Villain Strategy Rules [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 60

Upon arriving at the film set, Wen Zhixu had barely stepped out of the car when she was met with a barrage of camera flashes. Fortunately, Teacher An acted swiftly, whisking her inside before anyone could properly recognize her.

“You’re at a stage where you shouldn’t avoid public appearances, but you shouldn’t actively seek them out either,” Teacher An advised as she walked ahead. “To navigate this crisis safely, you need to follow your instincts. You’ll likely face two outcomes—one no worse than your current situation, and the other a meteoric rise.”

As the elevator arrived and Teacher An pressed the button for their floor, she added without turning around, “You’re smart enough to know what to do next.”

Teacher An had always admired Wen Zhixu. She saw the young woman as both courageous and resourceful. Though she wasn’t entirely clear about the recent incidents, she believed Wen Zhixu would quickly bounce back and achieve extraordinary success.

The wrap party was being held on the sixth floor, reportedly funded by the female lead, Lou Buxia. Originally, minor characters like them weren’t expected to attend, but Lou Buxia had invited Su Xi today, wanting to make a show of it, so she had extended invitations to all the regular cast members.

The venue was fully prepared, with screens displaying clips from their short drama. Thanks to Su Xi’s earlier promotion, there was considerable public anticipation for the show. The banquet table was laden with food—the sixth floor of this restaurant catered exclusively to high-profile clients, ensuring complete privacy and security.

Wen Zhixu’s understated elegance drew attention as soon as she entered. Zhao Qian, the third female lead, remarked with thinly veiled sarcasm, “Well, look who’s here—the star of the hour! My, how pale you look. How pitiful. To those who know, you’ve just recovered from an illness. To those who don’t, it might seem like you’re trying to play the innocent seductress. Ha!”

Zhao Qian was Lou Buxia’s lackey. Lou Buxia was this year’s heavily promoted talent—born into privilege and rumored to have an unbreakable connection with the acclaimed actress Su Xi. Though she could have debuted directly on the big screen, Lou Buxia chose to start with short dramas, playing likable roles to build a fanbase before transitioning to major productions.

As for why Zhao Qian treated Wen Zhixu this way—during the recent scandal, Su Xi’s overzealous fans had dug up dirt on every cast member, nearly getting them all blacklisted. It was only Lou Buxia’s intervention that stopped the madness. Zhao Qian saw Wen Zhixu as the troublemaker who had almost ruined them all.

“Sister Zhao,” Wen Zhixu said sweetly, leaning in to whisper, “Who taught you to say such things? Didn’t you know today isn’t just a wrap party? The renowned director Lu Shengxia is coming to audition actresses.”

Turning Zhao Qian to face Lou Buxia, Wen Zhixu met her gaze directly. “Aren’t you worried about losing face—and missing your chance?”

Wen Zhixu didn’t dislike Zhao Qian, nor did Su Ling. Zhao Qian was dedicated to her craft and poured her heart into every role. The recent turmoil had simply shaken her, making her fear all her hard work might go to waste.

Zhao Qian’s face flushed with embarrassment as she hastily adjusted her clothes. “Who needs your fake concern? I’ll rely on my own abilities. At least I wouldn’t think of… cozying up to Teacher Su Xi just to get famous.”

“Abilities?” Wen Zhixu chuckled. “Who do you think is more capable—you or Lou Buxia?”

Her makeup was light today, and coupled with her slightly provocative tone, Zhao Qian was momentarily stunned. She glared at Wen Zhixu and said, “I don’t need your input, hypocrite.”

Just as Wen Zhixu was about to explain she meant no harm, a commotion erupted from the front. She turned to see Su Xi removing her sunglasses and mask, casually smiling and greeting everyone.

The original novel’s description of Su Xi: dedicated, hardworking, and skilled in acting, but with a temper—neither caring for newcomers nor arbitrarily suppressing them.

Wen Zhixu didn’t understand. To her, these traits were all reasonable. So why did Su Xi turn into a villain? Based on the patterns from previous worlds, she knew family background was likely one factor.

Many antagonists came from troubled homes, enduring immense pressure from a young age. Unable to cope, they repressed their emotions, gradually becoming twisted over time.

But family couldn’t account for everything. Wen Zhixu believed there had to be other reasons. To complete her mission and uncover the truth, she had to get closer to Su Xi.

Hah, I’ve followed you through two worlds already. Figuring you out should be a piece of cake.

“Su Xi, you’re here!” Lou Buxia hurried over and hugged her. “I missed you so much.”

At that moment, in a room where there should have been no cameras, a sudden click sounded. Wen Zhixu jumped, scanning the area but finding nothing.

When she looked up, her eyes unexpectedly met Su Xi’s. Startled, she instinctively averted her gaze. But when she glanced back, Su Xi was still staring at her.

For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw shadows of Chaoyao and Qin Nanxi in Su Xi’s eyes. Su Xi’s gaze was too inscrutable—Wen Zhixu couldn’t decipher it. Why was Su Xi looking at her? Did Su Ling offend her again?

The wind blew through the window, time seeming to freeze as Su Xi’s eyes remained fixed on her. Wen Zhixu gradually lowered her own gaze.

No way! There couldn’t have been any offense, right? Su Ling just accidentally fell—surely the manager would’ve explained it privately. Could Su Xi really be so petty as to distrust her? What was she planning by staring like this?

Wait, didn’t the system say Su Xi’s favorability toward her was 60? Meaning Su Xi didn’t actually dislike her, and that day was just an accident?

Too nervous to look up, Wen Zhixu stared at her shoes and asked inwardly, “006, tell me Su Xi’s favorability toward Lou Buxia, and check mine again.”

She wanted to see if Su Xi treated everyone the same or if there was something special about her. Or maybe she’d misheard earlier.

Host, according to the scan, Su Xi’s favorability toward Lou Buxia is -50%, and yours is 65%.

“What?”

What?!

The system was clearly skeptical too. Yesterday’s 60% was already surprising, and now, without doing anything, it was 65%? And Su Xi seemed much closer to Lou Buxia—how could the numbers be flipped like this?

Moreover, these two were now embracing, with Lou Buxia looking all shy and bashful. Was Su Xi really supposed to hate her? And hadn’t they said that if Lou Buxia hadn’t gone to find Su Xi, this drama might never have been released?

It had to be said that Su Xi’s acting was truly impeccable. If it weren’t for her system, she wouldn’t have been able to tell at all that Su Xi disliked Lou Buxia. Even in the first world, Wen Zhixu hadn’t made Chaoyao dislike her this much. -50%? That was hilarious. Lou Buxia probably thought they had some deep emotional bond.

Lou Buxia also noticed that Su Xi hadn’t been paying her any attention. Following Su Xi’s gaze, she saw that Su Xi was looking at Wen Zhixu. Frowning, Lou Buxia asked, “Sister Su Xi, what are you doing? Why are you staring at Su Ling?”

If she hadn’t said anything, it might have been fine, but now everyone was staring at Wen Zhixu. Wen Zhixu was momentarily stunned and was about to leave when Su Xi spoke up, “It’s nothing. I’ve been a bit tired lately. I just thought she looked familiar. Her name is Su Ling, right? What a coincidence—we share the same surname.”

“Her?” Lou Buxia rolled her eyes. “She’s the one who tried to stir up rumors with you a while back, deliberately falling into you, but you ignored her.”

Wen Zhixu really wanted to leave this place. This room was just too bizarre. She saw a bunch of glowing lights again, but where on earth were the cameras? There was nothing in this room!

Su Xi walked up to Wen Zhixu and said calmly, “Oh, it’s you. I saw you trip over a stone back then, but I couldn’t deliberately not catch you. I slipped a little myself, which made you fall. Are you okay?”

Wen Zhixu: “…”

What… what was going on here? She hadn’t even made a move yet! Both Sister Li and Teacher An had told her that the best solution would be for Su Xi to help clarify things, but the chances of that were zero. So, what was this now? A hundred percent probability?

Wen Zhixu hurriedly replied, “I’m fine. Thank you, Teacher Su.”

Whatever. Right or wrong didn’t matter. The bigger star was speaking, so just go along with it and say thanks.

Everyone was baffled. Su Xi hadn’t made any public statements these past few days, so everyone had assumed Wen Zhixu was at fault. Even if she wasn’t, they’d all been ready to enjoy the drama. Su Xi’s fans were extremely passionate, and with the rumors between her and Lou Buxia…

The headlines about the self-reliant rising star and the queen of popularity had caused quite a stir. Su Xi’s fans, given that this was the first romantic rumor she’d had in all her years in the industry, were mostly displeased, though a small faction who loved shipping them had been spreading rumors everywhere. Since the parties involved hadn’t clarified anything and kept feeding the rumors, people had gradually started believing it was true.

The director, sitting to the side, saw that everyone had arrived and it was about time, so he broke the silence. “Alright, everyone, come over for dinner. Just sit in the seats we arranged earlier.”

All the necessary procedures had been completed when the short drama wrapped up, and this wrap-up banquet was essentially a farewell dinner.

Wen Zhixu and Zhao Qian sat at the outermost table, separated from Su Xi by many people. This time, she was beneath the clouds, looking up at Su Xi, who stood at the pinnacle. Maybe it was better this way—letting Su Xi be loved by more people and live the life she wanted.

Zhao Qian noticed Wen Zhixu’s gaze and nudged her, saying expressionlessly, “Don’t get your hopes up. Lou Buxia has a lot of influence, and she and Su Xi already know each other. Even if you like her, you’ll have to keep it to yourself.”

Wen Zhixu raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t I just say that last time was an accident? And I wasn’t looking at her—I was searching for Director Lu.”

Zhao Qian: “…”

She reminded him again, “Then don’t look for now. Go check your phone—it’ll do you good.”

Wen Zhixu was puzzled but didn’t stop moving. She took out her phone and, upon opening an app, saw several trending topics about herself.

What? Didn’t they say there were no reporters here?