The Villains All Fell in Love with Me After Rebirth : Chapter 41 - Identity
Chapter 41: Identity
Ji Ling was completely unaware of what happened after Jonah left. He had only acted on a whim and didn't care whether the other person felt grateful or indebted to him.
Compared to that small incident, it was Carlos's situation that really gave him a headache.
It was clear that continuing like this wasn't a solution. How long could he keep avoiding the issue? When would Carlos's patience run out? All of this was uncertain.
The system had gone back to help him submit the application, and it probably wouldn't be back for a while. Thinking about all the troubling matters, Ji Ling couldn't help but sigh sadly.
Count Gerald and the others looked at Ji Ling's sorrowful and distracted demeanor, each of them holding their breath in tension. Ji Ling didn’t seem happy at all next to Grand Duke Carlos...
It was clear that Ji Ling still harbored deep feelings for His Majesty, so why was he marrying Count Carlos? Could it be that Carlos had threatened him?
Everyone's minds began to spin with countless narratives of love, hate, and entanglements, wondering what hidden truths lay beneath the surface. It felt as if a hundred cats were scratching at their hearts, yet they dared not approach and ask. It was truly unbearable!
As time passed, more and more guests began to leave the banquet.
Just as Ji Ling was grappling with his reluctance to return, a sudden silence enveloped the area, followed by a series of greetings. “His Excellency Carlos.”
Upon hearing the greeting, Ji Ling turned his head and saw Carlos approaching him step by step, his expression slightly changing.
Ever since that day when he cleverly found a way to drive Carlos away by pretending to be deeply hurt and avoiding him, Carlos had not forced him to get close again. They had been getting along peacefully during this time. Why did Carlos suddenly come over today? Remembering how close he had come to a disaster last time, Ji Ling felt a bit flustered.
Carlos, dressed in a double-breasted black suit, moved with utmost elegance. He approached Ji Ling, holding a silver-black cane in his right hand. With warm brown eyes and a gentle expression, he smiled and said, “I’ve come to take you back.”
Ji Ling felt a wave of frustration in his heart, but with the system absent, he didn’t dare to provoke Carlos too much. Instead, he displayed a somewhat indifferent expression, turning his gaze away and softly saying, “I can go back by myself.”
Carlos looked at the boy’s distant and indifferent demeanor, his blue eyes dimming slightly, feeling a twinge of pain in his heart. He was still blaming himself for his rude behavior last time.
Due to the guilt in his heart, he had allowed the boy to avoid him during this time, but he was unwilling to truly let go. Instead, he kept track of the boy's daily movements, watching his every action, only able to learn through these messages what the beloved boy was doing and whether he was happy...
So the news of Ji Ling saving that commoner quickly reached Carlos's ears.
He suddenly didn't want to continue like this anymore, so he decided to come and take the boy home.
Because he wanted to see him.
Carlos gazed at Ji Ling indulgently and said, “I know, but I just happened to be passing by today. It's late—shall we head back?”
Ji Ling still seemed reluctant, refusing to look at Carlos, the curve of his lips remaining cold and distant.
Carlos wasn’t the least bit angry. He reached out and held the boy's hand tightly, not allowing him to pull away. His voice was deep, magnetic, and elegant as he softly said, “Don’t be stubborn.”
Everyone was dumbfounded as they watched this scene unfold.
Is this really the same fearsome, cold-blooded grand duke they knew? Though Carlos appeared to be the epitome of an elegant and gentlemanly noble, everyone was well aware that it was merely a façade. Beneath that exterior, they knew him to be merciless and ruthless to the core, which is precisely why everyone held him in such deep awe.
And now, even though Ji Ling clearly harbored deep feelings for the Emperor and treated Carlos with cold indifference, Carlos didn't seem to mind at all. Instead, he patiently and tolerantly coaxed him, showing a side of himself they had never expected to see.
It was utterly ridiculous.
It was as if they were seeing a legendary green halo, a symbol of betrayal, glowing brightly above Carlos' head.
Wait—what exactly are they witnessing?
What did they see?!
Ji Ling is fine; Ji Ling can be willful... They won't die, will they? Do they actually dare to look at Carlos's embarrassment? Are they tired of living?
Thus, everyone displayed terrified expressions, hastily lowering their eyes and daring not to look any further.
Each one was trembling with fear.
The surroundings fell into silence.
Ji Ling's hand was tightly held in Carlos's grasp, the heat from his palm feeling as if it could scorch his skin. Though he was extremely reluctant, he couldn't act out too much in front of everyone, so he could only leave with Carlos in frustration.
………………
Once they got home, Ji Ling immediately pulled his hand away from Carlos's grip and said coolly, “I need to rest.”
But Carlos didn’t leave. He stepped closer, looking into Ji Ling’s eyes with determination. He raised his hand to cup the boy’s face, his deep gaze locking onto him as he spoke in a husky voice, “I know you're still angry with me, but please believe me. My feelings for you are absolutely genuine.”
Ji Ling had underestimated Carlos's persistence last time and almost found himself in trouble. This time, he dared not provoke Carlos too much. His lashes trembled, and there seemed to be a glimmer of tears in his eyes as he gave a bitter smile. “Uncle Carlos, why… can’t you just stay my Uncle Carlos?”
Carlos’s face paled slightly.
Ji Ling looked at him steadily, pulling at the corners of his mouth before speaking with difficulty, “I trusted you. You were the best person for me. But why… why do you treat me the same way as the Emperor?”
The boy was so sad, as if his trust had been shattered, like a confused child abandoned and hurt by the one he trusted the most, unable to accept the cruel reality before him… He still hadn’t fully moved on from what happened last time.
Carlos knew that regaining his trust could be simple—just continue to act as his uncle, offering him care as a protective figure.
But.
Carlos rasped, “I only want to be your lover.”
He could never remain just the boy’s uncle.
He knew he couldn’t do it.
Rather than letting the lie unravel later, he chose to speak the truth now.
Closing his eyes briefly, Carlos said each word deliberately, “I can’t deceive you.”
Ji Ling’s face drained of color at those words, looking utterly disappointed and sad. He threw off Carlos’s hand and turned to leave.
This time, Carlos didn’t follow. He simply stood there quietly, watching Ji Ling’s retreating figure, seeing the boy disappear without looking back.
………………
Ji Ling didn’t turn around, but even so, he could still feel the persistent and dark gaze of the man behind him.
It seemed calm on the surface, but beneath it was like a sea hiding violent undercurrents, leaving one’s heart pounding in fear.
He slammed the door shut, leaning against it. In that instant, a strange question flashed in his mind—a ridiculous thought: Could Carlos really like him?
Ji Ling’s eyes went blank. But how could that be?
Why would Carlos like him?
In the previous life, his interactions with Carlos were minimal. He didn’t have the deep, affectionate role toward Carlos like he did with Jing Sui, so how could there be the same kind of misunderstanding? To Carlos, he was nothing more than a passerby, a foolish and laughable dandy, a pawn to be discarded at any moment.
Even though he had helped Carlos when he was in trouble, it was more for his own sake. Even if he hadn’t stepped in, Carlos wouldn’t have necessarily been in danger. On the other hand, if he hadn’t helped, he himself would’ve died on the spot…
So, what could this cold, ruthless villain possibly like about him?
Ji Ling couldn’t make sense of it. This world was falling apart in the most despairing way…
All he wanted was to quietly play the role of a background character who gets slapped in the face, but instead, everyone wanted to love him.
Exhausted, Ji Ling collapsed onto his bed like a hopeless fish, now just praying for the system to come back with good news soon. He was really on the verge of breaking down!
There were just too many crazy people in this world. QAQ
He wanted to go home.
………………
The next morning, Ji Ling was still asleep when the ringing of his communicator suddenly woke him.
To avoid trouble and harassment, Ji Ling had changed his number long ago, and only a few people knew his new one. Who could be contacting him? He opened the communicator and saw an unfamiliar number.
Hesitant for a moment, he decided to answer.
As the call connected, a young man with black hair and green eyes appeared before him. He lifted his head, revealing a handsome and sharp face from under the brim of his hat—none other than Ning Yu!
Ji Ling was stunned. How did Ning Yu know his number? Why would he want to contact him?
Ning Yu gazed at Ji Ling, his green eyes calm and gentle. His lips moved slightly as he said, “I want to meet with you.”
Ji Ling, not in the mood to see anyone recently, was about to refuse. Ning Yu, while the protagonist of the original story, was now more of a background character. Even if that weren’t the case, they were supposed to be rivals in love. He didn’t see the point of meeting him. Just as he was about to decline, Ning Yu spoke again.
Seemingly reading Ji Ling’s thoughts, Ning Yu looked into his eyes and slowly said, “I want to talk to you about the Emperor.”
Ji Ling hesitated.
He hadn’t wanted to go, but upon hearing that, he found himself torn. Although completing his mission seemed impossible now, the Emperor was central to the plot… Finishing his mission and going home had become Ji Ling’s deepest obsession. So even with the plot in shambles, his curiosity about what Ning Yu had to say made it hard to refuse.
After a moment of hesitation, Ji Ling said, "Alright."
Ning Yu smiled slightly. He sent Ji Ling a location and then pressed down on the brim of his hat, saying coolly, “I’ll wait for you here in an hour.”
With that, he hung up the call.
Ji Ling stared blankly at the address Ning Yu sent. He paced around his room, then dressed and called for a hover car to take him to the location.
………………
An hour later, Ji Ling arrived at the destination.
It was in the lower district, a rather remote area, but the surroundings were peaceful.
Ji Ling let out a breath, wondering what had possessed him to travel so far to meet Ning Yu. Hopefully, Ning Yu would have some good news, or the trip would have been for nothing.
Following a path shaded by trees, Ji Ling arrived at a slightly old-fashioned wooden building—it seemed to be a teahouse.
Ji Ling hadn’t expected Ning Yu to have such refined taste, and to find a place with such elegance.
As he stepped onto the wooden stairs, which creaked underfoot, he made his way to the second floor, where he saw Ning Yu sitting at a table. His hat lay beside him, and he was dressed in a neat, immaculate uniform. His eyes were lowered, revealing a sharp profile, his expression steady and calm, betraying no emotion at the moment.
No matter when or where, he always seemed so composed, making those around him feel inexplicably relaxed and drop their guard.
Ji Ling steadied himself and walked over to sit in front of Ning Yu.
Ning Yu raised his eyes, his emerald green gaze as calm and gentle as always, and softly said, “You’re here.”
Ji Ling didn’t respond, his emotions conflicted as he looked at Ning Yu.
Logically, they should be love rivals. In his previous life, every time he met Ning Yu, it was always on the way to either mocking him or being mocked in return. He had tirelessly made it his mission to trouble Ning Yu… who would have thought that one day, they would sit together like this, drinking tea?
Ji Ling found it absurd.
But since even Carlos might be in love with him now, having tea with a rival didn’t seem so far-fetched anymore…
He no longer had the drive to cause trouble for Ning Yu, nor the energy to find fault with him. However, it didn’t feel appropriate to act too friendly either, so he put on a cold expression, frowned, and said, “Why did you want to meet me?”
Ning Yu gazed deeply at Ji Ling.
The boy was dressed in luxurious clothing, his soft golden hair falling casually over his forehead, and flawless pale skin framed his delicate, beautiful features. On the surface, he didn’t seem much different from before. But if one looked closely, they would see that his once bright and vibrant blue eyes lacked their usual radiance, as if the harsh realities he had faced had dulled the spark of life. There was a faint, lingering sadness between his brows.
Though he sat right in front of him, Ji Ling no longer had the same boundless energy as when he used to seek Ning Yu out for trouble. Back then, he always seemed to have an endless supply of vigor.
Now, he looked lost, like a child unsure of the road ahead.
Ning Yu let out a quiet sigh, his gaze darkening slightly as he slowly spoke. “Are you happy staying with Carlos?”
Ji Ling thought to himself, ‘Happy? Hell no. Every day, I’m either scared to death or terrified I’ll blow my cover and get killed.’ Of course, he couldn’t say that to Ning Yu. He turned his head away and huffed arrogantly, “That’s none of your business.”
Ning Yu looked at the boy's unhappy face, his stubborn refusal to admit the truth, and his thin lips pressed tightly together. He fell silent once more.
Ji Ling felt a bit uncomfortable under Ning Yu’s gaze. Why did it seem like Ning Yu was pitying him? That must be his imagination! He tapped his fingers impatiently on the table and raised an eyebrow. “Hey, didn’t you say you wanted to talk about His Majesty? What’s this all about?”
Ning Yu fixed his gaze on him for a few seconds before speaking softly. “Yes, I thought you might be more interested in my relationship status, so I wanted to tell you that there has been no progress between me and His Majesty.”
Ji Ling: ???
You called me here just to tell me that nothing is going on between you and His Majesty?
Ji Ling was about to explode from frustration, but after cooling down, he realized this wasn’t really Ning Yu’s fault. It was all because of those reincarnated lunatics! The protagonist didn’t want to be with the main character and instead kept chasing after this cannon fodder!
Wait… Ji Ling suddenly realized something was off with Ning Yu’s words. Who cares about his relationship status? I care about His Majesty, not him! There was no way Ji Ling would admit to that.
His expression froze, and he shot back with a disdainful tone, “That’s what you wanted to tell me? You’re wasting my time! As long as you don’t end up with His Majesty, who cares about your love life!”
He stood up, ready to leave, thinking he should never have come in the first place.
As he walked away, Ning Yu remained seated, calm as ever, and suddenly said to Ji Ling’s back, “You don’t hate me as much as you think, do you?”
Ji Ling almost tripped. Ning Yu’s words sparked a strong sense of unease in him! He didn’t understand Ning Yu’s true intentions in meeting him.
He turned back and glared coldly at Ning Yu. “Don’t flatter yourself. I hate you more than anyone!”
Ning Yu’s gaze remained steady, his tone peaceful. “Is that so?”
That quiet ‘Is that so?’ sent a shiver down Ji Ling’s spine, making his hair stand on end. He felt like he had been seen through, but how could that be possible? After all the horrible things he had done to Ning Yu, if Ning Yu didn’t hate him, wouldn’t that make him some kind of masochist?
Ji Ling had no desire to continue this bizarre conversation and turned to leave.
Before he could get out the door, there was a sudden loud bang from outside, followed by the ground shaking violently. The wooden building trembled as if it might collapse. Ji Ling looked outside, his face filled with horror.
No way?!
A group of men in black clothing and masks jumped out of a hovering aircraft! Among them, one man dressed in white and wearing a silver mask stood out, impossible to ignore.
Ji Ling was terrified. Gabriel had gone mad! How could he show up in the imperial capital? Didn’t he know how much the imperial nobles wanted him dead? Had he lost his mind, or was he simply that confident?
Ji Ling’s face turned pale, and he immediately bolted.
But there was no way he could outrun the powerful, evolved soldiers. The men in black were ruthless, closing the distance in the blink of an eye! Just as one of them was about to grab Ji Ling, Ning Yu sprang into action, taking down the man with a single punch. He grabbed Ji Ling by the waist and leaped from the second floor, running at full speed!
Ji Ling was stunned, his expression conflicted.
They were supposed to be love rivals! After everything he had done to Ning Yu…
But at this critical moment, Ning Yu hadn’t abandoned him. Instead, he had chosen to save him.
Ji Ling was so moved he nearly cried. Ning Yu truly was the most righteous and kind-hearted protagonist, the most deserving saint-like male lead. Despite everything, he was willing to repay evil with good and save this wretched dandy!
You’re the most reliable person in the world!
Ning Yu carried Ji Ling as they fled, moving swiftly and gracefully, repeatedly evading death by a hair’s breadth. Ji Ling could feel the cold wind slapping his face as they narrowly escaped one danger after another. But the rebels weren’t giving up, and they had started firing laser guns at them!
Ji Ling looked at Ning Yu’s tense jawline. His determined green eyes, and grew increasingly anxious. He couldn’t help, and could only pray Ning Yu wouldn’t get hurt.
But at that moment, one of the rebels charged from the side. Ning Yu dodged but was grazed by a shot to the shoulder. Blood splattered onto Ji Ling’s face, hot and thick.
Ji Ling froze for a moment, his expression shifting. Finally, with a hint of resolve, he quietly said, “Forget about me. Put me down and save yourself.”
The rebels were clearly after him. If Ning Yu kept trying to escape with him, neither of them would make it out alive.
Ning Yu glanced down at Ji Ling. His brow furrowed, but he showed no signs of letting go. With a swift leap, he landed on a rooftop and kept running.
Ji Ling was both worried and anxious. This was an unexpected incident, completely beyond his control, and he had no idea what might happen next. He didn’t want to drag anyone else down with him.
As his unease grew, Ning Yu suddenly halted, his pupils contracting as he looked ahead.
The tall man in the silver mask landed with a heavy thud right in front of them! He lifted his head, revealing a pair of cold, pitch-black eyes, filled with a chilling, mocking gaze.
Ji Ling’s expression turned to despair. It was too late...
Ning Yu slowly put Ji Ling down, his eyes scanning the black-clad men surrounding them. His thin lips pressed tightly together. One of the rebels punched Ning Yu in the stomach, and the others rushed forward, using special metal handcuffs to bind Ning Yu’s hands behind his back.
Blood still stained Ning Yu’s lips, but he coldly looked at the group, barely budging as they pushed him forward.
Gabriel didn’t lift a finger the entire time. He simply stood there, coldly watching everything unfold. His raspy, broken voice sounded. “Take them away.”
The rebels kept a strict watch on Ning Yu, locking him in heavy chains. But with Ji Ling, they were far more casual, not even bothering to bind him. They simply picked him up and tossed him into the aircraft.
Ji Ling glanced at the captured Ning Yu, then at the fierce-looking rebels and the emotionless man in the silver mask... He could barely hold back his sorrowful tears. Why was he so unlucky? Even staying obediently on the Emperor Star, he still couldn’t escape this man’s clutches.
Not long after, the aircraft landed in a secret underground base.
The two were shoved out. Ji Ling didn’t want to be separated from Ning Yu at that moment, but they were still taken in different directions. Ji Ling could only watch as Ning Yu was led away, his heart filled with anxiety and dread. The black-clad rebels roughly shoved Ji Ling into a small, dark room, locked the door, and left him there alone.
……………
Meanwhile, Ning Yu was locked in a white metal room.
He stood there quietly. Despite the marks of the recent battle, and the bloodstains on his shoulder soaking into his clothes, he didn’t seem the least bit disheveled. His handsome face remained calm and composed. His green eyes were deep, carrying less of their usual warmth and more of an indescribable intensity.
With a ‘click,’ the door opened from the outside.
The man with the silver mask walked in.
Ning Yu turned at the sound, casually pulling at his hands, and the rigid metal shackles shattered into pieces, falling to the floor... But the man in the silver mask showed no reaction, as if everything was perfectly normal.
He strode up to Ning Yu, then slowly knelt before him on one knee. He placed one hand over his chest and used the other to remove his mask, lifting it above his head and respectfully presenting it to Ning Yu.
Bowing his head, he said in a deferential tone, “My Lord.”
The author has something to say:
Ji Ling: They’re all maniacs. You’re the only good person QAQ.
Ning Yu: Hmm.
Author: ...
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