Blame the Villain – Chapter 15
by Little PandaThe Villainous Film Empress (15)
A little rich girl dedicated to saving the world X A paranoid, dark, and vengeful film empress
Song Xuyi hadn’t expected to wake up to daylight.
Perhaps because she’d had a good night’s sleep, the dizziness and grogginess had eased considerably.
The temperature outside seemed to have risen. The space beside her was empty; Zhao Qingyu was gone.
The clamor of rain from outside the cave had stopped at some point. She could hear someone on the phone—Zhao Qingyu had already contacted people for a rescue.
Song Xuyi remembered the story she had heard before falling asleep. After a moment of silence, she looked up and quietly asked the System, “System, the child in her story… was that her?”
“Yes,” the System’s voice came after a long pause. “I heard the second half of the story. The male lead, Song Jun, is Zhao Qingyu’s paternal half-brother…”
Song Xuyi’s lips tightened.
She finally understood why Zhao Qingyu wanted revenge on Song Jun—all these years, it was Song Jun’s family that had caused Zhao Qingyu and her mother to suffer endlessly.
Zhao Qingyu became an actress because she wanted to fulfill the dream her mother never could.
She came to this village to film and invest because she wanted to repay the local villagers on her mother’s behalf. That was why she could understand the local dialect and sing the local folk songs…
Thinking back carefully, all the clues had been there from the start:
Song Jun’s grandmother, already suffering from dementia, had turned pale with fright at the sight of Zhao Qingyu’s face and screamed, “A ghost!”;
The background during her video call with Zhao Qingyu was extremely plain, as if she were in a hospital room;
And the practiced way she took care of people…
How had Zhao Qingyu endured all these years, struggling to survive while shouldering the grievances of the previous generation?
…
After recounting Zhao Qingyu’s “story,” the System also paused. It recalled the female villain’s sorrowful and cautious demeanor toward Song Xuyi the night before and, in the end, decided not to tell Song Xuyi about the kiss.
It only reminded her again, “Xuyi, the first rule of the Task-doer’s Code is ‘No romantic relationships’—”
“Huh?”
Song Xuyi didn’t react at first. She was still feeling sorry for Zhao Qingyu and her mother. Hearing the System’s abrupt statement, it took her a long moment to realize what it was saying.
Her face flushed red, and she stammered, losing her composure in front of the System for the first time. “Anyway, yesterday… something did happen that forced you to automatically activate the censor, but it was all just an accident! Zhao Qingyu and I haven’t developed any kind of relationship that crosses the line…”
“This world is just a mission for me.” After a pause, Song Xuyi’s voice grew somber. “I know what’s important, System…”
The System actually believed Song Xuyi. As an observer, it could see things clearly: Song Xuyi was very fond of Zhao Qingyu’s looks and could be captivated by her face, but so far, she truly hadn’t developed any other feelings for her.
However, remembering the female villain’s reaction last night, the System felt a little panicked.
It could only take things one step at a time.
The System remained silent for a long while before finally letting out a soft sigh.
The rescue team arrived soon after.
Song Xuyi’s two bodyguards stood at the very front of the team, their faces pale with fear.
Worried that something might have happened to Song Xuyi, the bodyguards had already called Father and Mother Song to report everything.
The moment Song Xuyi returned to the village, she was met with a barrage of phone calls from her parents and brothers. After she made it clear that she was unwilling to go back, Father and Mother Song sent people with a huge pile of medicine and supplements, along with two more bodyguards. The bodyguards were assigned to day and night shifts, watching over Song Xuyi extremely closely.
In truth, aside from catching a bit of a cold from being out in the elements, Song Xuyi had no other injuries. She quickly recuperated and began the free clinic with the Old Master. Zhao Qingyu’s situation, however, was a bit grim. She started running a fever as soon as she got down the mountain and was sick on and off for nearly a week…
Song Xuyi had wanted to visit Zhao Qingyu with the Old Master, but he tactfully relayed Zhao Qingyu’s wishes: she was afraid of passing her illness to Song Xuyi and didn’t want her to visit.
It was a blatant excuse.
Although she didn’t know what Zhao Qingyu was really thinking, since Zhao Qingyu had said as much, Song Xuyi felt it would be inappropriate to force a visit. She could only send over the large pile of supplements her parents had delivered.
Nearly another week passed before Zhao Qingyu fully recovered and started messaging Song Xuyi, asking her to go running together.
While running, Zhao Qingyu looked radiant, not at all like someone who had just recovered from a major illness. The moment she saw Song Xuyi, she broke into a smile.
It was an exceptionally beautiful smile. Song Xuyi could tell she was genuinely happy; the joy spread from the corners of her eyes and brows. Her eyes were as dark as obsidian, which made the red mole at the corner of her eye seem even more vivid and charming.
Is she this happy just from getting better?
Song Xuyi didn’t quite understand Zhao Qingyu’s sudden cheerfulness and silently followed behind her.
As usual, Zhao Qingyu quickly left Song Xuyi far behind. Song Xuyi had long since accepted the reality of her poor physical stamina and didn’t feel anxious. She jogged along at a leisurely pace, pondering her deadlocked mission, and failed to notice Zhao Qingyu occasionally glancing back at her…
On the way back, Zhao Qingyu ran beside Song Xuyi.
“Song Xuyi,” Zhao Qingyu said suddenly, turning to look at her earnestly. “You saved me that night. I’ll grant you one wish. Whatever you want, I’ll do everything in my power to make it happen…”
Song Xuyi froze on the spot.
If she hadn’t known Zhao Qingyu’s history, she would have been thrilled. But now that she knew why Zhao Qingyu hated Song Jun’s family, with so many years of resentment built up, did she really have the right to ask Zhao Qingyu to give up her hatred?
Song Xuyi’s lips tightened.
She found she couldn’t say the words.
Zhao Qingyu’s mother had been deceived by a scumbag and gotten pregnant, her career as a star ruined. Though she was the victim, she was falsely accused and driven from her home after the pregnancy. The scumbag, meanwhile, acknowledged his long-lost son, got married, and lived a happy life…
Her mother, driven mad and gravely ill, could only drift from place to place…
After so many years of hardship and struggle, just how strong did Zhao Qingyu have to be to get to where she was today?
Song Xuyi knew that Song Jun was also innocent. In the plot summary, Song Jun was unaware of the previous generation’s grievances and had to inexplicably bear Zhao Qingyu’s revenge until his family was nearly destroyed.
But Song Xuyi understood why Zhao Qingyu had targeted Song Jun—defeating him was the best way to get revenge on his grandmother.
In the entire affair, the most innocent person was actually Zhao Qingyu.
It was easy for an outsider to purse their lips and advise someone to be benevolent. How could they know what immense pain had been endured to forge such a deep-seated grudge?
Unless Zhao Qingyu herself decided to let it go, no one had the right to persuade her to be benevolent.
…
“System, I feel like… compared to Zhao Qingyu, I’m so much more fortunate…” Song Xuyi sighed internally.
“Mm,” the System replied softly.
For some reason, the System had become much quieter lately.
Song Xuyi thought for a long time.
“Can I save it for later?” she finally asked, biting her lip and looking at Zhao Qingyu cautiously. “I want to think about it some more before I say.”
Based on her past experiences with Zhao Qingyu, Song Xuyi had expected her to refuse. But to her surprise, Zhao Qingyu agreed with ease.
“You can.”
“But you have to tell me within the year,” Zhao Qingyu said with a smile, patting Song Xuyi’s shoulder. “You know my schedule is very tight…”
In the days that followed, Song Xuyi noticed that Zhao Qingyu seemed to have become much more affectionate toward her.
Before, it was usually Song Xuyi who contacted Zhao Qingyu and initiated topics of conversation. Recently, it seemed to be the other way around. Besides asking her to run every day, Zhao Qingyu started actively sending her messages and calling her. Occasionally, she would even bring Song Xuyi wild fruits from the mountains or pretty wildflowers as gifts…
Song Xuyi was slow on the uptake, but she eventually realized—this was how friends were supposed to interact. Zhao Qingyu was starting to treat her as a real friend.
If the old Song Xuyi had discovered this, she would have been overjoyed. But now, Song Xuyi just felt lost: what if Zhao Qingyu ultimately couldn’t let go of her hatred and fought with Song Jun? What should she do then?
After much consideration, Song Xuyi could only pretend not to notice Zhao Qingyu’s friendly gestures, treating her with a lukewarm attitude.
She had assumed that, given Zhao Qingyu’s pride, she would distance herself after sensing her indifference. But unexpectedly, Zhao Qingyu carried on as usual, seemingly oblivious to Song Xuyi’s aloofness…
Does Zhao Qingyu really value the fact that I saved her life that much?
Song Xuyi’s feelings were extremely complicated.
In truth, Zhao Qingyu was an excellent friend. When she put her heart into treating someone well, she had a perfect sense of propriety and was incredibly thoughtful. Being with her was like being brushed by a spring breeze…
What surprised Song Xuyi even more was that Zhao Qingyu always seemed exceptionally happy whenever they spent time together, her eyes sparkling with little flecks of light.
After spending this time together in the small mountain village, the petty1, mischievous, and reckless villain from before seemed like a phantom dream. Song Xuyi had never imagined she would gain something like this from her free clinic trip.
Soon, half of August had passed.
The idyllic days came to a close. The Old Master finished collecting the medicinal herbs and completed the free clinics for the nearby villages, and he took Song Xuyi back to the city.
Construction had begun on the Film Base that Zhao Qingyu was investing in. They were filming as they built, so Zhao Qingyu still needed to stay in the mountains for nearly half a year.
Not long after returning to the city, Song Xuyi received a dried flower sachet that Zhao Qingyu had mailed to her. The sachet was exquisitely crafted and had a pleasant floral scent. Zhao Qingyu had left a note in the package, saying she had made it herself, her tone practically begging for praise.
It was only then that Song Xuyi discovered Zhao Qingyu had excellent handwriting. Her calligraphy was powerful, her pen moving like a dragon and snake.2
Shedding her preconceived, harsh impression of the villain, Song Xuyi dazedly realized that Zhao Qingyu was actually an extremely outstanding person.
Before long, the new semester began. Song Xuyi took the sachet Zhao Qingyu had made to school, planning to put it with the small cat doll Zhao Qingyu had given her before…
When Song Xuyi entered her dormitory room, her roommates were discussing the most beautiful female stars in the entertainment industry. They had unanimously concluded that Zhao Qingyu’s looks were the ceiling of the entertainment industry.3
“If only Zhao Qingyu would film a few more dramas…” one roommate lamented, hugging a pillow.
The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener took it to heart. Song Xuyi’s hand, holding the sachet, paused…
—She knew what she wanted to ask Zhao Qingyu to promise her!
LP: Re-translated on January 13, 2024
Footnotes
- Original: xiǎodù jīcháng (小肚鸡肠), literally ‘small belly, chicken guts.’ An idiom for being narrow-minded or holding grudges over minor things.
- Original: bǐ zǒu lóng shé (笔走龙蛇), literally ‘pen moves like a dragon and snake.’ A Chinese idiom used to describe calligraphy that is masterful, fluid, and full of vigor.
- Original: tiānhuābǎn (天花板), literally ‘ceiling.’ A popular slang term meaning ‘the peak,’ ‘the best,’ or ‘the highest level’ in a particular field.
0 Comments