Blame the Villain – Chapter 240

Villainous Singer (12)

In the following month or two, just as the system had predicted, Lin Ruyu  began reducing the frequency of lessons with Song Xuyi. Even when Lin Ruyu initiated communication, she appeared extremely tired and would only engage in casual conversation with Song Xuyi, rarely requesting lessons.

However, Song Xuyi’s wages continued to be paid as usual, each time exceeding the originally agreed price by a significant margin.

Song Xuyi’s feelings were incredibly complicated.

She continued to live frugally as always. Now that Lin Ruyu’s room had enough models, Song Xuyi’s learning from these models had already saved her a considerable amount of money. There weren’t many other expenses, and whenever Lin Ruyu sent money, Song Xuyi would save it all.

After several months, Lin Ruyu resumed her previous attitude towards Song Xuyi, beginning to have Song Xuyi teach her about various robot models again, becoming even more intimate than before.

Song Xuyi felt relieved—time spent with Lin Ruyu had become her shelter from the wind where she could temporarily relax. To maintain authenticity, Song Xuyi deliberately controlled her academic performance, making it similar to before—scoring well in theory but performing poorly in practical skills, constantly hovering on the edge of elimination during each exam.

Maintaining this precarious state of being almost eliminated but not quite required tremendous energy. Even though Song Xuyi considered herself experienced in life, during each exam she felt like walking a tightrope over a cliff, extremely tense…

In fact, Lin Ruyu was now Song Xuyi’s only remaining friend.

As Song Yi’s status rose, more children from the Bilin Star began arriving, with frequency changing from once every few years to annually, and various situations began arising among these students.

After the first person from the Ruoshui Star abandoned their studies, soon there was a second, then a third…

And many new students began following the example of senior students by starting romantic relationships with people from the Bilin Star.

Several groups of people came afterward, but few could study in the Robotics Department. Song Xuyi seemed to become a benchmark, but due to Song Yi’s position, other children seemed to have an unspoken agreement to avoid deep friendships with her. Even Luo Xi, who was once close to Song Xuyi, chose to distance herself.

When Song Xuyi was thirteen, just as written in the original plot outline, Song Yi gained favor with the Bilin Star’s military leaders by proposing to establish a new Guardian’s Mansion, successfully becoming the highest-ranking Guardian.

The news reached the Bilin Star.

Because of Song Yi, teachers and classmates from the Bilin Star became much friendlier to Song Xuyi. Many laboratories that previously denied her entry began opening their doors to her, since Song Xuyi showed no exceptional talent, and they were happy to curry favor.

Moreover, becoming a Guardian had always meant complete submission to the Bilin Star, with Guardians being even harsher toward their own people than the Bilin Star residents. As the Ruoshui Star people would say, a Guardian was the Bilin Star military’s most loyal and vicious dog. The Ruoshui Star people wished to devour their flesh and bones [dàn qí gǔ shí qí ròu – idiom expressing extreme hatred], and even if Guardians later wanted to defect from the Bilin Star military, they would likely never be accepted by the Ruoshui Star people again.

After this news spread, the Ruoshui Star classmates’ attitudes toward Song Xuyi became increasingly complex. Song Xuyi thought Lin Ruyu’s attitude might change too. She was certain Lin Ruyu must have heard the news because that evening, Lin Ruyu, who had been extremely busy and hadn’t contacted Song Xuyi for half a month, initiated another video call.

By then, Lin Ruyu had turned eighteen, considered an adult on both Ruoshui Star and Bilin Star. The young woman was in her prime, her reputation spread throughout the Bilin Star, with suitors as numerous as fish crossing a river [rú guò jiāng zhī jī – idiom meaning countless in number]. Even a small kingdom from the Bilin Star was willing to offer her the position of princess consort…

However, Lin Ruyu seemed focused solely on singing, with no romantic rumors ever surfacing.

Contrary to Song Xuyi’s expectations, Lin Ruyu neither questioned nor distanced herself. Instead, Lin Ruyu appeared extremely happy, her beautiful eyes sparkling like diamonds, and while speaking words of comfort to Song Xuyi, she couldn’t suppress her smile: “Xuyi, it’s alright. Others may not understand you, but you have me. We’re kindred spirits, the closest of friends…”

Song Xuyi furrowed her brows.

However, when she looked again, Lin Ruyu’s expression had changed, and she lowered her eyes.

Song Xuyi glanced at Lin Ruyu’s demeanor but didn’t think much of it: after all, Lin Ruyu’s reputation was spreading further and further, and everyone had become convinced she wouldn’t return to Ruoshui Star. Moreover, she was rarely at school and hadn’t made any close friends there. Lin Ruyu had always shown her childish side unreservedly in front of Song Xuyi, and now that Song Xuyi was in this situation too, she probably felt happy about having a lasting companion…

Afterward, Lin Ruyu didn’t show any unusual behavior, watching Song Xuyi disassemble robots as usual, so Song Xuyi completely overlooked this small incident.

As time flew by, with the growing number of students sent to the Bilin Star, the people from Ruoshui Star split into two distinct factions.

Those going to Ruoshui Star united as one, jointly establishing an association and planning various activities on the Bilin Star.

The other faction was more ambivalent, either belonging to families like Song Xuyi’s that had allied with the Bilin Star people, or Ruoshui Star people who had found lovers on the Bilin Star…

Song Xuyi didn’t align with either faction, focusing solely on her studies, and her presence among the Ruoshui Star students became increasingly insignificant.

Meanwhile, Luo Xi and others became increasingly outspoken: somehow they had obtained videos showing the current situation of Ruoshui Star’s citizens. Since the network was monitored by the authorities, images and videos couldn’t be sent out, so they resorted to distributing flyers on the streets.

The flyers fell into the hands of Bilin Star people, completely shattering the military’s lie to the public about ‘rescuing an uncivilized people’. Public opinion on the Bilin Star began to show sympathy for the Ruoshui Star people, and mysteriously, some strange force seemed to be helping these students. The flyers leaked onto the network through Bilin Star people’s accounts, causing significant public outcry.

The Bilin Star’s high-ranking officials quickly noticed this public opinion. To maintain social order, they sent people to interview the relevant students, using both carrot and stick [wēi pò lì yòu – idiom meaning to use both threats and inducements] to make them admit that what they had distributed were rumors and that all the flyers were fabricated.

These students naturally refused.

The military authorities became furious, even deporting two students, and cut off food supplies to these students as a show of force, claiming that “the Bilin Star refuses to support Ruoshui Star people who harbor ill intentions toward the Bilin Star,” attempting to make these students submit through such means.

Most of the students sent to the Bilin Star came from impoverished backgrounds, and after cutting off supplies, their situation became like adding frost to snow. However, they displayed the unyielding spirit of Ruoshui Star people, preferring to endure hunger rather than destroy their hard-won public opinion victory.

In the face of power, all students at the Bilin Star stopped discussing positions. Though the other faction didn’t involve themselves in these matters, they couldn’t bear to watch their own people starve. Those with money donated, those with strength helped, and several Ruoshui Star people who had formed relationships with Bilin Star residents began using their partners’ influence to expose the situation of withheld student supplies…

Again, there seemed to be some mysterious force helping, and this public opinion once more stirred up a huge storm.

Under public pressure, the Bilin Star military appeared to compromise, but began isolating these students in their courses, even barring them from certain classes under the pretext of involving core technology.

This method was extremely cunning, yet highly effective.

These students had originally come with enthusiasm to learn knowledge to serve Ruoshui Star. Coming from Ruoshui Star, most lacked a deep knowledge foundation and could only improve through hard work like Song Xuyi, heavily relying on teacher guidance. Once the Bilin Star people cut off instruction, it meant these students would struggle to make academic progress.

The Bilin Star military seemed determined to demonstrate their absolute authority this way. After half a year, Kelin Academy, following military hints, increasingly ostracized these students, with some not even allowed to enter Bilin Star classrooms.

After much thought, Song Xuyi told Song Yi about this situation during a call.

Song Yi made a decision that Song Xuyi found incomprehensible: he sent a letter to the Bilin Star in the name of Ruoshui Star, stating these students were disrespectful to elders, ungrateful, and had violated years of Bilin Star’s education. He said he would bring them back and send another batch of new students to the Bilin Star.

Even if Song Yi wanted to confuse the Bilin Star military, he didn’t need to go to such lengths…

Song Yi became the most despised Guardian among Ruoshui Star people, and by association, Song Xuyi began receiving cold treatment from the students.

Song Xuyi internally opposed Song Yi’s plan, after all, these students hadn’t completed their studies. However, with communications being monitored, Song Xuyi, far away on the Bilin Star, couldn’t properly express her protest.

The plan for the students’ return was quickly finalized.

Initially, those students refused to return, but unlike the original body whose parents had both passed away, these students’ families were all on Ruoshui Star. Song Yi probably did something to these students’ families, and in the end, all these students compromised.

Song Xuyi hadn’t expected things to turn out this way, feeling incredibly guilty: she had thought Song Yi would find ways to help these students, but instead, he directly ordered them to return…

Soon, the day of these students’ departure arrived.

Song Xuyi went to see these students off.

Unexpectedly, Song Xuyi saw Lin Ruyu waiting at the spaceship port.

Lin Ruyu had been busy with something these two months, appearing much thinner. When she saw Song Xuyi, just as she had done every time they met over these years, she pinched Song Xuyi’s cheeks again. But this time Lin Ruyu used a bit more force, making Song Xuyi’s features distort. Song Xuyi couldn’t help but glare at her to indicate enough was enough, though it did dilute the guilt overflowing in her heart.

Luo Xi was the last to leave.

When she left, just like when Song Xuyi first arrived, she carried a large suitcase, wanting to take away everything that might help the Ruoshui Star people. But unlike their friendly first meeting, Luo Xi’s gaze at Song Xuyi was incredibly complex: “I truly regret ever knowing you—”

Luo Xi seemed to want to say more, but her gaze swept past Lin Ruyu beside them, her words halted, and finally she said nothing, gave Song Xuyi one deep look, then turned toward the spaceship.

“Don’t feel guilty about these hot-blooded fools [rè xuè de shǎ guā – passionate but naive people]!”

Watching Luo Xi’s retreating figure, guilt welled up again in Song Xuyi’s heart, but Lin Ruyu’s voice rang out beside her: “Returning is a good thing for them. Staying here would only waste their time. But back on Ruoshui Star, they can do much more…”

Song Xuyi was startled, then heard Lin Ruyu continue: “Because the Bilin Star’s military officers consider Ruoshui Star’s people uncivilized, they’ve allowed Ruoshui Star to reopen schools. Right now, Ruoshui Star urgently needs experienced teachers…”

How did Lin Ruyu know about the situation on Ruoshui Star?

Song Xuyi was astonished, instinctively looking toward Lin Ruyu, but before she could voice her doubts, Lin Ruyu smiled, winked at Song Xuyi, and raised her hand to point forward—

“—Look!”

A new spaceship circled down through the sunset glow and landed on the ground, bringing more children from Ruoshui Star.

Those children’s gazes were clear and bright, walking toward them in the sunset glow.

——It was brand new, endless hope.

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LP: Re-translated on January 25, 2025

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