At The Beginning Of The Novel, The Villain Forced The Protagonist’s Step-Mom To Bear His Children

Just as they were about to take the final step, Xiao Wanling suddenly snapped back to her senses.

She pushed open the car door and bolted like a startled rabbit.

Xu Hao withdrew his gaze, watching her retreating figure.

He didn't force her to stay.

He had already confirmed that this little female lead was beginning to accept him.

She just wasn't readyyet.

But next time… she wouldn't resist so much.

—

That night, Su Wanqiu, his stunning stepmother, lay in bed, frowning.

"What's wrong? Who bullied my little nurse?"

Tonight, she was wearing a nurse's uniform—adorable yet incredibly seductive.

Xu Hao lifted her chin, making her look at him.

Su Wanqiu sighed and reluctantly met his gaze.

"I talked to Xinrui earlier…"

"Oh? She refused?" Xu Hao asked curiously.

If it was just a simple refusal, that wouldn't be a big problem.

Given their close friendship, Su Wanqiu was confident she could eventually persuade her.

But the moment she hinted at it, Yao Xinrui showedstrongresistance.

If anything, hermisandryhad worsened.

After listening to Su Wanqiu's explanation, Xu Hao fell into thought.

A woman with an aversion to men…That complicates things.

A standard approach wouldn't work—he'd have to useunconventional methods.

Xu Hao tapped her forehead.

"Well, since she won't agree, you'll just have to manage on your own…"

"Out of thousands of beauties, I only dote on you. Isn't that enough?"

Su Wanqiu pulled a face.

It's enough… but I can't handle this every day!

No, she couldn't keep going like this—sheneededa teammate.

Texting wasn't enough.

She'd wait for the right moment to talk to Yao Xinrui in person.

And if Yao Xinruistillrefused…

Well, she could always considerXiao Wanling, her daughter's best friend.

She had always been sharp and observant—there was no way she hadn't noticed the way Xiao Wanling looked at Xu Hao.

But since she was herdaughter'sbest friend and much younger, Su Wanqiu hadn't made her the first choice.

If her best friend refused… then she'd have no choice but to drag her down with her.

—

The next morning, sunlight bathed the city in warmth.

Xu Hao left the house and got into a car waiting at the door.

His personal bodyguard, Bai Ling, drove while reporting the findings from their investigation on Yao Xinrui.

"Yao Xinrui, female, 35 years old. Home address…"

"Married ten years ago to Chu Xiong, head of the Chu family. According to our investigation, while they appear to be a loving couple, their relationship is actually distant and indifferent…"

Xu Hao had already heard most of this from Su Wanqiu.

As the classic female lead in a wish-fulfillment novel, of course, she was still pure.

Even though she was married, her husband was essentially a eunuch.

She wasmeantto remain untouched—waiting for the protagonist.

Of course,unlessthe protagonist was the kind who enjoyed taking what belonged to others.

This felt like looking in a mirror.

Hadn'thebeen in the same situation?

If he hadn't awakened his memories, he would have suffered an even worse fate than Chu Xiong.

That's right—Yao Xinrui's husband, Chu Xiong.

Not only did Xu Hao know him, but they were actually quitefamiliar.

Calling him a friend wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Xu Hao had built his empire from nothing, while the Chu family had risen to power much earlier.

Chu Xiong was a classic second-generation heir, taking over his family's company.

Despite that, they were around the same age, with comparable wealth, and often met at business events.

At one such event, Chu Xiong had approached him for a chat.

Xu Hao, maintaining his usual polished and sophisticated demeanor, had welcomed the conversation.

Over time, they became acquaintances.

At business gatherings, they frequently sat together, discussing market trends.

Recently, Xu Hao had been too busy improving himself to stay in touch.

It was only while investigating Yao Xinrui that he remembered thisalmost forgotten connection.

Perhaps it was time to reach out.

Bai Ling continued her report.

"I had our people look into her company's financial records and found something suspicious…"

One of their operatives, a hacker, had discovered discrepancies in the accounts.

It turned out Yao Xinrui had been falsifying records—siphoning off funds into aprivateaccount.

Over the past ten years, she had quietly accumulated300 million.

If Xu Hao hadn't ordered Bai Ling to conduct a full investigation—if Bai Ling hadn'tcoincidentallysent a hacker along—this would have never been uncovered.

Xu Hao's eyes gleamed.

Falsified records? Embezzlement?

This little female lead had guts.

Then, hesmirked.

He thought about Yao Xinrui's situation.

Forget the fact that embezzlement was illegal—if Chu Xiong ever found out what she had been doing, her fate would bemiserable.

Couldn't he use this secret to control her?

"Madam, you wouldn't want…"

Xu Hao didn't like resorting to threats.

It was too crude.

What he wanted was toconquerthe female lead—mind and body.

Not only would that increase his emotional energy gains, but she could also become his most valuable asset, managing his business empire.

Threats might secure herbody.

But he wantedeverything.

Winning her heart, though, was another matter entirely.

That's why, in the past, he had always used gentle methods to conquer female leads.

But Yao Xinrui was different.

With her deep-seated misandry, the usual strategies were nearly impossible.

No matter how kind he was, no matter what tactics he used, she always responded with disgust.

How was he supposed to play this game?

If the standard approach didn't work, he'd have to go with something moreunconventional.

He treated female leads well only when he stood to gain something—when he knew he could make them his.

But if it was clear that wasn't happening, why shouldn't he switch tactics?

This was the perfect chance to try playing the role of a villain.

Or rather… notplaying—just showing his true colors.

He was curious to see how it would affect his emotional energy gains.

If it worked well, he'd definitely keep going.

—

At that moment, something was happening at Xu Corporation.

To restructure the company, Xu Hao had fired a large number of underperforming employees, leaving many positions vacant.

Now, the company was actively recruiting talent across major job markets.

As soon as the job postings went up, they caused a stir.

After all,Xu Corporationwas one of the top enterprises in Shanghai, built from the ground up by the legendary businessman Xu Hao himself.

Young professionals flocked to apply.

After multiple rounds of selection, only two candidates remained for the role of Marketing Manager.

They had reached the final interview stage at company headquarters.

But there was onlyoneposition.

Whoever succeeded would depend on their skills.

The two candidates were:

Li Yunshu exited the interview room, her expression serious, anxiety creeping into her heart.

In contrast, Xu Fangfei strolled out confidently, completely at ease, as if she had already secured the job.

Seeing Li Yunshu's tense face, she smirked.

"Tsk… Li Yunshu, what are you so afraid of? Aren't you supposed to be sometop student? And acampus beautyat that?"

"It's just an interview. Where's that confidence of yours?"

The arrogance in her voice made their rivalry obvious.

And indeed, theywererivals.

They had gone to the same university, studied in the same class.

Before Li Yunshu transferred in, Xu Fangfei had beenthestar student—undisputedly the most brilliant girl in their grade.

She was beautiful, always ranked among the top students, and had admirers everywhere.

But when Li Yunshu appeared…

All of that changed overnight.

Suddenly, Xu Fangfei was only theclass beauty—while Li Yunshu was crowned theschoolbeauty.

Academically, Li Yunshu won award after award.

Even their admirers switched sides, leaving Xu Fangfei behind.

In every way possible, Li Yunshu overshadowed her.

Xu Fangfei refused to accept it.

Why?

She wore designer brands, came from wealth, and had everything going for her—yet she was outshined by somecountry bumpkin?

And so, she started scheming against Li Yunshu.

She falsely accused her of cheating during exams.

She paid internet trolls to spread rumors about her on the campus forum.

She even used underhanded tactics to manipulate Li Yunshu's admirers into becomingherloyal followers instead.

But to her frustration—

Li Yunshu neverreacted.

No matter how many times Xu Fangfei provoked her, she remained calm and indifferent.

It was like punching cotton—completely ineffective.

Xu Fangfei thought their rivalry had ended after graduation.

Yet here they were, crossing paths again at Xu Corporation's final interview.

Xu Fangfei was capable, no doubt about it.

Butunfortunatelyfor her—Li Yunshu wasbetter.

Still, this wasn't school anymore.

In the real world,talent alonewasn't enough to succeed.

Watching Li Yunshu's composed face, a sly smile crossed Xu Fangfei's lips.

She was confident she had this in the bag.

Because she had paid the interviewerone million yuanin bribes.

Inside the interview room—

The interviewer sat at his desk, flipping through the two résumés, deep in thought.

Based on merit alone, Li Yunshu was the clear winner.

But Xu Fangfei hadoffered him a million yuan.

Under normal circumstances, he would have accepted immediately.

However, Xu Hao had just purged the company of corruption.

If he got caught…

But a million yuan…

That was several years' worth of his salary.

He didn't want to break the rules, but the offer was justtootempting.

After all, Li Yunshu had no background, no connections.

If he rejected her now and dismissed her right after the interview, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

His mind made up, he took a deep breath and put Li Yunshu's résumé aside.

Then he called out toward the door.

"Both of you, come in."

—

Li Yunshu ignored Xu Fangfei's taunts.

She clenched her fists and pushed open the door to the interview hall.

"Hmph… You still have a long way to go before you can beat me."

Xu Fangfei sneered and followed her in at a leisurely pace.

She had complete faith in the interviewer's decision.

She had gone all out, even drainingone million yuanfrom her private savings.

To her, it was a small price to pay.

Getting into Xu Corporation wasn't about the salary.

Her family was wealthy—money wasn't an issue.

What shewantedwas access to theupper class.

She had one goal: to find herself anelite husband.

Xu Fangfei was nothing if not practical.

She had always looked down on the couples at school who indulged in romance.

She couldn't understand why girls would date guys who had no money and no background.

Wasn't finding a partner supposed to be about securing wealth and power for yourself?

She had plenty of admirers, but she never accepted a single one. She just kept them around, stringing them along like fish in a pond.

She had always kept herself pure.

Until she found a man who met her standards, she wouldn't give herself to anyone.

—

"You both have impressive abilities…"

The interviewer started by praising them both.

Then, turning to Li Yunshu, his tone suddenly shifted.

"But our company is only hiringonemarketing manager. So, Miss Li Yunshu, I'm afraid you didn't make the cut."

Buzz…

Li Yunshu's mind went blank.

Her expression froze in disbelief.

Then, as the realization hit, she clenched her fists and spoke up, unwilling to accept the decision.

"I refuse to accept this."

The interviewer frowned.

He was just about to say something to dismiss her when Xu Fangfei cut in first.

"You refuse? And what exactly do you think gives you the right?"

"Do you even know your place? Losing to me—what's there to be upset about?"

"So what if you got better grades than me? This isn't school. Out here, grades mean nothing…"

A triumphant smile spread across Xu Fangfei's face as she let out a proud, mocking laugh.

Finally!

After all these years, no matter how she tried to provoke Li Yunshu, the girl had always remained indifferent.

But now—finally—she had broken through that cold composure.

The satisfaction she felt was beyond words.

The interviewer's expression shifted.

Oh, shit…

Does this girl not realize she got in through bribery?

This isn't exactly something to be bragging about.

If upper management hears about this, I'm dead.

Regret filled his heart.

If he had known how reckless she was, he never would have agreed to this deal.

But it was too late now.

The only option was to push ahead and get rid of Li Yunshu as soon as possible.

"That's enough… The interview results are final. Leave now, or I'll have security escort you out."

At his words, Xu Fangfei smirked, her eyes full of ridicule.

Li Yunshu stood there in a daze, her face slightly pale, her shoulders slumped.

Just as she was about to turn and leave—

A voice suddenly rang out from the doorway.

"For just an interviewer, you sure talk big."

The voice wasn't loud.

But the moment it entered their ears, it sent chills down their spines.

The interviewer's heartdropped.

He turned his head sharply—

And saw a familiar figure standing at the entrance.

Who else could it be butXu Hao, the chairman and CEO of Xu Corporation?

Boom—

Like a thunderclap on a clear day, the realization hit the interviewer like a sledgehammer.

His body went weak.

His legs gave out.

Hecollapsedfrom his chair, sliding to the ground like a pile of mud.

He knew—he wasdone for.

Both women turned their heads in shock.

Xu Hao's presence was as warm and refined as ever.

But his expression was cold, making it clear that he wasfurious.

Xu Fangfei snapped back to reality.

The blood drained from her face.

She had beencaughtbribing her way in—red-handed.

Her gaze flickered, panic creeping into her heart.

She came from a wealthy family, yes. She was a privileged, well-off young lady.

But in front of Xu Hao, that meant nothing.

With a single word, he coulddestroyher family.

—

One minute earlier—

Xu Hao had just arrived at the company.

Thinking to inspect operations, he passed by the interview hall—

And overheard the commotion inside.

Curious, he stepped in to take a look.

What he saw first—

Was two beautiful young women.

Then, his gaze landed on one of them—

And his mind stirred.

A glowing halo of fate shimmered above her head.

She was undoubtedly thefemale lead.

【Character】: Li Yunshu

【Role】: Female lead of"Reborn as the Villain's Sidekick"

【Charm】: 93 (Max: 100)

【Strength】: 10 (Average: 10)

【Constitution】: 10 (Average: 10)

【Mental Power】: 11 (Average: 10)

【Favorability】: -10

"A transmigrator?"

Xu Hao raised an eyebrow.

Had she also crossed into this world from a novel?

Just likehim?

Interesting.

But whether she was a transmigrator or a reborn soul—

It didn't matter.

All female leads would belong to him.

Then, he shifted his gaze to the other girl.

She was just as beautiful as the protagonist.

But her expression was full of arrogance, her posture smug and condescending.

Strange…

For someone with such looks, why didn't she have a halo of fate?

No halo meant she wasn't the protagonist.

And considering her current rivalry with Li Yunshu…

She was most likely the vicious supporting villainess of the story.

Realizing it was time to step in, Xu Hao spoke.

And that led to the scene unfolding now.