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

“Yeah, I’ve seen a bit … but I thought it was just fan speculation.”
“Whether it’s speculation or not, it’s about family honor. If the company’s stocks drop, let them drop. The company itself doesn’t matter. Understand?”
Chen Fan nodded, saying, “Alright, I get it. I’ll handle it.”
“Good. Glad to hear that.”
The call ended, and Chen Fan put down his fishing rod, saying, “Zhu Yeqing, prepare some food and a pot of soup. We’re going to visit the set later. Got it?”
“Understood … um, Young Master, can I take a nap in the car?”
“Rest if you want. No need to ask.”
“Oh, Young Master, it’s just that … well … I don’t know how to put it. It’s all your fault.”
Chen Fan’s mood brightened.
Cao Zijin hummed a tune as she watched events unfold, pleased with the part she was playing. She could already predict the upcoming storyline, even though Chen Fan hadn’t written it all out. In most urban fantasy novels, the plot tended to follow the same formula: the main character meets a celebrity, becomes a sensation, shocks countless people, and eventually wins the beautiful woman’s heart, embarrassing the villain.
And what about her?
Based on Chen Fan’s attitude, she could tell her role was that of the woman who initially gains the male lead’s attention but fails to secure his affection, leaving her disappointed and eventually married to Chen Fan, the antagonist, out of spite for the protagonist.
As for Liu Feifei, Cao Zijin suspected that she would be the main woman she’d have to contend with. Yet, the novel seemed to overemphasize the conflict between two women.
Of course, the author clearly didn’t understand women. Women were always rivals to some extent; after all, when have you ever seen a cat with close friends? They’re all proud, aloof fairies, even if they’re not outright enemies.
Cao Zijin could casually chat with Zhu Yeqing like a close friend, but if something crucial came up, she wouldn’t hesitate to turn on her. This was just how it was between women.
Liu Feifei, now dressed in a qipao, leaned close to Cao Zijin and asked, “Sis, will this really work?”
“Of course! Trust me, men are easy to figure out. Just say a few words, and he’ll probably have you pick out his burial spot before he dies.”
But this concept was far too deep for Liu Feifei.
Liu Feifei had her own troubles. They were simple, though: why was she the female lead? When she first read the diary, she naively believed that she would be the main character.
Her idea of a “main character” was akin to the female protagonists of transmigration novels. She had been foolishly under the impression that she was about to become the ruler of this world. But when she found out how things would actually turn out, she felt deeply uncomfortable. She believed she deserved a great role.
As for Chen Fan? She thought he was incredibly annoying, always calling her a “big fool.” Though many people called her that, it didn’t mean she liked hearing it.
While she didn’t really dislike Chen Fan, as he mostly just liked to tease, she found Ye Aotian utterly repulsive.
Based on Chen Fan’s descriptions, she knew this man would fall for one woman after another. In the industry, they called this type of man a “Teddy,” referring to a player with an insatiable appetite.
She hated men who used love as an excuse to get close to others. If a man were truly a “bad boy,” Liu Feifei could at least understand what to expect. What she despised most were men who relied on others but never admitted it, then criticized others for doing the same.
Just as Cao Zijin had once said: people who could speak ill of others but were silent about their own faults were the worst.
As Liu Feifei pondered, Chen Fan arrived on set with a pot of soup in hand, heading straight to Cao Zijin.
“What are you doing here?” Cao Zijin was surprised.
Chen Fan replied, “My mom made me come. Said I wasn’t taking care of you. Did you go complain to her?”
“I don’t have time for that. Let me introduce you. This is Liu Feifei, the second female lead of the film.”
Chen Fan looked at Liu Feifei and said, “Hello.”
Liu Feifei froze for a moment, then burped out of nervousness and said, “H-hi … I’m Liu Feifei. I’m … a good person. I won’t like Ye Aotian.”
Chen Fan had always suspected something was off about the plot, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. All the other girls seemed to play their parts well, but Liu Feifei was incapable of lying.
This girl simply didn’t have the mental capacity for deceit. Most of the time, you could take what she said as the truth. But he still had to play his part as the villain.
“What does that have to do with me? Whether or not you like Ye Aotian is your business. But if you help him by endorsing his company, then we’re enemies. Are you ready to be my enemy?”
Chen Fan went for a direct threat, embodying the true spirit of a villain.
At that moment, Ye Aotian stepped forward and said, “What kind of man bullies a girl like this?”
Ye Aotian had seen Liu Feifei’s tearful eyes.
In truth, Liu Feifei wasn’t sad at all. She was just a little scared to see the person who wrote the diary in front of her.
But from the outside, it looked like Chen Fan was bullying her.
“What a nobody, flaunting his status as a lead actor? You think that makes you hot stuff?”
Ye Aotian replied, “What did you say? You looking for trouble? We’re not in school anymore; some rules don’t apply.”
“Oh … So you want to kill me? Very well, I’m right here. Go ahead, grab a knife, slice my throat. I’m waiting. Don’t be a coward.”
Feifei quickly pulled Ye Aotian back. Reluctantly, Ye Aotian calmed himself.
Chen Fan chuckled and said, “Liu Feifei, right? Any interest in joining me? I hear the entertainment industry is pretty dirty. So, what’s your price for spending a night with me?”
The line was perfect, and Chen Fan wanted to applaud himself. This was peak villain behavior!
“Say that again?” Ye Aotian was furious. He couldn’t allow Chen Fan to talk about Liu Feifei like that. He didn’t know why, but he felt that Liu Feifei was meant to be his.
Chen Fan said, “Isn’t that how the entertainment industry works? Just playthings of capital. Why, does that shock you? I thought you’d be a worthy opponent, Ye Aotian, but this? I’m disappointed.”
Ye Aotian couldn’t hold back any longer. Just as he was about to throw a punch, Tao Xiaoyao blocked him.
“If you move even an inch more, I’ll kill you right now.”
Ye Aotian restrained himself, choosing patience.
Nearby, Xiao Feng asked, “Who exactly is this Chen Fan?”
His assistant replied, “He’s the only heir of the Chen family.”
“The only heir? Which Chen family are we talking about? I only know one prominent Chen family—Chen Tianqiang’s family.”
“That’s the one.”
Xiao Feng was stunned. He gave Ye Aotian a mental thumbs-up. This guy was really something, daring to provoke the Chen family, especially given the obvious rivalry between them.
“This doesn’t make sense. A family like the Chen’s would squash someone like him in an instant.”