Survival Guide for the Charming Villain
o0o
He saw Lu Feng’s lips press into a thin line. His slender fingers gripped the dorm door handle, and with a loud 'bang', he slammed the door shut.
The sound was so loud it startled Xi Rong.
Lu Tuo glared fiercely at Lu Feng’s dorm. "What bad luck. I didn’t expect him to live next door."
He then turned his displeased gaze to Xi Rong. "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and come in!"
Xi Rong entered the dorm and heard Lu Tuo close the door behind him.
The servants from home were very efficient. The bed had already been made.
It was a standard double room, spacious and well-equipped with beds, desks, wardrobes, and everything else. The place was spotless.
"I thought something had happened to you. You dropped the snacks, and I spent forever looking for you!"
Lu Tuo was clearly annoyed. "Turns out you went off to play with Lu Feng. What? Now that he’s doing well, you want to cozy up to him again?"
Xi Rong was the stepchild brought into the Lu family by the mistress. Before the child could even be registered, the family head had passed away. Over the years, Lu Tuo’s eldest cousin, Lu Feng’s half-brother, had taken over as the family head.
The eldest cousin was often abroad, and Xi Rong, being a little opportunist, had clung to Lu Tuo all these years.
Now.
Hearing that Lu Feng had made something of himself.
As soon as they transferred here, Xi Rong started cozying up to him.
"No wonder you didn’t complain when the family told us to transfer here. You’ve been planning to get close to him all along, haven’t you?"
"With him right next door, it’s even easier for you to sneak around and suck up to him, huh?"
Lu Tuo couldn’t help but lash out, scolding him for his disloyalty, as if Xi Rong had already betrayed him.
He had searched for so long, frantically picking up the scattered snacks on the field, looking like an idiot, afraid that Xi Rong might disappear like in the school’s urban legends.
Yet here Xi Rong was, calmly appearing at the dorm entrance with his sworn enemy.
It made Lu Tuo look like a fool.
But...
"What’s going on! It’s like I’m the one bullying you when it was him who made things awkward for you earlier."
Somehow, Xi Rong looked like a little stray cat, his porcelain-like face smudged with dust, a few strands of his soft black hair damp and sticking to his cheeks.
When scolded, his eyes turned red, but he didn’t dare argue.
He looked so pitiful.
Lu Tuo was inexplicably irritated. He took a deep breath to suppress his emotions.
"Where did you go earlier?"
Xi Rong pursed his lips and whispered, "Nowhere."
[Heh.]
Alpha let out a mocking laugh.
Although Xi Rong was afraid of interacting with people, he was full of grievances, and now Alpha was being sarcastic.
[Xi Rong: What are you laughing at? Did I do something wrong?]
[Why didn’t you tell Lu Tuo that those people caught you? He would’ve helped you get revenge.]
[Xi Rong: But... the players might have items...]
What if Lu Tuo impulsively tried to help him get revenge and ended up... killed by the players? What then?
[...] Fine.
[According to your character setting, you need to be a bit more ruthless.]
But I... I’m not very good at that.
In real life, I can barely talk to people. If this were a full-immersion game, I might be bolder, but this game feels too real.
It’s like actually interacting with people.
And I’ve never learned how to act.
[Take it slow.]
It seemed to cut him some slack.
But then it immediately became strict again.
[Breaking character will deduct points from you.]
His emotions were like a rollercoaster, and all the grievances he had been holding back suddenly surged up.
"If you didn’t go anywhere, why is your uniform so dirty?" Lu Tuo’s tone was particularly harsh.
Xi Rong couldn’t hold back anymore. His eyes turned red.
"Hey..." Lu Tuo panicked. "Don’t... don’t cry. I’m not blaming you..."
The beautiful little opportunist blinked, and tears started falling. Crystal-like droplets rolled down his cheeks, his long lashes damp and clumped together. He sniffled softly, his voice trembling with a hint of a sob.
"I don’t feel well... I want to take a shower..."
Lu Tuo quickly rummaged through his wardrobe for clothes.
In his flustered state, he pulled out neatly folded clothes and handed them over, only to pause for a moment.
He must be crazy, acting like he was under some spell, fetching clothes for his own lackey.
But when his gaze fell on that beautiful face, now damp with tears, he found himself saying, "Here, I got your clothes."
"...Thank you."
It wasn’t until the little opportunist closed the bathroom door that Lu Tuo started gritting his teeth in frustration.
He was sick. He must be really sick!
Since when was he the type to soften at someone’s tears?
And a guy crying? That was just disgusting! What was there to cry about? He hadn’t even bullied him!
Was this what they called a green tea act?
Tsk tsk tsk.
What a master manipulator.
o0o
The school’s bathroom was designed with a dry-wet separation system, and both the toilet and shower were quite high-end.
Mingde High School students were either wealthy or top academic achievers, and their living conditions were well taken care of.
Xi Rong’s coat was covered in dust, his back filthy, and his face smudged like a stray cat’s. His eyes were red from crying.
In the gym, his skin had been touched, undoubtedly triggering his condition again. The sweat had dried somewhat, but his undershirt was still soaked.
As the hot water poured down, Xi Rong finally felt some relief. The exhaustion hit him all at once, his legs numb. He checked his body and found no injuries aside from some redness.
The shower took a while, and by the time he came out, Lu Tuo was no longer in the dorm.
He quickly dried his hair and fell asleep under the covers.
When he woke up, it was completely dark outside, and the dorm lights were off. He faintly heard some noise outside the door.
"Lu Tuo?"
No response.
Lu Tuo hadn’t returned yet.
He walked to the door and flipped the light switch, but the expected brightness didn’t come. The dorm seemed to have no power?
Something heavy bumped against the door.
The loud 'bang' startled Xi Rong.
"Lu Tuo, is that you?"
The sound of heavy breathing seeped through the thick door. The room was pitch black, making the noises outside even clearer.
The breathing grew louder and more frantic, sticky and urgent, followed by heavy pounding on the door. The voice was filled with terror. "Help me! Save me!!"
"Save me... there’s a monster outside..."
The voice grew more desperate, as if the person would die right at his doorstep if Xi Rong didn’t open the door.
"Ahhh! It’s coming!!!"
Xi Rong’s hands trembled as he gripped the door handle, opening it just a crack. He saw a tall, thin boy standing outside.
He couldn’t just let someone die.
He wasn’t used to the idea of a dangerous game yet.
[Close the door!]
Even Alpha couldn’t help but warn him.
But it was too late. The boy outside forced his way in, his strength enough to knock Xi Rong over.
Xi Rong was pushed back a few steps by the force of the door, and the boy rushed inside, immediately slamming the door shut.
The boy leaned against the door, gasping for air, his legs still shaking.
"Are... are you okay?" Xi Rong asked.
In the darkness, he couldn’t see the boy’s face clearly, but he could make out the outline of a school uniform. It was definitely a student from their school.
"Thank you... there was a monster chasing me outside. If you hadn’t saved me, I’d be dead..."
His voice trembled slightly, carrying a faint sharpness, filled with fear. It was enough to make Xi Rong imagine the scene.
The boy bent over, catching his breath, then stood up. He was half a head taller than Xi Rong and walked over, thanking him repeatedly.
"I don’t know how to thank you. If you need anything, just tell me. I’ll repay you properly..."
He seemed overly excited, frantically rummaging through his clothes for something. "Here, Xi Rong, this is my life-saving item. I’ll give it to you..."
The boy’s hand reached out, as if offering something important, but the fear of being touched made Xi Rong instinctively step back.
An item.
This was a player.
Xi Rong didn’t take it.
"Why? Why won’t you take it? Are you going to kick me out? Do you not want to stay with me tonight..." His emotions grew more intense, his voice almost changing. "Xi Rong, Xi Rong! Why are you avoiding me? Why won’t you take my thing..."
He spoke faster and faster, almost lunging at Xi Rong.
Xi Rong quickly hid in the bathroom.
But before he could close the door, the boy grabbed him.
Something large, wet, and slippery was shoved into Xi Rong’s hand. The warm, slimy texture terrified him. It felt like a living thing, pulsing in his palm. He tried to throw it away, but the boy’s large hand forced him to hold onto it.
It felt like an animal’s internal organ.
The "item" he mentioned.
Xi Rong wasn’t sure, but it felt like a heart, throbbing in his hand.
It was horrifying.
"You finally took it... hehe..."
His voice lowered, laughing almost maniacally.
His strength was immense. With a light pull, he lifted Xi Rong onto the toilet seat.
The touch of skin made Xi Rong’s scalp tingle with discomfort. The boy’s body was wet and sticky, smearing filth all over Xi Rong, making the contact even more unbearable than usual.
The player had turned into some kind of monster.
Xi Rong’s breathing grew rapid. He sat on the toilet, gasping for air like a fish out of water. His hand clutched the strange object, forced to hold it, unable to let go.
The clearly abnormal boy leaned closer, and Xi Rong could feel his gaze intensely.
"I wanted to do this earlier in the gym..."
Xi Rong felt himself being lifted, a strong arm wrapping around his waist, squeezing him painfully. In his daze, Xi Rong remembered there were five players in the gym earlier. One of them had remained silent.
He could still recall his face—quite delicate.
But now, he had turned into some kind of monster. The boy laughed eerily, leaning close to Xi Rong’s ear, speaking excitedly.
"Did Yu Mingzun hurt you? You were scared to tears, right? But he let you go. He hadn’t even gained any favorability points, yet he released you..."
Yu Mingzun and the other players had bullied him to gain Lu Feng’s favorability. Now, this mutated player kept bringing it up, eagerly watching Xi Rong’s fearful reactions.
It felt like the tentacles of a soft-bodied monster from a movie or game, slimy and disgusting, wrapping around Xi Rong’s chin and up to his ear. The nauseating stickiness made Xi Rong turn his face away.
It was like being coiled by a snake.
[You’re holding his heart. Crush it.]
When Xi Rong heard the word "heart," he reflexively wanted to throw it away. The warm, sticky texture, the smell of internal organs, and the slimy sensation made his skin crawl.
But I don’t have the strength.
Every time he squeezed, he could feel the heart beating more intensely.
It felt like he was killing someone. He was already sobbing.
[Xi Rong: I want to know... are the players real people?]
Alpha’s voice was cold and mechanical.
[Host does not have permission.]
Xi Rong’s hand trembled.
[Xi Rong: Is this like a full-immersion game, with consciousness uploaded, or are they real bodies?]
[There are many of this kind.]
The answer was evasive, implying Xi Rong shouldn’t feel burdened.
"Rong Rong... don’t cry. Did I scare you?"
Xi Rong sobbed. "I feel so terrible, really terrible..."
His hands were shaking.
"Where does it hurt, Rong Rong? Let me help you. I’m a ‘doctor’ in real life..."
The thing, no longer human, tightly wrapped around Xi Rong’s neck, constricting his arteries, controlling his breath. It was a cruel, sick kind of affection. While seemingly trying to kill him, it had placed its own lifeline in Xi Rong’s hands.
Xi Rong’s grip tightened, the heart’s beating reaching a terrifying pace.
Was he about to kill someone?
In real life, he was just a 21-year-old programmer who had never even killed a chicken.
An adult’s heart, still beating, required immense strength and intent to crush.
The horrifying thought nearly suffocated him.
Suddenly.
'Bang'
—the door was pushed open.
The weight on him lifted as the monstrous creature was yanked away and thrown out of the bathroom. In the darkness, there were several loud thuds, like the sounds of wild beasts fighting, mixed with low growls of territorial aggression. It was fierce and dangerous.
Then, silence.
The thing in his hand was gone.
After a moment of quiet, the bathroom light suddenly turned on.
The door slowly opened, and Xi Rong pressed himself against the wall. He saw Lu Feng standing coldly at the doorway.
"Why didn’t you turn on the light?"
o0o
Chapter 6