In the original novel, he believed in no kind of affection and thought self-interest determined everything. Then he met the female lead, and under her care, he was gradually won over. His closed-off heart slowly opened, and she became the only light in his dark world.
Although the original owner was a CEO, he spent his days loafing around with nothing to do.
When he learned that his father had racked his brains trying to work with the male lead but still couldn't secure a contract, the spoiled second-generation heir slapped his thigh in anger and immediately decided to teach the male lead a lesson.
So he paid for the first night of a female college student from a poor family, buying it for the male lead, Xi Yan. He wanted her to get into Xi Yan's bed so he could use it to blackmail him into signing the contract.
As luck would have it, this college student was the female lead. The original owner pulled all sorts of tricks, but in the end, he was just a tool to advance the male and female leads' relationship.
When Bai Le had read the opening, he had silently mocked how clichéd it was. It was the quintessential opening to a melodramatic tale of love and suffering among the wealthy.
After being drugged in a rival's scheme, the male lead had no choice but to have a one-night stand with the female lead. Anyone could guess what came next with their eyes closed, so Bai Le had skimmed the following chapters.
But! Why!
Why wasn't the female college student in this world the female lead? Why had she run away at the last minute? Why had the original owner come over in person to inspect the results and mock someone?
And most importantly, why had he transmigrated at that exact moment? He hadn't even been given a chance to react!
It hurt. It fucking hurt so much.
Bai Le's face paled even further as he recalled that moment.
He turned to look at the profile of the man beside him. The man's features were more sharply defined than most people's, and his eye sockets were deeper. His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and his skin was an unusual cool white, pale enough to look somewhat sickly.
His gaze slowly moved down to Xi Yan's legs, and he frowned.
There was another puzzling point. In the original owner's memories, Xi Yan was disabled, seemingly because of a car accident several years ago. But although there had been such an accident in the novel, the male lead had only suffered minor injuries and hadn't been left disabled.
And the way that bastard had been last night, he hadn't seemed disabled either.
Was he pretending to be disabled? But what good would that do him? Surely he wasn't just lazy and wanted to sit in a wheelchair instead of walking, or get priority in lines and half-price tickets.
Bai Le was letting his thoughts run wild when a cold, slightly hoarse voice slowly rang out, pulling him back to the present.
"What are you looking at?"
Startled by the sudden voice, he quickly looked up and found himself staring into a pair of dark, gloomy, chilling eyes.
At some point, Xi Yan had woken up and was staring at him. Perhaps because he had just woken up, his voice had a distinctive slight rasp.
Although he looked quiet and harmless now, Bai Le knew he was someone capable of plotting to indirectly cause his biological father's death and tear his biological mother's family apart.
Based on the novel, Bai Le's impression of him could be summed up in four words: sinister, cold-blooded, and deeply calculating.
The original owner's fate had been so miserable, and now Bai Le knew the secret that Xi Yan was only pretending his legs were disabled.
Bai Le couldn't help shuddering. He forced himself to calm down and quickly searched his mind for a solution. Sitting around waiting to die had never been his style.
When no answer came, Xi Yan didn't seem to mind, as though it made no difference whether Bai Le spoke or not. Instead, he raised himself slightly and reached for the cigarettes and lighter on the bedside table.
Bai Le stared at his exposed arm, feeling a little apprehensive. Xi Yan looked lean, but by the looks of him, Bai Le might not be able to withstand a single punch.
Given Xi Yan's methods, there was no way he wouldn't find out that Bai Le had set him up. It was best not to try to argue his way out of it; he could only work on the reason behind it.
As his mind raced, he didn't forget to explain himself, his voice betraying a trace of guilt. "I can't remember anything about last night, and I won't remember it in the future either. Can we pretend nothing happened?"
Xi Yan turned his head slightly and cupped a hand around the cigarette as he lit it. He didn't even raise his eyes as Bai Le spoke.
"You think I'll believe that?"
Bai Le was anxious, but he forced himself to remain calm. "I really have forgotten."
They both knew forgetting was impossible. Bai Le was simply making his position clear.
Xi Yan tapped the end of his cigarette over the ashtray, then suddenly took a different tack. "You don't know who I am?"
Bai Le shook his head and stared at him with wide eyes.
Xi Yan scoffed and patted his cheek, neither too lightly nor too hard. His tone betrayed no emotion. "You're putting on a pretty convincing act."
Bai Le felt a slight numbness in the cheek Xi Yan had touched, and goosebumps broke out all over his arms.
Half-sitting up, Bai Le pulled the blanket tightly around himself and played dumb. "What do you mean?"
"All right, you can leave first." Xi Yan seemed tired of the dull conversation. He waved a hand, then closed his eyes indifferently. "I'll decide what to do about the rest."
Decide what to do? Do what?
How could Bai Le dare leave first? If he didn't resolve this properly, then given Xi Yan's temperament, he would surely deal with Bai Le once he found out that Bai Le had set a trap to blackmail him.
If he didn't try, he would surely meet the same fate as the original owner.
He needed a reason, one he could attach to such a despicable act that would make it seem reasonable.
And he had to avoid mentioning that he had planned to set Xi Yan up and blackmail him. What should he say? What reason could he have for drugging someone?
Cold sweat beaded on Bai Le's forehead. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind, and he blurted out, "You're right. I was lying to you just now. I do know you, and I'm the one who had someone drug you."
Xi Yan's interest was piqued. He didn't seem surprised in the slightest that Bai Le had done it, merely gesturing for him to continue.
"Do you want to know why I did it?"
Xi Yan stared at him, his face expressionless. "I don't enjoy guessing riddles."
Bai Le felt uneasy about what he was about to say, but when he thought of the original owner's fate, he finally steeled himself, gritted his teeth, and closed his eyes.