Transmigrated Into a Book: The Villain I Raised Is Plotting Against Me! - Chapter 22

Mu Suru’s beautiful eyes held a playful glint, though her face showed sorrow: “Mu Jia, I’ve never offended you. Why do you always target me?”

Yao Yuan lowered his gaze, looking at the girl pitifully clinging to his pants like a mess of mud. [1]

He said nothing, only freeing his pants from her grip and flashing Mu Suru a gentle smile before walking away.

The saying “the pitiful always have something detestable about them” wasn’t without reason… [2]

Mu Suru grabbed her lunchbox and stepped over the “bodies” lying on the ground without sparing a glance at Mu Jia. 

She left with ease, feeling triumphant in how well her plan had played out.

The lackeys who had been knocked down scrambled to their feet, trying to help Mu Jia, who was still lying on the ground. 

But, unexpectedly, they couldn’t lift her. 

Her manicured hands were tightly clenched against the floor, and she was gripping so hard that her nails had lifted, leaving small traces of blood. 

Yet Mu Jia seemed oblivious, as if enveloped in a thick cloud of despair.

“Mu Suru!” she hissed.

In the Classroom

Mu Suru was back in class, struggling with yet another round of tedious schoolwork. 

As she worked on a difficult math problem, her pale fingers lightly tapped the table in a rhythmic manner, indicating her concentration.

“Mu Suru, do you want some candy?” A small, trembling voice spoke up.

Mu Suru turned to find it was her deskmate, someone she hadn’t been sitting next to for long. Her eyebrows raised in slight surprise and confusion before she smiled politely.

“No, thank you.”

The girl with glasses looked a bit disappointed but was instantly cheered up by Mu Suru’s charming smile. 

Inside, her heart screamed, Ahh, Mu Suru is so beautiful! She’s on par with the school beauty, and she hasn’t even fully grown yet!

Mu Suru had no idea what was running through her classmate’s mind. 

After finishing the tough problem, she covered her head with her hat and promptly fell asleep on her desk. Last night’s sleep wasn’t enough, she was still tired.

Ring ring 

The school bell chimed, signaling the end of the day. 

Mu Suru stretched lazily, exposing a sliver of her smooth, white waist. As she moved, her long hair fell over part of her face, making her baby-like cheeks appear even smaller.

Ding ding

Two messages buzzed on her phone, both from a cute pink bear avatar.

This was… Gu Pei?

Two voice messages had been sent. Mu Suru pressed play. 

A cold yet crisp voice came through.

“Suru, you… done with school?”

“I’ll… pick you up soon.”

Gu Pei’s speech was broken and hesitant, but Mu Suru’s sharp mind easily pieced together the meaning. She replied with a voice message of her own, then quickly packed her things and rushed out of the classroom.

Outside, Gu Pei leaned coolly against a white wall, one leg bent casually. Her bangs covered her fierce eyes, and her posture was lazy, exuding a rebellious vibe.

Buzz buzz 

The phone in her hand vibrated again, breaking her calm demeanor. Her long, elegant fingers swiped across the screen, revealing a voice message from a small kitten avatar. She pressed play, and a soft, sweet voice spoke, “Sister Gu, I’m coming down right now, just wait for me~”

Unconsciously, Gu Pei’s pale ears turned red. 

Ah… this girl is way too cute! I want to cuddle her!

“Sister Gu!” Mu Suru called out from the stairs, slightly out of breath as she looked down at the tall figure below.

Hearing the voice behind her, Gu Pei turned her head to see the petite girl twisting her fingers nervously, giving her an apologetic smile.

“Sister Gu, have you been waiting long?”

“No… not really.” Gu Pei coolly replied, though after realizing her tone might have been too indifferent, she added another word.

Mu Suru: ??? Is Sister Gu… being shy?

Gu Pei straightened her leg, grabbed the girl’s school bag, and tossed it over her shoulder, striding ahead boldly. 

Mu Suru was left staring blankly, feeling the sudden loss of weight in her arms. She watched as Gu Pei’s figure moved further away, only to suddenly stop and turn back with a cold, elegant face: “Hurry up and follow!”

Startled, Mu Suru quickly jogged to catch up. As the sun set, their two shadows intertwined, as if bound together by fate.

——————————

Meanwhile, Mu Jia sat in her family’s car, her mind drifting off somewhere. Her nails, which had started to bleed earlier, were now bandaged.

“Miss, we’ve arrived,” the old, weathered voice of the driver broke through her daze.

The cold wind blew sharply, and Mu Jia pulled her coat tighter around her, tidying up her disheveled hair. With her lips pressed tight and a determined look on her face, she walked into the luxurious villa.

Inside, Mu Liao sat reading a newspaper, wearing his reading glasses. His phone rang, interrupting his concentration.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Oh, it’s Mr. Yao…” Mu Liao said with a smile, nervously rubbing his dry, bark-like hands together.

Suddenly, his face darkened as if something said on the other end had angered him. “Mr. Yao, we had already agreed on that contract, so why the sudden…”

“You should ask your precious daughter what she did first!” came the cold voice from the other end before the call abruptly ended.

Mu Liao’s whole body trembled with rage. 

He turned just as Mu Jia stepped into the house.

“Get out of my sight!” he roared, throwing his cane at her.

Mu Jia didn’t dodge, letting the heavy cane hit her. 

The pain spread through her body, but it couldn’t compare to the sorrow gnawing at her heart.

How could he treat me like this after all I’ve done to become his chosen heir?

Mu Liao’s wrinkled face twisted with fury: “Do you even realize how much I worked to secure that contract?”

Of course, Mu Jia knew, but she stayed silent, standing tall. Her quiet, defiant stance only made him angrier.

“Mu Jia, you were once my most promising successor! But that doesn’t mean there isn’t someone ready to take your place!”

His words struck her like a thunderbolt, leaving her stunned.

What does this mean? Is he… planning to abandon me?

“Master, your headache’s acting up again?” 

A fashionable, middle-aged woman with well-preserved beauty walked in, her delicate hands massaging Mu Liao’s temples until his furrowed brows relaxed.

Mu Liao patted her smooth hand with satisfaction: “Ah, Mei’er, you always know how to soothe me. Your technique just keeps getting better.”

“I’ve been following a special tutorial for months, just to help with your condition,” the woman, named Liu Mei, said with a coy smile.

Mu Liao’s gaze softened, and his hands were a little dishonest. 

“Well… Master, Jia’er is still watching.” [3]

Mu Liao directly drove her away: “You can leave now, Mu Jia. My new successor is Mu Yao!”

Explanations:

[1] “如同烂泥” (rútóng lànní). This phrase is a metaphor which translates to “like rotten mud” or “like a mess of mud,” indicating someone who is in a pathetic or powerless state. In Chinese, this metaphor conveys the image of someone who has “collapsed” or is completely powerless, much like mud that has no shape or form and can’t support itself. It’s often used to highlight the person’s weakness, helplessness, or lack of dignity in that moment. Sorry this site has no footnote function yet, IDK if this would work.

[2] “可怜之人必有可恨之处” (kělián zhī rén bì yǒu kěhèn zhī chù). This is a well-known Chinese proverb that conveys the idea that those who appear pitiful often have flaws or actions that make them deserving of their situation, or that there’s something about them that might elicit disdain despite their misfortune.

[3] Jia’er (珈儿) is a term of endearment, often used to refer to someone affectionately, similar to adding “-er” to a name in Chinese. It’s a way to address someone intimately, often showing familiarity or a close relationship. (As a fellow cn reader I know some are aware of adding this term for endearment)