Did I Succeed in Redeeming the Villain Today? - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: But in the End, Mu Qiuyu Still Held Her in Her…

The wind rustled the dense leaves outside the window, and the narrow stall was cramped with cold, sharp air.

The splashed water flooded the compartment, dripping steadily from the raised floor. Mu Qiuyu’s voice blended with the sound of the water, sounding like a thin layer of ice.

Distant, isolated, and bone-chilling.

But this spring day was no longer suitable for ice to survive; sunlight brushed against the stall’s walls and spilled onto Mu Qiuyu’s body, making it seem as if she might shatter with just a little bit of force.

Lu Ning listened to Mu Qiuyu’s rhetorical question. Beneath that calm tone lay a suppressed grievance that pricked at Lu Ning’s heart.

Mu Qiuyu had lost her parents, her relatives, and her friends. The only one she could rely on now was herself.

Lu Ning had just promised she wouldn’t let her be bullied again, and in the blink of an eye, the girl had been soaked to the bone.

Lu Ning had seen the flash of redness at the corner of Mu Qiuyu’s eyes just now; seeing her current composure, it was hard not to think of the girl’s stubborn endurance.

“I’m sorry, Host. It was my negligence.” Lu Ning had never felt so much chagrin. She knew how fraught with danger Mu Qiuyu’s surroundings were, yet she had gone off to pull weeds and play with mannequins. She should have come out immediately after finishing the system manual.

Filled with this sentiment, Lu Ning became even more determined to save Mu Qiuyu.

She was furious about what had happened. This was clearly school bullying, and such actions deserved to be punished!

Lu Ning transformed her guilt into motivation and flew up from Mu Qiuyu’s arms: “This can’t just be ignored. Wait here, Host. I’m going to check the surveillance footage, find those people, and get revenge for you!”

Saying this, Lu Ning prepared to fly toward the surveillance camera installed outside the restroom.

But before she could fly out of the stall, a familiar force once again covered her body.

Heavy clouds blocked the sun outside, also cutting off half of Lu Ning’s vision.

Lu Ning wasn’t as shocked as she had been this morning, and Mu Qiuyu seemed far less calm than she had been then.

She had caught her again; the veins on the hand holding the ball bulged slightly.

The girl’s voice was very soft, and her words were brief: “Just stay by my side.”

The spring was biting, and the water splashed on her seemed to contain shards of ice.

Mu Qiuyu’s fingers familiarly passed through Lu Ning’s halo. Her fingertips were icy; Lu Ning could hardly feel even a hint of her residual warmth.

Even if Mu Qiuyu usually faced the malice of others with such composure, even as an adult, Lu Ning couldn’t achieve that level of detachment.

But in the end, she was only seventeen.

The cold light passed through the girl’s fingers—which weren’t yet closed—and fell into Lu Ning’s sight.

She saw Mu Qiuyu’s pale face; her long hair, soft in the morning light, was now plastered against her cheeks. Drops of water slid down her profile one by one, soaking her shoulders. Beneath the disarray was a thin, easily broken figure.

Lu Ning’s heart softened instantly.

Impulsiveness and anger vanished completely. She turned her body toward Mu Qiuyu and pressed against her cold palm: “Rest assured, Host. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay here with you.”

The small ball was just a system, but Mu Qiuyu felt that the ball showed some traits of a living creature at this moment.

The heat source in her palm was difficult to dissipate once held, and Mu Qiuyu felt a bit of warmth returning to her hand.

The light seemed to serve as a guide, prompting Mu Qiuyu to follow the warmth and shift her gaze onto Lu Ning.

She saw the ball—the one that usually disliked being poked—now pressed against her palm, rolling around as if trying to please her.

The halo entwined around her knuckles was like a pet’s fur, drifting with the movements of the body.

Dust motes danced within it, describing the shape of the light to her.

Mu Qiuyu’s thoughts stirred slightly, and then she heard Lu Ning ask: “Is the Host cold? The system has a heating function and can provide a heat source for you.”

Hearing this, Mu Qiuyu inconspicuously withdrew her gaze and issued a command: “Help me maintain a temperature so I don’t get sick. Do not dry the clothes.”

Lu Ning was a bit confused by this request.

She was already providing heat; wouldn’t it be easier to just dry the clothes?

But soon, Lu Ning figured it out. Since Mu Qiuyu had been set up and drenched, it wouldn’t be logical for her clothes to be dry.

If you want to talk about grounded logic, you really have to look at the future villain.

After convincing herself, Lu Ning began to skillfully configure the functions and asked: “Is this temperature okay?”

The wind stirred by the halo dispersed the sound of dripping water in the stall, and the warmth in Mu Qiuyu’s palm became more evident.

She lightly squeezed the ball in her hand. The comfortable temperature required no further instruction from her; her wet shirt clung to her back, but her palm was dry.

“Would the Host like to hold me in your arms? It will be much warmer. I’ve applied a ‘Time Stasis’ program to your external appearance, so you won’t appear dry.” Remembering the Main System’s instruction that “the system should satisfy all the host’s requirements,” Lu Ning adjusted her program and thoughtfully invited Mu Qiuyu to warm up.

Mu Qiuyu heard Lu Ning’s considerate words and let her gaze linger on the ball for a long time, as if trying to see through her inside and out.

Lu Ning didn’t know what Mu Qiuyu was thinking. She only looked into Mu Qiuyu’s eyes and felt she saw a great deal of darkness.

They were densely interwoven in Mu Qiuyu’s eyes, appearing as if they were about to consume her, yet also as if they were seeking symbiosis.

By the end, Lu Ning didn’t think Mu Qiuyu would actually hold her.

But in the end, Mu Qiuyu still held her in her arms.

Her arms tightened, and she slowly crouched down while holding the ball.

The puddles reflected their silhouettes. Her short skirt covered her legs, which were red from the cold, leaving only a glimpse of her slender ankles.

A soft halo hovered on the water’s surface. Mu Qiuyu looked like a girl who had plucked the moon, cradling that bright glow as if she wanted to keep the moon for herself.

Mu Qiuyu thought that perhaps this year’s spring was just too cold.

She, too, needed a bit of this warmth.

And it wasn’t until Mu Qiuyu buried herself in her own embrace that Lu Ning realized how “bad” this invitation was.

The thin school uniform was completely soaked, and the girl, warmed up, began to radiate her body heat.

Invisible water vapor steamed in the air, stirring up a fragrance of fallen flowers mixed with a subtle, cold sharpness. They brushed past Lu Ning’s halo and surged into her body.

Lu Ning smelled a subtle sweetness. Pressed against Mu Qiuyu’s embrace, it formed an electrical signal called “softness” in her tactile system.

Lu Ning didn’t expect that the thought she had while lying in Mu Qiuyu’s inner world would be put into practice so soon.

The real Mu Qiuyu’s body was indeed much softer than the boring mannequin.

It was the body of a young girl, like an unopened flower…

Unsure if her internal temperature wasn’t adjusted correctly, Lu Ning felt her entire ball-self getting hot.

She felt this couldn’t continue. She spun around in Mu Qiuyu’s arms to scan the surroundings, finally aiming through the gap in her vision at the locked door: “Host, I… I don’t think this is a solution. Should we call for help? Or I can help you pick the lock?”

Hearing this, Mu Qiuyu looked down at the watch on her wrist.

Despite being drenched, her watch was still ticking punctually. The second hand passed the number “12”—it was one o’clock in the afternoon.

In the teaching building during the lunch break, there seemed to be the sound of footsteps. High heels tapped against the floor, sounding noisy because they lacked a steady rhythm.

Mu Qiuyu gave a very light “Mm,” then set Lu Ning down, walked to the door, and began to bang on it: “Is anyone there? Anyone? Please don’t do this, I have a competition later!”

It was hard to imagine that such an anxious voice came from such an expressionless face.

Lu Ning watched from the side, a bit dazed, even forgetting to remind Mu Qiuyu that she didn’t actually need to call for help—she could open the door for her.

Before Lu Ning could react, the noisy footsteps from the distance approached.

A woman in a business suit stood at the restroom entrance. She heard Mu Qiuyu’s call for help but was somewhat uncertain: “Is someone in there?”

“Is that Teacher Wang? It’s me, Mu Qiuyu!” Hearing someone respond at the door, the expression on Mu Qiuyu’s face finally began to change.

With her hand still on the door, she said to Teacher Wang outside: “I’ve been locked inside. Can you help me open the door?”

The person outside paused visibly upon hearing Mu Qiuyu’s voice.

She saw the bucket overturned on the floor and the water that hadn’t finished draining away.

Teacher Wang’s expression shifted instantly from tension to gravity.

What had happened in this scene was immediately obvious.

“Who locked you in here? Don’t they know you have a competition coming up!” Teacher Wang was furious. She stepped slowly through the water to the stall where Mu Qiuyu was and tried to open the door.

“I don’t know…” Mu Qiuyu lowered her eyelashes. Her voice sounded downcast, her mood listless.

“These students… I really have to do something about them.” Hearing Mu Qiuyu’s voice, Teacher Wang felt a pang in her heart, and her anger grew even more intense. “Don’t worry, Qiuyu. I will definitely find out who did this!”

The stall lock was jammed. The more hurried Teacher Wang became, the more it wouldn’t open.

She checked the watch on her wrist and, as if reaching a decision, rolled up her sleeves: “Qiuyu, stand back a little.”

“Okay.” Mu Qiuyu nodded and found a relatively safe corner in the stall.

At this point, Lu Ning also filled in the details regarding Mu Qiuyu’s competition.

This afternoon was the Arts Festival competition for all schools in Wucheng. It wasn’t just about whether Guanghua could win awards this year; it was about whether they could surpass their rival, Wucheng No. 1 High School, and reclaim the throne as the top high school in the city.

Mu Qiuyu’s violin skills outshone the school orchestra’s violinist, and she had been handpicked by the principal to compete last year.

With Guanghua as the host today, nothing could be allowed to go wrong.

Those bastards who wanted to bully Mu Qiuyu had really picked the wrong person to mess with today.

Thud! Thud!

The sounds of the door being kicked rang out one after another, but the stall door didn’t budge.

Lu Ning judged that Teacher Wang’s strength wasn’t enough to open the door, so she voluntarily turned into points of light and dove into the intentionally jammed lock.

Picking such a lock was easy for a system.

Just as Teacher Wang aimed her heel at the door again, it flew open with a bang.

Sunlight poured down instantly; the spring day was radiant.

The wind began to circulate, carrying the quiet air to the drenched girl standing in the corner.

The moment the door opened, Teacher Wang saw Mu Qiuyu.

She looked terrified; her shoulders trembled slightly. Her wet, pitch-black hair was plastered to her face, making her eyes look bright red.

Lu Ning floated out of the lock and witnessed this scene.

The girl’s figure was clearly outlined by the light—thin and easily broken—causing Lu Ning’s heart, which had just settled, to ache for her again.

However, amidst her concern, Lu Ning felt something was strangely off.

Clearly, Mu Qiuyu had not acted this frail just moments ago.

Could it be that in her heart, Lu Ning’s status as a system wasn’t higher than Teacher Wang’s?

So she had to pretend to be calm in front of Lu Ning, but didn’t have to in front of Teacher Wang.

“Qiuyu, you must have been terrified.” Seeing Mu Qiuyu like this, Teacher Wang’s expression became solemn and deeply pained. She hurried forward to drape her own coat over Mu Qiuyu’s shoulders.

Mu Qiuyu shook her head and reached out to lightly grasp the coat: “Teacher, is the competition about to start?”

“Yes.” Teacher Wang nodded, her expression worried. “Are you still in a state to go on stage?”

Mu Qiuyu sniffled slightly. Beneath her vulnerability, her pupils showed a trace of stubbornness: “I can do it.”

“Good, follow me to change your clothes.” Teacher Wang was both relieved by Mu Qiuyu’s maturity and pained for her. Then she reassured her: “Don’t worry, Qiuyu. I will definitely investigate this to the end and get justice for you.”

“Thank you, Teacher.” Mu Qiuyu nodded softly, her breath still sounding weak.

Mu Qiuyu’s disappearance was a serious disciplinary issue.

Teacher Wang drove Mu Qiuyu to the Great Auditorium behind the school, not forgetting to contact the principal on the way. Upon hearing of this, the principal was instantly enraged and immediately ordered Mu Qiuyu’s grade director to check the surveillance.

Having reported the matter, Teacher Wang took Mu Qiuyu to the backstage of the auditorium.

She opened a private lounge for Mu Qiuyu. Hot steam billowed from a kettle, and a layer of mist formed on the glass cup.

“Alright, Qiuyu. We’ve brought your violin, so don’t worry. Here is some hot water; take a sip to warm up first,” Teacher Wang said thoughtfully.

“Thank you, Teacher.” Having been rescued, she seemed no longer afraid. Mu Qiuyu appeared much calmer than before, though her eyes were still red and didn’t seem likely to fade anytime soon.

“Good girl, I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Teacher Wang rubbed Mu Qiuyu’s shoulder and rejected an incoming call for the third time.

Mu Qiuyu noticed this and said to her: “Teacher Wang, I can manage on my own. You should go attend to your business.”

Teacher Wang was in charge of personnel coordination for this competition and was stretched thin at the moment.

Seeing how sensible Mu Qiuyu was, she became even more disgusted with the students who had bullied her: “Fine, dry your hair yourself first; the hairdryer is here. Compete well. Once it’s over, I promise I will get justice for you.”

“Thank you, Teacher.” Mu Qiuyu nodded.

Her expression was clearly calm and indifferent, yet it somehow exuded a sense of being “well-behaved” at this moment.

Teacher Wang offered a few more words of comfort before hurriedly leaving.

The narrow door of the lounge closed with a click, and the room became quiet again.

Watching Teacher Wang leave, Mu Qiuyu held her cup and slowly leaned back against the sofa.

Her pearly white fingers tapped rhythmically—tap, tap—against the glass. Her calm eyes glanced at her hair, which was already half-dry on one side.

“Ha.”

Mu Qiuyu’s laugh was brief, like the wind outside that goes unheard.

“In the eyes of you systems, are we humans also this easy to fool?” Mu Qiuyu asked, turning her head to look at Lu Ning.

In the girl’s dark pupils, there was no longer any shattered vulnerability. Within the meticulously carved glass beads, there were traces of something called cunning and disdain.

Lu Ning realized instantly: Mu Qiuyu had been faking her pitiable act.

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