I, The Villain, Just Wanted to Be a Nobody, So How Did I Become the Protagonist? - Chapter 8:

Chapter 8: Cutting Ties

“He doesn’t think about this family at all. All he ever thinks about is how to waste money pleasing Ye Ningshuang!”

“Dad worked so hard to build the company, and now it’s about to be ruined in his hands! Can someone like him even be called human?!”

The shouting pierced through the thick door and into Chen Tianyou’s ears. His heart felt as if it had been stabbed.

In the original novel’s plotline, Ye Ningshuang was the woman Chen Tianyou pursued—one of the female leads. She was a few years older than him, and ever since he brushed past her on the roadside a few years ago, he had fallen for her at first sight. From that moment on, he used every means possible to please her.

When Ye Ningshuang had a birthday, he spent a fortune ordering custom cakes and jewelry from abroad.

When she graduated and wanted to start a business, he transferred her 100 million yuan without hesitation.

When her company fell into a slump, he forced his own family business to sign loss‑making contracts just to support her.

…

As long as Ye Ningshuang said a single word, Chen Tianyou was willing to give her everything.

He was a complete simp.

Then came the classic cliché: Ye Ningshuang later met Lin Mo and fell in love with him at first sight. She absorbed the Chen family’s wealth until they were dry, kicked Chen Tianyou away like trash, and finally held hands with Lin Mo and left together during her wedding banquet.

Chen Tianyou let out a long sigh toward the sky.

Author… how did you even come up with such a stupid villain character?! I admit defeat!

Just then, Chen Zhilei’s voice pulled him back to reality.

“Mom, do you know what people say behind our backs? They say the Chen family is full of idiots! They say I have a stupid older brother!”

“Mom, don’t you think life would be so much better… if I didn’t have a brother like Chen Tianyou?”

Her eyes turned red, and tears streamed down her face.

Chen Tianyou lowered his head. He had originally wanted to push the door open, but now he paused.

Even he felt the original Chen Tianyou’s character setting was outrageous. How could a person make so many ridiculous decisions?

In the novel, Chen Zhilei was pitiful too. Although she was the villain’s sister, she had never done anything bad. Instead, because of Chen Tianyou’s lack of responsibility, she had to drop out of high school and work in the company, desperately trying to protect the inheritance their father left behind.

Meanwhile, the original Chen Tianyou treated her terribly—either scolding or beating her. Once, he had even beaten her so badly she was hospitalized for more than two weeks.

No wonder she didn’t want to acknowledge him as her brother anymore.

With such terrible writing, who could endure it?

But he still had to go home—unless he wanted to sleep on the streets.

After hesitating at the door for a long time, Chen Tianyou finally pushed it open slowly.

“Mom… Zhilei, I’m home…”

Seeing him, Chen Zhilei immediately turned her head away in disgust and hastily wiped her tears.

“Tianyou… did you just get back?” his mother, Yang Huilan, asked nervously. She feared he had heard what they were saying earlier.

“Yeah, I just came in.” Chen Tianyou forced a smile.

“Oh, come sit and eat.”

He nodded and walked to the table.

The next moment, Chen Zhilei picked up the dishes on the table and moved them in front of their mother.

“I cooked this. You don’t deserve to eat it.”

“You spent so much money on Ye Ningshuang. Why don’t you ask her to cook for you?”

“Zhilei! What are you doing? Your brother just came home from school—he probably hasn’t eaten all day!” Yang Huilan said, confused.

“No way! If he wants to eat, he can cook for himself—he has hands, doesn’t he? I made this for you!”

Hearing that, Chen Tianyou let out a bitter smile. He stood up and walked toward Chen Zhilei.

“Wait! Tianyou, eat my portion instead. I’m not hungry. Just please… don’t hit your sister again! Last time you sent her to the hospital, she only got out after more than two weeks!” Yang Huilan panicked and rushed to pull her daughter behind her.

“Mom, we’re not afraid of him! He’s a beast! If he dares to hit me again, I swear I’ll stop using the surname Chen!” Chen Zhilei lifted her chin stubbornly, glaring directly at him without a trace of fear. Anger tinted her pale cheeks.

Maybe due to being overworked recently, there were dark circles around her eyes, and bloodshot veins ran through her pupils.

Seeing her like this, Chen Tianyou felt a stab of pain in his chest.

Before transmigrating, he was an orphan who desperately longed for family. But family wasn’t something one could obtain through hard work.

He had always imagined that if he had parents or siblings, he would cherish them with everything he had.

Now that he really had them, wasn’t this exactly what he had once dreamed of?

But to them, he was still the original Chen Tianyou.

With a bitter smile, he said, “Mom, Zhilei is right. Someone like me doesn’t deserve this meal. You two eat.”

He turned and walked toward the kitchen alone.

Chen Zhilei’s pupils tightened. She had insulted him this badly, yet he didn’t hit her? Normally, he would have slapped her long ago.

Was he planning something again?

“Stop right there, Chen Tianyou!” she shouted.

He paused. “What is it?”

“From now on, don’t call me your sister. We’re cutting all ties! From today onward, call me by my full name!” she said coldly.

Chen Tianyou trembled slightly, but he said nothing more. He turned and walked into the kitchen, closing the door behind him.

Seeing this, Yang Huilan grabbed her daughter’s hand anxiously. “Zhilei, what are you trying to do? You two are siblings!”

Tears streamed down Chen Zhilei’s face. “Mom… he doesn’t deserve to be my brother! Think about when dad passed away. He desperately wanted to see Tianyou one last time, but what did he do? He was out partying with his useless friends. He didn’t even see dad for the last time!”

“Enough… Zhilei, stop…” Yang Huilan’s eyes were wet too.

“Mom, let’s eat. The food is getting cold.”

Wiping her tears, Chen Zhilei began eating with her mother.

Meanwhile, Chen Tianyou made instant noodles in the kitchen, then carried the bowl to his room and closed the door tightly.

“Zhilei… maybe we should call Tianyou to join us. He must be exhausted. Instant noodles aren’t enough.”

“Mom, don’t you know him by now? He never mistreats himself. Ignore him.”

…

Inside his room, Chen Tianyou ate his noodles, feeling unbelievably heavy-hearted.

It seemed repairing the family relationship would be a very long journey.

Blame that author for writing such a brain-dead character!

Just as Chen Tianyou was mentally cursing the author’s entire ancestry, his phone suddenly buzzed with a new message.