Villainous Stand-in (20)
After Song Xuyi fled in panic that day, she realized that the rain had stopped. She thought that if it no longer thundered and flashed, Li Yuqing should no longer be afraid. Yet, she really didn’t have the courage to go back and check on Li Yuqing’s situation. So, with an ostrich mentality, she hurried home and covered herself with a blanket.
Song Xuyi couldn’t sleep at all that night.
Her mind was filled with ambiguous images of the two almost losing control, and she was also worried about Li Yuqing’s condition, feeling hot and restless. She tossed and turned in bed without a trace of sleepiness…
Seeing this, the system let out a long sigh in Song Xuyi’s mind: “I knew it would be like this.” Its tone was extremely weary.
Song Xuyi didn’t take it to heart and sighed along with it, as if to comfort it: Recently, the system had seen her getting closer and closer to Li Yuqing, and it seemed to be increasingly troubled, unable to get over that inner barrier.
In the end, since she couldn’t sleep anyway, Song Xuyi simply got up and started drawing.
Song Xuyi’s story was already nearing its conclusion. In the story, the female protagonist learned the backstory of the female celebrity. Song Xuyi put herself in the protagonist’s shoes, thinking that if she were the protagonist, she would probably also tacitly approve of the female celebrity’s revenge after completing her mission. However, Song Xuyi didn’t want the female celebrity to live in sadness forever, so she decided to add an extra chapter after the protagonist’s death, allowing the female celebrity to meet another warm and healing person and live a happy life…
Song Xuyi spent the whole night drawing.
Almost as soon as Song Xuyi knocked on the door, Li Yuqing opened it.
Li Yuqing was wearing a plain-colored wool coat with a turtleneck underneath, covering her neck and making her look both dashing and beautiful.
Li Yuqing rarely dressed like this, probably because she felt guilty. On the way to school, Song Xuyi secretly glanced at Li Yuqing several times.
Seeing that Li Yuqing’s expression was as usual, showing no signs of anything unusual, Song Xuyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief: Thank heavens, Li Yuqing seemed to have forgotten what happened that night, just like the last time…
Song Xuyi followed behind Li Yuqing, going to and from school and eating together as usual…
However, in the following days, Song Xuyi couldn’t tell if it was just her imagination: she felt that Li Yuqing’s attitude towards her had noticeably cooled a bit.
Even though Li Yuqing was still polite and considerate when she saw her, there were rarely any smiles when she looked at her. She no longer reminded her to go for a run on time as she used to, and occasionally, when their eyes met, she would quickly look away…
Song Xuyi noticed Li Yuqing’s strange attitude, but at first, she didn’t take it to heart.
It was the system that reminded Song Xuyi: “Xuyi, is she having a cold war with you?”
Song Xuyi was taken aback. She felt that Li Yuqing had indeed been acting a bit strange lately, but it shouldn’t be that she was having a cold war with her… right?
In Song Xuyi’s impression, a cold war meant both parties ignoring each other. However, Li Yuqing’s attitude still seemed very calm, and she would respond when Song Xuyi greeted her…
“You must be mistaken!” Song Xuyi answered the system firmly. “She knows nothing about what happened that night, so it shouldn’t be that she’s having a cold war with me…”
The system chuckled twice, intuitively feeling that Li Yuqing was up to something big again. However, it was happy to add to the villain’s troubles, so even if it sensed something, it didn’t want to tell Song Xuyi. Instead, it gleefully stood aside, ready to watch the show.
And the system’s premonition was indeed correct.
One afternoon after school, Song Xuyi saw a new milk tea flavor at a roadside milk tea shop. She asked Li Yuqing to wait for a moment and went into the shop to buy two cups of milk tea, one for each of them.
If it had been the old Li Yuqing, she would definitely have suggested going to the shop with Song Xuyi to buy the milk tea together.
However, at this moment, Li Yuqing just glanced at Song Xuyi and then lowered her head. “I understand.”
Her tone sounded indifferent and extremely calm.
Song Xuyi still didn’t pay much attention to it. She happily ran into the shop and bought two cups of milk foam tea, sipping the sweet cream with great satisfaction.
However, when Song Xuyi handed Li Yuqing her cup of milk foam tea, Li Yuqing did not reach out to take it.
With reddened eyes, she glanced at Song Xuyi, seemingly struggling to hold back a sob. “Song Xuyi, do you even have a heart?”
……
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Song Xuyi stood there in a daze.
Li Yuqing seemed extremely unwilling to let Song Xuyi see her like this, so she covered her face and turned around.
What on earth was going on?
Song Xuyi held the milk tea and followed behind Li Yuqing, feeling completely bewildered. But Li Yuqing walked faster and faster. By the time Song Xuyi got out of the elevator, she heard the sound of a door closing from next door.
Song Xuyi hesitated in front of Li Yuqing’s door for a while.
Li Yuqing seemed very angry. Song Xuyi hesitated, unsure if Li Yuqing would be even angrier upon seeing her…
Song Xuyi decided to go in and take a look.
She had the password to Li Yuqing’s room. Just as she was about to open the door and enter, the silent system suddenly spoke: “She’s watching you through the peephole right now!”
Indeed, the hateful villain was so angry earlier, she was probably just acting!
Song Xuyi didn’t understand the system’s intentions, but upon hearing its words, she withdrew her hand that was about to knock on the door, just as the system had hoped.
“She must be inside holding the door to prevent me from opening it,” Song Xuyi sighed and turned around, dejectedly heading back to her own room. Remembering her previous conversation with the system, she couldn’t help but speak up, “System, could she really be having a cold war with me all this time?”
The system didn’t respond.
At that moment, it was ‘enjoying’ Li Yuqing’s instantly cold expression upon realizing that Song Xuyi was no longer trying to open the door, and had no intention of enlightening Song Xuyi…
In short, the more oblivious Xuyi was, the better it was for the system!
After returning home, Song Xuyi collapsed on her bed and thought for a long time, but she still couldn’t figure out what she had done to make Li Yuqing angry.
Afterward, Song Xuyi simply decided not to think about it anymore, planning to ask Li Yuqing directly the next day once her anger had subsided. She then busied herself with drawing comics.
During this period, Song Xuyi’s manga had gradually become popular, receiving recommendations from the website, which meant she had to increase her updates. Song Xuyi threw herself wholeheartedly into drawing, almost losing track of time…
When Song Xuyi opened her eyes again, she was greeted by the sight of Li Yuqing’s cold face.
“Xuyi, there are twenty minutes left until class starts. If you wash up now, you can still make it!”
Song Xuyi was startled. She glanced at the clock, and her drowsiness instantly vanished. She hurriedly got up to brush her teeth and wash her face, not even bothering to change out of her pajamas. She grabbed her down jacket, threw it on, and pulled on a pair of loose sweatpants over her pajama bottoms. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she dragged Li Yuqing out the door with her.
Li Yuqing seemed surprised by Song Xuyi’s actions, clearly stunned for a moment, and in the next instant, her hand was grabbed by Song Xuyi—
“Run! We’re going to be late…”
They jogged all the way, and Song Xuyi ran into the classroom just as the bell rang. This time she didn’t sit in the front row; instead, she chose a corner seat. Watching the professor walk in two minutes later, Song Xuyi finally felt relieved and let out a long sigh…
It was only then that Song Xuyi belatedly realized: she had dragged Li Yuqing into the classroom!
Li Yuqing was already in the second semester of her senior year and didn’t need to attend classes anymore.
Song Xuyi glanced at Li Yuqing, her face turning red with embarrassment.
Li Yuqing, however, remained expressionless. Although she didn’t speak to Song Xuyi as usual, she reached out and carefully adjusted the hood of Song Xuyi’s pajamas, which was bunched up under her down jacket…
Looking at Li Yuqing’s distant and cold eyes up close, Song Xuyi’s usually slow heart suddenly felt a bit pained. She suddenly thought—Li Yuqing seemed genuinely very angry, and maybe she should try to appease her…
At that moment, the professor at the podium began taking attendance.
This professor was notoriously strict, not only calling out names but also counting heads to ensure the numbers matched.
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The professor finished calling the roll and started counting heads. He counted twice and discovered there was one extra person.
Seeing the professor’s furrowed brow, Song Xuyi raised her hand, and the professor finally noticed Li Yuqing sitting next to her.
“Xuyi! Not only are you performing well yourself these days, but you also brought a family member along, huh? Not bad, not bad!”
The professor, who had a great relationship with Song Xuyi’s father and had watched Song Xuyi grow up, couldn’t help but tease her upon seeing this.
Song Xuyi gave an awkward laugh, glancing sideways at Li Yuqing. She noticed the corners of Li Yuqing’s mouth slightly curved up. However, sensing Song Xuyi’s gaze, Li Yuqing looked over coldly and once again pressed her lips together, hiding her smile.
Was she really that angry?
Song Xuyi felt a bit helpless, becoming even more determined to appease Li Yuqing.
Li Yuqing seemed extremely busy lately; she left the classroom as soon as class ended, and Song Xuyi couldn’t find a chance to talk to her during the day.
It wasn’t until after nine o’clock in the evening that Li Yuqing next door finally returned home.
Amid the system’s urging, “Just ignore her for a few more days, she might figure it out herself,” Song Xuyi rejected the system’s bad advice, mustered up her courage, and knocked on Li Yuqing’s door.
Li Yuqing opened the door faster than Song Xuyi had anticipated.
Li Yuqing had already changed into a robe. The robe couldn’t conceal Li Yuqing’s graceful and alluring body curves. At this moment, she carried the soft fragrance of shower gel, and her hair tips were still dripping water… it seemed she had just finished bathing not long ago.
Song Xuyi pressed her lips together.
She had thought she had mentally prepared herself, but standing in front of Li Yuqing, she realized she was extremely nervous. She guiltily stared at her toes, unable to say a word for a long time…
Until a sigh came from above her head, and Li Yuqing’s voice, with no discernible emotion, sounded first: “Xuyi, do you need something?”
Whether you stick your neck out or pull it back, it’s the same blade…1
Song Xuyi mentally prepared herself, took a deep breath, and mustered up the courage to lower her head: “I’m sorry, Yuqing! I’m deeply sorry for making you feel upset these past days.”
“Oh.”
After a long pause, Li Yuqing’s voice finally sounded, but her tone still seemed extremely cold and calm: “So, Xuyi, what do you think you’ve done to wrong me?”
Song Xuyi was left speechless.
She truly didn’t know what had hurt Li Yuqing’s feelings, she was just thinking of trying to appease Li Yuqing and stop her from being sulky.
While racking her brains trying to figure out her mistake, she suddenly noticed the silence from Li Yuqing’s side. Song Xuyi looked up and found that Li Yuqing’s eyes were red again—
“Song Xuyi, what do you mean by this?!”
“You used my image as a model to draw your managa, you cared for me meticulously, and always indulged me. I originally thought you liked me…” Li Yuqing’s eyes shimmered with tears as she looked at Song Xuyi. She turned her head away, as if not wanting Song Xuyi to see her cry, stubbornly holding back her tears: “But I didn’t expect you to be a scumbag, sleeping with me and not daring to admit it! I’m even more angry with myself, knowing you’re a scumbag, but still thinking about you every day…”
What does she mean by “slept with”?
Song Xuyi’s eyes widened, nearly speechless with shock, and it took her a long while to find her words again: “I… I didn’t!”
“Didn’t? Are you still trying to deny it?” Li Yuqing looked at Song Xuyi with disappointment, let out a cold laugh, took out her phone, and opened the photo album. In the album were several photos showing Li Yuqing’s exposed neck, with several obvious hickeys on her slender, fair neck.
“That day, when I woke up, I found myself lying on the bed with disheveled clothes and several obvious hickeys on my neck. I checked the surveillance at the door, and besides you, no one else had entered my room…”
“I was waiting with a heart full of sweetness for you to announce that we were together, after all, I also had some feelings for you. But I didn’t expect that you would treat this matter as if it never happened!”
“And yet, I can’t help but still have feelings for you…”
The author has something to say:
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Li Yuqing: Has she not noticed that I’m pretending to be angry?
So annoying! I’m about to get really angry! â•°_╯
Why doesn’t she come and ask me why I’m angry?
So annoying!
Why hasn’t she come to comfort me yet? Is she really not afraid I’ll leave?
…
So annoying!
…Forget it, I’m numb, I’ll ask myself! She’s already this slow, if I don’t cling to her now, it’ll be too late…
——《Daily Thoughts of the Master of Schemes》
LP: Hey there! It looks like the new chapter didn’t show up on time, and I’m not quite sure why. Also, just a heads up that I won’t be able to work on any translations today because some relatives are coming over, and they’ve got a bunch of kids with them. So, no updates tomorrow!
Re-translated on August 07, 2024
Footnotes
- “Whether you stick your neck out or pull it back, it’s the same blade” (伸é 一刀縮é 也是一刀): a Chinese idiom meaning that no matter how you approach a difficult situation, the outcome will be the same, so you might as well face it head-on.
Have a nice rest and have some fun!
🤣👌 top tier trap
Have a nice rest and have some fun!
🤣👌 top tier trap