When the Villain Refuses to Die
Walking in Silk
The first thing Yan Rui noticed was weight.
Not the weight of stress, deadlines, or the fried chicken he devoured last night — but the heavy drag of silk blankets wrapped around his body.
He blinked awake. A carved ceiling, painted with gold and phoenixes, loomed above him. Sunlight poured through embroidered curtains, warm but unfamiliar.
Yan Rui shot up. His bed at home was creaky, lopsided, and most definitely not gilded with dragons.
Yan Rui (MC)
(thinking):“…Wait. This isn’t my apartment. Unless IKEA launched a ‘royal dynasty’ collection?”
He stumbled to the side of the bed, feet sinking into a rug softer than clouds. A polished mirror stood tall across the room. He staggered toward it — and froze.
The face staring back at him was not his.
Narrow phoenix eyes. Pale, flawless skin. Long black hair tied with a jade clasp. Lips curved in a natural smirk, like someone born to look superior.
Yan Rui slapped his cheeks.
Yan Rui (MC)
(thinking):“Nope. Nope nope nope. This is not me. I look like one of those smug villain characters that readers beg the author to kill off.”
As if summoned by his panic, a glowing text appeared before his eyes.
[System Notification]: Welcome, Yan Rui. You have transmigrated into the role of Lord Yan Rui, notorious villain of the novel “Moonlight Over the Empire.”
Yan Rui (MC)
“…Excuse me???”
[System Notification]: Your fate is sealed: in 30 days, you will be executed by Prince Li Feng.
Yan Rui dropped onto the silk bed with a groan.
Yan Rui (MC)
(thinking):“Of course. Of course it’s that kind of novel. I finally get transmigrated and instead of being the beloved protagonist, I’m the walking death flag. Why not?”
He buried his face in his hands. His mind scrambled through the details of the book.
Yes, he’d read it — or at least skimmed through. The villain Yan Rui was arrogant, cruel, and obsessed with getting in the way of the crown prince’s path to power. By chapter 15, the prince had him executed. Brutally.
Yan Rui (MC)
“…So my script is literally ‘exist → annoy prince → die.’ Nice. Very nice. Fantastic role.”
[System Notification]: Survival chance: 0%.
Yan Rui flopped back against the mountain of pillows. The silk swallowed him whole, but it felt like a coffin. His coffin.
But then a spark of defiance stirred.
Yan Rui (MC)
(thinking):“No. No way I’m dying like some disposable villain. I’ll change the story. Stay far, far away from the ice-block prince. He never sees me, he never kills me. Easy.”
He didn’t notice the shadow passing outside the door.
Nor the faint pause of footsteps, as if someone had stopped to listen.
The wheels of fate had already started turning.
Villain's Reputation
Yan Rui strutted — or tried to strut — down the endless palace hallway. His silk robes swished around him like they had a personal vendetta against his ankles.
Yan Rui (MC)
(thinking):“These robes are too long. I swear if I trip in front of someone, I’ll die from shame before the prince even executes me.”
He tried walking with a villainous swagger, head held high, lips curved in what he thought was a mysterious smirk. Judging by the horrified looks from passing servants, he was failing spectacularly.
Two maids carrying laundry baskets slowed as he approached.
Maids
A: (whispering): “That’s him… Lord Yan Rui.”
Maids
B: (whispering back): “Don’t look at him directly. They say if you meet his eyes, he’ll curse you.”
Maids
A: “No, no. I heard he once killed a man just for bowing too slowly.
Maids
B: “That’s nothing. Didn’t he poison someone at the prince’s banquet last year?”
Yan Rui froze mid-step. His fake smirk twitched.
Yan Rui (MC)
(thinking):“…Excuse me? Bowing too slowly? Do I look like a traffic light?? And poison? Lady, the only thing I’ve poisoned is my stomach with instant noodles!”
He cleared his throat and attempted to glare at them. The maids stiffened, clutching their baskets.
Yan Rui (MC)
“Ahem. You two—”
The maids gasped, dropped deep curtsies, and practically sprinted away before he could finish.
Yan Rui stared after them, jaw dropping.
Yan Rui (MC)
(thinking):“Seriously? I wasn’t going to kill you. I was going to ask where the bathroom is!”
A soft ding rang in his head.
[System Notification]: Villain behavior: insufficiently intimidating. Please adjust your role to match the script.
Determined to prove himself at least semi-threatening, Yan Rui ducked into the garden courtyard and practiced expressions in front of a polished bronze water basin.
Yan Rui (MC)
(to his reflection): “Okay, practice. Villainous smirk… no, that looks like I’m constipated. Evil glare… nope, that’s just a squint. Cold sneer— oh, great, now I look like a discount anime rival.”
He buried his face in his hands.
Yan Rui (MC)
(groaning): “I can’t even look like a villain. How am I supposed to survive thirty days of this?”
Footsteps echoed down the stone path. Yan Rui peeked through the trees and spotted a group of servants walking by, gossiping.
Servants
1: “Lord Rui hasn’t thrown a tantrum yet today. Strange.”
Servants
2: “Maybe he’s planning something. He’s always been obsessed with catching the Crown Prince’s attention.”
Servants
3: “Hah! As if His Highness would ever notice him.”
Yan Rui (MC)
(thinking):“…Wait, what? Obsessed with the prince? ME? Oh, no no no. That’s not happening. Rule #1: Stay the heck away from Prince Li Feng. Rule #2: Stay alive. Rule #3: Refer to Rule #1.”
But no matter how many times he repeated it, he couldn’t shake the chill that crawled up his spine. It felt like someone, somewhere, was already watching him.
System Malfunction (a.k.a. Me)
Yan Rui sat cross-legged on the enormous silk bed, glaring at the glowing blue text hovering in front of him.
Yan Rui (MC)
“System, let’s make a deal.”
System
Error. Deals are not permitted.
Yan Rui (MC)
“No, no, hear me out. You want me to ‘follow the script,’ right? But if I follow it, I die in thirty days. Which is bad for me.”
Yan Rui (MC)
“So, logically, the best script is the one where I don’t die.”
Yan Rui threw a pillow through the glowing screen. It passed right through.
Yan Rui (MC)
(thinking):“Great. I’m arguing with Windows 3000, and losing.”
Dragging himself out of bed, Rui decided to scope out the palace. The corridors wound endlessly, lined with painted screens and looming stone lions that looked ready to bite.
Every servant he passed bowed so quickly they nearly toppled over. Rui tried to look dignified.
Yan Rui (MC)
(thinking):“Okay. Shoulders back. Villain face on. You’re dangerous. Intimidating. Definitely not a confused office worker trapped in silk pajamas.”
He overheard voices ahead — two older stewards whispering as they carried scrolls.
Steward
A: “Lord Rui has been… odd lately.”
Steward
B:“Yes. He hasn’t demanded anyone be punished in days. Too quiet. Suspicious.”
Steward
A: “Maybe he’s plotting against the prince again.”
Yan Rui clenched his fists.
Yan Rui (MC)
(thinking):“HELLO?? I’m literally plotting how not to die! Not overthrow an empire!”
Back in his chambers, he argued again with the system.
Yan Rui (MC)
“Fine. If you want me to act like a villain, give me a guidebook.”
System
Villain behavior includes: sneering, arrogance, cruelty, obsession with the prince.
Yan Rui (MC)
“Obsession with the—WAIT, what?”
System
Yes. The villain’s core trait is unhealthy fixation on Crown Prince Li Feng.
Yan Rui (MC)
“Absolutely not. Rule #1: Avoid the prince. Rule #2: Don’t die. Rule #3: In case I forget, repeat Rules #1 and #2.”
System
Deviation detected. Warning issued.
Yan Rui groaned, flopping onto the floor like a starfish.
Later that night, hunger dragged him out of his sulking. He tiptoed through the palace toward the kitchens, clutching a stolen bun. The moonlight cast long shadows, silver across the stone tiles.
He turned a corner — and froze.
There, in the training courtyard, a tall figure moved with precise grace. Black robes, embroidered with silver thread, flowed with each movement. The man’s sword glinted under the moon, each strike sharper, faster, impossibly elegant.
Yan Rui ducked behind a pillar, holding his breath.
Yan Rui (MC)
(thinking):“…Of course. Of course the universe would shove me straight into the danger zone. I just wanted a midnight snack, not a death sentence!”
The prince paused mid-swing, sword tip glistening. His head turned slightly — as though he’d sensed someone watching.
Yan Rui pressed himself flat against the pillar, clutching his bun like it was a sacred shield.
Seconds dragged. Then, mercifully, the prince sheathed his sword and walked away.
Only when the sound of footsteps faded did Rui let out a strangled whisper.
Yan Rui (MC)
“…Note to self: never sneak snacks again. Or at least don’t snack within fifty miles of the male lead.”
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