The Heartthrob Halo Doesn't Work on the Villain - Chapter 11

For the first time ever, aside from studying, Lou Yubing found herself thinking most about Lin Yan these past few days. Her thoughts revolved around the same questions that had been troubling her all along.

The questions remained the same, and the person pondering them was still her, but her mindset had shifted. Even Lou Yubing herself hadn’t realized how her long-held beliefs were now beginning to waver.

There was no denying that Lin Yan’s past behavior had been reprehensible. Yet, when Lou Yubing examined the situation closely, it seemed that Lin Yan’s direct actions had been limited to issuing commands and treating others dismissively. It was the reactions of those around her—their lack of restraint and eagerness to curry favor—that had truly escalated the situation.

Previously, Lou Yubing had attributed all the blame to Lin Yan. But after spending these past few days with her, the lines in her mind had begun to blur.

In the past two days, the forum had suddenly been flooded with posts about her. Normally, Lou Yubing would have ignored such chatter, but this time, because her name was constantly paired with another’s, she found herself losing focus whenever she overheard people discussing them.

Several roommates were still chattering about the rumors, occasionally glancing in Lou Yubing’s direction. Only Xia Qiyu slowly sat down beside her, her movements so quiet they were almost imperceptible.

Perhaps it was due to her wandering thoughts, but Lou Yubing only snapped her head around when Xia Qiyu spoke, her expression slightly dazed.

“Thinking about what they said?”

Though her thoughts had been exposed, Lou Yubing’s expression remained unchanged. She casually flipped a page of her book, her voice flat. In truth, she often had the strange feeling that, aside from herself, the person who understood her best in the world might be this roommate—neither a relative nor a close friend. There was always an inexplicable connection between them, something she couldn’t fully comprehend. But as time passed, she’d grown accustomed to it and stopped dwelling on it. Yet this time, for some reason, she didn’t want Xia Qiyu to know.

“No, I was thinking about something else.”

Xia Qiyu saw through her, but she didn’t press the matter. This was her usual approach: she rarely meddled in others’ affairs. Yet, for reasons she couldn’t quite explain, she always found herself caring a little more about matters involving this roommate. Over time, she’d grown used to it and accepted it.

If she had to explain it, perhaps it was because they both came from the same place, sharing a faint sense of camaraderie.

So, even though she didn’t get the answer she expected, she couldn’t resist adding a few more words.

“Yubing, we’re not like them. We can’t afford to make mistakes. We only have ourselves. You can’t waste your future playing around with someone who doesn’t care…”

She left those words hanging in the air, staring at Lou Yubing for a long moment. When no response came, she walked away, leaving the silent figure sitting alone.

Lin Yan was busy directing the movers as they carried her luggage into her dorm room. She surveyed her new living space: a single room with a small balcony, private bathroom, air conditioning, washing machine, hairdryer, dryer, and even a fully equipped kitchen. She couldn’t help but shake her head.

This isn’t a student dorm—it’s a luxury apartment!

Before starting work, Lin Yan had lived a simple life, focused on basic necessities. She’d never experienced such extravagance.

She instructed the movers to replace the large double bed with two smaller single beds, which she then pushed together. She smiled, imagining how she’d lure the sheep into her wolf’s den. But the next moment, the familiar notification sound of her favorability system rang out.

Detected change in target’s favorability. Current favorability: 0.

What?!

What was going on? She’d painstakingly raised her favorability points just a few days ago. Now, it was back to square one overnight?

“Xiao Wu, come out here and explain this to me!”

555 clearly didn’t understand why either. It even checked Lou Yubing’s current location and emotional state, only to find a flat emotional curve and her usual routine of studying in her dorm. Perplexed, it could only offer a speculative explanation:

Perhaps the Host’s influence caused a deviation in the Worldline, and the World Order forcefully corrected the anomaly.

“Corrected?” Lin Yan’s voice shifted from skepticism to irritation, her brow furrowing deeply. “If this keeps happening, how am I supposed to complete my mission?”

It was a valid concern. 555 didn’t respond immediately, pausing before adding:

Under normal circumstances, the World Order wouldn’t intervene directly over such minor deviations, especially in a dilapidated and unstable space like this. Such drastic measures are only taken when the Main Storyline’s smooth progression is severely threatened.

555 didn’t understand, and Lin Yan, a Missioner from another world, had even less grasp of these rules. Yet its words left her pondering for a long time:

I just raised the Villain’s favorability points a little. According to 555, the World Order usually turns a blind eye to such minor fluctuations. So why would it suddenly react like this?

As she pondered this, 555 offered another hypothesis.

It’s also possible that the Villain herself is simply wavering internally. Her favorability rating has been fluctuating wildly before, and we couldn’t discern any pattern. This could be another instance of that.

This explanation was far more plausible. Recalling Lou Yubing’s notoriously volatile temper, such behavior seemed entirely within character. However, the fact that her favorability rating hadn’t plummeted in Lin Yan’s presence was unprecedented and genuinely perplexing.

As a result, when Lin Yan next encountered the instigator of this mess in class, she couldn’t help but wear a sour expression. Yet Lou Yubing remained indifferent, skipping even their usual pre-class greeting. She sat beside Lin Yan, head bowed over her book, not sparing her even a glance.

This icy indifference nearly made Lin Yan grind her teeth to dust. But for the sake of that damned Mission, she had no choice but to press her warm cheek against Lou Yubing’s cold shoulder.

A slight tug at her sleeve came from the person beside her. Lou Yubing knew perfectly well who it was, but her demeanor lacked the composure she’d shown in recent days.

“What?”

The girl’s bright eyes visibly dimmed at the harsh tone. Lou Yubing, watching this, felt a strange unease, but she merely turned her head away.

Unlike the visible disappointment on her face, Lin Yan’s hand, hidden beneath the table, gripped the edge so tightly she could have left indentations if she pressed any harder.

555, long accustomed to his Host’s dual nature, had seen far worse. He watched Lin Yan obediently take out two lunchboxes and push one toward Lou Yubing without the slightest surprise.

“This is for today.”

Ever since learning that Lou Yubing only received a lunch allowance and rarely ate anything else, Lin Yan had started preparing elaborate breakfasts and dinners for her daily. Of course, she didn’t have to cook herself; she simply gave instructions to the family chef, who followed them meticulously.

The lunchbox contained the usual exquisite fare, but today’s rice balls had been shaped into various animals, clearly designed to amuse a child.

Lin Yan opened the box, but Lou Yubing glanced at it once before closing it again.

“No need. I’m not used to eating breakfast.”

Not used to eating breakfast?

Then who was it who had frowned while devouring a caramel donut just days ago, claiming to hate it yet snatching away Lin Yan’s share too?

That had been her only dessert!

Lin Yan forcibly suppressed the rising anger in her chest, forcing her voice to sound conciliatory rather than strained.

“Don’t you like what I prepared today?” Lin Yan asked, pursing her lips slightly as she nudged the lunchbox closer to Lou Yubing. She leaned in a little closer as well. “Just bear with it for today, okay? Tell me what you want to eat, and tomorrow… tomorrow I’ll definitely get it for you.”

After a long silence, Lou Yubing remained unmoved. Just as Lin Yan was about to give up on this tactic, the silent girl finally spoke in a low voice, “If you made breakfast yourself, I might consider it.”

Lou Yubing, a pampered young lady who had never lifted a finger in the kitchen, couldn’t believe Lin Yan would actually go to such lengths for her. She didn’t know the purpose behind Lin Yan’s recent strange behavior, but she doubted she was capable of this. To her surprise, Lin Yan’s eyes lit up the moment she heard those words.

“You said it!” As if afraid Lou Yubing might change her mind, Lin Yan’s hand, which was already close, instantly gripped Lou Yubing’s wrist. Feeling the warm, soft touch of her fingers being tugged, Lou Yubing instinctively tried to pull away, but Lin Yan’s grip tightened.

“I said it. Now let go.”

Having achieved her desired outcome, Lou Yubing watched Lin Yan’s hand flutter away like a butterfly. A strange sense of disappointment washed over her, but the feeling vanished as quickly as it had come.

Lin Yan had no patience for the monotonous lessons in high school. After morning study, she snuck back to her “new dorm.” Initially, she had despised the open-plan kitchen that occupied a third of the room and its array of cooking utensils, thinking a wealthy heiress like herself would never need such things. Now, however, she saw their potential.

Though her original self had rarely set foot in a kitchen—the toaster being the most frequently used appliance—Lin Yan possessed an inexplicable confidence. With my intelligence, she thought, I can definitely handle this!

Reality proved harsh. The moment she asked 555 whether to add oil or the egg first when frying an egg, 555 realized all her earlier bravado had been nothing but an empty facade. This was followed by a smoking, scorched frying pan. Had the dorms not been equipped with ample fire extinguishers, a simple fried egg could have sparked a full-blown fire.

As 555 watched Lin Yan frantically clean up the mess, he considered suggesting she hire someone to stage a “switcheroo.” But before he could speak, she had already set her sights on the still-intact electric slow cooker.

“Hey, Xiao Wu,” she said, “I think controlling fire requires some skill. What about making porridge?”