When the Villain Falls Madly in Love with Me - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Going Home

The police arrived quickly, their sirens piercing the chaotic scene. The truck driver was dragged down, his face ashen.

“Drunk driving! Is anyone hurt?” a police officer hurried over to ask about the situation.

Lele snapped back to reality, like a startled little animal, twisting out of the old woman’s warm embrace. She had been so close just now, yet she couldn’t hear a single thought from this old woman.

This was too strange, too suspicious!

“You brat! You’re asking for trouble! So much trouble!” Just then, the院长 (Dean/Headmistress) finally squeezed through, panting, muttering vile curses. She was furious and raised her rough palm to slap Lele’s face.

Lele instinctively closed her eyes and raised her arm to block. But the expected pain never came.

She opened her eyes and saw the old woman’s hand—bony yet exceptionally strong—firmly gripping the Dean’s wrist.

“The driver is the one at fault. Why are you hitting the child? Can’t you tell right from wrong?” The old woman frowned, her voice filled with reprimand, and she forcefully shoved the Dean’s hand away.

The Dean was caught off guard and stumbled back several steps. She wanted to flare up, but her eyes scanned the old woman’s clothes—well-tailored and clearly made of expensive material—and she instantly swallowed the curses on her tongue, only daring to grumble unwillingly in her throat.

“No one was hit! Officers, just deal with the driver. We have important business!” The Dean grabbed Lele’s arm and dragged her back toward the group like a piece of luggage.

The big boss who donated to the orphanage was still waiting for a photo op at the amusement park. She couldn’t afford a delay!

“Hey! You…” The police officer was stunned, but decided it was best to avoid further trouble.

Lele’s arm hurt from the yank, but she only frowned slightly, not uttering a word. She couldn’t help but turn her head, curiously looking at the old woman still standing there.

She has no inner monologue.

Over the years, Lele had figured out a rule: no matter who they were, even when silent, people’s minds were always churning with various thoughts.

For example, right now, the Dean was cursing her, the old woman, and the truck driver’s ancestors in her mind.

Why doesn’t she have one?

Lele turned her head, wondering. I can’t hear this old woman’s thoughts, so is she special?

With a slight hesitation, she looked back again, but the white-haired figure had already disappeared into the crowd.

An indescribable sense of loss, light as a feather, brushed across her heart. Special… what does it matter?

Probably just another player.

The group finally arrived at the legendary amusement park. Standing at the entrance was a group of well-dressed, smiling people, along with reporters carrying cameras.

“Mr. Chen! Thank you so much! If it weren’t for you, how would our orphanage children ever get a chance to come to a place like this!” The Dean exaggeratedly dabbed at non-existent tears for the camera.

Mr. Chen smiled even more kindly, as if radiating holy light: “It’s nothing, nothing! Children at the orphanage deserve to have a happy childhood too!”

The two put on a moving “charity show” in front of the cameras. After enough footage was captured, Mr. Chen “mingled” by symbolically taking the children on a few rides.

Lele was also extremely fascinated by these rides. She loved the roller coaster the most; the feeling of rapid descent from a height gave her a sense of soul-detachment and momentary relief.

She didn’t care how annoyed Mr. Chen was inside or what a fake person he was. At least for this day, she was happy.

When they left, many children clustered around Mr. Chen, softly whimpering their reluctant farewells and saying words of thanks.

Lele didn’t go forward. She simply stood at the edge of the crowd, gazing once more at this colorful, bustling dreamland, trying hard to etch this brief happiness deep into her memory.

It was dark when they returned to the orphanage. Lele held her old basin, waiting for her bath.

Originally, everyone tacitly agreed to follow the basin order, but ever since someone tried to cut the line by secretly switching basins, she had to stand guard by the bathroom door, anxiously waiting.

“Lele! Come here!”

Lele heard the call and turned her head. It was the Dean. She looked at her position—it was almost her turn—and moved over reluctantly, “What do you want?”

“How dare you dawdle when I call you! Have you gone rogue!” The Dean was enraged and reached out to pinch her ear again.

“Try it.” A voice full of authority suddenly rang out.

The Dean’s hand froze in mid-air. The anger hadn’t completely left her face, but she forced a reluctant smile and sheepishly lowered her hand.

Lele followed the voice with her eyes. It was her again, the special person.

What is she here for?

Lele lowered her head, unconsciously picking at the burrs on the rim of her old basin. Her heartbeat quickened for some unknown reason.

“Child,” the old woman walked up to her, crouched down, meeting her gaze. Her voice was as gentle as melting spring snow, “I want to take you home. Will you come with me?”

Lele looked at her slender hand, marked by the passage of time. It was this hand that had pulled her back, essentially giving her another life.

She then looked at her own hand. Suddenly, her pupils contracted. The old woman’s right hand, on the underside of her thumb, had a mole that was exactly the same in position and size as hers.

Is it… a coincidence?

Lele abruptly looked up. With almost no hesitation, her small, calloused hand firmly grasped the warm, broad one.

“I will.” The voice was quiet but unusually clear.

The adoption process was not complicated for the old woman; all the paperwork had been completed before dark.

Now, she was just here to take Lele home.

As she sat in the beautiful car she had never seen before, Lele clutched her small, old schoolbag—its edges frayed and the cheap sponge inside exposed—feeling as if she had fallen into an unreal dream.

This was the first time she was being taken home without overhearing the whispers of the adopters and the System.

She cautiously used her peripheral vision to observe the old woman beside her.

Jiang Congyue was slightly closing her eyes, her elbow resting on the car window, her fingertip pressed against her forehead, taking a nap. The streams of light from outside danced on her silver hair and the elegant curve of her profile.

Lele unconsciously squeezed the strap of her schoolbag and fidgeted nervously. This old woman was more beautiful than any elderly person she had ever seen. Time had not ravaged her face; were it not for her head full of white hair, it would be hard to tell her true age.

She possessed a quiet strength that made Lele feel both unfamiliar and secure. Lele’s tense nerves gradually relaxed, and she became sleepy, soon falling into a deep slumber.

–

“Boss Jiang, we’re here,” the driver in the front said quietly.

Both were woken up at the same time. Having lost her usual tool for judgment—the inner monologue—Lele instantly became nervous again, her gaze fixed on the car window.

She was utterly stunned.

What stood before them was not a house; it looked more like a beautiful castle from a fairytale book. High walls, a grand gate, and the lights of the courtyard extending inward, twinkling like a river of stars.

Lele pinched the bank card hidden in the inner pocket of her schoolbag.

Could her money buy a single brick of this house? A naive thought uncontrollably popped up.

“Lele, we’re home.” Jiang Congyue had already stepped out of the car. She walked around to Lele’s side, condescendingly opened the car door for her, and extended her hand.

With a dazed, almost sleepwalking look, Lele allowed the warm hand to lead her into this dreamlike residence.

The moment they stepped into the high-ceilinged entrance hall, warm golden light poured down from the complex and magnificent crystal chandelier, illuminating the marble floor, which was polished like a mirror, the heavy and beautiful carpet spread upon it, and the priceless paintings hanging on the walls that she couldn’t understand but sensed were extremely valuable.

Everything was exquisitely luxurious beyond her imagination, making her feel like a little gray mouse that had stumbled into a palace.

Lele tried hard not to look left and right, as that would seem impolite. She still wanted to observe this special person more, so she couldn’t risk displeasing her.

She walked with the old woman, her eyes fixed on the path, but then she heard a low chuckle beside her.

Lele looked up at the sound, meeting Jiang Congyue’s eyes, which held an amused smile, as if she had already seen through her forced composure.

Her face flushed instantly, even the tips of her small ears turned crimson, and she quickly lowered her head again.

The old woman picked up the child and, while ascending the stairs, introduced gently: “The first floor is where the aunties rest. The second floor,” she carried Lele through an elegant archway, “will be all yours from now on.”

When the door was pushed open, Lele’s gaze was instantly caught by the enormous bed in the center of the room. A bed so big she could roll five full circles on it without falling off.

In the orphanage, a small room had to accommodate over ten children, making everyone’s bed extremely narrow. Sometimes, Lele would fall off just by turning over.

Therefore, upon seeing such a large bed, a strong urge to immediately jump on it and roll around surged up within her.

The old woman happily placed her on the bed, her expressive eyes looking at her, her voice as light as a feather stroking her heart: “My name is Jiang Congyue. From today, your name will be Jiang Le.”

Jiang Le.

She abruptly looked up, her heart suddenly beating wildly out of rhythm in her chest, thumping against her eardrums. A sourness inexplicably rose in her nose. A complex emotion—a mix of belonging, confusion, and disbelief—instantly overwhelmed her.

Afterward, Jiang Congyue showed her how to use the facilities in the room. “If you have any questions, just come find me.”

Jiang Le hadn’t fully recovered yet and nodded blankly.

Jiang Congyue smiled, tucking a strand of silver hair behind her ear. She crouched down again, meeting her gaze, and said seriously, “Jiang Le, remember, this is your home now. The aunties working downstairs, it is their duty to help you. If you refuse their help, it will make them feel like they haven’t done their job well, and they will feel awkward and uneasy, understand?”

“Why did you adopt me?” Jiang Le blurted out, her voice carrying a hint of stiffness she hadn’t noticed herself.

After asking, she realized that such a blunt question might be impolite and make the person uncomfortable. But she desperately wanted an answer, one that was different from the goal-oriented answers of the players.

Jiang Congyue didn’t get angry. Instead, she reached out, and her warm palm gently landed on the top of Lele’s head, ruffling her soft short hair. She smiled sweetly: “Fate. I felt we had a connection.”

Fate. Jiang Le was stunned. She had envisioned many answers: pity, sympathy, a whim, or even a task like the players…

But she had never considered—fate.

This word, simple and elusive, yet carried a strange, undeniable power.

“Alright,” Jiang Congyue stood up, her tone a little lighter, “it’s very late. Go wash up and sleep. Little kids who stay up late won’t grow tall!” She pointed towards the bathroom with a smile.

Only after Jiang Congyue closed the door and left did Jiang Le abruptly pull back her thoughts. She blankly pulled open the wardrobe; it was filled with all sorts of animal-patterned clothes. She silently closed the door.

Why are there various animal-patterned clothes in the wardrobe? Are they pretty?

No, they’re not.

She still pulled out her old, washed-out, frayed-edged, but incredibly soft and comfortable old pajamas from her battered little schoolbag.

This is the best clothing in the world!

In the spacious bathroom where she could roll around, Jiang Le spent a long time studying the shiny knobs and faucets before barely figuring out the cold and hot water switches. She managed to take the most “high-tech” hot shower of her life, a bit clumsily.

“Why make a hot and cold water mixer so complicated?” Jiang Le mumbled, gathering her dirty clothes into a bundle.

After searching for a long time, Jiang Le’s world finally collapsed. No washboard! No broken plastic basin she was familiar with! How… how to wash the clothes?

She wandered around the room several times, even checking every corner of the bathroom. After confirming there were truly none of the traditional tools she usually used, do rich people not wash clothes by hand?

After much hesitation, she closed her eyes and stuffed them into her schoolbag.

Finally, everything was over, and Jiang Le could finally lie on the big bed she had been longing for. She jumped three feet high, throwing herself onto the bed, which springily bounced her up slightly.

She happily rolled around, humming contentedly.

She had played too much during the day, and now, lying on the bed, her eyelids started drooping. She soon drifted off to sleep.

In her dream, she thought she felt a few drops of rain. In her confusion, she wondered if such a luxurious house would also leak, but she was too exhausted to think further and fell into a deep sleep again.

She was woken up the next morning by a rustling sound. Jiang Le rubbed her eyes, drowsily looking at the ceiling, taking a while to remember where she was.

She followed the sound and saw an auntie in a neat apron walking softly around the room, seemingly looking for something.

Jiang Le asked, somewhat at a loss, “Excuse me, what are you looking for?”

Her sudden voice startled the woman. She turned around and smiled apologetically: “Oh my, Miss, did I wake you up?”

Jiang Le quickly waved her hand, “No, no, I woke up myself.”

“Oh, that’s good.” The auntie sighed in relief and smiled gently, “Miss, where are the clothes you took off last night? I’ll take them for washing.”

Jiang Le’s eyes widened. Remembering what Jiang Congyue had said last night, the refusal that was about to escape her lips was swallowed back. Do others have to wash my clothes too?

Is this what rich people’s life is like?

Later, she quietly followed and peeked, only to realize the auntie just tossed her clothes into a washing machine.

She had thought rich families used washboards made of gold. Turns out, they use washing machines.

…

Jiang Congyue: 10