After Backstabbing The Villain, The System Allowed Me To Enter The Book Again - Chapter 31

Qi Yi never imagined that Su Zihan would ditch her own birthday party without a word and secretly sneak back home—he only discovered it because he happened to block her way at her doorstep.

Su Zihan froze for a moment when she saw him, then quickly reacted:
“Oh, I get it. Shen Huaixin went running to you first, right? Let me guess—what did she accuse me of? Leaving without telling anyone, or deliberately ruining the birthday party?”

Qi Yi was baffled and a little annoyed by Su Zihan’s sharp, sarcastic tone.
“She’s only worried about you. What nonsense are you spouting? She’s not as bad as you think.”

As he spoke, he sent a quick text to Shen Huaixin to reassure her.

Su Zihan let out a mocking laugh.
“I think she’s not as good as you think.”

“Su Zihan.” He didn’t want to argue, so he only called her name with a slight edge of warning, his expression cooling. “Since you’re home, I’ll just—”

“Don’t you want to know what she really thinks of you?” Su Zihan cut him off.

“……”

Before Qi Yi could reply, she shoved a USB drive into his hand, then turned back into the house without another word, slamming the iron door shut with a loud bang.

Qi Yi rubbed the deep-blue USB in his hand, lips pressed together.

——

After saying goodbye to Shen Chumo, Shen Huaixin hurried backstage, removed her mask, changed clothes, and checked herself from every angle, making sure her transformation from “Su Zihan” back to “Shen Huaixin” was flawless. The system’s prompt sounded right on cue:

【Plot deviation -20, current value 6 (Conclusion: Even a cold-blooded villain has weaknesses? He’s no longer invincible.)】

Shen Huaixin suddenly felt a bit dazed. One month before the outbreak, she was already close to success—far ahead of schedule. And yet… she couldn’t feel happy. Watching the characters in the book march step by step toward death, watching Shen Chumo move toward his destined end… she couldn’t help but feel pity.

When she was just a reader, she could detach herself, coldly reading about protagonists and villains alike—mere lines of ink to pass the time. But now, being in the middle of it, the closer she drew to them, the more hesitant she became.

“Does a villain really have to die?” Shen Huaixin murmured.

The answer came in the system’s flat, mechanical voice:
“Shen Chumo must die. Otherwise, this world will eventually fall to ruin.”

——

When she returned to Shen Chumo, Shen Huaixin wore her usual domineering mask again. She snorted, tossed a few thick books onto him with a disdainful look.

“Your birthday gift. Don’t thank me. At least I bothered to give you something.”

“Thank you, Sister Xin.” Shen Chumo’s eyes lit up. He glanced down at the titles: Five Years Gaokao, Three Years Mock Exams, Huanggang Test Papers, and so on. He hugged the heavy stack to his chest like a treasure, utterly content.
“I’ll study hard. I won’t disappoint your expectations.”

She must want him to achieve great things—that’s why she carefully chose these. Shen Chumo could feel her good intentions as an elder sister.

【Plot deviation -6, current value 0 (Conclusion: The big picture is set.)】

“……”

Normally, what kid gets test prep books for their birthday and genuinely feels happy about it? Anyone else would want to strangle the gift-giver. Shen Huaixin just couldn’t wrap her head around it.

So ruthless and merciless as a villain, yet as a child… he was this easy to please.

She shook her head. Just as she reached out to ruffle his hair, she remembered she was no longer “Han.” Though she’d only played “Han” for one evening, wearing the mask had felt like shedding her disguise—she could talk with Shen Chumo freely, without restraint. That ease, that warmth, still lingered in her mind.

She withdrew her hand—only for him to catch her wrist and press it to his head. His expression was pure puppy-like pleading, eyes wet and pitiful as his nose.
“You can.”

Too cute…

Shen Huaixin’s throat bobbed. Before she could think, her hand was already stroking his head twice. Just before the system could throw out an OOC warning, she snatched her hand back and said coldly,

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I had no desire to touch your head.”

Shen Chumo recalled where her hand had been reaching. If it wasn’t for his head… then it must have been for his face? His mind buzzed, his cheeks flushed hot. He regretted acting on his own.

Shen Huaixin didn’t notice his wild thoughts. She gestured for him to follow.
“It’s late. Let’s go home.”

“Thank you, Sister Xin.”

She nodded silently. Then behind her, she heard his voice, mixed with the crunch of footsteps on grass—so real, yet so romantic:

“Tonight’s stars… I really like them.”

She froze mid-step, her heart tightening, for one instant thinking he was talking about her.

“Ah, your nickname is Xingxing—‘Star’? Then can I always call you that from now on?” Shen Chumo curved his eyes in a smile.

Only then did Shen Huaixin realize she had let it slip—her real nickname from her true identity, Du Mingxing: Xingxing.

Her instincts screamed that forming too many ties with the book’s characters was dangerous. She hardened her face and rejected him outright:
“No. Don’t ever call me that again. Forget it.”

Shen Chumo was briefly stunned, then didn’t ask further.

——

Qi Yi plugged the USB into his laptop. Soon a folder popped up—inside, just one video, titled The Truth. He didn’t even need to click; he could already guess it had something to do with Shen Huaixin.

The more he watched, the deeper his frown became, sinking into thought.

The next day, Su Zihan finally caught Qi Yi in the classroom. When he saw her, his face wasn’t too pleasant. He pulled the USB from his pocket and handed it back to her.

Su Zihan’s heart leapt, then she saw him hang his schoolbag on his seat and say flatly:
“After class, I need to talk to you.”

Good—after watching Shen Huaixin’s outrageous words, he had things to say. Su Zihan only worried he might accept them as calmly as that idiot Shen Chumo. Luckily, Qi Yi wasn’t so easily blinded.

So she agreed happily.

At last the bell rang. Su Zihan followed Qi Yi closely as he strode quickly out of the classroom. Only when they reached a quiet spot with few people did he stop, turn to her, and look.

Su Zihan couldn’t quite read his expression. His brows were slightly knit, and behind his gold-rimmed glasses his eyes carried a concern she didn’t understand. Before she could figure it out, he asked:

“You were secretly recording her?”

“……”
The question she never expected froze her in place. Fury rose in her throat, barely contained. Even so, some sparks escaped in her words:
“That’s what you wanted to say? To scold me for recording her?”

Qi Yi shook his head, hesitated, then said,
“I’m not scolding you. Just…”

In the video, the first thing he noticed was the angle. From the perspective, it seemed Su Zihan had placed the camera at her collar or first button. The footage wasn’t very clear, occasionally shaking—obviously taken from a hidden pinhole camera.

“I only did it because I care about you!” Su Zihan protested forcefully.

“Caring about me doesn’t justify this. Secretly recording a classmate, trying to trap them in conversation…” Qi Yi paused, then said calmly, “It’s not right. I already deleted the video. But… I do appreciate your concern.” His last words sounded like patchwork damage control.

Su Zihan stared, then suddenly gave a cold laugh. She shook her head, then laughed harder and harder, until the sound was bitter and continuous. Truly, she understood now—when people were furious, they could laugh.
“Qi Yi… You think I don’t have backups? After she betrayed you like this, you’re still defending her? Do you need me to post this online, let the whole school help you see her true colors?”

Qi Yi’s face chilled.

“What, does that hurt?” Su Zihan dropped her smile, fists clenched so tightly her fingertips whitened.

Qi Yi closed his eyes, exhaled a long breath, and when he opened them again, his expression was steady.
“Zihan, I just don’t want you to become like this. To set up hidden cameras, to ruin someone’s reputation online… Is that really something the ‘Su Zihan’ I knew would do? You’re my friend. Compared to Shen Huaixin’s words—which sounded more like a joke—I’m more worried about you.”

To him, Shen Huaixin’s remarks had felt playful, half-true, half-false. The way she curled her fingers when she said, “I want it all,” carried a strange sort of humor. It was like she had deliberately put on a little performance in front of Su Zihan.

But Su Zihan’s interpretation was completely different. To her, it was “evidence”—a weapon.

“……” Su Zihan stared blankly for several seconds. She shook her head, lowered her voice, and asked coldly,
“So in the end, you’re just protecting Shen Huaixin.”

“If it were anyone else… I mean, if you had recorded someone else, I’d still say the same thing. It’s not right. And it’s not like you.” Qi Yi said seriously.

Su Zihan pressed her lips together. The fire in her chest felt as if someone had just dumped a bucket of cold water over it. She bit down on her lip.

“So in your eyes, I’m nothing more than a blank sheet of paper? Just because I recorded for your sake, now I’m unforgivable?”

“Of course not.” Qi Yi adjusted his glasses and smiled faintly.
“In my eyes, Su Zihan was never a blank sheet. She’s always had her own principles.”

“……”

A breeze stirred the pond water, rippling it. A bird landed on the bank, pecking at the ground.

At that moment, through the lens of his glasses, Su Zihan saw the same unfeigned eyes she’d always known. They carried his usual quiet restraint, his quiet care. As if nothing had changed.

And suddenly, she wasn’t sure. Maybe she was the one who had changed.

What was the real Su Zihan like? She couldn’t remember. Maybe she’d left that version of herself in some forgotten corner, gathering dust.

Now, after weeks of jealousy and resentment, she had reshaped herself into someone even she didn’t recognize. And when she tried to peel off that unwelcome skin and put her old one back on, she found it no longer fit.

Suddenly, she felt drained, as if she were waging war on another’s castle, only to discover cracks in her own walls. Keep going, and her fortress would collapse into ruins.

“What principles?” She looked at Qi Yi as though asking for proof, her voice low and uncertain.

“I think… you should ask yourself that.”