Returning to the Villain Omega's High School Days - Chapter 1

The scorching sun scorched the city. The streets were deserted, and the trees lining them were wilted, their yellowed leaves hanging listlessly from the branches, clinging on to life. There was no cicada buzz, and not even an ant could be seen on the cracked concrete.

The weather station had issued six consecutive high-temperature warnings in a single day. The current temperature was 46 degrees Celsius (114.8°F), a common occurrence for the local residents.

Xie Ning had her legs crossed, resting on the steering wheel, the soles of her simple canvas espadrilles facing the windshield. Her ripped jeans were faded, and she wore a blue tank top. A bra supported her modest chest, and a layer of folds creased her stomach. Her skin was a smooth and attractive tan.

She was smoking a cigarette with the air conditioning on, her eyes fixed on the side gate of a residential community. Only when someone passed by would she sit up straight and adjust her sunglasses to get a closer look.

Beneath her sunglasses, her face showed signs of aging—some sagging skin and puffy eyelids. Only her high-bridged nose and sharp, angular eyebrows hinted at her youthful beauty.

She had been parked there since 7 AM. It was now 11:15 AM, and she seemed to have had no luck.

She bought a sandwich from a convenience store and was already sweating by the time she got back to the car. The sweat trickled from her face to her chest, causing an uncomfortable itch. The soles of her cheap espadrilles felt like they were melting on the hot ground.

Xie Ning was feeling exceptionally annoyed.

She didn’t even understand why she was hanging around this area. She usually started work in the afternoon and could have spent her morning somewhere else. There was no reason to waste gas and her time sitting in the sun, doing something so pointless.

Last night, she came home after work, and her partially paralyzed father wheeled himself over to her. He reminded her, “Your thirty-eighth birthday is in a couple of days. I’d like to invite some friends over to celebrate.”

Xie Ning immediately refused.

In truth, Xie Ning didn’t have any real friends. She was divorced, in debt, and had to take care of her father. Her life was far from good, and she had no desire to see old acquaintances.

However, his words did remind her of something… It had been three years since she last saw her ex-wife.

Thirteen years ago, Xie Ning was twenty-five and in the prime of her life. She married a beautiful Omega, and for a short time, they were happy. But that happiness… was fleeting.

Their five-year marriage was filled with pain and torment. It drained them of their youthful spirit, leaving little worth remembering.

A year after they divorced, her ex-wife remarried a man and helped him raise his two children. People who knew them were mostly supportive of her ex-wife and offered their blessings.

“That scumbag Xie Ning didn’t deserve the second miss of the Su family. She completely ruined her life!”

“Who knew Xie Ning was such a person behind her back? The Xie family deserves its bad luck! I just hope the Su family’s daughter finds happiness and stability now that she’s away from her!”

“You’re right. The man she’s with now has two kids and a luxurious house. Isn’t that so much better than Xie Ning?!”

“If you ask me, marrying a woman just doesn’t work out… Xie Ning is buried in debt she’ll never be able to pay off!”

At 6 AM, just as the sun was rising, Xie Ning was woken up by snoring from the bed next to hers. All her sleepiness vanished.

She lay in bed, scrolling on her phone. The temperature was already 39°C (102.2°F), but she decided to leave the house anyway.

She’d rather endure the heat, smoke in her car, and watch people on the street than stay home with her father.

As if by some mysterious force, her car drove to this particular street. Just like countless times before, she would stop at this corner and look at the people passing by, hoping that among the many she passed, she might run into her ex-wife…

When she sent her ex-wife a package a few years ago, the shipping address was on this very street.

But she must have moved away long ago, and her phone number had been changed, too.

In a huge city, it was nearly impossible to run into someone by chance.

Xie Ning finished a bottle of soda and tossed it out the window, getting ready to drive to work.

Knock knock.

A figure approached her car and knocked on the window.

Xie Ning rolled her window down a crack, pushed her sunglasses down, and looked up. She saw a young man in a white T-shirt holding the empty soda bottle she had just thrown. He scolded her, “Ma’am, throwing trash in this heat, have you thought about the sanitation workers?”

The boy’s eyes were innocent, his short hair was damp with sweat, and he was wearing an expensive watch.

Had this rich kid never seen the harshness of the world?

The heat rushed into the car. Xie Ning pushed her glasses lower and rolled her eyes at the boy. “Why would I need to think about them?”

The boy was taken aback. “What… what do you mean?”

“I mean, I like to throw it away. What’s it to you?”

The smell of smoke drifted out of the car. Xie Ning’s eyes were sharp, and she smirked at him. The reflection of his helpless and distorted face was visible on her dark red sunglasses.

“You… what’s wrong with you?” The boy sensed the danger and stuttered, sounding both angry and scared. “What you’re doing is wrong…”

He braved a little and tried to push the empty bottle back through the window crack. The moment his hand went in, Xie Ning grabbed it. Then, with a “click,” before the boy could even react, he yelled in pain, “Ahh!”

Did she just break my finger?!

The thought made the boy’s pupils shrink, and the color drained from his face. His arm was trapped in the car window, and his wrist was held easily by the woman. One of his fingers was already twisted and bent out of shape. He cried out in agony, “I’m sorry, ma’am! Sis! Sis! I apologize! Let me go!”

Hearing his cries, another person appeared. A voice carried in the hot wind, and Xie Ning felt as if she’d been electrocuted, her blood freezing as she stood motionless.

“What’s wrong, Xiang Tao?”

The woman’s voice was like spun sugar—sweet, soft, and melodic, but with a sharp edge, capable of tearing a person’s heart apart.

Is this boy Xiang Tao? Then she’s… Su Wan?!

“Mom, help me! Help me!” Xiang Tao cried.

Footsteps quickened behind the car. The sound of high heels on the pavement was short and rhythmic. A figure in white appeared in the rearview mirror. The woman held a parasol and had the same calm, unruffled composure as before.

Xie Ning’s breath caught. She immediately let go of Xiang Tao’s hand and gripped the steering wheel tightly. Her hands were shaking, and she didn’t dare to look at the rearview mirror.

Just from her demeanor, Xie Ning was certain of who it was.

Her blood rushed, and her scalp tingled. She looked at the young man she had just hurt and felt a wave of regret.

How did I not recognize this kid, Xiang Tao? And I even hurt his finger?

“What happened?” Su Wan walked over, asking Xiang Tao, who was clutching his arm and crying in pain.

Xiang Tao took a few steps back and threw himself at Su Wan, saying with a snotty and tearful voice, “Mom, I want to call the police! This person hurt me!”

“Let me see.” Su Wan, in her white dress, rested the green parasol on her shoulder and tilted her head to look at Xiang Tao’s hand.

She had walked in the blazing sun but didn’t seem to have broken a sweat. Her makeup was still refined and elegant, and she looked to be in her twenties. Her long black hair was gathered in a low bun, secured with a jade hairpin. She frowned slightly and looked toward Xie Ning.

Xie Ning immediately turned her face away and rolled up the car window. She fumbled to start the car, her hand on the gear shift still trembling.

“She’s getting away!” Xiang Tao shouted. “Don’t let her get away!”

Su Wan calmly stopped him. “Forget it. The injury isn’t very serious.”

“But… my finger…”

“Your finger isn’t broken, it’s just dislocated. I’ll take you to the hospital,” Su Wan said, her voice devoid of emotion. She looked at the car’s license plate, her words clear and deliberate. “She’s just a scumbag. Getting involved with a scumbag will only make your life miserable.”

Xiang Tao hesitated but chose to trust Su Wan.

Inside the car, Xie Ning’s eyes turned cold. She floored the gas pedal and sped away in a panic.

Scumbag.

That word, as if certified by Su Wan, felt like a brand fate had stamped on Xie Ning, firmly scarring her.