Turns Out I’m the Villain They’re Supposed to Redeem? [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 5

Huo Yuwan, still asleep, had no idea that Li Xuzhi had visited her.

She slept soundly until dawn. When she changed her clothes and went to the living room, she finally noticed Li Xuzhi’s presence.

“Come have breakfast.”

Li Xuzhi, who was arranging the dishes on the dining table, smiled gently at her.

The morning light shimmered behind her. Gazing at Dr. Li’s beautiful eyes and brows, Huo Yuwan’s heartbeat skipped a beat involuntarily.

Sitting down at the table, she looked at Li Xuzhi seated across from her and asked the question that had been on her mind all night.

“Dr. Li, I saw a painting in the study yesterday. Did you paint it?”

The nine-tailed fox on the canvas was incredibly lifelike, and even now, Huo Yuwan couldn’t help but admire it.

Although she was also a fox spirit, Huo Yuwan was not a nine-tailed fox.

In all her years, she had only heard that the clan leader’s lineage consisted of nine-tailed foxes, but she had never seen one in person.

According to her master, the nine-tailed foxes of the clan leader’s lineage had their spiritual power dispersed due to their tails, making them frail from birth and rarely seen by outsiders.

Only by becoming the high priest could one be granted an audience.

Placing a peeled egg onto Huo Yuwan’s plate, Li Xuzhi chuckled softly.

“Is it the painting of the red fox? Yes, I painted it.”

“Hurry up and eat. Don’t you have an exam this morning?”

The topic was brushed aside, and Huo Yuwan sensed that Dr. Li seemed reluctant to discuss it further.

Suddenly, she remembered the date marked on that painting.

It was from nine years ago.

…

After the exams, the school held a sports meet, and Huo Yuwan signed up as well.

During the class meeting when sign-ups were organized, she registered for almost every event available. The sports committee member who received her registration form had a rather complicated expression.

Although Huo Yuwan’s enthusiasm was supportive of his work, there was no need to go to such extremes.

With such a packed schedule, Huo Yuwan was bound to be exhausted.

She had even signed up for shot put.

Looking at her slender arms and legs, the sports committee member couldn’t help but try to persuade her.

“Huo Yuwan, are you sure you want to sign up for so many events? Actually, one or two would be enough…”

He really couldn’t bear the thought of the beautiful girl collapsing from exhaustion on the field.

“I’m sure. Don’t worry, my physical fitness is excellent.”

Huo Yuwan gave him a confident smile.

She had her reasons for doing this. The fox spirit had already uncovered the hidden storyline.

Including the painting that Li Xuzhi had been unwilling to talk about that day.

And the reason why, in the original ending, Li Xuzhi would end up with Qi Qiuyuan.

Would someone who had lost hope in life even care who they married?

…

Although she wasn’t yet sure who to choose as her mission target, one thing was clear to Huo Yuwan.

She was too weak now.

She had to do something to change her current situation.

…

Huo Yuwan’s conversation with the sports committee member was overheard by Qi Liang, who was sitting in the front row.

He swallowed nervously.

The image of that deflated soccer ball seemed to flash before his eyes again.

Since that day, Qi Liang had been living in constant fear, terrified that Huo Yuwan would suddenly pop out from some corner to take revenge on him.

But to his surprise, several days had passed, and Huo Yuwan still hadn’t made a move.

Qi Liang was nearly driven mad by the suspense.

“Hey, the advanced math scores are out!”

A classmate suddenly exclaimed loudly.

Advanced math was the first exam, and the results were released the fastest.

Hearing this, Qi Liang immediately opened his phone to check his score.

93 points.

Ranked 2nd in the class.

Ranked 2nd in the department.

His palm clenched instantly.

He couldn’t believe someone in the class had scored higher than him.

Frowning, he glanced at his roommate sitting beside him and asked in a low voice, “What’s your score?”

Their rankings had been close last time, so Qi Liang immediately thought of him.

“89.”

His roommate smiled bitterly. This advanced mathematics exam had indeed been quite challenging.

“Wow! Yuwan, you actually got a perfect score?!”

Zhao Lan, sitting next to Huo Yuwan, caught a glimpse of her lit phone screen and exclaimed in disbelief.

Thud!

Qi Liang spun around abruptly, not even caring that his arm accidentally bumped into the chair behind him.

“Keep it low-key, low-key.”

Huo Yuwan grinned, leisurely crossing her arms and leaning back against her chair.

Though her words suggested modesty, her expression was brimming with joy. Paired with her striking looks, it didn’t come off as annoying but rather endearing and charming.

Only Qi Liang didn’t see it that way.

He was infuriated by the blatant smugness in Huo Yuwan’s eyes.

“You must have cheated!”

He blurted out, his face flushing red.

“Hey, watch what you say.”

The classmate beside Qi Liang whispered a warning.

He knew Qi Liang had held a grudge against Huo Yuwan ever since she rejected his advances and had been finding fault with her ever since.

But that didn’t mean he could just say anything.

Huo Yuwan, having anticipated this reaction, remained completely unfazed. “Then go check the surveillance footage. I’m not the one feeling guilty here, unlike someone.”

Her pointed remark only made Qi Liang angrier.

“Yuwan studied really hard during the exam period, even reading in bed at night. Isn’t it only natural that she improved?”

Zhao Lan spoke up in Huo Yuwan’s defense.

The other roommates nodded in agreement, as Huo Yuwǎn’s late-night study sessions were something they had all witnessed.

“She didn’t do well before because she wasn’t studying seriously, not because she lacked intelligence. We’re all in the same university, so our baseline levels are pretty similar.”

Huo Yuwan was well-liked, and with a perfect score that completely outshone everyone else, people naturally sided with her.

Seeing that no one was on his side, Qi Liang turned and stormed off in a huff.

He knew he had spoken out of anger when he accused Huo Yuwǎn of cheating. Kaicheng University’s exam supervision was notoriously strict, leaving students no room for cheating.

But Qi Liang just couldn’t swallow his pride.

Because he felt he had been made a fool of by Huo Yuwa n!

…

After dinner, Huo Yuwan and her roommates strolled around the campus, their footsteps unconsciously leading them to the school clinic.

But this time, to her disappointment, there was no sign of Dr. Li under the willow tree in front of the clinic.

When she asked the doctor on duty inside, she received the same response, Dr. Li had already finished work and left.

Sighing and shaking her head, Huo Yuwǎn’s dejected demeanor piqued Zhao Lan’s curiosity.

“What’s wrong with you? Are you this upset just because you didn’t get to see Dr. Li?”

Huo Yuwan couldn’t quite explain it either, but she just smiled and replied, “Dr. Li has an incredibly cute little white fox. I guess I just miss it a little.”

Zhao Lan nodded in understanding.

It was probably similar to how cat lovers felt when they hadn’t seen a cat in a while.

She was just having fox withdrawal.

The two continued wandering until they reached the sports field, where they bought some iced milk tea. Sipping their drinks, they looked for a spot in the bleachers to sit, enjoy the cool breeze, and relax.

Little did they know that before they could even pick a seat, Qi Liang spotted them from the field.

Staring at Huo Yuwan’s figure, a brilliant idea suddenly struck him.

An idea that would both publicly embarrass Huo Yuwan and set her own mind at ease.

“Hey, Huo Yuwan.”

Just as Huo Yuwan wiped the spot with a tissue and sat down, a shadow fell over her from above.

She looked up, puzzled, and met Qi Liang’s downward gaze.

“Didn’t we agree last time that you’d hit me with a ball too? How about now?”

He brought it up first, showing off his magnanimity and refinement, unwilling to nitpick with a girl like Huo Yuwan.

He let her take her shot however she wanted.

But he twisted the meaning, deliberately adding the phrase “with a ball.”

He was certain Huo Yuwan didn’t know how to play soccer.

Even if her academic performance had improved by leaps and bounds, sports, especially skill-based ones like soccer—weren’t something a beginner could pick up quickly.

Suddenly standing up as if enlightened, Huo Yuwan nodded and brushed aside the strands of hair tousled by the evening breeze.

“Sure, I’d almost forgotten if you hadn’t mentioned it.”

Qi Liang’s face darkened at her words.

He’d been on edge all this time, and she actually dared to say she’d forgotten?

Huo Yuwan shot him a sidelong glance and inwardly scoffed.

Just like siblings, so petty, getting worked up over a single sentence.

“My friends and I are playing a game down there. Why don’t you join us? We’re all classmates from the same college, after all. You wouldn’t just hit me with a ball in front of everyone, it wouldn’t look good for your reputation.”

He made it sound like he was considering her interests.

“Alright.”

She agreed readily.

Qi Liang smirked inwardly.

Once they were on the field, who would end up hitting whom was anyone’s guess.

Besides, bumps and collisions were just part of the game.

“Maybe not, Yuwan. You’re wearing flip-flops, how are you going to play soccer?”

Zhao Lan sensed Qi Liang’s ill intentions but couldn’t call him out directly since they were classmates.

She could only try to dissuade Huo Yuwan tactfully.

Huo Yuwan glanced down at her denim shorts and white Crocs, definitely not soccer attire.

“We’re just playing casually.”

Qi Liang was afraid she might back out.

Zhao Lan shot him a discreet glare.

Of course, he wasn’t worried, he was wearing soccer cleats.

“It’s fine, I’ll just kick it around a bit. I’ve never played soccer before, so this is a good chance to try.”

Huo Yuwan smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons, looking almost eager.

Her words played right into Qi Liang’s hands.

“Come on, let’s warm up. I’ll teach you some rules and techniques while we’re at it.”

Huo Yuwan agreed and placed her half-finished milk tea on the seat.

“Lanlan, keep an eye on my milk tea for me. I’ll be right back.”

Watching Huo Yuwan skip cheerfully toward the field, Zhao Lan couldn’t help but sense a strange excitement in her tone.

What was so exciting about playing soccer?

Zhao Lan shook her head helplessly, feeling nothing but worry for her friend.

…

Qi Liang’s soccer team did include both boys and girls. Though they weren’t exactly professional, they were certainly more skilled than Huo Yuwan, a complete novice.

He thoughtfully asked an older student to explain the rules of soccer to Huo Yuwan, while he stood to the side, scheming and letting his eyes linger on her.

With her delicate skin, he figured her fair thighs would be covered in bruises by halftime.

“Finished with the rules? Let me teach you a few techniques.”

After all, she was a girl he’d once liked, Qi Liang couldn’t resist showing off in front of her.

“Sure.”

Huo Yuwan kept smiling cheerfully.

Like a naive, bubbly girl.

“This move is called the rainbow flick.”

He clamped the ball between his feet and lifted it, sending it smoothly into the air.

It did look pretty cool.

The observing senior sister understood exactly what he was up to but didn’t interrupt.

“You give it a try too.”

Qi Liang passed the ball to Huo Yuwan.

“It’s a bit too difficult for a beginner like her,”

the senior sister tried to stop him. Showing off was one thing, but having a novice attempt such a move could easily lead to a fall and injury.

“It’s alright, I’m actually quite curious about this. Thank you, senior sister.”

Huo Yuwan smiled at her, then adjusted the force in her feet, gently nudging the soccer ball forward.

Before Qi Liang, who was eager to teach, could even correct her form, Huo Yuwan executed a clean and flawless rainbow flick.

The move was both stylish and impressive.

Except…

Thump!

The ball bounced off Qi Liang’s forehead, leaving a black mark.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Qi. I didn’t mean to.”

Huo Yuwan smiled brightly as she apologized, her half-ponytail swaying gracefully behind her.

Pfft.

Watching from the other side of the stands, Li Xuzhi couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Ever since Huo Yuwan stepped onto the field, her gaze had never left her.

Though the distance made it hard to hear what Huo Yuwan was saying, her lively expressions and the sly smile on her cheeks were more than enough to captivate Li Xuzhi.

In stark contrast to Li Xuzhi’s relaxed smile, Qi Qiuyuan, who was stretching on the track during a break, crumpled his water bottle in frustration at the scene.

What on earth was that fool Qi Liang doing?