Blame the Villain – Chapter 220

Villainous Emperor (20)

Song Xuyi was immersed in the world of the storybook until she heard obvious coughing sounds coming from Jiang Ruoyu’s direction.

“Cough!”

“Cough cough!”

…

Jiang Ruoyu coughed several times in succession. Even though she knew a divine spirit’s body was exceptionally resilient, and Jiang Ruoyu’s body was now nearly invulnerable to weapons, Song Xuyi still couldn’t help but ask when hearing Jiang Ruoyu’s continuous coughing: “Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”

“My throat is dry and I want water.” Jiang Ruoyu lifted her head to look over. Song Xuyi wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze somehow seemed somewhat resentful. After a moment’s hesitation, Song Xuyi reluctantly put down the storybook she was reading at a crucial point and got up to bring Jiang Ruoyu a cup of water.

Jiang Ruoyu picked up the cup and drank the water deliberately slowly.

Her drinking movements were extremely elegant, her long neck tilted at just the right angle, while her eyes contained something like hidden hooks [metaphor for captivating/alluring] as she gazed at Song Xuyi…

At any other time, Song Xuyi might have been captivated by Jiang Ruoyu’s beauty, but now Song Xuyi was both preoccupied with the unfinished storybook and mindful of Jiang Ruoyu’s warning to keep to her proper place. Song Xuyi didn’t dare look much at Jiang Ruoyu and kept her head lowered while standing to the side.

Only when the cup made a clear ‘bang’ sound as it was set on the table did Song Xuyi lift her head to look at Jiang Ruoyu.

For some unknown reason, Jiang Ruoyu’s face suddenly became extremely cold, her lips pressed into almost a straight line. Song Xuyi inexplicably felt that Jiang Ruoyu seemed angry, but when Song Xuyi thought back… she didn’t seem to have done anything wrong, so she gathered her courage to step forward and collect the cup.

While collecting the cup, Song Xuyi couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Ruoyu again. At this moment, Jiang Ruoyu had lowered her eyes back to reading her book, her profile as beautiful as if it had been carefully carved. Song Xuyi’s heart skipped a beat; after one look she didn’t dare look again, keeping her eyes downcast. She softened her footsteps as she put away the cup, and seeing that Jiang Ruoyu didn’t seem to have any more orders for her, Song Xuyi returned behind the folding screen to continue reading her storybook.

Fearing that Jiang Ruoyu might have other instructions, Song Xuyi didn’t dare become too absorbed in her reading, constantly keeping attention on Jiang Ruoyu’s sounds.

After quite a while, Jiang Ruoyu hadn’t made any more sounds, and Song Xuyi wasn’t paying much attention, until suddenly a shadow fell across her front—

Song Xuyi was startled: she just realized Jiang Ruoyu had somehow silently walked up in front of her.

Jiang Ruoyu stood before Song Xuyi, quietly watching her, with eyes dark and deep. Her gaze was unfocused, seeming to look at Song Xuyi yet also seeming to look through her at someone else.

“Your Majesty?” Every time Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes watched her like this, Song Xuyi felt panic in her heart, and now especially felt that something was off about her whole body, finally couldn’t help but ask: “Do you have any instructions?”

“I have a headache.” Hearing Song Xuyi’s voice, Jiang Ruoyu seemed to wake up as if from a dream, she met Song Xuyi’s gaze, furrowed her brows, and spoke in a cold voice.

“Don’t you know medical skills?” Jiang Ruoyu took another step forward, and with her approach, this space enclosed by the screen suddenly felt cramped: “Come give me a massage!”

A massage?

Is that what she meant?

Song Xuyi’s eyes widened: Jiang Ruoyu was now a deity, not to mention that divine bodies rarely experience symptoms like headaches, even if a divine body truly had a headache, mortal medical skills couldn’t possibly help her…

However, regardless of Song Xuyi’s doubts, just as she had guessed, meeting Song Xuyi’s widened eyes, Jiang Ruoyu slowly lay back, her black hair flowing down like a waterfall, resting her head on Song Xuyi’s lap, lying sideways on the small couch…

“If you neglect this Lonesome One, I will certainly punish you!” Jiang Ruoyu lifted her eyelids and gave Song Xuyi a warning look, speaking coldly, breaking Song Xuyi’s daze.

Feeling the weight on her legs, Song Xuyi felt her whole body stiffen like a wooden pole, but since Jiang Ruoyu had already spoken thus, Song Xuyi didn’t dare be distracted, and could only tremblingly extend her hands to press the acupressure points on Jiang Ruoyu’s head.

Only then did Jiang Ruoyu seem satisfied and close her eyes, the wrinkles between her brows slowly disappearing.

Song Xuyi’s hands pressed against Jiang Ruoyu’s head, but her thoughts drifted further and further away…

What was wrong with Jiang Ruoyu?

The more contact they had, the more Song Xuyi felt that Jiang Ruoyu’s current temperament was extremely strange:

Whether human or deity, the head is a person’s life gate [vital point], and would never be easily entrusted to a stranger’s hands, yet Jiang Ruoyu just laid her head on her lap like this, allowing her to press her acupuncture points…

If she were possessed by Yin Shen, the deity certainly wouldn’t trust her so easily, and moreover, after these two days of interaction, Song Xuyi discovered that Jiang Ruoyu didn’t seem to be simply possessed by Yin Shen – she had her own thoughts and memories—

But the Jiang Ruoyu before her was completely different from the Jiang Ruoyu in Song Xuyi’s memory…

After thinking it through, the only possibility Song Xuyi could think of was that Jiang Ruoyu was still testing her.

Looking back, Song Xuyi recalled that when she was pretending to be a palace maid, she had indeed shown some flaws, something must have aroused Jiang Ruoyu’s suspicions.

Jiang Ruoyu wasn’t clear which faction she came from, so she could only keep her under one’s eyelids [under close watch], she must increase her self-control going forward, can’t let Jiang Ruoyu discover anything suspicious, only then can she figure out what Jiang Ruoyu is really up to…

Thinking this way, Song Xuyi kept her head down submissively, trying to overcome the strange feelings in her heart, imitating how palace maids in the Empress Dowager’s palace served the Empress Dowager, keeping her eyes straight ahead while focusing on pressing the acupoints on Jiang Ruoyu’s head.

Because she wasn’t looking at Jiang Ruoyu’s face, Song Xuyi didn’t notice that Jiang Ruoyu had reopened her eyes, and her ears were gradually turning red…

Jiang Ruoyu’s face remained calm, but her heart felt somewhat guilty.

After all, she was using her authority to keep the little palace maid by her side. The little palace maid would smile brightly when facing her mother, but remained silent when facing her. Even though there was such a large gap left behind the screen, and even though the little palace maid had previously praised her beauty… but after coming to her chambers, the little palace maid wouldn’t even look at her, keeping her head down just like other palace maids.

Was she… afraid of her?

Jiang Ruoyu unconsciously wanted to get closer to the little palace maid, since the little palace maid didn’t dare look at her, Jiang Ruoyu took the initiative to approach her, successfully lying on the little palace maid’s lap…

The little palace maid’s pressure on her head was perfectly moderate. Although Jiang Ruoyu’s headache was just an excuse, when the little palace maid pressed her head, Jiang Ruoyu felt completely relaxed, as if some taut string inside her body suddenly loosened, and she couldn’t help but open her eyes.

From Jiang Ruoyu’s angle, she could clearly see the little palace maid’s slightly rounded jawline and cherry-like moist, bright red lips. The little palace maid with lowered head had a kind of gentle beauty, seeming able to accept all of her excessive actions…

Jiang Ruoyu involuntarily thought of yesterday’s dream, where she had kissed the little palace maid, and if it hadn’t stopped, who knows what else she might have dreamed…

After realizing what she had thought about, Jiang Ruoyu’s cheeks suddenly felt hot.

However, she didn’t move her gaze away, and her eyes looking at Song Xuyi became even more profound in that moment, as if hiding a deep whirlpool in their depths—

She had confirmed it, this young girl was someone who could make her feel joy.

Although it was extremely strange—that there would exist in this world a young girl who could make her feel such an immediate familiarity as if old friends, making everything seem beautiful after seeing her. But Jiang Ruoyu was certain that in this lifetime, there would be no one else who could give her such happiness and pleasure.

Jiang Ruoyu understood herself, her emotions were actually very detached.

From beginning to end, she only cared about very few people and matters.

And after Goddess Sister left, Jiang Ruoyu hadn’t experienced the feeling of a racing heart for a long time, sometimes even feeling like a cold walking corpse.

Perhaps it was because she had merged with some characteristics of Yin Shen, or perhaps she had always been this greedy and domineering…

Eight years ago, she didn’t dare hope to keep Goddess Sister by her side, after all, she had nothing then, everything depended on Goddess Sister’s grace, only daring to desperately cling to her. But now it’s different – she had become a ruler of a country, accidentally absorbed Yin Shen’s power, and had enough ability to pursue and protect the person she wanted.

Perhaps last night’s dream was a kind of revelation, warning her not to continue secretly pining for Goddess Sister, but should focus on the inexplicably alluring little palace maid who made her fall at first sight, cutting off past romantic thoughts…

Goddess Sister would be an elder, would be a benefactor, but only the little palace maid was someone she could reach, who would be her lifelong bedside companion.

There would still be regrets and unwillingness, thinking of Goddess Sister would make her feel lost, even during those days of struggling against Yin Shen, Jiang Ruoyu had thought about using any means necessary to go to the divine realm and stay by Goddess Sister’s side. But Jiang Ruoyu was completely clear-headed, Goddess Sister only saw her as a junior, while she wanted to pursue her, but if she kept pursuing, it would only make Goddess Sister tired of her…

—Jiang Ruoyu would rather die than have Goddess Sister grow tired of her.

This was good too.

She had met the little palace maid and felt her heart flutter again, so when she meets Goddess Sister in the future, she can face her calmly, letting those difficult-to-express feelings remain buried in the past forever.

Although restraining her feelings for Goddess Sister was extremely difficult, it was something she had to do…

After all, she had met the little palace maid.

People can’t be too lucky, much less want more after getting what they want.

Only, the little palace maid wasn’t close to her yet – was even afraid of her…

Jiang Ruoyu bit her lower lip: how should she step by step remove the young girl’s defenses and make her come to like her too?

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As Jiang Ruoyu thought about many things, her face couldn’t help but grow redder and redder, so red that Song Xuyi noticed the change in temperature on Jiang Ruoyu’s cheeks, and worried that Jiang Ruoyu was truly unwell, couldn’t help but ask: “Your Majesty, how are you feeling?”

“I’m a bit sleepy,” Meeting Song Xuyi’s gaze, that vague sense of familiarity rose again. Having confirmed her feelings and with her heart secretly racing from Song Xuyi’s concern, Jiang Ruoyu blinked her eyes and took advantage of the situation, closing her eyes and pretending to be drowsy as she reached out to embrace Song Xuyi’s waist: “I’ll take a nap, Yiyi, wake me if anything happens—”

Song Xuyi had originally wanted to refuse.

However, Jiang Ruoyu’s current demeanor was no longer cold. When speaking to Song Xuyi, she changed her self-reference to ‘I’, and called Song Xuyi ‘Yiyi’. Though this name was somewhat intimate, it showed Jiang Ruoyu’s softened attitude.

And Song Xuyi had always been someone who responded to gentleness rather than force.

If Jiang Ruoyu had maintained her previous high-and-mighty attitude, Song Xuyi would definitely not have been willing. However, now looking down at Jiang Ruoyu’s flushed cheeks and tightly closed eyes, seeming truly unwell, Song Xuyi couldn’t voice her intended refusal…

“She’s so shameless!” Song Xuyi could only say to the System to save face: “Coming close without my permission!”

The System understood Song Xuyi’s awkwardness and sympathetically replied: “Yes, what a shameless little emperor! Specifically bullying our Xuyi!”

Song Xuyi furrowed her brows, feeling something strange about the System’s words but unable to pinpoint exactly what, could only overcome the strange feeling in her heart and pretend to focus seriously on her storybook…

However, somehow, Song Xuyi’s vision kept being filled with Jiang Ruoyu’s face, which had become even more beautiful due to the flush, and she couldn’t concentrate at all. Only after reciting the 《Heart Sutra》 several times in her mind did Song Xuyi calm down somewhat and manage to refocus on the storybook.

But Song Xuyi hadn’t expected that just when she had finally managed to focus on reading, soon after, a long-absent yet familiar voice would sound in her mind, completely disrupting her thoughts—

Song Xuyi hadn’t heard Jiang Ruoyu’s heart-felt prayers for many years, and hearing it now made her feel somewhat emotional, but after clearly hearing the content, Song Xuyi’s eyes widened—

“Goddess Sister, I think I’ve fallen in love at first sight with a palace maid, will you bless me?”

“On the day of our wedding, I hope you can come sit in the place of honor…”

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The author has something to say:

Song Xuyi: Clutching my little disguise tightly, trembling~

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LP: Re-translated on December 27, 2024

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