Genshin Impact Villain Simulator, Becoming Their Public Enemy (Patreon)

Volume 1 Chapter 11-12: Hidden in the Golden House

Li Xingshan was startled and quickly looked down.

He saw a cold and beautiful silver-haired woman looking at him with a complicated expression. 

As soon as their eyes met, she immediately averted her gaze.

It was Shenhe!

In an instant, Li Xingshan seemed to understand. 

Could it be that this so-called "Immersive Mode" meant that his consciousness would directly enter the body of the character in the simulated life, allowing him to personally experience what the character went through?

[That’s correct!]

[As a player of the "Life Simulator," you can switch between "Text Mode" and "Immersive Mode" at any time. The plot will not be affected by either mode]

[In "Immersive Mode," the host can act within the limits allowed by the system. If the host's actions contradict the game's plot, the system will force a change to align with the plot]

So, even in "Immersive Mode," I can't fully control the character; I only have the "feeling" of the current character?

[That's right, this is to avoid program errors]

Li Xingshan slowly closed his eyes and began to experience what the Life Simulator brought him.

Although what he was doing was undoubtedly a "bad thing," as an "outsider," Li Xingshan had no way to change it.

It must be said that the Li Xingshan in the simulated life liked Shenhe for a reason.

Perhaps because of her long-term training, Shenhe looked much younger than her actual age. 

Even if she were said to be a senior student at the school, few would doubt it.

At this moment, the distinction between good and bad, right and wrong, seemed... less important.

"Excuse me..."

Just then, the office door suddenly opened, and a tall, dignified silver-haired woman walked straight in.

The woman wore a black and yellow cheongsam, which highlighted her slender yet curvy figure.

Although Li Xingshan was just a student, he was also the president of the student council, and his father was the principal of Tianquan Academy. Usually, even teachers would knock before entering the student council office.

There were only two people in Tianquan Academy who could enter the student council office without knocking.

One was, of course, Li Xingshan's father, the principal of Tianquan Academy.

The other was the patron of Tianquan Academy, one of the Liyue Qixing, Ningguang.

Naturally, in all of Liyue Harbor, there were few places Ningguang needed to knock before entering.

Because of her sharp mind, Ningguang had known Li Xingshan since he was young and greatly admired him.

However, this time, Ningguang's usually smiling face showed a trace of complexity.

"Lady Ningguang? What brings you here?"

Seeing the unexpected guest in the office, Li Xingshan felt incredibly nervous.

Shenhe also seemed to hear Ningguang's voice and stopped her actions out of tension.

Generally, when someone of Ningguang's status and as a senior suddenly visits, Li Xingshan would stand up to show respect.

However, in his current situation, Li Xingshan couldn't stand up.

Ningguang, seemingly preoccupied, didn't notice that the usually polite Li Xingshan remained seated.

Ningguang sat in the chair opposite Li Xingshan and slightly frowned, "It's about that recent violent incident. Thirteen students were severely injured, all from wealthy and influential families. Do you know how much effort it took to smooth things over?"

"Thank you, Lady Ningguang," Li Xingshan quickly nodded. "I didn't expect Chongyun to do something so crazy."

"I understand you're upset; after all, he's your good friend," Ningguang sighed. "But such a serious incident means he must face the appropriate punishment."

Suddenly, the desk lightly shook, and a pen holder on the edge fell to the ground with a "thud."

"What's going on?" Ningguang, ever cautious, sensed something was wrong and suspiciously said, "Why did the desk suddenly move?"

"I... I just had a leg cramp!" Li Xingshan quickly explained.

"So young and already having such problems?" Ningguang's face showed a hint of indulgent affection. "Shall I massage it for you?"

Li Xingshan was someone Ningguang had watched grow up. 

Since she had no children, she regarded him as half a son. 

Her painstaking efforts to handle the violent incident were partly to protect Li Xingshan from being implicated.

"No... no need!" Li Xingshan broke into a cold sweat, stammering, "I... I'll massage it myself!"

If Ningguang came over to massage him, his secret would be immediately exposed.

If Ningguang discovered that the well-behaved Li Xingshan she had watched grow up was coercing a student's parent in his office, he would likely be expelled even before Chongyun.

"Oh, I almost forgot, you're a big boy now," Ningguang laughed, covering her mouth. "Alright, you do it yourself."

With that, Ningguang bent down to pick up the fallen pen holder. 

At that moment, she suddenly noticed something strange under the desk.

"What's this?"

Ningguang saw a red string under the desk. 

Curious, she grabbed the string, intending to pull it out.

Unexpectedly, the red string seemed to be tied to something and couldn’t be pulled free. 

This red string was actually tied to Shenhe. 

Shenhe was born with a special constitution called the "Solitary Star Calamity," which caused her to have an uncontrollable ferocity inside, bringing misfortune to those around her. 

Luckily, when she was born, a wandering adeptus, Cloud Retainer (Xianyun), passed by and used a specially made red string to lock away her inner ferocity.

The red string, imbued with the special power of Cloud Retainer, had been worn by Shenhe for over twenty years without ever leaving her body. 

But now, the red string Ningguang grabbed was precisely the one tied to Shenhe.

As Ningguang tugged at the red string, both Shenhe and Li Xingshan's expressions changed instantly. 

Just as Ningguang was about to discover the peculiar nature of the red string, Shenhe decisively summoned a burst of icy energy in her hand, forming an ice blade. 

With a swift slash, she cut the section of the red string that Ningguang was holding.

This entire incident happened in a flash. When Ningguang tugged at the string again, she pulled out a piece of red string about four or five inches long.

"This red string..." Ningguang placed the string on the table, looking puzzled. "Why is it under your desk?"

Although Ningguang had never seen this red string before, as one of the Liyue Qixing, she had extensive knowledge and could tell at a glance that the red string contained immortal energy, making it no ordinary item.

"This is..." Li Xingshan quickly thought of an explanation. "It's my girlfriend's bracelet. She must have accidentally left it here."

Hearing this, Shenhe, under the desk, blushed and gave Li Xingshan a resentful glare. Who's your girlfriend?

"Oh, you already have a girlfriend?" Ningguang wasn't surprised. 

As the student council president of Tianquan Academy, Li Xingshan was not only academically and morally outstanding but also came from a wealthy family and was handsome. 

He had long been admired by many girls at the school.

However, despite receiving many confessions from excellent and beautiful girls, Li Xingshan always politely declined. 

Ningguang knew of at least a dozen girls who had been turned down by him.

This was because the Li Xingshan in this simulated life only had a preference for older women and had no interest in girls his age. 

His "love" for Shenhe was unique. 

Besides her, Li Xingshan had no interest in any other woman.

In this sense, the Li Xingshan in this world line was very "dedicated," though his devotion was somewhat twisted.

"Yes..." Li Xingshan nodded, forcing a smile. "Please, Lady Ningguang, don't tell my father about this."

Although Li Xingshan's father was open-minded and never opposed his son having relationships while in school, this "girlfriend" was fictitious. 

He couldn't possibly tell Ningguang and his father that his "girlfriend" was actually a classmate's parent.

"Not telling is possible," Ningguang squinted slightly. "But I'm very curious about what kind of girl could catch your eye."

"Her?" Li Xingshan pondered for a moment before saying, "She’s a very special girl, like a white lotus on a snowy mountain, unattainable yet mesmerizing. I know that beneath her cold exterior lies a passionate heart. Being able to love her is the happiest thing in my life."

Hearing Li Xingshan's words, Shenhe, under the desk, felt a mix of emotions. 

Honestly, before today, she didn’t dislike Li Xingshan. 

In fact, because he was Chongyun's good friend, Shenhe had a bit of goodwill towards him.

Of course, this goodwill was akin to that of an elder sister towards a younger brother. 

However, now that Li Xingshan had revealed his hidden fangs, Shenhe could hardly believe that the polite and respectful boy who often called her "Aunt Shenhe" had such a demonic heart.

"It seems she's quite an extraordinary girl," Ningguang nodded and smiled. "Don't worry, I won't tell your father. This will be our little secret."

Ningguang winked playfully. 

It was rare to see the usually mature and steady Tianquan display such a playful side. 

But she only showed this side to the child she knew so well.

Honestly, in terms of both looks and figure, Ningguang was not inferior to Shenhe. 

Moreover, she was also the kind of "older sister" that Li Xingshan liked. 

Why he chose Shenhe over Ningguang was unknown.

However, Li Xingshan was secretly relieved. 

If the simulator had made him like Ningguang instead, using deceitful means against her would likely result in his own demise.

In terms of star ranking, Shenhe was five stars, while Ningguang was four stars. 

In terms of strategy, Shenhe was at most two or three stars, but Ningguang was definitely five stars.

"Thank you, Lady Ningguang." Li Xingshan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright, I should be going," Ningguang stood up. "You should keep a low profile for a while to avoid trouble from the victims' parents."

"I will remember that," Li Xingshan nodded. "There is one more thing I hope Lady Ningguang can help with."

Ningguang seemed to have already guessed Li Xingshan's thoughts and sighed. "You're talking about Chongyun, right?"

"Yes," Li Xingshan glanced at Shenhe before solemnly saying, "Chongyun is not at fault in this matter. I hope Lady Ningguang can help mediate, at least to lessen his punishment."

"I will try, but this is not as simple as it seems. You should prepare yourself mentally," Ningguang sighed. "Convincing the parents is one thing, but gaining the forgiveness of the injured students is another matter entirely."