Chapter 001

...Description ...

Ye Zexi has transmigrated into the role of the infamous villain from a danmei novel and discovers that everyone views him as a mere imaginary enemy. His principle is simple: don’t compete—just let them take whatever they want.

During a boy band reality show:

The secondary male lead wants to compete with Ye Zexi for the top spot. Ye Zexi, to avoid suspicion, deliberately withdraws.

The secondary lead, smug with the assumption that Ye Zexi is nervous and he’s bound to win, is stunned when Ye Zexi takes first place after the performance competition.

Secondary Lead: ?

When the mentors ask about their goals, the other contestants say they are here for their dreams and passion. Ye Zexi responds: “To go home and inherit my family’s fortune.”

Others: ???

Unexpectedly, Ye Zexi not only avoids laziness but also becomes a massive sensation.

#A shockwave in the boy band audition!#

#Straight to fame, no debut needed!#

•

On the day the competition ends, just as Ye Zexi thinks he can finally relax, a three-time Golden Award-winning actor tags him on Weibo, directly asking for collaboration.

Ye Zexi: I don’t—

The actor: I owe billions and need this film to turn things around. Only by collaborating with you can it become a hit.

Ye Zexi: ???

Once the film is completed, the actor tags Ye Zexi again: “I was separated from my mother when I was young. She really liked you after seeing this film. I hope you can meet her with me. She might consider coming back to me.”

Ye Zexi: …

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The Villain Just Wants to Be a Slacker

[Transmigration]

[Before reading this, please mention or comment if you come across “Times Idol” without “The,” “Era Idol,” or “Famous Generals.” I intend to change “Famous Generals” to “The Great General,” so if you find any of these, kindly notify me in the comments. Thank you!]

[Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe. Thank you. :)]

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Update on 23/09/2024 from Chapter 133.

This information is found in Chapter 133. I’m sharing it here for new readers.

I think I should share this information. Every language has its own slang, including Chinese. Honestly, the translation I did is already refined because if I were to follow a direct translation, I’d probably need to include a lot of glossaries, and well, I’m too lazy to do all that haha.

Alright, this is related to the title that has something to do with salted fish mentioned above.

*Title:** 反派只想咸鱼[穿书]*

*Direct Translation:** The Villain Just Wants to Be a Salted Fish [Transmigration]*

*English Title:** The Villain Just Wants to Be a Slacker [Transmigration]*

What does “咸鱼” (Salted Fish) mean?

In Chinese slang, “salted fish” (咸鱼) is a humorous term that refers to someone who lacks motivation, drive, or ambition—a person who prefers to be lazy and take it easy, like a “slacker.” The term originally comes from Cantonese, where a salted fish is literally dried and preserved, no longer active or “alive.” Over time, it became slang for someone who doesn’t strive for much and is happy just getting by.

Why “The Villain Just Wants to Be a Slacker”?

The phrase “咸鱼” perfectly captures the essence of the protagonist in this story. Unlike typical villains who are often power-hungry or filled with ambition, the main character here has no interest in following the usual villainous path. After being transported into the world of a novel, where he takes on the role of the villain, his only goal is to live a peaceful, low-effort life—much like a “salted fish.”

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"Ye Zexi?"

Jiang Ran flicked water droplets from his hand, his expression full of disdain. "What kind of formidable opponent is he? He's just a good-looking rich second-generation, nothing but an airhead."

The man beside him nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Didn't you all see their group rehearsal yesterday? Ye Zexi’s singing—ugh, I thought a crow had flown in, scared me to death!"

Thinking back to the rehearsal, the people around couldn’t hold back their laughter.

The laughter wasn’t quiet, and Ye Zexi, who was sitting in the stall, raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

The conversation outside continued.

Jiang Ran sneered, "What does Ye Zexi have besides his looks? There's no need to worry about him. If you ask me, the only person worth watching in their group is Tang Jing."

"Speaking of Tang Jing, I heard he and Ye Zexi might have a thing going on?"

"Really?"

Jiang Ran quickly chimed in, "You haven’t heard? I overheard some staff talking. Apparently, Ye Zexi joined 'The Times Idol' just to chase after Tang Jing!"

A chorus of gasps could be heard from outside.

They say gossip thrives where women gather, but Ye Zexi thought it wasn’t much different with men.

"He's a rich kid, and he joined the competition just to chase a man?"

"I heard he even snatched a trainee's spot from Star Entertainment to get in."

"Do rich second-gens really think they can do whatever they want just because they have money?"

"So what if he's a rich second-gen? Can he even compare to Tang Jing? The assets of Tang's family are—"

Clank. The sound of a door opening interrupted the discussion. Ye Zexi pushed open the stall door.

Upon hearing the noise, everyone turned to look, and they froze when they saw Ye Zexi's expression.

Ye Zexi had a faint smile on his lips, revealing no emotion.

Getting caught gossiping by the subject himself instantly made the atmosphere awkward.

Just as Jiang Ran was about to pretend nothing had happened and signal his group to leave, Ye Zexi began walking slowly towards him.

Ye Zexi was tall, and his expensive clothing highlighted his figure well. Standing beside Jiang Ran, he was a head taller.

Glancing at his striking pink hair in the mirror, Ye Zexi curved his lips into a smile and turned on the tap to wash his hands. "I heard you say I can’t compare to Tang Jing?"

The faces around him changed in various shades, and a few with thinner skin even flushed red with embarrassment.

They realized Ye Zexi had heard everything they said!

Unbothered, Ye Zexi calmly washed his hands, dried them with two paper towels, and, without changing his expression, said, "Sorry to disappoint you, but Tang Jing really can’t compare to me. My company’s daily cash flow is in the millions. As for the Tang family's... If I’m not mistaken, theirs should be around a few hundred thousand."

No one responded. The restroom fell into complete silence.

Ye Zexi didn’t feel awkward at all. Suddenly, he turned and looked directly at Jiang Ran. "Oh, by the way, what did you just say?"

Jiang Ran's face turned pale, but he hated Ye Zexi’s arrogant attitude, so he gritted his teeth and said, "I said, 'So what if you're a rich second-gen?'"

"No, not that. The one before," Ye Zexi interrupted.

Jiang Ran paused, then instinctively said, "I said, 'Do rich second-gens think they can do whatever they want just because they have money?'"

Ye Zexi’s smile deepened, his enchanting peach blossom eyes glittering. "The stage for 'The Times Idol,' all the staff, and the mansion where all the contestants live—those are all properties of my family, including this very restroom you’re standing in."

Jiang Ran’s face stiffened, his eyes widening in shock. He wasn’t the only one; everyone else had expressions filled with surprise.

Ye Zexi tossed the paper towels into the trash and smiled leisurely. "Sorry, but yes—having money means I can do whatever I want."

With that, Ye Zexi turned and left the restroom, leaving everyone stunned.

Once in an empty area, the faint smile on Ye Zexi’s face broke into excitement. He jumped in place twice, wiggled his waist, and nearly broke out into a tango.

He was ecstatic!

That show of arrogance was too cool!

So awesome!

As expected of him, Ye Zexi!

His acting was flawless!

This was the first time in his life he had flexed his rich second-gen status in real life. Ye Zexi was so excited that he could hardly contain himself.

That’s right, it was indeed the first time Ye Zexi had shown off his rich second-gen identity. Before, it had only been for roles in shows, and even then, he couldn’t go all out. It wasn’t satisfying at all.

This time, the reason he could flex so hard was simple: Ye Zexi had transmigrated into a book.

Just last night, Ye Zexi found out that he had transmigrated into the body of a villain with the same name in a novel.

Ye Zexi had died on the night of the Best Actor award ceremony. Right after receiving the trophy, he passed out before he could even take a good look at it. Though his consciousness was fading, he could still hear everything around him clearly.

After his agent hurriedly rushed him to the hospital, Ye Zexi clearly heard the doctor say it was sudden death caused by overwork. They had done everything they could.

Ye Zexi couldn’t help but complain inwardly: How could anyone not collapse from exhaustion after staying awake for three days and nights?

When Ye Zexi opened his eyes again, he had become the Ye Zexi from the novel.

Lying in bed, Ye Zexi quickly pieced together his identity.

The original Ye Zexi, aged twenty, was the novel’s biggest villain. He competed with the main character for the love interest, fought with his stepbrother over the family inheritance, and oppressed anyone he didn’t like—a spoiled rich kid through and through.

In stories, those who oppose the main characters never meet a good end, and the original Ye Zexi was no exception. In the end, his company was taken by his stepbrother, he was kicked out of the family, and everyone turned against him.

But none of this concerned Ye Zexi. He only cared about two words—“rich family.”

The original Ye Zexi was a spoiled heir, well-known in elite circles as a wealthy second-generation heir, and incredibly rich!

Incredibly wealthy!

Ye Zexi’s eyes lit up.

Why should he even bother fighting? Compete with the main character for the love interest? Fight over the inheritance? Why not just sit back and relax, live off his shares, and collect dividends from the comfort of his home?

In his original world, he had worked so hard every day to climb to the top, and wasn’t it all just for money?

Now that he had everything he could ever want, why should he keep working?

Excited all night, Ye Zexi planned to find the director in the morning to discuss quitting the show.

However, after searching all morning, he couldn’t find any trace of the director, who must have been busy.

Ye Zexi wasn’t in a rush. Since he didn’t know much about this world yet, he headed to the bathroom and sat on the toilet, scrolling through his phone. Unexpectedly, he overheard a group of people chatting outside.

A villa large enough to house several hundred people was no small place; calling it a castle wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Although the original Ye Zexi had come to participate in the program, he stayed in a private luxury suite, separated from the other trainees.

So today's events were truly an accident.

But so what?

Things were different now. Ye Zexi was no longer the struggling actor who took ten years to win Best Actor without any backing. Now, he had both resources and connections. Was he afraid of offending anyone?

Absolutely not.

Ye Zexi didn’t even want to stay in the entertainment industry anymore.

All he wanted was to experience the joy of being a rich man.

After the excitement passed, Ye Zexi straightened his clothes and flashed a satisfied smile before continuing his search for the director.

What Ye Zexi didn’t know was that He Jinyun had witnessed the entire scene from around the corner.

Watching Ye Zexi's departing figure, a faint smile tugged at the corners of He Jinyun's lips.

A voice in his ear kept going: "…Are you even listening to me?"

He Jinyun responded softly, "Sorry, something came up just now. Could you repeat that?"

The other person was annoyed but had no choice, saying, "…Fine! I'm used to it anyway. I've already spoken with Director Li, and you'll be a guest star for two episodes. I've sent the contract to your email."

He Jinyun nodded, exchanged a few more words, and then ended the call, striding towards the rehearsal space.

Recalling Ye Zexi's wild dancing in the hallway, He Jinyun raised an eyebrow slightly. Perhaps there was no need to look for someone else; the way Ye Zexi twisted himself into a knot wasn’t bad at all.

Though, the chance of him agreeing was probably close to zero.

Shaking his head lightly, He Jinyun thought he’d better take another look.

Ye Zexi spent the whole morning searching for the director and finally found Li Changjian—the chief director of ‘The Times Idol’ and also a close friend of Ye Zexi's late father—in the rehearsal hall.

Otherwise, there was no way the Ye family’s vast estate would be offered to the show’s production team for free. It was all because of Li Changjian.

Ye Zexi wasn’t joking when he said even the restrooms belonged to the Ye family.

The Ye family was wealthy and influential, and Ye Zexi, the original character, had indeed been born with a silver spoon. However, for the sake of the novel’s plot, he grew up to be an insufferable brat who ultimately destroyed himself.

Earlier, Jiang Ran and the others were right when they said that the original Ye Zexi had joined the competition to pursue Tang Jing, the novel’s main character. That part was true. Tang Jing was the protagonist’s love interest, and Ye Zexi’s pursuit was a necessary part of the plot.

However, the rumor that Ye Zexi had stolen a trainee’s spot to participate in the show was completely fabricated.

The final rehearsal before the competition was about to start. Li Changjian, who had been busy all morning, immediately dropped everything when he heard Ye Zexi’s name and rushed over.

"What’s the matter, Zexi?" Li Changjian asked as he approached. "Still not familiar with the song from yesterday? Should I ask the vocal coach to help you again?"

Ye Zexi smiled. "No need, Uncle Li. Actually, I came here to—"

"No need?" Li Changjian cut him off, frowning deeply. "Your father asked me to look after you. Tomorrow might just be your debut performance before the official debut, but it’s still your first time on stage. You need to leave a good impression on the audience to gain fans."

Ye Zexi smiled again. "That’s exactly why I’m here, Uncle Li. I want to withdraw from the competition."

"What?" Li Changjian paused, but his expression was far from surprised, as if he had anticipated this. "You want to quit?"

Ye Zexi’s expression was firm. "Yes, Uncle Li, I’ve made up my mind. You don’t need to try to convince me."

Li Changjian: "Not chasing after little Tang anymore?"

Ye Zexi nodded. "No."

Li Changjian: "Not planning to debut?"

Ye Zexi: "Nope."

Li Changjian: "Want to head back home?"

Ye Zexi: "Yep, yep."

Li Changjian spread his hands. "Well, that's not happening."

Ye Zexi: "Uh… what?"

[Write a comment or something, I’m getting bored just translating but there are no comments…]

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