Did I Succeed in Redeeming the Villain Today? - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: “It is I Who Belong to You, Host.”

Even though Lu Ning was flying in the air and didn’t need to look up at Mu Qiuyu like the rest of the audience, the line of sight between them was far from level.

Amidst the thunderous applause, Lu Ning tilted her body upward to gaze at Mu Qiuyu.

The girl’s features were indifferent. Her thick eyelashes blocked most of the light from entering her pupils, creating a dark, condescending sense of superiority.

And this wasn’t the unearned arrogance of someone who overestimates themselves. Her beauty and her sheer presence were enough to make anyone surrender willingly.

Thus, upon hearing Mu Qiuyu’s rhetorical question, Lu Ning flashed her light, flew quickly to Mu Qiuyu’s side, and landed loyally by her hand. She told her: “It is I who belong to you, Host.”

At this response, a layer of amusement touched Mu Qiuyu’s slightly narrowed eyes.

This little ball certainly knows how to please.

To Mu Qiuyu, the applause she was receiving and the loyalty offered were both only natural.

Her face was small and exquisite. Under the stage lights glowing for her, her cool features were bathed in glory, making her look like a black swan that would never bow its head.

“Mom, she’s smiling at me.” “No, she’s smiling at me!” “I’m in love.” “Get lost, my Sister Mu belongs to herself alone!”

The audience discussed the smile on Mu Qiuyu’s face, but no one noticed that the hand holding her violin lifted slightly at that moment.

The girl familiarly raised a finger to hook at the small ball resting by her hand. Her neatly trimmed nail brushed directly over Lu Ning’s body.

Even Mu Qiuyu herself found this instinctive, familiar action a bit strange.

With such a masterpiece preceding them, the contestants who followed couldn’t measure up. The performer immediately after Mu Qiuyu was so intimidated by her overwhelming strength that they struck three wrong notes in a row.

By the end, there was no suspense left in the competition. When the host announced the winners, Mu Qiuyu had, as expected, taken first place.

Mu Qiuyu accepted the gold trophy and held it high.

The honor and the applause belonged to her. Lu Ning found the best angle in the auditorium to record this moment for her.

She felt she could make a photo album for Mu Qiuyu and gift it to her once her life was “complete.” Mu Qiuyu would surely be pleasantly surprised; she would remember the joys and sorrows along the way, cherish her future more, and definitely wouldn’t “blacken.”

Lu Ning felt this was an excellent start.

Even though Mu Qiuyu had lost everything in the winter, spring had arrived. She was still living well, and what belonged to her remained hers.

It was true now. And it would be true in the future.

Lu Ning made a silent vow, carefully capturing Mu Qiuyu’s moment of glory.

Guanghua High School had finally surpassed Wucheng No. 1. When the Principal stood beside Mu Qiuyu for the group photo, his face was practically bursting with pride.

“I think the Principal’s face is going to split from smiling so hard,” Lu Ning said colorfully, following Mu Qiuyu after the ceremony and describing what she had seen from the audience.

“Naturally,” Mu Qiuyu responded coolly.

She held her dress and violin in one hand, carrying the expensive instrument casually. The hallway lights emitted a warm, gentle glow, and she walked as if the path of glory was beneath her feet. “Guanghua has been suppressed by No. 1 for two consecutive years at the Arts Festival. The Principal has wanted to vent this frustration for a long time.”

“Host, you’re practically the hero of the school!” Lu Ning immediately praised her with pride. She wanted to give the current Mu Qiuyu confidence and show her that the world was still good. “The school has to give you a reward, right?”

Mu Qiuyu looked at the excited little ball. If she didn’t know better, she’d think it was the ball that had won the gold medal. “You look more expectant than I do.”

“Of course,” Lu Ning nodded. “I haven’t forgotten what happened earlier.”

Hearing this, Mu Qiuyu’s expression turned slightly curious. “Systems hold grudges too?”

This wasn’t the first time today Mu Qiuyu had asked her that.

Lu Ning turned to look at Mu Qiuyu. The girl’s gaze was deep and dark, her small, cool face sharp and direct under the lights, as if trying to see through her.

The hallway was kept at a comfortable temperature, yet Lu Ning felt an inexplicable chill. A question suddenly popped into her head: If Mu Qiuyu knew I wasn’t a system but a human, what would she do?

Lu Ning didn’t dare think too much on it. After all, deep trust hadn’t been established between them yet, and she still couldn’t quite predict Mu Qiuyu’s temperament.

Just then, the sound of high heels clicking against the floor echoed from the other end of the corridor.

Teacher Wang appeared before Mu Qiuyu, her face radiant with joy. “Qiuyu, congratulations!”

Mu Qiuyu immediately withdrew her curious gaze and seamlessly returned to her usual humble demeanor. “Thank you, Teacher.”

“Good child. Now that this matter has concluded, it’s time to handle the other one,” Teacher Wang said with a gentle hint. “Come on. The Principal and the Dean are waiting for you in the lounge.”

Neither Mu Qiuyu nor Lu Ning needed to be told what that “other matter” was.

Lu Ning followed by Mu Qiuyu’s side, quiet and somber as if preparing for battle. Although with the support of the teachers and Principal, a fair resolution was likely, Lu Ning still prepared for the worst.

—If the teachers or the Principal tried to protect the perpetrators, then she would be the one to dispense justice. She would never let Mu Qiuyu suffer such unprovoked calamity!

Thinking this, the light on Lu Ning’s body flared intensely.

Mu Qiuyu’s indifferent eyes flickered. She closed her long fingers and pinched the disobedient ball with dissatisfaction. “What bad idea are you cooking up now?”

“I’m not!” Lu Ning protested weakly, her voice small. She had adapted to this body quickly and took the initiative to nuzzle against Mu Qiuyu’s palm. “I’m only thinking of good ideas that benefit the Host.”

The halo had no physical form, yet it felt like fur. As Lu Ning moved, it teased Mu Qiuyu’s palm with a faint, ticklish sensation. This proactive attempt to please felt somewhat fawning, causing Mu Qiuyu to let out a silent laugh.

She was so repulsed by my rubbing her this morning. —She changed quite fast.

“So, did you find out who locked me in the restroom stall?” Mu Qiuyu held the self-offering Lu Ning in her palm, her fingers brushing through the light with cold indifference.

“I…” Suddenly, Lu Ning was stumped.

She had been so busy going back and forth on whether to trust the school that she forgot to gather the evidence first.

“I know who it was.”

Mu Qiuyu spoke and released Lu Ning. The girl’s slightly upturned eyes held a smile as she turned, casting a shadow over Lu Ning’s body. “Want to bet?”

Mu Qiuyu didn’t say what she wanted to bet on until they reached the lounge door.

Teacher Wang knocked twice, then pushed the door open with Mu Qiuyu. “Principal, I’ve brought Qiuyu.”

The moment the door opened, the familiar room appeared. However, the evening sun was no longer intense. In this serious setting, the Principal and the Dean stood together. Opposite them, three girls had their heads hung low, looking as if they had done something very wrong.

Well, since they were here, what else could it be? Of course, it was this afternoon…

Lu Ning froze for a moment. She was a multi-threaded intelligent system; amidst her anger, another thread had already helped her retrieve the footage. The faces in the surveillance were exactly the same as the three she had seen this morning.

Lu Ning locked her gaze onto the trio. It truly was a small world for enemies. After a moment of realization, Lu Ning let out a cold snort.

The “Evil Trio” were now terrified, shrinking under everyone’s gaze and sobbing uncontrollably.

As the victim, Mu Qiuyu stood beside Teacher Wang. Lu Ning turned to look at her, only to find Mu Qiuyu’s expression calm and indifferent, without a single ripple.

It was as if she already knew.

…So when Mu Qiuyu told her she knew, she was telling the truth? She knew it was those three who locked her in and splashed her with cold water? How did she know?

While Lu Ning was reeling in confusion, feeling unable to keep up with this seventeen-year-old’s train of thought, the Principal was the first to greet her. “Qiuyu, come here.”

The sternness he had when they entered softened, replaced by the warmth he showed top students. “The incident from this noon has been investigated. The students who locked you in the restroom are right here. Regarding this matter, rest assured that the school will handle it strictly.”

Hearing this, the three crying girls snapped their heads up. In their eyes, the arrogance of the morning was gone, replaced only by fear and dread. They looked at Mu Qiuyu as if she were a wooden plank to cling to for help.

“Do you have any requests regarding this matter?” Teacher Wang asked, worried that Mu Qiuyu might be swayed by the girls’ expressions.

Mu Qiuyu’s calm gaze swept over the three, and she addressed the teachers: “May I speak a few words to them first?”

“Of course,” the Principal nodded readily. With several teachers present, nothing could go wrong.

“Thank you, Teacher.” Mu Qiuyu bowed politely to the Principal, then stepped toward the trio.

Heavy clouds drifted past the window, blocking the sun. The rustling of the tree shadows sounded like the water being splashed into the stall, and the triumphant, malicious laughter echoed in the mind alongside the sound of a bucket hitting the floor.

“Time for a bath!” “Haha, you’d better wash yourself clean here.” “Cold water is best for washing away bad luck.” “Big Miss, has it been a long time since you were served like this? Do you want us to throw in some incense petals for you?” “Hahahahaha!”

Mu Qiuyu recalled these things as she looked at the three of them expressionlessly. The perpetrators, who were so gloating this morning and afternoon, now stood before Mu Qiuyu looking timid and frightened, as if she were the one bullying them.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.” “Qiuyu, for the sake of us being classmates, please forgive me this once.” “Can you please forgive me? I don’t want to be expelled.” “I’m really sorry, I know I was wrong, I won’t do it again.”

Before Mu Qiuyu could even open her mouth, the three scrambled to apologize. Tears accompanied their seemingly sincere apologies; fear was written on every face.

Yes. It wasn’t regret or shame. It was fear.

Mu Qiuyu’s somber expression remained unchanged until she walked up to the curly-haired girl named A-Yuan.

A dark shadow loomed over A-Yuan. Mu Qiuyu spoke in a small voice, audible only to them: “So, are you going to kneel and beg me now?”

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