Every Day the Villain Continues to Fail
[Quick Transmigration]
o0o
Ruan Yao awkwardly tugged at the black velvet gown wrapped around her, and said to the system in a small, troubled voice, ''System, do I really have to dress like this?"
It was a spacious hall, big enough to fit a basketball court. Ornate crystal chandeliers cast elegant shadows from the ceiling, and every guest who came and went wore a solemn black dress, their pale or sallow faces bearing a feigned grief.
Crowned by a large cluster of white and yellow chrysanthemums in the center of the hall was a coffin.
On the altar was a black and white portrait of the owner.
It was a grand and luxurious funeral.
The head of Yun City's first family, the Gu family, was found dead in his study half a month ago, with a bloody hole in his chest and his heart missing.
The culprit has yet to be caught.
The walls were hung with mourning couplets and banners, and the polished marble floor clearly reflected Ruan Yao's slender and tall figure.
Ruan Yao stood beside the coffin, wearing a black velvet gown that perfectly outlined his curves, his waist so slender that it seemed like it could be easily encircled by one hand. His waist-length black hair was pulled back, and a silver butterfly hairpin held the veil over his cloud-like hair.
His naturally pale pink lips were slightly pursed, and the deep V-neck revealed the 'woman's' long, white neck.
"Cough" the system averted its gaze, "This is the character setting, you must abide by it."
"You're a swindler who makes a living by dressing as a woman and cheating men out of their money. Two years ago, in order to marry into the Yun City's first wealthy family, the Gu family. You created a fake identity and abandoned your ex-boyfriend, who is also the male lead, Gu Jin, and married the old head of the Gu family, Gu Rongzhang, becoming the nominal Mrs. Gu."
"Gu Jin broke with his father for your sake and was kicked out of the Gu family. After going through many hardships, he returned to the Gu family for revenge, and the first person he wanted revenge on was you."
Ruan Yao lowered his eyes, seemingly focusing intently on the portrait of the middle-aged man with a refined and elegant but undeniably authoritative face, and felt a little nervous. "And... then what?"
"According to the plot setting, you will be publicly exposed as a fraud by Gu Jin at the funeral and become a laughingstock, and eventually end up on the streets, sick and starving."
His slender fingers trembled imperceptibly. Ruan Yao was forced to accept reality.
"Although... but, you don't have to go this far for a cross-dressing role, do you?" Ruan Yao painfully looked down at the chest stuffed with padding, and the sharp and beautiful red-soled high heels on his feet.
For some unknown reason, a woman dressed in solemn black was wearing a pair of shoes that were almost soul-stirringly strikingly beautiful in color.
The guests who came to pay their respects wore white flowers on their chests and greeted Ruan Yao with sorrowful expressions.
"Please accept my condolences, Madam" A middle-aged and wealthy businessman, who clearly had a wandering eye, held Ruan Yao's cool and soft palm and rubbed it against his smooth back in a way that was not very noticeable.
Everyone knew that Yun City's business tycoon, Gu Rongzhang, had recently married a stunningly beautiful young woman who was just over twenty years old. It was said that her beauty was so captivating that one glance could make people forget their own names.
The young widow's beautiful eyebrows, hidden behind the mesh veil, trembled as if startled. he timidly withdrew his hand "Thank you"
His voice, softened by days of crying, carried a hint of seductive huskiness, twisting and tugging at the man's heart.
Avoiding the man's gaze, he nearly bit his lip.
The man's eyes widened, momentarily forgetting he was at a funeral. He reached out to grab Ruan Yao's hand, which he had just withdrawn. "Please don't be a stranger, Madam"
A cough, impatient and irritated, came from behind. The man snapped back to reality, pushed back discreetly by someone standing behind him.
The businessman's face turned pale as he glanced around, and seeing the bodyguard wearing sunglasses was not paying attention, he quickly slipped away.
The one standing behind the businessman was a well-known politician in Yun City, wearing a pair of intellectual-looking glasses. He looked to be in his forties or fifties.
Having driven the businessman away, the politician squeezed out a smile that he thought was charming and shook hands with Ruan Yao. "My condolences, Madam."
'Feed, feed,' Ruan Yao thought sarcastically, barely managing a smile. There was nothing condoling in that look.
But it was understandable. Gu Rongzhang had controlled 80% of Yun City's industries, single-handedly bringing the nearly bankrupt Gu family to its current peak.
Now that Gu Rongzhang was dead, the entire power structure of Yun City was about to undergo a major reshuffle.
Naturally, for some people, this was a good opportunity to climb a new ladder.
The Gu family's immense wealth and the pitifully young wife left behind were tempting baits that enticed these big and small forces.
Ruan Yao lowered his long lashes, attentively listening to the system introducing the world's background setting, and didn't notice the scorching gazes falling on him.
"No wonder Gu Rongzhang married her. Tsk, if I could sleep with such a beauty, even if I lost all my wealth, it would be worth it"
"That waist, those legs, even female celebrities aren't as beautiful as her."
"I heard the Gu family doesn't like her. Maybe there's still a chance..."
"Without Gu Rongzhang, what can a woman do? She's basically a plaything for anyone who wants her..."
"I heard this Mrs. Gu only married Gu Rongzhang for his money, and she even dumped her boyfriend, haha."
The men's lewd whispers echoed through the empty funeral hall. If Gu Rongzhang, lying in the coffin, could hear these greasy men daring to covet his wife, he would probably rise from the dead out of anger.
Ruan Yao had been standing for too long, and the stilettos, as thin as his little finger, were making his ankles and calves ache.
His slender leg, encased in black stockings, swayed slightly, instantly capturing everyone's attention. Luckily, Ruan Yao quickly steadied himself against the altar, otherwise, he would have tripped in front of everyone.
"If you're tired, go take a rest" a gentle yet distant voice suddenly sounded beside him.
Ruan Yao was startled and glanced sideways from beneath his veil.
A handsome man in a wheelchair, dressed in a black Tang suit with buttons fastened all the way up to his collarbone, had his long hair neatly combed into a braid that fell over his chest.
He seemed to be in poor health, his skin pale and almost sickly under the harsh light of the crystal chandelier.
He reminded her of cold, lifeless shattered snow.
The man was slightly startled when he saw Ruan Yao, but quickly regained his composure.
Ruan Yao hesitated for a moment before asking timidly, "Little Uncle."
Tsk, why does he sound so soft? It makes him seem so easy to bully.
The man was Gu Rongzhang's half-brother, Gu Rongming. He had been bedridden since childhood due to a severe illness and had been relying on expensive medication to stay alive.
But despite his frail and sickly appearance, he was the second most powerful person in the Gu family. He seemed gentle and approachable, but in reality, he was cunning and manipulative, capable of easily playing with people's hearts. He was frighteningly intelligent.
Ruan Yao was a little afraid of him and didn't dare to actually rest. He shook his head and gave a sweet smile. "I'm not tired, I can stand for a while longer."
Gu Rongming raised an eyebrow. Since entering the family, this little sister-in-law had been acting like a tyrant, living a life of luxury, and treating the entire Gu family as her personal bank. She was arrogant and would throw tantrums whenever she was unhappy, clinging to Gu Rongzhang and whispering in his ear, causing everyone to become annoyed.
Seeing his little sister-in-law looking so fragile for the first time, Gu Rongming seemed to understand why his usually indifferent elder brother had fallen for her.
Was she realizing that her backer was gone?
Was she putting on this act for someone else to see?
Gu Rongming couldn't help but feel annoyed. He attributed his feelings to his dislike of seeing Ruan Yao, such a vain woman, climbing the social ladder. His voice turned cold. "Then you must be tired."
Ruan Yao didn't pick up on the sarcasm in his voice, implying that he was busy looking for a new patron. Instead, he felt quite pleased. "It seems like Gu Rongming is actually quite nice. He's not as scary as I thought."
The system, which had been upgraded using earned points, was slightly smarter than before and could detect the sarcasm in Gu Rongming's words. It hesitantly told the host the cruel truth. "He's just afraid that you'll continue to seduce others at the funeral and ruin the Gu family's reputation."
Ruan Yao: "..."
"What kind of person do you think I am?" Ruan Yao crossed his arms, huffing in annoyance.
"To maintain the character setting, you must find yourself a new benefactor to ensure your future wealth and glory. After careful consideration, you've decided to... seduce Gu Rongming."
"Side quest activated: Climb into Gu Rongming's bed."
The stunning beauty hidden behind the veil cracked inch by inch. Ruan Yao felt that if he could, he would rather live on another planet. At least this Earth was no longer bearable! The original data of this body was too much! Was it trying to kill him?
The emcee stood in front of the altar and clapped to get everyone's attention.
"Now, please come forward and pay your respects."
The funeral hall was quiet for a moment.
Then, the subtle chatter started again like the buzzing of insects.
"Tsk, this old man just kicked his only son out of the house last year. Now that he's dead, there's no one to burn incense for him."
"He brought it upon himself. I heard he cut ties with his son when he disagreed with him marrying a new wife."
"What a seductress! Today, we've finally seen her true colors."
So, everyone's curious and gossiping eyes turned to the "woman" in the black dress.
With no children, Gu Rongming, as the younger brother, and Ruan Yao would naturally be the ones to preside over the ceremony.
Ruan Yao took the lit incense. A tiny ash fell onto his porcelain-white hand, and Ruan Yao instinctively cried out.
The fire in his previous life had left him with a deep-seated fear of fire. Even the slightest spark would terrify him.
Gu Rongming, who was standing beside him, holding incense as well, glanced sideways at Ruan Yao's curled-up pink fingers.
Delicate. That was the word that came to Gu Rongming's mind.
Ruan Yao realized that his reaction was inappropriate and blushed, tightening his grip on the incense.
Suddenly, a sharp screech of brakes echoed outside the funeral hall!
Everyone turned their heads at once.
A man in a suit, with a white flower pinned to his chest, strode in. His handsome, sharp features carried an untamed wildness. "The son hasn't arrived yet, and you're already burning incense? That's inappropriate, isn't it?"
Gu Jin, Gu Rongzhang's long-lost son, looked around at the guests and the startled Gu family members with a cold smile.
Only his uncle remained calm in his wheelchair, as if he had expected his return.
Gu Jin's gaze swept around the funeral hall, finally resting on Ruan Yao.
His eyes widened in slight surprise, and he whistled in a rather indecent manner.
"This outfit suits you well, Ruan Yao" Gu Jin said with a malicious glint in his eyes. "If you had this fetish earlier, I could have stopped you."
"Gu Jin, watch your words. She's your stepmother" Gu Rongming scolded sternly.
"Gu Jin knows your true identity" the system whispered in Ruan Yao's ear.
Ruan Yao was completely dumbfounded.
o0o
Author's note:
Is a funeral hall play exciting?