I Entered the Villains’ Den While Pretending to Be a Righteous Man - Chapter 1

“Bai Shuijin, when are you going to pay your costume fee? The deadline is tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM.”

Standing in the restroom with his phone, Bai Shuijin looked at the message and scratched his hair in a mix of frustration and anxiety. “I’ll definitely have it in before tomorrow morning.”

The person messaging him was his class monitor.

Bai Shuijin was twenty years old, exactly the age of a college student which he was, currently in his sophomore year. However, he was different from other students. While others experienced “campus life,” he spent every moment outside of class experiencing the life of a corporate slave.

He was a ballroom dance major. He had gritted his teeth and endured countless hardships to get into this university. Having no parents or family, his tuition and living expenses were maintained through government subsidies, scholarships, and part-time jobs.

But the arts are a money pit, and ballroom dance is even worse. Not only is the tuition expensive, but the costumes, accessories, and daily equipment required are all significant expenses. This made his already impoverished life even more difficult.

It was now the middle of December, the peak of winter. With finals approaching, their department’s final exam was a dance performance. This year was different: a world-renowned dance troupe would be attending the exam to scout for talent. If they saw a promising “seedling,” that student would be picked up immediately.

The troupe had just finished a world tour at the beginning of the year, and their reputation in the industry was legendary. Everyone was preparing with everything they had waking up at 5:00 AM to practice and staying in the dance studio until midnight.

Meanwhile, Bai Shuijin was serving tables at 5:00 AM and washing dishes at midnight. While others worked toward their future, he still didn’t have the money for his performance costume.

To ensure fairness, the exam required all students to wear identical outfits boys in one style, girls in another so no one could use fancy clothing to distract from their lack of basics. However, some “genius” had suggested that everyone buy brand-new sets. Since most art students came from wealthy families, the suggestion was approved almost instantly.

That night, a link to the men’s ballroom costume was sent to the group chat.

Bai Shuijin clicked it and felt the world go dark.

Five thousand yuan

In the dead of winter, the price was enough to turn a person’s heart cold.

“Then don’t forget. If you don’t pay, I can’t put your name on the purchase list,” the monitor replied. “If your outfit is different on the day of the exam, you won’t be allowed to perform at all.”

Bai Shuijin’s heart skipped a beat. “I’ll pay; I’ll pay!”

The monitor didn’t bother replying further. A roommate nearby asked, “Well? Did he pay?”

“How is that pauper supposed to pay?”

“Pfft, hahaha! I knew he was poor, but I didn’t think he was that poor. He can’t even scrap together five thousand.”

“If he can’t pay, he can’t pay. Honestly, I hope he fails to show up.”

The roommate laughed. “You’re so mean.”

“Let’s be real, you don’t want him there either. He’s always ranked first or second in the major. If he performs, he’ll definitely be scouted. Don’t worry, I asked his roommate he doesn’t have a single cent in his pockets. Unless he goes and ‘sells’ himself tonight, there’s no way he’s coming up with that cash.”

The door to the restroom stall was tapped. “Bai Shuijin, are you in there?”

Bai Shuijin quickly tucked his phone away. “I’m here, I’m here.” He opened the door and stepped out.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Why are you hiding in here?” It was Zhang Chen, a bartender, who was covered in sweat from looking for him. “Brother Chen, what’s up?”

Zhang Chen rubbed his hands together. “I just landed a huge order and sold a lot of booze. That private booth needs extra servers to pour drinks. I heard it’s a group of wealthy young masters, and I’m afraid the regular staff might be too clumsy and make a mistake. I’m looking for someone with steady hands.”

Bai Shuijin: “So you came to me?”

Bai Shuijin rubbed his neck, feeling a bit uneasy. It didn’t sound like a good thing, but Zhang Chen made it sound like a pie falling from the sky. If it really were a free lunch, someone else would have snatched it up long ago.

“Brother Chen, I think I’ll pass.”

“Don’t! It’s a great deal. Everyone going in gets a tip this much per person.” Zhang Chen held up five fingers.

Bai Shuijin: “Five hundred?”

“Five thousand.”

!

Bai Shuijin’s eyes widened. That was exactly the amount he needed for his costume.

Seeing him waver, Zhang Chen didn’t give him any more time to think. He emphasized repeatedly, “It’s just pouring wine, just like you usually do when you’re promoting bottles.”

Bai Shuijin was pushed along and soon reached the booth. The deafening roar of music vibrated in his ears. Five thousand in tips just for pouring wine… with that, I can take the exam. Despite his worries, he walked in.

At first, it was exactly as Zhang Chen said. He poured wine and then stood off to the side. The room was filled with the neon glow of the nightlife, but it was also incredibly dark. The shifting colors made it hard to see faces clearly. Bai Shuijin didn’t care to look; instead, he mentally rehearsed his dance steps, thinking about how he would move with his partner on exam day.

“Shuijin… your name is Bai Shuijin, right?”

Hearing someone call him, Bai Shuijin stepped forward quickly. “That’s me.”

A man in a suit pointed to his glass. “I’m out. Pour me some more.”

“Yes, sir. Just a moment.”

Bai Shuijin wore the server uniform a black vest over a white shirt that outlined his frame perfectly. As he leaned forward to pour, his waist showed the natural flexibility of a dancer. After finishing, he stepped back.

The man asked, “How long have you been in this line of work?”

“Just two weeks.”

“Is that so? Which wine in this shop tastes the best?”

How was he supposed to know? The wine here was deathly expensive, and he didn’t drink. He braced himself and said, “They’re all quite good.”

The man pointed to two bottles nearby. “Which of these two is better?”

Bai Shuijin was at a loss for words. The man then poured a glass of each himself and pushed them toward him. “If you don’t know, try them both.”

“No, thank you, sir. Servers aren’t allowed to drink the guests’ wine.”

“It’s fine, it’s my treat. Just act like you’re not on the clock right now.”

Bai Shuijin refused repeatedly, but in the end, he was forced to drink. After two glasses of strong spirits, he felt his whole body begin to heat up. He soon realized something was wrong there was something filthy mixed into those drinks.

His body grew hotter, and his vision blurred. He had been drugged. He felt a hand slide onto his waist.

A wave of nausea hit him. Bai Shuijin bit his tongue hard to stay conscious.

“I noticed you the moment I came in. Looking this ‘thirsty,’ I bet you do this all the time. Tonight, I’m going to make you feel really good.”

Feel good? Feel your mother!

Bai Shuijin’s “steel will” erupted. With a dancer’s leap, he sprang up, grabbed a wine bottle from the coffee table, and smashed it over the man’s head.

“HOLY ST!!!!”

“AAAAAAHHHHH!!!”

Screams erupted in the booth.

“Motherfker!” The bleeding man grabbed a nearby ice bucket and swung it at Bai Shuijin’s head.

Bai Shuijin, fragile as he was, hit the floor. Not long after, the man also lost his strength and collapsed, his eyes rolling back as he passed out.

Before losing consciousness, Bai Shuijin felt like he had won. He waited quietly for rescue, but as he waited, he felt like he was losing too much blood. It seemed he wasn’t going to make it. With great difficulty, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and deleted the browser history of the “adult” comics he had been sneakily reading for the past two days.

There.

He would leave his reputation clean in this world.

He also made sure to tighten his belt.

When he finally woke up, he was on a King-size bed. Two figures were stacked together like a game of human Tetris.

Bai Shuijin felt like he was struggling with someone, his whole body swaying as if he were on a boat. When his vision finally cleared well, look at that he wasn’t on a boat, he was on a bed.

Had he not been rescued? Had he been taken away and raped by the man who drugged him?!

His brain stalled. His “purity” had failed to remain in this world after all.

Wang Huanxiu looked at the “sissy” on top of him who had been trying to kiss him but suddenly froze. With a look of disgust, he reached up and flipped the boy off of him.

Bai Shuijin landed in the middle of the large bed like a broken ragdoll.

Oh God, I’m “unclean” now.

Wang Huanxiu ignored him. His marriage to this person wasn’t out of love. The wedding had just ended today, and he had brought the boy back to give him a room to stay in. Instead, the boy had shown up in his room uninvited. Without a word, he had tried to kiss him and tear off his clothes.

“Have you laid there long enough? If you have, get the hell out.”

Bai Shuijin was so angry his hair was practically standing on end. Alright, you law-breaking rapist! His purity was supposed to be saved for a handsome guy’s big… and yet… and yet! AAAAAHHH!

He scrambled off the bed and lunged at Wang Huanxiu. “You animal! I’ll kill you!”

Wang Huanxiu was caught off guard by the pounce. He barked coldly, “What are you doing?!”

You finished the deed and now you’re putting on an act!

I’m going to sue you, but first, I’m going to beat you to a pulp!

Even now, Bai Shuijin didn’t know what the man looked like because the booth had been too dark. Now, he wanted a good look at this animal’s face!

Seeing the man raise an arm to block him, Bai Shuijin threw his entire weight onto him. He grabbed the man’s arm, his gaze falling like a judge’s gavel.

When he saw the man’s face clearly, Bai Shuijin’s eyes widened.

The man had deep, sculpted features. His face was more stunning than an AI model a breathtaking, unforgettable handsome look. His nose was sharp and straight, and his lips were perfectly balanced neither too thin nor too thick fitting perfectly on his standard “CEO” face.

Two buttons of his black shirt were undone, and there were two red scratch marks on his neck. His jet-black hair was swept back, looking sharp and meticulous, but because of their recent “scuffle,” a few stray hairs fell over his forehead, just above his mountain-peak eyebrows.

Bai Shuijin froze. He foolishly licked his lips. “Wait… you’re actually this hot?”