In the modeling industry, every model vies to become a supermodel—the best of the best, whose life quality could be said to be on par with actors and other famous celebrities.

One supermodel in particular is relatively well known both in China and internationally, though he rarely shows himself in public unless it's for a fashion show or photo shoots. Even so, his fans still preach his name despite his rare appearance.

The model is He An.

And just a few minutes ago, this same model died, choking on a piece of chicken.

He An opened his eyes and felt that something wasn't right. When he looked at his hands, he noticed they were transparent and widened his eyes in surprise. He could tell at glance that this was an empty void with nothing but his consciousness existing. Is this what the afterlife was like? It's nothing like what the books say.

"Greetings, host!" A squeaky voice called out to grab his attention. He looked around when suddenly a flame burst in front of him and from it emerged a tiny spirit who extended it's hands(?) towards him.

"Who are you?" He An asked with caution, reluctant to interact with this being.

"I'm your system! The main system has selected you to be bound to me." The system answered honestly, spinning around it's host with joy. This was his first job to serve as an official system! He An was extremely confused.

"I'll go over the rules, host! I'm System 06, and my duty is to ensure every protagonist shines to their fullest potential. In order to do that, my host must give the protagonist a source to rise and become the number one in their world! Usually it's done so by becoming the villain and putting the protagonist in an almost death situation." The system was rather excited to explain things to He An.

"What do I get out of this?" He An was quick to question. He wasn't willing to do something that he himself wouldn't benefit from.

"You will be revived in your original world and live a healthy life\~ As you're aware, you're already dead. If you complete the tasks assigned by the main system then you will be able to go back to your body."

"So please rest, host! You'll be sent to your first world soon. Ah, the protagonist's name in the upcoming world is Qi Xiu. He is known for his enticing beauty! Remember to start conflicts with him! I'm going to download some files to help you out since it's your first time... it will take a few days at most\~"

It didn't even give him the opportunity to ask more about this when he was suddenly whisked away into a whirlpool and lost consciousness.

*

When He An awoke, the scene presented to him was unfamiliar to him. He was seated on a gold throne and dressed in a large red robe embroidered with dragons and lilies.

The system was no longer with him either. Had it really run off to download files?

"Stupid system, you didn't even explain what information I need the most..." He An complained under his breath, standing up and taking in his surroundings. He turned his head abruptly when the round wooden door was opened and a strange woman stepped in and bowed to him respectfully.

"Your Majesty, the slaves from the South have arrived. Would you like to go visit them? There's a particular beauty among them that you may like." The woman smiled as she informed him.

He An could tell his status was that of an Emperor judging by how this maid referred to him.

The system mentioned the protagonist was an "enticing beauty." Could Qi Xiu be among them? He nodded promptly and she led the way for him.

The two arrived at a beautiful courtyard and a guard announced his presence. The slaves that were all chained up immediately looked up to get a glance at him before hanging their head low for fear of being executed for not showing respect.

They all had unruly and dirty appearances, what kind of beauty could possibly be among them? He An surveyed all their faces and put away the thought that "Qi Xiu" would be one of them.

The protagonist was still a protagonist, he couldn't possibly be a slave. He An figured he was overthinking and ordered the slaves to be cleaned and given a place to stay for a night.

"Free them all if they'd like. If they're willing to work in the palace, give them a low position as a maid or an servant." He An said as he walked to the other side of the courtyard. As a man from the 21st century, wasn't interested in owning slaves.

The maid he had come with was shocked however. Her emperor wasn't a kind person! Was he possibly planning to take them as concubines?

While the woman behind him was lost in her thoughts, He An was already at the other side. He exhaled and relaxed his body. He had just arrived here, it wasn't easy to adjust so quickly.

When he finally believed he could spend time alone to gather his thoughts, he heard a group of men shouting amongst themselves,

"Hey! This slaves face is pretty good, he would probably taste good in bed! Hahaha!" As they laughed, He An went closer to see the commotion.

"Brother Li, you can't be thinking of taking him as a toy?" Another guy joked.

It seemed that they were all ganging up on a single person. He wasn't a kind person, but he also didn't like to see someone being picked on in front of him. He gripped the sleeve of his robe, ready to step in—

"Get your disgusting paws off me, you dogs." The person being bullied spat at the man known as 'Brother Li' and kicked his shin with force.

"How dare you, slave—!"

He An blocked the hit with ease and stood in front of the boy being bullied. He was fast to react when he saw how all four of them were going to attack the person behind him.

"For attempting to hit the Emperor, you all will be punished accordingly." He An smiled coldly and the four men froze in place, their faces turning blue at the realization of who this person dressed extravagantly was before they knelt down immediately to apologize.

Unfortunately for them, He An wasn't interested in their pleas and simply turned to face the "slave." The boy stepped back cautiously and had a face full of distrust. He An wasn't offended and didn't approach him either.

"Are you alright?"

As expected, the person he saved remained silent, his piercing gaze lowered. He An considered him to be fine now and turned back to the group of men kneeling with their heads touching the ground.

It was quite a funny thing to behold. It seemed being an Emperor came with some perks.

"I'll let you decide how to deal with them." He An spoke softly, as if this person would run if he raised his voice even slightly. The truth was that he had no idea how punishments were like in this world... as the victim, this person should decide.

The boy boy's body stiffened. He opened his mouth to speak before closing it again. When he finally spoke, it was only a few words, "No need."

"You're quite a nice person." He An commented, nodding his head earnestly.

Qi Xiu laughed mockingly in his heart.

Nice? I'm simply planning to torture them by my own hands.

You'll also join them sooner or later.

He An could only see what was on the outside though, so he just believed this boy was a saint with a pure heart. If it was him in this situation, he would have sent them crying for their mothers. He waved his hand and the men dispersed, scurrying to leave their view hurriedly.

Once they were gone He An continued his conversation with the boy.

"You are a slave?" The moment the words 'slave' left his lips, he saw the boy tense up again. He stared for a few moments before adding, "if so, you're free now. I don't have any needs for slaves."

Hearing the words that seemed too impossible to be true, Qi Xiu looked up in disbelief. It was then that He An got a clear view of the boy's face—skin that was slightly dirty but was healthy and whiter than his, and a face that was on par with the prettiest model in China. His lips were plump and naturally red and He An thought that if he bathed himself and wore newer clothes, he would turn out to be an outstanding beauty.

Realizing how he was staring, He An quickly looked away for fear of making the other party uncomfortable. As a model, he had a habit of rating the faces of others. This was the first time he had met someone who completely matched his standards.

"What you said... isn't a lie?" The boy was very careful with his words, not daring to accuse the Emperor.

"You have my words."

Liar.

Qi Xiu's eyes darkened, the hatred buried within his chest emerging.

'You have my words.'

Those were the same words you said in my last life, yet in the end you turned a blind eye to the people who hurt me until I died. All you have are empty promises.

He clenched his teeth and forced a smile.

"Thank yo—"

An arrow shot through the air and startled both He An and Qi Xiu. He An quickly grabbed the boy by instinct, covering for him, which resulted in the arrow piercing his arm.

His breath hitched.

There was shouting around as everyone rushed to the Emperor's side to shield him while Qi Xiu lay in He An's arms, still processing what happened. Blood oozed out from the deep wound and Qi Xiu gazed soundlessly at it.

His body trembled from the sight of blood and he could barely breathe. He recalled his previous life and all the blood filled trauma he experienced which made his face go numb.

He An noticed his trembling and followed his line of sight before getting a servant to cover his wound with a soft cloth and take the boy away to somewhere safe.

"It's alright." Forcing his voice to remain calm, He An wrapped his outer robe around the other's still shaking body and watched him leave.

*

Everything around was chaotic and it took a couple days before things settled.

Within the days he spent recovering, He An spent the hours learning of his identity. It would have been more helpful if the system returned to help him as it said it would, but he had to do all the work by himself.

The previous Emperor was barely twenty and also had the same name as him, but his lifestyle was far different. Whether it was a man or woman, he spent money to indulge in brothels and concubines rather than tending to national affairs.

The strangest part was despite his large harem, he had no Empress or any children. He was rumored to sleep around yet rarely visited his concubines and even when he did, he wouldn't spend the night with them.

It was probably due to his behavior that caused him to be a target of assassins, which could be the reason to the arrow incident.

He An sighed, tossing the parchment aside.

He had done some investigation and already come to a conclusion: the target of the incident wasn't him. That much he could figure out, but if it wasn't him then it would have to be that boy. Why would the perpetrator aim for a lowly slave? He couldn't fit the puzzles together.

Speaking of that boy, he looked extremely frightened last time. He An thought of him as a young cub and wondered about his well being.

Now that his wound had closed and was healing, he decided to seek that boy out. He called for Suyin, the maid who he had seen when he first came to this world. Since then she was entrusted to be his guide everywhere.

"That boy from before, where is he?" He asked nonchalantly.

"The concubine is well and resting in his courtyard." Suyin was currently warming up water to wash He An's wound, but her response came fast regardless.

"Ah, that's good, that's good... wait, concubine...?" He An jolted up and stared at her in bafflement.

"Yes, Your Majesty! We saw how you protected him, so we believed you wished to bed him. Due to his status as a slave, we could only give him the title of concubine and nothing more. Are you displeased by this?"

...

I only did what any other person would do and protected a little cub from harm but you all mistook it as me showcasing my intentions to court him?!

Qi Xiu dreamt of unpleasant memories from the past life he so wished to forget.

His first encounter with He An hadn't gone the way it did in his previous life.

His virginity had been forcibly taken on the day he first arrived at the Northern Empire by the four men. No matter how much he struggled, how much he tried to fight back or beg them to stop, they took turns dirtying his body and mind.

"You're just a mere slave, what can you do?" They ridiculed his face full of tears with no intentions of stopping their actions. He was left a ruined mess with no one to rely on—

And it only got worse from then on. Day after day, night after night, he was toyed with by multiple corrupt monsters.

Qi Xiu had sworn to get back at everyone who wronged him, whether it was by killing them slowly or mentally torturing them—he would put them in the same spot they put him in.

Especially that Emperor who abandoned him mercilessly after promising to take care of him.

Yet thinking about how that same Emperor protected him this time, Qi Xiu's thoughts came to a pause.

The Emperor didn't come to his rescue in his past life.

There was an assassination attempt aimed for him, just like his previous life. In his previous life, he had been badly injured by the arrows and was close to death when a passing maid found him. He survived by sheer luck.

This time, He An had shielded him from the arrows and taken the injury for himself. Thinking of the deep wound that was bleeding uncontrollably made Qi Xiu's face pale.

He hated the sight of blood. He absolutely detested it. It only served as a reminder for the countless nights of torture he received just because his face was slightly attractive.

If he wasn't born with this face, would his life be different?

He fell to the floor, hugging his knees tightly as the blood dripped. His face became even paler as he looked at his own blood, his entire body trembling slightly. He didn't know when he had began to self-harm himself but there were noticeable large cuts on his wrist caused by his own fingernails.

Qi Xiu closed his eyes, breathing heavily...

If I just let it sit, it'll go away on his own eventually...

"What is this? You...!" Qi Xiu's arm was grabbed harshly by He An and his eyes opened with fear embedded in them.

When did he get here? How come Qi Xiu didn't notice the door open at all?

"What are you doing to yourself!" He An was panicking as he tried to stop the bleeding and dress the cuts. The boy who was hurt didn't say anything and just hung his head low to avoid eye contact. This made him even angrier at the situation.

"No matter how desperate you are, you should never go to these measures and do this to yourself." He An grumbled with great emphasis after he was finished applying bandages to the cuts.

The boy in front of him was still in a daze, his face expressionless.

He An sighed. It seems life as a slave was truly something horrid for this cub to do this to himself. Just what could he do to help the cub?

Just then, a tiny flash of spark appeared in front of him and the system appeared! He An's eyes widened initially in shock and then in panic for fear of the cub noticing the system.

[No worries, host! No one but you can see or hear me. You can also communicate with me using your mind\~] The system was happy to announce as it circled around He An.

He An: [Can you hear me?]

System: [Yes!]

He An was surprised to find that communication through telepathy was truly possible. Now he wouldn't look like a crazy patient in front of the cub.

He An: [System, am I allowed to help supporting characters?]

System: [Call me Six, host! And there's no rule that prevents you from interacting with them\~ ^o^]

He An: [I want to help that guy over there.]

When Six turned around to look at who his host was talking about, it almost died from a heart attack. If it had a heart, that is. It's small spirit body fell back as if to exaggerate it's shock.

Six: [Host... that's... that's the protagonist!! No! You can't establish good relations with him!!]

He An frowned.

How could this cub be Qi Xiu. Weren't protagonist's supposed to be invincible and overbearing? This little one could barely fight back and was scared at the sight of blood.

Six: [Don't forget you're here to help him become a protagonist like the ones in stallion novels!! QwQ]

Oh.

That's right.

His mission here was to unlock Qi Xiu's fullest potential, and do this by being the villain and causing Qi Xiu to suffer.

He An's face was ugly at the thought of this little cub enduring anymore pain. He had just witnessed him harm himself, would he kill himself next?

[No. If a stallion protagonist is what you want, I can guide him to reach his 'potential' in different ways.]

By this point Six already knew it couldn't convince it's host. It went into a little corner to sulk.

Meanwhile all this time Qi Xiu was focusing his gaze on the ground. He didn't know how to confront his problem at the moment.

He was still as weak as he was in the past.

"Don't hurt yourself anymore." He An coaxed in a comforting tone.

"You're no longer a slave. There's many things waiting for you in the future."

While He An thought of the good things to come after helping Qi Xiu become a protagonist with charm and confidence, Qi Xiu was thinking the opposite.

'Many things waiting for you in the future.'

Would the incidents from the past repeat themselves? Would he be defiled again and again, until he was a crying mess wishing for death?

No!

He didn't want that.

He would change his regrets with his own hands and slowly plan to crush those despicable bastards.

He grabbed the hem of his garments and slowly began to take off the outer robe before he was at the very last piece. His hands were shaking but just as he grabbed the last layer, he was stopped by He An.

"What are you doing now?!" He An was frantic as he tried to put the pieces back onto Qi Xiu.

"Does... does Your Majesty not intend to... share a bed with me?" Qi Xiu spoke with a quiver in his voice.

"Rest assured, I have none of those intentions. You shouldn't give yourself so easily to others." He An explained himself while secretly gathering more worries in his heart for the little cub.

Qi Xiu on the other hand was on the verge of breaking.

He An, just what are you thinking?