The War God, Long Aotian, really wanted to throw a punch.
This was his moment—his chance to display his strength and awe everyone!
But that damned Lu Chengwen… why wasn't he cooperating? Why wasn't he acting arrogant and asking for a beating like any proper villain should?
Instead, he was desperately holding back over a dozen of his own bodyguards, sweating buckets in the process.
Seriously? Was that really necessary?
Just let them come at me, I beg you!
I need this wave of EXP so bad!
If I don't get to fight, how am I supposed to end this scene properly?
Lu Chengwen had already made up his mind.
[No way I'm letting you farm experience off me! Not today, not ever!]
[From now on, you're the heavens, you're the god, whatever you say goes. I won't argue.]
[Take Leng Qingqiu with you if you want. If you can't, that's your problem. Just don't drag me into your mess!]
Long Aotian was about to lose his mind.
"Uh… Young Master Lu, do you… perhaps have some kind of problem with me?"
Having finally calmed his men, Lu Chengwen spread his arms wide, blocking the group behind him.
"No, no! I'm great! I'm thrilled! I think you and Qingqiu make a perfect match. When you two get married, send me an invitation—I'll bring a gift!"
Long Aotian clenched his fists, his energy nowhere to release. He was so anxious he began pacing in circles.
"How about… you let them come at me? They're just trying to stand up for you, after all."
"No, no, don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one's getting through today!"
Lu Chengwen turned and barked at his bodyguards, "Anyone who moves, I'll end him myself!"
Leng Qingqiu now understood—Lu Chengwen really could predict future events.
And because of that, everything about this scene had changed.
Now, it looked like Lu Chengwen was doing his best to de-escalate the conflict, while Long Aotian seemed hellbent on stirring up trouble for no reason.
Seeing through his façade, Leng Qingqiu snapped, "Long Aotian, that's enough! Get out! Leave now or I'll call the police!"
Long Aotian's face darkened.
He was a returning War God—no one in the borderlands would dare humiliate him like this.
And yet today… he had been utterly disgraced.
"Fine! I'll leave. But Qingqiu, please believe this—no matter when or where, no matter what danger you face, I will always stand before you, even if it means opposing the whole world!"
Leng Qingqiu pointed toward the door, suppressing her disgust. "Get. Out."
Long Aotian was speechless.
His face turned almost black as he glared at Lu Chengwen before leaving with a snort.
Lu Chengwen nearly cried. "It really wasn't my fault… I—I didn't mean to steal your thunder. You must be furious, huh?"
Long Aotian snorted again and left, his expression as gloomy as a thunderstorm.
Once in the bathroom, Lu Chengwen almost threw up from the stress.
After multiple runs through this world, he had already summarized the Three Iron Rules for Villain Survival:
Rule One: Never try to act cool or argue with the protagonist. That's the fastest way to die.
Who is the protagonist? A guy who can't stand you even when you behave. If you so much as act smug, he'll kill you twice just for fun.
Rule Two: Never touch the protagonist's woman. Stay as far away as possible. Those brainless heroines are all poisonous. When the protagonist kills you, they'll cheer him on and jump into his arms.
Rule Three: Never do evil.
If the protagonist catches you doing something shady—congratulations, you've just turned yourself into his EXP pack, sacrificed for his glory and plot progression.
Ding-dong!
System Notification:
"Congratulations, dear Host, for passing the Basic Survival Phase! Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆. Here's your first reward, sweetie!"
Lu Chengwen frowned. "What reward?"
"You've earned yourself a brand-new sports car, darling!"
His eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? I'm the eldest son of the Lu Family, one of the Four Great Houses of Snow City! I already have more luxury cars than I can count! I barely escaped that beast Long Aotian's wrath, and this is my reward?"
"Please don't be upset, dear Host. This sports car is very special, you know~"
"What's so special about it!?" he roared.
"It's got… four whole wheels!"
"You son of a—"
He forced himself to calm down. "What's up with that damn Leng Qingqiu? Wasn't she supposed to leave with the War God according to the plot? What's this supposed to be?"
"Her current situation isn't entirely clear, dear Host. If you want to know more, we suggest engaging her in conversation."
"Conversation my ass! Did you see the way Long Aotian looked at me? He wanted to strangle me on the spot!"
After his outburst, Lu Chengwen deflated with a sigh. "Please, just… think of a way to get them back together. At this rate, you'll get me killed!"
"Please don't worry, dear Host. According to our records, getting you killed is the intended outcome~"
"You—!"
—
In Lu Guanghong's study.
Lu Guanghong sat behind his desk, face stern. "Sit."
Lu Chengwen sat down stiffly.
"Well? What's going on this time? What kind of nonsense are you up to now?"
"Nothing," Lu Chengwen replied, genuinely confused.
"Hmph! You think you can fool me? Don't I know what kind of person you are?" Lu Guanghong's voice turned sharp. "I'm warning you—treat Qingqiu properly, or I won't forgive you."
"She's not going to marry me. Everyone in Snow City knows how much she despises me."
"Then why did she suddenly change her mind today?"
"I have no idea! I'm just as confused as you are!"
"Then why did you suddenly decide not to go through with the engagement?"
"I… uh… possess great compassion!"
Lu Guanghong narrowed his eyes. "You've really lost all sense of shame."
Lu Chengwen slumped, too exasperated to argue.
"Take a gift and go visit your godfather later," Lu Guanghong ordered.
Lu Chengwen blinked. "My godfather?"
Oh, right—
According to the story's setup, Snow City had four great families: Lu, Chen, Xu, and Leng.
The Lu Family was the strongest, followed by the Chen and Xu Families, while the Leng Family had nearly gone bankrupt in recent years.
If not for Leng Qingqiu taking charge during the crisis and reviving the family business, the Lengs would've collapsed entirely.
That's why they were so eager for the engagement.
They knew exactly what kind of person Lu Chengwen was—but only the Lu Family had the power and willingness to save them.
So, for the sake of survival, they could only agree to the marriage, even if it meant sacrificing their dignity.
In truth, they all looked down on him.
That was the tragedy of this story—
His "villain" persona was flawless.
Tall, handsome, and rich. A young business prodigy who led the Lu Group to dominate the market.
Yet, despite standing at the top of the human food chain, he was still reduced to being Leng Qingqiu's pathetic bootlicker.
All of it existed for one purpose: to make the protagonist's victories more satisfying.
The better the villain, the sweeter the hero's triumph.
For her, he used his power and influence to suppress others, only to be humiliated and crushed by the War God in the end.
That was his fate—the perfect disposable villain.
To survive, he had to avoid every possible conflict with the protagonist.
And the biggest conflict of all… was his relationship with Leng Qingqiu.
He had to stay away from her. As far as possible.
If he could just make it to the end without dying, he'd return to reality with his full reward—wealth, women, success, and the means to cure his mother's illness.
The Lu Family had long-standing ties with the other three families, especially the Chens.
Lu Guanghong even acknowledged Old Master Chen Qiushou as his sworn brother—making him Lu Chengwen's godfather.
Recently, Old Master Chen had fallen ill. Everyone in the family had already visited—except for the ever-absent Lu Chengwen.
Fine. He'd drop off the gift, say hello, and leave.
Yes, that was the plan!
But the moment he stepped outside, he saw the same big guy from the engagement party—Zhao Gang—rallying a group of men.
Zhao Gang's face was still full of rage. "Is everyone here?"
Over thirty bodyguards stood in formation. "All here!"
"Good!" Zhao Gang's eyes flashed coldly. "That bastard Long Aotian ruined Young Master Lu's engagement! Can we swallow that humiliation?"
"Never!" everyone roared.
"Damn right! Our boss is Young Master Lu—Snow City's number one bad boy! Since when has anyone dared bully him?"
They raised their fists and chanted, "Steal men! Dominate women! Do evil without remorse! Steal men! Dominate women!"
With a dramatic wave, Zhao Gang silenced them instantly.
"So! We're going to find Long Aotian, beat him down, and win back our Young Master's honor!"
"Find Long Aotian! Beat him down! Steal men! Dominate women!"
Lu Chengwen rushed over and yanked Zhao Gang by the collar. "What the hell are you doing!?"
"Oh! Young Master Lu!" Zhao Gang grinned. "Relax, I've got nine different ways to take that bastard down. Nine! Just leave it to me!"
Lu Chengwen kicked him square in the rear. "Do you have nothing better to do!?"
Looking at the thirty-some muscular men before him, Lu Chengwen groaned, "And stop shouting that crap about stealing and dominating so loudly! How am I supposed to keep a good reputation!?"
Zhao Gang scratched his head. "But, Young Master, you were… uh… not exactly known for your modesty before."
Lu Chengwen trembled with anger. "Well, I have modesty now, okay!?"
"Oh!" Zhao Gang raised his voice. "You hear that, boys? Our Young Master wants to be both a whore and a saint! Got it?"
The men all pumped their fists. "Be a whore! Be a saint! Be a whore! Be a saint!"
"Get lost! All of you!" Lu Chengwen roared.
As they filed away, one guy muttered under his breath, still pumping his fist, "Be a whore… be a saint…"
Lu Chengwen lunged to kick him. "You little punk, come back here! I'll end you myself!"
Zhao Gang quickly pulled him back. "Whoa, whoa! Young Master, calm down! They're just doing what you trained them to do. They're used to it."
Lu Chengwen panted heavily. "You trained them?"
"Of course! Don't worry, I get it. That bastard Long Aotian—leave him to me, I'll—"
Lu Chengwen grabbed him by the shoulders. "Zhao Gang."
"Young Master."
"We're brothers."
Lu Chengwen said it with utter sincerity.
He had to—because this brute was too simple-minded to understand anything else.
And if he kept charging around like this, all the trouble would fall back on him. Then Long Aotian would definitely come after him again.
So he had to use both persuasion and trickery.
Zhao Gang's eyes grew misty. "Young Master… I'm not worthy. I'm just a—"
"Then prove it. If we're brothers, don't go picking fights for me. Tell everyone—if you see Long Aotian, go the other way. Got it?"
"…Why though?"
Zhao Gang blinked in confusion. "I don't get it, bro."