Why Do All the Villains Look at Me Like This? - Chapter 80

As soon as the man spoke, Meng Xuexiao knew his disdain for the mark had been discovered.

He stole a glance at the man.

The man’s tightly pressed lips resembled a sharp blade. The smile that had once graced his face had vanished, leaving his features cold and rigid.

He looked exactly like a deity statue in a temple, poised to deliver divine punishment at any moment.

Meng Xuexiao had previously feared the man’s smiles, sensing an underlying danger in them, like a great white shark lurking in the deep sea. When they bared their teeth in a smile, it was precisely when they were preparing to strike.

But now, he… still found the man’s unsmiling demeanor even more terrifying.

Meng Xuexiao knew he should say something, at least to salvage the situation. But when he touched the intensely present mark on his collarbone, he dared not utter a word.

He was never good at pretense. If the man were to discern his true thoughts again, he didn’t know how he would die.

As he wrestled with his doubts, the mark on his neck suddenly turned icy cold, as if someone had pressed a block of ice against his collarbone.

Meng Xuexiao jolted upright.

Could this so-called “mark” not be proof of the man’s earlier “promise,” but rather some kind of long-range control mechanism?

Like the explosive marks he’d once seen in Federation Military Academy textbooks.

Those marks could be detonated with a mere thought from the person who had branded them, the resulting shockwave capable of instantly blowing off the wearer’s entire head.

So, was the strange sensation on his neck just now because the Silver-Haired Man had activated the mark…?

Meng Xuexiao’s entire body tensed instantly, his mind instinctively beginning the final countdown to detonation.

But then, whether it was his imagination or not, the icy cold sensation vanished as quickly as it had appeared, disappearing without a trace.

Then, a completely unfamiliar emotion surged within him.

It was as if someone were frowning deeply in his heart, a mixture of confusion and… perhaps even a hint of… helplessness?!

But… why would he feel helpless?

At a time like this, he should be too tense and frightened to feel anything else…

Unless…

This emotion wasn’t coming from himself.

But… such an ability was exceedingly rare.

Could it be Raven?

Meng Xuexiao glanced over and met Raven’s gaze head-on. Seemingly pleased that his ally had acknowledged him, Raven’s eyes sparkled with a hint of excitement.

This emotion clashed entirely with the one Meng Xuexiao had just sensed, so… it couldn’t be Raven.

If not Raven, then the only other possibility was…

But… how could that be?

What had just happened… what about it would make the Silver-Haired Man frown?

Powerful individuals always maintained their composure!

But… a flicker of curiosity remained. He still wanted to glance over and confirm…

His gaze shifted imperceptibly, inching closer to the Silver-Haired Man.

The man’s expression seemed unchanged, still radiating an aura of unapproachability.

Yet, the moment Meng Xuexiao’s eyes met his, Meng Xuexiao suddenly felt the downward spiral of his emotions subtly… lift.

It was like a pet dog sulking with its owner, its body turned away, but its tail wagging slightly at the owner’s casual glance.

A few seconds later, Meng Xuexiao finally realized what he had been thinking…

Oh God, was he just comparing this man to a sulking pet dog?!

Seriously? What on earth does this have to do with the Silver-Haired Man in front of him?! They’re worlds apart!

This guy could end my life with a single breath!

But if these emotions truly originated from the Silver-Haired Man, why hadn’t Meng Xuexiao sensed them before? Or was it all because of that mark?

If so… could the man sense his emotions?

Meng Xuexiao waited several minutes, then concluded… probably not. Otherwise, given his active mind, the man would likely have crushed him long ago.

A supreme powerhouse would never tolerate a weakling freely harboring malicious thoughts about them.

Truth be told, this connection felt like a leash… and the mark like a collar clamped around his neck…

No, wait. If it was a one-way transmission of emotions… or rather, if the Silver-Haired Man was exposing his emotions to Meng Xuexiao…

From any angle, it seemed…

He was the one holding the leash.

Meng Xuexiao suddenly recalled a passage from the Original Work. In that scene, the Protagonist, driven to desperation, had no choice but to beg his Mentor for protection.

To demonstrate his sincerity, the Protagonist offered to leave a mark on his Mentor that would allow the Mentor to sense his emotions.

At that moment, the Protagonist knelt on one knee, clutching his Mentor’s wrist, “Please, please grant me your protection!”

“Once the mark is placed, you’ll sense even the slightest ill thought in my mind, even for a single second! It’s like being tethered by a chain—if you pull east, I can’t go west!”

Once the mark was granted, it meant absolute spiritual transparency, the Protagonist’s entire being laid bare before another. By taking this step, he had truly risked everything.

Yet the being he implored withdrew his hand without a word, “Troublesome.”

Even as a superior being, sensing another’s emotions was deemed troublesome.

For some reason, Meng Xuexiao felt that this word… perfectly matched the Silver-Haired Man’s expression.

That perpetually sour face… didn’t it practically scream “Troublesome”?

“Yao Huai…?”

The name slipped out almost involuntarily.

It was the name of the Protagonist’s Mentor in the Original Work.

With the same silver hair and eyes as the man before him, Yao Huai was a formidable figure who had dominated much of the novel.

The reincarnated god, who had single-handedly turned the tide in countless brutal wars, was personally endorsed by the protagonist as the final hope for this irredeemable world.

Even in the moment the protagonist closed his eyes in death, he dreamed of this figure cleaning up his messes and restoring humanity’s glory.

“What…?”

This time, it wasn’t just a feeling that struck Meng Xuexiao’s heart. The silver-haired man had spoken, his brow furrowing even deeper.

So… I was mistaken after all, right?

For some reason, Meng Xuexiao suddenly felt a wave of relief.

If this incredibly dangerous-looking man truly were the protagonist’s highly popular and undeniably righteous mentor from the novel, he would have felt utterly disillusioned.

“No, no, no, it’s nothing. You must have misheard me,” Meng Xuexiao quickly shook his head, desperate to escape this awkward moment.

Then, he remembered the man’s earlier words. Had he tacitly approved Meng Xuexiao’s entry into the school?

He decided to slip into the school right away, hoping to change the subject and make the other party forget about the name incident.

With a quick fingerprint and facial scan, he dashed into the Federation Military Academy. Raven and the Silver-Haired Man were left with only the young man’s retreating figure and the “beep-beep-beep” of the student identification machine at the Alliance Military Academy gate.

Raven clicked his tongue softly. These school gate devices were no match for him.

He stepped forward, about to pass through the gate, when a male voice called out from behind him, “Yao Huai?”

The Silver-Haired Man repeated the name with perfect pronunciation, even mimicking the tone Meng Xuexiao had used when mentioning it earlier.

Then, he asked, “Raven, who is Yao Huai?”

Raven paused, as if hesitating and struggling with something. Only when the Silver-Haired Man’s eyes narrowed did he seem to finally make up his mind.

“Actually, telling you wouldn’t matter. After all, Yao Huai is incredibly important to Meng Xuexiao, his presence overwhelming. Even Zhuoyue, Huai Sui, and… even I pale in comparison.”

“So, what do you say? Want to join me in tearing Yao Huai to shreds… Main Body?”

Raven extended an olive branch, his eyes gleaming with rare sincerity. But the Silver-Haired Man lowered his gaze, dismissing Raven’s invitation and Raven himself as if they were nothing.

“Yao Huai…”

He murmured the name again, as if savoring it, trying to dissect every syllable and understand its essence.

Ignored, Raven clenched his fists at his sides, tightening and releasing, then tightening and releasing again. Finally, he decided not to waste any more time and strode into the Federal Army Barracks.

The moment his back was turned to the Silver-Haired Man, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

Who was Yao Huai? He didn’t actually know.

But that didn’t stop him from… using the name to annoy the Main Body.

…

Inside the Federation Military Academy.

The Federation Military Academy remained unchanged from Meng Xuexiao’s memories. Small groups of students were still scattered throughout the campus.

At that moment, a group of students stood before him.

Hearing someone enter the academy, the students, who had been engaged in a heated discussion, turned to look at Meng Xuexiao. They must have been waiting for someone, because they immediately blurted out, “Senior Zheng Qian—”

Meng Xuexiao hadn’t heard the name “Zheng Qian” before, but that was understandable. After all, he had been away for so long that even the new freshmen at the Alliance Military Academy had already enrolled.

However, Meng Xuexiao was certain he didn’t resemble this so-called “Senior Zheng Qian.” The students’ chatter abruptly ceased after their initial glance.

They scrutinized Meng Xuexiao from head to toe, then hissed, “Is he a senior, too? He’s really handsome… How come we’ve never heard of him before?”

They whispered excitedly among themselves before quickly realizing another fact.

This person, who seemed to be a senior, was apparently… F-Class?

Their earlier enthusiasm instantly turned to sighs and pity.

After all, F-Class essentially meant zero talent. At the Federation Military Academy, every step was a struggle. Even if they managed to graduate, they wouldn’t survive long in the outside world.

For someone like this, an overly striking appearance was more of a burden than an asset.

Meng Xuexiao didn’t say a word about their change in attitude. In fact, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.

How familiar this situation is! Just like when I first entered the Federation Military Academy!

He truly, undeniably, had returned!

Meng Xuexiao trembled with excitement, but just then, a hand pressed down on his shoulder.

“Let’s go,” a cold male voice said.

The hand’s owner exerted slight pressure, firmly urging Meng Xuexiao to push forward a few steps, their gazes clashing directly with the pitying looks of the small group.

“Ah, wait!” Meng Xuexiao blurted out instinctively, but when he met those unwavering silver eyes, he chose to close his mouth.

Then the other party spoke, “You returned to the Federation Military Academy just for this?”

Ah…?

Meng Xuexiao’s mind went blank. He couldn’t immediately grasp what the “this” referred to.

Could it be… his staring blankly at the small group?

Come to think of it… was he really daydreaming just now? Well, even if it was just because he was too excited, his current behavior could certainly be interpreted as standing motionless in place…

Let’s just pretend I was daydreaming…

So, the Silver-Haired Man thought his “daydreaming” was boring and a waste of time?

That must be it!

Meng Xuexiao had noticed that since entering the campus, the Silver-Haired Man’s emotions had become more volatile, and he seemed to be talking much more than before. Was it all because he was impatient?

Seeing the young man frozen in place, taking ages to respond, the Silver-Haired Man couldn’t help but frown slightly.

Any young beast, when frightened, would instinctively seek refuge in the place that offered them the greatest sense of security. He had once speculated that the young man before him was no different.

When Meng Xuexiao mentioned returning to the Federation Military Academy, the Silver-Haired Man immediately assumed it was the young man’s sanctuary.

Even moments before stepping onto the academy grounds, he still held this belief.

But now…

What exactly was that look in their eyes?

Pitying, sighing, as if they were gazing at a tree destined to wither before its time.

As far as he knew, every Young Beast, when in a place of absolute safety, was either a little tyrant or a little prince or princess, the center of attention, cherished and pampered.

He couldn’t understand why Meng Xuexiao would insist on returning to such a place.

Even if they went anywhere else—the Federation, the Empire, even the Empire’s Royal Capital—he could ensure Meng Xuexiao…

Wait.

A flicker of darkness crossed his silver pupils.

The name Meng Xuexiao had murmured—”Yao Huai”—echoed in the Silver-Haired Man’s mind.

And Raven’s earlier words resurfaced, “Yao Huai is incredibly important to Meng Xuexiao, his presence overwhelming. Even Zhuoyue, Huai Sui, and… myself… pale in comparison.”

Meng Xuexiao returned to the Federation Military Academy…

Was it because of Yao Huai?