Blame the Villain – Chapter 44

Villainous Poor Student (9)

On Monday, the midterm exam results will also be out.

Father Song is a model worker, getting to the office early every morning, but on this day, he was somewhat distracted at work. He checked his watch several times, and when it was almost noon for lunch, he used his new mobile phone to discreetly call the teacher: “Teacher, how did Xuyi do on the exam this time…”

Father Song had prepared a whole host of apologies, but the teacher’s voice on the other end was a bit evasive.

“She did very well this time.”

Father Song breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that since the teacher had said so, at least Xuyi hadn’t regressed from last time. He humbly responded, “It’s all thanks to the teachers’ guidance. I know my own child. Unlike those previous tutors who would blindly praise Xuyi for being smart, which made her somewhat complacent…”

“She is indeed very smart,” the teacher sighed softly: “She ranked third in her class this time…”

“Third… third…?” Father Song doubted if he had heard correctly, the following words got stuck in his throat, and his eyes widened.

He and the teacher fell into a prolonged silence until he finally spoke softly to break the quiet: “So, what do you think—”

“We as adults need to set an example and teach our children to keep their promises,” the teacher sighed gently: “Since you’ve made a promise to the child, you’ll have to go through with what you said. As for the rest, it will have to wait until the day she doesn’t make it into the top five—”

Father Song hung up the phone in a daze.

She made another call to inquire about Song Han’s grades. Listening to the news that Song Han had passed, he came to his senses and, as always, Father Song instructed his secretary to prepare a gift for his daughter. Knowing Song Han’s preferences, he chose a newly released set of fairy tale books for Song Han. However, when it came to Song Xuyi, Father Song found himself at a loss…

“Buy a God of Wealth for Xuyi!”

After much thought, Father Song, facing his secretary’s strange looks, decided to give Song Xuyi a large Fortune God figurine.

Isn’t she starting a business?

For a businessman, it’s still good to believe a bit in Feng Shui…

On this day, Song Xuyi also encountered unusual stares from her classmates.

The students in class F6 themselves didn’t have especially good grades, and everyone tacitly accepted that Song Xuyi would be at the bottom, because they were all in the same examination hall, and Song Xuyi was always the first to hand in her test and leave the classroom. A classmate from the next class saw her taking the exam; she seemed to just skim the questions and then swiftly fill in the answers, making everyone assume she was just guessing blindly.

No one expected that Song Xuyi would actually rank third in her class.

It should be noted that the transition from elementary to junior high school is a watershed moment. Many students who excelled in elementary school may not stand out in junior high school, and in the ninth grade, the school will reassign students to different classes again. Usually, students who rank in the top five of their class have a good chance of being placed in class A.

Facing the evaluating stares of her classmates, Song Xuyi actually felt a bit embarrassed inside. After all, these little friends were just children in her heart, and she hadn’t planned on competing with these youngsters for grades. Especially when a girl who ranked fourth in the class burst into tears upon hearing her rank, it inadvertently made Song Xuyi feel a sense of guilt.

During the break, she specifically bought ice cream for that girl to cheer her up, but to her surprise, seeing the ice cream Song Xuyi brought over, the little girl cried even harder and even threw the ice cream Song Xuyi bought onto the ground!

“You’re just trying to provoke me…”

The girl cried her heart out. Song Xuyi shrugged her shoulders, realizing that not all young girls are as adorable as He Siyu, and not wanting to impose her goodwill where it was not wanted, she decided not to bother with her further.

Soon, it was time to leave school.

Song Xuyi, holding her report card, excitedly returned home, ready to find her dad to make good on a promise, only to discover that Father Song had unusually come home from work early and was sitting in the living room. She called out “Dad” along with her sibling Song Han behind her, and then saw Father Song smile and point at two heavy-looking gift boxes on the floor beside him.

“Both of you did well in your exams; these are gifts.”

Apologies for the confusion. Let’s correct that:

“Both of you did well on your exams; these are gifts.”

Song Han was the first to open the box, and her eyes immediately brightened when seeing a whole set of books inside. Song Xuyi had thought her dad’s gift to her would be books as well, which she planned to give to He Siyu. She unwrapped hers nonchalantly, only to be surprised to find a porcelain statue of the smiling God of Wealth inside!

Song Xuyi, hugging the substantial God of Wealth, followed her dad to the study.

The young daughter, slender and fair, clutching the God of Wealth figurine bigger than her whole face, took small steps into the study, looking both comical and adorable.

Watching his younger daughter in this state, Father Song suddenly felt a bittersweet amusement, not comprehending how the situation had progressed to this stage:

She was just a child, yet fixated on the idea of starting a business, and even more ludicrous was the fact that he had actually agreed to it…

“This time, I admit defeat! For the next half of the term, I’ll find a way to help you ask the teacher for leave, so you can have more free time,” Father Song looked at Song Xuyi for a moment before initiating the conversation, his eyes smiling at her, then deliberately put on a stern face: “But if your grades drop by the end of term…”

Song Xuyi hurriedly raised her hand to swear: “I will absolutely not let my grades fall!”

Father Song rubbed his brow.

He remembered the phone call with Mr. Zhao when he praised Song Xuyi, saying her potential was limitless, and also recalled the serious and determined expression on Song Xuyi’s face when she talked about helping girls from the mountainous areas…

He really must be getting old!

Father Song sighed worriedly, patted Song Xuyi’s head, and agreed to her request.

With Father Song’s help in asking for leave, Song Xuyi’s life became much more relaxed afterward, and her spirits visibly improved.

Meanwhile, He Siyu had been exercising with Officer He over the year. Even though she would sneak out at night with Song Xuyi, her spirits were much better than Song Xuyi’s, and she had grown rapidly in height, now nearly a head taller than Song Xuyi.

This time, He Siyu also ranked fifth in the entire school. Song Xuyi knew well how hard-earned her achievement was. To show her appreciation and provide a reward, Song Xuyi, imitating her father, gifted He Siyu a set of fairy tale books.

Song Xuyi didn’t have time to pick out books at the bookstore, so she made the purchase through her own website. The books were quite expensive, and the advertising was enticing—”The most bizarre and beautiful fairy tale adaptations, enchanting tales that one cannot put down.” Song Xuyi glanced at the catalog, which included the most famous 《Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales》 and 《Grimm’s Fairy Tales》. When the books arrived, Song Xuyi didn’t even look through them but directly handed them over to He Siyu.

He Siyu trusted Song Xuyi implicitly, so she immediately started reading the book. She read quickly but soon felt that something about the stories was amiss. When she reached a certain part, her face flushed red as if she had been scalded by fire, and she snapped the book shut, biting her lip and turning to do her homework instead. Yet, her gaze kept drifting back to the books…

Song Xuyi hadn’t noticed her unusual expression until the next evening when they snuck out again. It was on the bus that Song Xuyi realized He Siyu was preoccupied.

“Siyu, what’s wrong?”

He Siyu had always been calm and composed, and it was the first time Song Xuyi saw her look so distracted.

Biting her lip and casting a beautiful glance at Song Xuyi, He Siyu opened her mouth hesitantly, speaking softly, “…Xuyi, why did you buy me this kind of book?”

Song Xuyi was taken aback, then remembered that He Siyu was referring to the set of fairy tales she had bought. Thinking that He Siyu was probably confused because she was not used to reading for leisure, she explained, “Such books are usually for entertainment, but they can also teach some knowledge, cultivate good virtues, and a love for life…”

“Can they cultivate good virtues?” He Siyu frowned, seemingly still puzzled.

“Of course, they can. Fairy tales are actually full of philosophy,” Song Xuyi thought that since they were free anyway, she might as well elaborate: “You’ve read ‘Snow White,’ haven’t you? The stepmother was jealous of her and fed her a poisoned apple… This story teaches us to always be kind, to pursue happiness bravely, and that’s how to win a wonderful life…”

He Siyu pursed her lips.

She realized that the stories Song Xuyi spoke about were different from the ones she had read.

In the story she read, the stepmother fell in love with Snow White at first sight and wanted to possess her, so she deliberately poisoned the king and then captured Snow White, who spent day and night in the luxurious chambers of the palace doing various exercises…

Remembering those varied descriptions in the book made He Siyu unconsciously blush.

She realized that there was something wrong with the book she had read but didn’t want to let Song Xuyi know that she had read such a book, so she could only bite her lip and lower her head.

Song Xuyi was still talking: “Have you read ‘The Little Mermaid’? The Little Mermaid exchanged her voice for a potion from the witch in order to pursue her love…” Thinking of The Little Mermaid’s fate of turning into sea foam in the end, she sighed: “This story teaches us not to follow in the mermaid’s footsteps, not to give up everything for love, as life is more important—”

The version He Siyu had seen was not the one Song Xuyi was talking about.

In the version He Siyu saw, the witch had long coveted the beautiful mermaid and, when the mermaid came to her seeking a potion, the witch demanded that the mermaid accompany her for a year. The poor mermaid fell into the witch’s hands and was kept in her cave every day, being made to do this and that… After a year passed, the mermaid completely forgot about the prince’s existence and lived happily ever after with the witch at the bottom of the sea…

“Do you understand?” Song Xuyi finally summed up: “In short, it’s okay to read these books, they can inspire thought and cultivate writing skills, but you can’t believe them entirely…”

“I understand!”

“Xuyi, what’s the homework for your class today? I’ll help you with it later…”

He Siyu nodded earnestly and awkwardly changed the subject.

Yet in her heart, she made up her mind: the moment she got home tonight, she would shove these shameful books under the bed and never look at them again!

Time flew by, and soon another two months had passed.

The end-of-term exams were fast approaching.

Song Xuyi had never expected that she would be a victim of bullying.

A few days before the exams, He Siyu was held back by a teacher to participate in a physics competition. Song Xuyi waited for her, and by the time the two were heading back, the sky had already darkened. In a certain alley, the two girls were stopped by a group of five other girls.

Song Xuyi looked at the four tall girls wearing school uniforms, who seemed to be students from a vocational high school.

“Get out of the way!” A girl with dyed yellow hair who appeared to be the leader shoved He Siyu aside and glared fiercely at Song Xuyi: “I heard it was you who deliberately humiliated my little sister, Li Qing?”

“Let me tell you something, you better smarten up. If you dare to upset my sister again, I’ll make sure you regret it!”

Upset her sister?

Due to frequent leaves of absence by Father Song, she wasn’t familiar with her classmates. It took her a long time to recognize the younger girl in her own school uniform standing beside the yellow-haired girl as the one who had been reduced to tears by her, the girl who had ranked fourth…

“Oh, so your name is Li Qing!” Song Xuyi realized suddenly and once again reflected inwardly with the system: Indeed, not every girl is like He Siyu! When Siyu doesn’t perform as well as others, she only works harder in secret, unlike this young lady who actually resorts to threats…

Song Xuyi also didn’t anticipate that her simple comment would stir up a hornet’s nest again. When Li Qing, the rival she had been mindful of for so long, heard that Song Xuyi didn’t even know her name, her lips pursed and her eyes quickly reddened.

“How dare you bully my sister!” The yellow-haired girl exploded in anger: “If you don’t drink a toast, you must drink a penalty…”

The yellow-haired girl raised her hand—

Song Xuyi frowned.

She naturally wouldn’t stand here waiting for the slap from the yellow-haired girl. In the previous world, she was at least an Alpha who had been on the battlefield and killed the Insect Race. The fighting skills that caused harm were deeply ingrained in her memory. When Song Xuyi became serious, the momentum that emerged from her eyes, as if flowing out from a sea of ​​corpses and blood, was extremely terrifying…

The yellow-haired girl’s gaze froze for a moment when facing Song Xuyi, but suddenly she extended her hand diagonally and He Siyu grabbed the yellow-haired girl’s arm, forcefully twisting it backwards, and harshly kneed her in the stomach—

“Rip her face apart for me!”

The yellow-haired girl fell to the ground in pain. She was used to being domineering in this area and had never thought that someone would resist her. In that moment, she forgot about Song Xuyi and called for the other three girls to surround He Siyu—

Song Xuyi didn’t expect this encounter to turn into a four-person siege against He Siyu!

“Stop fighting!”

Song Xuyi and Li Qing kept trying to break up the fight from the side, but no one listened to them. Five people were virtually fighting as if their lives didn’t matter, tangled up in a brawl—

If He Siyu weren’t there, Song Xuyi alone could have taken on the four people. However, He Siyu knew the original character’s limitations, and Song Xuyi had to maintain her persona without revealing her combat skills, forced to pretend to break up the fight while sneakily getting in hits…

Despite this, the four against one meant He Siyu was still at a disadvantage.

No one expected He Siyu, normally cool and uninvolved, to explode with such ferocity in a fight. Even though outmatched against four, she fought fiercely, not caring for her own safety. Even when her forehead hit the wall and bled, she didn’t show weakness. Taking advantage of a moment, she pulled out a small knife from her bag and held it up in front of her—

He Siyu was slightly out of breath, fresh blood trailing down her beautiful face, yet her expression remained cold, her lovely eyes as if containing ice and snow.

One had to admit, there was a dangerous beauty about He Siyu at that moment—dark, beautiful, and captivating.

Li Qing, who was by Song Xuyi’s side, seemed stunned for a second.

Seeing the knife in He Siyu’s hand, the group of girls, initially fueled by rage, belatedly realized their fear: This beautiful girl didn’t care about her own face or life at all!

With this fear setting in, the bluster of the four girls quickly deflated.

He Siyu fought as if she had nothing to lose, whereas these four girls valued their lives and didn’t want an unmanageable outcome over a single exam.

It was unclear who started it, but the four girls, along with Li Qing, began to retreat toward the entrance of the alley. Only then did they notice the pain in certain joints upon touch, which was much worse than the usual beating they received. They didn’t realize that Song Xuyi might have had a hand in this, thinking the pain would last at most for half a month as a result of ordinary bumps. They didn’t take it seriously until the pain didn’t subside after a week. After hearing that He Siyu’s father was a police officer, they attributed the injuries to her and subsequently developed a fear of He Siyu, daring not to bully others in this area again…

But, all of this happened later.

At the moment, Song Xuyi quickly took He Siyu to a clinic on the street corner to treat her wounds. Seeing He Siyu’s battered state, Song Xuyi felt extremely distressed: “Don’t be so impulsive next time, they just wanted to scare me…”

However, the usually obedient He Siyu did not listen to Song Xuyi this time.

Her beautiful eyes lifted earnestly, gazing intently at Song Xuyi: “Even if it were to happen again, I would still do the same…”

“They intended to hurt you, Xuyi!”

I would rather die than stand by and watch you get hurt…

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The author has something to say:

While writing this chapter, I have to mention the street stall literature of long ago, which would advertise one thing but sell another:

In the ninth grade, my dad bought me a book called “Happy Campus” from a street stall.

The cover looked so innocent.

Only later did I find out that it was about a high school boy and five beauties, a pure love story that modern Jinjiang wouldn’t even allow to be written…

The innocent me at the time, upon discovering the true nature of the story, resolutely and innocently handed the book over to my grandmother. This resulted in a scolding for my dad from her and five yuan of spending money for me. The innocent grandmother, now seeing my little cousin playing video games, still sneers, “Why don’t you learn from your sister and read more books? She has been sensible and fond of reading since she was little, and moreover, she doesn’t read bad books…”

Hmm, I also don’t know how I came to know it was a love story between a male high school student and five beauties… Perhaps… I dreamt it up—

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LP: Re-translated on February 29, 2024

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