It's Hard for a Villain Character Not to Collapse - Chapter 12

Chapter - 12

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Qiao Han's inner fire was already blazing fiercely, but the moment he saw the male lead's apologetic glance, it was instantly extinguished.

Xiao Jiuci’s eyes were very attractive—bright and clear. His eye shape, the classic phoenix eyes exclusive to handsome men, added to his striking appearance. Whenever he apologized, the corners of his eyes would slightly droop with his expression, making him seem sincerely regretful. Facing such eyes, anyone would feel the urge to slap themselves for being upset (especially Qiao Han).

Afterward, Xiao Jiuci grabbed Lu Zhui by the collar and led him outside.

Once the room was empty, Qiao Han stretched his body and lazily yawned. After sleeping on the floor all night, even a cultivator would feel a bit sore in the waist...

Qiao Han: ??

Why was he on the bed?

When did he get up here?

Could he really sleepwalk?

Did he climb up for comfort in his sleep? That’s never happened before!

[Ding! Congratulations, host. Emotional points +1.]

Qiao Han, completely puzzled: Did you glitch? I didn’t complete any task! Adding points means no take-backs!

System: [It was likely from the task capture yesterday. Once the host enters a sleep state, the system also goes offline. Unless it’s a life-threatening emergency, reports are only issued after the host wakes up.]

Qiao Han: "It's good to know you don't call employees in the middle of the night, shows you still have some humanity left. But... it still feels a bit slow. Didn't I finish the task before I went to sleep?"

System: [Fluctuations within the task’s range still count... maybe the male lead is just slow to react.]

Qiao Han: "Shut up! You're not allowed to talk about the male lead like that!"

But the male lead might have indeed been unnerved after thinking the whole thing over. Looking back, even Qiao Han shuddered a bit at the thought of a naked man climbing into bed.

"Ugh!" Qiao Han collapsed, burying his face into the pillow, only to realize it was the male lead's pillow. He immediately sprang away from it.

...

"Hey, man, are you mad? I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen this way. Who would've thought you'd accept him so quickly? I figured you'd need some time to adjust, even if you were following the agreement. But... tsk, tsk, tsk."

Lu Zhui, dragged under the Primordial Tree by Xiao Jiuci, hurriedly apologized. After all, it was his fault for being rude. After all, messing with a friend's partner is a no-go.

When Xiao Jiuci turned to look at him, Lu Zhui, though outwardly casual and laughing, was genuinely feeling very conflicted inside.

A month ago, he’d been shocked to hear that his good friend’s fiancée was actually a man.

Yesterday, he learned that Qiao Han had replaced someone else, but Xiao Jiuci accepted him, and Lu Zhui was floored.

Today, determined to get front-row seats to the drama, he ended up witnessing something huge—they’d dual-cultivated! He was completely shaken!

Originally, Lu Zhui had planned to stand up for his brother, even sharpening his knife for the occasion, but now he could only put his knife away quietly.

Xiao Jiuci, ignoring the growing complexity in Lu Zhui’s expression, explained plainly, "We didn’t dual-cultivate. It’s a misunderstanding. We just switched rooms—he wasn’t comfortable sleeping in the original one."

Lu Zhui: ...

Struggling to hold back his laughter, Lu Zhui asked, "Are you sure you understood his intention? Are you certain he really was uncomfortable with the room? Not that he wanted to...?"

Xiao Jiuci, of course, couldn’t bring up the whole sleepwalking incident. That was someone else’s private matter. "That’s all there is to it."

Lu Zhui was highly skeptical of his emotionally clueless friend. "If you guys didn’t dual-cultivate, does that mean I can still call him my sister-in-law?"

Xiao Jiuci’s attitude toward Qiao Han would naturally set the tone for how their group of brothers treated him.

Xiao Jiuci paused, momentarily unsure how to define their relationship. After thinking for a bit, he said, "For now, consider him a future junior disciple."

Lu Zhui frowned in confusion. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

Xiao Jiuci explained, "He’ll be participating in the inner sect disciple recruitment in a month. I’m taking him to register soon."

Lu Zhui was stunned. "Why? I’ve never heard of someone’s partner needing to take an entrance exam. Did your Qingyun Sect order this?"

Xiao Jiuci vaguely replied, "No, it’s his own decision. He wants to become an official disciple of Qingyun Sect."

Lu Zhui raised an eyebrow, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I’ve always heard that he’s difficult to get along with and has a bad reputation, but now he seems pretty interesting."

Hearing this, Xiao Jiuci couldn’t help but frown slightly. Several people had already mentioned that Qiao Han’s behavior this past month matched his initial impression—cold and difficult. He hadn’t expected Lu Zhui to hear the same rumors.

However, Qiao Han had been completely different yesterday.

Xiao Jiuci’s mind wandered back to the murmurs Qiao Han made in his sleep the previous night.

His frown eased, and he said slowly, "Judging someone by rumors or first impressions is inaccurate. You need to get to know them personally."

Lu Zhui pointed to his still-bruised eye and said, "Right, I’m getting to know him, alright. But from the way you’re talking, I can tell you don’t dislike him."

Xiao Jiuci hesitated for only a moment before nodding. He didn’t dislike Qiao Han. His concerns were only about the things that made him feel uneasy, not Qiao Han’s character itself.

Watching Lu Zhui rub his bruised eye, Xiao Jiuci suddenly asked, "When you lunged at him earlier, how close were you? Did you touch him?"

Lu Zhui froze mid-motion, staring at Xiao Jiuci in disbelief. Hadn’t he already explained? Why was he still digging for details?

Wasn’t Qiao Han supposed to be just a future junior disciple?

Lu Zhui blinked, then held up his hand to indicate the distance in front of Xiao Jiuci.

When Lu Zhui was about a palm's distance from Qiao Han, Qiao Han was suddenly startled, closed his eyes, and threw a punch, sending Lu Zhui flying. Naturally, Lu Zhui allowed himself to be hit by someone in the Qi Refining stage because he sensed something was off at the time.

"It was just close proximity, nothing physical," Lu Zhui quickly clarified. He didn’t like men, alright? Why was he being dragged into such a misunderstanding?

After hearing this, Xiao Jiuci lowered his gaze in thought.

Last night, the first time he woke Qiao Han from a distance, nothing happened. The second time, he got closer, cast a spell, and even used magic to move him onto the bed, but Qiao Han didn’t reflexively strike.

Was it random, or…? Xiao Jiuci recalled that mumbled sleep-talk, and his eyes flickered.

Seeing Xiao Jiuci’s expression made Lu Zhui’s heart race. “Are you really that concerned?”

Xiao Jiuci looked up and, noticing Lu Zhui’s "Are you alright, brother?" expression, chuckled and said, “I’ll go make breakfast. Since you’re here, stay and eat. Later, when you see Qiao Han, apologize to him.”

Lu Zhui’s immediate reaction was hunger. After all, Xiao Jiuci’s cooking was something all their brothers acknowledged. Xiao Jiuci was good-natured and lived nearby, so whenever Lu Zhui craved food, he’d bring ingredients over, and Xiao Jiuci would usually indulge him.

As Xiao Jiuci headed toward the kitchen, where smoke was already rising, it became clear he was in the middle of cooking.

Lu Zhui suddenly realized that his brother wasn’t cooking because he’d shown up; Xiao Jiuci had already been preparing a meal for Qiao Han. If it were just for himself, Xiao Jiuci wouldn’t have needed to cook at all.

Lu Zhui rubbed his chin and clicked his tongue twice. If Qiao Han hadn’t asked for it… Xiao Jiuci was a kind person, but not a pushover who’d show goodwill to just anyone. If he was willing to make an effort for someone, it meant that person was worth it.

Looks like the rumors really couldn’t be trusted.

At that moment, Qiao Han appeared, looking around as if searching for someone.

Lu Zhui waved at him with a smile. When Qiao Han walked over, Lu Zhui greeted him politely, and Qiao Han quickly returned the courtesy.

People don’t strike those who offer a smile, so Qiao Han didn’t hold a grudge over the small misunderstanding.

Lu Zhui grinned and said, “Jiuci’s making breakfast, so we’ll need to wait a bit.”

Qiao Han’s mood immediately brightened. He had thought last night’s dinner was a one-time lucky experience. After such a bizarre night and an emotional rollercoaster, he hadn’t dared to hope for breakfast!

If Lu Zhui hadn’t been standing there, Qiao Han might have jumped up and down in excitement.

However, that brief flash of radiant joy on Qiao Han’s face didn’t escape Lu Zhui’s notice.

Lu Zhui was slightly surprised. Xiao Jiuci might see Qiao Han as a future junior disciple, but Qiao Han clearly had different feelings.

“You’re in for a treat—his cooking is superb,” Lu Zhui added.

Qiao Han paused for a moment, suddenly feeling a sense of competition, much like how fans secretly compete over who knows their idol better. "I had some last night—it was really good," he said with a hint of defiance.

Seeing the proud expression in Qiao Han’s amber eyes, lively and full of spirit, Lu Zhui almost laughed. This guy... does he like Xiao Jiuci?

If that were the case, perhaps the reason behind the marriage swap could be forgiven. After all, the other person didn’t even know Xiao Jiuci.

Just as Lu Zhui was about to probe further, he saw Xiao Jiuci carrying a tray and walking over. His expression tightened, remembering he had unfinished business, so he quickly said, “Oh right, about earlier, I apologize. Consider this a token of my apology.”

With that, Lu Zhui pulled out a white cloud fan from his storage ring.

At that moment, Xiao Jiuci approached, and Qiao Han instinctively turned to him for guidance.

Catching Qiao Han’s glance, Xiao Jiuci said calmly, “Take it. It’s not a particularly valuable magical item, but it’s very useful.”

“Hey, hey! It takes a lot of effort to make!” Lu Zhui protested. “This white cloud fan can be used three times. Just infuse spiritual energy, and each time you wave it, it unleashes a windstorm at the level of a Golden Core stage cultivator. It’s great for attacking, escaping, or even traveling!”

Isn’t this basically a fan with limited uses, like the Banana Fan?

Hearing how useful it was, Qiao Han grinned and took the fan. “You’re too generous. I punched you, so we’re even. How could I accept this?”

Lu Zhui laughed at Qiao Han’s easygoing nature, while Xiao Jiuci smiled warmly and invited them both to sit down for breakfast.

“Thank you for going through all this trouble again, Brother Xiao. I really appreciate it,” Qiao Han said, full of respect for someone who cooked for him—especially the protagonist! He almost felt like kneeling in gratitude just to receive a bowl of food.

Hearing Qiao Han address Xiao Jiuci as "Brother Xiao," Lu Zhui exclaimed, “Oh, you call him that? Then call me Brother Lu! I’ll just call you Qiao Han from now on.”

Xiao Jiuci was briefly taken aback and glanced at Qiao Han. Among cultivators, those unfamiliar with each other usually addressed one another as "Daoist Lu" or "Young Master Lu," while close acquaintances would say "Senior Brother Lu" or "Brother Lu." Qiao Han, having grown up in a family, probably picked up the habit of calling people "big brother."

The first time Xiao Jiuci had heard "Brother Xiao," it had felt strange to him.

“Brother Lu!” Qiao Han immediately complied. As long as he wasn’t called "sister-in-law," he was fine with being called anything.

“Haha, this is the first time someone has called me Brother Lu. It actually sounds pretty good,” Lu Zhui chuckled.

Xiao Jiuci gave Lu Zhui another glance before quietly lowering his head to sip his porridge.

But Lu Zhui couldn’t resist joking, “Though it does make me feel a bit old. Look at me, still so youthful and handsome, hahaha.”

“How young are you? I’m eighteen,” Qiao Han teased with a smirk.

Lu Zhui immediately retorted with confidence, “I’m eighteen too!”

Qiao Han: Really … How!

Xiao Jiuci also gave Lu Zhui a speechless look.

Lu Zhui was the oldest among their group of brothers. In the cultivation world, a hundred years was still considered young. Of course, Lu Zhui wasn’t that old, but he was at that awkward age—old enough that revealing it would break any flattering illusions. Best to leave it unsaid.

Seeing Qiao Han’s expression, Lu Zhui added, “I’m forever eighteen!”

Qiao Han swallowed and said, “Then in a year, remember to call me Brother Qiao!”

Xiao Jiuci: cough

Lu Zhui: confused?

Looks like some rumors are worth believing after all.

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