The Villain I Loved Has Broken Free and Transmigrated Out of the Story - Chapter 24

Yin Ya never expected Cang Lanyan to appear at this moment, nor did she expect her to request going out together.

She regretted not telling the truth earlier. Now it was too late to change her story; the Big Villain would definitely suspect she was lying. She had to keep the Big Villain calm for now and find a way to contact Cen Xiang to arrange a meeting later.

Yin Ya composed herself. “Alright, but you have to stay close to me. The Human Clan’s markets and malls are huge, and it’s easy to get lost there for the first time.”

Cang Lanyan didn’t respond. She curled her fingers in a mysterious gesture, and the missing sash suddenly reappeared in her hand. In the next instant, it transformed into a thick, dark blue woolen scarf.

“Put this on,” she said, levitating the scarf with spiritual power and offering it to Yin Ya.

Yin Ya instinctively recoiled.

This was no ordinary sash. It was the God-Binding Sash, painstakingly crafted over a century by the Second Elder of the Merman Clan, and one of the “tributes” Cang Lanyan had received in her youth.

Its purpose was as clear as its name.

“What, afraid I’ll strangle you with it?” Cang Lanyan asked, her tone half-joking, half-serious.

Yin Ya snapped out of her daze and quickly shook her head.

She had already established the rules. Cang Lanyan couldn’t use the God-Binding Sash to threaten her life or anything ambiguous. Giving her the sash was likely just to leave a mark on her, ensuring she could find her way back if she got lost.

Though somewhat reluctant, Yin Ya removed her scarf and wrapped the God-Binding Sash around her neck, layer by layer.

Fortunately, the sash felt like an ordinary, soft, fluffy scarf against her neck, not the usual cold and slippery sensation that usually made her uncomfortable.

“I need to grab my phone.” After laying down her removed scarf, Yin Ya walked straight into the bathroom. While retrieving her phone, she unlocked the screen and, as she walked out, quickly texted Cen Xiang the word “unavailable.”

Seeing Cen Xiang’s immediate reply of “OK,” she let out a slight sigh of relief. After putting away both her phone and backup, she casually picked up her purse from the coat rack by the door and said to Cang Lanyan, “Let’s go.”

Cang Lanyan nodded, and her figure suddenly vanished. At the same time, Yin Ya felt a weight on her neck. Looking down, she discovered a smooth, egg-shaped jade pendant hanging from a five-colored braided ribbon, with characters engraved on its surface.

Has the Big Villain disguised herself as the Precious Spirit Jade this time?

Yin Ya suppressed the urge to complain, put on a mask and gloves, and stepped out the door.

It was a weekday, and the elevator was empty at this hour.

After pressing the button for the basement level, Yin Ya tapped her fingertip near the button and explained to Cang Lanyan, “This is the mechanism that controls which floor the elevator goes to. My home is on the 22nd floor, and the ground floor is the 1st floor.”

As she spoke, she lightly tapped the corresponding buttons with her fingertip. “These symbols are called ‘Arabic numerals.’ I remember seeing them mentioned in the materials—they’re very common and widely used.”

“I saw that earlier,” Cang Lanyan’s voice sounded directly in her ear.

Yin Ya nodded and continued explaining the functions of the other elevator buttons until the doors opened.

“You can buy anything sold in the mall, but you have to pay for it. Otherwise, it’s stealing, and the police will come,” Yin Ya explained as they walked toward the underground mall. “If you see something you want to buy, let me know first. If I can afford it, I’ll buy it for you.”

“I don’t have much desire for material things,” Cang Lanyan said.

“That’s not necessarily true,” Yin Ya said with a smirk, mimicking Cang Lanyan’s tone. “The Human Clan has so many fascinating inventions.”

Hearing Cang Lanyan’s soft scoff, Yin Ya deliberately huffed and cheerfully quickened her pace.

At this hour, the underground market was mostly filled with elderly customers coming to buy groceries. Yin Ya grabbed a shopping cart and headed toward the produce section.

First, she wanted to show the Big Villain her beloved mint.

During her three years studying in Linjiang City, she had often come here to buy fresh produce, too lazy to walk far. The auntie in charge of the produce section recognized her immediately and greeted her with a smile. “Student, we have purple cabbage today.”

“Thank you, Auntie,” Yin Ya replied politely, nodding. She picked out a good-looking head of purple cabbage, had it bagged, and handed it to the auntie for weighing. “Auntie, do you sell mint here?”

“Yes, how much do you want? I’ll get it for you!” The auntie efficiently labeled the bag.

Yin Ya thought for a moment, then handed her a small bag. “Just enough to fill this, please. I’m making a salad and can come back for more later.”

As the auntie walked away with the bag, Yin Ya continued selecting other vegetables. Cang Lanyan remarked, “Acquaintances?”

Yin Ya guessed what she was thinking and whispered back, “No, just familiar trading partners who don’t even know each other’s names.”

“Mint is expensive,” Cang Lanyan said, “yet she can give it to you so casually. Her status must be quite significant.”

“How is mint expensive?” Yin Ya asked, shocked. “Or is mint rare in your place?”

“Yes, as rare as the bellflower,” Cang Lanyan replied.

“So that’s why you treated mint like a flower?” Yin Ya suddenly understood.

Cang Lanyan didn’t respond, but her silence was answer enough.

“But I remember mint usually grows by water,” Yin Ya said, puzzled. “How could it be rare?”

Noticing the auntie returning with a bag of mint out of the corner of her eye, Yin Ya quickly closed her mouth. She took out the mint, checked it, then rubbed the jade pendant. After Cang Lanyan confirmed it was good, she asked the auntie to weigh it.

“What were all those devices back there?” Cang Lanyan asked once Yin Ya had left the produce section.

Yin Ya knew she had been watching for a while. Looking around to make sure no one was nearby, she lowered her voice and explained, “Those were an electronic scale and a plastic bag sealer. The scale is for weighing and calculating the price, and the sealer seals the bags so the contents don’t fall out. Other sections have them too.”

As she spoke, they passed the fresh meat section. Yin Ya casually grabbed a box of sliced meat and put it in her cart. Just as she was about to move on, she suddenly saw a box of pig liver slowly floating into the air.

Seeing a few elderly women still selecting meat, Yin Ya hurried over in a panic, snatched the boxed pig liver as if putting out a fire, and whispered, “Didn’t I tell you to ask first?”

“I checked the price. You can afford it,” Cang Lanyan replied, her voice carrying an innocent tone.

“But you can’t just take it! People are watching…” Yin Ya, caught between laughter and exasperation, put the pig liver back. “Anyway, I don’t know how to prepare it. We’ll buy cooked pig liver later.”

“Cooked pig liver?” Cang Lanyan echoed, puzzled.

“Yeah, braised pig liver. It’s delicious.” Yin Ya explained, scanning the cooked meat section. “If you want something else, that’s fine too.”

“…Braised pig liver?” Cang Lanyan repeated, still confused.

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