The Villain I Loved Has Broken Free and Transmigrated Out of the Story - Chapter 44

Cang Lanyan didn’t dodge. Yin Ya gently slapped a damp mint leaf onto her left cheek with a soft smack.

Though furious with embarrassment, Yin Ya subconsciously restrained her force. This light touch even earned her a subtle smile from Cang Lanyan, making Yin Ya feel inexplicably as if she’d fallen into some trap.

“Why are you smiling?” she couldn’t help but ask.

“I was remembering something happy,” Cang Lanyan replied, plucking the mint leaf from her cheek. She placed it in her palm and rubbed it between her fingers, looking quite pleased.

“Do you know where that line comes from?” Yin Ya countered.

“No,” Cang Lanyan said, looking up at her. “But it’s a good line.”

“You only think that because I said it before, right?” Yin Ya tried to turn Cang Lanyan’s own tactics against her.

“Correct,” Cang Lanyan agreed readily, then abruptly changed the subject. “But you still haven’t told me what happy thing you were thinking about back then.”

Yin Ya crushed a mint leaf.

“I remember trying to destroy the computer displaying your image, but I failed,” Cang Lanyan continued, lost in thought. “That seems to be when you first tried to restrain me, by writing down rules.”

Yin Ya was silent, but she desperately wanted to ball up all the mint in her hands and stuff it into that Old Spirit’s mouth.

“Restraining my actions made you incredibly happy,” Cang Lanyan continued, reminiscing. “Even with your mask on, your smile couldn’t be hidden.”

“Stop talking!” Yin Ya finally exploded, waving the mint threateningly. “One more word and you won’t get any more mint!”

Cang Lanyan’s lips curved slightly as she retreated from the kitchen, snagging a bottle of fresh milk from the fridge on her way out.

The Old Spirit was gone, and Yin Ya continued washing the mint.

She couldn’t figure out what kind of magic Cang Lanyan held. Just moments ago, she’d been crying her eyes out, and now she was bristling like an angry cat, all because of that Old Spirit’s words.

To be honest, Yin Ya was genuinely thrilled when she first discovered she could restrain Cang Lanyan.

But if pressed to articulate the exact reason, she struggled to explain whether her joy stemmed from finding a glimmer of hope in despair or from the power to control someone stronger than herself.

As this thought surfaced, Yin Ya inexplicably recalled last night’s dream. She couldn’t help but wonder, What if it had been Cang Lanyan in that position in the dream…?

More and more unbidden images flooded her mind, startling her. She quickly popped a fresh mint leaf into her mouth and chewed, forcing her attention away and stopping her thoughts from spiraling further.

After stowing the mint leaves in the fridge, Yin Ya checked her phone. Figuring Cen Xiang should be awake by now, she sent a quick message to reassure her.

[Has Fusheng Written Today?] 

Er Xiang: Yesterday’s spell was indeed connected to jellyfish. Moreover, the Major Antagonist has already used that spell to reclaim her Seven Emotions and Six Desires.

[Has Fusheng Written Today?: I think… her change is pretty significant. Her attitude isn’t as cold and rigid as before. Although I don’t know if she’s conveniently regained the Merfolk Tribe’s romance-obsessed buff, overall, things seem to be heading in a positive direction.]

Just as she sent the second message and was editing the third, she saw Cen Xiang send a string of question marks.

[Er Xiang: Ya Zai, if you’ve been kidnapped by the Major Antagonist, just blink.]

[Has Fusheng Written Today?: I’m telling the truth. If you don’t believe me, you can voice call me.]

[Er Xiang: No way. What if she’s watching you while we chat?]

[Er Xiang: She hasn’t done anything to you, right?]

*****

Reading these messages, Yin Ya couldn’t help but recall what her childhood friend had said yesterday while trying to persuade her. She sighed involuntarily.

Yesterday, especially in the evening, too much had happened. She didn’t know how to explain to her friend that something had changed between her and Cang Lanyan.

After a moment’s thought, she deleted her original explanation and typed a new one.

Has Fusheng Written Today?: Whether you believe it or not, I used mint as leverage and successfully threatened her.

Er Xiang: ???

Er Xiang: Gently waking the slumbering heart.jpg

Has Fusheng Written Today?: So… our current situation isn’t as bad as I thought. The only trouble is, I’ll probably have to help her adjust to these “excessive emotions.”

Er Xiang: …Even though it sounds absurd, if it were you, it wouldn’t be so strange. I don’t understand, but I’m deeply shaken.jpg

After successfully sending her childhood friend a reassuring message, Yin Ya sighed in relief and turned to put away the laundry. But after only a few steps, she suddenly felt a warm sensation uncontrollably surge through her.

Cang Lanyan was at her desk, looking at her phone, when she saw Yin Ya rush into the bedroom, then quickly return with a small pile of clothes and head for the bathroom. Unable to resist asking, “It’s just some mint you’re washing. What wild thoughts are you having again?”

“You’re the one with wild thoughts!” Yin Ya retorted, scrubbing at the bloodstains, her tone both irritable and guilty. “I got my period! You know, my period?”

“I’ve heard of it.”

Just as Yin Ya heard Cang Lanyan’s voice outside, she suddenly noticed her appear beside her out of the corner of her eye.

“It seems that female Ape Spirits bleed monthly after reaching maturity,” Cang Lanyan said. “Is it the same for humans?”

“Yes,” Yin Ya replied weakly. “The timing isn’t usually fixed, and the bleeding lasts about seven to ten days. There’s no way to control it. During that time, you have to be careful about what you eat, avoid cold water, and stay warm, or you’ll get cramps.”

“You only touched cold water when you were washing the mint,” Cang Lanyan frowned. “What are cramps?”

“A sharp pain in the lower abdomen,” Yin Ya said succinctly, not bothering to correct her for the jab. She quickly changed the water in the basin, added some laundry detergent, and resumed scrubbing.

Although she had switched to warm water after realizing her mistake, various mishaps had kept her washing clothes in cold water for the entire morning.

Winter cold water was bone-chilling.

Cang Lanyan didn’t ask any more questions. Yin Ya secretly glanced at her and saw her already searching on her phone, which brought her a small measure of satisfaction.

It was good that the Major Antagonist, now fully restored to her Seven Emotions and Six Desires, finally understood what it meant to be “in a hurry.”

After hanging up the laundry, Yin Ya used a hairdryer to finish drying yesterday’s clothes. After letting them cool, she put them away in the wardrobe. Just to be safe, she also stuck a Uterus Warming Patch on herself before curling up with her laptop in the upper bunk’s cozy blanket nest.

This time, Cang Lanyan hadn’t followed her the entire way. After listening to Yin Ya describe her menstrual cramps, she remained on the phone, tapping away. Yin Ya glanced at her several times, noticing her furrowed brow.

While the bleeding was still manageable, Yin Ya opened her computer, seizing the time to update her blog.

After discussing with Cang Lanyan, she had a new idea for the story’s direction, though she wasn’t sure if her writing skills could pull it off. She needed to start drafting early.

However, after typing just a few hundred words, she caught the scent of caramel.

Yin Ya initially thought it was drifting in from outside; a neighbor nearby seemed to love baking and occasionally the aroma would waft up. But as the caramel smell grew stronger, she realized something was wrong and rushed out of her bedroom.

The scent was coming from the kitchen, accompanied by the hum of the exhaust fan.

Heart pounding, Yin Ya entered the kitchen to see Cang Lanyan manipulating several Spiritual Power Tendrils, scraping them back and forth in the pot she usually used for soup. Unable to resist, she leaned over for a closer look.

The pot was completely black. Judging by the smell, it was supposed to be ginger and brown sugar soup.

“Are you… helping me make soup?” Yin Ya asked absently.

“I heard it can… help with period cramps,” Cang Lanyan replied calmly, her voice as steady as ever. She calmly withdrew her Spiritual Power Tendrils, as if she hadn’t just burned the soup.

“This… it’s actually not that effective. Drinking hot water has a similar effect,” Yin Ya said, torn between laughter and exasperation. “I’ll make it myself when I need it. Just focus on your own tasks.”

The burned pot needed cleaning. Yin Ya added some water, let it simmer for a while, then poured it out and used the flowing water to gradually scrub away the charred residue.

“How much brown sugar did you actually put in?” she asked helplessly, seeing Cang Lanyan still standing nearby, watching. “This is absurdly thick.”

“The brown sugar soup in the pictures looked just as thick and syrupy,” Cang Lanyan replied matter-of-factly, pulling up the images she’d searched to show Yin Ya.

“That’s just the glare during the photo shoot,” Yin Ya sighed, glancing at the cutting board where most of the ginger remained. “The ginger isn’t excessive, but I usually don’t like drinking ginger piece soup.”

Well, since she was already there, after washing the pot, Yin Ya decided to show Cang Lanyan how to make ginger soup with brown sugar.

“If you get rained on or catch a cold, you can drink this soup to drive out the damp,” Yin Ya said while grinding the minced ginger. “I made it once before when I caught a cold.”

As she spoke, memories of how she’d caught that cold that morning resurfaced, and she pursed her lips with mixed emotions, glancing at Cang Lanyan.

The Old Spirit probably remembered too. Perhaps feeling she’d gone too far that day, she chose to remain silent, focusing intently on grinding the ginger.

Yin Ya, eager to finish her writing, didn’t feel like dredging up old grievances. She lit the stove, boiled water, and added the brown sugar and minced ginger in sequence. After stirring it all together, she ladled two steaming bowls.

“A burnt pot is a pain to clean. That’s your punishment,” she said, pushing one bowl toward Cang Lanyan and mimicking her tone. “Drink it all.”

She needed to give that Old Spirit a taste of her own medicine—some spicy ginger to sharpen her memory. Otherwise, she’d probably end up with another burnt pot next time!

The kitchen killer might have gotten her moment of satisfaction, but she’d be the one left with the headache of cleaning up.

Yin Ya saw a rare look of shock in Cang Lanyan’s eyes. But the shock lasted only a moment. Cang Lanyan picked up the bowl, blew on the soup, and brought it to her lips for a sip.

Yin Ya crossed her arms, watching Cang Lanyan’s expression with keen interest.

To punish the Old Spirit, she had deliberately added what was jokingly called a “lethal dose” of minced ginger.

She had noticed that whenever Cang Lanyan tasted or drank something she disliked, she would freeze like a statue for a while. And this time was no exception. After just a small sip of the ginger soup, she froze, holding the bowl motionless.

Yin Ya suddenly felt that dominating a powerful person with such a simple method was quite enjoyable.

However, Cang Lanyan’s weaknesses were truly few, and her cultivation was so high that she had little need for food. If Yin Ya focused solely on slipping things into her food, her opportunities for such enjoyment would be counted on one hand.

As she began scheming, her gaze accidentally met Cang Lanyan’s. Suddenly, she felt a sense of danger, as if all her thoughts had been completely seen through.

Support The Villain I Loved Has Broken Free and Transmigrated Out of the Story