Blame the Villain – Chapter 119

Villainous Stand-in (17)

“Xuyi, don’t panic!” The system screamed in Song Xuyi’s mind: “She is testing you! You must stay calm!”

Song Xuyi originally wasn’t that panicked. However, with the system’s broken voice screaming out, Song Xuyi felt she was indeed a bit flustered.

Especially when meeting Li Yuqing’s seemingly smiling yet not smiling gaze, for a moment, Song Xuyi almost wanted to flee in panic.

“Xuyi,” Li Yuqing held a glass of red wine, her eyes like water and her face slightly flushed, calling out to Song Xuyi: “What do you think of this painting?”

Song Xuyi didn’t dare to look at Li Yuqing’s exceedingly beautiful face. She took a deep breath and walked to Li Yuqing’s side, striving to focus entirely on the painting.

Both were students of the art academy, even though they chose different directions. In the realm of painting, having been influenced by her father for many years, Song Xuyi still had basic appreciation skills.

Li Yuqing painted this picture extremely well. Bold in color use, innovative in composition, with a balanced sense of strength and layer aesthetics. Even more touching was the emotion contained in the painting: anyone seeing this painting could feel the painter’s deep affection and joy.

“It’s really well painted!” Song Xuyi originally thought Li Yuqing learned painting just to mislead others, but did not expect her painting skills to be so superb, and couldn’t help but exclaim: “Luckily my dad isn’t here, otherwise he would kneel and beg you to be his last disciple.”

Now that Mother Song had been won over by Li Yuqing, once Father Song saw this painting, Song Xuyi could almost imagine her painting-crazy father’s extremely joyful look…

“Xuyi is joking.” Li Yuqing leisurely put down the wine glass and turned her head to look at Song Xuyi. Because they were close while viewing the painting, at this moment they were very close, and Song Xuyi could almost clearly smell the wine on Li Yuqing’s breath.

Song Xuyi lowered her eyes, not daring to meet Li Yuqing’s gaze, and her eyes involuntarily fell on Li Yuqing’s slightly curved red lips.

Upon closer inspection, Li Yuqing’s lips were somewhat thin, carrying a bit of coldness when not smiling. However, her lips were naturally red without any makeup, stained with a bit of wine, resembling the luster lingering on the surface of cherries in the early morning…

Song Xuyi’s throat suddenly felt a bit dry, and her gaze couldn’t help but lower further.

However, below were Li Yuqing’s delicate collarbones and the cleavage that the loose robe couldn’t conceal…

Song Xuyi’s mind went hot, and almost instinctively, she closed her eyes.

However, below were Li Yuqing’s delicate collarbones and the cleavage that the loose robe couldn’t conceal…

Song Xuyi’s mind went hot, and almost instinctively, she closed her eyes.

But in the next moment, Song Xuyi’s eyes widened.

——Li Yuqing’s slightly hoarse voice sounded beside Song Xuyi: “I prepared this painting for two years. Because it is for my beloved, naturally, I had to be more attentive.”

Beloved?

Like a thunderclap out of a clear sky ringing in her ears, Song Xuyi was extremely shocked in her heart and couldn’t help but look at the painting again: Li Yuqing… does she like girls?

But isn’t the Ferris wheel in Li Yuqing’s painting the one she and Li Yuqing had been on together?

What on earth is going on?

……

“Yes! My beloved.” As if seeing through Song Xuyi’s surprise, Li Yuqing emphasized again, and a faint bitter smile appeared on her face as she slumped against Song Xuyi’s shoulder: “Xuyi, do you believe it? Actually… I really am a madman!”

Li Yuqing’s warm and humid breath lingered by Song Xuyi’s ear, and Song Xuyi’s face burned bright red. Just as she was about to shift her body, she suddenly heard this sentence and froze in place.

Song Xuyi couldn’t help but recall what Old Master Song had said last time when he came, mentioning that Li Yuqing had a mental illness: The last time she saw Li Yuqing in a ‘dream’, everything seemed fine. What on earth happened in these two years? Why did Li Yuqing suddenly develop a mental illness…

“Don’t you believe me?” Li Yuqing breathed softly by Song Xuyi’s ear, like a feather constantly tickling her heart. Song Xuyi felt her ears were about to burn, while Li Yuqing seemed to enjoy this feeling immensely, continuing to speak slowly: “I actually find it bizarre myself. You don’t know, in my life, there has been a phantom that others can’t see…”

Song Xuyi pressed her lips tightly, turning her head to glance at Li Yuqing with complicated feelings, thinking, “I not only know, but that phantom is right in front of you now.” However, it was clear that Li Yuqing still had more to say, so Song Xuyi didn’t speak and listened as Li Yuqing continued.

Li Yuqing seemed not to notice Song Xuyi’s complicated gaze and continued to praise her ‘fairy sister’: “You don’t know how wonderful the fairy sister is; she really is like a fairy from the heavens, always appearing when I am in the most dangerous and difficult situations…”

Song Xuyi lowered her eyes, her cheeks growing redder: The feeling of being expressed gratitude by the person involved was truly too embarrassing!

However, the next words from Li Yuqing began to take a strange turn—

“I’ve actually always known that the fairy sister likes me. She once deliberately wore tattered clothes to tempt me and confessed to me, but at that time, I was focused on my studies and didn’t agree to her.”

“And then she deliberately waited until I was nineteen to appear. She seduced me again, and I couldn’t help but kiss her.”

“On my nineteenth birthday, she confessed to me once again. I thought about it and felt that I liked her a bit too, so I agreed to be with her…”

“But after she got me, she abandoned me. She hasn’t appeared in two years.” Li Yuqing lowered her head, her gaze sad: “She never showed up again. I think I’ve gone almost mad thinking about her! I started having dreams about her every night, and in the end, I helplessly went to see a psychologist. However, the psychologist gently told me that everything was my hysteria, that she was a character from my imagination who never existed. I really am crazy…”

“Xuyi, I’m sorry,” Li Yuqing forced a bitter smile: “I think you and she are very similar, which is why I got close to you. I know you’ve been deliberately avoiding me today. I’m sorry if some of my actions made you feel uncomfortable. I did indeed try to please and test you last night because only when I’m with you, I don’t dream of her…”

Li Yuqing, so emotionally downcast, carried a kind of broken beauty. Song Xuyi instinctively wanted to say something comforting, but when she opened her mouth, she didn’t know what to say for a moment.

In fact, at this point, Song Xuyi’s mind was buzzing, feeling extremely confused: The first part of what Li Yuqing said was indeed memories between her and Li Yuqing, but what about the latter part? Song Xuyi had no recollection of such things happening…

How could she possibly have seduced her!

Then why did Li Yuqing say such things?

……

“Xuyi, what on earth is going on?” Though Song Xuyi didn’t speak, the system couldn’t help but scream: “What she said is completely different from what you told me!”

The system tended to believe in Song Xuyi, after all, it believed that Song Xuyi’s character wouldn’t do something like seducing Li Yuqing. However, considering that this person had been the villain across several worlds, and that Song Xuyi had entangled with her in multiple worlds, and also recalling that Song Xuyi had returned to the past after drinking a few days ago…

What if Xuyi had become promiscuous again after drinking?

The system hadn’t forgotten what Song Xuyi did to the villain after getting drunk in a certain small world…

The system felt somewhat shaken, but due to its position, it still firmly told Song Xuyi: “Xuyi, don’t worry, I absolutely believe in you!”

“Let’s sort this matter out together—”

“The villain can indeed see you, and part of your memories overlap, but then there’s a significant deviation,” a possible thought flashed through the system’s mind. Its tone hesitated for a moment before becoming subtle: “I think she might have really developed some issues in her mind during the process of missing you.”

The more the system thought about it, the more it felt this possibility: Song Xuyi didn’t know, but the system knew how the villain had acted after Song Xuyi left in the early stages of the two worlds. According to the villain’s personality, it was indeed possible that she had driven herself crazy out of longing for Song Xuyi…

Thinking this way, even though the system still had reservations about the villain, it couldn’t bring itself to make sarcastic remarks at this moment.

Song Xuyi’s thoughts were similar to the system’s.

Unlike the system’s sighing, Song Xuyi was filled with a deep sense of guilt: she hadn’t expected that Li Yuqing’s mental illness was actually because of her.

Initially wanting to distance herself from Li Yuqing, after learning the reason for Li Yuqing’s illness, Song Xuyi truly couldn’t bring herself to abandon Li Yuqing.

“I understand now, Xuyi,” and as if not receiving a response from Song Xuyi, the light in Li Yuqing’s eyes seemed to gradually fade. She gave a bitter smile and looked at Song Xuyi again: “I’m sorry. I know that being treated as another person is a bad feeling. I’ve suffered from it deeply myself, yet I selfishly thought about coming to harm you again. I’m disgusted by this side of myself…”

“Don’t worry, if you don’t want to see me, during this time I will return to the Song family and try my best to restrain myself from coming to see you…”

When Li Yuqing said this, Song Xuyi recalled the difficult days when Li Yuqing was treated as a substitute at the Song family, and the guilt in her heart reached a peak at that moment: Li Yuqing had already been living in the abyss; did she really want to push her further into the abyss?

“System, she is like this because of me,” Song Xuyi made up her mind: “I can’t just watch her continue to suffer.”

The system fell silent for a moment.

It always felt that this matter was strange, but it couldn’t recall what was strange about it at the moment. However, the system knew that even if it opposed, it wouldn’t matter; based on Song Xuyi’s character, she definitely couldn’t let go of the villain who looked so pitiful at this moment.

“Go ahead, go ahead!” The system said despairingly, letting out a long sigh: After all, Xuyi had already been entangled with the villain for several worlds, so it didn’t matter if it was one more.

In fact, as the system expected, Song Xuyi had already stopped paying attention to what it said, focusing entirely on how to comfort the currently very low-spirited Li Yuqing.

“I don’t despise you, nor do I feel offended. Yuqing, you are a very good person.”

Song Xuyi took a deep breath, cautiously speaking as she held Li Yuqing’s hand.

Song Xuyi thought for a moment: since Li Yuqing seemed to have some mental issues and mistook her for her beloved, Song Xuyi naturally didn’t dare to claim the identity of ‘beloved’ and decided to continue maintaining the current friendship.

“I deliberately avoided you today, actually to secretly prepare a gift for you.” At this moment, Song Xuyi was extremely glad that she had bought a purple crystal bracelet at the amusement park during the day. She quickly presented it to Li Yuqing as if showcasing a treasure: “Take a look, do you like it? Although it’s not very valuable, I think it suits you very well…”

Li Yuqing seemed not to expect that Song Xuyi would give her a gift. Looking into Song Xuyi’s eyes, a glimmer of light finally returned. Song Xuyi quickly took the opportunity to fasten the bracelet around Li Yuqing’s wrist.

It must be said that this bracelet looked truly beautiful on Li Yuqing, making her wrist appear even more delicate, as if her fair wrist were covered in frost and snow.

“Thank you, Xuyi,” Li Yuqing looked at the bracelet with eyes full of affection, but she did not look at Song Xuyi: “But I just realized that my illness might flare up at any time. If I stay by your side, I’m afraid I might hurt you. I’ve decided to return to the Song family…”

“But I want to help you!” Song Xuyi did not expect Li Yuqing to have the thought of returning to the Song family. Staying in such a suffocating environment would only worsen Li Yuqing’s condition. She hurriedly continued, “Yuqing, I consider you a good friend too. You’ve treated me so well; friends should help each other.”

Li Yuqing finally raised her head.

She looked at Song Xuyi with a complicated expression, her eyes slowly reddening—

Meeting Li Yuqing’s gaze, Song Xuyi forced a smile to show her sincerity, feeling relieved in her heart, thinking that Li Yuqing had been moved by her words. Just as she was about to continue persuading Li Yuqing, she suddenly felt a weight on her body—

Li Yuqing tightly embraced her.

Song Xuyi bit her lip tightly.

She was still not accustomed to such close contact with Li Yuqing, but knowing that Li Yuqing’s mood must be extremely unsettled at this moment, Song Xuyi took a deep breath, swallowing her embarrassment, raised her hand, and cautiously patted Li Yuqing’s back: “Everything will be alright…”

I will accompany you like I did when you were a child, watching you step out of the shadows and overcome all your ailments.

At first, Li Yuqing’s body was very stiff, as if gently trembling. Under Song Xuyi’s comfort, she finally relaxed…

“Xuyi, you’re really good.”

After a long time, Li Yuqing finally spoke softly. She felt the warmth from Song Xuyi, a warmth she had long coveted, and suppressed the excitement in her heart that wanted to meld Song Xuyi into her very bones, letting her eyes fall in satisfaction.

So good that I want to do anything to stay by your side, even shamelessly pretending to be ill…

The author has something to say:

The mountain road has eighteen twists and turns, but one cannot get past Xiaoli’s tricks.

LP: Re-translated on August 03, 2024