Did I Succeed in Redeeming the Villain Today? - Chapter 62

Chapter 62: “Scumbag.”

Seeing her original appearance again after several months left Lu Ning in a state of trance.

But what shocked her even more was the way she saw it: through Mu Qiuyu’s future, witnessing a moment of deep intimacy between the two of them. Lu Ning felt as if she had been stuffed inside a giant temple bell—BONG—the vibration leaving her dizzy and reeling.

She stared at her own face in the vision, her vertical feline pupils slowly dilating. She truly didn’t dare watch any further, yet she wanted to steal just one more second, at least to see where they were.

But just like every TV drama or variety show, right as Lu Ning saw her hand brush over Mu Qiuyu’s shoulder—and a thin strap slid down the girl’s skin—the image vanished.

It was like the end of a prologue. The first and second acts belonged only to the two of them in the future, with no regard for the two of them currently standing together.

Silence.

As the Infinite Card dissolved into the air, the world fell quiet. The wind brushed through the wisteria, and a fragile petal landed—patter—right on the kitten’s head. Overwhelmed, the kitten’s ears flattened against the back of her head.

“What do you think?”

Just as Lu Ning was being “attacked” by a flower, she felt her limbs leave the ground. The familiar warmth of fingers pressed against her chubby belly, and she was lifted into Mu Qiuyu’s embrace.

Even though the scene they had just witnessed was somewhat inappropriate for two people to watch together, Mu Qiuyu’s reaction was exceptionally relaxed. In fact, Lu Ning felt the girl’s mood was eerily good; at the very least, her strokes were incredibly gentle.

The kitten derived some comfort from the petting, her flattened ears twitching as if trying to stand back up. Lu Ning told herself that Mu Qiuyu surely didn’t know the person she was kissing in that vision was her. After all, the body Mu Qiuyu had modeled for her was different from her original self.

Most importantly, this was Mu Qiuyu’s future. She could only be certain of the name she had written on the card; how could she know the other person was her system?

Lu Ning steadied her nerves. With her deduction as armor, she pretended to be nonchalant and answered: “This proves that the Host will have a lover in the future.”

Hearing this, Mu Qiuyu arched an eyebrow. “Why do you think that?”

“Because the Host was kissing them,” Lu Ning said, looking at Mu Qiuyu with innocent kitten eyes, though her face felt a bit hot. Luckily, she was a black cat; no one could see her blushing.

“So, kissing means being in love?” Mu Qiuyu said thoughtfully, her long fingers slowly tracing down the kitten’s back.

Lu Ning pursed her lips, feeling a flicker of unease at Mu Qiuyu’s words. No, kissing doesn’t always mean love. She was only seventeen; she didn’t yet realize that love isn’t the only thing in the world that matches with desire. It was possible that in the future, she and Mu Qiuyu were merely… “friends with benefits” indulging in the flesh.

Those two scorching words flashed through Lu Ning’s mind, making her face burn even more fiercely. She truly didn’t understand what kind of coincidence would allow her to see herself in someone else’s future. This was cheating!

Could it be that she and Mu Qiuyu… really would…

But why? According to her agreement with the Main System, she had to help Mu Qiuyu avoid her original fate for the mission to be successful. She should only be able to regain her original appearance after the mission to “reform” Mu Qiuyu was complete.

But if the future her had regained her identity, why hadn’t she returned to her original world? Or would she be kept by Mu Qiuyu’s side?

Lu Ning recalled what she had said to Mu Qiuyu in the vision. She seemed to be waiting for Mu Qiuyu to come home. So, the future Mu Qiuyu must be successful and very busy. How did they end up together? And how did she get her body back?

Could she say she wasn’t moved by this future? She would be lying if she said no.

Lu Ning’s head was filled with symbols—question marks and exclamation points popping up like mushrooms after rain. Most importantly, Lu Ning realized she still didn’t know Mu Qiuyu’s orientation.

Lu Ning hesitated, her small paws kneading Mu Qiuyu’s lap through her skirt. “Um… Host, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you since yesterday.”

The kitten was hesitant, but Mu Qiuyu was blunt. She looked down at the cat in her arms, as if seeing right through the question, and told her calmly: “I don’t know if I like girls either.”

Rarely, a hint of confusion appeared in Mu Qiuyu’s eyes. She gazed at the wisteria swaying in the wind, her cool voice sounding as if she were afraid to disturb their leisure. “So, I’m curious too. Why would the future me appear in a scene like that?”

Such a future was completely disconnected from Mu Qiuyu’s previous life. It wasn’t even in her plan. In this second life, her plan was simple: eliminate those who betrayed her, and then die again. She had no desire to live, let alone become someone’s lover.

Mu Qiuyu was genuinely curious, looking at the Infinite Card’s display almost like a bystander. In fact, she should have been a bystander, but she had ended up dragging herself into it.

Frowning slightly, Mu Qiuyu seemed dissatisfied with being the only one feeling this way. She looked down at Lu Ning. “Can you help me find this person?”

She spoke with the gravity of a martyr holding the Book of Revelation. Lu Ning’s relaxed heart immediately grew anxious. She couldn’t exactly pat her chest and tell Mu Qiuyu that the person was her, could she?

Fortunately, Lu Ning had been reading lately and had learned a few indirect techniques. “Host, if the Main System’s prophecy is accurate, then you will definitely be together in the future. You will surely meet her before then.”

Mu Qiuyu’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You believe the Main System’s prophecy?”

To be honest, Lu Ning didn’t quite believe it. The charm of the future lies in its uncertainty; a single encounter can lead to countless endings. Perhaps the image was just one possible future from a parallel universe. In that future…

“The Host will meet someone to love, you’ll have your own little home, and you’ll live very well,” Lu Ning said, leaning into Mu Qiuyu’s embrace and describing the potential future. As she spoke, there was a sense of longing in her eyes.

And a sense of loss. She used the word “you guys” over and over, sketching the future the system had gifted Mu Qiuyu. But by using “you guys,” she was separating herself from Mu Qiuyu. Even though she had seen herself in that future, she didn’t know if that “spoiled” future would be the future of this timeline.

But regardless, the prophecy was positive. It wasn’t the cruel image from the original story where Mu Qiuyu slit her wrists and ended her life in misery. Isn’t this why she came to this world?

Recalling the vision, Lu Ning poked her head out and joked with a burning face: “And did you see how big that bedroom was? Your home must be incredibly luxurious!”

The kitten’s voice was as energetic as ever, her face rubbing against Mu Qiuyu’s arm and making it itch. Mu Qiuyu stared at the kitten’s harmless face for a long time—long enough that Lu Ning almost couldn’t distinguish the future Mu Qiuyu from the current one—before nodding seriously. “Yes. I should arrange for a larger bedroom.”

Because it was a private school, Guanghua High didn’t have many students per grade. Even though it wasn’t the senior year mock exams, the midterm results were calculated over the weekend. Lu Ning and Mu Qiuyu were the first in the class, and even the whole grade, to know.

When the results were uploaded, the notification of a successful mission echoed in both their minds simultaneously. Mu Qiuyu was rank one in every subject—Language, Math, English, and Science. Her overall score went without saying. System points poured into Mu Qiuyu’s pocket like a waterfall, and Lu Ning, following her lead, saw her depleted small treasury become plump again.

“I’m so happy, Host!” Lu Ning walked beside Mu Qiuyu, her pace light and her tail swaying.

“Remember to save a quarter of it,” Mu Qiuyu reminded her calmly, breaking off a piece of a fried sesame ball and handing it to Lu Ning with a silent, natural understanding.

Lu Ning chewed the sesame ball, nodding while mumbling: “I made a ‘little wallet’ inside my ‘big wallet’ specifically for savings.” The kitten’s face was filled with pride. she held her head high and leaned toward Mu Qiuyu, waiting for a pet and a compliment.

In two lifetimes, Mu Qiuyu had never met someone so childish. This was an adult; who would believe it? Her eyes held a trace of disdain, but her actions betrayed her. She pulled a tissue from her pocket, preparing to wipe her hand so she could rub Lu Ning’s head.

But she was interrupted from behind. “Kitten!”

The pair had reached the teaching building. The classmates were excited to see Lu Ning appearing leisurely by Mu Qiuyu’s side. It was clear they knew the midterm scores had met the requirement, and the cat was safe.

“Kitten, how did you get even prettier after two days?”

“How does your fur grow like that? It’s so glossy.”

“Kitten, you can stay in class in peace now. Don’t worry, we’ll give our all in every exam for you!”

“Do you want to try some dried fish my grandma made?”

Lu Ning was swarmed the moment she entered the classroom. The kids crowded around her, showering her with praise, offering cat treats and snacks. It was chaotic. If Lu Ning were still the class teacher, she would have frowned at such a morning scene. But since she was just a beloved kitten, she basked in the attention.

What was wrong with these kids? They just wanted to play with the kitten for a bit. Lu Ning leaned into the affection, her big tail swishing like a feather duster through the morning dust. She loved this life. She was unrepentant; she loved being surrounded, she loved the waves of affection washing over her.

Ttap, ttap.

The teacher, Cheng Juan, finally put an end to the excitement. She stood at the door with a stern face. “You do well once and you stop following discipline?”

The students scattered like birds, returning to their seats to listen to the lecture. Cheng Juan looked at the rowdy yet somehow well-behaved students and asked, “I assume you all know the results?”

“Yes—!” Everyone cheered.

“You did perform quite well,” Cheng Juan said, fair in her praise. “Especially since our class produced the rank one of the entire grade. I’m sure you know who it is.”

“We know!”

“It’s Qiuyu, obviously.”

“Who else could it be but Goddess Qiuyu!”

Everyone turned to look at Mu Qiuyu in the back row. Lu Ning raised her tail and ran toward Mu Qiuyu in celebration. “Meow~ (My Host is the best~)”

But Mu Qiuyu looked cold as the kitten nuzzled her hand. She stared at this system that had just abandoned her to flirt with everyone else, and muttered a word with an ambiguous tone:

“Scumbag.”

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