Turns Out I’m the Villain They’re Supposed to Redeem? [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 43.1

Rubbing the finger marks left on her neck from being choked, Huo Yuwan walked back while muttering curses under her breath. She swore that once she got the chance, she would pin Yang Nanjun to the ground and give him a good beating to avenge the humiliation she had suffered today.

As she and Yang Nanjun left one after the other, a single young woman who had been following them from a distance misunderstood the situation.

She was too far away to hear their conversation, but from their body language, she concocted an entire drama in her mind. The young woman shed silent tears, heartbroken, feeling that her sincere affection had been misplaced.

“So Brother Yang already has someone in his heart…”

In no time, rumors began to spread about the unknown love story between the domineering and arrogant educated youth Yang Nanjun and the sunny, cheerful orphan Huo Yuwan.

As the young woman tearfully recounted her version of the story, other single young men and women who were listening added their own embellishments, creating several different interpretations.

The first version was that Yang Nanjun, having been sent to the countryside, fell in love with Huo Yuwan at first sight. The two were deeply in love, but Yang Nanjun was determined to return to the city eventually and was unwilling to abandon his wealthy urban life. Thus, the star-crossed lovers parted ways, their love turning into resentment.

The second version claimed that Huo Yuwan had relentlessly pursued Yang Nanjun until she finally won the heart of the aloof educated youth. However, as a fickle woman, she grew tired of him and abandoned him. Despite this, the devoted Yang Nanjun remained deeply in love with her.

This version was the one the young woman had imagined. She had witnessed with her own eyes how Yang Nanjun seemed to lose his composure upon seeing Huo Yuwan. Later, he even ran out during class to chase after her, only to be met with Huo Yuwan’s impatience during their tussle, which broke the proud Yang Nanjun’s heart.

With the young woman’s firsthand account, this version of the story was widely accepted and spread. However, it also sparked much scepticism and debate. Many single young men in the village admired Huo Yuwan, while many single young women secretly had feelings for Yang Nanjun. The two groups fiercely defended their crushes, arguing incessantly.

There was also a third version of the story, but it was so far-fetched that few believed it. It claimed that Yang Nanjun had actually been secretly in love with Li Xuzhi, another educated youth sent to the countryside. However, being as proud as he was, Yang Nanjun concealed his deep affection behind a facade of disdain and avoidance.

Meanwhile, the kind and cheerful Huo Yuwan had somehow gradually caught Yang Nanjun’s attention, making him fall helplessly in love with the simple rural girl. Thus, Yang Nanjun abandoned his “white moonlight” and began shamelessly pursuing Huo Yuwan.

Huo Yuwan, who was washing her face with melted snow by the river, remained unaware of these rumours. Had she known, she would have been so furious that she might have overturned the classroom where the young men and women were gathered.

Although she had washed her face, her clothes and hair were still a mess. With no other choice, Huo Yuwan decided to go home first to wash her hair and change.

While water was heating on the stove, Huo Yuwan, now in fresh clothes, crouched on the ground to undo her hair. The two braids she had carefully styled that morning were not only stained with mud but also tangled beyond repair. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t unravel them.

Already irritated, Huo Yuwan’s patience had worn thin. She frowned, her hands applying more force, but the tangled strands seemed to resist her efforts, the harder she pulled, the more knotted they became.

She muttered discontentedly, “I should’ve just tied a ponytail instead of braiding it. So much easier.”

Just as she was at her wit’s end, a familiar, faint fragrance drifted closer, gradually enveloping Huo Yuwan’s senses. A warm hand covered hers where she gripped the braid, and a voice, cool yet tinged with softness, spoke.

“Let me.”

Li Xuzhi stood behind her, slightly bent, almost enveloping Huo Yuwan entirely in her embrace. With just a slight lift of her head, Huo Yuwan could have kissed her chin, the distance was that intimate.

Realizing this, Huo Yuwan froze, not daring to move. The familiar scent of cherry blossoms filled her nostrils, and from the corner of her eye, she could see Li Xuzhi’s pale wrist and slender fingers resting on the back of her hand.

Li Xuzhi’s low ponytail draped over her shoulder, a stray lock brushing against Huo Yuwan’s cheek, making her heart pound like a drum.

Firewood crackled in the stove, occasional sparks flickering, while the large pot on the range boiled with hot water.

In the quiet of the moment, Huo Yuwan could only hear the sound of their breathing.

“Hmm?”

Receiving no response, Li Xuzhi gently tapped the back of Huo Yuwan’s hand with her fingertip.

“O-okay.”

Blushing fiercely, Huo Yuwan withdrew her hand from the braid and sat quietly, letting Li Xuzhi patiently untangle the messy strands. Her movements were meticulous and careful, and soon the knots were undone. Li Xuzhi picked up a nearby comb and gently smoothed Huo Yuwan’s hair.

“All done.”

As Huo Yuwan turned around, Li Xuzhi handed her the removed hair tie.

Feeling a bit self-conscious about her unruly curls, Huo Yuwan tried to maintain a calm expression as she explained seriously, “My hair isn’t usually this messy…”

Still crouched on the floor, she had to tilt her head up slightly to speak to Li Xuzhi, her curly hair adding a rare touch of charm.

“Did you run into trouble with your experiment?” Li Xuzhi asked softly, gazing into Huo Yuwan’s clear eyes.

Usually, Huo Yuwan stayed late at the lab and returned home only in the evening, but today she had come back unusually early.

“Not really.” Huo Yuwan blushed even more at the thought of her fight, especially since she had lost… She rubbed her head and made up an excuse, “The roads are slippery from the snow. I took a fall on my way back, so I thought I’d come home to wash up.”

Just as she was feeling guilty about the lie, Li Xuzhi leaned in closer, her warm fingertips lightly brushing against Huo Yuwan’s neck.

Huo Yuwan’s heart, which had just calmed down, raced out of control again. She froze, not daring to move, feeling her face burn as if it were steaming.

“What happened to your neck?”

Frowning, Li Xuzhi noticed the red marks hidden under Huo Yuwan’s collar, some even tinged with bruises. A pang of heartache stirred within her.

“Did someone bully you?”

She felt a surge of anger, her mind involuntarily conjuring images of schoolchildren roughhousing and picking on their classmates. Huo Yuwan was her student, after all. If someone had bullied her, it was only right to seek justice for her.

Realizing her emotions were somewhat out of control, Li Xuzhi thought to herself, masking it by finding a reasonable explanation.

“It must have been from accidentally bumping into something when I fell. I’ve already applied medicine, and it’ll heal in a few days.”

Huo Yuwan tugged her collar up higher, not wanting Li Xuzhi to worry about her, and even more unwilling to let her know about the embarrassing fight she’d gotten into.

Li Xuzhi already saw her as no different from a kid like Wang Xiaomi. If she found out about the fight, wouldn’t that impression be completely irreversible?

Silently meeting her gaze, Li Xuzhi withdrew her fingers and responded indifferently, “The water’s boiled. You can wash up now.” As she turned to leave, her tone returned to its usual coolness.

“Are you angry with me?” Huo Yuwan suddenly grasped her palm, nearly stumbling into Li Xuzhi in her urgency, sensing something was off.

“No.” Li Xuzhi lowered her gaze to the slender fingers wrapped around her palm and replied softly. Truthfully, she couldn’t quite decipher her own emotions either.

“Then how about stewed ribs for dinner? I’ll make them when I get back. Didn’t you say before that my stewed ribs were delicious?”

Huo Yuwan, who knew her wife well, could sense her confusion. Without dwelling on it, she leaned in from behind with a smile and changed the subject.

Receiving a gentle response, Huo Yuwan, crouched on the ground, couldn’t help but smile, her eyes crinkling.

She knew it, despite Li Xuzhi’s outwardly cold demeanour, her heart remained as soft as ever.

In this world, Li Xuzhi’s personality was different from the last. No longer gentle and delicate, she was more aloof and silent, keeping others at a distance.

But no matter how much she changed, she would always be the softest presence in Huo Yuwan’s heart.

…

After tidying herself up at home, Huo Yuwan headed out again toward the village school. Clutching the books in her arms, her mind was already mapping out the experimental ideas she would work on later.

She was already well-known in the village due to her affluent family background and striking looks, though most of the attention came from single young men. But today, as she walked, Huo Yuwan felt that every few steps, someone was sneaking glances at her, both men and women, whispering to each other while casting complex looks her way.

Huo Yuwan touched the ponytail she had just tied, utterly puzzled.

Was it just because she changed her hairstyle? Was it really worth staring at her like that?

“Yuwan, I was just about to look for you.”

Wu Xiao, carrying a bamboo basket, had just stepped out of her house and hurried over when she saw Huo Yuwan.

“What’s up?”

Seeing that the bamboo basket was almost as tall as Wu Xiao, Huo Yuwan quickly stepped forward to help carry it.

Wu Xiao casually shoved it into her arms, pointing at the overflowing basket with a teasing smile. “Here, these are all from Yang Zhiqing. He asked me to pass them on to you, saying they’d be useful.”

As she spoke, she pulled out a black leather notebook from the top of the basket. “Yang Zhiqing said if you run into anything you don’t understand during your experiments these days, you can refer to this.”

The basket was packed full, books and models.

“I don’t want them! Tell him to take them back!”

Huo Yuwan shook her head, avoiding it as if it were poison. Her neck still ached from earlier.

Seeing this, Wu Xiao covered her mouth, laughing even more gleefully. “So, this is why you didn’t want me to introduce anyone to you, you’ve quietly landed a big fish yourself…”

Thinking Huo Yuwan was trying to distance herself from Yang Nanjun, Wu Xiao earnestly advised, “Oh, come on, it’s just a breakup. It’s not like you’ll never see each other again. Since he’s already brought it to your doorstep and you happen to need it, just take it.”

Finally understanding what Wu Xiao meant, Huo Yuwan was so shocked her pupils seemed to tremble. She instinctively took a step back.

“What nonsense is this? There’s no such relationship between us! Who started this rumor?” Huo Yuwan’s face flushed red with anger.

Seeing that she seemed genuinely upset, Wu Xiao froze for a moment before suddenly realizing, “So the third story is the true one? Wow, I never would’ve guessed…”

Feeling somewhat incredulous, Wu Xiao patted Huo Yuwan’s shoulder. “Well, in that case, it’s for the best. Let’s not get involved in the affairs of city folks. It’s better to live our own simple, honest lives.”

With that, she shook her head, sighed deeply, and turned to go home.