CH 104

Villainous Stand-in (2)

Song Xu Yi was struck by a sudden inspiration: she would infuse her own memories into the story she had been crafting, adding an emotional thread and transforming it into something entirely new.

While she had heard of the Muse of inspiration before, she had never felt its pull until today, when she met the girl who set her creative desires ablaze.

But Song Xu Yi couldn’t place the blame entirely on herself.

She couldn’t help but steal another glance at the girl. The girl’s flawless face seemed to defy all aesthetic standards, exuding an air of chilly mystique that was utterly irresistible. As soon as Song Xu Yi caught sight of her, a flood of stories flooded her mind.

Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Song Xu Yi felt a thrill of excitement course through her.

As Song Xu Yi’s gaze met the girl’s, she instinctively looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed at being caught peeking.

“Thank you,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Looking around, she spotted an easel lying on the ground nearby and cleared her throat, trying to find a topic of conversation. “You’re from the art institute too? What a coincidence – I’m also a student there.”

She extended her hand in greeting. “My name is Song Xu Yi.”

But the girl remained silent, her expression inscrutable.

Unable to help herself, Song Xu Yi looked up at the girl once more. In the soft evening sunlight, the girl was bathed in a golden glow, her slender frame accentuated by a cinched waist and flowing white dress. Her long black hair cascaded down her back, and her face was devoid of makeup, as if she were an immortal descended from the heavens.

As Song Xu Yi looked up at the girl, the latter gazed back at her with an inscrutable expression, her eyes filled with a complex and enigmatic mix of emotions.

There was a palpable excitement in the air, as if the girl was on the verge of tears, though Song Xu Yi couldn’t fathom why.

Despite having never seen the girl before, Song Xu Yi found herself reflecting on her own appearance in comparison to the girl’s striking beauty.

As the realization dawned on her that her sudden arrival might have interrupted the girl’s creative process, Song Xu Yi began to worry that her presence might not be welcome.

As her guilt and embarrassment deepened, Song Xu Yi lowered her head and began to turn away, but was stopped by a pale and delicate hand that reached out to grasp hers.

“Actually, I’ve heard of you before. I really admire your father’s paintings,” Li Yuqing said softly, coughing a few times before releasing Song Xu Yi’s hand and offering a gentle smile. “My name is Li Yuqing.”

Song Xu Yi felt a wave of foolishness wash over her as she realized that she had known Li Yuqing’s name all along, causing a few genuine smiles to light up in Li Yuqing’s formerly reserved and polite gaze. For a moment, Li Yuqing’s beauty was so captivating that it took Song Xu Yi’s breath away.

But as quickly as the smile appeared, it vanished, replaced by a look of restraint. Li Yuqing pursed her lips and withdrew her hand, turning to block the painting board from Song Xu Yi’s view.

Glancing over Li Yuqing’s shoulder, Song Xu Yi caught a glimpse of a woman’s face on the canvas, though much of it was obscured by Li Yuqing’s figure. Not wanting to intrude on Li Yuqing’s privacy or stare at her captivating face any longer, Song Xu Yi made her excuses and departed from the lakeside.

As Song Xu Yi continued walking, the heat on her cheeks slowly subsided. Suddenly, the system’s voice chimed in her mind with a tone of relief: “That was so scary! Xu Yi, you don’t know, but that woman’s spirit won’t leave. She was just staring at you from behind!”

Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. Li Yuqing’s intense gaze and complex emotions had left an impression on her. She couldn’t help but wonder if Li Yuqing had already found out about her identity as a Song family member.

As Song Xu Yi mulled over these thoughts, she realized that the system’s reaction was rather strange. It seemed both surprised by Li Yuqing’s true nature as a villain and fearful of her. This piqued Song Xu Yi’s curiosity even further.

“Why are you so afraid of Li Yuqing?” asked Song Xu Yi, sensing the system’s trepidation.

The system quickly caught itself and tried to play it off with a lighthearted comment: “Who would have thought that such a great beauty would actually be the big villain? Truly, appearances can be deceiving!” The system shuddered as it recalled the painful memories of Song Xu Yi’s previous life under Li Yuqing’s spell.

Lost in thought, Song Xu Yi didn’t pay much attention to the system’s words. Instead, she found herself nodding in agreement with the system’s assessment of Li Yuqing’s beauty.

In this world, Song Xu Yi put her mission aside, as the system promised to allow her to enjoy life. Her original plan was to find someone to keep an eye on Li Yuqing’s movements and assist the male lead, Song Shi, when the time was right. However, Li Yuqing unexpectedly appeared in front of her.

As she thought of Li Yuqing’s peerless beauty, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but admire Song Shi, who chose not to pursue a relationship with the gorgeous Li Yuqing despite her attractiveness. True love was undoubtedly between him and the female lead.

While walking back home and conversing with the system, Song Xu Yi noticed that the talkative system became a little listless when talking about Li Yuqing. To avoid the topic, she began to contemplate her own manga, which she had decided to include a romantic storyline. Being a rookie, she wasn’t sure what kind of protagonist would be popular with readers, so she decided to start with her own aesthetic and come up with a partner she liked: someone good-looking who also liked her.

Song Xu Yi eagerly shared her plan with the system. However, after listening to her plan, the system remained silent for a while before saying, “Xu Yi, your characters lack distinguishing features. Although their beauty can be praised, can every beautiful person be successful?”

“Of course not!”

Song Xu Yi answered almost subconsciously, but then she furrowed her brow, realizing she had a problem. She didn’t know what kind of character she wanted to create and couldn’t explain it to herself.

Over the next few days, Song Xu Yi struggled with her thoughts, but nothing seemed to fit. Half of the manga was based on her perspective, but she didn’t have a clear concept of what she liked in the other half. To her, love didn’t have any standards. When she met the right person, all standards would become irrelevant. The frequency of her heartbeat and the smile on her lips would prove everything.

The system looked at the pile of discarded drafts on Song Xu Yi’s desk and the obvious dark circles under her eyes, sighed inwardly, and regretted suggesting that she draw manga. This was not enjoying life but doubling her workload.

After days of indecision, the system gave up and suggested, “Why not write about a female celebrity? She is extremely beautiful, but has a tragic background. Her birth mother is crazy, and her birth father is a scumbag…”

At first, Song Xu Yi didn’t think the system could come up with a good plot, but she listened absentmindedly and eventually became immersed in it. When she heard that the female celebrity had fallen in love with the protagonist but never dared to confess her feelings and continued the protagonist’s career until her death, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but cry.

This feeling was unfamiliar to Song Xu Yi. She had seen many tragic works, some sadder than what the system described, but for some reason, the female celebrity the system spoke of touched her deeply.

It was as if she had actually met a woman who shone brightly in front of others but was cautious and reserved, and gave all her love to the protagonist in private.

After some reflection, Song Xu Yi realized that if she were the protagonist, she would probably fall in love with this kind of female celebrity too.

Determined to change the tragic ending that the system had suggested, Song Xu Yi began to draw the female celebrity. She poured her heart and soul into the artwork, adding a small mole to the corner of the character’s eye to give her a distinctive feature. As she drew, Song Xu Yi’s mind raced with ideas for how the story could unfold.

Despite the system’s warnings, Song Xu Yi stayed up late to work on the manga. She was eager to bring the female celebrity to life on the pages of her comic book.

Satisfied with her creation, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but admire her own work. The woman she had drawn was breathtakingly beautiful; her beauty seemed almost unreal.

As she gazed at the drawing, Song Xu Yi felt a strange familiarity with the face she had created. Suddenly, she remembered a stunning face she had seen by the lake a few days ago, and she was surprised to find that the two faces bore a striking resemblance.

Song Xu Yi couldn’t stop thinking about Li Yuqing, whom she had only met once. She even unconsciously drew her into her manga. The realization made her feel uneasy, and she felt guilty for using a real person as inspiration without their consent.

Feeling disgusted with herself, Song Xu Yi was grateful that the system, which had become a spirit after the last world, was resting and hadn’t noticed her latest drawing.

She nervously covered the sketch with her notebook and decided not to continue drawing for the night. After washing up, she went to bed, hoping to clear her mind and find a new direction for her manga.

However, her dreams were unsettling. Song Xu Yi dreamed of a strange little girl who appeared to be five or six years old.

In her dream, Song Xu Yi found herself in a bright and luxurious room, where the little girl was wearing a pink princess dress and playing with castle building blocks all by herself. The little girl was incredibly cute, with delicate and beautiful features. As she sat in the sun, she looked like an angel who had fallen to earth.

When the little girl noticed Song Xu Yi, she furrowed her brow.

“Who are you? Why is there a mist on your face?” she asked.

Though Song Xu Yi couldn’t see her face clearly, she knew that she was dreaming. She looked at the hundreds of scattered castle building blocks on the ground and smiled, “I am the fairy sister! I came here specifically to help you build a castle.”

The little girl stared at Song Xu Yi, her expression betraying her uncertainty about whether or not to trust her. But soon, the allure of creating a magnificent castle overcame her reservations, and she reluctantly gestured for Song Xu Yi to sit beside her.

With her plump face and alert, innocent eyes, the little girl resembled a tiny, adorable feline.

Song Xu Yi was so enamored by the girl’s cuteness that she couldn’t help but shake with emotion. She swiftly began constructing the building blocks and struck up a conversation with the little girl. “Where are your parents?” she inquired.

The little girl pouted like an adult and let out a sigh. “Dad and Mom are occupied with their company, Grandpa went to visit Grandma, and my sister is meeting up with that obnoxious boy from the Song family in secret. I dislike our new maid; she’s always giving Grandpa’s study an odd look…”

Despite her tender age, the little girl seemed remarkably astute. Although she spoke lightly, a tinge of melancholy lingered in her features.

As Song Xu Yi regarded the girl’s face, her heart brimmed with sympathy. “The gods above think you’re both sensible and cute, which is why they sent me to help you build a castle,” she offered, attempting to console her.

As Song Xu Yi and the little girl constructed the building blocks together, she shared tales with her. Song Xu Yi felt grateful that she had recently read a plethora of novels to keep up with her work, making it effortless for her to narrate stories. The little girl listened with a bewildered expression.

……

In the dream, time flew by and soon Song Xu Yi had completed the castle using the building blocks. A maid arrived with a glass of milk, but it seemed that only the little girl could see Song Xu Yi.

The little girl was elated as the castle was finished. She joyfully ran back to her room to retrieve a beautiful Barbie doll and placed it carefully inside the castle. She even hung a lock on the castle’s small door, not trusting the doll to stay put.

“Thank you, fairy sister,” the little girl politely expressed her gratitude to Song Xu Yi.

“My doll has been disappearing lately, and the maid auntie takes a long time to find it. I locked it up so it can’t run away!” The little girl lifted her chin, looking extremely proud of her clever plan.

Song Xu Yi had not anticipated that the little girl had built the castle to keep her doll safe. She was almost moved to tears by the girl’s words!

The little girl’s innocent and joyful expression captivated Song Xu Yi, who couldn’t resist pinching her cheek – something she had wanted to do since first seeing her.

“You’re so clever! What a great idea you had!” Song Xu Yi complimented the little girl.

Grinning with her eyes closed, the little girl’s face radiated like a blooming flower in the sunlight. Song Xu Yi felt a surge of emotions: the girl was already so beautiful, and she wondered how much more stunning she would become as she grew older.

But suddenly, Song Xu Yi noticed a small red mole in the corner of the little girl’s eye…

Who was she really… ?!