Having Played the Villain for Ten Years, I Came Back - Chapter 20

Gu Chi stared unblinkingly at Wen Linyu’s sleeping face, letting out a soft chuckle every now and then. It was a good thing Wen Linyu was asleep; otherwise, he might have suspected the Great Demon King had been possessed.

Perhaps sensing something was off even in his sleep, Wen Linyu’s brow furrowed slightly. Seeing this, Gu Chi immediately reached out and gently smoothed the space between the younger man’s eyebrows. Only when Wen Linyu relaxed did Gu Chi’s own expression soften. At that moment, he felt a clear, sharp pang of tension a sensation he finally recognized for what it was.

How novel, he thought. So, this is what they call love.

To be happy because he is happy; to be grieved because he is grieved.

Gu Chi’s mind drifted back to the comments from those netizens. The ever-competitive Demon King pulled out his phone and clicked on the thread he had started, ready to ruthlessly shut down the trolls who couldn’t stand to see someone else’s success.

The post didn’t have a massive amount of views, but the engagement was high—after all, a “forced love” narrative in the real world was quite a bombshell. Even though it was the early hours of the morning, the internet was crawling with night owls. The latest reply was a “wellness check” on Gu Chi.

User 1: Is the OP mentally ill? No joke, I seriously suggest you see a psychiatrist. Your symptoms look advanced. Early detection, early treatment—there might still be hope.

User 2: @MeowMeowEmotions, OP has definitely never dated before. A normal, healthy relationship is nothing like what you’re describing. If your “little boyfriend” actually likes you, either he’s a ghost or he’s just as sick as you are. You should ask an expert to analyze this for you.

Gu Chi snorted. He wasn’t sick! And his little disciple wasn’t sick either! He began tapping furiously on his screen, claiming he had found proof that Wen Linyu loved him. Passersby who clicked on the thread just laughed, mocking him one after another.

Infuriated, Gu Chi hid certain details and gave a brief summary of his past with Wen Linyu. He expected the netizens to be envious of their “divine romance,” but they only laughed harder.

One reply hit him like a lightning bolt:

“Hahaha, I’m dying. OP, the person he likes is his teacher. What does that have to do with you?”

Gu Chi wanted to argue. How could it not have anything to do with me?! However, as the question echoed in his mind, his smile vanished. Wen Linyu didn’t know that the “He” was “Him”!

User 3: This kind of “operation” is pretty rare.

User 4: No, it’s the “self-sabotage” that’s rare! You had a perfectly good hand; why did you have to play it like this?

User 5: Exactly! If you wanted to punish him, couldn’t you have done it in bed? Why play out this angst trope? [Dogecoin face]

User 6: Bro, the “angsty abuse” trope is so out of style. Though, I’m a sucker for a “crematorium” (regret) arc, keep it coming!

The netizens were just there for the drama; no one offered actual advice. It was logical, why not just reveal your identity? They wondered if his brain had short-circuited or if he’d followed some “genius” advice to make a simple situation so convoluted.

Gu Chi stared blankly at the words: “What does that have to do with you?” Wen Linyu had never known that the person teaching him was the same person standing before him now.

If he liked the teacher… it really seemed like it had nothing to do with the current Gu Chi!

He panicked.

He shifted from lying on his side to sitting bolt upright, his expression anxious. He instinctively went to call for his butler before remembering he had come here alone. He had no one to brainstorm with.

Wait. Gu Chi scrolled back through the replies and found the “expert” someone had mentioned: “Meow Meow Emotions.”

He clicked the link and pulled up a store page with various consultation packages. Regardless of the cost, nothing was more important than this. Gu Chi immediately paid 20,000 yuan for the most expensive tier. The shop responded instantly.

“Hello, dear! What seems to be the problem?” The “expert’s” tone was considerate and gentle.

Gu Chi, in a state of emergency, dumped the entire dilemma onto the expert. After a round of analysis, the expert delivered a verdict:

“Your situation is indeed quite complex.”

“Based on your description, your partner is the sensitive type. When he had no one else, his dependence on you must have been very heavy.”

“However, you reappeared in his life in such a way—which means the person he trusted most lied to him and even coerced him. If it were you, would you be happy?”

“But since things have reached this point, we need to find a solution.”

Gu Chi thought about it. Of course he wouldn’t be happy. He’d be furious. Knowing his disciple’s personality, he would probably feel incredibly wronged.

The teacher he loved had hidden his identity. Not only that, but upon entering his world, he hadn’t come clean; instead, he had threatened and forced him, putting him back into a position of being controlled.

Gu Chi’s pupils dilated. His face was a mask of pure regret.

Damn it! I really am a bastard! Is there a hole in my brain? Why did I do that? How could I have been so heartless?

He felt like slapping himself.

“Gah-hahaha…” Tucked away in Wen Linyu’s mind, the System (998) was finally witnessing the scene it had been waiting for. It was laughing so hard it nearly glitched. The funniest part was that this Great Demon King was actually paying a “stupidity tax” by seeking help from a fake expert.

Sure enough, when Gu Chi asked for a solution, the expert threw a bunch of professional jargon at him to keep him dazed before concluding: “I don’t recommend revealing the truth immediately. You should start by changing your behavior to improve your image in his eyes. When the time is right, you can explain and offer a sincere apology.”

Gu Chi looked at the message, half-convinced. Is that how it works?

998 was dying of laughter. Experts like this didn’t care about solving problems; they cared about milking money. They were masters at overcomplicating simple things. If they gave a solution right away, how could they sell more courses? It was all about “sustainable development.”

The next morning, Wen Linyu looked like he had seen a ghost. Gu Chi was standing there in an apron, holding a plate of some unidentifiable black, mushy substance.

Wen Linyu couldn’t help but ask, “Are you… okay?”

The Great Demon King was cooking for him in the morning? This was surreal. More importantly, was the stuff on that plate even edible?

Gu Chi’s expression wasn’t great either. He was a bit grumpy. He hadn’t expected that making a simple dish would be so difficult. He had tried several times but couldn’t make it look like the videos. However, remembering the expert’s words—it doesn’t matter if it tastes good, as long as he sees your heart, you’ve succeeded halfway—he brought it out anyway.

Then, he watched as Wen Linyu used a finger to push the plate far away with an expression of pure disgust.

“It’s early morning,” Wen Linyu said. “Stop acting crazy.”

“Gah-hahaha-snort…” 998 let out a sound that was a mix between a goose honk and a pig snort. This was too much. Gu Chi in the Kitchen—hahaha!

Wen Linyu didn’t know what was wrong with Gu Chi today, but he noticed that even after being insulted, Gu Chi didn’t explode. Instead, his eyes were filled with disappointment and a flicker of anger—but the anger didn’t seem directed at Wen Linyu. Did Gu Chi know anyone else in this world?

He set the matter aside for now; he had things to do today.

Upon learning Wen Linyu was going out, Gu Chi “considerately” stated that he would stay home and wait, rather than tag along.

The expert had said: Give your partner space. Being too clingy and possessive will make the other person feel suffocated.

Gu Chi, who desperately wanted to stick to his disciple like glue:

Making that decision was like pulling teeth.

This time, Wen Linyu didn’t give him a weird look. With Gu Chi’s abilities, he knew he couldn’t run away anyway.

After leaving the house, Wen Linyu first headed to the Wu family’s residence. The Wu family had a house in City A; Wen Linyu had been there twice before. It was a new house, and he had only gone there to deliver things for them. He wasn’t “worthy” of living there.

Thinking of the past, Wen Linyu let out a soft, cold laugh. Following his memory to the Wu family’s door, he found the entrance covered in scratches and filth. There were dents shaped like heads and gashes from an axe. The door no longer served its purpose; one could enter with a light tug.

The inside was no better than the door. Trash and clutter were everywhere. Clothes, shoes, socks, and even two patches of unidentified liquid on the floor created a sickening stench.

Wen Linyu covered his nose. He didn’t plan on going in. It was too filthy.

A neighbor heard the noise and cracked their door open. Seeing Wen Linyu, they asked, “Young man, are you here to collect a debt too?”

Wen Linyu thought for a moment and nodded with a smile. “Yes. Where is the family?”

“Oh boy!” The middle-aged woman slapped her thigh dramatically and began to gossip.

Wu Shuhao had lost his soul, and his body was weak, making him a perfect vessel. His original consciousness had long been pushed aside or nibbled away by the supernatural entities fighting for control of his body. In twenty-four hours, he might turn into twenty different ghosts.

What kind of ghost would willingly jump into someone else’s body? Certainly not the good kind. They were there to wreak havoc.

A Hungry Ghost would cram everything in the house into his mouth, nearly biting off his mother’s hand in the process. Rumor had it a large chunk of flesh was bitten off, and “Wu Shuhao” swallowed it raw before anyone could snatch it away. The neighbors who saw it were traumatized.

The Lustful Ghost was even more disgusting, pouncing on any woman he saw. He got beaten up when he tried it outside, so the unscrupulous Wu couple tried to trick a young female relative from their hometown into the house. Fortunately, the girl was a fierce fighter; she beat Wu Shuhao to a pulp on the spot and called the police, leading to the whole family being hauled away.

Then came the Gambling Ghost. As soon as “Wu Shuhao” was released from detention, he gambled away every cent of the family’s savings, leaving only the house.

But even that wouldn’t last.

The latest “tenant” in his body was a Violent Ghost. He took an axe and chopped off both of Wu Shuhao’s father’s legs, mincing them so badly they couldn’t be surgically reattached. He nearly killed the mother too. Only the quick arrival of the police had saved her.

After that ordeal, everyone in the neighborhood avoided the Wu family like the plague. Now, Wu Shuhao was in a psychiatric hospital, and the parents were in the hospital. The house sat empty and rotting.

“They really brought it on themselves,” the neighbor continued. “Even in the hospital, they won’t quit.”

“There’s more?” Wen Linyu hadn’t expected so much to happen before he even officially faced them. This was a pleasant surprise.

“Hmph! That woman has a wicked heart! She found some way to scatter ‘Red Envelopes’ around the neighborhood—the kind used to ‘borrow’ life spans!” The woman’s expression was full of hatred. “They put ten or twenty yuan in them. If someone picks it up and spends it, their life is ‘borrowed’ by the Wu family.”

The couple was clever. If they put hundreds of yuan, someone might turn it in. But ten or twenty? People just spend that on snacks or milk tea without thinking. It was a low-cost, high-reward scheme.

“I don’t know if it actually works, but the intent is disgusting!” The woman was fuming. Her grandson had picked one up, but thankfully they had taught him well, so he didn’t spend it. Otherwise, she would have fought the Wu woman to the death. “I only opened the door because I heard a noise and didn’t want anyone else getting scammed. If you’re looking for them, try the First General Hospital. If they aren’t there, they’ve gone back to their hometown.”

Wen Linyu thanked her and left.

Birds of a feather, he thought. One person swaps souls, the others borrow life.

He arrived at the hospital and found the couple easily. Even in their current state, the “foster mother” had a booming voice, and her mouth was a fountain of profanity, cursing heaven and earth.

She was currently screaming about the neighbors who had exposed the red envelope scam in the community group chat. She and her husband were in terrible health, their savings were gone, the husband had no legs, and she was covered in wounds. She was terrified of dying. She felt the shadow of death looming and desperately wanted to live, yet these people were “ruining” her chance.

“How long did I have to press the call button before you showed up?” she barked as someone entered the room.

When she realized the person wasn’t wearing a white coat, she squinted, and then her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

“You… Wen Linyu?” She could hardly believe it. Had she not raised him for over a decade, she wouldn’t have recognized this person.

Wen Linyu stopped two meters away, covering his nose in distaste. He looked at her coldly. “It’s me.”

“You little brat!” Once she was sure, her face twisted into a snarl. “It’s all your fault! Why wasn’t it you that night? Why our son? Why aren’t you the one possessed by demons?”

Wen Linyu seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. He smiled. “Are you still wondering why it wasn’t me?”

The woman froze, looking him up and down with suspicion and fear.

Wen Linyu nodded as if answering her unasked question. “That’s right. It was me. I’m the one who threw Wu Shuhao’s soul to the ghosts. What are you going to do about it?”

“You… you…” The woman was paralyzed with shock and terror. Having suffered so much, she understood that anyone with such power was not to be trifled with. But Wen Linyu had been under her thumb for over ten years, when did he have the chance to learn such things?

What are you going to do about it?

She couldn’t do a thing. She wanted to scream about what he had done, but who would believe her? Everyone thought the family had some hereditary madness. If she screamed, she’d just be sent to the asylum. Her son was ruined, but she still wanted to live.

“Don’t worry, I’m definitely going to do the thing you fear most,” Wen Linyu’s smile widened, mirroring the way she used to smile when she abused him.

Back then, she would always say, “What can you do about it? Even your real parents don’t want you!” Now, he was simply returning the sentiment.

“No… please…” She tried to retreat, but the hospital bed was small, and there was nowhere to go but the wall.

“Who taught you the red envelope trick?”

Thinking she might be spared if she talked, she blurted out an address and added that it was Wen Linyu’s biological mother who had introduced her to the person.

The moment she finished, Wen Linyu moved.

A villain doesn’t need to keep his word. Besides, he never promised he wouldn’t act if she told him.

He didn’t need to get close. To any observer or the security cameras, he simply stood there for a few minutes, spoke a few words, and briefly raised his hand.

He followed the same “procedure” for the father.

Having settled that, Wen Linyu headed home. On the way, he passed a supermarket. He thought of Gu Chi cooking for him that morning.

He sat in the taxi for a long time. The driver grew impatient. “Kid, are you getting out or what? Staying parked like this is going to cost”

Before he could finish, a stack of cash appeared in his peripheral vision.

The driver: “…Understood. Please, take your time. Stay as long as you like.”

Wen Linyu pulled out his tucked-away memories. His hands absently braided a piece of decorative ribbon the driver had in the car. Seeing this, the driver pulled out a whole drawer of ribbons and handed them to him.

During that first year, his teacher had taught him how to have a “self.” At that time, he started with the simplest things: which restaurant, which dish, which ingredient he liked.

He had listened and tried everything until he formed his own preferences.

Perhaps that was when he started falling for his teacher. He remembered exactly what the teacher said when he ate certain foods.

“You actually like mushrooms? Don’t you think the smell is weird?”

“Is Houttuynia (Fish Mint) even food for humans?”

“What’s wrong with green onions and cilantro? Why aren’t you eating them?”

“Coffee is indeed bitter and gross. I don’t get why people like it. Why don’t they just drink Chinese medicine then?”

Back then, Wen Linyu hadn’t asked about the teacher’s preferences, but between the lines, the teacher had revealed everything.

He remembered it all. He sat in the car so long only because he was hesitating—should he test him?

If he tested him, then what? If he was the teacher, what would he do? If he wasn’t, what then?

Finally, Wen Linyu took a deep breath, got out of the car, and entered the supermarket. He bought everything the teacher loved—and everything he hated.

When he got home, the Wen parents were acting stiff and fake, just like the day before. Wen Linyu ignored them, had the butler take the groceries to the kitchen, and specifically instructed the chefs to prepare all these dishes for dinner.

The kitchen staff didn’t dare gossip anymore. After the “outsider” had nearly blown up the kitchen that morning, they were terrified. They couldn’t stop the man from cooking since he was the one sleeping in the eldest young master’s room. Though they had mocked his failure internally, they kept their mouths shut.

“You’re back?” Gu Chi sensed Wen Linyu’s arrival and came downstairs, sporting a “gentle” smile.

Wen Linyu’s eye twitched. Still not back to normal? Does he not realize how creepy that smile is?

Setting a small braided bird he’d made in the car on the table, Wen Linyu offered a short “Mm.” Instantly, the smile on Gu Chi’s face became much more natural and pleasant to look at.

Wen Linyu went upstairs to change. Gu Chi didn’t follow. He wanted to, but he remembered the expert’s advice about “personal space” and feared that his previous behavior of touching his disciple’s body had already made him repulsive to him.

Left with nothing to do, Gu Chi saw a girl pick up the braided bird Wen Linyu had left on the table.

He was instantly furious. He lunged forward and snatched the colorful bird out of Wen Xi’s hand.

Wen Xi was startled. “What are you doing?”

“Hmph!” Gu Chi snorted. “This is his. Why are you stealing it?”

Wen Xi felt it was ridiculous. “I’m his sister. What’s wrong with looking at it? It’s just a little handicraft. If I ask him, he’d probably just give it to me. Why are you grabbing it?”

Gu Chi was indignant. “He hasn’t even given me anything! Why would he give it to you?”

Wen Xi rolled her eyes. “Don’t believe me? Fine, I’ll ask him when he comes down.”

A moment later, Wen Linyu came down in fresh clothes. Wen Xi was waiting. “Brother, can I have this little bird?”

Wen Linyu was a bit surprised. This sister was a stranger to him, but she harbored no ill will, and this was the first time she had called him “Brother.” The bird was just something he’d made to pass the time.

“If you want it, take it.”

Gu Chi’s eyes widened. The “gentle” persona he had been maintaining since morning shattered instantly.

Wen Linyu: ?

Gu Chi was livid, but he didn’t say anything. He hadn’t cleared his own “debt” yet, so he felt he had no right to get angry, but he was seething. His disciple hadn’t given him a gift! Who does this sister think she is? I stayed with him for ten years!

Dinner time arrived. Gu Chi was still grumpy. Being a powerful entity, he didn’t need to eat, and he had no appetite.

Wen Linyu waited for a while. Seeing that Gu Chi wasn’t moving his chopsticks, a wave of disappointment washed over him. But since he had started the test, he had to see it through.

He said tentatively, “Aren’t you eating? I went out specifically to buy these for you.”

Hearing this, Gu Chi’s anger evaporated. He shot a triumphant look at Wen Xi.

Wen Xi: What a psycho.

But as soon as Gu Chi picked up his chopsticks and looked at the dishes, he frowned. “Why are there so many disgusting things here?”

Wen Linyu didn’t miss a single flicker of Gu Chi’s expression. After a sharp intake of breath, his voice was strained. “I’m sorry. I… must have forgotten.”

Then, his hands trembling slightly, he picked up some food with his chopsticks and placed all of the teacher’s favorite ingredients into Gu Chi’s bowl.

Gu Chi looked satisfied. “That’s more like it!”

He thought to himself: That expert’s class was actually worth the money! My little disciple is finally taking the initiative to serve me food!

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