The Villainess's Uncle 02

"What time is it now?" Fang Zhiyi asked weakly.

"He Xiaoxiao has already started working at the brothel."

"You!" Fang Zhiyi jumped up. "Couldn't you have told me earlier? She's already gone!"

The system, unusually apologetic, replied, "This is the time we arrived. I can tell you which brothel she's in."

Fang Zhiyi didn’t waste another moment, pushing the door open and rushing out.

In the brothel’s backyard, Qin Lan gripped He Xiaoxiao’s shoulders, shaking her back and forth. "Why? Why would you degrade yourself like this?"

He Xiaoxiao shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I didn’t… I didn’t."

"Don’t you know how to protect your dignity? You’re a girl!"

"I…" He Xiaoxiao fell silent. This sheltered young lady had no idea of her struggles. To her, everything was just a matter of principle.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Two pretty little things!" A staggering figure approached.

Instinctively, He Xiaoxiao pulled Qin Lan behind her. She wasn’t afraid—she had smeared cheap rouge on her face before work, making it look like a birthmark, just to protect herself.

The burly man stepped forward, eyed her, then shoved her aside. He Xiaoxiao’s frail frame couldn’t withstand the force, and she fell hard onto the ground.

"This one’s got some fire! Real feisty!"

"What do you think you’re doing? Get away from us!" Qin Lan hugged herself, her voice trembling as she shouted.

Seeing the man reach for Qin Lan’s clothes, He Xiaoxiao clenched her teeth, wiped her face with her sleeve, and tugged her own collar open. "Sir, look at me. Look at me instead."

The man turned, his eyes lighting up. This girl wasn’t bad either—and she seemed willing, unlike the other one who just cried.

He Xiaoxiao mouthed to Qin Lan, "Run!"

Qin Lan understood. After only a brief hesitation, she fled.

He Xiaoxiao wondered if she’d call for help—but who would come? Her father? Impossible. Her uncles? They’d probably just extort money from the brothel’s madam.

Closing her eyes in despair, she felt the man fumbling with his pants. Then, a gust of wind brushed past her.

"Go to hell!"

At the familiar curse, He Xiaoxiao’s eyes flew open in disbelief—only to see the last person she wanted to face.

"Second Uncle…"

Fang Zhiyi glanced back at her. "Pull your damn clothes together! What kind of mess is this?"

Used to being scolded, He Xiaoxiao obediently tightened her collar.

Fang Zhiyi brandished a wooden stool, pointing it at the drunkard writhing on the ground with a hand over his face. "Listen here, you bastard! She’s my niece. I can yell at her, I can beat her, but if any outsider lays a finger on her, I’ll break every bone in your body!"

With that, he tossed the stool aside, grabbed He Xiaoxiao’s arm, and dragged her away.

He Xiaoxiao was stunned. What did Second Uncle mean by that? After years of neglect and harsh words, why did she feel… happy?

As they walked, Fang Zhiyi berated her. "Lucky for you, a friend of mine spotted you. Where else would I have looked? Running away from home just to end up in a place like this?"

He Xiaoxiao hunched her shoulders. She’d probably get beaten when they got home, but at least her innocence was intact.

Fang Zhiyi kept scolding all the way back. He shoved the door open and yanked her inside. "Go boil water and take a bath!"

Without protest, He Xiaoxiao lowered her head and headed inside.

Lanhua, Fang Zhiyi’s wife, came out at the noise. Seeing He Xiaoxiao, she sneered. "This little slut sure knows how to run. Just wait till we marry you off to Master Jia—let’s see you try escaping then!"

To her shock, Fang Zhiyi turned and snapped, "Shut your damn mouth and get back inside!"

Lanhua’s eyes widened. "Fang Zhiyi, have you lost your mind?"

Fang Zhiyi tilted his head. "Remember what Mom said before she died?"

"She said this house must keep a room for Xiaoxiao—no matter how poor we are, it stays hers! I thought marrying her off was fine, especially since I heard Master Jia was rich. Turns out the bastard’s a damn old man! What would people say about me, huh? That Fang Zhiyi sold his niece to a decrepit old coot for money? I still have some pride!"

He ranted on, knowing the original owner of this body was a scoundrel—but he had to clean up his own image while he was at it.

The shouting drew Fang Wenrui and his wife, though they stayed inside. The youngest uncle was away at school.

Lanhua stormed back to their room in a huff.

He Xiaoxiao, having finished boiling water, stepped out timidly. "Second Uncle, it’s ready."

Fang Zhiyi glared. "Then go wash up! Why’re you telling me?"

He Xiaoxiao flinched, then froze in disbelief. She was always the last to bathe—why the change today? Under Fang Zhiyi’s impatient urging, she enjoyed a rare, warm bath, though his grumbling never stopped outside.

When she finished, Fang Zhiyi brought her a bowl of noodles.

"Take it."

After a long hesitation, He Xiaoxiao accepted it.

Fang Zhiyi mentally cursed himself at her wary reaction but kept his expression stern. "You turned sixteen recently. Should’ve celebrated, but you vanished. Consider this your belated birthday."

He Xiaoxiao was stunned again. A birthday? The last time anyone remembered was when Grandma was alive.

"What’s that look for?" Fang Zhiyi reached out to pat her head, but she shrank back. Awkwardly, he scratched his own head instead. "I know I’ve got a temper, but you’re still my sister’s child. Before, making you do chores—that was Lanhua’s idea, said it’d toughen you up. I thought girls should learn housework anyway. But now I realize—that woman’s just plain cruel!"

Thankfully, most of the beatings came from the women in the house. Fang Zhiyi had mostly just yelled—otherwise, he’d have a harder time justifying this turnaround.

Still, it was a shaky start.

He turned to leave. "Finish eating, wash the bowl, then move into your grandma’s old room. Clean it up yourself!"

He Xiaoxiao stood frozen. She’d been sleeping in the kitchen—and now Second Uncle was giving her Grandma’s room?

Fang Zhiyi paused, then added, "I’m not one for deep thinking, but after you ran away… I dreamed of your mother. My sister. She cried so hard…" He faked a sigh. "Eat up and get some rest."

Watching him leave, He Xiaoxiao stared at the noodles, then bit her tongue hard. The pain confirmed it—this wasn’t a dream.

Had Second Uncle really dreamed of Mother? At the thought of her mother, her eyes dimmed.

But hunger won out. She devoured the noodles.

Hidden in the shadows, Fang Zhiyi muttered, "What’s the mission objective?"

"There isn’t one."

"What?"

"Host, missions fall into two types: petitions and assignments. The last two worlds were assignments. This one’s a petition—someone felt Fang Xiaoxiao suffered too much, so you’re here."

"Easy, then. Just cut off the tragic plot ahead."