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

“As I said, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I think we could be friends. Share his plan with me, or modify it, if you will. Afterward, come to me, and I’ll ensure your safety.”
Zhu Yeqing said, “Thank you for your offer. If I succeed, I’ll tell you …”
With that, she left.
She was feeling conflicted. Whenever her own plotline came up, Zhu Yeqing became uncertain. Recently, she’d been reading the diary and slowly letting go of her revenge.
Previously, revenge had been her purpose in life; without it, she was at a loss for how to live. Her master had taught her an ancient martial technique, somewhat seductive in nature. Combined with her natural allure, it came effortlessly to her.
She had already avenged her family against a minor family; her hatred had dissipated. Yet the larger Chen family remained oblivious to that incident.
Many small families aligned with the Chen family’s periphery, and their destruction wouldn’t concern the Chen family. Only the enduring families would eventually attract the Chen family’s attention.
Today was likely her first undercover experience.
Zhu Yeqing glanced at Chen Fan from afar. When no one was around, he wasn’t as stern; he looked much gentler.
Perhaps she didn’t need to live as in a novel. Even now, just being happy every day wasn’t so bad. Yet, as an undercover agent, she felt it was her duty.
Between Ye Aotian and Chen Fan, Zhu Yeqing chose Chen Fan. Faced with Ye Aotian’s love-at-first-sight attitude, she preferred Chen Fan’s openness.
Zhu Yeqing despised Ye Aotian, for he constantly accused Chen Fan of relying on family support. And wasn’t Ye Aotian also leveraging his father’s connections?
If it were purely his own efforts, he wouldn’t have needed to rely on the Lin family today.
“Young Master, here’s some fruit.”
After setting down the fruit, Zhu Yeqing massaged Chen Fan’s legs.
“Hmm? Do you need something?”
“Young Master, I have something to tell you—Ye Aotian wants me to be his spy.”
Chen Fan nearly choked.
“So, what do you think?”
Zhu Yeqing gently placed her hand on Chen Fan’s wrist.
“Since I’ve chosen to follow you, Young Master, I clearly trust you. How could I side with that country bumpkin?”
Chen Fan gripped her hand, saying, “You’re the best. As long as you’re by my side, can I trust you?”
“Young Master, of course you can. The whole world could betray you, but I, Zhu Yeqing, never will. I swear.”
Honestly, for a split second, when Chen Fan looked into Zhu Yeqing’s eyes, he truly felt that perhaps Zhu Yeqing was sincere.
***
The salon continued into the afternoon. Those who could keep drinking naturally stayed, while those who couldn’t had already headed home one by one.
Ye Aotian, taking on the role of host, invited everyone to his own bar.
William was naturally willing to join, and since Anna was with him, she had no choice but to follow. As for Chen Fan, he was isolated. Clearly, many people in Qincheng now favored Ye Aotian.
Everyone knew that Chen Tianqiang would never deal with juniors himself. If the Chen family troubled other families solely because of Ye Aotian, they wouldn’t have maintained their power till now. So, Chen Fan had no choice but to return home reluctantly.
Of course, Chen Fan was actually happy about this; he wished to go home early and rest. But for appearances, he still had to put on a bit of a show.
Anna’s family’s butler’s illness was related to a brain condition, and he had been in a coma. Some believed it wasn’t a brain problem but rather an issue elsewhere in the body. The Western doctors couldn’t figure it out no matter how much they scanned and tested.
Brain surgery was an option Anna’s family didn’t want to take, so they sought help from Chinese medicine to treat the condition without harming the elderly man. Under Chen Fan’s arrangements, three veteran Chinese medicine practitioners were preparing for treatment.
In truth, Chen Fan could handle it himself. The
, which contained the foundational principles of Chinese medicine, naturally also enhanced Chen Fan’s medical skills. However, Chen Fan was a villain. How could a villain save people? Even if he knew he could cure the patient, he still had to go against the grain; this way, the protagonist would have the opportunity to shine.
In the room, rain began to fall outside. Being part of the Jiangnan climate, Qincheng often experienced rain, and the scenery was quite lovely.
Zhu Yeqing poured some black tea for Chen Fan, saying, “Young Master, the tea is ready.”
“Zhu Yeqing, tell me, why did the people who used to play with me suddenly start distancing themselves?”
“Young Master, I think they’re afraid of you, but I believe that’s a good thing.”
Chen Fan turned his head to look at Zhu Yeqing.

“Why do you say that?”
“Inspiring fear is difficult; trying to make everyone like you feels shallow.”
Chen Fan moved closer to Zhu Yeqing, lifting her chin as he said, “So are you afraid of me, or what?”
With flushed cheeks, Zhu Yeqing replied, “I naturally respect the Young Master. I am a bit afraid too … You seem so strong.” She said this, then covered her face and ran off.

Even Chen Fan felt his heart skip a beat.
Since he had no pressing matters, Chen Fan planned to relax and play some games in the evening. Time to enjoy the rare moments of rest.
…
Meanwhile, at the bar, a chaotic crowd partied wildly. Ye Aotian arranged for a special girl to accompany William, while Jin Lan and Anna sat separately at the bar, each drinking.
Ye Aotian walked over to Jin Lan and said, “You look lonely.”
Jin Lan responded, “Oh, really? Then what do you suggest I should do?”
“Maybe finding a man would help. Whether or not you’re testing me, I think now is the time. I’m worth your support, right? You want to rise up, but with Chen Tianqiang holding me down, let’s cooperate. I’ll topple the Chen family, and you’ll advance. How about it?”
“Not interested. Go find someone else. I’m just here to watch over William—that’s my duty. But since he’s enjoying himself, there’s no need for me to stay.”
With that, Jin Lan left directly.