Chapter 8: Original Karma, What If Another Attack?

As the saying goes, don’t provoke Sister Chen into laughing.

Chen Tang didn’t take Xia You’s provocation seriously at all. In fact, she wanted to mock her mercilessly.

When it came down to it, what exactly was Xia You trying to say with that questioning?

She just wanted to find some sense of superiority over Chen Tang.

“See? You’ve been by his side for so many years, but has he ever looked at you? You’re even worse off than me!”

She probably wanted to “win” from that angle.

Chen Tang understood.

After all, Winology was a very important thing. In today’s high-pressure society, a mature person must learn to find their own “winning philosophy,” because if you don’t win, you can’t find the meaning of your life!

Xia You wanted to score that point.

But Chen Tang wasn’t about to give her that satisfaction.

“Not to say anything, Xia You, do you only have love and romance in your head? Is the only thing between Liu Yan and me love? Let me ask you: if you had an older brother or sister, a younger brother or sister, and you grew up together, would you inevitably become lovers? Obviously not, right? The relationship between family, the relationship between friends, and the relationship between lovers are all completely different.”

Chen Tang spoke seriously, uttering a rational argument that a Demon Pill shouldn’t normally say: “The relationship between Liu Yan and me is like that of siblings—close, yes, but not romantic. Even if we wanted it to be a romantic relationship, it wouldn’t work. And you’re trying to describe us using a romantic lens.”

She paused, giving Xia You a smirk: “Could it be that you broke up with Liu Yan because you saw him and me always together, felt you had no chance, and just gave up obediently? If that’s the case, I can totally understand you~”

She said magnanimously: “After all, treating me as an imaginary rival—besides being stupid, there’s no other option. A person like you isn’t even worthy of Liu Yan. As his childhood sweetheart, I have the responsibility to help him choose a suitable partner—Bai Mengling is a pretty good choice. She’s prettier than you, richer than you, and more mature than you. I feel like you lose on every front. But I still need to investigate Bai Mengling further.”

Liu Yan heard Chen Tang’s words and looked at her in surprise.

Are you serious about investigating?

Bai Mengling?

Investigating someone else?

They’d be lucky if others didn’t investigate them.

But he obviously wasn’t going to refute Chen Tang at this moment, especially since Xia You’s furious expression was quite satisfying.

“Chen Tang!”

Xia You tore the poker card to shreds: “You bastard!”

“Baby~ Has anyone ever told you that when you curse, it sounds like you’re flirting?”

Chen Tang let out a cheeky laugh: “Oh! Liu Yan, she’s so agitated. Why don’t you take pity on her and give her another chance to pursue you? Investigate her—if she performs well enough, you could reconsider.”

“What do you think you are, some hot commodity?!”

Xia You immediately yelled at Liu Yan.

Wait, what does this have to do with me? Why are you yelling at me?

Liu Yan shot Chen Tang a glare, then finally looked at Xia You, meeting her eyes.

His gaze was calm and sincere.

Xia You met those eyes, and her anger deflated instantly.

“Wh-why are you looking at me?”

“I’m being serious, Xia You. We’ve broken up. I have a new girlfriend, and you have a new boyfriend. We have two minutes until class. If you really intend to audit this course, that’s your freedom. As a student of this school, you have that freedom.

We won’t interfere with your studies. However, I hope you’ll respect our freedom to study and not disrupt us. Can you do that?”

A very mature, humble, and respectful social formality—not exactly smooth, but absolutely “correct.”

And in the secular sense, “correct” often means cold and heartless.

For some unrepentant people, like that Demon Pill Chen Tang, this kind of talk usually has no effect.

She’d just smile and say, “Rules are meant to be broken,” “Study my ass, let’s go to the internet cafe!”—none of that good-student stuff.

But for someone like Xia You, who cares about face, this was an “iron law.”

“I—I came to class anyway! It’s not like I want to bother you! Don’t flatter yourselves!”

Leaving a face-saving remark like that, Xia You had no intention of leaving.

If anything, she couldn’t bear to leave. Leaving now would be admitting defeat, wouldn’t it?

Wouldn’t that be fleeing? Xia You’s dignity wouldn’t allow that. So she decided to sit through this class even if it felt like being in prison.

After all, she was there to “audit” the class.

If she fled, wouldn’t that directly tell everyone that she was just making an excuse to talk to Liu Yan?

How could that be allowed?

—Not that this kind of face-saving meant anything.

But that’s how students are.

A person’s student years are probably the time in their life when they care most about their image.

Once they enter society, they’ll realize that if face can’t be turned into profit, it’s meaningless.

Everyone was sneaking glances at them.

Even from a distance, you could feel the awkward atmosphere.

“Ahem! Class begins!”

As the bell rang, the old professor picked up his teacup, took a sip, and announced the start of the next session.

Ah, youth is wonderful!

Youth always brings all kinds of experiences. It reminded the professor of his own younger days—

But class was the priority.

Liu Yan and Chen Tang exchanged glances, then furiously typed under the desk.

Liu Yan: What do you think she’s thinking?

Chen Tang: Who cares what she’s thinking? For now, Miss Bai is your girlfriend. If she comes at you again, just tell Miss Bai. She’ll handle it. Your top priority is to invite Miss Bai on a date. Can you do that?

Liu Yan: You mean a date? This week?

Chen Tang: When else do you think? You’re dating!

Liu Yan: But if I invite her, will she come?

Chen Tang: Don’t worry about that—invite her first. If she doesn’t come, then we can stay up all night gaming! If you don’t invite, that’s your problem. If she’s busy, great. If she’s free, then go on the date! What’s the big deal? Man up and be decisive.

Liu Yan: Easy for you to say!

Chen Tang: What are you afraid of! I’ll teach you. When the time comes, you just go up, do a wall slam, and say, ‘Woman, you’re playing with fire!’ Miss Bai can’t handle that combo.

Liu Yan: I think you just want me dead!

Their conversation ended there.

But Chen Tang was serious. As fierce as Miss Bai seemed, in the original story, during the most intimate period of Miss Bai and Liu Yan’s relationship, the sugar-filled moments were when they roleplayed—Miss Bai as the maid, Liu Yan as the CEO… That shows Miss Bai really enjoys that kind of play. Once Liu Yan dates Bai Mengling for a while, he’ll probably discover that too.

Although Miss Bai would later give up on Liu Yan, there was still a time when she was very close to him, even to the point where during the “pursuit redemption” arc, she tied herself up cosplaying as a sunny doll.

She was saved in the end, of course. But Chen Tang never understood why Miss Bai broke up with Liu Yan.

They say it was because of mismatched social status… but then she shouldn’t have started dating Liu Yan in the first place.

Unless—

This was decided from the very beginning.

In other words, from the moment Miss Bai accepted Liu Yan’s confession and started dating him, she had already decided they would break up.

She just wanted to enjoy a college romance, using Liu Yan as a tool. Then after the breakup, she regretted it—though it’s a bit far-fetched, it’s understandable.

For Miss Bai, she probably felt psychologically balanced.

Her relationship with Liu Yan was destined to end, but she probably thought that she had filled the void left by Xia You dumping him, and she treated him well during the relationship, so morally she owed nothing. She felt justified.

But she probably didn’t understand one thing: love was never about neither party being morally owed.

It could never be treated as a transaction.

But for now, Miss Bai probably didn’t realize that yet.

Chen Tang’s gaze landed on Xia You. Xia You seemed to sense Chen Tang’s stare and shot an angry look back.

Chen Tang just smiled.

Xia You did the same.

According to the original story, after Xia You broke up with Liu Yan, it only took about a month for her to realize that her so-called “fated one” was just an illusion—Xia You was a very conservative person.

As a commoner school beauty, she had long realized that many boys approached her because of her body, not her as a person.

She dated Liu Yan for a whole semester, and they only ever held hands. As for that “fated one” she had found—after a month of dating, he asked her to go to a hotel with him.

Saying they wouldn’t do anything.

That made Xia You realize that this man didn’t truly like her.

In Xia You’s understanding—she wasn’t adamant about staying pure, but before she could be sure the other person genuinely liked her… she wanted him to respect her wishes.

In other words, Xia You could take the initiative herself, but the other party couldn’t cross the line.

That was a very twisted way of thinking… but Xia You had always followed this principle… and Liu Yan suited her perfectly.

He never rushed.

The hand-holding between them was initiated by Xia You.

That gave her a sense of security.

Later, Xia You abandoned that “fated one” and secretly started watching Liu Yan again.

But by then, Liu Yan was already dating Bai Mengling—Xia You didn’t have the face to ask Liu Yan to start over.

From that perspective, Xia You was actually a very cautious woman.

She knew her greatest assets were her face and her value as a woman.

In that sense, maybe in the original story, no one ever truly made this woman “fall in love.”

Except for “the dead Liu Yan.”

But—

For Chen Tang, she realized: changing the story’s direction?

It didn’t mean much.

Under a certain fate, Liu Yan would still meet certain people, still create karma with certain people.

So why bother obstructing it?

Better to support!

What mattered was Liu Yan’s own mindset…

In the original story’s plot, the women saw Liu Yan’s grave.

But after all… no body was seen, right?

So wasn’t it possible—that Liu Yan in the original story had actually faked his death?

And she, as his childhood friend, had cooperated with his plan?

The author didn’t write it, so there was that possibility.

If that possibility existed, then she would make that possibility a reality.

Not truly being buried in a box, but exploring the possibility within the “narrative blank.”

The prerequisite was that Liu Yan wouldn’t become as disheartened as in the original story.

So Liu Yan could date Xia You, and he could break up with Xia You. Liu Yan could date Bai Mengling, and he could break up with Bai Mengling.

But the one thing she would interfere with was…

Who initiated the breakup.

Who struck first.

Let Liu Yan be the one.

Let Liu Yan make the first move, let Liu Yan be proactive, let Liu Yan become a “womanizer” who dates a girl, tosses her away the moment he gets bored, and then hunts another school beauty as his prey.

Between Liu Yan losing all hope and dying,

and Liu Yan becoming a scumbag who destroys beauties,

Chen Tang chose the latter without hesitation.

Come on, she was a man!

Of course she was thinking from the male protagonist’s perspective.

Was it too scummy to the heroines?

They deserve it!

She wanted multiple heroines! What were you going to do about it?

Don’t talk to her about pure love! Only people who have no confidence in themselves watch pure love.

A real man must firmly build his harem!!!

Liu Yan was so awesome, so dominant! He would take every beautiful girl in the world into his harem!!!

Chen Tang ended her brain storm, stroking her chin as she carefully examined Xia You.

Speaking of which, wasn’t Liu also Xiao Chunan?

Should she make him become a man first?

Having Miss Bai do it was a bit dangerous… what if she couldn’t get rid of her later? That would be uncomfortable.

Should she strongly gaslight this Xia You, making her willingly crawl into Liu’s bed herself? Then she’d be at his beck and call?

Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Old Liu hadn’t truly conquered Old Xia yet; he needed a proper seduction.

As for the affection event…

It should be Xia You’s current boyfriend, right?

According to the original story, after Xia You dumped him, he’d become embarrassed and angry, want to force himself on her, but Old Xia would have a pair of scissors on her… so he wouldn’t succeed.

What if, what if she took away Old Xia’s scissors, and just when she was in despair, let Old Liu show up and save the beauty?

Then coldly say to Xia You: “Don’t misunderstand. I would help anyone. It just happened to be you this time.”

Wouldn’t that seduce Old Xia a second time?