The Villain Has A Yuri Halo [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 2

The night breeze slipped into the room, carrying the faint scent of rain. As the lights flickered on, they revealed the woman’s face.

Her back leaned against the door, and in her arms she held a painting.

Her lips curved in a faint, satisfied smile as her slender fingertips traced the frame. With lowered lashes, her gaze never strayed from the portrait. A soft laugh slipped from Tang Qingqing as she hung the painting on the wall, obedient as a child dutifully following Li Ju’s instructions.

Hanging it wasn’t difficult; standing on a stool was enough.

The room bore traces of Tang Qingqing’s life every piece of furniture, every decoration had been carefully placed by her. And so, this portrait too seemed unconsciously stamped with her presence. Surrounded by her scent, by her world, it naturally became part of her.

Qingqing clasped her hands to her chest, smiling up at the figure in the frame.

Her delicate features took on a dazzling expression. That cold and aloof woman in the portrait seemed to shed her distance, her elegance now touched with a dangerous allure.

“Three bows every day?”

“Xiao Ju… are you trying to punish me, or make sure I never stop thinking about you?”

Whatever amusing thought crossed her mind made her laugh more brightly. She murmured, “Three bows a day doesn’t sound like punishment at all.”

Her eyes grew unfocused as she lazily backed onto the bed. With a tap on her phone, the smart lights went dark, leaving only a faint night lamp glowing.

On the soft bed, Qingqing pressed her cheek against the quilt, rubbing against it with dissatisfaction.

“No matter how fine this silk quilt is, it’s still nothing like her skin…” she muttered.

The texture wasn’t enough. Turning over, she fixed her beautiful, watery eyes on the portrait again, clutching the quilt tightly in her arms as though trying to fill an emptiness.

Her long lashes lowered, shutting her eyes on emotions too tangled to name. Sleep crept in.

The next second, her phone rang.

Qingqing’s eyes brightened as she answered.

The voice on the other end was one she knew by heart—a spoiled, willful tone she’d grown up with. No one understood Li Ju better than Tang Qingqing; she could even picture her exact expression at this very moment.

Qingqing smiled, her voice meltingly soft.

Li Ju winced, rubbing her ear. “What’s with you? Can’t you be serious? Do you think you’re some kind of seductress spirit?”

“What’s the matter, Xiao Ju?”

Lounging on her sofa with one leg crossed arrogantly over the other, Li Ju’s expression was cocky, her words sharp. “What, I can’t call you without a reason? You eat my food, live in my house. Do you really think you have the right to resist me?”

“You’re right. I’m just sponging off you.”

That answer pleased Li Ju. No matter how defiant Tang Qingqing could be with others, in front of her she always knew how to behave.

“I don’t actually have much to say,” Li Ju continued coolly. “Just a reminder: don’t get lazy. Three bows a day, respectful and proper. Best if you report to me, too.”

Qingqing’s smile deepened. That couldn’t be all. She waited.

Sure enough, Li Ju’s voice sharpened: “And another thing. Don’t think being my mother’s goddaughter puts you on my level. You’re nothing but a dog I keep. If you so much as smudge that portrait—if you dare defile it—I swear I’ll kill you.”

Qingqing’s expression didn’t falter. If anything, the amusement in her eyes overflowed. She buried her face in the quilt and broke into muffled laughter until it spilled out aloud.

Li Ju hastily pulled the phone from her ear, frowning.

What on earth, why did Qingqing sound even crazier than usual?

Qingqing giggled softly. “I know. I’ve always understood—I’m your dog, Xiao Ju.”

Li Ju ground her teeth. “Tang Qingqing! That’s not the point!”

“Call me Qingqing.”

“Get lost!” Li Ju snapped, slamming the call shut. Her expression darkened and mood twisting. No longer slouched back with her legs crossed, she hugged her knees in the corner of the sofa, muttering,

“System 666… should I not have made that call?”

【If you felt like calling, then call. You’re the villain, remember? Who cares about reason.】

“No, no… I just feel like Tang Qingqing isn’t quite right.”

【Of course she’s not. You even ran her over in the original plot, and yet she still went to your grave every year. Does that sound normal to you?】

Li Ju’s eyes lit up in realization. She slapped her thigh. 

“You’re right! See, you are useful sometimes, 666.”

【Excuse you, I’m a gold-tier system. Don’t talk like I’m useless.】

“Aren’t you?”

【I hate you! I hope Madam Tang scolds you into tears! Hmph!】

Li Ju snorted, unbothered. “Her? Make me cry? Please. Not to look down on my mom, but she doesn’t have what it takes.”

She said it carelessly but days later, the system’s words would come true.

******

The day was foggy, the kind of heavy mist that blanketed the  city of Bei Cheng after autumn. Li Ju had never minded it before, but today her mood was foul, and even the fog irritated her.

By the time she drove home and stormed through the door, her face was thunderous.

The maid opened her mouth, but one look at Li Ju’s expression and she quietly stepped aside.

War was about to begin.

“Tang Ping! What’s your problem?”

Tang Ping, sipping her tea with elegance, set down her cup and glared. Her voice was cold and cutting. “You really are your father’s daughter, a dog I raised that refuses to be tamed!”

“And if I’m a dog, what does that make you?” Li Ju sneered. Her eyes flicked to the tea, and with a cruel smile she snatched the cup and poured it out into the courtyard.

“Tea, was it? Try drinking air instead.”

Tang Ping’s face twitched at the retort. Her eyes narrowed, her voice icy. “If you’re bullied outside, that’s your own incompetence. Don’t come home and throw tantrums at me.”

Li Ju set the cup back down on the saucer. Her eyes were gorgeous, gem-bright has curved in a smile that was charming when warm, but chilling when cold.

She said lightly, “With my temper? Who would dare bully me? Only you, my oh-so-wonderful mother, get away with that.”

Her gaze bore down on Tang Ping, sharp and mocking. “Your niece’s gown. I won’t make it. Even if she kneels to beg, she won’t get a glance from me. You promised her on my behalf? Then figure it out yourself. I remember grudges, and I don’t let anyone off. If she wants to ride my name for attention, she’d better be worth it.”

Mother and daughter—if they could even be called that—stood more like enemies.

Tang Ping’s face twisted with fury. “You little wretch! If I’d known you’d turn out like this, I should have let Ru Ru drown you in the pond back then!”

The words froze the room.

The maid’s heart pounded. She silently cursed Tang Ping.

Li Ju’s lashes trembled. She said nothing, only stared, then turned on her heel and walked away. Tang Ping didn’t see her reddened eyes. But Li Ju didn’t let her off either; her voice floated back, cold and detached: “Dad was right. The Tang family is nothing but lowborn trash.”

The truth was, Tang Ping had once been forced by her family to abandon the man she loved in order to marry into the Li family. She had resented them ever since, but still, she obeyed them blindly, clinging to them in loyalty. Ignorant, pitiful, obsessed, and mad.

Li Ju went upstairs, unwilling to speak further.

Tang Ping with face twisted, shouted at the maid: “Go! Bring Qingqing here!”

“Madam, she’s still at work. She’ll be back soon—why not wait until then?”

Tang Ping’s face darkened. “Are you the mistress here? How dare you disobey me!”

The maid had no choice but to nod.

Li Ju stopped at the stairs, glancing down at the raging woman. Her lips curved in a cold smile. “Madam Tang, maybe instead of dragging Qingqing into your temper, you should worry about your niece’s gown. That’s the real problem, isn’t it?”

Tang Ping turned around while glaring. But the fleeting weakness had already passed.

Leaning lazily against the railing, Li Ju smiled. “To thank you, I even called around to make sure no one would lend her a dress. I’m curious—what brand will a fallen family manage to scrape together? Are you sure you want to wait for Qingqing to come home?”

Tang Ping turned pale. She grabbed her bag and rushed out in panic.

Watching her leave, Li Ju’s smile faded to scorn. “All bark at home but nothing outside. Pathetic.”

She had no patience for people like Tang Ping—blind to kindness, clinging desperately to those who had ruined her.

The maid pretended not to hear. Instead she asked gently, “Miss, will you be eating at home tonight?”

Li Ju nodded.

Her face lit with relief. “Then I’ll make a few more of your favorite dishes.”

“Thank you.”

The maid’s eyes softened as she watched Li Ju went upstairs. She had worked here many years and knew the rift between Li Ju and her mother all too well. She doted on Li Ju, her sympathy only deepening when Tang Qingqing came home from work later that evening.

The moment Qingqing stepped inside, she sensed something was wrong. She always did—able to catch the faintest discord in the air like an odd kind of gift.

“What happened?”

She set her light-orange knit cardigan over the sofa and smoothed her white shirt before heading into the kitchen. On her pale wrist was a simple red string bracelet, its simple and only made her skin appear even fairer.

The maid quickly stopped her. “You’ve worked all day, don’t fuss with the kitchen. Madam and the young miss quarreled earlier. Be careful not to set her off. If she vents on you, it won’t be good.”

Qingqing lowered her rolled sleeves, fastening her buttons calmly. “Xiao Ju treats me well. She won’t take it out on me.”

The maid sighed, brushing a damp strand of hair from Qingqing’s temple. Her voice was soft. “I’ve watched you grow up, Qingqing. I know how much you’ve endured. Madam’s kindness isn’t a prison, sometimes her harshness goes too far. You don’t need to be so obedient; it will wear you down and the young miss—she always thinks you’ve stolen her mother’s affection. But… she still cares for you, in her way.”

Qingqing lifted her bright eyes, ripples shimmering in them. “Xiao Ju cares about me?”

The maid smiled, recounting how Li Ju had actually shielded her earlier and had made sure she didn’t rush home only to face Madam’s wrath.

Qingqing’s eyes curved, her aloof beauty softening into something radiant and alive.

“I’ll go find Xiao Ju,” she said, hurrying upstairs.

“Careful—don’t trip,” the maid called after her.

At the door to Li Ju’s room, Qingqing raised her hand to knock—only for the door to swing open.

Li Ju’s expression wasn’t welcoming. Her gaze swept over Qingqing, lingering when she spotted the red string around her ankle below her skirt. “What’s this? We’re short on money? You’ve got jewelry, but you wear that?”

Qingqing lifted her wrist with a gentle smile. “I’m wearing one here too.”

Li Ju leaned against the doorframe, mocking. “I’ve heard people in love do strange things. You’ve suddenly got red strings on your wrist and ankle—what, is this some couple’s thing?”

Some warmth faded from Qingqing’s eyes, though her sweet smile stayed. “So Xiao Ju thinks I should be dating someone?”

“Date whoever you want. Why ask me?”

Li Ju moved to close the door—she didn’t care. The male lead would show up sooner or later to cut off any romance anyway.

But Qingqing’s hand caught the door, and she slipped halfway inside.

“What are you doing?”

Qingqing’s hand rested lightly on Li Ju’s shoulder as she leaned close to whisper at her ear, “Didn’t you say I was your dog? As my master, shouldn’t you be paying attention to this?”

Heat rushed to Li Ju’s ears. Using that voice again—did she have to?

“You’re in heat? That’s not my problem! Handle it yourself!” she snapped, flustered.

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