Villain Strategy Rules [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 43

“Host, the female lead’s darkening value has dropped to 60%!”

During class, Wen Zhixu stared at her arm in a cast, thinking about how it would be removed tomorrow. Just as she was getting excited, the sudden mechanical voice of the system startled her so much that she dropped her pen.

Tang Mo, awakened by the noise, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Wen Zhixu replied, pointing at the pen on the floor. “Can you pick that up for me?”

Taking a deep breath, she then asked, “I want to check the favorability level.”

The favorability level hasn’t changed.

Wen Zhixu frowned, her gaze dimming. Sigh, this is so hard.

After school, Wen Zhixu went out to eat with Qin Nanxi. Ever since the incident, Qin Nanxi had taken on the responsibility of looking after her—meals, bathing, and everything else.

But things didn’t go as Wen Zhixu had hoped. Before she could even talk to Jiang’s mother, the woman had already arranged for new bedding and clothes for Qin Nanxi after learning hers had been torn.

At that moment, Wen Zhixu: “…”

Helpless, pitiful, weak, and utterly defeated.

Wen Zhixu jogged to catch up. “Nanxi, I’m getting my cast removed tomorrow. Will you come with me?”

Qin Nanxi: “Mm, I’ll take you.”

After the incident with Sun Li, Qin Nanxi’s attitude toward Wen Zhixu was… complicated. It wasn’t exactly good, but it wasn’t bad either—just strange.

The favorability level had been stuck at 50, neither rising nor falling.

“Nanxi,” Wen Zhixu suddenly asked once they were in the car, “do you hate me?”

Qin Nanxi’s movements froze, spilling some soup from her bowl. She hurriedly wiped it with a cloth before replying, “No.”

Wen Zhixu whispered, “But I feel like you don’t really like me.”

Qin Nanxi countered, “Why do you say that?”

Without hesitation, Wen Zhixu immediately put on a pitiful expression. If not for the people outside, tears might have already rolled down her cheeks.

“Because I can tell.”

Qin Nanxi lifted her eyes to glance at her, then smiled. “Eat your food.”

Host, favorability has increased to 51!

Wen Zhixu: “!!!”

“I don’t care, Nanxi—you just don’t love me enough!”

52!!!

“Nanxi, you’re always lying to me. I’m upset now.”

55!!!

So that’s how it is! Before, the favorability rose because Wen Zhixu treated her well. Now, it increased when she acted coquettish!

Qin Nanxi fed her another spoonful of rice, then curled her lips into a smile. Turning slightly, she glanced outside before murmuring, “Be good and eat.”

“Okay~” Wen Zhixu took a big bite. “Once the cast is off tomorrow, we can start rehearsing.”

With nearly a month left before the performance, Wen Zhixu was confident they had enough time. She had been looking forward to rehearsing—just the two of them, one playing the piano, the other singing.

As for Tang Mo, Wen Zhixu had recorded Qin Nanxi’s singing and told her to rehearse with a senior instead.

Qin Nanxi fed her another spoonful. “You just got the cast off. Rest for a few days first.”

“Nanxi,” Wen Zhixu leaned closer, “when do you think those two will be back?”

Wen Zhixu had also been punished. The school reprimanded her for handling the situation improperly, but since her student records weren’t registered there, the only penalty was disqualification from awards and honors for two years.

To her, it meant nothing—she wouldn’t have won any anyway.

Qin Nanxi said calmly, “I’ve told those two before—they should stick to their principles and not get involved in bullying. Now that Sun Li has been expelled, her family can ensure she lives comfortably. But for them, going home for self-reflection will first affect their studies, and when they return, they might even develop psychological issues.”

“Oh, right,” Wen Zhixu muttered. “But I feel like Sun Li has been abandoned as a pawn. Her family isn’t that well-off, is it? Her mother even tried to blackmail me—their relationship must be terrible.”

“Whatever, forget about her. She’s just crazy.”

After finishing the meal, Qin Nanxi kept glancing at Wen Zhixu, her brows slightly furrowed as if something weighed on her mind. After a moment of silence, she finally asked directly, “Where’s Gu Lan?”

Gu Lan was introverted by nature. That day, she only stepped forward to testify because she had no other choice. Even though Wen Zhixu took the lead, she couldn’t shield her forever.

Wen Zhixu raised an eyebrow. “Tell me you like me, and I’ll tell you.”

Qin Nanxi replied bluntly, “I like you.”

The unexpected directness left Wen Zhixu stunned, her mind going blank. The words stuck in her throat. “You… you…”

Qin Nanxi countered, “What?”

“Ugh.” Wen Zhixu sighed at her own inability to hide anything. “My mom arranged for her to attend a private high school and is funding her education through college.”

Qin Nanxi let out a relieved breath. “Good.”

“Your arm makes it inconvenient for you to rest in the classroom during lunch. You should rest in the car instead. I’ll head back first.”

Wen Zhixu didn’t stop her. “Okay.”

She had invited Qin Nanxi to rest with her before, but the cast on her arm was too cumbersome, and Qin Nanxi worried about crowding her, so she refused. Wen Zhixu didn’t press the matter.

Lying on the bed, Wen Zhixu’s mind kept replaying Qin Nanxi’s words—”I like you.” It must have been sincere, especially since her favorability had already passed the halfway mark. So, what now? Ask her out? But what if she refuses? Wen Zhixu couldn’t shake the feeling that Qin Nanxi still resented her. Occasionally, when their eyes met, she could still see traces of that resentment.

She probably hadn’t fully forgiven her yet.

Sigh. The road ahead was long and arduous.

–

A month later, on the eve of the National Day performance, with the long holiday approaching, the students were all in high spirits, their minds far from their studies.

But the school wasn’t about to let them off easy. Soon, homeroom teachers began making announcements.

Standing at the podium, Ms. Zhang tapped the blackboard to quiet the noisy class. Once silence settled, she leaned against the desk and said, “As you all know, exams always follow holidays. This year’s final exams are scheduled for the first day back after the break. Be prepared.”

“Ugh!”

“…”

The class erupted in groans.

Ms. Zhang rapped the desk again. “What’s with the complaints? The holiday is for you to rest, but it’s also a chance to get ahead. Don’t let your minds wander too much over these seven days. Anyone who performs poorly on the exams will have their homework doubled afterward.”

“Teacher, have mercy!”

“Ms. Zhang, you’re the kindest teacher ever~”

“…”

The moment she finished speaking, the students launched into a chorus of pleas and flattery. But with only two hours left before the evening event, performers needed to prepare early, students wanted to buy snacks, and teachers had rehearsals to attend.

No wonder the school spares no one—students get exams after holidays, while teachers get stuck with the grand finale chorus at the evening gala. Teacher Zhang kept emphasizing her age, saying she couldn’t keep up with the rhythm, her back ached, and her legs couldn’t stand for long.

So, the school came up with a brilliant solution:

They seated Teacher Zhang right in the center as the lead singer.

“Alright, alright, it’s not like this is your first exam. From now until seven, you can grab dinner or snacks. Performers, head to the auditorium first. Oh, Qin Nanxi, come with me to the office to pick up your math homework—your teacher asked me to give it to you.”

Teacher Zhang felt her ears were nearly deafened by the students’ noise. Helpless, she left after finishing her instructions.

Tang Mo fiddled with her hair in the mirror, admiring herself more and more. “You know what? The senior said she’d touch up my makeup later. She told me my eyes are especially pretty.”

Wen Zhixu rested her chin on her hand, her slender fingers tapping the desk rhythmically. “You talk about that senior every day, but it doesn’t seem like anything’s progressing,” she said helplessly.

Tang Mo: “…”

“It’s not the same for you,” Tang Mo retorted, feeling a stab in her heart—though Wen Zhixu was the one who asked, it had always been on her mind. “Qin Nanxi doesn’t pay you any attention either. She treats you worse than the students who ask her questions.”

“Who said that?!” Wen Zhixu slammed the table, startling the remaining students, who all turned to look. Lowering her voice, she added, “Nanxi told me she likes me.”

Tang Mo eyed her skeptically. “Really?”

“Of course it’s true,” Wen Zhixu insisted.

Then she added, “The seven-day holiday is coming up, and Nanxi isn’t going home. I’m planning to have my mom hire her to tutor me. It’ll be the perfect chance for our relationship to take a big leap forward.”

“Tutoring?” Tang Mo frowned. “You actually want to study during the break?”

“Pfft.” Wen Zhixu shrugged. “It’s not studying—it’s studying love.”

Tang Mo rolled her eyes. “Childish. I’m going to have fun instead.”

Just then, Qin Nanxi returned from the office. She handed out the test papers to each student in order before turning to Wen Zhixu. “Let’s go. It’s time to head to the auditorium.”

Wen Zhixu grabbed a bag beside her. “Okay.”

Last time during the audition, they had worn the school’s costumes. This time, Wen Zhixu’s mother had custom-made outfits for them—specifically, matching designs in different colors for Wen Zhixu and Qin Nanxi, while Tang Mo got a similar but distinct style.

Tang Mo called it “ditching friends for love.”

When they arrived at the auditorium, the makeup artists were already set up. Some early arrivals had already started getting their makeup done, resulting in a variety of styles.

Xu Yue was waiting at the entrance and greeted them warmly. “Hey, nice to see you again.”

Tang Mo instantly perked up. “Hi, senior!”

Wen Zhixu exchanged a glance with Qin Nanxi. After politely returning the greeting, they took their costumes and left.

Actually, Wen Zhixu’s mother had arranged a private makeup artist for them, but Xu Yue didn’t know that. She specifically invited Tang Mo to join her, so Tang Mo kept quiet about the arrangement and abandoned her friends.

In a way, they were both guilty of “ditching friends for love.”

So whenever Wen Zhixu felt a twinge of guilt, it vanished just as quickly.

The makeup artist was ready, but Wen Zhixu wanted to change first. So she and Qin Nanxi headed back to that cramped dressing room.

Recalling Tang Mo’s words moments ago, Wen Zhixu stood at the doorway, clutching her clothes tightly as sudden nervousness gripped her. She decided not to evade any longer and asked directly, “Nanxi… have you forgiven me?”

Qin Nanxi looked up, her exquisitely sculpted face still visible in the dim light. Her gaze then fell on Wen Zhixu’s arm as she contemplated for a moment before saying, “You weren’t really at fault to begin with. There’s nothing to forgive.”

“No!” Wen Zhixu’s expression turned serious. “I was wrong.”

“So… would you be willing to try again with me?”