The Downtrodden Villain In A Redemption Romance Novel Chapter 16

Chapter 16 Midnight

The next few days slipped by quietly amidst the tapping of keys and silent companionship.

The proofreading job Xu Wen had taken on was far more tedious than he had imagined. The pay was indeed decent, but the sheer volume of work, the demanding attention to detail, and the tight deadlines weighed heavily on his shoulders.

He often found himself scrutinizing a single line of obscure professional jargon repeatedly, or spending half an hour researching an insignificant punctuation mark. When anxious, he would unconsciously bite his fingertips and run his hands through his usually smooth hair, leaving it a mess.

“This company really doesn’t treat people like people…” he muttered under his breath at the screen, his brows furrowed with persistent fatigue and irritation. The high-intensity work was eroding his patience, leaving him constantly on the verge of snapping.

But whenever this happened, he would only need to glance up and see Lu Qingrang still quietly within arm’s reach, or feel the slight chill of the other man’s body temperature when he unconsciously shifted and brushed against his shoulder.

He would silently encourage himself: Just hold on a little longer. As long as he nurtured this fragile porcelain doll back to health, his dream of Domestic Bliss wouldn’t be far off.

Not to mention the mechanical voice that occasionally sounded in his mind, reporting the steady increase in redemption value.

Redemption Value: 7%

The number was increasing bit by bit. This slow but steady progress reminded him that all his efforts were paying off, not just financially, but also for the life tied to his own.

Xu Wen had once given a clumsy explanation for the nightly ritual of tying their wrists together with a piece of clothing, offering flimsy excuses like “the temperature drops at night, I don’t want you to catch a cold” or “I sleep restlessly and might accidentally crush you.”

He hadn’t dared to look into Lu Qingrang’s eyes when he said it, afraid of seeing mockery or rejection in that stillness.

But Lu Qingrang hadn’t asked anything.

He simply, that night, when Xu Wen hesitated with the shirt in hand, moved his own slender wrist just slightly toward Xu Wen.

This silent acquiescence and cooperation spoke volumes. From then on, it became their unspoken, slightly comical, yet crucial ritual.

The biggest progress, however, was that Lu Qingrang had started responding.

Although he might only reply to one out of ten sentences, and those replies were mostly short words like “Mm,” “Okay,” or “No need,” his voice remained hoarse and low.

But to Xu Wen, it was music to his ears. Every time he received a response, it made his eyes, which were slightly dimmed by exhaustion, light up again.

He still habitually worked nestled beside Lu Qingrang, as if the other man were his personal calming talisman. In the cramped space, they each occupied a corner—one immersed in his own world battling work, the other silently observing this person he found peculiar—neither disturbing the other, yet strangely harmonious.

When Xu Wen looked up during a break, he sometimes caught Lu Qingrang’s gaze before the man could shift it away. The beautiful peach blossom eyes were no longer entirely vacant; occasionally, a fleeting emotion, similar to observation or contemplation, would flash through them.

Whenever this happened, Xu Wen would feel that the fatigue from continuous overtime and the pressure on his shoulders weren’t… so unbearable after all.

“Phew…”

Xu Wen let out a long breath, finally lifting his head from the computer screen. He picked up his phone, which was placed next to Lu Qingrang. The light from the screen made him squint; it was already past one in the morning.

He instinctively looked beside him, meeting Lu Qingrang’s gaze. Those usually still peach blossom eyes looked particularly focused in the dim light of the desk lamp.

“It’s so late, aren’t you going to sleep?” Xu Wen closed his laptop while rubbing his throbbing temples, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

Lu Qingrang did not answer immediately.

Before Xu Wen could react, the man suddenly leaned closer. A pair of cool hands gently covered his temples, the fingertips applying just the right amount of pressure, massaging the sore spots rhythmically.

Xu Wen froze completely, even his breathing unconsciously softening. He could clearly feel the long, slender fingers gently circling on his skin, every movement carrying a clumsy but earnest carefulness.

My good brother…

Xu Wen silently cheered in his heart, You finally know how to care for your brother!

Just as he was basking in the pleasant surprise, Lu Qingrang’s cool voice sounded from very close proximity:

“Lie down.”

Xu Wen wouldn’t dare disobey, almost reflexively preparing to fall straight backward.

But Lu Qingrang’s hand timely supported the back of his neck, guiding him with an undeniable force to rest his head gently on a warm and firm spot—the other man’s thigh.

Through the thin fabric of the loungewear pants, Xu Wen could clearly feel the outline of the muscles underneath. It wasn’t soft, even a little hard, but it was strangely reassuring.

The cool hands returned to his temples, continuing the clumsy yet focused massage.

“What a… gentle person…”

Xu Wen thought hazily. The fatigue from continuous late nights surged over him like a tide, and his eyelids became too heavy to keep open. He forced himself to hold onto the last shred of consciousness and mumbled vaguely:

“The… jacket… hasn’t been tied yet…”

The response was an extremely soft sigh from above his head, almost dissipating into the night, and a low, gentle voice, like a dream whisper:

“Sleep. I will tie it.”

This sentence was like a spell granting permission to sleep. Xu Wen’s last taut nerve completely relaxed, and he instantly fell into a deep slumber, his breathing becoming long and steady.

The moment before he completely lost consciousness, the cold mechanical voice sounded in his mind on cue:

[Redemption Value increased by +3% due to Target’s actions. Current Redemption Value: 10%]

Only this time, Xu Wen, immersed in the sweet darkness of sleep, would have to wait until he woke up the next morning to learn the good news.

Lu Qingrang lowered his gaze, looking at the young man soundly asleep on his lap.

Xu Wen’s breathing was even and long, warmly brushing against his skin, bringing with it a strange tickle.

The continuous late nights had left faint dark circles under his eyes. His defenseless sleeping face looked much more vulnerable than usual.

An extremely unfamiliar impulse quietly sprouted in the stillness of the night: he didn’t want to continue unilaterally receiving this kindness.

This thought startled even him, followed immediately by a sharp self-mockery.

What am I hoping for?

And what am I… coveting?

He knew clearly how despicable his current thoughts were. He was like a person freezing in the snow, knowing that what lay before him might be a poisoned chalice, yet unable to stop himself from wanting to approach that illusory warmth.

He wanted Xu Wen’s always surprisingly bright eyes to look at him for a few more days.

He wanted that noisy voice to continue filling this small space.

He wanted this seemingly cheap sympathy to… linger on him a little longer.

Is it… if I act a little more pitiful, a little more needy, will this charity last longer?

This dark and stubborn thought occupied his heart, carrying a morbid temptation. He subconsciously tightened his fingers, the tips sinking slightly into Xu Wen’s soft hair, then releasing them as if burned.

He still didn’t believe.

He didn’t believe in good without reason in this world.

He didn’t believe anyone would stay forever.

Yet, the strange throbbing in his chest was real, fighting against his deeply rooted despair.

In the end, he simply maintained his original posture, motionless, like a prisoner tightly clutching the only straw in the darkness.

He closed his eyes, allowing the contradictory, scorching emotions to silently burn within his heart.

At least tonight, this warmth was real.