Transmigrated as a Villain, the Heroines’ Personas Have Collapsed
Chapter 5 - The Male Lead Appears, a Faint Killing Intent

Chapter 5: The Male Lead Appears, a Faint Killing Intent

Xia Shihan walked past Lin Tai, leaving his heart in a whirl of complexity.

Ultimately, the heroine’s persona hadn’t collapsed, but this sudden shift in the plot was hard for him to accept.  He could only hope the rest of the plot wouldn’t change, or he’d have no idea how to keep acting.

Damn it, this batch of male and female leads was too hard to handle! None of them were playing by the script!

One was late, another’s persona was off, leaving him, the vicious supporting male character, clueless on how to cooperate!

Lin Tai turned, intending to find a quiet corner to sit. Besides Ling Weifeng, his only social connection was Xia Shihan.

The rest either looked down on him or couldn’t be bothered to waste words on him.

When alone, he preferred to hole up in a corner.

The banquet continued, though it was Lin Tai’s birthday celebration, he wasn’t the main focus.

“Miss Xiao has arrived!” While Lin Tai was bored, he heard a crowd of rich second-generation heirs rush toward the entrance.

Following their gaze, he spotted a young woman in a fiery red dress stepping in—Xiao Yuxuan!

Xiao Yuxuan was the eldest daughter of the Xiao family, a formidable clan that controlled the nation’s underworld forces and had deep ties with the Su family, one of the four major clans.

The Xiao family ruled the underworld, while the Su family dominated the lawful world. Their relationship was excellent, and if not for both families having only a single young princess, a marriage alliance would likely have happened long ago.

Though Xiao Yuxuan had a seductive appearance, her methods were no less ruthless than Xia Shihan’s. Both were cold and calculating.

In Emperor’s Return, she helped Ye Bai eliminate many rivals. While Xia Shihan was unrivaled in business, Xiao Yuxuan held sway over the underworld with an iron fist. Despite their rivalry, under the protagonist’s halo, the two coexisted peacefully and eventually reconciled.

Of course, Lin Tai wasn’t thrilled to see Xiao Yuxuan.

This woman had a significant history with him. Before his death, his greatest enemy was Xiao Yuxuan. In the plot, every time he schemed against Ye Bai, she stepped in to save the day.

Yet, his persona prevented him from retaliating against her, as the Lin family was no match for the Xiao family, let alone with the Su family, one of the four major clans, backing them.

Thus, outside the plot, Lin Tai avoided contact with Xiao Yuxuan as much as possible. He vividly recalled the novel’s scene at the Lin family banquet: he provoked Ye Bai, only to be double-humiliated by Xia Shihan and Xiao Yuxuan.

Today, it seemed inevitable.

Sighing helplessly, he realized being a vicious supporting male character came with no rights.

His gaze didn’t linger on Xiao Yuxuan but quickly shifted to Xia Shihan. Though today’s plot was a bit outrageous, it was unlikely to change drastically.

Ye Bai had returned to China to investigate the tragedy of his family and needed to break into the top elite circles, which meant he’d do anything to get close to Xia Shihan.

Sure enough, Lin Tai spotted a man in a floral shirt and casual pants—completely out of place among the banquet’s suited guests—talking to Xia Shihan.

At a glance, he recognized this as Ye Bai, the first male lead of Emperor’s Return. Handsome and exuding a roguish charm, his outfit was deliberately chosen to highlight his protagonist aura.

Honestly, if he weren’t the main character, wearing that would’ve gotten him thrown out. But Xia Shihan didn’t seem pleased with the conversation.

Ye Bai kept talking, while she responded with cold stares.

Lin Tai was surprised. Though Xia Shihan initially had a slight curiosity toward Ye Bai, it shouldn’t have turned into such icy rejection—otherwise, how would the protagonist’s charm shine?

Now, her expression was colder toward Ye Bai than it had ever been toward him. Lin Tai even caught a flicker of killing intent in her occasional glances.

Hiss~ Was Xia Shihan planning to kill Ye Bai? No way. The first heroine killing the first male lead?  It must be his imagination! That must be an admiring look!

Lin Tai kept reassuring himself.

Never mind that. Though the plot felt off, he couldn’t forget his role.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Tai grabbed a glass of wine and strode toward Ye Bai.

“A good show’s coming! The Lin family’s young master is about to stir trouble!”

“Who’s this reckless guy, daring to approach Xia Shihan at the Lin family banquet? He’s blatantly disrespecting Young Master Lin!” Ye Bai’s actions had indeed drawn attention.

The elite guests knew Lin Tai’s taboo: anyone chatting with Xia Shihan would face his wrath. Ye Bai’s boldness had succeeded in turning heads.

“This Lin Tai is an idiot. If he’s gonna pursue her, fine, but using force? And against someone Xia Shihan’s interested in? It’d be weird if she liked him.”

“That earlier scene must’ve been an illusion. Xia Shihan’s only being nice because Lin Zhentian offered her something incredible.”

“Maybe the watch was prepared by Lin Zhentian to save his son’s face.”

“What a pitiful display of parental love!” The crowd of onlookers gathered again, eager for the drama.

“I don’t believe Xia Shihan can hold back this time. She’s bound to snap and curse him out.”

“This is getting interesting—really interesting.”

In the crowd, Xiao Yuxuan, the center of attention, also turned her gaze toward Lin Tai. For a moment, excitement flashed in her eyes.

He was still alive. She wanted to rush over, but when she saw Lin Tai heading toward Xia Shihan, she stopped.

Even in this new life, his eyes could only see that despicable woman, Xia Shihan. Xiao Yuxuan clenched her fist. At the same time, her gaze turned icy.

Ye Bai, that bastard was even more detestable than Xia Shihan!