The Villainess Is Pretending to Be Sweet Again Today (Transmigration) - Chapter 36

As soon as Nuo Yang returned home, she saw Long Huaichang lying on the sofa in her school uniform, eyes closed—whether asleep or just resting was unclear. Guazi, now a fully grown chubby cat, was dozing on Long Huaichang’s stomach.

Taking in this peaceful domestic scene, Nuo Yang suddenly wasn’t sure if she should remain anxious.

Hearing the door open, Long Huaichang opened her eyes and said weakly, “Sister… you’re back…”

Nuo Yang kicked off her shoes and rushed over, studying Long Huaichang’s expression. “Are you… okay?”

“I’m fine,” Long Huaichang replied softly. “I just took a nap.”

Nuo Yang: “…”

After all the worry on her way home, this little brat had been sleeping?!

“Get up!” Nuo Yang’s irritation flared, her stomach twisting uncomfortably as she scolded, “I’ve been worried sick about you! How could you just sleep like this?!”

Long Huaichang suddenly smiled, reaching out to pull Nuo Yang into her arms, making her lie atop her.

“You—”

The unexpected move confused Nuo Yang, but she didn’t dare struggle, remaining pressed against Long Huaichang.

“Sister,” Long Huaichang murmured, nuzzling Nuo Yang’s hair, “I dreamed about you.”

“About me?” Nuo Yang asked, puzzled. “What was I doing in your dream?”

“You were…”

Long Huaichang chuckled. “Sleeping.”

Nuo Yang rolled her eyes. You’re the one who was sleeping, hello?!

Long Huaichang tightened her arms, holding Nuo Yang closer.

“Xiao Huai…” Sensing something off, Nuo Yang asked, “Did that person say something to you?”

“Yeah.” Long Huaichang closed her eyes. “She told me… Long Yingjun is dead.”

“Dead?!”

Nuo Yang jolted in shock. She’d seen that man not long ago—how could he be dead?

Long Huaichang continued, “His private plane crashed. They probably won’t find his body. The funeral’s next week. She… wants me to attend.”

Nuo Yang clenched Long Huaichang’s school uniform, displeased. “After kicking you out, how dare they ask you to return for the funeral?!”

Long Huaichang didn’t mention that Mu Jiazhao even wanted her to move back to the Long family. Seeing Nuo Yang’s face pale with anger, she couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Sister, you’re adorable when you’re mad.”

Nuo Yang snapped, “This is no time for jokes!”

“Sister,” Long Huaichang murmured, “Why is it that death happens in an instant… but leaves so much to deal with afterward?”

Why can’t people leave cleanly—taking their bodies, their emotions, everyone’s memories with them?

Nuo Yang didn’t understand why Long Huaichang would ask this, but a bad feeling settled in her chest. She pulled Long Huaichang upright from the sofa, staring into her eyes. “Xiao Huai, listen—no matter what the Long family asks of you, don’t obey. Understand?”

Long Huaichang looked puzzled.

“Just know they’re not good people,” Nuo Yang insisted, gripping her hands. “I don’t know how to explain it, but they’re all irredeemably terrible.”

Long Huaichang suddenly laughed. “Then… does that include me?”

Nuo Yang: “…”

Of course. You’re the worst of them all.

But Nuo Yang couldn’t say that. After all, she’d raised this kid herself—no matter how bad she was, she couldn’t call her bad.

“Of course, you’re the best,” Nuo Yang pursed her lips and forced herself to say, “You’re the cutest one!”

Please, please, telling a little white lie once in a while couldn’t hurt!

Just don’t let anything unlucky happen because of this!!

Long Huaichang watched Nuo Yang’s earnest expression and pulled her into a tight embrace, her arms squeezing so hard it felt like she wanted to press Nuo Yang into her own body.

Nuo Yang didn’t dare cry out in pain, letting herself be held like that.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when Long Huaichang suddenly heard Nuo Yang let out a soft whimper.

“Sis?”

Long Huaichang loosened her grip and saw Nuo Yang clutching her stomach, her face deathly pale. A sudden wave of worry hit her. “Sis, what’s wrong?”

“I—” Nuo Yang pressed one hand to her stomach, the other gripping Long Huaichang’s clothes, sweat beading on her forehead from the pain. “My stomach… it really hurts…”

Truthfully, Nuo Yang had been suffering from stomach pain since morning, but she’d ignored it and gone to work as usual.

She’d taken some medicine in the office and skipped lunch entirely.

Seeing Nuo Yang drenched in sweat from the pain, Long Huaichang panicked. She scooped her up in one swift motion and rushed toward the door.

By the time they got Nuo Yang into the emergency room, both of them were sweating despite the winter chill. After a quick examination, the doctor told Long Huaichang that Nuo Yang had acute gastritis.

“Did she eat anything unusual yesterday?” the doctor asked while checking her over.

Long Huaichang answered, “She just had hotpot.”

“The really spicy, numbing kind? And a lot of it?”

“…Yeah, Doctor.”

“Well, there you go.” The doctor said flatly. “Next time, tell her not to overeat. Spicy, stimulating foods are already hard on the stomach, and eating too much just makes it worse.”

Long Huaichang nodded. “Got it. I won’t let her overeat again.”

“Go handle the paperwork first. I’ll prescribe some meds.”

“Alright.”

It wasn’t until evening that Nuo Yang’s stomach pain finally eased.

Slumped in a chair in the IV room, she clutched her stomach and groaned, “I’m so hungry…”

Long Huaichang, sitting beside her, couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Just moments ago, her face had been twisted in agony, and now that the pain was gone, she was complaining about hunger??

Was her sister some kind of miracle worker?

“The doctor said you ate too much and need to cut back,” Long Huaichang adjusted the blanket over Nuo Yang and scolded lightly. “Next time, don’t force yourself to finish everything. Just leave what you can’t eat—don’t stuff yourself.”

Nuo Yang huffed through her nose. “But that’s so wasteful…”

“Waste is better than ending up in the hospital.” Long Huaichang pulled Nuo Yang closer, letting her lean against her as the IV dripped. “The doctor said we can go home after this.”

“Mm.” Nuo Yang, exhausted from the ordeal, was probably sleepy. She nestled into Long Huaichang’s arms and murmured, “Xiao Huai… wake me up when it’s time to go home, okay? I’m gonna nap for a bit…”

Her voice trailed off, and soon she was asleep against Long Huaichang’s shoulder.

Long Huaichang glanced down at her, gently brushing the stray hairs from her forehead. She wanted to laugh but held it back, exhaling softly instead.

Her gloomy mood instantly dissipated with her antics.

“Sis.” Long Huaichang kissed the top of Nuo Yang’s head and whispered, “No matter what happens, promise you won’t leave me…”

————

Nuo Yang wasn’t sure how long she’d slept, but when she woke up, it was already the next morning.

Staring at the familiar ceiling of her bedroom, she realized—this was her own room?

Rubbing her eyes, she tried to sit up only to feel an arm wrapped around her waist. Turning her head, she saw Long Huaichang sleeping on the other pillow, clutching her waist tightly as if afraid she might fall off.

She had no recollection of how Long Huaichang had managed to bring her home last night.

Wanting to check the time, she shifted slightly—and immediately woke Long Huaichang beside her.

The dark circles under Long Huaichang’s eyes were strikingly obvious, making Nuo Yang feel a pang of guilt. “You’re awake?”

“Mmm…”

Seeing Nuo Yang awake, Long Huaichang closed her eyes again and nestled closer, murmuring sleepily, “Sleep a little longer, sis.”

Nuo Yang’s stomach growled emptily. “I’m hungry…”

Long Huaichang opened her eyes to look at her, and Nuo Yang blinked back.

She really was hungry—her stomach had been upset all day yesterday, and she wasn’t made of iron. Going a full day without eating would make anyone ravenous.

“Maybe… I should order takeout,” Nuo Yang suggested hesitantly, since Long Huaichang didn’t seem inclined to get up.

Long Huaichang didn’t object. Taking Nuo Yang’s phone, she ordered two breakfast sets, noticing it was already past 10 a.m.—by the time the food arrived, it would practically be lunch.

Resigned, Long Huaichang added some side dishes to the order. Nuo Yang’s gastritis had just improved, so many foods were still off-limits.

When the delivery arrived, Long Huaichang went downstairs to get it. She picked out a warm congee, opened it, and began feeding Nuo Yang spoonful by spoonful.

Between sips, Nuo Yang suddenly laughed. “Xiao Huai, don’t you think our roles have reversed?”

Blowing on the congee, Long Huaichang offered another spoonful. “How so?”

“I used to be the one taking care of you,” Nuo Yang said after swallowing. “When we first met, you fainted—I was the one who took you to the hospital.”

Long Huaichang remembered that clearly. She’d woken up in the hospital bed to see Nuo Yang there.

Back then, she’d thought if she died outside, no one would even notice.

The memory made her gaze at Nuo Yang a moment longer.

“You look so grown-up now, taking care of me like this,” Nuo Yang praised.

Long Huaichang glanced at her, the corners of her lips quirking up. “If sis likes it, I can keep taking care of you like this forever.”

Nuo Yang wrinkled her nose, seeming displeased at the idea.

Stirring the congee, Long Huaichang spoke slowly. “Sis.”

Nuo Yang: “???”

“I’ll be 18 in a few months,” Long Huaichang said, staring at her. “Have you thought about what gift to give me?”

“Wow, since when did you start asking for presents outright?”

“Sis doesn’t want to?”

“Hmm…”

Nuo Yang thought for a moment and said, “My taste is quite tacky, so you can’t complain if the gift isn’t to your liking.”

Upon hearing this, Long Huaichang laughed and replied, “Alright, I’ll love whatever you give me, sis.”

Nuo Yang said happily, “You said it yourself! Don’t come crying to me if you don’t like it later.”

Long Huaichang’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled: “Mhm!”