When the Villain Falls Madly in Love with Herself - Chapter 3

Morning, Boss! Hey, you brought a little girl with you. Is she your daughter? Why is she crying like a little kitten? A young police officer stepped forward to take the breakfast from the man’s hand, teasingly.

The man, too lazy to deal with the greenhorn, waved him off. Go on, get lost. Stop talking nonsense and call Xiao Li over here.

Got it!  The young officer scurried off, full of energy.

Xiao Li was a newly arrived intern and the only female officer at the small police station.

By the time she arrived, the child had stopped crying. She sat quietly on the sofa, neither fidgeting nor looking around, just hugging her little backpack and waiting patiently.

She’s quite well-behaved, Xiao Li thought.

Xiao Li, take good care of this child and find out what happened. I’ll go handle other matters, the man said, turning to leave and give them space.

Xiao Li nodded, quickly adopting a gentle and caring demeanor. Smiling, she sat down next to Lele. Hello, little one. What’s your name?

The soft voice at her ear relaxed the child, who had been tense the entire way. She answered timidly, My name is Lele, the ‘Le’ in ‘happy’.

Lele, what a lovely name, Xiao Li nodded, then asked, Tell me, Lele, why did you come to the police? Did you encounter any bad people?

Lele glanced at the policewoman beside her and shook her head vigorously. No, I want to find my Mommy and Daddy. The policewoman said the police can help me find them.

Xiao Li’s heart skipped a beat. A lost child? She exchanged a meaningful glance with the male officer outside the glass window.

Xiao Li subtly tugged up Lele’s sleeve, revealing shocking injuries beneath.

A wave of sympathy washed over her, and she softened her tone. Oh, so you want to find your Mommy and Daddy? Can you tell me their names and where you live?

Lele was stumped. She didn’t know her parents’ names or where they lived. Even her own name had been discovered by Auntie from her Longevity Lock.

She was like a stone monkey born from nothing, without parents or a past.

The tragedy was that while she lacked the stone monkey’s seventy-two transformations, she still had eighty-one trials awaiting her.

Outside the door, a young, eager police officer shouted to the man, Boss, we’ve got a new report… He was cut off by the man’s shh gesture.

The young officer glanced at the two figures inside and immediately lowered his voice, leaning in to whisper in the man’s ear, Boss, the Sunshine Welfare Home in the nearby countryside reported a missing child named Lele, 5 years old.

The situation was clear. The man nodded in understanding. The child had simply run away from the welfare home.

He sighed, cracked the door open, and called out, Xiao Li, come here for a moment.

Xiao Li gently patted the child’s head and whispered, Eat your steamed bun first, don’t go hungry. I’ll be right back.

Lele nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at grain. She rubbed the corner of her pants with delight, remembering the woman’s promise to help her find her parents.

She hopped off the sofa, grabbed a steamed bun, and took a big bite. The savory, meaty flavor exploded in her mouth.

She pulled the bun away to examine it. No wonder it tasted so good—it had so much more meat than the Skinny Woman’s!

Delicious, Lele said, her face expressionless but her legs swinging with delight.

Outside the door, Lao Chen lowered his voice and quickly briefed Xiao Li on the welfare home’s report. Xiao Li’s face paled instantly. She had heard some troubling rumors about Sunshine Welfare Home.

She… she’s so small, and she has injuries... Xiao Li’s voice trembled slightly.

Lao Chen’s brow furrowed deeper, his tone professional and unwavering, with a hint of barely concealed irritation. Procedures are procedures. The welfare home is her legal guardian. All we can do is safely return her. Anything else is beyond our jurisdiction.

He paused, noticing Xiao Li’s reddening eyes, and softened his tone slightly. Xiao Li, you can’t be too soft-hearted in this line of work. Some things… we can’t control.

When the two re-entered the reception room, Lele had just finished her two buns. The two officers waiting outside immediately followed them in, their eyes full of anticipation.

Xiao Li’s eyes were slightly red, and her smile looked even more forced than before as she took Lele’s hand. Lele, would you like me to take you to see your Mom and Dad?

Lele’s eyes lit up instantly, and she chirped a bright Mm-hmm!

The group helped the child into the car, with Xiao Li sitting beside her in the back seat, fussing over her. Lele, don’t wander off on your own again. Your family will be worried. If you ever get lost by accident, remember to look for someone with this badge, okay? She tapped her police badge.

Lele watched the streets blur past the window, completely absorbed in the joy of being reunited with her parents. She nodded eagerly at Xiao Li’s words, Mm-hmm!

Seeing her unguarded, radiant face, Xiao Li’s nose twinged with emotion, and she turned away to hide her tears.

Poor thing…

Lele startled at the sudden sob. Her eyes widened slightly as she turned her head cautiously. Sister, what did you say?

Xiao Li, still struggling to compose herself, simply patted the child’s head without answering.

In the silence that followed, the car fell into an eerie stillness.

Children have keen senses, and Lele’s heart began to race. She clutched the straps of her backpack tightly, her anxiety growing.

When she saw the familiar scenery outside the car window, her pupils constricted, and she screamed hysterically, “No! Don’t take me back! I don’t want to go back! I want to find Mommy and Daddy! You’re all liars! Don’t take me back!”

Xiao Li firmly restrained the wildly struggling child. Lele, Lele, listen to me…

The child stared at her in disbelief, tears suddenly streaming down her face. Her eyes were filled with disappointment and despair as she sobbed uncontrollably, pounding on Xiao Li and violently struggling to break free from the policewoman’s grip.

Powerless, the child could only clasp her hands together and kneel, begging through her tears, Please, please, Sister, don’t take me back. I don’t want to go back. I’m begging you.

Boss… Xiao Li pleaded, her voice choked with tears, turning to the man in the front seat for help. The male officer merely shook his head coldly.

Such an annoying child…  The voice was icy and weary, with a hint of barely concealed irritation.

So pitiful…

Strange voices echoed in the child’s ears. She covered her ears, trying to block them out, but the voices ignored her attempts, forcing their way into her mind.

In desperation, Lele shoved Xiao Li away, yanked open her backpack, and grabbed a sharpened pencil, intending to stab it into her ear.

Ah! Xiao Li ignored the pain in her back and lunged forward, seizing the self-harming child. She snatched the pencil away, her voice trembling with shock as she scolded, What do you think you’re doing?!

Tears clung to Lele’s eyelashes, refusing to fall. She glared at Xiao Li with the ferocity of a caged beast, plotting her revenge.

She shouldn’t have trusted anyone, Lele thought bitterly. After all the suffering she’d endured, how could she still be so naive? No one would ever truly care about her. To them, she was just an insignificant burden.

When she was pitiful, they offered gentle comfort and fleeting kindness. But when she became troublesome, they were quick to discard her, terrified of being implicated.

In the end, the child, powerless against these adults, was dragged back to Sunshine Welfare Home.

The Director politely thanked the police officers, his words dripping with insincerity: Thank you for your trouble. Children can be so temperamental. Thank you, thank you.

After bowing and scraping the officers out, the Director’s face twisted into a grotesque mask of rage. He seized the child’s arm, his voice hissing like a venomous snake: Run! I told you not to run, you little beast! You’ve grown too bold! How dare you humiliate me like this!

She dragged the child to the center of the courtyard, snatching the Skinny Woman’s broom along the way. With a kick, she sent the frail Lele sprawling.

Still trying to run? I’ll teach you a lesson! The Director’s eyebrows bristled as she swung the broom handle violently, striking the child’s back.

Ah—! Lele cried out as the broom slammed into her back, a metallic tang rising in her throat.

The searing pain spread through her body. She stifled a groan, her eyes burning with venomous resentment as she glared at her tormentor.

Have I ever starved you or left you without clothes?  The Director landed another brutal kick. You little beast! How dare you glare at me!

But what could Lele do to resist? Drawing on years of experience, she curled into a tight ball, clutching her head to minimize the damage.

She couldn’t die.

Aiyo! Enough, enough! Director, are you trying to kill her? Auntie, just returning from town, dropped her basket in panic and rushed to block the Director’s broom.

The Director took a deep breath, gritting her teeth as she reluctantly released her grip, allowing Auntie to snatch the broom away. She hadn’t intended to kill the child outright; seeing her beaten to this state was enough.

See this? All of you, watch closely! This is what happens when you try to run away! Hear me?! she roared at the children watching from the sidelines.

The children standing nearby were terrified by the spectacle, too frightened to utter a word. They mumbled in voices barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz, We heard you.

The Director snorted and turned to Auntie. And you! If you truly care about this child, take her home and raise her yourself. I’ve overlooked your petty mistakes before, but from now on, one rule: if you can’t do the job properly, don’t bother coming back! You’re just giving me a headache.

Yes, yes, Director, you’re right, Auntie replied, bowing her head. I’ll work harder, I promise. Please don’t be angry, calm down. She dared not provoke the Director further and quickly adopted a submissive posture.

Enough, enough. Check if she’s dead. If not, lock her in that room. And seal that dog hole by the gate—stop them from running off whenever they feel like it.

Auntie murmured her agreement twice more. Only after the Director had stormed off did she dare approach the child lying weakly on the ground.

Oh, you poor thing, she murmured, unsure where to begin. The child was covered in injuries, and Auntie was afraid to touch her anywhere for fear of causing more pain.

But before Auntie could reach out, the child pushed herself up, her face cold as she rejected Auntie’s offer of a hug.

Alright, alright, no hug. I’ll help you upstairs,  Auntie said, pulling the girl to her feet and picking up the discarded backpack.

The child limped upstairs, supported by Auntie’s arm.

Alright, alright, slow down, slow down, Auntie said, helping Lele lie face down on the bed. She lifted Lele’s shirt, revealing several shocking purple and blue bruises across her back.

Poor thing… this… Auntie started to curse, but she swallowed the words. You have to be humble when you’re under someone else’s roof.

With no medicine available, Auntie could only apply cold water compresses to Lele’s back.

She vigorously patted Lele’s pillow, scolding her with a mix of exasperation and pity. Look at you, running around like that! Now you’ve gotten a beating. Will you learn your lesson now?

Auntie continued her nagging, but Lele lay numbly against the pillow, her emotions dulled.

Auntie, go take care of your own things, Lele said, wanting to silence the buzzing voice in her ear.

Oh? You can talk now? Auntie exclaimed in surprise. Did the beating bring you back to life? Can a beating make you talk?

Lele didn’t bother arguing. She had no energy to deal with anyone around her. She simply grunted in response.

Then, darkness enveloped her vision, and her consciousness sank completely into a dreamless, heavy void.

The searing pain in her back gradually numbed and receded.

The world finally fell silent.