I Am the Villain 02

Until she couldn’t eat another bite, Fang Zhiyi ordered Xu Jiabo to fetch a takeout box and roughly stuffed the leftovers into Gu Panxi’s hands.

“What I say goes! If you can’t finish it, take it with you! And let me tell you—starting tomorrow, you’ll report to me every single day! Cross me? Hmph.”

Gu Panxi was on the verge of throwing up, looking pitifully at Fang Zhiyi, but she didn’t dare say a word. She could only lower her head.

Back at the Gu residence, Gu Xiaoxiao sat on the sofa with her arms crossed, grinning from ear to ear as she watched Gu Panxi enter. “You didn’t come straight home after school, sis. Seems like you’re getting a bit too carefree.”

Gu’s Father, also seated in the living room, gave her a cold glance before turning his attention back to the newspaper in his hands.

Gu Panxi bit her lip, frustration simmering inside her, and slowly retreated to her room.

When dinnertime came, she only picked at her food before excusing herself.

“Putting on airs,” Gu Xiuyuan remarked dismissively, placing a dish into Gu Xiaoxiao’s bowl. “Let’s eat.”

“Mm.” Gu Xiaoxiao smiled sweetly at him, inwardly gloating. She figured Gu Panxi must’ve gotten a good beating today. With a smug glance at Gu Panxi’s bedroom door, she felt a surge of satisfaction.

The next day, Gu Panxi was nervous. She didn’t want to run into that ruffian again.

But as fate would have it, just as she was about to leave school, Fang Zhiyi blocked the classroom door.

“Gu Panxi, you’ve got some nerve ignoring my orders! Come with me—now!” Fang Zhiyi radiated menace, and many of their classmates watched with schadenfreude.

Gu Xiaoxiao, passing by, couldn’t resist taunting, “Sis, you shouldn’t hang around delinquents. Mom and Dad will be furious.”

“Xiaoxiao…” Gu Panxi pleaded softly.

Gu Xiaoxiao shot her a disdainful look and skipped away.

Left with no choice, Gu Panxi trailed behind Fang Zhiyi like a frightened rabbit. They returned to the same restaurant, the same group of boys, and another heaping plate of food.

“Eat!” Fang Zhiyi barked.

Gu Panxi gave him a pleading look but obediently picked up her chopsticks.

“Since you didn’t report to me today like you were supposed to, after this, I’ll show you what real cruelty looks like!”

Her heart clenched.

Back at her old school, she’d seen bullies torment others—brutal beatings, humiliating tricks.

Tears spilled onto her plate.

Fang Zhiyi scoffed. “Stop crying! Or I’ll sell you overseas!”

The shout startled her into silence, her tears freezing mid-fall.

“Boss, I’m hungry too. Can I eat?” Xu Jiabo asked.

“Eat my foot! Did you finish my homework?” Fang Zhiyi snapped. It was absurd—after dominating multiple worlds, he still had to deal with school assignments?

“I did…” Xu Jiabo pulled out a crumpled notebook. Fang Zhiyi flipped through it.

“This is garbage!” He smacked Xu Jiabo over the head with it.

“Boss, you know us—we’re good at fighting, but homework…” Xu Jiabo looked genuinely aggrieved.

“Jiabo,” Fang Zhiyi sighed, eyeing his burly subordinate, “we may be warriors, but one times ninety-nine does not equal a hundred.”

Xu Jiabo blinked at him, utterly sincere.

Fang Zhiyi rubbed his temples. “The only things you got right were your name, class, and the word ‘solution.’ You think that’s acceptable?”

Finally, Xu Jiabo had the decency to look sheepish.

“You all—” Fang Zhiyi scanned the group for a new scapegoat, but the others immediately averted their eyes.

“Useless!” He slammed the table. “Starting tomorrow, each of you handles one subject’s homework. One wrong answer, and I’ll make you regret it!”

To emphasize his point, he grabbed a soda can and crushed it in his grip.

Everyone gulped—Gu Panxi included.

Once again, she couldn’t finish. Fang Zhiyi packed the leftovers and dragged her back to school.

Gu Panxi trembled. The campus was deserted—just her, a group of delinquents, and Fang Zhiyi’s menacing grin as he closed in.

If he pounced, she’d scream. Someone would hear.

She gripped her backpack like a lifeline.

“Now,” Fang Zhiyi snarled, “run ten laps around the field!”

Gu Panxi froze.

So did the others.

“What are you staring at? Move!” Fang Zhiyi roared. “You think takeout boxes grow on trees? A yuan apiece! Get running!”

He kicked his lackeys into motion. “You too! Can’t even do homework right!”

So, under the darkening sky, a bizarre scene unfolded: a pack of boys sprinting ahead, a petite girl struggling behind, and Fang Zhiyi bringing up the rear like a drill sergeant.

“Faster! If you’re not done by 7:30, your portions double! And you lot—homework doubles!”

Gu Panxi burst into tears. She never imagined city bullies tortured people like this!

Fang Zhiyi didn’t care. Cry all you want—keep running!

By the end, they were all gasping for air. Watching Gu Panxi stumble across the finish line, the boys felt an odd kinship.

They’d always thought their boss was a little unhinged. Now they knew—he was downright insane.

Gu Panxi returned home even later. The dining table was cleared, and Gu Xiaoxiao waited with a mocking smile. “Oh, sis, finally back from your busy schedule?”

Gu Xiuyuan’s icy voice cut in. “Don’t bother with her, Xiaoxiao. The Gu family doesn’t wait for stragglers.”

“Brother, she must’ve been held up. Isn’t it cruel to leave her alone?” Gu Xiaoxiao feigned concern.

Gu Xiuyuan chuckled, ruffling her hair. The warmth in his eyes twisted Gu Panxi’s heart—he’d never smiled at her like that.

“Always so kind,” he said fondly before turning to Gu Panxi, his face hardening. “There’s instant noodles in the kitchen. Fix it yourself.”

They left, Gu Xiaoxiao tossing a smug wink over her shoulder.

Gu Panxi stormed to her room.

Eat? She’d rather starve.

On the third day, she hid in the bathroom—only to be dragged out by a classmate.

“Gu Panxi, it’s your turn to clean today. Hiding in the toilet?” The girl scowled.