The Heartthrob Halo Doesn't Work on the Villain - Chapter 22

As she spoke, Lin Yan gave Xia Qiyu a thumbs-up.

“It’s just some home-cooked food. Take your time eating.”

Xia Qiyu helplessly ladled a bowl of soup for Lin Yan and set it aside. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure standing in the unlit living room and suddenly remembered something.

“Yubing, come join us. I steamed rice for three.”

Lin Yan, who had been devouring her meal with gusto, froze at the mention of the name. Even the chicken wing she was biting clattered back into her bowl. She looked up at the person emerging from the shadows, their expression unreadable, and her heart suddenly began to race for no apparent reason.

What’s the Big Ice Block doing here? What did I just say?! 555, why didn’t you warn me?!

Lin Yan’s dazed gaze shifted to Xia Qiyu, who immediately understood she hadn’t seen her message and quickly explained.

“I saw her waiting for you downstairs when I got back, so I brought her up. I tried calling you shortly after, but your phone was off. Then I sent a text. You should check your phone.”

As soon as Xia Qiyu finished speaking, Lin Yan pulled out her small, brick-like phone from her pocket. After pressing the power button several times, she realized she had turned it off.

This was her usual habit—she didn’t want to be disturbed during important conversations. She had done the same today, but now she wanted to bang her head against the wall for this “bad habit.”

Yet saying nothing would be even more awkward. She had clearly remembered her own confident words downstairs, yet she had still chosen to come up. She never imagined she would be caught in such a compromising situation.

Now, Lou Yubing pulled out a chair and sat directly across from her, her entire face seeming to convey a single message:

Come on, let’s hear your excuses.

Lin Yan’s throat tightened. Just as she was about to speak, Lou Yubing glanced at her coldly. “Think carefully before you speak.”

Her tone was filled with disdain and distrust.

Xia Qiyu had already quietly taken a seat beside them. Even when Lin Yan’s pleading gaze turned to her, she merely offered a helpless smile, indicating she couldn’t intervene.

Lin Yan wore the guilty expression of a thief caught red-handed. Given Lou Yubing’s behavior today, any attempt to speak would only provoke her further.

Seeing Lin Yan still exchanging “meaningful glances” with Xia Qiyu, Lou Yubing couldn’t help but snort coldly. She made to rise and leave, but in the next instant, a pair of soft, small hands firmly gripped her wrist.

“I’m hungry too,” Lin Yan said. “The doctor said I need to eat regularly now, or my stomach won’t be able to handle it.”

After observing Lou Yubing’s temperament these past few days, Lin Yan knew that the more you yielded to her and showed weakness, the more likely she was to compromise. True to form, a flicker of hesitation crossed Lou Yubing’s face at these words. But when she saw Xia Qiyu calmly eating her dinner, her expression instantly hardened, replaced by a look Lin Yan had never seen before—resentful?

Lin Yan knew she shouldn’t use that word to describe Lou Yubing, but at that moment, it was the only way to capture the woman’s demeanor.

“Who knows if you came back for the food or for the company?”

As they spoke, Lou Yubing’s phoenix eyes remained fixed on Xia Qiyu. Noticing this, Xia Qiyu paused her indifferent dinner preparations, swallowed her mouthful of food, and met Lou Yubing’s gaze.

555, who had been missing for some time due to urgent matters, returned just in time to witness this bizarre scene. Combining it with Lin Yan’s concise explanation, it voiced its first-ever hesitant words:

Could the Villain Boss… be jealous?

Lin Yan would have believed this of anyone else, but not Lou Yubing. Impossible. So, without a second thought, she retorted:

“How could that be? Check if her favorability rating has fluctuated.”

Though Lou Yubing had indeed acted strangely today, one thing Lin Yan was certain of: this woman didn’t like her at all. If she didn’t like her, how could she possibly be jealous?

Wait…

After vehemently dismissing 555’s suggestion, Lin Yan suddenly noticed Lou Yubing’s gaze still glued to Xia Qiyu. Another daring hypothesis surfaced in her mind.

“Do you think she might like Xia Qiyu?” Lin Yan asked casually, without any serious intention. After all, she believed someone as cold-hearted as Lou Yubing wouldn’t develop feelings for anyone so quickly. But when 555 presented the data before her, her heart instantly sank.

There’s a possibility. The Villain’s favorability towards the Female Lead is slightly… just a tiny bit higher than yours.

“A tiny bit? That means it’s not much, right? I knew it! Someone like that Big Ice Block…”

Lin Yan was interrupted by 555.

Higher by seventy.

“Seventy?”

Lin Yan thought she’d misheard until 555 repeated the number. She nearly jumped out of her seat, the sudden movement causing both women locked in eye contact to turn and stare at her.

Seventy points higher? And that’s considered “a tiny bit”? With Lou Yubing, that level of favorability must be the absolute peak, practically unshakeable.

Lin Yan never imagined that her unconscious guess would turn out to be a bombshell.

Now, everything finally clicked into place. Because Lou Yubing already had someone she liked, Lin Yan’s “halo” had no effect on her. Because that person was Xia Qiyu, Lou Yubing treated her with far more warmth than she showed others. And perhaps because she heard Xia Qiyu was moving into the same place as Lin Yan, she suddenly became friendly, reversing her earlier decision and insisting on continuing their tutoring sessions as before—all to minimize contact between Lin Yan and her crush.

The more Lin Yan thought about it, the clearer it became, and the more it all made sense. She glanced at Lou Yubing, then at Xia Qiyu, and finally worked herself into a fury.

Since she could remember, Lin Yan had never been so patient with anyone. Now, having finally met someone who perfectly matched her tastes, her feelings had been strangled in their infancy.

No wonder Lou Yubing, who usually wouldn’t even spare her a glance, had been waiting eagerly downstairs, even failing to refute Lin Yan’s slightly suggestive remark. So this was her true motive all along.

Lin Yan should have seen this coming. After all, Xia Qiyu had effortlessly brought Lou Yubing upstairs today. In contrast, Lin Yan had struggled even to give her a phone. Yet now, Lou Yubing was playing the victim, accusing Lin Yan of breaking her promise by not seeking her out immediately. The truth was, she was simply stung by the interactions between Lin Yan and Xia Qiyu when Lin Yan entered the room.

Everything followed a logical pattern. Lin Yan recalled the scene in the washroom where she had rescued Lou Yubing from those young delinquents. If she hadn’t intervened then, Xia Qiyu would have been the one to fulfill that plot point. Given that they had grown up together in the same orphanage, it was natural for them to develop feelings for each other. Lin Yan even suspected that the original plot’s claim—that the Villain would ultimately drive the Female Lead to ruin, leaving her destitute and dying a miserable death—stemmed from unrequited love, a twisted desire to destroy what she couldn’t possess.

After all, even if Lou Yubing adored Xia Qiyu, Xia Qiyu already had her official romantic partner, Miss Qin. Where did that leave Lou Yubing?

The more Lin Yan thought about it, the angrier she became. She glared at Lou Yubing, released her hand, and deliberately placed a chicken wing in Xia Qiyu’s bowl.

“Qiyu, eat. Let’s ignore her.”

Xia Qiyu immediately sensed Lin Yan’s change in attitude, though she couldn’t understand why. Just as she frowned, about to ask, Lou Yubing, as if she couldn’t bear it any longer, strode toward the door. Turning back, she heard Lin Yan’s smug voice:

“Go ahead and leave. The moment you step out that door, I’ll move Qiyu’s things into my room and we’ll live together.”

Lin Yan spat out the last few words through gritted teeth, as if deliberately trying to provoke her. Xia Qiyu glanced at her in confusion, but Lin Yan gave her a look that said, Just watch quietly and don’t say a word.

Lou Yubing nearly laughed in exasperation. Lin Yan had broken her promise first, yet now she was acting like a cornered animal, refusing to explain herself. Did she really think this would threaten her?

Despite her thoughts, Lou Yubing’s steps slowed to a halt. She stood at the door, her hand hovering over the handle, when she suddenly made a bold decision.

If I’m suffering like this, why should Lin Yan get to enjoy a happy meal and move in together tonight?

In that moment, Lou Yubing had already returned to her seat. She swore to herself that she didn’t care if Lin Yan stayed—she just couldn’t let them have it so easy.

Xia Qiyu no longer understood the situation, but she could still smell the lingering gunpowder in the air.

Earlier, Xia Qiyu had tried to dissuade Lou Yubing, but now she only cared about keeping the fire from spreading to herself. After dinner, she needed to call the hospital. The way the two women were interacting resembled a petty lovers’ quarrel, confirming her earlier suspicions.

Lin Yan had predicted Lou Yubing would turn back, mentally counting down the seconds until she did. When Lou Yubing finally returned, it fulfilled her expectations, yet left her feeling vaguely dissatisfied. Reality had slapped her across the face, mocking her: See? All your efforts were for nothing. You gained nothing. Now that her precious Miss Xia is about to fall into your clutches, she rushes back in a panic, doesn’t she?

With this thought, Lin Yan mimicked Lou Yubing’s earlier exit, scoffing coldly, “Hmm? Why are you back?”

When Lou Yubing didn’t respond, Lin Yan didn’t care. She emphasized her point with another remark:

“The empty bed in my room will be filled one way or another. Either you’ll share it with me, or she will. The choice is yours.”