Ning Fei had cried many times in her life.
She cried quietly when she was scolded for mistakes she didn't make.
She cried silently when praise meant for her was redirected elsewhere.
She cried behind closed doors when the word villain followed her name like a curse.
But this time—
This time, she didn't cry at all.
She stood at the center of the ancestral hall, her back straight, her hands clenched so tightly that her fingernails dug into her palms. The pain grounded her, reminding her that she was still alive… at least for now.
All eyes were on her.
Judging. Accusing. Condemning.
Across from her, Ningran knelt on the cold marble floor. Her shoulders trembled, tears dripping down her delicate face like broken pearls. She looked pitiful—fragile, wronged, innocent. Every sob she let out was soft, restrained, as though she was trying not to cry.
That restraint was what made it convincing.
"I… I didn't want things to turn out this way…" Ningran whispered, her voice shaking. "But Cousin Fei… she pushed me. I almost fell into the pond. If Mother hadn't arrived in time, I—"
She choked.
That was all it took.
A sharp slap rang through the hall.
Ning Fei's head snapped to the side as pain exploded across her cheek. Her ears rang, her vision blurred, and for a brief moment, she thought she might collapse.
How dare you!" her aunt shrieked. "You vicious girl! How could you be so cruel to your own cousin?"
Ning Fei slowly turned her head back.
Her cheek burned. Her lips tasted of iron.
"I didn't push her," she said.
Her voice was calm. Too calm.
That calmness only made things worse.
Her mother looked at her and shook her head with utter disappointment.
Her father looked at her with disappointment so heavy it pressed against her chest. "Ning Fei," he said coldly, "at a time like this, you still refuse to admit your mistake?"
"I didn't do it," she repeated.
Silence.
Then her grandmother struck her cane against the floor. "Enough. The truth is clear. Ningran has no reason to lie."
No reason.
Ning Fei almost laughed.
From the time she could remember, Ningran had cried—and the world had bent for her.
When Ningran broke a vase, Ning Fei was blamed for distracting her.
When Ningran failed an exam, Ning Fei was accused of pressuring her.
When Ningran spread rumors, Ning Fei was labeled jealous and petty.
And when Ning Fei tried to explain—
"She's always been like this," someone would say.
"Such a good-for-nothing girl," another would sigh.
"Always acting innocent, but her heart is dark."
(Dark).
Ning Fei lowered her gaze.
She had spent her whole life trying to be good.
She woke before dawn to study harder than anyone else.
She gave up praise so Ningran wouldn't feel bad.
She endured insults in silence to keep the family peaceful.
She smiled when she was wronged.
She apologized when she was innocent.
She swallowed every grievance because she believed—truly believed—that one day, someone would see her sincerity.
But sincerity didn't matter.
Only tears did.
"The person who cries first gets the milk," Ningran's mother said coldly. "You should learn from her."
That sentence followed Ning Fei until her death.
Her downfall began that day.
After the incident at the pond, rumors spread like wildfire. Classmates whispered behind her back. Teachers looked at her with suspicion. Even strangers seemed to sense something wrong when they looked at her.
Ning Fei became that girl.
The one who bullied her cousin.
The one who pretended to be virtuous.
The one who smiled sweetly while hiding poison in her heart.
But sincerity didn't matter.
Only tears did.
"The person who cries first gets the milk," Ningran's mother said coldly. "You should learn from her."
That sentence followed Ning Fei until her death.
Her downfall began that day.
After the incident at the pond, rumors spread like wildfire. Classmates whispered behind her back. Teachers looked at her with suspicion. Even strangers seemed to sense something wrong when they looked at her.
Ning Fei became that girl.
The one who bullied her cousin.
The one who pretended to be virtuous.
The one who smiled sweetly while hiding poison in her heart.
No matter what she did, it was wrong.
When she stayed quiet, she was guilty.
When she defended herself, she was shameless.
When she tried to leave, she was accused of running away.
Even her parents stopped asking.
They simply assumed.
Years passed.
Ningran bloomed like a white lotus—pure, talented, admired.
Ning Fei faded into the background, a shadow cast by her cousin's light.
And then came the final blow.
The scandal.
False evidence appeared overnight. Anonymous posts. Carefully edited recordings. A perfectly crafted narrative painting Ning Fei as a scheming woman who used others for personal gain.
She tried to explain.
No one listened.
She tried to prove her innocence.
No one cared.
Her family disowned her. Her friends abandoned her. The internet crucified her.
And on the night she lost everything, Ning Fei stood alone on the rooftop of an empty building, city lights flickering beneath her like distant stars.
Her phone buzzed.
A single message.
From Ningran.
(Cousin Fei, I'm sorry things turned out this way. But maybe… if you hadn't always tried to be so perfect, people wouldn't hate you so much).
Ning Fei stared at the message for a long time.
Then she laughed.
Softly.
Brokenly.
"I tried my best," she whispered to the empty night. "I really did."
But trying her best had never saved her.
The wind howled.
The city lights blurred.
And as Ning Fei took her final step forward, a single thought echoed in her mind—
If being good only leads to destruction… then what is the point of being good at all?
When her parents got news of her death the first thought that crossed their minds, "Were we wrong?".
Her mother felt remorse for being to hard on her daughter, she felt she was making her daughter tough but at the end of the day she lost her.
Ning Fei felt
Darkness.
Then—
Light.
Ning Fei gasped and sat upright, her breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts. Her heart pounded violently against her ribs as if trying to escape.
She was alive.
The room around her was unfamiliar yet eerily familiar. Wooden furniture. Pale curtains swaying gently in the breeze. A mirror across the room reflected a younger version of herself—soft features, unscarred eyes, untouched by years of resentment.
This was—
Her childhood bedroom.
Before everything went wrong.
Before the rumors.
Before Ningran's tears destroyed her life.
Ning Fei's hands trembled.
"Am I… dreaming?" she whispered.
Suddenly, a cold mechanical voice echoed in her mind.
[Rebirth confirmed.]
[Soul compatibility: 100%.]
[Villain System initializing…]
Her pupils shrank.
In front of her eyes, a translucent blue interface appeared, floating in the air like a hologram. Lines of text scrolled rapidly, each word sending chills down her spine.
[You have experienced an unjust death.]
[Your past actions were categorized as "false villainy."]
[System objective: Rewrite fate. Embrace villainy. Survive.]
Ning Fei stared at the words.
Villain?
Her lips parted slightly.
A bitter smile slowly curved across her face.
"So," she murmured, her voice hoarse, "even fate thinks I was a villain."
The system responded immediately.
[Correction.]
[You were labeled a villain.]
[But labeling does not equal truth.]
Her breath caught.
[This system rewards actions that contradict public perception.]
[The more you are condemned, the stronger you become.]
Her fingers curled.
All her life, she had feared being misunderstood. Feared being hated. Feared being labeled.
But now—
That fear was turning into something else.
Something sharp.
Something cold.
"If I'm destined to be the villain," Ning Fei whispered, eyes darkening, "then I'll be the kind they can't destroy."
The system chimed.
[First mission issued.]
[Objective: Allow your first tear to fall.]
[Reward: Villain Points ×10.]
Ning Fei froze.
"A tear?" she repeated softly.
In her past life, she cried endlessly.
But no one ever cared.
Slowly, deliberately, Ning Fei raised her hand to her face. Her reflection stared back at her—young, beautiful, innocent.
She let out a quiet laugh.
A single tear slid down her cheek.
The system interface flashed brightly.
[Mission complete.]
[Villain Points acquired.]
And at that exact moment—
The door creaked open.
Ningran's voice rang out, sweet and gentle.
"Cousin Fei? Are you awake?"
Ning Fei lifted her head.
Her tear-stained eyes met Ningran's smiling face.
And for the first time—
She smiled back.
The system interface flashed sharply.
[Character Scan Complete.]
[Target Identified: Ningran.]
[Public Persona: Innocent Heroine.]
[Hidden Trait: Hypocritical Saint.]
[Core Nature: Self-Serving, Manipulative.]
[Threat Level: Extreme.]
Ning Fei's breathing stalled.
Extreme…?
Before she could process the words, Ningran stepped closer, her eyes glistening with concern.
"Cousin Fei," she asked gently, "why are you staring at me like that?"
Ning Fei lowered her gaze—just enough to hide the cold smile forming on her lips.
So this is what you really are.