Blame the Villain – Chapter 46
by Little PandaThe Villainous Poor Student (11)
Determined True Daughter Self-Made Entrepreneur x Black-Hearted Lotus Villain Poor Student
Though the thought of seeking out her biological father had taken root in her heart, finding someone in an era when information was far from readily accessible was next to impossible — not to mention how many people across the country shared the same name. He Siyu was still only a middle schooler, and while searching for her father, she also had to be mindful of Officer He and Auntie Wang’s feelings…
And just as He Siyu had anticipated, during eighth and ninth grade, Song Xuyi began staying away from school for long stretches. Yet she consistently held her place in the top five of the class. The subject teachers all assumed Song Xuyi’s family had hired her additional tutors, but only the homeroom teacher and Father Song knew the truth: Song Xuyi was pouring all her time into her startup. Tutoring? She hadn’t even cracked a textbook in ages.
To achieve such results without even trying — one could only imagine what Song Xuyi might accomplish if she actually applied herself. Father Song and the homeroom teacher sighed inwardly but had no way to rein her in.
Meanwhile, He Siyu also began trying to earn money on her own.
She was only a middle schooler — no employer would hire her, and Officer He and Auntie Wang didn’t want her working anyway. So He Siyu decided to use her brain to make money. She joined the school’s science and technology club, improved a mechanical product with a teacher’s help, entered Flower City’s technology competition, and took first place, earning a 5,000-yuan prize.
He Siyu used the prize money to buy Officer He a foot bath basin and Auntie Wang a qipao1 she had admired for a long time. And though Xuyi lacked for nothing, He Siyu still bought Song Xuyi a dress from a brand she often wore.
Song Xuyi loved buying clothes for He Siyu and dressing her up beautifully, but she had no idea that He Siyu had always harbored the same desire to dress up Song Xuyi…
The 5,000 yuan was also the most money He Siyu had ever seen. In her impoverished, backward hometown, an entire household might not earn that much in a whole year.
This gave He Siyu an idea. She began dedicating herself to invention and innovation, applying for various patents…
Song Xuyi didn’t learn about He Siyu’s award until several days later. Father Song trailed after her, grumbling sourly, “Look at Siyu — she’s already been on television for her inventions. That girl is both beautiful and sensible. She’s bound to become a great scientist someday. And you? You bury yourself in the company all day and don’t even come home…”
Then, clearly overcompensating, Father Song added, “I think you’d be better off just being Lao Zhao’s daughter…”
In the past, Father Song had been very respectful of Mr. Zhao, whose standing in the business world far exceeded his own. But Mr. Zhao had whisked his daughter away to start a business. Sure, the startup seemed to be doing well — Bilin Supermarket’s advertisements were everywhere these days, and lots of people had started using the website — but Father Song still felt disgruntled. His beautiful, soft, adorable youngest daughter was spending all day with a bunch of adults talking shop. He couldn’t bear to scold Song Xuyi, so he blamed everything on Mr. Zhao, the man who had lured his daughter into entrepreneurship. He’d even started calling him “Lao Zhao”…
Especially after Mr. Zhao recently took Song Xuyi as his goddaughter, Father Song — her own biological father — had begun taking potshots at Lao Zhao every few days.
Song Xuyi knew Father Song’s temperament well. She immediately sat him down for an “earnest” chat. She listened humbly to his advice, started from a few correct decisions he’d made in his youth, expressed her deep admiration for him, and passionately requested a collaboration with his company…
Song Xuyi had, without a doubt, mastered the art of soothing Father Song. Father Song was so buoyed by her flattery that not only did his sourness evaporate, he even began scheming about how to make Lao Zhao see just how formidable he was — to prove the principle that a tiger’s daughter has no dog of a father2…
After pacifying Father Song, Song Xuyi caught a cab to school.
It was her first time back at school all month.
She didn’t go to her own classroom. Instead, she went to Class A1 to find He Siyu. The classroom was empty — Song Xuyi learned that Class A1 was at PE, so she hurried over to the gymnasium.
He Siyu was playing basketball.
By now they were in ninth grade, and He Siyu was about to turn 16.
Over the past year, the girl had shot up again. He Siyu now stood around 1.7 meters tall, her dark, glossy hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. Her beautiful, refined features were set with sharp, focused eyes. The basketball rolled between her slender fingers, and amid the screams of the girls and boys around her, she launched it in a gorgeous arc — clang — a beautiful three-pointer swished through the net!
That clang seemed to strike Song Xuyi’s heart as well.
“Incredible!”
Since her business venture was now out in the open, Song Xuyi rarely sneaked over to He Siyu’s house at night anymore. Looking at the girl before her, Song Xuyi was suddenly struck by a realization: the pitiful little thing she’d pulled out of that mountain valley had grown into the stunningly beautiful young woman standing right in front of her!
Song Xuyi felt a swell of pride, yet also a deep sense of burden. There were thousands upon thousands of He Siyus in this world — girls who could have had the same chance to become clever and dazzling, yet were shackled in remote mountains for all sorts of reasons, married off young, spending their whole lives with faces to the earth, backs to the sky3…
Her company had already established an assistance program, but she needed to work even harder…
A shadow fell over her. A hand reached out and pinched Song Xuyi’s puffed-up cheek.
“Xuyi, what brings you here?”
He Siyu’s pinch was a bit too firm. Song Xuyi frowned and looked up, meeting He Siyu’s face — so beautiful it was nearly flawless. Up close, the stunning effect was even stronger: He Siyu was already a full head taller than her. A light sheen of sweat gilded her beautiful face from the workout, making her look especially vibrant and radiant.
In those beautiful eyes, beyond the delight, there seemed to flicker a complex emotion Song Xuyi couldn’t read. For a brief instant, Song Xuyi thought He Siyu looked almost displeased with her. But when she looked again, He Siyu had already released her cheek, and her gaze was as warm and smiling as ever.
Song Xuyi let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding and set aside her doubts.
“I came to bring you a gift—” Song Xuyi produced the brand-new MP3 player she’d bought. “I’ve already loaded some English speaking and listening exercises, plus some good songs…”
“Congratulations on winning first place in the technology competition.”
He Siyu looked at the MP3 player in Song Xuyi’s hand.
It was the best brand on the market. He Siyu had heard her classmates discuss it — the price was close to 1,000 yuan.
She was clearly happy to see Xuyi, but perhaps because she cared so much, she couldn’t help instinctively comparing the gap between herself and Xuyi.
He Siyu pressed her lips together and accepted the gift. She tossed the basketball to a teammate, then pulled Song Xuyi down to sit on the steps nearby.
Thirty-eight days.
It had been thirty-eight days since she’d last seen Xuyi. She’d counted every single day, and could only study and exercise frantically to counteract the longing in her heart. Yet when Xuyi reappeared, she acted as though nothing had happened.
Xuyi’s world was so vast, and she was just one small corner of it. But He Siyu’s world was impossibly narrow — apart from home and Xuyi, there was nothing else.
He Siyu was unwilling to accept this. So without even realizing it, she’d pinched Song Xuyi’s face as if taking out her frustration. But the moment she saw Song Xuyi’s slight frown, she’d instinctively let go. She couldn’t bear it…
In an instant, He Siyu buried every trace of negative emotion.
She lowered her eyes, as warm and gentle as she always was around Song Xuyi. “I bought you a dress. It’s at my house. Do you want to come over tonight and pick it up?”
In her heart, Song Xuyi sent another gratified, motherly sigh to the System, but on the surface, she shook her head and whispered into He Siyu’s ear, “I can’t — I’m going on a business trip to the neighboring city with Mr. Zhao this afternoon. Send the dress to my house in a couple of days—”
Then Song Xuyi winked at He Siyu. “I told my dad I’m sleeping over at your place tonight, so don’t let it slip—”
“I know I’ve been too busy lately and haven’t had time for you.” Song Xuyi thought of the parenting tips she’d read in books and felt a twinge of guilt. “But I can’t help it — the business is just getting started…”
He Siyu’s eyes dimmed.
Looking at Xuyi’s face — so close, the face she yearned for day and night — He Siyu pressed her lips together and lowered her head. For a fleeting instant, she wanted to pinch Song Xuyi’s face again…
“It’s okay,” He Siyu said, and though her voice was gentle, it carried a tremor of uncertainty. “But next month is my birthday. Will you…”
“I would never forget your birthday!” Song Xuyi hastened to profess her loyalty. She rested her head on He Siyu’s shoulder and wrapped her arms around He Siyu’s waist in a comforting gesture. Beneath her palm, she felt the smooth, toned lines of He Siyu’s waist — not an ounce of extra flesh. Thinking of her own recently acquired little belly, Song Xuyi silently resolved to go on a diet. Then she turned on her charm offensive: “My Siyu is so beautiful and outstanding — being your good friend is my honor. Even if I forgot my own birthday, I’d never forget my Siyu’s birthday…”
Though He Siyu was used to Song Xuyi’s habit of sweet talk, she still couldn’t help blushing at the barrage.
She kept her head down, softly discussing birthday plans with Song Xuyi, occasionally ducking her head with a shy smile. This was the He Siyu that Song Xuyi was accustomed to. But the other students watching were floored: He Siyu wasn’t cold to people, exactly, but she was hardly warm either. Everyone had assumed she was simply aloof by nature. They never expected to see her smile this brightly…
Off to the side, Li Qing — who had skipped class to come watch He Siyu play basketball — saw the warm, harmonious atmosphere between the two, as if no one else could squeeze in between them, and silently ground her teeth to dust.
At last, in He Siyu’s eager anticipation, her birthday arrived.
He Siyu and Song Xuyi made up for the regret of missing the amusement park on He Siyu’s last birthday. Together with Auntie Wang and Officer He, they went to the amusement park.
Song Xuyi put on the dress He Siyu had bought her. He Siyu had excellent taste — the dress made Song Xuyi look exceptionally sweet and adorable. And whether by design or coincidence, He Siyu had also worn clothes in the same color palette. Walking side by side, He Siyu was striking and radiant while Song Xuyi was fresh and lovely, and the two drew countless eyes.
The four of them played at the amusement park until evening. He Siyu was in especially high spirits all day. Her beaming smile made the red mole at the corner of her eye seem to sparkle, and the blend of purity and faint allure on her beautiful face was impossible to look away from. Song Xuyi marveled to the System over and over: “Siyu is so beautiful!”
Song Xuyi considered herself a thoroughly qualified guardian. All day long, she used Father Song’s camera to take countless photos of He Siyu, planning to print them out and compile an album as a gift.
Around seven o’clock, the entire amusement park lit up, and the Ferris wheel began playing music.
The amusement park’s signature attraction was the Ferris wheel — riding it to the top offered a view of the entire city’s nightscape.
Auntie Wang was afraid of heights, so Officer He stayed below to wait with her. Song Xuyi and He Siyu lined up and boarded a private compartment together.
As soft music played, the Ferris wheel rose slowly, gradually reaching its highest point.
Song Xuyi kept urging, “Siyu, hurry and make a wish!” while snapping photo after photo — click, click — of the city’s glittering skyline. She had no idea that beside her, the wishing He Siyu had eyes only for her, heart and soul…
“The gilded city, ten thousand glowing lights — none of it compares to you.”
“May every year hereafter be as today — wherever my eyes fall, there is home, there is you—”
The author has something to say:
Last chapter I changed Siyu’s biological father’s name to “Xu Hongjiang.” “Xu Jinjiang” is a celebrity’s name — no wonder it felt familiar when I typed it out hahaha.
Here’s a corny joke:
“Babe, I went to get an IV drip.”
“What kind of drip?”
“Thanks everyone for the nutrient solutions4—”【fist salute/jpg】
Footnotes
- A qipao is a form-fitting Chinese dress with a high collar and distinctive slit skirt, originating from Shanghai in the 1920s.
- A reversal of the Chinese idiom 'a tiger father has no dog son,' meaning worthy parents produce worthy children. Father Song flips it to boast that his impressive daughter proves he is no less formidable.
- A Chinese expression describing grueling agricultural labor — farmers bent over their fields from sunrise to sunset, faces toward the soil and backs exposed to the sky.
- 'Nutrient solution' (yingyang ye) is a form of virtual tipping on Chinese webnovel platforms. The joke plays on the similarity between 'IV drip' (shuye) and 'nutrient solution' (yingyang ye).
That “you are my world” paragraph tho 💔🥹