Jiang Cai stopped in front of the booth’s sofa.

Yu Zao didn’t dare move or speak. He only turned slightly, cautiously observing Jiang Cai’s expression.

Jiang Cai’s gaze lingered on Yu Zao’s face before slowly shifting to Chu Xi. More specifically, to the hand resting on Yu Zao’s waist. The surrounding atmosphere and temperature plummeted as he coldly said, “Let go of him.”

“You’re a grown man. Bullying the weak? Is that what you call fair?”

“Can’t you see he’s about to cry?”

Yu Zao: “…?”

His pupils widened. After a few seconds, he confirmed that he hadn’t misheard.

The protagonist, Jiang Cai, was standing up for him?

Wait a minute—was Jiang Cai confused? Chu Xi was bullying the weak? Dude, how can you lie with a straight face?

Clearly, he was the one bullying Chu Xi.

How could Jiang Cai be taking his side?

It was obvious to everyone that Yu Zao was the one being aggressive. But watching him throw a tantrum at Chu Xi was more like watching a child sulk. It didn’t stir any negative emotions in others—if anything, people felt that Chu Xi was the one being unreasonable.

And Chu Xi seemed to enjoy it.

So, no one tried to stop him.

“It’s none of your business.”

Chu Xi removed his hand from Yu Zao’s waist. Seeing that Yu Zao was still sitting motionless on his lap, he pressed his lips together and said, “Get down.”

The atmosphere became even stranger. Yu Zao glanced at the two protagonists, sensing a tension so thick it felt like a fight could break out any second.

Fearing he’d get caught in the crossfire, Yu Zao quickly climbed off Chu Xi’s lap.

As he moved, his leg, dampened with alcohol, brushed against Chu Xi’s thigh. Some of the liquid trickled down Chu Xi’s inner thigh, leaving a wet patch.

Yu Zao sneaked a glance at Jiang Cai. Realizing that he wasn’t about to get punched, his confidence slowly returned. In a low voice, he snapped at Chu Xi, “I’m down. Who even wants to sit on your lap? So hard and uncomfortable.”

His voice trembled slightly.

He had genuinely been scared to death.

He really thought Jiang Cai would beat him up like in the original story. And with Jiang Cai’s size, one punch would’ve ended his role. Of course, he was terrified.

One of Jiang Cai’s friends intervened to defuse the situation. His hair streaked with silver dye, he spoke in a casual, laid-back tone: “Let’s sit down and have some drinks. Today’s Jiang Cai’s 18th birthday, and he’s paying. Don’t hold back on his wallet.”

People started taking their seats, and the booth quickly became lively.

Since it was Jiang Cai’s birthday, he naturally took the central seat, surrounded by everyone.

Yu Zao knocked on the system, “What should I do now?”

0926: [Technically, your role ends here.]

[The protagonist Jiang Cai plays the hero, You were humiliated in public and left immediately because you were too embarrassed to stay. This is the first encounter between Jiang Cai and Chu Xi, where their romantic spark ignites.]

[You hold a grudge against them, constantly causing trouble from then on. Naturally, you get slapped down repeatedly, with a miserable ending.]

Yu Zao: “What’s my current Viciousness index?”

0926: [Current Viciousness index: 15/100 (+5).]

Yu Zao was disappointed: “Only 5 points?”

He had worked so hard playing the villain, and after all that effort, only gained 5 points? At this rate, it would take forever to reach 100.

Might as well go home and sleep.

[Up to you. Whether you want to go home, stir up trouble, throw tantrums, or bully the protagonists—it’s your choice.]

[After all, you’re the villainous side character. You can do anything you like.]

Being a villain really did come with a lot of freedom.

The lack of restrictions felt amazing. Yu Zao thought he was lucky to have been paired with 0926—quiet, professional, and non-intrusive.

Just as he was about to head home to sleep, 0926’s reminder sparked a sudden desire to be more responsible.

Before he could come up with a new scheme, a senior sitting nearby spoke up.

“Jiang Cai, where were you guys? Zao Zao’s been looking for you.”

Jiang Cai, who had been fiddling with a lighter, paused slightly. A flicker of flame danced between his fingers before being extinguished with a click.

He lifted his sharp eyes, and the light from the row of ear piercings on his earlobe gleamed coldly. “Something you need?”

Cool, aloof, and pulling off a high level of swagger.

Normally, people would be put off by such indifference. But Yu Zao wasn’t your average person—he was a villain. A proper villain doesn’t take hints and charges straight into awkward situations.

With a seemingly innocent look, he met Jiang Cai’s gaze and responded, “Can’t I just want to see you?”

The lighter slipped slightly between Jiang Cai’s fingers.

His lips tightened into a thin line as he stared at Yu Zao. Yu Zao blinked innocently in return.

Before Jiang Cai could reply, his friend misread the situation, assuming Jiang Cai didn’t like being bothered. After all, Jiang Cai was straight.

Thinking he was helping, the friend stepped between them, blocking their eye contact. Trying to be humorous, he said, “Don’t mind him. He’s not much of a talker. If you’ve got something to say, tell me. I can help you out.”

Yu Zao noticed both Jiang Cai and Chu Xi watching him, realizing this was a prime moment to stir up some trouble. He smiled slightly and said, “There’s really nothing important. I just wanted to see Jiang Cai.”

The guy looked awkward.

He glanced at Yu Zao, who seemed genuinely embarrassed, then back at Jiang Cai, whose expression grew even tighter. The guy probably regretted stepping in, realizing he’d only embarrassed himself.

A chuckle broke the tension from a corner of the room. “Move aside. Clearly, the one he’s interested in isn’t you. What would he need you for? But—”

The person’s eyes returned to Yu Zao. “You said earlier that you’d do anything for Jiang Cai. Is that true?”

Did he also say this？

0926 reminded him that this was part of the plot. He was afraid of mixing up the character’s memories with his own, so he chose not to have 0926 transfer them into his brain.

Yu Zao said, “Of course it’s true.”

After all, there was no lie detector here. He could say anything he wanted, and who would call him out on it?

But this kind of talk wouldn’t fool anyone, especially not these spoiled rich kids.

Moreover, coming from someone like Yu Zao, known for his vanity and greed, it only made them more skeptical.

Yu Zao didn’t have a good reputation.

This group of rich second-generation heirs particularly despised those who approached them with ulterior motives.

“Why don’t you prove it, then?”

In the corner, a stylishly dressed young man with silver-gray highlights leaned forward slightly, speaking in a teasing tone. “Everyone knows that apart from the booths on the first floor, CI also has private rooms on the second floor. The best one has the best view and is also the most expensive. We booked it originally, but last night the bar manager called and said someone else had reserved it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the second-gens darkened.

They had been gone for a while, discussing this exact issue.

For people like them, money wasn’t the problem—it was all about saving face.

To have a private room they had reserved taken away at the last minute, and without even being able to find out who did it, left them furious.

They couldn’t even track down who to confront.

It was a bitter pill to swallow.

The young man leaned in closer, his face now inches from Yu Zao’s.

“Why don’t you go find out who these important people are in that private room for us?”

They were curious—who had the clout to make the bar manager risk offending a group of influential heirs to reassign the private room?

The young man pulled a button-sized camera from his pocket, its dim light barely visible in the dark room.

A miniature camera.

This wasn’t part of the original plot—or maybe it was, but Yu Zao’s character, a minor and easily overlooked role, wasn’t meant to be involved.

Jiang Cai spoke coldly, “I don’t need any help.”

“Alright, I shouldn’t have mentioned your name. It’s me who wants to know—so, how about it?” the young man continued. “The footage is live, and we’ll be right next door. Nothing will happen to you. If something does, we and our security will be in there right away.”

“All you need to do is take this in and deliver a drink. Let us know who’s inside.”

He added with a sly tone, “Don’t you like Jiang Cai? If you help us out, I’ll help you win him over. How about that?”

“Or if you prefer money, name your price. I’ll pay.”

It was a top-tier private room, one with excellent privacy. Getting someone in there would be tough, but sending in a young, good-looking guy would lower anyone’s guard.

Besides, it was just delivering a drink. Later, he could say he entered the wrong room or came up with some other excuse.

These privileged elites viewed it all too simply. They had nothing to fear—if the VIP inside turned out to be someone of real importance, they were just “inexperienced youngsters.” Their families would handle the fallout.

Yu Zao, however, didn’t have that kind of safety net.

0926 scanned the room: “The people inside are having a friendly gathering, discussing some work-related matters. Nothing shady is going on.”

“However, the two biggest antagonists of this world are both in there.”

Yu Zao’s interest was instantly piqued.

His character was just a small Cannon fodder he barely had any scenes at all. The real obstacles for the protagonist were those two. However, Yu Zao wasn’t familiar with the detailed storyline since his role was too minor, and 0926 could only provide limited, non-critical information.

He would need to discover more step by step.

What he did know was that one antagonist was openly crazy, while the other was more secretive. These wild and powerful characters were his role models.

0926 chimed in, “Anything they do could save you a month’s worth of effort.”

Yu Zao’s eyes lit up. “Can I try to latch onto them?”

If he could stick with these antagonists and ride the wave of their schemes, wouldn’t his “Viciousness index” rise, too? The final results would be much better.

His logic made sense. But 0926 responded, “Chances are, they won’t even notice you.”

Unfortunately, this might be his only chance to interact with them.

The rest of the story focused on the battle of wits between the protagonist and the antagonists. His scenes were nearly done, and his “Viciousness index” hadn’t even hit 50%. How could he not be anxious?

The results would directly impact the quality of his future tasks. If he performed poorly, the system would label him a “low-grade player,” and his resource allocation in future simulations would suffer.

Yu Zao felt conflicted.

Plus, Yuan Jin had promised him a lot of money. He really needed it… rent, living expenses, and all sorts of bills were piling up.

The group of second-gens could easily guess how Yu Zao would react.

Unlike them, Yu Zao had no safety net. Entering an unknown private room alone carried significant risks—anything could happen. They were all well aware of the potential dangers of nightlife.

Yu Zao was no fool.

The group didn’t expect much from him. They were mostly fed up with how clingy Yu Zao had been lately and wanted to use this opportunity to make him realize his place—and keep him away from them.

It was meant as a wake-up call.

But as they watched Yu Zao lower his head, appearing weak and submissive, an odd feeling crept up on them.

With his lowered head and delicate features, Yu Zao’s fair skin and small frame seemed vulnerable. The dim, ambiguous lighting highlighted the curl of his long eyelashes, with a slight sheen at their base, adding a hint of fragility.

In the indulgent atmosphere of the nightclub, his outfit wasn’t revealing—just a simple summer combo of a white T-shirt and denim shorts. Yet now, wet in places and surrounded, being questioned for an answer, he appeared genuinely pitiful.

But this wasn’t how things were supposed to be.

Yu Zao was supposed to be vain, selfish, and opportunistic… not like this.