I Transmigrated as the Protagonist and Was Kidnapped by the Villainous Omega - Chapter 25.1

What the hell…

She really thought this woman didn’t mind being tricked.

A surge of unease rose in Su Cheng’s heart—don’t tell me… that the whole act just now was fake?

She didn’t make a fuss in front of others, but now, in this desolate wilderness where it was just the two of them—was she going to start something again?!

Sensing danger, Su Cheng turned and bolted.

But Ling Yuexi’s eyes sharpened, and she reacted even faster—rushing forward to grab Su Cheng by the shoulder.

Su Cheng instinctively tried to shake her off. Then she thought: someone in the Dragon Domain Vanguard knowing some close-combat skills wasn’t anything strange. In fact, this might be a good chance to test her opponent’s abilities.

With that thought in mind, she flashed a sweet smile and threw a sharp left hook.

Ling Yuexi’s eyes flickered with surprise. She leaned back just slightly and dodged with ease. When she looked back at Su Cheng, her eyes held a trace of amusement.

The two exchanged blows quickly and fluidly.

Su Cheng’s strength was clearly diminished with her gland sealed, but each move she made was ruthless and precise.

After dozens of rounds, she began to feel her stamina slipping. Her movements grew sluggish, and Ling Yuexi noticed. Just as Su Cheng failed to fully pull back from her last move, a high kick came sweeping toward her.

Su Cheng hastily raised her arms to block. Although she barely managed to catch the kick, the force still caused her to stumble backward until—clang—she slammed into the door.

Before she could recover, her hands were forcefully pinned to her sides.

Ling Yuexi stepped in close and pressed her down firmly, raising an eyebrow with a smug glint in her eye.

Both of them were breathing heavily—it was obvious that neither had held back.

Although Su Cheng lost the match, she had mostly figured out her opponent’s strategy. Ling Yuexi’s close-combat ability was stronger than the average Beta, but still far from being on par with a high-grade Alpha.

No wonder she relied so much on guns.

“Xixi, you’re amazing!” Su Cheng instantly switched modes, grinning with flattery. “Even I, a proud Alpha, totally admit defeat~”

Ling Yuexi let out a cold laugh. “And you were trying to run just now?”

“Ahaha, what are you talking about…”

I mean, isn’t that a totally normal human reaction to danger?

Of course, she didn’t dare say that aloud. Instead, she smiled and said, “It’s called role-play! Just standing around would’ve been boring, right?”

“Come on, don’t all the best stories involve a chase? Let me break it down for you—Tom and Jerry, Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, Ultraman and the little monsters…”

“Don’t change the subject.” Ling Yuexi frowned and cut her off. She’d only wanted to teach this person a lesson—why was she getting dragged into cartoons?

Su Cheng’s smile froze. She sighed inwardly—this one’s definitely harder to fool than Hu Ziyuan…

It appears that she was left with no other option. 

“I was wrong.” Suddenly, her expression became sincere and her voice filled with regret. “I promise I’ll never—ah!”

Before she could finish, Ling Yuexi suddenly yanked open her collar and sank her teeth into her skin.

Back then, those little lies Cheng Su  told were barely worth reacting to. But now? Is she still plotting behind her back with Hu Ziyuan?

The more Su Cheng tried to squirm away, the harder she was bitten. The grip tightened around her entire body, preventing her from moving at all.

Just like a vampire starved for a hundred years.

“It hurts…” Su Cheng’s voice trembled, almost crying.

What the hell—was this woman partly dog?! Biting again?!

“Hmph.” Hearing her cry out, Ling Yuexi finally let go. She glanced at Su Cheng’s neck.

… She didn’t even break the skin, and yet she’s already crying like this?

Her eyes landed on the silver necklace tucked under the collar. A flicker of curiosity crossed her mind. She almost reached out to pull it out for a look—but then remembered the earlier confrontation and shoved her curiosity aside.

Her voice went cold. “Still planning to lie to me?”

Su Cheng’s eyes filled with tears. She shut them tightly and shook her head over and over, “No, no more lies!”

She was so terrified that she thought her neck was about to break!

Seeing her reaction, Ling Yuexi’s expression finally softened a bit. She cupped Su Cheng’s cheek and slowly toyed with her earlobe.

“Then be honest with me…”

???

That question instantly made Su Cheng nervous. Her lashes fluttered. She opened her eyes, met those clear jade-green ones, and stammered, “H-Honest about what…?”

She hadn’t done anything too suspicious under Hong Xiu Zhao’s watch. She was sure she’d hidden her tracks well.

Besides, she was already acting super submissive—well, not entirely an act; that was just who she was.

So… what did this woman actually find out?

A cold breeze stirred a few strands of silver hair. Ling Yuexi’s gaze turned to frost as she asked icily, “Have you ever kissed anyone before?”

…Huh???

That’s it?

Su Cheng, who was already preparing to spin up a whole new set of lies, froze completely.

What the hell kind of question was that?

But the woman in front of her wasn’t joking. Her cold stare locked her in place, leaving no room to escape. Even the air around her felt icy.

Su Cheng blinked her tear-filled eyes and replied honestly, “…No.”

How could a single dog like her have kissed anyone?

Ling Yuexi watched her closely. Su Cheng didn’t show any panic; instead, she relaxed a little with a perfectly natural expression.

No kiss experience… then why…

“Were you impressed by my kissing skills?” Su Cheng felt the grip on her loosen slightly and seized the moment to grab Ling Yuexi’s hand with a grin. “Isn’t kissing something people just know how to do? Who needs a teacher?”

Come on, someone her age has watched enough videos already! (cough—not that kind!)

“Come on, I’ve never eaten pork, but I’ve seen pigs run!”

Give her a little sunshine and she’ll shine—yep, that’s Su Cheng. Who would’ve thought this was the same girl crying from pain just now?

She said it like it was the most natural thing in the world, but Ling Yuexi frowned, looking none too pleased.

That sulky, childlike expression seemed to say, “Why are you better than me?”

“You really didn’t lie to me?” Ling Yuexi shot her a sidelong glance, suspiciously asking again.

Self-taught, really?

“I swear I didn’t…” Su Cheng was amused by her expression. She gave the girl in her arms a little squeeze and said, “My kissing skills are pretty raw too.”

Her mind had gone blank at the time—it was all impulse and, well… lust.

But—

“No need to feel bad about it. Do it a few more times and you’ll get the hang of it.”

“?”

With a crooked smile, Su Cheng hugged Ling Yuexi and turned her around, mimicking her earlier move and pinning her back against the door.

Her lips brushed lightly against hers—soft and featherlight, like handling a precious piece of art. Her lips were cautious, reverent, and devoid of any distraction or desire.

Ling Yuexi’s heart pounded with anticipation. Before she knew it, her eyes were closed too.

Their bodies pressed close. Noses brushed and fingers intertwined. Her cold hands were gradually warmed by the heat wrapped around them.

In the quiet of the night, the moon slipped behind the clouds, casting a hazy glow.

After a long moment, Su Cheng finally let go of her lips and smiled. “We’ve got all the time in the world. We can take our time exploring.”

The girl before her was basking in smug delight, looking nothing like the tearful little mess from earlier.

Ling Yuexi’s ears flushed red. She gave her a glare, pushed her away, and slipped quickly into the house.

Still running away?

Su Cheng narrowed her eyes and called toward the door, “Hey, Su-Su classmate! Say goodnight to me!”

Ling Yuexi looked up, puzzled—only to see the holographic alarm clock by the bed suddenly light up, projecting a full-scale image of Su Cheng.

A perfect 1:1 replica, completely lifelike.

The hologram “Su Cheng” seemed to sense her location, turning toward her and waving, “Good night! Secretly telling you… I’m so happy being with you. Oh, and tonight’s wind is from the southwest, going from level two to level three…”

Hearing the sounds coming from inside, Su Cheng bent over laughing, her mood soaring as she left the little courtyard.

*****

The long night dragged on. One by one, the lights in the mountain stronghold went out.

Some people, despite getting what they wanted, still tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Others, despite being alone in the wilderness, found themselves dreaming of butterflies that were sweet and unexpectedly peaceful.

—

Several more days passed after that. Su Cheng was dragged off daily to help with farm work around the village. Word was that this year’s crops were growing well, and Hong Xiu Zhao (Red Sleeve) was short on hands.

She’d been waiting for Ling Yuexi to bring up the matter of the Water Curtain Cave. After all, if they were going to rob the Dragon Domain, shouldn’t she at least get some decent gear? Could she have obtained a mech, a gun, or something similar?

But it was as if nothing had ever happened. The only times we saw Ling Yuexi were during meals.

Su Cheng raked at the dirt with a hoe—her mind was racing. Should she just ask about it herself?

The only problem was Ling Yuexi wasn’t the easiest person to fool.

“Su-Su’s not easily fooled. That little trickster’s sharp. You might as well just tell her straight,” Shi Yunqi said.

She’d already traced the trail back and figured out who set her up with the hidden liquor stash.

Fingers flying across the keyboard, she didn’t even look up. “We don’t really have any good equipment left anyway.”

“That last haul we intercepted from the Dragon Domain only had a few guns; all have been distributed already.” Currently, only Pupu’s mech is still operational.

“And when you went out again to hit them, you used up tons of ammo and only brought back some potions. Oh, and a half-destroyed Class-A mech.”

So yeah, not only was there nothing to spare, but even their own supplies were running low.

And to be honest, she’d only just now heard the full story of how Ling Yuexi ran into Cheng Su. It all felt a little too convenient.

“Have you seen her pendant?” Shi Yunqi suddenly asked, pausing to look at her seriously. “It’s made of some material I’ve never even seen before. Definitely not some cheap trinket.”

Ling Yuexi’s brows slowly furrowed. “She showed it to you?”

???

Shi Yunqi waved a hand. “That’s not the point. I’m saying the material—”

“When did you see it?”

“…”

Did that matter?

Okay… it did. Faced with Ling Yuexi’s cold gaze, Shi Yunqi surrendered.

“Just a few days ago. This happened shortly after we returned to the stronghold. You fell asleep on the way, remember? We were talking in the courtyard, and I kind of just… noticed it…”

Sensing a chill, she cleared her throat. “I didn’t touch anything, alright? I’m just saying—Cheng Su might not be as simple as she looks.”

Ling Yuexi thought that she was anything but simple.

Always lying, and poorly at that.

But with a damaged gland, what could she even do? As far as Qing Cang was concerned, someone like that was utterly useless.

Besides, a person’s eyes don’t lie.

“Forget the guns.” Ling Yuexi pulled her thoughts back. “When is the Dragon Domain making their move?”

“Still in three days, most likely,” Shi Yunqi replied, pointing at the file on the screen. “Their network just uploaded the investigation report for District 15. We haven’t cracked it yet, but I’m guessing Dawn’s going to send at least three operatives this time.”

“Apart from Suanni and Bi’an, either Yazhi or Chaofeng will probably go too.”

“Given that District 15’s already a mid-to-high-risk zone, Qing Cang will likely dispatch all four.”

That would mean three Class-A operatives and one Class-S, plus an advance unit.

“Tough team,” Ling Yuexi said. “If things go south, we retreat immediately. Safety first.”

“Agreed.” Shi Yunqi nodded. “Once Yuan and Pupu get here, we’ll finalize the route.”