Villain Strategy Rules [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 38

Wen Zhixu and the others had the final performance. After it ended, everyone quickly changed back into their clothes. Since they hadn’t prepared in advance, their makeup was light, so they didn’t bother removing it.

Tang Mo had already taken a seat next to Xu Yue—they seemed to have gotten close unnaturally fast.

“Nanxi, look at her!” Wen Zhixu tugged at Qin Nanxi’s arm, pointing at Tang Mo in the front row. “She’s so quick to abandon me for a pretty face. How heartless.”

Qin Nanxi didn’t respond. Instead, she lowered her gaze to where Wen Zhixu was gripping her arm before turning away. “Our relationship shouldn’t be like this.”

Wen Zhixu played dumb. “Like what? What kind of relationship do we have?”

Qin Nanxi stared at her, an inexplicable impulse surging in her chest. She wanted to slice open this person’s heart and see what was really inside. “I don’t like you. I regretted agreeing to this from the start. So, if you’re just trying to make up for something, don’t bother.”

She glanced at the instructors grading the performances on stage and added, “You could have a much better life, better choices. There’s no need to waste your effort on me.”

Wen Zhixu’s expression froze as she looked at Qin Nanxi’s serious face. The light in her eyes dimmed, her hands falling limply to her sides.

Qin Nanxi immediately regretted it, wondering if she had gone too far. She wanted to soften her words, but the humiliation from before and her own pride kept them lodged in her throat.

A minute later,

Wen Zhixu suddenly smiled. “Then let’s start over. Pretend this performance was our first meeting. Hello, my name is Jiang Qingyue.”

Qin Nanxi: “…”

Her worries had been pointless.

She sighed deeply. “That’s unnecessary.”

“Fine, then you can keep knowing me, but I’ll start fresh with you,” Wen Zhixu said, quickly changing the subject before Qin Nanxi could protest. “Look, the teachers are announcing the results.”

Though they had joined the competition last-minute, everyone still hoped to be selected—after all, they had poured real emotion into their performance.

As the teacher read the list in order, the auditorium fell silent. Each time a performance was chosen, the audience applauded in approval. Since the list followed the performance order, some students left as soon as they realized their act hadn’t made the cut.

Qin Nanxi seemed nervous, her hands fidgeting restlessly. Wen Zhixu noticed and grabbed them. “Nanxi, I’m a little nervous. Can you hold my hand?”

“…”

Wen Zhixu grinned. “Don’t worry, we made it.”

“What?” Qin Nanxi was stunned. “We were the last to perform. They’ve barely started announcing the results.”

Wen Zhixu raised her phone with a smirk. “Tang Mo took a photo. That senior she knows is close with the teacher and got the list early.”

Originally, the teachers had only planned to select 15 performances. But because Wen Zhixu’s group had performed so well—and there hadn’t been any piano acts yet—they added one more. Sixteen was a nicer number anyway.

Qin Nanxi’s brows relaxed. The waiting process was agonizing, but knowing the answer in advance brought her some peace.

“Then I’ll take my leave first.” Qin Nanxi stood up, then paused to explain, “I still have homework to finish. If you all want to stay out longer, I’ll tell the teacher you’re participating in the follow-up activities in the auditorium.”

Wen Zhixu grabbed Qin Nanxi’s hand. “There’s no homework tonight.”

Qin Nanxi replied, “It’s self-assigned homework.”

“…” Wen Zhixu also stood up. “Then let’s leave together.”

Then she pretended to be pitiful: “Anyway, Tang Mo doesn’t want me anymore. I’m all alone now. Can I go back with you? Could you sit in Tang Mo’s seat and tutor me?”

Perhaps hearing the word “study” come from Wen Zhixu’s mouth was too shocking. Qin Nanxi turned her head in surprise and said, “Suit yourself.”

Wen Zhixu smiled and hurriedly followed Qin Nanxi, ignoring the message Tang Mo had just sent:

Tang Mo: I’m coming to find you guys now. Still at the usual spot?

Suddenly, the long-silent system spoke up again:

Host, the female lead’s favorability has increased!

Wen Zhixu had learned her lesson now. “What about the blackening value?”

Still unchanged. Host needs to work harder. Look at you, completely useless.

Wen Zhixu wished the system were physical so she could kick it. “Shut up.”

She knew Qin Nanxi currently disliked her—and many others, especially those roommates. She had to find a way to resolve this.

“Nanxi…” Wen Zhixu stopped walking and asked hesitantly, “Since we got selected, we’ll need to rehearse together. Would you consider moving into our dorm?”

She planned to ask Teacher Zhang. Their dorm still had two empty spots. She’d mentioned it to Tang Mo earlier, who had no objections to Qin Nanxi moving in—though she wouldn’t accept anyone else.

Qin Nanxi froze, her pupils dilating, shoulders trembling slightly. Her lips parted then closed as she shut her eyes. “No need. I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“It’s not intruding! Those three roommates of yours are no good either.” Wen Zhixu knew those girls bullied her. Evidence or not, she’d proceed with her plan.

Back in class shortly, Tang Mo returned, panting. “Where’d you go? I said I was coming to get you.”

Qin Nanxi said leisurely, “She said you abandoned her.”

“You!” Wen Zhixu quickly covered Tang Mo’s mouth, grinning. “Class is in session. Let’s not disturb everyone. We’ll talk outside.”

At the pavilion, Tang Mo was still fuming, stomping her foot. “Me abandoning you? You’re the one who values romance over friendship!”

“So how’s it going with your senior?” Wen Zhixu changed the subject.

Instantly, Tang Mo couldn’t contain her smile. Shyly, she said, “She invited me to dinner Friday night.”

“Ohhh~”

“And look at this pendant. Guess where it’s from?”

Wen Zhixu teased, “What, did you run five kilometers to earn it?”

“Of course not!” Tang Mo tucked the pendant away. “My senior gave it to me. It was hanging from her waist.”

Thinking of Qin Nanxi’s attitude, Wen Zhixu gritted her teeth. “How… wonderful for you.”

Tang Mo asked, “What did you want to talk about?”

Getting serious, Wen Zhixu dropped the playful tone. “Nothing much. Just wanted to beat up some people.”

“Beat people up?” Tang Mo was shocked, her brows furrowing deeply. “Aren’t you afraid your mom will punish you?”

If Tang Mo hadn’t mentioned it, Wen Zhixu would have nearly forgotten, but she thought—after all, it’s her own mother. Surely, she wouldn’t beat her to death…

“It’s… it’s fine!” Wen Zhixu declared firmly. “Nanxi’s three roommates were all bullies. If we hit them, we’d be delivering justice!”

Hearing who Wen Zhixu wanted to confront, Tang Mo let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, those three? You don’t even need to hit them—they’re pushovers.”

“What? You have a plan?” Wen Zhixu asked.

Tang Mo scoffed. “They’re just cowards who prey on the weak. Remember when you were chasing Qin Nanxi? They were practically groveling back then. Just announce you’re pursuing her again, and they’ll back off.”

“No way!” A mere threat was too lenient. Wen Zhixu wouldn’t be swayed. “No, I want to hit them. Isn’t it almost Friday? Help me lure them outside—I’ll deal with them myself.”

Tang Mo didn’t argue. “Fine, I’ll help.”

“But we should head back to class now. If the teacher notices we’re missing, we’ll get scolded again!”

Wen Zhixu nodded. “Alright.”

Suddenly, she stopped and yanked Tang Mo’s sleeve, nearly making her stumble. “What the hell are you doing now?” Tang Mo snapped.

“Qin Nanxi is sitting in your seat. When you go back, take hers.” Earlier, Wen Zhixu had made an excuse to ask Qin Nanxi for help, getting her to sit in Tang Mo’s spot. If Tang Mo returned now, Qin Nanxi would leave.

Tang Mo rolled her eyes. She wanted to kick Wen Zhixu but knew she’d lose the fight. “Who’s the one prioritizing romance over friendship here? Definitely you!”

By the time Wen Zhixu returned to the classroom, Qin Nanxi had already gone back to her own seat. Wen Zhixu walked straight to her side, crouched down, and looked up at her. She traced her fingers lightly over Qin Nanxi’s thigh, murmuring sweetly, “Nanxi~ Why’d you leave?”

The touch made Qin Nanxi stiffen, her face flushing red. The tickling sensation on her leg was unbearable, but with so many classmates around, she could only whisper, “Tang Mo came back. I couldn’t just take her seat.”

Wen Zhixu had expected this, which was why she’d sent Tang Mo to the bathroom—with orders not to return for at least twenty minutes.

She pointed at Tang Mo’s seat. “She went to find a senior. She won’t be back anytime soon.”

Qin Nanxi still didn’t move.

Wen Zhixu nudged her. “I wanted to ask you about some problems! Look, if I stay here during class, I’ll disturb everyone. You don’t want that, right?”

Qin Nanxi clenched her pen tightly. Wen Zhixu’s antics had already drawn stares from their classmates. Reluctantly, she got up and moved to Tang Mo’s seat.

Wen Zhixu exhaled in relief. Jiang Qingyue’s tricks really worked—reminded her of her own youthful tactics.

Though they were a bit shameless…

Qin Nanxi: “What problems did you want to ask about?”

Wen Zhixu froze for a second before frantically flipping through the books on her desk. But since she hadn’t studied at all, all the pages were blank. “Uh… maybe you could give me some problems to solve? I’ll ask if I can’t figure them out.”

Qin Nanxi: “…”

She picked up a math textbook from Wen Zhixu’s desk and was about to flip through it when she paused. “How’s your foundation?”

Wen Zhixu puffed out her chest. “You can assume it’s zero.”

“…” Qin Nanxi massaged her temples. “Just say no, no need to put it that way.”

Wen Zhixu lowered her head: “Okay!”

Qin Nanxi took out a first-year high school math textbook from her drawer, opened it to the first chapter, and casually marked a few basic problems. “Start with these. They’re all foundational questions—I’ve highlighted the definitions in the front. Ask me if you get stuck.”

“But you probably won’t need to.”

Wen Zhixu grinned: “Roger that, boss!”