Did I Succeed in Redeeming the Villain Today? - Chapter 51

Chapter 51: “Then, Get on the Bed.”

Mu Qiuyu didn’t know why she had asked such a question.

She looked at Lu Ning crouching by her bed and couldn’t help but wonder if this person had been guarding her just like this while she was unconscious. The circular lamp overhead shed a gentle light, outlining the girl’s soft, drooping ears.

The moment Mu Qiuyu couldn’t help but reach out her fingers to touch Lu Ning’s ear, she suddenly grew uneasy.

Those were a pair of cat ears.

The dark fuzz almost merged with her hair, but the rounded, full tips caught a golden halo of light—like a dream that tried to hide but couldn’t be concealed. It reminded Mu Qiuyu that this person was the same little kitten who usually stayed by her side.

And this person was also the same obedient, submissive kitten who, in that nightmare just now, had stayed in the arms of the other her.

At some point, Mu Qiuyu’s reaction to the thought of Lu Ning betraying her was no longer explosive rage. She didn’t even ignore the kitten or give her the cold shoulder, as she had done when she saw Lu Ning in Pei Yinyue’s arms last time.

Perhaps even Mu Qiuyu herself didn’t realize it. At this moment, as she brushed her fingers over Lu Ning’s ears, she only wanted to find a little more sense of security within them.

The girl’s slightly cool fingers crushed against the delicate fuzz, creating a faint rustling sound in Lu Ning’s ears that tickled the heart. Lu Ning, of course, didn’t know Mu Qiuyu’s thoughts; she was only stunned by the sudden question.

Has the fact that there’s another ‘her’ in Mu Qiuyu’s inner world been exposed? Impossible. Could it be that day I got drunk again?

The moment Lu Ning thought about her blackout, she couldn’t stop panicking. Because that memory was missing, no matter what Mu Qiuyu said later, her mind immediately jumped to that night.

Just how much did I tell Mu Qiuyu that night?!

Lu Ning firmly applied the theory of Schrödinger’s cat: as long as she didn’t speak, Mu Qiuyu’s guess remained just a guess. She played dumb with practiced ease. “Someone exactly like you? How could there be someone exactly like you in the real world?”

“It really is impossible, right?” Mu Qiuyu felt her own question was a bit ridiculous. She lowered her eyes halfway and withdrew her hand from Lu Ning’s ear.

“Exactly.” Lu Ning nodded in agreement as she watched Mu Qiuyu’s pensive eyes.

The temperature of a kitten’s ears is higher than a human’s, and a fair amount of warmth remained on Mu Qiuyu’s fingertips. She quietly drew her fingers into her palm. In that moment of withdrawal, she felt the system’s goal of intimidating and punishing her had been achieved.

It had created a hypothetical dream for her, using “another self” to fully display everything she feared. Those words, that past—they were like awls, wedged into her heart word by word, leaving her a bloody mess.

But why was the person supposedly taken from her side Lu Ning? Mu Qiuyu didn’t understand. And she didn’t want to dwell on it any longer. It was just a dream. She shouldn’t be affected by the system’s punishment; that would truly be letting the system have its way.

A heavy breath escaped Mu Qiuyu’s lips, ruffling the hair at the side of Lu Ning’s face. Lu Ning carefully observed Mu Qiuyu’s expression, sensing only deep exhaustion in those eyes. Knowing nothing of the system’s punishment, she felt certain that Mu Qiuyu’s question was related to it.

Still uneasy, Lu Ning tried to probe carefully: “Mu Qiuyu, why did you think that? Did you have a nightmare?”

“You could say that.” Mu Qiuyu sat up slightly from the headboard.

“What did you dream about?” Lu Ning followed up.

It would have been better if Lu Ning hadn’t asked. The moment she did, Mu Qiuyu remembered her acting cute for someone else right in front of her. Even if it was just a dream designed by the system, wasn’t this girl a part of the system too? Now that something like this had happened, could she really stay out of it?

With that thought, Mu Qiuyu’s straight posture slowly leaned toward Lu Ning. The girl’s calm pupils lifted unhurriedly, looking at Lu Ning as she asked casually, “Do you really want to know what the system’s punishment was?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Lu Ning nodded like a chick pecking grain. She really wanted to know what the punishment was so she could better handle such situations next time.

The few hours she had been unable to contact Mu Qiuyu were the worst she had experienced in this world. She had comforted everyone else worried about Mu Qiuyu, but she couldn’t comfort herself. Being out of contact made Lu Ning feel like a lonely boat, drifting aimlessly on the water. Even though the only person she truly knew and clicked with was right in front of her, she felt as distant as a mountain across the sea.

“I want to know,” Lu Ning repeated.

Under the lamp, Mu Qiuyu saw that Lu Ning’s gaze had become more resolute, as if some unshakeable power was hidden within. Although that dream was indeed not a pleasant thing—and could even be described as making Mu Qiuyu feel wretched—for some reason, she was willing to tell Lu Ning about it now.

The girl leaning against the soft pillow let out a breath and opened her thin lips, speaking slowly: “The system’s punishment wasn’t physical. It was a boundless darkness where your sight is stripped away, and you can only hear the sound of water dripping.”

Mu Qiuyu’s voice had a unique charm, like a cold light in the silent night, making Lu Ning fly toward it like a moth. Just as the simple little moth was about to be mesmerized by the light, her chin was tilted up by a hand.

“I walked forward alone, and then—”

Mu Qiuyu’s voice suddenly drew near. Before Lu Ning could react, her pupils dilated uncontrollably. The light in her vision shifted constantly until it was mostly blocked by a face of unfathomable depth.

The girl’s fingers carried a chill, pressing firmly against Lu Ning’s chin, lifting it with a bit of force. “I saw you, this little kitten, with someone else.”

Mu Qiuyu’s eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze focused on Lu Ning’s eyes. There was almost no distance between them. A slow breath was released, casting a lingering white mist over Lu Ning’s vision.

On spring nights, bouquets of flowers always bloom quietly, and a faint fragrance lingered at the tip of Lu Ning’s nose. It invaded and spread, occupying Lu Ning’s brain, making her completely forget what Mu Qiuyu hadn’t finished saying. That fragile heart began to beat wildly—thump, thump—hammering against Lu Ning’s chest. It clamored and shouted to get out, to see what kind of face belonged to this person who always made her heart rate go haywire.

Mu Qiuyu, however, remained composed, pulling back from the ambiguity with ease. Or rather, she had never lost her balance in this atmosphere. She was sober, telling Lu Ning clearly: “And you even closed your dialogue channel with me, showing off right in front of me.”

Lu Ning’s chin, held by Mu Qiuyu, tilted even further back, forcing her to look up into Mu Qiuyu’s eyes. She finally regained some of her senses, hearing a hint of vindictiveness in Mu Qiuyu’s words.

Just because I was in someone else’s arms?

The girl’s highly oppressive gaze made Lu Ning completely forget to connect the dots with Mu Qiuyu’s earlier question about “someone exactly like her.” She also forgot that within this sentence lay a hidden, vital truth: Losing Lu Ning was, to Mu Qiuyu, a punishment.

Lu Ning suddenly felt she was more wronged than Dou E, with only one thought in her head: This is a total disaster out of nowhere! How was this any different from a couple dreaming their partner cheated, and then waking up to throw a tantrum at them!

“That definitely wasn’t my intention! Something must have happened! I would absolutely never betray you!” Lu Ning raised her hands high to prove her innocence. She had finally managed to get on good terms with Mu Qiuyu; she couldn’t let a damn system punishment ruin it! How could she curl up in someone else’s arms and be their kitten?

“If you don’t believe me, I’ll turn back into a cat right now!” Saying this, Lu Ning proactively broke free from Mu Qiuyu’s grip, wanting to change back and roll around in Mu Qiuyu’s arms to make amends.

“You want to turn back into a kitten?” Mu Qiuyu’s eyes narrowed slightly, her tone not quite calm. Her hand was now empty, but she maintained the same posture. Her dark pupils were heavy, watching Lu Ning from a very close distance.

Perhaps everyone who has a nightmare has this psychology; Mu Qiuyu didn’t want Lu Ning to turn back into a kitten. It felt as if, as long as Lu Ning didn’t change back, she wouldn’t leave her. At least for now.

Mu Qiuyu’s fingers rubbed together, twisting the remaining warmth into her palm. As if giving Lu Ning one more chance to choose, she asked again: “Lu Ling, do you really want to turn back into a cat?”

Mu Qiuyu’s hint was too obvious for Lu Ning to miss. Besides, she didn’t actually want to turn back that much. Being human made her feel free, even in this somewhat broken, second-hand body.

So, the kitten ears twitched the moment they received Mu Qiuyu’s signal. Lu Ning hesitated and took back her words: “Actually… I’d rather continue to maintain my human form.”

Hearing her say this, Mu Qiuyu suddenly laughed. Her tense body relaxed, and she propped herself up with one hand, leaning diagonally on the bed. “Then, get on the bed.”

Without the covers to hide her, Mu Qiuyu’s posture was fully revealed to Lu Ning. Earlier, for her comfort while resting, Lu Ning had helped her take off her school blazer with the policewoman’s help, leaving only a white shirt tucked into her school skirt.

Now, that white shirt was pulled a bit loose. The extra fabric created folds along Mu Qiuyu’s silhouette, hanging loosely on her. The collar was open a bit, easily revealing her collarbones. The light painted a picture on the thin, translucent fabric, tracing the girl’s youthful and delicate figure. This was the image of youth, a time that shouldn’t be cluttered with extra thoughts.

Lu Ning sat dazed on the floor, her kneeling legs nearly unable to feel the weight of her body. She looked at Mu Qiuyu, calmly withdrew her gaze, and declined the invitation. “No… no need. I’ll just sleep on the sofa. Between us… it’s not good.”

Mu Qiuyu tilted her head, appearing as if she truly didn’t understand. “Why is it not good?”

“It’s just not good.” Lu Ning felt her linguistic abilities were more hollow than ever before. “You’re grown up; you should sleep alone.”

“Oh, okay.” Mu Qiuyu showed a hint of regret, leaning casually against the headboard. “I was originally going to help you repair your body. Since you don’t want to come over, then forget it.”

“?!”

Lu Ning’s eyes, which had been avoiding Mu Qiuyu, snapped back. She looked at Mu Qiuyu in disbelief and immediately saw the unmistakable mischief in the girl’s eyes. Lu Ning realized in despair that she had just fallen for Mu Qiuyu’s trap.

“Regretting it?” Mu Qiuyu asked.

“Yes.” Lu Ning nodded, then sat obediently by the bed, looking at Mu Qiuyu with the same pitiful eyes she used as a cat. “Mu Qiuyu, give me another chance.”

“It’s not impossible to try again.” Mu Qiuyu looked into those dark-blue pupils and hooked her finger toward her, signaling Lu Ning to come closer.

“I’ll definitely do it!” Lu Ning showed the determination of someone who was broke, feeling there were no conditions she couldn’t accept now.

To her surprise, Mu Qiuyu’s finger suddenly brushed over the rim of her ear, lingering almost imperceptibly at the tips of her hair. “Let me pet your ears.”

The sensation sent a jolt through Lu Ning’s entire nervous system; the traits of a feline still remained within her body. Light and shadow blurred for a second. Before Mu Qiuyu could react, Lu Ning had grabbed her wrists and flipped her over, pinning her down.

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