Blame the Villain – Chapter 37

The Villainous Poor Student (2)

Determined True Daughter Self-Made Entrepreneur x Black-Hearted Lotus Villain Poor Student

The rain outside grew heavier and heavier, the world between heaven and earth pitch black. The towering mountain ranges loomed dark and oppressive around the village. The moment she stepped outside, Song Xuyi couldn’t help but shiver.

            

Fortunately, the two houses weren’t far apart. Before long, they were back next door.

Song Xuyi lit the kerosene lamp and was about to quickly pack her things when the System in her mind hesitated before speaking again.

“Xuyi, are you really planning to take He Siyu with you?”

            

He Siyu?

Song Xuyi’s eyes widened. She instinctively looked at the girl beside her.

This pitiful little girl before her, whose body didn’t have a single patch of unblemished skin, was actually the villain from the plot summary—the one who would stop at nothing, ruthless and unscrupulous, to defeat her rival company?!

            

The villagers had always called He Siyu “wild child” or “bastard,” so the original host had never known the girl’s name.

It was only then that Song Xuyi noticed the girl’s shoulder was already soaked through.

The distance between the two houses was less than thirty meters. Logically, He Siyu’s shoulder shouldn’t have gotten this wet, but the entire way over, she had been huddled in one corner of the straw cape, leaving most of it for Song Xuyi.

            

Song Xuyi lowered her gaze. A scene suddenly flashed through her mind:

Three years ago, when the original host had been caught trying to escape, He Siyu had come to see her. The original host, bitter and lost, had hated the entire village and had lashed out at He Siyu too. She had thrown away the mulberries He Siyu had brought and screamed at her: “Who wants your stinking stuff! Get lost…”

Probably afraid that Song Xuyi would despise her, He Siyu had deliberately avoided any physical contact with her, which was why she had gotten soaked by the rain.

            

She must have been so sad back then, right?

When Song Xuyi had first entered He Biao’s house, she had noticed something. Even though the place was bare and destitute, it was kept very clean. There wasn’t a speck of dust on the windows or the stools…

There was no way He Biao, who was dead drunk every day, had cleaned it.

            

The only person who could have done it was He Siyu.

She clearly loved cleanliness, yet she deliberately made herself stink…

He Siyu was just as smart as the plot summary had described her. In her situation, disguise was indeed the best way to protect herself.

            

But this kind of intelligence, in these circumstances, made Song Xuyi’s heart ache unbearably. If He Siyu had grown up in the city, she would have been an outstanding girl who made her parents proud and was loved by her teachers. Her biggest worry might have been a difficult competition problem, not this—living every day in fear, exhausting every ounce of her strength just to avoid being violated…

How could anyone have to live so harshly?

“Go change into a padded jacket by the fire first—”

            

Song Xuyi’s gaze fell on He Siyu’s patched, threadbare shirt, which was so dirty it had turned black and was impossible to make out. She tossed a thick padded jacket to He Siyu and went back to packing.

“I’m going to raise her,” Song Xuyi answered the System. “The He Siyu right now isn’t the scheming, unscrupulous executive she’ll become later. She’s just a poor, oppressed child. I can’t just stand by and watch her stay in that hellhole…”

“Besides, ‘one takes on the color of one’s company.’ I’ll work hard to nurture her, make her kind and upright, and not waste her talent…”

            

Song Xuyi’s words convinced the System.

The System couldn’t help Song Xuyi with the physical work, but it could use its scanning function to keep giving her tips. “There are two pairs of rubber boots in the backyard woodshed. They’re a bit big, but you can use them for the mountain paths…”

“There’s a sickle in the woodshed. You can take it for self-defense…”

            

“Ah! Xuyi! Great news—the man of this house hid thirty yuan in the crack of the wall… Yes, under the second brick from the left…”

Thirty yuan wasn’t much, but in this era, if they were frugal, it would be enough for several good meals in a small county town.

Having some money in hand made Song Xuyi feel a bit more secure.

            

In a daze, she heard the door creak. After changing clothes, He Siyu seemed to have put on the straw cape and gone out.

The System told Song Xuyi, “She hid something in a stone crevice at her doorstep…”

Before long, He Siyu came back carrying a bundle.

            

Song Xuyi didn’t ask what He Siyu had taken. She handed the rubber boots to He Siyu, put on the other straw cape, and frowned as she picked up the kerosene lamp from the table, ready to set out.

If there was one thing Song Xuyi was unhappy about, it was this kerosene lamp. With the wind and rain this heavy and the mountain paths so treacherous, she had no idea if the lamp would even provide enough light…

And just then, He Siyu, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly reached out and pressed down on Song Xuyi’s hand.

            

She opened her bundle.

Inside the bundle, two slightly worn flashlights met Song Xuyi’s eyes.

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To save battery, the two girls used only one flashlight, supporting each other as they walked out.

            

This was the best time to escape. No one would expect them to run away in such terrible weather. The heavy rain would wash away all traces, and the village’s hunting dogs wouldn’t be able to track their footprints.

But it was also the most dangerous time. The heavy rain brought countless obstacles. The mountain paths were soft and loose, the slopes were prone to landslides, and one wrong step could bury them in a mudslide, just like the family that had bought the original host…

Yet neither girl hesitated. Step by step, they followed the river and made their way out of the mountains.

            

The original host had once heard the villagers say that it took about three days to get out of the mountains. The entire way was narrow winding paths, crawling with snakes and insects. Anyone unfamiliar with the terrain could easily get lost in the forest and die on the way out.

Song Xuyi didn’t know if the villagers had deliberately scared the original host to keep her obediently in the village, but she had brought all the portable rations she could. If they were frugal, it should last five or six days. Besides, she still had the medical knowledge from her first life in her head. From the original host’s memories, she knew there were many useful herbs in these deep mountains. Not to mention that snakes and insects were rare in winter—even if they did encounter any, Song Xuyi felt she could handle it.

The village was left behind them. The barking of the village guard dogs gradually faded into the rainy night…

            

The heavy rain blurred their vision. The flashlight’s beam could barely reach two meters. The straw cape couldn’t block all the rain. Water ran down their faces and into their collars, turning their bodies cold and stiff. The only thing they could accurately feel was each other’s tightly clasped hands.

In the latter half of the night, the rain that had been falling all night finally began to slow down. But the temperature seemed to be dropping lower and lower.

The two girls quickened their pace without a word.

            

They had to run far enough that the villagers, who knew the terrain, wouldn’t be able to catch up the next day.

Fortunately, after a night of rain, quite a few trees had fallen along the path, which would also slow the villagers down.

The river flowed from the south, and to get out of the mountains, they had to head south. At night, they couldn’t use shadows to judge direction, and on a rainy day, there were no stars to guide them. But Song Xuyi knew other methods.

            

Nature was constantly giving hints to humans. The side with lusher leaves was south. The side with wider growth rings on a tree stump was south. The side of a rock covered in moss was north.

Whenever she was unsure of the direction, Song Xuyi would stop and observe the surrounding scenery. With the System’s help, she could quickly find landmarks that indicated the way, and then they would continue forward.

He Siyu remained silent the entire time, following behind Song Xuyi like a shadow.

            

Gradually, the sky began to lighten.

But the horizon was still dark and gloomy, and the temperature seemed to be dropping even further.

Before long, something began to fall from the sky, landing on Song Xuyi’s eyelashes.

            

It was snowing!

The snow fell heavier and heavier, piling up thicker and thicker on the ground.

The villagers’ rule was never to go into the mountains during a heavy snowfall.

            

The mountain paths were treacherous. The snow covered the ground, making it very easy to encounter danger while walking through the forest.

Song Xuyi didn’t think any of the other villagers would risk their lives to come after her and He Siyu.

But it also meant that if they kept going, it would be extremely dangerous.

            

“We have to stop,” Song Xuyi said, looking at a cave that was sheltered from the wind not far away. She grabbed He Siyu, who was still trying to walk forward. “It’s too dangerous to keep going!”

He Siyu turned around.

The rain had washed away all the grime from her face. Even though the skin was chapped from the cold, He Siyu’s features were remarkably delicate. She had a pair of beautiful eyes, and the red mole beneath one of them gave her an air of cold, alluring intelligence. It was hard to imagine that such a beautiful girl could have been born in these deep mountains.

            

No wonder she had to hide her appearance.

He Siyu’s lips were pale from the cold, but her face was flushed with an unnatural red. She looked up and glanced around, then shook her head. “He Biao will catch up—”

This was the first time He Siyu had spoken. Her voice was extremely hoarse, as if she hadn’t spoken in a very long time.

            

After she finished speaking, He Siyu turned her head and continued walking forward, stumbling through the deep snow.

Song Xuyi was stunned for a moment. She hadn’t expected He Siyu’s fear of He Biao to run this deep.

She didn’t know if He Biao would catch up, but it was obvious that He Siyu was running a fever. If she kept going, it could be life-threatening.

            

But from the look of He Siyu, conventional methods weren’t going to make her stop.

“Wait!”

Song Xuyi called out to He Siyu again. This time, she softened her voice. “Jiejie¹, I really can’t walk anymore! I’m tired and hungry. Can we rest for a little while, okay?”

            

As she spoke, Song Xuyi took a sweet potato out of her bag and handed it over. “Eat something first. You’ll be able to walk faster afterward.”

Maybe the words “walk faster” struck a chord with He Siyu. She took a deep breath and finally stopped. She took the sweet potato and bit into it ravenously.

But the little girl who claimed to be tired didn’t rest at all. She ran around the area, pulled up a few unknown weeds from the wild, and presented them to He Siyu like a treasure. “These are herbs to ward off the cold. Chew on them?”

            

The couple who had bought the original host had a son who was mentally disabled and in very poor health. They had spent years taking him to doctors and had learned some basic pharmacology. The villagers would come to them for any minor ailments, and the original host was often sent into the mountains to dig for herbs… so she naturally knew some basic medicinal plants.

He Siyu didn’t move. Her dark eyes stared at the herbs in Song Xuyi’s hand.

“You don’t trust me!”

            

Song Xuyi snorted, pretending to be sulky as she pouted her lips. She picked up a stalk and chewed it herself.

After a moment, He Siyu finally picked up another stalk and put it in her mouth.

The herb had a spicy, pungent taste. As soon as it went down her throat, a wave of warmth spread through her body. He Siyu was stunned for a moment, then silently finished chewing the entire stalk.

            

She felt a little strength return to her body. He Siyu stood up, ready to move forward, when suddenly a wave of dizziness hit her.

He Siyu’s eyes flew wide open. It dawned on her too late—the leaves of the two stalks of herbs weren’t the same!

But by then, it was already too late. The last thing she saw was the little girl across from her, tilting her head with a mischievous, infuriating grin on her face.

            

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Once the strength that had been holding her up gave way, it was impossible to muster it again. He Siyu had been abused for years, and this time, her illness hit her like a collapsing mountain. After that, she didn’t even have the strength to stand, let alone get out of the mountains.

For the next three days, He Siyu spent her time in the cave.

Song Xuyi used matches to start a fire, found herbs to brew medicine for He Siyu, and fed her bowl after bowl of bitter concoction. After three days, He Siyu’s fever finally broke, and the snow on the ground began to melt.

            

Song Xuyi’s heart ached terribly for He Siyu. She had added some sleep-inducing herbs to the medicine, but even in her sleep, He Siyu’s body was tense and her brows were furrowed. The slightest touch made her start trembling.

Song Xuyi knew this was a stress response developed from living in a constant state of threat. It wasn’t something that could be resolved overnight.

And perhaps because she was angry at Song Xuyi for drugging her, He Siyu hadn’t spoken to her at all these past few days.

            

Song Xuyi didn’t take it to heart. She still greeted her with a smile every day.

On the afternoon of the third day, the snow had mostly melted.

Even though He Siyu hadn’t brought it up, Song Xuyi shouldered her pack and set out on the road out of the mountains with her.

            

After the snowfall, it was even easier to tell direction. The side where the snow melted faster was south. The side where snow still lingered was generally north.

They walked for another two days, and finally, a three-to-four-meter-wide road appeared in the distance. Tractors passed by in twos and threes. A row of shops selling fruit, paper money², and other goods lined the roadside. A battered, dusty bus was parked by the road, and people were boarding it.

Even someone as composed as Song Xuyi couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Beside her, He Siyu stared at the bus, and a faint glimmer of light appeared in her hollow eyes.

            

“Three yuan per person! Hurry up, hurry up! The bus leaves in ten minutes!”

They could already hear the loudspeaker shouting from afar.

“Xuyi, stop!” the System suddenly spoke up. “He Biao is sitting in front of the shop over there, staring at the bus!”

            

Song Xuyi stopped in her tracks and looked carefully. Sure enough, He Biao was sitting at the entrance of a shop, staring motionlessly at the people boarding the bus.

Song Xuyi quickly pulled He Siyu into a hiding spot in the corner!

When He Siyu saw He Biao in the distance, her face instantly turned deathly pale, and her body began to tremble violently.

            

“There’s a way—” Song Xuyi held He Siyu’s icy hand and whispered soothingly. She looked around and spotted two boys playing marbles on the ground nearby.

“Gege³, is that uncle over there looking for his lost daughter?” Song Xuyi called out to one of the boys, pointing at He Biao in the distance.

The boy followed her gaze, glanced at He Biao, and nodded. “He came yesterday. Said his foster daughter of thirteen years ran away. Probably trying to get to the city to find her real father. To get to the city, you have to catch the bus here, so he’s been waiting here.”

            

Beside her, He Siyu’s face went pale. She gripped Song Xuyi’s hand tightly.

It hurt, but Song Xuyi didn’t let go. She patted He Siyu’s hand reassuringly, then took the dead flashlight out of her bag and handed it to the little boy.

“I actually know his daughter. She just ran that way. This fell out of her bag while I was chasing her,” Song Xuyi said, pointing in a random direction. “I’m busy buying stuff to go into the city and find my aunt, so I don’t have time to go up there and tell him—”

            

Then, with a pained expression, she pulled a one-yuan note out of her bag, forced a smile, and handed it to the boy. “Thanks for your trouble, gege. Here’s a yuan to buy some candy.”

Seeing that there was money to be had, the little boy immediately forgot about playing marbles. He grabbed the flashlight and ran over to He Biao!

He Biao recognized the flashlight and immediately chased off in the direction the boy had pointed.

            

Seizing the opportunity, Song Xuyi quickly pulled He Siyu and ran onto the bus.

“Auntie, my uncle is sick, and my aunt can’t spare the time to send me. I haven’t finished my winter break homework and need to go home. Could you please stop at the Dahua Market bus stop? My mom sells chicken there.”

As soon as she got on the bus, Song Xuyi switched to the local Mandarin dialect. She gave the conductor six yuan and pulled He Siyu to the very back of the bus.

            

The original host had once heard the couple say they were going to borrow money from their eldest aunt, who sold chicken at Dahua Market, to pay for their mentally disabled son’s medical treatment. So Song Xuyi had made use of that place name.

The conductor looked at Song Xuyi’s ragged clothes. She was initially suspicious that Song Xuyi had run away from some village, but very few village girls could speak Mandarin, and most had no idea what “winter break homework” even was. Plus, Song Xuyi had mentioned where her mother was. So the conductor didn’t suspect anything. She just mumbled a vague “Mm” and started calling for more passengers to board.

Maybe heaven was watching over them. A few farmers carrying local specialty products got on next. Their nylon bags filled the entire cabin, leaving no room to even stand. Since the farmers had given the conductor a few extra yuan for their luggage as per custom, the conductor didn’t make a fuss. Figuring there was no space for anyone else anyway, she urged the driver to start the bus a minute early.

            

Finally, the door closed, and the bus, packed full of people, began to move forward.

Song Xuyi kept her eyes fixed on the rear window. Sure enough, after the bus had traveled about a hundred meters, a dark figure burst out from the side—He Biao had realized something was wrong and was chasing after them!

But by now, the bus was too full to fit another person. The driver saw the man running after them but pretended not to notice, stepping on the gas.

            

Gradually, He Biao’s figure disappeared from view.

The bus to the city only ran once a day. Having missed this one, He Biao wouldn’t be able to catch up today.

Song Xuyi finally breathed a sigh of relief. She collapsed into her seat and held He Siyu’s icy hand. “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid…”

            

He Siyu stared out the window without speaking. Amidst the noisy chatter filling the cabin, not even the System noticed the faint clatter that came from beside her.

A sharpened awl, its tip honed to a deadly point, slid down the wide sleeve of He Siyu’s other hand and came to rest beneath the seat.

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The author has something to say:

            

The knowledge points about identifying direction in the wild come from Baidu.

Goodnight, mwah~

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