Turns Out I’m the Villain They’re Supposed to Redeem? [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 22.1

Qi Qiuyuan had been waiting in the locker room for three hours before Ding Sheng finally arrived.

It was Saturday. Originally, he had planned to accompany his wife and children on a hiking and camping trip. However, an unexpected call from Qi Qiuyuan forced him to rush back to the city. Under the confused gazes of his wife and children, he could only explain that there was an urgent matter at school that needed his attention.

Driving from the outskirts to the city center on a busy Saturday, with heavy traffic from people heading out, Ding Sheng hurried as fast as he could to reach the school.

All the way, he felt uneasy. Huo Yuwan’s arrival had driven Qi Qiuyuan to the brink of irrationality, especially after being completely outperformed in the long-distance running event. Qi Qiuyuan could no longer tolerate Huo Yuwan’s presence for even a moment.

During yesterday afternoon’s training session, Qi Qiuyuan had recorded her worst performance since enrolling in the school. Chen Rong was both shocked and disappointed. While analyzing the reasons, Qi Qiuyuan remained silent, but Ding Sheng, who was observing, could guess, it was because of Huo Yuwan.

He knew he had to find a way to help her take action against Huo Yuwan again.

The previous incident of framing Li Yu with stimulants had already left Ding Sheng tormented, fearing that someone might discover the truth.

Yet, he was desperate for a promotion. Nearing forty, he couldn’t bear the thought of spending his entire life as a sports coach with little future prospects at the school.

Qi Qiuyuan’s father held a mid-level position in the Education Department. If he could secure his support, transferring and getting promoted would become much easier.

The key to the girls’ locker room had always been in Qi Qiuyuan’s possession, but now that she was locked inside, Ding Sheng had no choice but to bring lock-picking tools to force the door open.

However, as he turned the corner into the hallway outside the locker room, Ding Sheng’s footsteps instinctively halted.

A surveillance camera with a glaring infrared light was pointed directly at him from the corner of the wall.

Qi Qiuyuan had forgotten to turn off the surveillance.

He cursed under his breath, then lowered his head and gritted his teeth as he continued forward.

No one’s in the duty room right now anyway. I’ll just climb through the window later and delete the footage, he reassured himself.

Whether it was due to extreme nervousness or his unfamiliarity with lock-picking, Ding Sheng fumbled for a long time before finally managing to open the lock. Qi Qiuyuan, who had been growing increasingly impatient inside, rushed out as soon as the door swung open.

Grabbing her wrist firmly, Ding Sheng’s expression was grim. “You’re far too careless! How could you forget to turn off the surveillance in the hallway?”

For a moment, Qi Qiuyuan looked bewildered, a sense of foreboding creeping into her heart. “But I did turn it off.”

Even if jealousy had clouded her judgment, she wouldn’t have forgotten such a basic precaution.

Their eyes met, and Ding Sheng’s lips trembled with anxiety.

Could there be someone else here?

From a hidden corner further down the hallway, Li Yu zoomed in with her phone camera, focusing intently on the moment Ding Sheng grabbed Qi Qiuyuan’s wrist.

Watching the two of them hurry toward the duty room, she smirked scornfully before standing up and leaving.

…

Dinner was prepared by Li Xuzhi, with Huo Yuwan assisting by handling the ingredients nearby.

At one point, Li Xuzhi’s phone rang. She was busy adding ingredients to the wok, so Huo Yuwan went to the living room to fetch the phone for her. Noticing that the caller was Li Xuzhi’s mother, Huo Yuwan handed it over without lingering nearby.

Though she didn’t stand close enough to hear the conversation, Huo Yuwan could tell from Li Xuzhi’s slightly furrowed brow and cold tone that the call was anything but pleasant.

Pursing her lips, Huo Yuwan recalled encountering Qi’s mother at the mall earlier that afternoon.

Dr. Li rarely communicated with her family, and it went without saying how Qi’s mother would twist the truth during this period.

When dinner was served, she brought out the cake and placed it in front of Li Xuzhi. The pure white frosting was meticulously sculpted into the shape of a fox, so lifelike that its fluffy tail seemed to be half-raised. Under the light, its glass-like eyes shimmered with a beautiful, translucent glow.

Noticing that Li Xuzhi’s gaze lingered on the fox cake’s face, Huo Yuwan began to feel a wave of embarrassment and regret.

What difference was there between this and giving someone a piece of merchandise of herself as a gift?

“I feel like I’ve seen this fox before.”

Observing the delicate little cake carefully, Li Xuzhi’s fine brows furrowed slightly, as if she were trying to recall something.

Under the table, the little kitten was also pawing at her leg, trying to jump up. Hearing this, Huo Yuwan forced an awkward laugh and deflected, “I modeled it after the kitten. Maybe there’s still some resemblance, right?”

They were both white foxes, surely humans couldn’t distinguish too many details in their appearances. She thought uncertainly.

“Is that so?”

Li Xuzhi picked up the little kitten that had been rubbing against her. It obediently perched on the edge of the table, its dark pupils curiously fixed on the cake in front of it.

Clearly, the kitten still remembered the fellow creature it had briefly encountered before.

Li Xuzhi’s eyes shifted between the real and the faux fox. She chuckled teasingly, “Not alike at all. The tail is much bigger than the kitten’s.”

“Cough, cough, cough.”

Huo Yuwan, who had been pretending to drink water to divert her attention, choked.

Meeting Li Xuzhi’s concerned gaze, she took a tissue and wiped the corner of her mouth, trying to change the subject. “It’s time to light the candles and make a wish.”

With that, Huo Yuwan inserted the candles into the cake and went to turn off the living room lights.

Watching her retreating figure, Li Xuzhi’s gaze softened.

In truth, she hadn’t mentioned it, but the moment she laid eyes on the little cake, Li Xuzhi had recognized it as the white fox that had come to her house with the kitten that day.

When it was time to make a wish, looking at Huo Yuwan across from her, who, in the dim light, was resting her chin on her hand and smiling at her, Li Xuzhi silently closed her eyes.

The person she wanted was already by her side; she had nothing more to ask for.

…

After dinner, Huo Yuwan took the initiative to clear the dishes. She had eaten nearly all of the large table of food herself, while Dr. Li had eaten very little, feeding Huo Yuwan far more often than she ate herself.

Once the dishes were washed and put away, Huo Yuwan took a shower in the living room bathroom and put on the same pajamas she had worn during her last visit, the ones belonging to Li Xuzhi.

She sat in the living room, browsing through movies on the TV to watch later, waiting for Li Xuzhi, who was also showering in the master bedroom.

The cake remained untouched; Li Xuzhi had said she wanted to enjoy it later with red wine.

Huo Yuwan naturally had no objections.

The red wine on the table had already been aerated, its rich, slightly astringent aroma wafting straight into her nostrils. Huo Yuwan, not being a fan, moved to the other end of the sofa.

She had even prepared herself for the possibility that Dr. Li might get completely drunk later, and she’d have to take care of her all night.

The little kitten curled up on Huo Yuwan’s lap, well-behaved and not causing any trouble.

Huo Yuwan sometimes thought this little fox’s temperament was quite rare. When she was that age, before gaining spiritual awareness, she had been wild and unruly, spending her days frolicking outside without a moment’s rest.

A rich, fragrant scent suddenly wafted past her nose, pulling Huo Yuwan out of her thoughts. She turned her head and saw Li Xuzhi, who had somehow come to sit beside her.

Beneath the white spaghetti strap nightgown, the first thing that caught the eye was her straight and delicate collarbones, with fair and tender skin tinged with a faint pink hue, evoking a sense of allure.

Her hair tips still carried a hint of moisture, and the fabric at the small of her back quickly darkened with a damp patch, faintly revealing the delicate curve of her slender waist.

Fingertips unconsciously tangled with a stray lock of her hair, and Huo Yuwan found herself intoxicated by the dual sensations of fragrance and alcohol, her throat growing dry without her even realizing it.

“You haven’t dried your hair yet,” she murmured softly, allowing that damp strand of hair to entwine in her palm.

“It’s fine.”

Tucking the stray hair behind her ear with her fingertips, the fair side of her face appeared even softer under the lamplight.

“Are you sure you don’t want to try it?”

Picking up the wine glass from the table, Li Xuzhi turned to look at Huo Yuwan, who wore an expression of utmost seriousness.

Shaking her head, Huo Yuwan pressed play on the selected movie.

“Dr. Li, feel free to drink. Even if you get drunk, I’ll take good care of you.”

She nearly patted her chest in assurance, her expression indulgent as if dealing with a playful child, though her gaze remained fixed on the television screen the entire time.

It was as if the movie playing held an irresistible fascination for her.

Li Xuzhi lowered her eyes, a faint, helpless smile flickering in their depths.

The cake was exquisitely made. Li Xuzhi hesitated with the spoon for a long moment before finally scooping a small portion from the tail end.

“You can at least try this, right?”

She brought the spoon to Huo Yuwan’s lips, one hand resting between them, nearly half her body pressed against Huo Yuwan’s.

A rich fragrance exploded in Huo Yuwan’s nostrils, and she parted her lips in a daze, her mind struggling to process the moment.

The sweet cake wasn’t enough to pull Huo Yuwan back to her senses. She blinked, staring at the person so close to her.

“Dr. Li, can I ask you a question?”

With jade-like fingers, Li Xuzhi gently wiped away the lingering cream at the corner of Huo Yuwan’s lips. Hearing the question, she lifted her gaze, her eyes as gentle as ever.

A mix of anticipation and encouragement.

Huo Yuwan pressed her lips together, steeling herself to speak.

“Can you tell me which body wash you use? It smells really nice.”

She had wanted to ask since the sports meet. The scent on Dr. Li always made her heart race and her mind go blank. Huo Yuwan felt that this might be the reason she couldn’t keep her hands to herself whenever she saw Dr. Li.

Just as cats become addicted to catnip, this fragrance had an addictive effect on her too.

Huo Yuwan decided to buy several bottles of the same body wash and douse herself in the scent, so she wouldn’t have to secretly and shamefully fidget around Dr. Li anymore.

“…”

Li Xuzhi looked at her, feeling both exasperated and helpless, but she still replied, “It should be cherry blossom scented.”

“It’s the same as the one in the bathroom outside. Didn’t you use it tonight too?”

As she spoke, Li Xuzhi leaned closer to Huo Yuwan’s neck and took a light sniff.

That small patch of skin quickly tingled with a ticklish sensation, and Huo Yuwan’s cheeks flushed involuntarily.

“R-really?”

But it’s clearly not the same, she muttered inwardly, puzzled. Dr. Li’s scent is still much nicer.

After that, Li Xuzhi didn’t tease her any further. She finished the entire fox tail of the cake, scoop by scoop, and paired with the red wine, soon a tipsy flush appeared on her face.

Although Huo Yuwan’s gaze seemed fixed on the movie the entire time, her attention was wholly focused on Li Xuzhi.

Seeing the person seemed drunk, she turned down the volume of the film, then effortlessly bent down and picked Li Xuzhi up, carrying her toward the master bedroom.

“Yuwan…”

With her soft, beautiful eyes gently closed, Li Xuzhi leaned against her chest and softly called Huo Yuwan’s name.

Thinking she had something to say, Huo Yuwan lowered her head to get closer and hear her clearly.

A pale arm wrapped around her neck, and hot, moist breath brushed against her ear. Huo Yuwan’s heart tightened uncontrollably.

“You’re an idiot.”

The soft, low whisper reached her ears, and Huo Yuwan’s steps faltered slightly. Not just her ears, but even her neck began to flush.

“Stay here tonight.”

As she laid the person on the bed, Li Xuzhi’s arm still hadn’t released her neck. With red-rimmed eyes glistening with tears, she gazed at Huo Yuwan and suddenly spoke softly.

Unable to suppress a smile, Huo Yuwan thought Dr. Li was truly drunk.

She had already showered and changed into her pajamas, of course she was staying here tonight.

But facing someone intoxicated, Huo Yuwan still nodded seriously in response.

“Mm, I’ll stay here tonight.”

The person beneath her seemed very pleased with her reply, a faint dimple appearing on her cheek. She hooked her arm around Huo Yuwan’s neck, pulling her closer, and nuzzled her cheek affectionately against Huo Yuwan’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Yuwan.”

Dr. Li was so easily satisfied.