Did I Succeed in Redeeming the Villain Today? - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: “My Apologies…”

The classroom was mostly empty after school, making the provocative voice ring out with startling clarity.

Shi Jin stood at the classroom door with her hands on her hips, looking quite important and aggressive. The students who hadn’t left yet smelled drama in the air and turned their attention toward her.

Lu Ning, who had been in a relaxed state, immediately stood up on Mu Qiuyu’s desk, watching the newcomer warily.

Li Xiang, never one to hold her tongue, stepped forward to question Shi Jin: “Shi Jin, can you really not say anything decent for once?”

“I…”

Shi Jin was about to snap back at Li Xiang, but then she remembered she had returned to the classroom after school for a specific purpose. She dodged Li Xiang’s gaze and looked at the crowd in the room instead: “I’m not here to fight with you. I have something to show everyone.”

As she spoke, Shi Jin proudly placed the bag she was carrying onto a desk. It wasn’t a schoolbag, but a stylish, brand-new cat carrier. She unzipped the side and, without giving the kitten time to adjust, reached in and pulled it out.

The setting sun scattered countless golden rays through the classroom, shimmering across the kitten’s fur. A golden “fluff ball” emerged under everyone’s gaze, its head held high with an arrogant expression identical to Shi Jin’s.

Of course, the kitten had reason to be proud. It was an expensive Golden British Shorthair. Standing at a distance from Lu Ning, they looked like the sun and the moon.

The Golden Shorthair stood on a back-row desk, unhurriedly scanning the “two-legged beasts” around it. It knew its own cuteness even better than Lu Ning did; it showed no stage fright and proactively let out a cry: “Meow~ (Humans, bow before me!)”

Lu Ning’s wary gaze instantly collapsed.

Wait. Why does such a cute-looking kitten say such chuunibyou, ‘overlord’ type things?!

“Wow, a Golden Shorthair!”

“It’s kinda cute.”

“But I still think our ‘Kitten’ is cuter.”

“Agreed.”

Since the humans couldn’t understand cat language, they were completely captivated by the golden fluff ball and began comparing Lu Ning to it.

The tufts on the Golden Shorthair’s ears twitched; it had captured a keyword. Its owner had mentioned that name many times on the way here. The owner said that was its enemy—it had to defeat it, or it would be thrown away.

A cat’s ear fur isn’t just for catching sound; it serves as a warning system. For the first time, Lu Ning felt the sharp intuition of a feline—a sense of intimidation from one of her own kind piercing through the crowd from the doorway.

“Meow—! (What kind of cat are you? You don’t look like a purebred.)” The Golden Shorthair tilted its head. Seeing that Lu Ning had noticed it, it took the initiative to provoke her.

Lu Ning merely glanced at the cat, mimicking Mu Qiuyu’s manner, and quickly looked away. She had disengaged from “battle mode” because this was simply too childish. Even if it was a case of following through on a threat, Shi Jin had actually bought a cat and brought it to school just to spite her.

Lu Ning felt it was very juvenile. But then she realized they were all still minors; their way of doing things was naturally immature. Thus, Lu Ning didn’t give the Golden Shorthair another look. She swished her fluffy tail, sat down lazily in front of the crowd, and began to obediently lick her tail fur.

This blatant disregard clearly enraged the Golden Shorthair. It moved its short legs, stepping over the obstacles of piled-up books, and stood right in front of Lu Ning: “Meow! (Plebeian! How dare you ignore me!)”

As it spoke, its fur bristled, as if trying to scare Lu Ning. But cat-to-cat intimidation didn’t work on Lu Ning at all; she didn’t feel a shred of fear. Furthermore, the Golden Shorthair’s words had stepped right on Lu Ning’s landmine. She hated the idea of class distinction based on bloodlines—the notion that fate is fixed at birth was loathsome.

If you want to use the ‘cat way’ to intimidate me, fine.

I’ll play along.

The sunset shifted with the breeze, sending ripples through the air. The black kitten’s fur glinted with gold. The “black coal ball” that everyone saw as a well-behaved pet just yesterday now arched its back. Its fluffy frame, once bristled, was a size larger than the Golden Shorthair.

“Meow—!! (What did you say?)”

The black mass was like a dark cloud in the sky, completely blocking the light from the Golden Shorthair’s field of vision. Lu Ning looked down at the cat; the light and sunset all seemed to converge on her. The pitch-black fur blotted out the sun. One second she was a fluffy cutie, and the next, she was overflowing with oppressive power.

The Golden Shorthair was stunned. It looked up at Lu Ning as if staring at a feline deity. Its heart hammered against its tiny body—thump, thump.

The Golden Shorthair changed its tune faster than flipping a page. Its low-swiping tail suddenly stood straight up, and it let out a sweet cry to Lu Ning: “Meow~ (I said, let’s be together! I don’t mind your status.)”

“?”

This 180° turn in attitude left Lu Ning completely dazed. What kind of plot development was this? Was her “Attraction” stat so high it worked on her own kind too?

Before Lu Ning could react, the Golden Shorthair leaned in. Its golden eyes were tilted up with the arrogance of its breed, assuming that as long as it agreed, Lu Ning would submit. It tried to nuzzle Lu Ning regardless of her feelings.

Looking at this cat, Lu Ning immediately remembered what Mu Jingqin had said to Mu Qiuyu yesterday: “If she ever hangs out with some low-life ‘blonde-haired’ hoodlum and comes home with a big belly, I’ll strangle her.”

Provocation.

“Blonde hair” (Golden fur).

Wanting to “be with her.”

The elements are all there!

Lu Ning looked at the “blonde” kitten with a complex expression; her refusal was written all over her face. She instinctively wanted to swat it, but her brain quickly calculated a set of data—if she injured the Golden Shorthair, Mu Qiuyu wouldn’t be able to afford the medical bills.

The spring wind blew into the crowded classroom. No one noticed that the kitten’s raised paw was lowered; physical suppression was replaced by verbal intimidation: “Meow—! (Don’t you dare come closer, or I won’t be polite!)”

But the Golden Shorthair wasn’t intimidated by words; it just wanted to be with Lu Ning: “Meow~ (Darling—)”

Just as it recklessly tried to press against Lu Ning, it suddenly felt its scruff gripped by a powerful force. The sunset had faded, and dusk brought a dim gloom. The kitten, mid-rebellion, was suddenly pierced by a cold gaze.

It was the oppressive force of a “two-legged beast,” looking down as if she could crush it at any moment. This person was unmoved by its cuteness; the fingers on its fur were firm and icy. A cat that hasn’t shed its animal nature follows primal rules: submission to the stronger.

The Golden Shorthair immediately behaved itself in Mu Qiuyu’s hand.

Mu Qiuyu picked the cat up with one hand, and Shi Jin immediately attacked: “Mu Qiuyu, what do you think you’re doing!”

“Can’t you tell? Your cat is disgusting my cat.” Mu Qiuyu’s eyes narrowed slightly. Without even looking at Shi Jin, she stuffed the cat back into her arms.

“Kitten, sometimes being too charming is a sin. You were scared, weren’t you?” Li Xiang boldly approached the bristling Lu Ning, smoothing her fur while speaking with hidden meaning.

“Meow~” As if finally waiting for her backup, the kitten lowered her guard and let out a pitiful cry to Li Xiang. This sound didn’t just reach Li Xiang’s ears; it scratched at the hearts of everyone nearby.

In an instant, the onlookers all felt their hearts soften.

“Shi Jin, if your cat is in heat, don’t bring it to school.”

“Yeah, Kitten clearly doesn’t like being harassed.”

“Poor Kitten, she’s so startled.”

The concern flooded in just as Lu Ning expected, so she curled her body even more piteously. This cat was cunning, using the tricks she had recently learned from Mu Qiuyu to their full potential. Lu Ning huddled up, hiding the smugness in her eyes.

But before she could celebrate for long, she felt her back enveloped by a warm palm. Then, her limbs left the ground as she was picked up. Lu Ning looked up with a mix of confusion and certainty, not at all surprised to see Mu Qiuyu’s eyes.

However, the girl was looking at her with a playful, mocking expression, those dark pupils seemingly seeing through everything. The kitten was about to feel guilty, but the expected cold mockery was replaced by the girl’s lukewarm hand: “Next time something like this happens, just hit it. If you break it, I’ll take responsibility.”

—The fact that Lu Ning had hesitated to drop her paw hadn’t gone unnoticed by everyone.

“What do you mean!” Hearing this, Shi Jin hugged her cat and tried to step forward to argue with Mu Qiuyu.

“Ha!”

Unexpectedly, the moment she took a step, Lu Ning opened her mouth and let out a sharp hiss. Mu Qiuyu’s words were a dismissal to Shi Jin, but to Lu Ning, they were like receiving a royal decree.

The quiet evening was interrupted by the short, sharp hiss. Beneath the black fur were eyes full of hostility. Her sharp teeth flashed a cold, lethal light; compared to her previous submissiveness, she looked like a venomous snake.

Shi Jin was instantly stunned. She didn’t dare take another step. The Golden Shorthair in her arms was so terrified that it wiggled its butt and hid further into Shi Jin’s embrace.

Li Xiang laughed ruthlessly at the scene: “What’s the matter? Weren’t you acting so brave just now?”

“Our baby just doesn’t like she-tigers,” Shi Jin argued stubbornly.

“I didn’t know protecting oneself was called being a ‘she-tiger’ now.” Li Xiang really wanted to roll her eyes at Shi Jin.

“The animal kingdom doesn’t have so many rules; it’s always been survival of the fittest.” Mu Qiuyu looked at Shi Jin, her voice even colder than before.

“That was so cool.”

A small exclamation came from the crowd. Li Xiang, with her sharp ears, turned to the girl who had spoken: “Talking about me?”

The girl shook her head, telling her a cruel truth: “Li Xiang, you aren’t even as fierce as the cat.”

“Tsk,” Li Xiang huffed, unconvinced.

The girl handed her phone to Li Xiang: “Don’t believe me? Look.”

Sensing the light, Lu Ning, still in Mu Qiuyu’s arms, poked her head out to look. It was a photo the girl had just snapped. In the frame, Lu Ning, being held by Mu Qiuyu, was hissing at someone off-camera.

This was the first time Lu Ning had seen herself “out of character.” The usually fluffy and cute rice ball had changed styles; her black fur looked like a cape, and her eyes were fixed intently on her opponent. Beneath the soft exterior was a vigilant, defensive heart. She looked like a ferocious beast serving a Demon Lord.

And Mu Qiuyu was that Demon Lord.

Li Xiang struggled to pull her gaze away from Lu Ning and Mu Qiuyu, only to realize she was also in the frame. And indeed, she wasn’t as eye-catching as Lu Ning. The girl who had been unconvinced a second ago immediately defected, grabbing her phone to ask for the photo: “Send me a copy!”

“Me too!”

“I declare this my new profile picture!”

“Hey, I wanted to use it first!”

Following the philosophy that shared joy is double joy, the girl waved her phone: “I’ve posted it in the class group.”

Mu Qiuyu had no interest in the new group profile picture. Her gaze remained on Shi Jin. She used the “iron fist in a velvet glove” approach, coldly informing her: “My apologies, but my household has strict rules. I don’t allow underage kittens to date.”

Shi Jin couldn’t accept her defeat, and she was even more unwilling to submit to Mu Qiuyu’s indifference. She desperately wanted to win a round in a stare-down, but Mu Qiuyu wouldn’t give her another look. She just stood there holding the kitten; the ordinary school uniform seemed to take on a completely different aura on her.

Shi Jin didn’t understand why, even though they were both wearing blazers and short skirts, Mu Qiuyu could look so ethereal and cold. And the cat in her arms…

Thinking of this, Shi Jin looked down at the useless cat huddled in her embrace. She was furious. She dropped a final line: “Neither does mine!” before stuffing the Golden Shorthair into its carrier and storming off.

“Hey, can you not just run away every time you lose—”

Li Xiang was about to chase after her to say more, but the moment she stepped out the door, she saw an unfamiliar, beautiful girl standing there.

“Run…”

Li Xiang froze, the words dying in her throat. She felt like she had seen this person before—likely from the International Class Mu Qiuyu used to be in.

Pei Yinyue, seeing that someone had finally noticed her, asked Li Xiang warmly: “Excuse me, is Mu Qiuyu in?”

“Yes, yes!” Li Xiang nodded rapidly. She immediately went back into the room and tugged on Mu Qiuyu’s sleeve. “Qiuyu, someone is looking for you.”

Mu Qiuyu looked past the crowd surrounding Lu Ning toward the door. She saw Pei Yinyue smiling slightly at her.

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