I Don't Want to Be the Villainess Anymore - Chapter 20

Mother Rong stared at Qin Yuzhen, thoroughly infuriated by her. After all, this wasn’t a child she had raised from infancy—how dare she speak to her like this?

The soundproofing in the room was excellent, so Rong Xi hadn’t heard any of the conversation outside. It wasn’t until she opened the door and saw the two standing on the stairs, locked in a standoff, that she realized something had happened.

Her first instinct was to shut the door again, but she steeled herself and asked, “What are you two doing on the stairs?”

Both of them turned to look at Rong Xi, who blinked, her body already shrinking back toward the doorway.

“Nothing,” Qin Yuzhen said.

The system snorted in amusement.

Since Qin Yuzhen didn’t elaborate, Mother Rong naturally kept quiet as well.

“Is everything alright? I heard you rushing upstairs, so I came to check,” Mother Rong said with a gentle smile.

Rong Xi shook her head. “It’s fine. Sister said my constitution is weak and wants me to exercise, but I didn’t want to, so I ran away.”

Mother Rong’s smile froze for a few seconds, while Qin Yuzhen remained standing to the side, watching her coldly.

“As long as you’re alright,” Mother Rong said with another smile before turning to go downstairs.

Qin Yuzhen let out a cold laugh.

Rong Xi sidled closer. “What happened? Did you two argue? Was it because of me?”

“Didn’t I already say it had nothing to do with you?” Qin Yuzhen hadn’t mentioned it precisely because she didn’t want Rong Xi to start fretting. Yet, against all odds, even without her saying anything, Rong Xi still managed to connect it back to herself.

Rong Xi stared at Qin Yuzhen. “I’m not blind, and I’m not stupid either.”

“You’re so annoying. I’m leaving.” Qin Yuzhen stuffed her hands into her pockets and headed back to her room.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” the system mused again.

“Is your brain broken?”

“And here you were saying you don’t like the female lead. Seems like you’re actually quite fond of her.”

“Your brain really is broken.”

“If you don’t like her, why do you care if she’d feel bad knowing what just happened?” the system asked. “Host, just admit you like her. It’s not like you haven’t had plenty of ‘sisters’ you’ve liked before—what’s one more?”

Qin Yuzhen: “…”

“I just find her annoying,” Qin Yuzhen said.

The system laughed again.

“Shut up.” Qin Yuzhen didn’t want to engage. She truly believed she was just irritated by Rong Xi—she had never met someone who could overthink things as much as Rong Xi did.

Qin Yuzhen rubbed her chin. “Did they not transfer my household registration to the Rong family?”

“No. They put a property under your name and opened an account for you,” the system replied.

Qin Yuzhen propped her chin on her hand. “They didn’t even bother discussing this with me?”

“Host, it’s normal for there to be plot holes in a novel world,” the system said. “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

“So unprofessional,” Qin Yuzhen remarked.

The system: “…”

Qin Yuzhen leaned back on the sofa. Though she had plenty of money, transferring it into this world required a legitimate channel.

“Maybe I’ll buy a lottery ticket tomorrow?” Qin Yuzhen mused. “Start with ten million.”

The system: “…”

“Host, what are you planning?”

“Moving out.”

“Host, the plot needs you here,” the system sighed.

“Have I been following the plot so far?” Qin Yuzhen said irritably.

“Host, we’re still in a tight spot. Until we reconnect with the main system space, it’s best not to make any big moves,” the system said. “You’re not following the plot right now, but at least you’re still here physically. If you weren’t even present, that would really cause problems.”

“I shouldn’t have used that life-saving item on them back then,” Qin Yuzhen regretted bitterly. Otherwise, she could have escaped even if the world collapsed now.

“And yet, given another chance, you’d still use it, wouldn’t you?”

Qin Yuzhen fell silent for two seconds before laughing: “Not necessarily.”

——

“Are you going out?” Rong Xi watched as Qin Yuzhen put on her shoes.

“Yeah,” Qin Yuzhen replied casually without looking up.

“I’ll come with you.” Rong Xi immediately stood up and hurried upstairs. “Wait for me, I just need to grab my bag.”

Rong Xi thought she was quick, but by the time she came back down, Qin Yuzhen was no longer at the entrance. Feeling a bit wronged, she clutched her bag and pushed the door open to look outside.

Qin Yuzhen was leaning against a pillar by the door, scrolling through her phone. The sunlight slanted across her, casting a golden glow around her figure.

“You’re so slow,” Qin Yuzhen said, putting her phone away and glancing at Rong Xi. “Aren’t you coming out?”

“Oh, I just need to put on my shoes.”

Qin Yuzhen’s expression turned even more disdainful. “So sluggish.”

“Why didn’t you wait inside? I thought you’d left,” Rong Xi complained.

“I wasn’t planning to take you in the first place,” Qin Yuzhen said, hands in her pockets as she stood by the door. “Shouldn’t a good student like you be studying at home right now?”

“I was worried you’d get lost.”

Qin Yuzhen smirked. “Sorry, but those two words don’t exist in my vocabulary.”

Rong Xi: “…”

Why did everything Qin Yuzhen say sound like she was patting herself on the back?

Rong Xi quickly put on her shoes and caught up to Qin Yuzhen, and the two of them headed out together.

“What are you buying? Why not have the driver take us?” Rong Xi asked.

“Lottery tickets.”

“Huh?” Rong Xi exclaimed. “What for?”

“To stash some private savings.”

Rong Xi: “…”

Rong Xi stared at Qin Yuzhen, wondering if there was something wrong with her brain. “You don’t actually think you’ll win the jackpot, do you?”

“That’s exactly what I think,” Qin Yuzhen said.

Rong Xi gaped. “I think you should give up on that idea sooner rather than later.”

The residential area was huge, and it took them over half an hour just to reach the gate.

Qin Yuzhen looked around and headed to the bus stop—there weren’t any lottery vendors nearby. Rong Xi followed behind her.

“Do you know how to get there?”

“Yeah,” Qin Yuzhen said, glancing at Rong Xi. “Like I said, I don’t get lost.”

Rong Xi silently closed her navigation app and put her phone away.

They boarded the bus. Rong Xi rarely took public transportation, and the bus was crowded with no seats left. Qin Yuzhen found a spot to stand and grabbed a handrail.

“Why didn’t we just take a taxi?” Rong Xi asked.

Qin Yuzhen: “…”

“To experience something new,” Qin Yuzhen said.

Of course, she wouldn’t admit that when she’d asked the system for directions, it had only provided bus routes—making her completely forget that taxies were an option.

Maybe spending too much time with Rong Xi was making her slow.

“What does this have to do with Rong Xi?”

“I’ll destroy you when I get back.” Qin Yuzhen frowned.

System: “…”

“I can’t help it,” the system muttered quietly. It didn’t usually pry into Qin Yuzhen’s thoughts, but there were moments when it just couldn’t resist—like when Qin Yuzhen was being stubbornly in denial. Because it knew that was usually when something surprising would happen.

The bus swayed and jolted, and Rong Xi found it uncomfortable to hold onto the overhead handrail. After about two minutes on the bus, she grabbed Qin Yuzhen’s arm with one hand. By the fifth minute, she was holding onto Qin Yuzhen’s arm with both hands.

Qin Yuzhen glanced down at her. “You know, you’re actually pretty heavy.”

Rong Xi: “…”

“I can’t stand steadily, and my arms are sore from holding on,” Rong Xi said.

She noticed that while her own body swayed with the bus, Qin Yuzhen stood as steady as a rock—and it didn’t seem to have much to do with the handrail. She looked around at the other passengers.

Even the most balanced people usually swayed a little, but Qin Yuzhen didn’t move at all, as if she were standing on solid ground.

“Have you trained in some kind of martial arts?”

“Huh?”

“Otherwise, how can you be so steady? You don’t sway at all?” Rong Xi asked.

“Very imaginative,” Qin Yuzhen replied.

Rong Xi pressed her lips together. Qin Yuzhen gave her a sidelong glance, then suddenly swayed when the bus hit another bump. Rong Xi startled, crashing into Qin Yuzhen and wrapping her arms around her waist.

She looked up at Qin Yuzhen, who didn’t return her gaze and showed no change in expression. But Rong Xi knew—this person had definitely done it on purpose! She pinched Qin Yuzhen’s waist.

Qin Yuzhen looked down. Rong Xi put on an innocent face. “You scared me! Why did you suddenly sway?”

“Your acting has improved, but it’s still not quite there yet.”

Rong Xi kept up the innocent expression.

When the bus reached their stop, the two got off together. Qin Yuzhen scanned the area and then headed in a certain direction, with Rong Xi following behind.

Rong Xi watched Qin Yuzhen in amazement. City A was huge, and there were many places she had never been to. Qin Yuzhen should have been visiting this area for the first time, yet she navigated it like she knew it well.

They found a lottery station.

“Are you adults?” The person behind the counter glanced up at them.

Qin Yuzhen: “…”

“Oh, host, minors can’t buy lottery tickets without a guardian present. Even if you win, you can’t claim the prize without a guardian,” the system chimed in.

Rong Xi couldn’t help but laugh at Qin Yuzhen’s expression. She tugged at Qin Yuzhen’s sleeve. “Just give up.”

“Stop laughing.” Qin Yuzhen never imagined she’d make two foolish mistakes in one day.

Here she was, someone who had lived for centuries, now being turned away because of the “minor” label.

“Host, what do we do now?”

Qin Yuzhen smirked. Normally, if she could access the system space, it could arrange for an NPC to deliver money to her. But now…

What did it feel like to have money but no way to spend it?

“It’s just not being able to buy lottery tickets. Why are you so upset? Just come back next year—you’ll be eighteen then,” Rong Xi said from the side.

Qin Yuzhen sighed. “You don’t understand.”

“So where are we going now?” Rong Xi asked.

“Host, you can participate in online raffles. I can arrange for you to win,” the system suggested.

“Who gives away ten million in a lottery?” Qin Yuzhen snapped irritably.

Seeing that Qin Yuzhen was ignoring her, Rong Xi tugged at her sleeve again. “Where are we going?”

“Where do you want to go?”

Rong Xi hesitated, then said sheepishly, “There’s a dessert shop around here that I’ve always wanted to try…”

“Then let’s go.”

“You’ve finished your homework, right?” Rong Xi asked.

“Yeah, I have.” Qin Yuzhen realized that Rong Xi had a knack for making an already bad mood even worse.

“Good.” Rong Xi pulled out her phone.

“So, your idea of giving directions is just reading the map and telling me where to go?” Qin Yuzhen remarked dryly from the side.

Rong Xi: “…”

“I’ve never been here before,” Rong Xi defended herself.

“If you’ve never been here, how are you supposed to guide me?” Qin Yuzhen felt slightly better seeing Rong Xi’s flustered expression.

“You’re so argumentative,” Rong Xi said, looking up at Qin Yuzhen with a serious expression.

“It’s called raising reasonable doubts,” Qin Yuzhen retorted.

Rong Xi huffed. “I’ve never seen you talk to Gu Shi like this.”

“That girl is adorable. Why would I talk to her like this?”

Rong Xi: Suddenly, I don’t feel like eating dessert anymore.

“Didn’t you say last time that you weren’t the cute type but more of a cool, mature one? What, now you’re upset because I’m not calling you cute?”

Rong Xi: ???

She never expected things to take this turn.

“I can’t win against you,” Rong Xi muttered, quickening her pace. But no matter how fast she walked, Qin Yuzhen kept up effortlessly.

“Host, you’re being way too harsh. That girl didn’t even do anything to you.”

“Whatever.”

After wandering around the mall twice—

“Can’t find it?” Qin Yuzhen asked.

Though reluctant to admit it, Rong Xi nodded.

“You should’ve said so earlier. It’s right over there.” Qin Yuzhen placed her hands on Rong Xi’s shoulders and turned her toward the dessert shop.

“You saw it this whole time?”

“Yep.”

Rong Xi took a step back—right onto Qin Yuzhen’s foot.