I Turned Out to Be the Paranoid Villain's White Moonlight - Chapter 1

1:00 AM, Yunlan Bar.

Zhan Yao opened her eyes dizzily. Before her vision could clear, she was nudged by the elbow of the woman beside her.

Turning her head, she met an exquisite face—red lips, white teeth, and handsome features. The only flaw was the woman’s “Sanpaku” eyes (whites showing below the iris), which gave her a vaguely fierce look at first glance.

“Are you a block of wood?” The woman leaned in, keeping her voice low. Though she was smiling, her words were harsh. “I brought you here to make me look good, not to act like a corpse.”

“Why do you have to be so special? Everyone else can drink, why can’t you?” she continued, picking up a glass from the table and shoving it into Zhan Yao’s hand. Her smile grew softer, but she hissed every word: “Drink it. If you don’t, I won’t let you off easy!”

Zhan Yao was speechless: “…”

The last person who dared to speak to her like that had already been beaten up.

“If your girlfriend can’t drink, forget it. Don’t force her,” a man nearby chimed in before she could respond. “She looks quiet and refined, not like us. Clearly not a regular at bars.”

“Yeah,” another person added immediately, their tone laced with mockery. “I heard she’s a college student? Is she even of age? Inciting a minor to drink isn’t a good look.”

The woman’s face stiffened, but to save face, she maintained her smile. “What are you talking about? I’m not a scoundrel. Yaoyao is an adult.”

She turned back to Zhan Yao, her gaze seemingly tender and sincere. “They’re all friends, nothing to be afraid of. Be good.”

That “Be good” almost made Zhan Yao gag. But at that moment, memories began flooding her mind. This scene was incredibly familiar.

Zhan Yao paused. She suddenly remembered a “dog-blood” web novel a friend had shown her a while back. The protagonist had the same name as her—Zhan Yao. Because of the shared name, she had paid extra attention and remembered about seventy to eighty percent of the plot.

In the novel, the other Zhan Yao lived a very different life. She was born into a feudal family that favored boys over girls, never receiving warmth or care. She worked part-time jobs to pay for her own tuition. Between the mockery of peers, the hardships of life, and the cold indifference of her parents, she was suffocating. She desperately craved love but felt it was an impossible dream, leading her to live a cautious, restrained life.

The other female lead, Xu Yingxi, appeared during this vulnerable time.

In Zhan Yao’s eyes, Xu Yingxi was the light of her life. They “accidentally” met in a library reaching for the same book. When Zhan Yao tried to let her have it, she was met with a charming smile.

“Herost’s Mystery Quintet. An obscure but talented writer. I didn’t expect someone else to like his stories as much as I do.”

“Too bad there’s only one copy,” Xu Yingxi had said, standing behind her with a faint smile. “You first.”

They bonded over that book. Whenever Zhan Yao read, Xu Yingxi would sit beside her. She smelled wonderful and spoke softly. It was the first time Zhan Yao had met someone like her, and she found herself unable to focus on her reading. Before leaving, she received a cup of coffee and a note:

【This is my contact info. I hope to see you again. Perhaps we can discuss our thoughts on the book.】

That was the start of the nightmare. Zhan Yao thought Xu Yingxi was her salvation, never realizing she was the demon leading her to hell. Three months later, they became a couple.

What Zhan Yao didn’t know was that their “chance encounter” was a calculated scheme. Xu Yingxi appeared elegant and noble, but her private life was a mess. She only approached Zhan Yao because she liked her face and wanted a “toy.”

But Zhan Yao was a “hard nut to crack.” Her past made her guarded and introverted; they barely even held hands, let alone anything more intimate. Over time, Xu Yingxi grew bored. Coupled with recent business troubles, she began taking her frustrations out on Zhan Yao through “PUA” (psychological manipulation) and emotional abuse.

…Like right now.

As Zhan Yao’s thoughts cleared, she realized she had somehow transmigrated into this book. Going from a wealthy, pampered heiress to a pathetic victim of psychological abuse was annoying enough—but then, a pure white digital panel appeared in her mind.

Text began to scroll across it, accompanied by a mechanical voice:

[Host binding successful. Vital signs normal.]

[Mission initiated: Please play out the following plot on behalf of the original character to restore the world line.]

Zhan Yao: “?”

If she remembered correctly, the next scene involved Zhan Yao being forced to drink several glasses of alcohol. She would end up vomiting miserably, only to be mocked by the scumbag for being “useless” and slapped across the face in the car.

Not just PUA, but physical violence too?

Following the script was a fate worse than death.

The panel in her head was still broadcasting instructions. Zhan Yao sneered, ignored it, and stood up with a beaming smile, holding the drink.

Zhan Yao was naturally beautiful, but her usual cowering demeanor hid her radiance. Most people ignored her beauty. Finally, someone had “appreciated” her, and it turned out to be a scumbag. To be fair, Xu Yingxi’s taste in women wasn’t bad.

Unaware she had been promoted from “scumbag” to “dog-scum” in Zhan Yao’s mind, Xu Yingxi feigned concern: “Yaoyao, why are you standing up? Are you feeling unwell?”

“No,” Zhan Yao replied, shaking her head. Her almond eyes narrowed slightly, and her thin, mauve lips curled upward. Under the dim, ambiguous lights of the bar, she looked unexpectedly flirtatious. “If I don’t stand up, how can I toast you?”

With those words, she flipped the glass and poured the drink directly over Xu Yingxi’s head.

“…”

In an instant, the surroundings went silent. Even the yapping system fell quiet.

Then, new text appeared on the panel:

[…Holy sh*t.]

Ten minutes later, Zhan Yao emerged from behind a partition.

Her stunt had caught Xu Yingxi so off guard that she hadn’t reacted for a long time. By the time she snapped out of it, Zhan Yao was gone. As a wealthy second-generation socialite, Xu Yingxi had lived a pampered life. She had never endured such humiliation. No matter how well she usually hid her true colors, her face was now deathly black.

“I have something to take care of. Let’s catch up another day,” she snapped, leaving her friends behind to give chase.

“Ooh, is your girlfriend mad?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll help you catch her!”

The group she was with were all wealthy, bored heirs who loved drama. Seeing the spectacle, they dropped their drinks and cigarettes and followed Xu Yingxi to watch the show.

Watching them leave, Zhan Yao let out another cold laugh. She was new here; running outside was foolish. Hiding here to let the storm pass was the smart move.

Though, if this were her old life, her bodyguards would have handled this already. Why did she transmigrate? Just because of the name? She “knocked” on the cheap system in her head to ask, but after a long silence, it only gave her two words: “Secret.”

Zhan Yao: “…” Fine.

She was highly adaptable. She was here now, so she might as well make the best of it. Recalling that the original character lived in a university dormitory, she prepared to head back. But as she turned a corner, she bumped into a woman.

The woman was stunning. Her features were sharp and exquisite, with thick, dark eyelashes. She wore a tailored black dress that was both “ascetic” and sexy. Her face was slightly pale, which made her red, full lips stand out. Being so close, Zhan Yao caught a scent from her—not overpowering, but like a refreshing orchid after the rain.

“I’m sorry,” Zhan Yao said, looking back to apologize.

The woman’s eyes widened. She reached out with a slender, pale hand and gripped Zhan Yao’s wrist tightly. Her gaze fell upon the cinnabar mole on Zhan Yao’s palm. For some reason, her fingertips began to tremble.

Confused, Zhan Yao asked sharply, “What are you doing?”

The woman looked up. Due to the sudden surge of emotion, her beautiful voice was slightly raspy: “You… don’t remember me?”

“Huh?”

Zhan Yao searched the original host’s memory. There was no record of ever meeting such a stunning woman. Furthermore, judging by the woman’s clothes and aura, she didn’t seem like someone who would cross paths with the original host. Zhan Yao assumed it was just a cheesy pick-up line.

“Sorry, you have the wrong person.” Zhan Yao frowned and tried to pull her hand back, but the woman was surprisingly strong.

“??”

Even if she was beautiful, she couldn’t just go around being a harasser! Zhan Yao’s temper flared, and she raised her small handbag.

The system’s voice suddenly screamed in her head, mechanical yet panicked: “Stop! She is—”

“I don’t care who she is!” Zhan Yao snapped.

Thwack! Her handbag swung down right onto the woman’s head.

“…”

The next second, the system went silent again.

The author has something to say:

Zhan Yao: On a killing spree. 🙂

Here it is! Sorry to keep you waiting. Big hugs and kisses!