Why Do All the Villains Look at Me Like This? - Chapter 94

As Yao Huai and Meng Xuexiao had predicted, the Federal Military Department’s logistics division had indeed been attacked.

Something had torn a gaping hole in the top of the dozens-of-stories-tall building, and thick black smoke billowed from the opening, choking even at a distance.

The Federal Military Department’s massive emblem, usually prominently displayed above the entrance, now hung askew, its surface scarred with countless claw marks, resembling an oversized piece of trash.

Apart from this, an eerie silence prevailed.

There were no fire-breathing dragons like the ones Meng Xuexiao had seen above the Federation Military Academy, nor were there any screaming, fleeing humans. The scene was unmistakably that of a desolate aftermath of an attack.

Meng Xuexiao couldn’t help but wonder if they had arrived too late.

“We’re not late,” Yao Huai said slowly, glancing in a particular direction. The next moment, a bloodcurdling scream erupted from that very spot.

A colorless, transparent substance peeled rapidly down the entire building like wallpaper being stripped away, then gradually turned to ash from the bottom up.

Meng Xuexiao recognized the creature—an extremely rare Alien Beast capable of attaching itself to any structure at will.

When such a beast possessed a building, the structure would become an independent space. Those outside the space couldn’t perceive what was happening inside, while those within could observe the outside world.

This creature’s unique properties were often exploited on battlefields, especially… during covert operations.

As expected, after Yao Huai dragged the beast out and killed it, an even more agonizing, desperate, and hoarse scream erupted from within the building.

Despite the massive gash torn into its roof, the building remained cylindrical. The tormented screams were trapped inside, echoing endlessly, reverberating, and reverberating again.

Even distorted beyond recognition, Meng Xuexiao could still discern that it was a human cry. He could scarcely imagine the tortures one must endure to produce such a sound.

Just listening to it sent shivers down his spine.

If Meng Xuexiao had been alone at that moment, he would have already retreated. But now…

“Zhuoyue is up there,” Yao Huai’s voice cut through the air, flat and emotionless, as if stating a simple fact. He seemed to have ignored the piercing scream—no, more accurately, he had heard it but didn’t care.

This man seemed focused solely on the mission’s objective. After all, a person’s first reaction to a situation often reveals the hierarchy of their priorities.

And that objective was precisely Meng Xuexiao’s own.

Meng Xuexiao felt a surge of urgency, almost betraying his concern for… his objective in front of Yao Huai.

From this perspective, Yao Huai truly seemed like a reliable and dedicated partner.

Regardless of any hidden dangers he might pose, his willingness to offer wholehearted assistance in this critical moment was invaluable.

Meng Xuexiao’s gaze grew increasingly complex as he looked at the man, a flicker of guilt surfacing once more for his own lack of transparency and cautious scheming in this collaboration.

The other party was focused on hunting down the dangerous boss he wanted eliminated, while Meng Xuexiao had already preemptively assumed the possibility of betrayal.

In the dimming night, leaning against the ruins of a building so dilapidated it couldn’t possibly be more broken, with only a few scattered slivers of moonlight falling on Yao Huai’s handsome, deep-set features, he looked like a divine statue.

And at that very moment, the statue turned its head.

Noticing Meng Xuexiao’s lingering fear from the earlier scream, Yao Huai, ever the dutiful collaborator, thoughtfully suggested, “Why don’t you stay here and wait for me?”

“No way!” Meng Xuexiao stepped forward and grabbed the man’s hand.

Meng Xuexiao had indeed considered backing out earlier, but the memory of the Alien Beast Yao Huai had just captured and killed instantly dispelled that thought.

If there was one Alien Beast nearby, might there be others, or even more?

With his current strength, he stood no chance against such creatures.

“I’m going with you!” Meng Xuexiao tightened his grip on Yao Huai’s hand unconsciously, as if afraid the man might suddenly bolt.

He paused, swallowed hard, and asked, “I can trust you, right?”

The young man looked up at him, his eyes like those of a young deer, the corners slightly reddened from tension.

“Of course,” Yao Huai replied soothingly, leaning closer to Meng Xuexiao and listening to the rapid thumping of the young man’s heart, like a God listening to the prayers of his only believer. With a sigh-like, almost indulgent tone, he said, “You can trust me.”

In the end, Meng Xuexiao and Yao Huai entered the building together.

The interior was even darker than the outside. Meng Xuexiao could barely see his own fingers. With each step, he heard the crunch of his shoes pressing down on unknown objects.

Sometimes it was shards of nutrient solution glass, sometimes peeling wall fragments, and sometimes sticky, slippery, torn human flesh. Meng Xuexiao knew these were the remains of the Federation’s logistics personnel, soldiers escorting supplies, security guards, and even ordinary workers who had been employed here.

Meng Xuexiao didn’t dare guess which body parts lay beneath his feet.

Had Zhuoyue ordered these people killed? Or had he done it himself?

In the absolute darkness, everything seemed frozen. Even the bloodcurdling screams from earlier had vanished, never to be heard again. Meng Xuexiao could only maintain a blank expression, desperately trying to ignore the horrifying sensation of the foreign objects beneath his feet.

This feeling was truly torturous.

Darkness and silence could drive a person mad, especially with such things underfoot!

Meng Xuexiao recalled a sensory deprivation experiment he’d seen on television. Psychologists had placed subjects in completely silent, pitch-black rooms. Gradually, the subjects grew increasingly anxious and agitated, eventually suffering mental breakdowns.

No, I have to do something to distract myself.

But with no idea if danger lurked nearby, Meng Xuexiao didn’t even dare breathe loudly, let alone attempt anything else.

So he was left to his thoughts—

How long have we been walking? Is Zhuoyue still here? Did the Golden Giant Dragon leave after killing everyone?

By the end, he even wondered if Yao Huai was still beside him.

Meng Xuexiao’s fingers curled nervously before touching something icy cold.

Startled, he instinctively groped around. The distinct joints—it was a human hand, Yao Huai’s hand.

Only then did he suddenly realize.

It seemed… ever since Yao Huai had said, “You can trust me,” he hadn’t let go of the other man’s hand.

The building was so dark he wasn’t sure he could walk steadily, and he was afraid of getting separated…

So they had naturally continued holding hands all this way.

The fact that this hand was still here meant Yao Huai was still by his side… right?

He just couldn’t understand why, despite holding Yao Huai’s hand the entire way, Yao Huai hadn’t shown any reaction—not even the slightest resistance—to the point where Meng Xuexiao hadn’t even noticed he was still holding on.

Meng Xuexiao asked himself, If I were in this situation and someone suddenly grabbed my hand, I’d definitely be annoyed. After all, the situation was dangerous, and no one could predict what they might encounter next. Holding hands made movement awkward and was inconvenient for both Yao Huai and himself.

Torn between his thoughts, Meng Xuexiao unconsciously tightened his grip on Yao Huai’s hand.

He had always found Yao Huai’s hand too cold, like that of a cold-blooded creature. But now, he had no choice but to seek warmth from this single point of physical contact.

Then, he forced himself to loosen his fingers one by one, disentangling them from Yao Huai’s.

Though he managed to do it, his fingers trembled. In his haste, his bent knuckle accidentally bumped against the back of Yao Huai’s hand.

“Thwack.”

The soft sound of flesh against flesh echoed briefly in the semi-enclosed space.

Meng Xuexiao’s heart leaped, and sweat immediately slicked his palms.

He began to berate himself for his carelessness. What if Zhuoyue or another Alien Beast lurking in the building had heard?

In the near-total darkness, Meng Xuexiao thought he saw the man beside him tilt his head. Though he couldn’t make out the man’s expression, he was certain the man had turned to look in his direction.

Is he blaming me too? After all, the man had been diligently helping him search for Zhuoyue, and now Meng Xuexiao was slowing them down.

Then, Meng Xuexiao noticed that the hand he had half-released—Yao Huai’s hand—had slipped back between his fingers.

Meng Xuexiao froze, unsure whether to push the hand away or hold it.

In the next instant, a cool breath brushed his cheek. Meng Xuexiao knew the man had leaned closer. The metal wheels of the wheelchair pressed against his ankle, making his icy ankle go weak.

“What’s wrong?” the man murmured against his ear, his voice barely audible but echoing in Meng Xuexiao’s ear canal. “Can’t walk anymore?”

The man seemed to be pondering whether the distance they had just covered was too long for a Human.

Of course not…!

Meng Xuexiao might be F-Class, but he wasn’t that weak.

This situation was clearly…

He glared fiercely at the indistinct figure beside him.

Holding hands was incredibly inconvenient. After finally winning his internal struggle to pull his hand halfway free, the man had actually pulled it back and even spoken!

The sound of their knuckles brushing as he tried to pull away had already been loud enough. What if Zhuoyue heard them? Their silent infiltration would be for nothing, and they’d lose the element of surprise!

Though determined to confront Zhuoyue, Meng Xuexiao still preferred a cautious approach.

After all, this was Zhuoyue we were talking about.

Meng Xuexiao was practically trembling with anger, yet he dared not respond to the man’s words. In this situation, his composure was far inferior to Yao Huai’s. What if Zhuoyue hadn’t noticed Yao Huai’s earlier whisper, but happened to hear him speak now?

Left with no other option, Meng Xuexiao retaliated by squeezing Yao Huai’s hand, which was pressed firmly against his palm and still wriggling deeper between his fingers.

“Crack!”

A sharp, crisp sound exploded in his ears, making Meng Xuexiao jolt violently, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, nearly leaping to his feet.

Was that… Zhuoyue? Or some other Alien Beast?

He groped around nervously, but found no one else nearby. After searching for a while longer, he finally discovered a small pebble at his feet.

The sound had been caused by this pebble falling from the roof.

It wasn’t Zhuoyue, nor any Alien Beast.

The terror that had been building up for so long finally erupted, and the young man’s legs buckled beneath him. Yao Huai’s hand, still gripping his, gently tugged him into a cramped space.

Barely large enough for one person, his back bumped against something with a light thud.

It felt like a cat suddenly snatched from the wilderness and stuffed into a narrow box.

Meng Xuexiao instinctively curled up, and after confirming that the object behind him could indeed support his back, he leaned his full weight against it, breathing softly.

Truth be told, he preferred being in a place like this to wandering alone through the ruins of vast buildings.

Just as he had never liked overly large houses—they felt too empty, filled with uncertainty, and… lonely—Meng Xuexiao favored small spaces, preferably just big enough to contain him, with walls pressing close on all sides. A place where he could lean against something solid, grounding him with a sense of security.

Then, he felt something gently press against the top of his head, a sharp curve that felt like… another person’s chin. The other person’s breath stirred his hair slightly.

Meng Xuexiao’s eyes widened abruptly. Only now did he realize that he had accidentally… fallen into Yao Huai’s arms. The support against his back was Yao Huai’s chest, and beneath him were the man’s slightly parted thighs.

He could even feel the pulse throbbing in Yao Huai’s thigh.

Meng Xuexiao flushed crimson from head to toe. He tried to stand up, but Yao Huai reached out and trapped him in place with his hand, chin, and chest, like a… sturdy fortress.

“Look at you, so frightened, yet still trying to pull away,” Yao Huai murmured, his voice soft with a hint of helplessness. “As partners, you should learn to rely on me occasionally.”