Did I Succeed in Redeeming the Villain Today? - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: “Host, Your Kitten Is So Lonely…”

Cherry blossoms drifted onto Lu Ning’s head, the petals heavy with morning dew. The kitten was back in Mu Qiuyu’s hands, but instead of a soft touch, what met her paw pads was a layer of ice.

Mu Qiuyu’s previous question had struck Lu Ning’s mind with cold, hard impact. Realizing that the bad mood was because she had pulled a vanishing act first thing in the morning, Lu Ning immediately explained: “I didn’t mean to, Host.”

“Then what were you doing with Pei Yinyue?” Mu Qiuyu asked coldly.

“I just wanted her to become friends with you, Host,” Lu Ning informed her truthfully.

Hearing this, Mu Qiuyu’s expression visibly twisted into an emotion called disgust. Her brows furrowed deeply, and her voice dropped another half-degree: “I’ve told you, I don’t need friends.”

“That’s why I didn’t tell you…” Lu Ning’s voice was tiny; she didn’t dare sound too righteous.

Mu Qiuyu didn’t even bother with a sneer. She simply reminded the cat she had recaptured: “Lu Ning, this counts as acting on your own authority.”

Heaven only knows the state of Mu Qiuyu’s heart when she woke up to find her System missing again. In that instant, she felt her heart plummet, and her stomach churned with a nauseating upheaval. Mu Qiuyu loathed this feeling. The last time she felt like this, her System had handed her core data over to her enemies.

Mu Qiuyu stood barefoot on the floor, the expression on her face growing increasingly deathly. She couldn’t tell if her current urge was to hunt Lu Ning down and exact brutal revenge, or if her heart was sinking because she had been “abandoned.” She didn’t even eat breakfast; she just stepped into her shoes and walked out.

And the result? Mu Qiuyu saw her System at the street corner, already with someone else.

The morning light was like a fine golden veil falling over the sidewalk and lawn. Pei Yinyue was holding the black ball of fur, laughing and chatting. She teased the kitten with her fingers, and the kitten—bold as ever—extended its paws to respond.

What a harmonious and beautiful scene. And what an incredibly eyesore. Her System simply loved being close to others.

Watching from a distance, Mu Qiuyu felt that if Lu Ning had a choice, she would absolutely never choose her. Why should she?

The spring breeze swept along the path, and an impulse called resentment surged into Mu Qiuyu’s brain. She rarely had impulsive moments, but this time, she simply dropped Lu Ning onto the ground: “Walk yourself.”

Technically, it wasn’t a “throw.” She had crouched down before letting go so that Lu Ning was close to the ground. But it wasn’t exactly a gentle release either; before Lu Ning was ready, the hand she had been stepping on was snatched away.

“Host…” Lu Ning stumbled, her heart sinking along with her body. She realized she had touched Mu Qiuyu’s “minefield.” Even with this cute shell, she wouldn’t be forgiven easily.

And so, on Lu Ning’s third day in this world, she and her Host had their first fight. And just like the first day, her Host ignored her. The kitten watched her owner walk away without waiting, frantically pedaling her short legs to keep up with Mu Qiuyu’s pace.

All the way to school, Lu Ning followed Mu Qiuyu in self-reflection. She thought about how she had cozied up to Li Xiang and “emitted light” to the classmates yesterday in her quest to help Mu Qiuyu make friends, yet she had neglected Mu Qiuyu herself. Worst of all, not only was she a reluctant bed-mate last night, but she had sneaked out early this morning.

She had become a cat to please Mu Qiuyu. She was supposed to be Mu Qiuyu’s cat, but now she was the class pet of Class 13. Mu Qiuyu loved fluffy things; no wonder she was angry—her “treasure” had been divided up the moment she got it. She already had so little that belonged to her; seeing the cat act like this toward her, it would be strange if she weren’t angry.

Lu Ning realized she had made the ultimate mistake: she was giving Mu Qiuyu what she thought Mu Qiuyu needed, not what Mu Qiuyu actually wanted.

Thus, after arriving at school, Lu Ning chose to remain invisible during breaks and only appeared during class. She went nowhere; she simply lay on the windowsill next to Mu Qiuyu. Today, tomorrow, and every day in the future, she would only play with Mu Qiuyu.

With this thought, the morning study bell rang. Just as she manifested beside Mu Qiuyu, she saw Li Xiang rushing into class right on the bell. Even after being scolded by the teacher, Cheng Juan, the girl looked happy.

Lu Ning found it strange until Li Xiang sat down, reached across Mu Qiuyu, and patted Lu Ning’s head: “Good morning! Look what I brought for you!”

Li Xiang pulled a large cat bed out of her bag. She patted the slightly squashed bed and placed it on the storage locker behind them, gesturing to Lu Ning: “Sleep here from now on, okay? My grandma sewed it herself—it’s super soft!”

Lu Ning didn’t want to leave Mu Qiuyu’s side. She feigned a lack of interest, lying on the windowsill and merely flicking her tail at Li Xiang.

“Heh.” A mocking laugh came from the aisle. Shi Jin, as a member of the Discipline Department, was checking the morning study. She happened to pass by and sneered: “See? Cats are just snobbish opportunists.”

“And you know everything, don’t you!” Li Xiang shot back.

“Facts speak louder than words.” Shi Jin wasn’t angry; she smiled, enjoying the sight of Li Xiang’s “warm face meeting a cold butt.”

“Your cat bed isn’t good enough for this snobbish little…”

Before she could finish, Lu Ning wagged her tail and hopped from the windowsill to the storage locker. The kitten swaggered into Li Xiang’s cat bed, kneading the soft cushion with her paws before finding a comfortable position and lying down: “Meow~”

Li Xiang’s heart melted, and her combat power doubled: “Our kitty isn’t snobbish. It’s some people who are hypocritical—too bad our kitty is sharp-eyed and knows human nature best.”

Brought up again, Shi Jin’s face turned green—the dignity she lost yesterday still hadn’t been recovered. “Hypocritical? I don’t care about this mutt! Just wait, I’ll buy a cat way cuter than this one!”

As Shi Jin ranted at Li Xiang, Lu Ning lazily stretched and rolled around in the bed. Her belly fur was thick, black, and glossy—so soft it made people want to bury their faces in it. Li Xiang watched with a doting smile, while Shi Jin had a hard time pretending to look away with indifference. Anyone watching knew Shi Jin would never find a cat this cute. Shi Jin realized this too, tugged at her armband, and left in a huff.

After yesterday’s victory, Lu Ning had won again. She immediately hopped out of the bed and went to find Mu Qiuyu.

“Hehe, Host, Shi Jin was so frustrated!” Lu Ning was triumphant.

But Mu Qiuyu just kept writing, ignoring her completely. Lu Ning’s heart sank. She carefully approached Mu Qiuyu’s desk: “Host, are you still angry?”

The kitten’s paw stepped onto the next problem in Mu Qiuyu’s workbook. It wasn’t an accident; it was intentional, forcing Mu Qiuyu to look at her. Even if it was just a cold “Move your foot.”

But Mu Qiuyu didn’t. Her gaze remained flat as she naturally bypassed that problem and moved on to the next one. This feeling of being completely ignored was like having a piece of flesh carved out; Lu Ning felt hollow. She watched Mu Qiuyu, more saddened than she had ever been. Her fur lost its fluffiness. Being a sensible cat, she knew not to provoke her owner further, so she lowered her tail, turned around, and curled up on a stack of books, watching her owner work with quiet, aggrieved eyes.

Throughout the day, nothing happened that required Lu Ning’s intervention. No one bullied Mu Qiuyu; she just listened to lectures and did her workbooks. But Lu Ning felt the day was agonizingly long.

The setting sun burned the evening sky red once again. Mu Qiuyu was the last to leave the class. Lu Ning followed obediently behind her.

“Host, are you still mad? Can I sleep with you again tonight…”

“Host, I’m sorry. I won’t ignore your feelings again.”

“Host, your kitten is so lonely. Don’t you want to pet me?”

“Host…”

Having held it in all day, Lu Ning turned into a chatterbox, her voice mixing with the sound of cars speeding by. But no matter what she said, Mu Qiuyu ignored her. Lu Ning became increasingly discouraged, looking down at her paws on the tiles, feeling the world was dark.

Screech—

As the kitten walked along talking to herself, she didn’t notice a van suddenly stopping beside Mu Qiuyu. The girl looked at the silver-grey van, her cold expression replaced by vigilance. Then the door slid open, and two burly men stepped out.

“Miss Mu Qiuyu, right?” the leader asked, holding a photo.

Mu Qiuyu put her hand in her pocket, gripping the knife she kept there: “You have the wrong person.” She turned to walk away.

But the man wouldn’t let her go. He lunged forward and grabbed her arm: “Miss Mu, forgive us.” The other man moved to pin her other arm. Mu Qiuyu didn’t even have time to pull out her knife before they moved with lightning speed and dragged her into the van.

Beep! Beep! BEEP BEEP—!!

At the same time, a deafening alarm blared in Lu Ning’s head. The kitten, who had been mumbling to herself with her head down, froze. She looked up frantically.

Where did her Host go?!

In the noisy confusion of the street, the sound of the van’s engine roared. Lu Ning spun around and saw Mu Qiuyu through the window—her mouth already sealed with black tape.

In over twenty years of life, this was Lu Ning’s first time witnessing a kidnapping. And it was her Host!

Time waited for no cat. Before she could even form a strategy, Lu Ning’s body moved faster than her brain. She lunged at the van’s bumper and leaped onto the vehicle that was carrying Mu Qiuyu away.

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