Arc. 1.2 

The Wicked Child of the Stepmother

The moment Nian Zhen entered the dining room, Chairman Xie was just taking his seat at the head of the table.

Fortunately, he hadn’t arrived late…

Nian Zhen walked in at a steady pace, his face adorned with a shy smile. He greeted Chairman Xia, Du Yao, and lastly, the male protagonist in turn.

“Good morning, Uncle Xia, Mother, Brother…”

Nian Zhen said softly, his tone a bit hesitant. In the eyes of the adults, however, he appeared to be a well-mannered, respectful young man. Du Yao even looked pleased, her expression showing approval as he presented himself properly.

Chairman Xia, whose full name was Xie Heng, was a very handsome middle-aged man with a composed demeanor fitting for the head of a company. His figure was still impressive, a testament to his consistent self-care. Seeing that his new wife’s stepson was a gentle-looking boy with a respectful demeanor toward his elders, he gave Nian Zhen a nod of approval, his expression softening.

“Zhenzhen, you’re here. No need to stand on ceremony; sit down.”

As Xie Heng said, Nian Zhen took a seat next to his mother, Du Yao, directly across from the male protagonist.

Up to this point, he hadn’t had a chance to get a good look at the other’s face, as Xie Yanjing kept his head down throughout the meal.

Such a gloomy personality.

Compared to Meng Zhenzhen, the polite and well-mannered stepson of his new wife, his own son hadn’t even bothered to greet anyone. Chairman Xie glanced at Xie Yanjing, letting out a brief, annoyed grunt, and then proceeded as if he weren’t there.

The atmosphere in the dining room cooled slightly, but Du Yao appeared oblivious to the tension between father and son, signaling the housekeeper to begin serving.

Nian Zhen kept his head down and ate quietly, blending into the background, while Du Yao fawned over Chairman Xia, serving him food. The timing wasn’t right yet to play the role of the white lotus—

—but it wouldn’t be long.

Soon enough, the opportunity arose thanks to Chairman Xia.

“Zhenzhen, your mother has been quite concerned about your school transfer. I’ve already asked Assistant Hu to handle it, so starting next Monday, you’ll be going to school with Yanjing.”

As they finished their meal, Xie Heng brought up the matter. Nian Zhen looked up, feigning surprise before shifting to a look of joy, his expression and eyes brimming with gratitude.

“Th…thank you so much, Uncle Xia.”

Chairman Xie was very pleased with Nian Zhen’s behavior, thinking to himself, Now this, this is what a good child should be. He couldn’t help but add another comment.

“If there’s anything you need, just tell Housekeeper Zhang. Don’t hesitate.” Xie Heng then gestured to Assistant Hu.

Assistant Hu approached Nian Zhen and handed him a credit card.

Nian Zhen’s first reaction was to glance at Du Yao. When he saw his mother nod in approval, he reached out with feigned reluctance and accepted it, softly murmuring his thanks. Assistant Hu informed him that the password was his birthday.

Seeing Meng Zhenzhen’s obedient and respectful behavior only made Chairman Xie look more disapprovingly at his own son. Since he had entered the dining room, Chairman Xie hadn’t even spoken a word to him. Xie Heng stood up and left the dining room, followed by Assistant Hu. Once they were gone, Du Yao stood as well, giving her stepson a soft smile before walking off with a satisfied laugh.

It was clear that this was a psychological game Chairman Xie had staged specifically for Xie Yanjing to see.

His outward generosity toward his stepson had nothing to do with true affection; it was to make a show for Xie Yanjing.

He was asserting his power as a father, as the head of the Xie family. Xie Yanjing dared to defy him? Even with the elders of the Xie family protecting him, could a father not teach his own son the meaning of respect?

Of course… this was just the beginning. Chairman Xia’s bad-father antics had much more in store.

Nian Zhen took a sip of water, glancing at the male protagonist, and nearly jumped when, all of a sudden, Xie Yanjing looked up with eyes full of resentment—and that look was directed straight at Nian Zhen.

Luckily, Nian Zhen was always able to fully embody his characters. If the director didn’t call “cut,” from an outsider's perspective, he’d stay in character completely, which was why he rarely had any NGs. Right now, even though Xie Yanjing’s glare had startled him, he managed to keep up his role as the white lotus Meng Zhenzhen.

Nian Zhen offered Xie Yanjing a polite, new acquaintance kind of smile, setting down his glass with slightly awkward movements and greeting him in a soft voice,

“Brother…”

Xie Yanjing immediately stood up, and Nian Zhen feigned a small, nervous tremble, avoiding eye contact. The household staff, noticing that Young Master Xie seemed ready to pick on him, quickly came over to pretend to clean up around the table. Without saying a word, Xie Yanjing simply walked out without so much as acknowledging Meng Zhenzhen’s greeting.

As soon as the male protagonist had left, it was time for, the white lotus, Nian Zhen to make its move. What better chance to begin turning people against the protagonist and gain their sympathy?

[Host, you’re amazing. Go for it!!]

The system, which had been silent for some time, suddenly perked up with a surge of enthusiasm.

Nian Zhen remained seated, his eyes slightly reddened as if feeling helpless. He was slender, still just a seventeen-year-old boy with a simple, innocent demeanor, as if he couldn’t understand what he had done wrong to make his older brother dislike him. Seeing this, one of the housekeepers felt pity and couldn’t help but step forward to comfort him.

“Young Master… Master Xie has always been like this—cold and prefers to keep to himself. It’d be better if you keep your distance from him in the future.”

“Yes, Auntie. Thank you very much.”

Nian Zhen forced a small smile and nodded. His demeanor as a bullied, well-behaved child drew sympathy from everyone watching. It was clear that Young Master Xie didn’t like Ms. Du, and that resentment extended to her son as well.

Playing the part of a dutiful child, Nian Zhen attempted to help the maids clean up, which, of course, they quickly stopped.

“Oh, Young Master, please don’t help. This is our job. You’re a member of the family here, not someone who should be doing chores like this,” the housekeepers protested. Nian Zhen relented but objected softly, as if reluctantly.

“A member of the family? I know my place. I’m just a guest here.” These words sounded exceedingly humble, to the point of seeming self-effacing.

The servants felt even warmer toward him. A young master who didn’t place himself above others naturally inspired greater loyalty and care.

“Oh, Young Master, the master cares a lot about you. You’re truly part of this family. You’ve only just moved in, so you may not feel settled yet. Just give it time, and you’ll feel at home soon enough. Besides, these chores aren’t hard for us to handle. There are plenty of us, so it won’t take long. You should relax and enjoy your morning. We appreciate your kindness, and it means a lot to us.”

Housekeeper Liu, the head maid, this sentence with genuine sincerity. Thanks to the innocent appearance of this white lotus combined with Nian Zhen’s acting skills, anyone who looked at him couldn’t help but feel that he was sincere, unpretentious, and completely harmless.

Good looks have many advantages. One of them is that people are naturally drawn to beauty. As long as someone is good-looking, no matter what their true nature might be, people are inclined to assume they are a good person upon first meeting. Moreover, Nian Zhen’s genuine personality added to this favorable impression. This initial impression is crucial, as for someone with such strikingly good looks, it easily leaves a lasting image in the minds of others.

What Nian Zhen was doing now was sowing seeds—a quiet, subtle effort to show himself as the good child while casting Xie Yanjing as the troublemaker. In the future, if conflicts arose between him and Xie Yanjing, people would naturally side with him rather than with Xie Yanjing, who was known for being silent, cold, and never explaining himself. It was just a matter of time before everyone would turn against Xie Yanjing.

Having successfully dug this small trap, Nian Zhen considered today’s mission a success and returned to his room.

He had no idea that the male protagonist, who had supposedly left long ago, was actually watching his every move in the dining room via hidden cameras that had been installed without anyone's knowledge.

Every action, every word spoken by Nian Zhen was being seen and heard by Xie Yanjing in perfect clarity.

[Ding!! The male protagonist’s hatred level toward the Host has increased to 30%.] 

[Darkness level: 0%. Host, please continue to work hard on the mission.]

Nian Zhen, just reentering his room, nearly stumbled at the system notification. He hadn’t even done much yet, and already the male protagonist hated him by 30%.

He began to wonder if his first impression alone could have made the male protagonist hate him this much.

[The male protagonist’s initial hatred level toward the Host was already at 20%. As the stepchild of Du Yao, the stepmother he despises, that base level was set before. Just now, you only increased it by another 10%.] The system explained.

So, how do we start accumulating darkness in his mind, then? Nian Zhen asked. The system pulled up an electronic display, showing separate bars for “Hatred” and “Darkness” values.

[The darkness level will likely start accumulating once the male protagonist’s hatred level toward the Host exceeds 80%.]

If he truly hated him that much, life’s going to get a lot more difficult for a little white lotus like him.

Nian Zhen thought, but nonetheless continued plotting his next moves against the protagonist. One host and one system, together they schemed gleefully, reveling in their wicked plans.