The Villains All Fell in Love with Me After Rebirth : Chapter 40 - Green Light
Chapter 40: Green Light
Ji Ling’s eyes were horrified, watching the man fiercely kiss him. He desperately wanted to struggle, but the man’s hands were like iron, like a ruthless tyrant, making him feel so fragile and insignificant, not giving him any chance to resist and escape.
Ji Ling thought to himself, ‘Ahhhhhhhhh, is he going to be fucked like this?’
He had taken a thousand precautions to avoid Jing Sui, but not Carlos...
The man’s kisses fell on his neck little by little and the cold water rippled gently, making his blood seem to freeze.
He seemed to return to his previous life when this terrifying man descended from the sky and appeared before him, walking toward him step by step. There was still blood on the man’s body that had not dried up and his eyes were cold without warmth…
At that moment, he realized so clearly that he might die because he appeared in a place he shouldn’t have appeared and saw someone he shouldn’t have seen. At the critical moment, he made a desperate move and chose to take the initiative—— that time he made the right bet.
Ji Ling’s body trembled slightly, his eyelashes were strained with water droplets. He opened his lips and cried out lowly, “Uncle Carlos…”
This trembling cry caused a slight pause in the man’s movements. He raised his head, revealing a pair of ruthless eyes.
The teenager’s blue eyes were water-filled, tears flowing down his cheeks. He was so sad and helpless, like a desperate child who had lost his last trust and support. So desperate, but unwilling to accept it, looking at him with the last look of hope. “You are the person I trust most. Why do you do this to me…”
The clearly light words fell into Carlos’s ear, seemingly to carry a huge force, instantly suppressing the terrible jealousy and desire in Carlos’s heart, leaving only the pain that tore his heart.
Carlos looked fixedly at the teenager.
It was as if he had returned to his previous life, on that desolate and lonely planet, where the teenager stood in the night filled with sadness, looking at him and asking him. Is it really you Uncle Carlos…
It was a scene he could not forget for the rest of his life. It accompanied him to the moment of his death.
What was he doing?
He had vowed to protect the teenager well in this life and never cause him to be hurt again. He had gone out of his way to lure the teenager to his side to love him better, not to cause him grief and pain.
He should have been more patient.
But now, just because the teenager gave him a denial, he no longer wanted to endure it. He wanted to possess him and hurt him, breaking all the teenager’s trust and reliance on him…
He actually had such cruel thoughts.
He didn’t know how long it took.
Carlos slowly let go of his hand, covering up the pain in his eyes, and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry. I just love you too much.”
Ji Ling didn’t answer him. He seemed to be extremely sad and disappointed. He staggered out of the lake and turned around to leave in a panic.
Carlos stepped forward, thinking of holding the boy’s hand, but the child, who had always been docile and obedient before, avoided him this time, biting his lips and refusing to look at him.
Carlos looked at his empty palms for a long time and tugged his lips in self-mockery.
………………
Ji Ling remained silent along the way, sitting curled up in the corner, letting his soaked clothes stick to his body. He closed his eyes and did not say a word to Carlos until he got home, locking himself in the room without looking back.
Today—— it’s too dangerous!
Ji Ling took a deep breath and paced back and forth in the room, feeling very anxious.
He originally thought that the fake engagement with Carlos was a form of protection for himself, but now he realizes that it is actually a trick. Carlos also had evil intentions towards him! He would do that to him, even if he had to tear his face off. Ji Ling was simply going mad at this world where everyone was bent!
Ji Ling: [Why do all the men in this world want to sleep with men? :)]
The system weakly reminded: [This is a Danmei world…]
Ji Ling: [So, which spicy chicken author wrote this kind of spicy chicken novel?]
The system dared not make a sound.
This was probably the despair of the straight-man host who went into Danmei’s novel
Ji Ling stayed in the room all day long, not even having meals with Carlos. He actually wanted to go home, but if he went home, Jing Sui would probably block him, which was also unsafe. Ji Ling still had lingering fears about Jing Sui’s blackened appearance on the engagement day. As for being unable to protect himself in other places, who knew if these two powerful perverts would besiege him?
After thinking about it, it was surprising that he already had nowhere to go but around Jing Sui and Carlos!
This desperate world.
Is this just like choosing the easier death out of two propositions?
Ji Ling: [I feel like I really can’t do this mission. I want to apply for a replacement mission!]
System: [But there’s never been a precedent of changing missions for the host before…]
Ji Ling: [Have you ever had any precedent of rebirth of all members of the mission target?]
System: [......]
Ji Ling: [The world has collapsed like this. Don’t you think you also have some responsibility?]
System: [......]
Ji Ling: [Either change the mission or apply for compensation. You choose one!]
The system was silent for a while, hesitated, and said: [Then, I’ll go back and try applying for you?]
Ji Ling waved his hand: [Go, go.]
System: [But, I don’t guarantee that it will be successful.]
Ji Ling showed a vicissitude of life expression and smiled: [It doesn’t matter. Can it be worse than now?]
System: [......]
Ji Ling: [Remember to come back early.]
System: [Then, I’m really going. Be careful on your own while I’m gone.]
Ji Ling: [If you go early and come back early, you can probably come back to see me one last time.]
System: [......]
………………
To avoid Carlos, Ji Ling began to frequently attend banquets outside.
In fact, ever since Jing Sui confessed his love to Ji Ling in public, Ji Ling suddenly became very popular in the noble circle, with constant invitations every day. Until Carlos got engaged to him and announced that he was his lover, Ji Ling’s status was once again ushered to a new peak!
He was no longer a good-for-nothing dude who only appeared in gossip and entertainment news.
As His Majesty’s sweetheart and Carlos’s fiancée, Ji Ling’s position was extremely noble—— Second only to His Majesty and Carlos, and even on an equal footing with his father, Grand Duke Ji Ting, no one dared to treat him as insignificant dude anymore.
No one dared to despise him anymore.
No matter how His Majesty and Grand Duke Carlos fought in the future, who won or lost, Ji Ling was the one they held in their hands. It was always good to curry favor with Ji Ling.
Ji Ling didn’t like to participate in banquets in the past. He was an ordinary boy on Earth, not from a wealthy family. He was even a little introverted and shy. This kind of hypocritical and artificial social interaction in the upper class gave him a headache.
But compared to staying with Carlos, even attending such a banquet was not unbearable. At least, it was the safest and most secure option at the moment.
So, Ji Ling began to accept invitations, leaving early and returning late.
It was usually late at night when he got home, so he wouldn’t run into Carlos. Even if he did occasionally, he would just pass him.
Carlos never forced him again. Occasionally looked at him with sad eyes, but Ji Ling turned a blind eye. He didn’t even want Jing Sui. How could he accept this villain who had been killing him at the drop of a hat for two lifetimes? He still wanted to live a few more years.
On this day, Ji Ling went to Earl Gerald’s house to attend a banquet.
The last time he attended the banquet at Earl Gerald’s house was because of Deng Dong’s invitation. It was only more than two months ago, but when he came here again, it felt like it was a lifetime ago. Everything was turned upside down.
Two months ago, he was still a despised good-for-nothing dandy, fooling around in the corner with a few other young dandies like him, laughing and playing.
Two months later, Ji Ling sat at the very center of the garden, surrounded by a group of well-dressed nobles the same age as his father. The host, Count Gerald, personally accompanied him, attentively flattering him with a smile, “Young Master Ji, your presence here truly brings glory to my humble abode.”
Everyone chimed in, showing Ji Ling respectful and polite smiles.
Count Gerald actually had mixed feelings about it all.
He still vividly remembered what had happened two months ago. He frequently hosted banquets at his home, with countless dandies and juniors attending. He had no interest in remembering every insignificant person. If it weren’t for His Majesty noticing Ji Ling and calling him over, he wouldn’t have paid any attention to him at all.
At that time, watching His Majesty and Grand Duke Carlos compete with each other over Ji Ling, he found it utterly absurd. He believed they were merely using Ji Ling as an excuse to play out their rivalry and never imagined that His Majesty and Grand Duke Carlos would have any real interest in this good-for-nothing dandy. He thought Ji Ling was just a pawn in their power struggle.
But now, Count Gerald had no such thoughts. His Majesty would never publicly confess to a mere pawn, and Carlos would never get engaged to one. There was no way the two of them would tear apart the façade of peace they had maintained for years, or even come to blows over someone insignificant!
The scene at the engagement banquet that day, though unseen by anyone's eyes, caused quite a commotion, and many people heard about it.
This news utterly shocked the entire noble elite of the empire. Yet, no matter how unbelievable it seemed, the facts were right in front of them—whether they wanted to believe it or not; they had no choice.
This superficial good-for-nothing dandy had now become the apple of His Majesty and Grand Duke Carlos’s eyes. His status was higher than that of anyone else present, and his influence was not to be underestimated. No one dared to treat him with indifference anymore.
Everyone looked at Ji Ling cautiously, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.
Who would have thought that Ji Ling, who had been by His Majesty's side last time, would, in the blink of an eye, become Grand Duke Carlos's fiancée? Truly, the world is full of uncertainties.
Ji Ling had long since grown accustomed to the complex, curious, and awe-filled gazes of those around him. Although he initially found it somewhat challenging, he gradually discovered the trick: if he wasn't good at something, he simply wouldn't engage with it. He didn't have to care about anyone else's opinions. Regardless of whether his attitude was good or bad, or if his words were right or wrong, no one dared to voice any objections. Even if he made a fool of himself today, others would still praise him, saying, ‘Young Master Ji, what a good joke!’
It truly felt like an invincible kind of loneliness...
Ji Ling lounged there, listening to others’ flattery, generally too lazy to respond. When he was in a good mood, a simple ‘mm’ would leave others feeling honored and surprised.
In fact, most of the time, Ji Ling didn't really hear what others were saying, and he couldn't even remember their faces.
It was truly boring.
But he even less wanted to go back and face Carlos...
Just as Ji Ling was getting lost in thought, he suddenly heard a commotion in front of him. He instinctively looked up and saw a young man in plain military uniform being shoved toward Count Gerald.
The young man looked quite ordinary, and judging by his military uniform, he appeared to be a corporal. His demeanor and temperament suggested he came from a common background, making him seem somewhat out of place among the well-dressed, high-ranking nobles.
The young man’s face was flushed, and he glared furiously at Count Gerald.
Behind him, a beautiful noble girl rushed over, tears still streaked down her face. She knelt on the ground, pleading with Count Gerald, “Father, please spare him, I beg you.”
Ji Ling watched this scene with curiosity, realizing that the girl was Count Gerald's daughter. But what was going on? He had attended many dull banquets in recent days, and this was the first time he had witnessed something like this, which instantly piqued his interest.
Count Gerald's demeanor toward his daughter and her commoner boyfriend was far from the respect and cordiality he showed Ji Ling. With a cold expression, he said, “Sally, do you even realize what you’re doing? You've disappointed me greatly.”
Sally's face turned pale as she cried, “I'm sorry! I know I was wrong. Please, let him go! I promise I won't see him again in the future!”
As soon as those words left her mouth, the young corporal was filled with rage. He grabbed Sally and said fiercely, “Don't beg him! Let him kill me today; I will never leave you!”
Sally, pale with fear and with red-rimmed eyes, exclaimed, “Jonah, shut up!”
Jonah's face flushed as he said, “I will never leave you! We are in love—why should he be able to stop us? Just because I'm a commoner?!”
Ji Ling suddenly understood the situation.
In fact, he had heard about such things before, but he had never witnessed them firsthand. It was said that conservative imperial nobles rejected their children from dating or marrying commoners to preserve bloodline purity. If discovered, they would break up the couple, and in severe cases, might even kill one of them!
Although it was utterly absurd, these things were indeed real.
Ji Ling couldn't help but think of his original world, where, in the twenty-first century, there were still strange places where honor killings occurred because a daughter married a man of a lower caste, where parents could cruelly kill their own children. In this world, the nobles viewed it as perfectly normal to kill those lowly commoners who tried to ‘take away’ their children, all in the name of maintaining their bloodline and status.
Most of the time, even if these commoners were killed, there would be no evidence left behind, and no one would investigate. Faced with the high-ranking nobles, most commoners did not have the rights they deserved.
The reality was indeed that cruel.
Sally continued to plead with Count Gerald, “Father, please spare him! I promise I will never see him again.”
However, Count Gerald remained unmoved. Watching his daughter plead for the young man, his eyes grew colder and filled with anger as he replied icily, “Oh, really? How can I trust your promise?”
Sally trembled as she stammered, “I, I…”
Count Gerald said flatly, “If he dies, you will never see him again, and then I can confidently trust your promise. My dear daughter, you’ve just been deceived by this vile, lowly trickster. He must pay for his actions.”
Sally's face went pale as she looked at Count Gerald in despair.
Jonah's expression also changed, but he had prepared himself mentally for this since he fell in love with Sally. Resolute and unyielding, he was willing to face death. Unfortunately, he realized he could no longer be with the one he loved, and he didn't want his death to cause her pain and sorrow.
Jonah looked at Sally with sadness in his eyes and said, “I'm sorry…”
Sally cried so hard that she could barely catch her breath.
The other watching nobles looked on with mocking eyes, their expressions revealing a cruel and bloodthirsty glint as they awaited the gruesome end of the innocent young man, eager to witness his tragic demise.
Ji Ling suddenly shivered.
No, he couldn't watch any longer!
Hearing about it was one thing, but witnessing it firsthand was another. He absolutely could not bear to see an innocent person cruelly killed by a group of nobles!
A guard kicked Jonah in the leg, forcing him to his knees, and was about to strike when Ji Ling stepped forward and shouted angrily, “Stop!”
That voice immediately drew everyone's attention.
When Count Gerald recognized it was Ji Ling who spoke, his anger instantly froze, quickly replaced by a stiff smile. He asked with confusion, “Young Master Ji, is there a problem?”
Ji Ling coldly stared at him, his eyes filled with displeasure. “I said stop; didn’t you hear me?”
Count Gerald was taken aback for a moment, then snapped back to reality, smiling obsequiously. “I apologize for disturbing your peace with this family matter. I’ll have this lowly commoner taken away immediately, so he won't offend your eyes.”
Ji Ling's forehead twitched with anger. What did he mean by that? Gritting his teeth, he spoke again, this time with clear and unambiguous intent, his face stern as he said word by word, “I mean, let him go.”
At these words, everyone looked at Ji Ling in surprise.
Count Gerald looked even more bewildered.
Wasn't Young Master Ji the one who disliked commoners the most? He had always been arrogant and overbearing, often oppressing commoners... Furthermore, he had targeted Ning Yu multiple times for His Majesty's sake, making him a very obvious conservative noble.
If Young Master Ji were to kill commoners, they would believe it without question. But what did it mean for him to speak up in defense of a commoner?
Ji Ling noticed the puzzled expressions of those around him, and his own expression stiffened slightly. While he wasn’t afraid of how they would react, suddenly behaving so out of character felt inappropriate and could expose him to danger. He shifted his gaze, disdainfully sweeping over Jonah on the ground, as if he were a trivial piece of dust, and coldly said, “If His Majesty were present, he would not allow you to act this way.”
Everyone: “......”
After a moment, everyone showed expressions of sudden realization! They had wondered how Young Master Ji could defend a commoner; he wouldn’t care about the lives of those lowly people. What he truly cared about was His Majesty's stance! Even when faced with such a situation, the first thing he thought of was how His Majesty would react...
Young Master Ji, with his arrogant personality, was actually willing to defend someone he despised for the sake of His Majesty. This clearly showed that he held His Majesty in high regard!
They had originally thought that Carlos had undermined the Emperor, stealing his love and putting him in a humiliating position, which led to the Emperor clashing with him. But now it seemed clear that Ji Ling still harbored feelings for the Emperor. It was said that he had always favored the Emperor in the past; could it be that he accepted marrying Carlos while still holding feelings for the Emperor? Why would he do such a thing? Who was truly wearing the green hat in this situation?
This was simply too thrilling!
Indeed, it was all incredibly exciting!
Ji Ling glanced over at them and understood their thoughts, but didn't mind at all. He spoke again, his tone cold, “Gerald, I said, let him go. Do you refuse?”
The enormous implications of the situation took Count Gerald aback. Once he regained his composure, he quickly forced a chuckle and said, "Of course not! I will let him go right away, this very moment."
He immediately turned to his servant and ordered, “What are you still standing there for? Didn’t you hear Young Master Ji's command? Get him out of here quickly, so he doesn't dirty Young Master Ji's eyes.”
The servant was also stunned, momentarily dazed before coming to his senses. He lowered his head and replied, “Y-Yes, Your Excellency.”
Sally stared blankly at Ji Ling, her eyes filled with disbelief and complicated gratitude. She had thought she was out of options, yet in the end, it was Ji Ling who spoke up to save her lover.
As she watched Jonah being pushed out, she wanted desperately to follow him, but she didn’t dare to provoke her father at that moment. Instead, she could only anxiously watch her lover leave, no matter what...
At least he was alive.
Ji Ling watched as the person was let go before lazily retracting his gaze. He suddenly realized that his change in status had its advantages; in the past, he wouldn't have had the qualifications to meddle in Count Gerald's family matters. Even if he had spoken up, no one would have listened to him.
With Jonah's departure, everything returned to its previous hypocritical calm, and laughter and clinking glasses echoed throughout the space once more.
To Ji Ling, this was just an insignificant interlude. As for that poor unfortunate soul, he hoped he would be more careful next time; after all, it wasn't every day that someone came to his rescue in such a manner.
………………
The guards roughly pushed Jonah out of the Count's mansion, waving their hands dismissively and saying, “Get lost! Consider yourself lucky today.”
Jonah took a while to regain his senses, finally realizing that he had narrowly escaped death.
The person who saved him was none other than the notorious dandy Ji Ling, which was simply too incredible to believe. Jonah's expression was dazed and bewildered.
Ji Ling clearly did not recognize him, but Jonah actually knew Ji Ling; he had seen him once at the military headquarters.
It was during Ji Ling's visit to the military headquarters to humiliate Ning Yu. As Ning Yu's comrade, Jonah had been right there, watching the insufferable dandy and wishing he could rush forward and beat him to a pulp.
Yet today, that infuriating dandy had saved him.
Jonah wandered back to the military headquarters in a daze and unexpectedly ran into Ning Yu walking towards him in the corridor.
The young man with black hair and green eyes wore a straight military uniform. His striking features appeared sharp and defined in the dim light, and his gaze was gentle and composed. Noticing Jonah's disheveled state, he furrowed his brows slightly and asked, “What happened?”
Jonah replied despondently, “Count Gerald found out about my relationship with Sally.”
Ning Yu frowned even more. Count Gerald had always looked down on and hated commoners; he was a typical conservative noble. Therefore, Jonah and Sally's relationship had always been kept secret. If Gerald found out about this, it would be very difficult for Jonah to escape easily. What exactly happened tonight?
Ning Yu looked at him with concern. “Are you okay?”
Jonah seemed a bit absent-minded. He didn't answer Ning Yu's question. After a long while, he murmured, “I ran into Ji Ling.”
Ning Yu's expression tightened slightly, and he said in a low voice, “Oh?”
Jonah scratched his head, looking confused and dazed as he said, “Count Gerald was very angry. He wanted to publicly kill me, but it was Ji Ling who intervened and stopped him, allowing him to let me go. If it weren't for Ji Ling, I might not have come back today.”
He didn't notice the subtle change in Ning Yu's expression upon hearing this, and continued with confusion, “I don't understand why he would save me. Isn't he the one who hates and looks down on us commoners the most?”
Jonah had always trusted Ning Yu, believing him to be a person with strong opinions. He asked, “Do you think it's because of the Emperor? I've heard he has always loved the Emperor, and maybe he spoke up to save me because of the Emperor's pro-commoner stance. It seems like he looks down on me a lot, so there can't be any other reason, right...?”
Little did he know, this time Ning Yu did not agree with him. Instead, he looked seriously into his eyes and said slowly, “Regardless of his reasons, the fact is that he saved you.”
Jonah was taken aback for a moment, then his face flushed red, feeling deeply ashamed of what he had just said.
It was simply because of his biases and preconceived notions about Ji Ling that Jonah thought it impossible for Ji Ling to genuinely save him, assuming he did it solely for the sake of the Emperor. He felt rather dismissive towards Ji Ling and realized he was being unreasonable! Thankfully, Ning Yu's words awakened him. No matter Ji Ling's motives, the fact remained that he had saved him. Why should he doubt Ji Ling's sincerity and dismiss the life-saving grace just because of his suspicions?
Jonah muttered, “He saved my life today, so I should at least thank him in person. But, but he probably wouldn't want to see me…”
The difference in status and identity between him and Ji Ling was simply too vast. Moreover, judging by Ji Ling's demeanor, he probably hadn’t even remembered what Jonah looked like and wouldn't care about his gratitude.
Having received a life-saving grace but being unable to express even a word of thanks in person made Jonah feel extremely ashamed and self-reproachful, causing his face to turn crimson.
Ning Yu stood there, and within his emerald-green eyes, an unusual hue seemed to slowly emerge in the night.
After a moment of silence, as if he had finally made a decision, he faintly said, “I'll go in your place.”
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