Why Do All the Villains Look at Me Like This? - Chapter 78

“Tsk, could this be the legendary ‘losing face and flying into a rage’?”

Raven slid a considerable distance before managing to stop. He had dissipated much of the force from the sudden shove, but the gap between him and Meng Xuexiao had still widened.

At this moment, Raven’s expression was far from pleasant, “I’m genuinely surprised. I didn’t think you were capable of such an emotion as ‘losing face and flying into a rage’?”

Again and again, the splitting. Again and again, the slicing.

Having briefly connected with the main consciousness, Raven had glimpsed a fragment of its memories.

The main consciousness had personally carved open its own body, dividing flesh and skin. Screams and wails echoed endlessly, but the voice wasn’t the main consciousness’s own—it was the world’s consciousness.

Each cry was like a plea, a desperate attempt to hold on.

The world had been created by the main consciousness and sustained by its power. If the main consciousness perished, the world would naturally collapse with it.

At that time, the world—representing all living beings within it—struggled and begged for the creator’s last shred of mercy.

“Let it be.”

This was the creator’s response.

As always, calm and indifferent.

Caring neither for itself nor for others.

If that was the case, then what was this performance now?

What about the entity that claims to care about nothing?

Is it really chasing Meng Xuexiao relentlessly just because he’s the only one who can resist its innate aura?

This is absurd… A man with one foot in the grave suddenly cares about this and keeps taking his anger out on Meng Xuexiao—

“I get it. You can’t stand losing, can you?”

This was truly… every word a dagger to the heart.

The kind of remark that would make even Meng Xuexiao’s head ache.

Meng Xuexiao struggled to turn his head, wanting to see Raven’s expression. But the invisible hand gripping his face remained, allowing him only a slight turn before his face froze in place.

Damn it! The Silver-Haired Man must be even angrier now! Is it too late to claim I don’t know Raven?!

Even though his earlier concessions had proven futile, surely they wouldn’t swing from one extreme to another?!

Raven’s sharp tongue and blatant provocation were practically begging for their immediate demise!

As expected, Meng Xuexiao watched the Silver-Haired Man, who was now inches away, lift his eyelids slightly.

It was a subtle movement, yet it spoke volumes.

Shut up, shut up, shut up!

Just shut up already, Raven!

Please, please, please, stop talking!

Meng Xuexiao was genuinely praying from the bottom of his heart, his lips moving rapidly like a young monk chanting sutras in a temple.

He paused at a particular word, and that familiar, unnerving sensation of being watched washed over him again.

Sure enough, the Silver-Haired Man’s eyes turned toward him.

Meng Xuexiao had just finished mouthing the “mouth” of “shut up” when he quickly swallowed the rest of the words. He gave the man an awkward smile, then pursed his lips and nodded, gesturing that his earlier “shut up” was definitely not directed at Him.

Raven had already said too much. Meng Xuexiao didn’t want to add fuel to the man’s anger through any misunderstanding.

Despite his efforts, Meng Xuexiao’s heart pounded with anxiety. After all, with his face still pinched by the man’s hand, he must have looked like he was baring his teeth in a grimace. He couldn’t be sure if the man would understand his gestures.

In the end, he decided to explain himself again. If the man couldn’t hear him clearly, he would use hand gestures as well.

Better safe than sorry.

“Uh, that… I…”

Each word emerged clearly, bouncing through the air syllable by syllable. His lips moved freely, no longer obstructed.

Meng Xuexiao froze, belatedly realizing that the invisible hand… had released its grip.

When exactly did that happen?

Never mind!

Meng Xuexiao glanced at the Silver-Haired Man, who peered back at him through half-lidded eyes, showing no immediate intention of making further moves.

He took this as a sign that the man was willing to give them another chance.

Without hesitation, Meng Xuexiao charged straight toward Raven.

At that moment, Raven hadn’t noticed him. His eyes were fixed intently on the Silver-Haired Man, his neck craned upward, and his wings began to twitch slightly from side to side—a subconscious display of aggression, like a male bird instinctively trying to drive away a rival.

Just as Raven opened his beak to speak again, Meng Xuexiao lunged forward, spreading his arms wide and wrapping them around Raven from behind…

No, more accurately, he had grabbed… Raven’s golden beak.

The sudden warmth on his beak made Raven’s pupils contract. His mercenary instincts surged, urging him to retaliate, but reason forcibly suppressed the impulse.

A bird’s acute hearing could easily distinguish the heartbeat pressed against his back—it belonged to… Meng Xuexiao.

The young man had…actively hugged him again.

No, this time was different from the last. This time, Meng Xuexiao had truly taken the initiative, without Raven even needing to ask.

Even knowing the situation was critical, Raven’s mind couldn’t help but go blank for a split second.

The young man’s hands overlapped tightly over Raven’s mouth, pressing down firmly. Raven could even feel the lines on his palms and the slight trembling caused by his nervousness.

But Meng Xuexiao’s technique for covering Raven’s mouth was far from professional. It was clear he had no experience kidnapping people.

As a mercenary, Raven knew over a dozen ways to speak even with his mouth covered. Yet, at that moment, he remained silent.

He knew Meng Xuexiao had something to say.

Sure enough, Meng Xuexiao spoke the next moment, “Stop talking! Apologize to them right now!”

Wait… what?!

Apologize to them?!

For a moment, Raven wondered if his hearing was failing him.

Was he hearing this right? He was supposed to apologize?!

Whose side were they even on?!

Shouldn’t the real apology come from the Silver-Haired Man—the capricious, unreasonable, and dominant newcomer?!

Raven immediately stopped playing dead. He grabbed Meng Xuexiao’s hand, which was covering his mouth, and tried to pull it aside.

The force he used carried an undeniable edge, completely overpowering Meng Xuexiao’s strength. If this continued…

Sigh, why is Raven being so stubborn?

Forced to act, the young man stood on tiptoe and leaned close to the agitated man’s ear, whispering urgently, “Are you crazy?!”

With Raven’s sharp hearing, he could clearly hear the young man grinding his teeth.

“I know you hate being subservient, but we have no choice right now! This Silver-Haired Man has you completely pinned down. We can’t win in a direct confrontation. We’re better off waiting for an opportunity!”

Completely pinned down? What on earth is he talking about?

Raven had no idea what Meng Xuexiao meant, but then a sudden realization struck him…

Could Meng Xuexiao be referring to when I hid behind him earlier?!

The thought left Raven feeling both amused and exasperated.

Raven had only intended to feign poor eyesight to earn a bit more of the young man’s sympathy. Now, he’d completely shot himself in the foot!

But if he admitted to Meng Xuexiao that he’d been faking…

Raven couldn’t help but recall the moment the young man had directly led him into a trap. Maybe I should just let it go… right?

This is really letting the main body off easy…

Wait a minute…

Raven’s pupils constricted sharply.

Could this “easy out” have been the main body’s plan all along?

His memories rewound like a film, freezing on the moment he’d hidden behind Meng Xuexiao. At that time, the main body’s lips had seemed to… twitch imperceptibly upward.

That expression… it was clear the main body had known that during their argument, Meng Xuexiao would unwaveringly side with Him and force Raven to apologize.

The previously agitated Raven fell silent instantly, and Meng Xuexiao breathed a sigh of relief. Looks like I finally convinced him.

Now, the only remaining issue was…

He glanced at the Silver-Haired Man, his heart still pounding with anxiety. The memory of his first failure remained vivid in his mind.

By then, Meng Xuexiao had already formed a united front with Raven. To prevent Raven from being targeted and creating a “lips gone, teeth cold” situation for himself, he chose to feign weakness, shifting some of the pressure Raven was enduring onto himself.

Despite adopting a remarkably humble posture at the time, he had only provoked the Silver-Haired Man’s fury, and Raven had been attacked once again.

What about this time?

Was his posture… truly humble enough?

He had to protect both himself and Raven.

With this thought, Meng Xuexiao couldn’t resist pressing Raven’s head down further. In the etiquette of apology, the lower one bowed, the greater the sincerity conveyed.

Then he heard a faint, low sound—a chuckle?

Meng Xuexiao couldn’t help but glance up, catching the Silver-Haired Man’s slightly curved eyebrows and eyes.

He was… actually smiling.

Not angry at all.

Meng Xuexiao felt utterly baffled by the man before him. Logically, his posture had been far humbler the last time. Back then, they had not only acted humbly but had even conceded tangible benefits. This time, however, it was merely Raven’s lowered head and apology.

As expected, the Silver-Haired Man is still more interested in Raven.

It seemed he would need to pay even closer attention to Raven’s words and actions in the future.

But still… it was truly strange.

If the Silver-Haired Man was more interested in Raven, why… why was his gaze fixed solely on him?

He hadn’t spared Raven even a fleeting glance.

It was as if the Silver-Haired Man’s pleasure stemmed not from Raven’s apology, but from the fact that Meng Xuexiao had forced Raven to apologize.

What was going on here…?

Normal people would care about the outcome, not the process of choosing sides, right?

And he was the only one who had even chosen a side!

As the Silver-Haired Man had said, Meng Xuexiao was ordinary, with only an F-Class physique. His opinions were utterly insignificant—why would anyone bother trying to win him over?

He must have been mistaken after all…

But at least one thing was certain: the Silver-Haired Man was in an exceptionally good mood right now.

If that was the case, Meng Xuexiao could try to secure some benefits for himself and Raven.

He recalled the man’s earlier request to take him away.

This man clearly wasn’t someone who could be swayed by others’ decisions. Being taken away was practically a foregone conclusion. The only thing Meng Xuexiao could hope to change was the process itself.

He swallowed hard, adopting an extremely humble posture and speaking in a pleading tone, “Um… actually, if I were to go with you alone, I’d be a little scared. Could I…?”

“Could I bring Raven with me?”

Meng Xuexiao glanced at Raven.

Raven had previously expressed a strong desire to come along, but the man had ruthlessly rejected him.

I wonder if it’ll be different this time…

Regardless, Meng Xuexiao wanted to make one last attempt. After all, having another person along would provide an extra layer of security compared to traveling alone with this man.

Almost the instant the words left his mouth, Meng Xuexiao noticed the Silver-Haired Man’s previously curved eyebrows and eyes tighten slightly.

As expected, it’s still not allowed…?

This was the answer Meng Xuexiao had anticipated. After all, they were the weaker party, and the weaker party never had the right to choose.

The young man’s shoulders gradually slumped, his expression darkening. This reminded the Silver-Haired Man of the earlier scene where Meng Xuexiao had forcibly pressed Raven’s head down, making him apologize.

He knew Meng Xuexiao was only acting out of fear of his power, devising this temporary solution to buy time.

In fact, this entire situation had been orchestrated by him from the start, all to teach the previously smug Raven a lesson.

How absurd—to boast about someone stepping in front of you in a crisis?

But the moment Meng Xuexiao said, “Stop talking and apologize to him now,” the Silver-Haired Man’s attention shifted entirely to the young man’s expression, far surpassing his focus on Raven.

That cautious, probing, and slightly cunning look in Meng Xuexiao’s eyes truly conveyed a sense of vitality and life.

Originally, he had wanted to witness Raven’s reaction upon realizing he’d fallen into a trap—that stunned, belatedly fearful expression.

Yet, a single glance and a few words from Meng Xuexiao had made his eyes crinkle in amusement.

Fine, whatever. It’s just one more person to bring along.

The Silver-Haired Man nodded with restrained dignity, “Agreed.”

Meng Xuexiao blurted out almost instinctively, “Yes, yes, I know this request is terribly presumptuous. If you disagree, it’s perfectly understandable…”

His words abruptly halted, his eyes widening in disbelief.

“You agreed?”

The Silver-Haired Man couldn’t help but frown slightly.

What kind of nonsense is this?

It sounded as if the Silver-Haired Man were petty and unwilling to take even one extra person along.

He wasn’t so stingy as to begrudge the effort of carrying one more person.

“If there’s any place you want to go, you can suggest it.”

One bombshell after another nearly knocked Meng Xuexiao unconscious. The young man felt dizzy, as if he were dreaming, “Uh, do you mean… the destination for this so-called ‘trip’ can be decided by me?”

Meng Xuexiao’s excited, repetitive questions seemed to make the Silver-Haired Man slightly uncomfortable. The man involuntarily averted his gaze.

“The reason I’m taking you on this trip is simply to observe you. The destination itself is utterly unimportant to me.”

“Of course, if you have no particular place in mind—”

“No!” Meng Xuexiao immediately protested.

His reason told him that the Silver-Haired Man’s words were likely just toying with him, but at that moment, he was like a drowning man desperately clinging to a lifeline.

“I want to go back to the Federation Military Academy!”

This was the place he had longed to return to ever since being captured by the Empire.

There, he would find familiar surroundings, familiar faces, and the safest location in the entire book.

It was a pity that none of his escape attempts had succeeded. After all this time, he still hadn’t managed to return.

This time…

Returning would be ideal, of course. But if he couldn’t…

He’d grown used to it, really.

A bitter smile bloomed on Meng Xuexiao’s lips. Then, in the next instant, he heard the Silver-Haired Man speak, “Very well.”