Blame the Villain – Chapter 46

Villainous Poor Student (11)

Even though the idea of searching for her biological father lingered in her mind, in an era where information exchange wasn’t advanced, finding a person was as tough as scaling the heavens—especially when there were so many people across the country sharing his name. Now just a middle school student, while looking for her dad, she also had to consider the feelings of Officer He and Aunt Wang…

As He Siyu had predicted, during the second and third years of middle school, Song Xuyi began to miss school for extended periods. Despite this, she managed to firmly hold on to a top-five ranking in her class. The subject teachers all thought Song Xuyi’s family had arranged extra tutoring for her, but only the homeroom teacher and Father Song knew that Song Xuyi was buried in her entrepreneurial efforts all day long. Talking about tutoring – she hardly even glanced at her textbooks.

Without even putting in the effort, she achieved such results, which made one wonder the kind of excellence she could attain if she did apply herself. Both Father Song and the homeroom teacher sighed over this thought, but there was nothing they could do about Song Xuyi’s approach.

Meanwhile, He Siyu also began to try earning money on her own.

She was just a middle school student, and no one would hire a kid for a job. Officer He and Aunt Wang didn’t want her to work part-time jobs either, so He Siyu decided to use her brains to make money. She joined the school’s technology club and, with the help of a teacher, improved a mechanical product, entered it into the city’s technology competition, and made it to the finals. She won first place and earned a prize of 5,000 yuan.

With her prize money, He Siyu bought a foot bath for Officer He and a qipao that Aunt Wang had been eyeing for a long time. Although Song Xuyi needed nothing, He Siyu still treated her to a skirt from the brand that Song Xuyi often wore.

Song Xuyi enjoyed buying clothes for He Siyu, dressing her up beautifully, yet she was unaware that He Siyu also harbored a wish to dress up Song Xuyi…

That 5,000 yuan was the largest sum of money He Siyu had ever seen. In her poor and backward home village, a family might not even earn that much in a whole year.

This inspired He Siyu, and she began to invent and create, applying for various patents…

Song Xuyi didn’t find out about He Siyu’s award until several days later. Father Song, with a hint of jealousy in his tone, lamented to Song Xuyi, “Look at Siyu, she got on TV for her inventions and creations. The girl is both beautiful and sensible, surely she’ll be a great scientist in the future. And you, you just bury yourself in the company all day, not even coming home…”

As he spoke, Father Song added, in a way that only emphasized his point further: “I think you might as well be Old Zhao’s daughter…”

Father Song had once held Mr. Zhao, whose status in their circle was much higher, in high regard. However, since Mr. Zhao had enticed his daughter into starting a business venture, Father Song felt uneasy. Even though the venture seemed quite successful, with advertisements for her NeighborNet Supermarket everywhere and many people starting to use the website, Father Song was irked. His pretty, soft, and sweet little daughter was now spending her days discussing business with a bunch of adults. Unable to blame Song Xuyi, he directed all his irritation at Mr. Zhao, the one who had led his daughter into business, and took to calling him Old Zhao…

Especially since a while ago, when Mr. Zhao took Song Xuyi as his goddaughter, Father Song, as her real father, would become sour toward Old Zhao every now and then.

Knowing her father’s temperament, Song Xuyi immediately ‘sincerely’ engaged in a conversation with him, listening humbly to Father Song’s advice. She started with a few right moves from Father Song’s younger days to show her admiration for him, and she strongly proposed a wish to collaborate with Father Song’s company…

Song Xuyi skillfully mastered the art of pacifying Father Song. His mood was lifted by her adept flattery, not only dispelling the sourness in his heart but even prompting him to start devising a plan to show Old Zhao his own prowess, to make him understand the saying, “A tiger’s daughter is no less formidable than her father…”

After soothing Father Song, Song Xuyi took a taxi to school.

This was Song Xuyi’s first return to school in a month.

She didn’t go back to her own classroom but headed to Class A1 to find He Siyu. Finding the A1 classroom empty, Song Xuyi learned that A1 was having a physical education class and thus she hurried to the gymnasium.

He Siyu was playing basketball.

It was already the third year of middle school, and He Siyu was soon to turn 16.

Over the past year, the young girl had started to grow taller, and by now He Siyu’s height had reached roughly 1.7 meters. Her shiny black hair was tied into a neat ponytail at the back of her head. Her pretty and delicate cheeks framed sharp eyes. The basketball glided across her slender fingers, and amidst the screams of the surrounding girls and boys, she launched the ball in a beautiful arc. With a ‘clang,’ a stunning three-pointer went through the hoop!

That ‘clang’ seemed to strike right at Song Xuyi’s heart.

“Too beautiful!”

With the business affairs on the right track, Song Xuyi already stopped sneaking into He Siyu’s house at night. It was only now that Song Xuyi, as if coming out of a daze, realized: The little girl she had picked up from the ravine had transformed into the breathtakingly beautiful girl before her!

Song Xuyi felt a twinge of pride, yet also a heavy sense of responsibility: There were thousands and thousands of He Siyus in the world. They all originally had the chance to become smart and dazzling, but for various reasons, they were shackled within the depths of the mountains, married off early, destined to spend their lives with their faces towards the soil and their backs to the sky…

The company has already established an assistance program, but there is still a need for more effort…

In a daze, a shadow was cast in front of her eyes as a hand reached out, pinching Song Xuyi’s plumped cheek.

“Xuyi, when did you come over?”

He Siyu’s hand was a bit heavy as she pinched the face, causing Song Xuyi to frown and lift her head, only to meet He Siyu’s beautiful face that was almost flawless. The stunning beauty was even more striking up close: He Siyu was now a head taller than herself, and because she had just been exercising, a thin layer of sweat covered her pretty face, making her look especially youthful and radiant.

In those beautiful eyes of He Siyu, besides surprise, there seemed to shimmer a complexity that Song Xuyi couldn’t understand. There was a moment when Song Xuyi felt that He Siyu might be somewhat displeased with her, but upon looking again, He Siyu had already released her grip on Song Xuyi’s cheek, and the look in her eyes was as smiling and full of laughter as before.

Song Xuyi inexplicably let out a sigh of relief and put aside the doubts in her heart.

“I’ve come to bring you a gift—” Song Xuyi took out the newly bought latest MP3 player: “I’ve already downloaded some English spoken language and listening exercises, plus some nice songs…”

“Congratulations on winning first place in the science and technology competition.”

He Siyu looked at the MP3 player in Song Xuyi’s hand.

It was the best brand on the market, one that He Siyu had heard her classmates discuss, and its price was already close to a thousand yuan.

He Siyu clearly felt happy seeing Xuyi, but probably cared too much, which always led her to involuntarily compare the gap between herself and Xuyi.

He Siyu pursed her lips as she took the gift from Song Xuyi’s hands, tossed the basketball to another companion, and then pulled Song Xuyi to sit down on the steps nearby.

It had been 38 days.

It had been 38 days since she had last seen Xuyi. She counted the days, desperately trying to bury her longing with study and sports. Yet, when Xuyi reappeared, she acted as if nothing had been amiss.

Xuyi’s world was so vast, and she was just a corner of Xuyi’s expansive universe. Meanwhile, her own world was incredibly narrow—apart from home and Xuyi, there was nothing else.

He Siyu was feeling resentful. So, without even realizing it herself, she pinched Song Xuyi’s face in a fit of pique. However, seeing Song Xuyi’s slightly furrowed brows, He Siyu subconsciously let go—she couldn’t bear it…

In a flash, He Siyu concealed all her negative emotions.

Lowering her eyes, she appeared as gentle and pure as ever in front of Song Xuyi: “I bought a dress for you, it’s at my place. Do you want to come over tonight to pick it up…”

Again feeling a sense of contentment like an old mother, Song Xuyi shook her head with a sigh and whispered into He Siyu’s ear: “No, I have to go on a trip to the neighboring city with Mr. Zhao this afternoon. Send the dress to my house in a few days—”

As she said this, Song Xuyi gave He Siyu a wink: “I told my dad that I would be staying over at your place tonight, so don’t let the cat out of the bag—”

“I know I’ve been too busy lately to spend time with you,” Song Xuyi recalled the points from the parenting books she had read, feeling somewhat guilty in her heart: “But I can’t help it, my career is just getting started…”

He Siyu’s eyes dimmed.

Seeing Song Xuyi’s face, the one she had been thinking about, so close at hand, He Siyu pursed her lips and lowered her head: for a split second, she wanted to pinch Song Xuyi’s face again…

“It’s okay,” however, when He Siyu spoke, her voice came out warm yet hesitant: “Next month is my birthday, you…”

“I won’t forget your birthday,” Song Xuyi quickly pledged her loyalty, resting her head on He Siyu’s shoulder and hugging her waist in a comforting manner, feeling the beautifully sculpted, flawless lines of He Siyu’s waist beneath her palm. Considering her own recently developed little belly, Song Xuyi made a mental note to start dieting. She then launched into sweet-talking mode towards He Siyu: “My Siyu is so beautiful, so outstanding, it’s my honor to be your good friend. I might forget my own birthday, but I will never forget my Siyu’s…”

Even though He Siyu had grown accustomed to Song Xuyi’s honeyed words, she couldn’t help but blush upon receiving this sugar-coated barrage.

With her head bowed, she whispered softly, discussing birthday plans with Song Xuyi, occasionally giggling with a slight nod. This was the He Siyu that Song Xuyi knew well. However, this sight of He Siyu surprised the other classmates who thought her to be cool and detached; they never imagined she could have such moments of pure joy…

Li Qing, who had skipped class to watch He Siyu play basketball, saw the two reveling in their delightful bubble, realizing there seemed to be no room for anyone else, and inwardly ground her teeth with jealousy.

As He Siyu’s birthday finally arrived, filled with anticipation, she and Song Xuyi made up for the missed amusement park visit from before, joining Aunt Wang and Officer He for a joyous time at the amusement park.

Song Xuyi donned the dress He Siyu had bought for her, and it had to be said, He Siyu had a great eye—Song Xuyi looked incredibly sweet and adorable in it. Perhaps coincidentally or by design, He Siyu also wore an outfit of a similar color palette. As they walked together, He Siyu was stunningly radiant while Song Xuyi was fresh and charming, collectively drawing countless gazes.

The four of them played at the amusement park until evening. He Siyu was especially happy throughout the day; her smile was blooming, making the little red mole by her eye seem to sparkle, her innocent yet slightly devilish beautiful face was so captivating, it was hard to look away. Song Xuyi couldn’t help but inwardly exclaim to the system multiple times, “Siyu is so beautiful!”

Song Xuyi felt like an exceedingly qualified parent, as she used Father Song’s camera to take countless photos of He Siyu all day, planning to develop them into an album to gift He Siyu.

Around seven in the evening, the whole amusement park lit up, and music began to play from the Ferris wheel.

The highlight of the amusement park was the Ferris wheel, offering a view of the entire city’s nightscape when one rode on it.

Auntie Wang was afraid of heights, so Officer He stayed with her on the ground, while Song Xuyi and He Siyu queued for a capsule.

Amid the soothing music, the Ferris wheel slowly ascended, gradually reaching its apex.

Song Xuyi urged, “Siyu, quick, make a wish,” while snapping away with the camera, capturing the brightly lit night scene of the city, oblivious that He Siyu, making wishes next to her, had eyes full of nothing but her…

“The glitzy city, the lights of thousands of homes, none shine as bright as you.”

“May it be as it is today in the years to come, age after age—wherever I look, there’s home, there’s you—”

The author has something to say:

In the last chapter, Siyu’s biological father’s name has been changed to “Xu Hongjiang”; “Xu Jinjiang” is the name of a celebrity, no wonder the name sounded familiar to me when I was typing it out, haha.

Let me share a corny joke:

“Darling, I’m going for an infusion.”

“What kind of infusion?”

“Thank you all for the nutrient solution—” [bow/jpg]

LP: Re-translated on March 03, 2024