The Villainess's Maternal Uncle 01

Before he could even catch a glimpse of the world after ascension, Fang Zhiyi was swiftly pushed out.

In the chaotic void, he sat cross-legged and let out a long sigh. "Exhausting!"

The system beside him retorted, "Exhausting? All you’ve done is mess around or laze about!"

Meanwhile, back in the True Immortal Realm, Fang Zhiyi glanced at Yue Anyao beside him, fragments of memories flashing through his mind. After a moment of silence, he steadied his emotions and prepared to say something to her.

But Yue Anyao took two steps back and clasped her hands in a polite salute. "Senior Brother, let us each go our own way."

The original host was momentarily bewildered but quickly regained his composure, returning the gesture. By the time he looked up again, Yue Anyao had already walked far away.

"You’re leaving? Just like that?" She gazed at the starry sky above, her expression wistful before gradually hardening with resolve. "I’ll find you. I swear it."

The system sprouted two legs, looking utterly ridiculous—like a black egg that had cracked open but only partially hatched, leaving it with just a pair of hands and two legs.

"Next world, Host?" it asked cheerfully, scampering around excitedly.

"Let’s go."

Fang Zhiyi opened his eyes again, this time finding himself reclining on a rocking chair.

A sharp pain shot through him as the new world’s plot flooded his mind.

This world was set in the Republic of China era. The antagonist, He Xiaoxiao, had been orphaned at a young age and was taken in by her maternal grandmother. The grandmother’s household was modestly well-off, though it housed an extended family—four of her children and their families all living under one roof.

The grandmother owned a few shops, which sustained the family’s livelihood.

The eldest son, Fang Wenrui, lived there with his wife.

The second son, Fang Zhiyi, spent his days carousing outside, returning only to fight with his wife—only to make up afterward. They were a pair of lunatics.

The third child was a daughter, Fang Qing—He Xiaoxiao’s birth mother.

The fourth was another son, Fang Baoguo, still studying.

Grandmother had strongly opposed Fang Qing’s relationship with He Wenpei from the start. Having lived decades, she could tell He Wenpei was no good. True to her fears, He Wenpei abandoned Fang Qing after getting her pregnant, running off with another woman.

Too ashamed to return home, Fang Qing gave birth to He Xiaoxiao in a ramshackle hut. But due to poor conditions and malnutrition, she fell gravely ill.

He Wenpei eventually slunk back—only now, he was addicted to opium. Instead of providing for the family, he beat Fang Qing for money to feed his habit. By the time He Xiaoxiao turned eight, Fang Qing was dead.

He Wenpei then set his sights on his daughter, plotting to sell her.

He Xiaoxiao, already aware of his intentions, fled while he wasn’t looking.

Relying on faint memories from when she was five, she wandered until she found her grandmother’s house. The family took her in, though most treated the grubby child with disdain—except for her grandmother.

Grandmother enrolled her in school alongside the eldest uncle’s children. There, she met the female lead, Qin Lan, who shone like a little sun and quickly became her closest friend.

But then Grandmother fell ill. On her deathbed, she whispered Fang Qing’s name.

With Grandmother gone, the Fang family’s true colors emerged. He Xiaoxiao never returned to school. Instead, she was burdened with most of the household chores. Mistakes meant beatings—or worse, no food at all.

Especially the second brother, Fang Zhiyi, who had watched his niece grow up, planned to sell her off to a wealthy merchant in the city as a concubine. Fang Wenrui agreed to this idea, while the fourth brother remained silent.

He Xiaoxiao, heartbroken and disillusioned, fled on a stormy night and ended up wandering the streets.

When Qin Lan saw her again, it was in a pleasure house. Disguised as a man, Qin Lan had come with her childhood sweetheart, intending to write a story about brothels for publication in the newspaper. Spotting He Xiaoxiao serving tea and water, Qin Lan impulsively dragged her to the backyard, shaking her shoulders and demanding to know why she would degrade herself like this.

He Xiaoxiao was left speechless, but before she could respond, a drunken customer barged into the backyard. Catching sight of Qin Lan with her hair undone, the man’s predatory instincts took over, and he attempted to assault her. To protect Qin Lan and ensure her escape, He Xiaoxiao sacrificed herself, falling into the clutches of the beast.

Qin Lan managed to flee but, fearing for her reputation, refused to explain what had happened no matter how her childhood sweetheart pressed her.

Resigned to her fate, He Xiaoxiao encountered the male lead, Fu Tingxiu, while handing out food to street children. Intrigued by her, Fu Tingxiu began visiting her frequently, instructing the brothel owner that no one else was to touch her. For a fleeting moment, He Xiaoxiao thought her life might finally see a glimmer of hope—only for it to be snuffed out once more.

Qin Lan’s family arranged her engagement to Fu Tingxiu. Though neither was fond of the other, fate kept pushing them together. After a series of misunderstandings, dramatic confrontations, and tearful explanations, the two reluctantly settled into an uneasy relationship.

One day, while delivering homemade pastries to Fu Tingxiu, He Xiaoxiao witnessed the couple embracing as rain began to fall.

Spotting her retreating figure, Fu Tingxiu hastily pushed Qin Lan away and chased after He Xiaoxiao. Qin Lan followed, and in the heat of the moment, blurted out the truth about He Xiaoxiao’s assault.

He Xiaoxiao froze as if struck by lightning. Fu Tingxiu could only stare at the frail woman in stunned silence.

The three stood in the pouring rain, enacting a tragic scene straight out of a melodrama.

Consumed by resentment, He Xiaoxiao schemed her way into Fu Tingxiu’s bed and became pregnant with his child. When Qin Lan found out, she ran away from home. Fu Tingxiu, now harboring hatred for He Xiaoxiao, was left in turmoil. Qin Lan sought refuge with her childhood sweetheart, Gu Yongchen, spending her days drowning in tears. Unable to bear her suffering, Gu Yongchen confronted Fu Tingxiu in a violent brawl, forcing him to bring Qin Lan back home.

Meanwhile, He Xiaoxiao’s biological father would occasionally track her down, extorting money from her. During one heated confrontation, she finally snapped and killed him—an act witnessed by Gu Yongchen, who then used it as leverage against her.

Driven by her own bitterness and Gu Yongchen’s manipulation, He Xiaoxiao stirred up trouble within the Fu Family, targeting Qin Lan at every turn in an attempt to tear the couple apart. Eventually, she orchestrated a scheme that led Qin Lan to accidentally kill a servant. But in an unexpected twist, Gu Yongchen, overcome by guilt, took the blame for her.

He Xiaoxiao’s schemes were laid bare before everyone, and she was cast out of the Fu Family. Soon after, Fu Tingxiu hired thugs to assault her, leading to her tragic death.

After finishing the story, Fang Zhiyi’s mind was a tangled mess.

“What the hell? Where did you even find this mission? It’s insane!” Fang Zhiyi cursed outright.

The system replied innocently, “It was randomly assigned.”

After calming down slightly, Fang Zhiyi gritted his teeth. “So I’m just a minor side character among side characters?”

The system waved its hand: "No, you do appear later on—like when you mocked He Xiaoxiao for being a wannabe phoenix, or when you spilled her secrets to Gu Yongchen for money."

"So I'm just a complete jerk?"

"Yep!"

"Yep my foot!"