Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

After a long pause, he heard his own voice murmur a soft, ”Mm.”

The traffic in Berlyn was light at night. An inconspicuous black minivan was parked on a corner opposite The Valerius Hotel.

A young man in all black, complete with a baseball cap and a mask, crouched in the driver’s seat. He adjusted his camera angle and snapped a few more pictures. CLICK. CLICK.

This time, he finally got a clear shot of the man’s face.

’Breaking! Joanna Kennedy, the entertainment industry’s newest rising star and a magnet for trending topics, suspected of vacationing in Berlyn with her sponsor after her film festival red carpet appearance.’

’The proof is in the pictures, and they’re crystal clear!’

The young man scrolled through the photos he’d taken, growing more and more excited. Beneath his cap, his eyes were filled with exhilaration.

He immediately selected the photos and sent them to a well-known media company, then stared at his phone, eagerly awaiting a reply. He’d even decided on his price.

On the chat screen, the ”[Typing...]” bubble appeared and disappeared several times before a message finally arrived.

Media Company: [Whoa... Who told you to shoot this? A word of advice: delete it. Immediately.]

The young man tugged at his cap, confused by the message. TAP, TAP, TAP. He quickly typed out a reply.

[Bro, these photos are 100% real. I’ve been tailing them for days just to get this one clear shot. Definitely not edited, no Photoshop!]

As if to prove his point, he quickly found a few blurry videos on his phone and sent those over too.

The videos were blurry, but you could still tell the girl was Joanna Kennedy.

She was stunningly beautiful. Her clear, captivating eyes were her trademark; there was no one else like her in the entertainment industry.

The man by her side, a head taller than her, had a cold air about him. Even from the back, you could tell he was handsome. The Patek Philippe on his wrist was a testament to his absolute power.

The man held the girl’s hand as they got out of the car. He leaned down and murmured something to her, and she leaned intimately into his embrace. It couldn’t have looked more suggestive.

Connecting this to the industry rumors, the young man had an epiphany. ’So that’s it! The boss of Fullstar isn’t her real sponsor. This guy is!’

Media Company: [Whether it’s real or not, it has to be fake now. Friend, for the sake of all the times we’ve worked together, I’m telling you: some things are better left unseen.]

What was that supposed to mean? The young man was baffled. ’It’s not like we haven’t exposed CEOs before. Why are they getting so timid now, turning down a fat paycheck?’

Just then, another message came from the media company, this time with an attached image.

[Ever heard of the Southland Group?]

The picture was from some kind of conference, with both Chinese and foreign faces. They all looked to be in their forties or fifties, the kind of people who frequently appeared on the cover of the *World Economic Times*.

In the center was a young man. His features were handsome and refined, his aura cold. He was slightly lifting his gaze, and his eyes, filled with utter indifference, radiated an intense pressure.

The nameplate on the table in front of him clearly read ”SOUTHLAND”.

............

The young man’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. A cold sweat broke out all over his body, and when a gust of wind blew past, he shivered.

After a long moment, he swallowed hard, thankful that he hadn’t just posted the photos himself. He felt an overwhelming sense of having narrowly escaped disaster.

That was the Southland Group! A dark horse that had clawed its way out of Meridia’s corporate world, where they played both sides of the law. After moving their headquarters back to the country, they had shot up to a top-tier conglomerate in just one short year, with their hands in countless industries.

And the President of Southland was an even more formidable figure. Rumor had it that despite his youth, his methods were ruthless. His overly rational and cold-blooded approach to business struck fear into the hearts of many.

’My God... Joanna Kennedy’s sponsor is this terrifying demon? How does she dare? Isn’t she afraid of getting herself killed with one wrong move?’

No wonder her trending topics were always suppressed. No wonder the head judge of the awards ceremony suddenly resigned. Joanna Kennedy’s backing... was anything but ordinary.

*

On her first day back in Aethelburg, Joanna Kennedy received an invitation to the Aethelburg TV Mid-Autumn Festival Gala.

When she received the invitation, it took Joanna a moment to register that the Mid-Autumn Festival was already around the corner. Time really flew.

Simon Lockwood had been very busy lately. He often worked in his study until after 11 PM, even after coming home from the office. It might have been the usual pre-holiday rush, but it was more likely due to the mountain of work that had piled up recently.

Thinking about this made Joanna feel a little guilty. After all, Simon Lockwood had spent the last few days in Dresland just to be with her.

At 9 PM, Joanna ran downstairs to check on the porridge she was making in the kitchen. She lifted the lid to take a look.

’Hmm... It needs to simmer a little longer.’

Something pawed at her calf. Joanna bent down, picked up the all-white 166, and raised an eyebrow. ”What are you doing? Miss me?”

166: [...]

’Pah! Shameless human!’

”I feel like the energy from that system on Simon Lockwood has gotten weaker,” 166 asked suspiciously. ”Did you find a solution?”

’Weaker?’

Joanna paused for a moment. ”Are you sure?”

”...Not sure.” 166 wagged its little tail and answered honestly, ”It’s also possible that my own perception as a system has gotten weaker.”

Joanna: [...]

Joanna’s face was blank. ”You always manage to make me laugh.”

brandished its claws unhappily, waving them threateningly in front of her. Joanna grabbed its paw and chuckled. ”Stop showing off those claws. I’m trimming them tomorrow.”

froze, its little cat face a mask of pure terror.

Ten minutes later, Joanna walked into the study carrying a bowl of the shredded pork and vegetable porridge she had made.

At the desk, the man was reading a document, his brow furrowed and his expression cold. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on his high-bridged nose, giving him an air of noble refinement.

’He really looks the part of the untouchable ideal,’ Joanna thought, remembering what 166 had said.

’Has the system’s energy on Simon Lockwood really gotten weaker? If so, does that mean the effects of the Emotional Reversal will also gradually fade?’

Given enough time, Simon Lockwood might be able to make a full recovery.

”What are you spacing out for?” The man’s voice broke the silence.

Joanna snapped back to reality, walked over, and set down the porridge. ”Mr. Lockwood,” she said cheerfully, ”time for a break. Health is wealth, you know.”

Seated at the desk, under the lamp’s glow, Simon Lockwood lifted his gaze. Beneath the lenses of his glasses, his dark eyes were cool and detached. His thick, black eyelashes cast a faint shadow.

”Have you eaten?” he asked slowly.

Joanna nodded, then shook her head, then nodded again. She held up one finger. ”I ate a tiny little vegetable leaf.”

Her tone was mournful. ”Mr. Lockwood, I have to go on a diet. Otherwise, I’ll look bad on camera during the Mid-Autumn Gala.”

The camera adds ten pounds, and that’s no joke.

Simon Lockwood’s gaze settled on the girl’s fair, lustrous cheeks, which hardly had any flesh on them to begin with. He frowned. ”Joanna Kennedy, don’t pick up bad habits.”

He had seen news reports about girls whose health had severely deteriorated due to excessive dieting, a behavior Simon Lockwood found utterly incomprehensible.

’What’s so beautiful about being sallow and gaunt?’

Joanna pouted, deciding not to argue with the ”old traditionalist.”

Seeing the girl’s pout and her stubborn, unpersuadable expression, Simon Lockwood’s brow furrowed even more tightly.