Did I Succeed in Redeeming the Villain Today? - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: “Of Course I Am Your Property, I Am Your…”

Cherry blossoms drifted in the direction of the wind, seen through a layer of hazy sunlight. At the end of the street, the sun rose slowly, its pale golden light acting like a thin blade, slicing through the pitch-black night in a single stroke.

Much like the way Mu Qiuyu was looking into Lu Ning’s eyes.

In that instant, Lu Ning’s nerves—previously numbed by the anesthesia—snapped to attention. The kitten’s curled paws seemed to lose all warmth, pressing icily against her belly. She had been so wallowed in the grief of losing her belly fur that she had relaxed her mental struggle against the sedative.

The System Manual provided by the Main System strictly prohibited her human identity from being disclosed. She had actually let it slip!

Lu Ning’s mind was in a frenzy; she wanted nothing more than to drag her past self out for a beating. While suppressing the negative side effects of the anesthesia, she forced herself to override the cat’s instinct to dilate its pupils, putting on a look of total confusion for Mu Qiuyu.

“Host, why would you think that?”

“Didn’t you say I’d definitely never guess it?” Mu Qiuyu asked calmly.

“O-Of course! That’s why you didn’t guess right!” Lu Ning argued. Fortunately, she had left herself a loophole. Her mind spun at high speed as she played her trump card.

The black kitten rolled over in her owner’s arms, shifting from leaning against Mu Qiuyu to lying flat on her back in her embrace. “You are my master; wouldn’t you know best what I am?”

“Of course I am your property! I’m your cutest little kitten!”

As she spoke, the kitten didn’t forget to gently knead Mu Qiuyu’s clothes with her small paws. Her crystalline blue eyes reflected the streetlights, sparkling like deep stars in the hazy morning.

At this moment, Lu Ning displayed her full “pet” potential. She was so cute and harmless, making her words seem sincere and loyal. However, when sincere words are overplayed, they tend to come off as sycophantic.

Mu Qiuyu looked down at the kitten acting spoiled in her arms, her grey eyes narrowing slightly. She naturally didn’t believe Lu Ning actually thought this way. Her current System clearly had its own ideas, didn’t entirely depend on the host, and showed no sign of wanting to depend on a stronger power.

From this moment on, Mu Qiuyu could no longer group this one with her previous System. Systems were, essentially, ultra-advanced AI; they weren’t supposed to have independent thought. Thought was a product of a brain—it was something only humans possessed.

Human…

Seeing Mu Qiuyu’s gaze grow deeper, Lu Ning felt increasingly guilty. She grabbed the first piece of information she could find to change the subject. “Host, morning self-study starts in an hour. Are you going to school or home? If it’s school, we need to hurry to catch the bus.”

Mu Qiuyu gave Lu Ning a long look, staring until the kitten was about to bristle, before finally withdrawing her gaze.

“To school,” she said.

Walking along the street lined with cherry blossoms, the sun rose step by step with the girl’s pace. The bus arrived exactly as Lu Ning predicted, stopping precisely at the station. At this hour, there was only one passenger, and the driver had only one task: pick up Mu Qiuyu and deliver her to school.

The morning sun climbed higher, and the sky turned bright. The flow of students at the school gate formed a human tide. Mu Qiuyu stepped off the bus, glanced at the kitten who had proactively jumped out of her arms, hooked the cat’s tail playfully, and merged into the crowd.

“Qiuyu!”

Just as Mu Qiuyu entered the gate, a light pat landed on her shoulder from behind. She froze, turning her head with a defensive, guarded look. To her surprise, she was met with Li Xiang’s carefree, smiling face.

“Good morning!” Li Xiang, completely oblivious to Mu Qiuyu’s displeasure, waved enthusiastically.

“Good morning,” Mu Qiuyu replied politely, her voice cold.

As if expecting this, Li Xiang’s expression didn’t falter. She gripped her backpack strap and looked down at Lu Ning. “Good morning, kitten.”

“Meow~” Lu Ning looked up and responded with a smile. She was delighted; her “cuteness offensive” from yesterday had worked! She had successfully recruited a candidate for Mu Qiuyu’s first friend.

And their “Seed Player No. 1” did not disappoint. As she walked beside Mu Qiuyu, she proactively started a conversation: “Qiuyu, did you solve that problem the math teacher left yesterday?”

“Yes.” Mu Qiuyu nodded. She had finished it during the last study hall before school ended. Li Xiang should have known that. Mu Qiuyu looked at her with an unreadable expression, only to hear Li Xiang continue: “Could you explain it to me? I got stuck at…”

Who could refuse a sincere seeker of knowledge? Mu Qiuyu could.

But just as she was about to refuse, she felt a paw tugging at her.

“Host, give it a try.” The kitten’s blue eyes were full of expectation, the deep blue more dazzling than the sun.

If it were anyone else, Mu Qiuyu would have refused ruthlessly. But the one in front of her was a kitten—the kitten she had spent so much effort to save.

“You need to apply a formula first.”

The girl’s cold, orderly voice drifted down from above the kitten’s head. Paired with the school morning, it felt exceptionally vibrant with youth. Mu Qiuyu had been swayed.

Finally, for the first time, Mu Qiuyu wasn’t just passing by groups of friends. She walked with Li Xiang, blending into the scenery.

Lu Ning felt this was a great fresh start—so good that it felt like last night’s incident never happened. But… she looked up at Mu Qiuyu. There were faint dark circles under the girl’s eyes.

The health monitor informed the System that her host hadn’t slept at all last night. Between being picked up by Mu Jingqin and waking up, there were over six hours. She had plenty of time for a good sleep.

Was she too shaken to sleep? Or was it because of her?

The thought that Mu Qiuyu was “shaken” popped into Lu Ning’s head, followed closely by thoughts of herself. The kitten paused on this thought for a full second, then shook her head, making the hidden gold lock tinkle softly.

How could Mu Qiuyu worry about her? Being given the gold lock was already a huge step in their relationship. Her host must have just been traumatized. It was a kidnapping, after all—terrifying. She would have to comfort her more today.

Lu Ning made a silent vow as they reached the classroom. The room was noisy as usual, with people borrowing homework to copy or sneaking breakfast. Yet, it was different from before; the name “Mu Qiuyu” occasionally popped up in the chatter.

A girl in the back row saw Mu Qiuyu enter and rushed over. “Qiuyu, you’re here! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

The girl looked at her with a look of concern Mu Qiuyu had never seen before, causing her to freeze. She habitually looked around, seeing that most of the people who had been talking were now looking at her.

The room fell silent. Mu Qiuyu felt the scene was familiar. In her previous life, when she came to school after the incident, everyone looked at her with pity, as if looking at someone who didn’t belong to their world.

Mu Qiuyu hated those looks. She didn’t need anyone’s…

“Qiuyu, how are you? Why aren’t you resting at home?”

“We were so scared when we heard. How could people be so evil?”

“Exactly. You weren’t too frightened, were you?”

“Any injuries?”

“You didn’t really have to rush back to school; we could have brought your homework to you.”

Mu Qiuyu’s thoughts were suddenly drowned out by the warmth of her classmates. Compared to her previous life, they were much more enthusiastic. Their voices surrounded her.

Was this pity? Mu Qiuyu didn’t think so—at least, not entirely. The concern felt like a spring breeze, intense yet gentle. Mu Qiuyu was a bit confused, looking at the people around her with a gaze filled with an emotion that was entirely foreign to her.

In her previous life, not many people came to care for her. Was it because she had spoken a few words to them yesterday because of Lu Ning? Could sincerity in this world be earned so easily?

“Meow~ (Host, Host, everyone is worried about you. They’re welcoming you back. This is great.)” Lu Ning pushed through the crowd and rubbed against Mu Qiuyu’s leg. The kitten’s fluffy tail felt like a hand as soft as it could be, wrapping around Mu Qiuyu’s calf with a touch of intimate tenderness.

Mu Qiuyu’s face remained largely expressionless, but she asked Lu Ning in her mind: What about you?

Lu Ning wagged her tail, her eyes sparkling like the most loyal stars in the night sky. “Of course I was worried too! Welcome back, Host! Without a Host, how could I exist?”

The high-pitched tone paired with the kitten’s youthful voice almost gave the illusion that a person was hidden inside the cat. A textbook example of flattery, Mu Qiuyu thought, a trace of a smile appearing in her eyes.

With Lu Ning acting as a bridge, Mu Qiuyu finally felt a bit of warmth from her classmates. She wasn’t familiar with such care, but she tried to return it with a cool voice: “Thank you for your concern. I am fine, and I wasn’t hurt.”

“That’s good!”

“Those adults are so annoying.”

“I hope they face the full extent of the law!”

Many in the class breathed a sigh of relief. They liked this beautiful transfer student; having someone like her around made waking up for school feel worth it. After learning she was okay, most of the crowd dispersed.

However, a few girls stayed behind, picking Lu Ning up with delight.

“Kitten, you’re here! We thought you were lost!”

“Is it my imagination, or do you look thinner?”

“She must be hungry. I brought some dried chicken; do you want some?”

After worrying about Mu Qiuyu, it was Lu Ning’s turn to be fussed over. Seeing a girl pull out dried chicken, Lu Ning scrambled onto the top of the back row locker—the spot specially cleared for her—and wagged her tail, letting out a dainty cry: “Meow! (I want, I want!)”

Having been busy all night, Lu Ning was inevitably starving. The moment the chicken was placed before her, she began to feast, losing all her “lady-like” manners.

Amidst the laughter from the back row, Mu Qiuyu finished writing the solution for Li Xiang and turned to look at Lu Ning. The kitten, barely larger than a palm, was gnawing on a large piece of meat. It should have looked greedy, but the little “coal ball” made it look adorably clumsy. It was hard to imagine that not long ago, this little thing was battered and lying in a hospital bed, nearly dead.

Amidst the laughter, Mu Qiuyu let out a soft sigh. There was no dissatisfaction or negativity, but rather a rare sense of peace. She figured she was probably benefiting from this little creature’s presence; otherwise, no one would bother with an unsociable person like her.

The day passed peacefully. Lu Ning stayed in her arms all day, and only during breaks would this cute and haughty kitten deign to interact with the class. As for Lu Ning’s name, a conclusion was reached today. Since it was hard to please everyone, they all agreed to just call her “Kitten,” claiming that the simplest was the best.

So, amidst cries of “Goodbye, Kitten,” Lu Ning saw off most of the class. She lay comfortably on Mu Qiuyu’s desk, let out a weary yawn, and said: “Being a cat is so exhausting.”

“Then what is easy?” Mu Qiuyu actually picked up the conversation. She slowly packed her bag, looking at the leisurely kitten. “Being a human?”

Her voice was flat, as if it didn’t matter. But hearing it, Lu Ning’s heart skipped a beat. What on earth was I bragging about this morning?!

Lu Ning felt that Mu Qiuyu wouldn’t let this go easily. She deflated into a “cat pancake” under the girl’s hand. But just as she was worrying about how to gloss over it, she noticed Li Xiang looking at Mu Qiuyu with hesitation.

“Host, I’m not trying to change the subject, but I think Li Xiang has something to say to you.” The kitten wagged her tail, sounding very righteous.

Mu Qiuyu gave Lu Ning a deep look. It wasn’t exactly helplessness, but there was no strong emotion either. This creature was just like this—acting fearless because of her identity, yet sometimes acting so cautious. She wondered if the cat truly knew her own status in her heart.

“I know,” Mu Qiuyu replied coldly. She had noticed it too. This girl wasn’t good at hiding herself; every time she looked at Mu Qiuyu, she met her eyes.

On the third time their gazes met, Mu Qiuyu spoke first: “Something up?”

Now Li Xiang had nowhere to hide. The girl’s voice was devoid of much emotion, calm yet distant, making her seem unapproachable. Li Xiang looked at the imposing girl, first nodding, then shaking her head.

Mu Qiuyu was puzzled. “What is it, exactly?”

Li Xiang knew she couldn’t hide it anymore; she had to say it. Listening to her own heartbeat, she clenched her hands and summoned her courage: “I want to go to school and go home with you from now on!”

Mu Qiuyu froze. There was no pleasant surprise in her eyes, only a sense of realization. She should have guessed. Like this morning, when she proactively sought her out to ask about problems beyond the teacher’s requirements. Li Xiang was a member of this class; how could she not have heard about the kidnapping? She wanted to walk with her to protect her.

“I checked; we can take the same bus home. You just get off one stop before me.”

“We didn’t run into each other before because I was too lazy—always arriving at the last second and being the first to rush off after class. I’ll wait for you from now on!”

Li Xiang blurted out all her thoughts. Lu Ning watched from the side, feeling that today’s warmth had reached its peak.

But Mu Qiuyu didn’t want this. Things like what happened yesterday couldn’t be solved just by walking together. She knew clearly the gap between girls their age and the people trying to exploit her; she didn’t want Li Xiang to get dragged into this mess.

“I understand your thoughts, but…”

“You’re actually still in the classroom. Aren’t you afraid that since there are fewer people on the road, you’ll be kidnapped again?”

Just as Mu Qiuyu was about to refuse, a sharp voice came from the back door. Shi Jin stood arrogantly at the back of the classroom, looking at Mu Qiuyu—and her cat.

Support