I am the Villain

Rulebreakers

Class had dragged on long enough that Luo Zelin was ready to kill himself all over again. The instructor's voice was a never-ending drone, like a mosquito hovering just behind the ears of everyone in the room. Luo had tried doodling, spacing out, even stabbing his calligraphy brush into his own thigh, but nothing stopped the suffocating boredom.

So naturally, he started flicking ink. He dipped his brush into the well, then casually launched a droplet toward Shen Liang's perfectly tied hair. The drop landed with a tiny black dot against the brown strands. Luo bit his tongue to hold in a snort. Shen didn't move. Didn't flinch. Didn't even acknowledge it. Luo narrowed his eyes. Fine. Time to escalate. He flipped his scroll over and began drawing. Not diagrams. Not symbols. Caricatures.

• Shen Liang in full bridal attire, complete with embroidered gown and seductive fan.

• Shen Liang as a rotting corpse with Xs for eyes.

• Shen Liang with horns and demon wings, sitting on a flaming throne and looking scandalously evil.

Luo was still sketching Shen breastfeeding twin ghost babies when he noticed Shen glance sideways. Just a flick of the eye. But when he saw the sketches, Shen Liang visibly paled. His back straightened. His brows twitched. He looked away so fast it was as if looking any longer might infect him.

Luo grinned. Progress. Still, Shen didn't say anything. He just stared ahead with that blank, frozen expression. Luo frowned. How was this man so immune? His plan to get kicked out wasn't working, not if Shen just absorbed every insult like a monk meditating in a volcano. He needed something more. Then... an idea. Luo suddenly stood up, pressing his thighs together like a man moments away from disaster. "Teacher!" he gasped, "I need to relieve myself, immediately."

The instructor blinked. "There is a break in less than—"

"I will EXPLODE," Luo interrupted, dramatically clutching his lower stomach. "I'm serious. There's going to be a puddle and it will be your fault. And I've already done the goat contract thing, so who knows what spiritual consequences come with wet pants—"

"GO," the teacher barked, half-horrified.

Luo bowed dramatically. "May the ancestors forgive my bladder." He sprinted out, barely suppressing a cackle as he stepped into the bright courtyard. Once he was far enough from the building, his gait slowed, shoulders relaxed, and a smug little smirk returned to his lips. "Too easy."

He wandered behind the courtyard, down a gravel path toward a grove of crooked trees that marked the edge of the temple grounds. There, he ducked beneath a cluster of low-hanging branches and crouched by a mossy boulder. From his sleeve, he pulled a small glass bottle, amber liquid sloshing inside.

"Stole you right before I came here," he whispered affectionately, uncorking it. "Still smells like heaven and bad decisions." He took a long swig, spilling a bit down his chin, and sighed with pure bliss.

Until a voice cut through the trees: "Alcohol is forbidden within the temple grounds."

Zelin froze, mouth still on the bottle. He turned. Shen Liang stood a few paces away, arms folded, white-blue robes rustling gently in the breeze. His sword was still sheathed, but his presence was blade-sharp. Zelin blinked, then grinned. "Didn't realize the stone statue could walk."

Shen's voice remained flat. "You're breaking the rules."

"Thanks for the reminder," Zelin said. "Care for a drink?" He held the bottle out dramatically, dripping liquor from the rim. "Come on. One sip. Loosen those shoulders. They've been tense since birth."

Shen didn't move. "I won't warn you again."

"Oh no," Luo said, putting a hand to his chest mockingly. "The Rule Emperor is threatening me. Should I cry?" He tilted the bottle to his lips and deliberately missed, pouring it down the side of his face with a drunken "Ahh" like a bad tavern actor. That was when Shen unsheathed his sword.

The metal sang as it slid free, the tip catching a glint of sun. Luo's grin didn't falter. If anything, it grew. He whistled. "Killing me for breaking a rule? That's breaking a rule too, you know." Shen lunged. The blade slashed through the air, missing Luo's nose by a breath as he rolled aside and popped back onto his feet. "Hey, hey! That's really not allowed, Instructor's Pet!" Shen slashed again, fast, graceful, but controlled.

Zelin dodged, sidestepped, ducked under a swing as he took another sip. "You really need a hobby."

"You are dangerous," Shen said calmly, advancing with every swing.

"And you're frustrated," Luo shot back, dodging left. "I can smell it on you. I bet your sword's the only thing that's seen action in years." That struck a nerve, barely. But it was enough. Luo grinned, tackled him, and both of them crashed through the underbrush, landing hard on the slope beyond the temple's outer gate.

They rolled, dirt, roots, grass, until finally they slammed into a flat patch just outside the temple bounds. The sacred perimeter stone glowed once, then dimmed. They'd crossed it. Out of bounds. Luo scrambled up, brushing off his new robes. "And now you've done it."

Shen was still on the ground, expression unreadable. Luo pointed at the stone marker behind them. "Look at that. You broke a rule. We're officially the same now." Shen stood slowly, sword still in hand, but he didn't swing again. His chest rose and fell with a slow breath. Then... a sigh. A sigh. Luo's brows rose. "Was that emotion I just witnessed? My, my." Shen looked at him, just for a moment.

And for the first time since meeting him again, he looked... almost human. Slightly ruffled. Annoyed. Possibly confused about his life choices.

It was perfect. Luo smirked, hands on his hips. "This is a game now," he said, voice low with glee. "And you just played your first move."