Chapter 4: The Aura of the Villain

After finishing the entire book, Ruan Cha was acutely aware of just how dangerous the man beside her truly was.

He was the story’s greatest villain—noble, indifferent, deadly. Abandoned overseas by the Gu family in childhood, the resulting flaws in his character made him unpredictable, coldly obsessive, and ruthlessly cruel.

As for Ruan Cha, she was merely a supporting character—a lovechild taken back by the Ruan family at seventeen. At home, she was looked down upon by every member of the family; at school, she was shunned and mocked by her classmates. The man she loved so desperately, Gu Jiayan, became the fiancé of the heroine, Ruan Wei—the Ruan family’s cherished little princess.

Gradually, she grew vicious and jealous. To take revenge on Ruan Wei, she climbed into Gu Zhenzhi’s bed and joined forces with him to fight the main characters to the bitter end.

But Ruan Cha loved too deeply. In the end, she was used by Gu Jiayan, leading to Gu Zhenzhi’s downfall and death.

When reading the book, the one Ruan Cha pitied most was Gu Zhenzhi himself—he loved in vain and was left with nothing.

Lost in these thoughts, Ruan Cha suddenly felt that cold, predatory gaze shift toward her.

Even without meeting his eyes, a chill ran down her spine.

So this was the aura of a true villain.

The icy atmosphere inside the car had long since made Chen Yan, sitting in front, lower his gaze, pretending not to see whatever might unfold behind him.

“What do you want?”

The voice was cool and detached, low and heavy in the confined space.

Ruan Cha lifted her head in a daze and met Gu Zhenzhi’s eyes. Seeing the unmasked impatience there, she pouted pitifully, her gaze brimming with helpless tears. “Dad—mmph?”

She’d barely uttered a word before Gu Zhenzhi, cold and unfeeling, grabbed her scarf and stuffed it into her mouth.

“Call me that again, and I’ll throw you out right now.”

His long, pale fingers pinched the bridge of his nose, voice sinking with outright menace.

Ruan Cha found her gaze drawn to his hands.

Those unnaturally fair fingers, with their clearly defined joints, had a sickly beauty that made her heart race.

Collecting herself, she glanced at the world outside.

Shadows from the trees flickered across the window; the streetlights beyond were dim and hazy.

She knew full well that Gu Zhenzhi was capable of tossing her out of the car without a second thought.

Instantly, her eyes reddened, mist gathering within, making her look heartbreakingly vulnerable. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… It was him who told me to find you!”

She reached into her pocket and produced a letter, its seal marked with a dark, sinister emblem.

The moment Gu Zhenzhi’s gaze landed on the symbol, a subtle ripple stirred in his eyes. He took the letter from her hand.

He opened it; inside were just three lines:

[Mr. Gu, apologies for the intrusion. This is my young apprentice, Ruan Cha. She’ll be returning to the Ruan family soon, and at my age, I can’t accompany her. The Ruans are a ruthless lot—please keep an eye on her. She’s delicate; don’t let her come to harm. The patented technology you wanted—I’m willing to hand it over to you. —Shen Changqing.]

At the sight of Shen Changqing’s name, Gu Zhenzhi’s expression finally softened a little.

He’d sent people to negotiate for Shen Changqing’s patented technology five times already, and had just been planning to seize it by force. Who would have thought it would be delivered to him so conveniently?

Ruan Cha, having asked Shen Changqing to write the letter, hadn’t read it herself.

Now, seeing Gu Zhenzhi open and carefully read the letter, she craned her neck to take a look, her eyes intent and curious.

When she saw the words “young apprentice,” she pouted again.

If her true identity weren’t a secret, would that old man ever have become her master? The very thought was laughable.