Professor 4
His tone was gentle—so gentle, yet it nearly scared Tang Xi into fluffing up like a startled cat.
Noticing his fear, Duan Sifei deliberately took a long stride forward.
Step by step, he cornered his prey.
Tang Xi had nowhere left to retreat and curled back onto the bed, trembling with wide, tear-filled eyes.
Duan Sifei leaned down, stopping just a fist’s distance away. His warm breath brushed against Tang Xi as he spoke.
“Scared?”
Duan Sifei chuckled softly. “I originally planned to keep you as part of my collection, but for some reason… I can’t quite bring myself to do it.”
His deep, lingering gaze contradicted the cruel words that followed. “I let you go, so you have to be good and listen to me, understand?”
His interest in this little researcher far exceeded his expectations. A predator’s instinct was to bring its prey back to its own territory—but against all reason, he had softened.
His weak sense of morality had never allowed him to experience such emotions before. In fact, he even found this unfamiliar feeling somewhat peculiar.
It was as if something irreversible would happen the moment he truly took action.
Tang Xi timidly nodded. He had no choice but to obey. Until the original character’s research was completed, he had to stay at the research institute.
Duan Sifei stood up, satisfied, and gently patted his head. “Good boy, go wash up and eat.”
His affectionate demeanor was almost like that of a lover in the throes of passion.
However, Tang Xi couldn’t relax at all. The moment the villain mentioned “collection,” cold sweat had already started dripping down his back.
In this world, the villain had a peculiar habit when killing—he would collect the little finger bone of his victims.
[H-he… he really wants to kill me.]
1551 gently reminded him: [I think he might have other intentions for you.]
Tang Xi didn’t understand. He slowly walked to the bathroom and found a set of brand-new toiletries inside.
Following the original character’s habits, he started brushing his teeth. As he did, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.
[How… how can this be??]
His gaze froze for a moment. His neck was covered in a dense pattern of hickeys.
After experiencing the previous world, he was no longer an innocent little kitten. He knew exactly what these marks meant.
And it wasn’t just his neck—he secretly lifted his shirt, revealing ambiguous kiss marks that trailed from his chest down to the faint outline of his V-line.
His body looked as though it had been thoroughly ravaged, with some areas even slightly broken.
No wonder his clothes had been rubbing painfully against his skin just now.
Tang Xi dazedly put his shirt back down. The thought that had been nagging at him surfaced again—was Duan Sifei actually He Wang?
It had to be him. Only He Wang would make fish-shaped cookies for him. Only he had such a habit of biting him.
Unable to hold back, he asked the system: [Can the villain from the last world follow me into this one?]
1551, knowing exactly what he was hoping for, replied in a small voice: [Theoretically, that’s impossible. Each world can only accommodate one tasker, and the only ones who can possess characters are taskers and judges.]
[Judges?]
It was the first time he had heard this term from the system.
[They are the overseers of various worlds. You could also call them gods. Our system works under them. Your missions and points all come from them. Since there are so many worlds, there are actually quite a lot of judges as well.]
Tang Xi grew curious. [Wouldn’t that lead to conflicts?]
[Of course. But we have Him—the Supreme Judge.]
At the mention of this figure, 1551’s voice was filled with pride.
Tang Xi shifted the conversation back. [Oh… so why did He Wang turn into Duan Sifei?]
1551 had only said it was “theoretically” impossible, not that it was entirely out of the question. In his mind, that basically confirmed his suspicions.
Excitement made his hands tremble as he brushed his teeth. The frustration he had been feeling vanished in an instant.
Even the resentment from being bitten faded significantly.
He was, without a doubt, a completely biased little cat.
1551: […I don’t know.] In truth, it still didn’t believe that He Wang and Duan Sifei were the same person.
When the time was up, Tang Xi put down his toothbrush.
Even though he could barely contain the urge to smile, he forced himself to adjust his expression.
Keep looking like a silent, introverted, and timid young researcher.
As soon as he stepped into the living room, the aroma of breakfast filled the air. The rich scent of seafood porridge, simmered until it was irresistibly tender, was enough to entice even a cat.
There must be his favorite giant scallops in it.
Tang Xi almost couldn’t stop himself from drooling, but he couldn’t eat it. He couldn’t even let his gaze linger on it.
“Come here.” Duan Sifei’s smile was gentle, his composure so strong that it was as if he had never drugged him in the first place.
He didn’t think a child like Tang Xi would understand the traces left behind.
Tang Xi dragged his feet over reluctantly. After sitting down, he still looked unhappy and hesitated before mumbling, “I… I want to go to the research institute…”
Duan Sifei’s smile became a bit more genuine—this was a rare moment where Tang Xi spoke to him first.
Even if it was just to ask to leave.
“I’ll take you after breakfast.”
When he wasn’t in the mood to tease, Duan Sifei was the picture of a gentleman. With his gold-rimmed glasses, he looked just like a refined and gentle professor.
Tang Xi thought about the marks on his body—ones that looked as if he’d been bitten by a dog—and couldn’t help but curse him in his heart: A beast in human clothing.
That phrase was practically made for him.
Under the villain’s gaze, Tang Xi hesitated on the surface but was secretly delighted as he held back tears and downed two large bowls of the rich porridge.
And then… he ate too much.
He had to be rushed to the hospital.
It wasn’t until an IV was inserted into his arm that Tang Xi finally came to his senses, breaking free from the sharp wave of stomach pain.
To think that simply eating breakfast could trigger such severe pain—the original character’s stomach condition was clearly far worse than he had imagined.
With a pale face, Tang Xi turned his head from the hospital bed—only to meet Duan Sifei’s gaze.
The warmth from before had completely faded. Having just spoken with the doctor, Duan Sifei now carried an icy cold expression.
Tang Xi shivered. Before he could even figure out what he had done to anger him, Duan Sifei spoke in a slow, deliberate tone:
“Didn’t I already let you go? So why do you still refuse to listen and insist on hurting yourself on purpose?”
Tang Xi was stunned, momentarily at a loss for words.
His innocent, bewildered expression only made Duan Sifei angrier. The words the doctor had just said kept echoing in his mind, stirring an unfamiliar ache in his chest.
That uncontrollable feeling brought out a flash of murderous intent.
“I should never have let you go on a whim,” he muttered darkly. “I should’ve just tied you up in that room and raised you like a collection piece.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Tang Xi whispered.
Seeing that the villain didn’t react, he gathered a little more courage and said, “I don’t want to be your collection. I want to finish my research.”
Clumsy. Even after being scolded and mistreated, he was still so awkward.
Duan Sifei’s killing intent suddenly vanished without a trace.
He knew he couldn’t bring himself to do it—just like last night when he had clearly tied up the boy, yet softened at the sight of the fragile wounds on his wrists and ankles, letting go of something he had always wanted for the first time.
He didn’t even take the final step because he was afraid the boy would get hurt, afraid of seeing him wake up in tears.
Such a delicate little thing—so easy to scare, timid like a cat.
“The doctor said you have a serious stomach condition. This sudden attack happened because you don’t usually eat breakfast, and then you ate too quickly and too much all at once.” Duan Sifei had calmed down, though his tone carried an unintentional hint of regret.
The boy’s stomach pain was directly related to him.
It hadn’t even occurred to him that the boy might have simply been craving food. He had assumed the boy had forced himself to eat in a rush just to keep up with him and get to the research institute faster, ignoring his own physical condition in the process.
Tang Xi let out a dry “Oh” and then, in a small voice, asked when he could go to the research institute.
He was actually terrified of the unpredictable man in front of him, but his desire to continue his research was even stronger.
Yesterday’s experiment had been a success under the system’s guidance, and today, he was sure he would make new breakthroughs.
Duan Sifei curled his lips into a smirk, amused. “Still thinking about the research institute?” The boy had just passed out from the pain.
Tang Xi nodded lightly, looking at him pitifully. His neck still bore the obvious marks of Duan Sifei’s possession—subtly alluring without him even realizing it.
Duan Sifei’s gaze darkened as he reached out to brush his fingers over the boy’s neck. “I read your research report.”
His actions were dangerously intimate, yet his expression remained serious.
It was clear he was deliberately changing the subject, and the naive Tang Xi, like a curious little cat, was easily distracted by him.
“Your research is quite interesting, and its feasibility is high.” Duan Sifei enjoyed the way the young researcher listened so attentively. “At the current pace, six more experiment groups should yield a more precise fractional value.”
He truly lived up to his role as the ultimate villain of this world—when it came to his area of expertise, he was nothing if not reliable.
Tang Xi took out a small notebook and pen, diligently jotting down notes, occasionally asking a few questions.
Duan Sifei answered them all one by one.
These were the very bottlenecks that had troubled the original character’s research. With just a few pointers, it was as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun.
“Alright, take a break.” Duan Sifei glanced at his watch.
It was only then that Tang Xi realized it was already noon.
“What do you want for lunch?”
“…”
“Speak.” Duan Sifei narrowed his eyes slightly.
Tang Xi mumbled, “…Instant noodles.”
The villain was the only one who could get him to talk this much.
Duan Sifei was dissatisfied with the answer. “Pick something else.”
Tang Xi struggled under his gaze, stammering for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out a single word: “Porridge.”
Duan Sifei, amused by his reaction, teased him a little before getting up to buy some meat porridge.
“Little one, your brother treats you so well,” a young nurse commented as she walked in not long after Duan Sifei had left, her tone full of envy.
Tang Xi, as withdrawn as he was, didn’t respond and simply lowered his head, playing with his fingers.
Miss Nurse, you’re far too naive.
He’s not a good person.
No one but me knows his true nature, Tang Xi thought to himself.
The nurse mistook his silence for shyness and secretly gushed over how adorable he was.
. . . . .
“Tang Xi, why didn’t you come to work yesterday?”
A sweet, slightly coquettish voice called out from behind him.
Tang Xi pretended not to hear and kept his head down, walking forward without a pause.
But the owner of the voice had no intention of letting him go so easily. They stepped right in front of him, blocking his path.
“Why are you ignoring me?”
Forced to stop, Tang Xi had no choice but to look up—only to meet the delicate features of the protagonist shou. Instantly, alarm bells rang in his mind.
Chen Liu, now face-to-face with Tang Xi, was momentarily stunned. It was the first time he had properly looked at this colleague’s face.
Surprisingly… he was quite good-looking.
The realization stirred a trace of jealousy in Chen Liu’s heart. After all, the moment Professor Duan arrived, he had chosen Tang Xi first. Still, Chen Liu maintained a concerned expression as he asked, “Are you feeling unwell? Also, Professor Duan didn’t come in yesterday either. You probably didn’t know that, right?”
The last sentence was a subtle probe, easy to miss.
Even though Chen Liu’s demeanor was flawless, Tang Xi’s small-animal instincts picked up on a faint trace of malice.
He knew this person didn’t like him.
That was fine—after all, having read the entire storyline, he didn’t like this selfish protagonist shou either.
Which raised the real question: why would someone who had never spoken to the original Tang Xi suddenly approach him with such concern?
Author’s Note:
A little irresponsible dialogue:
Professor Duan: I feel like if I really put him in the “little black room,” something irreversible might happen.
Author: Yeah, he’d get locked up.