Villain Strategy Rules [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 1

The warm winter sun shone on the quiet earth, coaxing the last green buds to peek out and greedily soak up the sunlight. Passersby no longer huddled in their coats like the night before, instead chatting and laughing as they enjoyed the fleeting warmth.

Yet on the outskirts of the city stood a dilapidated orphanage—its wooden door creaking on its hinges, its walls half-peeled, and… a girl sleeping in the center of a dried-up pond.

The pond had long been abandoned, its blue-and-white tiled floor now caked with mud, its surface mostly covered by withered leaves. The girl lay right in the middle, dressed in a long-sleeved white gauze dress, her long black hair splayed around her.

A cold gust of wind swept through, making Wen Zhixu shiver violently. The few dead leaves covering her body scattered away.

“So cold…” she murmured drowsily, curling up before slowly opening her eyes—only to close them again. Finally, she straightened up, brushing the leaves off her clothes. “Who drugged my water with sleeping pills again? Don’t they know this could freeze someone to death?”

Though this was the south, sleeping outside in just a dress was dangerous no matter what. The kids here were just too wicked.

As soon as she stepped into the warm building, Teacher Yang asked, “Teacher Song, where did you go after leaving last night? You never came back. I even went looking for you with Teacher Zhang this morning.”

Teacher Yang had a neat bob and a sweet face, her most distinctive feature being her little fang.

Wen Zhixu sighed. “I don’t remember. A student called me last night saying they had a stomachache, but after that… it’s all blank.”

Teacher Yang quickly draped a cotton-padded coat over her and rubbed her nearly frozen hands. “Warm up, quick.”

Host, the target of your mission will appear today.

Wen Zhixu’s eyes flickered. Casually, she asked, “Are there any children being brought in today?”

“One just turned eighteen yesterday—Chaoyao, a rather introverted girl. The others are just a few kids we found on the streets,” Teacher Yang replied.

Finally, she’s here!

Wen Zhixu wasn’t from this world. Here, she went by Song Nuan, a teacher at the orphanage responsible for the children’s daily life skills and basic education.

This was her first world after binding with the system—a transmigration into a novel. The story had a bleak tone, ending in tragedy. What she didn’t understand was why others’ missions progressed from easy to hard, while hers felt like facing the final boss right away. Not only did she have a main task—redeeming the villainous female lead—but also a side quest: survive…

Case in point, last night, a bunch of brats had slipped her the wrong dose of sleeping pills. She hadn’t even made it to her dorm before passing out in the pond. Thankfully, she was tough, and the weather here wasn’t as harsh as the north, or she’d have been dead by now.

Clearing her throat, Wen Zhixu feigned nonchalance. “What’s Chaoyao’s background?”

Teacher Yang answered, “Chaoyao was abandoned right after birth. The director found her, and she’s lived here ever since. She left for high school two years ago, but for some reason, her teacher had her study from home this year. Since it’s quiet here, the director had her come back.”

“By the way, Teacher Song, didn’t you come from a prestigious university? You could tutor the high school students who are about to arrive,” Teacher Zhang said as she walked in, bringing a gust of cold wind with her when she pushed the door open.

Ah…

This was Wen Zhixu’s dilemma. In her own world, she had been an overworked office worker. As the saying goes, knowledge plummets after high school, let alone for someone who had already graduated from university and worked for years. She was doing well just to remember that “sin” wasn’t an English word.

Wen Zhixu forced a smile and said, “I’m not up to it. You know me—I’m timid and easily bullied. Plus, my memory’s terrible. I forget things as soon as I learn them. Teaching middle schoolers is already my limit.”

This wasn’t an excuse. In the week since Wen Zhixu arrived, she had been bullied on the first day, tricked on the second, and locked in a room on the third…

Last night, she had nearly lost her life.

These children, having grown up drifting from place to place, were deeply wary of others. The area was also underdeveloped, with few schools. Most orphans here attended classes at the orphanage until high school.

Wen Zhixu couldn’t help but admire the protagonist of this novel, Song Nuan—her current identity—for coming to this remote orphanage to teach at such a young age. Wasn’t she worried about her safety at all?

In the book, Song Nuan had started teaching at this orphanage right after graduating from university, handling classes during the day and caring for the children at night. But it wasn’t by choice—her teacher had rigged the assignment system to send her here.

Teacher Yang laughed. “I’ll protect you.”

Wen Zhixu replied, “Then I can protect you too.”

Just then, the orphanage’s bell rang—a signal for morning exercises. Students and teachers were to gather on the field in half an hour for morning reading.

However, this orphanage was small, with only a handful of students.

“Teachers, come here. Skip morning exercises today—we need to welcome the new children.”

Wen Zhixu and the others looked toward the entrance, where two Wuling vans had pulled up. Some children who had just woken up were peering curiously in their direction.

They walked to the gate, where several children had already stepped out. The most striking was the female lead, Chaoyao—tall, with medium-length hair, wearing glasses.

Wen Zhixu had to admit, the female lead was something else. Even growing up in an orphanage couldn’t diminish her elegance. Her skin was as fair as snow, her nose bridge stood tall like a mountain peak under the sunlight, and her lips, though seemingly untouched by makeup, had a soft pink hue.

Honestly, author! This is an orphanage! Chaoyao’s backstory involved being bullied and unloved since childhood. How could she look this stunning? Fine, then Wen Zhixu would be the first to love her!

Wen Zhixu quickly smiled and said, “Are you Chaoyao? I’m one of the teachers here. You can call me Teacher Song.”

Chaoyao parted her lips slightly, just as a breeze stirred the ends of her hair. “Hello, Teacher Song.”

Wow!!! What a beautiful voice.

Wen Zhixu was dazzled. She no longer resented the system for randomly assigning her a love interest. In fact, the system had done an amazing job. She was more than willing—the female lead was perfect!

“Ahem, hello, hello! I graduated from a top university, so feel free to ask me if you have any questions about high school material.”

“Teacher Song Nuan, could you take Chaoyao to the dormitory? I’ll take these children to the underage dorm,” Teacher Yang said, finding a moment to speak.

An opportunity to be alone—how could Wen Zhixu pass that up? “Ah, sure, we’ll meet at the cafeteria later.”

Chaoyao had transferred from another institution where space was tight and overcrowded. But this place was different—remote and sparsely populated, so a few people had been relocated here.

Her luggage wasn’t much—just two military-green duffel bags stuffed to the brim. Wen Zhixu casually picked up one… damn, it was heavy. Then she tried the other… even heavier.

But to show off her strength, Wen Zhixu grabbed the heavier one.

The walk was silent until they reached the stairwell. Wen Zhixu asked the system, “What’s her favorability toward me? Must be skyrocketing, right?”

-20%.

Thud. The bag hit the floor. Wen Zhixu took a second to compose herself before smiling. “Sorry about that, Chaoyao. My hand slipped. Let me take you to your dorm now.”

She was baffled—utterly shocked. Zero percent she could accept, but negative? Since when was that possible?

The dorm was on the second floor. The windows had been opened earlier to air it out, and now a strong breeze swept through. Wen Zhixu shivered the moment she reached the door, her hands trembling as she unlocked it. “This is your room. Normally, it’s shared between two, but since you’re here for exams, they placed you next to me and Teacher Yang.”

“Teacher Song,” Chaoyao suddenly spoke up. “Which dorm do you and Teacher Yang live in?”

Wen Zhixu pointed next door. “This one. You can come to us anytime if you need anything.”

Chaoyao: “Even for homework help?”

Wen Zhixu grinned. “Of course! Feel free to drop by whenever you want to spend more time with me.”

-30%.

“…”

What did she say wrong? Did she curse? Or was her smile not charming enough?

Panicking, Wen Zhixu pushed the door open, dumped the bag inside, and blurted, “I’ve got other things to handle. The cafeteria’s in the building ahead—just follow the sign at the entrance. Meals are free here—take whatever’s served, as much as you want.”

The orphanage’s living standards were decent, with high public oversight. Every penny the director raised went toward improving the children’s lives.

Only after breathing in the fresh air did Wen Zhixu feel her nerves settle. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Chaoyao was stunning—exactly her type. But with the mission in mind and knowing the original plot where the female lead ended up killing someone before taking her own life, fear lingered in her heart.

The cafeteria building was already bustling with kids heading in. Wen Zhixu assumed Teacher Yang was already there.

She was still wearing Teacher Yang’s padded coat, having forgotten to change earlier. Luckily, their uniforms were identical black workwear—everyone had two sets, so Teacher Yang wouldn’t be left without.

Inside the cafeteria, Teacher Yang waved from a table with two trays. “Teacher Song, over here!”

Wen Zhixu walked over. The children, absorbed in their meals, offered polite smiles as she passed.

“What took you so long? Did you bring Chaoyao to the dorm? That girl is really pretty.” Teacher Yang handed over the bowls and chopsticks while asking.

Wen Zhixu sighed. She had no idea how that -30% favorability rating had come about. “She seems like a difficult girl to get along with.”

Teacher Yang looked puzzled. “Really? Chaoyao is a model student in that department—kind to children and respectful to teachers.”

“…” Wen Zhixu frowned, then asked the system, “System, can I see Chaoyao’s favorability toward other people?”

Yes, Host.

“I want to see Chaoyao’s favorability toward Teacher Yang Yue.”

0%.

“What about the dean’s?”

0%.

“What about Teacher Zhang Zhihan’s?”

0%.

“…”

So she only hated her? Others were neutral, but she was outright despised?

What was the point of even trying to win her over? The game hadn’t even started, and she was already hated.

I don’t want to do a mission with hellish difficulty like this!