Xiao Ming awoke to sunlight filtering through the gap in the curtains, casting a glaring golden line across the floor. He reached for his phone on the nightstand.
Something was off.
His vision was a bit blurry, but oddly clearer than usual. He sprang out of bed and rushed to the mirror, staring at his reflection.
"Holy crap, this body…"
The man in the mirror looked more muscular than the night before. His muscle definition was sharper, and his facial features more defined. The changes weren't extreme, but enough to astonish a guy who used to do nothing but game at home.
"System?" he called tentatively.
A purple glow flickered before his eyes, but it was no longer the clean interface he was used to. Instead, a swirl of purple-black mist hung in the air, vaguely forming a humanoid silhouette.
"Congratulations, Host. First phase transformation complete..." A deep, sultry female voice sounded with a strange electronic distortion. "Villain Value has reached the threshold. System is upgrading…"
Xiao Ming raised an eyebrow. "You evolving or something?"
The mist churned, seemingly annoyed. "This is the natural evolution of a high-level villain system. Please respect the system's dignity!"
"Alright, alright, big sis. Don't be mad, O(∩_∩)O haha~." Xiao Ming dismissed her with a smile, but internally he was processing her words. Villain Value? What kind of twisted mechanic was that?
"Villain Value can be obtained through system tasks or by disrupting storylines," the mist replied, as if reading his mind. "Current value: 10,000."
Xiao Ming frowned. "Only that much?"
"Patience, little one," the system's tone grew sultry. "Each world has its own luck and difficulty level. You're in a low-tier novel right now—accumulate your villain points here first."
Little one? Xiao Ming twitched. The system was definitely talking more humanlike now—but somehow, it was way more interesting than the rigid format before.
After washing up, Xiao Ming grabbed his phone. Three WeChat messages from Lin Xiaoxiao popped up:
"Morning, Xiao Ming~"
"Yesterday was so much fun!"
"Can we have lunch together today?"
He casually replied with a "Sure," then tossed the phone aside. This K-drama romance subplot was too easy for him. What intrigued him more was what upgrades the system had after evolving.
"System, can you manifest yourself?" he asked offhandedly.
The purple mist hovered briefly, then drifted toward him and entered his wrist. Xiao Ming winced in pain as a sleek black-purple bracelet with intricate patterns appeared on his wrist.
"This is a temporary physical manifestation of the system terminal. You can summon me at will." The system's voice now echoed like a soft vibration in his mind.
Xiao Ming played with the bracelet, delighted. "So fancy. Can you turn into a big-sister type so we can, you know, get cozy?"
"In your dreams." The system's reply was cold. "Make another request like that and I'll deduct Villain Value."
Xiao Ming just grinned. He slung on his backpack and headed out for breakfast. Halfway there, the bracelet warmed slightly.
"Warning: Protagonist Zhang Tian is taking action. New plotline detected: 'School Bullying Incident Exposed.' Yesterday's lake rescue video has been edited to make it look like you pushed him into the water intentionally."
Xiao Ming paused, then chuckled. "Nice, finally fighting dirty? Looks like I really have to be the school tyrant now."
"Zhang Tian and Lin Jie have joined forces. The video will be posted on the school forum within 24 hours. The edited clip will severely damage your image. Preventative action is advised."
"It's getting real now." Xiao Ming narrowed his eyes. "I thought protagonists in school dramas were always noble."
"Every world's protagonist becomes ruthless as the plot progresses," the system said mockingly. "Justice is just the victor's excuse."
Xiao Ming shrugged. "That's pretty deep, System-chan~"
"Don't call me that!" the system snapped again.
For some reason, Xiao Ming pictured a pissed-off purple-cheongsam beauty.
In class, he spotted Zhang Tian whispering with a few boys. They immediately stopped talking when he entered, eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction. Xiao Ming strolled to his seat, feigning nonchalance as he pulled out his phone.
Lin Xiaoxiao beamed as she walked over. "Morning, Xiao Ming~"
"Morning." He smiled, deliberately raising his voice. "The movie was nice yesterday. Let's go again sometime."
Lin Xiaoxiao blushed and nodded. The class buzzed with whispers. Zhang Tian's face darkened immediately.
As class began, Xiao Ming wasn't paying attention. He was plotting how to deal with Zhang Tian's trap.
"System, any way to get that video?" he asked mentally.
A pause. "Two options: hack Zhang Tian's computer and steal the source file, or extract info from Lin Jie."
"You can hack now?"
"As your Villain Value grows, so do my functions. But it costs 500 Villain Points."
"Forget it. I'll save those for upgrades. Let's go with plan B—seduce Lin Jie."
After class, he made an excuse to Lin Xiaoxiao. "Sorry, can't do lunch today. Got something urgent."
She looked a little disappointed but nodded sweetly. "Okay, take care."
Xiao Ming headed to a fancy café near school, where the system said Lin Jie often read in the afternoons.
Sure enough, she sat by the window with a latte and Principles of Economics. Xiao Ming sat a few tables away, pretending to scroll his phone.
Ten minutes later, their eyes met. He looked surprised, then politely nodded.
Lin Jie hesitated, then nodded back.
He picked up his coffee and approached. "Hey, senior. What a coincidence."
She glanced at him, expression complex. "Not with my cousin today?"
He scratched his nose and gave a bitter smile. "You misunderstand. Xiaoxiao and I are just friends."
"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't look like it."
Xiao Ming sighed. "May I borrow a few minutes of your time? There's something I'd like to ask."
She gestured at the seat opposite. "Go ahead."
"Thanks." He sat down, his expression growing serious. "I know Zhang Tian spoke to you. What did he say?"
She looked at him. "He said you're a bully and you have bad intentions toward my cousin."
Xiao Ming smiled. "So you came to the movie yesterday to observe me?"
She looked surprised. "You noticed?"
"Of course," he said, locking eyes with her. "But I'm grateful. Xiaoxiao is lucky to have a caring cousin like you."
Her expression softened. "So what are you really trying to say?"
Xiao Ming reached over and gently took her wrist. "I swear, I have no intention of hurting Xiaoxiao. Zhang Tian is just insanely jealous."
She didn't pull away.
He showed her a post from the school forum—Zhang Tian's smear campaign after getting rejected.
Lin Jie's face darkened. "Is this real?"
"You can verify it online." He sighed. "I can't stand people like him."
Their conversation continued, and Xiao Ming gradually won her over—charming, candid, calculated. When she showed him the edited video from Zhang Tian, he responded with:
"This is obviously doctored. You can tell, right?"
"Yes," she nodded. "He insisted it's real though."
Eventually, Xiao Ming convinced her to help. They uploaded the full unedited footage before Zhang Tian could post his version.
At 8 PM sharp, the school forum exploded with comments—condemning Zhang Tian, praising Xiao Ming. Not only did the video exonerate him, but it also included evidence of Zhang Tian's previous toxic behavior and plans to frame others.
When Zhang Tian finally posted his edited clip, it was already too late.
Xiao Ming and Lin Jie watched the chaos unfold, hidden in the background.
"You went a little overboard," Lin Jie said.
"He tried to destroy me. This is justice."
Then his phone rang—it was Lin Xiaoxiao, sobbing.
"Is it true...? Everything about Zhang Tian…"
Xiao Ming comforted her gently. "I'm here. No one will hurt you."
Later that night, he visited her home. She opened the door with teary eyes and collapsed into his arms.
"It's over now," he whispered.