Blame the Villain – Chapter 107

Villainous Stand-in (5)

“I have already eaten dinner.”

In the system’s praise, Song Xuyi declined Li Yuqing’s invitation. After all, the two people’s positions were not aligned, and Song Xuyi still had vigilance in her heart, thinking that she should not get too close to Li Yuqing.

Unfortunately, the heavens did not favor Song Xuyi, just as the words of refusal left her mouth, the elevator ‘dinged’, and the delivery man came out carrying a box and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Is Miss Song here? Your crayfish has arrived!”

At that moment, Song Xuyi just wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

“Then Xuyi, do you mind adding another meal?”

The words have already been said to this extent, facing Li Yuqing’s seemingly smiling yet non-smiling gaze, Song Xuyi could only lower her head, take the crayfish from the delivery man’s hands, and walk into Li Yuqing’s house.

Actually, Song Xuyi was a bit curious in her heart: after all, in the original plot summary, before Song Shi went insane, Li Yuqing had never moved out of the Song family—

Old Master Song was a typical feudal patriarch. As the candidate for his next successor’s wife in his heart, Old Master Song kept a very strict watch over Li Yuqing, determined to train Li Yuqing to be a traditional housewife who could manage the household and cook in the kitchen. In front of Old Master Song, Li Yuqing always had a timid and cowardly image. According to Old Master Song’s □□, he would never agree to let Li Yuqing move out.

Moreover, with so many houses around, why did Li Yuqing move right next door to her?

But Song Xuyi and Li Yuqing’s relationship wasn’t good enough to discuss this topic. Song Xuyi remained vigilant and only picked safe topics to chat with Li Yuqing, such as praising Li Yuqing’s skills and advising Li Yuqing to take care of her health…

Song Xuyi’s praise of Li Yuqing’s cooking skills was sincere.

In order to train Li Yuqing to become a qualified granddaughter-in-law, Old Master Song spent a lot of money to hire famous chefs to teach Li Yuqing culinary skills. Song Xuyi had thought that Li Yuqing would have good cooking skills, but she did not expect Li Yuqing’s skills to be this good: every dish was made in small quantities but was so delicious that it almost made people want to swallow their tongues! Moreover, whether intentionally or unintentionally, all the dishes Li Yuqing made this evening were ones that Song Xuyi loved to eat.

When Song Xuyi realized this, she had already unconsciously eaten a lot, while Li Yuqing had hardly touched her chopsticks, just sitting beside her with a smile, watching her.

Song Xuyi felt a bit embarrassed after realizing, picked up a crayfish and placed it into Li Yuqing’s bowl: “You eat too!”

Li Yuqing smiled but did not move her chopsticks.

Song Xuyi looked at Li Yuqing, who, even though she was wearing home clothes, still appeared noble and elegant, her slender and graceful figure unhidden. Song Xuyi felt that she understood the reason why Li Yuqing did not move her chopsticks. She picked up a pair of disposable gloves and carefully peeled the shrimp shell, placing it into Li Yuqing’s bowl, and sincerely said, “Try it! It’s really delicious, shrimp meat is low in calories, it won’t make you fat.”

Li Yuqing lowered her head to look at the crayfish, then glanced at Song Xuyi, and finally lowered her head, silently eating the crayfish that Song Xuyi had placed in her bowl.

As the crayfish entered her mouth, a blush visibly appeared on Li Yuqing’s fair face, her eyes like autumn water also filled with some tears. She picked up a cup and drank several sips of water—

“Sorry, I can’t really eat spicy food.”

Li Yuqing looked up at Song Xuyi, seemingly a bit embarrassed, and softly said.

Song Xuyi was stunned for a moment. She thought Li Yuqing was avoiding eating to maintain her figure, but she didn’t expect that the reason Li Yuqing didn’t eat crayfish was actually because of this, and Li Yuqing’s expression didn’t seem fake. After all, no one can instantly act the state of having a red neck.

But… she was just a minor character unrelated to the main plot. If Li Yuqing couldn’t eat spicy food, she could have just refused directly; there was no need to agree to such a difficult request for her.

Even though she knew Li Yuqing might have her own purposes, seeing Li Yuqing like this still made Song Xuyi feel a bit guilty. She quickly stood up and poured another glass of water for Li Yuqing, speaking somewhat regretfully, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have given you the crayfish…”

“Because this is the first time you’ve given me food, and I want to please you!” Li Yuqing took the glass and drank another sip of water. She peeked out half of her face from behind the glass, looking at Song Xuyi, her gentle voice mixed with a bit of hoarseness, inexplicably adding a few degrees of allure.

After an evening like this, Song Xuyi felt Li Yuqing’s subtle attempts to please her, but this feeling was not very clear. She did not expect Li Yuqing to directly say something like this.

Li Yuqing still maintained a smiling expression. She seemed not to notice the surprise in Song Xuyi’s eyes and leisurely took another sip of water: “When I first saw you, I felt you were extremely kind, like a friend I had known for many years, so I couldn’t help but want to get close to you, to become friends with you…”

“You don’t need to feel burdened,” Li Yuqing took another sip of water and looked at Song Xuyi, her eyes curving: “All my efforts to please you are because of that friend—”

When Li Yuqing mentioned that friend, her eyes carried a warm and bright light. This kind of warmth was different from the gentleness she usually feigned; it seemed to be suddenly filled with life, brimming with longing and admiration. If all this were just acting, then Li Yuqing’s acting skills would be exceptionally good.

Moreover, her family was the least favored by Old Master Song; Li Yuqing had no reason to go to great lengths to deal with her.

Eliminating all the impossibilities, there was only one possibility left: what Li Yuqing said was true, she really was approaching her because of that friend.

I don’t know what kind of friend it was, who could make the exceptionally talented and deeply scheming Li Yuqing think about them for so many years…

Even though the system kept repeatedly reminding Song Xuyi in her mind not to let her guard down, Song Xuyi still felt a bit relieved. After finishing the meal, she stayed at Li Yuqing’s home for a while longer.

Li Yuqing had just moved in, and the room appeared somewhat empty. Song Xuyi noticed a cat bed in the corner and couldn’t help but ask, “Have you gotten a cat?”

“I’ve wanted one since I was young, but the conditions weren’t supportive before,” Li Yuqing said with a smile, looking at Song Xuyi with a bit of apprehension: “Xuyi, I’m planning to adopt a cat tomorrow, but I don’t have relevant experience. Can you come with me?”

Song Xuyi originally wanted to refuse, but she felt a bit soft-hearted after eating Li Yuqing’s food. Moreover, Li Yuqing took out a set of out-of-print paper manga that Song Xuyi had long wanted to read: “I heard you like to read manga. I have a collection of a famous artist’s work from a few years ago, said to be very valuable. I’ve outgrown the age of liking manga, so I can give it to you.”

This is the final work of a famous mangaka.

After coming to this world, Song Xuyi extremely liked the works of this mangaka. However, the mangaka had already passed away due to illness five years ago.

To thank the readers who had supported him all along, the mangaka drew a booklet and personally signed it before announcing a farewell meeting before his death. Only 500 copies of the booklet were printed. On that day, it rained heavily, and many readers going to the farewell meeting were blocked by the heavy rain on the road. As a result, the readers heard the news that the farewell meeting was canceled due to the mangaka’s deteriorating condition. Not long after that, the mangaka passed away. According to statistics, fewer than fifty readers received the last signed manga. Song Xuyi never expected that Li Yuqing could get this manga.

This was indeed a condition that Song Xuyi could not refuse, especially since Song Xuyi had just eaten a meal at her place…

Constantly persuading herself in her heart, and ignoring the system’s repeated reminders, Song Xuyi still accepted this manga.

Having eaten from her and taken from her, after returning home, Song Xuyi secretly made up her mind to help Li Yuqing choose a cat the next day. She even persuaded the system to help by claiming that the same kind understands the same kind better.

The system didn’t want to agree at first, but the system didn’t want to see Song Xuyi getting closer and closer to Li Yuqing, so it finally agreed. However, it still reminded Song Xuyi: “Li Yuqing is not a good person. Don’t fall into her trap. She is deliberately approaching you with some agenda…” The words “her agenda is you” almost spilled out, but recalling Song Xuyi’s past vulnerability to villains, the system changed its words.

Song Xuyi didn’t know what Li Yuqing could plot against her, but considering the positions of the system and Li Yuqing, she understood the system’s targeting of Li Yuqing.

Because she was overstuffed, to digest the food, Song Xuyi stayed up very late that day. Possibly due to another encounter with Li Yuqing, Song Xuyi had another dream related to Li Yuqing that night.

In the dream, Li Yuqing looked a bit older, appearing around eight or nine years old. She sat alone at the door, looking into the distance, her beautiful eyes full of dejection and worry.

“What’s wrong?”

After several times, Song Xuyi figured out that as long as she saw Li Yuqing, she would dream that night, and in the dream, she always appeared when Li Yuqing most needed companionship.

Could it be that subconsciously, she hoped Li Yuqing would rely on her?

“You came?” Li Yuqing didn’t turn her head. She seemed to still remember Song Xuyi’s voice and explained with a choked voice: “That old man from the Song family deliberately angered Grandpa. Grandpa had a stroke and was secretly sent to the hospital. Mom, Dad, and Sister all went. They are afraid I’d cause trouble, so they didn’t let me go…”

“Didn’t you say you are a fairy?” Little Li Yuqing sniffled, her eyes red as she turned to look at Song Xuyi. “Can you tell me if Grandpa will get better this time?”

The little girl forced herself to be strong, biting her lips tightly, and her nose was tinged with a bit of red. Crystal-clear tears hovered in her eyes, about to fall, and her pitiful appearance aroused boundless heartache in others.

Song Xuyi didn’t know what the direction of the dream was, but if the dream mirrored reality, Old Master Li should have made it through this time. After all, in the original plot summary, Old Master Li completely collapsed after Li Yuqing’s parents had an accident.

However… the more heartbreaking events were still to come: Song Xuyi calculated that there was not much time left until that car accident happened.

Li Yuqing was a villain, but even villains have emotions. How did Li Yuqing in real life endure those days and nights of losing her loved ones?

Even though she knew it was a dream, Song Xuyi still couldn’t help but feel a bit of heartache for Li Yuqing.

“Your grandfather will definitely get better this time.” Facing little Li Yuqing’s eager gaze, Song Xuyi sat beside her and spoke softly.

Little Li Yuqing did not speak again.

But Song Xuyi could feel that Li Yuqing’s mood instantly improved a bit, and the little girl’s always tense back relaxed, half-leaning against the wall.

“It’s really good to have you here.” After who knows how long, Song Xuyi heard the little girl speak softly. The little girl seemed unaccustomed to saying such things, and after speaking, a blush clearly appeared on her tender white cheeks. She seemed a bit shy and stood up, running to the corner of the wall.

Only then did Song Xuyi notice a white kitten poking its head out from the corner of the wall.

“Mama told me, after I graduate from elementary school, she will agree to let me raise a cat.” The little girl carefully picked up the cat, her words did not hide her love for the kitten at all, and then she turned her head to look at Song Xuyi: “If you come by then, I will show you my kitten.”

As if afraid that Song Xuyi would refuse, the little girl added another sentence after speaking: “Don’t worry, by then I definitely won’t be reluctant to let you touch my cat…”

Facing the little girl’s bright eyes, Song Xuyi slightly curved her lips, but there was no smile in her eyes. At this moment, she truly hoped that the development of this dream would be different from reality, because in real life, Li Yuqing never had a cat.

Sunlight warmly shone down from the sky, illuminating the small flowers blooming in the corner of the courtyard wall, and together with the little girl holding the cat, formed an extremely harmonious scene.

Song Xuyi looked at this scene, her eyelids gradually became heavy—

“Tomorrow I must pick the cutest little cat for Li Yuqing!” This was Song Xuyi’s last thought before falling asleep.

Author has something to say:

Damn it, they have cats and delicious food, I have nothing~T-T

LP: Re-translated on July 01, 2024