Why Do All the Villains Look at Me Like This? - Chapter 96

It turned out that the sounds earlier hadn’t been made by some minor Alien Beast minions at all, but by Zhuoyue’s twin brother, Huai Sui!

Seeing Meng Xuexiao finally open his eyes, a hint of amusement flickered in Huai Sui’s golden dragon eyes, and his voice took on a syrupy sweetness. “Long time no see, Big Brother.”

The young man’s youthful appearance and saccharine tone could have instantly won anyone over, but Meng Xuexiao felt only dread.

“Yao…” He instinctively wanted to call out Yao Huai’s name, even turning his head halfway in that direction. But he quickly realized Huai Sui had no intention of stopping him, remaining in his half-crouching, smiling posture.

Meng Xuexiao’s heart lurched.

Only now did he remember that he had deliberately buried himself in the pile of corpses to evade the Alien Beasts. And this pile… wasn’t exactly close to where Yao Huai and Zhuoyue were.

Even if Yao Huai came, it would take a second or two, wouldn’t it?

And that second or two… would be enough for his head to roll.

Meng Xuexiao swallowed his words, his face pale as he clamped his mouth shut.

Seeing that Meng Xuexiao didn’t mention the other person’s name again, Huai Sui’s smile seemed to sweeten further. He eagerly extended a hand toward Meng Xuexiao, who was hidden among the corpses.

Meng Xuexiao stared at the hand offered to him, unmoving.

Huai Sui tilted his head, thinking Meng Xuexiao hadn’t understood his intention. He pushed his hand forward again, wiggling it slightly, and was about to take Meng Xuexiao’s hand himself.

Meng Xuexiao had no desire to hold hands with Huai Sui, but he knew he had no choice. His knuckles curled slightly, and he finally allowed Huai Sui to take his hand.

Huai Sui pulled him out from the pile of corpses where he had been hiding.

Meng Xuexiao found Huai Sui’s actions utterly hypocritical. Just moments ago, he had been threatening him, subtly warning him not to call for Yao Huai’s help. Now, he was offering a hand in apparent concern.

Didn’t Huai Sui feel the contradiction? Meng Xuexiao certainly did. After all, they were now enemies.

From the moment he decided to confront Zhuoyue and the others, he had already classified them as enemies.

But Huai Sui seemed to find Meng Xuexiao’s coldness unbearable. The tip of his nose flushed faintly red, like a puppy that had been abandoned.

“Big Brother, you’re being so unfair! We finally meet after all this time, and you immediately call out someone else’s name? And now you’re acting so cold!”

He pointed toward the silver-haired man in the wheelchair, “It hasn’t even been that long! Is he all you think about now?”

“What are we to you? You wore a wedding dress for me, and we even did that in a hotel room together…”

Huai Sui conveniently erased everyone else from those memories, his voice dripping with wounded innocence. “And haven’t I been good to you?”

“You lied to me, almost made me fight with my brother, and then abandoned me, fleeing the Empire with others in the dead of night. Did I hold it against you? No, I didn’t…”

“Besides… staying in a pile of corpses can’t be pleasant. I just pulled you out of there…”

Huai Sui rambled on and on, sounding like a typical young man experiencing his first crush.

But Meng Xuexiao knew better. Beneath that youthful Silver Dragon’s skin lurked an utterly depraved soul, a presence he could feel every second of every day in the Empire.

Could this be Huai Sui’s latest game, designed to torment him?

Meng Xuexiao finally reached his breaking point, “…Do you even believe the words you’re saying?”

He refused to believe Huai Sui had the leisure to engage in such petty games. After all, Huai Sui’s twin brother, Zhuoyue, had been consistently losing ground in his duel against Yao Huai.

Even if Huai Sui’s relationship with Zhuoyue wasn’t particularly warm, as members of a shared interest group, Huai Sui couldn’t possibly ignore the situation.

Huai Sui immediately puffed out his cheeks, “Big Brother, how could you think such a thing of me!”

But Meng Xuexiao remained unmoved.

Finally, Huai Sui sighed in resignation, then—

He grabbed Meng Xuexiao by the waist, pulled him close, and raised his hand to grip Meng Xuexiao’s neck.

“Hey, Yao Huai! Your man is in my hands!”

Upon hearing these words, only one thought flashed through Meng Xuexiao’s mind: As expected.

Huai Sui’s fingernails began to lengthen, gradually transforming into the sharp, hardened claws of the Dragon Clan.

Meng Xuexiao had no doubt that even without applying force, a mere graze of those claws across his neck would tear through his flesh.

As soon as Huai Sui spoke, the fighting on the other side immediately ceased, and Yao Huai and Zhuoyue separated.

During the recent exchange, Zhuoyue had sustained considerable injuries. His golden scales were nearly obscured by crimson blood, and he now gasped for breath, finally getting a chance to rest.

Meanwhile, Yao Huai’s robes remained perfectly unruffled.

Then, Yao Huai turned his gaze toward Meng Xuexiao.

Sensing His gaze, Meng Xuexiao immediately lowered his head.

He knew he had been a hindrance to Yao Huai this time.

Huai Sui led Meng Xuexiao a few steps toward Yao Huai, “Put on these shackles.”

Huai Sui fumbled at his waist for a moment before tossing a dark silver shackle forward.

Crafted from a special material, this shackle not only restricted movement but also completely suppressed one’s abilities. Once applied, the wearer would be utterly at the mercy of others.

Meng Xuexiao’s pupils constricted sharply, and he instinctively struggled forward.

Huai Sui and Zhuoyue were known for their meticulous and unforgiving nature. If Yao Huai were to voluntarily restrain himself now, the brothers would immediately pounce to tear him apart completely!

Nothing is less threatening than a dead man.

Meng Xuexiao struggled forward a few times with great effort, only to be forcibly pressed back into place by Huai Sui’s hand on his waist. The sharp dragon claws had already pressed a crescent-shaped indentation into his milky-white neck.

Huai Sui nodded toward Yao Huai, “And your choice?”

Yao Huai didn’t hesitate for even a moment, not even raising an eyebrow.

With a crisp “click” the handcuffs snapped shut around his wrists.

“Ooh, impressive resolve!” Huai Sui exclaimed, narrowing his eyes in amusement.

He gestured to Zhuoyue, and the two dragons moved closer to Yao Huai.

Huai Sui’s tone and Yao Huai’s unhesitating response left a bitter taste in Meng Xuexiao’s mouth. He began to struggle violently, no longer caring if Huai Sui’s claws scratched his neck.

Just then, a voice only the two of them could hear suddenly whispered in Meng Xuexiao’s ear, “Hey, relax!”

Huai Sui’s forehead was almost pressed against Meng Xuexiao’s cheek. Though immobilized, Meng Xuexiao stubbornly twisted his face away.

Huai Sui, however, showed no sign of feeling rejected. In fact, he seemed rather excited. “Let’s make a bet,” he suggested.

Meng Xuexiao’s face remained cold. He saw nothing to wager on in their current situation.

Undeterred, Huai Sui continued, his expression gleeful, “Let’s bet… whether Yao Huai will let us kill him like a cooked duck.”

This was practically a provocation!

Meng Xuexiao’s eyes widened sharply.

His gaze locked onto Yao Huai, who sat motionless in his wheelchair, his hands shackled. Meng Xuexiao could even hear the faint clinking of the chains.

Meng Xuexiao didn’t know the full extent of Yao Huai’s strength, but he knew the man had effortlessly handled Raven, Shen Zekai, and Wu Zian. Without those shackles, even Huai Sui and Zhuoyue combined might not be a match for Yao Huai!

If not for those shackles…

The dark silver cuffs glinted in the dim light, like a dagger suspended above Yao Huai’s neck.

Meng Xuexiao glared at the shackles with such intensity that, if he had laser vision, he would have burned through them with his gaze.

But he didn’t.

Meng Xuexiao took a deep breath and glanced back at Huai Sui.

They were now very close to Yao Huai. Both Zhuoyue and Huai Sui seemed to have their full attention fixed on Yao Huai, completely oblivious to him.

“Ah!” He deliberately twisted his ankle, stumbling forward and dragging Huai Sui behind him, slowing their pace.

Meng Xuexiao felt this was likely the only thing he could do for Yao Huai.

If the brothers couldn’t achieve perfect coordination, Yao Huai’s chances of victory might improve.

Almost as soon as he thought this, the sharp sound of something piercing flesh echoed through the air. Meng Xuexiao could even feel the sticky warmth of blood splattering across his face.

He stared blankly at Yao Huai.

The man’s large, bony hand had effortlessly pierced through the Golden Giant Dragon’s back. The dark silver, ability-suppressing shackles still bound his wrists.

Through the gaping, bloody hole in Zhuoyue’s back, Meng Xuexiao could even see the writhing blood vessels and internal organs within.

“Thud, thud.” Something fell to the ground—Zhuoyue’s shattered heart.

Yao Huai’s expression remained unchanged, not even a flicker of emotion.

A pierced heart… Even a Golden Giant Dragon couldn’t survive that, right? Meng Xuexiao thought numbly.

“Idiot!” a low voice murmured in Meng Xuexiao’s ear.

Huai Sui, still in the stumbling posture Meng Xuexiao had dragged him into, reached out and gripped Meng Xuexiao’s twisted ankle. Just before the milky-white ankle could slam into the ground, Huai Sui cushioned the impact with his own hand.

If Meng Xuexiao had fallen properly, he would have surely sprained his ankle.

Huai Sui grinned, baring his stark white teeth. “I told you not to worry. Yao Huai has never been one to keep his promises.”

Even though Huai Sui had just helped him, even though Huai Sui was still smiling at him, Meng Xuexiao couldn’t help but shiver repeatedly. An overwhelming sense of unease enveloped him.

Huai Sui’s twin brother had just died. How could this man still be joking around with him?

Gradually, Meng Xuexiao began to understand. He recalled Huai Sui’s earlier words: Let’s bet… whether Yao Huai will let us kill him like a cooked duck.

At the time, Meng Xuexiao had dismissed this as mere provocation. But now, it seemed Huai Sui had anticipated Yao Huai wouldn’t simply surrender.

Why had the man gone through such elaborate schemes? And why had he even sacrificed Zhuoyue’s life?

As expected, Huai Sui spoke next, “I don’t know what Yao Huai promised you or what agreement you made, but he’s a liar through and through. He can’t be trusted.”

“You went to great lengths to help him just now, yet he didn’t even tell you a word about his plan.”

With these words, Meng Xuexiao finally understood Huai Sui’s purpose. Wasn’t this blatant manipulation?

But this kind of manipulation was far too crude. Did Huai Sui really think he was a fool?

Yao Huai’s counterattack proved nothing. Even if it was a form of deception, it was a deception that ultimately benefited Meng Xuexiao.

Meng Xuexiao knew his acting wasn’t perfect. If Yao Huai had told him the plan beforehand, Zhuoyue and Huai Sui would likely have seen through his act halfway through, preventing him from successfully killing Zhuoyue.

Seeing Meng Xuexiao’s silence, Huai Sui smiled and pressed an object into his hand. “Then what do you think of this?”

It was a familiar model—a standard recorder installed in Alliance mechas, similar to dashcams from the interstellar era.

But this particular recorder looked unusually familiar…

It was… Shen Zekai’s!

Meng Xuexiao knew the mecha equipped with this model of recorder intimately. During his duels at the Federation Military Academy, Shen Zekai had even lent him this very mecha. Before that, Meng Xuexiao had practiced with it countless times.

But why was this recorder in Huai Sui’s possession?!

Remembering Shen Zekai’s starship departing before his eyes, Meng Xuexiao’s gaze sharpened. “What have you done to Shen Zekai?!”

After all, Shen Zekai had been Huai Sui’s first and only friend at the Federation Military Academy.

Huai Sui gently shook his head, a hint of regret in his voice. “It wasn’t something I did to him.”

He deliberately spoke vaguely, “If you want to know exactly what happened to Shen Zekai’s new sword wound, this recorder captured everything clearly.”

“I know you don’t trust me, but surely you trust the machine’s records? Even a master of Illusion Techniques and deception can’t escape the eyes and ears of a machine.”

“Moreover, the Empire doesn’t use Mecha or have what you call Mecha Pilots. Naturally, we lack the ability to tamper with machine data.”

Hearing this, Meng Xuexiao seemed to sense something ominous, his eyes widening involuntarily.

Huai Sui shook his head with a sigh, gently patting Meng Xuexiao’s shoulder. “Yao Huai truly isn’t someone you can trust… and I must admit, we can’t defeat him. If you have the chance, you’d be wise to stay away from him.”

“If there’s anything I can do to help you, please don’t hesitate to contact me.”

Huai Sui lowered his eyes, concealing the expression in them.

Although encountering Yao Huai had been unexpected, the moment they saw each other, Zhuoyue and Huai Sui had reached a silent agreement. As greedy members of the Dragon Clan, their primary goal had always been maximizing their gains.

Whether their plan to kidnap Meng Xuexiao and force Yao Huai to submit succeeded or failed, they wouldn’t be the losers.

If it succeeded, they would tear Yao Huai apart and smoothly bring Meng Xuexiao back to the Empire.

If it failed, they would sow discord between Meng Xuexiao and Yao Huai, making it easier for Meng Xuexiao to turn to their side.

Huai Sui pressed his hand against his chest, feeling his heart race with excitement. He mentally addressed the second consciousness that had appeared in his mind the instant the Golden Giant Dragon’s heart shattered, You think so too, don’t you, Brother?