Every Day the Villain Continues to Fail
[Quick Transmigration]
o0o
By the end of the livestream, the situation had completely spiraled out of control.
The screen was flooded with so many comments that it was impossible to see anything clearly.
The number of viewers kept skyrocketing, and the discussion quickly shifted from a battle between the big shots to the sudden appearance of Xie Tong.
Then, like a whirlwind, it turned into a heated debate over whether Xie Tong or Pei Xinan was Ruan Yao’s true love.
Everyone had entirely forgotten that the original purpose of this livestream was to promote a movie.
Xie Tong, for some reason whether intentional or not, insisted on leaning close to Ruan Yao, staring at the rapidly scrolling comments on the screen.
"Me and Ruan Yao?"
He seemed to be enjoying the chaos, flashing a cocky and slightly provocative smile at the camera. "Think whatever you want."
Ruan Yao’s skin was pale as snow, and he was highly sensitive.
With Xie Tong speaking so close to his ear, even if Ruan Yao had not been thinking anything at all, the tips of his ears visibly flushed red.
The already off-topic comment section became even more outrageous, with people outright asking when Xie Tong and Ruan Yao planned to go public.
Even though this was an open world where same-sex marriage was legal, Ruan Yao could not help but feel frustration bubbling up, and a string of irritated hashtags practically forming on his forehead.
Xie Tong was here just to cause trouble.
The host stood there in shock, completely at a loss. In the end, he could only force a laugh and hurriedly shut down the livestream under the excuse that time was up.
Otherwise, who knew how much more absurd things would get?
As soon as the camera was off, Ruan Yao tried to pry Xie Tong’s arm away. However, the moment his fingers touched the man’s arm, Xie Tong immediately noticed.
His expression darkened slightly, and he deliberately applied more pressure so Ruan Yao could not break free.
"What do you think you’re doing?"
Ruan Yao felt that Xie Tong was just pretending to be clueless, undoubtedly scheming something again.
Pressing his lips together, he was growing tired of Xie Tong’s antics, and his tone inevitably became stiff. "The stream is over. I’m leaving."
Xie Tong did not let go. Without hesitation, right in front of the host, he pulled Ruan Yao into his arms, his face pressed against his frost-white cheek. "Do you hate me?"
Clearly, it was Xie Tong who hated him.
Xie Tong himself did not even know why he had come.
As soon as filming ended earlier, he had inexplicably opened Ruan Yao’s livestream. And the moment he entered, he was hit with a shocking question from the audience: "When are you and Xie Tong getting married?"
After reading that comment, it was as if a heavy stone had smashed into Xie Tong’s heart, leaving a huge, gaping hole.
Suppressed emotions instantly flooded out.
He scoffed "Who would marry someone like him? I’m not sick" Yet at the same time, he could not help but recall the sight of Ruan Yao in the dressing room.
Xie Tong had been the subject of countless fabricated scandals by paparazzi over the years. But for the first time, he found himself experiencing vague, unfamiliar feelings toward someone.
It was unclear whether this was love or something else entirely.
He had no idea how to deal with this strange emotion. The only thing he knew was that he wanted to stick close to him, to keep him away from other men.
Frowning, he turned to glance at the dumbfounded crew member nearby.
The young man’s face paled. He hesitated, cast Ruan Yao a brief, unreadable look, then lowered his head and silently packed up his equipment before leaving.
"Teacher Xie is a very warm-hearted person, very patient, and takes good care of everyone." Xie Tong repeated Ruan Yao’s words from the livestream, his voice dripping with disdain.
He clicked his tongue and muttered "What an idiot. Even his compliments are so stiff, no eloquence whatsoever"
Ruan Yao was furious, though he did not even understand why. Ever since the livestream, when Pei Xinan and Sheng Yirong started throwing gifts at each other, something had felt vaguely uncomfortable in his chest.
Xie Tong had only made it worse.
"Enough of this fake intimacy off-camera." Ruan Yao had never spoken so harshly since arriving in this world.
Anger gave him unexpected strength as he shoved Xie Tong away and jumped down from the high stool.
"You hate me anyway. If there’s no camera, wouldn’t it be better to keep your distance?"
Xie Tong was stunned in place, all the words he originally wanted to say stuck in his throat, unable to utter a single word.
Ruan Yao furrowed his light, smoke-like brows and spoke to him seriously, "Don't worry, I won’t disturb you except when we’re filming."
Afraid that Xie Tong might doubt his character, he added an extra explanation, "Trust me, I keep my word." After saying that, he didn’t give Xie Tong any chance to speak, pushed open the door, and walked away without looking back.
Xie Tong watched the now empty temporary makeup tent, wanting to tell Ruan Yao, "That’s not it, I don’t actually dislike you at all."
However, he stood frozen, watching Ruan Yao's departing figure. He opened his mouth but couldn't say anything.
His throat was so dry it felt like it might crack.
The impact of this farce was far from over.
That night, the hashtag "#CityofNoLoveLiveStream#" shot to the top of trending searches, and public opinion exploded instantly.
No one expected an artist who was nearly buried by the industry to stir up such a huge discussion.
For a time, Ruan Yao’s name was everywhere across social media platforms.
Some long-forgotten matters gradually resurfaced under this high level of public scrutiny.
It didn’t take long for people to realize that something was off about these so-called 'scandals'
"Why is it that Yao Yao clearly participated in 'Chasing Light,' but when I watched every single episode, I could barely find any of his screen time? He didn't even get a stage performance."
“These so-called scandals… ummm, no offense, but there’s no solid evidence at all. Why is everyone acting like they saw it happen with their own eyes?”
"The guy in that background looks broad-shouldered and burly, totally different from our Yao Yao’s paper-thin figure!"
"Is someone deliberately smearing Yao Yao? I’m so mad!"
"He must have offended someone. Poor thing."
Some haters jumped out and crazily threw dirt at him, insisting that all the scandal were real. The situation spiraled further out of control, with some even launching personal attacks on his fans.
However, some bystanders couldn't stand it anymore and joined forces with fans to report the haters' vicious comments.
Right now, even though Ruan Yao’s fanbase wasn’t massive, after that bar video incident and this live broadcast, he had gained a steady increase in followers.
At least he wasn’t as isolated and helpless as before.
Ruan Yao was originally engrossed in deciphering some internet slang he couldn’t understand when a text message suddenly popped up with a crisp 'ding'
The efficiency of today’s live stream was incredibly high. Just now, the money Pei Xinan and Sheng Yirong tipped had already been deposited into Ruan Yao’s account after taxes and platform cuts.
The moment he saw it, his head started aching. He sighed and asked the system if today’s live stream tips could be returned to them.
"No way! If you return it, your persona as a greedy, vain host will collapse, dear Host!"
But holding onto this money felt like clutching a ticking time bomb, as if it could explode at any moment!
"Host, you can just save it for now and find a chance to return it to them with an excuse later!"
Just as Ruan Yao was on the verge of tears, a strange chill brushed past his back, causing every hair on his body to stand on end.
It was his body's instinctive reaction, a warning of hidden danger lurking in the darkness.
Only then did Ruan Yao realize he was walking down an empty street.
Tonight, because of the unpleasant dispute with Xie Tong and the fact that he had no scenes to film, he decided to return to his hotel early.
It was already around ten at night.
The streetlights cast a soft, goose-yellow glow, making the surrounding darkness seem as if something terrifying was lurking within it. Even the wind stirring the treetops looked like monsters baring their fangs in the shadows.
Ruan Yao couldn’t help but rub the goosebumps on his arms, internally trembling as he reassured himself that he was just overthinking things.
However, that unsettling feeling continued to intensify as Ruan Yao walked forward, as if someone was following behind, step by step, getting closer.
Ruan Yao did not dare to look back.
Fearful that turning around would reveal something so horrifying that he would not be able to hold back a scream.
He could only quicken his pace, wanting to get back as soon as possible.
Perhaps it was just because he was walking alone at night, making his mind wander too much.
Yet in the next second, the system proved that his sixth sense was not wrong.
"At the two o'clock direction behind you, there's someone watching you from the bushes."
Ruan Yao nearly tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground.
He was so scared that he was almost about to cry, his eyes filled with a clear, watery sheen, as if tears could spill down his cheeks at any moment.
The system was constantly monitoring the stalker behind him, and even its mechanical voice carried a hint of urgency: "Now directly behind you at twelve o'clock, he's speeding up to catch up with you."
By then, Ruan Yao was practically running, a thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead.
At this point, he no longer needed the system's updates. The person behind him was running at the same pace as he was.
He could tell that the person was deliberately matching his running rhythm exactly, making it sound as if only one person was running.
Ruan Yao trembled as he lowered his gaze slightly, and sure enough, there were two shadows on the ground!
The hotel was only five hundred meters away now. Ruan Yao was terrible at sports, and after running for just a short distance, he was already gasping for air.
That person clearly knew that Ruan Yao had noticed him.
However, he did not say a single word. He simply followed behind Ruan Yao, watching him with a gaze so lingering and intense that it sent shivers down Ruan Yao's spine, all the way until he sprinted back into the hotel.
Ruan Yao nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
The system, feeling sorry for him, handed him a small handkerchief and thoughtfully helped wipe his sweat.
"Just now… that person just now, who was he?" Ruan Yao asked, still shaken, barely able to catch his breath, his pale cheeks flushed red from lack of oxygen.
The system sounded somewhat apologetic. "That person was wearing a hat and a mask, covering his entire face. I couldn't tell who he was."
Ruan Yao had been so unnerved by the experience that his nerves were still on edge. He kept suspecting that someone had followed him into the hotel. Only after he returned to his room and closed all the curtains as usual did he finally relax a little.
Because of his profession, coupled with his natural tendency to attract dangerous individuals, Ruan Yao had to be especially cautious of extreme and obsessive fans in this world.
Just to avoid the day when yet another person would suddenly appear and insist on dying with him.
At that moment, his phone vibrated. Ruan Yao checked the screen and, seeing that it was Pei Xinan's number, finally felt reassured enough to answer the call.
"Yao Yao…" The boy's voice on the other end of the line, possibly softened by the electric signal, sounded gentle and reliable. For some reason, it also made Ruan Yao's panicked heart calm down a little.
Yet he was still gasping for air due to oxygen deprivation, and it would take a while for him to recover.
Pei Xinan could clearly hear the disturbance on Ruan Yao’s side. He frowned. "Yao Yao, what happened to you?"
The gentle voice instantly shattered, turning dangerous and overwhelmingly oppressive. “Who dared to bully you while I was away?”
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Author’s Note:
Xie Tong’s fate teaches us that having a foul mouth will not help you win a wife.