After Being Forced to Take the Role of the Scumbag Protagonist - Chapter 1

“Xu Ying, let’s break up.”

Outside the main gate of the Film Academy, the road was a swarm of people. The sweltering heat had sucked the last bit of moisture from the air, leaving everyone drenched in sweat. Pedestrians wiped their brows incessantly, their faces flushed with a mix of exhaustion and irritation.

A car horn blared, kicks of dust and grime swirling up from the asphalt. Passersby covered their noses and ducked toward the sidewalk, muttering curses that blended with the relentless drone of cicadas. The sun showed no mercy, baking the leaves at the campus edge until they curled and turned yellow. It felt as though everyone was standing on the rim of a volcano, eyes squinting against the glare.

But amidst the stifling heat, a man’s voice drifted through the air. It was crisp, cool, and as clear as a mountain spring. It sounded like ice cracking against a glass in the height of summer, a sound so refreshing it forced people to turn their heads.

“Xu Ying, let’s break up.”

As an Alpha, Wu Yunzhi held a natural physical advantage. He stood tall, looking down at the man before him. He was draped in designer labels that looked as if they had been molded to his frame; the soft fabric and exquisite tailoring accentuated his refined, handsome features. But the words he spoke lacked the melody of his voice. They were piercingly cold, devoid of any warmth or emotion.

“Stop clinging to me.”

“…Why?” Xu Ying, an Omega, looked deathly pale. His sweat had turned cold. Despite the blistering summer heat, he began to tremble, hugging his arms as if he were freezing—or perhaps, simply drowning in despair. “Yunzhi, why do we have to break up?”

His voice cracked. “What did I do wrong…?”

“Why?” Wu Yunzhi let out a short, mocking laugh, as if he’d just heard the funniest joke in the world. A moment later, his face returned to its usual mask of indifference. His moods shifted with a terrifying, heartless speed.

“You’ve done plenty wrong, but for the sake of the two or three years we spent together, I won’t list them.”

When it came to Wu Yunzhi, Xu Ying was tragically naive. He didn’t catch the performative cruelty in the other man’s tone. Instead, like a drowning man clutching at a straw, he lunged forward and grabbed Wu Yunzhi’s arm.

“Tell me,” Xu Ying pleaded, his eyes bloodshot. “Tell me what it is, and I’ll change. I promise I’ll change! Please… don’t break up with me…”

Wu Yunzhi’s arm was being squeezed tight enough to hurt. He tried to pull away, but Xu Ying was possessed by a sudden, desperate strength. He couldn’t shake him off.

“…”

Looking at the man who was a hair’s breadth away from kneeling and begging, Wu Yunzhi let out a practiced, theatrical sigh.

“You really want to know?”

“I do.” Xu Ying nodded frantically. “Please, Yunzhi, just tell me.”

“Let go of me first,” Wu Yunzhi said, his voice laced with feigned impatience.

The redness in Xu Ying’s eyes deepened, but he had always been obedient during their relationship. The only thing he had ever fought Wu Yunzhi on was this breakup.

After a moment of hesitation, he let go, but his gaze remained locked on Wu Yunzhi with a terrifying, obsessive focus. “I’ll listen to you. I’ll do whatever you say…”

Wu Yunzhi rubbed his sore wrist. He looked at Xu Ying, who was clearly on the verge of a mental breakdown, and sighed again with mock pity. “I didn’t want to break up with you either, A-Ying.”

Xu Ying’s eyes lit up with a flicker of hope. “Is someone forcing you…?”

“But the truth is, you’re just too poor.” Wu Yunzhi pivoted instantly into a cruel script, aimining directly for Xu Ying’s insecurities. “Your monthly allowance isn’t even ten thousand yuan. It’s pathetic. Every time we went out, I was too embarrassed to go to high-end restaurants just to spare your pride, so you wouldn’t have to struggle with the bill. And besides, you’re just an illegitimate son. You’ll never inherit the family’s core business.”

Wu Yunzhi shook his head. “I don’t see a future with you. So, for your sake and mine, it’s over.”

“Also, you’re a junior now. You’ll be acting once you graduate. Having our relationship go public wouldn’t be good for your career. So, for the record, we never dated.”

Without another glance at the stunned Xu Ying, Wu Yunzhi turned and walked away.

He didn’t see Xu Ying sobbing or how the man was clenching his fists so hard his palms were becoming a bloody mess. Wu Yunzhi walked a few dozen meters, took a phone call, and climbed into a red sports car, a luxury vehicle worth ten times more than everything Wu Yunzhi owned.

“Did you just go see my brother?”

Xu Congrong took off his sunglasses, looking down his nose at Wu Yunzhi with visible displeasure. “What were you doing with him? You know I can’t stand him.”

“I know.”

Compared to his cute, delicate appearance, Xu Congrong’s tone was incredibly abrasive. Wu Yunzhi didn’t look at him. Instead, he crossed his legs and leaned back, pressing his fingers to his temple. “But he was a regular client of mine once. I had to provide some ‘after-sales service,’ didn’t I?”

The sheer audacity of the comment seemed to sicken Xu Congrong. He shuddered in disgust. “Don’t ever mention your past life in front of me or anyone else again.”

Xu Congrong’s voice was sharp with command. “We’re getting engaged soon. You stay home and behave. Get everything ready for the ceremony, understood?”

“Understood.”

Despite having successfully latched onto Xu Congrong, the legitimate eldest son of the Xu family, Wu Yunzhi’s face showed no sign of flattery. Instead, hidden from both Xu brothers, a flicker of deep exhaustion crossed his features.

****

After being dropped off at his apartment, Wu Yunzhi began looking over the engagement venue, suits, decorations, and gift bags. He scrolled through the options carelessly, showing zero excitement or genuine effort. It was the bare minimum.

In between browsing, several notifications popped up. Transfers of 50,000 and 80,000 yuan. All from Xu Congrong.

To Xu Congrong, these sums were pocket change, but they were supposed to be enough to make Wu Yunzhi feel “grateful.” Yet, Wu Yunzhi looked at the messages with total indifference. His expression was even colder than it had been in the car; he clearly didn’t give a damn about the money.

He lay back on the bed with his iPad and logged into WeChat. Instantly, a barrage of messages flooded in. Wu Yunzhi narrowed his eyes and sat up.

He clicked the chat. There were over a dozen messages, all from Xu Ying. He read every single one, word for word. The central theme was simple: Please don’t leave me.

As expected.

Wu Yunzhi’s eyes darkened. His thumb brushed over Xu Ying’s profile picture, and for a fleeting second, his gaze softened. He started typing a reply, his fingers hovering over the screen as he tried to craft a gentle, honest rejection.

But as soon as the words were entered into the text box, the iPad screen went black. Seconds later, a giant golden triangle flashed onto the screen, with a pulsing red exclamation mark in the center.

[WARNING! WARNING!]

[Action does not match Character Persona!]

[Please adhere to the script!]

Wu Yunzhi watched the words scroll across his vision like a neon LED sign. It lasted for several minutes before vanishing. By the time the iPad was functional again, the sudden alert had drained his patience.

When the chat reappeared, his drafted message was gone.

The warning loomed in the back of his mind. Steeling his heart, he replaced his previous words with a cold interrogation:

“Didn’t I tell you not to contact me?”

“I said it’s over. I never look back. I thought you were the obedient type, but it looks like my words go in one ear and out the other.”

There was a long silence from Xu Ying’s side. Wu Yunzhi watched the “User is typing…” bubble appear and disappear repeatedly. Finally, a few lines of text popped up, cautious and small:

“Yunzhi, I know I don’t have money right now. But I swear, I’ll go to the film sets tomorrow to find work. I’ll make money to take care of you, okay?”

“Once I have money, I’ll take you to those fancy restaurants, I promise.”

Seeing those humble, desperate words, Wu Yunzhi took a deep breath, unable to compose himself for a moment. He had to keep playing the role of the heartless villain. He typed back:

“Forget it. The money you make as an extra isn’t even worth one night of my tips.”

“Do you really think I want to spend my life eating cheap lunch boxes with you on set?”

“Xu Ying, you can’t give me what I want.”

“…Then just wait a few years, okay? Just a few years,” Xu Ying pleaded. It was heartbreakingly pathetic. “By then, I’ll give you the life you want.”

“…”

A string of ellipses ran through Wu Yunzhi’s mind. He clutched his chest, taking deep breaths just to keep from passing out from the guilt.

“No need.”

He delivered the final blow: “I’m with your brother now. We’re getting engaged.”

“…”

This time, the silence was even longer. The typing bubble didn’t even appear.

According to his “Persona,” Wu Yunzhi should have blocked him immediately to show his ruthlessness. But he didn’t. He waited ten minutes. He did nothing but stare at the screen, waiting for a reply.

Finally, when his legs were starting to go numb, a single message arrived:

“…But we’ve been broken up for less than 24 hours.”

Wu Yunzhi wanted to snap back with “So what?”, but the system warning flashed again, reminding him to stay on script. He hesitated until the final second of the system’s countdown before finally hitting the “Block” button.

“…”

Looking at the empty chat screen, Wu Yunzhi stared blankly for a moment. Then, he collapsed back onto the bed, hands folded over his stomach. He stared at the ceiling with dead eyes, his soul practically leaving his body.

God dammit. Being a scumbag is exhausting.

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