I Stopped My Brother From Becoming A Novel Villain

My brother was a minor villain in a syrupy romance novel, destined to be ditched by the heroine and fed to the fish by the hero. To save him, I was bound to a system at birth. Whenever he dated the lead, I peed on him; whenever he wrote love letters, I tore them apart with my chubby hands, leaving him too drained to meddle in their affairs.

Years later, on receiving my college letter, Mark summoned me. Youre grown. Ill fulfill my duty and do what I must. The system pinged: He planned to bomb the leads 10th anniversary.

The next day, I brought a bleached-blond punk to Mark, leaning on his tattooed shoulder with boba in one hand and an ultrasound in the other. Look! Hes no loserhell help run our business once he upgrades his bike. Hand over the shares!

Marks face twisted. He dropped the explosives, grabbed my ear, and peeled me off the punk. My business can wait! Today, Im dealing with you!

...

"Oww, oww, oww!" I grimaced in pain.

I frantically pried at his fingers to rescue my poor ear.

"Mark! You literally just said I am all grown up! You cannot keep bullying me like I am a little kid!"

"Besides..."

I gazed up lovingly at the blond punk, Jax, and then lowered my head in exaggerated shyness.

"The love of my life is standing right here. Do I not deserve some dignity?"

Mark's face was beet red. He looked like he was going to breathe fire.

"You are a child! What do you know about love?!"

He snatched a broom from the housekeeper, looking fully prepared to smack my behind.

The system's voice suddenly echoed in my head, sounding genuinely amazed.

Host! Host! His Threat Level really dropped from 100 to 90!

I felt incredibly smug.

Of course it did.

Our mother passed away giving birth to me.

Mark had played the role of both father and mother to raise me.

Now that his precious little princess was about to be kidnapped by a tattooed punk, if he could actually ignore it, I would bow down to him.

I dodged around the coffee table to escape him while putting on a tearful, victimized face.

"You were willing to abandon me and the entire company just for Cindy! I feel the exact same way about my baby! I would betray the whole world for him! Who are you to say I do not understand love?!"

Mark froze.

Right at that moment, his phone rang.

Cindy's voice drifted through the speaker.

"I thought you were going to try and ruin my wedding anniversary with my husband. It seems you actually have some self awareness."

"Mark, I know you have done a lot for me."

"But you also have your sisterthat little burden. If I had chosen you back then, your sister would constantly be fighting me for your attention."

"However, I can give you one more chance to serve me. My husband and I want some alone time today, so you can babysit our kids."

Mark's face darkened instantly.

He gripped his phone so tightly the veins on the back of his hand bulged, but he did not say a word.

Cindy always played the role of a delicate, innocent flower in front of the male lead.

She only dared to speak to Mark with such arrogant entitlement because she knew his love for her had zero boundaries.

The system blared an alarm.

Warning! The villain's Threat Level is rising rapidly! Please take immediate action, Host!

If he actually harms the male and female leads, this pocket universe will collapse, and you will be completely erased!

I shot Jax a pointed look.

He immediately understood the assignment. He nodded solemnly, marched over, and knocked the broom out of Mark's hand.

He stepped protectively in front of me, glaring at Mark with fiery intensity.

"My girl is the queen of the gothic underworld."

"When people bully her, I block it. When she has no money for food, I carry the burden. What right does an old man like you have to disrespect her?!"

He turned to look at me, his eyes burning with dramatic passion.

"My dark queen, do you understand?"

I looked deeply moved. Tears welled up in my eyes as I threw myself into Jax's arms.

"My brother does not love me anymore! Well, I do not want him either!"

"You said you wanted to do donuts on his grave with your motorcycle? I will not stop you anymore."

Mark squeezed his eyes shut. I could practically see his heartbeat pounding against his chest.

"Mark, you were the one who begged to enter my house before. I am giving you a chance now, do not waste it."

"Can you be here in ten minutes?"

Cindy demanded arrogantly from the phone.

Mark ground his teeth together and hung up the phone.

"I am about to have a stroke because of Penelope, and you want me to babysit for you?!"

"I am busy!"

He threw his phone onto the sofa and chugged three glasses of ice water before his breathing finally leveled out.

"Are you really pregnant?"

"Get rid of the baby, break up with this punk, and you can still be my sister."

This time, I didn't refuse immediately.

If I acted too stubborn, what if he just gave up on me and went right back to chasing the female lead?

After all, he was the devoted second male lead that left countless readers heartbroken.

His feelings for the female lead were no joke.

I asked, "Mark, why are you against me and my baby?"

Mark looked at me like I was a complete idiot.

"Because he cannot give you a good life."

"If I knew you were going to end up with a deadbeat punk, I never would have spoiled you. I should have just thrown you in the slums."

I immediately applied his own logic back to him.

"But Cindy never gave you a good life either."

"Just to make her smile, you spent thirty million dollars at an auction to buy the Heart of the Ocean. You broke the company's entire cash flow. But she just turned around, wore the necklace you bought, and married Liam!"

I pointed out the window at Buster, the golden retriever.

"That dog has bitten me so many times. You refuse to get rid of it just because Cindy gave it to you."

"Your reasons for opposing us make absolutely no sense! You are just jealous because we are true lovers who actually get to be together!"

Jax looked at me with stars in his eyes.

"You are so smart. I officially crown you the Goddess of Wisdom."

He dropped to one knee and started belting out a cheesy love song.

His singing mixed with the dog barking outside.

Mark pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked completely defeated.

"Butler, take Buster back to Cindy. I do not want him anymore."

"And now I am ordering youkick this little blond punk out of my house."

The system chimed happily.

The second male lead's Threat Level has dropped again! Keep up the good work, Host!

We had made serious progress today.

I knew the concept of using a carrot and a stick.

"You go home first, baby. I will come find you tomorrow."

After sending Jax off, I planned to get some well deserved rest.

But suddenly, the security guard rushed into the living room, looking hesitant.

"Sir... Miss Cindy is here. She says she needs to see you."

Mark shot up from the sofa, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"What did you say?"

Noticing I was still in the room, he realized he was losing his composure. He cleared his throat and sat back down.

I took the initiative.

"Let Cindy in."

Mark's mind was already flying toward her anyway.

It was better to keep her right under my nose so I could see exactly what kind of drama she was trying to stir up.

Cindy ran into the living room, sobbing.

She threw herself straight into Mark's arms.

Mark's entire body went rigid.

"Mark, Liam is bullying me! We were supposed to have a romantic date tonight, but he took a business call and just left me at the restaurant."

"I am so heartbroken. You are the only person I could turn to... boohoo..."

Mark's eyes immediately softened with an uncontrollable, painful sympathy.

"Do not cry. I will protect you."

His clenched fists slowly relaxed. He raised a hand and gently stroked Cindy's hair, his eyes darkening.

"I will make anyone who hurts you pay the price."

The system started screaming in my head.

Warning! The second male lead is formulating a plan to assassinate the male lead! Host, do something! Aaaaaah!

I smiled brightly and poured Cindy a cup of tea.

"Cindy, you should just stay at our house tonight! My brother is the best at taking care of people."

Cindy did this all the time. Whenever she had a minor argument with the male lead, she would run to Mark and cry about it.

Mark would get furious on her behalf and start sabotaging the male lead's business deals.

Then, she would suddenly get upset again, turning around and blaming my brother for ruining her happiness.

Mark looked at her with pure anticipation.

Just as I expected, Cindy raised her hand and violently swatted the teacup off the table.

"Does it look like it is your turn to speak?!"

"My husband is the heir to the biggest conglomerate in the city! I have seen plenty of little girls like you. You are just hoping my husband and I get a divorce so you can take my place, aren't you?!"

She stared at my face, a flash of pure, ugly jealousy crossing her eyes.

Then, she raised her hand high, aiming a slap right at my face.

"A feral child with no mother to raise her really has no manners! I am going to teach you a lesson on your brother's behalf!"

I could not dodge in time, so I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut.

But the sharp sting I expected never came.

I opened my eyes. Mark had stepped in front of me, taking the slap for me.

A bright red handprint blossomed across his cheek.

He frowned slightly.

"Cindy, I know you are in a bad mood right now."

"But my sister is still a child. Could you show her some respect?"

Even though I had lived in this world for eighteen years, I was still utterly astounded by how pathetic his love-brain was.

I quietly pulled out my phone and summoned the punk.

Despite Mark's humble, compromising tone, Cindy still exploded.

"You are defending another woman against me?!"

"I am not staying here! Enjoy the feeling of losing me!"

She turned to run out. A flash of panic immediately appeared in Mark's eyes.

[Host! Mark's Threat Level has shot up to 99! He is planning to lock the female lead in the basement for forced love!]

I calmly pulled my phone up to my ear and turned on my most annoying, whiny baby voice.

"Baby~ where are you?"

"My brother is going out tonight. Take me to get a tattoo! I want to get your name tattooed on my tummy!"

"You are my whole world, and our baby's world too!"

Mark's feet, which had been moving to chase Cindy, slammed to a dead halt.

"That old man finally backed off."

"I am almost there, baby! I am going to spoil you so much!"

The obnoxious revving of a motorcycle engine echoed outside the courtyard.

Jax drove his bike straight into the yard, intentionally running right over a patch of Mark's carefully cultivated orchids.

They were Cindy's favorite flowers.

He reached his hand out to me, flashing a crooked, edgy smirk.

"Baby, you do not have to put up a strong front around that old man anymore."

"Because your strength is here."

Mark spun around, striding toward me with the veins bulging in his forehead.

"Tell him to get out."

I sidestepped him, hopped onto the back of Jax's bike, and wrapped my arms tightly around his waist.

"If you cannot bear to let Cindy leave, then I cannot bear to kick my baby out either!"

"You go chase Cindy. I am going to sleep at the castle my baby rents! He lives there with a dozen of his brothers. I will feel so safe living with all of them!"

The second the words left my mouth, the system started clapping for me.

[Host, I am scanning the second male lead's brainwaves, and it is completely blank!]

[There is absolutely zero trend toward villainy right now!]

Cindy walked away slowly, turning her head back every three steps, fully expecting Mark to drop to his knees and beg her forgiveness like he always did.

But she quickly realized that Mark was staring fixedly at me and the punk, his face turning an alarming shade of purple.

He did not spare her a single glance.

She shouted again, much louder this time.

"Mark! I am really leaving! I am never going to speak to you again!"

Mark waved his hand dismissively in her direction without looking.

"Hurry up and leave, stop interrupting me while I talk to my sister."

Seeing that Mark truly had no intention of coddling her, Cindy absolutely lost her mind.

She stormed back over to me, glaring at me like a wife catching a mistress.

"Trying to seduce my husband was not enough for you?!"

"Now you are watching Mark and this guy fight over you, are you proud of yourself?!"

Her logic gave me whiplash.

"Lady, Mark is my biological brother."

"What did you just call me?! Are you calling me old?!"

"My husband told me I was the little baby in his arms just yesterday!"

She grabbed the collar of my shirt, raising her hands to scratch my face with her long acrylic nails.

But Jax shoved her hard, sending her tumbling to the ground.

"Cindy..."

Mark's pupils contracted.

"Security! Throw this punk out!"

"Who dares touch me?!"

Jax let out a dramatic roar.

He looked at Mark with an expression of deep, tragic disappointment.

"You are a man. You can be injured, but you can never be weak."

"Since you cannot protect my baby, leave her to me. I will guard my girl."

He revved the engine, ready to peel out.

"But remember thiskeep your baby in line! If she breaks my baby's wings, I will destroy your entire heaven!"

I cheered, throwing my arms up in the air, looking at him with absolute worship.

"Baby, you are so cool! You are way cooler than my brother!"

I glanced down at my arm, which was red from where Cindy had grabbed me, and pouted dramatically.

"I am a delicate little flower, and I am being crushed by others, and my brother does not even care!"

"I am going to rely on you for the rest of my life!"

Mark leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes as he aggressively massaged his temples.

"Escort Miss Cindy out."

Cindy suddenly let out a cold, sharp laugh.

"You show so much favoritism to your sister, but did you know she cannot wait for you to die?"

"When you refused to babysit for me, I guessed you were brainwashed by her. So I had someone investigate. And look what I foundthe chat logs between her and her boyfriend."

She threw a stack of printed papers onto the ground.

Mark picked them up. As he read them, his face grew even darker.

He handed them to me, his voice freezing cold.

"Did you say these things?"

In the chat logs, I had texted Jax:

[As soon as the explosives on my brother detonate, you immediately contact the family lawyer to inherit the company. We are going to turn the corporation into a motorcycle manufacturing plant.]

I was speechless.

I did write that.

But Jax and I were literally just acting. I was sending him the script we were supposed to rehearse.

Cindy crossed her arms over her chest.

"Nothing to say? I guess that means you admit it."

"Mark, I am giving you two choices. Either you come back to my side and continue being my dog."

"Or you keep taking care of this ungrateful backstabber of a sister, and I will never see you again for the rest of my life."

My heart squeezed tight.

No one knew just how deeply Mark loved the female lead better than I did.

If he chose the first option, interfered in their relationship, and collapsed the world... I would be erased.

Mark's hands clenched into tight fists, then slowly relaxed.

He opened his mouth.