How To Survive as a Villain

“Hong Xiu, Hong Xiu?”

After a few calls, Hong Xiu finally came back to reality. She suddenly fixed her gaze and found that the cup in front of her was also full, but she was still pouring.

“Ah!” Hong Xiu shouted, and hurriedly took a cloth to clean it, “Your Majesty, forgive me!”

“What’s wrong with you? Falling in trance, are you sick?” Xiao YuAn asked worriedly.

“I’m not sick, Your Majesty. Thank you for your concern.” Hong Xiu bowed her head.

Xiao YuAn took a closer look at her and saw that there were indeed no signs of illness, so he didn’t pursue it: “I will go to Jing Yang Palace later.”

Hong Xiu wiped her hands: “Your Majesty, are you going to see Yan Heqing?”

Xiao YuAn said: “Yes, I will go by myself. Don’t do anything unnecessary.”

Hong Xiu advised: “His Majesty should bring an Imperial bodyguard.”

Xiao YuAn thought about it, strolled to the door of the dormitory, and brought Yang LiuAn in: “Comrade Yang, I’ll go on a trip to investigate the Leader, will you accompany me?”

Yang LiuAn was stunned: “Forgive Weichen¹, I’m stupid and didn’t understand what His Majesty meant.”

Xiao YuAn smiled: “You don’t need to understand, let’s go. We’ll bathe in the glory of the male lead.”

The two came to Jing Yang Palace and went directly to Yan HeQing’s wing-room. Yang LiuAn was about to push the door open but was stopped by Xiao YuAn.

Yang LiuAn was puzzled and saw Xiao YuAn stepping forward, tapping the door lightly three times.

Yang LiuAn was shocked and speechless.

Who is this Yan HeQing, and why His Majesty should be so sincere and fearful!

Seeing Yang LiuAn’s shocked face, Xiao YuAn asked doubtfully, “What’s the matter?”

“Your Majesty.” Yang LiuAn struggled to utter his words, “Well, what exactly does this man mean to you? Why should you call him ‘Leader’?”

Xiao YuAn thought for a while: “Male Lead, he! The focal point of the world’s contradictions! The embodiment of the central idea! Everything rotates around him and we’re all bound to jump with our eyes closed!”

Yang LiuAn was stunned!

The door was opened with a squeak, and Yan HeQing, dressed in white, appeared in front of them.

Yang LiuAn turned to look at Yan HeQing in shock!

Yan HeQing: “……?”

Xiao YuAn saw that Yan HeQing had put cakes in the center of the clear house, went inside to take a plate, stuffed it into Yang LiuAn’s arms and said: “LiuAn, you can go and eat cakes elsewhere.”

Yang LiuAn was caught off guard: “Your Majesty, but …”

“It’s okay. Go ahead.”

Seeing that Xiao YuAn had a tough attitude, Yang LiuAn had to obey the order. He gave Yan HeQing a complicated look and turned away with the cakes.

Unlike from the previous embarrassment, Yan HeQing was clean and fresh this time; with his black long hair tied up in a high ponytail, beautiful and handsome emerging to the world, it’s really a face rarely seen on earth.

Seeing Yan HeQing blocking the door while looking at him, Xiao YuAn smiled and asked, “Won’t you invite me to take a seat?”

Yan HeQing stared at him for a while, and turned sideways.

Xiao YuAn walked leisurely into the house from his side and sat down next to the round yellow wooden table at the middle of the wing room.

Yan HeQing reached out to close the door, and Xiao YuAn shouted violently: “Don’t close the door!”

Yan HeQing’s action made him look at Xiao YuAn and his voice was cold: “Why?”

Xiao YuAn said: “I’m afraid you will cut me into pieces. There’s no place where I can escape to if you close the door.”

Yan HeQing was silent for a second and slammed the door shut.

Xiao YuAn jumped three feet high and subconsciously ran towards the window. Yan HeQing turned around and gave him a look: “Since you’re so scared of me, why did you persuade the Imperial bodyguard to leave just now?”

“For your innocence! If there’s an Imperial bodyguard at the door, the people in this Jing Yang Palace will know that I came to see you. And although these concubines are men, there must be some of them that will get jealous. You don’t worry about being the target, but I’m worried about you!” Xiao YuAn grabbed the window and was ready to turn it over at any time.

Yan HeQing was stunned and said, “I don’t have a knife.”

Xiao YuAn asked: “What about a dagger?”

“No.”

“Sword?”

“No.”

“And what about a hammer?”

Yan HeQing: “…What’s a hammer?”

Xiao YuAn: “Then here I am, deceiving a puppy.”

With that in mind, Xiao YuAn sat back at the table while remaining vigilant. He coughed twice to cover up the gait, and then pretended to be deep: “Comrade Xiao²-Yan.”

Yan HeQing: “…”

Xiao YuAn continued, “Did you get accustomed in living here? Are you cold sleeping at night? Do you usually like to go out for a walk? Princess Yongning’s palace is on the east side of your wing room. Do you understand what I mean?”

Xiao YuAn’s smile is very amiable! Very meaningful! Very thought-provoking!

Yan HeQing calmly replied, “Yes, I understand.”

Oooh! You’re really worthy of being the protagonist! Look at this realization! Look at this ability to distinguish between primary and secondary conflicts! Look at this consciousness of grasping the main contradiction! I admire you!

Yan HeQing continued, “I will not go to the east.”

Xiao YuAn almost fell off the stool.

You must go!!! You must go for me!!! Please!!! If you don’t go, you will miss your first wife. You don’t understand anything!!

Xiao YuAn swallowed: “I didn’t mean this…”

Yan HeQing said, “I understand.”

You don’t! You don’t understand!

Forget it. It’s better to ask Princess Yongning if she needs a bodyguard.

Xiao YuAn shuffled a few more words, and then got up and left. Yan HeQing said nothing, and watched silently. When Xiao YuAn left, those seemingly indifferent eyes were instantly cold and calculating.

Footnotes:

Footnotes

1. 微臣 wēi chén; this small official/humble servant.
2. 小 xiǎo; Its original meaning is fine dust particles, and by extension, it means tiny, and from tiny, it means lowly, young, or young people, etc. It’s also used as a humble way of referring to oneself, someone or something related to oneself. As an adjetive, it’s used before a surname, first name, ranking, etc.; to express a nickname. As a noun, it’s used to refer to young people, extended to the younger generation.