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

Lin Yan calmed herself and sorted through 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 for the classroom door.

Anticipating what might happen next, Lin Yan frowned. Just as his retreating 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 his shoes, she wouldn’t have any fondness for a spoiled, arrogant young lady who bullied her relentlessly.

But what shocked Lin Yan even more was the original owner’s motive for tormenting Lou Yubing. As a lovesick 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 had grown even more reckless and unrestrained in her bullying.

Few knew that the haughty young miss harbored such feelings for someone from the slums. Lou Yubing’s perpetually cold demeanor and unapproachable arrogance had earned her the disdain of most classmates, leaving her with virtually no friends.

Yet there was one exception: Xia Qiyu, the female lead, who shared a history in an orphanage.

Initially, the class troublemakers had assumed Lou Yubing was under the Lin Family’s protection, restraining their bullying. But when they witnessed the Lin Family’s young miss treating her like a dog and learned her true status, all their malice erupted.

However, because these incidents stemmed from Lin Yan’s relentless exploitation, Lou Yubing meticulously recorded each act of mistreatment on Lin Yan’s ledger. Over time, her resentment grew to overflowing.

The next scene would mirror the novel’s opening: the righteous female lead, Xia Qiyu, would become known throughout the school for intervening in a bullying incident, setting the stage for the 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 overarching narrative and the characters’ individual life trajectories, including her own and Lou Yubing’s.

However, neither of these trajectories provided a precise account of all twenty-four hours of the day. Some entries detailed specific timestamps, while others were glossed over with a brief mention. Only events closely connected 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 him well. But this idea was immediately rejected by 555.

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

Though she didn’t understand the technical jargon 555 always used, the explicit prohibition meant she still had to maintain the facade of youthful “affection” while continuing to “bully” Lou Yubing. At the same time, she couldn’t let the Villain’s psyche darken or his Darkening Index rise.

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

Even the greatest deities couldn’t save her from this mess!

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

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

“Hey, what makes you think you deserve to drink the same water as us? Look closely—next time, 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 classmates. Bullying the pushovers who cowered at his sight was boring, so when Lou Yubing appeared, he suddenly found an outlet for his pent-up frustrations. The crowd of onlookers—both male and female—who gathered to watch the spectacle emboldened him further, making him even more reckless.

A circle of onlookers had already formed around the scene. Following his pointed finger, the crowd saw the toilet opposite the washroom and burst into laughter. Noticing Lin Yan’s arrival, the ringleaders intensified their taunts and exaggerated their movements.

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

“555, when is the Female Lead going to 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 found Xia Qiyu standing apart from the crowd near the water dispenser. Holding a cup, Xia Qiyu frowned at the scene of the group ganging up on Lou Yubing, leaning forward as if about to intervene, only to stop 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 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 his 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 555 was trying to justify the world’s twisted logic, Lin Yan rolled her eyes. But when she saw someone actually pull out a small folding knife, she lost her patience. She strode forward and kicked the attacker squarely in the chest.

The bully, who had been gleefully tormenting others just moments ago, now lay sprawled on the ground, face buried in the dirt. All eyes turned to see Lin Yan standing over him. Without a word, the crowd averted their gazes. In the silent washroom, only the dripping of water and a coarse, furious roar broke the stillness.

“Which bastard kicked me—”

His voice dwindled as he struggled to his feet and recognized his attacker. His bravado evaporated, and he collapsed again, his face ashen.

“Your grandmother, of course.”

“Miss… Miss Lin…”

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

“Why get so angry over disciplining a dog?”

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

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

“You—!”

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

Realizing this behavior might shatter her carefully cultivated image, Lin Yan suddenly scrubbed Lou Yubing’s forehead roughly twice. Hearing a wince of pain, she flung the handkerchief at his face and turned to Chen Jue, whose face had turned ashen. She pointedly displayed their intertwined hands to the silent, spectating crowd, as if declaring her ownership.

“Even if he’s a dog, he’s mine. I can bully him if I want, but what right do you have?”

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

Estimating that class was about to start, Lin Yan merely glanced at the surrounding crowd. The layers of onlookers parted to create a path, and 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 beside her.

“What new trick are you trying to pull now?”

The speaker’s forehead was still red and swollen, but he had already distanced himself from Lin Yan, his phoenix-shaped eyes now brimming with wariness.

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

With that, she scanned Lou Yubing up and down, chuckled softly, and revealed the ingrained arrogance and nonchalance of the wealthy elite in full measure.

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

If the future Lou Yubing was capable of crushing the Chosen of Fortune in the Small World, the current version was merely a paper tiger—all fierce appearance with nothing substantial to back it up, capable only of enduring.

Realizing this, Lin Yan turned sideways and leaned on her arm, boldly staring at Lou Yubing.

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

What a pity…

The class bell finally rang, and the classroom fell silent once more. Lin Yan could feel the person beside her gradually relax from their tense posture. 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.