Villain – Peeking at the Diary, the Female Leads’ Personas Collapse

Meanwhile, Chen Fan was overjoyed.
.
Jin Lan shook her head helplessly, thinking,
Jin Lan understood, though, that even if she explained herself, Chen Fan wouldn’t believe her. The plot required him to disbelieve her. Even if he did believe, he’d have to pretend not to.
With this public display of aggression, and his violent outburst, it was clear that many people began to distance themselves from Chen Fan.
But Chen Fan had achieved his goal.
At this moment, Anna’s entrance made many people gasp in amazement.
“Damn, what a woman—an absolute gem!”
Her height and balanced figure were the perfect combination of devilish allure and angelic grace. The faint sorrow between her brows suggested that this woman had something on her mind.
“Who’s she?” Ye Aotian fixated on Anna the moment she entered.
“My sister,” William said, “but be careful—she’s pretty fierce, so don’t be fooled by her looks.”
Anna waved at William, who quickly approached her, bringing Chen Fan along.
“I was calling you, not him. Why’d you bring him over?”
“Ah, fair princess, greetings …”
“Scram.” Anna immediately snapped, leaving Ye Aotian stunned. It was the first time a woman had spoken to him this way. Anna’s voice was loud enough that everyone at the event heard it.
Chen Fan glanced over, realizing that in the storyline, Anna initially had a poor relationship with Ye Aotian, starting off with hatred before eventually falling for him.
Now it all made sense.
On top of that, with her early appearance, Chen Fan had no way to predict what would happen next. It was all up to her interpretation.
It must be the chaotic nature of the story at play.
William, looking bewildered at his sister, said, “But, Anna, Ye is my friend, and he’s the Dragon King.”
“Even if he were a sow, it has nothing to do with me. Now, come here.”
William, grinning sheepishly, obeyed.
Chen Fan remarked, “Still crying?”
Zhu Yeqing wiped the tears that remained from her earlier performance and replied, “What are your orders, young master?”
“Go see what’s going on.”
“Yes, young master.”
Pretending to head to the restroom, Zhu Yeqing followed Anna and William to the hallway. As soon as they entered the hallway, Anna kneed William to the ground, followed by two harsh kicks. Her force was nothing short of brutal.
William was completely taken aback.
“Sis, I was wrong, I was wrong! Please, stop hitting me. I was really wrong!”
“Why are you targeting Chen Fan?”
“He’s an enemy of Ye Aotian, and Ye is my friend.”
“Does the royal family need friends?”
William didn’t dare look at his sister.
“Does the royal family need to do petty things for others?”
William still didn’t look up at Anna.
“Also, don’t forget why we’re here. We came seeking assistance, not to play childish games of hatred. That’s between Ye Aotian and Chen Fan. It has nothing to do with you. This isn’t France; if you want to die, I don’t want to.”
“He wouldn’t dare.”
“What makes you so sure? Do you even know Chen Fan?”
William felt a bit cowardly. After all, they were in someone else’s territory. Speaking so boldly could easily lead to a sneaky attack.
“So, what should I do?”
“Go apologize. Remember, the mission is to seek help, not to mess around, got it? Once the mission is complete, then you can do whatever you want.”
“… Understood.”
…
Anna had been feeling lost, but after seeing Chen Fan’s comment that he couldn’t bring himself to hit Zhu Yeqing, her heart softened.
Maybe Chen Fan himself didn’t want to be a villain.
Anna felt unsure about her future. Knowing what was supposed to happen, she didn’t know if she wanted to change it. Should she resist or follow the flow?
However, her current values remained unchanged. A person could be a villain or a bad person, but they should still uphold certain principles of gentlemanly or chivalrous conduct.
There’s a common misconception in novels, where most stories describe the protagonist as a rascal who lacks manners. But in reality, the truly influential families highly valued etiquette. Sometimes, not following etiquette or behaving according to convention only builds more anticipation. This was why web novels were often criticized for being like “elementary school literature.”
There were many reasons why Anna beat up William. Acting on impulse was the main one. Their presence here indeed had a purpose. This bid was part of it. The mission was primary; fun came second, and face-slapping was the least important.
“Hello.” Anna called out to Zhu Yeqing.
Zhu Yeqing approached Anna and said, “Hello, Princess Anna.”
“I want to know what kind of person Chen Fan is. Is he good or bad?”
“He … I think he’s a good person who just can’t get the woman he wants.” Zhu Yeqing hesitated, not knowing exactly how to describe Chen Fan.
To smear him? Or praise him? Unsure, she just spoke from the heart.
“And Lin Qingyue, the one he likes—does she simply dislike him?”
“I don’t know, but everyone in Qincheng knows that Lin Qingyue is the woman Chen Fan set his eyes on. Perhaps that’s why Lin Qingyue can’t agree to it.”
Just like her. The entire French royal circle knew that the Rothschild family’s grand duke fancied her. But Lin Qingyue was luckier; at least Chen Fan had pursued her.
Anna needed an answer for herself, to make her next steps clear.
William returned and walked up to Chen Fan, offering an apology.
“Apologies. I regret my previous words. It’s not that I’m unwilling to make friends with you, but our status is unique, and we shouldn’t have many friends.”
Chen Fan was dumbfounded. “Come on, don’t be like this! This is making me nervous.”
Anna returned as well, saying, “Yes, my brother was indeed at fault. You’ve hosted us, and my brother, being unaware, must apologize for his previous words.”
Ye Aotian was equally shocked.
Chen Fan stood up and said, “It’s fine, the misunderstanding is cleared. But I still hope, Prince William, that you choose your friends wisely and avoid associating with crude individuals.”
William didn’t know what to say. Truly, he preferred Ye Aotian over Chen Fan’s fake gestures.
The novel didn’t shy away from describing William, he was primarily an ally to the protagonist. While he didn’t die, he gradually faded out of the story after lending some assistance.
Some characters were phased out at different stages of the novel, similar to a “side quest.”
However, Chen Fan couldn’t continue behaving antagonistically since William had voluntarily apologized, and staying in character would break the narrative. He had no choice but to act along.
With most of the guests present, William finally announced his reason for gathering everyone.
“The real reason we’re here today is to seek help treating a person—it’s a personal request from the William family.”
With that, he distributed files to everyone.
“As you can see, this person has undergone countless treatments, all to no avail. We’ve come here, hoping to find a solution from the mysterious East and your extraordinary medical expertise. As far as I know, there are many medical companies in Qincheng, and I hope everyone can bid, providing a comprehensive proposal.”