The Villainess’s Darling [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 67

On the first day of the new term, the girls’ dormitory didn’t restrict men from entering or leaving, as many fathers and brothers were helping carry luggage.

Ke Yueze exchanged greetings with the dorm supervisor, helped Yun Can’er collect her meal card and room keys, and carried her suitcase up to the third floor.

“My room is 305… here it is!” Yun Can’er hurried to the door, which was already unlocked.

The thought of strangers being inside and having to spend the night in a room with people she didn’t know, made her body stiffen. She didn’t dare touch the doorknob.

Ke Yueze walked up, looking puzzled. “Can’er, why aren’t you opening the door?”

Ning Xiao took Yun Can’er’s hand and gave her a reassuring nod. “Don’t be afraid.”

Taking a deep breath, Yun Can’er reached out with a trembling hand and gave the handle a light twist. The door swung open.

Ning Xiao nudged her inside. Yun Can’er looked stiffly at the two girls who had arrived earlier than her. They had already made their beds; one was wiping down a desk while the other was sweeping. When they saw Yun Can’er, a look of genuine amazement flashed in their eyes.

Ke Yueze, unable to relate to Yun Can’er’s shyness, strode into the room and set the suitcase down. Blushing as he looked at Ning Xiao, he said, “Sen—Senior, I’ll head off now. If Can’er needs anything, just have her find me.”

On the way up, Ning Xiao had added him on WeChat.

Ning Xiao smiled warmly. “Thank you, Yueze.”

Ke Yueze’s face turned beet red all the way to his hairline. “No—no problem!” He practically floated out of the room in a daze. He still had more freshmen to welcome.

Yun Can’er didn’t even have the energy to feel jealous. She was too busy agonizing over how to greet her roommates. They didn’t look like troublemakers; hopefully, they wouldn’t go out of their way to pick on her…

While Yun Can’er was overthinking, Ning Xiao had already stepped forward to speak with them.

“Can’er is quite shy and hasn’t spent much time away from home, so she’s a bit hesitant to speak with strangers. I was worried about how she’d adjust to university life, but seeing you two, I feel much better.”

Ning Xiao’s smile was the kind that could easily lower anyone’s guard.

The girl with the ponytail, her cheeks slightly flushed, asked curiously, “Why does seeing us make you feel better?”

“Because I can tell at a glance that just like Can’er, you are both kind, well-behaved girls.” Ning Xiao gently pushed Yun Can’er forward. “Go on, say hello to your new friends.”

Suddenly finding herself under the gaze of two curious sets of eyes, Yun Can’er’s face turned a fiery red that spread down to her neck. Her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings as she whispered, “Hello, everyone. My name is Yun Can’er. I’m eighteen.”

“I’m Feng Manman, also eighteen,” the ponytail girl replied.

“I’m Chu Ling, nineteen,” said the short-haired girl with glasses.

After introducing herself, she adjusted her glasses. “I took a gap year during high school, so I’m a year older than you. You can call me by my name, or call me Ling-jie.”

Once they finished their introductions, Feng Manman turned to Ning Xiao. “Are you Can’er’s older sister?”

“I’m not”

“She’s my friend’s older sister!” Yun Can’er blurted out, cutting Ning Xiao off.

Ning Xiao didn’t expose the lie; she simply turned back and gave her a surprised look.

Even Yun Can’er wasn’t sure why she was hiding the truth. She instinctively didn’t want others to know Ning Xiao was her stepmother. She felt that Ning Xiao’s actual status might become an obstacle for them in the future.

Ning Xiao helped Yun Can’er make her bed and took her on a tour of the campus—showing her the cafeteria, the library, and the sports field.

“Your military training starts tomorrow. Make sure to get up early and don’t forget your sunscreen. I don’t want my pretty little marshmallow turning into a chocolate bean next time I see you,” Ning Xiao teased.

However, the phrase “next time I see you” only brought a wave of melancholy to Yun Can’er.

She clung to Ning Xiao’s arm, unwilling to let go. “I don’t want you to leave…”

Ning Xiao said, “There’s a two-day break after military training. I’ll come pick you up and take you out for some fun, how does that sound?”

Yun Can’er wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want to go out. Can’t we just stay at home? Training is going to be exhausting; I’ll probably just want to lie in bed for those two days.”

Ning Xiao laughed. “You want me to stay in bed with you for two days?”

“Mhm.” Yun Can’er nodded.

“There’s no such thing as a stepmother and stepdaughter sharing a bed like that.”

“You and I can,” Yun Can’er said urgently. “I’ve never really thought of you as my stepmother anyway. I don’t hate you anymore.”

Ning Xiao chuckled. “So you’ve never seen me as a stepmother, but apparently you see me as your ‘friend’s older sister’ now.”

Yun Can’er felt a bit awkward. “I don’t know. Even if you aren’t my friend, you’re more important to me than one.”

Ning Xiao stayed for lunch at the cafeteria. The food at Ocean University was decent and affordable perfect for students. Despite being used to gourmet meals, Yun Can’er adapted well to the cafeteria fare.

“It’s lucky you’re at Ocean University. If you’d gone elsewhere, you’d be stuck having food delivered from home or ordering takeaway every day.”

Yun Can’er was the type who wouldn’t take more than one bite of something if it didn’t taste right.

Yun Can’er’s eyes lit up. “Can you come and bring me lunch?”

The light in her eyes faded as soon as the question left her lips. “I’m just talking nonsense. I don’t really expect you to bring me food. You’re so busy with work and the company is so far from the school…”

As much as she wanted to use lunch as an excuse to see Ning Xiao every day, she couldn’t bear to see her exhausted. She immediately dismissed the idea.

After lunch, Ning Xiao walked Yun Can’er back to the dorm. The final roommate still hadn’t arrived.

“Make sure to get along with your roommates and try to make some friends during military training, alright?” Ning Xiao instructed.

Yun Can’er held Ning Xiao’s hand and nodded, her eyes gradually welling up with tears.

“If you miss me, we can video call at night. Look at you—you’re acting like we’re saying goodbye forever.” Ning Xiao’s slender, pale fingers brushed against Yun Can’er’s lashes. “No crying after I leave. Chat with your roommates more, okay?”

Ning Xiao’s reason for letting Yun Can’er attend university in person was to build her confidence in speaking with strangers. Eventually, she intended to return the Yun Group to her, and she hoped by then Yun Can’er would be capable of running it.

She wanted Yun Can’er to have enough money and enough love so that she wouldn’t easily fall for a man like Zhuang Yuzhen just because of a small gesture of kindness.

After Ning Xiao left, Chu Ling and Feng Manman—who had been watching in a daze—immediately started chatting with Yun Can’er.

Yun Can’er sat on her chair, head hanging low. Her wavy, dark hair made her look small and delicate. Her fair cheeks and pouting lips screamed “misery.”

Feng Manman pulled a chair over. “Can’er, is that beautiful woman, Ning Xiao, really just your friend’s sister? You two seem so close, like actual sisters.”

Chu Ling nodded. “I’m not even that close with my twin sister.”

Yun Can’er looked up at them, sounding drained. “She treats me very well, no different from family. I’m just used to being with her…” Her voice trailed off as if she were about to cry again.

But remembering her promise to be strong, she swallowed her tears. “You can just think of her as my best friend.” Currently, “best friend” seemed to be the only word that could somewhat describe their relationship.

Chu Ling pushed up her glasses. “If Ning-jie were a different gender, I’d think you two were a couple.”

Yun Can’er’s heart skipped a beat. She looked at Chu Ling in shock. “Why would you think that?” Was she and Ning-ning being that ambiguous? How could it look like a romantic relationship.

The more she thought about it, the faster her heart raced. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks. Even though it was nonsense, she couldn’t help the shy feeling.

Feng Manman chimed in, “Exactly! I thought something felt a bit different. Ning-jie is so attentive to you, and the way you talk to her is so pampered… If you ignore the gender, you two really do look like a pair.”

“Stop guessing, we couldn’t possibly be a couple,” Yun Can’er said, covering her flushed cheeks in a way that only made her look more guilty.

Chu Ling and Feng Manman exchanged a look, their suspicions only deepening.

That evening, the three went to the cafeteria for dinner. Yun Can’er’s pure and beautiful face caused a minor stir.

Feng Manman said enviously, “You’re so pretty, Can’er. After military training, you’ll definitely be the campus belle or at least the department belle. Boys will be lining up to chase you.”

Chu Ling joked, “I heard that when boys chase a girl, they start by bribing the roommates. Looks like we’re in for a treat.”

Yun Can’er felt nothing toward the boys’ stares other than a bit of fear; she wasn’t used to being the center of attention.

“They’re only looking at me because Ning-ning isn’t here. Ning-ning is the real beauty,” Yun Can’er said seriously.

Chu Ling and Feng Manman nodded in agreement. “Ning-jie isn’t just beautiful; she has such an incredible aura.”

Compared to Ning Xiao, Yun Can’er was merely “cute” she hadn’t reached that heart-stopping level of presence yet.

“How can a woman as perfect as Ning-jie exist in this world?” Feng Manman sighed.

“She must be here to save everyone’s eyes,” Chu Ling added.

Yun Can’er lifted her chin proudly, as if the compliments were for her. Chu Ling and Feng Manman shared a secret smile; Yun Can’er’s personality was as simple and pure as a blank sheet of paper—anyone could read her.

After dinner, they went to the designated spot to collect their camouflage uniforms. When they returned to the dorm, they found the door wide open.

Yun Can’er stepped inside and was instantly shocked by what she saw.

Chu Ling and Feng Manman had arrived early and claimed the beds near the balcony. Yun Can’er had taken the one behind the door. Now, Chu Ling’s belongings were scattered all over the floor. A slightly tanned girl with red hair was barking orders at a middle-aged woman to make her bed for her.

The red-haired girl didn’t even turn around when she heard them enter.

Chu Ling, who had a fiery temper, stormed in and demanded, “Did you throw my things on the floor?”

The red-haired girl gave a cold sneer, not even deigning to look at Chu Ling. “Your bed? Does it have your name written on it? I didn’t know the school assigned fixed beds to everyone.”

“The school didn’t assign them, but I got here first and my things were all over it. What right do you have to throw them down?!” Chu Ling’s eyes were ablaze with fury.

“Because I felt like it,” the girl replied disdainfully.

The middle-aged woman quickly climbed down from the bunk. “Second Miss, the bed is ready…”

“Good. You can leave.”

The woman didn’t dare move. The other three girls in the room were glaring at her; she was terrified that as soon as she left, the “Second Miss” would get beaten up.

The red-haired girl crossed her arms arrogantly. “My uncle is the Vice-Principal. No one in this school can touch me.”

“So what if he’s the Vice-Principal? My dad is the Principal!” With that, Chu Ling pushed past the girl, reached up, and yanked the newly laid sheets and quilts off the bed, throwing them onto the floor.

“Until this is settled, no one is sleeping in this bed tonight,” Chu Ling growled.

Yun Can’er noticed a meal card on her own desk. It had the red-haired girl’s photo on it. The name was Zhai Li.

She reached out and swept the card onto the floor. “Who’s leaving their junk on my desk? How annoying.”

Zhai Li was clearly in the wrong, so Yun Can’er saw no need to be polite. Although she had promised Ning Xiao to get along with her roommates, she had also promised to be brave and not let others bully her.

Zhai Li was already throwing her weight around because of her uncle; if she didn’t stand up now, Zhai Li would surely find reasons to bully her later. Yun Can’er wasn’t going to give her that chance.

“You!” Zhai Li glared. Yun Can’er flinched slightly in fear, but Feng Manman immediately stepped in front of her to block Zhai Li’s view.

“Your uncle is a Vice-Principal? Big deal! My brother is a Vice-Principal too!” Feng Manman shot back.

“Ha! You all have quite the mouth on you!” Zhai Li sneered at Chu Ling. “You claim the Principal is your father? You should check what his surname is first!”

“And you a Vice-Principal is your brother? There are three Vice-Principals at Ocean University. Only one is named Zhai. The other two aren’t named Chu, Feng, or Yun.”

Zhai Li knew their names from the dorm list, she just hadn’t matched them to their faces yet.

The commotion in Room 305 drew attention. Someone informed the counselor, and before long, Lin Qingmei arrived, sweating profusely.

Lin Qingmei was a postgraduate student working part-time as a counselor for the Arts Department. Her mentor during her undergraduate years was Zhai Li’s uncle, the current Vice-Principal Zhai.

As soon as Lin Qingmei entered, she didn’t ask a single question. She immediately started berating Chu Ling, Feng Manman, and Yun Can’er.

“Student Zhai Li might have a bit of a temper and her actions might have been slightly inappropriate, but you can’t all gang up to bully her!”

Lin Qingmei pointed a trembling finger at the bedding on the floor. “Who threw this down?”

Feng Manman said, “Zhai Li did.”

Lin Qingmei’s eyes widened. “Just how terrible were you being to force Student Zhai Li to throw your bedding down in frustration?”

Zhai Li smirked triumphantly from the side, looking utterly insufferable.

Chu Ling snapped, “What kind of counselor are you? You might as well just be Zhai Li’s lapdog!”

Lin Qingmei’s face turned red with rage. “What did you say?! Insulting a teacher and bullying a classmate, wait until you have a demerit and disciplinary action on your record!”

Just then, Yun Can’er’s phone rang. Seeing it was a video call from Ning Xiao, her eyes lit up. But before she could answer, Lin Qingmei snatched the phone away and hit ‘decline’.

“Until this is settled, no one is contacting anyone!”

A surge of anger finally erupted in Yun Can’er. She had waited all afternoon for this call, only for Lin Qingmei to dismiss it without a word.

“What right do you have to take my phone? That’s robbery! I’m calling the police!” Yun Can’er glared at Lin Qingmei, fighting back tears.

“The police? Go ahead! And don’t bother coming back to this school!” With Vice-Principal Zhai backing her, Lin Qingmei wasn’t afraid of a few students.

She had researched the Arts Department students beforehand. She knew which ones came from powerful families, and Chu Ling, Feng Manman, and Yun Can’er weren’t on that list. That’s why she felt safe openly siding with Zhai Li; she figured they had no way to fight back.

On the other side, after failing to reach Yun Can’er, Ning Xiao called the Principal of Ocean University, Yan Shanxue, directly.

In the original plot, there was a scene where Yun Can’er was bullied by Zhai Li, and the male lead descended like a savior to rescue her. This time, Ning Xiao wasn’t going to give Zhuang Yuzhen the chance to play the hero.

After hearing what Ning Xiao had to say, Yan Shanxue asked for the dorm details. “Don’t worry, leave Can’er to me. I’m heading over right now.”

Yun Boyuan and Yan Shanxue were old university friends. When Yun Can’er got into the school, Boyuan had asked Yan Shanxue to look out for her. In the original story, Can’er hadn’t been close with her roommates, and only her things were targeted. No one had told Yan Shanxue, which allowed Zhuang Yuzhen to swoop in.

Yan Shanxue hung up, put down his chopsticks, and reached for his coat. His wife asked, “Where are you going in such a hurry?”

“There’s trouble in Lingling’s dorm. Boyuan’s daughter is in there too. I’m going to take a look.”

Yan Shanxue lived in the university’s faculty apartments, just a five-minute bike ride from the girls’ dorm.

The dorm supervisor was watching TV and knitting when she saw a tall shadow walk in. “Hey! Who are you? You can’t be in the girls’ dormitory!”

Yan Shanxue turned around to face her.

“Principal Yan?! What are you doing here?” the supervisor exclaimed.

“It’s complicated. I’ll explain later. Come with me to the third floor,” he said.

The supervisor dropped her knitting and followed him. It was only 8:00 PM, and the students were still awake. Some saw the Principal and immediately posted the news to their social media. The Principal at the girls’ dorm? Something big was happening!

The third floor was eerily quiet. Lin Qingmei had threatened the other students back into their rooms.

As Yan Shanxue reached Room 305, he heard Lin Qingmei’s shrill voice through the door: “Chu Ling, either you drop out or you apologize. The choice is yours!”

Yan Shanxue’s expression turned icy. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.

“I’d like to see exactly who wants my daughter to drop out.”

Lin Qingmei turned around, ready to snap at the intruder, only to find herself staring directly at the Principal.

“Principal Yan!” Her voice cracked.

Yan Shanxue’s gaze swept over the trashed dormitory. He looked at Chu Ling. “Lingling, what happened?”

Since Yun Can’er was standing off to the side, looking uninvolved, he didn’t address her first.

Chu Ling ignored Lin Qingmei’s panicked look and turned to her father. “Dad, this is Zhai Li, Vice-Principal Zhai’s niece. While the three of us were out for dinner, she threw my things off my bed and told me to give it to her. I got angry and threw her stuff down. When Counselor Lin arrived, she took Zhai Li’s side without even asking what happened.”

Chu Ling sneered at the frozen Lin Qingmei. “This counselor didn’t just insult us; she threatened to give us demerits and make us drop out if we didn’t apologize to Zhai Li. Vice-Principal Zhai must be quite the powerful tree for you all to enjoy his shade so much.”

Lin Qingmei was shaking. “Principal Yan, I… I didn’t know Chu Ling was your daughter…”

Yan Shanxue looked at her coldly. “And if she wasn’t my daughter, would it be acceptable for you to bully her?”

Zhai Li’s eyes went wide. She never imagined Chu Ling was actually the Principal’s daughter. “No… impossible. You must be an actor Chu Ling hired! The Principal’s name is Yan, and hers is Chu! The names don’t even match!”

Yun Can’er poked her head out from behind Feng Manman. “How did you even get into this university being this stupid? Can’t Chu Ling just take her mother’s surname?”

Zhai Li’s face turned pale.

Yun Can’er watched her closely, noting the flash of guilt in Zhai Li’s eyes.

“Principal Yan, I suggest you check Zhai Li’s entrance exam scores,” Yun Can’er said, gathering her courage to speak to him for the first time. “I suspect she used improper means to get admitted to Ocean University.”

After speaking, she waited for his response, her heart pounding.

I was so brave today. When I tell Ning-ning later, she’ll definitely praise me, right?

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