Blame the Villain – Chapter 228

Villainous Emperor (28)

Song Xuyi felt there was something strangely bitter in Jiang Ruoyu’s words, as if speaking through gritted teeth.

However, since this was the first time Jiang Ruoyu had opened up, Song Xuyi naturally wouldn’t give up so easily.

Song Xuyi took a deep breath and decided to persist: “Ruoyu, forget about her. You’re the emperor now, and many people will come to admire you. Forgetting her would be best for both of you…”

Jiang Ruoyu didn’t speak further. She pressed her lips together and cast a heavy glance at Song Xuyi, seemingly suppressing something with great effort, while tears became more visible in her eyes.

Song Xuyi’s guilt reached its peak at that moment.

Jiang Ruoyu should have been an emperor with unlimited glory; if not for herself, she would have lived quite contentedly…

But this wasn’t the time to be soft-hearted.

Song Xuyi bit her lower lip and resolved to continue. She closed her eyes briefly and reached out her hand, stroking Jiang Ruoyu’s head as she used to do when they were younger. She spoke softly, as if telling both Jiang Ruoyu and herself: “Ruoyu, some things are wrong from the start. It’s better to cut losses early – it’s better for both you and her. Just treat her as a nightmare! When you wake up, everyone needs to move forward…”

When Song Xuyi touched her head, Jiang Ruoyu’s rigid body suddenly relaxed.

However, Jiang Ruoyu seemed to be in even more pain.

She suddenly pulled Song Xuyi down forcefully onto the plush carpet, holding her waist tightly and burying her face in Song Xuyi’s neck as tears fell continuously, resembling a wounded young beast.

Jiang Ruoyu’s embrace was so tight that Song Xuyi could barely breathe. She instinctively trembled and tried to break free, but seeing Jiang Ruoyu in such agony, feeling the tears on her neck, Song Xuyi froze, sensing these warm tears burning hot as if they scorched her very heart.

Song Xuyi no longer cared about the awkwardness in her heart. She stopped struggling, relaxed her body, and hesitantly raised her hand to pat Jiang Ruoyu’s back—

Suddenly, Song Xuyi felt like crying too.

Originally, she felt she didn’t deserve to cry, as she had been the one who willfully messed everything up into its current state, yet tears still fell uncontrollably from her eyes…

Eventually, Jiang Ruoyu stopped crying at some point, while Song Xuyi continued sobbing, her tears flowing even more intensely.

Song Xuyi could feel Jiang Ruoyu studying her. She knew she had no right to cry in front of the victim, after all, she was the scumbag who had slept with Jiang Ruoyu and run away, but her tears were beyond control, impossible to stop…

“Stop crying!” Song Xuyi heard Jiang Ruoyu’s slightly frustrated voice. She reached out, her tone carrying the same coldness it had held these past days, yet her movements were incredibly gentle as she wiped Song Xuyi’s tears.

Song Xuyi’s body stiffened, and she turned her head away, feeling increasingly ashamed and angry at herself. She was truly useless: being the root cause of all troubles, yet here she was being comforted by the very person she had wronged…

The kinder Jiang Ruoyu was to her, the more Song Xuyi couldn’t stop her tears.

“I… I just remembered something sad,” Song Xuyi said between hiccups, keeping her head down and not daring to meet Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze. Feeling both awkward and utterly embarrassed, she could only make up an excuse: “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine soon.”

But Jiang Ruoyu didn’t leave.

She spoke softly, paused for a moment, then spoke again with obvious resignation and a sigh: “So, Sister still cares about me, right?”

Song Xuyi didn’t dare raise her head, nodding with tears still flowing: “When you’re sad, I’m sad too.”

Another moment of silence followed, with only Song Xuyi’s sobs audible in the air. After a while, Song Xuyi heard another sigh, and then Jiang Ruoyu embraced her again.

“An immortal stroked my crown, granting me eternal life.” [A reference to a classical Chinese poem about immortality] Jiang Ruoyu’s embrace wasn’t as tight as before, and she gently patted Song Xuyi’s back while softly consoling: “Since meeting you, I’ve never actually thought about immortality, nor cared about power and status. I only wanted to live peacefully with you and Mother. Later, when I met Liu Yi, she simply became another part of my plans…”

“Sister, don’t cry anymore! I’ll listen to you and stop searching for Liu Yi.”

After this emotional release, Jiang Ruoyu seemed to finally let go of her stubbornness, and Song Xuyi finally heard what she wanted to hear—

Meeting Song Xuyi’s startled gaze, Jiang Ruoyu sighed again: “But Sister, forgetting someone you’ve held dear is too painful. Could you stay with me for a while?”

Song Xuyi naturally couldn’t refuse Jiang Ruoyu’s request.

After all, even though unintentional, she was largely responsible for Jiang Ruoyu’s pain, and she felt obligated to help Jiang Ruoyu recover.

“Then could Sister move out of the divine statue and live with me?” After Song Xuyi finally stopped crying and agreed to stay, Jiang Ruoyu’s voice became gentler: “Now my heart only feels better when I see Sister. Every time you return to the divine statue, I worry you’ll disappear like you did ten years ago, never to be found again…”

“Back then, I was injured from channeling divine power, and remained dormant for eight years before awakening, then… then I went into closed-door cultivation.” Song Xuyi had always known she owed Jiang Ruoyu an explanation for those eight years, especially after seeing how Jiang Ruoyu had missed her and manipulated her divine statue. Her guilt grew even deeper.

But Song Xuyi feared losing control of her heart and didn’t dare live with Jiang Ruoyu, especially when she saw the chains throughout the room and the golden bed that looked like a cage, which made her feel strange.

“What is Sister afraid of?” Seeming to understand Song Xuyi’s concerns, Jiang Ruoyu spoke softly and waved her hand, making all the chains disappear. Seeing Song Xuyi still hesitant, Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes darkened, though her face showed deep sadness: “Liu Yi was a kind and lively girl like Sister. I always felt she rejected me because I did something wrong, or I was too stupid, or too timid… I used to always hope for her return, and worried she might get bored, so I thought about catching some small beasts to keep caged for her amusement…”

“Now there’s no need for that anymore.”

Song Xuyi felt relieved. She had to admit, seeing the room’s arrangement had led to some unpleasant assumptions, but now hearing Jiang Ruoyu’s explanation, her guilt deepened as she realized she had misunderstood Jiang Ruoyu.

Driven by this guilt, when Jiang Ruoyu compromised and no longer insisted on living together, but instead asked for permission to enter Song Xuyi’s divine statue to visit her anytime, Song Xuyi considered it. Although as an immortal, access rights were typically only granted to partners or close relatives, she still gave Jiang Ruoyu permission to enter her divine statue.

Jiang Ruoyu immediately pulled Song Xuyi into her divine statue, and when she saw she could truly enter without hindrance, her eyes lit up noticeably as she happily grabbed Song Xuyi’s arm: “Sister is so good to me!”

Song Xuyi wasn’t used to Jiang Ruoyu’s sudden physical contact, but seeing Jiang Ruoyu finally happy made her feel somewhat gratified, and she too smiled.

“As long as you’re happy.”

The next day, Song Xuyi spent all her time with Jiang Ruoyu, whose spirits were notably high: she personally cooked a table full of delicious dishes, had Song Xuyi model for a portrait, and even took her to meet Dong Rou during dinner time…

Dong Rou had only met the Goddess a few times before and was initially very respectful toward Song Xuyi. However, after some private conversation with Jiang Ruoyu in the room, when they came out, Dong Rou’s gaze toward Song Xuyi became quite strange, seemingly shocked with a hint of sympathy…

Song Xuyi naturally wouldn’t eavesdrop on the mother-daughter private conversation, but the System, having somehow heard something, let out a strange cackle in Song Xuyi’s mind.

But the peculiarity in Dong Rou’s eyes quickly disappeared as she engaged Song Xuyi in conversation.

Dong Rou’s attitude toward Song Xuyi changed imperceptibly – she no longer treated her as a lofty deity, but rather like an endearing peer or even a junior…

Song Xuyi had never possessed the arrogance common among deities, so she didn’t take it to heart, assuming Dong Rou’s previous formality was due to limited interaction, and her current friendliness was natural now that they were getting along well.

However, over the next few days, more and more unusual things occurred.

When Song Xuyi awoke from meditation in the divine statue on the second day, she found Jiang Ruoyu staring at her unblinkingly. Meeting Song Xuyi’s surprised gaze, Jiang Ruoyu appeared completely at ease: “So this is how Sister looks while meditating.”

Song Xuyi thought Jiang Ruoyu was just curious about the divine statue and didn’t think much of it, but the same thing happened on the second day, the third day… and so on.

Moreover, Jiang Ruoyu’s interactions with her became increasingly intimate. She would often look at Song Xuyi with an intense gaze that made her blush and her heart race, liked to hold Song Xuyi’s arm, and would frequently call out “Sister” in a clingy manner.

Song Xuyi felt increasingly strange about this situation, and what frightened her more was how frequently she found herself blushing and her heart racing when facing Jiang Ruoyu.

Trying to calm herself, Song Xuyi returned to her cave dwelling within the divine statue one day, and only then did she realize what a huge mistake it had been to give Jiang Ruoyu access rights.

After meditating for one night, Song Xuyi saw Jiang Ruoyu outside her cave dwelling. Jiang Ruoyu had followed her home through the divine statue’s passage. Song Xuyi’s eyes widened, and before she could pull Jiang Ruoyu back to the mortal realm, she saw Father Song who had come looking for his daughter…

Father Song wasn’t aloof like other deities and engaged Jiang Ruoyu in conversation.

When facing Father Song, Jiang Ruoyu shed her deliberately clingy and coquettish behavior that she showed to Song Xuyi, appearing calm, powerful, clever, and likable. Father Song looked at Jiang Ruoyu, then at the anxious Song Xuyi, and finally gave a meaningful laugh without saying anything, letting them both return to the mortal realm.

After returning, Song Xuyi felt increasingly uneasy, thinking her father’s gaze at her and Jiang Ruoyu had been strange. She was distracted all day and even nearly fell after tripping over a chair…

Though they were quite far apart, Jiang Ruoyu immediately came over to steady Song Xuyi.

Due to momentum, Song Xuyi fell into Jiang Ruoyu’s embrace. When their eyes met, Song Xuyi saw clear desire in Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes, as if she might kiss her at any moment…

What made Song Xuyi feel even more alarmed was that when she met Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze, her legs shamefully went weak.

Song Xuyi felt increasingly troubled: she remembered watching an interview program in some world saying that heartbroken people easily fall for those they interact with during their vulnerable period. Fearing their relationship might become complicated again, Song Xuyi thought about the women Fu Sheng had prepared for Jiang Ruoyu…

Having learned from past lessons, Song Xuyi didn’t dare directly suggest that Jiang Ruoyu go see those women, instead saying she wanted to go herself. When Song Xuyi proposed visiting these women, Jiang Ruoyu was momentarily stunned, then agreed with a cold expression.

Song Xuyi had the girls demonstrate their talents based on what she remembered of their strengths. Whether due to Jiang Ruoyu’s icy stare from the side or the girls’ own lack of interest, they didn’t perform well.

They left the palace, and Jiang Ruoyu asked: “Am I not good enough? Sister wants to look at other girls? Any talent they have, I have too. If Sister likes, I can perform for you every day!”

The jealousy in these words was too obvious, and Song Xuyi didn’t dare respond.

However, Jiang Ruoyu’s next words made Song Xuyi’s eyes widen in shock—

“Or does Sister want me to marry one of these girls?” Jiang Ruoyu’s voice carried a hint of mockery: “But as far as I know, the Wang family’s skilled embroiderer and the Liu family’s second daughter are together, and many of the other women also have their own beloved… Sister, are you asking me to break up these pairs of mandarin ducks [metaphor for loving couples]?”

Song Xuyi was stunned, not expecting this situation. After all, Jiang Ruoyu was emperor, and these women were nominally part of her palace. Their behavior was equivalent to Jiang Ruoyu wearing a green hat [Chinese idiom for being cheated on]. Fearing her interference might cause Jiang Ruoyu to truly reject these women and bring them misfortune, Song Xuyi finally backed down and didn’t dare mention it again.

Seeming to understand Song Xuyi’s unease, Jiang Ruoyu told her two days later about plans to travel incognito [rulers traveling in disguise to inspect their realm] throughout the Jiang Kingdom.

Jiang Ruoyu took Song Xuyi out of the palace.

Though Jiang Ruoyu ruled with an iron fist and most places were now orderly, there were still some remote areas where local officials acted like tyrants, disregarding Jiang Ruoyu’s edicts and causing the people to suffer greatly.

Song Xuyi focused wholeheartedly on helping people, her attention completely taken by these disaster victims. Although daily contact with Jiang Ruoyu still made her heart flutter, having the distraction of helping victims made Song Xuyi feel less awkward.

Sometimes while traveling with Jiang Ruoyu, Song Xuyi would feel a sense of peaceful contentment, as if they had been together for many years.

Until several months later, when Song Xuyi received a message from Father Song one evening. For some unknown reason, his voice through the voice pearl was extremely loud, loud enough for Jiang Ruoyu to hear. When Father Song said: “That divine lord you agreed to meet for marriage arrangement before your closed-door cultivation is free today, would you like to return home for a meeting?” Before Song Xuyi could reply, Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes had already turned red…

A powerful force came from the side, and before Song Xuyi could react, Jiang Ruoyu had wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her deeply.

Song Xuyi’s eyes widened as she tried to break free, but then she felt hot tears on her face…

Song Xuyi froze in place.

“Song Xuyi, or perhaps I should call you Liu Yi,” This was the first time Jiang Ruoyu had called Song Xuyi by her full name. She kissed Song Xuyi’s lips fiercely as tears streamed down: “Do you have any heart at all?”

Jiang Ruoyu had never told anyone about the little palace maid who had slept with her and then ran away, not even telling her mother Dong Rou. Besides those involved, no one would know about this…

When Song Xuyi had mentioned what the little palace maid had done, Jiang Ruoyu understood: Song Xuyi was the little palace maid she had been desperately searching for.

Jiang Ruoyu wasn’t without resentment; she had originally planned to carry out all her imagined revenge on Song Xuyi…

But Song Xuyi was crying.

When Song Xuyi cried, Jiang Ruoyu found she couldn’t bring herself to be cruel, her heart feeling as if pierced by needles, instinctively trying to comfort Song Xuyi…

Jiang Ruoyu suddenly realized—she had completely fallen.

But Sister still cared for her…

This was her last chance.

Rather than using forceful methods, Jiang Ruoyu wanted Song Xuyi to willingly stay by her side.

She thought she could endure it, having noticed Song Xuyi’s attraction to her, but hadn’t expected to hear about Song Xuyi’s marriage arrangement…

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With the window paper [idiom for a flimsy cover-up] completely torn away, Song Xuyi didn’t know how to respond. She closed her eyes like an ostrich, but this time Jiang Ruoyu gave her no chance to escape. She pressed her forehead against Song Xuyi’s, analyzing her feelings through gritted teeth: “Long ago, I wanted to lock you by my side, not letting you go anywhere. But then I was just a humble mortal, and you were an exalted Goddess. I could only suppress my desires, trying hard to act like an ordinary disciple—”

“When Liu Yi appeared, you don’t know how happy I was. I thought I could let go of my longing for you and wholeheartedly love a girl within my reach, but never imagined it was still you…”

“I was foolish. Besides you, no one else in the world could give me this feeling of sweetness and maddening pain in my heart—”

“You were the one who came to tempt me as Liu Yi! This time I won’t let go! If you run away again, even if I have to slaughter the three realms, search high in the azure sky and low in the yellow springs [idiom for searching everywhere, from heaven to the underworld], I will always find you…”

Though her words were harsh, Jiang Ruoyu was crying inconsolably, tears streaming down as she looked at Song Xuyi before her. Before Song Xuyi could speak, she had already begun denying all her own words—

“But I am utterly cowardly. All those things that would hurt you, I dare not do…”

“Sister, can’t you love me just once?”

…

Song Xuyi was left speechless.

Jiang Ruoyu’s words had too great an impact on her, and amid Jiang Ruoyu’s repeated pleading of “Xuyi, could you love me a little?” Song Xuyi’s eyes finally softened…

In this lifetime, they spent many years together: the Jiang Kingdom became prosperous, they chose a new emperor together, traveled the four seas, and devoted themselves to righting injustices in the mortal realm…

However, one day, Jiang Ruoyu, while embracing Song Xuyi, suddenly changed her expression. She lowered her eyes, looking at Song Xuyi’s face with a deep, nostalgic gaze…

The woman before her eyes looked like Jiang Ruoyu, yet somehow didn’t seem like Jiang Ruoyu.

Song Xuyi was stunned as countless memories flashed through her mind, a name reaching her throat, a memory once deeply etched in her heart…

But before Song Xuyi could speak, accompanied by the System’s startled cry of “What’s wrong, what happened?”, everything began spinning, and Song Xuyi once again fell into familiar darkness…

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The author has something to say:

Due to thematic issues, the next world will be different. I am rewriting the outline.

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LP: Re-translated on January 09, 2025

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