The Villainess Is Pretending to Be Sweet Again Today (Transmigration) - Chapter 6

On the first morning in her new home, Nuo Yang woke up in a warm and comfortable bed.

She snuggled under the covers, watching the morning sun peek through the gaps in the curtains, casting a glow on the bedding beside her.

No doubt about it—a spacious house was far better than that cramped, noisy rental apartment. Stretching lazily in bed, Nuo Yang thought she’d love to buy this place if she could.

Getting up, she pulled open the curtains to reveal a bright morning outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. The sun rose between the towering buildings, casting a hazy, dreamlike beauty.

She’d heard that this house originally belonged to Long Huaichang’s mother. Yesterday, Nuo Yang had given the place a thorough cleaning and replaced all the bedding with new ones. Though she wasn’t superstitious, using old linens just didn’t feel right.

Heading downstairs, Nuo Yang planned to call Long Huaichang for breakfast, but after knocking several times with no response, she pushed the door open only to find the girl was already gone.

Glancing around, she spotted a sticky note on the fridge, written in elegant handwriting:
“Gone to school. Breakfast is in the fridge.”

Even the period at the end was perfectly placed.

Opening the fridge, Nuo Yang found steamed dumplings and shaomai inside. It seemed Long Huaichang hadn’t cooked but had instead bought breakfast early in the morning.

She wondered how much money the girl even had left—how could she still afford takeout?

After microwaving the food, Nuo Yang washed up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and headed out for work.

Upscale neighborhoods really were different. In the morning, residents left for work or school at a leisurely pace, and the air carried the fresh scent of grass—just stepping outside lifted her mood.

Since her office was nearby—just two stops by bus or subway—Nuo Yang figured she could sleep in an extra half hour from now on.

Arriving at the company, she booted up her computer and settled into her daily routine.

Just then, an editor from the neighboring workstation glanced around before pushing off her chair and sliding over to Nuo Yang’s side.

“Nuo Yang, Nuo Yang, Nuo Yang!”

The woman blinked mischievously and whispered, “Are you free this Saturday night? Let’s go out for dinner!”

Nuo Yang recognized her—Cheng Bai, an editor from their department. They got along well with everyone.

“Dinner?” Nuo Yang asked, puzzled. “Where? And who’s going?”

Cheng Bai stretched her neck and pointed at a few people across the office. “Dada from design, Chu Kexin from editorial, and a few others—about four or five of us.”

Nuo Yang thought about it. She didn’t have any plans that Saturday, so she agreed. “Sure, where are we going?”

Chu Kexin popped her head out from the opposite workstation and whispered, “To a nightclub!”

Nuo Yang: “???”

A what?

Cheng Bai waved at her to keep it down, then leaned in conspiratorially. “We found this amazing spot—a punk-themed nightclub in an alley in the east district. The vibe is great, and most importantly…”

She lowered her voice even further. “They have erotic dances!”

Nuo Yang’s interest was instantly piqued. In her original world, such things were strictly regulated. During crackdowns, forget erotic dances—even erotic books were hard to come by.

“Erotic dances?” she asked curiously. “What kind of dances are we talking about?”

Her question made the entire editorial office burst into quiet laughter as they eagerly explained to Nuo Yang the various types of risqué dances available.

Aside from the usual short-skirt performances, this nightclub also featured pole dancing and lingerie shows.

“I heard that as long as one table spends enough, they can request a dance. We can just watch from the sidelines,” Cheng Bai said to Nuo Yang. “How about it? Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?”

Nuo Yang couldn’t help but feel a little excited at the thought and nodded without hesitation. “Alright, let’s go check out the nightclub this Saturday.”

She had never been to one before and wondered if her first experience would be as steamy as she imagined.

With the plan settled, the editorial team began their day’s work. Nuo Yang spent her time organizing news and trending topics, and the day passed quickly—so much so that she ended up leaving an hour later than usual.

The 996 grind felt as natural to Nuo Yang as breathing. It wasn’t until she boarded the last bus home that a sudden realization struck her—

As a woman worth 800 million, was she really going to spend her entire life working 996?

She had to find a way to quit.

When Nuo Yang arrived home and opened the door, she found Long Huaichang sitting at the dining table, scrolling on her phone. Hearing the door, she looked up.

“Why are you so late?”

Long Huaichang frowned unhappily. “I made dinner and waited for you. Now it’s all cold.”

Her slightly aggrieved expression made Nuo Yang feel as if she had abandoned her.

“Sorry, I had to work overtime today,” Nuo Yang said, setting her things down before walking over. On the table were two portions of food—stir-fried greens and braised chicken with mushrooms.

The chicken dish looked suspiciously dark, either from too much soy sauce or being burnt, while the greens appeared relatively normal.

Long Huaichang pressed her lips together but didn’t complain. Instead, she stood up and picked up the dishes. “It’s cold. I’ll heat it up. Wait here.”

Nuo Yang didn’t have the heart to admit she’d already eaten a jianbing on the way home, so she obediently sat at the table, watching Long Huaichang reheat the food in the kitchen. There was something oddly charming about the sight.

“Maybe you shouldn’t wait for me to eat dinner from now on,” Nuo Yang suggested. “I often work late, and don’t you have homework to do?”

“I never do homework.”

Long Huaichang brought the reheated dishes back and set them in front of Nuo Yang, even scooping her a fresh bowl of rice. “Try it. See if you like it.”

Nuo Yang took a bite and, to be honest, it wasn’t great.

But since the girl had gone to the trouble of waiting for her, she forced herself to nod. “It’s good, just a bit salty.”

Long Huaichang took a bite herself and, after a long silence, admitted, “Too much soy sauce.”

Nuo Yang couldn’t help but laugh, resting her head on the table, which only made Long Huaichang sulk more.

After the meal, Long Huaichang got up to return to her room, but Nuo Yang stopped her. “What’s your phone number? If I’m working late tomorrow, I’ll let you know so you don’t have to wait for me at home.”

Long Huaichang glanced at her, took Nuo Yang’s phone, entered her number, and even called herself before handing it back.

“I finish school at 5:30 pm. Let me know if you need to work overtime.”

“Okay, got it.”

——————

In the following days, Long Huaichang noticed her ‘landlord’ was always working late. Every night at 10 p.m., she would come home with takeout, ask if Long wanted any, and then disappear upstairs after receiving a refusal.

At first, Long Huaichang thought Nuo Yang would be difficult to get along with, but she soon realized this woman was surprisingly easygoing.

Given that this was a haunted house, Long had assumed Nuo Yang wouldn’t stay long. Yet, over the days, she seemed to settle in more comfortably—even ordering a bunch of games to be delivered home, presumably for leisure.

But with her constant overtime, when would she even have time to play?

“Long Huaichang.”

Just then, the math teacher rapped on the desk and called her name. “Come up and solve this problem on the board.”

Without even glancing at the question, Long remained seated and said, “I can’t.”

Annoyed by her attitude, the teacher frowned. “If you don’t know how, then at least pay attention instead of daydreaming.”

Long let the words go in one ear and out the other.

A few snickers rose from behind her. “Teacher, don’t bother with Long Huaichang,” one student jeered. “She’s got billions in inheritance waiting for her. Who knows, she might leave this school as the richest person in the country!”

The class burst into laughter.

The teacher banged the lectern. “Enough sarcasm! Focus on the lesson!”

By the end of the period, Long Huaichang had a headache. She decided to skip the rest of the day.

But as soon as the bell rang, her homeroom teacher stopped her.

“Long Huaichang, come to my office.”

The middle-aged woman, her hair slicked back in a severe bun, watched as Long obediently followed. Sitting down, she said, “You still haven’t paid this semester’s tuition, have you?”

Long fell silent.

With her family in ruins, where would she get the money for such exorbitant fees?

Attending this elite school cost ¥190,000 per semester—not including meals, textbooks, or other expenses. All told, a single term easily exceeded ¥300,000.

The teacher studied Long’s silent stare and sighed. “I know your family is going through a lot, but this isn’t a charity. If the tuition isn’t paid by the end of the month…”

She paused. “Then you won’t be coming back next month.”

Long said nothing. She simply nodded and walked out.

——————

That evening, for once, Nuo Yang wasn’t working overtime. She was at the market, picking out fresh vegetables and meat while calling Long Huaichang.

“Hey, I’m actually coming home on time today,” she said cheerfully to the vendor, “Auntie, can I get a bag? I’ll take a few ears of corn.”

On the other end of the line, Long listened to the haggling before replying flatly, “Got it.”

She knew exactly what this meant—Nuo Yang expected her to hurry back and cook.

After all, as someone living under another’s roof, she had no right to refuse.

Nuo Yang bought the corn and said with a smile, “You’ve been cooking for me all week, so you must be tired. Today, I’ll make you some egg yolk corn—I remember you really like it.”

Long Huaichang was taken aback for a moment. After a brief silence, she replied, “I don’t know how to make egg yolk corn.”

“Didn’t I say I’d cook today?” Nuo Yang said into the phone. “Just wait for me at home. Your big sister will make you something delicious!”

Long Huaichang sat silently on the rooftop for a long time before finally responding, “Okay.”

Maybe this woman just had a sudden urge to cook, Long Huaichang thought to herself as she stared at the darkened phone screen. If anything ever happened, she would surely be abandoned by her.

After all, no one would ever like someone like her—someone with an awkward identity and living in destitution. This woman would be no exception.