CH 117

Villainous Stand-in (15)

Upon opening her eyes, Song Xu Yi found herself greeted by the sight of a figure standing by the window.

The person was positioned in a semi-darkness, facing outward, their form largely obscured by shadows.

In light of the New Year festivities, the city was alight with an array of colorful fireworks and neon lights that cast a glow upon the individual’s impeccable and refined features as they stood by the window.

Truly, the city appeared to be thriving with an infectious energy.

Despite the lively atmosphere, it appeared that the woman standing by the window remained unaffected by it all. She watched the hustle and bustle from afar, seemingly detached from the revelry.

Sensing the loneliness that had enveloped Li Yuqing, Song Xu Yi felt compelled to intervene. Without hesitation, she sat up and flicked on the room’s light, illuminating the space and dispelling the dreariness.

As Li Yuqing turned her head, momentarily blinded by the sudden light, Song Xu Yi was struck by the radiance in her eyes. It was as if they shone even brighter than the fireworks outside the window.

“Xu Yi, you’re finally awake!” Li Yuqing beamed, walking over to the table and pouring a glass of water for Song Xu Yi. “Drink it slowly,” she advised, offering the glass to her lips.

Upon sitting up, Song Xu Yi was suddenly hit with the exhaustion and dizziness that often accompanies oversleeping. Thankfully, Li Yuqing had anticipated her thirst and provided her with water just in time. However, Song Xu Yi was taken aback when she heard Li Yuqing’s next words: “You’ve been asleep for a full day and night. Uncle and Auntie Song even left for the old house to have dinner since you hadn’t awakened.”

This news left Song Xu Yi stunned, causing her to nearly choke on the water she was drinking. She had believed that she had only dozed off for a few hours, but it seemed that she had actually slept for an entire day and night!

“Has the New Year already passed?” she asked in disbelief.

“No,” Li Yuqing replied with a smile. She gently supported Song Xu Yi’s back with one hand while offering her water with the other. “Be careful while drinking, don’t choke. We still have fifteen days of Spring Festival left.”

“Please don’t worry about the red envelopes and gifts,” Li Yuqing continued, “I’ve collected them all for you…”

However, Song Xu Yi was indifferent to the idea of red envelopes and gifts. She was more preoccupied with the fact that she had slept for such an extended period. No wonder she had experienced several days in her dream.

Song Xu Yi couldn’t decide if this was a blessing or a curse. Although her family had already separated from the Song family, they were still obligated to maintain a harmonious facade by visiting their old house every year to pay their respects.

Unfortunately, for Song Xu Yi, visiting the Song family’s old house meant confronting their constant schemes and manipulations – a decidedly unpleasant experience.

Li Yuqing’s statement offered Song Xu Yi an opportunity to steer the conversation in a different direction.

“What happened to my gifts?” she inquired.

As the system coughed, Song Xu Yi suddenly realized the awkward position she and Li Yuqing were in. She quickly averted her gaze after taking a sip of water.

The gifts were stacked on the carpet by the window.

In recent years, Father Song had taught many students and every year, some of them would bring New Year’s gifts for their teacher, which meant that Song Xu Yi also received many gifts. To conceal her excitement, she crossed her legs and sat next to the pile of gifts, beginning to unwrap them one by one.

Most of the gifts were familiar items such as makeup, scarves, hats, and pens. When she came across a larger package than the others, she initially thought it was clothing. However, upon opening it, she found that the package had three layers.

The first layer contained a manuscript by a manga artist that Song Xu Yi loved.

Seeing this manuscript, Song Xu Yi was overjoyed and even subconsciously glanced at Li Yuqing to share her happiness.

Li Yuqing sat down on the carpet, resting her chin on the coffee table, her long eyelashes fanned out, and a smile in her eyes as she watched Song Xu Yi, encouraging her to continue unwrapping.

“Sugar-coated bombshell!” the system shouted in Song Xu Yi’s mind. “Don’t be deceived by the villain, Xu Yi!”

Despite the warning, Song Xu Yi felt a flutter of happiness in her heart. Li Yuqing’s gift had touched her deeply, but she didn’t want to trigger the system’s alarm, so she suppressed the curve of her lips and focused on unwrapping the rest of the gifts.

The second layer revealed a set of beautiful handmade dolls, including two incredibly cute Q dolls and a charming little cat.

“Black one is me, white one is you, and the cat is Little Star,” explained Li Yuqing.

Even the picky system couldn’t help but clear its throat in Song Xu Yi’s mind when it saw the cat doll, “Ahem, it seems… quite cute indeed.”

Song Xu Yi didn’t expect to find a certificate in the third layer.

The certificate had a strange number code written on it, and the cover featured a beautiful, sparkling planet.

“What’s this?” Song Xu Yi raised her head to ask Li Yuqing, but found her already squatting in front of her, holding out a pair of slender white hands. “Xu Yi, what about my gift?”

Song Xu Yi’s face flushed with embarrassment.

She had been preoccupied with drawing manga lately and had not expected Li Yuqing to give her a gift, so she had not prepared one in return.

As her face turned red, Li Yuqing’s hands had already reached for her face, pinching her cheeks.

“Never mind, it’s not the first time anyway,” Li Yuqing said, pinching Song Xu Yi’s cheek and gazing at her with wide eyes. She let out a soft sigh and draped her coat over Song Xu Yi’s shoulders before sitting down beside her. “Xu Yi, can we take a photo together? It could be our New Year’s gift!”

Song Xu Yi was taken aback by the simple request from Li Yuqing. After a moment of hesitation, she subconsciously thought of Li Yuqing in her dreams and envisioned some scenes.

In her dreams, Li Yuqing had tried to capture Song Xu Yi’s image many times. But no matter whether it was a photo or video, the screen always remained empty, and Li Yuqing couldn’t see any trace of Song Xu Yi’s existence.

To Li Yuqing, Song Xu Yi’s momentary daze was a sign of agreement.

Li Yuqing appeared to attach a lot of importance to the photo, intentionally moving to the window and eagerly searching for the best angle.

Initially, the system protested, and Song Xu Yi wanted to refuse, but upon seeing Li Yuqing’s happy expression, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

“It’s just one photo,” Song Xu Yi told herself and her system.

Despite saying this, Song Xu Yi still sensed that something was amiss.

The room was well heated, but Song Xu Yi suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable and sweaty as soon as Li Yuqing sat next to her.

Despite not being too concerned about her appearance, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but wonder if she looked too informal or messy in her pajamas as she looked at Li Yuqing’s expression.

Just as she considered whether to change clothes and put on some makeup, Li Yuqing grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the window. Li Yuqing’s voice was gentle yet excited, just like when she had begged for her 19th birthday gift in Song Xu Yi’s dream: “Xu Yi, come here! The view is so beautiful!”

Song Xu Yi pursed her lips and stood up, following Li Yuqing to the window.

Outside the window, thousands of lights from the tall buildings shone, fireworks bloomed in the night sky, and in the distance, the Ferris wheel in the city center added to the unique atmosphere of the New Year, lively and joyful.

A sense of inexplicable happiness arose in Song Xu Yi’s heart, and she turned to Li Yuqing with a smile, “Yuqing, Happy New Year!”

Li Yuqing was surprised by Song Xu Yi’s sudden words, but her expression soon softened, and a brilliant smile appeared on her face. Another burst of fireworks outside the window prompted Li Yuqing to press the shutter, “Xu Yi, Happy New Year!”

In the still photograph, a girl wearing cute fluffy pajamas looked up at the girl next to her. Her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes carried a hint of shyness, but it could not hide the gentle and obedient smile in her eyes. On the other side, the glamorous girl looked at the girl with an unmistakable sparkle in her eyes and a smile with unprecedented brilliance!

There is always that one person who will inspire you to cross mountains and traverse through time, who will wait patiently for you. And when you finally meet that person, even the most lifeless of eyes will light up, withered flowers will sprout new shoots, and painful memories will be shrouded in warm hues. Such is the magical power of love.

One night, Li Yuqing had a dream.

She dreamt once again of her experiences, from childhood to adulthood.

During the darkest of times, there was a woman by her side, invisible to all others. This woman claimed to be a fairy, and Li Yuqing could never clearly see her face, but she could always see her bright, soft eyes, forever filled with vitality.

In her darkest and most trying times, the woman was the sole beacon of hope in Li Yuqing’s life.

Initially, Li Yuqing simply admired and held affection for her “fairy sister”. This fairy-like woman was gentle and exquisitely beautiful, and could always calm the turmoil and despair in Li Yuqing’s heart. With just one hand, she could lift Li Yuqing out of the raging waves of hatred, preventing her from losing her grip on reality and preserving her last shred of dignity.

To Li Yuqing, the “fairy sister” symbolized beauty and represented the most brilliant existence in an otherwise bleak and frigid world.

Li Yuqing herself could not explain when or why she began to develop these feelings for the “fairy sister”. Perhaps it was after she read a folklore about a fairy and a herder, and the notion of keeping the “fairy sister” by her side was seeded within her. Or maybe it was even earlier than that.

In the folktale, the man who herded cattle kept the fairy’s clothes hidden, so the fairy could not leave and had to stay by his side.

Li Yuqing knew that what the man did was selfish, and she acknowledged that her desire to have “Fairy Sister” stay with her forever was perhaps just as selfish. Despite this, Li Yuqing acted impulsively by damaging the hem of “Fairy Sister’s” clothes and cutting off the buttons.

Her unconscious motive was to ensure that “Fairy Sister” could not leave her side.

At the time, Li Yuqing convinced herself that her actions stemmed from her loneliness and the need for companionship. However, she couldn’t explain why her heart raced and she couldn’t take her eyes off “Fairy Sister” when she saw her wearing a damaged, two-buttoned dress.

Until later, when the “fairy sister” left, Li Yuqing felt a hole in her heart, as if she had lost all of her happiness. Even revenge couldn’t fill the void.

It was then that Song Xutian took Li Yuqing to a private screening, with some ulterior motive, and showed her a certain type of film. It was during this experience that Li Yuqing realized that girls could have romantic relationships with each other.

Overcome with desperation, Li Yuqing fled.

It wasn’t because of Song Xutian’s disgusting and greasy seduction, but rather because she found herself imagining the “fairy sister” inside the unbuttoned clothes during the movie.

From that day on, Li Yuqing became aware of her own feelings. She began to have dreams every night in which she not only unbuttoned two buttons but also engaged in more seductive acts with “Fairy Sister” in various scenarios.

However, this time, “Fairy Sister” did not appear for more than three years.

Did “Fairy Sister” truly exist?

As her yearning grew stronger with each passing day, Li Yuqing tried every method to see “Fairy Sister” again, including seeking help from a psychologist. However, all her efforts were in vain, and the doctor even looked at Li Yuqing with pity, telling her that everything was just a hallucination caused by excessive stress.

Could it be true? Was it really not just a hallucination?

Countless nights spent dreaming and yearning for “Fairy Sister,” Li Yuqing found herself torn between trying to forget her and hoping for her return. She began to understand why the herder was able to keep the fairy, because he had captured her heart, but Li Yuqing couldn’t keep “Fairy Sister” because “Fairy Sister” didn’t feel the same way about her.

So when Li Yuqing finally saw “Fairy Sister” again after all those years, at first she thought it was an indescribable dream. But when she touched the living “Fairy Sister,” she knew it was real.

However, the longing had built up for too long!

Li Yuqing used a strategy of feigning drunkenness to approach “Fairy Sister”. She knew that her beauty had attracted the desires of countless people, and perhaps she could sway her with her own charm. However, “Fairy Sister” remained upright and kind-hearted as always and even pushed her away!

Despite this rejection, Li Yuqing still saw a glimmer of hope in “Fairy Sister’s” attitude towards her. She did not hate her for it and continued to treat her kindly.

Li Yuqing despised herself for taking advantage of “Fairy Sister’s” kindness to secretly arrange dates with her and even planned to confess her love on her nineteenth birthday.

However, perhaps she was too impatient, and fate had other plans, as “Fairy Sister” was taken away once again.

……

The dream came to an abrupt end at that point.

Li Yuqing opened her eyes and the painful feeling that had tormented her for the past two years still lingered in her heart.

She took a deep breath and quickly opened the photo album on her phone. On the bright screen, two girls smiled at each other, filling the picture with happiness and sweetness.

As Li Yuqing’s fingertips gently brushed over Song Xu Yi’s cheek in the album, the shadow in her eyes slowly faded away, replaced gradually by a hint of a smile.

Li Yuqing was overjoyed to finally meet her “fairy sister” in real life, something she never thought would happen.

Even though it appeared that Song Xu Yi didn’t recognize her from before, Li Yuqing was convinced that Song Xu Yi was her long-lost “fairy sister” from the moment they met by the lake.

This was the real “fairy sister” that she could physically touch, talk to, and even take pictures with, and she was a hundred times more beautiful and lovely than she had ever imagined!

Li Yuqing couldn’t help but wonder if Song Xu Yi felt the same way about her. After all, why else would she use Li Yuqing’s appearance as a model for her manga…

Even if Song Xu Yi doesn’t have feelings for her, it doesn’t matter.

Li Yuqing believes that Song Xu Yi is her “fairy sister” and no one can take her away!

Li Yuqing began to devise plans to get closer to Song Xu Yi, observing as the clothes that had once adorned “Fairy Sister” now appeared on Song Xu Yi one by one.

And now, Li Yuqing believes that Song Xu Yi has remembered everything.

Li Yuqing reminisced about the expression on Song Xu Yi’s face before she left her room, and her smile grew wider.

“Xu Yi, the third gift’s cover features a planet discovered by an astronomer, and I purchased the naming rights for it. Scientists have detected a distinct magnetic field turbulence near this planet that can cause exceptional reactions between certain destined people or things, even transcending time and space–“

“What a fascinating planet!”

“You think so too, Xu Yi!”

Author’s note:

Xu Yi: Σ(⊙⊙”a~~~ Danger!

I came across a star-naming service on a certain online marketplace, but it turns out that it’s just a website where you can name a star on it, not a real planet~ But it still feels incredibly romantic~ Hehehe~