"Oh? So we can exchange contact info now, is that right?" Long Yu pulled back the hand he’d used to wipe the water from her cheek, rubbing his fingers together. With his other hand, he casually tossed the peach soda up and down, catching it again and again.
Jiang You fell silent for a moment. ’Shouldn’t he think I’m some shallow woman?’
’So why does he still want my contact info?’
"Heh, of course you can." Jiang You bit the bullet and agreed.
’My persona is to shamelessly seduce and pursue the F4, after all.’
At that moment, Jiang You wondered, ’If I defy my persona, will I get zapped?’
The two of them exchanged contact information.
"Hmm," Long Yu said, looking at her. His eyes curved into a smile, both ardent and unrestrained. "When you said, ’I’m worthy of you now,’ does that mean I can start pursuing you?"
"No!" Jiang You blurted out instinctively.
’This is all wrong! It’s all wrong!’
’I’m the villainess who’s supposed to be shamelessly chasing him, not him chasing me!’
’The plot is going completely off the rails! Why isn’t the system doing anything?’
’Useless system.’
"What’s that supposed to mean?" Long Yu’s eyes narrowed with a hint of condescension. He suddenly leaned in close, his warm breath washing over her. His gaze was unreadable and scrutinizing, his tone ambiguously teasing. "Don’t tell me you just want to string me along without taking any responsibility?"
"I have something to do, I’m leaving!" A flustered look appeared on Jiang You’s face as she stared at him, suddenly so close. Her mind was a chaotic mess, and all she wanted to do was flee.
[OOC Warning.]
Jiang You had shown weakness. As the vicious and confident young lady, she was not supposed to show any weakness.
A current of electricity shot through her body. Just as she lost her strength and was about to collapse, Long Yu reached out and caught her in his arms.
Jiang You hurriedly schooled her features, forcing an air of confidence. She ground out through clenched teeth, "It’s an honor for you to be strung along by me!"
The moment those words were out, the electric shock vanished.
Jiang You shoved Long Yu away. "I have business to attend to. I’m leaving!"
And so, she made her confident exit.
Long Yu watched her leave, an almost imperceptible frown creasing his brow.
That mechanical voice had sounded again just now.
’This time, it was crystal clear, proving I wasn’t just hearing things before.’
Once Jiang You was a safe distance away, her three little followers immediately swarmed her.
"Sister You, was it a success?" They had intentionally stayed back so as not to disturb her.
They had watched from a distance, thinking it must have been a success. Young Master Long hadn’t accepted a drink from anyone else, only from their Sister You!
’As expected, no one can resist Sister You’s beauty!’
’A gorgeous airhead! We love her so much!’
Jiang You was busy trying to hypnotize herself.
’I must be confident. Supremely confident. Look down on everyone. They are all ants, all trash. I am the hottest, and it’s only natural for everyone to fall in love with me!’
’If I’m not confident, I get shocked!’
"Sister You! Sister You!" Yu Lin called out to her again.
Jiang You snapped back to reality. Her eyes flashed as she folded her arms across her chest and strode forward haughtily. "What is it?"
"So, how did it go?" Yu Lin asked excitedly. "I bet you completely conquered Young Master Long, Sister You!"
"Hmph. Naturally," Jiang You nodded.
"I knew it! No one can resist our Sister You’s charm!" Yu Lin’s eyes sparkled with a confidence that surpassed even Jiang You’s own.
Jiang You: ...
The three followers immediately launched into another round of flattery.
The group left the gymnasium.
While cleaning the court, Zhou Yu kept an eye on Jiang You out of the corner of his vision.
But even as she left, the girl didn’t spare him a single glance.
"Xiao Yu..." Beside him, Zhou Yan recalled how he had rushed forward without a second thought to block the basketball. After a moment’s hesitation, she couldn’t help but ask, "Do you... like Miss Jiang?"
Just like that, without any warning, the boy’s secret feelings had been laid bare.
Zhou Yu’s mopping paused. His dark eyes lowered, looking bleak as he simply said, "Miss Jiang doesn’t like me in the slightest."
Throughout the entire game, her gaze had been so bright as she watched those dazzling players.
Zhou Yu was at the back of the support staff, watching her the whole time, watching her face flush with excitement from the game’s atmosphere.
She didn’t know he was watching her from the sidelines, and she didn’t care.
Even when he blocked the ball for her, she hadn’t looked his way.
A lump formed in Zhou Yu’s throat, and his eyes dimmed. Without another word, he lowered his head and went back to mopping.
Zhou Yan’s heart was a tangle of complicated emotions. Xiao Yu had always been quiet, incredibly so, ever since they were children.
Most of the time, she had no idea what he was thinking.
In their blended family, Xiao Yu was like a ghost. She, just like everyone else at home, often forgot he was even there.
This was the first time Zhou Yan had ever seen him rush so desperately to shield a girl from a flying basketball.
’A boy who never wanted to be noticed suddenly seemed to be desperate to be seen.’
’No, he’s desperate to be seen by *that* girl.’
’Desperate for *her* to see him.’
「At the gates of Rose Liss Academy.」
Jiang You stood waiting for her driver. He was usually so punctual. ’I wonder why he isn’t here yet?’
Her three followers waited with her.
"Sister You, what’s with your driver? He’s still not here," Yu Lin complained. "Why don’t you just ride with me? I’ll take you home."
"Yeah, what kind of driver is he? Fire him for being so late," Chen Yu added.
"I can introduce my family’s driver to you, Sister You," Lin Xue offered.
Jiang You checked her device. There were no messages from the driver, and she had no idea what was holding him up.
The roar of an engine split the air as a flashy red luxury sports car pulled up, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
The sports car stopped right beside them.
The door swung open and a young man with dazzling red hair stepped out. He wore black sunglasses, several thick gold chains around his neck, a denim jacket, ripped jeans, and a multitude of silver chains dangling from his waist.
"Sister You!" The young man whipped off his sunglasses, revealing a rather handsome face. He pulled four cups of bubble tea from the car, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at Jiang You. "A new bar just opened up," he said in a fawning tone. "Are you tired from studying, Sister You? I can take you out for some fun."
Jiang You paused. ’Ah, this is Yang Qi, my designated simp.’
Yu Lin snatched the bubble teas straight from Yang Qi’s hands. "Oh? And you weren’t going to invite us?"
She picked out the peach boba milk tea, Jiang You’s favorite, stuck a straw in it, and handed it to her. The rest of them casually divvied up the remaining drinks.
Jiang You calmly accepted the drink, already accustomed to being waited on by her three followers.
"Of course not! You should all come, everyone come!" Yang Qi said hurriedly. "I even brought the sports car, fitting four people is no problem!"
"So, are you going, Sister You?" Yu Lin and the others still deferred to Jiang You’s decision.
Yang Qi also looked at Jiang You with anticipation.
Before Jiang You could say a word, a gentle voice cut in:
"I’m very sorry, but our young miss doesn’t have the time."