𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬

12. the protagonist was seduced by the villain

『someone please transfer me into this vr so i can help my poor husband here (QAQ) he's just too gullible』

The next chat started to talk about Kai's wellbeing that you had to look at Chen Miao and his mother twice to search for any sign of hostility. However, you see none, especially not on the protagonist. If Chen Miao was dangerous, then how could you not know during all those stalking you did in the previous timelines? You're sure that Chen Miao is just an average protagonist without superpower, but of course, you can't say the same to his mother. After all, you barely know her. She was never there during your stalking.

"You know what," you smiled pretentiously. "I will just take Kai home with me."

Chen Miao looked visibly suprised. "You know where he lives?"

"No, but I can just ask him. No need to trouble the two of you to take care of him."

"No," the transfer student chimed in. "I don't agree. I'm not going. Especially not with a stalker and a liar like you."

Your face flushed red at his accusation. "Don't talk nonsense. Are you sure you're not describing yourself? Since I'm not the one who's peeking into his house searching for someone else's mother."

You then quickly turned to Chen Miao in case he ended up believing Kai over you.

"Chen Miao, heー he's lying. I just happened to pass by because my house is around here, I swear."

It's true. If not, then how were you able to walk home with Chen Miao in the previous timeline? That man would have freak out if you were to follow him home when your home was not even in the same direction.

However, to your suprised, the protagonist smiled gently at you. "Hmm, I believe you."

"So you're staying for the night?" The middle age woman suddenly interrupted, tilting her head at the young man clinging to her.

Kai, as usual, shamelessly nodded.

You watched helplessly as he was brought inside by that woman. Although you refused to believe something bad will happen, you can't help but became cautious after reading those chats.

"He's going to be okay right?"

"Why would he not be okay?" The protagonist tilted his head in confusion. "Anyway, I didn't know you were closed to him."

"We're not closed," you refuted. "It is simply in human's nature to be curious of a strange thing like him."

"Strange," he repeated those words, as if thinking of something. "Well, he's certainly quite strange."

You watched as the protagonist muttering to himself before your eyes went up to his head. After so longーor rather a dayーyou haven't seen those headboards popped up on top of his head yet. You wondered what could that mean. You've never experience something like this before so this timeline is quite strange and new to you.

You then were reminded of your first failure in protecting Chen Miao. On that day at the hospital, you wondered what happened. Was he kidnapped? How did he die? Was it painful? You have no way to ask him now that everything has been reset.

"Ah Miao," you stretched out your hand to rub his earlobe. "Be more careful okay? Don't forget to lock the window properly."

His blood rose to his face under your sudden touch and you could see him shyly, or maybe uncomfortably, avoiding his eyes from looking at you.  "Whaー What makes you said that?"

"I'm just worried," you sighed. "Our Chen Miao is the cutest. I'm afraid that he would be stolen by a lunatic if left him defenseless."

"Iー Youー" he seemed speechless by your sudden intimate gesture.

You quickly pulled your hand away just in case you ended up going too far. "Anyway, why are you okay with that new transfer student staying over tonight while you won't let me stay over?"

He looked taken aback by your question. "You want to stay over?"

"Of course. It's almost dusk and I don't know any self-defense. I'm afraid of going home alone," you shamelessly acted frail.

If only he knew how many times you had killed him with only bare hands.

The protagonist was as if enlightened by your statement and he hesitantly looked back at his front door before turning back to you. "Then, I will walk you home?"

The offer is tempting but you knew you can't accept it. "But if you do that, then you will have to go back home alone. Ah Miao, you're cuter than me so we need to prioritise your safety."

His face flushed from your words. "Do youー Is this how you are around everyone else?"

"What do you mean?"

"Before, you wouldn't even look my way," he pursed his lips. If you didn't know, you would have thought that he was sulking, but why would he? "But now, we've only just start talking but you're already doing this."

That familiar urge to tease him upon seeing that vulnerable expression emerged from the deepest depth of your heart. You sucked a deep breath to calm yourself down only to fail miserably.

 "Doing what?" Your fingers made its way to his hands, tracing every veins that bulged out gently.

These were the hands that would pathetically flailed around whenever you would suffocate him. Once or twice, there were times when it had the opportunity to grab a nearby weapon and kill you instead, but it never did.

Seriously, your Chen Miao is just too soft-hearted.

"This. Calling me intimately. Touching me so suddenly. Did you do this with others too?"

"Why would I?" You smiled mischievously. "They can't hold a candle to you so why would I give them the same treatment as you?"

His breath hitched at your words, seemingly shy by your boldness.