Chapter 195: A Night of Good Dreams

I — Today is my fifth day since arriving at the Su Residence.

To make Su Wanli further accustomed to my presence, I have tried to do what I can for her since this morning, staying by her side as much as possible.

After learning that her grades were sufficient to attend the evening banquet, Su Wanli appeared very excited. She even expressed appropriate gratitude toward me and took the initiative to let me accompany her to the event.

At the banquet, thanks to Bai Peng’s seamless cooperation, I successfully protected Su Wanli from the Meng family and gained her initial trust.

However, that was all; I was unable to have any effective follow-up communication with him.

After some time, once I have gained enough of Su Wanli’s trust, I will attempt to propose the next step of the plan to her.

Therefore, looking at the current state of affairs, what I need to do is stand even closer to Su Wanli’s side, resolve as many problems for her as possible, and let her view me as a rare and convenient tool — to become the shadow in her hand.

Looking at the diary in front of her, which she had scribbled into a mess, Meng Huange sighed softly and rubbed her temples.

‘If I write down everything that happened today in detail, will that person from the Bai family trust my abilities more?’

However, letting things progress too quickly was not actually a good thing for her.

If she simply accumulated trust from the Su family without gaining corresponding power, Bai Qinghuang would immediately discard her once her useful value was squeezed dry.

Meng Huange shook her head and closed the diary in front of her. She tossed it casually back into the drawer, then stretched her body and stood up from the desk.

Besides, out of a subtle mindset, she did not actually want to speak to others about the things that happened between her and Su Wanli.

For instance, Su Wanli was not actually like the rumors. She would not scold the servants for no reason, nor would she recklessly smash everything she saw, and she certainly would not deliberately torture others for pleasure.

On the contrary, the real Su Wanli was very kind, compassionate, and tolerant. Even when facing a girl like herself — a stranger living in her home whose identity and abilities would normally invite resentment — Su Wanli had never done anything to harm her.

Although she was always saying strange and harsh things, the real Su Wanli was a soft-hearted girl. So much so that Meng Huange, who had been suppressing her emotions, would unconsciously let down her guard when staying by Su Wanli’s side, wanting only to immerse herself in this long-lost peace.

‘If I hadn’t come here with a purpose, I’d really want to spend the rest of my life living like this.’

Meng Huange tilted her head slightly and looked at the moon in the sky.

Miss Su, Su Wanli, Wanli.

Just reciting these names in her heart caused a warm current to flow through Meng Huange’s chest.

‘One day, after everything is settled, I hope I can obtain true liberation and stay by Su Wanli’s side forever.’

Heh, she would work hard for such a goal. Even if the chance was slim, she had to try and seek it out.

Meng Huange was exactly this kind of despicable person who would never give up struggling, wasn’t she?

She curled her fingers, brushing the stray hairs on her forehead to the side.

However, it was indeed very cold today. Even with the air conditioner on, her fingertips were much colder than her forehead…

No, given this level of temperature difference, it did not seem to be just a problem with her fingertips. Could it be that she had a fever?

Meng Huange lowered her eyes silently, looking at the school uniform shirt by the windowsill that she had washed and folded neatly.

‘Is it because I didn’t change my clothes in time after being splashed with alcohol at the banquet?’

It made sense. To get back to Su Wanli’s side quickly, she had even run several steps through the hallway. A cold combined with a bit of exercise made catching a fever only natural.

Meng Huange rubbed her slightly dizzy nose and pulled a few tablets out of her schoolbag.

At this time, the housekeeper should already be asleep. She would think of a way to ask tomorrow. As for now, she would just hold on with cold medicine.

‘The plan to accompany Su Wanli has just begun; I absolutely cannot start being a burden on the first day.’

However, before Meng Huange could take the tablets, several crisp knocks suddenly came from her room door.

*Knock! Knock!*

With this amount of force and at this time, the only person who would specifically come to her room was likely that Miss Su.

Meng Huange helplessly rubbed the bridge of her nose, hid the tablets in the drawer, and then pushed open her room door.

“Good evening, Miss Su. Is there something you need?”

Outside the door, it was indeed the black-haired girl. She was wearing a set of fuzzy white pajamas with a school uniform jacket draped over them, her eyebrows raised as she stared into Meng Huange’s eyes.

“Hmph, I thought this thing was important to you. It seems you’re not that concerned about it after all.”

She coldly bypassed Meng Huange and walked straight into the room, her hands tucked as she looked around.

“I thought you were an idiot who didn’t even know how to turn on the air conditioner. Isn’t your room quite warm? I don’t even know why I specifically prepared these things…”

“Prepared… these things?”

Seeing Meng Huange’s slightly confused gaze, Su Wanli bit her lip. She pulled a sealed white pouch from her oversized pajamas and tossed it onto Meng Huange’s bed.

“There, I’m a woman of my word. This is your mother’s hairpin. I’ve returned it to you. Don’t let me hear any more nonsense about how it doesn’t belong to you anymore.”

“I… Thank you. I am very happy to…”

Before Meng Huange could continue, Su Wanli immediately turned around and strode toward the door.

“Fine, fine. It’s fine as long as you received it. I’m tired and not in the mood to listen to your useless polite chatter. I’m leaving.”

“…Understood, Miss Su. I wish you a night of good dreams.”

Watching Su Wanli’s somewhat hurried footsteps as she left, Meng Huange blinked softly and turned back to look at the small white pouch on her bed.

‘If Su Wanli only came to return the hairpin, there was no need to specifically use a pouch, right?’

With a subtle curiosity, Meng Huange stepped forward lightly and opened the pouch.

On top was a piece of white silk fabric, which wrapped her mother’s white hairpin.

As for what was underneath…

It was a bulging, flat water bag radiating a faint warmth. Its surface was printed with a cartoonish, elegant little figure with long black hair.

‘This… could it be…’

—

Meanwhile, in the room next to Meng Huange’s.

Su Wanli maintained her cold exterior, closing the door with reserved grace. Then, she crawled back onto her bed and silently buried her cheeks deep into the pillow.

‘Darn it, didn’t I say it! I just needed a regular hot water bag! Why did it have to have that inexplicable design on the surface?!’

**[Oh? But… when the System suggested customizing the image on the hot water bag, the first thought that appeared in your mind was to have your own image appear on the Heroine’s bed.]**

‘That was only because I accidentally remembered the joke Meng Huange made in the car! And besides, I only thought it in my head; I didn’t say it out loud at all!’

**[Do not worry, Host. Printing your own image on something the Heroine must keep in close contact with, so she cannot escape your control even in her dreams, is also a form of villainous behavior. Therefore, the System can try to apply for a discount on the customization fee for you. It will only be half price.]**

‘What?! I even have to pay extra for that image you added on your own?!’

Su Wanli angrily pulled that white ball in front of her eyes and glared at it while grinding her teeth.

‘As the true master of this house, I really must educate you properly today!’

— Volume One, “The Villainous Eldest Young Lady, Su Wanli!” — End.