Chapter 55: A Gap Between Us

From afar, seeing Meng Wange smile at her, Su Wanli’s heart skipped a beat.

She instantly backed away from the railing, flung open the door behind her, and darted into her room like she was running away.

W-What the hell just happened?

She’d rather lose to me, even offer up a promise, just to make sure I drank all of that porridge?

Meng Wange, you…

You damn woman…

Even if it’s just to win favor with the Su family’s heiress, using such a despicable tactic?

Su Wanli lightly touched her chest with her fingertips. Her heart was still pounding.

She couldn’t tell if it was lingering anger from being tricked… or—

—the unfamiliar joy of being genuinely cared for by someone.

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[…Host, although the heroine Meng Wange’s charm value is indeed extremely high, please remember to stay true to yourself.]

Apparently, the system had detected some increase in Su Wanli’s favorability toward Meng Wange, because its usually cold, robotic tone now carried a note of concern:

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[Remember your mission as the villainess. You must shoulder the duty of helping the heroine grow—do not be swayed by a moment of tenderness or her carefully orchestrated gestures.]

“…Shut up! It’s not like I haven’t completed the task! I’ve just never been cared for like that before, so what’s wrong with getting a little flustered?!”

Su Wanli muttered defensively, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

But… was that really all Meng Wange intended?

If her goal was to make Su Wanli more satisfied with her, there were clearly better methods to do so.

Using such a roundabout, even deceptive approach—provoking such visible tension in the banquet hall—why?

Was it all to create that emotional contrast?

Sure, it had left a deeper impression, but still…

Su Wanli buried her face in her arms and let out a silent scream.

She’d dramatically slammed down the bowl and stormed out—how was she supposed to face Meng Wange now?! Say anything to her?!

If she didn’t come up with something fast, her villainess score and her task would both go down the drain!!

Watching the black-haired girl walk away without a single glance back, Meng Wange stood quietly at the foot of the staircase, her lips tugging upward in an effort to appear pleased.

This time… did the plan finally work?

…Maybe.

Normally, when her schemes succeeded, Meng Wange would feel a deep sense of satisfaction—that intoxicating sense of control and mastery over the situation.

But not this time.

This time, her heart felt clenched tight. All she could feel was a heavy, lingering emptiness.

Of course. This plan had never been about getting closer.

It was about maintaining a delicate balance between her and Su Wanli—neither too close nor too distant.

No one enjoys losing the chance to form a friendship. Even someone like her couldn’t escape that sense of loneliness.

Auntie Zhang had already returned to the kitchen to tidy up. No one was watching her now, so the smile that had hung on Meng Wange’s lips finally faded.

She returned to that cold, quiet demeanor that people always described her with—like a still, lifeless pond.

—Whatever Su Wanli’s personality may be, there was one constant, one unchanging fact from the very beginning.

Her pride.

No matter the situation, no matter the stakes, Su Wanli never let go of that pride when facing her—almost as if she were playing a carefully crafted role.

So this entire plan was aimed at Su Wanli herself.

Her competitiveness, her restraint, her pride—

Even… her kindness.

Over the years, Meng Wange had encountered all kinds of people and conflicts. Especially in the orphanage, where adults had limited energy, and every child was left to navigate relationships based on their true nature.

The cheerful, sociable ones could always mend relationships, no matter the conflict.

But those who were withdrawn or poor at communication—no matter how strong the bond—could be shattered in a single blow.

It didn’t even require a major fight. A bit of sarcasm, a tiny disagreement in values, or a simple joke—without someone stepping forward to reconcile, the rift would only grow.

In Meng Wange’s judgment, Su Wanli was the kind of person who would never make the first move to reconcile.

There were countless nourishing dishes she could’ve chosen to help someone recover from a cold—especially in the Su family’s well-stocked kitchen. But she’d deliberately chosen the one most likely to cause a misunderstanding.

As Auntie Zhang said, serving plain porridge in a cooking contest—especially against something Su Wanli had painstakingly prepared—was practically an insult.

And with her deliberately ambiguous behavior on top of that, Su Wanli’s resulting anger was inevitable.

But—what if the real intent was for her sake?

Su Wanli believed she’d been mocked and humiliated by that bowl of porridge—but once she discovered the herbal broth left at her door by Auntie Zhang, she’d recall her own poor health and start to realize the truth.

—Yes. Everything Meng Wange had done was for her wellbeing.

Even the false suspense, the suggestion that the porridge hid something more, was just a way to ensure she ate it all.

Meng Wange was simply someone who cared deeply about Su Wanli.

And Su Wanli—the so-called victim—had suddenly become the one who misunderstood a good intention, the one who lacked gratitude.

It was underhanded, yes. But that made it all the more memorable.

So, what came after?

In normal cases, the person who misunderstood would eventually apologize, seek reconciliation, or laugh it off, letting the relationship continue with only a minor blemish.

Most people with a balanced mindset and social experience would react this way.

But Su Wanli wouldn’t.

She couldn’t bridge that gap.

Someone who refused to lower their pride could never sustain a relationship. And certainly wouldn’t seek forgiveness.

Even if she realized she was wrong, Su Wanli would never bow her head.

And yet, because of her inherently kind nature, she also wouldn’t go to extremes. She wouldn’t banish Meng Wange from the house just because of this minor incident.

Yes—this was, in essence, a very small matter. A mere moment, a glance, a bit of tension.

But that was exactly why a half-baked relationship would form.

No one would take the blame. No one would repair the rift. Not Su Wanli, and certainly not Meng Wange, the one who designed it.

Meng Wange bit her lip, tasting the faint tang of blood.

…If she could avoid it, she truly wouldn’t want to use such a method.

But back when she was tutoring Su Wanli, she’d realized something—

When facing that black-haired girl directly, she just couldn’t push her away.

Even while planning these manipulations, she kept worrying—Would this hurt her? Would this make her hate me?

Even if the goal was to maintain distance, she still didn’t want Su Wanli to dislike her. If anything, she wanted her to see her kindness.

…So despicable, Meng Wange.

That’s why you’re always like this.

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the corridor on the first floor, warming Meng Wange’s back—just like the embrace of that girl last night.

The metallic taste in her mouth gradually faded. Meng Wange closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

But… there was no going back.

She’d come this far. The only way was forward.

Opening her eyes again, she smiled faintly—just like always—and started walking toward the third-floor room.

Leaving that soft, golden sunlight behind her in the emptiness.