The Villain Has A Yuri Halo [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 23

Tang Qingqing, basking in the special favor she’d been given, had her thoughts completely filled with Li Ju. Docile as ever, she followed closely at Li Ju’s side. While Tang Qingqing found herself drawn in by the girl’s smile and lips, Li Ju, busy as she was, had already memorized the faces of every relative present. With that, today’s family recognition gathering could be considered a complete success.

Some had tried to take advantage of her supposed memory loss, assuming Li Ju was now someone they could manipulate. Unfortunately for them, they had forgotten an old truth. Mountains may shift, rivers may change course, but a person’s nature is hard to alter.

To outsiders, Li Ju was nothing short of a smiling tiger. Her manner carried a hint of arrogance, yet at least she’d remembered to show the proper deference to her elders unlike her father, who never thought twice about being outright rude.

She, on the other hand, wielded her smile like a weapon. No matter how sharp or cutting her words were, she led with courtesy after all, who could strike a smiling face? Slowly, deliberately, she’d set her traps, leaving people with no choice but to step into them. Smooth, sly, and calculating, Li Ju was not someone to be underestimated.

But now, without her memories, even that thin layer of respect for her elders was gone. To her, these relatives were nothing but strangers. Expecting her to treat them the way she once did? They should count themselves lucky she wasn’t tearing into them outright.

An old man pulled a brown bottle from his pocket and shook out a few pills with trembling fingers, certain his heart condition was about to relapse…

Seeing this, Li Ju went over cheerfully, her tone was sweet yet merciless:
“Oh, come on, you’re at this age and you still don’t get the point of honest words being hard to hear? I understand perfectly what you were trying to say just now. You just want me to pull strings for your grandson, isn’t that it? But honestly, you barely measure up yourself, let alone your grandson. And for the record, my company only hires talent, not deadweight.”

“You!” The old man spluttered, beard bristling, ready to pull rank as an elder. But before he could, Tang Qingqing slipped to Li Ju’s side, gently supporting her as she whispered, “Xiao Ju, you don’t look so well. Is your head injury acting up again?”

In her days at the hospital, if Li Ju had learned nothing else, she had certainly honed her acting skills. Give her a little more time, and she was convinced she could debut as a star and shake up the whole entertainment industry!

She leaned weakly against Tang Qingqing’s arms, coughing delicately like a fragile willow in the wind. With an apologetic sigh, she murmured, “I’m not feeling well. My head hurts. I can’t stand listening to nagging.” She even waved her hand dramatically as she spoke.

Nearby, Li Mingyu pinched her own arm hard, warning herself not to laugh out loud because if Li Ju caught her, she’d be preening all the way home.

“Nonsense! She looks healthier than I do. How is that sick?” The old man snapped, redirecting his fury toward Tang Qingqing. His tone dripped with disdain, clearly dismissing her presence.

Tang Qingqing ignored him entirely, calmly touching Li Ju’s face as if checking her temperature.

The old man felt his dignity slipping away entirely. Against Li Ju, he might still hesitate but Tang Qingqing? She was fair game.

“After all these years under the Li family’s roof, you still haven’t learned the least bit of respect? With manners like this, you’ll never marry!”

Li Ju’s eyes narrowed. In an instant, her delicate, weakened posture vanished and her back straightened.

With a sharp flick, she brushed off his hand, stepping protectively in front of Tang Qingqing. Her beautiful face turned frosty, her voice cutting through the room:
“An elder? Don’t flatter yourself. It’s only because of our family’s kindness that you leeches have survived this long. Don’t think I won’t hit an old man—your son and daughter wouldn’t dare breathe loudly in front of me. And you? You’re nothing. The company hasn’t been a family business since my great-grandfather’s time. You squandered and sold off your own inheritance, and yet you have the gall to come here, strutting around? Please. I’m not my grandfather and I don’t have the patience to keep feeding parasites. When you all keel over one day, we’ll see just how I deal with your precious offspring.”

She really was giving them too much credit. They didn’t know their place.

With a cold glance around, Li Ju then turned toward her grandmother Murong Ruo, saying willfully, “Grandma, don’t bother with these old fools anymore—you’ll only catch their stupidity. Dad, this mess is yours now. I’ve got a headache, my whole body hurts. I’m going back to rest.”

Her father, Li Zhen, nodded without rebuke. “Qingqing, I’ll have to trouble you to take care of Xiao Ju tonight. Both of you should rest. Your grandmother already had rooms prepared. You’ll stay here.”

He wasn’t about to scold his daughter’s outburst. If anything, had it been him, his words would’ve been even harsher. Against these fossils, reason was useless—brutality worked better. Look at them now: not one dared make a sound.

Murong Ruo, too, was pleased with her granddaughter’s stance. With a cold laugh, she echoed, “The company isn’t a family business. I hope you all understood that.”

Honestly, these people had too much time on their hands. Old man, take your useless bunch away already. They’d come here today just to gang up on her little granddaughter!

Li Mingyu cast an envious look at Li Zhen, then at her own father—who hunched his shoulders, silent as ever and rolled his eyes.

“Grandma, Uncle,” she spoke up, “I’d like to stay with Xiao Ju too.”

The moment Li Ju heard that, her aches and pains magically vanished. Tugging Tang Qingqing’s hand, she slipped away decisively. There’s no way was she spending the night with that gloomy, two-faced Mingyu.

Through the long covered corridor they ran, bamboo on either side withering in the cold wind.

Li Ju, bright with mischief, urged Tang Qingqing, “Sis, hurry! Or Mingyu will catch up.”

Her vibrant energy clashed delightfully against the bleak winter, like a blazing flame refusing to be smothered.

Her peach-blossom face glowed, radiant and alluring.

The warmth of her smile made Tang Qingqing painfully aware of her own pounding heartbeat.

“Xiao Ju…”

Li Ju turned mid-run, blinking back at her. “What is it?”

Breathless, Tang Qingqing’s face flushed a charming red from their dash. She leaned closer, drawn irresistibly to Li Ju’s clear, shining eyes…

“I… can I—”

But she cut herself off, biting down her words. “Forget it. It’s nothing.”

Tang Qingqing could’ve slapped herself. What nonsense was she about to say? How could she make such a request of Li Ju? She’d already burdened her enough—wasn’t it sheer luck that Li Ju hadn’t cast her aside? Greed would only make her unworthy.

Li Ju frowned slightly at the suspense. She hated being teased like this. “Sis, just say it. You’re making me nervous.”

“It’s really nothing.” Tang Qingqing’s gaze clouded with unspoken longing. Lately, she felt as if Li Ju had spoiled her too much—dangerous thoughts kept slipping in, thoughts she once never dared entertain. In the past, they stayed hidden in her late-night fantasies, buried deep. But now, Li Ju’s sweetness was constant, her every look practically saying Come kiss me. And the torture of being so close yet forbidden was unbearable.

Li Ju blinked rapidly, uneasy. “Don’t look at me like that. It makes me shy.”

“You don’t… hate my gaze, do you?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“Good.”

Li Ju smiled, slipping her hand back into Tang Qingqing’s. Together they wandered on, their steps unhurried and at ease.

“Sis.”

Tang Qingqing glanced over. “What is it?”

“Do you… have someone you want to marry?” The old man’s earlier words still weighed on Li Ju. She leaned back against the wall, a round window framing her silhouette, with a few bamboo branches swaying outside. Her heart was like those shadows—restless, unsettled, without anchor.

“No.”

Tang Qingqing pressed her lips together. “Why do you ask? Do you… have someone in mind? Or are you suddenly interested in marriage?”

Li Ju chuckled softly. “I only woke up half a month ago. I met most of these relatives for the first time today. And you think I’m daydreaming about marriage already? Sis, that’s unfair and it hurts a little. I’m with you every day, glued to your side. How could you think I’d be interested in someone else? You’re so important to me. I never get enough of looking at you. Why would I waste a thought on anyone else? If anything, it’s you who seems a little slippery.”

Tang Qingqing couldn’t help but laugh. “When have I ever been slippery with you?”

Li Ju huffed, poking her in the chest. Her smile was gone, and the sudden seriousness made Tang Qingqing tense.

“The other day, a man called me. Gao Sheng, I think. He begged me to go easy on him, but what really caught my ear was when he mentioned you. He said he regretted it that he shouldn’t have given me up to choose you instead. Strange, isn’t it? You never told me about him. Were you hiding it?”

She tugged Tang Qingqing closer by the collar, tapping a finger against her lips. “Sis, you’re not being very obedient.”

Her voice was calm, without anger.

“I trust you,” she said softly. “Don’t let me down.”

The gentleness in her tone was disarming, and with it, she loosened her grip, clearly hoping for an honest talk.

“He…” Tang Qingqing panicked at the sense of distance that settled between them. She couldn’t bear it—she’d rather endure Li Ju’s scolding or teasing than this cool detachment. Desperately, she grabbed Li Ju’s hand, blurting, “He’s not worth mentioning. He’s a terrible man.”

“Terrible? How terrible?”

Tang Qingqing sighed, bitterness creeping into her words. “No matter how awful he is, it doesn’t erase the fact that you once wanted to keep him around as your pretty boy.”

Li Ju’s eyes went wide, round as glass. “Wait—you mean that?” she stammered.

Tang Qingqing nodded solemnly.

Li Ju gaped in disbelief. “Was he… at least handsome?”

“Average.”

“Then… talented?”

“No.”

“Then he must’ve saved my life or something. Otherwise, why would I ever set my sights on a man with neither looks nor ability?”

Tang Qingqing shook her head with clear displeasure. “No, not at all! He’s ugly, useless, and he’s never once saved your life. Honestly, I don’t know what you ever saw in him.”

Li Ju rubbed her chin in thought for a moment before hesitantly muttering, “That’s strange. I was apparently willing to keep him around as a pretty boy, but the second I heard his voice on the phone I wanted to vomit. Sister, do you think maybe I hit my head and ended up with some kind of man-phobia? But that can’t be it—when I saw my dad, I didn’t feel sick at all.”

She was utterly puzzled. This man named Gao Sheng was suspicious in every possible way.

But Li Ju trusted her own instincts. She refused to believe her taste could ever have been so bad as to actually like a man who made her want to retch.

Tang Qingqing was still simmering with jealousy, but perhaps because the hardest part of the conversation had already come out, she no longer felt the need to hold back.

She looked at Li Ju with a heavy expression and said, “It’s very possible your taste really was awful before. After all, you even invested in his company. Can you honestly say you didn’t care about him at all?”

“Invested in his company?!” Li Ju’s voice shot up an octave, her once-firm confidence suddenly wavering.

She began nervously gnawing at her fingers. With embarrassment lacing her tone, she asked, “How could I have done something so stupid? Throwing myself at him like that? Sister, you must’ve scolded me half to death back then, right?”

Tang Qingqing felt a pang in her chest. Her eyes softened as she murmured, “Actually, it was you who scolded me half to death. You were always so fierce with me.”

Li Ju sucked in a sharp breath. “Me? Fierce with you? Impossible! Someone as adorable as me would never bully you!”

“You did more than bully me,” Tang Qingqing muttered with quiet grievance, lowering her gaze. “You ordered me around, bossed me, and worst of all, you hated it whenever I got close to you. You knew I was ticklish, and you used it against me just to torment me. Every single time I ended up looking ridiculous.”

The conversation had gone wildly off track, but neither of them seemed to mind.

In that moment, Li Ju’s heart ached for her. To her, Tang Qingqing was someone irreplaceable. Even though Li Ju knew the car accident wasn’t exactly the way she remembered it and even if Tang Qingqing hadn’t truly been her lifesaver, Li Ju stubbornly believed she was.

Because in the scraps of memory she still clung to, all she could recall was Tang Qingqing’s tear-reddened eyes, her voice calling out for her again and again. Without her, there was only a blank, white void. Tang Qingqing had been the only anchor holding her to this world.

She had been the guiding light when Li Ju first opened her eyes after the accident. All the fear brought by her lost memories had vanished in her presence because Tang Qingqing was there to hold her hand and lead her safely forward.

She hadn’t even begun to enjoy this world yet, but now, with Tang Qingqing at her side, she no longer felt alone. So how could Tang Qingqing not count as her savior?

Pulling her close, Li Ju hugged her tight and apologized in earnest. “Sister, I was awful before. Let me make it up to you. Whatever punishment you want to give me, I’ll accept—truly, anything is fine! Just… please don’t be sad. I don’t want you to suffer.”

Tang Qingqing’s eyes flickered, surprise tugging at her heart. She hadn’t expected that playing the pitiful card would be this effective.

She tested the waters, peeking at Li Ju with a soft, almost timid voice. “A-anything at all?”

Li Ju nodded without hesitation. “Mm! I promise. I can handle it.”

After all, her sister was so wonderful if anyone deserved to be compensated, it was her.

Tang Qingqing pressed her lips together, trying to suppress the giddy smile threatening to escape.

How she adored this girl. Whether past or present, Li Ju was simply too precious.

In the faintest of voices, as if afraid to be too forward, Tang Qingqing whispered, “Then… can I have a hug from you?”

“Am I not hugging you already?”

“…True.”

The two of them held each other, breath mingling, so close that Tang Qingqing could easily lean in and capture Li Ju’s lips.

Her gaze lingered greedily on those soft, pretty lips, and when she spoke again, her voice dropped into a low, sultry murmur.

“Tonight, I want to sleep with you.”

Li Ju, oblivious, grinned brightly. “Of course! That’ll be so cozy and warm.”

This time, Tang Qingqing’s smile turned sly. She curved her lips and teased, “Would you like some hot milk, Little Ju?”

“Is Sister going to drink too?”

Her expression grew more suggestive, a subtle allure glinting between her brows as she laughed lightly. “No, I don’t care for it. But you used to love drinking the hot milk I made.”

Without an ounce of suspicion, Li Ju nodded eagerly. “Then tonight, I’ll trouble Sister to make me a cup again.”

For a fleeting moment, Tang Qingqing felt like the villain in some story, luring innocent Li Ju step by step into forbidden territory.

But she would never harm her.

She didn’t have enough time to love her properly as it was.

The matter of that man was finally brushed aside. In a few days, she’d gently nudge Li Ju again, and maybe then she’d pull the investment out. As long as the two of them lived their days well together, that man wouldn’t stand a chance.

Tang Qingqing stroked her back, her gaze deep and fathomless.

She hadn’t dared go this far before—but now, with Li Ju’s warmth like spring wind at her back, her desire had grown wild, unstoppable, like willow branches that refused to be tamed.

And she would let herself be carried away by it, even if it drove her to madness.

*******

“Miss Tang? What are you doing in here?” A kind-faced middle-aged woman stepped into the kitchen. It was Aunt Lan, who had taken care of Murong Ruo for years and earned the trust of everyone in the Lü household.

Tang Qingqing paused with the spoon in her hand. By the time she turned around, there was only a soft smile on her lips. “Aunt Lan, I was just heating milk for Xiao Ju. I added some oats today. If she doesn’t like it, I’ll drink this one myself and make her another.”

Aunt Lan chuckled warmly. “The two of you seem much closer than before. You’ve worked hard these past days, looking after her in the hospital.”

“It’s no trouble at all. It’s what I should do,” Tang Qingqing answered with polite grace, which only deepened Aunt Lan’s approval.

Over the years, Tang Ping had caused no end of scandal, leaving Aunt Lan biased against most of the Tang family. But Tang Qingqing was the exception. She was steady, polite, and proper. Perhaps that was the benefit of being raised apart from them.

“Miss has suffered a lot this time,” Aunt Lan sighed. “And I imagine you’ve been through your own share of hardship as well.”

Tang Qingqing smiled lightly. “Not at all. Xiao Ju saved me. That’s a debt I can never repay. My only thought now is how best to take care of her. I don’t have time to dwell on anything else.”

Aunt Lan nodded with satisfaction. Yes, this child understood. No bitterness, no resentment toward Tang Ping’s reckless words—that alone proved Li Ju hadn’t saved the wrong person.

“Honestly,” Aunt Lan said softly, “I never expected you would mean so much to Miss. She’s always been proud and withdrawn, never good at expressing herself. As a child, she resented you, thinking you had stolen all of Madam’s attention. But really, that was the adults’ fault. Neither of you were to blame.”

Tang Qingqing kept her expression calm, only replying, “In my eyes, Little Ju has always been the best.”

“Miss Tang, what do you plan to do in the future?”

Tang Qingqing blinked, smiling faintly. “I’m not sure I understand what Aunt Lan means.”

Aunt Lan stepped closer and whispered something into her ear. Tang Qingqing’s eyes widened in shock. “Is that… true?”

Aunt Lan sighed. “More or less.”

“Father… is really willing to divorce this time?”

Aunt Lan avoided dwelling on Li Zhen and Tang Ping’s marriage. The mistakes of the past were already done. Dragging them out for years had been punishment enough. Instead, she changed the subject. “Miss was hospitalized, and out of the entire Tang family, only Tang Ruru bothered to visit. With in-laws so heartless and cold, who needs such ties?”

Tang Qingqing finally understood Aunt Lan’s earlier question. She made a silent decision, though hesitation still lingered on her lips.

“What is it you want to say?”

“Could you ask Grandmother to help me separate my household registration? Mother never wanted my name under the Lu family’s registry, so I was listed under my uncle instead. If things really go that way, I want to move it out.”

Aunt Lan arched her brow. “But Miss Tang, the Tang family may be in decline, yet they’re still considered a prestigious house. With their name, you could marry into an excellent family. Don’t you want that?”

Tang Qingqing lifted the warm milk in her hands. As she thought of Li Ju, her eyes softened with tender warmth. She said quietly, “I’ve never thought about marriage. What I want is to stay by Little Ju’s side, like you’ve stayed by Madam’s. Aunt Lan, the milk’s cooling down. I should take it to her now.”

Aunt Lan stepped aside to let her pass. When she was gone, Aunt Lan murmured to herself, “What on earth is this child thinking?”

Thinking?

Naturally, all she was thinking about… was Li Ju.

Her mind heavy with emotion, Tang Qingqing pushed open the door—only to be stunned by the sight of Li Ju’s flawless, porcelain-like skin. For a moment, her mind was filled with nothing but a flash of bright crimson.

A firework burst across her thoughts.

“Ah! Sister, you scared me! Why didn’t you knock first?”

Li Ju tugged her long hair free from beneath her nightdress, her ears burning red. Trying to cover her embarrassment, she stammered, “Y-you didn’t see anything just now, right?”

Smiling serenely, Tang Qingqing held out the milk to her. “Of course not.”

Li Ju was dressed in a pale yellow nightdress, freshly bathed, her body exuding a soft, sweet fragrance. Tang Qingqing’s breath hitched faintly.

“Does it taste alright? I added oats.”

“It’s delicious. Sister, do you want a sip too?”

Tang Qingqing laughed lightly. “It’s for you. I won’t drink it.”

Drink it and then straight to bed.

She had no intention of being just a sleeping beauty tonight.

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