Chapter 1 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

In the middle of the month, in the Great Qi Country, in the city of Yinjing, there stood the Spring Wind Tower. Behind the building, there was a secluded courtyard, where a man was absentmindedly staring at his reflection in a basin of water. Up until this moment, He Yunxiao had always believed himself to be a straight man. However, upon seeing his reflection in the water, he had to admit that his defenses had been shattered. Who is this? Is this me? Fair skin tinged with healthy rosy hues, delicate features as though carved from jade, a high nose bridge and thin lips that spoke volumes, and most astonishing of all, a pair of captivating peach blossom eyes, invisible hooks that left one itching with desire. If the ideal lover in a maiden's dreams had a face, it would surely be this. Absolutely perfect. Before He Yunxiao could continue his amazement, a display panel emerged before him. 【Name: He Yunxiao Relationship: Single Specialty: Handsome Favorability: 100】 He Yunxiao! This name exploded in He Yunxiao's mind. Countless memories rushed to the forefront of his mind. He Yunxiao was the male villain from the popular novel "Girl, I Just Want to Cultivate." This rare high martial arts-themed novel had garnered over 200,000 words since its serialization and had shot up to the number one spot on the monthly ranking just three days after its release. He Yunxiao had originally refused to read this kind of brainless, naive novel, as the plot was nonsensical and illogical. However, with numerous heroines and exceptional character portrayal, readers, including He Yunxiao, understood the unspoken truth. Feasting one's eyes couldn't hurt. And this villain, He Yunxiao, was a despicable man with formidable martial arts skills, a domineering personality, a penchant for alcohol and women, and despite his handsome appearance, right-minded individuals despised him to the core. This scoundrel had even made advances towards the male protagonist's sister and met his pathetic end at the hands of the protagonist before he could succeed. He Yunxiao remembered this scene in particular, as he had enjoyed it. It was in the twenty-first chapter where He Yunxiao was outrageously arrogant, not only making indecent remarks but also making unwanted advances on Chu Xiaoxiao. At the Qinglou Martial Arts Competition, Chu Fan, despite first showing no reaction, later deliberately sought out a confrontation with He Yunxiao. Challenging the powerful He Yunxiao, Chu Fan took action with a knife, enraged in front of the Qinglou crowd, and struck down the villain. Not only did he protect his sister, but he also significantly improved the favorability of the brothel's leading lady, Du Huakui. It was undeniably euphoric, but never in his wildest dreams had he thought that he would be the one to transmigrate into him! Unbelievably, he had transmigrated into the villain! Listening to the sounds of female laughter and drinking games emanating from the towering building behind him, He Yunxiao, or rather, He Yunxiao now possessing his memories, knew that he was currently situated at the Spring Wind Tower! He would soon be slain by the protagonist! He Yunxiao now having accepted his reality, swiftly took a few deep breaths to regain his composure. Regardless, I must survive! I currently possess two exceptional skills: one being the golden finger, able to see others' favorability; the other being my recollection of novels from my past life. Despite the difficulties, I cannot give up. I must think carefully about how to turn the tables! Could I control my hands and refrain from behaving indecently toward Chu Xiaoxiao? No! Because before transmigrating, He Yunxiao had already behaved indecently! Now I just have to wait for the martial arts competition to commence, and for Chu Fan to take action with his knife… Can I escape? Yes, but the protagonist's martial arts prowess is unfathomable; I might escape in the short term, but not for long! This is the worst plan. I must think about solving this at its roots! The protagonist is the last descendant of a noble family. In the original novel, the renowned general of Great Qi, He Yuanhao, and his entire family were slaughtered, leaving Chu Fan as the sole survivor. After growing up, he returns to the capital city of Yinjing in the Great Qi Country seeking revenge. Although the novel is incomplete, as long as I can find clues based on the threads the author left in the book, confirm the true culprit of the family massacre, and finally reveal the culprit to the protagonist… In doing so, as a villain who has not committed major wrongdoings, I could successfully switch sides and become the protagonist's brother. With the novel spanning over a hundred chapters, based on the existing clues, the most likely suspect to be the true perpetrator of the family massacre is none other than the Marquis of Wuqing, He Yuanhao… That is my father! Dammit! This is truly over; from "misbehaving toward my sister" to "mortal grudge." Adding insult to injury! He Yunxiao remembered an old saying: "Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles." And then another old saying came to mind: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." In order to survive, He Yunxiao hesitated not and expertly performed a top-tier lightness technique. His foot touched the ground and his body was akin to a migratory bird, leaping over the courtyard and onto the courtyard wall, then descending to the ground once more. Gazing at his extraordinary mastery, for a moment, He Yunxiao thought that he could withstand Chu Fan. But he quickly calmed down. That is the protagonist of the novel! I absolutely cannot surpass him. Upon realizing the villain's role, He Yunxiao had no further doubts. If he wanted to survive, he could only run, the farther the better. However, just as he landed and before he could take another step, a soft, sweet voice suddenly sounded in his ear: "Big Brother He, where are you going?" He Yunxiao broke out in a cold sweat, and in an instant, all his inner strength surged into his feet. Yet, his body, at this moment, felt as though it had been burdened by immense stones, no matter how he tried to employ his top-tier lightness technique, he remained motionless. Terrifying! What kind of skill is this? The soft, sweet voice sounded once again, with a hint of grievance this time. "Big Brother He, are you leaving home? Don't we still have the martial arts competition left?" Every muscle in He Yunxiao's body remained taut, and he was as if petrified. He slowly turned his head and first saw the small hand gripping the hem of his garment. Then, he beheld the owner of the voice. Willowy eyebrows, a delicate mouth, a jade-like nose with almond-shaped eyes, and an egg-shaped face that showcased the pure and lively aspects of all the features. Chu Xiaoxiao! This person was none other than the protagonist Chu Fan's younger sister, Chu Xiaoxiao! 【Name: Chu Xiaoxiao Relationship: Hostile Specialty: Martial Arts (The Best in the World) Personality: Lovesick Favorability: 20 Route Difficulty: Hell Successful Reward: A chance to evade death】 The lovely hand that had just been clutching He Yunxiao's garment suddenly launched into action! Rapid movement from the bottom upwards set the air abuzz. However, Chu Xiaoxiao was even faster, faster than the speed of sound! He Yunxiao couldn't hear the slightest noise. His neck was already clutched by Chu Xiaoxiao. Subsequently, the terrifying sensation of suffocation and the explosive sound of tearing air both reached his brain simultaneously. Life and death, entirely within Chu Xiaoxiao's whim. The sensation of suffocation was overpowering, and as the memories flickered like a slideshow, the one thought that He Yunxiao, now colder than usual, latched onto was her personality—lovesick. He vaguely grasped something… As the sensation of suffocation intensified, turning into a panicked struggle, and then gradually spiraling into a state of confusion due to oxygen deprivation, He Yunxiao's thoughts were tumultuous: How could she have such formidable martial arts? And why does she want to kill me? Am I about to die? Am I truly nearing death? As it came to that point, He Yunxiao became even more composed than usual. He noticed that Chu Xiaoxiao's favorability towards him had plummeted from 20 to 0 in an instant, and took a serious look at her personality—lovesick. He caught a glimmer of hope… As suffocation intensified, a series of past events unfolded like a magical lantern show. "Mom, I'm incompetent…" "He Yunxiao, Mom doesn't ask for anything except that you lead a healthy life…" "He Yunxiao! When will you learn! Apologize to your superior immediately!" "Let's break up; you… you're too honest…" I don't want to die… There must be a way… "The readers asked if this book has a single heroine. I, as the author, solemnly assure everyone that it is absolutely a single-heroine scenario." A single heroine! Grasping at the straw that could save his life! With over 200,000 words, and a prominent female character, the likelihood of a single heroine scenario had only one possibility. That would be an uncontrollable force preventing the male protagonist from forming a harem. Being the best martial artist in the world, loving her brother, and possessing an intense possessive nature, the lovesick younger sister who detested her brother interacting with other girls! Although it was far-fetched, with this setting, everything became clear! The lovesick Chu Xiaoxiao would undoubtedly be tormented by how to rid Chu Fan of the romantic snags caused by others! I have a way to resolve this for her! This is my only chance! Let's take a gamble! "I have a way!" He Yunxiao struggled to say these three words. Chu Xiaoxiao's grip immediately loosened, and the sensation of suffocation vanished in an instant. He Yunxiao collapsed to the ground like a rag, finally able to breathe again. Kneeling on the ground, he coughed and breathed heavily, taking in fresh air with large gulps. "What way is that?" Chu Xiaoxiao's voice was as piercing as a cold wind. "A way that benefits everyone," He Yunxiao gasped, "With your martial arts skills, as long as you don't want to, I won't be able to touch the hem of your clothes. Did you not deliberately avoid me at the Spring Wind Tower, allowing me to brush past you twice?" Chu Xiaoxiao scoffed disdainfully, "You're worthy?" "No, I'm not, but Du Huakui is. As the top courtesan, who made her debut three times, the first time being at the banquet just now. Compared to ignoring everyone else, Chu Fan specially glanced at Du Huakui a few times. When you deliberately didn't avoid me, you did it to divert Chu Fan's focus onto you." Silence. "Courting death." Chu Xiaoxiao's tone was as indifferent as before. But her kick was even more ruthless than her words! He Yunxiao resembled discarded rotten meat, rolling on the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust before finally crashing into the nearby wall and ceasing his movements. Leaning against the wall, he wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth. He was smiling, disheveled but elated, like an exhausted hunter watching his prey caught in a trap. She's getting anxious. There's hope. Against the wall, He Yunxiao watched as Chu Xiaoxiao approached with measured steps. "Why did you try to kill me?" "I take pleasure in it." Just because I brushed past you? He Yunxiao wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but he knew that it wasn't the time for sarcasm. "Let me live, and I can help you," he said. Chu Xiaoxiao replied, "Garbage, you have no right to negotiate terms." He Yunxiao glanced at Chu Xiaoxiao's favorability, which had changed from "0" to "20". She actually increased her favorability towards me? Because I didn't plead for mercy and instead tried to negotiate with her? No wonder she was attracted to Chu Fan. It turns out she likes gentlemen who take a stand against bullies. Done for! He Yunxiao decided to stick to one plan. He continued negotiating. "After you kill me, are you going to kill Du Huakui too?" Chu Xiaoxiao, without expression or words, raised her favorability from "20" to "22". He Yunxiao continued, "I can read people's faces. Chu Fan is naturally attractive to women. If he meets a princess or a noblewoman, would you still want to kill them?" Indifferently, Chu Xiaoxiao replied, "Kill." "I have a method, a win-win solution where no one has to die. Neither I nor Du Huakui need to die. What's more important is that you can get what you want." Chu Xiaoxiao stood next to He Yunxiao, overseeing him against the wall. "Speak." He Yunxiao raised his face with false confidence and said, "You understand that I am handsome, right? I will take care of those women, and Chu Fan will only have you." Truth be told, he was a bit anxious. After all, these female leads, meeting the protagonist’s gaze, must have a mentality even more righteous than a square, and I'm the villain. It would be surprising if they don’t beat me to death for the protagonist. But there's nothing else to do right now. If I don't try, I'll be killed right away, and if I do try, maybe I'll die a little later. If it succeeds, I would be saving a girl from Chu Xiaoxiao’s wrath. Chu Xiaoxiao blinked and her voice turned sweet again. "Big Brother He, who hurt you so badly? I have healing pills. Come, open your mouth." Without hesitation, she stuffed the pills into He Yunxiao's mouth and, while perched by his ear, used her sweet voice to say quietly: "The Soul-Eating Pill is a rare treasure. It can increase internal energy by overdrawing life force. However, the one who takes this pill will be extremely afraid of a particular sound. As soon as this bell of mine rings, you'll have to endure the torture of a thousand insects devouring your heart. From now on, I will not allow any other women to appear around Chu Fan. Otherwise, both you and they will die." The two were very close; He Yunxiao could smell the faint fragrance emanating from Chu Xiaoxiao. It was a bit like oleander, sweet, but poisonous. He Yunxiao let out a hearty laugh, like warm winter sunshine. No one could ignore such a smile, not even Chu Xiaoxiao, although it was an extremely brief moment. "There will be a chance, and I will take my revenge," he said. Chu Xiaoxiao's lovely smile gradually faded, and her breath of a ruler who disregarded the world was unleashed unrestrained. "Boring." Without a glance backward, she left. He Yunxiao gazed at her departing figure as he observed Chu Xiaoxiao's favorability toward him increase from "22" to "30." Oh no, am I crazy? Why did I suddenly find her a bit cute?