Villain Marrying The Heroine Is Perfectly Plausible, Right? - Chapter 105:

Chapter 105: The Battle of the Masks

Ye Chen’s plan to hijack the stage and steal the spotlight was simple. He had bought off a group of women beforehand and arranged for them to promote the “Danchen” mask just before the banquet began.

Thanks to his previous marketing efforts, the buzz had already started. As more wealthy women arrived, many began excitedly sharing their experiences with the product.

After all, Ye Chen believed this banquet, carefully arranged by Jiang Mengyao, was the perfect opportunity for free promotion. If the Danchen mask became popular among the elite, word of mouth alone would bring in a tidal wave of money. And no one spent more on skincare than rich women.

He listened to the conversations flowing around him.

“This mask is amazing, ladies, but don’t use too much—it’s strong.”

“Exactly, it feels great on the skin!”

“I heard it’s really effective! Though the name is a bit strange…”

“I’m already planning to stock up when it’s officially released!”

Ye Chen couldn’t help but smirk.

He had the formula, and he’d gotten ahead of the competition. First impressions meant everything in business. Now that Danchen’s name was spreading fast, how could Jiang Mengyao possibly compete?

Soon enough, she’d be forced to approach him and ask for a partnership. When that moment came, she would have no choice but to hand over a share of the profits.

His smile deepened.

Just then, Jiang Mengyao walked onto the stage in a stunning black evening gown. With exquisite makeup and a commanding presence, she looked every bit the queen. Her aura instantly drew the crowd’s attention.

A crisp voice echoed through the hall.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming.”

“The Jiang family organized this banquet to introduce a new product, our company’s star release…”

“I won’t beat around the bush.”

She smiled slightly. “Let me present to you… the Langyao Mask.”

Pfft—

Chen Lang, who had just taken a sip of water, nearly choked. He coughed hard and wiped his mouth.

Langyao mask??

That name… was way too obvious, wasn’t it?

He glanced awkwardly at the women beside him—Xiao Mingyue, Cheng Jinjin, Chen Shihan, and Bai Luobing—only to find all of them staring at him suspiciously. Their gazes practically shouted, You definitely helped her name it!

Chen Lang immediately raised his hands with an innocent look.

I had nothing to do with it! I swear!

The audience, too, began murmuring in confusion.

“I thought they were launching the Danchen mask? Why is it suddenly called Langyao?”

“That doesn’t sound like a brand name at all…”

“Wasn’t the Danchen mask super effective? I’ve never even heard of Langyao!”

It became clear that everyone had assumed the Danchen mask was the one being launched by the Jiang family. Now, this unexpected “Langyao” announcement had thrown them off.

One of Jiang Mengyao’s assistants quickly ran onstage and whispered in her ear.

Her expression darkened at once.

Her cold gaze swept over the audience… until it locked onto Ye Chen in the far corner.

A terrifying chill filled her voice.

“Ye Chen! How dare you promote your own product at my event?”

Her aura, once elegant, now radiated icy fury. Guests were stunned into silence. The queen was enraged.

It was like setting up a stage only to have someone else barge in and perform their own show. Absolutely shameless.

Gasps rippled through the hall.

So it was true. Ye Chen had come to Jiang Mengyao’s event to steal customers. The Danchen and Langyao masks were indeed two separate brands.

Every eye turned to Ye Chen.

But he didn’t flinch. Instead, he shrugged and smiled, unfazed by the hostile stares.

“I didn’t promote anything intentionally,” he said. “The guests simply loved my product. Their praise was spontaneous. Miss Jiang, please don’t falsely accuse me.”

Jiang Mengyao gave a chilling smile, her eyes sharp like blades.

“Is that so? You think you can waltz into my territory and pull stunts like this without consequences?”

“Let me warn you, Ye Chen. You might make money from this mask—but whether you’ll live long enough to spend it is another matter.”

The tension in the room skyrocketed.

Everyone in Nanjiang knew the Jiang family wasn’t to be trifled with. Just because they appeared calm didn’t mean they lacked power. Jiang Mengyao’s threat wasn’t empty.

Still, Ye Chen remained defiant.

“Don’t threaten me, Miss Jiang. I’m just offering a superior product.”

“If your mask can’t compete, perhaps you should reconsider your launch instead of blaming others!”

“If you’re so confident, why don’t we do a comparison right now?”

He stepped forward, boldly removing his mask. His face, once known as a lowly security guard’s, now carried a smug pride.

“Let me introduce myself—Ye Chen, founder of Danchen Mask!”

Gasps spread through the room.

Many recognized Ye Chen and knew his past. But seeing the effectiveness of his mask, they now viewed him differently. He wasn’t a joke anymore. He was a rising star with a potentially explosive product.

The once-ridiculed security guard now stood at the center of attention.

Ye Chen glanced sideways at Jiang Mengyao and raised his voice one last time.

“If you truly believe in your product, Miss Jiang—dare to compare it with mine?”

“It just so happens that everyone’s here,” Ye Chen announced with a proud smile, “so let them be the witnesses. We’ll see which mask is truly better!”

Jiang Mengyao’s lips curved coldly. “Fine. You brought this on yourself—don’t blame me when you lose.”

Soon after, Ye Chen placed his Danchen mask on the stage with a smug flourish. Right next to it sat the Jiang family’s Langyao mask. The audience instantly perked up, sensing a real showdown was about to unfold.

A live product face-off?

Even Chen Lang sat up straighter, his expression serious.

Xiao Mingyue and Bai Luobing, both now small shareholders in the Jiang family, were sitting beside him. They watched anxiously, beads of worry forming in their eyes. After all, this wasn’t just a friendly competition—it was a high-stakes battle for market dominance.

Word-of-mouth in a setting like this spread like wildfire. And with all of Nanjiang’s top-tier clientele in the room, whoever lost this match would lose the entire market.

Chen Lang’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had copied the system’s formula and given it to Jiang Mengyao, but he had no clue how effective the Langyao mask actually was.

On the stage, both products were laid out neatly. Jiang Mengyao folded her arms. “How do you propose we compare them?”

“Simple,” Ye Chen replied confidently. “Let’s test both in the same time frame. We’ll invite ten guests on stage—five will use the Danchen mask and five the Langyao mask. At the end, we’ll compare the results and let the audience judge!”

“Agreed,” Jiang Mengyao said without hesitation.

Hands shot up across the room. Everyone wanted to take part—especially the women. Soon, ten participants were chosen, most of them well-known young ladies from Nanjiang’s elite families.

To no one’s surprise, the Danchen masks were snatched up in a flash. Everyone had heard about its “miracle effects” recently, and now they had a rare chance to try it for free. The five who couldn’t grab one reluctantly accepted the Langyao mask instead.

As soon as the packaging was opened, a wave of murmurs rolled through the crowd.

The Danchen mask looked sleek and pristine—bright white, light, and pleasant to the eye.

The Langyao mask… was dark, thick, and oddly sticky.

The five ladies holding it frowned in visible discomfort. Still, they were on stage now and couldn’t back out, so they mustered up their courage and applied it.

The ten volunteers stood still, their faces covered with masks. The audience held its breath, waiting for the reveal.

Ye Chen couldn’t resist.

He stepped up and asked with a grin, “So, how do you feel?”

One girl with the Danchen mask chirped excitedly, “It’s amazing! Cool and refreshing—like a breeze brushing my skin!”

“Super smooth. It feels luxurious!”

In contrast, the feedback from the Langyao side was… underwhelming.

“Umm… kind of sticky?”

“Feels like nothing special.”

Those few remarks made the crowd shift their bias immediately. All signs pointed to Danchen as the winner.

Ye Chen placed his hands behind his back and smiled arrogantly. It was just as he’d planned. A product whipped up by the Jiang family in a rush couldn’t possibly compete with his secret formula!

Then came the moment of truth.

The participants removed their masks and walked to the front of the stage to reveal the results. Ye Chen didn’t even bother to look. He already pictured the cheers, the applause, the amazed gasps—

And then…

They came.

Gasps. Shouts. Shock.

But they weren’t praising Danchen.

They were losing their minds over Langyao.

“Holy—this Langyao mask is insane!”

“Look at her skin! It’s glowing!”

“Danchen’s mask doesn’t even compare!”

“Langyao just crushed it!!”

Ye Chen’s head snapped up.

What?!

His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the stage. One of the girls who had worn the Langyao mask was practically glowing. The blemishes on her skin had visibly faded, her complexion was smooth, and the radiance was undeniable.

Even the crowd—people who had been convinced of Danchen’s superiority moments ago—had turned.

Ye Chen was frozen.

What’s going on?

This wasn’t part of the plan…