The villain turns into the infatuated second male lead

“Hmm, a piece I casually wrote during college,” Qiu Yiyuan’s deep voice faintly reached the room.

“How can you call such a beautiful piece casually written?”

“……”

Listening to the harmonious conversation in the piano room, the corner of Yin Zhiyi’s mouth twitched. His cool fingertips stroked the nonexistent mole at the end of his eyebrow as his dark eyes stared at the door, the residual smile gradually turning eerie.

To maintain Ling Su’s character, he didn’t actively seek out Qiu Yiyuan. He deliberately sat in the living room reading a book, not expecting the male lead to already be in the piano room chatting and laughing with the female lead. From Xia Wanshi’s occasional laughter, it was clear their conversation was very pleasant.

“Did I miss something?” He sorted through the events from last night to noon, speculating when the male lead began to have feelings for Xia Wanshi. He tapped his fingers on the closed book, mumbling softly.

After realizing the male and female leads were in the piano room, he felt a sense of soul suspension and the inexplicable bitterness from last night. He raised his eyebrows, understanding it was Ling Su’s influence, his ink-stained eyes staring intently at the wooden door, a smile with an unknown meaning curling his lips.

He tilted his head slightly, got up, and opened the refrigerator door, casually pouring some juice into a cup. Seemingly understanding he had already taken action, the panic in his heart subsided.

If the male and female leads continued to develop like this, he had a premonition that, although he wouldn’t be expelled from this body, the turmoil in his soul would be unpleasant.

“System, you don’t seem very reliable,” he silently said in his heart, then carried a few cups of juice towards the piano room.

【……】The pale blue light screen flickered, not allowing him to see its explanation before it completely went silent again.

Knock, knock.

He symbolically knocked twice, then pushed open the slightly ajar door, placing the tray aside. Unsurprisingly, he saw Xia Wanshi animatedly talking by the piano while Qiu Yiyuan sat beside it, looking much more relaxed than when facing him.

“Have something to quench your thirst,” he handed the cold orange juice to Xia Wanshi without changing his expression, his tone warm.

“Sure, thanks.” She hadn’t noticed her childhood friend’s subtle actions. Just discussing the piano with Qiu Yiyuan had taken a lot of talking, and seeing the juice made her eyes light up, stopping her words.

Qiu Yiyuan felt uneasy the moment Ling Su entered. He turned his face away, choosing to move his stool slightly to the side. When he turned back, he saw Ling Su, whom he had been avoiding, with clear laughter in his eyes, handing the juice to Xia Wanshi.

The cold, ruthless expression Qiu Yiyuan had just put on instantly cracked.

*Cough, cough.* he got up and took another cup of juice from the table, deliberately coughing. His eyes quickly glanced over the straightforward Xia Wanshi and the gentle Ling Su, finally easing his tightly furrowed brows.

Xia Wanshi, having just downed the refreshing juice, immediately asked with concern upon hearing the untimely cough, “Qiu Yiyuan, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Qiu Yiyuan’s expression remained consistently indifferent and cold. His peripheral vision discreetly observed Ling Su, who was also holding a cup of juice. The bright sunlight fell on the thin white shirt, pure and beautiful.

Perhaps because the gaze lingered too long, Yin Zhiyi turned to meet his eyes. He lazily uttered an ‘ah’ as if just noticing, smiling helplessly, “Be careful.”

“Mm.” Qiu Yiyuan replied slowly and coldly, though his tightly furrowed brows relaxed. He lowered his eyes, staring at the juice in his hand.

Ling Su had brought three cups of juice, one of which was for him.

“Xiaoshi, what were you just talking about that made you so happy?” He withdrew his gaze from Qiu Yiyuan, asking casually.

Xia Wanshi swallowed the juice, the morning’s gloom almost gone in the piano room. She smiled, showing her neat teeth, “I was thinking of practicing the piano before going home, but Qiu Yiyuan suddenly came in and pointed out a mistake, correcting me. We chatted, and I found out he can compose music, so I became a listener.”

“Oh?” Yin Zhiyi glanced at Qiu Yiyuan, seeing him silently drinking juice, and said pointedly, “Usually, you don’t like others disturbing you while playing the piano. I didn’t expect you to make an exception.”

“That’s different.” Xia Wanshi shook her head seriously, “Learning isn’t a disturbance.”

Listening to their conversation, especially Ling Su’s words, Qiu Yiyuan was unsure if he was speaking casually or implying something. His eyes flashed, and he said lightly, “I just have some interest in the piano.”

As soon as he spoke, he was stunned.

He was explaining. Why did he instinctively explain to him?

“Mm-hmm, Qiu Yiyuan indeed has a talent for music.” Xia Wanshi nodded heavily, not catching the underlying meaning.

“Oh? Could you help me see where I need to improve if I play a piece?” Yin Zhiyi put down his glass, looking sincerely at him, seemingly genuinely seeking advice.

Both looked at Qiu Yiyuan, who instinctively met Ling Su’s gaze. When their eyes met the gentle, faintly smiling eyes, the string in his heart seemed to be plucked, all thoughts of escape from last night forgotten. Lips pursed, he looked away, his cold face expressionless, responding without thinking, “Okay.”

“Actually, Xiaoshi taught me the piano,” Yin Zhiyi casually wiped his palm and sat at the piano, gently touching the keys, his warm demeanor naturally drawing people in.

Xia Wanshi was about to humbly downplay her role when she noticed that the previously calm Qiu Yiyuan now exuded a chilling aura, making her instinctively shrink back and move her chair farther away.

Xia Wanshi taught him?

Qiu Yiyuan’s eyes grew colder, his thoughts racing. Even knowing his current state was wrong, Ling Su’s words still disturbed him, leading him to speculate on their relationship and recall Xia’s mother mentioning marriage last night.

Plink~ plink~ plink

The continuous piano sound filled the quiet room, interrupting his thoughts. The slender white fingers danced lightly on the keys, the ethereal, clear melody flowing out, soothing his inner struggle, unlocking the heavy shackles in his heart, seemingly purifying his soul.

He deeply gazed at the young man in white at the piano, who seemed to merge with the afternoon sunlight, like a warm breeze blowing toward him, leaving peace in his empty heart.

“Xiao Yuan, when you feel unhappy, listen to the music I play for you. Listening to beautiful music is a joyful thing; it can pull you out of trouble and anxiety.”

A loving woman flashed in Qiu Yiyuan’s mind. He hadn’t remembered his mother’s words for a long time because the person willing to play the piano for him could no longer touch the instrument.

He seemed drawn, unable to take his eyes off Ling Su. He had long understood but was unwilling to believe it.

He had developed such shameful feelings for his friend.

The desire to get closer had never been so strong.

As the fingers struck the final key, Yin Zhiyi swiftly stood up from the chair, his back as straight as a pine. He turned and smiled, the darkness in his eyes fleeting, walking towards Qiu Yiyuan, drawing out a questioning “Hmm.”

Hi’s dark eyes keenly observed the male lead’s expression, noticing that as he approached, the other’s muscles tensed, and pupils dilated, despite the lack of change in his proud, handsome face. The clenched hands betrayed his inner turmoil.

Hmm… probably not a sign of wanting to hit him.

He ruled out this possibility first. The male lead’s emotional fluctuations weren’t entirely due to the female lead. Apart from giving Xia Wanshi a glass of juice after entering, his attention wasn’t on her, which was a good sign… Hmm? Something seemed off.

Yin Zhiyi paused, and as he analyzed the current situation of the three, another idea popped into his head, albeit somewhat far-fetched. After eliminating other possibilities, he still found it laughable.

Ridiculous, but not impossible. Even if it was a one-in-a-million chance, he didn’t mind testing it out. Whether his hypothesis was correct or not, it opened up another path to completing his task.

With that in mind, he put away the harmless warmth characteristic of Ling Su. His dark eyes, with hidden aggression, met Qiu Yiyuan’s evasive gaze, making avoidance impossible.

He smiled slightly, as if tempting the other to sink, his passionate eyes mixed with faint emotions. Though he still appeared gentle and elegant, each step toward Qiu Yiyuan fell heavily on his heart.

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