Villainous Poor Student (7)
In the affluent suburbs where Father Song and Mother Song’s house is located, the security measures are excellent. Nowadays, they’ve gotten on good terms with the security and property management, making it nearly impossible for Song Xuyi to sneak out of the house unnoticed.
After some thought, Song Xuyi decided to change her tactics. She claimed she wanted to bond with her sister, using that as an excuse to ask to sleep over at He Siyu’s place for the night.
Initially, Father Song and Mother Song refused, but after Song Xuyi’s persistent wheedling—softened by the thought that Officer He and Auntie Wang were indeed honest and good people—they finally relented and allowed Song Xuyi to stay over at He Siyu’s house for the night.
Song Xuyi had already informed He Siyu of this plan during class the previous day. He Siyu was extremely delighted upon hearing this. Usually reserved, she couldn’t help but become chatty: “Auntie Wang, should I air out an extra quilt? Xuyi likes to eat fresh meat dumplings and meat buns, and she’s also fond of spicy strips, but her mom doesn’t let her eat them…”
“Why do we have to air out an extra quilt?” He Siyu, usually mature beyond her years, for the first time showed such a girlish demeanor. Auntie Wang felt a bit of contentment in her heart and, smiling, she ruffled He Siyu’s hair: “It’s a happy thing, little sisters chatting under the same quilt. We’ll have small wontons and meat buns for breakfast tomorrow…”
Slightly embarrassed, He Siyu nodded and began to think about what topics to discuss with Song Xuyi tonight.
As she pondered, a hint of dejection crept in: She had been so busy with her studies lately, besides academic problems, she couldn’t immediately think of anything to talk about. Song Xuyi was so impressive; it seemed like she knew about everything…
……
He Siyu waited expectantly until the next evening.
By April, the coastal region was already warm enough for short sleeves. He Siyu had changed the bedding, washed her hair and taken a bath, slipping into her sleepwear. Usually, He Siyu always wore a long shirt, respecting her preference, but Auntie Wang insisted that sleepwear should prioritize comfort, preparing for her a series of strappy, small-flowered sleep dresses.
Unaware of He Siyu’s preparations, Song Xuyi said her goodbyes to the overly concerned driver, arranging for him to pick her and He Siyu up at eight the next morning. She greeted Auntie Wang with a smile, then, carrying her bulging bag, entered He Siyu’s room.
He Siyu was facing away from the door, doing her homework. Song Xuyi initially wanted to sneak in silently to startle her. However, almost as soon as Song Xuyi reached the doorway, He Siyu turned around.
In recent months, He Siyu had sprouted up, now a bit taller than Song Xuyi. Her hair had shed its once dry and frizzy quality, becoming black, shiny, and soft. The girl, in her strappy, floral sleep dress, had slender, snow-white arms, and her features were delicate and radiant. Turning to see Song Xuyi, she smiled.
Song Xuyi couldn’t help but return the smile, her heart brimming with emotion: The current He Siyu really is as wonderful as a little princess!
However, as she drew closer, Song Xuyi’s heart ached slightly: The strappy sleep dress starkly revealed scars on He Siyu’s body that had yet to fully heal, particularly a scar from a burn caused by boiling water on her left arm. Against He Siyu’s fair skin, it stood out all the more starkly distressing.
Sensing Song Xuyi’s gaze, He Siyu blinked, quickly draping a small jacket over her shoulders to cover the scars, then swiftly changed the subject, “Xuyi, you’re here. Do you want to take a shower first? I bought a new shower gel; it’s the peach scent you like…”
Next time, I’ll bring Siyu some scar-removal ointment.
Song Xuyi thought, as she placed her bag on the chair, shaking her head and taking out the rope ladder she had prepared in advance, she revealed her plans to He Siyu:
(Originally translated on littlepandatranslations.com, let's go!)
He Siyu’s home was on the second floor of an apartment building, with windows overlooking the courtyard. Below the windows was a cluttered storage area, and beside it, there was no streetlight, making it especially easy to move about stealthily at night. Song Xuyi planned to slip out late at night to catch the last bus to work overtime at the company.
Song Xuyi had accounted for everything but didn’t expect the normally agreeable He Siyu to turn pale upon hearing her plan: “No way, this is too dangerous. I can barely accept you going out during the day, but late at night…”
Despite Song Xuyi’s coaxing and reasoning, He Siyu just wouldn’t agree, even stubbornly blocking the window.
As time slipped away, and the last bus at ten o’clock passed, Song Xuyi helplessly embraced He Siyu’s waist and began to playfully wheedle: “Siyu, I really want to earn money, it’s really, really important to me. Please let me go out tonight…”
Nurtured carefully by the Song family, Song Xuyi had become a bit more well-rounded, her cheeks plumped with baby fat, her skin appeared delicate enough to break with a touch, as she looked at He Siyu with puppy dog eyes…
Unable to resist Song Xuyi’s pleading gaze, He Siyu bit her lower lip, abruptly averted her eyes, and when she looked back at Song Xuyi, her tone had softened, “Only if you promise that I’ll go with you…”
Song Xuyi didn’t want to agree, but under the circumstances, she had no choice but to nod reluctantly, secretly planning to make a run for it when He Siyu went to change clothes…
“Wait for me to change my clothes—”
But He Siyu, fearing Song Xuyi would run off first, simply placed Song Xuyi’s bag next to her and began changing clothes in the room, her back turned to Song Xuyi.
“What about the basic trust between people?”
Unexpectedly seen through by He Siyu, Song Xuyi could only stand by the window, venting to the system while waiting for He Siyu to finish changing.
“Shameless, acting like a spoiled child in front of a child!”
The system’s tone carried a hint of scorn, feeling that with every world passed, it renewed its understanding of Song Xuyi.
Grinding her teeth, Song Xuyi really wanted to block the system. By then, He Siyu had already changed into her clothes and packed her backpack. The two of them carefully set up the rope ladder by the window and climbed down.
They caught the last bus heading to the industrial park.
On the last bus, there were only a few passengers scattered about. The lights inside were off, allowing the neon lights from outside to illuminate Song Xuyi’s serene profile. He Siyu bit her lip, her brows furrowed, puzzled by her own impulsivity. She couldn’t fathom why she had actually followed through with Song Xuyi and ventured out…
At this moment, Song Xuyi was engrossed in her planning improvements, flashlight in hand, oblivious to He Siyu’s little troubles. He Siyu glanced at Song Xuyi and carefully reached out to touch the softness of Song Xuyi’s hair, recalling the way Song Xuyi had cooed at her earlier. With a gentle sigh, she thought:
If she had the chance to do it all over again, she would probably still be unable to resist Song Xuyi’s charms…
It was past eleven at night when the two arrived at Song Xuyi’s temporary company. With Mr. Zhao’s investment, Song Xuyi’s NeighborNet Supermarket had expanded more than twofold. But with the business in its initial chaotic stage and now rapidly growing, most of Song Xuyi’s time after arriving was spent helping with packaging, dealing with after-sales service, and sorting orders. From there, she would identify issues and compile reports…
He Siyu joined in to lend a hand too.
He Siyu was more alert than Song Xuyi and kept a firm mental note of the first bus’s schedule. When the time came, she promptly dragged Song Xuyi to wait for the bus.
Moreover, on their way back, He Siyu improved on Song Xuyi’s plan. They stopped by the market to pick up some groceries and didn’t resort to using the rope ladder but instead used the key to open the door and return home.
They encountered Auntie Wang who was up early in the morning. Without changing her expression or skipping a beat, He Siyu told a bold-faced lie: “We went out for a run early in the morning and stopped by to buy some groceries—”
Perhaps it was because He Siyu usually behaved so obediently and demurely, Auntie Wang didn’t suspect that He Siyu was lying.
This series of maneuvers left Song Xuyi utterly dumbfounded.
He Siyu truly lives up to the role of the high-IQ villain in the plot summary!
After a busy night, Song Xuyi spent most of the next day’s classes sprawled on the desk, fast asleep. The teachers didn’t bother her either. As long as Song Xuyi wasn’t running around, they considered it an excellent situation.
Yet, He Siyu remained spirited and alert, as if unaffected by the previous night’s events:
In the hellish days of the village life, He Siyu often spent entire nights with little sleep—insomnia was something she had grown accustomed to.
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However, after Song Xuyi had caught up on her sleep, she looked at He Siyu, who sat upright next to her, studying diligently, and felt this wasn’t right. He Siyu was at a critical period of growth and development; she shouldn’t be staying up late like herself.
So, Song Xuyi racked her brain about how to keep He Siyu from following her at night, initiating a painstaking attempt to persuade He Siyu to stay home. But He Siyu was resolute, not giving in no matter how coquettish or pleading Song Xuyi became. In fact, He Siyu turned the tables, advising Song Xuyi to also take some rest at night.
In the end, Song Xuyi had no choice but to compromise. She set up two small beds at her workplace, and the two of them began to catch a few hours of sleep on these beds every night.
What Song Xuyi didn’t know was that after she fell asleep, He Siyu would still get up every night to help out.
……
After persisting like this for a month or two, Mr. Zhao got wind of their nightly escapades and couldn’t help but react with a mix of laughter and tears. He eventually gave in and handed over ten percent of the profits to Song Xuyi. At the same time, he urged her not to sneak out at night anymore.
But at this junction, the NeighborNet Supermarket was experiencing a period of rapid development. There were many decisions that needed Song Xuyi’s touch. Worried about the company’s growth, she still made her way to the industrial park stealthily on many a night.
As time zipped by, September arrived before they knew it.
After a year of focused tutoring, Song Xuyi’s parents had originally thought it would be quite an achievement if the two girls could catch up to the knowledge level of fifth or sixth grade at primary school. To everyone’s surprise, both girls had completed the full primary school curriculum.
Consequently, after several rounds of entrance exams, Song Xuyi and He Siyu were directly admitted to a local junior high school to continue their studies.
After entering junior high, there were placement tests, and Song Xuyi, who had dedicated her life to entrepreneurship, didn’t want to stand out too much academically. She planned to conceal her abilities and aim for an average class, but He Siyu was none the wiser regarding her plan. He Siyu, eager to study in the same class as Song Xuyi, assumed based on Song Xuyi’s ability that they’d both certainly make it into the top class, A. So she doubled down on her efforts day and night. Yet, when the results came out, He Siyu ranked among the top few and, as hoped, got into Class A, but Song Xuyi ended up in Class F.
Seeing the results, He Siyu, despite having made it into Class A, didn’t feel a shred of happiness. She went home and started on her homework. She kept unusually quiet even after Song Xuyi came over that evening.
Song Xuyi had actually planned to go to the company that night but was caught by surprise when a heavy rain started just as she arrived at He Siyu’s place. With frequent typhoons due to the coastal location, for safety’s sake, Song Xuyi ended up really having to sleep over in He Siyu’s room.
After taking a shower, Song Xuyi rolled around on He Siyu’s bed, taking a careful look around He Siyu’s little room. She noticed how incredibly tidy it was: books were neatly arranged by size, any creases on them had been smoothed out, and towels were folded just so…
Remembering the messy state of her own room, Song Xuyi began her usual routine of praising He Siyu: “Sister Siyu, your room is so clean…”
However, Song Xuyi didn’t see the slightly shy smile that He Siyu usually wore. He Siyu was sitting at her desk, head bowed, not uttering a single word.
It was then that Song Xuyi sensed something was amiss. She quickly hopped off the bed and rushed to the desk, only to find He Siyu with eyes red and swollen, as if she had just been crying.
“What’s wrong?”
Song Xuyi’s heart skipped a beat. Glancing around, she noticed the crumpled class assignment list on He Siyu’s desk.
“She was really looking forward to being in the same class as you, you know. And you went and aced your way into Class F without saying a word!” The system in her mind spoke up icily—it hadn’t expected the villain of this world to be so honest, and it even felt a bit of sympathy for her.
Is it because of this matter?
Song Xuyi blinked in a daze, looking at He Siyu who had turned her head away and hoarsely whispered “It’s nothing,” feeling an immense guilt inside.
It was her own fault.
Raising a child isn’t just about providing material abundance; attention must also be given to their emotional needs, and she had indeed neglected Siyu’s mental state recently.
Planning to buy some parenting books to study up, Song Xuyi sincerely consoled He Siyu, “I’m sorry, Siyu. I didn’t tell you that I was planning to go to Class F. You know I’ve been secretly running a business to earn money, and if I were in Class A, it would make skipping classes in the future… inconvenient…”
She’s even planning to skip classes in the future?
He Siyu forgot to be angry and turned her head back in surprise to look at Song Xuyi.
Seeing the astonishment in He Siyu’s eyes, Song Xuyi felt somewhat guilty. But fearing another misunderstanding over this matter in the future, she decided it was best to clarify her plans: “Siyu, I feel that at this stage, my company is much more important than my studies. Only if the company is established can I achieve my dreams, so most of my energy will be focused on the company. In the many years to come, I might prioritize the company over everything else.”
“But you and I are different. Most people need to work hard at their studies to realize their dreams, so I’m really happy you got into Class A. I also believe that Siyu can achieve the best results and eventually fulfill your dreams—”
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“I know this is a bit hard for you to accept,” sighed Song Xuyi, as she hugged He Siyu’s stiff body, her head bowed down, “I wouldn’t dare tell this to anyone else, but you’re my best friend, and I can’t keep it from you—”
Song Xuyi had thought it would take a bit of talking to calm He Siyu down, but to her surprise, after hearing Song Xuyi’s words, He Siyu fell silent for a while and then softly said, “I understand, Xuyi. I won’t tell anyone else about this.”
She seemed to have truly let it go, smiling at Song Xuyi before going to the bathroom to wash up and then climbing into bed to turn off the light.
Worn out from days of exertion, Song Xuyi’s sleep was deep and restful. Seeing that He Siyu appeared to have released her burdens, Song Xuyi fell asleep with ease and quickly sank into a heavy slumber.
Song Xuyi’s sleeping posture was always terrible; before long, she stuck to He Siyu like an octopus, while He Siyu lay there as disciplined as a seasoned cadre, her hands neatly placed by her sides. Yet as her face grew redder in the darkness of the night, her lips couldn’t help but curl up into a smile:
He Siyu didn’t understand what was happening to her. Whenever something involved Xuyi, she couldn’t control her tears, and she even needed Xuyi to soothe her. Even though Xuyi was younger than her, and she had guessed why Xuyi ended up in Class F—
However…
I’ve got a secret with Xuyi that not even Father Song and Mother Song knows about!
Xuyi said I am her best friend!
……
Just thinking about what Song Xuyi said makes He Siyu uncontrollably happy.
Her mind floats through all the memories they’ve shared since they met, and she finds herself wide awake, her brain devoid of sleepiness. In the dark, He Siyu can’t help but cautiously raise her hand and gently rub the soft hair atop Song Xuyi’s head. In her sleep, Song Xuyi murmurs a few incoherent sounds and nuzzles into the crook of He Siyu’s neck…
He Siyu immediately pulls her hand away as if shocked by electricity.
Xuyi is so cute!
Her heart feels as sweet as if she’s drunk honey. With her eyes wide open and without having to look, He Siyu can imagine Song Xuyi’s adorable and naive expression. She curves her lips into a smile, and a thought suddenly flashes through her mind, making He Siyu so embarrassed that she immediately closes her eyes and purses her lips—
Yet, for some reason, that thought just keeps swirling around in her head…
“Xuyi is so cute, I really want to… give her a kiss on the face!”
The author has something to say:
Little kids, they don’t hold grudges, and they’re easy to appease.
But I’m different, I have already taken note of the little angel’s ID in the comments section who made me read 《The Road to Redemption for an Author of Ab*se Novels》! Watch as I glare at you with my disdainfully large, Kaslan eyes. (●︿●)
LP: Re-translated on February 27, 2024
Thanks for the chapter Translator-sama~<3