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

Upon reading Chen Fan’s diary entry, Mu Jinli fell into deep self-reflection, feeling intense guilt. She never imagined things would turn out this way. She’d only heard about a play at the drama club that morning and thought it might be fun to watch.
Unexpectedly, Chen Fan did create something impactful, though not quite the legendary
, which was more of a diluted version of the same. But this ointment Chen Fan made—while it seemed crude—was something more practical and appealing to a broader audience. Unlike the
, which one would hope never to need, Chen Fan’s ointment was something both men and women could use.
Clearly, Chen Fan knew medicine, and his claim of “forgetting the formula” was just an act. In contrast to Ye Aotian, who broadcasted his successes for all to see, Chen Fan was low-key and subtle. Chen Fan’s reserved nature frustrated her further, as she noticed Ye Aotian’s every little success seemed to demand the world’s attention.
Now, she regretted not reading Chen Fan’s diary entry earlier. Had she done so, she would likely have avoided the drama club and gone somewhere else. However, it was too late to change her plans.
Then again, if Ye Aotian didn’t know, then tonight’s outing would be just her and Chen Fan, and the storyline might be safely avoided. Mu Jinli now found herself increasingly wary of following the novel’s original plot. After all, if it proceeded as Chen Fan’s diary predicted, things could go disastrously wrong.
Her irritation grew whenever she thought about the protagonist.
At that moment, her phone rang, and the voice on the other end was annoyingly familiar.
“How did you get my number?”
“I’m the assistant teacher, kind of like a substitute teacher. Isn’t it normal to have your number?” Ling Yuyan replied smugly.
“That tone of yours is irritating. What do you want? If you’re calling, I’m sure it’s for no good reason.”
“Oh, it’s nothing serious. I just happened to let Ye Aotian know that you’ll be going to watch a play tonight.”
“Are you nuts, Ling Yuyan? If you’re so bored, why don’t you go catch some criminals?”
“Haha! How did you know I was bored? I did overeat a bit, and I’m sitting in my room right now using the new medicine. Just figured it’d be fun to watch some drama tonight.”
“Only kids want to watch plays. Real tough guys prefer something more intense.”
“Just imagine, though, if Chen Fan and Ye Aotian were both fighting over you in the drama club. Now, that would be a scene worth watching. I am a genius!”
“Goodbye.” Mu Jinli hung up the phone, fuming. There was no way Ling Yuyan didn’t know the plot’s development. She was doing this on purpose, just for the thrill.
That was Ling Yuyan for you. She was curious about everything and constantly overflowing with energy. It wasn’t just that Chen Fan found her “sassy” or anything; it was her endless energy. She was the type who, if left alone, would constantly find new ways to entertain herself. In a relationship, that energy would turn to endlessly bothering her boyfriend if she got bored.
As for her rivalry with Mu Jinli, it stemmed from their polar personalities: one embodied absolute righteousness, the other gleeful chaos. As the saying goes, the righteous and the wicked cannot coexist.
In the novel’s storyline, Ling Yuyan didn’t care about the consequences for the other female leads. Just because they were all female leads didn’t mean they were on the same side.
She was simply curious about how the plot would play out tonight.
This part of the plot had two “showoff” moments. The first involved the play, where everyone would see the male and female leads as a perfect match. The second involved Lang Qingfeng hiring someone to beat up the protagonist, only to have the protagonist teach them a lesson, thus proving his strength. The question now was where to find someone.
Chen Fan called Tao Xiaoyao.
“Busy?”
“Training some people. What’s up?”
“Do you know any decent fighters at school? I need a few for tonight.”
“Yeah, sure. How strong do they need to be?”
“Enough to put up a fight. They should be fit and strong so they won’t get injured too easily.”
“Got it. Someone will contact you later.”
Seeing the diary update, a few other female leads sprang into action. Although they wouldn’t help each other outright, if it involved beating up the protagonist, then by all means, they would band together. The chance didn’t come around often, so they couldn’t let it slip.
By 7 in the evening, Chen Fan waited quietly outside the girls’ dormitory for Mu Jinli. To his surprise, she approached him from behind and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Hey, Chen Fan, been waiting long?”
Chen Fan turned around. She wasn’t in her usual athletic wear; instead, she was dressed in a princess gown, paired with white sneakers. Her hair flowed freely, with no extra accessories. She exuded a certain ethereal charm that left everyone in awe.
For a moment, Chen Fan was stunned, but he quickly recovered. Damn, he was a villain—what was he doing getting thoughts about the female lead?
Mu Jinli noticed the look in his eyes; it was the gaze of someone interested. Strangely, the warmth of that gaze left her feeling pleasantly flustered. Being admired by someone like Chen Fan wasn’t bad at all. He was capable but unpretentious.
“Chen Fan, do you have someone you love?”
Caught off guard, Chen Fan was momentarily confused by the romantic question. “Once, yes. But now, it’s turned to hatred.”
Chen Fan regretted his response the moment he spoke it. Why did he get so emotional? Was the script influencing him?
“Was it Lin Xinyue? Everyone says she’s the most beautiful woman in the city. What do you think?”
“I don’t like her; I only hate her. I worked so hard, but she slipped through my fingers like sand.”
What the hell? How did he let himself say such sentimental nonsense?
“Oh, then between me and her, who do you think is more beautiful?”
“Of course, you’re more beautiful …”
Chen Fan almost slapped himself. Why did he say that? The truth was that Mu Jinli was lovely in her way, and perhaps because he hadn’t interacted with her much in previous story cycles, he wasn’t used to her. He often saw her in the storyline but rarely interacted with her directly.
Mu Jinli chuckled, “Thanks. Although I know it’s a lie, my friend told me that if a guy says you’re the prettiest in front of you, he’s definitely lying.”
“Your friend sounds clever.”
“She can be quite a character. Anyway, let’s go.”
At the drama club, a group was anxiously preparing backstage. The play had a few parts, including a witch and the dwarfs, as well as a prince. But curiously, both the prince and princess were missing.
“Damn it, they flaked on us!” the club president complained.
“What’s wrong?” Mu Jinli asked, feigning ignorance. She glanced around, seeing that Ye Aotian wasn’t there—things seemed okay so far.
“The main actors aren’t here. We’re short on people. How about playing the lead, Snow White?”
“Me? Could I?”
“Sure! Snow White doesn’t have many lines, and there’s a lot of room to improvise. We’re going for a sketch-comedy style.”