The Crybaby Always Wants to Redeem the Villainess - Chapter 1

Celestial Profound Kingdom, Grand Tutor Gu’s Estate…

Gu Zhirou jolted awake, gasping for breath. She had dreamed again of the scene from her past life: Xiao Yi’s tragic death while trying to save her.

In her previous life, she had married Luo Lingchen, the heir to Prince Jin’s Manor. When Prince Jin rebelled, the Grand Tutor’s Estate was falsely accused and its members imprisoned.

Fearing exposure, Prince Jin and his son seized the opportunity to send assassins into the prison to secretly murder the Grand Tutor.

Though the General’s Estate wielded considerable military power, they dared not confront Prince Jin directly. Yet Xiao Yi, defying her father General Xiao’s objections, stormed Prince Jin’s Manor to rescue Gu Zhirou, only to die at the hands of Prince Jin’s heir, Luo Lingchen.

At that moment, Xiao Qing, Gu Zhirou’s personal maid, rushed in. Seeing her mistress drenched in cold sweat, she wiped her brow with a damp cloth.

“Miss, did you have another nightmare? I’ll fetch the master to call a physician.”

Gu Zhirou shook her head. “No need, Xiao Qing. I must go out today.”

I hope it’s not too late to change everything.

Xiao Qing eyed her pale-faced mistress with concern. “Miss, you mustn’t leave the estate today. That notorious female tyrant from the General’s Estate, Xiao Yi, is returning from the border! Everyone’s hiding to avoid her—why would you want to go out?”

Xiao Qing truly didn’t know what to say. Lately, her Miss had been plagued by nightmares every night and was constantly trying to sneak out.

“Oh, Xiao Qing, just let me go! I’m practically going moldy cooped up here. I just want to take a walk. I promise I won’t provoke her. Please, just say yes? Can you bear to see your Miss suffer nightmares every night? I just want to clear my head. We can avoid her, right?”

Ayi would never hurt me, Gu Zhirou thought. Ayi is such a kind and good person! When Ayi returns to the capital, I’ll be there to greet her, even if it’s just a glimpse from afar!

“Please, Xiao Qing, just let me go? Pretty please? You’re the best, my dear Xiao Qing.”

Gu Zhirou immediately adopted a frail and pitiful act, knowing Xiao Qing couldn’t bear to see her distressed.

As expected, Xiao Qing’s heart softened at the sight of her Miss’s tearful, aggrieved expression. She gritted her teeth and relented.

“Fine, but I have to come with you. You can’t go alone. Oh wait, I forgot! I can’t go out today—I have urgent matters to attend to.”

Xiao Qing suddenly slapped her forehead, nearly forgetting her pressing tasks. “Miss, I’ll have Xiao Ju and the others accompany you instead!”

Gu Zhirou nodded eagerly.

Before leaving, Xiao Qing arranged for four maids, led by Xiao Ju, to accompany Gu Zhirou. The group arrived at a tavern and settled into a private room, listening to the lively chatter outside.

“Hey, did you hear? That death-seeking female tyrant from the border is back today.”

“Heard it? Of course I heard it! How could I not? The whole city’s buzzing about it!”

“That’s nothing. I heard she turned the military camp upside down, causing chaos and panic. She flirted with every soldier there—and even the camp’s boars!”

“Damn! That’s scandalous! How could a woman be so shameless? General Xiao is righteous and honorable, a war hero who defends our nation. How could he father such a notorious, shameless daughter?”

“Who knows?”

“I also heard that the soldiers couldn’t stand her anymore. They were all threatening to resign and go back to farming. General Xiao had no choice but to send her back to the capital!”

“That makes sense. If I were one of those soldiers, I’d quit too. Better to farm than be humiliated by that female tyrant!”

“But sending her to the capital just means she’ll bully us now!”

“How does a malignant tumor like her deserve to live?”

“Hey, wait a minute! Could she be a spy sent by the enemy? If she ruins our military camp, we’ll have no troops left!”

Several people rolled their eyes. “If she’s a spy, then General Xiao and his entire family must be spies too!”

“I was just thinking aloud.”

As the crowd continued to argue, their anger flared, their teeth grinding as if they were the ones being bullied!

Suddenly, another voice chimed in, “A degenerate like her should be arrested!”

“Arrested? What for?”

“Are you stupid? To vent our anger, of course! She nearly destroyed our border defenses and now she’s back in the capital causing trouble. How can we let her get away with this?”

“Exactly! We should curse her ancestors for eighteen generations!”

“You’ve got some nerve, kid! Forget her ancestors—her father, General Xiao, is the Great General of our Celestial Profound Kingdom! He’s the one who conquered our entire empire!”

“Damn it, why don’t you go curse him and see if General Xiao doesn’t chop you in half with a single strike?”

“Surely she wouldn’t dare act up in front of the Emperor in the capital?”

“Who knows? Better steer clear of her in the future!”

Hearing this, the crowd felt pity and heartache for General Xiao. How could he have raised such a wretched creature who would ruin his lifelong reputation?

Gu Zhirou’s face twisted with anger as she listened to the rumors. What nonsense! How could Ayi be such a person? These people are just spreading lies!

Ayi is a great hero, just like General Xiao!

Gu Zhirou turned to Xiao Ju and the others beside her, her cheeks puffed up in anger. “Is Xiao Yi really like that? How dare they spread such lies?”

Xiao Ju and the others exchanged awkward glances. Are we the ones spreading rumors, or is this little tyrant truly detestable to the core?

Our Miss is just too naive! Too kind, too adorable!

In her eyes, there’s not a single bad person in the world!

“Why aren’t you answering? Tell me I’m right! How can they just make up lies and deceive people like that?”

Reluctant to shatter their Miss’s illusions, the maids nodded and offered insincere agreement. “Miss is absolutely right.”

Satisfied with their response, Gu Zhirou turned back to gaze out the window.

Meanwhile, in a forest several dozen miles outside the Celestial Profound Capital, Xiao Yi stood with a Shadow Guard clad in black, who was bowing his head and reporting something in a low voice.

Then Xiao Yi’s voice rang out: “How are the rumors spreading?”

The Shadow Guard’s lips twitched violently at the word “rumors.” His young mistress was too ruthless; only she could devise such a vicious scheme!

He barely suppressed the urge to burst into laughter, a truly difficult feat. “Miss,” he reported, “over a hundred rumors have already spread.”

If even a fraction of these were true, his mistress would deserve to die a thousand times over!

“Only a few hundred? That’s still not enough!” Xiao Yi sighed.

The Shadow Guard stared in disbelief. Not enough? If these rumors were true, she’d be the most reviled figure on the entire continent! And she calls that “not enough”?

“Miss, that’s plenty! Now’s the perfect time to return. It’s midday, when the streets are most crowded.”

Xiao Yi nodded. “Fine, if that’s all we have, so be it. I’ll just make things even worse when I get back!”

Soon after, a fiery red-clad figure on a tall, majestic horse galloped toward the city gates of the Celestial Profound Capital.

As the gate guards moved to intercept her, the horse kicked one of them aside. The red-clad girl spurred her mount into a wild dash through the city streets.