focus on your work, earn money, meet 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 me?"

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 times, I’ve reformed. 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 me to, would things be different now?"

She widened her eyes in astonishment. "Why would you kiss me?"

Pei Buxian’s gaze burned. "Because you wanted to kiss me."

Qiao Chuchu gasped, feeling her head buzz. She slapped her forehead. "Oh my god!"

[I flirted with him because the system made me do it! The system wanted me 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 come 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 me. And you helped me when I was in danger merely out of family solidarity?"

Qiao Chuchu nodded vigorously. "Exactly!"

Pei Buxian stared at her coldly. "Now that you’re telling me, if I were to find a girlfriend, you’d be happy for me, right?"

Qiao Chuchu thought for a moment, 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 me," Pei Buxian drawled, his voice flat. "I envy you so much. I can’t be that generous."

Qiao Chuchu felt something was off. "What?"

"You protected me at the art exhibition, didn’t you?" Pei Buxian emerged from the shadows, standing in front of her. "The way you stood in front of me, pushing Rayla away, I still shudder when I think about it."

Qiao Chuchu: "? What does 'shudder' mean?"

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 me, 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 messed 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 some things were impossible to overcome because just imagining them made me 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 excitement. "Being normal means losing you. Being a beast means having you."

Qiao Chuchu’s face twisted, her eyes wide with terror. [No way…]