Chapter 2: Entering the Villain's Den

Chapter Two:

Ye Qingxi opened her eyes and saw a white ceiling.

He was a little confused and didn't understand what was going on.

Wasn't he dead?

He remembers it clearly: when the green light came on, he started walking, and all the cars around him stopped in accordance with the traffic rules, until a car rushed out and hit him.

But now, he has opened his eyes again.

Did he not die? Was he brought back to life?

Thinking of this, Ye Qingxi felt a sense of powerless sorrow.

In this world, those who want to live can never truly live, while those who want to die can never truly die.

But surprisingly, this time his parents didn't come to his bedside to cry and scold him after he woke up.

But that was bound to happen sooner or later, Ye Qingxi thought. They were probably busy right now, and once they were done, they would come and complain about his immaturity.

Especially considering the serious accident he suffered this time, the rescue must have cost a lot of money, and all of this was because he insisted on buying the cake himself.

His parents would definitely say, "We told you to let Xiao Wang go, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what happened. If we had let Xiao Wang go back then, none of this would have happened."

Ye Qingxi had gotten used to it. At first, he felt bad and reflected on himself, but later he realized that he was not wrong, so he talked back to his parents and tried to let them know that they should not say such things about him.

But soon he realized it was useless. His parents would just think he was going through a rebellious phase and that he was disobedient, immature, and didn't understand their good intentions.

Later, Ye Qingxi stopped arguing back, but she felt sad inside.

But all of that disappeared after he picked up a knife and cut his own wrist, only to be saved.

He will no longer feel upset by anything his parents say or do; he will only feel nauseous and want to vomit, but he won't be able to.

Ye Qingxi sighed, not knowing what day it was or how much time had passed since his birthday party. If there was anything he cared about before he died, it was his fans.

They will surely be saddened by his death, especially the fans who traveled a long way to attend his birthday party.

But the sadness was only temporary, Ye Qingxi thought. Every day, new people debut, new idols and actors emerge, and sooner or later they will move on from his death and go on to follow new stars.

That's good.

The living do not need to remain widows for the dead.

Even more so the fans.

Ye Qingxi threw back the covers, wanting to go to the bathroom.

However, he froze instantly when he lifted it.

No, Ye Qingxi looked at the hand resting on the blanket; this wasn't his hand.

His hands were long, fair, and slender; it's no exaggeration to say they were more beautiful than many hand models' hands.

He had used these hands to play the piano, draw swords, tie ribbons, and play games. He knew his hands too well. Even if we take a step back, no matter what, he was now an eighteen-year-old, and his hands should be those of a teenager, not soft, tender hands that looked almost like those of a three- or five-year-old child.

Ye Qingxi raised her hand, looked at it again and again, and felt that something was wrong no matter how she looked at it.

He quickly threw off the covers, preparing to get out of bed.

However, when he lifted the blanket, he saw his own legs—short legs wearing cartoon jeans.

And the feet below her legs, wearing socks printed with blue bears.

Ye Qingxi: ...

Ye Qingxi looked under the bed and saw only a pair of shoes, a small pair of white shoes with Velcro straps.

Ye Qingxi: Ah, this...

Ye Qingxi slowly slipped her feet, clad in blue bear socks, into the shoes with Velcro straps.

Very good, a perfect match.

It's just the right size, very comfortable.

Ye Qingxi: Ah, this...

He... shrunk?!

Was I reborn?

Or is it like Conan, where people shrink?

Ye Qingxi quickly ran towards the door.

He unlocked the door and ran out, only to find that he had just been in the patient's room, which was actually the ward's accompanying room.

At this moment, the actual ward came into view, which was larger and more luxurious, and on the bed lay an elderly man with white hair.

Ye Qingxi walked over curiously. The other person had their eyes closed and was wearing an oxygen mask.

He doesn't know him.

How did he end up in the ward of a patient in his hospital room?

Ye Qingxi was puzzled, but the most important thing right now was not that, but the mirror.

Ye Qingxi quickly ran into the bathroom, stood on tiptoe, and saw herself in the mirror.

It was a face that was both familiar and somewhat unfamiliar to him—the face of his childhood.

How small is it?

She was probably four or five years old.

Has he been reborn?

Ye Qingxi touched his face in confusion, and then he realized something was wrong.

He had a mole on the right side of his forehead near his hairline, a mole he had been there since birth, but now it's gone from his face.

This isn't his face, Ye Qingxi thought.

Although she looks a lot like him, she is not him.

So who is he?

As he was thinking, he suddenly heard footsteps outside the door.

Ye Qingxi walked curiously behind the door and pressed her ear against it.

However, he heard nothing.

Why aren't you saying anything? Ye Qingxi asked, puzzled.

As he was thinking this, he heard a sigh from the person outside the door, a very heavy sigh.

Then he heard footsteps again.

Are they leaving?

"Xiao Xi." He heard someone call his name, "Xiao Xi."

"Is he in the bathroom?" He heard a relatively young voice.

In an instant, the footsteps grew closer and closer to him.

Ye Qingxi quickly opened the door and appeared in front of the other person.

The first thing you see is a very handsome man with a strong presence. He has deep-set eyebrows and eyes, and although his hair is dyed black, you can still see a few silver strands.

At that moment, he was staring intently at me, and upon seeing me, the worry in his eyes slowly faded away.

"Awake?" The other person's voice was soft and unnatural.

It's like someone who's not used to being gentle is forcing themselves to be gentler so as not to scare the child in front of them.

Ye Qingxi nodded, "Mm."

Do you remember what your grandfather told you this morning?

Ye Qingxi was somewhat stunned.

He tried hard to recall, but couldn't remember anything, as if the brainwaves of that brain hadn't yet connected with his current state.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Mu Feng assumed that he was just quiet.

He tried to appear gentle. "Your grandfather said that from today onwards, I am your grandfather, so from now on, you will live with me, remember?"

Ye Qingxi, of course, didn't remember.

However, the person in front of him looked like someone not to be trifled with, so he nodded in agreement.

"Good boy." Mu Feng patted his hair. "Let's go home now."

Ye Qingxi looked at the old man lying on the hospital bed.

So, is that Xiaoxi's grandfather?

Mu Feng followed his gaze and saw his old friend, who was once young but is now nearing the end of his life.

He sighed inwardly again.

"I'll come and take you to see your grandfather tomorrow. Now, let's listen to your grandfather, okay?"

Ye Qingxi glanced at him and slowly walked to the bedside.

He wasn't a child; he could tell that the old man was nearing his end.

He was dying, so on his deathbed he entrusted his grandson to someone he trusted.

Ye Qingxi felt sorry for him, so he raised his hand and placed it on the other person's withered hand.

If he could, he would give his life for him.

In short, he had long since given up on life, and living meant nothing to him. He might as well let those who had attachments or those who wanted to live live.

Unfortunately, the miracle did not happen.

The elderly man in bed showed no signs of improvement.

Ye Qingxi sighed inwardly.

He knew he had no right to refuse.

He is just a child now, and the man standing next to him who looks like he's not to be trifled with is not his biological grandfather, but someone entrusted to him by the biological grandfather of this body. So he doesn't care whether he wants to or not, he will only complete the task entrusted to him.

Sometimes, asking a question isn't really about seeking your opinion; it's just a formality, so don't take it too seriously.

Ye Qingxi turned to look at the man standing beside her, nodded, and said softly, "Mm."

Mu Feng breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, Ye Qingxi agreed; otherwise, he probably would have had to ask his assistant to persuade her, since he really doesn't know how to coax children.

"Then let's go."

After Mu Feng finished speaking, he picked up Ye Qingxi and walked towards the door.

Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?

Wait, how did they end up hugging?

He gave up struggling and thought, "It won't kill me to hug you, so I might as well."

Of course, if a hug would really kill her, Ye Qingxi would probably immediately open her arms wide, urging him to hug her quickly and give her a good hug.

After leaving the hospital, Ye Qingxi was carried into a car.

Mu Feng's assistant drove the car, while Mu Feng and Ye Qingxi sat in the back seat. He casually picked up the tablet in the car and started reading messages and emails sent by others.

Seeing that he was ignoring her, Ye Qingxi leaned against the window and looked out.

Perhaps because her body was still too small, Ye Qingxi soon drifted off to sleep again.

It was during this sleep that Ye Qingxi was surprised to discover that he had indeed died, but after his death he had transmigrated into a book, becoming a five-year-old child with the same name as him.

However, this "Ye Qingxi" is neither the protagonist nor the antagonist, but rather a minor character, appearing in only two sentences throughout the entire text: "[Perhaps because Mu Shaowu is gay and destined never to have his own children, his father, Mu Feng, brought home a child named Ye Qingxi to be his son. This child is fair-skinned and adorable, but overly quiet, and her relationship with Mu Shaowu is rather distant.]"

In those two sentences, the Mu family members were either killed or injured. Ye Qingxi, Mu Shaowu's nominal adopted son, never appeared again, and his fate was unknown.

Yes, some died, some were injured. Whether it was Mu Shaowu or Mu Feng, the seemingly formidable patriarch of the Mu family beside him, none of them had a good ending. This was because they were all villains. In fact, their entire family played the role of villains at different times, with different functions, and to varying degrees in the book.

The protagonist of the book, He Yao, enters the entertainment industry for his dream, but soon after entering the industry, he meets Mu Shaowu, a top star. Mu Shaowu comes from a wealthy family, has a handsome face, and his acting skills are average. However, he is surrounded by scandals and controversies. He has many haters, but even more fans. Wherever he goes, all the traffic is drawn to him.

He Yao encountered Mu Shaowu three times, and each time Mu Shaowu thwarted his career. He hated Mu Shaowu, so he kept climbing and eventually stood at the pinnacle of the entertainment industry, successfully knocking Mu Shaowu down and becoming the new top star. Meanwhile, Mu Shaowu was disgraced and left the industry in resentment.

Besides the main storyline of He Yao, there are also two side stories in this book: He Yao's younger brother and younger sister. In these two side stories, He Yao's younger brother is bullied by Mu Shaowu's younger brother, Mu Shaoyan, and He Yao's younger sister has her crush stolen by Mu Shaowu's younger sister, Mu Shaoting.

However, good triumphs over evil. After experiencing various events, Mu Shaoyan jumped from the top floor. Although he did not die, he was paralyzed and had to spend the rest of his life in a hospital bed.

Mu Shaoting swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills and died on a rainy night, heartbroken.

Seeing his younger siblings become like this because of He Yao, Mu Shaowu's older brother, Mu Zheng, launched a crazy revenge against He Yao, instantly becoming the biggest and most difficult villain to defeat in the entire book.

But He Yao gained not only a career in the entertainment industry, but also love.

Therefore, Qiu Lu, the protagonist who deeply loves He Yao, successfully brought down Mu Zheng in the final round, crushed the Mu family, and turned the Mu family from a wealthy family into a laughing stock.

But the story doesn't end there, because Qiu Lu's parents don't approve of Qiu Lu being with He Yao, and Qiu Lu's older brother is even planning to seize power from him.

So what should we do?

Of course, the appearance of the ruthless old villain, Mu Feng, is necessary.

Mu Feng truly lived up to his reputation as the old villain who waited until the very end to make his move; when he did, he struck a major blow.

He personally sharpened a knife and hid it at Qiu Lu's house.

Although the Mu family has fallen on hard times, it was once glorious, so Qiu's parents still let him into the family.

After Mu Feng entered the room, he slashed at He Yao, who had come to visit. Qiu Lu quickly stepped in front of He Yao and took the blow for him. After that, everything went into chaos.

Screams, curses, the sounds of fighting, the screech of blades against flesh and blood, alarms, ambulance sirens, and finally, the sirens of police cars.

Qiu Lu's parents and elder brother were accidentally killed by Mu Feng during the struggle, while Mu Feng himself committed suicide the moment the police broke down the door.

This horrific murder case further tarnished the already tarnished reputation of the Mu family, leading to Mu Shaoyan's death from abuse in the hospital. Mu Shaowu, seeking justice for his brother, inadvertently got into a physical altercation, which was then posted online, triggering a massive online attack. Some even threw sulfuric acid in his face, claiming it was to rid society of a scourge.

Qiu Lu, as the protagonist, was stabbed, but the stab did not hit any vital organs. After recovering, he returned home with He Yao.

With his parents no longer hindering his relationship and his brother no longer vying for power, Qiu Lu naturally took the highest seat and held a grand wedding with He Yao.

On the other side, Mu Zheng divorced his wife and was taking care of his disfigured and mentally unstable younger brother in a dilapidated rented room.

At the end of the story, He Yao accidentally saw Mu Shaowu, who was acting crazy and trying to get autographs but scared people to tears and was being cursed at in public. He remembered the scene when the two first met and sighed, "Times have changed. Who would have thought that Mu Shaowu, who was so popular back then, would be like this today?"

Thus, the villains got what they deserved, the protagonists had a satisfying ending, and the book is over.

Ye Qingxi: ...

Ye Qingxi was too lazy to even complain.

He just didn't understand. The entertainment industry is so big, it's not like it can only accommodate one top star. Why is there this drama of "you have to fall so I can rise"? Is it satisfying to see a former top star go crazy, get disfigured, and fantasize about signing autographs only to be cursed at?

Having experienced ups and downs, falling from the top of the popularity charts, being trampled on by thousands and cursed by tens of thousands, and then becoming a top influencer again through talent, Ye Qingxi felt extremely unhappy!

It was not only unpleasant, but also very painful and dark.

Rather than let him live like this, insane and exposed to all his ugly side, it would be better for him to die.

However, if in the end only Mu Zheng and Mu Shaowu survive, does that mean that "Ye Qingxi" is actually dead as well?

"That's good," Ye Qingxi nodded.

Good news: He was hit by a car and died.

Bad news: He transmigrated into the book and came back to life.

Good news: He's been transported into a group of villains, so he'll soon die again due to a plot device.

Ye Qingxi felt relieved.

That way, he just needs to wait for the plot to kill him off. Anyway, the protagonist reaches the top very quickly, in about three years, so it won't be long before he can say goodbye to this world.

Ye Qingxi closed her eyes again, satisfied, and continued to sleep.