Why Do All the Villains Look at Me Like This? - Chapter 52

Taking back the Tribute was perfectly reasonable, but… had he come to the wrong place?

Su Xian had long known he would clash with Huai Sui over the Tribute. One sought to protect it, the other to destroy it, and this time and place seemed utterly inappropriate.

In fact, he had just been rushing to reach the Tribute’s location as quickly as possible.

Having risen to the rank of Major General, Su Xian possessed a detective-like intuition. Before he could consciously process it, his brain had already begun to piece together the answer.

But… this was absurd! Utter nonsense!

How could Meng Xuexiao possibly be the Tribute? The Alien Beasts’ aesthetic sense was notoriously twisted!

Especially Zhuoyue, the one who had acquired the Tribute. He was either obsessed with gold and silver blocks or favored dazzling jewels that could blind a person.

In Su Xian’s imagination, the so-called Tribute must be some hideous creature with a face as square as a gold brick, skin plastered with gaudy makeup and shimmering silver powder and draped in gaudy jewelry!

Hmm, that’s right. That’s exactly how it should be!

So, Huai Sui was definitely using a feint, a diversionary tactic to lure Su Xian away from the precious Tribute!

Just wait until I find that ugly bastard, Su Xian thought, then I’ll slap Huai Sui’s scheming face so hard!

With unwavering conviction, Su Xian’s voice steadied. He pressed the communicator in his ear, his voice dripping with Su’s sense, “Have you located the Tribute?”

On the other end was his trusted subordinate, a partner of several years. During Su Xian’s infiltration missions, this subordinate would always remain stationed a few kilometers away.

The moment Su Xian decided to abandon stealth, he signaled his subordinate, indicating the mission was over and the target could be eliminated.

On a small hill a few dozen meters away, a man’s fingers tapped repeatedly on a tracking device. Beside him lay a long-range penetrating weapon, already calibrated—the Federation’s pinnacle of technology, guaranteed to kill with a single shot.

Hearing Su Xian’s calm, captivating voice, the man paused momentarily, stunned.

Our Boss is still as charismatic as ever! Like a cheetah poised to strike, he pounces with precision, delivering a fatal blow!

The man’s expression sharpened, and he immediately replied, “I already had someone install a surveillance device on the Tribute. The results should be available any minute now.”

Almost as he spoke, the tracker’s progress bar reached its end.

The man glanced casually at the screen, preparing to report as usual, when he nearly bit his tongue.

“Su… Major General Su, you’re not playing with me, are you? You’ve already eliminated the Tribute, haven’t you…?”

Su Xian frowned, “…What’s going on?”

On the other end of the line, the man’s face still wore a look of shock, “You… you’re in the same place as the Tribute! Only five meters away!”

In the same room, five meters…?

How is that possible?!

Su Xian abruptly looked up, scanning his surroundings.

Had Su Xian’s vigilance dulled? He hadn’t even detected someone hiding within five meters!

The mecha immediately activated its self-defense diagnostics. A flat schematic of the entire interior appeared before Su Xian.

The mecha’s interior was empty, with only two positions marked, Su Xian’s own and Meng Xuexiao’s.

Meng Xuexiao’s distance from Su Xian was precisely indicated, exactly five meters.

Su Xian, “……”

…Fuck!

Wait, it really is Meng Xuexiao?!

But Meng Xuexiao isn’t the type of person an Alien Beast would typically favor!

At that moment, Meng Xuexiao, perhaps sensing something, bit his lip and cautiously observed Su Xian. His eyes, clear and distinct like freshly peeled longans, were moist and luminous.

…Fuckfuckfuck!

Suddenly, the idea of Meng Xuexiao as a tribute didn’t seem so absurd…

Su Xian felt the world spinning around him.

Why, of all times, does the Alien Beast’s Godforsaken sense of aesthetics suddenly decide to straighten itself out?!

This is a disaster, a disaster!

The man’s hands clenched so tightly his fingernails nearly dug into his flesh, his lips pressed into a thin, unyielding line. Su Xian’s lips were naturally thin, and now, pressed together, they made him look utterly unapproachable.

Meng Xuexiao watched helplessly, completely at a loss for what to do.

Just my luck… what I feared most has come to pass.

He could feel Su Xian’s gaze locked firmly onto him. If looks could kill, he had no doubt he’d already be pinned four or five inches deep into the mecha’s deck plating.

His guilt was overwhelming, his toes curling involuntarily.

Even if he had confessed earlier, it would have been better than having Huai Sui and Su Xian team up to expose his identity!

At least that way… he could have died with a shred of dignity…

Now, in Su Xian’s eyes, he wasn’t just a Tribute to be eliminated, but also someone deliberately concealing his true nature.

The hatred directed at him had doubled, no, tripled…

Meng Xuexiao instinctively tried to shrink back, but a sharp tug on his waist yanked him back into his seat, his back bumping against the passenger seat.

He hissed softly, pulled roughly back into his seat, his back bumping against the passenger seat.

Here it comes! The consequences of Su Xian’s hatred doubling, then doubling again!

Is Su Xian about to attack?!

Meng Xuexiao frantically looked up, only to find Su Xian standing motionless in the same spot.

Then… what was happening?

Hesitantly, he glanced down and finally noticed the seatbelt stretched across his waist. Su Xian had thoughtfully instructed the Mecha to fasten it earlier.

Now, the seatbelt bound Meng Xuexiao like an umbilical cord, protecting him from being thrown from the Mecha while simultaneously constricting his space.

What was meant to protect him had become a cage.

Meng Xuexiao found the irony bitter.

If the seatbelt weren’t inanimate, he might have imagined it mocking his relationship with Su Xian.

He thought he had been saved, only to be thrown back into the wolf’s den…

Meng Xuexiao forced himself to stay calm. If he panicked first, he would be completely at Su Xian’s mercy.

But…

Thump-thump… Thump-thump…

The violent pounding of his heart echoed relentlessly, each beat throbbing painfully in Meng Xuexiao’s ears.

He couldn’t stop it.

His body refused to obey him. It wasn’t as simple as choosing not to be afraid.

The faintest sounds amplified infinitely in Meng Xuexiao’s perception.

For a moment, he even imagined Su Xian and Huai Sui, standing nearby, could hear his cursed heartbeat.

Those two… they’ll laugh at me.

Su Xian did indeed falter slightly at the sound of the frantic heartbeat, and Huai Sui instinctively tilted his head toward Meng Xuexiao.

But just as he was about to fully turn, Huai Sui abruptly halted the movement. His sharp claws dug deeper into the mecha’s hull.

I still have things to do. I can’t… not yet.

Then, Huai Sui chuckled casually, his forked tongue flicking like a viper’s as he turned to Su Xian.

“What’s wrong, Major General Su? So surprised? The mission objective was far away, but now it’s right here. Saves us a lot of trouble, doesn’t it? Makes me almost envious.”

Every word from the silver-white dragon struck Meng Xuexiao’s heart with surgical precision, like a sinister hand pushing the young man toward the peak of his anxiety.

Meng Xuexiao couldn’t help but grip the bothersome seatbelt tighter.

He understood the logic behind Huai Sui’s words, but Huai Sui had chosen to brutally tear away the last pretense, throwing the cruelest truth in his face.

Leaving him without even the slightest possibility of self-deception.

Su Xian would undoubtedly kill him; there was no other possibility.

Forget the Federal Military Department, even the Federation Military Academy emphasized that completing missions was every cadet’s sacred duty. In past years, there had been numerous cases of students being injured or disabled while fulfilling their missions. Yet those students showed no lingering fear, instead taking pride in their sacrifices.

When faced with missions of such grave importance, they always humbled themselves, becoming utterly subservient.

Su Xian must be the same. When he had spoken to Meng Xuexiao earlier, he had already stressed the mission’s critical nature.

Trying to persuade Su Xian to abandon it was almost impossible.

Meng Xuexiao truly regretted his decision.

If he had refused when Su Xian grabbed his arm and said, “Come with me,” none of this would have happened.

Now, he was like a live sheep roasting on a spit, forced to watch himself burn to death piece by piece.

Watching the scene unfold, the silver-white dragon couldn’t help but smirk.

Its physical structure closely resembled that of a snake, with vision that wasn’t particularly sharp but an exceptionally keen sense of perception. Its body was essentially the ultimate infrared sensing machine.

This unique physiology allowed it to see directly through flesh and bone, revealing Meng Xuexiao’s heart within.

The heart fluttered like a trapped kitten, a vibrant crimson gem in Huai Sui’s eyes. Even without touching it, Huai Sui could practically feel the heat radiating from it.

The adorable little organ looked plump and round, its rhythmic contractions making one itch to poke it with a finger.

It was the most beautiful thermal silhouette of a heart Huai Sui had ever seen, like a pigeon-blood ruby pulsing with life, tempting him to… cradle it in his palm and play with it.

Huai Sui’s sharp claws twitched involuntarily. Unable to touch Meng Xuexiao, he settled for scratching the mecha’s armor to satisfy his tactile urge.

But the mecha’s shell couldn’t withstand the force of a dragon’s claw in such a state of excitement. It tore and peeled apart in mere moments, leaving a mangled mess.

The sudden turn of events in the banquet hall had taken him by surprise.

There he sat amidst the fiery explosions, propping his chin on one hand as he watched Meng Xuexiao’s retreating figure shrink into the distance.

Throughout the entire event, Huai Sui remained motionless, his eyes fixed on Meng Xuexiao’s retreating figure.

He wondered if, at any moment, Meng Xuexiao might turn back to look at him.

Deep down, Huai Sui still harbored a sliver of hope, like a child unwrapping a blind box, fantasizing about finding the rare hidden figure.

But it never happened.

Meng Xuexiao never looked back.

After years of being Duke, Huai Sui felt a pang of frustration for the first time, tinged with a hint of resentment.

He couldn’t understand. He had meticulously planned the entire banquet to help Meng Xuexiao relax, yet Meng Xuexiao had instead chosen to follow Su Xian.

Did Meng Xuexiao truly believe Su Xian was a good person?

That man was nothing more than a dog of the Federal Military Department, willing to do anything to complete his missions!

Su Xian’s hands were already stained with countless lives. By following him, Meng Xuexiao would only add more blood to those hands.

If Meng Xuexiao couldn’t see through Su Xian and insisted on following him, Huai Sui would help him open his eyes to Su Xian’s true nature.

Then, Meng Xuexiao would obediently return to his side, wouldn’t he?

Almost simultaneously, a voice crackled through Su Xian’s communicator. His subordinate was practically bursting with excitement, but to Su Xian, still dazed, the words sounded muffled, as if filtered through water, “Major General Su, our weapons are locked on. If that Tribute isn’t completely dead, we’re ready to fire at any moment!”

Ready… ready for what?

Su Xian’s mind was elsewhere, still mulling over Huai Sui’s earlier speech.

Damn it! Don’t think twisting your words will hide your true intentions!

You think you can snatch Meng Xuexiao away and keep him as some kind of offering?

An Alien Beast whose sense of aesthetics Meng Xuexiao just straightened out? You’re dreaming!

If anyone’s going to be worshipped, it’s Meng Xuexiao in my Legion.

Giving him whatever he wants? Anyone can do that!

Su Xian’s prolonged silence made his subordinate uneasy. He repeated his message but still received no response.

Instantly on alert, the subordinate asked, “Major General Su… what’s wrong? Is there an emergency?”

Major General Su had always been the Military Department’s elite, renowned for his exceptional execution and effortless command of missions. He would never fail to respond.

It seemed the battle over the Tribute was fiercely contested.

He paced anxiously.

What if those cunning Alien Beasts have ambushed Major General Su?!

If the battlefield were in space, we’d have no concerns. In Federation territory, we’d be guaranteed victory!

My subordinates shared this unwavering faith in General Su.

But… this was the Imperial Capital, the Alien Beasts’ home turf. We held no advantage here.

Gritting my teeth, he made my decision.

“Major General Su, I’ll eliminate the Tribute immediately!”

Automatic targeting engaged. Unlocking…

A red targeting dot suddenly appeared on Meng Xuexiao’s forehead. The weapon locks on the armor-piercing laser began to disengage one by one, finally firing in the targeted direction.

A small hole, as thin as the laser itself, instantly appeared in the indestructible Mecha. The laser pierced through it as easily as through paper, hurtling straight toward Meng Xuexiao.

The blinding light nearly bleached the color from Meng Xuexiao’s eyes. Clinging to a final sliver of hope, the young man yanked desperately at the seatbelt.

What if… this thing lets go?

But the gods of fate offered no mercy.

The seatbelt’s edge dug deep into his flesh, its taut strands leaving a series of painful, crescent-shaped indentations on his fingers. It wouldn’t budge.

It’s over.

That thought flashed through Meng Xuexiao’s mind like a final, desperate prayer.

Then, in the next instant, a bronze arm reappeared before him, just as it had once firmly grasped his hand at the banquet.

The force of a 2S-Class physique instantly tore the seemingly indestructible seatbelt in two. One limp end fell to the floor, while the other, freed from its restraint, snapped back into its buckle with a sharp click.

At the same moment, Su Xian’s subordinates nearby finally heard his voice.

The bronze-skinned man panted, his voice hoarse, as if suppressing something with all his might.

“Stop! Order rescinded!”

“He… he’s not a Tribute.”