After the Villain Stopped Fawning Over the Female Lead, She Became Desperate - Chapter 1:

Chapter 1: I Actually Became the Bootlicking Villain in a Novel?

Night in a bustling city.

Intern Shen Che had just finished a long, exhausting day of work. He hailed a taxi and rushed back to his rented apartment. While in the cab, he opened a novel on his phone to pass the time.

He was reading a brainless, over-the-top action novel titled Dragon King Dominates the Magic City. It happened to be his favorite novel, mainly because the final boss villain in the book shared the exact same name as him—Shen Che.

However, Shen Che in real life was just a corporate grunt, stuck in a 9-9-6 job, while the Shen Che in the novel was a wealthy second-generation heir with an impressive family background.

The storyline of Dragon King Dominates the Glamorous City went like this: the protagonist Ye Feng was taught martial arts at the age of 18 by the two grandfathers who raised him. At 20, he began traveling abroad, enduring countless deadly battles. By 23, he became the underground world’s king, earning the title “Dragon King.” At 25, weary of endless killing, he returned to Magic City to live a more peaceful life.

Shortly after returning, he went to a bar one night. There, he fell in love at first sight with the female lead, Xu Qiuchi, and rescued her from harassment by some thugs. Xu Qiuchi remembered him and gave him her contact information. Later, she hired Ye Feng as a personal bodyguard for her sister Xu Ruyan and their grandfather.

Xu Qiuchi had a fiancé—Shen Che, the ultimate bootlicker.

During one visit, Ye Feng grew annoyed with this weakling who shamelessly pursued the woman he liked. After that, Ye Feng repeatedly humiliated Shen Che by using skills slightly superior to his.

The original Shen Che, unwilling to lose his fiancée, staked everything—his company and his fortune—on competing with Ye Feng. Unfortunately, due to the protagonist’s aura, Shen Che ended up being humiliated time and again, becoming a laughingstock in Magic City and suffering complete social ruin.

Later, Ye Feng formed his own team and company, and under the protagonist’s aura, Shen Che’s life began falling apart. Ye Feng’s development was unbelievably fast.

After Ye Feng’s group became a powerhouse, he used his connections to crush Shen Corporation in every aspect of business. He planted moles in their logistics, caused shipping problems, and even bribed Shen Corporation’s finance department to fabricate a serious tax evasion case, striking a fatal blow.

After this series of blows, the Shen family was pushed to bankruptcy.

Shen Che’s father took poison and committed suicide in despair. His mother was sentenced to life imprisonment, her hair turning white in just half a month.

As for Shen Che, after losing everything, he jumped off the rooftop of his former company and died a miserable death.

…

Because of this, Shen Che had reread this novel many times. In the cab, he muttered as he scrolled through the pages, “Damn, you’re supposed to be a powerful villain, yet you degrade yourself to a bootlicker for the female lead and end up losing everything to the protagonist.”

Because he shared the same name as the villain, Shen Che had always felt emotionally invested. Every time he read the novel, he felt upset about the villain’s ending. If it were him, it would be the female lead begging to lick his boots.

Soon, the traffic light turned green, and the driver slowly accelerated.

Suddenly, a blinding high beam flashed from the side, causing both Shen Che and the driver to squint hard.

The next moment, a fully-loaded semi-trailer traveling at 120 km/h slammed into their cab.

BOOM!!

The sound was deafening. The vehicle was instantly twisted and mangled.

By some miracle, the driver remained unscathed. The front part of the cab narrowly avoided the main impact and was untouched.

Unluckily, Shen Che, seated in the back, was hit directly. The rear window was violently caved in, and the car was split in two. The front section, carrying the driver, slid a few meters before coming to a halt.

Shen Che felt a tremendous force slam into his body, and his vision faded into darkness as he lost consciousness.

From then on, that semi-truck earned the nickname: the Chinese Iaido Slash.

…

0932, Blue Star—still the Dragon Nation.

Magic City.

A first-tier metropolis. Calling its central district “prosperous” barely did it justice. Even the air reeked of wealth and luxury.

Towering skyscrapers, endless traffic, and throngs of people surged like tides. The sidewalks were lined with shops offering dazzling products that made people stop and stare. Neon lights stayed on 24/7, casting their glow upon the city’s steel forest.

For the wealthy, Magic City was a playground of endless flings. Here, money could buy you the company of any beauty for the night. 

The nightlife was as intoxicating as it was extravagant.

But for the poor, it was a place where materialism shackled thought and forced bodies to wander far from home. Sky-high living and housing costs meant monthly wages barely covered basic needs. Dreams and entertainment became distant illusions that existed only in sleep.

Here stood the so-called Four Great Families of Magic City: the Xu family, the Shen family, the Lin family, and the Fang family—each dominating a different industry.

In their respective fields, they reigned supreme. One could even say that the taxes they paid supported half the city.

Among them, the Shen family was the most powerful, operating across real estate, multiple industries, and import-export businesses.

The Lin family, while not as wealthy, held significant power. The old Patriarch of the Lin family was a high-ranking official with deep political connections. They also dominated the banking sector, placing them second only to the Shen family.

Next came the Fang family, leaders in the jade trade.

The weakest was the Xu family, ranking fourth.

…

Magic City, Tan Palace—a famous luxury villa district. Ranked third nationwide, it was a prime location reserved for society’s elite.

Shen Che’s home was one of the private villas within this area.

Staring at his strikingly handsome reflection in the mirror, Shen Che was briefly stunned. He was now certain—he had transmigrated, and into the body of a rich heir capable of achieving everything he once dreamed of.

Yet he didn’t feel that happy.

He had just transmigrated about two minutes ago. His last memory was of reading a novel in the car, then being hit by a massive truck, and losing consciousness.

Before he could fully enjoy this new life, a flood of memories surged into his brain like a torrent.

After a few minutes, Shen Che digested these memories and instantly understood the identity of the body’s original owner.

Wasn’t this the same doomed rich villain from the novel he had been reading just before the crash?

At first, Shen Che was thrilled. But then he remembered the villain’s pitiful ending—serving as a bootlicker to his fiancée for years, only to have her stolen by Ye Feng.

After a series of humiliating events, he lost everything, became a laughingstock, and finally jumped off a building.

No time to dwell on it. Shen Che checked the time on his phone—October 10, 2024, 11:00 p.m.—and instantly panicked.

“Of all times to transmigrate, why now? Why not a few months earlier? There’s less than an hour before Ye Feng meets Xu Qiuchi.”

He was annoyed. If he had arrived earlier, even just a few months, he could’ve ditched all that groveling and taken the original Shen Che’s money to travel the world, party every night, and enjoy food and beauty from across the globe.

But now, the plot was about to begin. If he didn’t stop Ye Feng from meeting Xu Qiuchi, with Ye Feng’s shameless personality, he would absolutely target Shen Che, her fiancé.

After thinking for a moment, Shen Che made a decision—he had to prevent Ye Feng from meeting Xu Qiuchi. Otherwise, he’d be dragged into the mess and become a target. He also wanted to see if Xu Qiuchi had come to her senses. If she had, he’d immediately suggest breaking off the engagement.

With no time to waste, Shen Che headed to the walk-in closet.

The spacious walk-in closet was bigger than two of his old rented apartments combined. The clothes inside were neatly arranged in every style imaginable.

He called the top French stylist the original Shen Che had hired.

Soon, the stylist picked out a stylish casual outfit. The color of the watch matched the shirt perfectly, and the shoes completed the look.

It was low-key yet classy.

Shen Che went downstairs and spoke to a short, capable elderly man dressed in a white shirt and black tailcoat, “Butler Fu, have Driver Ah Sheng prepare the car. Also, tell Guofeng and Feiliang to follow me to Linyu Bar. Make it fast. It’s urgent.”

The old man was Shen Che’s personal butler. He respectfully replied, “Yes, Young Master. I’ll make the arrangements right away.”

Shen Che walked out to the garage. The garage was huge—an absolute paradise for car lovers. Almost every brand of sports car and luxury vehicle was represented in the collection.

Soon, a dignified-looking driver named Ah Sheng drove up in a Rolls-Royce. He stepped out, opened the door, and respectfully held the edge of the door frame, “Young Master.”

Shen Che got in and sat in the back seat.

“Let’s go. Butler Fu gave you the destination. Drive fast.”

“Understood, Young Master.”

Behind Shen Che’s Rolls-Royce, a BMW M3 followed closely. It was driven by Lu Guofeng and Chen Feiliang—Shen family’s personal bodyguards. They followed at a calculated distance, close enough to protect their Young Master at all times.