Turns Out I’m the Villain They’re Supposed to Redeem? [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 33.1

As if searching for the source of a fragrance, Huo Yuwan’s kiss was both urgent and tender.

Her palm gripped the fabric at Li Xuzhi’s shoulder, her grasp tightening and loosening intermittently. The corners of Li Xuzhi’s eyes were flushed with a suggestive hue, and in the confined space, only their soft breaths lingered.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound of knocking made Huo Yuwan freeze. A moment later, belatedly blushing, she opened her eyes and looked at Li Xuzhi, whose forehead was still pressed against hers.

Their lips, after the kiss, glistened with moisture, flushed and captivating.

Her eyelashes fluttered lightly as she continued to breathe in shallow pants.

“Yuwan, how much longer will you be?”

The drowsy voice of Huo Yuqing came from outside the door. She had instinctively assumed it was her younger sister inside.

“I… I just came in and was about to take a shower. Sis, could you use the bathroom downstairs?”

Gazing at Li Xuzhi, whose face was even more flushed than her own, Huo Yuwan forced herself to sound calm as she lied.

Soon, the sound of Huo Yuqing’s slippers descending the stairs echoed from outside. The two, still crouched on the floor, let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.

“Let’s go back to the room, sis.”

Suppressing a smile, Huo Yuwan took Li Xuzhi’s hand and helped her up. Though their relationship was perfectly legitimate, the sneaking around tonight had made it feel thrillingly illicit.

They had no idea how long they had been kissing. When Li Xuzhi stood up, her calves were completely numb.

Frowning, she swayed unsteadily and was promptly caught in Huo Yuwan’s firm embrace.

Biting her lip in embarrassment, Li Xuzhi lowered her gaze and steadied herself by holding onto Huo Yuwan’s arm. “My legs are numb. Let me stand for a moment.”

Huo Yuwan scooped her up horizontally. “I’ll carry you back, sis.”

Pressing her lips together in a smile, Li Xuzhi wrapped her arms around Huo Yuwan’s neck, her gaze tender yet shy.

“Am I too heavy?”

In just a few steps, they reached the bedroom. Huo Yuwan used her leg to close the door behind them.

At the question, she grinned confidently. “Even if you gained another fifty pounds, I could still carry you with ease.”

The person in her arms felt incredibly light. Though they had been living together for two or three months, and Huo Yuwan always made sure to serve her more food at mealtimes, Li Xuzhi’s frame remained slender and fragile. Combined with her demanding daily workload, Huo Yuwan felt that her efforts to nourish her couldn’t keep up with Li Xuzhi’s gradual weight loss.

The bed was soft and inviting. Huo Yuwan placed her on the edge and knelt to massage Li Xuzhi’s numb calves.

But Li Xuzhi stopped her by pressing on her wrist, shaking her head gently. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Then, glancing behind Huo Yuwan, she bit her lip and hinted, “Lock the door.”

Thinking she was worried about Huo Yuqing discovering them, Huo Yuwan quickly stood up to lock the door.

As the lock clicked into place, the room was suddenly plunged into darkness.

Li Xuzhi, by the bed, had switched off the light.

Turning around, Huo Yuwan felt her heartbeat quicken uncontrollably once more.

In the dim moonlight, she could vaguely make out Li Xuzhi’s silhouette.

The memory of their interrupted kiss in the bathroom resurfaced in her mind.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Huo Yuwan leaned in and found Li Xuzhi’s lips again in the darkness.

Her first attempt missed the mark, and she heard a soft chuckle before realizing she had kissed Li Xuzhi’s eyelid.

Her ears burning, Huo Yuwan moved downward and this time captured Li Xuzhi’s lips accurately.

Her kiss was lingering and tantalizing, drawing soft, breathy sighs from Li Xuzhi.

Slowly, they sank onto the bed. Li Xuzhi reached for Huo Yuwan’s hand, their fingers intertwining tightly.

Two hearts pressed closely together through the fabric, their pounding beats like thunderous drums, gradually lulling Huo Yuwan into a daze.

As Li Xuzhi guided her hand to rest before her, she noticed the thin layer of sweat on Huo Yuwan’s palm.

“Haven’t you been doing any research these past couple of days?”

She pulled her closer, chuckling softly.

Warm fingertips, once gently guided, now ventured untaught beneath the fabric, tracing the delicate skin that made Huo Yuwan linger with unwillingness to pull away.

At the question, Huo Yuwan buried her face in the crook of Li Xuzhi’s neck, her voice already hazy and tinged with a kind of resigned abandon.

“You said you’d teach me.”

Li Xuzhi, now under her control, bit her lip, the corners of her eyes flushed red.

A clever student’s mind was indeed sharp, just a little guidance, and she could infer the rest.

But Huo Yuwan had always been considerate toward Li Xuzhi. When it came time to “hand in her homework,” she would patiently ask for feedback, determined to earn Teacher Li’s satisfied praise.

Afterward, Dr. Li was utterly exhausted, but as Huo Yuwan gazed at the lingering blush at the corners of her eyes and the traces of tears, her heart ached with tenderness, mixed with a hint of pride.

Dr. Li had just praised her aloud as a good student.

Though she had fallen asleep right after saying it.

But Huo Yuwan, the instigator, felt not a shred of guilt.

…

Morning light filtered through the curtains into the room. Huo Yuwan was jolted awake by a sharp alarm. Dazed, she sat up to reach for her phone, but as she moved her arm, she felt the smooth texture of skin beneath her palm.

Slowly lowering her gaze, she saw Li Xuzhi nestled in her arms, her sleeping face serene and tender.

Instinctively smiling, Huo Yuwan softened her movements and turned off the alarm on the phone.

It was Li Xuzhi’s phone. She had apparently worried about waking up too late and being discovered by Huo Yuwan’s family, so she had set an unusually early alarm the night before.

After placing the phone back on the table, Huo Yuwan turned and slipped back under the covers.

Sensing the movement beside her, Li Xuzhi’s eyelashes fluttered faintly, but in the end, she couldn’t overcome her exhaustion and drowsiness. Instead, she nestled her head closer into Huo Yuwan’s neck, her soft palm encircling her waist, and drifted back to sleep.

Her breathing was gentle and steady. Huo Yuwan watched her, smiling foolishly.

She thought she might have been a bit excessive last night, tiring her sister out so much that she didn’t even stir at the early alarm.

She didn’t know how long she had been watching when she finally heard movement downstairs. Blinking, Huo Yuwan quietly got out of bed and dressed.

Before leaving, she gently closed the bedroom door.

Downstairs, Huo’s mother was preparing breakfast, while Huo Yuwan helped her father sweep the snow in the yard, occasionally glancing up toward her room.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t sleep well last night?”

Huo Yuqing, who was also helping, noticed her behavior and asked curiously.

Hearing this, Huo’s father also looked at Huo Yuwan. “If you’re still tired, go back to bed. We’ll finish clearing this snow in no time.”

Mainly, Huo Yuwan seemed distracted, several times, she had messed up the piles of snow he had gathered to shovel away later, only making more work.

Shaking her head, Huo Yuwan replied calmly, “No, I’m just checking the weather.”

Her phone in her pocket remained silent, indicating that Li Xuzhi in the room hadn’t woken up yet. Huo Yuwan secretly smiled to herself and decided to change her approach.

When the family sat down for breakfast, Huo Yuwan carefully broached the subject, “My girlfriend said she wants to come over for New Year’s greetings today. She’ll probably arrive at the high-speed rail station around noon, so I won’t be going out with you all later.”

Though she spoke as casually as if discussing an everyday matter, the smile on her face gave her away.

Everyone at the dining table froze upon hearing this, with Huo’s mother being particularly agitated. She had just been thinking about vetting her daughter’s partner, and now this person was delivering herself to their doorstep.

“Arriving at noon? Maybe we should cancel our outing today…”

The family had planned a trip to the suburban scenic area days ago, but now that her daughter’s girlfriend was coming, Huo’s mother considered canceling the plan.

Huo Yuwan, unruffled, interrupted, “No need, Mom. Just come back a bit earlier in the afternoon, but not too late.”

“After I pick her up, I want to take her out on a date,” she added matter-of-factly.

Huo’s mother shot her a glare. “There’ll be plenty of time for dates. Since she’s coming to our home, how can your father and I, as elders, leave her waiting?”

“There’s no time! She only has two days off and has to return to the hospital tomorrow,” Huo Yuwan protested with a pout.

Tomorrow was her birthday, and Huo Yuwan remembered Li Xuzhi mentioning she had a surgery scheduled that day, so indeed, she only had yesterday and today off.

After much persuasion, Huo’s mother finally relented, agreeing to meet Li Xuzhi after they returned from their outing in the afternoon.

Once her family had left, Huo Yuwan eagerly dashed upstairs.

Li Xuzhi on the bed seemed to have just woken up. As Huo Yuwan pushed the door open, she saw her slowly sit up.

Her hair cascaded down her back, revealing a fair neck and shoulders dotted with faint red marks.

Hearing the noise, Li Xuzhi lifted her gaze, her eyes tender as she smiled at Huo Yuwan.

Her ears warming, Huo Yuwan closed the door and sat by the bed. “Sister, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

At this, Li Xuzhi’s ears flushed with embarrassment.

Huo Yuwan had asked the same question the night before.

Shaking her head, she lowered her gaze and murmured softly, “No, but we were supposed to wake up early…”

“It’s fine, my family has gone out,” Huo Yuwan reassured her, then recounted her earlier explanation downstairs. Relieved, Li Xuzhi said, “That’s good. Later, you can help me pick out some gifts for your family.”

Visiting her girlfriend’s family for the first time, Li Xuzhi couldn’t help feeling nervous.

After breakfast, the two headed out. Huo Yuwan took Li Xuzhi to a downtown mall, where they selected gifts for the family, including her little niece. After storing the purchases, they leisurely began their date.

The mall was bustling with New Year crowds, and groups of students on winter break gathered to hang out.

Huo Yuwan brought Li Xuzhi to an arcade. With matching red fluffy beanies on their heads, they huddled together, engrossed in the thrilling game of claw machine.

“Got it!” Huo Yuwan pressed the button. The claw, barely gripping the corner of the plush toy, wobbled and swung, dropping the toy perfectly into the corner exit.

Bending down to retrieve it, she grinned triumphantly. “Seems this machine is pretty easy.”

Li Xuzhi held the small pink plush toy she had won, a gentle smile on her lips. “You’re just skilled.”

She had noticed the boy at the neighboring machine try several times without success.

Praise like this boosted Huo Yuwan’s confidence even more.

“You try it too, Sister.”

Inserting two more coins, Huo Yuwan stood behind Li Xuzhi, watching and offering guidance.

Li Xuzhi couldn’t recall the last time she had played such a game. Gripping the joystick, she found it both novel and amusing.

“This seems a bit tricky.” She slowly maneuvered the claw, hesitating over where to position it, feeling somewhat nervous.

The mall’s temperature was comfortable, unlike the freezing cold outside, and Li Xuzhi’s cheeks were already flushed with warmth.

“Grab this one.”

Huo Yuwan held her hand to control the joystick, pressed the button after confirming the position, and didn’t notice Li Xuzhi’s increasingly reddened earlobes.

“We’ll definitely get it.” She stared intently at the claw inside the machine.

Li Xuzhi glanced at her sideways, then averted her gaze and softly agreed.

The claw swayed unsteadily toward the exit, and as the grip loosened, the plush toy indeed dropped into the chute.

“Sis, you’re amazing.”

Taking out the plush toy, Huo Yuwan praised her with a beaming smile.

The two played at the mall until the afternoon, only leaving for home by taxi after Huo Yuqing messaged to say they were already on their way back.

When actually facing Huo Yuwan’s family, Li Xuzhi’s nervousness eased somewhat. Huo’s parents were both amiable,

no deliberate challenges, no verbal threats, no veiled sarcasm. Li Xuzhi knew that only her own father would act that way.

Upon hearing that the two had plans to marry, Huo’s mother was especially overjoyed. In just one afternoon, she had genuinely accepted her younger daughter’s girlfriend.

Gentle-natured, stable job, beautiful, and most importantly, completely devoted to her daughter. Huo’s mother couldn’t possibly be dissatisfied.

In June after the semester started, Huo Yuwan went abroad to study.

Her application to the university was approved. Though her parents were surprised when she told them, they still supported her, only privately worrying about the tuition fees. Huo’s father had even prepared to drain the family savings.

Unexpectedly, Huo Yuwan refused the bank card they offered. Over the past year, she had earned commissions by taking online orders using her diverse knowledge, saving a considerable amount, otherwise, she wouldn’t have passed the asset verification during the application process.

With Huo Yuwan alone abroad, Li Xuzhi was also very concerned. Besides helping her pack various belongings, she quietly transferred all the bonuses and most of her salary saved from her studies and work over the years into Huo Yuwan’s account.

She knew Huo Yuwan had taken on part-time jobs to earn money, but she couldn’t help worrying, afraid that she might suffer hardships in daily life.

When Huo Yuwan arrived abroad, she discovered the extra money in her account. She found it both amusing and touching, but more than anything, she was deeply moved.

After some thought, she sent Li Xuzhi a screenshot of her balance, then transferred that portion of the money along with her own savings, what she called her “wife fund”, back to Li Xuzhi.

Under the pretext of having her keep it safe, they planned to look at houses together once Huo Yuwan returned home for her next break, preparing for their future marriage.

This reasoning successfully reassured Li Xuzhi.