Rebirth: The Villainous Young Master in a Novel

Chapter 8: Pursuing the Female Lead is the Only Correct Path

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Inside the hospital room, the medical staff held their breath as the tension between the two Shen sisters simmered. Meanwhile, Song Shicheng was lost in his own rich inner world, unable to extricate himself.

I bought a watch last year!

This damn system isn’t just playing with my heart—it’s playing with my life!

I just finished one task, barely had time to catch my breath, and now another one gets thrown at me!

And the most outrageous part is, what kind of task is this?!

“Love Main Quest: Marry the female protagonist, Shen Xiaoyan. Note: This quest is marked as red and must be completed. Failure will result in the character’s deletion!”

Staring at the pop-up screen, Song Shicheng was stunned. Not only was he shocked by the new task, but he was also deeply confused by the so-called “red level.”

This was different from the previous task of retaining Ye Wensheng. That one was marked as a yellow-level career quest, meaning it was optional. But now, with the love quest, it’s a red level? And failing it means instant deletion?!

After pondering for a while, Song Shicheng began to understand.

The yellow level is the lowest, meaning the quest can be completed or failed.

For example, even if Ye Wensheng eventually joined the protagonist’s camp, it wouldn’t fundamentally affect Song Shicheng’s path to redemption. He could still make up for it through other career quests and gradually steer the family business back on track.

But Shen Xiaoyan, as the female protagonist of the original novel, is undoubtedly a crucial part of the love quest. If he loses her, it means the love quest fails entirely. Even if he excels in the career quest, he would still have no chance of completing his redemption!

The red level is a warning!

Thinking this, Song Shicheng instinctively turned his gaze toward Shen Xiaoyan.

At this moment, Shen Xiaoyan was facing her half-sister, enduring Shen Yixian’s domineering attitude. In the end, she could only nod helplessly and say, “I understand, Manager Shen. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

Shen Yixian still didn’t give her a good look. She snorted coldly, picked up her handbag, and walked over to Song Shicheng’s bed. She blinked at him and said with a faint smile, “I’m going to see my dad. Rest well and recover soon. We need to prepare for the wedding.”

Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly remembered something and turned back. “Oh, by the way, do you need me to take care of that kid, Ye Tian?”

Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan’s face immediately tensed up. She knew all too well what her sister, with her cold-hearted nature, was capable of.

Song Shicheng remained silent for a moment before saying, “Not for now. Let’s leave it to the law for now.”

“Ha! I’ve noticed you’ve been cracking a lot of jokes lately! The law? We *are* the law!”

Shen Yixian scoffed, then left the room with a flourish.

As soon as the door closed, the atmosphere in the room relaxed. The medical staff, as if nothing had happened, began checking Song Shicheng’s condition.

Shen Xiaoyan stood to the side, her expression both sullen and anxious. Clearly, she was not only upset by Shen Yixian’s arrogance and oppression but also worried about Ye Tian’s situation.

After all, she had worked with Ye Tian at the hospital for a long time. She had a good impression of his kind-hearted and skilled nature and couldn’t bear to see him come to harm.

After the fight between Ye Tian and Song Shicheng that day, Ye Tian had been arrested by the police, and the case remained unresolved.

Ye Tian claimed it was self-defense, while Song Shicheng’s side accused him of malicious assault and even attempted murder. The back-and-forth was endless, and Shen Xiaoyan was utterly exhausted by it all.

At this moment, she noticed Song Shicheng staring at her with a strange expression. Thinking that this lecherous scoundrel was up to no good again, she pursed her lips and shot him a glare filled with disdain and disgust.

After a few glances, Song Shicheng looked away and resumed his internal monologue.

To be honest, if he really had to get married, he would prefer Shen Xiaoyan. This wasn’t just because of his emotional attachment to the female protagonist but also due to several objective factors.

First, let’s talk about appearance.

Shen Yixian is beautiful, with her slimmed-down figure and standard office lady vibe. Although her looks are enhanced by makeup, luxury brands, and beauty treatments, her natural features aren’t bad. However, she’s no match for Shen Xiaoyan, a natural beauty.

In fact, he had used almost every possible adjective to describe Shen Xiaoyan’s beauty in the novel. Even now, with minimal makeup, her hair tied back simply, and wearing a white lab coat, her stunning looks and graceful figure were impossible to ignore. As the old saying goes… yes! She’s like a firefly in the night—bright and outstanding!

Next, let’s talk about personality.

Shen Yixian is a villain—scheming, ruthless, and cold-hearted. She’s inherited Shen Guotao’s unscrupulous ways, as evidenced by her statement, “We are the law.” Who would want to marry someone with such twisted values?

As for Shen Xiaoyan, there’s no need to elaborate. As the female protagonist of the novel, he had endowed her with almost every traditional virtue of Chinese women—kindness, gentleness, modesty, and purity. In short, she’s perfect. Such a woman only exists in novels; in the real world, she’d have gone extinct centuries ago!

Finally, let’s talk about feelings.

Regarding Shen Yixian, Song Shicheng could clearly see that, despite their engagement, she had no real feelings for him. Her tone when speaking to him was no different from how she’d talk to a friend. It was obvious that if they got married, it would be a loveless union, with the marriage certificate serving only as a symbol of the two families’ interests.

As for Shen Xiaoyan… well, given their current relationship, if he dared to harbor any inappropriate thoughts about her, it wouldn’t just be a temporary loss of masculinity. He might wake up one day to find a scalpel neatly slicing through his nether regions, putting an end to any such fantasies.

Of course, given the system’s rigid task, all this analysis is meaningless.

In short, to save his life and achieve his redemption, he must marry Shen Xiaoyan at all costs. He absolutely cannot let her fall into the hands of the original protagonist, Ye Tian!

Although, at this point, accomplishing this task seems incredibly daunting and difficult…

As he was lost in thought, the doctors finished their examination, gave some instructions, and left the room.

Shen Xiaoyan hesitated for a moment, then stayed behind. She furrowed her delicate brows and looked at Song Shicheng, seeming to want to say something but holding back.

“Is there something else?” Song Shicheng noticed her hesitation.

Shen Xiaoyan pursed her lips, her eyes looking elsewhere as if she were speaking to the air. Her tone was stiff: “I… I want to discuss something with you. About the fight between you and Ye Tian that day… I’m not sure who started it, but both of you must have been at fault. Now that your injuries have mostly healed and he’s been detained for so long, I think there’s no need to escalate things further. As the saying goes, ‘Forgiveness is divine’…”

“You want me to let him off the hook? Hmm, I’ve thought about it too. It’s not entirely impossible…”

Song Shicheng’s tone was ambiguous. Seeing Shen Xiaoyan turn her head in surprise, a playful smile appeared on his lips. “After all, I’m a man of status. Logically, there’s no need to make a big deal out of a minor figure like him. Besides, since you’ve personally come to plead for him, I should show some consideration. But I did suffer some losses. If I just let it go, not only would I be unhappy, but my family wouldn’t accept it either. Unless… you can offer me some compensation in Ye Tian’s place.”