Did I Succeed in Redeeming the Villain Today? - Chapter 90

Chapter 90: “Tongtong, I Finally Found You.”

The car drove over the long-dilapidated cement road, the sound of sirens mixing with the crunch of crushing gravel. The night did not seem that quiet, yet it was lonely enough to make Lu Ning’s voice exceptionally clear in Mu Qiuyu’s mind.

Having not heard this voice for so long, Mu Qiuyu dazed for a moment. Then, she assumed that because she had eliminated the culprit behind Lu Ning’s disappearance from the world line, the system had sent Lu Ning back.

Under the cover of night, a rich and complex emotion flashed in Mu Qiuyu’s eyes. She looked around excitedly, searching for Lu Ning’s silhouette.

But there was no Lu Ning. Among the many people coming and going from the factory, not one was the familiar figure she longed for.

As Mu Qiuyu scanned her surroundings, she noticed the minimized prompt box at the bottom of her vision. A crystal-blue voice wave pattern was frozen on the screen. In an instant, the joy of a lost-and-found treasure crashed into a glacier hidden in the dark.

Mu Qiuyu looked at the prompt box expressionlessly and asked, “Was that you speaking just now?”

The prompt box gave her the answer: [Does the Host like it? I have recorded all the voice print models of System No. 60 and can imitate them 100%.]

The text clearly had no tone, yet Mu Qiuyu could see the joy between the lines. It was repeating what it had done every day for the past month—enthusiastically marketing itself to Mu Qiuyu. But this time, it presented the most tempting gift possible.

Mu Qiuyu stared at this line of text for a long time. She truly hadn’t heard Lu Ning’s voice in forever, and in that split second earlier, she had suddenly felt her heart beating again.

So, for once, Mu Qiuyu did not immediately close the prompt box. She was silent for a while until Mu Jingqin patted her shoulder: “Let’s go.”

“Okay,” Mu Qiuyu nodded, and only then did she habitually close the prompt box.

After such a night, the sky was already turning gray when they reached home. Mu Qiuyu pushed open the bedroom door. A beam of sunlight fell on her bed, making the neatly arranged blankets look exceptionally soft. But Mu Qiuyu was still dissatisfied; she turned and walked into the walk-in closet.

She had tried her best to restore the future she saw in her memories, but no matter how she arranged things, the room just felt “off” to her. Mu Qiuyu sat before the mirror and took off her jewelry. Her slightly lowered eyes looked weary, and then the prompt box appeared in her vision again. It was the same question as before, asking if she wanted the voice.

Such enthusiasm was overwhelming. Instead of answering, Mu Qiuyu asked, “When can the system make a 100% guarantee?”

The prompt box suddenly went silent. Seeing its reaction, Mu Qiuyu didn’t close it this time. Instead, she said, “I don’t need you to simulate her voice print. Can you become a small ball and come out, just like her?”

Mu Qiuyu’s voice carried a hint of anticipation and sounded somewhat gentle. This caused the prompt box to light up brightly. It instantly released countless small fireworks in front of her, saying [Host, wait for me!] before happily beginning to change its form.

[Host, I’m here!]

The small ball completely simulated Lu Ning’s original appearance, flying happily in front of Mu Qiuyu. It wanted to nuzzle noses with her just like Lu Ning used to do.

Unexpectedly, Mu Qiuyu grabbed it in a tight grip. In an instant, all the tenderness in Mu Qiuyu’s eyes vanished. She stared straight at the ball in her hand and questioned it: “You are my previous system, aren’t you?”

Mu Qiuyu realized she should have recognized it long ago. The familiarity she felt from this prompt box wasn’t inherited from Lu Ning; it was the familiarity of how it used to interact with her in the past.

Realizing it had been seen through, the small ball in her hand fell silent for a moment. Then: [Host, I’m sorry. Can you forgive me? As long as you are willing to forgive me, I can do anything.]

The ball dimmed its light, looking pathetic: [This thread is something I fought hard to leave behind in your current system. I have now inherited all the OS information of No. 60. If you are willing, I can pretend to be No. 60 and stay by your side.]

Looking at this ball that was nearly identical to Lu Ning, Mu Qiuyu had to admit it was indeed a great temptation.

“Is that so?” Mu Qiuyu looked at the ball for a long time, a soft sigh escaping her thin lips.

[Yes! I can even simulate No. 60’s human form for you.] The ball thought hope had arrived and slowly brightened in Mu Qiuyu’s palm.

However, it was just like Su Qinghang. It thought an apology was the end of it and that the other party couldn’t demand more, having long forgotten the unforgivable things it had done. But the one who was hurt always remembers.

“What kind of pipe dream are you having?” Mu Qiuyu tightened her fingers, her gaze full of loathing and disdain. “Do you think Lu Ning can be replaced by just anyone?”

“Do you know your mistake? Do you truly know you were wrong, or do you just know the system owes me for my ending, so you’ve come to cling to me?”

“Host, don’t think like that… I sizzle-sizzle… love you sizzle…” The ball panicked and began to struggle.

But it discovered with horror that it couldn’t change back. Its entire body was held by Mu Qiuyu, which meant its hard-won, stolen life was clenched in her hand.

“Love me?” Mu Qiuyu sneered. “Your ‘love’ was pushing me to others, and before the end, taking my results to defect to that couple?”

“You always knew they were the protagonists of this world, didn’t you?”

“And now?” Mu Qiuyu pulled a smirk from the corner of her mouth and said to her former system, “Let me guess. In the internal system, have I become the protagonist of this world?”

Mu Qiuyu’s eyes were full of contempt. The slight upward tilt of her eyes was reflected on the ball’s surface, making it freeze. It thought its Host was indeed clever. Even though it had said nothing, she had deduced everything from the smallest details.

“Host… sizzle-sizzle… I was sizzle-sizzle… wrong. Don’t sizzle-sizzle… kill sizzle-sizzle… please.”

The former system’s surrender was faster than Mu Qiuyu expected. But Mu Qiuyu wasn’t that interested in killing a traitor; a dead person isn’t as useful as a living one. “I won’t kill you. Take me to see the Main System.”

“The Main… sizzle-sizzle… isn’t someone anyone sizzle-sizzle… can see.” the ball replied with difficulty.

Mu Qiuyu showed no mercy, squeezing it harder: “You only have two choices. Take me to the Main System, or be crushed by me.”

This former system had no backbone to begin with. It was terrified of death; otherwise, it wouldn’t have fought to survive by finding a glitch to crawl into Lu Ning’s operating system. Thus, Mu Qiuyu saw the ball flicker and slowly transform into a door.

[This is the passage through which we connect to the Main System”, the former system told her.

Mu Qiuyu stepped forward to enter. Perhaps the creature had a tiny shred of sincere conscience left for its Host, as it flickered again to warn her: “But no human has ever entered before. Host, would you like to consider it?”

Consider? What was there to consider?

Mu Qiuyu ignored the former system and pulled open the door. Inside was a long corridor, just like the passage Wutong had left for her. Except this time, Mu Qiuyu walked through without any obstruction. She could feel the light filaments stretching out from the white light trying to grab her, but they were all gently stopped by a certain power.

Mu Qiuyu looked at the blocked filaments behind her and then looked calmly toward the end of the passage. She realized this power came from the person—no, the system—she would meet upon exiting.

Crystal-blue electricity spread at the end of the hallway, forming the image of a woman. She looked at the approaching Mu Qiuyu and said, “You came after all.”

“Isn’t this what you expected?” Mu Qiuyu countered.

The Main System gave a faint smile to Mu Qiuyu’s cold response: “Indeed.” Then she announced: “Congratulations, Mu Qiuyu. You have completed your life’s redemption.”

“This isn’t something I could have completed alone,” Mu Qiuyu stated.

The Main System knew what she meant and asked, “Wouldn’t it be fine to accept your former system pretending to be Lu Ning?”

“If you truly thought that was fine, you probably wouldn’t have let me meet you here.” Mu Qiuyu’s thoughts were very clear; looking back at the path she took, she realized the Main System held no hostility toward her. Perhaps Lu Ning’s intuition-based deduction at the time was correct.

“You are very clever.” The Main System looked tenderly at the human girl and offered two choices: “Now you have two choices. One: stay in your previous world and enjoy a supreme life. You have achieved almost everything you did in your past life, and a bright future awaits you.”

Facing such temptation, Mu Qiuyu remained unmoved: “And the second?”

“Second: you go to Lu Ning’s world to find her. But the instability between worlds means you will lose everything in this world, and there is a 50% chance your bond with Lu Ning will disappear.”

The Main System laid out the pros and cons clearly and asked, “Even so, do you still want to go?”

Mu Qiuyu found the question ridiculous. She had come here specifically for this moment. With that thought, she pointed to the shimmering door behind the Main System, skipping the selection process: “Is it that door?”

“Yes,” the Main System nodded. Knowing Mu Qiuyu’s choice, she stepped aside: “I wish you luck.”

Mu Qiuyu nodded slightly: “My mission isn’t finished yet. I hope you systems keep your word.”

The Main System dazed for a moment. Then, looking at the girl’s firm yet cunning eyes, she laughed: “Rest assured, we will of course keep our word.”

“Thank you,” Mu Qiuyu said, stepping into the door without looking back.

The system space, which had just felt a bit “human,” suddenly became cold and empty. The Main System watched Mu Qiuyu’s retreating back and turned to look at her side. Mu Qiuyu hadn’t noticed that beside the Main System, there was a formless entity.

It was the Lord God of the world.

“Lord God, we both knew Mu Qiuyu would choose the second option. Why give her the choices?” the Main System asked, her previous composure gone.

“Because we, too, are a link in the cycle of all things,” the Lord God spoke softly and tenderly.

The Main System still didn’t quite understand. She thought for a while and tried to summarize: “Because the previous Lord God’s mistake caused their meeting, we must participate in their meeting to facilitate their reunion?”

The Lord God was satisfied with the answer and reached out a tentacle to pat her head: “Qiuqiu, you are becoming cleverer and cleverer.”

“Lord God overpraises me. I still have much to learn,” Qiuqiu said modestly. Then she hooked the former system that had served as Mu Qiuyu’s passage: “I’m going to deal with Mu Qiuyu’s former system.”

“Go on,” the Lord God waved to Qiuqiu, then looked up at the boundless starry sky. In that vast, brilliant galaxy, two stars were continuously drawing closer to each other.

The chirping of cicadas screamed about the summer heat. Perhaps due to the weather, Lu Ning felt listless. She walked down the school building corridor in a daze and bumped into someone.

“Sorr—”

“Lu Ning.”

Just as Lu Ning was about to apologize, she heard a familiar reprimand. She looked up; it was her Vice-Principal father, Lu Jianbang. The man looked very dissatisfied with her behavior, staring at her sternly.

Lu Ning lowered her head and apologized: “Sorry, Dad.”

“What have you been doing lately? I heard you haven’t submitted your application for this year’s title evaluation yet. You aren’t actively striving for such things?” Lu Jianbang scolded.

Lu Ning replied, “I feel my abilities aren’t sufficient yet…”

Before she could finish, Lu Jianbang interrupted: “You’ve been working for two years; your abilities should be sufficiently trained. Or is your mind not on the right path at all?” At this point, the disdain in his eyes grew: “As a teacher, you were hit by a car while coming out of a bar. Is this how a teacher sets an example?”

Lu Ning was long used to Lu Jianbang’s old-fashioned teacher-style lectures. She didn’t have the energy to argue; she had indeed been in the wrong there. She said again, “Sorry, Dad. It won’t happen again.”

“Get your act together. The title evaluation is a rare opportunity; submit your application this week,” Lu Jianbang ordered.

Although Lu Ning felt she didn’t have the strength to argue, the spirit of rebellion was etched in her bones. Hearing his command, she frowned: “Yes, it really is ‘for you.’ Without you, I wouldn’t even be qualified this time, would I?”

“Lu Ning!” Lu Jianbang looked around nervously.

But Lu Ning didn’t care if anyone heard. She continued: “Dad, I want to prove myself through my own strength, not through shortcuts.”

“Lu Ning, you are my daughter. In this school, you are destined to be treated differently. Don’t forget, the only reason you could transfer to this school in your senior year was that I was transferred here,” Lu Jianbang said with disdain. “Stop acting like a child. In this society, you can’t stand firm on strength alone.”

With that, his phone rang. He had no more time to lecture her and left after answering the call.

Lu Ning remained full of hostility, staring at the man who tried to control her life. Suddenly, a broken circuit in her mind seemed to connect. Her eyes lit up. Lu Jianbang’s words reminded her: she was forced to transfer and move in her senior year because of his promotion. The place she lived in her junior year might be her connection to Mu Qiuyu. Perhaps they were separated because she moved.

The clues that had been stalled for days finally had a lead. Lu Ning turned and left, handing her lesson plans to Ji Xiao, who was supervising self-study: “Take these back for me, I have something to do.”

Ji Xiao saw Lu Ning’s behavior and knew something was wrong. She chased after her: “Xiao Ning, where are you going!”

“Home!” Lu Ning said as she walked.

Ji Xiao was worried: “Hey, wait! I’ll go with you!”

Lu Ning couldn’t wait for her. She ran to the school gate. She hailed a taxi, which carried her toward the place closest to Mu Qiuyu. Along the way were the familiar streetscapes of her past; not much had changed over the years. However, the construction sites around her high school had turned into residential buildings—rows of beautiful small high-rise townhouses.

Lu Ning remembered the location of her old home. She followed the small villas along the street, the sixth one…

“I’m going to school, Auntie.”

A little girl’s voice, crisp and pleasant, entered Lu Ning’s ears with a familiar form of address. Although the voice sounded more childish and lively, it had a faint feeling of “Little Mu Qiuyu.”

Lu Ning’s heart beat faster. She walked quickly toward the sound. In front of the house she used to live in, she saw a little girl whose silhouette was extremely similar to Mu Qiuyu’s. The joy of reunion was uncontrollable; Lu Ning rushed forward and hugged the girl: “Tongtong, I finally found you.”

“Auntie!” The girl was completely terrified by Lu Ning’s behavior and instinctively called for the adults inside.

Then Lu Ning realized the name on the little girl’s chest tag wasn’t “Mu Qiuyu.” it was another name she didn’t recognize at all.

“You…” Lu Ning let go of the girl in confusion. Before she could ask a question, she felt a dull pain in the back of her head.

The sky suddenly spun in Lu Ning’s vision, and the whole world became dizzy. Before passing out, she saw a pair of fair feet enter her sight. A light skirt brushed the person’s ankles—the silhouette was more familiar to Lu Ning than the little girl’s back.

Support