Risk Transfer

“Why do you say that?” Xia Xuanfeng asked calmly.

Yue Shi replied, “You said it yourself—most people in this world are trying to fade into the crowd and avoid doing anything that attracts attention.”

“You hate scripts and don't want the Audience to notice you. Yet, you went out of your way to help a suspicious person who fainted, and you were willing to spend a lot of money on a stranger despite being poor yourself. This behavior makes you a total attention-grabber.”

Xia Xuanfeng countered, “Is it possible that I’m just a genuine saint acting out of the kindness of my heart?”

Yue Shi shook his head. “Impossible. Even though we’ve only known each other for a short time, I can see your coldness.”

“If you were a true saint, you would have stopped that athlete from tearing his script earlier. But you didn't stop him; you just watched coldly from the sidelines.”

“You must want something from me. And the most unique thing about me is that I am a transmigrator.”

Xia Xuanfeng fell silent for a few seconds before letting out a helpless laugh. “You’re being too humble. There are far too many special things about you besides being a transmigrator.”

His gaze lingered on Yue Shi’s face for a moment before shifting to the Snow Leopard. “Then there’s your face, your pet... nothing about you looks like an ordinary human.”

Yue Shi didn’t deny it. “So, can you tell me what your goal actually is? When I asked you yesterday, you deliberately changed the subject, and I didn't press you. Surely it’s time to speak up now?”

“I’m rarely this patient or good-tempered. You should seize this opportunity. Who knows? I might be merciful and grant your wish.”

The Snow Leopard sat to the side licking its paws. Xia Xuanfeng tried to pet it, but it swatted his hand away with its tail. He spoke up awkwardly. “I mentioned before that whether you receive a script is closely related to your daily behavior. If you’re low-profile enough, the Audience won’t notice you, and you won't receive a script.”

“But some people are naturally incapable of keeping a low profile. People with exceptional looks, for example, or those from prestigious families, or those with immense wealth and power. They couldn't be low-profile even if they wanted to.”

As he spoke, he pointed to his own face. Under the lights, his features were delicate, and his skin was fair—he was a textbook definition of 'handsome.'

“I’m not being narcissistic, but I really am a handsome guy,” Xia Xuanfeng said, his voice dry.

“And at school, even if everyone has a tacit understanding to be mediocre, there’s always a ranking when exams come around. I’m not the smartest, but I’m always hovering in the top ten.”

“Combining the personas of an academic ace and a handsome guy makes it very hard not to draw attention.”

“So you received the script for the simp supporting male lead in a campus drama?” Yue Shi asked.

Xia Xuanfeng nodded. “I usually try to act gentle, silent, and kind because I wanted a script that fits that persona. I don't want to be a lead, and I don't want to be a standout supporting character. I just want a calm, stable life.”

“But clearly, the Audience isn't buying it. They have their own ideas. I haven't even reached adulthood and I've already received this miserable simp script. I can't imagine what it will be like once I'm an adult.”

He paused for a moment, and as if recalling something, his mood suddenly darkened.

“I knew a senior girl. She was two years ahead of me and very beautiful—the kind of beauty that feels aggressive. She had striking features and a tall figure; she was always the most conspicuous person in a crowd.”

“She wanted to keep a low profile, but she couldn't. She tried wearing the plainest clothes, tying her hair in a simple ponytail, sitting in the back row during class, and being the first to leave after school. Unfortunately, none of it worked.”

“The Audience loved 'watching' her, so she was always given the script of a villainess.”

“Time after time, she was always the second female lead who was trampled underfoot and tormented by the male and female leads.”

“She suffered a lot of harm. There are no second takes in this world, and you can't set up props in advance. Everything that happens to a supporting character is real.”

“The senior girl was miserable in every single role. Then the script would end, she’d get away from the leads, receive a new script, meet new leads, and continue being the villainess, continuing to be tormented.”

“This went on until her beauty faded and she could no longer play the villainess. She thought she would gradually be marginalized, but instead, she received even more garbage, disgusting scripts. The Audience seemed to have remembered her clearly and was trying to develop all sorts of roles for her. Only death could bring her complete liberation.”

Yue Shi didn't comment. Xia Xuanfeng continued, “There was also a senior boy whose family was very wealthy. His father was the richest man in the city, and his mother was the daughter of a well-known family. He was watched by everyone from a young age; people gossiped about his every move.”

“His grades weren't good, he wasn't athletic, and his looks were average, but he was rich. The words 'rich' alone were enough to make the Audience notice him.”

“So the two scripts he received after becoming an adult were both for an arrogant rich heir who uses his influence to bully others. He bullied the male lead, the female lead, and everyone in the protagonist group. Then, in the middle or late stages of the plot, he would be brutally humiliated by the protagonist.”

“After the senior boy finished playing those roles twice, his family's assets plummeted. If it happened a third time, his family would probably have gone bankrupt.”

“So, when he received a third script of the same type, he tore it up. You know the consequences.”

Yue Shi asked, “And? What does this have to do with me?”

Xia Xuanfeng’s eyes gradually brightened. “It has everything to do with you. Yesterday, I saw you suddenly appear in the street with my own eyes, and I saw you talking to something that looked like a ghost.”

“I didn't know you were a transmigrator then, but I could tell at a glance that your origin wasn't ordinary and that you likely possessed superpowers. Plus, your face is the most handsome I've ever seen...”

Yue Shi raised an eyebrow.

Xia Xuanfeng didn't say anything more, only looking at Yue Shi with a meaningful expression.

Yue Shi eventually understood and asked, “You’re trying to transfer the Audience's attention?”

Xia Xuanfeng felt a slight embarrassment at being exposed. “The first moment I saw you, I found you absolutely stunning. In front of you, everyone else looks plain and unremarkable.”

“As long as you are by my side, I believe the attention of many Audience members will be drawn away by you. That way, I'll have a chance to fade from a supporting lead to a minor supporting character, and eventually become an insignificant extra. That is the reason I saved you.”

“Are you not afraid I'll kill you for being so blunt about your purpose?” Yue Shi’s voice was slow and casual.

Xia Xuanfeng laughed candidly. “Of course I'm afraid, but I have to do it anyway. I'm about to turn eighteen, and there’s a high probability I won't receive good scripts in the future. My life would be miserable, so I might as well take a gamble. Even if I lose, it doesn't matter; the worst that can happen is death.”

“You certainly are open-minded.” Yue Shi turned to look out the window. “But aren't you afraid the Audience will hear what you're saying right now?”

Xia Xuanfeng also glanced out the window. “I don't know if they can hear. But I have to try. If you want to change your fate against the heavens, you have to have the courage to take risks.”