Daily Life of a Villain at Work [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: The Fifth Day the Protagonist’s Heart Fluttered Wildly~

Chu Ke’s heart had harbored many expectations and secret fantasies regarding Wen Qingyun; in the dead of night, she had often immersed herself in beautiful dreams, unwilling to wake up.

But Chu Ke’s rationality remained intact. She knew clearly that an insurmountable chasm existed between her and Wen Qingyun.

Wen Qingyun was an existence she could long for, but never touch. She was a star surrounded by crowds, hanging in the sky like a scorching sun, freely radiating light and warming the countless fans bathing in her glow.

Chu Ke was merely one insignificant fan among them. She couldn’t even express her love as recklessly as other fans did under her personal social media accounts. She had only happened to ascend a high mountain by chance and gained a brief moment of companionship. Once she left the mountain peak, she would return to being one of the masses, signifying nothing to that brilliant sun.

So, when she saw her own silhouette appearing on Wen Qingyun’s personal account and received the other woman’s public acknowledgment, Chu Ke’s nose tingled, and she suddenly felt like crying.

Chu Ke didn’t know how to describe this feeling; it was roughly like being in total darkness and suddenly having a beam of light shine precisely upon her. It was finding hope in hardship, and a spark of life in a dead end.

Chu Ke took a deep breath to calm her emotions. Using an account that had absolutely no connection to her real name, she silently liked the Weibo post.

…

October days darkened quickly. By the time Chu Ke finished the dishes and accompanied Wen Qingyun out for a post-dinner stroll, the sun had long since vanished, replaced by the warm yellow glow of streetlights.

Wen Qingyun and Chu Ke walked side-by-side around the neighborhood, chatting casually.

Wen Qingyun: “When did you say the sports meet was scheduled for?”

“It’s this Thursday and Friday—the 25th Annual School Sports Meet for Hope Middle School. Other schools have set theirs for next week, and some are waiting for early November when it’s cooler,” Chu Ke said solemnly, her back straight as a ramrod while she walked.

Wen Qingyun nodded. “Do I need to make an appointment to visit?”

Chu Ke: “No need. The school is open to the public those two days, and students can bring their parents. If you’re not a parent, you can just sign your name and phone number at the gate to get in.”

“I know all the school security guards. I’ll lead you in then, so no extra registration is required. If you want to meet the students, I’ll contact the school in advance to have them clear out a classroom.”

“Hmm, in that case, should I bring anything to see them?” Wen Qingyun asked.

Chu Ke shook her head. “The items you sent last time were very comprehensive; with proper planning, they can use them for years. The students are all looking forward to seeing you. Just appearing before them and saying a few words will be enough to fulfill their wishes.”

What should have been casual small talk during a walk was turned into a rigid report by Chu Ke, sounding like a subordinate accompanying a leader on an inspection—every question answered with stiff precision.

This wasn’t the first time Chu Ke had been in close proximity to Wen Qingyun, but it was the first time they were truly alone. There were no camera crews following them, no curious villagers—only the occasional breeze brushing past their faces and the stubborn chirping of cicadas that had lasted since summer.

Wen Qingyun was by her side simply because she wanted to be, not because of a TV show or because she needed Chu Ke’s help with something. She just wanted to.

After one lap around the neighborhood, the two arrived back at the entrance of the building.

“I won’t go up.” Wen Qingyun stopped and pointed to a car five meters away. “My ride is right here. I’m heading straight back to the hotel.”

Chu Ke blinked. The joy in her heart instantly plummeted to the bottom, and her smile became strained.

“Okay, get back safely,” Chu Ke said dryly. “I’ll contact you the day after tomorrow, and then we’ll go to the school together?”

Wen Qingyun nodded. “Sure. Give me time, and I’ll drive here to pick you up.”

Chu Ke wanted to say she could go on her electric scooter, but she didn’t want to miss any opportunity to spend time with Wen Qingyun, so she made an ambiguous agreement.

With a smile, she waved goodbye as Wen Qingyun got into the car, watching the glowing taillights drift further away until they vanished around a corner.

She stood frozen on the spot, staring at the direction where the car had disappeared until the 3D buzzing of a mosquito rang in her ear. Only then did she realize a large bump had appeared on her neck.

Autumn mosquitoes were far more venomous than summer ones. After roughly marking the bump with a fingernail “cross” seal, Chu Ke hurried upstairs and sprayed some anti-itch floral water on the swelling.

The pungent scent made her squint. As she turned to tidy the slippers in the entryway, her peripheral vision caught a white suitcase resting against the sofa.

Eh? Did I have a suitcase of this color and size?

No, it’s not mine. It’s Wen Qingyun’s!

Realizing Wen Qingyun had left her belongings behind, Chu Ke frantically took out her phone, snapped a photo, and fired off three messages in quick succession.

【Chu Ke: You left your things at my place.】 【Chu Ke: Do you need me to bring it to you now?】 【Chu Ke: Send me your hotel address, I’ll take a taxi over right away.】

After sending the messages, Chu Ke didn’t even bother with the mosquito bite on her neck. She grabbed the 20-inch suitcase and was about to rush out the door.

Ding-dong—

The special notification tone rang. Tapping the new message, she saw a voice note from Wen Qingyun.

“It’s not my stuff. It’s a gift for you. Inside are Beijing specialties that my mom and I picked out. I used the suitcase once before, so consider it a bonus—don’t mind the used luggage~”

Wen Qingyun’s smiling voice came through the speaker, causing Chu Ke to freeze in her tracks.

What did she say? I think I misheard.

Chu Ke played the voice note again, pressing the receiver tightly against her ear. The familiar voice returned. Having caught so many keywords, Chu Ke’s mouth hung open, her eyes filled with daze and shock.

This suitcase… Was it a gift for her? And Wen Qingyun had picked it out with her mother?

What did that mean? It meant Wen Qingyun’s mother knew of her existence and didn’t object to their association.

Could she be delusional enough to think her relationship with Wen Qingyun had been “approved” by a parent? Even if it was just as friends, that was a friendship approved by an elder! Its “gold content” went without saying.

Chu Ke blinked, put down her phone, and tapped the voice note again, listening to it over and over. On the fifth replay, the phone vibrated, and Chu Ke heard a new voice note play automatically.

“Chu Ke, you know I never take back things I’ve given away. They are yours now.”

When Wen Qingyun said the name “Chu Ke,” she drew out the end with that same rising lilt. With the phone pressed to her ear, Chu Ke fell into a trance-like illusion—it felt as if Wen Qingyun herself was right there, whispering her name directly into her ear.

If only it weren’t an illusion.

…

【Congratulations, Host. Task progress has increased. Current progress: 78%.】

Hearing the system prompt, Wen Qingyun wasn’t surprised at all.

Unrequited love is truly a torturous thing—especially when the person you like is right in front of you, but you can say nothing and do nothing, only trying your best to play the role of a friend. It was a dual torture of body and mind.

After her shower, Wen Qingyun sat on the sofa, holding a stylus against her chin, guessing what Chu Ke was doing right now.

She had packed quite a variety of specialties in that suitcase. Half was food, and the rest were cultural products from the Palace Museum—small ornaments, flowing-sand acrylic charms, and art books.

There were three art books in total. She had opened one of them and, quite literally, “smuggled in private goods.” If Chu Ke was observant and careful enough, she should see the things tucked inside, right?

Wen Qingyun was indeed a master at manipulating Chu Ke’s heart; while she was thinking of her, Chu Ke was indeed tidying up the art books.

To Chu Ke, every item in the suitcase was extremely special. Perishables like food were immediately categorized and tucked into the fridge and pantry. As for the cultural items, Chu Ke intended to keep them forever as mementos.

Chu Ke picked out two ornaments, one large and one small. The larger Temple of Heaven ornament was displayed on the living room cabinet, while a tiny cat ornament was caressed repeatedly before being placed on her bedroom desk.

The only art book without plastic wrapping quickly caught Chu Ke’s attention. As soon as she picked it up, she felt the thickness was off—there was definitely something inside.

Sitting cross-legged on the bedroom rug, Chu Ke opened the book on her lap. An unsealed kraft paper envelope came into view.

With anticipation almost overflowing, Chu Ke picked up the envelope, turning it over and over. Unfortunately, it was just a plain envelope with no writing—merely a container.

She tilted it, and out fell a set of six custom postcards. The front of each card featured a photo of Wen Qingyun that hadn’t been posted on social media—half-body shots set against the backdrop of the Forbidden City, each on a different date.

“To Chu Ke, be happy every day — Wen Qingyun.” “To Chu Ke, stay healthy — Wen Qingyun.” “To Chu Ke, get rich soon — Wen Qingyun.” “To Chu Ke, work smoothly — Wen Qingyun.” “To Chu Ke, may all your wishes come true — Wen Qingyun.” “To Chu Ke, find your ‘other half’ soon — Wen Qingyun.”

Every postcard had a message and a signature from Wen Qingyun. From the increasingly flamboyant handwriting, one could tell she had written them all in one go.

Chu Ke held the last two cards—”May all your wishes come true” and “Find your other half soon”—feeling a complex mix of emotions, like an overturned palette of spices.

If all my wishes could truly come true… then I would have already found my ‘other half’.

…

As a truly “18th-tier” small town, Anshan County had no famous landmarks or highly developed shopping districts. The only thing that motivated Wen Qingyun to go out was the school-gate street food she had been tempted by before but hadn’t tasted.

Thus, after sleeping until she woke naturally, Wen Qingyun gave her face a quick wash, threw on a hoodie, donned a baseball cap, and headed out with Xiao Si to hunt for food.

The enrollment for the Experimental Middle School was based on school district housing, meaning many students lived in the neighborhoods nearby. There was a cafeteria inside, but how could dishes that repeated three times a week compared to the long line of small shops at the school gate?

Wen Qingyun chose a time ten minutes before the students were let out for lunch. This perfectly avoided the crowds while ensuring the stall owners had their stoves preheated.

The starch sausages smelled great—she’d take one. The fresh egg waffles were good too—she’d pick one with filling. Hmm, those takoyaki looked decent—a small portion, then.

With several transparent plastic bags in her hand, the bell rang, and a swarm of students rushed out. Judging by their damp clothes, the fastest ones must have just finished PE class, putting them 90% ahead of the others.

Seeing this, Wen Qingyun retreated, taking Xiao Si into a burger joint. They chose a corner seat and ordered a set meal for Xiao Si to snack on.

Within five minutes, a long queue formed at the burger shop. The sizzle of fried chicken and fries, accompanied by the aroma of carbs, wafted through the air. Wen Qingyun used a wooden skewer to take small bites of a takoyaki while observing the daily lunch routine of middle schoolers.

The teenagers looked full of vitality, chatting and laughing about gossip while queuing. Once they bought what they needed, they shared generously—you eat a few of my fries, I’ll take a piece of your chicken—their faces radiant with shadowless smiles.

It was a pleasant sight to watch. If only I could chat with them about school gossip too, Wen Qingyun mused.

As she ate the last takoyaki, her peripheral vision caught a familiar-looking backpack. Looking closer, she saw a portion of the “little girl” pattern she had personally finalized. There was nothing wrong with a student in uniform wearing the backpack, but why was it a boy wearing it? And why was the little girl pattern mostly obscured by an anime character embroidery patch?

Wen Qingyun frowned. She had considered this when she decided to give the items. Printing or engraving the little girl pattern on every item was intended to prevent them from falling into the hands of those who didn’t need them. It was a useful method, but it couldn’t eliminate every outlier.

Wen Qingyun was certain that Chu Ke’s list consisted entirely of girls. They might be of different ages, but their gender was definitely the same.

“Boss, should I go ask that student?” Xiao Si also noticed something was wrong.

“Don’t ask him directly. Go across the street and buy a milk tea, and use that chance to look at the personal info on his school ID.” Wen Qingyun paused. “Take a photo of the backpack, but keep the student out of the frame.”

When it came to minors, Wen Qingyun shared her mother’s attitude—she had a bit more patience and tolerance.

Xiao Si nodded, finished her burger in a few bites, and after ensuring the surroundings were safe, walked across. Five minutes later, she returned successfully, sending the noted information and a close-up of the backpack to Wen Qingyun.

Grade 9 (Class 3), Wang Yuanzhi.

Wen Qingyun didn’t see anything wrong with the name itself, so she forwarded the message to Chu Ke.

【Wen Qingyun: Do you know this student?】

Chu Ke was still at work in the office. She was startled by the message. Tapping the image, a bad suspicion surfaced in her mind.

【Chu Ke: He is a child I know. He’s a third-year at Experimental Middle School, a specially recruited student.】 【Wen Qingyun: I saw him wearing the backpack I gave you when I passed the school. I don’t recall this name on the list you gave me. Is he carrying it for his sister?】

Chu Ke looked at the message, her brow furrowed as she continued scrolling her mouse to search the folders. A moment later, she found and opened a Word document labeled #434.

【Chu Ke: No, his sister is only in primary school. I will contact the parents and ask why this is happening.】 【Chu Ke: I’m sorry, this is a failure on my part.】

【Wen Qingyun: You can use the things I gave you however you want.】 【Wen Qingyun: But if things are donated in my name, I expect every item to be used by the recipient themselves. A gift and a targeted donation are two different things.】 【Wen Qingyun: I’m not blaming you. I just don’t want to fail those children who thanked me. They expressed their gratitude to me, and as the recipient of that gratitude, I have an obligation to ensure those things remain theirs.】

Wen Qingyun didn’t scold Chu Ke because she knew such things were unavoidable; deep-rooted beliefs in some people wouldn’t change just because of a few words from Chu Ke.

More importantly, Wen Qingyun understood Chu Ke’s personality well. For someone like her, well-placed understanding was more effective than blame.

Hearing the system report the task progress tick up by a few decimal points, Wen Qingyun looked down at the chat box as messages continued to pop up. Her expression was slightly complex.

Lately, I’m either bullying Chu Ke or… bullying Chu Ke. I really am a bad woman.

After musing for a bit, Wen Qingyun felt no remorse—it was just a pure observation, because she was a “bad person” to begin with.

…

Chu Ke was very efficient. Within half a day, she had cleared things up and even wrote a “mini-essay” resembling an investigation report to Wen Qingyun.

The backpack Wang Yuanzhi was wearing belonged to his sister. To be more precise, it had been handed to him by his mother. In the mother’s words: her daughter Wang Xinxin was still young and didn’t need such a large bag; rather than letting it go to waste, it was better to let her son use it.

Chu Ke had called the mother three times. But after she tactfully stated the bag was for Xinxin and asked for it to be returned to its rightful owner, the mother hung up. Subsequent calls went unanswered.

Regarding the parent who refused to communicate, Chu Ke reflected deeply on herself in the mini-essay, repeatedly expressing her apologies. But Chu Ke didn’t say how she would handle the situation in the report—she didn’t mention reclaiming the item, only taking the blame upon herself.

After reading the essay, Wen Qingyun casually typed “Noted” and sent it, then put her phone face down and ignored the matter.

This behavior was exactly like those bosses who give ambiguous replies—they seem to respond, but everything depends on the subordinate’s own speculation, choosing between ‘yes’ and ‘no.’

This drove Chu Ke frantic. “Noted” could mean many things, or nothing at all; it depended entirely on one’s reading comprehension. Chu Ke, accustomed to idiocy from leaders within the “system,” chose to interpret “Noted” as having a thousand words of hidden meaning. She began to feel a baseless anxiety.

Does Wen Qingyun think I botched the job? Will she think that since she witnessed one instance, many similar cases have happened where she can’t see? I’m so useless. Why didn’t I notice the parents were so excessive during the field investigation!

If she hadn’t remembered that Wen Qingyun was picking her up the next day to see the Hope Middle School sports meet, Chu Ke probably would have tossed and turned all night over those two words.

…

“Comrade Chu Ke, you don’t look so good. Should we wait until the afternoon to see the sports meet?” Inside the car, Wen Qingyun looked radiant, while Chu Ke outside looked exhausted in a way no makeup could hide.

Wen Qingyun’s usual attitude allowed Chu Ke’s tensed nerves to relax slightly. After opening the car door, she forced a smile. “I’m fine. I just got a prank call in the middle of the night and lost half an hour of sleep.”

“Did you eat breakfast?” Wen Qingyun asked, naturally pressing a warm red bean bun and a bag of soy milk into Chu Ke’s hands. “I bought too much. Even if you’ve eaten, have a bit more.”

“Okay, thank you.” Chu Ke didn’t refuse. She indeed hadn’t eaten yet, and this breakfast was very timely.

Taking a bite of the bun, which was hot enough to burn her mouth, Chu Ke exhaled while thinking about how to explain what happened yesterday.

Should I explain why I haven’t handled it yet? Explain that if I take the bag back, for Wang Yuanzhi it might just mean a different new bag, but for his sister Xinxin, it would be a huge blow? But there’s no way Wen Qingyun wouldn’t understand such a simple logic. She hasn’t blamed me, so she must have guessed why this happened.

Seeing Chu Ke chewing on a piece of bun skin for ages, Wen Qingyun unceremoniously reached out and poked the mosquito bite on her neck that hadn’t gone down yet.

“What are you spacing out for? Still thinking about yesterday?”

Caught off guard, Chu Ke nearly choked and struggled to swallow. “Sorry, I didn’t do a good enough job…”

Wen Qingyun smiled and reached out to pull Chu Ke closer, draping her arm over the other woman’s neck.

“Comrade Chu Ke, sometimes when problems arise, don’t just look for the cause in yourself. You must learn to blame others.”

Wen Qingyun tilted her head, her lips nearly touching Chu Ke’s ear. Her warm breath brushed directly against Chu Ke’s ear and cheek, causing the ear to turn visibly red.

“In yesterday’s matter, the ones at fault are the parents who favor boys over girls, and the brother who turned a blind eye while stealing his sister’s things.”

“It could even be the sister who doesn’t know how to protect her property, or the neighbors and teachers who saw this and chose to ignore it.”

“The only ones who are not at fault are you and me. I gave you things; I am not wrong.”

“You accepted my kindness and used it in better places; you are even less at fault.”

“Chu Ke, did you hear what I said?” Wen Qingyun asked.

Seeing that Chu Ke was still standing there like a dazed fool, a slightly dissatisfied Wen Qingyun leaned in and bit her ear.