Did I Succeed in Redeeming the Villain Today? - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: “Host, I’m Back.”

“Tsk.”

Watching the scene through the glass window, Mu Jingqin let out a dissatisfied click of her tongue.

She knew that item belonged to her sister, yet her niece had given it to a cat to wear. Had this cat saved her life or something? Mu Jingqin’s brow furrowed tightly, her eyes filled with disdain in the depths of the night.

She raised her hand to take a puff of her cigarette, the white mist drifting slowly from her lips, thick with emotion. The night wind blew the wisps of smoke into a blur. Then, Mu Jingqin saw Mu Qiuyu stand up on the other side of the glass.

The thin girl looked like a fragile silhouette under the light as she turned toward the window. Her direct gaze made it clear she knew she was being watched, and she met Mu Jingqin’s eyes without flinching. The glass didn’t transmit sound; the eye contact happened in total silence.

With half a puff of smoke still in her mouth, Mu Jingqin felt as if Mu Qiuyu’s gaze was summoning her inside—even a slight nod carried a sense of being looked down upon.

Mu Jingqin sometimes felt that the hierarchy of power didn’t truly define a person’s status. Like right now, with Mu Qiuyu standing there motionless; those pitch-black eyes were like the night itself—impenetrable, unreadable, exactly like that father of hers.

Thinking of this, an unnamable irritation rose in Mu Jingqin’s heart. She exhaled all the remaining smoke, walked to the trash can, and crushed the cigarette butt out viciously.

The wind blew from one end of the street to the other, carrying a faint scent of tobacco. Mu Jingqin waved her hand casually after discarding the butt, waited for the smell to dissipate, and then sniffed her sleeve to ensure she didn’t reek before pushing the door into the hospital.

“What is it?” Mu Jingqin walked to the door of the pet ward and leaned casually against the frame.

“Thank you for coming to save me.” Mu Qiuyu gave a slight nod to the woman who never showed her a kind face, maintaining perfect etiquette.

Mu Jingqin crossed her arms and snorted. “I’m not asking for your gratitude. Just cause me less trouble in the future.”

“I always said your father was no good. The people he associates with are all beasts in human clothing.”

“I’m sorry for the trouble,” Mu Qiuyu apologized again, then asked more pointedly: “But how did you know I was kidnapped?”

There was doubt in Mu Qiuyu’s voice, but her gaze was as calm as a deep pool of water. Looking into those eyes, Mu Jingqin felt as if the girl could see through everything, as if her words implied that she had gone out of her way to save her.

Mu Jingqin paused. How could she possibly “go out of her way” to save Su Qinghang’s daughter? What a joke.

“What do you mean? Is it that hard for me to find out?” Mu Jingqin put a hand on her hip, looking down at Mu Qiuyu. “You didn’t come home, so I checked the surveillance. Who knew if you had run away to avoid your debts or been kidnapped. I just happened to be passing by then, understood?”

Happened to be passing by.

A “passing by” that included checking surveillance and bringing a car full of hired muscle. Mu Qiuyu thought silently, a faint, melancholic smile hidden in her deep pupils. Over the span of two lifetimes, she finally understood her aunt’s mindset once.

The sound of the monitoring equipment reported the kitten’s condition; the ward remained silent for a long while. Mu Qiuyu wore a half-smile, which Mu Jingqin found even more unsettling than her previous blank expression. This girl didn’t act like a child at all; she was truly hard to fool.

Thinking this, Mu Jingqin stepped into the ward smelling of disinfectant, tapped on the glass door of the kitten’s compartment, and changed the subject: “Is this cat really that important to you?”

“Yes,” Mu Qiuyu nodded slightly.

“Then do you want to bring her home to raise?” Mu Jingqin asked, her eyes scrutinizing.

The pressure from the adult fell onto the girl’s thin shoulders as if trying to break her straight spine. Under this gaze, Mu Qiuyu did not take the easy way out by claiming the cat belonged to the school. Instead, she chose the most difficult path.

“The homeroom teacher allowed her to stay in the classroom, so she will follow me to school during the day. When school is over, she will come home with me.”

At this moment, Mu Qiuyu didn’t realize—or perhaps refused to admit—that her stubborn confession to Mu Jingqin was purely to prove that Lu Ning wasn’t school property. She belonged to Mu Qiuyu. She would spare no effort and make no compromises to label the kitten as hers.

Naturally, this brought out Mu Jingqin’s dissatisfaction. “It seems you’ve been keeping her behind my back for a long time?”

“I’m sorry,” Mu Qiuyu lowered her head, admitting her fault.

“I don’t see a shred of apology in you,” Mu Jingqin sneered. “Raising you is enough; now I have to raise your cat? Who do you think you are?”

“I am Mu Jingyi’s daughter.” Mu Qiuyu raised her eyes, looking clearly at Mu Jingqin.

The Mu Qiuyu of the past had said this many times. Back then, she said it to remind Mu Jingqin of her legal obligation to be her guardian. She had been isolated, at a dead end, terrified of being abandoned again.

But the Mu Qiuyu of today had long outgrown that insecurity. She no longer needed to depend on anyone. Her reminder to Mu Jingqin was merely to confirm a discovery she had just made.

Hearing those words, a flicker of emotion crossed Mu Jingqin’s eyes that she couldn’t hide. The girl’s gaze was like that of a wolf cub, stepping right on Mu Jingqin’s heart. She looked at Mu Qiuyu with a look of resentment and annoyance, as if she wanted to swallow her whole.

D*mn it.

Mu Jingqin cursed inwardly, then inexplicably controlled her emotions and looked at the source of their argument. The kitten was still suffering in a coma, its tiny body curled into a ball, looking so fragile that a touch might break it.

Mu Jingqin was famous for her fiery temper; it came fast and left fast. She stared at Lu Ning for a long time. Whether she was compromising with this weak life or with her sister’s daughter, she said coldly: “You’re responsible for your cat. But if she ever hangs out with some low-life ‘blonde-haired’ hoodlum and comes home with a big belly, I’ll strangle her.”

Mu Jingqin’s words carried a double meaning, filled with nameless hatred.

The kitten’s ears suddenly twitched.

Heaven knows how terrifying it was for Lu Ning to hear those words the moment she woke up. What were she and Mu Qiuyu talking about that it escalated to “blonde hoodlums” and “pregnancy”? While Mu Jingqin’s words meant she could stay, Lu Ning definitely didn’t want to be strangled. And besides, how could she come home with a big belly? She didn’t even like blonde guys!

Since it was a matter of life and death, Lu Ning felt she had to say something. Having just returned to the kitten’s body, before she could even adapt to the broken physical vessel, she struggled with all her might to let out a “Meow~” to the two people outside the compartment.

The kitten’s voice was extremely weak, barely louder than the wind outside. Yet, it was resolute.

The two people who had been at each other’s throats paused simultaneously, their eyes meeting in shared confusion. But then, with an eerie, unspoken synchronization, they both turned to look at Lu Ning’s bed.

The comatose kitten had finally woken up, tremblingly pushing herself up to sit. Crystalline blue eyes lit up in Mu Qiuyu’s sight—bright and deep like two gemstones, yet set in a battered body. The kitten seemed not to know how she had ended up like this, her eyes filled with confusion and loss. Anyone seeing such a look would feel their heart ache.

Mu Jingqin was no exception.

“Meow~”

Just then, Lu Ning meowed at Mu Jingqin. She waved her thin little paw, reaching out toward her. Mu Jingqin had never raised an animal and was suddenly at a loss.

Mu Qiuyu, watching from the side, instantly understood the situation. No ordinary cat would be so purposeful, every movement carrying an exaggerated, pleasing enthusiasm—as if she knew exactly how lovable she was.

Lu Zero was back.

There was a mix of wordlessness and helplessness in Mu Qiuyu’s eyes. Standing behind Mu Jingqin and watching the newly awakened Lu Ning, her cold self silently compromised and became the kitten’s translator: “She wants you to pet her.”

“What?” Mu Jingqin found it unbelievable—both the cat’s behavior and the fact that Mu Qiuyu could read its mind.

“Just reach your hand out,” Mu Qiuyu said expressionlessly, wanting to get this task over with.

Because of their earlier confrontation, Mu Jingqin remained skeptical of Mu Qiuyu’s words. But seeing the kitten persistently reaching out its paw, she opened the glass door with hesitation and placed her hand in front of the kitten, just as Mu Qiuyu said.

The moment Mu Jingqin lowered her hand, Lu Ning leaned in. Her body was too damaged; she had spent a great deal of effort just to repair a small part of it. She painstakingly rested her face in Mu Jingqin’s palm.

Mu Jingqin wondered if it was her imagination, but the kitten looked much better now than that “ragged stinky cloth” in the car. The black fur lay fluffy in her palm, radiating a spark of warmth. Mu Jingqin felt her heart being wrapped up by this tiny creature.

The woman seemed cold-faced and heartless as she watched the kitten act spoiled, but her hand betrayed her. When Lu Ning moved her head to nuzzle her again, she raised her fingers and proactively scratched the kitten’s head.

“Meow~” Seeing her offensive work, Lu Ning meowed softly and worked even harder, rolling over in Mu Jingqin’s palm. The kitten was soft and tiny, fluffy and cute; its innocent gaze was enough to make anyone surrender.

Mu Jingqin felt her heart being pierced. Her tense face finally broke, and she asked the little thing gently: “Are you a little goblin?”

“Meow~” Lu Ning let out a long meow, exposing her belly to Mu Jingqin. She was proud of herself. She was a goblin with maxed-out cuteness!

Another corner of Mu Jingqin’s heart collapsed. She couldn’t help but lecture the kitten sternly: “No looking for ‘blonde hoodlums’ in the future, do you hear me?”

“Meow.” Lu Ning immediately flipped over upon hearing this, her cry exceptionally firm. She wouldn’t! Not even if you killed her!

Seeing this reaction, Mu Jingqin couldn’t help but laugh again: “At least you’re sensible.”

The rare laughter was reflected on the clean glass. However, the light also traced the scene behind her. Mu Qiuyu was standing behind Mu Jingqin, watching her current state without a word.

Noticing this, Mu Jingqin’s expression froze. She retracted her smile in a second, stubbornly putting the “goblin kitten” that had already rolled into her heart back into the bed. “Alright, alright, stop moving before you tear your wounds open again.”

“I’m going back to the company. Figure out your own way home or to school.” Mu Jingqin tilted her chin up and informed Mu Qiuyu coldly, the gentleness she had shown the cat hidden away completely.

“I understand,” Mu Qiuyu nodded.

Even with the kitten’s presence, the way Mu Qiuyu and Mu Jingqin interacted remained the same as before—neither cold nor hot, neither close nor distant.

“Don’t cause me any more trouble.” Mu Jingqin seemed unwilling to stay any longer and left after dropping those words. Her figure moved briskly past the lights, yet she quietly rubbed the fingers that had touched the kitten together, as if lingering on the sensation.

Mu Qiuyu watched Mu Jingqin’s retreating back, silently capturing this detail. The cat’s goal had been achieved. Mu Qiuyu thought to herself, her grey eyes narrowing slightly.

She moved unhurriedly and turned to look at Lu Ning. In the ward, the kitten was sitting upright, wagging its tail at her. In the time it took to speak with Mu Jingqin, her battered body seemed to have miraculously improved, and she sat there looking full of life.

Mu Qiuyu’s expression wasn’t one of relief, let alone joy. She held the glass door with one hand and leaned into the narrow compartment. “Lu Zero, is the first thing you do upon waking up trying to please someone else?”

The girl showed no pity for the newly recovered kitten; her dark eyes were full of overwhelming pressure. To a kitten, a human’s form was a giant capable of inducing megalophobia.

But in Lu Ning’s eyes as she looked up at Mu Qiuyu, there was only composure. The warm-toned lights fell into the narrow ward, softening the night.

Lu Ning saw it—Mu Qiuyu’s eyes reflected only her.

“Of course not,” Lu Ning answered Mu Qiuyu more firmly than ever before. She knew what Mu Qiuyu was bothered by, so she proactively leaned forward and touched Mu Qiuyu’s nose with her own wet one.

“Host, I’m back.”

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