“Passive-aggressive?”
Xia You let out a contemptuous laugh. “You don’t have to treat me like an enemy. I’ve always known you like Liu Yan—and I know that from the moment we started dating, you never believed we’d make it to the end. I remember the look in your eyes the first time I saw you.”
You remember that look?
Even though the World Line has changed, would the look in my eyes as a man and as a woman be the same?
But there’s no reason to explain that to Xia You.
And she’s not exactly wrong. Whether as a man or a woman, I never thought Xia You would end up with Liu Yan.
“I turned out to be right.”
Xia You’s face showed a trace of embarrassment, but she still nodded. “Yes, I turned out to be right. I know you hold hostility toward me—not because you’re jealous, but because you think I hurt Liu Yan. Having a girl like you by his side… that’s a blessing.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Things are going well between Zhou Bin and me. I know Liu Yan won’t do anything, but you’re different. I’m worried you might. So… since we have the chance today, I want to make it clear. Can you stop interfering with us?”
Chen Tang laughed.
I hope you can still say that in a while.
She waved her hand casually. “Why would I care about you and Zhou Bin? I’m not that bored. Right now, my main opponent is Bai Mengling.”
She stuck to her persona as the “childhood sweetheart crushing on Liu Yan.” “I egged him on to confess so he wouldn’t be too heartbroken over your breakup. But who knew Bai Mengling would agree? Since you’re dating Zhou Bin, stay out of our sight. We’ll keep to ourselves. Got it?”
“So we have a deal?”
Xia You extended her hand.
Chen Tang gave a half-smile and shook it.
Then Chen Tang said, “Since we’ve reached a deal, looks like the mess inside isn’t over yet. How about we chat a bit?”
“What do you want to talk about?” Xia You asked warily.
“Honestly, do you really like Zhou Bin?”
“What do you mean?”
Chen Tang: “Nothing much. But today’s the debate—Zhou Bin didn’t come? You’re here as a cheerleader, and he’s not accompanying you?”
“He has a dinner gathering with his dorm buddies today.”
“But Liu Yan came. If the roles were reversed, Liu Yan would have come. If his buddies had a gathering, he’d bring them along and treat them afterward.”
Xia You’s expression shifted. “What are you trying to say with that?”
“What I’m saying is, since we’ve made a deal, stick to it. Don’t suddenly realize that Liu Yan treats you better or that you still like him, and then tear up the agreement causing trouble. I’m just giving you, School Beauty Xia, a heads-up. Zhou Bin isn’t a bad guy, but it depends on who you compare him to.
You immediately knew Shi Yiyi was brought by Liu Yan. That’s not good.”
She turned and walked toward the vending machine at the front of the venue to buy another bottle of cola.
Leaving Xia You alone, silent in the wind.
Chen Tang grabbed her cola and re-entered the venue.
She saw the Arts and Sciences University people holding Shi Yiyi and crying, and on this side, President Bai was hugging Liu Yan and crying.
What a chaotic scene. Don’t tell me the judges are completely baffled?
When Liu Yan saw Chen Tang approach, he looked as if he’d seen a savior, signaling her with his eyes to help him out.
Chen Tang sighed and walked up to the two of them. “President Bai, I understand how you’re feeling right now, but there are a lot of people here. This isn’t really appropriate, is it? This matter probably can’t be hidden. Your parents will definitely find out—Xiao Liu! Looks like you’ll have to fend for yourself tomorrow.”
Liu Yan sensed trouble.
Bai Mengling also snapped back to reality.
Yes, her parents would definitely learn about this and know what happened here—
In Bai Mengling’s mind, an image surfaced of her parents throwing a bank card worth millions at Liu Yan: “Take this money and leave my daughter’s side.” Something like that.
“! I need to go back first.”
She wasn’t the kind of sheltered daughter. She had some say at home. She had to negotiate with her parents before they acted… Not expecting to completely solve the problem, but at least to understand their attitude and thoughts. Solutions always come through communication, confrontation, and compromise.
She couldn’t stay silent like in a drama, with parents insisting they’re doing it for their child’s good, and the child insisting the parents are old-fashioned.
Her family always solved problems through communication.
Even though she had to go back immediately, the Eldest Miss still politely said goodbye to everyone present before hurrying out of the venue.
“Here, cola.”
Liu Yan glanced at the Arts and Sciences University side, took the cola, and pulled Chen Tang away.
How naturally do you hold hands, you brat?
Don’t tell me you’re just driven by lust!
When I was a man, you never acted like this…
Of course, Chen Tang knew Liu Yan’s typical protective mentality—seeing a delicate girl makes him think she needs protection. In the chaotic venue, he thought she was that delicate girl, so he reached out.
Whatever. It’s not like intertwining fingers, which would be lecherous.
No big deal.
“So what’s the final situation?”
“Pretty much a happy ending for everyone, I guess?”
Liu Yan gave a somewhat ambiguous answer.
“A happy ending. Including you winning Bai Mengling’s heart?”
Liu Yan was speechless. “Where do you get that? How can one person liking another be like a novel, where a single ‘hero saving beauty’ moment wins them over? That kind of behavior might create some goodwill, but for actually being together, it takes time and accumulation.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. If that were the case, I should like you. We’ve been together for years, and I can’t see any good qualities in you, you brat.”
“It’s different.”
Well, there’s no getting Liu Yan to admit it.
But this also shows that even if the story has shifted somewhat dramatically, the overall favorability events probably won’t change much.
That’s fine.
As for the difference between Liu Yan now and in the original novel…
Chen Tang looked at Liu Yan holding her hand.
It was that Liu Yan wasn’t clinging to Bai Mengling as an emotional lifeline—like he said, he didn’t think Bai Mengling would fall for him just because of that.
The reason…
Is because I’m here.
Damn, am I really a character who can be pursued, with my own romance route?
Did I end up in some fan fiction the moment the World Line shifted?
She suddenly felt a bit flustered.
Chen Tang got onto Liu Yan’s electric scooter.
The good thing about riding with Liu Yan was that he drove very steadily.
He wouldn’t pull any “speed bump” or “they’re going the wrong way” or “the road is built backwards” kind of heart-stopping moves… On the other hand, if Chen Tang drove, you’d have to be careful—she could give you a heart attack in seconds.
Liu Yan put the helmet on Chen Tang.
“Hey! Don’t you know it’s uncomfortable to wear a helmet with long hair?”
“Uncomfortable or not, wear it.”
Fine.
This scooter was a large model, and Chen Tang, now slender, found it spacious.
She held the cola that Liu Yan had taken a big gulp of before getting on.
She unscrewed the cap, took a few sips herself, and then aimed at a trash can for a long-range shot.
…Missed.
But luckily an aunt nearby picked up the bottle and put it into a sack.
“Littering, huh? Don’t say you’re from X City University after you walk out that door.”
“Cutting ties, are you? Believe me, I’ll give you a couple of punches. Your back is completely exposed to me now.”
“Sorry, bro. I’m driving, don’t mess around.”
Chen Tang thought for a moment, then suddenly hugged Liu Yan from behind.
“! What are you doing now?”
“I’m giving you a little bonus, bro. A beautiful girl hugging you from behind—isn’t that every man’s dream? Don’t you know those street racers purposely accelerate and decelerate just to make the girl hold them tighter? I’m taking the initiative, and you’re not happy?”
To be honest, he could feel a bit of softness—Chen Tang seemed to have more to her than she looked, even if she was petite.
But if Bai Mengling were sitting behind him and hugging him like that, wouldn’t that be…
“Are you thinking about something really inappropriate, you brat?”
“No, I’m not.”
“You definitely are! You’re definitely thinking it would feel better if Bai Mengling were hugging you from behind, right?”
Are you a worm in my stomach? How did you guess that?
Liu Yan panicked.
Chen Tang saw his expression in the rearview mirror and knew exactly what he was thinking… Who do you think I am? I’m the one who read the entire original novel, then transmigrated, and observed you, Liu Yan, since you were a child for over a decade!
“Ah, men~ It’s normal to like big ones. I totally understand. Unfortunately, my natural talent stops here. But you don’t need to panic~”
She giggled. “Big is good, of course. But for smaller characters, isn’t there that special trope where ‘if the person you like rubs them, they’ll grow bigger’? That kind of plot’s pretty nice too, right?”
“…“
Liu Yan really didn’t want to continue this topic with Chen Tang.
He knew this was Chen Tang’s Demon Seed nature flaring up—she just wanted to see him flustered. Even if it meant offering herself as a bonus…
Hajitang, even going this far…
Well, to Chen Tang, it probably didn’t matter.
After all, she wasn’t originally a beautiful girl.
Her perception of her own body was completely different.
He could only sigh. “I don’t care, but don’t do that to anyone else. Otherwise, you might actually end up having something bad done to you. Don’t come crying to me then.”
“I’d only do that to someone if I went crazy. Besides, I don’t have any other friends.”
“The people online…”
“You say that like I didn’t scam people online before I became a beautiful girl.”
“…“
The two returned home.
“So, have you decided?” Chen Tang lay on the sofa. “No matter how Bai Mengling handles things when she goes back, her parents, even if they don’t force you two to break up, will definitely do something… I think the most likely outcome is they’ll invite you over for a meal, chat a bit, and feel you out.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. What do you think I should do?”
“Just be yourself. Don’t lose your manners, but don’t get insecure just because their house is fancy or anything. Her parents might drop some hints. If you understand them, ignore them. If you don’t, ignore them even more. As long as you don’t covet their property, you’ll naturally be confident.”
Liu Yan looked a bit surprised. “You actually say something serious sometimes. I thought you’d say something like ‘hint at them to give you a huge sum of money to break up’ and then bleed them dry to retire early.”
“I’d love to say that, but if you end up sunk in the river the next day, buddy, I’d only be able to burn paper money for you. And I’d burn you some beautiful girls in the afterlife.”
“Then I’d definitely haunt you. You’re a beautiful girl now—I’d burn you and have you sent to me.”
“You bastard!”
They roughhoused for a bit, then both flopped back onto the sofa.
“Seriously, is it okay that you brought Shi Yiyi out?”
“Honestly? Not really. I’m guessing the Arts and Sciences University people will hold a grudge against me.”
Chen Tang glanced at him. “That’s small potatoes. After all, our schools are far apart. They won’t come looking for trouble specifically for you… I mean, do you think you only won over President Bai?”
“What do you mean?”
“I only met Shi Yiyi briefly just now, but that girl clearly has strong self-esteem. Plus, she’s on the debate team, so she’s feisty. Someone like her begged you to take her out, and you agreed and solved her problem. Her favorability toward you won’t be low. Once she recovers from her illness… tsk tsk tsk.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Liu Yan immediately denied it. “She asked me to take her out only because no one else was willing—they were afraid of getting into trouble. Again, goodwill doesn’t come that easily.”
Others might not.
But you definitely will.
You’re a walking beautiful-girl magnet. Women without high looks won’t be attracted to you.
Only truly high-beauty girls fall for you.
And Shi Yiyi definitely counts as a high-beauty girl.
But even if Chen Tang said it, Liu Yan wouldn’t believe her.
She knew Liu Yan too well. For some reason, he had an inherent inferiority complex.
Even though his stats were high, almost unrealistically high…
Kind of like a superhuman from those novels where someone goes undercover for 20 years while eating 8 tons of something a day.
At least not that exaggerated.
Otherwise, she’d suspect Liu Yan could transform into a giant of light.