The Heartthrob Halo Doesn't Work on the Villain - Chapter 2

Lin Yan calmed herself, sorting out her thoughts. Just as she finally accepted the reality of her transmigration to another world, the dismissal bell rang.

The sound of a chair scraping against the floor came from beside her. Lin Yan glanced instinctively and saw her aloof “new deskmate” standing up and heading toward the classroom door.

Anticipating what might happen next, Lin Yan frowned. Just as the figure was about to disappear from sight, she hurried after him.

While reviewing the plotlines earlier, Lin Yan had finally understood why Lou Yubing—the great villain—hated her so much.

If she were in Lou Yubing’s place, she wouldn’t have any affection for a spoiled, arrogant young lady who bullied her daily.

But what shocked Lin Yan even more was the original owner’s motive for tormenting Lou Yubing. As a lovestruck teenager, the original owner had carved Lou Yubing’s name everywhere—on textbooks, in her diary, even on her desk. Yet because her feelings were unrequited, she had listened to the encouragement of her shady friends and convinced herself that if she could crush Lou Yubing’s proud dignity into the dirt, her desires would be fulfilled.

Moreover, since Lou Yubing’s attendance at this prestigious school was entirely due to her family’s financial support, the original owner felt even more entitled to harass her without restraint.

Few knew that the arrogant young miss harbored such feelings for someone from the slums. Lou Yubing’s perpetually cold demeanor and haughty, unapproachable air made her unpopular among her classmates; she had virtually no friends.

There was one exception: Xia Qiyu, the female lead, who shared a history of growing up in an orphanage.

Initially, the class bullies assumed Lou Yubing was under the Lin Family’s protection and dared not act out. But when they witnessed the Lin Family’s young miss treating her like a dog and learned her true status, all their malice erupted.

Because these incidents stemmed from Lin Yan’s relentless mistreatment, Lou Yubing kept a mental tally of every slight against her, adding each offense to Lin Yan’s account. Over time, her resentment grew into a simmering hatred.

The next scene would mirror the novel’s opening: the righteous female lead, Xia Qiyu, would intervene in a campus bullying incident, earning school-wide recognition and laying the groundwork for her first encounter with the male lead.

Coincidentally, the victim of this bullying incident was none other than Lou Yubing.

Due to character limitations, Lin Yan’s plotline was divided into two main parts: the world’s main storyline and the character’s life trajectory, which included her own and Lou Yubing’s.

However, neither of these trajectories provided precise details for every hour of the day. Some entries offered clear timestamps, while others glossed over events with brief summaries. Only events closely tied to the main plotline received detailed descriptions.

As a result, Lin Yan knew very little about the bullying incident.

When she first grasped the plot, Lin Yan naively thought she could simply stop bullying Lou Yubing and start treating her well. But this idea was immediately rejected by 555.

Host, as an outsider interfering with the Small World, you must avoid acting in ways that align too closely with your character’s original personality before their predetermined departure time. Otherwise, you risk expulsion from the Small World by the Temporal Arbiters.

Though she didn’t understand 555’s jargon, the explicit prohibition meant she had to maintain the facade of youthful “affection” while continuing to “bully” Lou Yubing. Simultaneously, she had to prevent the Villain from becoming psychologically twisted and increasing their Darkening Index.

Beyond handling Lou Yubing, this hot potato, Lin Yan also needed to prepare for the shock of her “family’s collapse” in six months.

Even the greatest deities couldn’t salvage this mess!

If not for 555’s promise that completing the mission would allow her to restart at any time and place in this Small World, with inexhaustible wealth and power, she wouldn’t have even bothered trying.

Lin Yan hurried after Lou Yubing to the water room, but the moment she entered, she saw Lou Yubing being shoved into a corner by a group of people. They yanked her hair, pulling her this way and that, even occasionally slamming her head against the wall. Lin Yan regretted arriving too late.

“Hey, what makes you think you deserve to drink the same water as us? Pay attention next time and get your water over there.”

The speaker was the youngest son of a local wealthy merchant. His family’s status was only mid-tier, so he couldn’t afford to antagonize many in the class. But bullying the “soft targets” who cowered at his sight was boring. When Lou Yubing appeared, he suddenly found a convenient outlet for his pent-up frustrations. Plus, with a crowd of onlookers—both male and female—always watching the spectacle, the group grew bolder and more reckless.

A circle of spectators had already gathered around the scene. Following the speaker’s pointed finger, the crowd saw the restroom opposite the water room and burst into laughter. Noticing Lin Yan’s arrival, the ringleaders’ insults grew harsher, and their actions became more violent.

Watching this scene, Lin Yan felt an inexplicable pang of anguish in her heart.

“555, when will the Female Lead arrive?”

For some reason, Lin Yan sensed a slight delay before 555 responded.

The Female Lead is in the water room.

Following 555’s guidance, Lin Yan easily spotted Xia Qiyu standing by the water dispenser, distinct from the crowd. Xia Qiyu held a cup, her brow furrowed as she watched the scene of the group ganging up on Lou Yubing. She leaned forward, repeatedly starting to step forward but stopping herself each time.

“How long is she going to wait?” Lin Yan asked, her irritation growing as she watched Lou Yubing’s pale forehead turn red from the repeated blows, nearly drawing bl00d.

According to the plotline, the Female Lead won’t intervene until someone uses a knife to slash Lou Yubing’s face.

Lin Yan understood Xia Qiyu’s hesitation. Given her background, being caught by this group would lead to the same fate as Lou Yubing.

But—

“Slash her face?”

The incident will ultimately result in the victim being disfigured and the perpetrators being expelled. Moreover, this event will draw the attention of another Female Lead to Xia Qiyu, laying the groundwork for future plot developments.

Feeling like 555 was trying to justify the world’s twisted logic, Lin Yan rolled her eyes. But when she looked up and saw someone actually pulling out a small folding knife, she lost her patience. She strode forward and kicked the attacker hard.

The person who had been gleefully bullying others just moments ago now lay sprawled on the floor, face buried in the dirt. All eyes turned to see Lin Yan standing over him, and the crowd fell silent, their gazes quickly shifting away. In the eerily quiet washroom, only the rhythmic dripping of water and a coarse, furious roar broke the silence.

“Which bastard kicked me—”

His voice dwindled as he struggled to his feet and saw who it was. His bravado vanished, and the man, who had barely managed to stand, collapsed again, his face ashen.

“Of course, it was your grandmother—me.”

“Miss… Miss Lin…”

For Lin Yan, crushing his family’s petty business was as easy as crushing an ant. Among those who frequently bullied Lou Yubing, there were others with far more powerful connections than his.

“Why are you getting so worked up over disciplining a dog?”

The speaker was a more flamboyant girl. With 555’s assistance, Lin Yan easily accessed her information and retorted sharply:

“Chen Yu, right? The Chen Family only survives by clinging to the Qin Family of Shangjing. Aren’t you just another lapdog, wagging your tail for scraps?”

“You—!”

In the time it took to speak, Lin Yan had already yanked Lou Yubing to her feet, even smoothing her hair. Finally, she pulled out a silk handkerchief from her inner pocket and wiped Lou Yubing’s forehead.

Realizing this behavior might shatter her carefully cultivated image, Lin Yan suddenly scrubbed Lou Yubing’s forehead roughly twice. After hearing a pained gasp, she flung the handkerchief at Lou Yubing’s face and turned to Chen Jue, whose face had turned ashen. She raised their intertwined hands toward the silent but gawking crowd, as if declaring her ownership.

“Even if she’s a dog, she’s mine. I can bully her if I want, but who the hell are you people?”

No one dared to retort. Lou Yubing, the one being bullied, remained silent. Lin Yan stared at her tightly pursed lips and clenched fists, knowing exactly what she was thinking, though she couldn’t guess how many more marks Lou Yubing would add to her mental ledger after this incident.

Estimating that class was about to start, Lin Yan merely gave a look. The surrounding crowd instinctively parted to create a path. She led Lou Yubing back to the classroom, even instructing someone to fetch water and bring it over.

Everyone passing by witnessed the scene, and given how quickly gossip spread through the school, Lin Yan was confident that no one would dare bully Lou Yubing for a long time to come.

Having finally defused this ticking time bomb, Lin Yan returned to her seat and let out a long sigh of relief. But the hand she had been holding was forcefully wrenched away, accompanied by a soft yet mocking voice from her side.

“What new trick are you playing now?”

The speaker’s forehead was still red and swollen, but she had already distanced herself from Lin Yan, her phoenix eyes now brimming with suspicion.

Lin Yan’s gaze paused briefly before she replied nonchalantly, “Exactly what I said. You do understand human language, right?”

With that, she glanced Lou Yubing up and down, let out a soft laugh, and revealed the innate arrogance and indifference of the wealthy elite.

Lou Yubing understood her meaning perfectly well, but she could only press her lips together, sit up straight, and open her textbook, pretending to study diligently.

If the future Lou Yubing was destined to crush the Small World’s Chosen Daughter, the current version was merely a paper tiger—all outward ferocity, but in reality, capable only of enduring.

Realizing this, Lin Yan turned sideways, propped herself up on her arm, and stared boldly at Lou Yubing.

To be fair, whether in terms of appearance or temperament, this person was among the best she had ever seen—and happened to be exactly her type.

What a pity…

The bell finally rang, restoring silence to the classroom. Lin Yan could feel the person beside her gradually relax from her tense posture. Suddenly remembering the negative favorability rating, she tapped her wristband again.

“555, can you check Lou Yubing’s current favorability rating?”

Checking… Lou Yubing: Favorability -99.

Tsk, this is going to be tough.

Lin Yan calmed herself and sorted through her thoughts. She had barely managed to accept the fact that she had transmigrated to another world when the bell rang.

The sound of chair legs scraping against the floor came from beside her. Lin Yan glanced over instinctively and saw her unapproachable “new deskmate” standing up and heading toward the classroom door.

Anticipating what might happen next, Lin Yan frowned. Just as Lou Yubing’s retreating figure was about to disappear from sight, she hurried after her.

While organizing the plotlines earlier, Lin Yan finally understood why Lou Yubing—the main villain—hated her so much.

If she were in Lou Yubing’s shoes, she wouldn’t have any fondness for a spoiled, willful young lady who bullied her relentlessly.

But what truly shocked Lin Yan was the original owner’s motives for tormenting Lou Yubing. As a lovestruck teenager, the original owner had carved Lou Yubing’s name everywhere—in her textbooks, diary, and even on her desk. Yet because her feelings were unrequited, she listened to the encouragement of her shady friends and convinced herself that if she could crush Lou Yubing’s proud self-esteem into the dirt, her desires would be fulfilled.

Moreover, since Lou Yubing’s attendance at the school was entirely due to her family’s financial support, the original owner felt even more entitled to treat her with impunity.

Few people knew that the spoiled young lady actually harbored such feelings for someone from the slums. Lou Yubing’s perpetually cold demeanor and aloof, unapproachable aura only fueled the class’s animosity toward her. She had virtually no friends.

There was one exception: Xia Qiyu, the female lead, who shared a history of growing up in an orphanage.

Initially, the troublemakers in class assumed Lou Yubing was under the Lin Family’s protection and dared not act recklessly. However, after witnessing the Lin Family’s eldest daughter treating her like a dog and learning her true status, all their malice erupted.

Yet, because these incidents stemmed from Lin Yan’s relentless exploitation of Lou Yubing, every instance of bullying was added to Lin Yan’s account. Over time, this naturally bred deep resentment.

What followed would be the scene from the novel’s opening: the righteous Female Lead, Xia Qiyu, would become known throughout the school for intervening in a bullying incident, laying the groundwork for the two protagonists’ first encounter.

Coincidentally, the victim of this bullying incident was none other than Lou Yubing.

Due to character limitations, Lin Yan’s plotline was divided into two main parts: the world’s main plotline and the character’s life trajectory, including her own and Lou Yubing’s.

However, neither trajectory was precise down to the hour. Some events were clearly detailed with specific timestamps, while others were glossed over with brief mentions. Only events closely connected to the main plotline received detailed descriptions.

Lin Yan knew very little about this bullying incident.

When she first pieced together the plotline, Lin Yan naively thought she could simply stop bullying Lou Yubing and treat her well. But this idea was immediately rejected by 555.

Host, as an outsider interfering in this Small World, you must avoid acting in ways that contradict your character’s established behavior before their predetermined departure time. Failure to do so may result in expulsion from the Small World by the Temporal Arbiters.

Though she didn’t understand 555’s jargon, the explicit prohibition meant she had to maintain her youthful “affection” while continuing to “bully” Lou Yubing. Crucially, she couldn’t let the Villain’s Darkening Index rise.

Besides Lou Yubing, this hot potato, Lin Yan also had to prepare for the shock of her “family’s collapse” in six months.

Even the greatest deities couldn’t save her now!

If not for 555’s promise that completing the mission would allow her to restart at any time and place in this Small World, with inexhaustible wealth and power, she wouldn’t even bother trying.

Lin Yan hurried after Lou Yubing to the water room, but as soon as she entered, she saw Lou Yubing being shoved and pushed into a corner by a group of people. They yanked her hair this way and that, occasionally slamming her head against the wall. Lin Yan regretted arriving even a moment too late.

“Hey, what makes you think you deserve to drink the same water as us? Look closely next time and go get your water over there,” sneered the youngest son of a local wealthy merchant. His family’s status was only middling, so he couldn’t afford to antagonize most of the class. Bullying the “soft targets” who cowered at his mere presence had grown boring. When Lou Yubing appeared, he suddenly found an outlet for his pent-up frustrations. Add to that the crowd of onlookers—men and women alike—who gathered to watch the spectacle, and the emboldened group grew even more reckless.

A crowd had already formed concentric circles around the scene. Following the merchant’s son’s pointed finger, the crowd saw the restroom opposite the water room and erupted in laughter. Noticing Lin Yan’s arrival, the ringleaders grew even more vicious in their taunts, their movements becoming more violent.

Lin Yan watched the scene, her heart aching with an inexplicable pain.

“555, when will the Female Lead arrive?”

For some reason, Lin Yan sensed a slight delay before 555 responded.

The Female Lead is in the water room.

Guided by 555’s instructions, Lin Yan easily found Xia Qiyu standing out from the crowd by the water dispenser. Holding a cup, Xia Qiyu frowned as she watched the scene of the group ganging up on one person. Leaning forward, she repeatedly tried to step in but stopped herself each time.

“How long is she going to wait?” Lin Yan thought, her irritation growing as she watched Lou Yubing’s fair forehead turn red from the repeated blows, almost drawing bl00d.

According to the plotline, the Female Lead won’t intervene until someone uses a knife to slash Lou Yubing’s face.

Lin Yan understood Xia Qiyu’s hesitation. Given her background, being caught by this group would lead to the same fate as Lou Yubing.

But—

“Slash her face?”

The incident will end with the victim disfigured and the perpetrators expelled. Afterward, another Female Lead will start paying more attention to Xia Qiyu, foreshadowing future plot developments.

Feeling like the system was trying to justify the world’s twisted order, Lin Yan rolled her eyes. But when she snapped back to reality and saw someone actually pull out a small folding knife, she lost all patience. She strode forward and kicked the attacker with a swift kick.

The person who had been gleefully bullying others just moments ago now lay sprawled on the floor, face buried in the dirt. All eyes turned to see Lin Yan, and one by one, they silently averted their gazes. In the otherwise silent washroom, only the dripping of water and a coarse, furious roar broke the stillness.

“Which bastard kicked me—”

His voice trailed off as he scrambled to his feet and saw who it was. His bravado vanished, and his body, barely upright, collapsed again, his face ashen.

“Your grandmother, of course,” Lin Yan said.

“M-Miss Lin…”

For Lin Yan, crushing his family’s petty business was as easy as crushing an ant. Among those who frequently bullied Lou Yubing, there were others with far more powerful connections.

“Just disciplining a dog. Why are you so angry?”

The speaker was a girl with a more flamboyant appearance. With 555’s assistance, Lin Yan easily accessed her information and fired back a cutting retort.

“Chen Yu, right? The Chen Family only survives by clinging to the Qin Family of Shangjing. Aren’t you just a tail-wagging lapdog?”

“You—!”

While Chen Yu sputtered, Lin Yan had already yanked Lou Yubing to her feet, smoothed her hair, and even used a silk handkerchief from her pocket to wipe the girl’s forehead.

Realizing this display might shatter her carefully cultivated image, Lin Yan suddenly scrubbed harder, eliciting a wince of pain. She flung the handkerchief onto Lou Yubing’s face and turned to Chen Jue, who stood pale as death. Glaring at the silent onlookers, she raised her hand, entwined with Lou Yubing’s, as if declaring ownership.

“Even if she’s a dog, she’s mine. I can bully her if I want. Who the hell are you people to interfere?”

No one dared to retort. Lou Yubing, the one being bullied, remained silent. Lin Yan stared at her tightly pressed lips and clenched fists, knowing exactly what she was thinking. She just wondered how many more marks Lou Yubing would add to her mental ledger after this incident.

Estimating that class was about to start, Lin Yan gave a subtle nod. The surrounding crowd instinctively parted to create a path. She led Lou Yubing back to the classroom, even instructing someone to fetch water and bring it over.

Everyone passing by witnessed the scene. Given how quickly gossip spread through the school, Lin Yan was confident that no one would dare bully Lou Yubing for a long time to come.

Having finally defused this ticking time bomb, Lin Yan returned to her seat and let out a long sigh of relief. But the hand she had been holding was abruptly yanked away, accompanied by a soft yet mocking voice from her side.

“What new trick are you playing now?”

The speaker’s forehead was still red and swollen, but she had already distanced herself from Lin Yan, her phoenix-shaped eyes now brimming with suspicion.

Lin Yan’s gaze paused briefly before she replied with feigned indifference, “Exactly what I said. You do understand plain English, right?”

With that, she glanced Lou Yubing up and down, let out a soft laugh, and effortlessly exuded the innate arrogance and nonchalance of the wealthy elite.

Lou Yubing understood her meaning perfectly, but could only press her lips together, sit up straight, and diligently open her book to study.

If the future Lou Yubing was capable of crushing the Small World’s Chosen Daughter, the current version was merely a paper tiger—all fierce appearance with no real power, forced to endure in silence.

Realizing this, Lin Yan turned sideways, propped her arm on the desk, and stared openly at Lou Yubing.

To be fair, both in appearance and temperament, this woman ranked among the best Lin Yan had ever seen, and she happened to be exactly her type.

What a pity…

The class bell finally rang, restoring silence to the classroom. Lin Yan could feel the person beside her gradually relax from tense nerves. Suddenly remembering the negative favorability rating, she tapped her wristband again.

“555, can you check the current favorability rating?”

Checking… Lou Yubing: Favorability -99.

Tsk, this is going to be difficult.