Blame the Villain – Chapter 13
by Little PandaThe Villainous Film Empress (13)
A little rich girl bent on saving the world X A paranoid, dark, and vengeful Film Empress
Listening to the commotion next door, Song Xuyi realized the village seemed to have already sent people out to search for Zhao Qingyu. She tried to call the police for rescue, but the extreme weather appeared to have severed all communications. Her call simply wouldn’t go through.
The rain outside continued to pour with a splash, smacking against the windowpane with a patter. Song Xuyi pulled the quilt over her head, but she couldn’t fall asleep no matter what.
The temperature had plummeted. With such heavy rain and hail, no matter how deep and calculating Zhao Qingyu’s schemes were, she could not necessarily contend against a natural disaster…
“System, how did you recognize Zhao Qingyu as the villain the first time we saw her?”
After thinking for a moment, Song Xuyi finally couldn’t help but ask the System in her mind.
“I can detect the location of key plot figures within fifty meters.” The System fell silent for a moment before speaking softly, “Xuyi, do you want to go find her?”
Song Xuyi said nothing.
The System sighed. “To be honest, the two of you don’t have that deep of a relationship. Even if she meets with an accident this time, it has nothing to do with you, and you don’t need to carry any feelings of guilt. Moreover, as long as she ceases to exist, your mission will most likely be completed…”
Song Xuyi knew the System wasn’t wrong.
Yet, for some reason, the image of Zhao Qingyu taking her out for a run that morning kept flashing before her eyes. In a daze, Song Xuyi remembered: that morning… Zhao Qingyu had seemed to go out wearing only a dress.
“System, if I go looking for Zhao Qingyu, will you help me?”
Song Xuyi ultimately threw off her covers, got up, and put on her clothes.
She did want to complete her mission and live well, but Song Xuyi had her own principles: with the System’s help, in a situation where they were cut off from the outside world, she could find the missing Zhao Qingyu much faster…
Song Xuyi could not stay in the house with a clear conscience.
Even if it were a total stranger she had never met before, Song Xuyi felt she would still go to their rescue.
“…The System is the Task-doer’s assistant, and its first directive is that it cannot violate the Task-doer’s wishes.” After a while, the System spoke with great reluctance, “You need to be careful yourself.”
“Thank you, System.”
With her mind at ease, Song Xuyi hurriedly packed a few things, left a note explaining where she had gone, and snuck downstairs under the cover of night.
The two bodyguards had spent the entire day helping to transport supplies. After seeing Song Xuyi head upstairs, they had gone to sleep. Downstairs, there were still several families waiting for the old master to treat their illnesses. No one noticed Song Xuyi slipping quietly out the door.
The night was still very cold, and Song Xuyi shivered the moment she stepped outside.
She first went to Shuanzi’s house next door. The village chief was still gathering people to search for Zhao Qingyu. The director and investors were recounting what had happened during the day. From what they said, Zhao Qingyu had originally gone with the director and investors to inspect the site for the Film City. They had returned to the village before the severe weather hit, but after entering the village, Zhao Qingyu had wandered into the wild fields to pick flowers and got separated from the group. The others assumed she had returned long ago; it wasn’t until nightfall that they realized Zhao Qingyu hadn’t come home.
However, the first search party had already combed through those fields, and there was no sign of anyone left there.
“At this point, I’m not afraid to tell everyone,” the director said, looking more anxious than anyone else. “Qingyu also invested in the construction of the Film City. She is our largest shareholder. For the sake of everyone’s future, I hope you all will do your utmost to find her…”
Zhao Qingyu had actually invested in this Film City as well?
Having heard what she needed to know, Song Xuyi lingered no longer. She found a sheltered corner to escape the rain, quickly changed into her raincoat and rainboots, and switched on her flashlight before stepping out into the night.
The darkness was thick. The rain seemed to have lessened slightly, but the temperature hadn’t risen at all. The biting wind constantly whipped rainwater against her face, and the fingers gripping the flashlight quickly froze stiff. From time to time, hail the size of marbles struck her head. Ever since she transmigrated into this body, it was the first time Song Xuyi had suffered such hardship.
“She even gave me lucky money1…” Song Xuyi could only try desperately to recall the times Zhao Qingyu had been good to her, convincing herself to keep moving forward. “Actually, she isn’t all that bad right now…”
The wild fields were right at the village entrance, and Song Xuyi arrived there shortly.
The wildflowers in the field had been beaten to pieces by the rain, and the area had already been scoured countless times by the crowd. A few scattered flashlight beams were still sweeping the fields looking for her. Zhao Qingyu wasn’t there. Where could she have gone?
Song Xuyi checked her phone. It was already past eleven at night…
She stared thoughtfully at the date illuminated on her screen, momentarily zoning out.
The date showed it was July 15, the traditional Ghost Festival2. According to legend, the gates of the underworld would swing wide open on this day, and spirits would return to the mortal realm to visit their relatives. In turn, the living would prepare flowers and tribute offerings, heading to the cemeteries to sweep the graves and mourn.
When Song Xuyi had gone out that morning, she had seen many people picking flowers in the fields, intending to sweep graves…
And the entire village’s cemetery was concentrated on a mountain outside the village, quite a distance to reach on foot.
Could Zhao Qingyu have gone to the cemetery? Should she go look for her?
Lightning streaked across the night sky. The surroundings were pitch black, with only a tiny beam of flashlight illuminating the path ahead. Further out, the shadows of the trees flickered like ghosts as the fierce wind raged…
Song Xuyi sneezed. Gritting her teeth, she finally stepped into the endless night.
Song Xuyi had already studied anatomy and wasn’t afraid of corpses. Making matters worse, however, the rain seemed to intensify halfway there. Visibility in the dark was extremely poor. Rainwater mixed with mud surged down the mountain paths, making it incredibly difficult for Song Xuyi to walk. The slightest misstep would send her tumbling in the mudslide…
“Why don’t we just go back first!” Watching Song Xuyi scramble back up from the mud, the System couldn’t help but speak, “The rain is getting heavier. You’re in danger yourself like this. Who knows, Zhao Qingyu might have already…”
“I’ve already come this far.”
Song Xuyi wiped the water from her face, gritting her teeth as she kept moving forward. “I just need to seek some peace of mind…”
Yet heaven did not grant her wish. The flash floods ahead grew more intense, blocking the path upward. It was definitely too dangerous to climb any higher. Song Xuyi was forced to deviate from the main path and find another route to descend. She had no idea where she had walked when the System in her mind finally cried out: “I sense her! There’s a cave to your left, and Zhao Qingyu is inside—”
…
Song Xuyi breathed a sigh of relief.
She struggled her way to the cave entrance. The mountain cave wasn’t large, able to accommodate only about four or five people at most. Its main advantage was being on the leeward side of the mountain; the ground was dry, offering shelter from the rain.
With one glance, Song Xuyi spotted Zhao Qingyu beside a fire:
Zhao Qingyu’s condition was not good. Soaking wet and blue in the face from the freezing cold, she was curled up tightly with her arms wrapped around herself next to the fire, looking like a female ghost who had just been fished out of a river…
It was the first time Song Xuyi had ever seen Zhao Qingyu in such a wretched state. Perhaps out of sheer delight, even knowing her own current condition wasn’t much better, Song Xuyi still couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Detecting the movement at the cave entrance, Zhao Qingyu raised her head and looked over.
Seeing that Zhao Qingyu was still conscious and lucid, the heavy weight in Song Xuyi’s heart was finally lifted. Remembering this person’s bad habit of constantly teasing her, and recalling that she had suffered so much along the way precisely because of her, a mischievous thought bubbled up. She deliberately shone the flashlight right into Zhao Qingyu’s face—
Zhao Qingyu turned her head away to avoid the glare. Right after, Song Xuyi heard Zhao Qingyu’s somewhat restrained voice: “Song Xuyi, stop messing around…”
Zhao Qingyu’s voice was hoarse; she seemed to have caught a cold.
Song Xuyi hadn’t expected Zhao Qingyu to recognize her so quickly. Thinking of this person’s volatile temperament, she didn’t dare torment her any further and sat down on a rock beside Zhao Qingyu.
Arranged on the ground were candles, paper money3, and a half-withered bouquet of flowers…
Zhao Qingyu had indeed come to sweep a grave.
Song Xuyi withdrew her gaze and set down her backpack. The quality of her waterproof bag was excellent; despite tumbling all the way here, the contents weren’t wet at all. Song Xuyi handed the bag to Zhao Qingyu. “Drink some water and take some medicine first. It’s hailing outside again, and the hailstones are the size of ping-pong balls. We probably can’t leave right now…”
“There are clothes inside. I also brought some over-the-counter medicine and food. See if there’s anything you can use…”
After she finished speaking, Song Xuyi shuddered. She hadn’t noticed it while she was moving around outside, but now she realized the temperature was far too cold. Unconsciously, Song Xuyi leaned a little closer to the fire.
Beside the fire, Zhao Qingyu hung her head, not moving at all.
The orange flames cast a layer of shadow over her entire figure. For the first time, Zhao Qingyu’s face was devoid of its polite, customary smile.
As if sensing Song Xuyi’s gaze, Zhao Qingyu lifted her head to meet her eyes. Her dark gaze carried an emotion that Song Xuyi couldn’t decipher. Her voice was dry and hoarse: “Why did you come?”
This version of Zhao Qingyu was somewhat strange.
Song Xuyi pursed her lips. Meeting Zhao Qingyu’s gaze, she was speechless for a moment.
She actually had a ready-made excuse in mind—after all, a fan naturally couldn’t stand by and watch her idol go missing. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Song Xuyi felt that Zhao Qingyu did not want that kind of answer.
Song Xuyi’s hands unconsciously twisted together. She turned her head away. “I didn’t want to see you die.”
This was Song Xuyi’s original intent: “Regardless of whether the missing person was you or not, I would have come out to help.”
After a few seconds of silence, Zhao Qingyu let out what sounded like a soft chuckle and finally said nothing more.
A rustle came from behind, and the fire cast flickering shadows ahead. Song Xuyi inadvertently caught sight of a fit and slender silhouette projected against the cave wall. Dumbstruck for a moment, she hastily clamped her eyes shut. However, that alluring image refused to leave her mind. Before she knew it, Song Xuyi’s face had flushed red once again…
Song Xuyi tried her hardest to ignore the movements behind her. Listening to the sound of the wind and rain outside, Song Xuyi felt the heat on her face seemingly spread inch by inch to the rest of her body. The scrapes she had gotten from her falls earlier began to sting fiercely, and her mind started to grow woozy…
A sudden sharp pain flared from her elbow. Song Xuyi forced her heavy eyelids open, only to find that Zhao Qingyu had already finished changing her clothes: this down jacket was simply too large, with the back hem dragging on the ground, seemingly spacious enough to easily fit two Zhao Qingyus.
Song Xuyi then remembered that in her panic, she had seemingly grabbed the largest men’s size.
—And right now, Zhao Qingyu was half-kneeling in front of her with her lips pressed tightly together. Her beautiful brows were knitted tightly into a frown as she carefully and earnestly swabbed the wounds on Song Xuyi’s fingers with iodine.
“It’s just a small scratch…” Song Xuyi’s drowsiness evaporated instantly. She instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but Zhao Qingyu swatted it neither lightly nor heavily: “Stop messing around!”
Song Xuyi didn’t dare to move anymore. She kept her eyes shut and let Zhao Qingyu apply the medicine. However, once her eyes were closed, her remaining senses became much sharper. Everywhere Zhao Qingyu touched, a continuous, dense warmth surged up.
Zhao Qingyu meticulously disinfected every scrape on Song Xuyi’s hands. Finally, she wiped over a certain spot on Song Xuyi’s wrist over and over again. Startled, Song Xuyi pulled her hand back once more and shot Zhao Qingyu a cautious look: “That’s my wrist’s birthmark…”
Zhao Qingyu finally set the iodine down.
Song Xuyi let out a breath of relief. Such a serious Zhao Qingyu was simply too weird; she felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort in her heart. Just as she was about to tell Zhao Qingyu that they should take turns keeping watch tonight, she saw Zhao Qingyu’s gaze land on her own rain-soaked down jacket. Zhao Qingyu pressed her lips into a tight line.
Song Xuyi didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but a rosy flush seemed to creep onto Zhao Qingyu’s porcelain-white face. However, before Song Xuyi could look closer, the Zhao Qingyu in front of her spoke in a low voice:
“Song Xuyi, take off your wet clothes.”
?!
Song Xuyi’s eyes widened…
Footnotes
- Money traditionally given to children in red envelopes during the Lunar New Year as a blessing for safety and peace.
- Observed on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month. A traditional festival where the spirits of the deceased return to the living realm, and people sweep graves to honor them.
- Also known as joss paper; imitation money burned as an offering to the deceased in traditional rituals.
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