The knock echoed once again.
[1]Young Master Qin! —a male voice sounded, firm yet restrained—. The preparations are ready.
My heart sped up.
Not because of the man behind the door, but because of something far worse: my body was already moving.
My muscles suddenly relaxed. The pressure against my chest began to fade. My hands pulled away from Liang'er as if nothing had happened. Even the muscles of my face softened slightly.
—Come in —Qin Moshen replied calmly.
The door opened with a soft creak, and a middle-aged man stepped inside. He wore a black suit and dark glasses. His gaze slowly swept across the room: the rumpled sheets, the girl on the floor, her unsteady breathing.
For a brief moment, there was only silence.
…
—It seems I have interrupted something —he said, lowering his head respectfully—. My apologies, Young Master.
Liang'er clenched her teeth. Her hands trembled as she pulled the sheets she had managed to grab around her body. Her eyes were red, and a faint expression of shame colored her cheeks.
I wanted to speak.
I wanted to say it's not what it looks like. That she was just another victim dragged into this mess…
But the only thing that came out was a faint laugh.
—Leave —Qin Moshen ordered disdainfully—. And don't interrupt me again.
The man hesitated for barely a second… and obeyed.
The door closed.
(…)
A dense, almost oppressive silence enveloped the room.
Liang'er slowly got up, leaning against the wall. Her breathing was still uneven. Her gaze instinctively drifted toward the door, as if she feared it might open again, but she said nothing.
She didn't look at me.
—Get out —Qin Moshen ordered, his voice flat and bored, as if speaking to an annoying servant rather than a woman who had just been humiliated.
Liang'er's body tensed immediately. A slight tremor ran through her back. For a moment, I thought she would respond—shout, scream, curse me.
But she didn't.
She pressed her lips together, swallowed the humiliation… and remained silent.
Without saying another word, she gathered what little she could to cover herself and left the room.
The door closed once more.
Then…
"Haah…" A long sigh escaped my mouth.
Deep inside, I recalled the incessant, cold message I had heard:
「Assimilation complete.」
A moment later, I regained control of my limbs, though the sensation of freedom was unbearably bitter.
I could still feel my vocal cords vibrating from the word I had just spoken. My true intention—the cry born of my empathy—had been to apologize, not to drive her away like a dog.
But… my mouth, Qin Moshen's arrogant mouth, betrayed that will.
—What the hell is wrong with this damn psychopath?! —I exclaimed, though my own voice sounded more like an aristocratic reprimand than anything else.
It was terrifying. Qin Moshen's habits were engraved into my nerves, distorting every one of my actions.
At first, I tried to deny reality, to convince myself that all of this was just a dream, but the sensations were far too real. The memories of my past life and Qin Moshen's began to intertwine, fusing into a chaotic mass of consciousness. And worst of all, that bastard—meaning, me—had already crossed the line. I had acted against the protagonist.
"Damn it," I cursed silently inside my mind.
Just as I was lamenting my deplorable situation, a sudden spark of inspiration flashed through my thoughts. I remembered the hundreds—no, thousands—of novels I had read. In situations like this, the transmigrator always awakened a "golden finger" or some unfair advantage that pulled him out of trouble.
Slowly, I took a deep breath, trying to calm the erratic pounding in my chest. I adjusted my pants slightly, attempting to regain some composure while suppressing the shame radiating through my body. After a few seconds of silence, I closed my eyes and, deep within my mind, pleaded desperately:
"System… system… brother system, please help me."
(…silence)
"Huh? Nothing's happening…
Do I have to shout it out loud?" I wondered, feeling increasingly confused—and ridiculous.
I took another short breath and prepared to try again, searching for the most friendly and humble words to cling to the system's legs. Unfortunately, my mouth… my damn mouth, had other plans.
—System! Come out and greet me at once! —I roared with an air of superiority.
The instant the words fell, I froze.
What… what did I just say…?
"Damn you, Qin Moshen!" I screamed internally, realizing that even my attempt to seek help would be interpreted as a declaration of war by whoever was listening.
(Silence…)
"Brother system, uncle system… damn it! Why do you say it like that?!" I lamented as panic washed over me. "Brother, I was joking, please show yourself! If you don't help me, I'm dead." I thought—but my mouth had other plans.
—Bastard… do you dare toy with me? —Qin Moshen's voice said, cold and threatening.
"No! Shut up!" I screamed desperately inside my mind, feeling that if I didn't stop this arrogant mouth, something irreversible would happen.
But it was too late.
The moment my words faded, the air in front of me vibrated with electric intensity. Almost immediately, a translucent panel materialized out of nowhere, bathing the room in a bluish glow, accompanied by a mechanical notification that rang clearly in my ears.
「Ding, dong! Host detected!」
「Initializing: Great Villain System.」
[1] Author’s Note:Dialogue marked with — represents Qin Moshen’s outward speech,while text in “quotation marks” reflects the protagonist’s internal thoughts.