Did I Succeed in Redeeming the Villain Today? - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: “It’s Master Time, and I Have the Right…”

The late-night wind was cool, making the newly sprouted spring leaves shiver. Inside the room, warm yellow light filled the glass window, and the girl’s body, fresh from the shower, radiated warmth.

A slow breath pressed down the tufts of fur on the kitten’s ear tips. Human words fell clearly into Lu Ning’s ears.

Mu Qiuyu actually wanted her to be a bed-mate!

Lu Ning’s face instantly flushed hot. The girl’s body temperature warmed the floral scent of the body wash lingering on her skin, which then cheekily drifted into the kitten’s sensitive nose. Held in Mu Qiuyu’s arms like this, Lu Ning’s heart hammered so hard it felt like it wanted to escape her body.

Lu Ning had never experienced anything like this before. Usually, she was the one proactively flirting with others; she never expected someone to…

Faced with this situation, Lu Ning’s first instinct was to flee. More accurately, she wanted to evade. The kitten in the “master’s” arms struggled, her small paws batting at the air as she tried her best to explain: “Ho—Host, kittens don’t provide bed-sharing services…”

But Mu Qiuyu had no intention of letting go. She looked down at the kitten who seemed to be out-wrestling an invisible enemy and exposed her flatly: “Didn’t you become a kitten just to conquer me? If this wasn’t part of your plan, why don’t you change back?”

Mu Qiuyu’s voice was so light it seemed the air wouldn’t notice. But her words were so heavy they made the atmosphere freeze.

Lu Ning’s air-pawing stiffened. She was shocked that Mu Qiuyu knew exactly why she had turned into a cat. She quickly spun a lie: “It’s not that I don’t want to go back, I can’t go back. There’s a glitch in the system, and I’m stuck in this form.”

As she spoke, Lu Ning looked up at Mu Qiuyu. Those paws that had been struggling so hard were now pressed obediently against Mu Qiuyu’s open palm. Her crystal-blue eyes blinked with an air of pure innocence.

This little thing was truly a master of playing cute.

Mu Qiuyu took a light breath as she looked at Lu Ning, who was now nuzzling her palm. She calmly and restrainedly shifted her gaze away, feeling her desires expanding uncontrollably. But Mu Qiuyu remained clear-headed. She knew better than Lu Ning which path would yield the greatest profit for her desires.

Seemingly unmoved by the cuteness offensive, Mu Qiuyu countered: “Since your current form is a pet cat, you must fulfill a pet’s duties. You spent the whole afternoon interacting with the people in class—is this what you meant by being ‘extra clingy’ to me?”

Mu Qiuyu’s question wasn’t meant as an accusation. Instead, she reached out and brushed the back of her finger against Lu Ning’s soft, chubby face. The girl’s finger was pleasantly cool, providing relief to Lu Ning, who felt overheated.

Lu Ning was just about to continue nuzzling that finger when she heard Mu Qiuyu’s reminder.

“Lu Ning, did you forget that I am your master?”

Mu Qiuyu gave Lu Ning’s cheek a little pinch. Her voice held a trace of playfulness, as if declaring that Lu Ning’s rolling-around-and-acting-cute routine hadn’t fooled anyone. “It is Master Time now. I have the right to dispose of you as I wish.”

With that, Mu Qiuyu brooked no resistance and turned off the nightlight. She had held back for a long time; her patience was exhausted, and she autocratically pulled Lu Ning into her embrace to sleep.

After the last lamp was extinguished, the night grew even quieter. The entire room was filled with Mu Qiuyu’s scent, and the kitten’s sense of smell was far too keen. Lu Ning felt surrounded by countless Mu Qiuyus. She was pillowed on Mu Qiuyu’s arm, pressed against her chest, with the other arm draped over her.

She was like a kitten, yet also like a plush doll. A bed-mate for a lonely princess.

Thinking this, Lu Ning finally found a place for her chaotic heart to rest. She was Mu Qiuyu’s System; accompanying her, guiding her, and ensuring she had a good night’s sleep were all part of the job. In the silence, Lu Ning heard Mu Qiuyu’s steady breathing.

If holding me helps her sleep well, then let her hold me.

Lu Ning stopped her wandering thoughts, shifted her head slightly to find a comfortable spot on Mu Qiuyu’s arm, and settled into her role as a bed-sharing service provider. The moon peeked silently into the room, and the kitten’s fluffy fur filled Mu Qiuyu’s night. This night wasn’t so lonely after all.

The next morning, the first light of dawn arrived. Lu Ning felt the weak sun tickling her eyelids. When she opened her eyes, the sun had already risen.

The “cat” had slept in a tangled mess in Mu Qiuyu’s arms; her bones felt practically out of alignment. A cat’s nature is to be unrestrained, and after being well-behaved for a whole night, Lu Ning couldn’t help but feel the urge to go out and stretch her limbs.

Lu Ning retracted her paws from Mu Qiuyu and carefully crawled out of her embrace. The sun shone quietly on the bed, and a pure black “mini cat-mobile” slowly came to a halt on the pillow.

Breath brushed against Lu Ning’s whiskers. The girl’s face was magnified many times in her vision. Bathed in the morning light, Mu Qiuyu’s sense of detachment didn’t seem so heavy at a close distance. Her thick eyelashes were like a forest guarding her eyes, like sentries on duty. Her lips were pale, lacking color, and she exhaled warm, steady breaths, sleeping peacefully.

On a whim, Lu Ning couldn’t help but stay on the pillow a little longer to watch her. Then, her feline nature took over, driving her to slip through the glass and leave the villa.

As the first rays of morning sun hit the streets, the busy day began. Returning to the street where she had first arrived two days ago, Lu Ning realized that the road she once thought was far was actually quite close. Various scents wafted along the street, and Lu Ning’s nose twitched incessantly as she gathered the aromas of delicious food from all directions.

I want to eat so bad.

Lu Ning feasted with her eyes, immersing herself in the scent of food. Just as she was about to head to another street for more delicacies, she saw a familiar figure jogging. The girl’s tall, straight frame moved at a steady pace on the sidewalk, her high ponytail swinging like the morning sun.

Lu Ning stopped in her tracks. She realized this was the girl from the International Class who had stood up for Mu Qiuyu. Having a good impression of her, Lu Ning immediately opened the interface to look her up.

The girl’s name was Pei Yinyue, the Class Monitor of the International Class. Excellent grades (IELTS 7.5, TOEFL 102) and good at sports—she was last year’s 3,000-meter champion. This “configuration,” both in IQ and physical ability, earned Lu Ning’s admiration. She wondered who was more capable between her and Mu Qiuyu.

Thinking of this, Lu Ning looked at Mu Qiuyu’s file again—it was still a mass of unstable, blurry information. What is wrong with this broken system?

Lu Ning sulked, then looked back at Pei Yinyue’s panel. She thought it might be good if she and Mu Qiuyu became friends. This person didn’t look down on others and even appreciated Mu Qiuyu; even if they weren’t best friends, being ordinary friends would be good. Lu Ning’s small head was now entirely filled with the mission of helping Mu Qiuyu make friends. She felt Pei Yinyue was the second most suitable candidate after Li Xiang.

However, for some reason, Lu Ning felt the name “Pei Yinyue” was familiar. Did she appear in the original novel? I hope she isn’t part of the future Hero/Heroine’s camp… Lu Ning had focused entirely on Mu Qiuyu while reading, so recalling the details about the protagonists was difficult.

Traffic roared past, ruffling the kitten’s fur. In her confusion, the kitten’s gaze became increasingly determined. Regardless of whether Pei Yinyue belonged to the protagonists in the original text, she belonged to Mu Qiuyu now! Even if she was in the other camp, Lu Ning would steal her for Mu Qiuyu! Her Host deserved the best!

Rhythmic music drowned out the morning clamor of the streets, interspersed with steady breathing. Pei Yinyue ran at a leisurely pace, looking into the distance, when she suddenly braked.

Right in front of her, a black cat had darted out.

“Meow~” Lu Ning wagged her large tail and approached Pei Yinyue, giving her an obedient cry.

“A kitty?” Pei Yinyue’s eyes were full of surprise as she knelt down to look at Lu Ning. The black ball was fluffy and soft, carrying a kitten’s warmth as it brushed against her fingers. Pei Yinyue found her extremely familiar. Looking into those crystal-blue eyes, she couldn’t help but wonder: “Are you… the kitty from Class 13?”

Lu Ning was surprised. She didn’t expect Pei Yinyue to recognize her. But she had no time for deep thought—this was a rare opportunity. She nodded quickly: “Meow!”

“Why are you here? Did Mu Qiuyu take you home?” Pei Yinyue frowned, then seemed to realize something, pursing her lips at Lu Ning. “I get it, you ran out on your own, didn’t you?”

“Meow~” Lu Ning toyed with Pei Yinyue’s shoelaces, pretending to be guilty. Pei Yinyue watched the cars flashing by and helplessly picked up the kitten. Having only recently left her mother, the kitten was tiny and easily held in Pei Yinyue’s hands.

Pei Yinyue watched the kitten, who was quiet and just stared at her. Her heart melted, and her voice turned gentle: “You can’t run out by yourself, it’s so dangerous. Don’t do it again, okay?”

“Meow~” Lu Ning gave a long, obedient cry.

“Mu Qiuyu’s house should be on the next street,” Pei Yinyue calculated. “You’ve run quite far, little kitty.”

“Meow~” Lu Ning responded, not letting Pei Yinyue’s words go unanswered. Pei Yinyue realized that every time she said something, the cat would respond. Finding it incredibly interesting, she let out a laugh, her slight frustration vanished. She almost didn’t want to return the kitten to its owner.

But this cat already had an owner. Regretfully, Pei Yinyue took Lu Ning to find Mu Qiuyu. She hadn’t walked far when their path was blocked by a shadow. A familiar pair of small leather shoes entered Lu Ning’s vision.

Looking up, she saw Mu Qiuyu staring coldly at her being held by Pei Yinyue. The emotion known as “displeasure” expanded rapidly between them, visibly more intense than it had been yesterday.

“Mu Qiuyu?” Pei Yinyue was surprised, then showed the cat in her arms. “You’re looking for your cat, right?”

“Yes. Sorry for the trouble,” Mu Qiuyu said as she took Lu Ning from Pei Yinyue’s hands. In the face of Pei Yinyue’s friendliness, Mu Qiuyu offered only a cold face.

Lu Ning felt clearly that Mu Qiuyu was in a bad mood. Pei Yinyue felt it too. However, Pei Yinyue didn’t take much offense at the coldness. She figured Mu Qiuyu was probably upset from losing her cat—one couldn’t expect someone who had just had a scare to maintain perfect emotional management. Besides, Mu Qiuyu was just that kind of person: independent and not in need of comfort.

Pei Yinyue was sensible. She said simply, “It’s fine. I’m heading out then.” She waved to Mu Qiuyu and continued her morning run.

The morning light covered the sidewalk, and Pei Yinyue’s silhouette grew distant along that path of light. Mu Qiuyu stared at her expressionlessly, her cold grey eyes unchanging. She looked down at Lu Ning:

“Lu Ning, do you really want to get rid of me as your Host that badly?”

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