Every Day the Villain Continues to Fail
[Quick Transmigration]
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The room was shrouded in a haze of darkness, making everything indistinct. The enormous furniture seemed like silent monsters hidden within the black mist.
The wide-open door resembled the gaping mouth of a demon exhaling a putrid breath, faintly hinting at an unknown danger.
Following the typical horror movie trope, the protagonist's curiosity often led to their downfall as they ventured into obviously problematic rooms, only to invite haunting spirits and meet a tragic end.
Ruan Yao, however, hesitated at the doorway for about five seconds before decisively turning to run.
The next second, a surge of electricity burst from the mechanical cube suspended in his consciousness, coursing through Ruan Yao’s entire body. Although it wasn’t painful, it left him paralyzed, forcing him to stand rigidly at the door.
Gu Rongzhang’s study had its window wide open, allowing the shrill wind to invade every corner. Ruan Yao shut his eyes.
“Beep beep. Mission-critical clue detected. Please enter Gu Rongzhang’s study to investigate the anomaly.”
The system’s mechanical voice delivered its mission prompt at a most inopportune time, pinning Ruan Yao to the spot.
Ruan Yao tightened his grip on the bouquet of flowers he was holding, his throat dry. “It’s not life-threatening, is it?”
The system, knowing Ruan Yao’s greatest fear, reassured him. Despite being non-human himself, Ruan Yao was deeply influenced by various human horror movies, leaving him terrified of grotesque spirits.
“Rest assured, host. There are no spiritual entities in the study” the system comforted.
Ruan Yao finally felt slightly at ease, thinking it might simply be that someone hadn’t shut the window properly.
Based on the original owner’s memories, he remembered the light switch was near the left side of the desk.
Swallowing hard, Ruan Yao clutched the bouquet that still carried a faintly pleasant sunny scent, as if it could provide some comfort. The study was empty, and the curtains flapped incessantly in the wind.
The sky outside was dim.
It was about to rain.
Ruan Yao cautiously stretched out his hand, feeling along the wall for the switch.
What should have been the light switch was instead a patch of rough human skin, damp and cool to the touch.
From outside, the mournful wail of someone’s cat pierced the air.
Ruan Yao’s eyes widened in terror.
“Shh, don’t make a sound.”
In the darkness, a man’s lips curled into a sinister and unhealthy smile.
A muffled thunderclap suddenly split the sky, and lightning, like a serpent, tore through the hanging clouds. In an instant, it illuminated the man’s face.
His skin, under the lightning’s glare, was ghostly pale, making his already sharp and dangerous features even more ominous. His gaze, predatory and mocking, slid over Ruan Yao like a hunter assessing prey.
Ruan Yao’s eyelashes fluttered in panic as he tried to suppress the tremble in his voice. “Don’t kill me, Gu Jin.”
The man paused, his familiar and striking face showing a trace of amused interest. “What did you call me?”
Ruan Yao dared not look at him, but the man loomed so close, it was impossible to ignore. He didn’t seem to care if anyone discovered him pressing his stepmother against the wall in his late father’s study. Leisurely, he cornered Ruan Yao until there was nowhere to retreat.
Ruan Yao gripped the brown paper bouquet so tightly that his knuckles turned white. “I didn’t see anything, Gu Jin. Please don’t do this.”
Although he appeared terrified, even through the faint haze, his flushed eyes betrayed a delicate charm. His light irises still shimmered faintly, like stars hiding beneath thick lashes.
The man slid a hand through Ruan Yao’s long, falling hair, pressing against the wall behind him.
He leaned in closely, scrutinizing Ruan Yao’s face. A faint, intoxicating fragrance seemed to emanate from Ruan Yao’s fair, jade-like neck, curling around the man’s senses and numbing his cold heart.
“You’re very beautiful” the man remarked with a teasing smile.
Ruan Yao noticed he was wearing a simple short-sleeved shirt, his muscular build nearly straining the fabric.
Exposed on his long arm was a vicious scar, fresh enough to suggest it hadn’t healed for long.
Ruan Yao tried to recall when he had last crossed paths with Gu Jin.
But the man interrupted his thoughts.
“Even now, you’re distracted.” The man’s other hand arrogantly grabbed Ruan Yao’s pointed chin, lifting his small face.
Ruan Yao was so nervous he almost stopped breathing.
Gu Jin had always despised him. Now that his secret had been discovered, he wouldn’t let him go, even though Ruan Yao, the unlucky scapegoat, truly hadn’t seen anything.
A single warm tear fell onto the man’s wrist.
A strange sensation, like a jolt of electricity, rippled through him.
Ruan Yao’s voice was soft and shaky. “I didn’t see anything, Gu Jin. Please spare me.”
The first drop of early summer rain plummeted from the sky, splashing onto the dusty red brick road below.
Soon, the rain began pouring.
Despite the oppressive and terrifying atmosphere, Ruan Yao’s presence inexplicably added an unspoken hint of ambiguous tension.
Amidst the torrential downpour, the man brushed aside the stray strands of hair from Ruan Yao’s forehead. “Do you like Gu Rongzhang, Yao Yao?”
Ruan Yao thought to himself that, officially, he was still the widow left behind by that man. He bit his lip and nodded sullenly, appearing very obedient, like a foolish little thing devoted to her much older husband.
“A scumbag who abandoned his wife and child, what’s there to like?”
The man let out a mocking laugh from between his lips: "He treated you terribly, didn’t he? And yet you still like him?"
"Installing cameras in your room, drugging your food—oh, you were lucky not to have eaten it."
The man’s malicious gaze fixated on Ruan Yao’s pale face, ashen as paper. "But if that scumbag didn’t die, your good days would’ve been over. Who knows what else he might have done to you? After all, you’re his perfect prey. He couldn’t hold back any longer."
"You should be thankful he died early, Yao Yao."
Ruan Yao jolted, his eyes snapping up as his voice instinctively rose, "Gu Rongzhang… did you kill him?"
The malice in the man’s smile nearly became tangible. He leaned close, his breath brushing against Ruan Yao’s ear as he whispered, "In Gu Rongzhang’s bedroom—or should I say your shared bedroom—you’ll find something interesting."
With unsettling intimacy, he brushed a light kiss against the icy tip of Ruan Yao’s ear. The ethereal fragrance surrounding him seemed almost addictive. His leg subtly shifted, inching to trap itself between Ruan Yao’s.
Ruan Yao abruptly raised his foot and stomped hard on the man’s shoe.
"Get lost!" Ruan Yao snarled, though his voice trembled despite his ferocity. His reddened eyes, misted with unshed tears, gave him a fragile appearance, as if he might cry from being bullied too much.
He shoved the man away with force, a sharp pain radiating from his chest as he did so.
The man hadn’t anticipated the sudden push and staggered back, his arms spread wide and his smile stiffening into something like a mask.
"You’re just after the Gu family’s head position, aren’t you!" Ruan Yao tried to look fierce, but his tear-reddened eyes betrayed him, making him seem pitiful. "I won’t tell Gu Rongming, but you’re not allowed to bully me anymore!"
The man tilted his head, his smile sharp and cold. Yet he obediently raised his hands, his tone mocking as if teasing a child: "Fine, I, Gu Jin, swear never to bully Yao Yao again."
"If I break this oath, may heaven strike me down."
Ruan Yao eyed the man warily, inching step by step toward the door. Quietly, he asked his system, "Do human oaths even work?"
The system promptly brought up its search results: "According to data reports, human oaths are about as effective as passing gas."
Ruan Yao: "..."
The system, ever-attentive to its host’s safety, chimed in, "Don’t worry, based on speed calculations, as long as you reach the door now, even if he goes berserk, he won’t catch you."
"Current distance analysis shows now is the perfect opportunity to escape."
Ruan Yao took another step back. The man gave a sweeping bow, his smile brimming with amusement. "See you around."
Without a second thought, Ruan Yao turned and bolted.
Just as the system had predicted, the man didn’t chase after him.
Ruan Yao ran as fast as he could, his breaths labored, until he finally reached his room.
He locked the door, slumped against it, and only after a long while did he feel the exhaustion coursing through his body.
"Was it really Gu Jin who killed Gu Rongzhang?" The bouquet slipped from his hand, petals scattering messily across the floor.
The system flashed a red light, displaying a large "X" on its screen: "Nope, dear host, your guess is wrong. Guess wrong again, and you’ll have to face a random punishment."
"But it was clearly Gu Jin" Ruan Yao muttered, the man’s sharp, handsome features aligning perfectly with his memories of the cold, scowling face.
"If he didn’t kill him, then what was he looking for in the study?"
"And what did he mean by the bedroom?"
The original owner, although having been involved with Gu Rongzhang for two years, had only reached the legal marriage age six months ago and officially registered their marriage.
After their marriage, Gu Rongzhang didn’t immediately let him move into his bedroom but instead renovated a delicate room for Ruan Yao at the end of the hallway near the study.
"Is there something in Gu Rongzhang’s bedroom?" Ruan Yao hesitated and asked.
"Host, you could go and investigate" the system suggested.
Ruan Yao’s eyelashes trembled, and he coughed lightly, "Let’s… let’s wait…" He glanced at the scene outside the window, where heavy rain poured relentlessly. "Let’s wait until the rain stops."
The timid little spirit trembled with fear.
The phone in his pocket suddenly rang. Through the thin layer of fabric, the screen shone unusually bright in the dim room.
The display showed it was a call from Gu Jin.
Ruan Yao reluctantly answered, assuming the man wanted to continue negotiating something. In his heart, he resigned to the fact that he had nothing worth bargaining over.
"Ruan Yao! Where are you?" The man’s voice on the other end sounded urgent, loud enough to nearly numb Ruan Yao’s ears.
Subconsciously, Ruan Yao checked the door lock again, forcing himself to calm down as he tried to divert the topic. "What else do you want with me?"
Gu Jin seemed to be facing a significant problem. His speech was rapid and hurried, "No matter who knocks on the door, do not open it. Got it?"
"The murderer… is hiding in this villa."
Another clap of thunder echoed loudly.
The entire world turned bright as daylight for a moment.
Somewhere, a cat’s screech pierced through the curtain of rain, sharp and harsh, scraping at human vulnerability.
A woman’s blood-curdling scream abruptly broke the quietness of the villa.
The world fell into silence in an instant.
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