The Heartthrob Halo Doesn't Work on the Villain - Chapter 14

And just like that, Xia Qiyu became Lin Yan’s “cooking” teacher. Although her own culinary skills weren’t particularly impressive, compared to Lin Yan, she might as well have been a master chef. This was evident from Lin Yan’s undisguised admiration when Xia Qiyu prepared a fragrant plate of stir-fried noodles with shredded pork.

However, Lin Yan’s learning aptitude in this area was truly abysmal. Perhaps the heavens had allocated too many skill points to her other talents, leaving a deficit that all landed here. Despite Xia Qiyu’s meticulous explanations and demonstrations, this kitchen disaster still managed to produce unexpected results, requiring constant supervision.

But Lin Yan’s assigned task was breakfast duty, and they were both high school students. First High School’s morning study session began at the early hour of 6:30 AM. The time between the end of morning study and the first class was designated for breakfast, but due to the tight schedule, most students brought their meals in advance, only getting a chance to rest when the class bell rang.

Lin Yan had initially planned to skip morning study sessions to make breakfast for Lou Yubing. After all, the “booming” recitation style didn’t suit her, and she hadn’t experienced such a tightly scheduled high school life in ages. She always wanted to slack off and sleep in a bit longer. But on one hand, Lou Yubing firmly forbade her from skipping class again, and on the other, the Female Lead felt responsible for keeping an eye on her due to her own useless hands. Lin Yan couldn’t possibly waste the other girl’s time.

And so, gradually, Lin Yan’s morning routine shifted from barely making it to class on time to waking up at 5:30 AM every day. Before she could even recover from this shock, another problem arose.

The apartment she was currently living in was quite a distance from the dormitory for scholarship students. If Xia Qiyu were to visit her every day, it would mean sacrificing even more of her precious sleep—an absolute no-go for Lin Yan, who valued sleep above all else.

After much deliberation, Lin Yan decided to have Xia Qiyu move in with her. The apartment was spacious enough, likely designed for two people. Besides her own bedroom, there was another equally sized room. Although she had initially planned for Lou Yubing to stay there, she had always secretly hoped they would share a room. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the king-sized bed replaced with two twin beds, which she then specially pushed together.

Moreover, this building was the closest to the academic buildings, and the living conditions couldn’t be much better than her previous dorm. After getting to know Xia Qiyu these past few days, Lin Yan realized she was truly a kind and gentle classmate. The thought of the great villain harming her so terribly in the future made Lin Yan want to mentally stab the little voodoo doll named Lou Yubing with pins. Whether as a Missioner tasked with protecting her or as a genuine friend, Lin Yan desperately wanted to improve Xia Qiyu’s living situation.

Initially, Xia Qiyu refused the suggestion. She was used to her old dorm life and felt embarrassed to accept yet another kindness from Lin Yan. But as the words of refusal reached her lips, she saw the pair of bright, hopeful eyes staring back at her and swallowed them down.

So, the next evening, a group of people arrived at Xia Qiyu’s dorm to help her move. It was Saturday, with no classes, and the small room instantly became crowded. Only when she asked them to step out and said she’d bring the organized items out for them to carry did some space open up, accompanied by a chorus of curious chatter.

Lin Yan didn’t come along. Recently, 555’s control over the Small World had been gradually strengthening, allowing her to do things she couldn’t before—things that would have broken her character.

In recent days, Lin Yan had met someone on a PK forum, a skilled player. After 555 investigated, it turned out to be Jiang Jingfei, the rising star of the business world who would skyrocket to fame in five years with a revolutionary financial payment platform. Currently, Jiang Jingfei was still a student from a poor family, barely able to afford enough meals. Her rise to wealth would take time.

Upon learning this, Lin Yan’s eyes lit up. She didn’t dare start her own company directly yet. According to 555’s analysis, doing so would give the Small World a greater than 50% chance of collapsing, leading to temporal judgment and, more importantly, mission failure—potentially resulting in her death. Lin Yan never gambled, nor dared to. But if she could simply invest money and let someone else handle the operations, acting as a behind-the-scenes financier, crossing her legs and waiting for the profits to roll in, that would perfectly align with her character.

After all, she was just a lazy, academically poor second-generation rich kid. It wouldn’t be strange for her to casually throw some money at absurd small investments on a whim.

At that moment, Jiang Jingfei’s app was being targeted for suppression by industry giants. It had indeed violated industry taboos, and any investor would likely suffer a complete financial loss. For Lin Yan, a fledgling investor, choosing the wrong stock was understandable.

Through her recent conversations with Jiang Jingfei, Lin Yan learned that the app was already nearly complete and had attracted offers from major tech companies. However, these companies seemed to have reached an internal consensus: either force Jiang Jingfei to bleed dry by selling her prized creation at a pittance, or block her escape routes and let her app rot in her hands.

This was a classic tactic employed by high-dimensional capital. Lin Yan consulted the System and discovered that even in the original storyline, Jiang Jingfei hadn’t succeeded on her own merits. Instead, she had compromised, ultimately handing over her life’s work to the Qin Family of Shangjing for a few million in transfer fees and public recognition as the designer.

While this sum might seem like an unimaginable fortune to ordinary people, Lin Yan could sense the underlying helplessness behind the System’s calm narration.

When Lin Yan heard the name “Qin Family,” her curiosity was piqued. This family had been mentioned several times in the limited plot information she possessed, yet they had never been directly described, leaving her intrigued.

However, she didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she focused on finding a legitimate reason to bring Jiang Jingfei over to her side. Even though they had only interacted online, Lin Yan could easily sense Jiang Jingfei’s naturally optimistic nature. Yet this very person had ultimately succumbed to such a self-destructive end, a truly lamentable fate.

Whether for her own benefit or to help Jiang Jingfei as a friend, Lin Yan knew she had to take this step.

After all, she had once been a hardworking wage slave toiling for those monstrous capitalists who devoured people whole. As fellow sufferers, she understood Jiang Jingfei’s pain and had no desire to become one of those exploiters herself.

But now, stuck in the body of a high school student, Lin Yan felt a headache coming on. Why had she transmigrated to this awkward time—a state of adolescence where she couldn’t even sleep properly, let alone accomplish anything significant? And with Lou Yubing, that major troublemaker, looming over her, she didn’t even dare skip class.

Fortunately, students in grades 10-11 at her school didn’t have classes on Saturdays. After a week of relentless schedules, Lin Yan finally got to sleep in. She woke up and immediately arranged for Xia Qiyu’s dorm to be moved, then followed Lin Qi’s advice and visited her maternal grandparents at the old family estate. Now, sitting in the car, she texted Jiang Jingfei, feeling drowsy again, fighting to stay awake.

Through 555, Lin Yan knew Jiang Jingfei was fundraising today and that things wouldn’t go smoothly. After all, the pack of wolves had already agreed to pounce on any fat lamb that dared show itself, their sharp fangs bared in anticipation.

Yet, despite knowing all this, she had to pretend ignorance.

Yuyan: How’s it going today? Did you find many areas needing repair?

Jiang Jingfei received the message on the subway home from school. Her usually cheerful face was etched with exhaustion and deep frustration. But seeing Yuyan’s message brought a sliver of comfort, like a pair of arms supporting her from behind, helping her straighten her spine.

Yuyan was someone she’d met recently on a PK forum. She’d lost to Yuyan, though the victory was narrow, she accepted it wholeheartedly. Neither knew the other’s real name, age, or identity, yet they chatted online with remarkable ease, giving her the feeling of Bo Ya and Zhong Ziqi—a connection that always felt natural and comforting.

Jiang Jingfei didn’t want to hide the truth from her, so she replied with a full and honest account.

Jiang Yu: No, I was raising funds today, but it didn’t go well. Several companies want to buy my software outright.

For a sum far below its true value.

After a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Jingfei deleted the second half of her message. She didn’t want Yuyan to worry and silently sent only the first part.

Little did she know, Lin Yan already knew everything. Seeing Jiang Jingfei’s message, she sighed softly, gathered her thoughts, and finally replied.

Yuyan: I’ve never asked you this before, but do you really want to strike out on your own?

The instant reply startled Jiang Jingfei for a few seconds. Then, she tilted her head back slightly, let her mind drift helplessly, and only remembered to reply when the subway announcement signaled their imminent arrival at the station.

Jiang Yu: Yes, but I don’t have the money. I couldn’t raise any funds today, and the way they’re acting, it’s like they’re threatening to blacklist me across the entire industry if I don’t compromise.

This time, she didn’t hold back like before. Now that the conversation had reached this point, she was too overwhelmed to think rationally.

Lin Yan’s next message nearly made Jiang Jingfei jump to her feet.

Yuyan: If you need money, I can help you. How much do you need?

Jiang Jingfei’s initial reaction was one of surprise and delight, but the feeling quickly faded, replaced by a mix of joy and worry.

She had vaguely suspected that Lin Yan wasn’t struggling financially like she was, but she didn’t know the full extent of her family’s wealth. Under normal circumstances, she would have been overjoyed if someone offered to invest in her. But now, with major corporations eyeing her project like a juicy piece of meat, Lin Yan’s involvement would inevitably draw her into the crossfire.

Jiang Jingfei didn’t want to endanger her friend.

With a sigh, she lowered her gaze and took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to reject Lin Yan’s offer. Before she could even formulate a response, another message arrived.

Yuyan: Jiang, let’s meet tomorrow.

This time, Lin Yan didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, she pressed the standby button, leaned back against the car seat, and closed her eyes to rest for a while.

Lou Yubing had just returned to her dorm from the study hall when she saw a large crowd gathered outside the door. The room itself was unusually lively. Thinking something must have happened, she frowned and tried to squeeze through the crowd. But the next moment, the crowd parted automatically, creating a path. Looking up, she saw Xia Qiyu dragging out several large bags and small packages.

“Are you moving out?”