System Activated!
It happened in an instant, faster than Shen Zeming's senses could process. One moment, everything was normal, and the next, a deafening crash shattered the world around him.
He didn't even register the pain as the forceful impact slammed into him, instead, a wave of disorienting vertigo washed over him, as if the very ground had been violently shaken beneath his feet.
"Ugh," he groaned, his head throbbing and heavy, like it was filled with lead. An overwhelming, pungent odor of stale liquor assaulted his nostrils, prompting him to slowly peel his eyes open, only to be momentarily blinded by a kaleidoscope of dizzying colored lights assaulting his senses.
"Yo, Brother Shen, you with us?" An unfamiliar, yet vaguely recognizable voice called out to him. Shen Zeming blinked rapidly, his vision gradually adjusting until the blinding lights faded, revealing a raucous scene of young revelers surrounding him.
"Hehe, look who decided to rejoin the land of the living!" A young man's voice jeered, thick with intoxicated amusement. Raucous laughter and excited chatter filled the room as Shen Zeming took in his surroundings.
Most of the partygoers appeared to be in their early-to-mid-twenties. The women wore stylishly skimpy outfits - crop tops that tantalizingly revealed toned midriffs, and form-fitting dresses that hugged their curves. The men were more casually attired in blazers, polos, and jeans.
They were all sprawled together on plush, circular sofa sections surrounding a low table, empty bottles and glasses littering the surface. The spacious room pulsed with thumping music and whirling disco lights, clearly a high-end karaoke lounge meant for debauchery.
Some were drunkenly crooning into microphones while others sloppily made out in shadowy corners, hands roaming freely.
Those addressing Shen Zeming were casually drinking and shamelessly flirting, each young man with a scantily-clad woman perched on his lap.
Yet the revelation was abruptly cut short by a sharp slap that whipped his head to the side with surprising force.
SLAP!
"I told you not to touch me!" A cold, faint voice sliced through the din like a knife.
Shen Zeming's stunned gaze landed on the furious young woman glaring at him with undisguised disgust.
She was beautiful in a striking way - long, silky raven tresses framed an exquisite porcelain face. Large, almond-shaped eyes were narrowed in contempt, full red-painted lips curled in revulsion as she recoiled from his perceived advance.
Unlike the others, she stood out like a breathtaking jewel amidst dull pebbles - strikingly beautiful in a way that demanded attention. Even amongst the bevy of young women present, her refined elegance rated an easy 8 out of 10.
She was attired in a sleek, tailored black suit that hugged her lithe form to perfection, the crisp lines and flawless fit suggesting it had been expensively tailored.
Beneath the jacket, a pristine white shirt peeked out, the collar slightly open to reveal a tantalizingly bare collarbone adorned with a delicate yet eye-catching gemstone necklace.
Her shrill shout and the sharp slap that followed hung in the air like a gunshot, the raucous room falling into an abrupt, tense silence - the only sound the muffled pulsing of music in the background.
Every eye was trained on the two of them, a mixture of shock and hushed whispers rippling through the stunned revelers.
"Wow, she really let him have it this time," someone murmured under their breath, voice filled with scandalized delight.
"I know, right? You'd think he'd have learned by now," another mocked in a conspiratorial undertone, joining the chorus of gossips.
"Three years of this nonsense. When will he take the hint?"
"Some guys just can't read the room."
"Ssh, even though he's like that, he's still a young master of the prestigious Shen family. Lower your voices, or your families might get into trouble!"
What the hell?
Shen Zeming's cheek still stung from the slap as he glared at the striking beauty, utterly perplexed as to why she'd struck him so viciously.
His gaze fell to his hands, which remained at his sides - he certainly hadn't been groping her, so why the violent reaction? The woman sat tens of meters away, well out of his reach.
Just as Shen Zeming opened his mouth to demand an explanation, something strange and unexpected occurred.
Time itself seemed to freeze, the rowdy partygoers abruptly rendered as motionless as statues, the woman's delicate hand still raised from delivering the stinging slap.
[DING!] Host has transmigrated into the world of an urban romance novel!
The disembodied notification rang out, achingly familiar to Shen Zeming who felt his pupils dilate in surprise.
Urban romance novel?
Even as the bizarre thought crossed his mind, a strange transparent screen abruptly materialized before his widened eyes.
A split second later, a sharp lance of pain lanced through his skull, forcing Shen Zeming to press his palm against his throbbing forehead as a torrent of new memories flooded his consciousness.
…
The rush of new memories clarified the bizarre situation Shen Zeming found himself in.
Essentially, he had transmigrated into the body of the wealthy but pathetic young master of the influential Shen family - a man who, despite sharing his name, was his complete opposite in every way.
Unlike him, this Shen was just some unintelligent, unskilled, and accustomed to an embarrassingly lavish lifestyle funded entirely by his family's vast fortune.
His only true asset was the Shen family wealth and status.
Even more humiliating were the memories of this body's former owner relentlessly, fruitlessly pursuing the striking beauty named Wei Feng who had just delivered that stinging slap.
For three long years throughout college, the original Shen Zeming had baselessly believed Wei Feng to be his mysterious childhood friend, chasing her affection in increasingly desperate and sycophantic ways - only to be constantly rejected and pushed away.
He had even broken up with his supposedly "perfect" girlfriend to single-mindedly chase this obsession with Wei Feng.
On the other hand, the current celebration was an after-party marking their recent graduation.
A cliché setting, but… how could my other self have had no dignity at all? Shen Zeming thought with disdain
His eyes scanned the frozen partygoers thoughtfully. Then who is the actual protagonist here?
From the background and overall setting, it seemed obvious that this Shen Zeming was merely a stepping stone character, rather than the true lead.
[DING!] The protagonist has not yet arrived at the mainland!
[DING!] Activating the Villain Counter-Attack System!
Ahh, a system. Of course, Shen Zeming mused inwardly with a wry smile as the notifications chimed.
Having absorbed the memories and context, aided by his past life's knowledge of such narrative tropes, he felt he had a solid grasp of the situation.
...
As the frozen scene slowly transitioned back to life, the background whispers and mocking voices resuming, Shen Zeming remained unflustered this time.
Instead, his eyes narrowed calculatingly, a sly smile curving his lips as another notification flashed before him.
[DING!] Wei Feng has humiliated the Host in front of all your friends, causing you to lose face!
[Make your choice:]
[Choice 1: Apologize to her and offer her some money as compensation. Reward: 1 Villain Point]
[Choice 2: Call security, abuse your background, and kick her out. Reward: 200 Million Yuan]
Wei Feng's narrowed eyes flashed with disdain as she preemptively shut down what she assumed would be Shen Zeming's typical apologetic overture involving money.
"Don't even think of apologizing by trying to buy me off with your family's wealth - I have more than enough money!" she snapped, arms crossed defensively over her chest.
The corners of her perfectly painted lips curled upwards in a contemptuous sneer as she leveled an icy glare at the young master.
Hmph! Let's see how you solve this one! she thought.
Wei Feng inwardly congratulated herself, already envisioning how she would leverage this incident and the audience of witnesses to her advantage - finally putting an end to their farcical engagement once and for all.
However, Shen Zeming's next words completely blindsided her.
Rather than the expected groveling apology, he simply stated in a clipped, authoritative tone, "Hello? Security? I have an unruly troublemaker disrupting my event here. Please escort her out immediately."