The Villains All Fell in Love with Me After Rebirth : Chapter 79 - Meet
Chapter 79: Meet
Mr. Shao smiled. “Of course.”
Carlos gave a slight smile, extended his right hand, and spoke in a deep, pleasant voice. “Then, I look forward to our cooperation.”
Mr. Shao was delighted. He hesitated for a moment before shaking Carlos’ hand firmly and saying excitedly, “I look forward to it as well.”
The staff members nearby watched the scene unfold, then glanced back at the painting on the wall in confusion. While it was undeniably an outstanding piece for a student, was it really that captivating? Earlier, Mr. Brandon Hawk had also stared at it for a long time and even inquired about the artist before leaving.
Carlos narrowed his eyes slightly as he stood in place, observing the painting before signaling his assistant to take it down from the wall.
Only then did he turn and leave.
He lifted his left hand, resting it lightly on his right elbow, fingers curling slightly as he applied pressure.
This hand was still here now.
After arriving in this world, he had spent some time gradually adjusting to his complete yet frail body.
In that other world, he had long forgotten what it felt like to have a right hand.
With the Empire’s advanced technology and medical capabilities, regenerating a limb or creating a mechanical one was an easy task. As a noble of the highest rank, he should never have allowed himself to remain incomplete. However… Carlos had never sought to restore his lost arm.
He didn’t want to forget that moment.
So, he used this method to remember the pain.
If that boy had never appeared, if he hadn’t died by Jing Sui’s sword to save Carlos, then at that moment, Carlos should have died instead. Losing only an arm had already been an act of mercy from fate.
But he would rather not be granted mercy—because the cost was far too great.
In his previous life, the boy had died by his hands. In this life, the boy had died saving him.
So, in the end, you did care about me, if only a little. You didn’t hate me as much as I thought, did you? I finally understand your feelings for me, but there’s no longer any way to make amends.
That was your first and last kindness to me.
And yet, it was so cruel.
The one I love… how could I bear to defy your wishes? Even if you are gone, I cannot let you leave with sorrow and regret.
Carlos silently withdrew his army from Emperor Star, retreating to the Sosa System. His subordinates didn’t understand his decision, believing that he shouldn’t give up now after everything they had sacrificed.
But Carlos crushed all opposition with his absolute authority and ruthless suppression.
He had no need to explain himself to anyone, nor did he care for their opinions. From beginning to end, he only cared about one person.
Any dissatisfied conservative nobles would no longer receive his protection. And Jing Sui—he would not tolerate them either. Now that things had come to this, reform was inevitable. The moment Carlos stepped away, no one could stop Jing Sui.
I will make this world into the one you wanted.
I can let go of my hunger for power, try to show compassion for the weak, let go of my resentment and hatred…
I once promised you that I could change for you.
And I will keep my word.
If I had done this sooner, if I had changed earlier, would none of this have happened? Would this world have already been a better place, and would you have chosen to stay by my side?
Carlos didn’t have the answers to those questions.
But he knew that the boy had died because of him. Knowing that was enough.
After that day, Carlos never set foot on Emperor Star again. He distanced himself from the heart of the Empire’s power and resided in the Sosa System, in the palace where he and the boy had once been betrothed. Even though, back then, you hadn’t agreed willingly, you still accepted my proposal—to become my wife, my lover.
I will never forget that.
Carlos withdrew from public life, and over time, he gradually detached himself from worldly affairs. He lived like a leisurely noble, and eventually, he found that letting go of resentment and accepting the present wasn’t so bad. He already had more than enough; he should be content.
Every year, in July and August, he would travel to Blue Ocean Star to stay for a while.
To honor his lost love.
The intelligent surveillance system had recorded the boy’s time on that planet, projecting his image again and again before Carlos’ eyes—making it feel as if the boy were still alive, still there with him, still smiling at him, still softly calling his name…
Carlos thought that this was enough.
You see, even though you are no longer in this world, I will never forget you. My love will not fade with time.
Until death brings me to your side.
You are truly here, in this world.
My love, I will find you. And this time, I will never let you suffer again.
………………
The school’s art exhibition was a huge success. Ji Ling was delighted, then quickly returned to his peaceful and busy daily life.
After class that morning, Ji Ling and Wang Yixin headed to the cafeteria for lunch.
At this moment, Zheng Lin looked up and saw Wen Yan walking into the cafeteria. Clicking his tongue, he remarked, “Ever since Senior Yu publicly came out last time, no girls have confessed to him anymore. That move was brilliant.”
Wang Yixin sighed, “Killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of your own—now that this reputation has spread, how is he supposed to pick up girls in the future?”
Chen Ming said, “I doubt he ever planned on picking up girls. He hasn’t dated anyone in all four years of university.”
His friends’ gossiping spirit impressed Ji Ling. People always said women loved to gossip, but honestly, when men got going, they were just as bad.
Wait, hold on… Why did it feel like Senior Yu was walking in their direction?
Wen Yan walked slowly toward Ji Ling, smiling. “Excuse me, may I sit here?”
Ji Ling was stunned. “Y-yes, of course.”
Wang Yixin, Zheng Lin, and Chen Ming stammered, “S-Senior Yu, hello.” Then they quickly averted their gazes and buried their heads in their food. They had just been talking about him behind his back—hopefully, Senior Yu didn’t hear anything!
Damn, speak of the devil, and he appears!
After getting permission, Wen Yan sat down across from Ji Ling and gazed at the young man in front of him.
As much as he wanted to confess his feelings directly, some things couldn’t be made public, and he couldn’t act recklessly just because of his own desires. He didn’t care about his own reputation—using that as an excuse to turn down confessions from women was a convenient tactic—but he did care about Ji Ling’s reputation. He didn’t want to cause him trouble or disrupt his peaceful life.
So, he restrained his feelings and approached cautiously.
Ji Ling hadn’t joined in the gossip earlier, but he always felt a little uneasy around Yu Wenyan. Besides, they weren’t even close enough to be having meals together, right? After a pause, he asked hesitantly, “Senior, do you need something from me?”
Wen Yan considered his words for a moment. With a warm smile in his phoenix eyes, he said, “After seeing your painting yesterday, I was really inspired. I think your art style would be a great fit for a game I’m currently working on, and I’d like to invite you to participate in creating concept art and character designs.”
Wang Yixin, Chen Ming, and Zheng Lin all looked up in astonishment. Whoa! What an amazing opportunity!
Ji Ling was surprised as well. “Me?”
Wen Yan nodded. “BEAS is currently developing a tactical competitive online game, set in a futuristic sci-fi world.”
Wang Yixin and the others were once again awestruck. No wonder he was the top student and the campus heartthrob! He hadn’t even graduated yet, and while everyone else was still job-hunting, he was already working on a major project for a huge company! Plus, as hardcore gamers themselves, they couldn’t help but be envious. Their admiration for Wen Yan soared even higher.
Ji Ling was a little excited but also uncertain. He hesitated before asking, “Can I really do this?”
After all, he was only a freshman.
The market for game concept art was already saturated, and there were so many talented artists out there. This opportunity dropping into his lap felt too good to be true. Was Senior Yu just looking out for him? But they weren’t even that close…
Wen Yan seemed to sense his doubts. He said gently, “You should have more confidence in yourself.”
Ji Ling felt encouraged. He decided he shouldn’t overthink things—when an opportunity presents itself, you should seize it! He responded earnestly, “Thank you, Senior. I’ll do my best!”
Wen Yan looked into the boy’s bright, spirited eyes. His youthful beauty was so radiant that Wen Yan’s throat tightened slightly, and his voice came out a little hoarse. “No need to thank me.”
After a brief pause, he added, “To make communication easier, shall we exchange contact info?”
Ji Ling had no defenses up at all. He cheerfully took out his phone and said, “I’ll add you on WeChat, Senior.”
Wen Yan smiled. “Alright.”
Wang Yixin and the others looked on enviously. Truly, people with talent were on a whole different level. Unlike ordinary folks like them, Ji Ling didn’t even have to go out searching for opportunities—big shots came straight to him with job offers! And as a freshman, he was already making money from his skills!
It was an eye-opener hanging around Xiao Lingling.
Seeing Ji Ling and Wen Yan adding each other on WeChat, Wang Yixin grinned and pulled out his phone, sucking up shamelessly. “I’m Ji Ling’s roommate. Senior Yu, I’ve always admired you. Can I add you too?”
Zheng Lin and Chen Ming looked at Wen Yan eagerly, smiling ingratiatingly. “Senior Yu, we’re your fans too.”
Wen Yan smiled slightly and said in a friendly manner, “Of course.”
The three of them cheered inwardly, thrilled to add the big shot to their contacts.
After Ji Ling added Wen Yan as a friend, he glanced at the other’s WeChat name—and immediately froze. Wen Yan’s profile picture was just a simple black image, and his name was only two characters: Wen Yan.
Ji Ling’s hand trembled slightly. For a second, he almost thought he had added that person. But that was ridiculous! Senior Yu had simply used his given name—why was he overreacting? There was no WeChat in the interstellar world!
With a serious expression, Ji Ling edited the name in his contacts, adding the missing surname: Yu Wenyan.
Ah, much better.
Wen Yan looked down at his phone, set Ji Ling as a starred contact, and pinned the chat. Then he stood up and smiled. “I won’t disturb you anymore. I’ll arrange another time to discuss the details and requirements for the game concept art.”
Ji Ling smiled back. “Sounds good.”
After Wen Yan left, Wang Yixin and the others immediately resumed their chatter. Slapping Ji Ling on the shoulder, Wang Yixin said, “You’ve only been in school for two months, and you’ve already hit the jackpot in both career and romance. Honestly, in my entire life, I’ve never admired anyone more than you.”
Zheng Lin chimed in, “I’d respect you even more than a wall.”
Chen Ming nodded solemnly. “Same.”
Ji Ling: “…”
He expressionlessly slapped Wang Yixin’s hand away, picked up his tray, and said, “We should head to class.”
The afternoon schedule was packed.
Since it was a theory-based class, Wang Yixin and the others were drowsy throughout.
Ji Ling appeared to be paying attention, but in reality, his mind was elsewhere...
He had been back in his own world for some time now, and everything was going well—just as he had imagined. If there was one thing unexpected, it was how he kept encountering people who resembled those from that other world. Was this the so-called ‘thinking by day, dreaming by night’? But he hadn’t been deliberately thinking about it at all... Did this mean he actually cared more than he realized?
Why was that?
Ji Ling patted his cheeks, feeling the need to clear his mind and dismiss those absurd thoughts.
This was his real world. How could those people possibly exist here?
The afternoon passed in the blink of an eye.
After class, they had dinner together in the cafeteria before Wang Yixin and the others returned to the dorm. Ji Ling, however, took his sketchpad and headed to a quiet corner of the woods to draw.
He loved peaceful settings like this, and it felt more inspiring than being in a classroom.
He had loved drawing since childhood, working hard to get into his dream school. But during his time in the interstellar world, he had been restricted by his character persona—after all, the ‘original Ji Ling’ was nothing more than a hedonistic troublemaker, with no such artistic hobby. He couldn’t afford to break character.
Though he hadn’t been able to draw, he had committed countless vivid images to memory.
Now, finally, he could indulge in what he truly loved without fear of being discovered, without worrying about losing his life or failing a mission.
“You’re here.”
A clear, pleasant voice rang out. Ji Ling looked up abruptly and saw Ning Yue approaching, a gentle smile on his lips.
Ji Ling stood up nervously. “Bro-brother Ning.”
Although Ning Yue was of a higher generation, he was Ning Kehan’s uncle, not his. Calling him ‘Uncle’ just because Ning Kehan did didn’t seem right. Ning Yu wasn’t that much older than him, so after thinking it over, Ji Ling decided to follow Wang Yixin’s example and call him Brother Ning—it felt safer that way.
Ning Yu’s gaze swept over Ji Ling’s sketchpad, and he smiled. “You really like drawing landscapes.”
Ji Ling smiled shyly.
Then, unexpectedly, Ning Yu said, “Could you draw me?”
Ji Ling was momentarily stunned. “Sure.”
It was just a small request, not unreasonable at all. How could he refuse?
Ning Yu smiled faintly. He stepped back a few paces, lazily leaned against a tree, casually unbuttoned the top of his collar, and lifted his gaze slightly. His dark eyes were deep and gentle, his well-defined features cast in shadow, his lips curved into a faint smile.
Ji Ling studied him for a moment, then picked up his pencil.
Since he was drawing a person, he had to observe closely rather than glance away like before. Only then did he realize just how striking the man was—his proportions were perfect, his figure impeccably balanced. His white dress shirt outlined his lean yet powerful physique. Even though he was merely standing there casually, his presence exuded strength.
Ji Ling’s face grew slightly warm. He took a deep breath and focused on his drawing.
Ning Yu remained motionless, his gaze fixed on Ji Ling the entire time. This was the only way he could look at him so freely—without arousing suspicion, without making the boy wary.
To avoid scaring him off, he had to restrain himself. Even though he wanted to get closer, he had to feign indifference...
In their past life, he had been obsessed with uncovering Ji Ling’s secrets, desperate to understand why he had been pretending.
He had wanted to know who he really was, where he came from.
It wasn’t until death took Ji Ling away that he realized—some things didn’t need to be uncovered.
He hadn’t lived an easy or carefree life. His very birth and his power had burdened him with responsibilities too great to escape. Even when he met someone who stirred his heart, he had been forced to keep his distance because of his identity and position...
In that world, they had never had a chance to be together.
That was why he was so grateful for this second chance—to meet Ji Ling again in this world.
To start over.
This time, Ji Ling was no longer the arrogant noble he had once opposed, and he was no longer Gabriel, the leader of the rebel army...
Here, they were just ordinary people.
As Ji Ling drew, he gradually became immersed in his work, pushing away stray thoughts.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when he finally set his pencil down.
Ning Yu had stood still for a long time, his body slightly stiff, but he didn’t let it show. He slowly walked over, gazed at Ji Ling’s drawing for a while, and then asked, “Can I have it?”
Ji Ling replied, “Of course.”
He stole a careful glance at Ning Yue, feeling a little anxious. Had he come here because of Ning Kehan again? Ji Ling thought back to last night—when he had helped Ning Kehan home, only to be pinned against the door by the drunken man, forcing him to flee in embarrassment.
Ji Ling finally made up his mind—he couldn’t let Ning Yue misunderstand any further!
Gathering his courage, he looked at him seriously and said, “Brother Ning, um… about Ning Kehan, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Ning Yu raised an eyebrow, smiling. “What is it?”
Ji Ling blinked his clear, sincere eyes. “She and I are just classmates, n-nothing more...”
Ning Yu stared at him for a long moment, a sharp glint suddenly appearing in his dark eyes. He enunciated each word clearly, “Don’t you like her?”
Ji Ling coughed. “You misunderstood.”
He felt like a scumbag confessing to his girlfriend’s family that he didn’t actually love her. Nervous and on edge, he figured he probably wasn’t a match for Ning Yue if it came to a fight…
Suddenly, the man let out a low chuckle, his voice dropping into a husky register. “Good.”
Ji Ling abruptly looked up. “?”
Ning Yu curled his lips. “Then I can pursue you without worry.”
Ji Ling: “???”
It took him several seconds to finally process the words. His face instantly flushed bright red. What nonsense was this man talking about?! Even if he had nothing going on with Ning Kehan, was it really appropriate for him to pursue his own niece’s supposed love interest?! What happened to morals?!
Ji Ling was utterly mortified. He stubbornly refused, “I don’t like men.”
Ning Yu gazed at him deeply, watching as the boy blurted those words out without even thinking. Then, he let out a soft chuckle. Now he understood why the boy had always refused to accept them before. Could it be… he thought he was straight?
How amusing…
Ning Yu’s tone carried a hint of meaning. “But you don’t like women either.”
Ji Ling: “That’s not it! I just don’t like Ning Kehan…”
Ning Yu: “Then have you ever liked any other woman?”
Ji Ling: “Not yet…”
Ning Yu took a step forward.
Ji Ling instinctively took a step back—only to find himself pressed against the tree behind him, with nowhere left to retreat.
Ning Yu suddenly lowered his head, his lips nearly grazing Ji Ling’s cheek as his warm breath brushed against his ear. Ji Ling’s mind flashed back to last night, when the man had pinned him against the door. At the time, he’d thought it was just because the guy was drunk. But could it be… he’d already liked him back then? Was that why he did it? W-What exactly did he see in him?!
Ji Ling’s face burned scarlet. He reached out to push the man away, only to have his wrist caught. With a gentle tug, he was pulled into a firm embrace.
“Do you hate me?” Ning Yu rested his chin lightly atop the boy’s head, rubbing against him slightly as he let out a husky chuckle.
Ji Ling: “……”
H-Help! He’d already returned to the real world—so why was he still being tangled up with this man?! The worst part was… being held like this, he didn’t actually feel disgusted or repulsed. Instead, he felt more… shy and flustered.
Then, he suddenly recalled how, in that other world, despite being relentlessly pursued by those men—even getting forcibly kissed—he had never once felt so disgusted he wanted to throw up. He’d just hated being forced.
Wait… was he really… really… straight?
Without the threat of death hanging over him, without the need to maintain a fabricated persona, now that he was finally facing his true feelings… He realized that he might not actually mind being close to a man.
Ji Xiaoling: I think I might actually be bent. QAQ
He’d lived eighteen years without dating anyone, only to discover now that he was actually bent. Why?! QAQ
No, no, no, this wasn’t his fault. He was definitely brainwashed by those crazy people!
Ji Ling was beyond mortified. Even if he didn’t dislike men, he couldn’t possibly be crazy enough to date his classmate’s uncle! How would he ever face Ning Kehan again?!
No way!
Ji Ling’s face was burning hot. He didn’t dare look at Ning Yu and turned his head away—only to freeze in shock. A tall, handsome young man with deep, dark eyes was walking toward them. Ji Ling stared blankly before stammering in disbelief, “Senior Yu, y-you’re here?”
Wait! If Senior Yu saw this…
Wouldn’t he misunderstand?!
Ji Ling instantly shoved Ning Yu away with all his strength.
I swear, I really am an innocent, romance-free student! QAQ
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