I Became the Most Popular Character by Acting as a Villain in the Manga

Chapter 83

Bai Xuechao planned to first get some information out of Yu Ruolan.

To make it more convenient to talk to her, and since he had regained some strength after waking up, he slowly propped himself up on the bed with his arms.

While Bai Xuechao was slowly getting up, Yu Ruolan picked up the medicine bottle she had dropped in fright. She glanced at him hesitantly. But perhaps because she was too introverted, she was too embarrassed to talk to Bai Xuechao and turned to leave the room.

"Where is this?" Bai Xuechao's words stopped her in her tracks.

"Eh?" Yu Ruolan looked at him in surprise, clutching the medicine bottle in her hands. Her voice was still very small, "Aren't you the person Brother Lan brought back?"

...Brother Lan, that form of address.

"I was unconscious at the time, so I don't know the situation." Bai Xuechao looked at her.

Even though his face was pale and he looked weak, and he was in an unfamiliar environment, he still gave off a sense of composure. He said calmly, "So, this is the Apocalypse Society."

Yu Ruolan's fingers rubbed nervously against the medicine bottle. After a long while, she finally gave a soft "hmm."

She seems to be more than just introverted.

Does she usually not talk to anyone?

Bai Xuechao remembered the first two questions Yu Ruolan had asked him and asked Xiao 6 in his mind: "What's wrong with her? Does her special ability make others unable to remember her?"

"Ying, I can't say, it involves a very important plot later on!" Xiao 6 had already learned to skillfully exploit loopholes. Answering like this was basically confirming Bai Xuechao's guess.

It thought melancholically that as a system, it had endured too much, but then again, the author had been driven mad by him, so it felt a sense of balance in its heart.

Xiao 6 seemed to remember something else and said, "But I can reveal a little. The fact that you can notice her should be a bug."

Notice, this wording was worth pondering.

Could the problem be with Yu Ruolan's presence?

"Bug?" Bai Xuechao asked, "Do you know the cause?"

Xiao 6 replied, "I don't know. If a bug is encountered, the usual procedure is for our Green River Comic website's system to submit feedback to the simulated world's main system for detection. Yu Ruolan's character setting code is very special, and the main system has created a data variable specifically for her. It might be because you were supposed to be a deceased character, so it's ineffective on you; it could also be because you're bound to me, which inadvertently caused a data error and a bug, or it could be some other reason."

Xiao 6's explanation, however, made Bai Xuechao curious about Yu Ruolan.

What exactly was Yu Ruolan's special ability? The main system had created a data variable specifically for her. Could it really be her presence?

Bai Xuechao said, "You haven't submitted the bug, have you?"

"Hehehe, of course not." Xiao 6 displayed a blushing doge emoji in front of Bai Xuechao and said naively, "I thought you would like this bug, Host. I was originally going to tell you after Yu Ruolan left."

Bai Xuechao: Xiao 6 is really getting the hang of things.

Over here, Yu Ruolan waited for a while. Hearing no more from Bai Xuechao, she said in a low voice, "If there's nothing else, I'll... be leaving then."

She's leaving after just a few words?

"There is." In order to make the introverted Yu Ruolan stay, Bai Xuechao asked a more casual question unrelated to Apocalypse Society intelligence, to reduce her nervousness around strangers, "Who changed my clothes?"

He had noticed when he woke up that his clothes had been changed into soft and comfortable pure white silk pajamas, and the size was much larger, clearly someone else's.

Hearing this, a look of remembrance appeared on Yu Ruolan's face. She then lowered her head slightly, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzzing: "It was supposed to be... the maids Xinyue called to change them..."

Now that she said that, Bai Xuechao knew that in the end, it definitely wasn't the maids who changed his clothes.

"But, Brother Lan made the maids leave." Yu Ruolan's voice got even smaller, "So, it was Brother Lan who changed them for you personally."

Bai Xuechao: "..."

He finally knew where Mu Xinyue's hostility towards him came from.

Regarding the fact that his clothes were changed by Yuan Lan, Bai Xuechao felt that since they were both men, it didn't matter. It would have been the same if the maids had changed them. As long as it wasn't a woman who changed them for him, it was fine.

What he was more curious about now was: "Are the clothes brand new?"

Xiao 6 was speechless: I was about to start shipping, why is the Host's focus so strange!

Yu Ruolan seemed to be stumped by the question. She widened her eyes slightly, thought for a moment, and then said uncertainly, "They... are, right?"

Bai Xuechao thought to himself, looks like I can only ask the person himself.

The silk pajamas he was wearing had no creases at all, so they had clearly been hung up for storage. It was impossible to tell if they were brand new based on creases.

Bai Xuechao didn't say anything, so Yu Ruolan didn't continue speaking either.

Bai Xuechao had roughly figured out that Yu Ruolan was the type of person who would only answer when spoken to.

However, she had one advantage. According to his lie detection observation, everything Yu Ruolan said was the truth.

"Are there... any more questions?" Yu Ruolan mumbled, taking a small step towards the door, as if she really wanted to leave the room.

Has this reached the point of social phobia?

Bai Xuechao raised his left hand and moved it. The obsidian-like black bracelet on his frost-white wrist made his skin look even fairer. In contrast, it also made the black bracelet look more conspicuous. He tried to be as polite as possible and said, "Please explain what this is."

"This, this..." Yu Ruolan's fingers kept rubbing the medicine bottle. Her violet eyes were full of hesitation, as if she didn't know whether to say it or not.

She really couldn't make a decision, so she wanted to leave the room quickly.

Seeing that she was about to leave again, Bai Xuechao called out, "Wait."

Instead of stopping, Yu Ruolan walked even faster. She hurried to the door of the room and was about to go out.

Bai Xuechao immediately grabbed the tube of the IV set and pulled it hard.

The IV stand was pulled down at once, crashing to the ground with a clanging sound of metal objects hitting each other.

The sound was very loud. Yu Ruolan, who had already gone out the door, subconsciously looked back. After seeing the situation in the room clearly, her expression froze for a moment, and she quickly ran back.

She first looked nervously at the back of Bai Xuechao's right hand and was relieved to find that he had only pulled down the IV stand and not the needle in his hand. Then she picked up the fallen IV stand and pushed it back to its original position, which was beside Bai Xuechao's bed. Fortunately, the IV bottle was plastic and wouldn't break like a glass bottle when it fell.

After doing all this, Yu Ruolan breathed a sigh of relief.

She carefully glanced at the quiet Bai Xuechao and unexpectedly met his gaze. She turned to leave, like a frightened rabbit about to flee, but was suddenly caught by the ruffled sleeve of her shirt.

"Miss, I just have a question," Bai Xuechao's lips curled into a helpless smile, his beautiful ruby-like eyes looking at her, "and you're leaving?"

Xiao 6 cupped its face with its code-like little hands, watching this scene: Wow, I kind of want to ship this. A shy young lady is super cute!

"N-no..." Yu Ruolan stammered, unable to speak for a long time.

Bai Xuechao thought she might be too nervous from being held, so he let go of her ruffled sleeve.

Yu Ruolan immediately and shyly pulled back her hand and ran to the side, putting some distance between herself and Bai Xuechao. She then stammered an explanation: "I'm sorry, I get... nervous when I talk to people."

Bai Xuechao's gaze, however, fell on the woven bracelet that was revealed after she pulled back her hand.

The bracelet's cord was woven from several thin silk threads, a pale white color. It was thin and strung with a few amethyst beads for embellishment. A violet flower-shaped pendant hung in the middle of the beads, with a purple diamond embedded in the center, refracting a dazzling light in the sunlight.

If I'm not mistaken, this was woven from Yuan Lan's puppet threads.

Bai Xuechao had a guess and asked Xiao 6: "Normally, Yuan Lan can't notice her either, right?"

"Uh..." Xiao 6 coughed a few times pretentiously.

Bai Xuechao understood and continued, "So Yuan Lan wove his puppet threads into a bracelet for her, so he can notice her by sensing his own puppet threads."

Xiao 6 didn't answer him, but silently played a song. The song went: "You're right~"

Seeing that Bai Xuechao wasn't speaking, Yu Ruolan rubbed the medicine bottle in her hands nervously, shuffling her feet to the side, seemingly wanting to leave again.

"You're awake," a mature female voice came from the doorway.

Mu Xinyue, wearing a floral dress, walked in with a bouquet of flowers. The sunlight shone on her exquisitely made-up face. Her slightly arched eyebrows, her slightly fuller lower lip a vibrant red, her slender waist, and her long wavy hair swaying gently with her steps, she was stunningly beautiful.

Mu Xinyue seemed to not even see Yu Ruolan. She walked past her and went to the desk.

With a sweet smile on her face, she picked up the scissors in the pen holder, unwrapped the bouquet, and slowly arranged the flowers in the vase on the desk, as if it were a kind of enjoyment.

Yuan Lan followed a few steps behind Mu Xinyue, walking into the room with two bouquets of flowers. He went straight to Bai Xuechao's bed.

He smiled and handed a bouquet of sunflowers, champagne roses, orange spray roses, and eucalyptus to Bai Xuechao. His bright golden eyes curved, like the warm sun, and his gentle, lingering voice was beautiful and pleasant to hear: "This one is for you."

Seeing that Bai Xuechao didn't take it, Yuan Lan continued to smile and placed the flowers directly on his lap. Then he turned to look at Yu Ruolan standing on the side.

He held up the last bouquet and shook it: "Little Yu, this one is for you."

Hearing this, Mu Xinyue's flower-arranging movements paused, and she suddenly looked up, as if she had just realized there was another person in the room.

Her gaze followed Yuan Lan's and then swept from near Bai Xuechao to near Yuan Lan, as if searching for something. Finally, her gaze settled on Yu Ruolan, who was cautiously and slowly walking towards Yuan Lan.

"Here you go." Yuan Lan let go after Yu Ruolan took the bouquet, and patted her head lightly a couple of times.

A faint blush appeared on Yu Ruolan's delicate and lovely face. She looked at the bouquet in her arms. The pink-white petals of the spray roses were tinged with pink at the edges, paired with white lisianthus, chamomile, and eucalyptus, as beautiful as an oil painting. Her violet eyes shimmered with a moving light.

Yuan Lan smiled gently, "It suits you well."

Hearing this, Yu Ruolan lowered her head, her face almost buried in the bouquet, and whispered, "Thank you, Brother Lan, I like it very much."

Mu Xinyue looked at her shy, girlish appearance and made a "tsk" sound.

Yu Ruolan's body stiffened. She quietly glanced up at Mu Xinyue and found that she was frowning at her.

Mu Xinyue was already beautiful in an aggressive way. When she frowned, she looked even more aggressive and distant, like a queen, making Yu Ruolan unable to help but shrink her shoulders.

"Don't always make it seem like I'm bullying you," Mu Xinyue said unhappily, cutting a stem of the flower in her hand and slapping the scissors on the table.

The scissors hitting the table made a sound, and Yu Ruolan's shoulders shrank again.

"Little Yu is just a bit timid and easily frightened." Yuan Lan patted Yu Ruolan's head reassuringly, then looked at Mu Xinyue, who was sullenly arranging the flowers in the vase, a hint of a smile in his eyes, "Mu Xinyue, I have very good eyesight, and I'm not hallucinating."

Mu Xinyue looked at him, somewhat puzzled.

Yuan Lan spread his hands, looking helpless, "I'm not so blind that I can't see anything, or imagine you bullying Little Yu, am I? Have you been secretly reading a lot of palace intrigue novels lately? Do I look like a fatuous ruler, our falcon-like Miss Mu?"

Mu Xinyue glanced away from him, but the corners of her mouth were turning up. She was clearly placated and was suppressing a smile.

What a guy, a master of keeping the peace.

Bai Xuechao watched with great interest as Yuan Lan balanced the two women, explaining for Yu Ruolan and teasing Mu Xinyue. He almost wanted to applaud Yuan Lan.

"Little Xuechao, are you having fun watching the show?" Yuan Lan suddenly bent down and leaned in front of Bai Xuechao, asking with a smiling, curved eye.

Bai Xuechao looked at him coldly.

To be honest, the show was quite entertaining.

Yuan Lan continued to ask with a smile, "Do you want to join our big family?"

Bai Xuechao: "...?"

Xiao 6 cackled after hearing this: "What a guy, you're not here to break up this family, you're here to join it, hahahaha!"

"No." Bai Xuechao looked indifferent, but he was actually expressionless. His tone was calm and emotionless, "It's better for the three of you to live your lives well than anything else."

As his voice fell, Yuan Lan burst out laughing.

Yu Ruolan, holding the bouquet, blushed like tomato juice, and steam was about to come out of her head.

Mu Xinyue liked Yuan Lan very much and was happy when others saw them as a couple, but she was a little unhappy that there was a third annoying person between them. She originally wanted to say something, but when she saw Yuan Lan laughing so hard at this joke, she ended up saying nothing.

Yuan Lan laughed so hard that he ended up leaning on the side of the bed and pounding it.

"Hahahahaha..." He supported himself on the bed next to Bai Xuechao's legs, his eyes still filled with a lingering smile as he looked at Bai Xuechao.

The young man's blood-red eyes, bathed in the brilliant sunlight, were like translucent red glass. The sunlight reflected a faint golden hue in his eyes, like the red clouds at sunset.

Yuan Lan said with a smile, "I mean, join the Apocalypse Society."

Oh, so it's this "big family."

"If I remember correctly, I didn't come here voluntarily." Bai Xuechao looked at him as if he were an idiot and said sarcastically, "I was kidnapped by you, and you want me to join?"

He was just short of saying, are you dreaming?

Yuan Lan said shamelessly, "It wasn't kidnapping, it was a rescue, to be precise. I stayed up all night for you. If I had been a little later, I would have been able to offer flowers at your tombstone tomorrow."

His tone was frivolous and he was talking nonsense. Bai Xuechao didn't believe for a second that he had really stayed up all night for him.

But it was possible that he had almost ended up in an urn. After all, when he first woke up, his body was very weak and feeble, not like the state he would be in after a night of rest from his previous physical discomfort and side effects.

Bai Xuechao gave a kind smile: "Is it my memory that's confused or yours? Isn't it because of you that I ended up like that?"

If Yuan Lan hadn't shown up and fought with him, his condition wouldn't have become so severe.

"If you say that, I'll be sad." Yuan Lan smiled, showing not a trace of sadness.

The two looked at each other with smiles, their smiles hiding daggers.

"We can put aside whether it was 'kidnapping' or 'rescue' for now," Bai Xuechao said, "I have some questions for you."

Yuan Lan acted like a contrarian: "What if I say 'I won't answer'?"

"You can try." Bai Xuechao smiled gently, but his slightly curved eyes held a dangerous meaning. He said slowly, "I can guarantee that in the process of finding the answers myself, I will definitely not make it easy for you."

"Are you threatening me?" Yuan Lan feigned a look of fear, then smiled, "Alright, you can ask."

Bai Xuechao began, "First question—" Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel·fiɾe·net

"Mm," Yuan Lan was all ears.

"Are these pajamas brand new?" Bai Xuechao asked with a serious expression, as if it were some very important matter.

Yuan Lan was stunned for a moment, then he slapped the bed and burst out laughing again.