“What?! Everyone Except Me Is a Villain (GL) - Chapter 20

“Lord Baili?”

Pei Fuliu’s smile turned faintly amused. Jin Buning gave an awkward chuckle, quickly explaining that she’d only heard the name from her classmates.

“Oh?” Pei Fuliu’s tone carried a hint of curiosity. “Then do you know why she’s called ‘Lord’?”

Her smile deepened with something unreadable. Jin Buning shook her head blankly, having no clue there was any hidden meaning behind the title.

Seeing Pei Fuliu still watching her, she hesitated, then ventured carefully, “Is it… because she looks like a queen?”

Pei Fuliu’s expression became even more difficult to read, subtle, strange, and impossible to interpret. Her favorability meter didn’t move, as though she’d only asked out of idle curiosity.

“Buning,” she said after a pause, smoothly shifting the topic, “what do you plan to do with him?”

The question snapped Jin Buning’s thoughts back to the man locked in the cage nearby. “I think… I’ll hand him over to the police.”

Pei Fuliu gave her a slow glance, the kind that seemed to say her idea was far too naïve. Inside the cage, the boy who’d been trembling looked up. Hearing her words, he suddenly gave a low, derisive laugh, his eyes full of contempt as if to say, you really are useless.

Jin Buning didn’t flinch. She simply walked closer to the cage, her expression calm.

“But before that,” she said softly, “could Madam Pei give me a few minutes alone with him? I’d like to… have a proper chat.”

This time, it was Jin Buning who smiled but beneath that smile was nothing but frost. Getting rid of him would do her little good; there were countless more like him. Still, if she had to choose between dying and surviving, she would always choose to live.

Pei Fuliu’s lips curved into a satisfied smile, one that almost looked genuine. “Alright.”

She moved her wheelchair a few paces, then seemed to think of something. “Catch.”

Jin Buning fumbled slightly but managed to grab the small object thrown toward her, a remote control. The English label matched the code on the cage. Pei Fuliu didn’t offer further instruction; she simply wheeled herself out of the room and into an adjoining chamber.

The door sealed behind her. Red security lights blinked in every corner, a silent warning that Jin Buning was still being monitored. But that didn’t matte,r this was enough.

She pressed the button on the remote, smiled faintly, and stepped toward the cage.

************

Half an hour later, Jin Buning knocked lightly on the door of the adjoining room.

“Madam Pei, I’ve finished speaking with him.”

There was no response. She waited a few seconds, then cautiously opened the door. Inside was a small, sparsely furnished rest room just a narrow sofa bed and a faint scent of coffee in the air.

Pei Fuliu was lying on the sofa, no longer in her wheelchair, her eyes closed as if she’d fallen asleep waiting.

Jin Buning froze. She wasn’t used to seeing Pei Fuliu so defenseless. Then again, maybe Pei Fuliu simply didn’t see her as a threat at all. She approached quietly, fingers brushing the screwdriver she still kept in her pocket a small anchor of reassurance.

“Madam Pei,” she called softly.

No reaction.

“Miss Pei?”

Still nothing.

She hesitated to tou; her experience had taught her that getting too close could end with a knife to the throat. Pei Fuliu had killed her in too many timelines already.

“…Sister Pei?”

Silence again.

There was only one form of address left, one Jin Buning really didn’t want to use. But as the image surfaced in her memory of that other woman, the one she’d hated most she swallowed hard and forced the words out.

“…Sister Liu.”

The name worked like a key turning in a lock. Pei Fuliu’s eyes opened instantly, dazed and soft with something almost tender. For a fleeting moment, there was warmth in her gaze until it landed on Jin Buning’s face. Then it vanished, shuttered away.

Jin Buning’s mind spun. Was she… involved with Prince Zhen? Is that why that name affects her so much?

“What did you just call me?” Pei Fuliu asked, her voice low but clear.

Jin Buning’s nerves tightened. She immediately put on a confused expression, pretending she’d misspoken.

“Madam Pei, of course. Why? Did I say something wrong, Madam?” she replied smoothly, as if nothing had happened.

Pei Fuliu studied her for a moment, then looked away. “Nothing. Did you handle it?”

“Yes,” Jin Buning said quickly, relieved that Pei Fuliu didn’t press further.

Pei Fuliu rubbed her temple, looking faintly fatigued. Jin Buning hesitated, half-tempted to offer a massage, but remembered what Prince Zhen had once bragged that even he had never touched Pei Fuliu’s hand. She wisely held back and began reporting instead.

She explained everything simply: how she’d used a mix of threat and persuasion, tried to make the boy see she wasn’t his enemy. He hadn’t believed her, of course. So she’d changed tactics speaking from Baili Ruobing’s perspective, outlining how his actions would only hurt the one he idolized. In the end, he’d pretended to cooperate, then tried to grab her and escape. She’d seen it coming, fought back, and left him bruised and locked up again.

“I recorded our conversation,” Jin Buning said earnestly. “I couldn’t convince him, so I hope… maybe he’ll reflect on his choices in there.”

Her voice carried the right balance of sincerity and harmlessness, playing perfectly the role of a naïve, kindhearted girl. But beneath it, her mind was turning fast. She’d realized what this whole setup truly meant.

Pei Fuliu hadn’t captured the boy just to help her. It was a warning to show Jin Buning the power of the Zhen family, and to make sure she understood: there was no safety in running to Baili Ruobing. The Zhens might be cruel, but only they had a reason to keep her alive.

“Good,” Pei Fuliu said finally, smiling faintly apparently pleased with her response.

“Then… should we add each other on WeChat?” Jin Buning ventured, trying to sound casual.

Pei Fuliu paused, then nodded. “Alright.”

They exchanged contacts. Pei Fuliu’s profile picture was a clear blue sky boundless and serene, like her ambition… or her illusion of peace.

“Madam Pei, your profile picture is beautiful,” Jin Buning said with a flattering grin.

“Mm.”

But the compliment slid right off her. She didn’t even look up, her attention absorbed by her phone. Whether she was scrolling through Jin Buning’s posts or something else, Jin Buning couldn’t tell.

Trying to keep up the act, Jin Buning peeked at Pei Fuliu’s Moments. Only three days were visible—mostly wellness tips and traditional remedies. Bland. Stiff. Like something an elderly relative would share.

Still, it was the first time they’d connected directly, and for once, Jin Buning dared to hope her luck was turning. The two women sat quietly in the same space, each staring at their phone screens. The silence was thick and strange. It was already 2 a.m. if exhaustion could kill, Jin Buning thought, she might die this time from sleep deprivation.

The door creaked open suddenly. Startled, Jin Buning instinctively moved to shield Pei Fuliu before realizing it was only Liu Ma. She let out a shaky breath. To her surprise, Pei Fuliu’s favorability score inched up back to 10%.

Pei Fuliu’s tone softened slightly. “It’s very late. Liu Ma will see you home.”

Jin Buning nodded. Five hours until dawn, five hours closer to surviving another day.

“Thank you for everything, Madam Pei. I’ll head back to rest now,” she said respectfully.

Pei Fuliu merely waved her off. She seemed done talking. And with Liu Ma standing there, her cold aura far more terrifying than Pei Fuliu’s Jin Buning wasted no time leaving.

“Miss, I’ll escort you,” Liu Ma said at last, her expression oddly human for once. She looked as though she wanted to say more, but stopped herself.

Pei Fuliu only smiled faintly in reply. When the door finally closed, her smile faded.

For three silent seconds, she sat motionless, deep in thought. Then her hand found a hidden switch on her wheelchair. A concealed panel popped open, revealing an electronic control board. With a few taps, a huge screen unfolded from the wall.

Pei Fuliu opened a file. The video began to play Jin Buning’s “conversation” with the boy, recorded from multiple angles. The footage was crisp, every smirk, every shift of expression captured in detail.

Watching Jin Buning’s smile, Pei Fuliu frowned. She didn’t like it. Not one bit.