Saving the Pitiful Villain (GL) - Chapter 4

Jiang Shangxue belatedly realized that, according to the current plot, the original owner hadn’t had close contact with Yun Wu yet.

She made Yun Wu sleep in the garden and forbade her from entering the house. The two had only seen each other from a distance across the flowerbeds, no wonder Yun Wu didn’t recognize her.

Jiang Shangxue let this beautiful misunderstanding continue.

People came and went on both sides of the street. From time to time, passersby stopped to glance at them. The chatter of people and the honking of cars mixed together, making it a bit noisy.

Yun Wu hadn’t changed her clothes yet; they were still damp. A large wine stain had rubbed off onto the jacket Jiang Shangxue had draped over her.

Her gaze fell on the wine stain, Yun Wu pursed her lips. “Auntie Jiang, I’ll return the jacket to you after I’ve washed it clean.”

Yun Wu’s head was bowed very low, her eyelashes fluttering. From Jiang Shangxue’s perspective, she looked somewhat docile.

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Shangxue said, “Okay, once it’s clean, you can leave it at the guardhouse of the Dongshu community. But it’s getting late now, I’ll drive you home.”

Her words and demeanor suggested as if they were truly meeting for the first time.

Without giving Yun Wu a chance to refuse, Jiang Shangxue slowly walked forward.

Yun Wu stood still for a moment, then followed.

Her gaze fixed on Jiang Shangxue’s slender back, Yun Wu inexplicably chuckled.

She extended a pole, and Jiang Shangxue actually climbed it.

She didn’t recognize her? What a huge joke.

First, waiting at the school gate, then following her from a distance in the car, and finally entering Magpie Bridge to save her once. Was she planning to put on a show of a loving mother and filial daughter?

What exactly did she want to do?

Had Yun Yuandao’s other will been discovered early?

Or perhaps Jiang Shangxue also liked playing with women? Thinking of such a possibility, intense coldness and disgust washed over Yun Wu’s eyes.

Disgusting.

Jiang Shangxue walked ahead, messaging the driver Xiao Wang as she went.

[Jiang Shangxue: Xiao Wang, leave work early today, leave the car keys in the car.]

[Jiang Shangxue: Also, contact Uncle Li and have him prepare an ordinary furnished apartment in the Dongshu community as soon as possible.]

[Xiao Wang: Okay, Madam.]

After sending the messages, Jiang Shangxue occasionally looked back. Seeing the girl obediently following behind her, her lips curved into a smile.

In the book, Yun Wu was always surrounded by malice. Now, starting from Magpie Bridge, she would slowly let Yun Wu feel more kindness. This was the age of beautiful youth; she should proudly and openly pursue beauty and ideals.

Yun Wu’s life shouldn’t be as tragic as described in the script.

Back in the car, Jiang Shangxue glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Yun Wu sitting extremely carefully, pressed against the car door.

In this seemingly expensive car, she was trying her best not to leave any marks.

Jiang Shangxue’s eyes flickered, recalling a narration about Yun Wu in the script.

“She was accustomed to facing a malicious environment in a self-contained manner, maintaining that pitiful bit of self-esteem with almost stubbornness.”

Rolling up the car window, Jiang Shangxue shifted her gaze forward and casually asked for the address.

“Jiayuan, Beifeng District,” her voice sounded a little hoarse.

Jiang Shangxue took out a bottle of water and handed it back, but Yun Wu didn’t take it.

“Thank you, no need.”

Jiang Shangxue didn’t insist. She put the water down, calmly shifted into gear, and pressed the accelerator. “It’s good for girls to be cautious. Remember to buckle your seatbelt.”

She wasn’t bothered by Yun Wu’s refusal at all.

The tall, towering buildings rapidly receded outside the car window. Yun Wu turned her head to look outside until the scenery outside the window was replaced by a cluster of old stairwell apartments.

The car slowly stopped, and Yun Wu got out with the jacket.

She thanked her again, “Thank you.”

It was very soft, but her voice was beautiful, like a clear stream flowing through a mountain valley.

It matched her appearance perfectly, very endearing.

Jiang Shangxue looked up, smiled at Yun Wu outside the car, and motioned for her to go first.

Yun Wu nodded and turned, walking step by step towards the old building in her memory. Behind her, the sound of the car starting again faded.

Until the sound disappeared, Yun Wu stopped and turned back, the faint glow of the car’s taillights at the end of her sight.

If it were her previous life, Jiang Shangxue would have already splashed water on her face and sharply cursed her for being an ungrateful wretch.

But what had gone wrong in this life?

Yun Wu stood under the street light, an expression of contemplation on her face, her shadow stretched long beneath her feet.

Suddenly, a nearby building erupted with the joyful noise of a family laughing.

Yun Wu snapped back to reality, then revealed a smile that was both mocking and self-deprecating. She continued to walk forward, pulling out an old-fashioned button-only phone with a small, lit screen.

She walked into the chaotic, dark shadows and dialed a number.

At the same time, her demeanor underwent a drastic change.

The awkwardness and unease she felt in front of Jiang Shangxue vanished completely. Her every gesture exuded the coldness and harshness of someone who had once held a high position, mysterious and dangerous.

The person on the other end of the line listened to the contents of the voice recorder, and their attitude instantly changed dramatically.

Having agreed on a time and place with them, Yun Wu calmly hung up the phone and then walked into the old, unlit stairwell.

The sound-activated light on the first floor was broken. Yun Wu fumbled to open the door.

This whole area was a resettlement community, completely out of place with the towering buildings surrounding it, like a festering sore in a prosperous city.

Just like her, an ant only fit to cling to life in the shadows.

Yun Wu stared at the dust particles floating in the dim light, gradually feeling sleepy.

It was the first time she had seen Jiang Shangxue since her rebirth, and Yun Wu was far calmer and more restrained than she had imagined.

She even had the composure to play along with her act.

Unexpectedly, Yun Wu slept very soundly that night.

••••

On the other hand, Jiang Shangxue only got home in the early hours of the morning. After finally falling asleep, her 7 AM biological clock woke her up precisely on time.

She went downstairs for breakfast, visibly tired. Her hands felt a bit empty, and Jiang Shangxue blurted out, “Where’s the newspaper?”

“Huh?” Nanny Wu, the maid, looked bewildered and quickly asked, “Madam, what newspaper do you want?”

“The business newspaper.”

Nanny Wu hurriedly went to fetch the newspaper, trying to please. Not only had Madam woken up unusually early today, but she also wanted to read the business newspaper?

Could she even understand it?

Several question marks popped up in Nanny Wu’s mind, but it wasn’t her business. She only knew that this madam had a terrible temper and would torment them servants in various ways if she was even slightly displeased.

Thinking this, Nanny Wu quickened her pace, fearing she might displease Jiang Shangxue if she was late.

Seeing the maid’s apprehensive demeanor, Jiang Shangxue secretly shook her head.

Thinking of last night’s events, Jiang Shangxue specifically asked as she took the newspaper, “How much living allowance is given to Wuwu each month?”

It didn’t seem wrong for a parent to ask about their child’s living allowance.

But this was the Madam who supposedly wanted to kill Miss Yun asking.

Nanny Wu looked troubled, and finally, with a subtle expression, said, “You instructed, not a single penny.”

Not a single penny.

Jiang Shangxue paused her spoon midway while eating porridge. The air instantly fell silent.

After a moment, Nanny Wu heard Jiang Shangxue continue to ask, “About how much is the monthly rent in the Dongshu community?”

The Yun residence was in the Dongshu District, so Nanny Wu actually knew the answer to this question. She thought for a moment, “It seems the cheapest is at least four thousand five a month.”

Jiang Shangxue pondered for a while.

“Give her three thousand every month from now on. Send the money today, and make up for the six thousand that was missing previously.”

“Oh, okay, okay,”

How did this madam change so much? Nanny Wu agreed verbally, but the feeling of strangeness in her heart grew stronger. Had Madam’s conscience suddenly emerged?

After breakfast, Jiang Shangxue prepared to go to the company. After all, she held the CEO position and so many shares.

She had to go eventually, so she might as well take the initiative.

Meanwhile, Yun Wu quietly appeared outside a black internet cafe.

This internet cafe wasn’t far from Dongshu Middle School; it looked quite high-end from the outside. It was about a thirty-minute bus ride away.

Yun Wu walked in. The internet cafe was empty. She went up to the second floor, pushed open the door, and saw a dozen hooligan-looking men gathered around a table. They had colorful buzz cuts, bare torsos, identical Peppa Pig tattoos on their left arms, and flashy large silver chains around their necks that hurt the eyes to look at.

They were waiting for her.

A green-haired hooligan stared at Yun Wu several times.

“Boss, is this the person you were talking about? She looks like a chicken, can she really have that ability?”

“Hey, little sister, even though you’re pretty, I still have to warn you: ‘Peppa Pig on my skin, we’re all street toughs within.’ If you’re lying to us, you won’t be walking out of this door today.”

Quite a rhyme.

His extremely unkempt appearance couldn’t hide the ruthlessness on the green-haired hooligan’s face.

But before he finished speaking, the green-haired hooligan was flicked on the forehead by the boss, who was surrounded by the other hooligans.

“Shut up. We’re in a society governed by law. Of course, our ‘Piglet Gang’ has to abide by the law.”

Ye Mei chewed gum, her leg propped on the table, her posture wild and unrestrained. She squinted at Yun Wu. “Where’s the stuff?”

Yun Wu calmly opened her palm. A voice recorder lay quietly in her hand. She pressed the play button, and Zhao Rongrong’s arrogant voice rang out.

“Who in A City doesn’t give my dad face? That piece of land in Beifeng District was negotiated by me personally. Sanlin Company has already fallen into the trap. We’re just waiting for them to default on the bridge loan, and that mortgaged land will naturally be ours…”

Ye Jianwei, the boss of Sanlin Company, made his fortune in retail. After getting rich, he followed the trend of buying land everywhere and was a notorious nouveau riche in A City.

In Yun Wu’s memory from her previous life, Sanshui Company would soon go bankrupt due to a broken capital chain from failing to repay a bridge loan, and its chairman, Ye Jianwei, would jump from a building. His only daughter, Ye Mei, would disappear without a trace.

Until that big fire, the fire she had planned to burn Zhao Changming and Xu Chacha in, Ye Mei pulled her out of the flames.

Ye Mei was a tomboy, with a heroic look. No matter how punk or alternative her style, she still looked good. She was notorious as a bad student at Dongshu Middle School.

After listening to the recording, Ye Mei slowly sat up straight. She looked at Yun Wu for a long time. “How did you know I was in trouble recently, and you even want to help a hooligan like me?”

Yun Wu’s aura was very unique, especially prominent in Dongshu Middle School, which was filled with rich kids. Ye Mei had seen her a few times at school and had an impression of her face: a solitary weirdo.

Ye Mei couldn’t believe the person on the phone was Yun Wu.

Facing Ye Mei’s scrutiny, Yun Wu still stood perfectly straight, showing no stage fright. She said bluntly, “I need money.”

Then she continued, “Send the recording and the complaint letter to the A City Procuratorate and the Bureau of Industry and Commerce, and also send a copy to the municipal party secretary. Don’t leave any real information.”

With this recording released, Zhao Rongrong would not be able to acquire the land in Beifeng District as she did in the previous life. This also meant she wouldn’t be able to use that land later to connect her cousin Zhao Changming with a high-ranking official.

Zhao Changming’s business and political career would certainly not be as smooth sailing as it was in the previous life.

Ye Mei motioned for someone to bring the money. Money was exchanged for goods.

The money was wrapped in an envelope, a thick stack, probably around ten thousand yuan. Yun Wu took it, put it in her bag, gave Ye Mei a faint glance, and left.

The other hooligans were intimidated by Yun Wu’s aura. After Yun Wu left, they couldn’t resist asking impudently, “Boss, do you think the recording isn’t fake? Even if it’s real, what if we get discovered? Will we face retaliation?”

Ye Mei glared at the speaker and sternly said, “What do you know? This is called legal reporting, legal rights protection.”

As for the voice, Ye Mei knew immediately it was that idiot Zhao Rongrong, beyond a doubt.

Ye Mei picked up the voice recorder and walked to the window, watching Yun Wu’s retreating back. She softly muttered,

“How interesting.”

••••

Meanwhile, as soon as Yun Wu reached the school gate, she saw Uncle Li waiting by the guardhouse.

Upon seeing Yun Wu, Uncle Li walked out with a beaming smile. “Miss, Madam sent me to give you your living expenses.”

Uncle Li held a small leather bag containing nine thousand yuan. For a rich family’s child, living expenses would certainly be more than this, but Yun Wu was a special case.

Although Uncle Li disliked Jiang Shangxue, his years of professional conduct outweighed his inner reluctance.

The nine thousand yuan Jiang Shangxue had instructed him to give was not a penny more, not a penny less.

Yun Wu nodded coldly, took the bag, and walked into the school without a word.

Uncle Li awkwardly rubbed his hands and chased after her, saying, “Miss, Madam might have had a change of heart. You should try to get closer to her.”

Jiang Shangxue, a change of heart?

What new trick was she trying to pull now?

Yun Wu scoffed. Jiang Shangxue couldn’t possibly be addicted to playing the good mother, thinking that after abusing her, a theatrical display of mercy with a small handout would move her.

Just like in her previous life, when others showed a tiny bit of kindness, she would want to repay them wholeheartedly.

How useless.

But this life would be different.

Author’s Note:

Peppa Pig on my skin, we’re all street toughs within.