Disguised as a Heartthrob [Transmigration] - Chapter 5

[Luo Xizhi, I have formed a contract with you. You may deal with those sinful souls in your own way. However, if you harm the innocent, I will revoke your authority.]

And this black cat plushie was none other than Luo Xizhi in disguise. As for the true villain system, it had already been devoured by Luo Xizhi over the past few days. She was both the system itself and the so-called female lead of this world Luo Xizhi.

‘Why is she a good person?’

Luo Xizhi felt deeply disappointed as she looked at the person currently playing the role of Hua Lian. Before this, she had encountered many ‘Hua Lians,’ even men who had become Hua Lian and gotten this close to her. Although each player was called Hua Lian, they all looked completely different. The one before her now had the appearance that most closely matched Hua Lian’s, but her personality was vastly different. She seemed utterly terrified of social interaction. If Luo Xizhi managed to lure her in within these five days, then her end would not be far off.

Of course, the manner of that end varied. If Luo Xizhi simply caused her direct death, that would already be an act of mercy. Those wicked individuals would have their souls scattered upon death, and the will of Heaven meant that hell was too crowded, so a batch of evil souls was being sent for Luo Xizhi to handle.

‘However, no matter how pure a soul may be, it can still fall into corruption. It won’t be too late to deal with it then. After all, I have nothing but time.’

Looking at Hua Lian, who was still clinging to her and acting coquettishly, Luo Xizhi’s tail stopped tapping the ground and began swaying leisurely instead. Her blood-red eyes also faded, transforming into a soft golden hue.

“Little Black, why did I end up in such a terrifying world!”

Hua Lian’s rambling continued. Luo Xizhi snapped out of her daze, suddenly realizing she had been given a name.

“Little Black?”

“You’re a black cat, so of course you’re called Little Black.”

“…”

Luo Xizhi was left speechless. She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she last encountered a genuine child. The other’s innocent gaze, so different from her own bewitching appearance, was fixed upon her. Novels often liked to describe someone as both pure and seductive that probably described the Hua Lian before her now. In fact, Luo Xizhi suspected that perhaps the Heavenly Dao of other worlds held a stereotypical impression of Hua Lian’s appearance, which was why they had dragged her here.

“Don’t like it? Then how about Xuan Mo?”

“Wu Yun?”

“Xian Die?”

That little mouth opened and closed, seemingly with no intention of stopping. The only thing certain was that Hua Lian was clearly someone who adored cats.

“Just call me Little Black.” After all, you won’t be calling it for much longer before you die.

Luo Xizhi kept the latter half of that sentence to herself. Even though every name suggested was lovely, truly naming something would create a bond, and Luo Xizhi detested emotions most of all to her, they were the most repulsive thing in the world.

“Okay, Little Black. So… why exactly am I here? Am I supposed to save Luo Xizhi?”

Hearing her own name spoken by Hua Lian, Luo Xizhi’s heart gave a sudden jolt, and she looked at the other with some surprise.

“Hmm? They didn’t even tell you that? The system training in your world is really subpar, isn’t it?”

“No, our mission is not to save Luo Xizhi.” Meeting those innocent eyes, an inexplicable urge to destroy welled up in Luo Xizhi. She despised the purity in those eyes and wanted to snuff out the light within. Moreover, she happened to be unsure how to deal with this actress playing Hua Lian. Now, Hua Lian’s reminder gave Luo Xizhi the answer.

“That is Wait, I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Yes, your mission is to play the role of ‘Hua Lian’ and lead the female protagonist to corruption.” Luo Xizhi assigned the task she had just thought of, believing that as long as Hua Lian came into contact with her, her downfall would be inevitable. That way, she could justifiably remove Hua Lian from the scene.

After hearing this, Hua Lian, who had been chattering nonstop, fell silent. Her expression was as if she had just heard the end of the world.

“No… I can’t do it.”

Seeing Hua Lian’s feigned refusal, Luo Xizhi understood that this kindness was only temporary. Once she took a step into the abyss, she would never be able to escape.

“It’s fine. As long as you complete your mission and lead the female protagonist to corruption… you can return to your original world and receive a reward of one hundred million.”

As Luo Xizhi spoke these tempting words, she saw Hua Lian’s eyes light up. Faced with the lure of money, no normal person could resist. But in an instant, Hua Lian seemed to remember something and leaned closer to Luo Xizhi.

“…”

Although what Hua Lian saw and felt were reflections of desire, the person before her was indeed Luo Xizhi. Hua Lian’s position was unfortunately just right, rubbing against a private area, making Luo Xizhi want to push her away but ultimately restraining herself.

“Still, I can’t… Luo Xizhi is too pitiful.”

Hua Lian still called her Luo Xizhi, not the female protagonist. The three words made Luo Xizhi’s heart itch, unable to understand why Hua Lian always emphasized the name rather than a title. Her irritation grew, and the tail that had just stopped now tapped impatiently against the ground, betraying her current emotions.

“Little Black, don’t be angry. You don’t know how pitiful Luo Xizhi is… From what I understand, this is the darkest po novel in history, tormenting the female protagonist from start to finish, yet the content is so realistic… I even suspect I died because I was too distressed reading it.” Hua Lian explained why she would read such a dark book, as there were too many Luo Xizhis in this world who ended their lives in sorrow.

“What does ‘po’ mean?” Luo Xizhi asked, full of confusion, only to see Hua Lian blush and shyly reply, “It’s a novel for adults.” The answer was self-evident at that moment. Luo Xizhi gave Hua Lian another look, curious how someone with her temperament could read such novels and end up in a world not her own because of a book.

‘Or perhaps I’ve overlooked something? Could she actually be the worst of them all?’

Luo Xizhi’s gaze swept over Hua Lian, who grew even more embarrassed and awkwardly explained, “Human affairs are complicated. It’s better for a little kitten not to understand.” The explanation was as dismissive as if she were placating a three-year-old child, but Hua Lian’s face grew even redder as she spoke.

“Whatever the reason, the mission must still be completed… unless you want to die right now.” Unfortunately, none of this had any effect on Luo Xizhi. She bared her claws again, intimidating Hua Lian.

Hua Lian did not retreat, seeming to hesitate for a moment before finally making a choice. “Then I’d rather die.”

Luo Xizhi fell silent. She truly wanted to kill Hua Lian, but the constraints clearly prevented her from doing so. Frustration made her slap the ground repeatedly, never imagining she would encounter such a situation one day. Hua Lian still had her eyes closed, her body trembling. She was clearly terrified of death, yet Luo Xizhi could not deliver that final blow.

The silence was broken by the ringing of a phone. Hua Lian was startled into opening her eyes, fumbling to retrieve her phone. Upon looking, she saw it was a call from someone labeled “Butler.” She frowned, appearing at a loss about the incoming call, her breathing growing rapid. The color that had just returned to her face drained away, leaving her looking utterly dreadful.

“Not going to answer?”

“Aren’t I about to die anyway? Why bother answering the phone?”

Hua Lian’s voice trembled, and so did the hand holding the phone, reminding Luo Xizhi of a condition known as telephonophobia. Patients experience anxiety due to phone rings, even exhibiting physical reactions like trembling hands, sweating, and rapid breathing.

“No rush. It won’t be too late to act after you answer the call.” Luo Xizhi teased maliciously, watching as Hua Lian continued to stare blankly at the caller ID. Only when the ringing finally stopped did she seem to let out a sigh of relief. But in an instant, the phone rang again, this time with a different name Father.

Hua Lian’s expression grew even more grim, her entire body appearing on the verge of collapse. Luo Xizhi had initially thought her unease stemmed from arriving in an unfamiliar world, but now she suddenly realized it was likely due to Hua Lian’s psychological issues. She probably suffered from numerous mental disorders, and exploiting this could allow for intervention to push Hua Lian to the brink. Regardless, this outsider who had crossed worlds had to die.

“Little Black, you really are a demon.” Hua Lian’s face was full of grievance, yet despite saying such words, she snuggled into Luo Xizhi’s embrace. Luo Xizhi had grown numb to Hua Lian’s behavior, observing as only after doing this did Hua Lian muster the courage to press the answer button, uttering a feeble “Hello.” It felt as though Luo Xizhi was Hua Lian’s source of courage, enabling her to make the call.

Luo Xizhi was extremely displeased, but then it occurred to her that since the black cat plushie was Hua Lian’s emotional support, she could make Hua Lian trust her completely and then betray her.

“Father wants me to go for a meal Little Black, will you come with me?”

The call ended at that moment, and Hua Lian looked at Luo Xizhi with hopeful eyes.

“The system doesn’t need to eat and since you don’t provide corruption points, I can’t stay by your side for long.” Luo Xizhi spun one lie after another, watching as Hua Lian’s face filled with reluctance. Yet despite this, her inherent kindness seemed to prevent her from using Luo Xizhi to achieve her goals.

“Go ahead. If you still want to see me, increase physical contact with Luo Xizhi.” Luo Xizhi had no choice but to compromise, though she felt she was sacrificing herself in the process. Still, physical contact was likely the most Hua Lian could accept.

Hua Lian’s eyes lit up, but in an instant, as if recalling something, her gaze dimmed again, and she began to move slowly. After taking a few steps, she remembered the reason she had come to this terrifying place.

“Little Black. I don’t know the way.”

But when she turned around, the enormous black cat plushie behind her had already vanished without a trace. Hua Lian, filled with panic and unease, searched around for a while before giving up. She sat down on a nearby stone bench, as if resigning herself to despair.

Luo Xizhi, however, had not left. She had merely deactivated the system’s disguise and was watching this “useless” transmigrator from the second floor. Honestly, it was the first time she had seen such a strange transmigrator.

‘Even if she’s just a high school sophomore, she shouldn’t be this helpless, right? If she’s lost now, she could just make a phone call, and no one would say anything about it.’ Luo Xizhi’s inner thoughts couldn’t help but multiply, feeling as though Hua Lian harbored a strong aversion to social interactions. It reminded Luo Xizhi of symptoms like autism or social anxiety.

Just as this state of despondency lasted for about five minutes, Luo Xizhi suddenly heard a female voice.

[Walking navigation started. The entire route]

It seemed Hua Lian had found a solution. Judging by her confident expression, Luo Xizhi even began to suspect that Hua Lian’s earlier despair wasn’t due to being unable to find her way but rather because she was mentally preparing herself for social interaction.