"You son of a bitch!"
"Ye Fan, you filthy lowlife, so you really were trying to peep on my cousin!"
Ye Fan, expecting his mother home from work soon, had left the front door open.
It was precisely this carelessness that allowed Chu Yi, who had just entered, to witness the scene unfolding before him.
Upon seeing Ye Fan's actions, Chu Yi didn't bother with words.
Delays could bring complications, and besides, he was already burning with pent-up rage, desperate for an outlet.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and drove a clenched fist into Ye Fan's face.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Who the hell are you?!"
Ye Fan reeled from the blow, stunned into bewilderment.
Who the hell are you supposed to be?
This is my home, and you barged in without so much as a knock, then swung at me like a lunatic.
Have you lost your damn mind?
Ye Fan stared at the young man before him—about the same age, but with sharp features and a striking presence—and for a moment, he was frozen.
His face, contorted with pain and confusion, seemed locked in place.
But Chu Yi, seeing his expression, couldn't help but feel a flicker of delight.
"What a golden opportunity."
Chances to strike the protagonist were few and far between—and better yet, Ye Fan wouldn't dare fight back.
With that in mind, Chu Yi threw another sharp slap across Ye Fan's left cheek.
This time, his right eye began to swell, his left cheek burned crimson.
The sight was downright laughable.
"If you hit me again, I swear I'll fight back."
Ye Fan clenched his fists, muscles rippling beneath his skin, and growled the words through gritted teeth.
He had held back, partly because the man before him was a stranger, and partly because his mother would be home any moment.
He didn't want her to see him brawling again—it would only deepen her disappointment.
He had already dropped out of school for a year. If she saw him resorting to violence now, she might lose all hope in him.
Ye Fan knew well—he was the last flicker of her dreams.
On the other side, Chu Yi saw Ye Fan's posture and immediately sensed the shift.
He understood one thing very clearly—
With his current body, worn thin from indulgence, he could never win in a straight fight.
Ye Fan hadn't just been toiling in a factory this past year.
In his free time, he had been studying martial arts under a destitute old man.
His skills were sharp—lean, quick, and lethal.
That old man, it turned out, was far from ordinary.
He was once ranked third on the international assassin leaderboard, a ghost in the shadows who eliminated high-ranking officials abroad.
Now on the run from his enemies, he had taken refuge in the city and traded his knowledge of martial arts for shelter and care.
So Chu Yi had struck while Ye Fan was still in his lustful haze—just to land a few quick hits.
But if it came to a real showdown, Chu Yi figured not even ten of him could win.
"Tell me—who the hell are you?"
"You break into my home and hit me for no reason!"
Ye Fan cracked his knuckles as he approached slowly, eyes cold and calculating.
Then he paused, realizing he had walked into a dead end.
What if he just punched this guy in the face and threw him out before his mom got back?
Then she wouldn't see the fight—and he could have his revenge, too.
A cruel smirk crept across Ye Fan's lips as he rubbed his palms together.
But just then, Chu Yi gave him a calm, almost amused smile. He didn't seem alarmed in the slightest.
"Don't you know exactly why I hit you?"
"Do you need me to spell out what you were just trying to do?"
That shut Ye Fan up.
His face flushed with embarrassment, and much of his anger melted away.
He had been about to peep at someone taking a shower, and got caught red-handed…
Who wouldn't be mortified?
But wait—suddenly, Ye Fan realized something crucial.
He didn't even know this guy.
And this was his house.
What business did this stranger have questioning him?
What did he even know?
Ye Fan's expression calmed as he stared down the young man before him.
"What I do is none of your damn business."
"Now get lost. I'll let that punch slide."
He spat the words with barely concealed annoyance, eager to drive him out.
After all, Ye Fan was nervous.
If this dragged on and Liu Ruoxing came to investigate—then what?
If this guy started running his mouth in front of her, things would go from awkward to catastrophic.
"Why should I leave? I came to visit my cousin."
"What, guilty much? Trying to kick me out already?"
Chu Yi remained poised, voice calm.
Just then, a cold mechanical voice rang out in his mind:
Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have completed the initial mission and officially joined the villain faction.
Ding! Villain faction detected. Unique talent unlocked: Villain Aura.
Villain Aura: Grants an automatic aura of antagonism. Protagonists suffer -10 initial favorability. Villain-aligned characters gain +5 favorability.
(Excludes female leads.)
Ding! You have received 10 million in cash. Funds have been deposited into your private bank account.
As the system notifications echoed in Chu Yi's mind, Ye Fan was steeped in awkward realization.
Cousin?
That meant… the young man before him was Ruoxing's cousin.
And he had almost peeped on her bathing—only to be caught by her own kin.
What the hell kind of twisted fate was this?
Ye Fan's face flushed scarlet, and shame crept into his eyes.
Chu Yi, standing across from him, noticed the shift but didn't comment.
He gave a faint smile and walked toward Liu Ruoxing's room.
The initial task was done.
There was no need to waste words on Ye Fan now.
The days ahead were long. There would be time enough to play.
For now, he would go greet his stunning cousin—
One of the leading ladies in this very story.
His eyes flickered with anticipation.
"Jie, are you in there?"
Chu Yi's voice echoed gently outside the bathroom door.
"Xiao Fan… is that you?"
A slightly trembling voice replied—nervous, clearly shy.
After all, she was in the middle of a bath, and there was a man outside.
"No, it's me—Xiao Yi."
Chu Yi?
The name alone sent Liu Ruoxing into a panic.
She knew all too well—Chu Yi's father and hers were blood brothers, close beyond compare.
If Chu Yi had found her here… did that mean her father now knew where she was?
"Ah!"
In her flustered state, she slipped—her soft foot catching on a bar of soap.
With a loud crash, she hit the floor hard.
Pain bloomed instantly, and a low moan escaped her lips.