Chapter 2
Only after explaining that he was going to greet Yan Tingshen did Cui Ling notice the wine glass in Qin You’s hand.
He suppressed his irritation but couldn’t help muttering under his breath, “Qin Jr., the Chairman's here. After we cut the cake, he’ll introduce you to some friends. It’ll be quick, so it’s best if you don’t drink any more before then.”
Qin You ignored him, scanning the room first. “Which one is Mr. Yan?”
In this world, the Qin family was secondary.
His priority was securing the target and completing the mission—only then could he be free.
Besides, with the Qin family being such a sinking ship and internally full of holes, it was only a matter of time before it collapsed even without external pressure. As the heir who was already seen as a pain in their neck, there was no need for him to take things too seriously.
Moreover, he was the villain destined to compete with the protagonist for love. Making it out alive from Yan Tingshen’s clutches would be achievement enough.
Managing the company outside of his mission? All work, no payoff—not worth it.
He’d already done enough unprofitable things for others in his past life.
This “new life”? Time to take it easy this time.
Cui Ling clenched his fist, seeing Qin You’s apathy as sheer laziness, and lowered his voice further. “No time for introductions now. Time to cut the cake.”
Hearing this, Qin You had no choice but to step forward, accepting the guests’ half-hearted compliments—some real, some fake.
Cui Ling followed closely, stopping to the side and watching him like a hawk.
Before long, as the Chairman and Qin You smoothly finished cutting the cake, followed by the Chairman’s speech and the announcement of the CEO position—
Cui Ling let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Thankfully, though this prodigal heir was usually unreliable, he could keep it together when it counted.
Just as Cui Ling was about to step away, a commotion broke out in the crowd, followed by an immediate scattering of guests.
In the center of the room, Qin You also turned to look.
His cousin, whom he’d only met twice, was hugging a guest and puking his guts out. As the crowd dispersed, the cousin—not caring how disgusting he looked—shouted something excitedly before unbuckling his belt, dropping his pants, and squatting right then and there—
It was a trainwreck you couldn’t look away from.
Many of the surrounding guests, particularly those who enjoyed drama, could barely keep it together. While the older attendees, out of respect for the renowned Mr. Qin, tried to maintain decorum and peeked discreetly, the younger ones bit back giggles as they pulled out their phones.
In a corner.
A group of people who had been waiting for the show now looked like they’d seen a ghost.
One middle-aged man’s expression turned especially grim, turning pale, then red with embarrassment. He didn’t dare look at Mr. Qin’s reaction and could only force himself forward, attempting to drag the guy out.
But the cousin, still in a frenzied state, resisted wildly, laughing and shouting as two or three people struggled to restrain him.
Nearby.
Mr. Qin, the center of attention, finally frowned.
Before he could speak, the butler was already on it, instructing security to drag the guy out and handling the cleanup smoothly.
Those around them quickly took the hint and shifted the topic.
The banquet hall soon regained its harmonious mood.
Qin You hadn't moved far and noticed the old man glancing at him as well.
Then, Cui Ling's voice came from behind.
"Mr. Qin, it's getting late. Let me take you back to rest."
Qin You withdrew his gaze.
In the book's original storyline, the original host had made a scene at this birthday banquet, and thanks to someone's behind-the-scenes manipulation, it wouldn't have ended so simply.
Now that it had ended smoothly, it seemed the old man remained suspicious of him.
Rest?
Likely meaning that since the purpose of his appearance had been achieved, he, also "drunk," didn't need to stay any longer, nor time to waste, avoiding further embarrassment like before.
But this was precisely why he had given them a taste of their own medicine.
He had no interest in staying here to be put on display, nor time to remain idle.
He simply asked the system, "Recording complete?"
"Recording complete..." The system's tone remained cautious, though its demeanor had changed somewhat. "But the system's energy reserves are currently insufficient. The video can't be uploaded to any device. You'll need to pass the plot checkpoint and complete the mission to gain energy."
Low energy again?
Qin You said, "Store it for now."
For future reference, these unfavorable factors needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.
Moreover, he was now living as this other Qin You.
Given this "borrowed" identity, he ought to do something about the plots meant for the original host.
Since this cousin had been the first to target the original host, he should naturally be the first to pay the price.
Qin You glanced toward the now-quiet entrance.
Planning to climb over the original host's back to make a fortune in the entertainment industry?
Once this video—enough to ruin an idol's image—spreads online, dear cousin, your dream's collapse won't be far off.
"Video saved."
This matter temporarily settled, Qin You checked his watch.
The thirty-minute timer kept counting down. He needed to find his target before then.
At the very least, he needed to see the man's face.
After all, he still had to play the role of "undying devotion" toward this man.
Thinking of this, Qin You turned to Cui Ling. "You mentioned President Yan—where can I find him?"
President Yan?
This was the second time Qin You had asked.
Why would the Heir be interested in Yan Tingshen?
Cui Ling gave him a suspicious look before replying, "Mr. Yan’s already gone."
Qin You said, "This early?"
Cui Ling nodded. "He doesn’t have much contact with the Qin family. His attendance today was probably old Mr. Yan’s idea. You remember, don’t you? The Chairman and old Mr. Yan were once war buddies. I heard Mr. Yan’s health hasn’t been great this year, so he couldn’t attend in person."
Qin You got the message.
So it seemed there really was no chance for an early meeting. "Well—" Never mind.
Before he could finish those last two words—
"Director Cui—emergency!" A panicked staffer rushed up and whispered in Cui Ling’s ear, "Sorry to bother you, but I’ve got no one else to turn to..."
Cui Ling immediately frowned and was already heading toward the exit as he spoke. "What happened?"
He hadn’t left yet?
Qin You tailed him unnoticed.
"All I know is that the person blocking the car seems to be a president of one of the Yan family’s subsidiaries. Beyond that, I’m not sure..." The man mopped his forehead.
Cui Ling gathered details along the way, only noticing Qin You’s presence once they reached the door. He fought back a headache. "Young Master Qin, I’m handling official business. Please go back and rest."
Qin You said, "You do your thing, I’ll observe mine. No crossed wires."
Cui Ling wanted to say more, but no time to waste.
Yan Tingshen couldn’t afford a scandal here. Even if the person blocking the car was connected to the Yan family, any disputes had to happen after leaving the Qin estate.
He glanced at Qin You, relieved to see he didn’t seem like the type to stir up trouble after drinking, and braced himself and headed out.
To his relief, by the time he arrived, the situation was nearly resolved.
Fortunately, Yan Tingshen was the only guest who had left the banquet so early. The party inside was loud enough to cover the ruckus, leaving no unrelated bystanders nearby.
He saw skid marks from a car that had cut horizontally in front of Yan Tingshen’s vehicle—likely the blocker’s doing—but it had already been cleared away.
Now, only one man remained in front of Yan Tingshen’s car, arms spread wide, face streaked with tears, utterly deranged.
Clearly out of his mind, he stood there sobbing in futile remorse before rushing to the left rear door, yanking the handle and slamming his fists against the tinted glass.
"Mr. Yan! Mr. Yan! All these years, if I’ve contributed nothing else, at least I’ve worked hard! You can’t do this to me!" The man, hollow-cheeked, eyes raw with tears, must have been lying in wait for hours. "You’re signing my death warrant!"
Staff encircled him, exchanging uncertain glances, unsure if he was actually one of the evening’s guests, and thus reluctant to lay hands on him.
Then—
The passenger-side door swung open.
A burly bodyguard stepped out.
At the sight of him, the man’s face contorted in panic as he frantically slammed his fists against the darkened window under the moonlight. "Mr. Yan! Mr. Yan!"
The bodyguard rounded the front of the car and strode over, wrenching the man’s arms behind his back in one practiced motion.
The man's face flushed red, thrashing like a fish out of water, flopping helplessly on a cutting board.
Cui Ling happened to approach just then, signaling to his men to take control of the man, when he abruptly noticed the car window slowly rolling down.
Overjoyed and disregarding his disheveled appearance, the man hastily cried out, "Mr. Yan!"
To be safe, Cui Ling still instructed his men to restrain the man first.
He couldn’t fathom why the person inside the car had lowered the window, still worried the man might lash out violently, when a lazy voice reached his ears—
"So this is Yan Tingshen?"
The tone was casual.
Like he was window-shopping.
"..." Cui Ling slowly ground his teeth.
Qin You!
Couldn't this rich brat read the mood?
Was this fucking the time for introductions and idle chatter?
"Assistant Cui?"
Cui Ling took a deep breath, unwilling to waste time on this. "Yes."
Only then did Qin You look through the car window.
In the darkness, he couldn’t make out the other’s face clearly. He moved slightly, taking a couple of steps, but could barely glimpse the silhouette of a man’s profile.
The man sat inside the car, his stature and exact features indiscernible. Only the expensive-ass streetlights of the Qin estate were worth every penny, sending a shaft of light into the car that illuminated the watch on his wrist.
A midnight-blue face with platinum casing.
Under the light, its owner leaned slightly forward, his tone icy as he spoke, "End this cleanly."
His voice was chilly.
Though brief, his words left no room for negotiation.
Hmm.
Matched the original's impression of Yan Tingshen.
Qin You thought, shifting his gaze to the other side of the car. "If I keep the target here at the Qin residence, wouldn’t that avoid the car accident?"
The system replied, "Sorry, to prevent deviations in subsequent events—and since plot points are usually ways to make the leads fall for each other—alterations are prohibited."
Qin You frowned. "Even if we know danger is imminent?"
The system said, "...Yes."
Qin You scoffed. "People can die, but the romance must go on? Is this the kind of bullshit logic your organization promotes?"
"..." The system swallowed its frustration. "This isn’t bullshit—it’s the necessary bullshit on the path to love. Host, only through storms can one appreciate the beauty of a rainbow—"
It was immediately interrupted by the host’s blunt retort.
"Shut your mouth."
"..."
At the car window.
The man still wanted to defend himself: "But—"
The car owner had no intention of listening, cutting him off mercilessly: "We'll settle this in court."
With that.
The car window rolled up again.
"No—!" the man screamed hoarsely, "Mr. Yan, listen to me—!"
He struggled violently against the staff's restraint, his expression twisting ferociously, as if trying to force his head through the window, but their combined strength kept him at bay.
The bodyguard had already returned to the car.
The next moment, the engine roared to life, and the car slowly drove off.
Amid the weakening shouts, the system issued another reminder.
"Twenty-minute countdown. Host, please proceed to the incident location immediately."
Qin You said, "No rush."
He watched the receding taillights, then turned his gaze to the now-released and staggering Mr. Li in the distance.
Since they were acquainted, there was no chance of mistaken identity.
Target confirmed.
Danger was unavoidable.
Twenty minutes to chase a car fated to crash was more than enough.
Sensing the Host's indifference, the system grew urgent: "The longer you delay, the higher the risk of the mission spiraling out of control. Host, please depart at once!"
Qin You wasn't about to delay.
He closed the countdown display and leisurely turned toward the garage.
Considering he couldn't drive under the influence, he hired a driver on the way and headed for the marked destination on the map.
—
Twenty minutes later.
The mountain road's final stretch.
In the pitch darkness, the car moved steadily along the highway.
Inside the vehicle.
A businesslike conversation unfolded in the back seat.
"Tingshen— Sorry, Mr. Yan, something feels off. This was a private trip. Aside from a select few, no outsiders could have known you were heading to the Qin residence today."
"Yeah."
"And Li Jianhang—how did he get an invite to the birthday banquet?"
"That’s already being looked into."
"You... saw this coming? I’m sorry, I was too slow to react—"
Before he could finish speaking.
The bodyguard in the passenger seat barked a sudden warning.
"Stop the car!!"
But it was already too late.
A black car, ghostlike, lunged from the shadows and slammed into them like a missile!
"Boom—!"
The crash exploded through the night!
The driver, who had instinctively slammed on the brakes, took the full brunt of the collision. The driver's seat crumpled instantly, killing him on impact.
Their car was hurled sideways by the force, rolled twice, then skidded toward the edge of the road.
The shriek of tires on asphalt made the bodyguard’s blood run cold.
Somehow, they weren’t completely out of luck. After knocking over two streetlights and crashing hard into the guardrail, the car came to a stop just before tumbling down the slope.
No time to breathe. The bodyguard forced his head around.
He glimpsed the ghost car reversing—his pupils shrank.
This was no accident. This was a hit.
Despite his training, the two consecutive brutal impacts had left him dazed and disoriented.
His instincts screamed to get out, but his body refused to cooperate—he couldn’t move a muscle.
"Get... out..."
The bodyguard’s warning was lost as he braced himself, muscles taut, for the second impact that would send them careening down the slope—
Then—
Headlights flared.
Another bone-jarring crash!
The bodyguard shuddered, his battered eardrums gave way. A shrill buzz drowned everything, plunging him into momentary deafness.
Gritting his teeth, he pried his eyes open—just in time to see another car slam head-on into the attacker's vehicle.
The assailant's car skidded several meters sideways, smoke pouring from its hood as it died.
Metal shrieked as their car was sideswiped, but just a nudge—not enough to send them over.
Too close for comfort...
His nerves suddenly relaxed.
The bodyguard, his face ghostly pale, exhaled sharply.
If that car had come a second later, it would’ve been too late...
—
"Host!"
The system had nagged him the whole ride...
After reassuring the shaken driver, he got out of the car and frowned slightly at the scene before him.
He hadn’t expected the crash to be this bad.
—Shards of metal littered the ground, accompanied by a trail of dark red blood. A mangled Maybach lay overturned near the road, its twisted rear end hanging precariously over the slope, the back wheels half-suspended as if the slightest push would send it tumbling down.
Qin You took a few steps closer and noticed the bloodstains splattered across the battered, caved-in driver’s seat.
The metallic reek of blood grew stronger, thick enough to choke on.
His shoe sank into a widening pool of blood, the viscous liquid making a sticky, squelching sound underfoot.
Qin You hesitated, then pressed on.
From a distance, he had already seen the scene.
This was no accident—it was murder.
The system’s so-called 'plot point' wasn't just a hurdle in the protagonists’ love story; there were deeper reasons behind it.
Qin You’s eyes hardened as he stared at the back seat.
Someone had meticulously planned this murder for the person inside.
A life had already been snuffed out.
How could he brush this off as just another mission?
"M-Mr. Qin..."
The driver trailing behind Qin You froze, his scalp prickling, legs shaking like leaves, his tongue stiff with dread. "S-Someone died..."
Qin You glanced back at him. "Call 911 first. Then get Cui Ling on the line and tell him Yan Tingshen was in an accident. Have him notify the hospital to send help."
His calm voice steadied the driver. The driver bobbed his head and fumbled for his phone with shaking hands, hurrying away from the wreckage.
Qin You turned toward the wreck.
The attacker in the other car was out cold. He approached the Maybach.
The left side of the car faced him. He averted his eyes from the driver’s gory remains, tried opening the rear door, but it was jammed shut.
Through the broken glass, the glow of a blue watch face caught his eye under the streetlight’s glow.
It was Yan Tingshen.
Since it had nothing to do with the mission, there was no need for him to intervene further.
Qin You released his grip and walked to the other side. As he rounded the front of the car, he noticed faint flames flickering from beneath the hood.
With a frown, he shouted to the driver, who had just ended his call, from across the roof of the car. "Get over here and help!"
The driver quickly obeyed and hurried over.
Qin You took a few steps forward and opened the rear door.
As soon as he looked inside, he froze.
Maybe because of where he was sitting, the man behind the front passenger seat, though bloodied at the temple, was not unconscious like Yan Tingshen. He was wide awake.
In the shadows, his sharp, dark eyes were unreadable, impossible to read, showing no emotion.
Even in this mess, he met Qin You’s gaze with composure, No panic, no relief—like he hadn’t just cheated death.
Qin You’s eyebrow twitched.
So this was the guy?
He remembered the little intel he had on the guy.
Pei Sheng—the love interest.
Three years ago, he’d crashed and burned, disappearing completely.
Three years later, he reappeared as Yan Tingshen’s assistant.
After everything he’d been through, Pei Sheng had become closed off, no longer revealing his true feelings easily.
The system claimed that Pei Sheng’s introverted nature had stalled the progression of the protagonists’ relationship, necessitating external intervention to guide him toward recognizing his own emotions.
Qin You didn’t buy it—but he didn’t argue either.
The game was simple.
As the antagonist, his role was to make Pei Sheng aware of love, get him hooked, and then, through stark contrast, make him see that Yan Tingshen was his perfect match.
Basically, it was a cliché romance that could be resolved by exposing one’s "true nature" after falling in love.
But the real Pei Sheng wasn’t the fragile, withdrawn guy he’d expected.
This guy?
Ice-cold under pressure.
Qin You mused to himself.
Hmm...
This might be a problem.
Just then, the driver’s voice came from the front passenger seat as he helped the bodyguard out of the car.
"Hurry! The fire will spread fast—get out now!"
"Get... Mr. Yan out first!"
"Get out now!"
"...Save President Yan..."
"..." The driver, who considered himself just an employee, couldn't comprehend the bodyguard's devotion, but there was no time to express admiration now.
As he reached to unbuckle the bodyguard's seatbelt himself, he realized the man seemed unable to hear him, mindlessly repeating "save President Yan," while already trying to get out.
Hearing the commotion, Qin You leaned forward and reached out toward the man, identifying who he was: "Pei Sheng, can you move?"
The man glanced at the outstretched hand before his gaze lingered on Qin You's moving lips for a second. He frowned slightly before speaking calmly: "Thank you."
His voice was deep and calm.
With that, he unfastened his seatbelt, flinching as he moved. After a pause, he took his hand to rise from the backseat.
Only then did Qin You get a good look at him.
Despite the accident, the man maintained his composure, though his injuries told the real story.
His formerly neat hair was disheveled, blood smeared across his cheek. Beyond the wounds at his temple and brow, his shoulders and neck were cut in several places, his clothes torn in various spots.
Qin You's gaze traveled downward. In the glow of the headlights, he saw blood tracing a path from the man's limp right arm, dripping from his middle finger.
The most severe injury was a long, deep gash across his right abdomen—from some unknown source. As he stood, he pressed his left hand against it, fingers already turning red as blood seeped through his shirt and jacket, the bloodstain spreading.
Qin You glanced at the damaged car.
Whether the attackers wanted Yan Tingshen dead or were constrained by terrain, this side had taken less impact than the driver's side. Combined with the seatbelt, the man had gotten lucky to remain standing.
"Young Qin, there's still someone inside!" The driver, seeing the bodyguard regaining some strength, instinctively sought instructions.
Only Yan Tingshen remained.
Without another look at the car, Qin You ordered: "Get him out."
The driver acknowledged.
The bodyguard lowered his hand from his ear, hesitating as he watched the two figures walking away. The driver tugged at him: "What are you staring at? Weren't you going to save someone?"
Realizing his hearing had returned, the bodyguard cast one last glance at the sparking hood before moving toward the rear seat: "I'm coming."
Qin You was already guiding the man toward safer ground.
Yan Tingshen's injuries—however severe—had loyal subordinates to worry about.
His sole target was this *protagonist shou* beside him.
Recalling the profile's note about Pei Sheng's "stoic but kind-hearted" nature, Qin You studied the man's expressionless face.
He was handsome.
But to me, a man's looks were no different than inspecting pork.
However, the target was taller than he had imagined, almost at his eye level, with a similar build.
He had assumed that the *protagonist shou* in the book, being a protected figure, would look more delicate.
Of course, this was better.
At least easier on the eyes than expected.
The system urged again, "Host, stop staring. It's time to say your lines!"
Having gained a new understanding of the host's personality, it was adjusting fast.
This was good—it had initially worried whether the host could play the part of a "domineering villain."
At the same time, the man subtly brushed off Qin You’s hand. "Thank you, I'm feeling much better now."
Qin You came back to himself.
Then, seeing the dialogue on the display, he fell silent for a long moment.
Only after another prompt from the system did he speak: "A Sheng—"
A Sheng.
The pet name the original owner had used for the target, as the system had drilled into him a million times.
Such a cheesy, overfamiliar nickname—no wonder the original version bombed.
Hearing this, the man's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
The faint crease between his brows was barely noticeable as he turned to look at Qin You, his face unreadable.
"—I never expected to see you here,"
Qin You paused again, then simply dragged him into a hug to avoid exposing his expressionless face during this supposedly tender moment. "This is wonderful. All these years, I've missed you so much."