Blame the Villain – Chapter 32
by Little PandaThe Villainous Scientist (12)
Starting From Scratch: Little Marshal x Mad, Dark, Sickly Scientist
Song Xuyi was jolted awake by the piercing sunlight.
Along with it came a gaze from the adjacent bed that was impossible to ignore.
“You’re awake!” Song Xuyi let out a yawn, just about to ask after Jiang Qianyu’s well-being, when the System’s voice suddenly rang in her head: [She woke up last night, and then in the middle of the night, she secretly squeezed into your bed to hug you while she slept!]
This statement contained far too much information. Song Xuyi was dazed, her brain short-circuiting for a brief moment.
After moving into the same dormitory as Jiang Qianyu, Song Xuyi had adjusted the System’s settings to monitor her for any abnormalities. She hadn’t expected Jiang Qianyu to push her luck and crawl into her bed…
Song Xuyi couldn’t help but recall the cold cloud pressing down on her in her dream last night. So it hadn’t been entirely a dream after all…
Remembering the excessive things Jiang Qianyu had done to her on the spaceship, Song Xuyi’s face flushed bright red.
Yet she had no way to explain how she knew what had occurred in the middle of the night. She could only glare at Jiang Qianyu with annoyance, get out of bed, and head into the bathroom.
Jiang Qianyu had been paying close attention to Song Xuyi’s movements. When she first saw Song Xuyi greeting her, she thought Xuyi hadn’t discovered her pharmaceutical research, and a faint glimmer of hope rose in her heart. However, Song Xuyi’s expression changed immediately after…
Watching Song Xuyi’s retreating back, Jiang Qianyu lowered her head and clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.
Is she suspicious of me? Is there any way to make Xuyi forgive me?…
Yet other than turning Song Xuyi back into an Alpha, there was no other remedy.
But if she turned Song Xuyi back into an Alpha, would her personality revert as well?
At the thought of Song Xuyi’s arrogant and insolent behavior from two months ago during her Alpha period—even attempting to forcibly mark her—Jiang Qianyu felt a deep, instinctive resistance…
It seemed like no matter what she did, it was a dead end…
Depressed, Jiang Qianyu lay back down on the bed. At her wits’ end, she suddenly recalled her family’s old patriarch.
In the post-interstellar era, technology had solved almost every problem. From leveling mountains and moving seas to exploring outer space, human development had reached unprecedented heights. Yet, the old patriarch had still preserved a certain rustic habit—namely, a firm belief in the existence of deities in this world.
These deities were not specific living beings, but rather a form of reverence for life and nature.
In the ABO world, strength was revered above all else. Jiang Qianyu didn’t understand the old man’s simple wish; she believed in her own power far more than in nonexistent gods.
The old man had always nagged Jiang Qianyu, saying she was perfect in every way except for being too conceited and refusing to believe in karma.
Because Jiang Qianyu’s identity couldn’t be leaked, the old patriarch had secretly donated to a large number of poor Beta citizens on impoverished planets in her name every year. He firmly believed these deeds would bring her good karma. Jiang Qianyu had once scoffed at this behavior, but by the time she realized the deep affection hidden behind it, the old patriarch was already gone.
The destruction of the Jiang family had made Jiang Qianyu fully realize that no matter how strong she was, there were still things beyond her control.
Jiang Qianyu had always known her path of revenge would be paved with the blood of countless people. In the past, she had always treated this with cold indifference. After all, if she could endure such pain, why couldn’t others?
But now, she began to question her own heart: if she did this, how would she be any different from the Emperor on the Imperial Star?
The lives of the Jiang family were lives, and the lives of innocent people were lives, too.
At that moment, a cold sweat suddenly broke out over Jiang Qianyu. For the first time, she interrogated herself with absolute clarity…
Perhaps Xuyi was a gift bestowed upon her by the gods, allowing her to find a moment of sanity amidst her surging murderous intent, letting her witness a wider world, and showing her that a place like Blue Star, where everyone was equal, actually existed…
She had nothing left anyway!
Something deep inside her trembled faintly, as if about to sink into an eternal dark night, while something else slowly burgeoned in the silence. Jiang Qianyu bit her lower lip and raised her head slightly, a burning fire seemingly igniting in her eyes…
Since the deity had brought Xuyi into her life, there was surely her purpose…
Jiang Qianyu made a devout wish in her heart: if the deity could truly hear her, and if she could keep Xuyi as her friend after today, she would strive to be merciful as she wished, minimizing the bloodshed on her path of revenge as much as possible…
Meanwhile, as Song Xuyi examined herself in the bathroom, she didn’t find anything wrong with her gland, nor did her body feel sore like it had when Jiang Qianyu examined her before. After some thought, Song Xuyi asked the System in confusion, “Last night… did you see any mosaics?”
Whenever any slightly boundary-crossing scenes occurred, a mosaic would immediately block the System’s vision.
The System understood Song Xuyi’s meaning in a split second and immediately denied it: [No, not at all! Jiang Qianyu was just hugging your neck like an abandoned puppy, crying so pitifully…]
…
Jiang Qianyu cried?
Song Xuyi was stunned. She couldn’t even picture Jiang Qianyu crying, but there was no reason for the System to lie to her…
At that moment, Song Xuyi recalled many things. She thought of the tragic history of the entire Jiang family she had learned about yesterday; she remembered that the reason for Jiang Qianyu’s abnormal behavior was studying the section on the Jiang family in the History of Pharmaceuticals; she recalled Jiang Qianyu’s hostility toward the Emperor in the plot outline; she thought of the “discarding the bow once the birds are gone1” scenario so common in history books; and she recalled the Alpha enhancing drug in the Emperor’s possession…
If it had only been a conjecture before, Song Xuyi was now practically certain of Jiang Qianyu’s identity.
With the entire Jiang clan destroyed, Jiang Qianyu, a lone orphan girl, must have gone through unspeakable hardships and trials to survive to this day.
“I was really lucky to leave the Imperial Star alive.” Song Xuyi thought of the Emperor’s wariness toward her host body and let out a low sigh. With these precedents, she felt it was practically a miracle that the Emperor hadn’t sent anyone to assassinate her after she left the Imperial Star this time…
[What did you say?] The System hadn’t heard Song Xuyi clearly.
“It’s nothing.” Song Xuyi collected her thoughts. Recalling Jiang Qianyu weeping in the dark, she raised her voice slightly. “I think our hope of convincing Jiang Qianyu to abandon her revenge might be impossible to achieve this time…”
Putting herself in Jiang Qianyu’s shoes—if her entire family had died at the Emperor’s hands, she would surely be just like Jiang Qianyu, determined to seek revenge no matter what.
To Song Xuyi’s surprise, the System adapted to this situation incredibly well, immediately replying: [It’s fine, things will always take a turn for the better.]
Song Xuyi didn’t know why the System was so optimistic, but for now, she could only take things one step at a time. After all, the ones she needed to protect were the male lead, Zhou Sui, and the female lead, Zhao Man; it didn’t have much to do with the Emperor.
With this thought, Song Xuyi cheered herself up and stepped out of the bathroom.
Jiang Qianyu was lying on the bed with her eyes open, her gaze drifting as she pondered over something unknown.
The young girl already looked delicate and slender. After her bout of illness, her cheeks had thinned even further, making her eyes appear exceptionally large. She carried a fragile, pity-inducing charm, completely devoid of the overbearing attitude she’d shown when teasing her before.
Song Xuyi was already a sucker for Jiang Qianyu’s looks, and seeing her like this, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. In the modern world, someone of Jiang Qianyu’s age would still be a college student; she shouldn’t have to carry the heavy burden of her family’s annihilation…
“I’m all set!” Song Xuyi suppressed her internal lament and offered a smile. Approaching Jiang Qianyu as if nothing were amiss, she asked, “Are you going to wash up and head to class now? Or do you plan to rest in the dorm for another day?”
It seemed to take Jiang Qianyu a long while to register Song Xuyi’s words.
Her vacant eyes gradually focused, finally landing on Song Xuyi’s face. A tiny spark slowly lit up in her pupils, expanding until her eyes shone with absolute brilliance.
“Xuyi, are… are you talking to me?” Jiang Qianyu looked at her with anticipation, her voice raspy and tinged with disbelief.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Qianyu was acting a bit strangely. Worried, Song Xuyi reached out to touch her forehead, but she didn’t have a fever.
Jiang Qianyu appeared exceptionally docile, lowering her head to let Song Xuyi touch her forehead and examine her complexion. Yet, the instant Song Xuyi’s hand left her skin, she threw her arms around her.
Song Xuyi instinctively wanted to push her away. However, Jiang Qianyu’s pheromones were incredibly gentle right now, carrying no hint of coercion. Recalling her past, Song Xuyi sighed and patted Jiang Qianyu’s back in a soothing gesture.
This time, it was Jiang Qianyu whose body went rigid.
She seemed dazed for a brief second, but then she spoke, her words speeding up as her tone grew wonderfully bright—
“Xuyi, I’ll listen to you from now on.”
“I won’t force you anymore, and I won’t do anything you dislike.”
“I’ll help you fulfill your wishes.”
“I’ll become the best friend in the whole world…”
Song Xuyi didn’t know why Jiang Qianyu was so happy, looking just like a puppy wagging its tail in pure joy. Seeing Jiang Qianyu shake off her depression made Song Xuyi happy too, but hearing her go on and on, she still pushed her away.
“If you don’t go wash up right now, you’re going to be late!”
Song Xuyi’s push was very light, but Jiang Qianyu allowed herself to fall back onto the bed. Her face flushed slightly. Sensing Song Xuyi’s gaze, she suddenly covered her face and began to laugh with pure delight. Song Xuyi had never seen her laugh so joyfully before!
Unconsciously, a smile also tugged at the corners of Song Xuyi’s lips.
The morning sunlight was just right, illuminating the two laughing girls at the head of the bed.
Song Xuyi assumed that Jiang Qianyu was merely happy because she had vented her bottled-up stress and made progress in her experiments.
Little did she know that on this very morning, Jiang Qianyu had completely believed in the existence of a deity.
The two of them went to the cafeteria for breakfast. Afterward, Jiang Qianyu went to the classroom, dutifully copied the school rules, and then delivered them to the dean’s office.
The dean wasn’t the only one in the office; even the principal and several other school administrators were present.
No one knew what they’d discussed, but after she emerged, Jiang Qianyu had obtained the right to skip classes at will.
Shortly after, everyone in the medical school learned that a mysterious instructor had suddenly appeared. Aside from a few teachers, no one knew who she was, but almost every faculty member spoke of her with deep admiration. At the same time, the medical school’s textbooks and pharmaceutical reserves were quickly updated, resulting in a massive boost in the quality of the military doctors trained there.
Some also noticed that in nearly every subsequent class, all the teachers avoided calling on Jiang Qianyu. The other students assumed her previous arrogant behavior had drawn the collective ire of the faculty, but only the teachers themselves knew the actual truth.
Despite having the right to skip classes at will, Jiang Qianyu usually only skipped the History of Pharmaceuticals course.
Most of the time, she used this class period to conduct research in the laboratory.
Just like in the original plot outline, Jiang Qianyu still secretly contacted several Omega organizations. Unlike the radical groups in the original story, however, she got in touch with a moderate Omega organization through Zhou Sui, who was a member of the group himself.
At the same time, Jiang Qianyu refined the effects of the Alpha-to-Omega conversion drug once again, developing a temporary Alpha-to-Omega conversion drug that lasted for exactly one week.
Zhou Sui asked Jiang Qianyu for this temporary drug, wanting to make an effort for his own sake by using it on his Alpha lover to humble their high-and-mighty attitude. Jiang Qianyu briefed Zhou Sui on the drug’s effects. As for who his lover was, since she had no good feelings toward any Alphas, she didn’t ask, nor did she care to know.
Before his death, Grand Marshal Jiang had transferred all the Jiang family’s wealth to Jiang Qianyu’s name. Now, after an eighteen-year hiatus, the poorest Beta planet—located many galaxies away—once again received a new wave of aid. Except this time, the donor’s name had been changed to Song Xuyi.
Occasionally, when she skipped classes, Jiang Qianyu would sneak over to the mech department to watch Song Xuyi’s training drills.
The practical training session of the mech class was the most popular course in the entire school. Many students skipped their own classes specifically to watch the mech department students pilot their mechs. Jiang Qianyu hid in the crowd, thinking Song Xuyi wouldn’t notice her, but she was spotted every single time.
Whenever this happened, Song Xuyi would act like a big sister, piloting her mech to scoop Jiang Qianyu up, carry her out of the training grounds, and lecture her earnestly: “Kids need to study hard and not skip class.”
Jiang Qianyu originally wanted to retort that there wasn’t anyone in this world better at pharmaceutical research than her, and those very teachers were begging her to teach them…
She also wanted to tell Song Xuyi that if she hadn’t been in stasis for fifteen years, she would already be thirty-five years old—making her much older than Song Xuyi.
For some reason, she absolutely loathed it when Song Xuyi treated her like a child…
But remembering her promise to listen to Song Xuyi, Jiang Qianyu could only return to the classroom sulkily every time.
On those occasions, she couldn’t help but want to bite Song Xuyi. Other than her, no one had ever made her feel such a mix of irritation and delight!
Later on, however, Jiang Qianyu found another way to watch Song Xuyi’s training—Chen Xi secretly live-streamed the training sessions for her.
Ever since she had been defeated by Jiang Qianyu in just a few moves, Chen Xi had become her loyal follower once she recovered. She pestered Jiang Qianyu every day, familiarly calling her “Boss.”
Jiang Qianyu naturally detested Alphas. To avoid breaking the school rules and alarming Song Xuyi, she suppressed her urge to beat Chen Xi to a pulp and ignored all her attempts to curry favor. This went on until one day when Chen Xi witnessed Song Xuyi scoop Jiang Qianyu out of the training grounds with her mech yet again. Chen Xi had a sudden flash of inspiration, sent one of her sidekicks to Jiang Qianyu’s side, and purposely turned on the live-stream.
Observing Jiang Qianyu’s eyes glued to the screen, Chen Xi knew she’d finally succeeded in winning her over. From then on, she purchased more professional equipment and diligently began her live-streaming…
Long after, Chen Xi lost a hand to war and could no longer fight. She became a war correspondent and won the highest journalism award. At the award ceremony, the gray-haired Chen Xi held the trophy, her eyes filled with nostalgia.
“I first got into the live-streaming industry because of the two people I admire most. I’m sure everyone knows their names. Back then, I was muddled and foolish—a campus bully with laughably childish ideas, only thinking of sucking up to my Boss to get stronger. I never expected that from them, I would learn about justice and responsibility, and discover the power of conviction…”
“There are always some people whose destined meeting will change your entire life…”
…
But those were stories for the future.
At this moment, Chen Xi was still just a student sneakily live-streaming for Jiang Qianyu. Thanks to her height, she could film from a wider angle, and with her superior Alpha strength, she could squeeze to the very front of the crowd. As much as Jiang Qianyu loathed to admit it, Chen Xi was indeed the best live-stream proxy she could have.
Chen Xi staked out the mech training sessions partly to please Jiang Qianyu, and partly because she genuinely loved watching mech performances—especially since every single drill featured Song Xuyi, who was obsessed with breaking records.
In the beginning, everyone had been skeptical of Song Xuyi. She was an Alpha, and with an Alpha’s natural, overwhelming physical strength, it was incredibly difficult for them to master precise control. Since piloting a mech demanded rigorous logical thinking and highly precise handling, historical Alpha mech pilots had mostly been mediocre at best.
During the first training session, Song Xuyi was the very first to complete the mech drill. Everyone initially assumed it was just a stroke of luck.
However, during her second drill, Song Xuyi scored a perfect mark. She maneuvered her mech to thread a needle cleanly, setting the record for the fastest thread-the-needle time in history.
The third time, Song Xuyi controlled her mech to carry an egg on its head while walking a hundred meters. Though the egg slipped several times, she caught it with pinpoint accuracy every single time, never letting it hit the ground. This was something many mech pilots with years of training still couldn’t pull off…
…
After multiple such displays, everyone had long accepted that Song Xuyi was the undisputed number one among this year’s mech pilots.
What amazed everyone even more was that despite already performing to absolute perfection, Song Xuyi never wasted a single minute of training time, working harder than anyone else!
…
Jiang Qianyu particularly loved watching the sight of Song Xuyi stepping down from her mech.
Wearing her helmet, Song Xuyi was a blend of heroic spirit and pure beauty. She had every right to be proud, yet a polite smile always graced her lips…
Every time she saw Song Xuyi like this, Jiang Qianyu’s heart would race so fast it felt like it would burst from her chest.
She didn’t know what this feeling was, but whenever this happened, the usually cold and uncommunicative Jiang Qianyu would raise her head proudly and tell everyone around her, “Song Xuyi is my friend!”
“My only friend!”
Jiang Qianyu had no idea when her mindset had begun to shift.
Particularly after watching each mech training session, when she heard crowds of men and women rushing forward to scream shameless declarations like, “Xuyi, Xuyi, I love you!” she’d feel incredibly angry. Xuyi isn’t even their friend, how can these people be so… lacking in boundaries?!
And it wasn’t just on the training grounds; even on Song Xuyi’s way back to the dorm or to the cafeteria, people would constantly strike up conversations with her. They’d slide her small gifts, confess their love, or ask to be her friend…
Jiang Qianyu felt like she was about to explode with rage!
Especially when she eventually discovered that Song Xuyi had made other friends in the mech class.
Jiang Qianyu knew she had no right to be angry; Song Xuyi had never promised her that she’d only have one friend. Yet, her heart still felt exceptionally heavy that day. For the very first time, she skipped all her classes and ran off to a remote, deserted corner of the campus to clear her head…
This secluded spot was usually deserted, and Jiang Qianyu thought no one would come, but then she heard two sets of approaching footsteps.
Behind a wall, Jiang Qianyu heard the annoying voice of Chen Xi.
Chen Xi’s voice sounded rather tense as she urged repeatedly, “The money’s been transferred, hurry up and send the resources over…”
“Aiya, how could this little bit of money be enough? This is the latest stuff from the Empire! It’s got the secret behind why the Imperial family’s Ninth Princess hasn’t been able to get pregnant for years, plus the love-hate drama between the deceased former Marshal Song and the Omega she hid away in her back residence and never let anyone see. These were all leaked at huge risk… Oh, right, there’s also a ton of your favorite videos…”
“You profiteer!” Chen Xi cursed angrily. “I transferred the rest of the money! Now send me the resources!”
…
Chen Xi received the resources. Watching the other person walk away, she was about to head back to her dorm like a guilty thief to enjoy her spoils when she turned around and saw a figure standing behind her.
“Who’s the blind idiot that—”
“—Bo-Boss?”
Chen Xi quickly lowered her head, her mind in complete disarray. Boss already looked down on her, and she had finally managed to cozy up to her through the live-streams, only to be caught buying this kind of material…
She was so dead!
But to Chen Xi’s surprise, her self-proclaimed Boss, who usually treated words like gold, furrowed her brow. Wearing a dark look on her angelically beautiful face, she extended her hand. “Hand it over!”
“Huh?”
“Transfer what you just received to me…”
After transferring the files to Jiang Qianyu, Chen Xi ran off with her face flashing between red and green, as if something were chasing her.
Jiang Qianyu paid no heed to Chen Xi’s bizarre behavior. She opened her smart-brain to examine the files Chen Xi had sent.
Jiang Qianyu didn’t care about why the Ninth Princess hadn’t gotten pregnant. She quickly skipped past the document titled Classified: The Untold Story of the Ninth Princess and Her Beta Maid and opened the book titled The Omega Hidden in Marshal Song’s Back Residence in Those Years…
The document was very long, but the Song Xuyi depicted in its pages seemed to be a completely different person from the one Jiang Qianyu knew.
The first chapter introduced Song Xuyi’s appearance and military achievements, going on to claim that the reason she’d never married was because she discovered she was attracted to women.
The document described Song Xuyi harboring a secret crush on a noblewoman, her heart racing wildly every time they met. It placed heavy emphasis on Song Xuyi’s fluttering heart and the inner conflict she experienced upon suddenly realizing she was in love with a woman.
Reading lines like, “It hurts to see her with others; I want to be with her forever; I think of her when I eat, and I think of her when I sleep…” Jiang Qianyu froze for a moment. It seemed like she had these exact symptoms lately…
But she was far more concerned about who this noblewoman Song Xuyi secretly loved actually was!
As Jiang Qianyu read those words, she felt as if a chunk of her heart had been carved out, a dull throb pulsing through her chest. She’d never considered that Song Xuyi might already have someone she loved!
Jiang Qianyu bit her lower lip, enduring the heartache as she continued reading.
Later in the story, the noblewoman Song Xuyi loved died—
For some reason, Jiang Qianyu breathed a sigh of relief, but the document was only a third of the way through…
Then the plot continued: Song Xuyi was devastated and fell gravely ill due to the noblewoman’s death, until she met the noblewoman’s daughter, who looked eighty percent like her mother…
Afterward, it detailed how Song Xuyi forcibly marked the noblewoman’s Omega daughter—who was already in love with someone else—and how the daughter resisted again and again, only to be forcibly marked by Song Xuyi using various elaborate methods. It even described the intimate union between Song Xuyi’s pair of Beta maids…
These various marking chapters took up half the book. In the end, the author hastily wrapped up the story: Song Xuyi died, and the noblewoman’s daughter realized she’d fallen in love with Song Xuyi and committed suicide to join her…
At the very end of the book, a disclaimer was written: 【The plot is entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental.】
Back when the noblewoman’s daughter first appeared in the book, Jiang Qianyu had realized that this was a notorious erotic novel, filled with absolute nonsense. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, she found herself possessed, reading on with a flushed face and burning ears…
She’d always been single-mindedly devoted to her research and detested Alphas from the bottom of her heart, making her incredibly naive in certain aspects. She’d originally thought that biting a gland to inject pheromones was all marking entailed. She’d never imagined there could be so many variations, or that it could occur not only between men and women, but also between women. And the mouth could actually…
Her mind in disarray, Jiang Qianyu flipped to the back, and a video suddenly popped up on her smart-brain: two women with their faces obscured, passionately embracing each other…
Something suddenly exploded in her head. With a sharp click, Jiang Qianyu shut off her smart-brain.
For the rest of the day, Jiang Qianyu remained utterly distracted. That night, she went to bed exceptionally early…
But there was no peace in her dreams either. Jiang Qianyu dreamed of herself and Song Xuyi. Song Xuyi was lying docilely beneath her, looking at her with bedroom eyes…
Jiang Qianyu woke up with a start. The entire room was filled with the fragrance of honey peaches. Seeing Song Xuyi’s brow furrowed in her sleep, disturbed by her pheromones, Jiang Qianyu gritted her teeth, rushed into the bathroom, and took a cold shower.
However, while a cold shower could wash away her physical desires, it couldn’t wash away the memories replaying constantly in her mind…
Jiang Qianyu took a deep breath and covered her face with her hands.
Her chest burned with waves of heat as a thought surfaced in her mind with absolute determination:
She… no longer seemed satisfied with just being Song Xuyi’s friend. Instead, she wanted to be her…
One and only lover!
The author has something to say:
Good night, muah~
I’ve actually done well today—I wrote seven thousand characters! Hands on hips!~
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