After Teasing the Villain and Running Away - Chapter 16

Time stretched endlessly like an era, fragments of memories swarming in her dreams. The suffocating sensation of falling into the lake hadn’t faded, and Jiang Ruosheng felt as though she were entangled and bound by seaweed, unable to move.

Fine beads of sweat dampened the stray hairs at her forehead. Blinking her lashes, Jiang Ruosheng slowly opened her eyes amidst the dull throbbing in her head.

The familiar sight of her bedroom furnishings greeted her—the chairs, the desk, the sofa—all exactly as she remembered. For a fleeting moment, she thought she was still trapped in the past. Her head felt as heavy as if filled with molten iron, and the warmth lingering on her neck made it impossible to ignore the fact that someone was sleeping beside her.

Her shoulder had gone numb from being used as a pillow, and her right arm was pressed tightly against a warm body. A thigh was draped heavily over her stomach. When Jiang Ruosheng tried to sit up, the woman in her arms only clung tighter, sensing her movements.

With a quiet sigh, Jiang Ruosheng turned her head to see a beautiful, familiar face half-hidden beneath cascading hair. The woman was deep in sleep, her slightly plump, pink lips slightly pursed as if waiting to be kissed. Her round, delicate earlobes and the fair skin of her neck, tinged with a faint blush, peeked out from beneath the silk straps of her nightgown, revealing the subtle curves of her back and chest.

The scent of lime filled her nostrils with each breath—bitter and youthful, more refreshing than ice cubes clinking in a summer glass.

The memory of that elegant, radiant camellia had vanished without a trace. She dared not look any longer, lest her thoughts wander again.

Carefully brushing aside the woman’s waterfall of hair, Jiang Ruosheng examined the gland at the nape of her neck. There was no mark—no sign of being claimed. A weight lifted from her chest, though she couldn’t quite define the emotions swirling inside her.

Perhaps, deep down, she was relieved. But what did it matter? The woman beside her had been estranged from her for seven years. Whether she dated or married someone else was none of Jiang Ruosheng’s concern.

Silently pushing the woman away, Jiang Ruosheng told herself she was still the same aloof, unfeeling person she had always been.

But when she threw off the covers and stepped barefoot onto the plush carpet, her expression suddenly twisted in embarrassment.

Why—

Was she completely naked?!

Covering her face, Jiang Ruosheng could roughly piece together what had happened—after passing out from nearly drowning, Ruan Xin must have undressed her and dragged her into bed. Suppressing the discomfort of her bare skin, she walked to the low chair by the sofa and, sure enough, found her clothes dried and neatly pressed.

Without dwelling on why the furnishings in Ruan Xin’s villa bedroom were identical to her old room in the Jiang family home, Jiang Ruosheng dressed quickly and prepared to leave—

But the moment her hand touched the doorknob, a voice drifted lazily from behind her.

“What, running away again?”

Jiang Ruosheng slowly turned her head to see the woman who had been sound asleep now propped against the headboard, arms crossed, watching her with dark, unreadable eyes. There wasn’t a trace of sleepiness in those deep, fathomless pupils.

“You were awake?”

Ruan Xin arched a brow, one strap of her nightgown slipping down her arm, though she made no move to adjust it. “If I hadn’t woken up, would you have bolted again without looking back, just like seven years ago?”

Her voice was flat, devoid of inflection, yet it sent an inexplicable chill down Jiang Ruosheng’s spine.

Jiang Ruosheng muttered under her breath. Without looking back? You were dead asleep back then. How would you know how long I sat on the edge of the bed, hesitating, before I finally chose to run?

“I appreciate what you did for me last night,” she said aloud, her tone measured now that she was sober. “But I don’t think there’s any need for us to see each other again.”

The atmosphere in the room froze for a moment, the air pressure so low it felt like an unnamed storm was about to sweep through.

Jiang Ruosheng waited for a while, but didn’t hear Ruan Xin speak again. She mustered her courage, ready to make a run for it.

“I’ve settled everything abroad… I just got off the plane yesterday… and came straight to you.” Ruan Xin murmured softly, and only then did the stagnant air seem to start flowing again.

Jiang Ruosheng didn’t understand what she meant: “Then… congratulations on your return?”

Ruan Xin lifted her gaze to Jiang Ruosheng, her eyes widening even further, before she seemed to give up, leaning back slightly. “…Since I’m back, I won’t be leaving again. Jiang Ruosheng, do you understand what I mean?”

Jiang Ruosheng paused, releasing the doorknob and turning to sit on the small sofa, trying to remain calm. “I understand. Of course I understand. Xin Chengguang is seriously ill, and you went to great lengths to return—just to fight Xin Ran for the heir position. After all this effort, you won’t stop until you get everything you want.”

Jiang Ruosheng wasn’t naive enough to believe Ruan Xin had come to her last night just for a simple “reunion.”

“But Ruan Xin, whatever you plan to do, it has nothing to do with me. I don’t want to know, and I don’t want to be involved.”

As she spoke, Jiang Ruosheng realized her own emotions were eerily calm.

“You don’t want to be involved?” Ruan Xin let out a mocking laugh. “But you clearly promised that no matter what happened, you’d stand by my side, that you’d help me. Have you forgotten?” Her voice softened, and a trace of barely perceptible vulnerability and pleading flickered across her stubborn expression.

Jiang Ruosheng’s heart trembled, but she couldn’t help a cold laugh. “Cut the act, Ruan Xin. I’ve already helped you enough. How the Jiang family fell—I know better than you.”

Ruan Xin’s eyes flickered, her fingers unconsciously tapping against her arm.

That habitual little gesture—Jiang Ruosheng knew it too well. It meant Ruan Xin was thinking, weighing, brewing a plan where she’d stop at nothing to achieve her goal.

Jiang Ruosheng sincerely hoped she wasn’t part of that plan, because anyone caught in Ruan Xin’s schemes ended up in deep trouble without exception.

“…But I really need your help right now.” As if realizing she’d been seen through, Ruan Xin stopped beating around the bush.

She studied Jiang Ruosheng up and down, her words resolute, as if certain the other woman wouldn’t refuse.

Jiang Ruosheng didn’t know where she got that confidence. She laughed in exasperation. “I refuse. You don’t actually think you can still use me for something, do you? I have zero interest in getting dragged into the Xin family’s power struggle.”

[Detected antagonist’s corruption level at 50%. Host, please make the correct choice.]

The system, silent for seven years, suddenly rang out in Jiang Ruosheng’s mind again. Its first words were also painfully familiar.

Corruption level 50%—ha, still fucking 50%.

Now she understood perfectly—Ruan Xin had never been innocent. She was thoroughly corrupted, beyond redemption.

…Host, please make the correct choice.

The system kept prompting, but the fire in Jiang Ruosheng’s chest flared up, her temper igniting instantly.

She cursed inwardly: “Make what choice? You always use this same damn prompt—has it ever worked? Every time, I followed your instructions to the letter, and what happened? The mission still failed!”

“Since you disappeared seven years ago, you shouldn’t have come back. Now Ruan Xin returns and ties me up again—are you addicted to using me as your villainous tool?”

The scolded system seemed to behave more meekly, falling silent and no longer provoking Jiang Ruosheng.

Seven years of peaceful life were about to be disrupted. Even the most composed person would be furious enough to stomp their feet. If the system were a real person standing before her, Jiang Ruosheng would have already thrown a punch.

As for Ruan Xin, whom she truly wanted to hit… she was an omega, so she couldn’t just attack her casually…

Alright, fine—she couldn’t win against her anyway.

“Don’t you even want to hear what kind of help I’m offering?” Ruan Xin asked leisurely, her confident smile widening at the corners of her lips, as if completely unaffected by the rejection.

“The Jiang family is just starting to develop domestically—you must be facing quite a few difficulties…”

At the mention of the Jiang family, Jiang Ruosheng’s pupils contracted slightly. Her hand, resting on the back of the sofa, suddenly clenched. The words spilled out before she could stop them, her expression icy enough to freeze water. “Are you threatening me with the Jiang family?!”

A derisive laugh came from the bed. Meeting Ruan Xin’s overly indifferent gaze, Jiang Ruosheng realized with a start that she had misspoken.

Ruan Xin, “So this is how you see me? Well… you’re not wrong. I am exactly that kind of person. It seems after seven years, you’ve finally gotten a little smarter.”

“But wasting my time dealing with a Jiang family that’s already lost everything? I have no such patience.”

Jiang Ruosheng bristled at the jab, gritting her teeth. “Then what do you want? If you know the Jiang family has nothing left, there’s nothing left for you to exploit either.”

“The Jiang family is gone, but you’re still here, aren’t you?” Ruan Xin narrowed her eyes slightly. “As you can see, I’ve become an omega now.”

Become an omega? The phrasing was almost comical.

“You were always an omega. The alpha persona was just your disguise, wasn’t it?” Jiang Ruosheng remarked casually, only to be met with a sharp glare from Ruan Xin.

Jiang Ruosheng rubbed her nose, sensing something was off.

Ruan Xin had been an alpha—or so she pretended to be, all to gain an advantage in the inheritance battle. She had played the role flawlessly, so much so that Jiang Ruosheng only discovered the truth on the night she marked her.

But now, Ruan Xin was openly using her original omega identity, which could only mean the Xin family had found out.

Pretending to be an alpha was no easy feat—disordered pheromones, erratic heats—Ruan Xin had suffered greatly to maintain the act. For her to expose herself now meant all those years of effort had gone to waste.

Jiang Ruosheng wanted to ask what had happened, but after a moment’s hesitation, she held her tongue.

“So, I need an… alpha.” Ruan Xin forced a calm tone, though her whitened knuckles betrayed her unease. “Just a pretense will do. For now… date me, stay by my side.”

“In return, I’ll extend some favors to the Jiang family. It’s a mutually beneficial deal. A smart woman like you wouldn’t refuse, would you?”

Jiang Ruosheng pressed her lips together, pausing before replying, “You must have other options. The rising star of the Xin family, Miss Ruan—surely there are alphas better suited than me to be your ally.”

“I can’t just find some random alpha to date,” Ruan Xin closed her eyes briefly, her tone casual. “At least we’ve… slept together before? Or ex-girlfriends? Classmates?”

“It’s only for a short while, Jiang Ruosheng. I know you hate me and don’t want to see me. Once everything is settled, I’ll disappear from your world completely—quiet as the dead.”

Jiang Ruosheng frowned. “Since when did your metaphors get so morbid?”

Ruan Xin shrugged. “Isn’t that what people say online? A good ex should be like they’re dead. You know, ‘the next time we meet should be at a funeral’ and all that…”

“Ugh, stop with the bad omens already.” Jiang Ruosheng felt irritated. “Let me think about this properly. Anything involving the Xin family never ends well.”

Ruan Xin yawned and played her trump card: “The Jiang family urgently needs startup capital lately, doesn’t it? I can cover that for you.”

With her weak spot thoroughly exposed, Jiang Ruosheng slumped against the sofa in defeat, giving up all resistance.

“Fine, I’ll agree to temporarily play your girlfriend. But I won’t do anything beyond that, and you absolutely can’t drag me into your feud with Xin Ran.”

Ruan Xin chuckled softly and patted the soft quilt beside her. “Then come lie down and sleep with me a while longer. Do you know how late I was up last night cleaning up after you?”

Jiang Ruosheng’s expression cracked. “That shouldn’t be part of my acting duties.”

“Commitment to the role is key. If you lack even this basic professionalism, I might question whether my investment is worth it.” Ruan Xin’s voice dropped low, clearly implying no cuddles, no money.

Something about this felt off.

With no say in the matter, Jiang Ruosheng could only shuffle back to her usual spot, lying stiff as a corpse while Ruan Xin wrapped herself around her limbs.

Resting her head on Jiang Ruosheng’s shoulder, Ruan Xin sighed contentedly. “Seven years apart, and you’ve gotten much more toned… Mmm… Still feels best holding you like this without clothes.”

The “Jiang Ruosheng” body pillow: …Seriously, is that even human language coming out of your mouth?