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

Actually, Lang Qingfeng’s story was quite simple: handsome, wealthy, and talented, he was a natural match for the campus belle Mu Jinli.
Mu Jinli, who was rehearsing, glanced at the diary and found herself at a crossroads. Should she follow the script and let herself be controlled, or resist?
Reading the diary had made her realize that while Chen Fan was labeled the villain, he’d never actually harmed anyone. In contrast, Ye Aotian, the supposed hero, had killed several people.
Mu Jinli disliked pointless violence, even though her mother was an assassin. She found Ye Aotian’s recklessness hard to stomach.
Meanwhile, Chen Fan was just trying to get some sleep when his phone blared awake.
“Who the hell are you?”
“It’s me, your teacher, Ling Yuyan.”
“Oh, hi, teacher. Aren’t you from the Ling family? Why message me — trying to threaten me?”
“No, I just want to discuss something with you.”
“I’m a scholar, but I’ve never studied medicine. Go talk to your family head if you want a real discussion.”
“Seems you’ve done your research on your opponent.”
“Thanks for the compliment. I’ve done my research on you and Ling Xiaoyun as well. Given the chance, I’d take both of you out.”
she thought,
“Let’s skip talking about Ye Aotian. I want to interview you.”
“Been in love. No money.”
“What?”
“Nothing, just a reflex. Go on.”
“Don’t be so prickly. I’ll be grading your final assessments. You don’t need the certificate, but are you giving up without a fight?”
“Why is everyone trying to provoke me? Do you know the consequences of threatening the Chen family’s heir?”
Chen Fan fully embraced his villainous character, always ready with an antagonistic line.
“Alright, quit acting tough. If you’ve got that much energy, go challenge Ye Aotian instead of spewing nonsense.”
“Fine, what do you want?”
“So … you’re still a virgin. How do you feel about that?”
“You can kill me, or even hit me, but insulting me? That’s low.”
“Oh, calm down. It’s just that I’ve been reading novels lately and came across a scenario. If the protagonist is a virgin, would he even know where to go at the crucial moment?”
“I’ll knock you out, Ling Yuyan. If you’re so bored, go marry Ye Aotian. Don’t you two have a marriage contract?”
“I called it off. Got a problem with that?”
“If all you’re going to ask are stupid questions, I’d rather get some sleep.”
“I am your teacher, technically even your homeroom teacher. Don’t forget that.”
“Fine, what exactly do you want?”
“Seriously, do you think you’d even know where to start?”
“Look, I’ve got a message for you: a woman has plenty of places to breathe from. Goodbye, Miss Mouthy.”
He blocked her immediately.
Ling Yuyan reread his response, feeling a wave of indignation.
As the clock approached 7 in the evening, students finished their classes and flocked to the performance hall. Tonight’s event was a school concert to give students a little entertainment before break.
Just Mu Jinli’s presence drew plenty of students, to say nothing of the other performers. The hall was packed. New students were even given reserved seats.
Chen Fan arrived early and found his seat, settling in for a nap as he awaited the show.
The protagonist, of course, would be fashionably late, seated at the back where he could conveniently encounter the “wise old man” archetype in his journey to power.
Yawning, Chen Fan shut his eyes, only to realize that Ling Yuyan was seated next to him, with Jin Lan on his other side.
***
Chen Fan found the situation chaotic. He needed a reason to accept this setup. His seat in the second row had been arranged by Ling Yuyan.
What puzzled him was that she chose to sit beside him.
And what was Jin Lan doing sitting on his other side?
“Jin Lan, are you here to mock me?” he asked.
“Your mother asked me to keep an eye on you at school and lend a helping hand so you can get your certification without too much hassle.”
“If my mother knew about your relationship with Ye Aotian, she probably wouldn’t have sent you,” he remarked, giving her a sly look.
Jin Lan replied, “There is no relationship between me and Ye Aotian, believe it or not.”
Chen Fan thought. If they were truly involved, something would’ve happened by now. Chen Fan had always kept tabs on Jin Lan. Yet he hadn’t heard anything linking her to Ye Aotian, leaving him wondering if he hadn’t been villainous enough or if Jin Lan was hiding things too well.
In truth, Jin Lan’s approach was simple: leave things be. Her routine consisted of working, exercising, enjoying a glass of wine, reading the diary, and preparing for the next day.
But she overlooked one thing: even doing nothing was, in its own way, aiding Ye Aotian. Allowing him to progress unhindered was just a slower form of assistance.
Chen Fan thought.
“Chen Fan, I heard that Mu Jinli is looking quite stunning tonight,” Ling Yuyan teased.
“And that has what to do with me? She’s just my bodyguard.”
“Not even a little tempted? Let me tell you, Mu Jinli is a hidden gem. She’s top-tier.”
“Hah,” Chen Fan scoffed, “What’s this? You’re already helping Ye Aotian find a love interest? Is that part of your duties as an ally of the Ling family?”
Ling Yuyan exchanged a look with Jin Lan, who simply shook her head. No matter what they said, Chen Fan would find a way to turn it around.
“I’ll be right back,” Ling Yuyan said, “I’m going to buy you some oranges.”
“Two will do. The rest are yours.”
Ling Yuyan looked at Chen Fan in shock.
Chen Fan simply chuckled. People thought he did nothing in his free time, but aside from listening to music, he often read books. He was well-versed in witty exchanges like this.
Ling Yuyan left her seat to visit the backstage area and check on the students’ preparations, including Mu Jinli. She found Mu Jinli dressed in red, her bright eyes captivating under the stage lights, making her seem as if she’d stepped out of an ancient painting.
She wasn’t the only familiar face there, however — Lin Qingyue was present too.
“You’re here too?”
“I’m sponsoring the event,” Lin Qingyue replied, “I helped cover most of the costs for the show.”
“Oh. Well, Jinli, how are you feeling? Confident about tonight’s performance?”
Mu Jinli nodded, but she couldn’t shake the odd looks Lin Qingyue and Ling Yuyan were giving her — like they were silently mocking her storyline.
Their expressions seemed to say,
Compared to the others, Mu Jinli did feel her story was inferior. Lin Qingyue was the main female lead, the “Number One Beauty of Qincheng,” a title bolstered by her accomplishments as a successful businesswoman and top student. Not to mention, she was caught between Qincheng’s two most prominent men, a position that only heightened her allure.
Ling Yuyan, a martial arts master from a prominent medical family, played a crucial role in helping the protagonist improve his skills.