Blame the Villain – Chapter 18
by Little PandaThe Villainous Film Empress (18)
A little rich girl bent on saving the world X A paranoid, dark, and vengeful Film Empress
With the start of the winter break, Song Xuyi officially began her internship at Huang Shuo’s research institute.
The winter break wasn’t very long, only about a month, and Song Xuyi knew she couldn’t offer much help at her current stage. Most of the time, she simply followed behind the researchers, quietly learning.
Song Xuyi gained a clear understanding of Huang Shuo’s research methodology. Huang Shuo had always believed there was a correlation between the existence of the Sleeping Disease and genetic defects. However, the genetic mechanisms leading to the onset of the condition were highly complex and volatile. Accurately determining whether the Sleeping Disease was a single-gene disorder, a multi-gene disorder, an acquired genetic disorder, or a combination of multiple etiologies required a massive amount of data. Only by identifying the root cause could they hope to develop a targeted cure.
It was a monumental undertaking.
For this venture, the key for the people Huang Shuo recruited was quality over quantity. Every single person in the research institute was a formidable expert capable of working independently. Most of them were quite advanced in years; even the youngest researcher there was older than Song Xuyi by a full twelve-year cycle1.
Yet no matter how illustrious their titles were in the outside world, within this research institute, they were simply a group of people working tirelessly to overcome a medical impasse for the well-being of all humanity.
Only after arriving here did Song Xuyi truly realize the vast gulf between herself and these top-tier researchers.
But she wasn’t discouraged.
Knowing she couldn’t offer substantial help for the time being, Song Xuyi didn’t idle around. She stayed at the institute to take on tasks like printing documents, sending and receiving deliveries, and doing what minor research tasks she could. From time to time, she prepared afternoon tea for everyone or massaged their acupoints2, striving to create the most comfortable environment possible for the researchers.
Initially, the other researchers paid little attention to this always-smiling young girl. But as the saying goes, eating someone’s food softens your mouth3—having accepted so many of her treats, they naturally warmed up to her. Once they got to know Song Xuyi better, they began to chat with her. With Huang Shuo’s permission, they would occasionally share their current research progress with her.
As they interacted more, the researchers began to appreciate the young girl’s true worth.
She was only a sophomore, yet her foundational knowledge already surpassed that of most college graduates. Whenever a point came up in conversation that she didn’t understand, the next time the subject was raised, she would have undoubtedly self-studied all the relevant material…
In just half a month, Song Xuyi had won the approval of everyone in the institute, and she herself felt she had gained immensely from the process.
An exceptional team was a powerful motivator. Song Xuyi was like a sponge, constantly absorbing knowledge. She immersed herself so completely in the research atmosphere that she practically forgot to eat or sleep, studying day and night. It wasn’t until Mother Song called to remind her to come home for the reunion dinner4 that evening that Song Xuyi realized it was already New Year’s Eve5.
Song Xuyi headed home cradling a large stack of red envelopes6.
On such a joyous occasion of family reunions, the research institute was also closing for a two-day holiday. The elders at the institute had given Song Xuyi her red envelopes ahead of time.
Even Huang Shuo, with a stiff, stern face, stuffed a thick red envelope for Song Xuyi and brought over a massive pile of study materials. “Even though the wool comes from the sheep’s own back7—seeing as your parents invested a lot of money in our research institute—I won’t shortchange you on what you deserve…”
But looking at the girl’s bright smile and hearing her cheerful voice cry, “Grandpa Huang, Happy New Year!” Huang Shuo could no longer keep up his stern facade. After scolding her with a “quit being so playful,” he softly murmured back, “Happy New Year…”
Song Xuyi arrived home.
Mother Song had somehow been inspired recently to buy several sets of old-fashioned, tacky red padded jackets printed with the characters for ‘Good Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity8.’ She forced the younger generation of the family to change into them on New Year’s Eve, grandly calling it a way to ensure “a roaring, prosperous new year.” Song Xuyi had originally thought her steady, dignified father and older brothers would never go along with such an absurd suggestion. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, they had all put on these red padded jackets. Even her brothers’ children, lured by snacks, were running around happily in red padded jackets adorned with the characters for ‘Fortune’ and ‘Prosperity’…
Because Song Xuyi arrived home late, the only one left for her was a bright red padded jacket emblazoned with the character for ‘Longevity.’
Mother Song had made her position crystal clear: only those who wore these clothes would receive lucky money9.
For the sake of the massive red envelope Mother Song handed out every year, Song Xuyi had no choice but to steel herself and put it on. She stared with a look of utter despair at the children running all over the living room—
In this setting, she felt exactly like an eighty-year-old grandmother celebrating her milestone birthday…
Fortunately, Mother Song only forced everyone to wear them for this one night.
After dinner, Song Xuyi shrank into a corner of the living room, doing her best to minimize her presence. However, the annual family photo was an unavoidable ritual. She could only force out a stiff smile as Father Song and Mother Song pushed her right into the center, capturing a family portrait of a girl with a painfully fake grin.
Having finally endured until Mother Song finished distributing the red envelopes, Song Xuyi was just about to slip upstairs to change out of this incredibly embarrassing outfit when her little nephew ran over, cradling her phone in his arms. “Auntie, the pretty auntie is looking for you…”
The moment Song Xuyi took the phone, she saw Zhao Qingyu’s face on the screen, desperately holding back laughter.
Why was it a video call?!
As their relationship had grown closer, it had been a long time since Song Xuyi blushed in front of Zhao Qingyu. Yet this time, she couldn’t stop her face from flushing a deep red. With a sharp click, she hung up the call!
“Don’t worry, Auntie,” her little nephew whispered in her ear, trying to comfort the red-faced Song Xuyi. “I just told her that you were taking pictures, and the pretty auntie said she wanted to see what you looked like in the photo…”
“So you showed her?” Song Xuyi instantly went on high alert, a terrible premonition rising in her heart.
Her little nephew, completely oblivious to his aunt’s impending breakdown, nodded happily. “The pretty auntie promised to buy me a whole set of planet lollipops! I’ll share half of them with you when they arrive…”
“…”
“Well, I really must thank you then—”
Song Xuyi fell into deep despair. Sighing in defeat, she gave her nephew’s chubby cheeks a mock-ferocious pinch. She then fled upstairs and buried herself under her blanket, debating for a long while between “fleeing this world overnight” and “immigrating to Mars.” Ultimately, she couldn’t resist sending a WeChat message to Zhao Qingyu.
“Forget everything you just saw! You saw absolutely nothing!”
Then, remembering that Zhao Qingyu’s background in the video call seemed to be a hospital ward again, and knowing she wouldn’t accept any ‘lucky money’ from her, Song Xuyi sent her a red envelope anyway. “Buy yourself something delicious. Happy New Year’s Eve…”
The other party replied almost instantly: “Is sending me a red envelope your way of bribing me?”
“Xuyi’s outfit just now… Haha, it was truly unique…”
The moment Song Xuyi read that, her fur stood on end! She ground her teeth.
“Don’t! You! Dare! Say! Another! Word!”
“Is there anyone else in the world who enjoys watching their savior make a fool of herself this much?”
At the mention of the life-saving favor, Zhao Qingyu indeed quieted down on the other end.
She sent an emoji covering her mouth with a laugh. “Alright, alright, I won’t say it. I’ve already forgotten what you looked like just now…”
Only then did Song Xuyi’s temper simmer down.
She felt she wasn’t behaving well, almost like she was throwing a tantrum. It was probably because Zhao Qingyu’s attitude over the past six months had been far too friendly, making her more and more casual in front of her…
Thinking of this, Song Xuyi felt a bit guilty and sent Zhao Qingyu another large red envelope.
“Did you really promise to buy lollipops for my nephew? I can’t let you spend your own money.”
However, there was no further reply from Zhao Qingyu’s end.
Song Xuyi figured Zhao Qingyu probably wouldn’t accept her red envelope again. Instead, she took two short videos—one of her little nephew being ridden like a horse and playfully smacked by her niece, and another of the fireworks outside—and sent them over. She hoped that by sensing the lively warmth from her side, Zhao Qingyu might smile a little and feel less lonely…
What Song Xuyi didn’t know was that in a corner of the hospital ward, Zhao Qingyu was watching a video she had secretly recorded of Song Xuyi taking the family photo. Clutching her mother, she was laughing so hard that tears were practically coming out.
“Mama, isn’t she adorable?”
The madwoman looked at the smile playing on her daughter’s lips and slowly, dazedly curved her own mouth upward.
“She told me to forget how she looked, but how could I ever forget her when she’s this cute?” Zhao Qingyu sighed. “But I didn’t lie to her. I really did forget for a single second… but now that I’m looking at the video, I remember all over again…”
“Mama, I really, truly like her.” Zhao Qingyu lost track of how long she spent watching the video. It wasn’t until the continuous roar of the New Year’s Eve fireworks outside filled the air that she shook herself awake from her reverie. She gently hugged her mother—whose face was filled with sudden panic—once more, looking out at the brilliant, cascading lights stretching across the night sky. Patting her mother’s shoulder, she soothed her in a soft voice: “Happy New Year, Mama.”
“Happy New Year, Song Xuyi.”
Zhao Qingyu captured a photo of the brilliant fireworks outside her window and posted her first-ever update on WeChat Moments10, setting its visibility exclusively to Song Xuyi:
“The dark night may be devoid of light, yet there will always be someone who, like brilliant fireworks, illuminates the solitary road.”
—And you are the one who illuminates me, the most breathtaking firework of all.
Song Xuyi soon discovered that she had misunderstood Zhao Qingyu.
Zhao Qingyu hadn’t blocked her on WeChat Moments at all. On the first day of the New Year, she had posted that update about the fireworks.
After that, it was as if she had opened her Ren and Du meridians11; Zhao Qingyu began sharing all sorts of moods and photos on WeChat Moments.
Song Xuyi would sometimes scroll past them, occasionally leaving a like, until one day, she stumbled upon a selfie posted by Zhao Qingyu…
“I beg of you, please show some respect to your beautiful face!” Song Xuyi had never imagined that Zhao Qingyu’s selfies would be so… unconventional. The beauty filter and face-slimming effect were so extreme that her face looked like a pointed awl12, making her almost unrecognizable.
The instant Song Xuyi saw it, she nearly fainted on the spot.
Perhaps spurred on by Song Xuyi’s comment, Zhao Qingyu began posting selfies on her WeChat Moments regularly after that. Her photos transitioned from stiff and unnatural at the beginning to gradually becoming so stunning that Song Xuyi couldn’t help but secretly download and save them…
As Zhao Qingyu’s photography skills improved, the movies she starred in became critical and commercial hits one after another, even making waves overseas…
Time flew by, and Song Xuyi eventually reached her junior year.
In this very year, the male lead, Song Jun, who had spent the last two years abroad managing the Song family’s overseas business, suddenly returned to China…
Footnotes
- yīlún refers to a twelve-year cycle based on the Chinese zodiac. To be older by 'a full cycle' means there is a twelve-year age gap.
- xuéwèi refer to acupoints in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which are stimulated to promote relaxation, relieve tension, and improve energy flow.
- From the Chinese proverb 'eating someone's food softens your mouth, taking someone's gifts shortens your hand' (chī rén zuǐ ruǎn, ná rén shǒu duǎn), meaning that accepting favors makes it difficult to be harsh or cold to the giver.
- niányèfàn is the traditional feast enjoyed by families on Chinese New Year's Eve, representing reunion and prosperity for the coming year.
- chúxī is the last day of the traditional Chinese lunar year, celebrated with major family reunions and festive preparations.
- hóngbāo are red envelopes containing money, traditionally gifted during holidays or special occasions as a gesture of good luck and blessings from elders to juniors.
- From the Chinese proverb 'the wool comes from the sheep's back' (yángmáo chū zài yángshēnshang), meaning that a benefit one receives ultimately originates from one's own resources or family.
- fú, lù, shòu represent the three stars or deities of good fortune, prosperity, and longevity in Chinese culture, often symbolized by their respective Chinese characters on festive clothing.
- yāsuìqián, also known as lucky money, is cash given in red envelopes to children and younger relatives by elders during the Lunar New Year to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck.
- péngyouquān, literally 'Friend Circle,' is WeChat's social feed, similar to a timeline, where users share updates and photos with selected friends.
- 'Opening the Ren and Du meridians' (dǎkāi réndū èrmài) is a metaphor from Chinese martial arts literature where a martial artist unlocks their ultimate potential. Here, it describes suddenly unlocking a new habit or creative flow.
- zhuīziliǎn, or 'awl face,' refers to an extreme facial shape with an unnaturally sharp, pointed chin, highly associated with excessive digital beauty filters in Chinese internet culture.
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