“What?! Everyone Except Me Is a Villain (GL) - Chapter 4

“So, you’re saying that as long as I make myself valuable, they’ll weigh the pros and cons before trying to kill me. They might even help me deal with the other villains because of it.”

Hearing this from Mengmeng, Jin Bu-Ning’s mind started turning. The five villains got along not just because their personalities matched, but because their interests aligned. If she couldn’t fight them head-on, maybe she could blend in instead.

But then she frowned. “No, that’s only a temporary fix. I came back to face my inner demons, not to play house with them.”

At that, the little creature’s round eyes turned into flat lines like a pair of unimpressed dashes.

“Can’t you be a little more ambitious? Make them fall in love with you! Head over heels, completely obsessed! Once that happens, wouldn’t they give you anything you want?” Mengmeng pressed, sounding a little too excited.

For a moment, Jin Bu-Ning thought she saw two tiny red horns sprout from Mengmeng’s head. But when she blinked, they were gone. Maybe she’d imagined it.

“Cultivators seek calm and detachment,” Jin Bu-Ning replied evenly. “Besides, they’re all beautiful. If I start developing feelings for them, wouldn’t that just multiply my inner demons? How could I ever ascend if I keep falling into such cycles?”

Mengmeng’s fur puffed up with frustration, and in the next second, it leapt right out of the phone.

Startled, Jin Bu-Ning felt something soft bump into her. She looked down to see the little ball of fluff trembling in indignation, shaking off imaginary dust.

“You’re just like those boring old geezers up in the heavens! I can’t believe I was unlucky enough to be assigned to you! But fine, have it your way. Just don’t come crying to me later.”

Mengmeng huffed, and before Jin Bu-Ning could question further, its eyes lit up again. Their gazes met then a sharp pain shot through her mind, as if something had been forcibly implanted in her brain.

“Human,” Mengmeng’s voice echoed faintly, “since fate brought us together, I’ll give you a gift. How you use it, and how far you go, depends on you. But remember this is your 138th life. It’s the last one. If you die again, there won’t be another chance to fulfill your wish.”

The voice faded away.

Jin Bu-Ning wanted to respond, but the pain was unbearable her body trembling, teeth clenched, trying not to scream.

When she finally opened her eyes again, she was drenched in cold sweat, sprawled on her bed like she’d been crushed by a truck. Her whole body ached, but her vision was sharp, and hovering in the air before her were clear numbers and words.

She stared at the floating panel. The interface looked straight out of a dating sim. She reached out experimentally and actually felt its texture beneath her fingertips. Other data points were still locked, their icons marked with tiny padlocks.

It was ridiculous. But the part that really annoyed her.

“I’m Jin Bu-Ning,” she muttered.

The system made a crackling sound, as though it was trying to overwrite something. The name flickered but “Zhen Ning” stayed.

Still, that flicker told her something: the system could be changed. She just hadn’t met the conditions yet.

“Miss, are you awake?”

The gentle voice came with a knock at her door. Jin Bu-Ning froze—then almost burst into tears.

When she opened the door, the sight of the woman outside made her throat tighten.

“Miss, why haven’t you changed yet? It’s your first day at your new school! You don’t want to be late and get teased by your new classmates, do you?”

If everyone had a “white moonlight” in their heart, Jin Bu-Ning’s wasn’t a beautiful face or some lost love it was Zhu Ma.

Zhu Ma had watched her grow up, one of the few people in the Zhen family who’d ever shown her genuine warmth. But Zhu Ma had died years ago, right before Zhen Xier’s birthday party. Jin Bu-Ning had never seen her again in any of her lifetimes. Until now.

Whether Zhu Ma was really alive or something else entirely, Jin Bu-Ning didn’t care. She was just there.

“Still half-asleep? Come on, get ready Master Zhen is waiting downstairs,” Zhu Ma said, gently ushering her back in to fix her hair and fuss over her uniform.

“Ni-ning, you’ve got a bit of a temper. Don’t be impulsive like before, alright? I heard that school’s full of future big shots…”

In the past, Jin Bu-Ning might’ve been impatient with Zhu Ma’s nagging. Now, every word felt precious.

“Our Ni-ning’s all grown up,” Zhu Ma went on warmly, eyes sparkling with pride. “That uniform looks so good on you. I heard lots of future stars go to that school—maybe one day I’ll see you on TV!”

Her voice filled the room like sunlight, and for the first time in ages, Jin Bu-Ning smiled from her heart.

Through Zhu Ma’s chatter, she pieced together what was happening: today was the first day of her transfer to Paradise Academy the very start of everything.

Somehow, her last reincarnation had rewound her to the beginning.

It was…a blessing.

If she started from here, maybe this time, she could change the way things unfolded.

“Ni-ning, you’re awfully quiet today. You feeling alright?” Zhu Ma asked, frowning a little. “You don’t seem like yourself.”

Jin Bu-Ning looked down, blinking away the wetness in her eyes. “I guess I’m just nervous. Everyone there’s so rich…”

Zhu Ma laughed. “Silly child, you’re rich too full of the wealth of wisdom! Just get the top score, and let’s see who dares laugh at you then.”

Jin Bu-Ning nodded, warmed by her encouragement.

But that warmth didn’t last long. When she went downstairs, Zhen Ba-Tian, the patriarch of the family, was already eating.

He didn’t even look at her properly just a fleeting glance, then back to his meal.

“Father.”

“Mm. Sit.”

His response was curt, mechanical. They might have been father and daughter in name, but they barely saw each other once a year.

The silence of breakfast was oppressive. The Zhen family had a rule no talking at the table.

The only sound was his chewing, loud and graceless. For some reason, it reminded Jin Bu-Ning of one of the villains’ punishments for him in the future making him eat his own son’s flesh.

The memory twisted her stomach…and yet, morbidly, she almost found it amusing. Watching a family of lunatics destroy each other had been one of the few joys in her previous lives.

That bitter thought even made the food taste a little sweeter.

But then Zhen Ba-Tian spoke and ruined it all.

“Xier’s in your class. You know what to do, don’t you?”

The man who’d just been gruff a moment ago softened instantly at the mention of his precious daughter, Zhen Xier.

If Jin Bu-Ning hadn’t known better, she might’ve thought there was something inappropriate between them.

“Yes, I’ll take good care of Miss Xier.”

Her polite reply satisfied him. He pulled out his phone and sent a message Zhu Ma’s phone chimed seconds later with a transfer of 6,666 yuan.

“Since you’re going to school, you’ll need a phone,” Zhen Ba-Tian said, gesturing for Zhu Ma to return the confiscated one.

Zhu Ma obeyed, smiling like Jin Bu-Ning had just been granted freedom.

But Jin Bu-Ning only saw another cage. She could practically feel the trackers and hidden software buried inside it.

Just as her fingers brushed the phone, a robotic voice echoed in her head:

Alert: Device anomaly detected. Enable diagnostic mode?

She nearly dropped it. Zhen Ba-Tian was already walking away, so she muttered the command silently.

Error: System not yet upgraded. Voice activation unavailable. Please state the command aloud.

Confirm, she whispered after glancing around to ensure no cameras were nearby.

A progress bar appeared before her eyes.

She sighed quietly. Of course.

The villains’ paranoia was boundless.

But as she bent to put on her shoes, the voice spoke again.

A chill ran down her spine.

So this was what her “life” had come to monitored from head to toe.

Her younger, ignorant self hadn’t known how lucky she was. But now, there was no room for ignorance, no chance to run.

Bound to this absurd “Love App,” surrounded by enemies in every direction, Jin Bu-Ning took a deep breath.

If the world wanted her dead.

Then she’d carve a path through it herself.