Saving the Pitiful Villain (GL) - Chapter 19

The rain had stopped, and a fresh, moist air accompanied the wind blowing across their faces.

It was somewhat cool, and three or four pedestrians were still strolling along the roadside.

Yun Wu tightened the jacket around her and followed behind Jiang Shangxue.

There was a small public square near the East Villa community. On clear nights, many people gathered there for square dancing.

Today, the ground was wet from the rain, and the dancers were absent, but the street vendors were still faithfully holding down their fixed spots.

The small food carts were brightly and cozily decorated, radiating warmth.

Jiang Shangxue slowly paused, her gaze falling on a large and small silhouette not far away. The child held the cotton candy their parent had bought for them, looking soft and plump, smiling happily.

She turned to look at Yun Wu. Her features were clean and delicate, but her expression was flat, making her seem sullen.

Jiang Shangxue suddenly asked her, “Do you want to eat cotton candy?”

A few sparse stars shone faintly in the sky. Jiang Shangxue turned around with her back to the light, and Yun Wu couldn’t clearly see her expression.

Even so, the gentle smile in her voice still felt like the soft moonlight flowing from the sky on a summer night: controlled and tender.

It also carried a warmth that made one reluctant to refuse.

Yun Wu heard herself softly hum in affirmation.

A more obvious smile appeared in her eyes. Jiang Shangxue took out her phone from her bag and walked over to the food cart.

Light pink, goose yellow, sky blue…

Flowers, animals, buildings…

Cotton candy of every color and shape was available. Jiang Shangxue immediately favored the little yellow duck on the side. It looked round, clumsy, and obedient, somewhat resembling Yun Wu.

Jiang Shangxue paid, then turned and pressed the little yellow duck cotton candy into Yun Wu’s hand.

“Eat it.”

She was long past the age of craving cotton candy, and Yun Wu didn’t particularly care, but she still nodded obediently.

“Thank you, Auntie Jiang.”

“You should smile more,” Jiang Shangxue instinctively instructed, seeing that Yun Wu wasn’t smiling.

They stood very close. Yun Wu looked up at her.

Her expression was as gentle as ever, her breath light and pleasant. But when she looked down at Yun Wu, the soothing and doting affection in her eyes was unique.

When Jiang Shangxue spoke to Ye Mei, her eyes clearly didn’t hold this much tender emotion.

Realizing this difference, Yun Wu silently gripped the cotton candy in her hand tighter.

Carrying the cotton candy, Yun Wu didn’t take a single bite.

The distance from the book bar to the East Villa community wasn’t short, but it wasn’t far either. Twelfth-grade students sat in the classroom all day. Jiang Shangxue thought that since Yun Wu was frail, a little exercise while the weather was cool would be good for her.

The two continued walking along the road toward the East Villa community.

Jiang Shangxue gazed distantly at the outline of the uneven buildings. In the real world, she spent years moving between the company and home, a routine two-point line, with hardly a moment to herself.

Let alone a time as leisurely as this, especially with Yun Wu by her side.

For her, having been abruptly brought into the world of the book, Yun Wu was an excellent source of spiritual comfort.

The early summer wind, mixed with the clean fragrance of the trees, blew over them. Jiang Shangxue comfortably narrowed her eyes.

Yun Wu followed behind her, their shadows overlapping.

Yun Wu stared blankly at the shadows for a moment. Suddenly, a strong light beamed from the distance, accompanied by the screeching sound of a car abruptly braking.

A blue Porsche lost control. It skidded sideways, driving straight toward them.

Jiang Shangxue snapped back to attention, trying to turn and pull Yun Wu to run.

The car was upon them.

Yun Wu’s reaction was clearly faster. While Jiang Shangxue was stunned, Yun Wu had already rushed forward, wrapped her arms around Jiang Shangxue’s waist…

The two tumbled into the roadside green belt together, followed by the sound of a violent crash and a rush of hot, concussive air.

Yun Wu was sprawled on top of Jiang Shangxue, her breathing ragged.

The sound of the collision did not immediately stop.

Slightly recovering her senses, Jiang Shangxue tightly gathered Yun Wu into her arms, turning her body so her back faced the road.

The gust of wind from the crashing car broke branches and leaves, which rustled down onto the two of them.

Yun Wu’s heart was racing, yet her expression was surprisingly calm. She was firmly clasped in Jiang Shangxue’s embrace, tightly pressed against her, leaving no gap.

She struggled to lift her head and saw Jiang Shangxue’s closed eyes trembling.

After an unknown length of time, the violent commotion completely subsided.

Jiang Shangxue immediately pulled Yun Wu up, examined her from head to toe, and asked while dialing the emergency number:

“Are you hurt? Do you feel pain anywhere?”

The car had nearly grazed them as it flipped. The danger was obvious. Jiang Shangxue gasped a few times, her heart pounding with fear. She couldn’t help but regret her decision to walk back to the community with Yun Wu tonight.

Yun Wu bit her lip, retracting her gaze from the grass patch in the green belt. The marks they had pressed into the grass were clearly visible.

Jiang Shangxue had shielded her with her body, turning her back to the outside.

She was protecting her.

Jiang Shangxue’s pinned-up hair had come undone, and her hair and clothes were covered in grass clippings. Yun Wu stared intently at her, shaking her head as she asked in return, “Auntie Jiang, are you hurt?”

“No.”

They were very lucky.

Feeling Yun Wu’s concern, a shallow warmth welled up in Jiang Shangxue’s heart.

She still wasn’t reassured. She pulled Yun Wu’s hand and meticulously checked her again. Only after completely confirming that she was fine did her brows slightly relax.

But soon after, they furrowed again in silence.

Jiang Shangxue noticed that Yun Wu’s reaction was too calm. Her eyes were wide, and there was no trace of fear or panic in her bright, dark pupils.

Could the child be scared senseless?

She firmly pulled Yun Wu into her arms, gently patting her back.

“It’s alright now, it’s alright. Don’t be afraid.”

Yun Wu felt herself pulled into a soft embrace by a gentle force. Her face was buried in Jiang Shangxue’s collar. Yun Wu was a little stunned. The pleasant scent of lily-of-the-valley filled her nose.

Jiang Shangxue’s soft comfort came from above her head, her voice lower than usual.

Yun Wu moved her lips, wanting to say something, but the dryness in her throat surged. Even with countless clever words of superficial comfort prepared in her mind, she couldn’t speak.

The Porsche, which had flipped over, had its front end completely shattered nearby. Jiang Shangxue watched it for a moment, and only after seeing no signs of fire did she let go of Yun Wu and walk over.

After dialing 120 (ambulance), Jiang Shangxue immediately called 110 (police).

This section of the road was relatively secluded. Coincidentally, there were few people and cars around at the moment.

Jiang Shangxue was about to find a way to help when the deformed car door suddenly opened by itself. The two people inside scrambled out, perfectly fine.

“My silly son, I told you to drink less! Now look what happened. That car cost a fortune!”

The woman who got out first was named Jiang Juan. She looked at the badly smashed car, her heart aching. The person who followed her reeked strongly of alcohol, clearly having drunk a lot; he couldn’t even stand steadily.

They completely ignored Jiang Shangxue, who was standing to the side.

Jiang Shangxue subtly frowned and said, “Both of you, drunk driving is a violation of the law.”

Jiang Juan became instantly annoyed upon hearing this. She turned around and scrutinized Jiang Shangxue. Good-looking, but I can’t spot a single brand name item on her. She felt a mixture of sourness and contempt.

So what if she’s good-looking? Without money, she’s nothing.

“Who are you? You talk about crime all the time. I think you’re just jealous that we’re rich! A Porsche! A luxury car you’ll never be able to afford in your life!”

“Oh, dear me! What kind of bad luck is this? We were already having a terrible time, and now we run into such a vicious woman! Such bad luck!”

As she spoke, Jiang Juan’s eyes darted around. Seeing no one nearby, she suddenly started wailing loudly.

“What evil did my son and I commit? We were driving properly, and you suddenly darted out! The car is smashed like this! You two have to pay for it!”

Jiang Juan was accustomed to being a bully and a shrew in Jiayuan. Most people couldn’t handle this tactic.

She figured that even if the people living in this area weren’t rich, they must have some savings. She would extort whatever she could.

Falling to the ground near Jiang Shangxue’s feet, Jiang Juan reached out to grab her leg.

Yun Wu quickly rushed forward, pulling Jiang Shangxue back a step.

However, in the next instant, both Jiang Juan and Yun Wu froze.

Jiang Juan had lived in the same building as Yun Wu. Her husband had once tried to molest Yun Wu. After he was discovered, Jiang Juan intensified her shaming of Yun Wu. In her eyes, Yun Wu must have seduced her husband first.

Many of the vile rumors about Yun Wu had originated from Jiang Juan’s mouth.

Noticing Yun Wu’s abnormality, Jiang Shangxue held her tighter.

She whispered, “What’s wrong?”

A coldness gradually appeared in Yun Wu’s eyes. She shook her head at Jiang Shangxue.

But before Jiang Shangxue could ask further, Jiang Juan’s cruel and malicious words drifted over.

“You must be Yun Wu the little slut’s whore mother, aren’t you? As expected, you have a naturally lewd look. All you do is seduce men. You’re both low-class trash.”

“If you don’t pay me enough to satisfy me today, you won’t live peacefully here ever again! You two definitely have some filthy diseases, and everyone here will be afraid!”

Jiang Shangxue didn’t know where this person got the audacity to twist the facts, and the things she was saying were utterly foul.

With barely concealed displeasure, Jiang Shangxue covered Yun Wu’s ears. “Don’t listen.”

Then she said coldly, “Madam, the fact is that you were drunk driving, causing the vehicle to lose control and nearly crash into us.”

Jiang Shangxue’s expression was stern and somewhat intimidating.

Jiang Juan was stunned at first, then looked at Yun Wu, who was protected behind Jiang Shangxue. Suddenly, she found her courage again and screamed curses in a high-pitched voice.

“But you didn’t get hit, did you? Even if you were hit, you wouldn’t necessarily die! Who are you trying to scare?”

“Trying to extort me? Talk to me when you’re dead! If you had been hit, you would have deserved it, you sluts!”

Jiang Juan used to live in Jiayuan. Her husband was a thug who womanized and caused trouble everywhere. After he got rich, he kept many mistresses outside. Jiang Juan hated every woman who was younger and prettier than her.

Her words were malicious to the extreme.

Even with her ears covered, Yun Wu could hear Jiang Juan’s curses.

Images of this woman’s bullying and humiliation in her childhood flashed through her mind. Hatred surged in her chest and lungs. Yun Wu fiercely clenched her back teeth, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

“Shut up. I’ve called the police. You can wait for the police to handle this.”

Jiang Shangxue saw Yun Wu trembling. Struggling to contain her anger, she forcefully admonished the woman, then pulled Yun Wu, intending to walk away.

Just then, three or four pedestrians gathered around. Seeing this, Jiang Juan would never let Jiang Shangxue and Yun Wu leave.

She dropped to the ground with a thud, wailing and crying piteously.

“Is there any justice left?! You all come and judge! These mother and daughter not only stole my husband, but they also intentionally caused a car accident to try and kill my son and me!”

“How black must their hearts be?! The mistress mother even sends her daughter out to be a mistress! You uncultured whores are truly evil!”

“…”

Jiang Juan cried so hard she looked like she might pass out, appearing miserable and disheveled. She cursed non-stop. Her son was clearly very drunk, lying on the side, looking completely unconscious.

The surrounding pedestrians looked at the cold-faced Jiang Shangxue, sighing, then began to whisper and point fingers.

“The mother encouraging her daughter to be a mistress? No way.”

“Who knows? What kind of things don’t happen in this day and age? It’s truly disgusting.”

“It’s true. The crying woman is so pitiful. How could someone who breaks up a family have a good heart?”

“…”