The Yun family was a prestigious clan in Cangzhou City, one of the most powerful and influential houses in the region—well-known even across all of Eastern Continent.
After countless years of establishing itself in Cangzhou City, the Yun family had amassed resources and cultivation techniques that no other family could rival.
Not even the combined power of the Lin, Xiao, Ye, and Chu families could come close to competing with the Yun clan’s dominance.
They were, without a doubt, the textbook villain family—specifically written into the plot to be smacked down by the protagonist for dramatic effect and to provide easy experience points.
As the young master of the Yun family, Yun Zhonghe had the authority to mobilize nearly all of the clan’s resources.
He had instructed the servants to gather a large collection of books related to spiritual power and artifact bonding.
Fortunately, after a night of studying, he had made some progress.
First off, the prophetic book that had bound itself to him couldn’t be removed.
Whatever that thing was, it wasn’t a magic treasure nor a divine artifact, and it couldn’t be unbound through conventional means.
The good news, however, was that since it was rooted in Yun Zhonghe’s sea ofconsciousness, no one would discover it unless they had a way to invade and search his consciousness.
So at least he didn’t have to worry about Huang Ao tian, the protagonist, bearing a grudge if he ever found out.
The real problem was that the prophetic book had foretold Yun Zhonghe’s death.
Although he wasn’t sure how accurate the book’s predictions were, Yun Zhonghe didn’t dare take chances when his life was on the line.
Better to believe it than not.
In fact, before obtaining the book, he had already planned to seek temporary refuge with a branch family.
But even that idea had been explicitly mentioned in the prophecy—proof that the book could indeed predict the future.
Unfortunately, since Yun Zhonghe wasn’t the protagonist but more of a “minor villain with flashy hair,” the information he could get from the prophetic book was very limited.
He only ever got the outcomes, never the reasons for them.
Also, the prophecy would automatically update whenever Yun Zhonghe changed his plans.
He had already learned that heading to the branch family wouldn’t save him—he’d still die.
So he decided to head to Western Continent instead.
The book then foretold that three years later, he would encounter the protagonist’s squad and mysteriously be “offed.”
Then he changed his mind again and planned to study at an immortal sect in the Northern Continent.
The book promptly updated: five years later, he would represent the sect in a secret realm expedition, where—again—he’d run into the protagonist’s team and be “offed” without explanation.
In short, no matter where he went, this flashy-haired side character always somehow raninto the protagonist’s team.
“Damn it, are we Stand Users or something? Always drawn to each other no matter where we go!”
At this moment, Yun Zhonghe sat in his study, swearing under his breath.
He really wanted to sleep, but the looming prophecy of death from the book kept him wide awake.
No matter what changes he made, Yun Zhonghe always ended up dying at the hands of Huang Ao tian, and the prophecy book never explained why—it just refused to give him a reason.
It was as if fate had decreed that Yun Zhonghe must fulfill his destiny as a flashy-haired side character, doomed to be a tool for enhancing the emotional bond between Huang Ao tian and the female leads.
Yun Zhonghe was beyond frustrated: “Do I really have to be a tool character? If I can’t run from it, maybe I should just go all in and be their matchmaker. Why should I be the one who gets cuckolded just to move the plot forward?”
This off handed remark unexpectedly triggered a new prophecy in the Book of Prophecy: [The day after I received the Book of Prophecy, I had a sudden idea: if I can’t escape, I might as well change my approach and actively assist the main character—become Huang Ao tian’s good bro and help him get together with the female leads.]
[On the Nth day after obtaining the Book of Prophecy, the book never again mentioned my death. I confirmed it—I’ve broken free of fate’s shackles!]
“What?!”
Yun Zhonghe sat bolt upright, stunned.
He replayed the prophecy again and again in his mind, making sure he wasn’t hallucinating.
“Heh heh heh… no, wait—hahaha!!”
Yun Zhonghe couldn’t help but burst into laughter, nearly laughing like a classic villain.
It changed!
The death prophecy finally changed!
He never imagined that the key to survival would be this.
Apparently, he really was a “plot-assisting tool character” fated to play support no matter what. Under the pull of the world’s narrative, he couldn’t escape that role.
But—as long as he fulfilled his mission, he didn’t actually need to go through the typical flashy-haired rival character tropes.
“So as long as I become Huang Ao tian’s loyal bro, help him woo the heroines, and guide the story to its proper ending… I can be free?”
As Yun Zhonghe sorted out his thoughts, he was overjoyed.
The morning sun had already risen, casting warm light into his study like a symbol of renewed hope.
He clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with determination.
His lips were pressed tightly together, and his sharp features were lit with a firm resolve.
“From this day on, Huang Ao tian is my sworn brother! His women are my beloved sisters-in-law! Anyone who dares to bully my bro or his women—I, Yun Zhonghe, will fight them with everything I’ve got!”
For the sake of his own life, his freedom, and breaking free of the plot’s constraints, Yun Zhonghe had no qualms about abandoning his pride and playing the underdog if necessary.
Having made up his mind, he cautiously checked on the Book of Prophecy within his sea of consciousness.
Seeing that there were no new death predictions coming through, he finally felt at ease.
Just then, the door to Yun Zhonghe’s study was pushed open.
“Hmm? Young Master, did you stay in the study all night without sleeping?”
The person who entered was Yun Zhonghe’s personal maid, Tao Jiu’er.
Although she was a maid, her beauty could be described as mesmerizing.
She had peach-colored hair and ice-like eyes, her demeanor gentle and approachable.
A few years older than Yun Zhonghe, she was more like a mature older sister.
Her skin was well-maintained, delicate and dewy, and both her appearance and temperament were far from that of an ordinary maid.
Tao Jiu’er was very well-known in the Yun household. However, in Tao Jiu’er’s eyes, there was only one person—Yun Zhonghe, the legitimate young master.
She never bothered to glance at anyone else.
In the game, although Yun Zhonghe was a complete scumbag with flashy hair, he still showed some level of respect for Tao Jiu’er.
After all, she was a maid handpicked by his mother, specifically chosen to supervise Yun Zhonghe’s behavior—especially regarding his interactions with women, which she kept a tight grip on.
In reality, Yun Zhonghe had indeed done many outrageous things in the past, but when it came to women, he had absolutely no experience.
The rumors circulating about him forcibly taking innocent married women were just that—rumors.
He didn’t even know what went on in the brothels, and to this day, he was still a virgin.
However, it was precisely because of this strict supervision, along with having such a beautiful maid like Tao Jiu’er constantly around, that Yun Zhonghe’s desires had grown uncontrollably, making him exceedingly covetous of the female leads around Huang Ao tian.
Well, that was all in the past.
He had now decided to turn over a new leaf and become a better person.
“Jiu’er, good morning! I’m not slacking off, you know? I feel like I’ve been such a mess in the past—I was a real scoundrel. That’s why I’ve decided to change and start fresh. I’m planning to start by studying hard.”
Yun Zhonghe said this seriously, but Tao Jiu’er looked at him in disbelief, giving him a strange look as if the sun were rising in the west.
She became cautious and said, “You’re not planning any tricks again, are you?”
Unexpectedly, his genuine decision to reform was met with suspicion.
Yun Zhonghe couldn’t help but feel frustrated inside.
Had his reputation really sunk so low?
After all, he did call her “sister,” right?
But upon thinking about it carefully, he realized that his past behavior was indeed so disgraceful that being doubted was actually understandable.
It seemed that he needed to gradually change the impression people had of him, especially when it came to Huang Ao tian.
With such a bad reputation, approaching him rashly would likely make Huang Ao tian suspicious.
Tao Jiu’er’s response had actually been a wake-up call for Yun Zhonghe.
Given his current state, it seemed unlikely that Huang Ao tian would be willing to accept him as a good brother anytime soon.
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