Having Played the Villain for Ten Years, I Came Back - Chapter 4

After the fog finally cleared, Wen Linyu could finally see the path ahead.

After a full day of taking meticulous notes in class and returning home to immediately practice his introductory cultivation techniques, Wen Linyu felt a sense of fulfillment and ease he had never known before.

He savored the feeling. It was a sense of purpose. It turned out he could have such a productive day—no interruptions, no humiliation, and no scolding—just pure focus on learning. It was wonderful.

He craved this feeling, which only made him study even harder.

Gu Chi watched him closely. Occasionally, when Linyu hit a wall in his cultivation, the Demon Lord would offer a pointer or two. Wen Linyu would strive to grasp Gu Chi’s meaning, working tirelessly to get it right. Whenever he succeeded, his eyes would light up with a dazzling brilliance: “Teacher, you’re amazing! Thank you so much!”

Every time he heard that “Teacher” and saw the light in those eyes, Gu Chi couldn’t help but let his lips curl upward. Not bad, he thought. The boy was a bit stiff, but he wasn’t hopelessly stupid. It turned out that molding a disciple was quite entertaining; no wonder so many people enjoyed taking them on.

That evening, Wen Linyu took the initiative to tell the butler that he wanted to eat three meals a day, without fail. Although his tone was still tinged with embarrassment, he had finally spoken up. Gu Chi wasn’t entirely satisfied, but this time, he didn’t scold him.

Progress could not be rushed.

After several days, Wen Linyu finally took his first bite of food. He felt a sting of sheepishness; he really had been quite foolish to starve himself.

Wen Linyu ate very quietly. Even his movements when picking up food were minimal, chewing every bite slowly. Every action looked as though it were constrained by an invisible box, never crossing a certain boundary. Even though his eyes lingered on a dish far across the table several times, he never reached for it with his chopsticks.

Watching this made Gu Chi’s brow knit again. “It’s just you here. Why are you so tense?”

“Just me?” Wen Linyu looked at the butler waiting at a distance and said weakly, “Uncle Butler is here too.”

Gu Chi grew irritated. “Is your reading comprehension failing? You’re the only one sitting at the table.”

Wen Linyu’s grip on his chopsticks tightened. “I’m sorry. I’m just used to it.”

“Let me hear you say ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘Apologies’ one more time and see what happens,” Gu Chi snapped. What was this obsession? The boy had “sorry” on his lips every waking second.

Wen Linyu’s left hand nervously picked at the edge of the table, unsure of what to say to satisfy his teacher.

Gu Chi let out a tsk. “You really are more of a puppet than an actual puppet. Who raised you to be like this?”

Hearing this, Wen Linyu instinctively lowered his head. Just as Gu Chi’s patience was about to run out, he spoke softly: “When I was at home, I wasn’t allowed to make a single sound while eating. The dishes far away from me were always my younger brother’s favorites, so I couldn’t touch them. I had to keep my movements small to minimize my presence. If they noticed me, it would ruin their appetite.”

Whether it was his first home or the one that came after, it was the same. What he didn’t say was that in his first home, making a sound or drawing attention resulted in a beating. In the second home, while the beatings stopped, the atmosphere was even more suffocating.

998 couldn’t hold back and blurted out, “Isn’t that just PUA? No wonder you’re so useless. You were raised to be—”

Before the word “ruined” could leave its beak, the chick was swiped into the air. The airborne 998 cried. Stupid mouth, why did I have to say that! The kid was the Demon Lord’s little disciple now; it wasn’t the system’s place to talk!

Gu Chi was thoroughly annoyed. Looking at Wen Linyu’s pitiful state, he only wished he had a couple of enemies nearby to slaughter to vent his frustration.

“Fine. From now on, eat whatever you want and do whatever you want. No one is allowed to say otherwise! Do you understand?” Then, impatient with the thought of hearing more about being “used to it” or “not daring,” Gu Chi added, “A villain does as he pleases, acting with total abandon. If you stay cowering like a mouse, you’ll never play the part.”

Wen Linyu nodded earnestly. “Teacher, I understand. I will work hard to do it right!”

With that, he picked up his chopsticks properly and reached for the dish furthest away—the one he had been eyeing. It tasted even better than he had imagined.

After that, he tried many things he had never tasted before: tea, coffee, fruit and seafood. His teacher was somewhat overbearing, making him buy a vast assortment and take a sip or a bite of everything just so he could figure out what he actually liked.

Wen Linyu felt it was a waste to throw the rest away, so he ended up eating and drinking it all, once again grateful that Gu Chi’s body could handle the indulgence.

Through this, Wen Linyu discovered that he actually loved crème brûlée, medium-rare steak, and the aroma of a latte (though not the bitterness). He also liked pearl milk tea and cocoa cookies. These were things he had never known about himself before.

Beyond that, what he loved most was the cultivation of this world. He could tangibly feel himself growing stronger by the day. He wondered if these methods would work in his own world; he didn’t need to reach the Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stages even the Qi Refining stage would be enough. At least then, he wouldn’t be like he was the day before he transmigrated.

Back then, someone had slapped him and laughingly said it wasn’t on purpose, asking for forgiveness. He could only respond with a timid “it’s okay” for fear that escalating the conflict would bring a disaster even worse than a slap.

If it were his teacher, such a thing would never happen, right?

Wen Linyu became incredibly busy, making full use of every minute. His teacher helped him with everything he didn’t understand in his online classes, and he finally received his first bit of validation.

Gu Chi remarked that his cultivation speed was “barely acceptable.” Although it was a compliment that hardly sounded like one, it made Wen Linyu soar with joy for a long time.

It was the first time in his life someone had praised him. Having Teacher around was truly wonderful.

Some time later, members of the Xue family came looking for trouble. Because Gu Chi’s personal information was classified, ordinary people only found records stating he was a student with no background, having no idea who he truly was.

998 tried to push him to follow the plot, which involved Gu Chi wiping out the entire Xue family.

This time, Wen Linyu didn’t want to do the mission, but not because he was afraid.

Facing the butler and the others, he gave orders with a blank expression: “I don’t have time. You go handle it.”

“Yes, My Lord!” Those present responded with the utmost respect. Lately, the Boss had been very unpredictable, playing many roles. He had started by acting weak on a whim, and now he had become a block of ice. He was truly impossible to read.

“Your expression is a part of your aura,” Gu Chi had taught him. “If you don’t know what face to make, then make no face at all. Let others speculate on your meaning themselves. You don’t understand ‘wickedness’ yet, but surely you can manage ‘expressionless’?”

Indeed, the poker face was a lesson from his teacher, and the results were remarkably effective. The same applied to speaking—if he was afraid his tone would betray him, he simply kept his sentences short. The result was a cold, concise, and emotionless persona.

Every time he appeared without expression, even if he said nothing, people around him instinctively lowered their voices and softened their movements. To Wen Linyu, this was a great blessing—it meant no one would bother him while he was studying. Privately, he would sneak a smile whenever he thought about it.

Under Gu Chi’s tutelage, Wen Linyu gradually began to look like a true villain, slowly getting the hang of handling minor affairs.

By the time the plot point finally arrived where the protagonist came to settle the score to impress his lady, Wen Linyu no longer needed his teacher’s guidance on how to act.

He sat in the classroom, book in hand. He gave the protagonist of this world only a faint, passing glance before looking away and uttering a single, indifferent sentence:

“What kind of thing are you? You think you’re worthy of my attention?”

998’s feathers were shaking with excitement. Yes, yes, yes! That’s the vibe!

It never expected this. It thought they were all doomed, but the situation had completely turned around!

Waaaaah, the host has learned so well. I was too loud before; I am guilty! But most importantly.

It peeked at the Demon Lord. Seeing the slight upward curve of his lips, it breathed a sigh of relief. Good, as long as he’s still interested and isn’t destroying things, everything is fine. If they could just survive ten years, it would be free!

Though what was up with that “proud father watching his son grow up” expression on the Demon Lord’s face?