Seduce the Villain Plan

3.2

In the midst of the cold winter and the twelfth lunar month, heavy snowfall of goose feathers filled the air. The howling wind blew fiercely, making people wrap themselves in expensive fur coats in Jincheng. With the New Year approaching, red lanterns adorned every household, and the aroma of food wafted from the homes, providing a sense of warmth even in the midst of the frigid winter.

"Where did this beggar come from?" a wealthy man in Jincheng, his face full and fleshy, kicked the little beggar who had fallen to the ground and rolled a few steps away. Spittle flew from his mouth as he sneered, "Stay away from me! Do you have any idea how much this piece of clothing costs? You can't afford it."

The little beggar on the ground was none other than Shi Changan, the villain. It had been over a year since the Shi family's destruction, and the once pampered young master of the Shi family now appeared disheveled and unrecognizable.

To evade the men in black pursuing him, he had wandered westward to Jincheng. Fearing arrest, he dared not reveal his true identity to anyone.

Along his journey, he survived by eating discarded scraps from trash cans and wore clothes salvaged from the dead in mass graves. He had abandoned his dignity to beg in the crowds, only to be met with insults and beatings.

Under his thin clothing, his starved and emaciated body was covered in numerous wounds and bruises, a shocking sight.

His once chubby face had now sunken, revealing prominent cheekbones. Malnourished, his cheeks displayed the bluish tinge characteristic of a deprived individual, while his eyes had grown large like copper bells.

Gone was the innocence that once filled his clear eyes, replaced by a lingering darkness.

From the young master of the Shi family, leading a life of affluence and familial bliss, to a bullied and destitute beggar—such was his current reality.

As the wealthy man departed, Changan was too exhausted to rise to his feet. He could only crawl step by step towards the nearest house, seeking refuge under its eaves, tightly clutching the Backtracking Sword in his arms.

\[233: The villain's favorability is -5, but now it's at 0.\]

Gu Yiling became exasperated and retorted, \[Enough! Just be quiet!\]

In the pristine white spiritual space, Gu Yiling pushed away the smug 233 and lunged at it. 233 transformed into a black mist to evade the attack, only to resume its form as a black cat, shaking its body before settling back onto the sofa to rest.

Frustrated, Gu Yiling rubbed his temples. The child had directed all the resentment for the annihilation of the Shi family towards the sword he possessed. Every time he was mistreated, his favorability towards the sword dwindled.

Gu Yiling felt utterly helpless. Why did this child harbor such hatred towards a sword? Shouldn't he be grateful that the sword was the sole relic left behind by Shi Chang'an's parents, preventing the child from simply discarding it?

Shi Changan leaned against the eaves. He hadn't eaten or drunk anything for three consecutive days. His lips had turned purple from the cold, and soon, the combined effects of hunger and frigidity overcame him, and he drifted into sleep.

He had no time to contemplate the grandeur of the mansion adjacent to his resting spot. The people in the mansion would likely beat and kick him upon discovering a little beggar lying at their doorstep. For now, all he wanted was to sleep, escaping momentarily from the snow

and the harshness of the world.

Gu Yiling sighed. Was this child attempting to freeze himself to death?

Quietly channeling mental power into Changan's body, his temperature gradually rose, and the festering and scabbed wounds began to heal. Changan's furrowed brow eased, his mouth curved upward, and color returned to his face.

After two hours, the snowfall ceased. People emerged from their homes, one after another. Children, bundled up in thick coats, gleefully frolicked in the snow. Vendors started setting up stalls, relishing this rare respite after the downpour.

Suddenly, a basin of cold water was poured over his head, drenching him completely. The plump woman with a fierce countenance tossed aside the basin and struck Shi Changan with a broom.

"Do you know where you are? How dare a little beggar loiter near our Lin Mansion! Do you have any idea how much you tarnish the entrance to our Lin Mansion?" The woman had just been scolded by the housekeeper, and all her frustration was now taken out on Shi Changan, the blows harsher than before.

As Chang'an felt the burning pain from the water on his freezing body, his consciousness began to blur, and he found it increasingly difficult to keep his eyes open. In that moment, he pondered whether it would be better to die like this. What was the point of living such a humble existence?

Gu Yiling silently scolded and prepared to erect a mental barrier to shield Changan from the assault. But then, a sweet female voice interrupted.

"What are you doing? Stop!"

The pain suddenly vanished, and Shi Changan reluctantly forced his eyes open. He witnessed a girl, around seven or eight years old, reprimanding the woman.

Submissively, the woman responded, referring to her as "Miss." Her face had completely shed its previous malevolence. Lin Qiushui glanced at Shi Changan, her eyes barely concealing a hint of disdain and repulsion. She waved her hand, instructing the woman to fetch a bag of cold buns.

Gu Yiling observed two young men in brocade attire standing beside a carriage about a dozen meters away. They had disembarked from the same carriage as Lin Qiushui and had witnessed the beating endured by Shi Changan.

Lin Qiushui probably aimed to make a favorable impression on them, prompting her intervention. Truly, the fortunate son of destiny in this world, aware of how to present himself properly at such a young age.

However, Changan, still a child at heart, lacked the same discernment as Gu Yiling. He merely saw the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on.

She possessed lustrous, black hair styled into two small braids that fluttered across her chest like miniature butterflies. Her face was exquisite, with large, almond-shaped eyes displaying contrasting black and white hues. When she smiled, two adorable dimples adorned her mouth's corners. She wore a charming goose-yellow skirt, and the fabric was undoubtedly costly and hard to come by, as his mother had been elated for days after acquiring a dress made from it. Clearly, this little girl belonged to a wealthy family.

Feeling unworthy in the presence of such a perfect girl, he wondered how she had ended up in this place. Her gaze fell upon a lowly beggar lying on the ground like a maggot...

Lin Qiushui accepted the steamed buns, taking a few steps away from Shi Changan before disdainfully placing them on the ground. She quickly turned around and hurried inside, as if worried that something dirty might cling to her.

\[233: The villain's favorability towards the heroine is

now 60.\]

Gu Yiling felt an urge to flip the table in anger. "It's just a bag of steamed buns! How did the favorability reach 60?!"

\[233: You know that the protagonist is blessed with the luck of the world. Even the slightest twitch of her eyelid can be seen as a signal, attracting a large number of followers.\]

Gu Yiling sighed, massaging his temples.

Shi Changan stared at the little girl's back for a long time, and as she entered the Lin Mansion, he glanced back at the steamed buns on the ground. Carefully, he picked them up and began to eat.

The buns were hard, cold, and slightly rancid. They had clearly been left out for several days. Nevertheless, they filled his empty stomach. After eating, Shi Changan mustered enough strength to lean against the wall, holding the Retrospective Sword tightly, and staggered away from Jincheng.