Acting as the Vicious Second Lead [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 32

The promised rendezvous finally arrived.

Night had cast a hazy spell, and the air was thick with the scent of alcohol. Before the patrons, the bartender’s nimble fingers danced as he gripped a bottle in reverse, pouring liquids of varying densities. The resulting layers were distinct and vibrant, reminiscent of a clear rainbow emerging after a rainstorm.

The music was thunderous, pulsing alongside the frantic shadows on the dance floor. People surrendered to the rhythm, swaying and twirling in a hedonistic revelry that threatened to last until dawn. Multicolored lights washed over their blurred faces, reflecting dreamlike spots of brilliance.

Qin Xiaoxiao, entirely unaware that her identity had already been seen through by the female lead, was nestled in a seat by the bar, surreptitiously whispering to the bar owner.

“Did you bring it?”

“I… I brought it.”

“Excellent.”

“Sister Ni, are you sure about this?”

Following her orders, he had prepared fruit wine spiked with a potent aphrodisiac and arranged for several burly men to hide in a private booth. They were merely waiting for his signal to rush out, surround a certain young girl, and carry her off for some “vigorous activities.”

The plan was so bold, so utterly insane…

The owner felt an urge to flee. “That—that’s breaking the law!”

“What are you panicking for?” Seeing the man lean back as if to bolt, Qin Xiaoxiao slapped his shoulder and forced him back down. “We’re crickets tied to the same string now.”

Her eyes darkened, and she let out a cold sneer. “Wanting to run now? It’s too late.”

That icy laughter sent a shiver straight through the owner’s heart.

While the owner was terrified of treading near the edge of a crime, Qin Xiaoxiao appeared remarkably composed. She knew that the male lead would ultimately shoulder everything. He would appear like a timely rain, heroically rescuing the female lead from the thugs, leading her home, and eventually engaging in “indescribable relations.”

In the original novel, this plot point was crucial—a milestone in their progress and a major turning point for their romance. Because after that night, the female lead would end up pregnant.

Previously, no matter how feverishly the male lead pursued her or showered her with gifts, the female lead remained indifferent. But once there was a baby in her womb, she seemed moved at last. She stopped rejecting his advances and began to accept his love, albeit tentatively.

Their relationship continued to blossom until the female lead eventually became the Best Actress. On the award stage, before countless viewers, the Movie Star took the microphone and romantically proposed. She accepted.

A perfect ending with both career and love secured. The curtain closed on a “Happy Ending” filled with applause and blessings.

Lost in her recollection of the plot, Qin Xiaoxiao’s expression remained sinister. She glared at the bar owner as if she wanted to slice him into a thousand pieces. To the owner, her gaze was so venomous that he imagined she was contemplating a hundred different ways to torture him to death. He had no doubt that if he uttered the word “No,” he wouldn’t be leaving the building on his own two feet.

At this thought, he said ingratiatingly, “You misunderstand, I didn’t mean to run away. I’m just… in a bit of a hurry to use the restroom.”

The owner put on a look of pained endurance. “I’m about to burst.”

He wasn’t lying. His bladder was indeed near its limit after running errands for her all day. Under the intensity of her stare, the “primordial power” within him was about to breach the dam.

Qin Xiaoxiao’s face darkened. She released his shoulder and shooed him away like a stray bird. “Go, go, go!”

“Right away!”

The man placed the spiked fruit wine on the table and scrambled away. His gait was wobbling and strange due to his urgency, making him look like a running penguin.

After a brief mental critique, Qin Xiaoxiao looked at her phone. 19:03. There were still two hours before the plot was supposed to begin. She propped her head up and stared blankly into space.

Time ticked by. With the owner gone and no one to shield her, Qin Xiaoxiao’s figure was completely exposed. Behind her, a man noticed the lone woman and greedily scanned her shapely silhouette. Wearing a greasy smile, he stood up, intending to flirt.

Suddenly, a young girl brushed past him and took the seat right next to Qin Xiaoxiao.

The girl wore a white dress. Her hair, black as a raven’s wing, cascaded to her waist. Her pupils were a pure, unadulterated black, making her skin appear as white as jade. Her lips were a pale pink, an invitation to be kissed until they turned crimson. She was beautiful, but her gaze was mechanical and naive, like a newborn animal.

Xiang Liwei’s aura was completely at odds with her surroundings. Amidst the debauchery of the bar, she looked like a lost lamb that had accidentally wandered into hell.

Seeing that the woman now had company, the man suppressed his impulses and sat back down to wait for a better opportunity.

Meanwhile, Qin Xiaoxiao caught a glimpse of someone sitting down out of the corner of her eye. She assumed the owner had returned.

“What took you so long?” Qin Xiaoxiao said without looking up. “You really have the nerve to make me wait this long?”

“I’m sorry,” Xiang Liwei replied.

A sweet, youthful voice drifted into her ears—melodious, slightly weak, yet carrying an undetectable hint of obsession. It was a voice that occasionally appeared in Qin Xiaoxiao’s nightmares. There was no way she could mistake it.

Qin Xiaoxiao turned her head stiffly. A familiar face slowly came into focus.

It really was the female lead…

At that realization, Qin Xiaoxiao’s face turned ashen. Why isn’t she following the script?

“You…”

Wait, there’s still over an hour before our ‘appointment.’ Why are you here already? Regardless, Qin Xiaoxiao was desperate not to admit she was the one who had invited her.

She quickly changed her tune: “What are you doing here?”

“You invited me,” Xiang Liwei said, tilting her head with a smile. “Yesterday, an anonymous QQ account messaged me, saying they had news about my long-lost parents and told me to meet at this bar. I wondered then if it might be you…”

“So, I took a bus overnight and hurried here immediately,” the girl said in a sweet, joyful tone. “I stood at the entrance for a long time searching, and then I really saw you.”

“I’m so happy.”

Qin Xiaoxiao’s lip twitched. She struggled to deny it: “No… you’re mistaken. I didn’t invite you.”

Xiang Liwei’s smile faltered slightly.

Satisfied with the reaction, Qin Xiaoxiao said heartlessly, “You can leave now. You’re sitting in my friend’s seat.”

Friend? Xiang Liwei knitted her brows, a sour feeling rising in her heart. Like a stubborn rogue, she insisted, “I won’t.”

“Security!” Qin Xiaoxiao gave up on talking and turned to call for help. “Get her out of here.”

“No need!” Xiang Liwei stood up abruptly.

They had finally reunited, yet the person she loved didn’t care for her feelings at all, telling her to “get lost” without a second thought. She didn’t feel happy. She felt exhilarated.

“I’ll leave on my own,” the girl said obediently, lowering her head.

She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would lose control and scare the other woman away. She had that much self-awareness—no one liked her when she was in her “delirious” state. Though she didn’t need anyone else to like her, she feared Qin Xiaoxiao would start avoiding her on purpose.

Qin Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief. But the next second, as the female lead headed for the door, she suddenly blurted out, “Where are you going?”

Xiang Liwei looked back, her eyes watery. She squeezed out two words: “Going home.”

“You can’t go back,” Qin Xiaoxiao said.

“Why?”

Qin Xiaoxiao was caught in a dilemma. She couldn’t let the female lead leave, or the plot would end before it even began. But if she stayed, the girl would surely cling to her.

After a moment’s thought, she found no better solution. Qin Xiaoxiao could only say, “Hmph. If I say don’t go, then don’t go. There’s no ‘why’.”

Her tone was fierce and laced with impatience. Then, as if remembering something, she asked, “What about you? Why go home so soon? Didn’t someone invite you here?”

Xiang Liwei stated simply, “If the person looking for me isn’t you, then there’s no necessity for me to meet them.”

Qin Xiaoxiao was stunned, her mind in a whirl. “Based on what you said, that person has news about your parents. Don’t you want to know?”

“Mm… I am a little concerned.” Xiang Liwei pondered for a moment before looking up optimistically. “But it doesn’t matter. I’ll find out eventually.”

“Oh, eventually? Were you an orphan since you were a kid? Tsk tsk, life must have been miserable.” While stalling for time, Qin Xiaoxiao checked her phone. It was 19:47, seventy-three minutes left until the plot point.

Persistence is victory. Once the time arrived, she would force the alcohol on the female lead.

Beside her, Xiang Liwei seemed indifferent to having her wounds poked. She said honestly, “Yes, I grew up in an orphanage. It wasn’t good. I only had one meal a day and had to work under the sun.”

The girl seemed to have opened up. “I’m lucky to have survived. But,” she added, not forgetting to express her devotion, “my greatest luck was meeting you.”

Hearing this, Qin Xiaoxiao felt incredibly miserable. If she could turn back time, she would never have accepted this world’s mission. She had chosen this entertainment industry world because she thought the tasks—finding fault, face-slapping, and seeking death—would be easy.

Who would have thought that under the female lead’s innocent exterior lay such a ferocious nature? Dealing with her was exhausting.

Hello, Masochist. Goodbye, Masochist.

Qin Xiaoxiao decided that in future missions, she would steer clear of anyone with the “Masochist” attribute. If it was hidden, she’d be out of luck, but that was unlikely. She sighed inwardly.

Looking at the girl standing obediently before her, Qin Xiaoxiao decided to fill the silence with her “vicious” persona: “That’s a pity. Why were you the lucky one to survive? Did the others die?”

“They starved to death,” Xiang Liwei said. “Whenever I felt I couldn’t go on, I would think of food, of surviving to see my parents… Whenever I thought that, the director would appear and give me something delicious.”

She laughed mockingly. “It seems… everything I want, I eventually get.”

Except for you. Xiang Liwei stared at her with a trace of resentment. Why are you the only exception?

Unaware of being coveted, Qin Xiaoxiao processed the information. In a novel world, all resources gravitate toward the female lead. This was especially true in this low-level world. Xiang Liwei’s “wish-fulfillment” was proof. Depending on the strength of her will, she could slightly alter the trajectories of others or even influence their thoughts.

For example, if the female lead wanted to be popular, people around her would start liking her. If she was determined to reach a goal, the path would smooth itself out. No wonder she didn’t care about the news of her parents; with her “Mary Sue” halo, she would find out sooner or later.

However, as a “Transmigrator,” Qin Xiaoxiao believed she was immune to the female lead’s “cheat” abilities. She felt a bit better.

“Why are you so obsessed with finding your parents?” Qin Xiaoxiao asked, intentionally trying to hurt her. “What if they had another child after abandoning you? They’re probably living a happy life and forgot you long ago. If you barge in, they might not accept you; they might even blame you. You’d just be humiliating yourself. Oh, I forgot, you have a penchant for suffering. You’d probably be happy being abandoned a second time, wouldn’t you?”

As expected, Xiang Liwei nodded. “I know they might not want to see me,” the girl said stubbornly, her eyes dimming in a way that would make anyone else pity her.

Then her voice turned chillingly dark, making the air feel like an ice cellar. “But… after finding them… the act of abandoning me shouldn’t be something that can be resolved with just two stabs, right?”

Xiang Liwei pouted, looking genuinely conflicted over how many times she should stab them.

The first few sentences sounded normal, but the last one nearly made Qin Xiaoxiao hit the floor. Searching for ten years just to stab them two or three times? What kind of deep-seated obsession was this?

Qin Xiaoxiao questioned her worldview once again. She thought the female lead only became abnormal after meeting her, but it turned out she had been “dark-hearted” since childhood!

Recalling the original plot now felt like a horror story. No wonder the reunion with the parents was never detailed in the book.

Mommy, this isn’t a sweet romance novel. This is a record of a psychiatric horror! Qin Xiaoxiao wanted to go home.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Under the fluorescent green light, Xiang Liwei’s face held a harmless smile, but she felt more dangerous than a wild beast.

“Rest assured~ You are the only one I will never let be harmed. No one shall touch a single hair on your head,” the girl said seriously. She stepped closer, her skirt fluttering to reveal pale, translucent legs. “Including me.”

“I hate those who betray you, those who hurt you, and anyone who gets close to you besides me. And those I hate, I will make them disappear from this world forever.”

Her voice was low and heavy, like a giant stone pressing on one’s chest. Qin Xiaoxiao marveled at the “privilege” of being a female lead. Her head ached. She forced herself to remain calm and retorted, “I have a suggestion for you.”

Xiang Liwei stood straight. “Mm-hmm?”

“First, you need to see a psychiatrist to treat your Antisocial Personality Disorder. Second, control yourself. Stop acting crazy and having ‘middle-schooler’ delusions in front of me.”

Xiang Liwei shook her head. “I won’t.”

“And don’t stand so close to me.”

“I won’t.”

“…What exactly do you want?”

“I want to be humiliated by you on a bed,” Xiang Liwei paused, her face full of anticipation.

Qin Xiaoxiao turned her head away. I shouldn’t have asked. She’s beyond saving.

“Wait, why on a bed?” she asked one final question.

Xiang Liwei answered, “Because a bed is comfortable. It’s suitable for doing things that make people happy.”

“…” Humiliation makes you happy? Qin Xiaoxiao covered her face. Definitely shouldn’t have asked.

The atmosphere fell into silence. Since Qin Xiaoxiao wouldn’t let her sit in the “friend’s” seat, Xiang Liwei brought over a chair from elsewhere and sat quietly by her side, staring at her profile.

To the girl, they hadn’t met for sixty-eight days—which felt like two hundred and four autumns, or a hundred and fifty years. During those countless lonely nights, only Qin Xiaoxiao’s photos provided comfort. Now that they were together, she noticed the woman had grown thinner, but she was still as beautiful as ever.

After what felt like a century, 9:00 PM finally arrived. Qin Xiaoxiao asked the waiter for a glass. She then whispered an order for him to bring the bar owner back immediately.

Then, she filled the glass. Through the transparent glass, the pale red liquid was clearly visible. It emitted a tempting lemon fragrance. Qin Xiaoxiao held her breath to avoid inhaling any of the aphrodisiac.

“This drink is on me,” Qin Xiaoxiao said, handing it to her.

She had given up on finding a logical excuse. She realized that no matter what she said, the female lead would believe her without suspicion. In Xiang Liwei’s mind, this was a rare display of intimacy.

“For… me?” Xiang Liwei was overwhelmed. Her gloomy eyes sparkled, the perpetual haze clearing to reveal a starlit gaze. At this moment, with tears in her eyes, she looked like an ordinary girl receiving a kindness, not a dangerous person who spoke of stabbing people.

“Can I really have it?…” she whispered to herself.

“You can refuse it if you want.” Seeing her so naive, Qin Xiaoxiao felt a pang of guilt. She wavered and began to withdraw her hand. Maybe she doesn’t need to take the drug. I’ll just have the thugs surround her, the male lead will save her, and everything will be fine. She believed the male lead’s charm would be enough to win her over without such underhanded methods.

Seeing the glass move away, Xiang Liwei reacted instantly. She wiped her tears and snatched the glass, her face filled with emotion. “I want it!”

“This is the first gift you’ve ever given me,” Xiang Liwei said, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “I’ll lick it clean, down to the last drop.”

The girl brought the glass to her lips so quickly that there was no chance to stop her.

“Suit yourself.” Qin Xiaoxiao looked away, suppressing her guilt. She anxiously scanned the entrance for the bar owner. The contact info for the thugs was with him; he couldn’t fail her now.

Lost in thought and parched from talking to the female lead for so long, Qin Xiaoxiao reflexively picked up a bottle from the bar and took a swig.

Her beautiful eyes widened.

—It tasted like fruit wine.