Villain Strategy Rules [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 59

Countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

“Wait, hold on—”

This time, the transition came too quickly. Wen Zhixu had no time to react. She only felt the mountain collapse like an avalanche, burying everything in the world beneath it.

Her eyes stung as blinding light and darkness alternated rapidly. She squeezed them shut, tears streaming down her cheeks until she finally lost consciousness. In the last moment of weightlessness, she forced her eyes open—only to catch a glimpse of vivid crimson and the cawing of crows.

……

“Su Ling, wake up.”

A strange force kept nudging her. Slowly, Wen Zhixu opened her eyes. The warm yellow lighting eased her discomfort slightly. Rubbing her eyes, she took in her surroundings.

She appeared to be in a hospital room—a private VIP suite. The white patient gown made her complexion look even paler, and an IV needle was still taped to her wrist. Summoning her strength, she sat up just as the system’s voice chimed in.

Host, your identity in this world is Su Ling, a rookie actress born after 2000. You debuted just a week ago but have allegedly been blacklisted after offending the award-winning actress Su Xi.

Wen Zhixu: “…”

“Allegedly” blacklisted? Meaning they had the intention but weren’t sure if they could actually cut off her connections with directors?

And this identity… sounded like trouble from the start!

Host, transmitting memories now. Complete your mission this time—and don’t repeat past mistakes.

Closing her eyes, Wen Zhixu absorbed the memories flooding her mind. She learned that in this era, Su Xi was the hottest star—having just won the Magnolia Award for Best Actress with her film The Weeping Woman, making her the youngest actress to achieve such acclaim.

As for her… she was just a runaway rookie actress whose short drama hadn’t even hit the big screen yet. While walking, she tripped over a pebble and stumbled toward Su Xi, who happened to be passing by. Instead of catching her, Su Xi sidestepped, letting her crash to the ground. Wen Zhixu’s forehead struck a rock, drawing bl00d. She fainted from the sight of it.

Then, for some reason, she fell seriously ill—running a fever for three days before finally waking up.

The incident had gone viral within ten minutes:

“Rookie Actress Trips Over Award-Winning Star—Accident or Stunt?”

Given her status, public opinion was overwhelmingly negative. Most assumed she was trying to leech off Su Xi’s fame for clout. During her coma, scandals about her exploded—even rumors that she’d slept with a famous director to steal another trainee’s debut opportunity.

Wen Zhixu could only sigh. She wanted to surrender. She knew nothing about the entertainment industry—in real life, she didn’t follow celebrities or gossip. Yet now she was thrust into the spotlight?

“Su Ling?” A woman beside her handed over a glass of water, speaking gently. “Just focus on recovering. Even if the company blacklists you, don’t worry. You can still take on minor roles or villains to build your reputation. Everyone saw what happened. Sister Li knows you didn’t mean it, but appearances matter. For now, just play it by ear.”

Yang Li was her agent. Logically speaking, someone at her level wouldn’t have a dedicated agent—they’d usually share one with many newcomers. But she had indeed received special approval back then because a director had praised her. Her striking beauty and the excellent poise she developed from childhood dance training made her perfect for the director’s upcoming film project, which was why she was told to focus on honing her acting skills.

Seeing this potential, the company assigned her a personal agent.

But now, it was unclear whether she could keep this privilege. The director hadn’t spoken up again—perhaps it had just been an offhand remark. The only way out now was for Su Xi to clear things up.

Of course, the chances of that were zero.

“Sorry for worrying you,” Wen Zhixu said, glancing at her wrist, which still ached slightly. “But I’m fine. If they shelve me, so be it. I could sweep trash and still survive—worst case, I just won’t be an actress anymore.”

She didn’t want to be one anyway. If things went south, she might as well take the chance to leave the entertainment industry behind and return to a better life. Besides, Su Ling was originally a rich heiress, facing the choice of either making it big or going home to inherit the family business.

At this point, she was unfazed. She’d enjoy herself first, then find Su Xi and figure out how to save her.

Su Xi’s mother had been a renowned painter whose works were once highly sought after. But after giving birth, she lost most of her inspiration, and her arms suffered lasting complications from childbirth, leaving her unable to hold a brush.

In the end, the once-proud artist set fire to herself and her failed paintings. The firefighters only managed to rescue Su Xi, who had been locked in the courtyard. From then on, Su Xi lived with her grandparents.

The novel was vague about why Su Xi turned dark. Despite being a dazzling actress, she ultimately burned her father and the relatives who raised her to death.

But Wen Zhixu breathed a small sigh of relief—at least this time, it wasn’t… her fault. That should make it easier to get close to Su Xi, right?

Yang Li flicked Wen Zhixu’s forehead in frustration. “Then what do you want to do? Don’t forget where the company found you.”

Back then, Su Ling had nearly starved to death, collapsing under a tree before being discovered by a talent scout and sent to train as an idol.

Wen Zhixu mumbled, “Be a… a… waitress…”

Host, changing careers violates the mission parameters. It still counts as failure.

Wen Zhixu: “…”

She turned her head, forcing out half a tear, then grabbed Yang Li’s hand. “Sis Li, do I still have a chance? I really just want to be a star! I don’t want to do anything else.”

Seeing she hadn’t completely given up, Yang Li studied her face—at least it wasn’t scarred—then stood up. “I have things to attend to. Once you’re better, take care of yourself. Watch your diet and manage your figure. You’ve actually lost a bit of weight recently, which is good.”

“Your timing waking up is lucky—today’s the wrap party for the short drama. Make sure you attend. Teacher An will come to do your makeup; I’ve already notified her. Remember, bad publicity is still publicity. Since the whole internet hates you, stay in the public eye. So, what if they shelve you? If your name trends for days, directors will come knocking.”

Wen Zhixu glanced at her arm. Though this body was in its twenties, it looked no different from her sixteen-year-old self in the previous world—if anything, even thinner. During her hospital stay, some team members had visited, leaving the nightstand piled with fruit. A bouquet of roses in the vase filled the air with a faint fragrance, lifting her spirits somewhat.

She felt exhausted. Was she really expected to return to work on her first day after recovering from a serious illness? Yet memories surfaced, reminding her to say, “Thank you, Sister Li. I’ll handle it well.”

As Yang Li left, she coincidentally ran into Teacher An at the door. The two exchanged hushed words Wen Zhixu couldn’t catch no matter how she strained to listen. When she looked up again, Teacher An was already walking in with a makeup kit.

Teacher An studied Wen Zhixu critically. Already slender, the days of unconsciousness sustained only by glucose had left her noticeably gaunt. Now she resembled a porcelain doll—one wrong touch away from shattering into pieces.

“Good. Teacher Yang mentioned you’ve lost weight, which actually suits lighter makeup better. It’ll help win public favor too. I’ll give you a few minutes to freshen up, then we’ll start the makeup, alright?”

From Su Ling’s memories, Teacher An had a notorious temper and wouldn’t hesitate to scold anyone wasting her time. Wen Zhixu immediately stood up. “Thank you, Teacher An. I’ll go wash up now.”

After completing her ablutions at record speed, Wen Zhixu obediently sat on the stool, letting Teacher An paint her face.

“006, why did the previous world collapse suddenly? Weren’t we supposed to have six months?”

Host, my data shows the protagonist’s life force dissipated, causing the world’s collapse. As I’ve said before—focus on completing missions properly for an early return to your desired life.

Puzzled but with no time to dwell, Wen Zhixu refocused—this wrap party marked their first crucial interaction. Originally, Su Xi wouldn’t attend such minor productions, but the lead actress’ personal connection had secured her presence.

Su Ling and Su Xi existed in separate worlds. Despite sharing a surname, the original novel never connected them. Wen Zhixu had to seize every encounter opportunity.

“006, show me Su Xi’s favorability rating toward me.”

She braced for zero—how could there be favorability when they’d never met?

60%.

“What?” Wen Zhixu nearly exclaimed aloud, barely restraining herself. She stole a glance at Teacher An, relieved to find her still engrossed in makeup application. “No negative sign?”

Host, this puzzles me too. Perhaps Su Xi treats everyone warmly.

“Then why didn’t she catch me when I fell?”

…Host, concentrate on your mission. I need to upgrade now—thanks to the points you’ve earned me.

As Wen Zhixu tried to protest, Teacher An instructed her to open her eyes. Not daring to offend, she abandoned further questions—though indignation simmered. Sixty percent was decent favorability, wasn’t it? Was catching her really too much to ask?

After what felt like quite some time, Teacher An put away her tools. “Alright, you can head to the film set now. I’ll be waiting downstairs—don’t be late.”

Wen Zhixu took out a mirror, only now remembering to check how this world’s version of herself differed. The truth proved that actors really were more attractive—even though it was the same person, Su Ling’s skin condition surpassed even Jiang Qingyue’s, no wonder she’d been scouted.

Teacher An had applied very light makeup, perfectly suited to her current situation. She casually changed clothes, then took the private elevator downstairs and directly got into Teacher An’s car, leaving with her.