The Villainess’s Darling [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 27

Ding! Male Lead’s Malice Level: 100%.

In accordance with the Host Protection Regulations, ‘Protection Mode’ is now active. The Host will receive an all-attribute buff and remain impervious to harm for the duration. Protection Mode will automatically deactivate once the Male Lead’s Malice Level drops below 50%.

Host, with your attributes boosted, running a marathon will be a walk in the park.

Ning Xiao raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised that Shang Shaotan’s ill will toward her had reached such a fever pitch.

I haven’t exactly done anything to him, have I? What’s his problem?

Due to your abnormal behaviour, the Male Lead suspects that ‘Ning Xiao’ has been possessed by an evil spirit. To exorcise this ‘ghost,’ he has hired an occult master outside the school. The marathon is the master’s only chance to get close to you.

To put it plainly, Ning Xiao’s deviation from her original character her blatant “OOC” behaviour had made him suspicious.

Right. My bad.

But she truly couldn’t bring herself to feign an obsession with Shang Shaotan or bully Yun Can’er. She’d managed to act the part at first, but now that her feelings for Can’er were growing, she simply couldn’t keep up the charade.

Since Shang Shaotan had framed her participation in the marathon as a matter of “class honour,” refusing would only lead to resentment. Besides, the list was finalised; there was no backing out.

Ning Xiao propped her chin on her hand, her eyes shimmering with a captivating, lazy glint. “Don’t bother with the high-and-mighty lectures. It’s just a marathon, isn’t it? I’ll do it.”

The classroom erupted in hushed gasps.

Yuan Wei looked panicked. “Ning Xiao, don’t be rash! A marathon isn’t a joke. If you haven’t trained, you could seriously hurt yourself.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Ning Xiao replied simply.

She caught Yun Can’er’s worried gaze and gave her a reassuring wink before tapping the desk. “Right, Shang Shaotan. Since we’ve settled the Sports Day business, is there anything else?”

Her eyes practically screamed, ‘If not, get off the stage,’ which nearly sent Shang Shaotan into a fit of rage. However, he had no other announcements, so he was forced to step down, his face like thunder. As he passed Ning Xiao’s row, he distinctly heard her let out a contemptuous snort.

“You!” He stopped dead, glaring at her.

Ning Xiao blinked her beautiful eyes innocently. “Me? What about me?”

He Yue, who had more to announce, saw Shang Shaotan lingering. “Mr. Shang, please take your seat. If you have something to say, save it for after class.”

Shang Shaotan always prided himself on “respecting one’s teachers,” so he didn’t dare cause a scene in front of the class. He shot Ning Xiao one last venomous look and stormed back to his seat.

Yuan Wei was utterly fascinated. He’d never seen Shang Shaotan look so utterly defeated by anyone before. Ning Xiao was a completely different person she was more independent, more charismatic. He’d never felt his heart race for the “old” Ning Xiao, but this version? She was incredible.

****

The day of the Sports Day arrived.

Shang Shaotan had signed Yun Can’er up for the swimming gala in the afternoon, so during the morning, she was part of the cheerleading squad. He Yue had provided the outfits: fitted white tops, short skirts, and knee-high socks. With their hair tied in high ponytails, the girls looked vibrant, youthful, and lively, drawing attention wherever they went.

Ning Xiao’s race began at eight in the morning. A slow runner might take five hours; a fast one could finish in just over three. Ning Xiao had no intention of holding back. Standing at the starting line, she blew a kiss to Yun Can’er, who was cheering on the sidelines. When the starting pistol fired, she shot forward, immediately pulling away from the main pack.

The sunlight filtered through a thin morning mist, casting an ethereal glow over Ning Xiao’s porcelain skin. She looked almost otherworldly. The local citizens who had gathered to watch the race were so captivated by the beautiful girl running past that many of them instinctively began running along the pavement to keep up.

At first, it was just a few people chasing a “pretty girl,” but soon, others joined in out of sheer curiosity, thinking something important was happening. Eventually, the crowd became so large and unruly that traffic police had to be called in to maintain order.

The local news station caught wind of the commotion and sent a reporter. They already had the headline ready: ‘Goddess Spotted at School Marathon; Thousands Give Chase, Nearly Causing a Riot.’

The “exorcist master” was waiting at the halfway point. Shang Shaotan had figured that by then, Ning Xiao would be exhausted and slowing down, making it easy for the master to catch her.

It was a solid plan, but reality had other ideas.

The master had been waiting for an hour. When he saw the “stunningly beautiful” girl Shang Shaotan had described approaching, he got ready to intercept. However, Ning Xiao reached the halfway mark with her pace completely unchanged. The master tried to give chase, but he was left in the dust after only two steps.

No matter, he thought. I’ll catch a taxi.

But then! A swarm of dozens of citizens came charging forward, occupying every inch of space outside the track. The poor master couldn’t even get close to the pavement, let alone catch a taxi to follow her.

Two and a half hours later, Ning Xiao overtook the last of the sports students and crossed the finish line. She took first place amidst a roar of cheers.

The TV reporter, Liu Xueman, hurried over with her microphone, but the moment she saw Ning Xiao’s face, she froze.

The girl’s eyes were like clear autumn water, her pale skin flushed with a delicate pink glow. Her breath was slightly hitched, and the rise and fall of her chest made several onlookers blush and look away.

“H-Hello there! I’m Liu Xueman from the City News. Would you mind an interview?”

Liu Xueman’s face was beet red; if one didn’t know better, they’d think she was the one who had just finished a marathon.

Ning Xiao gradually steadied her breathing and turned a pure, innocent smile toward the camera. “Of course.”

Beads of sweat rolled from her brow, tracing the line of her delicate jaw down to her slender neck. The sun had fully emerged from the clouds, making her collarbones shimmer. Liu Xueman suppressed a gasp. This isn’t a goddess, she thought. This is an absolute enchantress!

“Could you tell us your name and which grade you’re in?” Liu Xueman asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Ning Xiao pulled a snow-white handkerchief from her pocket and gently dabbed the sweat from her face. Every movement was mesmerising. “My name is Ning Xiao, and I’m in Class One at Bo Ming Private High School.”

Good heavens! A student from Class One! Everyone knew that class was reserved for the school’s top academic elites. Not only was she stunning, but she was brilliant too.

“Would you mind telling us your ranking and score from the recent monthly exams?” Liu Xueman asked. Even if Ning Xiao were at the bottom of Class One, it would still be an impressive score for the general public.

“I did alright,” Ning Xiao said. “I was first in the year. My score wasn’t ideal, though.

I lost seventeen marks.”

Silence fell over the finish line. Even the spectators were stunned into silence.

“You did. alright? First in the year?” Liu Xueman asked cautiously.

Ning Xiao nodded with a smile.

“And when you say your score wasn’t ideal… do you mean you lost seventeen marks in each subject?” Surely it couldn’t be seventeen marks in total!

Ning Xiao blinked. “Of course not. There are eight subjects; if I lost seventeen marks in each, I’d be in Class Five. I meant seventeen marks in total.”

“So… you only lost seventeen marks across eight subjects?” Liu Xueman felt like she was going to faint. Does such a person even exist?!

“Yes,” Ning Xiao said, furrowing her brow slightly. “I was a bit careless before the exam and didn’t check my work thoroughly, so I lost more marks than I should have.”

An uproar broke out in the crowd. Beautiful, athletic, and a genius—how were other people supposed to live? The second-place runner, a burly sports student, looked like he was about to burst into tears after hearing that her score was “careless.”

After the academic talk, Liu Xueman shifted back to the race. Since the third-place runner hadn’t even arrived yet, she interviewed Ning Xiao and the second-place sports student together.

“Do you both have a regular running habit? Is this your first marathon?”

Ning Xiao: “No, I don’t really run. And yes, it’s my first time.”

Sports Student: “I’m a professional athlete. I train every single day. This is my third marathon.”

Liu Xueman looked at the student’s massive build, then at the tall, slender Ning Xiao, and felt a surge of profound pity for the lad. A professional athlete losing to someone who doesn’t even run? It was a life-long humiliation. Even a silver medal didn’t feel like a victory now.

While the interview was wrapping up, the “exorcist master” finally arrived, huffing and puffing. Shang Shaotan had paid him a fortune; whether he could actually drive out spirits or not, he had to at least put on a show.

He lurked in the crowd until the cameras moved away, then stepped forward, stroking his goatee as he approached Ning Xiao. “Young lady, I have observed you from afar and you do not seem… of this world. Might an old man read your fortune?”

The sports student, who had been about to leave, saw the man approaching and frowned. Standing beside Ning Xiao like a protective mountain, he barked, “Now then, grandad! We’ve all got a duty to stamp out feudal superstition. Don’t you go trying to corrupt the youth of our nation!”

The Master: 

He looked at his own spindly frame, then up at the massive athlete. “It’s not superstition.

 I assure you, it’s quite scientific!” He began a series of flamboyant, theatrical hand gestures directed at Ning Xiao.

The athlete shoved him back. “What do you think you’re doing? Making suggestive gestures at a young girl? Have you no shame!”

The athlete’s roar drew the attention of the surrounding crowd. People began pointing and whispering.

“At his age! No respect for himself at all!” “Trying to harass a schoolgirl? Call the police!” Yes, call the coppers.

Hearing the word ‘police,’ the master didn’t dare stay. “It’s a misunderstanding! All a misunderstanding!” He scurried away, tail between his legs.

“I only let him go because he’s an old man,” the athlete muttered, shaking a fist. “Otherwise, I’d have given him a proper thumping!”

Ning Xiao turned to him. “Thank you.” Having him scare off the “exorcist” saved her a lot of trouble.

The athlete blushed and rubbed the back of his head. “No problem.”

*****

Ning Xiao returned to school via a private car around half-past eleven. She changed into the same cheerleading uniform as Yun Can’er and tracked her down at the basketball court. Even from a distance, she could tell Can’er’s heart wasn’t in her cheering.

Creeping up behind her with a mischievous grin, Ning Xiao covered Yun Can’er’s eyes and whispered into her ear:

“Guess who?”

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