Villainous Scientist (13)
Recently, Song Xuyi noticed that Jiang Qianyu had been acting very strangely.
Previously, Jiang Qianyu never studied in the dormitory, but lately, whenever Song Xuyi returned to the bedroom, she would find Jiang Qianyu seriously studying with a light brain.
Then, Song Xuyi discovered that Jiang Qianyu started to sneak glances at her from time to time, sometimes with inexplicably filled with sadness in her eyes. Sometimes, when their gazes met, Jiang Qianyu would even… blush?
This was truly weird.
What on earth is going on with her?
What troubled Song Xuyi was that it seemed that even the suppressants were beginning to fail to control Jiang Qianyu’s pheromones; several times in the middle of the night, Song Xuyi would suddenly wake up to a dense, lingering scent of peach in the room and had to run into the bathroom in disarray to inject herself with suppressants…
Song Xuyi started to suspect that something had gone wrong with Jiang Qianyu’s research. After much thought, Song Xuyi decided to have a talk with Jiang Qianyu, thinking that if Jiang Qianyu was in a plight, she could perhaps offer some guidance.
“Have you been feeling a bit… unwell lately?” Facing Jiang Qianyu’s puzzled eyes, Song Xuyi hesitated for a moment, then delicately broached her speculation: “Your gland… seems a bit out of control recently, especially at night…”
Jiang Qianyu was taken aback, her face slowly reddening, her eyes wandering as she lowered her head, not daring to meet Song Xuyi’s gaze.
Perhaps due to a life that was no longer in constant turmoil, Jiang Qianyu’s complexion had gained some color, making her naturally beautiful and delicate features, as if a doll, seem more mature lately. Especially the red mole near her eye added an indescribable charm to her still somewhat greenish demeanor, stirring something in those who beheld her.
At this moment, giving Jiang Qianyu a careful once-over, Song Xuyi belatedly realized the changes in Jiang Qianyu’s appearance and involuntarily felt a tightness in her throat.
Song Xuyi turned her face away, her cheeks also quietly turning red.
“How come she looks prettier and prettier?” Song Xuyi muttered to the system in a soft voice.
The system replied hesitantly after a moment: “Perhaps she has blossomed?”
In fact, it knew a bit more than Song Xuyi; for instance, it could clearly see that Jiang Qianyu was looking at books on the light brain such as 《How to Pursue and Please an Omega》 and 《How to Attract the One You Love》. Associating these with the recent change in Jiang Qianyu’s attitude towards Song Xuyi, the system easily arrived at a certain conclusion.
But Song Xuyi didn’t ask, and the system wasn’t going to actively speak up either. It only reminded Song Xuyi once again, “Xuyi, the first rule of the task code is ‘No falling in love.'”
Song Xuyi didn’t catch what the system said because Jiang Qianyu had just lifted her head again at this time.
“Xuyi, I’m okay,” Jiang Qianyu said, her eyes filled with emotions that Song Xuyi couldn’t understand. She bit her lower lip, gazing motionlessly at Song Xuyi, “If… I mean, if someone has caused you irreparable harm, and this person now realizes her mistake and wants to make amends, would you… consider… forgiving her?”
After realizing her feelings for Song Xuyi, Jiang Qianyu was determined to pursue her. Knowing she had flaws in her interpersonal interactions, she started to look up relevant books. However, after finishing the first book, Jiang Qianyu’s fervent heart felt as if it had been doused with a ladle of cold water and instantly cooled: Under the heavens, she was the least likely person to pursue Song Xuyi.
The foundation of a comfortable romantic relationship is built on honesty and openness, whereas she herself is full of secrets, even… she once caused Song Xuyi to fall from heaven into a deep abyss, even… out of naive ignorance, she had once semi-coercively studied Song Xuyi’s gland…
With such traits, what right did she have to pursue Song Xuyi?
Yet even knowing she was unworthy, Jiang Qianyu couldn’t give up:
She really liked Song Xuyi, liked her so much that just the thought of leaving her made the world seem colorless…
So, when she saw that Song Xuyi still cared about her, Jiang Qianyu couldn’t help but voice the confusion in her heart.
Hearing Jiang Qianyu’s words, Song Xuyi furrowed her brows.
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Song Xuyi had always regarded her as a villain bent on revenge, and the first thing that came to mind upon hearing these words was the grudge between Jiang Qianyu and the Emperor. Could it be that there had been a change in the relationship between Jiang Qianyu and the Emperor?
But she herself had no place to forgive on behalf of Jiang Qianyu.
Moreover, in Song Xuyi’s impression, the Emperor was suspicious, cunning, and sinister. Song Xuyi was somewhat worried that Jiang Qianyu would fall into his trap, for although Jiang Qianyu was also quite resourceful, she fell short when compared to the Emperor, who had been scheming and holding power for many years.
After some thought, Song Xuyi decided to gently caution Jiang Qianyu: “Whether to forgive actually depends on the specific situation. But if you want to make amends for a mistake, you at least need to be sincere and seek forgiveness without any coercion, intimidation, or bribery. It’s not about what people say, but about what they do. Many people speak nicely, but most of them will turn around and make the same mistake again…”
Jiang Qianyu’s face turned a shade paler: “What if that person genuinely promises never to hurt her again?”
“That depends on the specifics,” Song Xuyi thought for a moment. Although it seemed unlikely, if the Emperor really did change his suspicious and distrusting nature, it would indeed be a good thing for the common people. Thus, Song Xuyi didn’t completely dismiss the possibility: “How much a person has contributed, time is the best answer; it will always be seen…”
Jiang Qianyu’s head drooped in thought. Song Xuyi let out a sigh and gently patted her jet-black hair: “You don’t need to worry so much. As a friend, if you ever find yourself in trouble, I will always help you.”
But Jiang Qianyu’s lips grew even tighter.
Xuyi had no idea that what she really wanted was not just friendship…
She wanted to hug Song Xuyi, to kiss her, to do everything to Song Xuyi that she had dreamed of doing.
Yet now, for Xuyi to be able to treat herself as a friend, was already a kind of grace.
“I understand.”
Suppressing all her desires, Jiang Qianyu lifted her head and remembered the methods she read about in books on how to curry favor with one’s beloved. She turned towards Song Xuyi and obediently flashed a smile, “Let time prove everything.”
She would use her whole life to make amends, gradually becoming the person that Xuyi would like…
One day, Xuyi will understand her true feelings.
Song Xuyi looked at Jiang Qianyu’s smile, thinking she had let go of a heavy stone in her heart, and felt a bit of joy as well, smiling in response.
However, she didn’t see that in Jiang Qianyu’s upturned eyes, the gaze that fell upon her was growing increasingly dark.
In the time that followed, Song Xuyi was pleased to find that Jiang Qianyu seemed to become more and more cheerful.
The Jiang Qianyu of the past was like a bud yet to bloom, enclosed in a narrow space, but now, she was like a rose in full bloom, charming and lovable in every way.
Song Xuyi noticed that Jiang Qianyu’s face was adorned with more and more smiles. She had begun to learn to greet Teacher Lu on the road and started to not despise Alphas as much, even seeming to have become friends with Alpha Chen Xi…
Aside from Jiang Qianyu’s still uncontrollable pheromones and her seeming to increasingly cling to Song Xuyi, everything appeared to be moving in a positive direction.
Meanwhile, as Song Xuyi was diligently practicing with her Mecha, a continuous stream of events was unfolding on the side of the Empire:
Half a year after the ‘death’ of Grand Marshal Song Xuyi, the Emperor appointed Zhao Man, the female lead, as the new Marshal.
Everyone was surprised by the Emperor’s decision. The Emperor had never favored his daughter Zhao Man, having always overlooked her. Zhao Man’s high position in the military was entirely due to her own merits, having carved out her own achievements within the armed forces.
Was the Emperor’s patronage of Zhao Man indicative of an intention to pass the imperial throne to her?
Once the news broke, the Imperial Star was thrown into turmoil, with various powers starting to realign themselves in the shadows…
Song Xuyi was momentarily stunned when she heard the news.
This twist wasn’t in the original plot summary: in the original storyline, the position of the Grand Marshal remained in the hands of the original owner until the Imperial Star was breached by Jiang Qianyu leading the charge.
However, once Zhao Man took the stage, she deviated from her previously silent approach, issuing a series of commands: for instance, demanding that combat units from various planets report their troop strength to the Imperial Star, planning to gather the star-spanning forces to attack the Insect Race in a year, as well as rolling out new training methods to the troops and developing several simulated battlefields for practical training…
Many of these command documents had merits, indicating that Zhao Man indeed hadn’t been shirking her duties over the years and was actually getting real work done.
As these directives were issued, Zhao Man’s reputation among the people gradually improved.
However, in Song Xuyi’s opinion, this wasn’t necessarily a good thing: the Emperor was inherently suspicious, and the better Zhao Man performed, the greater the threat she posed to him.
Toward the end of the year, Zhao Man suddenly fell ill for a time. After recovering, she abruptly presented a new plan to the Emperor, which infuriated him.
— Zhao Man proposed the idea of “employing talents from diverse backgrounds” in the military. Regardless of being Omega or Beta, as long as someone had sufficient abilities, they could join the army and be eligible for promotion.
This plan caused the Emperor to fly into a rage, ordering Zhao Man to reflect on her mistakes in seclusion for a few months. It also stirred up dissatisfaction among the upper echelons of the Alpha class towards Zhao Man.
This also came as a surprise to Song Xuyi, as although Zhao Man in the original synopsis would sympathize with the plight of the Omegas, she did not openly express support for the Omega community.
After all, the ruling Alphas were a minority. Somehow, the reason for Zhao Man’s confinement was leaked, and rare support for Betas and Omegas coming from a noble sparked secret pledges of allegiance to Zhao Man from many Beta planets and Omega organizations.
Huang Fu specifically sought out Song Xuyi to hear her thoughts on Zhao Man. Since the original owner didn’t have deep interactions with Zhao Man, she only knew Zhao Man as a stubborn person with a relentless drive. However, Song Xuyi suggested that Blue Star should not get involved and was better off waiting to see how things would unfold.
After all, it was a chaotic time with the threat of the Insect Race looming and continuous political instability within. The Emperor was a suspicious and cunning individual, and it was uncertain what strategies he would deploy before the dust settled, so playing it safe was best.
Song Xuyi’s considerations seemed to already regard herself completely as a person of Blue Star, which greatly pleased Huang Fu. They shared a heavy drinking session, and while drunk, Huang Fu mentioned that the military had already made contact and prepared the planetary defenses for battle. Several months later, Song Xuyi would need to participate in live combat drills, which didn’t seem to concern her much, but Jiang Qianyu beside her appeared contemplative with downcast eyes.
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Song Xuyi had advanced to her second year when news spread that this cohort of students would soon engage in real combat drills across several combat academies.
Located at the frontier, the planet chosen for the drill was close to Blue Star and named Insect Egg Star. Once a thriving settlement of the Insect Race, for unknown reasons, it had become desolate. The military had purposely captured a group of Insects from the battlefield and released them on Insect Egg Star so that these soon-to-be soldiers could familiarize themselves with enemy engagement operations.
After all, with the interstellar political climate being unstable, minor planets could easily become pawns in the grand scheme, and it was time for Blue Star to flex its militaristic muscle.
The students, who had been training for a year, were incredibly excited at the prospect of facing the Insect Race head-on. Alpha Chen Xi’s smile stretched from ear to ear as she pounded on her chest, guaranteeing to Jiang Qianyu, “Boss, don’t worry. When the time comes, I’ll mount the live-stream equipment on my head. I’ll try to stick close to Sister Song in battle, and I’ll broadcast her heroics to you in their entirety…”
However, she failed to notice that recently, Jiang Qianyu had been rushing about, vigorously crammed with knowledge on battlefield evasion by various military medics.
After all, on Blue Star, an outstanding medical researcher is much more valuable than a warrior, even though they knew that Jiang Qianyu had beaten Alpha Chen Xi. But the battlefield is full of variables, and no one knows what might happen. If something were to happen to Jiang Qianyu, Blue Star would lose the hard-won opportunity for medical advancement.
However, neither the dean nor the principal could persuade Jiang Qianyu otherwise and could only send her off to the spaceship with a heavy heart.
Unlike the Medical School teachers, who looked as if they had lost their parents, the students headed to the battlefield were overjoyed. Chen Xi, duty-bound, squeezed through several compartments to the Mecha Academy’s section to report to Jiang Qianyu about Song Xuyi’s situation. There, seeing Jiang Qianyu seemingly dizzy and leaning on Song Xuyi’s shoulder, almost made her jaw drop!
“Boss… Boss?!”
Song Xuyi, of course, also saw Chen Xi. After receiving a greeting from her, Chen Xi left without looking back. Song Xuyi, somewhat puzzled, spoke up: “What was she here for?”
“Who knows?” Jiang Qianyu spoke softly, clearly displeased that Song Xuyi’s attention had been taken by Chen Xi. She took a deep breath and hugged Song Xuyi’s waist tightly: “Xuyi, maybe it’s because I haven’t been on a spaceship for too long, but my head is getting dizzier. Can I rest my head on you for a while?”
For over a year, Song Xuyi had always treated Jiang Qianyu like a younger sister. At such a rare moment of vulnerability from Jiang Qianyu, Song Xuyi felt nothing but compassion. How could she have guessed that Jiang Qianyu had other thoughts hidden away?
And yet, this tender scene between the two seemed entirely different through the eyes of others.
A beautiful girl with a valiant spirit had another girl resting on her shoulder. Song Xuyi would occasionally lower her head to check on her, speaking intimately and with a soft tone…
Over the past year, Song Xuyi’s reputation had soared within the school. Her Mecha piloting skills were nothing short of remarkable, but even after gaining fame, Song Xuyi remained humble and approachable, unintentionally amassing a slew of admirers. Although everyone knew that Song Xuyi and Jiang Qianyu were close, the convention of monogamy in the post-interstellar era only applied to Omegas, not to Alphas—who had no restrictions and often had multiple partners. Those with not-so-hidden desires for Song Xuyi had planned to cozy up or confess to her, but seeing the girl she was caring for on her shoulder, they could only turn away, disheartened…
Jiang Qianyu watched the departing figures and, smelling the scent of citrus on Song Xuyi, quietly curved her lips into a smile.
Sometimes, she really wanted to hide Xuyi away so no one else could see her. Xuyi was too wonderful and too much of a butterfly magnet. However, Xuyi was open and honest, and her wish was to compete and gallop through the military ranks. Not wanting Xuyi to dislike her, Jiang Qianyu had to restrain her own desires. She used other means to drive away those who were coveting Song Xuyi…
The spaceship soon arrived at the Insect Egg Star.
The Insect Race would gnaw at all living beings. Since the Insect Egg Star had once been occupied by the Insect Race, the entire planet was left with nothing but endless gullies and hills, without any trace of vegetation or wildlife. Aside from the sobbing wind, there was no other sound to be heard across the entire planet.
After disembarking the spacecraft, the group first went to their base.
Inside the garrison, a row of capsule dormitories had already been built. Originally, occupants from each school were meant to be housed together, but Song Xuyi, noticing Jiang Qianyu’s apparently uncomfortable state, took the initiative to ask the teacher to arrange for herself and Jiang Qianyu to share a dormitory.
Every warrior wanted to establish a good relationship with those from the Medical School, and naturally, the teachers wouldn’t refuse Song Xuyi’s request.
According to an ancient human tradition, upon arriving at a new base, it is customary to hold a bonfire party to celebrate, a custom still retained in the starry eras. As night fell, people built towering flames with fuel and brought various ingredients out from the capsule dormitories.
Song Xuyi originally planned to stay in the dormitory to accompany Jiang Qianyu. However, seeing that Jiang Qianyu’s complexion seemed a bit better, she took Jiang Qianyu out with her to join the bonfire party.
When the two arrived, almost everyone else was already gathered there.
Renowned for her arrogance and for skipping classes on account of her superior talent, Jiang Qianyu of the Medical School presented herself with extreme humility in front of Song Xuyi’s teachers. Her behavior was polite and appropriate, a stark contrast to the haughty and arrogant Jiang Qianyu portrayed by the rumors.
Jiang Qianyu seemed as if she hadn’t heard the whispers about her from the people around, quietly eating next to Song Xuyi.
—The books say that almost everyone likes to associate with those who are motivated and positive, for negative energy will eventually become tiresome.
The old Jiang Qianyu didn’t even care about herself, so naturally, she wouldn’t care about others’ opinions of her.
Thus, Jiang Qianyu fashioned this disguise for herself.
Indeed, Jiang Qianyu’s pretense was extremely effective as it seemed that Xuyi was gradually forgetting the version of herself that had offended her, and was beginning to gradually accept her closeness, tolerating her coquettish behavior…
Moreover, Jiang Qianyu made a special discovery: Xuyi seemed to really like her face, and occasionally, when she looked at her own face, she would blush uncontrollably.
How strange!
A long time ago, when Xuyi coveted her looks, all Jiang Qianyu felt was annoyance, and she wished she could gouge out her eyes. However, during this period, seeing Xuyi blush because of her only brought her a secret joy…
Sitting next to Song Xuyi, Jiang Qianyu ate the food grilled and handed over by Song Xuyi, feeling an incomparable warmth in her heart, increasingly finding that Song Xuyi was good in every aspect.
The banquet had gradually reached its climax.
The temperature on Insect Egg Star was a bit chilly at night, but the increasingly vigorous bonfire meant that nobody felt the cold, and the joyous clamor ignited this silent patch of earth. Everyone had a rich smile on their faces, and even Jiang Qianyu, who usually disliked rowdy scenes, couldn’t help but let her true joy show in such an atmosphere.
Gradually, the students began to drink, and after they were full of food and wine, some of them who couldn’t hold their liquor, amid the cheering of the crowd, hugged their lovers and began to kiss…
Jiang Qianyu’s gaze fell on the kissing couple and then turned to look at Song Xuyi, who lived by the adage “turn away from indecency,” her eyes deepening: If it were her turning, she would definitely kiss better than this couple! She had already learned enough theoretical knowledge on the light brain. If Xuyi didn’t know how, it didn’t matter, she would teach her…
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Unfortunately, how much longer it would take for Xuyi to accept her, she did not know…
As this was happening, another group of students from a different institute came over to propose a toast to Song Xuyi.
Song Xuyi could handle her liquor exceptionally well, so Jiang Qianyu wasn’t worried about her getting drunk. Concerned that Jiang Qianyu couldn’t hold her drink, Song Xuyi deflected all attempts to give Jiang Qianyu alcohol.
Jiang Qianyu was happily enjoying the attention from Song Xuyi while snacking on the side when suddenly a voice came from above: “I propose a toast to Miss Jiang!”
“Surely Miss Jiang wouldn’t refuse the drink I’ve offered?”
Jiang Qianyu lifted her head to see the familiar face of a girl who had blocked Song Xuyi three times before, insisting on giving her gifts. At this, Jiang Qianyu’s gaze also darkened.
Jiang Qianyu was planning to feign weakness and collapse onto Song Xuyi as she had done before, allowing Song Xuyi to drink on her behalf. However, upon seeing a trace of jealousy and hatred in the girl’s eyes, Jiang Qianyu blinked and changed her mind.
Ignoring Song Xuyi’s attempts to stop her, Jiang Qianyu downed the drink in one gulp, deliberately choked on it, and started coughing violently, her face turning red instantly.
The girl appeared not to have expected Jiang Qianyu to accept the drink and stood there stunned for a moment, casting a glance at Song Xuyi who was patting Jiang Qianyu’s back, then, gritting her teeth and with eyes reddened, she moved to the side.
“Qianyu, how are you feeling? You must tell me if you’re uncomfortable!” Song Xuyi didn’t notice the girl standing to the side, her attention wholly on taking care of Jiang Qianyu. Jiang Qianyu seemed to have never drunk before, and now after having a drink, she was silent and dazed, which was indeed worrisome…
At that moment, there was another bout of commotion from elsewhere. Jiang Qianyu, seeing a couple kissing across from her, clenched her fist quietly.
The time was right!
Holding her breath, Jiang Qianyu turned her head to look at Song Xuyi…
The girl was beautiful to begin with, and now, flushed with drink, her cheeks and nose were tinged with red, her eyes glistening as she looked over. She seemed even more bewitchingly beautiful, almost unreal in her allure.
Faced suddenly with such a stunning beauty, and encountered by those moist eyes of Jiang Qianyu, Song Xuyi’s breath hitched; she involuntarily blushed harder and awkwardly turned her head away…
Jiang Qianyu… was just getting more and more beautiful!
Her heartbeat quickened, Song Xuyi was immersed in the shock of the beauty before her, completely unaware of the familiar smell of peaches drawing ever closer. Abruptly, a raucous cheer erupted around them, louder than any before, as if someone had shouted Song Xuyi’s name…
Stunned, Song Xuyi turned her head and her lips brushed against something soft and cool, like the gentle petal of a rose…
“They kissed, they really kissed…”
The cheering was thunderous!
Were these… Jiang Qianyu’s lips?!
Song Xuyi’s eyes widened—
Her gaze met Jiang Qianyu’s: In Jiang Qianyu’s beautiful eyes was an unmistakable, fervent, and intense affection that she hadn’t managed to conceal…
Her?!
……
The author has something to say:
Toasting Girl: Sobbing T_T…
LP: Re-translated on February 13, 2024