I Don't Want to Be the Villainess Anymore - Chapter 2

The Rong family was immensely wealthy, and Qin Yuzhen and the others returned on a private jet.

After disembarking, Qin Yuzhen glanced around. Rong’s second uncle thought she was looking for her parents and cleared his throat. “Your parents are quite busy, so they couldn’t come. They’re waiting for you at home.”

“Mm.” Qin Yuzhen nodded, though she wasn’t actually looking for them—just observing the airport.

The Rong parents probably weren’t all that eager for her return in the first place. Otherwise, even if they couldn’t personally fetch their long-lost child, they could have at least come to the airport.

The Rong family mansion was located in A City’s famous affluent district.

The drive from the airport took an hour and a half. Qin Yuzhen closed her eyes to rest along the way.

Rong’s second uncle had initially intended to introduce A City to her, but seeing her disinterest, he gave up.

The moment the car stopped, Qin Yuzhen opened her eyes, instinctively waiting for someone to open the door before remembering her current circumstances a second later.

She got out of the car and followed Rong’s second uncle into the mansion. The Rong household had many servants, and Qin Yuzhen could feel their scrutinizing gazes lingering on her.

The interior decor could only be described as “resplendent and magnificent.” Qin Yuzhen found the style somewhat tacky, giving off nouveau riche vibes.

Mr. and Mrs. Rong were seated on the sofa and stood up immediately upon seeing Qin Yuzhen. Both were impeccably dressed, creating an air of solemnity, as if they had been eagerly awaiting her return. Yet their expressions were calm, devoid of any excitement over their long-lost child’s homecoming. Clearly, they didn’t like her.

The slender girl sitting to the side was likely Rong Xi, who also stood up the moment Qin Yuzhen entered. True to her role as the female lead, Rong Xi was stunningly beautiful—not in an aggressive way, but in a soothing, pleasant manner. Her skin was snow-white and smooth, like a peeled egg, her jet-black hair cascading over her shoulders. She wore no makeup, yet her lips were naturally rosy, and her smiling eyes perfectly proportioned—a classic delicate beauty.

“My child…” Mrs. Rong called out to Qin Yuzhen, her voice restrained.

Qin Yuzhen looked at them. “What should I call you?”

Mrs. Rong stiffened slightly, while Mr. Rong frowned. Rong’s second uncle shot Qin Yuzhen a glance, surprised by her bluntness. Mr. Rong dismissed all the servants.

“Have a seat,” Mr. Rong said with a nod.

“I’ve already heard from Second Uncle. To preserve the Rong family’s reputation and certain relationships, my identity will be defined as the daughter of a distant relative. So wouldn’t it be more appropriate for me to call you Uncle and Aunt?” Qin Yuzhen offered a perfectly polite smile.

System: As expected, a slacker remains a slacker—acting like a boss no matter where she goes.

“Are you blaming us?” Mr. Rong frowned slightly.

Qin Yuzhen paused, then flashed an even more formal smile. “I’m not blaming you. I’m just reiterating what Second Uncle told me and offering my suggestion. Also, I don’t think it’s necessary to change my name. I’ve used it for so many years—it’d be a hassle to switch now.”

“How can you not change your name? You’re a member of the Rong family,” Mrs. Rong insisted.

“I don’t have a solid identity to fall back on. Even if I change my surname, no one will acknowledge it. And once I do, others will definitely suspect my background. If we’re putting on a show, we might as well go all the way.”

Father Rong looked at Qin Yuzhen, who returned his gaze. The two locked eyes for five seconds.

“Fine, let’s not change it for now then. Your school registration will be transferred to City A. It’ll be sorted out in the next few days, and you can start school with Xixi the day after tomorrow,” Father Rong said. “Xixi is one day younger than you. You two should get along well—from now on, you’ll be like real sisters, understand?”

Qin Yuzhen glanced at Rong Xi, who smiled back at her, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Okay.”

The family reunion proceeded with remarkably subdued emotions. After finishing his announcements, Father Rong left immediately for the office in a hurry. Mother Rong wanted to pull Qin Yuzhen aside for a chat, but Qin Yuzhen had no interest in talking to her. Using the “Drowsiness Card,” she sent Mother Rong off to her room to sleep.

Soon, only Qin Yuzhen and Rong Xi remained in the living room.

“Qin… Zhenzhen, let me show you around,” Rong Xi said nervously, looking at Qin Yuzhen.

Qin Yuzhen nodded and followed Rong Xi upstairs.

The Rong family estate was vast. The main villa had five floors—three above ground and two below. The basement level housed the garage, while the first underground floor contained a wine cellar, home theater, gym, and a study that rivaled a library. The first floor had the reception area, dining room, and even a semi-indoor swimming pool with an adjacent bar. The second floor held the master bedroom, study, and a collection room. The third floor was where Rong Xi and Qin Yuzhen’s rooms were located. Rong Xi’s room was enormous, taking up half the floor, combining a bedroom, study, bathroom, and walk-in closet into one space. In contrast, Qin Yuzhen’s room was much smaller—clearly a converted guest room. The two adjacent guest rooms had been repurposed into a closet and study, now connected to her room.

“Do you… like my room?” Rong Xi asked, biting her lip. “I can give it back to you.”

Qin Yuzhen shot her a sidelong glance. “If I took it, what would they think of me? Are you testing me?”

“No!” Rong Xi looked at Qin Yuzhen, flustered. “I’m not testing you, I mean it—”

“Unnecessary.” With that, Qin Yuzhen turned and went back downstairs.

Rong Xi pressed her lips together and trailed after Qin Yuzhen in small steps, following her out the front door of the villa.

“There are two more buildings over there. One is where the housekeepers live, and the other is a game room with a sauna,” Rong Xi explained. “When the weather’s nice, we can have barbecues in the garden.”

Qin Yuzhen suddenly asked, “Don’t you have school today?”

“Huh? I do, but I took the day off.” Rong Xi glanced at her. “My grades are pretty good… If you ever need help with anything, you can ask me.”

“Why would you assume I’d need help? Do you look down on me?” Qin Yuzhen countered.

Rong Xi fell silent for two seconds, her mouth opening and closing as her face turned bright red. “That’s not what I meant, I—”

“Host, you know Rong Xi’s just an innocent sweetheart. Why tease her like this?” The system couldn’t help interjecting. “Don’t you like pretty people? Isn’t Rong Xi pretty?”

“Oh, I just can’t stand the female lead, that’s all.”

Rong Xi wanted to explain further, but Qin Yuzhen had already walked away again. She immediately hurried after her, lips pressed into a tight line, clearly feeling a bit wronged.

Qin Yuzhen had to admit, Rong Xi was impressively persistent—even after all this, she still hadn’t left. If someone had treated Qin Yuzhen this way, she would have walked out long ago, maybe even kicked them a couple of times on her way out.

“Do you have a masochistic streak or something?” Qin Yuzhen asked.

Rong Xi looked up at her, confused.

“Why aren’t you leaving?” Qin Yuzhen glanced at her sideways.

“It’s normal that you don’t like me. After all, I took your life away from you,” Rong Xi said, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes and avoiding eye contact. “I want us to get along. If I’m good to you, maybe you’ll be good to me too… right?”

As she spoke, she stole a quick glance at Qin Yuzhen.

“That’s not necessarily true,” Qin Yuzhen replied with a prim smile.

Rong Xi: “…”

“If you really can’t stand me, I can move into the school dorm.”

“And then what will people think of me?” Qin Yuzhen countered, bringing the conversation full circle.

Rong Xi was on the verge of tears. She had never met someone like this before.

“You want us to get along, right? Step one—you have to call me ‘sister.’ You haven’t done that even once. Doesn’t that mean you still don’t accept me?” Qin Yuzhen said lazily.

Another heavy accusation landed on Rong Xi’s head, but she still couldn’t bring herself to say it. The teasing look in Qin Yuzhen’s eyes made it even harder.

“Oh, so it was all just empty words. You’re not sincere at all,” Qin Yuzhen sighed, turning to leave. “Please don’t follow me anymore. I don’t need fake kindness.”

“Sister!” Seeing Qin Yuzhen walk away, Rong Xi finally called out.

Qin Yuzhen smiled but didn’t stop. Behind her, Rong Xi called again.

“Sister…” Rong Xi’s voice was softer this time.

“Not bad,” Qin Yuzhen nodded.

Rong Xi took a deep breath, relieved to see Qin Yuzhen smile.

System: “…”

The two walked around the Rong family’s courtyard before heading back inside.

Qin Yuzhen returned to her room, and Rong Xi followed her in. “Mom… Auntie…”

“You can just call her ‘Mom’ normally.”

“Mom said we should go shopping together on Saturday. Your wardrobe is still pretty empty,” Rong Xi said. “Look, I picked all these out for you. I thought you might like them.”

Qin Yuzhen examined the clothes in the closet—there were all kinds of styles. She had to admit, Rong Xi had good taste. She pulled out a dress and noticed the tag was still attached. The female lead was being very careful.

“Do you like them?”

“They’re alright,” Qin Yuzhen said.

Rong Xi had been hoping for praise, so her smile dimmed slightly at the response. “Let me know if there’s anything else you need. We can go shopping this afternoon—like skincare products. I didn’t buy any because I wasn’t sure about your skin type.”

“Do you think my skin is rough?” Qin Yuzhen shot her a look. The original host’s skin hadn’t been great, but she had already fixed it with an item card.

“Huh?” Rong Xi was caught.

“I…” Rong Xi bit her lip, “I just wanted to see how it felt because it looked so soft. I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

“System, is this female lead an idiot?” Who just goes around touching someone’s face like that right off the bat?

“Whether she’s an idiot or not, I don’t know. But I do know she’s got some nerve.”

Qin Yuzhen raised her hand and pinched Rong Xi’s cheek in return: “Then I’ll have a feel too. Consider it returning the favor.”