Villain – Peeking at the Diary, the Female Leads' Personas Collapse-Chapter 226
Chapter 226
In the end, Chen Fan couldn’t hold back and just bolted. He was genuinely shut down. The development of this situation had completely surpassed his understanding. What the hell? How is the protagonist supposed to survive in the entertainment industry now? But it seemed like no one would actually say anything about him, right? But what if someone did?
In reality, Chen Fan’s worries were unnecessary. This kind of thing would naturally be smoothed over by the world’s timeline. And it was precisely because of this that Cao Zijin dared to act so recklessly. Because Cao Zijin had already calculated everything. At most, people would just laugh it off. After all, he’s the protagonist—no way they’d let him fall too far. But this was already enough. It successfully pushed Ye Aotian to the opposite side of the entertainment industry.
A man who’s praised by women for having an impressive physique and who genuinely knows martial arts? That’s bound to be rejected by people in the circle. Everyone else’s “skills” are fake, but your skills are real, so you’re the one who’s wrong. Right or wrong has never been about truth—it’s about numbers.
You could say this part lined up perfectly. According to Cao Zijin’s vision, this plot was entirely in line with reality. Naturally, Chen Fan had no reason to lose his cool. Because the plot was correct, and the story was moving forward, Chen Fan could only grit his teeth and go along with it. Sure, the process was a bit messed up, but as long as the destination was reached, it didn’t really matter.
At this moment, Xiao Yu was sitting next to Ye Aotian, her face full of joy. For Xiao Yu, men were all the same. To rise to fame, she never cared about these things. The only reason she was willing to help Cao Zijin was because of one thing Cao Zijin said: “I’m getting married. From now on, the title of queen of the entertainment industry has nothing to do with me. I think you know this better than I do.”
When Xiao Yu heard those words, she was genuinely shocked.
“I really don’t get it. There are so many powerful backers. Why did you choose the Chen family? I remember you could’ve picked the Ye family or even the Di family. So why, of all people, the Chen family? And Chen Fan, no less.”
“Because my husband is really handsome and great. I just like him?”
Xiao Yu was silenced. This time, she felt she had truly lost. Completely lost.
Xiao Yu had climbed her way up through her own means, spending all her earnings on herself. High-tech enhancements or not, she didn’t care. As long as people liked her, that was enough. At first, few people liked her. No problem—she worked harder, slept with a few more men, and suddenly, a lot of people liked her.
This was actually similar to many insecure girls in real life who go out with guys. It’s not that they really need those guys—they need inner comfort. They need to be liked, to have someone completely fall for them. Whether it’s for who they are or their body doesn’t matter—it doesn’t change anything.
“So, you really think I can do it?”
Cao Zijin said, “That’s up to you. But I know Ye Aotian is definitely going to make it big. If you latch onto this guy, you’ll make it big too. That’s certain.”
She might as well have handed Xiao Yu the script and told her, “This is Ye Aotian’s path forward. Take it. If you still can’t figure out the entertainment industry with this, go back to farming or get a factory job.”
Xiao Yu nodded seriously. She might not trust other things, but she believed Cao Zijin’s words. Xiao Yu knew exactly where she lost to Cao Zijin. This woman’s vision and perspective were just far beyond her own. And it was exactly because of this that Xiao Yu genuinely felt Cao Zijin was more successful. She was someone who could give up her queenly status in the entertainment industry for love and become a devoted wife and mother.
“Your hairstyle?”
Cao Zijin said, “It’s because my husband bought me a hairpin. That’s why I decided to style it like this. My husband likes hairpins, so I’m going to dress in a way that matches the hairpin’s style.”
“You’re hopeless. You’re poisoned.”
“The poison of love? I’m happy to be poisoned. Trust me, if you try a bit, you can discover Ye Aotian’s charm too.”
Leaning against Ye Aotian, Xiao Yu said, “I don’t know how to talk to you anymore.”
What was going on?
“It feels like before, I was always a clown, a commodity, completely without value, just something for others to pick and choose.”
Regarding making Ye Aotian like Xiao Yu, Cao Zijin’s advice was: you don’t need to use your old tricks. Just follow your heart. Acting a bit pitiful would do the trick. In any novel, there’s a hidden rule: when a woman starts talking about her hardships, that’s when the male protagonist falls for her. This is an unchanging truth, derived from reading hundreds of urban web novels, like those “God of War Returns” stories.
Cao Zijin’s conclusion.
And at this moment, Ye Aotian was indeed feeling it. In fact, the drug Cao Zijin gave had two effects: it amplified a person’s emotions infinitely. Not just that kind of emotion. It was the best treatment for emotional deficiency. On an ordinary person, this drug could make them happy, relaxed, or even bolder and more unrestrained.
Xiao Yu said, “I think we should just stay like this.”
Ye Aotian froze and said, “What’s this … why so sentimental all of a sudden?”
“Nothing. Just thought of some things, then felt there’s no need to overthink. Just be happy, right?”
Thinking of the past, Xiao Yu unconsciously shed tears.
One of the novel’s key elements: when a woman cries with a smile, that kind of woman is often the easiest to win the male protagonist’s affection.
Ye Aotian felt a stir in his heart for a moment.
“Let me tell you a secret.”
“Go ahead, I’ll keep it confidential.”
“Well, I have this trait where I’m really good at forgetting things. People have told me about your past, but I don’t know why—I suddenly forgot.”
Xiao Yu huffed and said, “I hate you. Seriously, I’m crying here.”
“Then I’ll try harder. When I pursue you, you better not run, got it?”
“No way. I’m definitely running. I’m not dealing with you. You’ve got so many women chasing you, and you’ve got a girlfriend. Isn’t Xiao Lan your girlfriend?”
“It’s fine. Xiao Lan’s okay with it, haha.”
At that moment, Xiao Lan was walking into a room with the director. She didn’t want to sneak out at night. Although cheating might feel thrilling for Xiao Lan, it was only temporary. Soon enough, she still wanted to stay by Ye Aotian’s side.
Unfortunately, Cao Zijin sent Xiao Lan a video. The video showed Ye Aotian chatting with Xiao Yu. Xiao Lan laughed through her tears. She really was a clown. If that’s how it was, don’t blame her for being heartless.
The protagonist’s side was pretty tragic, but there was another girl laughing through her tears too.
In a park near the hotel, a girl was sitting in a wheelchair, staring blankly at a swing in the distance.
Chen Fan yawned and said, “Hey, thinking of offing yourself?”
Ye Ziyue jumped, startled, and turned to look at Chen Fan. She quietly wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and said, “What are you doing here?”
“Nothing. Li Hanxue told me to come, so I came. You know, generally, when she tells me to do something, I can’t resist.”
“You’re that obedient?”
“You wouldn’t get it. Even if I explained, you wouldn’t understand. What’s this? You’re crying? This isn’t like you. Didn’t we agree before to go back to our respective sides and do whatever it takes?”
Ye Ziyue said, “Yeah, but so what? So I’m here shedding tears, and you came to laugh at me?”
“Not really. Someone told me to come cheer you up, maybe dance or something. Ghost Face said she’s kind of your guardian.”
Ye Ziyue said, “Yeah, I specifically asked my dad to arrange that.” 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
“Oh, well then, since that’s the case, big bro will dance for you. Cherish it—this dance is rare. There’s an interesting story behind it. I’ll tell you later.”
“No music. You’re just gonna dance dry?”
Music? Piece of cake.
For Chen Fan, the most frustrating thing about this novel was that, as a transmigrator, he couldn’t just copy songs or stories. But occasionally, he could still listen to some music.
There was a really interesting song, perfect for dancing.
Chen Fan lit a cigarette, closed his eyes, and music started playing from his phone. He spun in circles, waving his hands. It was a simple dance, but Chen Fan made it feel lonelier, as if he were waiting for a dance partner.
Ye Ziyue froze, watching intently, quietly recording it. She didn’t understand what the dance meant, but it felt sad. Maybe … lonely too.
