Chapter 1

Chapter 1: How to Make the Beautiful, Powerful, and Tragic Male Lead^[1] Turn Dark? (1) The hot September wind rustled through the fine branches of the trees along the landscaped strip. Inside the classroom, the air conditioning kept the heat at bay. The math teacher lectured from his textbook, while several students in the back rows were already asleep. In the students’ eyes, the teacher’s chubby body was practically a walking sleeping pill. It was not until the bell rang that the classroom finally grew lively. The break between classes lasted ten minutes. A tall, upright figure entered Senior Year Class Nine^[2], walked down the aisle, and stopped in front of a desk. “Yan Chiwu from Class One has been summoned by her again. Does she not have legs of her own? Why does she keep ordering other people around?” “I heard it’s because Yan Chiwu’s father works at her house, so she treats him like this.” “She has no manners at all! Look at her acting like some rich young lady. Who is she putting on that act for? She’s really insufferable.” Quite a few students in Class Nine disapproved of Chi Yan’s behavior. The boy, Yan Chiwu, had short, pitch-black hair and lean, handsome features. His bearing was cool and aloof, and he stood over six feet tall. The blue-and-white school uniform suited him perfectly. His eyes, dark as black ice, settled on the person seated before him. In the seat before him, Chi Yan rested her chin on one pale, delicate hand while twirling her phone with the other. She was extraordinarily beautiful. A bewitching loveliness suffused her brows and eyes, and her curled lashes were long and thick. A beam of light fell into her lovely eyes, making them appear even clearer and more beautiful. She looked tired and listless. Raising her fair chin slightly, she said, “Come a little closer.” The boy did not move. He stood there like a statue, yet an icy chill radiated from his entire body. Chi Yan frowned and parted her crimson lips. “Yan Chiwu, are you deaf?” Only then did he move, though all he did was take one step toward her. “What is it?” His voice was low and cold, as if it had been soaked in icy water. Chi Yan took out a red banknote^[3] and tossed it onto the desk. Her expression was utterly devoid of warmth. “Go to the snack shop and buy me a bottle of strawberry milk.” After speaking, she lifted the pink-tinted outer corners of her eyes. The faint beauty mark beneath one eye was breathtaking. She gave him a cool glance. “Ten minutes.” Her condescending attitude made it clear that she was treating him like a dog to be ordered around. The boy seemed to have long since grown accustomed to it. He picked up the money and turned to leave. [The darkening value^[4] has increased by five points! That’s wonderful, Host^[5]!] The System^[6] spoke excitedly. Chi Yan relaxed, and the sharpness and arrogance that had filled her expression moments ago melted away, leaving only delight. “Mm. Did you see that? His face went livid.” [I saw it, I saw it!] Chi Yan was someone assigned to carry out missions. This was her first world^[7]. In her original world, she had died in a car accident. After her death, she was bound to the System, which assigned her the task of raising the male lead’s darkening value to 100. Once she accomplished that, she would be able to leave this world. The original host^[8]’s family circumstances were similar to those in Chi Yan’s original world. Her parents’ businesses spanned the entire country, and they were extremely wealthy. As their only daughter, she was especially doted on by them. Anything she wanted, they would give her. The original host had been spoiled into becoming willful and unruly from a young age. She treated others however she pleased and, apart from a few fake friends^[9], did not have a single true friend. Chi Yan’s personality was somewhat different from the original host’s. Although she, too, had been excessively pampered, she never deliberately made things difficult for others. So when the System bound her and asked her to raise the male lead’s darkening value, she hesitated for a long time. The System told her that the male lead had to go through these experiences in order to grow. Even without her, the plot would still proceed along its predetermined course. Besides, she could only return to her original world after completing all the tasks. At this point, the story had only just begun. The male lead, Yan Chiwu, came from a poor family. His mother had passed away not long after he was born, leaving his father to raise him with great effort. Yan Chiwu was also exceptionally outstanding. He had earned a place at the best high school in the province^[10] and often participated in competitions to win prize money, all to lessen his father’s burden. But during this year’s summer vacation, Father Yan^[11] applied for a job as the original host’s family’s chauffeur. After successfully getting the position, he moved into the servants’ dormitory at the Chi residence, bringing his son with him. The original host recognized Yan Chiwu as a celebrated figure at school. He ranked first in his grade every time, and his appearance was striking as well. Even students in other classes often heard about him, to the point that he was practically idolized. This aroused her curiosity. After seeing the male lead, the original host took an interest in him and asked him to date her. Unexpectedly, he rejected her coldly, leaving her humiliated and furious. Who did he think he was? He was nothing more than the son of her family’s chauffeur. What use was being so capable? How dare he reject her? Thus, the original host, who had gotten everything she wanted since childhood, began making things difficult for the male lead, even threatening him with his father’s job. One event later on would drive the male lead completely into darkness. That was Father Yan’s death. The male lead, who embarked on the path of darkness, planned step by step and eventually became a legendary figure in the business world—decisive and ruthless, standing at the very top, unmatched by anyone. The original host, however, met a tragic end. One night, she was stabbed more than a dozen times by a boy she had bullied in the past. When she died, she collapsed beside a trash can. Across from her, the screen of a high-rise building was still broadcasting an interview with Yan Chiwu. That was where the story ended. Heavy footsteps approached again and stopped in front of her desk. The boy placed the strawberry milk in his hand on the tabletop. His breathing was steady, and the black hair over his forehead was slightly disheveled, doing nothing to diminish his handsomeness. When Chi Yan saw the milk, her eyes lit up, though she tried her best to hide it. Without much patience, she waved him away. “All right. Stop getting in the way.” Yan Chiwu’s eyes were long and narrow, their depths cold and sharp. He gave her a deep look before striding away. He had come and gone in a hurry. The students sitting nearby were utterly shocked after witnessing the scene. That was Yan Chiwu! He actually listened to Chi Yan and let her order him around. One or two students who could not contain their curiosity came over to her desk and asked, “Chi Yan, are you very close with Yan Chiwu?” “I saw him buy milk for you. He’s really nice to you.” Chi Yan eagerly picked up the straw and took two sips, narrowing her eyes slightly as the corners of her lips curled up. In an excellent mood, she answered them, “We’re not close.” The bell rang just then, so they could not continue asking. Their gazes lingered on her face for several seconds, and they felt both captivated and surprised. She seemed somewhat different from before. She was even prettier now. Her lips were pink, and the blue-and-white straw made her look even fairer. The outer corners of her eyes tilted slightly upward, covered in a faint flush as though she had dusted them with powder. If Chi Yan had merely been beautiful before, she now possessed a lush, soul-stirring allure. Chi Yan noticed that they were still standing beside her desk. After a moment of confusion, she raised her lashes and asked, “Class has started. Why are you two still here?” The two boys met her clear, lustrous eyes, and their faces reddened. Stumbling over themselves, they hurried back to their seats. Chi Yan had no idea what had gotten into them. She ignored them and focused on drinking the sweet milk in her hand. It had a rich strawberry flavor and was cloyingly sweet, a taste most people would find hard to get used to. But she loved sweet things. Before the teacher even arrived, she had finished the entire bottle. Still craving more, Chi Yan licked her lips. Lunch break would come after this class. When the time came, she would have Yan Chiwu buy her another bottle. “Yan Chiwu, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?”