Disguised as a Heartthrob [Transmigration] - Chapter 3

But as soon as the words left her mouth, Hua Lian felt they were too harsh, unsure if they might have hurt the heroine’s feelings.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, whether from fear or nervousness, but certainly not excitement. As that fragrance washed over her, Hua Lian even felt a wave of nausea. Her head spun dizzily, but with this dangerous presence right before her, she dared not faint.

“Uncle Jin, could you open the window, please?”

Luo Xizhi seemed oblivious to Hua Lian’s obvious fear and called out to the driver again. The silent driver said nothing, quietly pressing the window button to open the one beside Hua Lian.

A cool breeze drifted in. It was only early September, and the weather was still quite warm. Outside, the air carried a mix of gasoline and other unfamiliar scents, but Hua Lian had to admit it felt far more comfortable than the human scent inside.

Seeming to notice Hua Lian’s dislike for her fragrance, Luo Xizhi also opened her own window. Her gaze fixed intently on Hua Lian, as if somewhat wronged, unable to believe what was happening before her eyes.

Guilt rose in Hua Lian’s heart, but she still leaned as close to the window as possible, wishing she could just leap out of the car and escape. To others, Luo Xizhi might be the perfect goddess, but to Hua Lian, she felt more like a flood or a wild beast. Even now, Hua Lian hadn’t taken a good look at what Luo Xizhi actually looked like.

The car moved leisurely along the road, and Hua Lian felt the half-hour journey was unbearably slow. But she was too embarrassed to speak up, so she maintained her defensive posture and waited patiently. Luo Xizhi’s gaze occasionally drifted over, but upon noticing Hua Lian’s reluctance to engage, she closed her eyes to rest. When Hua Lian noticed this, she stole a glance at Luo Xizhi, but at that very moment, Luo Xizhi seemed to sense something and opened her eyes.

Luo Xizhi’s gaze was sharp, like a beast ready to devour its prey. The person before her didn’t resemble the heroine Hua Lian knew from the novel at all she seemed more like a villain who had turned dark and sought to destroy the world.

But as if realizing her gaze was too fierce, that sharpness gradually softened. Luo Xizhi gave Hua Lian a gentle smile, one that sent shivers down Hua Lian’s spine, making her worry that the other might notice her unease.

“Still angry?”

Hua Lian suppressed the confusion showing on her face and tried to respond with an expressionless look. Ideally, she wanted to act like an unapproachable iceberg, avoiding any possibility of social interaction. However, in this world, her face had been crafted too exquisitely even without smiling, she seemed to be teasing others. This forced Hua Lian to abandon that approach quickly, fearing that too drastic a change in personality might make those around her realize she wasn’t the original, universally adored protagonist.

As she spoke, Luo Xizhi’s hand reached over soft and slightly cool, yet to Hua Lian, it felt like a snake coiling around its prey. Hua Lian’s mind went blank, leaving her even more at a loss. Beyond her instinctive aversion to Luo Xizhi, there was also the tangled relationship between Luo Xizhi and Hua Lian from the original plot.

Luo Xizhi is the female lead of a po novel, and everyone who meets her falls hopelessly in love with her. The original host wasn’t jealous of her; like all the other men and women, she was captivated by Luo Xizhi and used her status to harass her in every possible way. In the novel, Luo Xizhi strongly disliked Hua Lian, but because she was now living under someone else’s roof, she was clearly making some sacrifices.

“Please don’t be angry anymore.”

Seeing that Hua Lian wasn’t responding, Luo Xizhi gently took her hand, her tone soft and sticky, like coaxing a lover. If it were the original host, she would probably have taken advantage of the moment to make a move and then push for even more unreasonable demands. But Hua Lian had no such thoughts. She feared people and wished she could spend her whole life only talking to others through a screen.

Hua Lian began thinking about how to pull her hand back and distance herself from Luo Xizhi again when the car in front of them came to a stop. Luo Xizhi subtly withdrew her hand, as if the earlier show of weakness had just been an illusion born from Hua Lian’s excessive fear.

“Welcome home, Miss Hua, Miss Luo.”

Before Hua Lian could even touch the door, the butler, who had been waiting outside, appeared. He wore a formulaic smile, like a mask. But Hua Lian knew this butler was the head of the household and only appeared when Hua Lian’s father returned. Because of this, the original host in the story was always delighted whenever she saw the butler. Hua Lian remembered this so clearly because every time the original host’s father appeared, the original host would act like a grade-schooler, tattling and complaining about Luo Xizhi’s misdeeds to get her way.

‘Why do I have to play such a bad person?’

Hua Lian felt extremely upset, but she also understood why Luo Xizhi had just tried to make peace. She clearly knew the original host’s father had returned and hoped Hua Lian would hold her tongue. But realizing that Luo Xizhi hadn’t noticed her own abnormality, Hua Lian relaxed a little and nodded, following the butler’s lead into the Hua residence.

As one of the four great families, the Hua residence was naturally enormous. Hua Lian slowed her pace, appearing to admire her surroundings while actually trying hard to memorize everything around her. Although she had been in this world for five days, Hua Lian had been afraid of giving herself away and had only wandered near her room. This was her first time going anywhere other than the dining hall.

The interior was sprawling, giving the illusion of a palace. The architecture carried a sense of seriousness and rigidity, and Hua Lian could almost picture what the original host’s father looked like.

Her anxiety grew stronger, especially in the presence of the original host’s relatives, where any abnormality would be more noticeable.

Finally, they reached the living room, and from a distance, she could see a man in a suit. As if hearing the commotion, the man turned to look at Hua Lian.

“Xiao Lian, Xiao Luo, you’re back.”

The man speaking had a refined and scholarly appearance, wearing glasses and looking every bit the intellectual. Seeing his non-threatening face, Hua Lian relaxed slightly and nodded silently.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen my precious girl. Come, sit, sit.” The original host’s father continued smiling and immediately took Hua Lian’s hand. The moment they touched, even though she had mentally prepared herself, Hua Lian felt an intense wave of nausea.

“Sorry, I need to use the restroom.”

Unable to suppress her instinctive disgust, Hua Lian turned and walked away without hesitation. Luo Xizhi seemed to want to follow her, but she was stopped by the original host’s father, who then instructed a maid to check on Hua Lian.

“Young Miss, are you alright? Should I call a doctor?” Hua Lian had indeed vomited inexplicably, as if her body had reacted on its own, reminding her of something.

“I’m fine you can go now.”

“But.”

“Go.”

Hua Lian raised her voice, trying her best to mimic the original host’s demeanor. The maid seemed a little intimidated by her tone and, seeing her insistence, reluctantly retreated.

Finally feeling somewhat better, Hua Lian looked at her pale reflection in the mirror familiar yet strange. Yet, perhaps because this face was now her own, she felt no discomfort. It was as if it were reminding her that even if this was a book, for her now, it was reality. But five days had passed since her arrival, and she had neither encountered the system that was supposed to accompany transmigration nor received any tasks. It felt as if the heavens, displeased with her reclusive lifestyle, had thrown her, a socially anxious introvert, into this world just for fun.

Hua Lian couldn’t help but frown, and her reflection mirrored the expression. Even though she was strikingly beautiful, the thought of the various costs of becoming a universally adored figure quickly made her wash her face, forcing herself to get into the right mindset. She didn’t know why she had transmigrated into this book, but since she was here, she had to find a way to survive first.

With this thought in mind, Hua Lian retraced her steps, only to see Luo Xizhi speaking with the original host’s father on her way back. However, unlike before, the father’s gaze toward Luo Xizhi was utterly repulsive it was not the look one would give a younger family member but rather the expression of a man eyeing a woman.

Yet, in Hua Lian’s memory of this dark novel, the original host’s father was not one of the characters involved with Luo Xizhi.

As Hua Lian pondered this, the distance between them closed further. Just as the man’s hand was about to touch Luo Xizhi, Hua Lian suddenly called out, “Luo Xizhi, come here!”

It was the original host’s tone outwardly polished into a charming, universally adored persona, but at home, an unruly little princess. The father clearly wasn’t pleased; he adjusted his glasses, masking his emotions. Hua Lian didn’t want to see it so clearly, but her gaze was uncontrollable, as if she now understood why such a touch would evoke such disgust. After all, this was a dark and cruel world where no one was normal.

“Young Miss, what is it?”

Luo Xizhi approached at that moment, but Hua Lian was unprepared, frozen in place and unsure of what to do.

“What happened to you? Are you unwell?” Luo Xizhi quickly noticed Hua Lian’s unusual state, though her tone held no concern only urgency.

Luo Xizhi’s situation was clearly dire, with everyone coveting everything about her, surrounded by enemies on all sides. Hua Lian couldn’t fully empathize, but the thought of surviving in a world surrounded by such abnormal people made her feel she would go mad.

“Xiao Lian, you should be careful not to set the air conditioning too low. Don’t catch a chill.”

At that moment, the original host’s father had resumed his hypocritical demeanor, and Hua Lian realized that the kind of evil that couldn’t be seen was the darkest of all. She gave a perfunctory “mm” in response, knowing that the original host wasn’t someone who showed such politeness to her father.

“Young Miss, let’s go rest now.”

Just like that, Hua Lian was pulled away by Luo Xizhi. The contact between their hands still made Hua Lian feel uncomfortable, though not to the point of wanting to vomit. The figure in front of her showed no intention of looking back, only stopping after walking for about five minutes. Only after confirming that no one was around did Luo Xizhi release her hand, freezing in place. This reaction was rather peculiar Hua Lian even suspected that if she weren’t there, Luo Xizhi might have taken out disinfectant wipes to clean her hands. But since Hua Lian was present, it didn’t happen. Luo Xizhi simply thanked her and returned to her usual cold demeanor.