After Teasing the Villain and Running Away - Chapter 2

A burst of dazzling colors flashed before her eyes. Jiang Ruosheng placed her hand on Ruan Xin’s shoulder, attempting to push her away, but the grip around her neck tightened, pressing down with even greater force, refusing to let her retreat.

She turned her head slightly, gazing at the woman’s face mere inches from her own. The faint fragrance emanating from their tightly pressed bodies felt like invisible threads binding her, luring her into a trap from which there was no escape.

Scorching, intoxicating memories flooded her mind unbidden.

Whispered words, fragmented and hushed. A dimly lit room saturated with the overwhelming pheromones of an alpha. The tart scent of green lime, once sharp and distinct, now muddled beyond recognition. The entire world submerged in a hazy, rippling blue.

Beads of sweat trickled down, falling into the ceaselessly undulating waves. On smooth, porcelain skin, a tapestry of blooming camellias sprawled across the back—crimson petals intertwined with deep green vines, dominating nearly half the canvas.

Seductive and breathtaking, just like the woman herself.

Jiang Ruosheng’s fingers unconsciously traced the exposed skin of Ruan Xin’s back, now pristine and unblemished, devoid of any trace.

Ruan Xin felt the touch and narrowed her eyes, about to speak, when she noticed a figure approaching from a distance.

“Who are you? Hugging and clinging without even asking for Jiang-jie’s permission?” A petite, adorable omega glared at Ruan Xin, her fiery gaze lingering pointedly on the arm wrapped possessively around Jiang Ruosheng’s neck.

Fresh off the stage, her forehead still glistened with a sheen of sweat. Her sweet, doll-like features twisted in displeasure, delicate brows furrowed, almond-shaped eyes wide with wariness. Her flawless skin, dusted with fine down, presented a stark contrast to Ruan Xin’s striking allure.

The warmth in Ruan Xin’s eyes sank into an icy abyss. She barely spared the girl a glance, instead tilting her head toward Jiang Ruosheng. “So… you’re taken now? Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Jiang Ruosheng felt the sudden drop in temperature radiating from Ruan Xin and sighed inwardly. She was certain that one wrong word from her now would earn her a death grip from Ruan Xin.

“No. Not familiar. Not interested. Don’t know her.” A clean, decisive severance.

Ruan Xin smirked, arching a brow at the omega’s visibly deflated expression. Leaning in, she murmured low into Jiang Ruosheng’s ear, “How ruthless. Flirting and then running away—is that your usual style?”

Jiang Ruosheng stiffened as the arm around her neck loosened—only to be replaced by an even firmer grip on her wrist.

Ruan Xin shot the omega a challenging smile before turning to Chen Lin. “Your boss is coming with me for now.”

With that, she half-dragged, half-pulled Jiang Ruosheng away.

Chen Lin blinked, watching as her usually composed boss was hauled off like a prisoner of war. She couldn’t help but wonder—was Jiang Ruosheng actually… willing?

After all, if an alpha truly wanted to resist, could an omega really overpower her?

In all the years she’d known Jiang Ruosheng—cold, aloof, and sparing with words—Chen Lin had never seen her display such a whirlwind of emotions. Losing her composure, kicking over furniture, erupting in fury… and then suddenly looking utterly lost.

And all of it, every last bit, had been because of that omega.

How strange. All these years, Jiang Ruosheng had never had an omega by her side. While it could be said she maintained impeccable self-restraint, Chen Lin had secretly suspected her boss was frigid—otherwise, why would she remain indifferent to so many beautiful omegas?

Here was a perfect example. Glancing at the dazed little singer beside her, who looked on the verge of tears, Chen Lin mused that even frigidity depended on the right person.

Jiang Ruosheng found herself inexplicably dragged into the car by Ruan Xin, her feet feeling like cotton as the world spun around her.

Flickering lights passed by the window as she squinted drowsily, soon dozing off.

The car moved smoothly forward, entering the suburban villa district—a private, secure area filled with detached villas housing dignitaries and celebrities.

Ruan Xin parked in the garage and turned to the silent passenger seat, only to find Jiang Ruosheng fast asleep.

Alphas matured later than omegas. Compared to her slightly youthful appearance seven years ago, Jiang Ruosheng’s features had grown sharper and more defined, her mature, aloof aura leaving Ruan Xin momentarily dazed.

That unfamiliar sense of losing control was deeply unsettling. Her expression cooled as she slowly extended a finger.

Jade-like fingers traced from Jiang Ruosheng’s forehead down her straight nose, lingering on the cold, thin curve of her lips.

From the moment she spotted Jiang Ruosheng in the bar, Ruan Xin couldn’t resist studying that face—now even more beautiful than she remembered—while dark, obsessive thoughts festered inside her.

Not yet, she told herself, suppressing the impulse.

But a small reward was still within reason.

Unbuckling the seatbelt in the narrow, quiet space, Ruan Xin leaned over and pressed her lips to those she had longed for.

A mere brush couldn’t make up for seven years of yearning. Her tongue slipped past Jiang Ruosheng’s teeth, delving deeper into warm, wet softness.

Jiang Ruosheng woke gasping, instinctively pushing Ruan Xin away and tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear as she panted softly.

Ruan Xin watched her with a lazy smile, licking the lingering wetness from her own plump, kissable lips.

Her eyes still hazy with desire, the strap of her teal-blue dress slipped off one shoulder, revealing smooth, luminous skin.

She looked like a seductive spirit who had drained her prey of vitality.

The stifling air grew unbearable. Jiang Ruosheng hastily rolled down the window and stumbled out of the car.

The nap had left her with a splitting headache. She blinked at the unfamiliar surroundings—an elegant three-story villa with a garage and spacious swimming pool.

“Is this… your place?”

Ruan Xin, stepping out behind her, rolled her eyes. “Obviously. Did you think it was yours?”

Jiang Ruosheng frowned. “Why bring me here? I just wanted—”

“To sleep together, of course.” Ruan Xin twirled her car keys, her low-heeled sandals clicking against the stone pavement as she wiggled her pink toes. “You own a bar—this shouldn’t be anything new. No need to act so shocked.”

A cool breeze blew across the swimming pool. Ruan Xin rubbed her chilled arms and urged Jiang Ruosheng to hurry up.

Jiang Ruosheng’s face darkened instantly. “I didn’t come here to—”

She took a deep breath, gritting her teeth. “For Miss Ruan, this might be just another casual thing, but unfortunately, I’m not like you. I’m going home.”

“You’re going home?” Ruan Xin seemed to laugh in disbelief, her lips curling into a cold smirk as she stepped closer to Jiang Ruosheng, jabbing a finger into her shoulder.

“If you weren’t interested, why did you follow me out?”

“Not like me? Wasn’t it you who casually slept with me seven years ago?” Ruan Xin’s tone was sharp, deliberately emphasizing the word “casually.”

Her fingers pressed down hard enough to turn white, forcing Jiang Ruosheng to step back.

“Oh, I forgot. For the esteemed Miss Jiang, that was probably just a little accident—not even worth calling a hookup.” She flashed a frigid smile, her voice low. “After all, someone ran away the very next day.”

Jiang Ruosheng’s head throbbed from Ruan Xin’s relentless accusations.

The villain strikes first—typical of you.

“Liar…” Jiang Ruosheng seethed, the word hissing through clenched teeth.

For a split second, Ruan Xin’s pupils constricted. The usual stillness in her dark eyes rippled, waves of suppressed fury churning beneath the surface, as if waiting for the moment to break free.

“Say that again?”

Jiang Ruosheng scoffed. “Didn’t hear me clearly? Need me to repeat it? I said, you’re just a—”

But the next moment, a forceful shove sent her tumbling backward. Everything seemed to slow as she fell.

Ruan Xin’s outstretched arm lingered in the air, her delicate features under the moonlight twisting into a cruel, mocking smile. The look she gave Jiang Ruosheng was laced with a bone-chilling coldness.

As she hit the water, Jiang Ruosheng realized with perfect clarity—after seven years, Ruan Xin was still the same Ruan Xin.

That innate malice had never changed.

Now, she was back.

Though it was summer, the night air was still cool. The once-calm pool water churned violently from the disturbance.

Jiang Ruosheng shivered as the distorted reflection of Ruan Xin wavered beneath the surface.

Water rushed into her from all directions—her nose, mouth, ears… Her body refused to obey, too weak to even struggle. The air in her lungs was slowly being stripped away.

Suffocation pressed against her nerves, the terror of death crashing through her mind.

Even though it was just a shallow pool, Jiang Ruosheng had the eerie sensation of sinking deeper, as if being dragged into an unfathomable abyss.

At the brink of unconsciousness, she felt two hands yanking her arms up with brutal force.

The water clung to her desperately, heavy and unwilling to let go, before finally surrendering and falling away.

Fresh air flooded her lungs as Jiang Ruosheng was hauled out of the water, coughing violently as she clung to the pool’s edge, wrenching her hands free from Ruan Xin’s grip.

“…A one-point-two-meter pool, and you almost drowned?”

That same mocking voice reached her, laced with disbelief. “Jiang Ruosheng… you’ve gotten… a lot weaker over the years.”

Jiang Ruosheng: “…”

“Hiss, not very damaging, but extremely humiliating!”

She was just about to retort when a sudden mechanical voice rang out in her mind.

“Detecting… blackening index… reached… mission confirmed… rebooting… host requested… reboot, reboot, reboot…”

The stuttering mechanical voice ended up sounding like a virus-infected loop, repeating only the word “reboot.”

For a moment, Jiang Ruosheng’s face changed colors like an overturned palette—now pale, now flushed, now red—twisted with a mix of complicated emotions and pain.

Heh, even the long-dead system has come back to life?

What kind of special day is today?

Oh, right. It’s my death day.

If not for this zombie system’s sudden appearance, even Jiang Ruosheng herself might have nearly forgotten—she wasn’t originally from this world. She was a transmigrator.

This was the world inside a book, and Jiang Ruosheng was nothing but cannon fodder.

Meanwhile, Ruan Xin was the insane villain.

At this very moment, the deranged villain beside her smirked ominously. “After all I’ve said, you still have the leisure to space out? Do you want a repeat of that drowning experience?”

Jiang Ruosheng shot her a disdainful smile and, under the weight of multiple shocks, dramatically passed out.

Ruan Xin: ???!!