Chapter 82 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

After dinner, He Yunxiao reviewed some martial arts moves and estimated that he had practiced enough. He set off again for the study room at the Fan residence. Miss Fan Ziruo from the Fan family rarely went out. Apart from the annual Qingming festival, when she must visit her mother's grave outside the city, and occasional trips to the Buddhist temple during light rain, she seldom ventured from home. Perhaps she preferred the tranquility and solitude that accompanied the rain. Heavy rain was inconvenient, so she only went out during light rain. This time, when He Yunxiao arrived at the study, he found it occupied. Fan Ziruo was still seated in her usual spot, quietly reading. Beside her sat another beautiful woman, Du Yinyun, the sister he had been longing to see. In the eyes of outsiders, Du Yinyun had always been distant and aloof, not given to laughter or conversation. Her "unwillingness to speak" seemed more like "I don't like you, so stay away from me." On the other hand, Fan Ziruo's "unwillingness to speak" was more of a polite "I'm sorry, may I know who you are?" One was unwelcoming to strangers, the other was peaceful and reserved. In particular, when Du Yinyun refused to speak to strangers, it specifically meant "everyone except He Yunxiao." In a sense, it also included her close friend, Fan Ziruo. He Yunxiao suspected that perhaps even Fan Ziruo had not witnessed Du Yinyun's true character. To protect the hard-earned 50 favorability points from Fan Ziruo, He Yunxiao chose to stand at the door of the study and politely knocked before entering. Inside, he greeted the two young ladies with the same courtesy. Seeing He Yunxiao, Du Yinyun knew they were about to "study," so she cleared the desk for them and left. Although Fan Ziruo was reluctant to let her good sister leave, considering Du Yinyun's temperament, she understood that she would not enjoy spending time with He Yunxiao. Therefore, she did not insist on her staying. He Yunxiao was also hesitant to let Du Yinyun leave. He thought that perhaps she could stay and engage in something entertaining under Fan Ziruo's watchful eyes, similar to the last time at Jiang Wuyou's place. As much as he hesitated, being a guest in the Fan residence, he refrained from making strange requests that may irritate the hosts. He consciously withheld from trying to keep Du Yinyun back to preserve Fan Ziruo's favorability. Now, there were only two people left in the study. Fan Ziruo, as usual, was quietly engrossed in reading. Unlike the previous visit, this time she had traded her martial arts compendium for a history book. Seeing Fan Ziruo's demeanor, He Yunxiao assumed she was preparing to write a novel, but others might have thought she was composing a scholarly paper. Following Fan Ziruo's lead, He Yunxiao pretended to read the book, but in reality, his gaze was fixed on Fan Ziruo. Sure enough, after putting down the martial arts novel and taking up the history book, Fan Ziruo suddenly dozed off at the table. Drawing from his previous experience, He Yunxiao knew that Fan Ziruo would be particularly disoriented upon waking up, so he couldn't miss this opportunity. He deliberately waited for Fan Ziruo to fall into a deep sleep before giving her a nudge. "Miss Ziruo? Can you wake up for a moment?" Fan Ziruo, still drowsy, lifted her head. "Who are you?" "I'm He Yunxiao. Would you be willing to show me the novel you've been writing?" "Sure." Fan Ziruo got up from the table, skipped over to the bookshelf, took out a stack of manuscript papers, and then... paused in her tracks. He Yunxiao sensed that something was amiss. She was awake now. He immediately got up and hurriedly said, "Miss Ziruo, why are you standing still?" Fan Ziruo was puzzled herself. She felt like her memory had disconnected. She remembered reading just moments ago, yet here she was standing by the bookshelf and discreetly taking out the martial arts novel she had written. She had intended to write a martial arts novel and publish it as well. But a work in progress and the final product were two different matters, and for an author, an unfinished piece was like being unclothed. How could she casually show it to someone else? She was about to put the novel back in place. He Yunxiao didn't want to miss this rare opportunity! He had to find a way to persuade her to give him her novel. If they had a common hobby and a shared secret, their relationship would progress rapidly. He said, "Miss Ziruo, are you worried that I'll publicize it?" Fan Ziruo asked in confusion, "Publicize what?" He Yunxiao assured her, "Rest assured, if you're willing to show me the novel, I will keep it confidential." Fan Ziruo questioned, "Am I willing?" He Yunxiao responded as a matter of factly, "Yes. Otherwise, whom would you show it to?" Furrowing her brows, Fan Ziruo tried to recall, but couldn't remember agreeing to show her novel to He Yunxiao. He Yunxiao pretended to be dejected and regretful, "Alas, I thought I could appreciate your work, but it seems you've changed your mind. I'm disappointed." Fan Ziruo said, "I..." He Yunxiao continued, "I blame myself for only knowing martial arts and not being able to give you any advice." Fan Ziruo remembered not doing anything, yet somehow she felt a sudden surge of guilt towards He Yunxiao. His words made her realize that He Yunxiao was skilled in martial arts and likely could spot flaws in the martial arts aspects of her novel. With these thoughts, she finally overcame her embarrassment and handed the unfinished novel, feeling exposed, to He Yunxiao. He Yunxiao took the bunch of manuscript papers very seriously and started to read the martial arts novel written by Fan Ziruo. Fan Ziruo sat beside him, eagerly watching him. [Fan Ziruo's favorability rating increased from 50 to 60] [Fan Ziruo's favorability rating decreased from 60 to 40] [Fan Ziruo's favorability rating increased from 40 to 45] … While reading, He Yunxiao managed to sneak a few glances at Fan Ziruo. Though her expression did not betray anything, the drastic changes in her favorability rating indicated her genuine unease. Revealing an unfinished piece to someone else required a great deal of courage. He Yunxiao understood this sentiment. As an avid reader longing to write a novel himself, he sympathized with the desire to become a successful author. Unfortunately, reality had taught him that his literary endeavors were nothing more than a flop, or perhaps not even that, but more like "a eunuch." In the initial days of publishing his work, he constantly checked the comments and reviews from readers. Afterward, he became accustomed to it and turned a blind eye, believing a eunuch was a eunuch, unafraid of scalding hot water. Drawing from his extensive experience as an old bookworm and his mediocre experience as a writer, He Yunxiao could only conclude that Fan Ziruo's novel was "overly eloquent." Truly, it was overly eloquent! He couldn't comprehend many of the terms used in the novel, but that didn't hinder his genuine feeling that it was beautifully and splendidly written. Every paragraph was the same. Each section was a stunning piece of literature. But when considered as a whole, it seemed odd and entirely unrelated to a martial arts novel. He was at a loss as to how to evaluate it, but ultimately, if Fan Ziruo intended to make a living by writing, even with small appetites, she would starve to death. Under Fan Ziruo's expectant gaze, He Yunxiao slowly flipped to the last page and carefully placed down the novel. With a solemn expression, he said to Fan Ziruo, "Miss Ziruo, your novel is truly outstanding! It's so fascinating!" [Fan Ziruo's favorability rating increased from 45 to 65]