Did I Succeed in Redeeming the Villain Today? - Chapter 82

Chapter 82: Just Because Mu Qiuyu Had Just Kissed Her…

— “Her name is Lu Ning.”

— “Don’t ever forget her name again.”

That familiar voice echoed in Mu Qiuyu’s mind. Clearly, it was her own vocal range, but when it spoke the name “Lu Ning,” it sounded exceptionally gentle.

Lu Ning.

Two unfamiliar characters brushed past the tip of her tongue, yet they felt so familiar. Mu Qiuyu had blurted out these two words by instinct when she exposed Lu Ning’s identity. Looking at Lu Ning’s astonished expression, she understood: this was indeed her name.

Waves swept across the sand, carrying away a patch of white foam. The voice that had brought Lu Ning’s name to Mu Qiuyu vanished in an instant—as if its only purpose in coming here was to give her this eighteenth birthday gift. Mu Qiuyu vaguely realized that this voice no longer held any hostility toward her. This made Mu Qiuyu, who had been on guard, feel a bit unaccustomed, yet she accepted it easily.

She accepted the existence of this voice. She accepted the friendliness it showed her.

“It’s a human name… how did you know?”

Just as Mu Qiuyu felt that her internal change of heart had come too smoothly, Lu Ning’s incoherent words pulled her back. Hearing Lu Ning’s illogical speech, Mu Qiuyu couldn’t help but laugh. She had long known this person wasn’t an actress; she couldn’t hide anything at all.

Her question clearly had an answer now. So, Mu Qiuyu told Lu Ning the answer to her question: “Someone told me.”

“She told me never to forget your name again.”

As the sea breeze blew gently, Lu Ning actually heard a hint of Wutong in Mu Qiuyu’s voice. She gazed at the other person’s eyes, which suddenly held a touch of gentleness, and was stunned.

— It was Wutong.

— Wutong was the one who told Mu Qiuyu her name.

Lu Ning hadn’t expected that Wutong, who used to be so hostile toward Mu Qiuyu, would proactively share her information. It seemed everyone was changing for the better.

Just as Lu Ning reached this conclusion, a new doubt surfaced in her mind. According to the logic Mu Qiuyu used when she exposed Lu Ning’s human identity—

“Didn’t you discover I was human that day because you found out my name?” Lu Ning asked, puzzled.

“No.” Mu Qiuyu shook her head and told Lu Ning: “The name I wrote on the Infinite Card was ‘Lu Ling’.”

Hearing this, Lu Ning immediately started complaining incredulously: “That works too? No, this Main System is cheating too much!”

“She won’t let me say I’m human, but she sells me out right here!”

Lu Ning’s excitement was tinged with a bit of grievance. She had been tortured to the point of losing half her brain cells worrying about whether she had “slipped up.” It turned out the one who poked a hole in this paper window was the Main System—the very one who had repeatedly warned her not to reveal her human identity?

“I guess the Main System was just afraid that if you remembered you were human, you wouldn’t play the role of a system properly,” Mu Qiuyu said calmly, watching Lu Ning’s reaction.

“Is that so?” Lu Ning looked at Mu Qiuyu aggrievedly.

In the cold wind, Mu Qiuyu raised her palm to brush against the side of Lu Ning’s face: “You have too many flaws, Lu Ling.”

Though it was the truth, hearing it from Mu Qiuyu made Lu Ning feel less indignant. The girl’s palm was cool and delicate; Lu Ning could clearly feel the contours of her knuckles. Her heart, which had finally calmed down, began to race again. She still wasn’t used to this level of intimacy with Mu Qiuyu, even though they had this kind of contact frequently when she was a kitten.

“Your ears are red, Lu Ling.”

Just as she was thinking this, Mu Qiuyu’s reminder came by her ear. Lu Ning’s heart skipped a beat. Her eyes darted around, instinctively wanting to hide the fact that Mu Qiuyu had seen this, and she corrected her: “It’s Lu Ning.”

“Lu Ling,” Mu Qiuyu repeated.

The name that popped into her head was indeed Lu Ning’s real name, making Mu Qiuyu feel both familiar and strange. But she preferred the name that had been with her day and night. That name carried their memories. Every time she spoke it, it belonged only to the two of them.

Thinking of this, a hint of possessiveness appeared in Mu Qiuyu’s eyes. More accurately, it was a stubbornness—free of dark emotions, she looked as headstrong as a child.

Lu Ning originally thought that since she had confessed to Mu Qiuyu, Mu Qiuyu could use her original name. It wasn’t an obsession; Lu Ning just felt the “Zero” (Ling) didn’t sound very nice. So, before yielding, Lu Ning struggled one last time, trying to trade the name for a bit of curiosity: “Then you have to tell me: after you saw my future and discovered I was human, why didn’t you expose me?”

Mu Qiuyu laughed: “Who told you I found out you were human that day?”

Lu Ning was confused, then shocked. Did Mu Qiuyu know even earlier? Had her Schrödinger’s cat box been broken for a long time?

“The systems I’ve dealt with are much more professional than you.” Mu Qiuyu leisurely cut a piece of cake, letting the matcha flavor melt into the wind.

Lu Ning watched the girl’s calm demeanor, her mind rapidly processing this meaningful sentence. Her eyes widened almost instantly, like a cat’s: “You…”

In an instant, the shelved doubts in Lu Ning’s mind were like a chain of locks; once one string was pulled, they were all undone. From the strange situation where Mu Qiuyu wasn’t surprised to see her at the beginning, to her having everything about her bullies at her fingertips. And later, the fact that Mu Qiuyu was more familiar with the system than she was, and how she was always testing her.

Lu Ning’s brain rapidly accepted these facts; beneath her hesitant speech was a mind on the verge of crashing.

“Shh.”

Before Lu Ning could say the word “rebirth,” Mu Qiuyu placed her index finger on her lips. Hazy moonlight spilled over the coast, illuminating Mu Qiuyu’s cheeks. Her expression remained cool, yet the finger touching her lips seemed like a silver needle piercing through her formal exterior, revealing a certain charm in her eyes.

And Lu Ning was the bewitched believer. She nodded repeatedly at this gesture.

For some reason, knowing this didn’t make Lu Ning go crazy like before. Perhaps it was because she and Mu Qiuyu were finally being honest with each other in this moment. They were accomplices. They were partners who held each other’s secrets. Love and desire became entangled in these life-and-death stakes, making Lu Ning feel excited. The night loomed behind her, and she watched her heart draw closer and closer to Mu Qiuyu’s.

Lu Ning strangely liked her current state with Mu Qiuyu. Their relationship was unique; neither could abandon the other.

“Sometimes I feel you’re a bit silly, and sometimes you make me feel you’re very smart.” Mu Qiuyu took her hand away from her lips, looked at Lu Ning, and brushed her hair. Her fingers threaded through the black strands, entangling with her in an ambiguous way.

Lu Ning tilted her cheek, letting it rest against Mu Qiuyu’s palm as if by accident, and stated: “I call this ‘great wisdom appearing as folly’.”

The sea breeze was too cold, making Lu Ning’s cheeks icy. Mu Qiuyu then placed her hovering palm directly on Lu Ning’s face, warming her cold skin while teasing with a smile: “Then, the ‘greatly wise’ Ms. Lu, do you remember that the fact you are human was something you proactively told me yourself?”

Perhaps the girl’s smile was too enchanting, causing Lu Ning to daze again. She looked at Mu Qiuyu’s expression and realized her seemingly perfectly disguised Schrödinger’s cat box had actually been opened long ago. That box only looked exquisite and airtight in her own eyes. In reality, she had personally poked a hole in it long ago. The little cat inside had already run out, meowing at her with full vigor.

“Was it the day I got drunk?!” Lu Ning stood up, slapping the sand.

But how? Wasn’t she unable to speak of things the Main System forbade? Was that restriction fake too? No, last time when she wanted to persuade Mu Qiuyu to cherish her body and tell her that Mu Jingqin dealt with Su Qinghang herself in the original story, she was stopped the moment she opened her mouth.

Could it be that the restriction was real, but the fact that she was human was never listed as a restriction by the Main System from the very beginning?! Had the Main System been lying to her all along?

“Yes.”

Just as Lu Ning deduced this fact, Mu Qiuyu nodded toward her. Then, she pulled Lu Ning—who was currently complaining that this world was just one giant “Truman Show”—and told her: “Unfortunately, you’ve forgotten everything.”

The girl’s voice carried a hint of regret, making Lu Ning feel as if Wutong had said something similar before. Her resentment toward the system settled back into her heart. She felt a bit low and sat back down in front of Mu Qiuyu, saying: “I seem to have forgotten many things.”

“Including the fact that we’ve met before, right?” Mu Qiuyu asked softly, her calm gaze fixed on the sea. “Me too.”

Lu Ning was shocked. She was shocked that Mu Qiuyu also knew about this. She was even more shocked that Mu Qiuyu realized she had forgotten, yet hadn’t been able to get her memories back from Wutong.

“No rush.” The waves washed over, giving Mu Qiuyu’s voice a sense of openness. “Knowing what you’ve forgotten is better than knowing nothing at all.”

Lu Ning looked at Mu Qiuyu, her gaze unreadable: “You…”

“I’ve changed, haven’t I?” Mu Qiuyu looked at Lu Ning. She thought her past self would never have had such a state of mind. In the past, anything that slipped out of her control would cause her panic and unease. But now she wouldn’t. As long as this person was by her side, she wouldn’t feel that way.

“I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.” This was the first time Mu Qiuyu had felt such an emotion; her eyes hidden in the night were a bit lost.

But as if to prove it was a good thing, a “ding-dong” sounded simultaneously in her and Lu Ning’s minds. A system mission arrived, issuing a new task to Mu Qiuyu.

[Congratulations to the task-taker for completing the three preliminary tasks and successfully reaching eighteen years of age! Next is the final task of the main storyline. Please complete it seriously!

[Main Task: Own a [Home]. Task Duration: n+1 months. Task Reward: ***]

The celebratory fireworks at the end this time were more brilliant than ever. The crystal blue background merged with the night sky, and the blooming fireworks looked as if they were rising right from the sea.

Lu Ning looked at the deliberately blurred reward information and got a little excited: “Is there a hidden benefit? It can’t be like a scratch card that says ‘try again,’ right?”

“The system isn’t that boring.” Mu Qiuyu reached out and rubbed Lu Ning’s head. “After all, it’s the last task and has an unlimited duration. It needs to boost motivation a bit.”

Mu Qiuyu spoke calmly and then closed the task bar, appearing uninterested in the mysterious reward. But Lu Ning was still watching. Because she noticed the task progress bar was still at zero. This meant that Mu Qiuyu and Mu Jingqin didn’t count as a “home.”

So, what constituted a home for Mu Qiuyu? Lu Ning immediately thought of a word: “Lover.”

The system likely wanted Mu Qiuyu to form a home with someone else. Lu Ning thought Mu Qiuyu was right about her being sometimes silly and sometimes smart. Looking at the mission announcement, she finally understood the logic of this main task.

— It was to make Mu Qiuyu a “normal” person step by step. From having one friend to many friends. From having one family member to having her own home.

“Mu Qiuyu, do you want a home of your own?” Lu Ning asked, knowing the answer. She began to worry if Mu Qiuyu was going to have a romantic storyline with someone from this world.

Mu Qiuyu turned to look at Lu Ning and asked: “Lu Ning, will you become a real human?”

Regardless of whether someone with a story arc would be shoved into this world, the system would have to see Mu Qiuyu’s choice. And in this moment, Lu Ning seemed to understand what Mu Qiuyu meant.

The night wind carried moonlight through their eyes, hiding words that weren’t stated explicitly. If the story hadn’t reached the end, the future could remain uncertain. Lu Ning thought that before then, they shouldn’t make too many promises. If the system required definitive commands to run, humans didn’t. Even if it was obscure, even if it was unclear, they could still understand through their eyes and through their interlaced fingers.

“I will try my best,” Lu Ning said with conviction. “Me too,” Mu Qiuyu responded softly.

That night, the waves continued to wash tirelessly over the sand. It was a perfect natural white noise, filling the quiet bedroom with a soothing atmosphere. Having had enough of the cold wind, Lu Ning and Mu Qiuyu returned to the villa.

In the quiet bedroom, a figure sat up. Lu Ning saw that Mu Qiuyu was sound asleep and tiptoed into the Inner World. Since Lu Ning had allowed Wutong to leave a “door” with her, every time Lu Ning walked through the corridor and pushed the door open, she ended up in Wutong’s space.

White light enveloped the area, and soft white flowers bloomed in the wind. The girl’s skirt billowed like a wave. Wutong was sitting quietly on a chair, appearing as if she had been waiting for Lu Ning all along.

“Have you been waiting long?” Lu Ning felt a bit guilty and closed the door softly.

“Not long.” Wutong shook her head, looking at the approaching Lu Ning with gentle eyes. “I knew you would come.”

Hearing this, Lu Ning felt even more guilt. Yes, today was Mu Qiuyu’s birthday. Naturally, it was Wutong’s too. Lu Ning hurriedly brought out the cake she had redeemed from the system and lit the birthday candle for Wutong: “Tongtong, happy birthday!”

Wutong looked at the beautiful little cake and slightly curved her eyes: “Windproof candles?”

Hearing that word, Lu Ning froze for a moment, then looked at Wutong with a mock glare: “No, they aren’t! If you don’t believe me, try blowing them out.”

“Then bring it closer,” Wutong signaled. “Hmph!”

Lu Ning was eager to prove herself and approached Wutong without any guard. But then a figure eclipsed her vision. The girl’s soft, warm lips brushed against Lu Ning’s open mouth. She was instantly at a loss, dazed as the other took advantage of the opening.

After the long journey, Lu Ning’s lips were dry. But the feeling was fleeting; with Wutong’s intrusion, they became slick with moisture. The warm environment served to catalyze scents, and the fragrance unique to Mu Qiuyu fell onto the tip of Lu Ning’s nose.

Lu Ning was still holding the cake. Even though she wanted to put some distance between her and Wutong, she could only stare with wide eyes, using a struggling voice to remind her: “Tong, Tongtong, the cake.”

“Two Tongs.”

Wutong corrected Lu Ning’s incoherence and then reached out to grasp Lu Ning’s hand. She seemed to accept the reminder and was “thoughtfully” protecting Lu Ning, helping her hold the cake. This “help” was worse than no help at all. Lu Ning wanted to break free, but she was firmly held in Wutong’s palm, forced into a completely passive state.

They were the same person linked by blood, after all; Wutong’s kiss was not a bit less experienced than Mu Qiuyu’s. Those soft lips pecked densely at the corners of Lu Ning’s mouth, and in just a moment, a layer of moisture was added, making Lu Ning’s heart pound.

She didn’t know what Wutong had been doing while waiting, but the air that burst into Lu Ning’s mouth had a faint minty flavor. Something so cool and heat-relieving, yet when it brushed past Lu Ning’s tongue, it was so hot it almost made her make a sound. But the sound was blocked in her throat, and only a few whimpers escaped from the corner of her mouth. In this silent world, it sounded even more embarrassing to the ear.

Wutong, like Mu Qiuyu, knew when to stop. Gauging that Lu Ning was about to lose her grip on the cake, she finally let go. She considerately reached out to place the cake on the table for the gasping Lu Ning, but her gentle eyes were filled with cunning.

Lu Ning was dazed for a moment. She felt that not only was Mu Qiuyu becoming more like Wutong, but Wutong was also becoming more like Mu Qiuyu. She had to stay alert, or she’d be doomed if she misidentified them.

Perhaps noticing Lu Ning’s different gaze, Wutong proactively mentioned to her: “I’m an adult now.”

“Adults should learn to control themselves more,” Lu Ning said, her face red, her lecture lacking any deterrent power.

So Wutong responded: “I am controlling myself.”

“Where—” Lu Ning blurted out, only to understand the moment she looked up into Wutong’s sincere eyes.

Wutong knew the candles were windproof, which meant she knew Mu Qiuyu had kissed her. This fellow would never let herself be at a disadvantage when it came to things involving Lu Ning. Just because Mu Qiuyu had just kissed her, she wanted to as well.

Lu Ning thought about it and took out the knife to cut the cake. She felt a bit troubled by Wutong’s possessiveness, showing a bit of a temper as if punishing the other: “Then are we still making a wish? I see your wish has already come true. Let’s just eat the cake.”

Facing such words, Wutong didn’t get angry. She didn’t deny that her wish had come true, her smile becoming even more direct: “Alright.”

The system had one advantage: one couldn’t overeat. So Lu Ning didn’t feel forced to eat again; rather, she enjoyed it quite a bit. And the matcha flavor was perfect for neutralizing the minty taste in Lu Ning’s mouth.

“Matcha cake is number one in the world,” Lu Ning said happily.

Wutong watched Lu Ning’s satisfied look and then asked: “Does your father still not let you eat so many sweets?”

Lu Ning was shocked by the question: “You’ve met my father?”

Wutong nodded and gave a natural evaluation: “He really is a hard-to-get-along-with old fogey.”

This was a term the rebellious Lu Ning often used. At that time, her relationship with her father wasn’t very good, and they fought frequently over certain things. She felt her father couldn’t understand her, so she called him an old fogey.

But how could Wutong know? Were the memories she forgot from high school? However, judging by Wutong’s tone, it was as if she had actually met her father. How could this be… they weren’t even in the same world.

Lu Ning’s brow furrowed as she murmured: “Could the system have had a bug before?” She seemed to have grasped something very important and looked up at Wutong: “Tongtong, can you tell me about the things that happened between us before?”

“Maybe when I told you not to tell me, I was just speaking out of anger in the moment?”

The eagerness for proof in the girl’s eyes made Wutong blink, looking at fragments of memories flashing in her mind: “Is that so?”

“Then why did you really disappear? And forget me.”

“Is it possible that the system fixed the bug? We both had that memory deleted, but Mu Qiuyu’s deleted memory fell to you,” Lu Ning deduced. “Maybe she didn’t want to forget, but wanted to remember too much.”

Hearing this, Wutong’s gaze became thoughtful: “So, the fact that you left back then and the fact that you forgot me are two different things.”

“Then do you remember…” Wutong was about to say something to Lu Ning when a blockage in her throat prevented her from making a sound.

Lu Ning had experienced this situation before. She realized she had touched upon a corner of the truth. Leaves made a rustling sound, and a wind suddenly blew in the Inner World. Lu Ning had a bad feeling; she wanted to say something more to Wutong, but then she realized she was starting to disappear.

It wasn’t Mu Qiuyu looking for her. It wasn’t proactive on her part. It was the system forcing her to leave. It wouldn’t let her investigate the truth of this matter. The more it was like this, the more Lu Ning wanted to know the truth. Looking at her vision being completely swallowed by white light, she shouted to Wutong in a panic: “Tongtong…”

But then Lu Ning’s vision was swallowed by the white light. She was struggling within the system’s constraints when she heard a familiar voice by her ear: “Lu Ning, what did you call me?”

Warm sunlight shone into the room, clearly showing Lu Ning her surroundings. And in this scene of day replacing night, Mu Qiuyu appeared in the top right corner of Lu Ning’s vision. She looked at the Lu Ning who had just woken from a dream with a complex gaze and repeated: “Lu Ning, what did you just call me?”

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