Transmigrated as the Villain’s Sword - Chapter 57

The next day, Ling Chenyan woke up because her stomach was growling. She rubbed her empty belly, planning to find Guan Luowei and head into town to hunt for some delicious food.

Last night, she had talked with the system for so long that she hadn’t noticed when she drifted off. Consequently, she didn’t even know which room Guan Luowei had ended up sleeping in.

Just as she stepped out of her door and was about to ask the system to locate Guan Luowei, a shadow fell over her. Looking up, she saw Guan Luowei standing right in front of her, holding a steaming hot breakfast.

Ling Chenyan’s eyes lit up. She took the food and beamed, saying, “Thank you.”

Guan Luowei gave a soft “Mm” and stepped into the room with the girl.

Ling Chenyan laughed and chatted with her while she ate. Guan Luowei would occasionally nod or give a soft “Mm” in response. However, as they talked, the girl suddenly leaned in close, blinking her eyes in confusion. “Did you not sleep well last night?”

Guan Luowei’s expression stiffened. She looked away and said vaguely, “It was alright.”

Ling Chenyan noticed the faint dark circles beginning to show under Guan Luowei’s eyes and muttered something to herself. Guan Luowei couldn’t hear the words clearly, but she caught the girl’s inner thoughts.

She was whispering to the system: [Sys, you don’t think the Big Villain stayed up to secretly read that book last night, do you?]

Guan Luowei’s heart skipped a beat, but then she heard the girl continue: [Actually, I think that’s impossible.]

Her racing heart finally slowed down. Guan Luowei lightly tapped the table with her knuckles and said, “Eat quickly, it’ll get cold.”

Ling Chenyan nodded quickly, not dwelling on the matter further.

After breakfast, Guan Luowei took Ling Chenyan out for a stroll. Before long, they ran right into Chen Juan.

Chen Juan was different today. She wasn’t wearing that strange outfit from before; instead, she wore a slim-fitting blue robe with her hair tied in a high ponytail. She held a scroll in her hand, unrolling it for everyone she met as if asking for a critique. She looked quite the elegant wanderer.

Ling Chenyan was about to wave, but Chen Juan turned her head accidentally, her eyes lighting up. She rolled up the scroll and ran toward them. Ling Chenyan waved back enthusiastically, looking curiously at the scroll. Chen Juan didn’t seem like the type to appreciate fine art or calligraphy.

Once she drew near and they finished their pleasantries, Ling Chenyan looked at the scroll. “What’s that you’re holding?”

“This?” Chen Juan unrolled the scroll with a flourish. “This was the brilliant method I came up with to find you two, though it ended up being unnecessary.”

Ling Chenyan took a close look and her mouth twitched. It was a portrait of her and Guan Luowei. Recalling Chen Juan’s behavior just now, Ling Chenyan realized this idiot had been stopping every single passerby to show them the drawings and ask for directions.

Sensing the gazes and the murmurs from the pedestrians all around them, Ling Chenyan felt the veins on her forehead throb.

To make matters worse, Chen Juan still thought she was a genius. She flipped her hair and asked, “Well? Pretty smart, right?”

Ling Chenyan: “…” How is this different from taking a dump in the middle of the street?

She gave her a look that said I can’t even deal with you, then immediately pulled out two bamboo hats and placed one on her own head and one on Guan Luowei’s.

Chen Juan was puzzled by the behavior. “What’s wrong? Are you two that ‘unpresentable’?”

Ling Chenyan: “…” No, it’s because we have a friend who is unpresentable.

Fortunately, Chen Juan didn’t care much. She walked beside Ling Chenyan, chatting as they strolled. “What made you decide to come here?”

With the hat on, Ling Chenyan felt a bit more comfortable. She replied, “Because I wanted to come play with you.”

Chen Juan laughed loudly and reached out to put an arm around Ling Chenyan’s neck. “And here I thought it was because you missed me!”

Just as she spoke, she felt a sharp pain on the back of her hand. Chen Juan hissed and pulled her hand back. The familiar sensation reminded her of the pebble Guan Luowei had thrown at her earlier.

She gritted her teeth. The angry words reached her lips but were swallowed back down when she met Guan Luowei’s gaze. She muttered under her breath, “Talk about ungrateful… I knew I shouldn’t have given you that picture book…”

Ling Chenyan saw everything and shot Guan Luowei an amused look. Then, raising her eyebrows, she turned to Chen Juan. “What picture book?”

Chen Juan’s eyes shook. Feeling the gaze that felt like thorns on her back, she laughed awkwardly. “Nothing, nothing! Anyway, since this is your first time here, let me show you some interesting things.”

Ling Chenyan narrowed her eyes, looking thoughtfully at the calm Guan Luowei beside her. However, Chen Juan started talking non-stop again, and Ling Chenyan let the topic drop for the moment.

Unaware she had let a secret slip, Chen Juan smugly introduced the specialties of Baibian Town. Suddenly, she slapped her head. “Look at my memory! You’ve come at just the right time. The Winter Sacrifice Festival is in two days. Every household will hang lanterns, and there will be all sorts of performances at night to pray for good weather and prosperity next year. Honestly, it’s just as lively as the Lunar New Year.”

“Winter Sacrifice?” Ling Chenyan repeated softly. She looked up at Guan Luowei. “Highness, what do you think?”

Guan Luowei saw the look of genuine interest on the girl’s face and nodded. “Alright.”

Chen Juan was delighted. “Great! I’ll come pick you up in two days to go play.” She paused and clapped her hands. “How about this? Why don’t you stay at my house for the next two days? We have plenty of guest rooms. Of course…” Chen Juan coughed, looking at them suggestively and hiding a smile. “If it’s… ‘inconvenient’ for you, then forget it.”

Ling Chenyan raised an eyebrow and looked meaningfully at Guan Luowei. “I don’t find it inconvenient at all.”

Guan Luowei’s face remained calm, but her fingers hidden in her sleeves tightened slightly. “Neither do I.”

And so it was settled. After strolling through the town a bit more, Chen Juan brought them home. They didn’t have any luggage, so they simply checked out of the inn and followed her to the Chen estate.

The Chen family was the wealthiest in town. Master Chen De was also considered one of the top experts in the area, and the family name was prestigious. Despite their wealth, they weren’t “evil rich”; they were known for their charity, often providing free porridge to the poor.

If there was one “failure” in the Chen family, it was their daughter, Chen Juan—though she clearly didn’t see it that way.

The moment Chen Juan stepped through the gates, two servants lunged to grab her. Chen Juan dodged with a flip, and the two servants crashed into each other with a cry of pain.

Chen Juan looked back at them smugly. “My dad sent you again? You guys used to be okay, but now he’ll have to come out himself.”

“Where is the old man?” Chen Juan crossed her arms, her eyes darting around as a wicked smile appeared. “I brought him two sparring partners.”

The servants looked at each other, not daring to speak. Just then, a voice rang out: “Let me see just how much you’ve improved!”

Quick as lightning, the moment Chen Juan heard the voice, she bolted behind Ling Chenyan and hid. Chen De’s lunge missed. He glared at his daughter hiding behind the guests. “What are you hiding for?”

Chen Juan replied unhurriedly, “If I don’t hide, am I supposed to wait for you to hit me?”

“You—”

“Alright, Dad.” Chen Juan poked her head out from behind Ling Chenyan. “I have two friends visiting today. Let’s drop it for now.”

Chen De glared at her, but then turned graciously to the two guests. “You’ve traveled far, it must be exhausting. I’ll have the servants prepare two rooms for you immediately.”

Just as he was about to give the order, Chen Juan spoke up. “Don’t bother, Dad. One room is enough for the two of them.”

Chen De glared at her. “Don’t make our family look like bad hosts! Why would you prepare only one room for two—”

Before he could finish, Chen Juan winked at him frantically. Chen De understood instantly. The words at his lips changed to: “…Actually, that’s perfectly fine.”

Chen Juan nodded with satisfaction.

Inside the room, Guan Luowei looked impassive, while Ling Chenyan’s face was quite red, though she hadn’t refused.

The Chen family truly lived like wealthy landlords. Even the guest room was furnished with the best supplies. Ling Chenyan lay on the bed, feeling much more comfortable than at the inn.

While she was staring at the ceiling, Guan Luowei’s gaze shifted and her brow furrowed. For a split second, she felt as if something was spying on them, but when she focused, the sensation vanished.

Guan Luowei kept her guard up. She walked over to the girl and looked down at her messy clothes. “Get up and fix your robes.”

Ling Chenyan shot her a look. “What’s the matter? It’s just the two of us, can’t you let me be a bit casual?”

The girl’s voice carried a hint of a pout, making Guan Luowei feel helpless. She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the girl up. “Fix them first.”

Ling Chenyan was pulled up grumpily, but then she leaned into Guan Luowei’s embrace, resting her head on her shoulder and hanging off her like she had no bones. She said sweetly, “You do it for me.”

Despite the soft body in her arms, Guan Luowei didn’t have any distracting thoughts. Thinking of that fleeting, strange sensation, she actually began to tidy the girl’s clothes slowly.

Ling Chenyan looked at those long, fair fingers and secretly compared them to her own, only to discover with disappointment that her fingers were indeed not as long as Guan Luowei’s.

What made her even more disappointed was that Guan Luowei remained completely unaffected. What was going on? They had only kissed a few times—was she already that “unattractive” to her?

Ling Chenyan sat up abruptly and said crossly, “I’m going to sleep! You aren’t allowed to sleep near me tonight!”

Guan Luowei looked at the suddenly unhappy girl with surprise. Her eyes shifted, and thinking of something, she actually nodded. “Alright. You go to sleep. I won’t sleep tonight.”

Ling Chenyan looked at her in disbelief, let out a loud, angry snort, then shed her outer robe and dove under the covers. “Fine! Don’t sleep then!”

Guan Luowei knew the girl was angry, but that hidden gaze forced her to remain alert. She bit her lip and looked silently at the girl’s back. “Yanyan…”

“I’ve fallen asleep! You aren’t allowed to talk anymore!”