After Teasing the Villain and Running Away - Chapter 4

The two walked out of the changing room together, but no matter how Jiang Ruosheng pressed, Lu Ran refused to say a word about her mysterious plan.

Frustrated, Jiang Ruosheng could only hope Lu Ran wouldn’t go too far.

During the free activity period of gym class, the teacher kept everyone busy by bringing out equipment from the storage room. Ruan Xin took a volleyball and walked to a corner alone.

She removed her oversized jacket, revealing a short-sleeved shirt underneath. Her slender arms were glistening with a thin layer of sweat from exertion. Her current physique was too weak—after just a few bumps of the ball, her breathing grew uneven, her forehead damp with perspiration, and her cheeks flushed an unnatural red.

“An alpha with such pathetic stamina? What a joke.” A mocking voice cut in. Ruan Xin’s expression darkened as she hugged the volleyball to her chest. Leaning against the wall, her frail frame exuded a fragile, almost broken aura, as if a gust of wind could knock her over.

A strange feeling flickered through Lu Ran’s mind before she stepped forward and shoved Ruan Xin against the wall.

“Was it you who cut Ruosheng’s neck?” she snarled, only to freeze when she met Ruan Xin’s misty eyes—soft and pitiful, stirring an unexpected pang of sympathy.

What the hell? What kind of alpha was this? How could she be more delicate than an omega?

Dazed, Lu Ran raised her hand, intending to push Ruan Xin again, but instead found herself inexplicably reaching for the volleyball in her arms.

Ruan Xin clung to it stubbornly, her grip surprisingly strong. Lu Ran strained with all her might but couldn’t wrest it away, her face flushing with anger under Ruan Xin’s taunting gaze. Just as she redoubled her efforts, Ruan Xin suddenly let go.

“If you want it so badly, take it.”

The sudden lack of resistance sent Lu Ran stumbling back, nearly falling.

Lu Ran: “Who the hell do you think you are? Trash from the slums. Don’t forget—who paid your tuition to get you into high school? Who covered your living expenses every semester and even found your mom a job? Instead of being grateful, you cut Ruosheng. Is this how you repay her parents?”

Her loud voice drew the attention of nearby classmates.

Everyone knew Ruan Xin came from a poor background and relied on financial aid. Though rumors swirled in private, no one had ever confronted her openly about it.

[Warning: Minor character Lu Ran is provoking the antagonist. Antagonist’s corruption level rising. Host must intervene immediately to pacify the antagonist.]

The sudden alert in Jiang Ruosheng’s mind startled her. Frantically scanning the gym, her heart nearly stopped when she spotted Lu Ran and Ruan Xin locked in confrontation.

As her lackey, Lu Ran’s troublemaking would inevitably be tied back to her.

“Grateful?” Ruan Xin’s tone was light, her lips curving into a faint smile—gentle as a breeze, serene and radiant. The sight left Lu Ran momentarily stunned.

“The ones who sponsored and helped me were Mr. and Mrs. Jiang. What does Jiang Ruosheng have to do with it? Even if I were to show gratitude, it wouldn’t be directed at her.”

“Besides, didn’t Jiang Ruosheng say she tripped and hurt herself? What does that have to do with me?”

Lu Ran: “I saw you two leave together earlier! Don’t try to lie your way out of this!”

Ruan Xin remained unbothered, her expression untroubled. “Lu, you really have nothing better to do than keep your eyes glued to me, huh?”

“Oh, no, I mean staring at Jiang Ruosheng. After all, a loyal dog is most protective of its master.”

Lu Ran’s face flushed with anger, her clear eyes burning with fury. She clenched the volleyball tightly in her hands, her palms slightly sweaty, then suddenly raised her arm and hurled the ball mercilessly at Ruan Xin.

At such close range, it was impossible for Ruan Xin to react quickly enough to dodge.

Lu Ran’s outburst was too sudden. Ruan Xin barely had time to raise her arms in defense when she suddenly felt warmth at her waist—someone had pulled her aside, wrapping an arm around her.

Her nose collided with a warm, soft chest. Ruan Xin found herself tightly embraced, the expected pain never arriving as the volleyball missed its mark, hitting the wall behind them and rolling away.

Pressed against the radiating warmth of another’s body, her forehead brushing against an overwhelming softness, she realized the other person was slightly taller. The embrace gave her the illusion of being enveloped. Hot breath grazed the top of her head, sending faint tingles through her.

Dazed, she thought—even after two lifetimes, she had never been this intimately close to anyone, not even by accident.

Slowly lifting her head, she was met with a sharply defined jawline, piercing eyes brimming with intensity, and an aura of cool detachment…

It was… Jiang Ruosheng?

Jiang Ruosheng’s arm encircled Ruan Xin’s slender waist, a thought flashing through her mind: Just as I expected.

Because of the game, Ruan Xin had shed her cumbersome outerwear, leaving only a short-sleeved shirt underneath.

Now, the hem of that shirt had ridden up slightly. Jiang Ruosheng’s fingers brushed against the soft cotton fabric and the cool, jade-like skin beneath. The sensation was smooth as silk, clinging to her fingers with an inexplicable pull that made her reluctant to let go.

Distracted, Jiang Ruosheng glanced down and abruptly locked eyes with Ruan Xin’s dark, vortex-like gaze.

Jiang Ruosheng: …!!

“Let go,” Ruan Xin hissed through clenched teeth, her tone icy.

Jiang Ruosheng quickly released her and took several steps back, maintaining a safe distance.

Crazy… I must have lost my mind for a moment.

“Ruosheng, why are you protecting her?” Lu Ran demanded, growing even more irritated at the sight of them.

Jiang Ruosheng lifted her chin, adopting a righteous demeanor. “Then why are you bullying Ruan Xin?”

Lu Ran was momentarily stunned Why bully Ruan Xin? Since when do I need a reason? .But what was even stranger was that these words had come from Jiang Ruosheng’s mouth.

Jiang Ruosheng solemnly patted Lu Ran’s shoulder. “Bullying classmates is wrong. Lu, you should apologize to Ruan.”

She was desperate, repeatedly signaling Lu Ran with her eyes, hoping she’d recognize the situation and apologize to Ruan Xin.

Jiang Ruosheng: Turn over a new leaf and act human—maybe you’ll save your own life.

But Lu Ran completely missed Jiang Ruosheng’s hints. After a brief stare-off, she only grew more confused.

Lu Ran: ? You’re the one who bullied Ruan Xin the most! How can you say that with a straight face??

“You must have taken the wrong medicine today. You’re acting so weird.”

The third person present stood silently to the side, arms crossed, watching their internal conflict with a complex, amused gaze fixed on Jiang Ruosheng.

Jiang Ruosheng repeated expressionlessly, “Apologize.”

“No, it’s her—she scratched you first! I was just trying to stand up for you,” Lu Ran protested, noticing the whispers and glances from their classmates.

Jiang Ruosheng remained impassive. “Apologize.”

Jiang Ruosheng: “No one scratched me. I fell and accidentally got cut by a pebble.”

Lu Ran: “Ruosheng, if you’re being held hostage, blink your eyes!”

Jiang Ruosheng repeated, “Apologize.”

Lu Ran stiffened her neck, “I won’t apologize to her!”

The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Ruan Xin raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with amusement, as a crowd of classmates gathered around, eager to watch the drama unfold.

Just then, a clear and pleasant voice rang out from the crowd, “What’s going on here?”

Hearing the voice, Ruan Xin’s smile faded slightly, and she took a step back with some regret.

Jiang Ruosheng turned toward the voice and saw the crowd part to reveal a delicate-looking omega walking forward.

“Class monitor, Lu Ran just tried to hit Ruan Xin with a ball.”

“Yeah… Jiang Ruosheng stopped her in time, but they started arguing.”

With the class monitor’s arrival, the onlookers suddenly began chattering, recounting the incident.

The omega had gentle, curved brows and bright, clear eyes like a radiant full moon. When she spoke, two adorable dimples appeared at the corners of her lips, making her look warm and approachable.

Jiang Ruosheng knew this omega was Su Qi, the protagonist O of the story.

Ignoring the two in the standoff, Su Qi instead turned to Ruan Xin and asked with concern, “Ruan Xin, are you hurt?”

Her expression was tense, and her worry seemed genuine.

Jiang Ruosheng stroked her chin, musing that Su Qi was probably the only person in class who cared about Ruan Xin.

Ruan Xin wasn’t well-liked in class. Because of her reclusive nature, she often ate and attended classes alone, sitting in the isolated back row by the window—no desk mate, just a lone figure at the far end of the classroom.

Out of a sense of responsibility for the whole class, Su Qi occasionally exchanged a few words with Ruan Xin.

In the original host’s memories, Su Qi and Ruan Xin had grown closer during last semester’s study group organized by their homeroom teacher. The usual arrangement was for top students to tutor the struggling ones—two top-ranked students paired with the bottom three in class.

Jiang Ruosheng just happened to be the very last.

But the gap between the top students and the struggling ones was as wide as the East African Rift Valley. The trio had no intention of studying hard or improving, finding all sorts of excuses to skip tutoring sessions.

The five-person study group quickly dwindled to just Su Qi and Ruan Xin. As they interacted more and more, they gradually became good friends.

Su Qi was sociable and had many friends. Though they didn’t talk often, if Ruan Xin ever faced difficulties, Su Qi would generously lend a hand.

Last time, when the original host bullied Ruan Xin, Su Qi had caught her red-handed and even reported it to the teacher. That was why the original host had changed tactics this time, calling Ruan Xin to the back of the school building.

Lu Ran pursed her lips in displeasure. “Why are you always butting in?”

Su Qi replied seriously, “Ruan Xin is my good friend. I can’t just stand by while you bully her.”

Lu Ran scoffed coldly, lifting her chin arrogantly. “You’re just riding on Xin Ran’s coattails. Do you really think the Su family is still what it used to be? Without Xin Ran, you’re nothing.”

Su Qi didn’t get angry. She simply said calmly, “Like Jiang Ruosheng said earlier, Lu Ran, you should apologize.”

Lu Ran crossed her arms, still exuding an air of superiority—stubbornly refusing to back down.

Suppressing her anger, Jiang Ruosheng rolled her eyes before suddenly darting forward. She whispered something in Lu Ran’s ear and then pushed her away.

The others didn’t catch what Jiang Ruosheng said, but they saw Lu Ran’s expression twist abruptly, her eyes burning with resentment as she glared at Jiang Ruosheng. After a long pause, she finally let out a muffled, reluctant grunt from her nose.

“Sorry…”

Su Qi was surprised. Though Lu Ran always followed Jiang Ruosheng around, given her spoiled young mistress temperament, she wasn’t the type to obediently listen to anyone—even if she was in the wrong, she would never lower her head.

Judging by her expression, whatever Jiang Ruosheng said wasn’t coaxing words but a blatant threat.

But just as the apology was uttered, Ruan Xin suddenly gasped sharply and slumped against the wall, startling everyone.

Her chest heaved violently, beads of sweat trickling down her sharp jaw and dampening her collar. Her vision blurred as the restless pheromones inside her surged violently, as if trying to tear her apart.

Lu Ran reacted like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on, nearly jumping three feet in the air. “I didn’t do anything! She’s just—just—”

The accusation of faking it died on her lips when she saw Ruan Xin’s deathly pale face and frail condition.

If this was an act, she could win an Oscar.

Ruan Xin felt like her entire body was burning, as if she were trapped in a scorching furnace. Her lashes fluttered weakly, her vision swimming, while chaotic noises buzzed in her ears.

She pressed a hand against her pounding heart—the symptoms were too similar to the onset of a heat cycle. If she stayed collapsed here any longer, her identity as an omega would be exposed.

Gritting her teeth, she braced herself against the wall and slowly stood up, but every step felt like walking on knives, the pain dizzying.

Su Qi’s expression darkened. “She’s in bad shape. I’ll take her to the infirmary—”

Just as she moved to help, Jiang Ruosheng abruptly stepped in front of her.

Su Qi frowned. “You—”

Jiang Ruosheng cut in, “She’s in no state to walk. I’ll carry her.”

Su Qi and Ruan Xin were about the same height, but as an omega, lifting a heavy-boned alpha upstairs wasn’t realistic. Yet Jiang Ruosheng, with her long list of past misdeeds, was suddenly offering help? It was completely out of character.

From the moment she saw Su Qi, Jiang Ruosheng had made up her mind—keep Ruan Xin as far away from the female lead omega as possible.

Without Su Qi’s warm concern and timely aid, Ruan Xin wouldn’t develop possessive feelings for her, wouldn’t clash with the male lead alpha, and wouldn’t spiral into her villainous downfall.

Forced affection was never sweet, just as love obtained through coercion would crumble without a breeze. As the antagonist and cannon fodder, wouldn’t it be better to quietly watch the main couple’s romance unfold?

This emotional thread had to be severed—by her own hands.

Ruan Xin radiated resistance, her breath hot and uneven. “I can walk.”

Jiang Ruosheng scoffed, sliding one arm under Ruan Xin’s trembling knees and the other behind her back. “Your legs are shaking this badly—stop being stubborn.”

With that, she strode out, leaving behind a classroom full of stunned, disbelieving classmates.

Ruan Xin struggled weakly in Jiang Ruosheng’s arms, her fingers clutching the other’s shirt in a futile attempt to push away.

“Put… me down!”

The growing heat and dampness spread from the throbbing pain in her neck. The thin short-sleeved shirt was soaked through, clinging uncomfortably to Jiang Ruosheng’s slightly cool body like a second skin.

This sensation displeased her immensely.

Noticing the girl in her arms furrowing her brows, those water-bright eyes glaring at her with unmistakable fury,

Jiang Ruosheng didn’t pause her steps—if anything, she held on tighter. The abnormal heat radiating from the other’s body felt alarmingly like a high fever.