The Villain’s New Script and the Dragon’s Secret Life

Xue Zhen flipped through his textbook absentmindedly. That curly-haired boy—the messenger for some “Boss”—had come back during the break, rambling about where Xue Zhen was expected to be, but Xue Zhen hadn’t let a single word sink in.

He was exhausted and had only one goal: go home and sleep.

With no classes in the afternoon, he planned to grab a quick lunch and head back to his apartment. However, while walking, he received a text from Tang Zhan.

“Come home the day after tomorrow. Dad has something to discuss with you.”

Short and to the point. Xue Zhen curled his lip and replied with a simple “Okay.” Given how aggressive the man’s tone had been yesterday, Xue Zhen thought he’d be blocked. Instead, it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours before Tang Zhan reached out again.

For the sake of that red envelope, I can offer a tiny bit of forgiveness, Xue Zhen thought. He was desperately short on cash. If the stepfather he was meeting tonight could also be provoked into throwing money at him, that would be ideal.

But he was also deep in thought. To complete the mission of “falling in love with the Dragon Aotian,” he first had to get close to him.

Based on his “Gold-digging Cannon Fodder” identity, approaching the protagonist as a “Pure White Lotus” and promising to stay by his side through thick and thin was likely a non-starter. It would be a total OOC (Out of Character) violation.

If he took the “Sugar Daddy” route—throwing stacks of cash at the protagonist’s face, demanding he become a live-in son-in-law—that also seemed impossible. First, Xue Zhen didn’t have that much money. Second, in 99% of these stories, the Dragon Aotian would dump him the moment he hit the big time, shouting slogans about his “true identity being revealed.”

Xue Zhen didn’t want a tragic ending. So…

The gleaming glass of a shop window reflected the youth’s beautiful profile and spirited expression. His dark eyes flickered with a cunning light, like a cat waiting for the perfect moment to cause trouble.

“886?”

The little bird hopped closer. “What’s up, Host?”

Xue Zhen consulted it with a scholarly air. “The Love Department doesn’t have a rule against the ‘Sadomasochistic Love’ tag, right?”

886’s bead-like eyes widened.

“Never mind.” Xue Zhen decided not to strain the system, which was barely two weeks old. He had made his decision.

Since the Love Department had recruited from the Villain Department, they would just have to deal with a troublemaker like him. If the Dragon Aotian ran into him, he’d just have to consider it bad luck. After all, if you pay in bananas, you only get monkeys. If the Love Department insisted on hiring a villain, they’d have to swallow the bitter pill of whatever chaos he caused.

A-City, The Sunshine Orphanage.

This orphanage was a relic from decades ago—a low, three-story building huddled among towering skyscrapers, as inconspicuous as a speck of dust. The original warm yellow paint had peeled away, replaced by patchy layers applied over the years. The sign had long since faded, leaving only the lush clematis vines clinging to the rusted railings to wave in the breeze.

The children had grown up and left, and the facility was slowly being abandoned. Now, it only housed a few long-term staff and children with developmental disabilities who relied on basic welfare.

Knock, knock.

A tall figure emerged from behind the flower wall. It was a young man with dark hair, wearing a black mask. His features were deep and handsome, yet he carried a palpable air of gloom. His clothes were washed thin and faded, but they couldn’t hide his broad shoulders and lean, muscular frame.

Holding a bag in one hand, he skillfully knocked on the door, stacked a few bricks by the flower bed, and vaulted over the low railing with ease.

Inside, the world felt different. While the outside looked dilapidated, the interior was meticulously clean. Even the gaps between the courtyard bricks were free of weeds. On the third-floor terrace, freshly washed sheets fluttered in the wind, smelling of soap and sunlight.

“Qi Wu? You’re here early!” Auntie Su, the last remaining worker at the orphanage, poked her head out of the kitchen with a smile. She had no children of her own and viewed the orphans as her family—especially Qi Wu.

Qi Wu was one of the “returned” children. Because he was bright and handsome, he had been adopted several times, but each time, his foster parents met with various accidents and sent him back. Eventually, the former director decided the boy was “bad luck” and ignored him. Only Auntie Su had stayed by him.

Despite his hardships, Qi Wu excelled. Though he had stayed back two years for various reasons, he was always at the top of his class and had entered A-University as the top scholar of the province.

“Auntie Su.” Qi Wu gave her a rare, small smile.

“Sit down and eat before you go,” she urged.

Qi Wu shook his head. “I have a part-time shift. I can’t stay.” He pulled a bank card from his pocket and pressed it into her hand. “I’ve saved some money. In a few days, I’m taking you to the hospital for that surgery.”

Auntie Su had a benign brain tumor. It was treatable, but she had been refusing to spend money on herself, preferring to save it for the other children.

“I can’t take this!” she protested. “You need money for university!”

Qi Wu remained expressionless but firm, forcing the card into her apron pocket. “This is from my tutoring jobs. I haven’t touched my tuition money. The parents paid me five times the normal rate because I was the top scholar.”

Auntie Su looked skeptical, but Qi Wu patted her hand and turned to leave. “Use the rest for the others, like Hong Yuan’s physical therapy. I have to go.”

As he walked away, his long strides soon took him past the flower wall. Auntie Su sighed, touching the warm card. He was such a good boy, with no parents to help him, carrying the weight of the whole orphanage on his lean shoulders.

Qi Wu checked the time. It was past noon. If he caught the bus now, he’d make it to The Night Banquet before his shift started.

The Night Banquet wasn’t a “good” place, but it paid well—several hundred an hour for a student who was handsome and quick-witted. The manager looked out for him, but there were always those who tried to make his life difficult by setting him up to offend customers.

Like yesterday.

On the swaying, humid bus, Qi Wu found himself dazing off. He had been prepared to be drenched in water by an angry customer after a setup by the floor manager.

But that beautiful young master had only looked at him crossly and told him to stay away. Then, the boy had turned around to act spoiled with his brother to get new clothes. He seemed to have a huge temper, yet he hadn’t actually bullied anyone.

He was also the most beautiful person Qi Wu had ever seen—porcelain skin, cat-like eyes, and that haughty tilt of the chin.

Qi Wu swallowed hard. The handsome youth adjusted his mask and stepped off the crowded bus, his silhouette lonely but sharp against the city skyline.