After Teasing the Villain and Running Away - Chapter 11

The moonlight was cool as water, the translucent curtains drawn like gauze, casting a hazy glow over the quilt, as if draped in a faint lunar shimmer.

The woman curled slightly in the center of the bed, her thick, raven-black hair splayed out like seaweed, revealing a slender, delicate neck—pale and luminous, with faintly protruding bones.

Most of her body lay exposed, only her abdomen covered by the quilt. Her long legs were bent, curled as if against the cold. Her brows were slightly furrowed, as though even in sleep she found no peace. Her rounded toes were a lovely shade of pink, the arches of her feet taut.

Jiang Ruosheng lay sleepless on her side, propping her head up with one hand as she watched Ruan Xin slumber.

Whatever dream she was having, it certainly wasn’t a pleasant one.

Jiang Ruosheng’s heart ached a little. She lifted the quilt and stood, then quietly pulled the tangled covers back over the girl’s soft, delicate frame.

Suddenly, her gaze sharpened, fixing on a flash of vivid red peeking from the collar of Ruan Xin’s pajamas.

The color was far too striking—even just the barest edge was enough to draw the eye.

Against the smooth, porcelain-white skin of her back, that hint of red seemed all the more bewitching, the stark contrast sending a faint tremor through Jiang Ruosheng’s fingertips.

Her throat tightened with curiosity as she leaned closer, bending slightly for a better look.

The matching teddy bear pajamas Ruan Xin wore had come undone at the top two buttons, revealing a small expanse of pale, gently rising chest—tantalizing in its curves.

But the glimpse was too small to make out anything clearly. Jiang Ruosheng knelt on the quilt, adjusting her breathing as she lowered herself. The movement was a bit too abrupt, her form-fitting silk pajamas outlining the sensual curve of her waist, her hips slightly raised. Her hands, delicate as folding fan ribs, rested lightly on the quilt for support.

The red was too vivid—like smeared paint, or perhaps fresh, flowing bl00d—carrying an almost hypnotic allure.

Had Ruan Xin gotten hurt during gym class that afternoon?

With trembling fingers, she carefully touched the edge of Ruan Xin’s collar.

Slowly, cautiously, she tugged it downward.

The outline of that crimson mark grew clearer, its edges and shadows traced in black—a small red petal, its hue so vibrant it seemed alive, blooming across Ruan Xin’s back.

Jiang Ruosheng was mesmerized. Without thinking, her hand moved further, eager to see the tattoo in full.

“Enjoying the view?”

The sudden voice made Jiang Ruosheng jerk her hand back. She met Ruan Xin’s cool gaze, caught red-handed, and could only stammer out a weak excuse: “I just… thought there was something on your back.”

The warmth of breath against her skin, the faint itch of fabric shifting—even the deepest sleeper would have woken, let alone someone as alert as Ruan Xin.

She’d been awake the moment Jiang Ruosheng leaned in, keeping her eyes shut only to see what the other woman was up to.

Who knew she’d not only stare endlessly but also try to undress her…

Ruan Xin: “Do you know this counts as harassment?”

Jiang Ruosheng flushed with embarrassment. Just before bed, she’d promised to behave and keep her distance—yet here she was, curiosity getting the better of her.

“…You kicked the quilt off. I was just covering you up.”

Ruan Xin had finally had enough of Jiang Ruosheng’s recent unusual behavior. She slowly sat up, her gaze piercing straight at Jiang Ruosheng. “I suggest you stop these little tricks of yours.”

Faced with Ruan Xin’s rejection of her goodwill, Jiang Ruosheng fell silent.

If someone who had always bullied, mocked, and tormented you suddenly said they regretted it and wanted to protect and care for you…

Even Jiang Ruosheng probably wouldn’t believe it.

Jiang Ruosheng’s mind raced, and she suddenly coughed a few times. “Fine, I’ll come clean.”

“I’ve been doing all this just because I want you to tell my mom about how I’ve bullied you. She scolded me recently and threatened to cut off my allowance if I bullied you again. She even demanded that I take good care of you.”

“I got scared, so I had to resort to this. I didn’t want to do it either, but if you caught a cold or got hurt—”

“I’d be in big trouble.” Jiang Ruosheng lowered her eyes, meeting Ruan Xin’s gaze seriously.

“Auntie loves you so much—how could she bear to cut off your allowance?”

Jiang Ruosheng pursed her lips, displeased. “How should I know what kind of spell you’ve cast on my mom? Anyway, I won’t bully you during this time. Let’s just get along peacefully.”

Ruan Xin neither agreed nor disagreed, yanking the blanket up forcefully to signal Jiang Ruosheng to get off her bed.

Jiang Ruosheng moved her knees, which had been pressing on the blanket, preparing to step back. But Ruan Xin pulled the blanket with such force that Jiang Ruosheng lost her balance and fell forward again, her entire body tipping over.

“Oof—”

Jiang Ruosheng landed on top of Ruan Xin. The warmth and softness of her body—though she had held her before—had never felt so direct.

Her forehead knocked hard against the other girl’s chin, and suddenly, a faint floral scent from Ruan Xin’s neck filled her nose. It was the alpha pheromones emanating from her scent glands—blooming camellias, light and elegant.

Like repels like. The clash between alpha pheromones was inevitably intense and irreconcilable.

It was an instinctive aversion and rejection.

That was why one of St. Thomas Academy’s rules strictly prohibited releasing pheromones on campus unless under exceptional circumstances, regardless of secondary gender.

The pheromones on Ruan Xin’s neck were from her scent glands, only detectable at extremely close range.

The lingering fragrance of camellias seemed to sense an outsider’s intrusion and quickly retreated.

The expected wave of irritation never came. Jiang Ruosheng found the scent… unexpectedly not unpleasant?

Perhaps the residual amount was too small—fleeting and faint, devoid of any aggression.

Something flashed through her mind, but the next second, Ruan Xin shoved her away.

Jiang Ruosheng didn’t dwell on it, slowly getting up. “I just lost my balance.”

Ruan Xin shot her a cold glance before turning over and burrowing back under the blanket, her ears hidden beneath her hair, burning red.

Jiang Ruosheng rubbed her nose. The faint alpha pheromones lingered.

So Ruan Xin’s pheromones smelled like camellias.

To tattoo the scent’s imagery on her body… It felt a little strange. Just how much did she love her own pheromones?

Jiang Ruosheng was awakened by a knock on the door and found Ruan Xin already gone from the bed.

Rubbing her stiff body from sleep, she walked over leisurely to open the door.

Housekeeper Aunt Jiang greeted her with a smile and stepped inside to tidy the bed.

These tasks were originally meant for the maids, but Aunt Jiang doted on Jiang Ruosheng so much that she personally handled many matters concerning her.

However, when she noticed the extra bedding on the floor, her gaze froze. “Miss, this is…?”

Jiang Ruosheng yawned, her tone serious. “Someone poured water on Ruan Xin’s bed last night, so I let her sleep here for the night.”

Aunt Jiang: ?!

Hadn’t the young mistress always been at odds with Miss Ruan?

Jiang Ruosheng continued, “Go and find out who did it. Ruan Xin is staying with the Jiang family now—she’s one of us. Whoever dared to bully her clearly doesn’t want to stay here any longer!”

This was the first time Aunt Jiang had seen Jiang Ruosheng speak so harshly, and she immediately understood the gravity of the situation. She nodded quickly. “Yes, Miss.”

Jiang Ruosheng asked, “Have you seen Ruan Xin? Did she go back to her room?”

Aunt Jiang hesitated. “Miss Ruan got up early and is now downstairs having breakfast with Madam.”

Jiang Ruosheng nodded, quickly freshened up, and headed downstairs.

On the small round table usually reserved for afternoon tea, an assortment of Chinese and Western pastries and buns had been laid out. Ruan Xin and Jiang’s mother sat facing each other, chatting. From the stairs, Jiang Ruosheng could only see Ruan Xin’s straight, slender back.

Jiang’s mother was already past fifty, but her skin was well-maintained—only the deep nasolabial folds on her cheeks betrayed her age.

Whatever the two were discussing, Jiang’s mother was laughing heartily.

The atmosphere was quite harmonious.

“Ruosheng, you’re up? Come, join us for breakfast,” Jiang’s mother said, smiling at her.

Noticing Jiang Ruosheng’s arrival, Ruan Xin glanced at her before standing up to bid farewell to Jiang’s mother.

“Leaving already, Xiao Ruan? You’ve barely eaten,” Jiang’s mother said.

Ruan Xin replied, “There’s a club activity today, so I need to head to school early. I can eat there.”

“Club activity”—that was the excuse Ruan Xin used because Jiang Ruosheng refused to go to school with her.

Jiang Ruosheng wanted to pull Ruan Xin back, but remembering her distrust, she held herself back.

Jiang’s mother placed a few buns into a lunchbox. “Ruosheng, take this to Xiao Ruan so she can eat on the way.”

Jiang Ruosheng paused briefly before obediently nodding and taking the box.

In the foyer lined with shoe cabinets, among rows of luxury footwear, only one pair of old, plain white flats stood out awkwardly.

By the time Jiang Ruosheng arrived, Ruan Xin had already packed her bag and was sitting on the wooden bench in the foyer, hunched over as she put on her shoes.

“My mom asked me to give this to you for school. Make sure you eat it,” Jiang Ruosheng said, placing the lunchbox on the shoe cabinet. Suddenly, she heard Ruan Xin cry out in pain.

She turned to see a large stain of bl00d spreading across Ruan Xin’s left sock, soaking through the white fabric. Bl00d dripped from a shard of glass embedded in her foot.

Horrified, Jiang Ruosheng rushed over.

Inside Ruan Xin’s canvas shoes, crimson blossoms bloomed on the sharp, transparent shards—both shoes were the same.

Ruan Xin’s lips were pale from the pain, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Jiang Ruosheng called for help while scooping Ruan Xin up from the foyer and carrying her to the sofa inside.

Several maids hurried over, only to see a trail of bl00d dripping from Ruan Xin’s feet—it looked serious.

Jiang Ruosheng snapped, “What are you standing around for? Call a doctor, now!”

The family doctor arrived quickly with the first aid kit, jogging the whole way until sweat poured down his face and his entire back was soaked.

Only after carefully examining Ruan Xin’s foot and meticulously bandaging the wound did he dare to relax.

It was no surprise—Jiang Ruosheng’s stormy expression had everyone else trembling in silence.

In the living room, the maids stood in a row, heads bowed fearfully, not daring to speak.

Jiang Ruosheng’s voice was icy to the bone. “So, who put the glass shards in Ruan Xin’s shoes?”