Saving the Pitiful Villain (GL) - Chapter 3

In just a fleeting moment, Yun Wu turned her head and walked past.

It was as if she were merely passing by.

No one noticed that as she turned, Yun Wu lowered her eyes, suppressing the cold mockery and hatred in them.

The license plate starting with A63— a Jiang family car.

Who was inside was obvious. Yun Wu’s lips curled into a scornful arc, her expression unchanged.

Given a second chance at life, she vowed to make everyone who had trampled on her pay.

Jiang Shangxue snapped out of her thoughts, watching Yun Wu’s retreating figure. Realizing Yun Wu had only been brought back to the Yun family three months ago and likely wouldn’t recognize the Jiang family’s car, she instructed, “Follow Miss Yun from a distance. Don’t startle her.”

The driver nodded, inwardly marveling. Was Madam planning a new way to humiliate Miss Yun?

The car passed through two main roads, arriving at Anru Lane, an entertainment street lined with bars, tea houses, pool halls, and theaters. Groups of well-dressed young people milled about.

From a distance, Jiang Shangxue watched Yun Wu enter a bar called Magpie Bridge, her expression frozen. The book mentioned Yun Wu earning money as a tutor after school, but never anything about bars.

Raised in a strict, traditional family, Jiang Shangxue’s life had little room for entertainment. Places like bars, deemed frivolous by her elders, were entirely foreign to her.

Perhaps it was her own bias.

She glanced at the driver in the front seat.

Catching her look, the driver understood, got out, and headed toward the bar Yun Wu had entered.

But he soon returned, red-faced.

“Madam, it’s not that I didn’t want to check things out, but the bar’s full of women, and they wouldn’t let a man like me in.”

“All women?”

“Yes.”

A lesbian bar, then. Jiang Shangxue narrowed her eyes, grabbed her bag, and got out.

“Wait here. I’ll check it out myself.”

The entrance was an artistic corridor with a transparent glass floor, beneath which blue lotuses bloomed and rare koi swam.

Guided by a server, Jiang Shangxue stepped into an elevator. With a ding, the bar’s interior came into view.

The bar spanned two floors, elegantly decorated with a cool blue tone that made the soothing music feel deeply intimate. The second floor was suspended along the inner wall, with tinted glass on the outer side, allowing a view of the first floor from within but concealing the interior from outside.

The server handed Jiang Shangxue a card. “Miss Jiang, the second floor has quieter private booths. If you need anything…”

Before the server could finish, Jiang Shangxue headed upstairs. As the server left, they added a suggestive remark: “Miss Jiang, if you have any… other physical needs, feel free to contact me to arrange something.”

It sounded less than proper.

Jiang Shangxue sat on a booth’s sofa, her gaze scanning the interplay of light and shadow on the first floor. The room was filled with beautiful women—some mature and vibrant, others refined and elegant, and a few youthful and innocent. Her eyes lingered briefly on the younger faces before moving on.

No sign of Yun Wu.

Swirling the expensive champagne in her glass, Jiang Shangxue’s eyes deepened, as if lost in the mesmerizing light filtering through the liquid onto her pale fingers. No one could guess her thoughts.

Tang Qingshui sat behind the bar, the server who had greeted Jiang Shangxue at her side.

Tang Qingshui asked, “Miss Jiang came alone? Didn’t call anyone over?”

The server replied, “No, boss.”

After a moment, the server added, “She seems like a first-timer here.”

Tang Qingshui smiled silently, her eyes still carrying the awe from seeing Jiang Shangxue earlier. No one here was unattractive, but women like Jiang Shangxue, with an air of refined nobility bred from true elite families, were rare.

Especially intriguing was the forbidden allure of her possibly being a wife or mother.

Everything about her suited Tang Qingshui’s taste. A close friend, noticing her intrigued smile, teased, “Tang, who’s caught your eye this time? Not the new little sister, is it?”

The friend glanced at Yun Wu, who had just changed into her uniform and walked in.

The servers’ uniforms at Magpie Bridge were far from revealing—almost overly modest—but every detail was subtly provocative. Yun Wu’s budding figure was faintly outlined under the fabric.

What’s unseen and unattainable is always the most enticing.

Tang Qingshui followed her friend’s gaze, her interest waning. “Not my type.”

“But it’s exactly Zhao Rongrong’s type— delicate and fragile-looking. Aren’t you worried Zhao Rongrong will ruin her?”

“Watch your words. I run a legal business here, no illegal dealings. As for what consenting guests do, that’s not my concern.”

They exchanged a knowing smile and dropped the topic.

Zhao Rongrong, a notorious playgirl from Dongshu District, leveraged her family’s wealth and influence to toy with naive schoolgirls, indulging in extreme kinks like S/M and discipline.

Spotting Yun Wu, Zhao Rongrong’s eyes lit up. As Yun Wu poured her drink, Zhao began groping her.

The girl trembled slightly under her touch, her black-and-white eyes flashing with defiance as she tried to pull away, looking utterly pitiful. This fueled Zhao Rongrong’s sadistic thrill.

Completely captivated, Zhao Rongrong, after detailing her plan to acquire a plot in Beifeng District, splashed her drink onto Yun Wu’s chest.

The uniform soaked instantly, revealing the girl’s youthful curves.

The hidden recorder in Yun Wu’s clothes captured what she needed. Feigning panic, she stepped back, but Zhao Rongrong, heedless of decorum, lunged forward, pinning her to a sofa and fumbling with her buttons.

In moments, Yun Wu’s slender waist was exposed, glaringly pale in the dim light.

Zhao Rongrong’s strength was overwhelming, and Yun Wu, pinned down, felt a pang of regret. She hadn’t anticipated Zhao’s recklessness in such a public setting.

Onlookers watched the farce coldly, none stepping in to help.

Both laughable and tragic, Yun Wu felt the chill on her chest and reached for a wine bottle on the table.

Just as she braced to swing it with her eyes closed, the weight on her lifted. A warm jacket, carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance, enveloped her tightly.

The scent was subtle, like a gentle floral note.

Yun Wu’s eyes reddened, but no tears fell. Jiang Shangxue’s gaze moved past her, meeting Zhao Rongrong’s furious glare.

“Who the hell are you, stealing my girl?”

Jiang Shangxue ignored her, turning to Tang Qingshui at the bar. “President Tang, a pleasure to meet you.”

Tang Qingshui, CEO of Shanshui Group and Magpie Bridge’s behind-the-scenes owner, sauntered over with a harmless smile. “Miss Jiang, don’t tell me you’ve taken a liking to the new girl too.”

To others, it seemed Tang was siding with Jiang Shangxue.

Jiang Shangxue smiled gently. “Just here to fetch an unruly junior.”

“Really? I’m not convinced,” Tang Qingshui pressed, unyielding.

Jiang Shangxue leaned in, whispering intimately by Tang’s ear.

Onlookers assumed they were old acquaintances, and Zhao Rongrong had met her match.

“President Tang, I hear you got that new plot in Beifeng District with help from President Wang—or rather, the person behind him.”

Her voice was low, audible only to them. Tang Qingshui’s smile faded instantly.

Tang was the mistress of a powerful figure in Province A, a connection few knew about.

Though business and politics often intertwined, Tang guarded this secret closely.

Her smile now wary, Tang softened. “Miss Jiang, how could I not give you what you want?”

The scene appeared amicable, but sparks flew beneath the surface.

The moment Yun Wu recognized Jiang Shangxue, her eyes flickered, her fingers tightening.

For a brief second, her cold expression faltered.

Zhao Rongrong, fuming, her face contorted like a defeated rooster, wanted to speak but was stopped by Tang Qingshui. They hadn’t yet gauged Jiang Shangxue’s background and couldn’t afford to offend her rashly.

“Thank you, President Tang. I’ll take my unruly junior and go.”

Jiang Shangxue looked down at Yun Wu, who was clutching the jacket draped over her, her head slightly raised.

“Let’s go,” Jiang Shangxue said calmly.

As they turned to leave, the driver, Xiao Lin, stormed in, gripping a baseball bat he’d grabbed from somewhere, radiating menace.

He scanned the bar, bewildered by the calm scene, and checked his messages to confirm he hadn’t misread.

[Jiang Shangxue: Ever hit a woman?]

[Xiao Wang: What? No way.]

[Jiang Shangxue: Think you could take on a group of women?]

[Xiao Wang: Is something wrong, Madam?]

[Jiang Shangxue: If I’m not out in 30 minutes, call the police.]

Waiting in the car, Xiao Wang couldn’t sit still. After asking a friend to call the police if needed, he rushed in.

But the scene was… utterly peaceful.

Xiao Wang: ???

Perplexed, he followed Jiang Shangxue as she calmly entered the elevator. No one spoke, and they left in silence.

“Madam, I’ll get the car,” Xiao Wang said, tactfully slipping away as he sensed the tension.

Yun Wu followed Jiang Shangxue to a streetlamp. The girl’s dark eyes gleamed in the light, her lips bitten tightly, her thick lashes glistening with moisture.

If not for her slightly red nose and rubbed-raw eyes, no one would’ve known she’d cried silently.

The summer night breeze carried a restless heat.

Jiang Shangxue recalled the book’s description of Yun Wu at this stage: withdrawn, silent, and reclusive.

“No allowance left?” Jiang Shangxue asked, her voice gentle but firm.

Yun Wu’s lips whitened from biting, but she said nothing.

After the Yun family sent her to Dongshu High School, they’d ignored her. What was Jiang Shangxue playing at now? Crocodile tears?

Catching a glimpse of the Buddhist prayer beads on Jiang Shangxue’s wrist, Yun Wu found it even more ironic.

When Yun Wu didn’t respond, Jiang Shangxue didn’t press.

Tilting her head, she chose a gentle approach instead of forcing an answer. “You’re at an age to focus on your studies. Don’t come here again.”

Her casual tone seemed to erase all memory of her past actions.

For a moment, Yun Wu wanted to lunge forward and tear off this woman’s hypocritical, nauseating mask.

Silently observing Jiang Shangxue’s unusually composed demeanor, Yun Wu seemed to realize something.

With veiled malice, she asked, “Thank you. How should I address you?”

The girl stood straight, her dark eyes and features fully illuminated under the streetlamp.

Her pale face seemed distant, but not hateful.

A thought struck Jiang Shangxue, and she looked at Yun Wu with a complex gaze.

Could it be she didn’t recognize her?

After a long pause, as Yun Wu’s legs grew stiff from standing, Jiang Shangxue’s gentle voice broke the silence.

“My surname is Jiang. You can call me Aunt Jiang. I live nearby in Dongshu Community.”