Turns Out I’m the Villain They’re Supposed to Redeem? [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 46

The students crowded at the door, who had been watching intently, gasped in surprise.

“How could she drop the model?”

“She just couldn’t keep up the act anymore!”

“Knowing she couldn’t complete it, she preemptively smashed the model to pretend it was an accident…”

“But I saw Sun Chuanlu drop it?”

“It was almost finished, I don’t believe she broke it herself.”

“Sun Chuanlu went too far this time…”

…

Li Xuzhi, who had just reached the window and witnessed the scene, unconsciously furrowed her brow. Her gaze fell on the bruise on Huo Yuwan’s hand, and she instinctively wanted to step inside.

“Is that the student you mentioned?”

Cheng Lian, standing beside her, noticed her reaction and adjusted his glasses with a light chuckle.

“You’re usually so indifferent about your own work, yet you care so much about this student. It seems your relationship isn’t just that of teacher and student, you must be quite close privately.”

Li Xuzhi lowered her eyes and pressed her lips together, neither confirming nor denying his words.

“It’s only natural for a teacher to care about her students,” she replied coolly.

Cheng Lian smiled at her response but inwardly shook his head, thinking his junior was even more rigid than he was.

What was wrong with admitting you had a good relationship with a student?

Her eyes fixed on the device lying broken on the floor, Li Xuzhi observed quietly before lifting her gaze to study Huo Yuwan’s expression.

“Let’s go in and stand up for your student.”

Having clearly seen Sun Chuanlu’s sabotage through the back window earlier and now hearing the students’ accounts that filled in the details, Cheng Lian felt it was time to intervene, both professionally and personally.

At this, Li Xuzhi shook her head slowly. Watching Huo Yuwan holding the controller, she murmured softly,

“Wait a little longer.”

Inside the lab.

Seeing Huo Yuwan shift from visible fury to a forced calm, standing silently without a word, Sun Chuanlu’s eyes flickered with scorn.

“Why smash the thing? Just admitting you couldn’t do it wouldn’t have been so shameful.”

He bent down, picked up the shattered main device, and tossed it playfully in his hand, then casually kicked aside the smaller components on the floor.

“What a waste of resources.”

Tsking mockingly, Sun Chuanlu glanced at Huo Yuwan, who stood with her head bowed as if in despair.

“I’m not like you, so broke you’d scrape for material costs.”

“Kneel down, kowtow, promise never to show your face around me again, and you can leave.”

The surrounding students looked uneasy. They hadn’t expected Sun Chuanlu to actually demand Huo Yuwan kneel and kowtow, such humiliation was hard to watch. They stared intently, wondering if she would comply.

“What’s the hurry?”

Unexpectedly, Huo Yuwan let out a soft laugh amid the tension.

Casually toying with the controller in her hand, she looked at Sun Chuanlu.

More precisely, her gaze was fixed on the main device he held.

Frowning slightly as if dissatisfied with something, she scanned the floor.

Picking up a small component, she smiled brightly and attached it to the bottom of the main device right in front of Sun Chuanlu.

“What are you trying to do? It’s already shattered to pieces.”

Snorting in disdain, Sun Chuanlu shoved her away in disgust, then twisted off the knob Huo Yuwan had just attached and flung it to the ground.

Clink…

The sound of metal hitting the floor echoed sharply in the quiet room.

He stared provocatively at Huo Yuwan before slamming the device onto the ground once more.

“I’ve changed my mind. Kowtow ten times. You’re not leaving until you do.”

The surrounding students could no longer stand it.

“You’re going too far, Sun Chuanlu!”

“She could have made it! You deliberately broke the device!”

“Have you no shame?”

The students’ voices grew louder in condemnation, but Sun Chuanlu merely narrowed his eyes and swept a glance over them.

“If you still want to use the school lab in the future, keep talking.”

As his words hung in the air, the students exchanged uneasy glances and fell silent.

After all, Huo Yuwan was just an ordinary student no one knew. Who would sacrifice their own interests for a stranger?

Huo Yuwan had been taught since childhood to uphold justice and kindness, a principle she had followed for centuries. But now she realized that not everyone deserved such benevolence.

Slowly tightening her grip on the controller, the sharp metal edges scraped against her palm, and her gaze turned icy cold.

“Kneel down.”

Sun Chuanlu dragged a chair over and sprawled arrogantly in front of her.

Yang Nanjun appeared at the edge of the crowd, his eyes scanning the chaotic scene on the floor. When he noticed Huo Yuwan with her head bowed, clutching her palm tightly, his calm expression suddenly hardened, and his brow furrowed sternly.

“Professor Yang…”

A female teacher, noticing the change in his demeanor, couldn’t help but stare in surprise.

Impatiently pushing through the crowded students, Yang Nanjun fixed his gaze on the verbally abusive Sun Chuanlu and strode purposefully toward him.

The students he had shoved aside initially grumbled under their breaths but quickly fell silent and stepped aside upon recognizing him as a faculty member.

“Professor Yang, calm down.”

Seeing his aggressive demeanor, more like he was ready to throw a punch than mediate—the female teacher anxiously grabbed his arm, positioning herself in front of him to intervene.

“Step aside!”

Annoyed by the obstruction, Yang Nanjun reached out to pull her away.

But before the female teacher could even shut her eyes in fear, a loud thud echoed from behind.

Followed by a sharp cry of pain.

“Ah!”

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass windows, illuminating the two figures at the center of the crowd, one standing, the other collapsed on the floor, bathed in the glaring light.

A battered, cracked simulator darted erratically through the air above the classroom. The only sound left in the quiet room was the low hum of the activated device.

Sun Chuanlu, struck squarely under the jaw by the simulator’s first flight, lay sprawled on the ground, his chair overturned beside him. He forgot even to cry out in pain, his eyes wide with terror as he watched the missile simulator zigzagging wildly around the room.

Huo Yuwan stared coldly at him, her thumb subtly manipulating the control stick.

“I may not be very skilled. I promised to build a missile, but what I made is a clumsy imitation.”

Her tone carried a hint of regret, but her hands never stopped moving.

The wobbling simulator suddenly paused mid-air, then, in the next second, shot forward in a faster, more stable straight line.

Whoosh!

It skimmed just inches above Sun Chuanlu’s head at a sharp angle.

“It’s still flying even though it’s shattered to pieces!”

“This is the first time I’ve seen a model that can actually fly. Oh my god!”

As the students buzzed with shock and excitement, Yang Nanjun’s eyes, standing among the crowd, flickered with a trace of admiration.

“You could tell all along that this model could still fly?”

Cheng Lian withdrew his gaze, eyes full of astonishment, then turned to look at Li Xuzhi beside him, who remained calm and composed.

No wonder she had been so anxious to get inside earlier but changed her mind midway.

Responding with a low hum, Li Xuzhi quietly averted her gaze from Huo Yuwan.

Sun Chuanlu stood frozen in place, stunned as the simulator brushed past his head. It took him several seconds to snap out of his dazed state.

But before he could jump up in anger, he saw the simulator, which had just flashed by, cling to the ceiling before plummeting straight down with a whoosh.

Boom…

A small mushroom cloud rose above his head, and the once glossy strands of his hair now emitted a charred smell.

Clink… clink… clink…

Shattered parts rolled down from his head one by one.

“It… it exploded…”

Sun Chuanlu’s eyes widened in terror. Trembling, he reached up in disbelief to touch his hair.

The sight of his blackened palm made his head spin, and he collapsed stiffly onto the floor, his eyes glazed over.

“Even the explosion reaction was delayed. Tsk.”

Huo Yuwan shook her head.

“You! You’re finished! I’m going to report you to the principal!”

A boy in a crimson vest, seeing Sun Chuanlu frightened out of his wits, hurriedly tried to dash out of the classroom.

But before he could even turn around, a large hand grabbed him by the collar and flung him against the wall. His foot inadvertently landed heavily on one of Sun Chuanlu’s hands, causing him to shriek again. Crouching on the floor, he was both terrified and guilty, fearing Sun Chuanlu’s retaliation.

“Can’t you tell who’s right and who’s wrong? Who else wants to go to the principal?”

Yang Nanjun stood protectively in front of Huo Yuwan, his cold, piercing gaze sweeping over the students, making everyone too afraid to look up.

The other two vest-clad boys nudged each other back and forth before finally lowering their heads and unanimously deciding to blend into the crowd unnoticed.

Huo Yuwan casually placed the controller on the table. The unpolished metal pieces were sharp and jagged, and the unadjusted joystick was unresponsive, requiring significant force to operate. Her hands were already covered in blisters, one of which had burst.

Bending her head to blow on her fingers, Huo Yuwan stared at Yang Nanjun’s back, wondering how he had ended up at the school.

Turning around and noticing the round blisters on her hands, Yang Nanjun pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and tossed it to her.

“It’s clean.”

Startled, Huo Yuwan nodded in thanks, then folded the handkerchief and wrapped it around her palm.

Only after she had secured the handkerchief did Yang Nanjun look away, letting out a disdainful snort.

“With skin as delicate as yours, you have the nerve to work on handmade models. How foolish. Instead of wasting your time on childish, mindless activities, you’d be better off staying home and reading more books.”

“You!”

No sooner had Huo Yuwan felt a flicker of gratitude than his sarcastic remarks returned. Even the most patient person would lose their temper.

“I didn’t start this. My things were destroyed, and I was falsely accused and mocked for no reason. Shouldn’t I fight back?”

“And what if you had lost? Would you really have knelt and kowtowed to him in front of everyone? Have you no brains? Falling for such an obvious provocation!”

Yang Nanjun’s face was dark and gloomy. In school, the best way to deal with injustice was to seek help from a teacher, not to impulsively lose his temper and arrogantly try to prove himself, only to end up being manipulated and suffering in silence.

Sun Chuanlu had his father as a backing in school, surrounded by people willing to testify for him. But Huo Yuwan, an orphaned girl, dared to boast shamelessly and make a bet with him…

A pure and kind nature, at the wrong time, could only become a sharp blade turned against oneself.

It was the same with the matter involving Li Xuzhi, and now it was the same with the situation with Sun Chuanlu in school!

At the thought of this, Yang Nanjun’s expression grew even more terrifyingly grim.

Huo Yuwan was so scolded that she couldn’t even lift her head. She muttered a few rebuttals in her heart but knew deep down that his words, though harsh, were not without reason.

Hadn’t she truly been manipulated in the end?

After hesitating for a long while, clutching the handkerchief in her hand, she finally looked up and forced out a sentence.

“If you’re worried about me, just say it outright.”

“Hah, get lost.”

Yang Nanjun rolled his eyes without a moment’s hesitation.

The words on the tip of her tongue remained unspoken. Huo Yuwan also rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking that this person was even more vulgar than she was.

“That’s a well-made model.”

A deep, resonant voice of praise suddenly came from the doorway as Cheng Lian slowly walked in.

The students turned to look and were surprised to see that it was the principal. They wondered silently when he had arrived.

Li Xuzhi stood outside the door without entering. She glanced in Huo Yuwan’s direction and gave a faint nod.

When Huo Yuwan saw her, she was momentarily stunned. She never expected to see Li Xuzhi here.

Pursing her lips in frustration, she hid her injured hand behind her back.

Even Yang Nanjun thought her earlier behavior was childish and foolish. Li Xuzhi, who was the same age as her, probably thought the same.

At this thought, Huo Yuwan instantly felt dejected.

“When did the principal get here? I wonder how he’ll handle this matter…”

“Didn’t you hear him praising that girl just now? Nothing will happen.”

“After all, it was Sun Chuanlu who smashed her things first…”

…

The students were all whispering among themselves. From their remarks, Huo Yuwan learned that the elegant middle-aged man before her was the principal of the city’s middle school.

Meeting his scrutinizing gaze with calm composure, showing no trace of panic or fear, Cheng Lian nodded in approval.

“To create such a complex model just by studying at home, young lady, you’re quite impressive,” he said with a smile.

There were many high-achieving students in the school but seeing Huo Yuwan in person and observing the model she had made reminded Cheng Lian of the young, accomplished juniors he had met during his own studies under his mentor. With proper guidance, she could truly achieve something in the future.

Originally, he had intended to mediate the conflict between Huo Yuwan and Sun Chuanlu peacefully out of consideration for Li Xuzhi. After all, Sun’s father had supported the school’s development, and as the principal, he had to show the Sun family some respect. But now, having seen Huo Yuwan’s potential, he began to form a new plan.

His eyes swept over the scattered parts on the floor. Cheng Lian walked up to Sun Chuanlu and gestured for the boy in the maroon vest to help him up.

Sun Chuanlu still wore a dazed expression, as if too frightened to regain his senses, but Cheng Lian knew all too well that this kid was just playing dumb.

Once he came to his senses, he would have to face the bet he had made with Huo Yuwan.

Patting the few strands of hair on his head that had been singed, Cheng Lian said nothing more and turned to leave with Sun Chuanlu.

As he passed by Li Xuzhi, who was standing outside the door, he adjusted his glasses. This time, his tone was much more serious than it had been in the classroom.

“You don’t need to worry about Huo Yuwan’s enrollment. At the same time, I must thank you, junior, for giving me the opportunity to recommend a talented individual.”

Li Xuzhi said nothing in response. She knew that after today’s events, Huo Yuwan would leave a strong impression on Cheng Lian. With Cheng Lian’s words, there was a high chance that the city school’s university recommendation quota for the year would go to Huo Yuwan.

She knew Huo Yuwan wanted to enter the research institute, but with the college entrance examination system abolished, getting into university was already as difficult as climbing to the sky, let alone entering a research institute.

So Li Xuzhi could only help her achieve her goals step by step, first by completing her high school education, then by securing a university recommendation.

Today’s incident was unexpected, but it was also an opportunity.

The reason she had stopped Cheng Lian from entering earlier was twofold: first, she knew Huo Yuwan wouldn’t sit idly by and let others bully her, so she wanted to buy her some time to retaliate; second, she wanted to use this chance to let Huo Yuwan make an impression on Cheng Lian.

Li Xuzhi found it strange herself. Though she had lost hope in life and had little ambition, she still couldn’t help wanting to assist Huo Yuwan, to see her dreams come true, to watch her achieve her goals…

As the principal left, the class bell soon rang, and the crowd in the laboratory quickly dispersed. Li Xuzhi approached and stood in front of Huo Yuwan.

Recalling the scene of Cheng Lian and Li Xuzhi talking at the door, Yang Nanjun cast a doubtful glance at Li Xuzhi as she passed by him.

“Let’s go home.”

Gently taking Huo Yuwan’s palm, which was wrapped in a handkerchief, Li Xuzhi gave her a faint smile. On her cool, elegant face, a dimple faintly appeared.

Feeling the almost imperceptible touch of Li Xuzhi’s hand, Huo Yuwan gazed at her stunningly beautiful face under the afternoon sun, her ears tinged with red as she nodded.

“Okay.”

Huo Yuwan followed Li Xuzhi out of the school gate in a daze. Only when she came to her senses did she realize they were sitting on a bicycle, with her perched sideways on the back seat, her hands nervously gripping the crossbar beneath the seat.

Oh, right, she remembered now. The bicycle had been lent to them by Yang Nanjun. That guy was now teaching at the city school and lived in town, no longer returning to the village.

And since Li Xuzhi saw that her hands were injured, she had taken it upon herself to pedal the bicycle.

As she recalled this in a daze, Huo Yuwan heard Li Xuzhi speak from the front.

“It’s not wrong to fight back when you’re bullied, but I hope you’ll think twice before acting in the future.”

She spoke suddenly, her arms steadily controlling the handlebars without turning her head.

Huo Yuwan couldn’t see her expression as she said this, but she could hear the calm, cool tone in Li Xuzhi’s voice.

“And don’t hurt yourself in the process.”

Just as Huo Yuwan wondered if she was angry with her, Li Xuzhi quietly added another sentence.

A smile suddenly spread across Huo Yuwan’s lips, and she nodded obediently.

“I understand.”

If Yang Nanjun were here, hearing their conversation would surely make him roll his eyes in frustration.

Clearly, he and Li Xuzhi shared the same intention, both cared about Huo Yuwan, so why did she flare up at the slightest provocation when facing him, while being so docile and obedient toward Li Xuzhi?

From an angle Li Xuzhi couldn’t see, Huo Yuwan secretly grinned, her legs swaying lightly along with the shadows on the ground, reflecting her cheerful mood.

In her moment of unbridled delight, she lost control of the pressure in her palm, accidentally squeezing the blisters on her hand. The pain twisted Huo Yuwan’s face, and she nearly cried out.

Whether Li Xuzhi noticed her little mishap or not, she slightly turned her cheek, her voice calm and patient.

“Be careful with the blisters on your hand. When we get home, I’ll help you drain them and apply some medicine. Also… from now on, focus on your studies at school. You have three months left, make the most of it.”

“Three months?”

Huo Yuwan was taken aback for a moment before realizing she had been placed in the graduating class. Counting the days, she truly only had three months left at school.

She murmured an acknowledgment, then, as if remembering something, asked softly, “Have you gotten in touch with your family?”

“Yes, I spoke with my father.”

Li Xuzhi replied quietly, her fingers unconsciously tightening on the bicycle handles.

Perhaps, that was the last phone call she would ever have with her father.

Her lips slightly pale, Li Xuzhi slowly steadied her emotions in her heart.

“Then…”

Seeing her tense back, Huo Yuwan felt a pang of sympathy and wanted to say something comforting.

“Don’t worry.”

As if guessing what she was about to say, Li Xuzhi softly interrupted.

“We need to pack your things when we get back. I’ll take you to school the day before it starts.”

She changed the subject.

After a pause, Huo Yuwan followed Li Xuzhi’s lead and responded.

“No need to pack. I’m not staying at the dorm.”

Screech.

The bicycle suddenly braked. Caught off guard, Huo Yuwan instinctively wrapped her arms around Li Xuzhi’s waist, her cheek pressed against her back from the momentum.

The air grew still for a moment.

Slowly lifting her head, Huo Yuwan met Li Xuzhi’s gaze as she turned around.

Forgetting to withdraw her arms from around her waist, Huo Yuwan looked up, her clear eyes fixed intently on Li Xuzhi’s cool, composed gaze.

For an instant, those deep eyes seemed like a stagnant pond, undisturbed by any ripples, yet also like a clear pool, concealing countless unspoken thoughts beneath the surface.

But when she looked again, they were only calm and detached.

Li Xuzhi’s thin lips moved slightly as she glanced at Huo Yuwan’s arms tightly wrapped around her waist, then slowly averted her gaze.

As if indifferent, or perhaps for some other reason.

“It takes four hours to travel back and forth between the school and the village.”

She looked into the distance, her voice calm as she reminded Huo Yuwan.

“I… I know.”

Expecting to be told to remove her “claws,” Huo Yuwan was surprised by her reaction and stammered slightly.

As the bicycle started moving again, Li Xuzhi spoke slowly.

“What’s the reason?”

Even though staying at school would be more convenient, Li Xuzhi couldn’t understand why she insisted on coming home every day.

The long, exhausting commute was one thing, but as a young girl traveling early in the morning and late at night, the potential danger was another reason Li Xuzhi couldn’t set her mind at ease.

“You’ll be living alone at home. I’m worried about you.”

Huo Yuwan felt the slender, delicate waist beneath her palm and spoke in a low voice.

She still remembers how Li Xuzhi was entangled by Sun Xuedong in the original storyline.

Late at night, he barged into her room while she was changing clothes.

When Widow Sun found out, she used her son’s mental disability as an excuse, asking Li Xuzhi not to take it seriously.

But soon after, she spread the incident throughout the village.

Using this as leverage, she pressured Li Xuzhi into marrying Sun Xuedong.