The grand auditorium fell silent for a moment.
The young woman’s tone was arrogant and condescending, as if allowing someone to be her boyfriend was an act of charity for which they should be eternally grateful.
The people around her looked over in surprise. They had been about to wonder who could be so brazenly overconfident to say such a thing.
But when they saw the purple brooch on Jiang You’s chest, they knew she was someone they couldn’t afford to offend.
So, no one said a word.
It was so quiet. So very quiet.
The lights washed over the girl’s delicate, pretty face, making it seem to glow. Her clear pink eyes glistened, dazzling and bright.
Confident and brilliant.
In a corner sat the students of Class One of the Combat Department.
Zhou Yu had just come from the school infirmary to the auditorium. After sitting down, his gaze remained fixed on Jiang You, taking in all her little movements.
He also noticed how she had nervously clenched her pale, slender fingers several times, as if wanting to raise her hand.
At first, he wasn’t sure what she was nervous about, until she shot to her feet and confessed to someone else.
’So she was nervous not about asking a question, but about making a confession.’
One of his eyes was covered by a square gauze patch, which was faintly stained red with blood. At this moment, it felt as though it was being seared by the dazzling girl’s brilliance, and a dull ache throbbed from the injury.
Strands of his long, dark hair fell over his face. His uninjured eye, a deep, inky black, was gloomy and thick with a dampness that light could hardly penetrate. Despite this, half of his face was still strikingly beautiful.
Zhou Yu looked at the radiant girl and the brilliant, outstanding young man on the stage.
’She likes brilliant young men like him, just like most people do.’
’Not a gloomy, damp mushroom like me, hiding in a corner.’
His thin, scarlet lips pressed into a tight, straight line.
In the eyes of others, Jiang You was incredibly confident and dazzling.
But in reality, for all her outward confidence and arrogance, Jiang You was dying of social embarrassment on the inside.
’Social death! This is total social death!’
’Why isn’t he rejecting me yet? Hurry up and say no.’
Xi Cheng’s silver eyes shifted. For a brief moment, he had actually considered it... considered whether he should become her boyfriend...
"You’re very brave." Xi Cheng’s gaze fell on the girl’s full, dewy, and exceptionally rosy lips. He tapped the tabletop lightly with a slender fingertip, his voice slow. "But I’m afraid I must decline."
When Jiang You heard his rejection, she seemed to be in disbelief. Then, she looked at Xi Cheng and snorted with disdain. "Hmph, you’re just a poser! You’re not all that great, anyway!"
A murmur went through the crowd.
The warmth drained from Xi Cheng’s eyes.
A chill went down Jiang You’s spine.
[Mission Two complete.]
Upon hearing the mechanical voice, Xi Cheng’s silver eyes darkened.
’So she’s the one who had to confess to me to complete a mission.’
’Mission Two? Then who had Mission One?’
After sitting back down, Jiang You lowered her head and started fiddling with her terminal, trying to look busy.
People tend to look busy when they’re embarrassed.
A very faint chuckle seemed to come from the stage.
The air was quiet for a moment. Then, Jiang You heard a voice from the stage say, "I’ll remember you."
’Please don’t remember me!’
Jiang You wanted to cry but had no tears.
She gripped her terminal tighter. ’I really did offend him.’
’It’s fine, it’s fine. Offending people is part of completing these missions. I have an aura that blocks the pain of the tasks, and there are even more death-defying ones to come. I’ll just close my eyes, play dead, and it’ll be over.’
And just like that, Jiang You managed to console herself.
After saying this, Xi Cheng gave a slight nod to the audience and left.
The emcee hurried back on stage to resume their duties, quickly moving past the interruption.
Jiang You kept her face blank, feigning the ugly expression of someone who had just been rejected.
This made the followers beside her grow uneasy.
"Sister You, that Xi Cheng is just a poser. Don’t take it to heart," Yu Lin comforted her cautiously.
Jiang You didn’t say anything, which made Yu Lin even more anxious.
"Sister You, that Xi Cheng is just blind to not appreciate you," Chen Yu added, clumsily trying to console her.
Lin Xue smacked Chen Yu. "Who taught you to comfort someone like that? Don’t bring it up again."
As she spoke, she also glanced cautiously at Jiang You. "Sister You, it’s okay. We can go hire a dozen male models tonight."
Jiang You: ...
’That won’t be necessary.’ She was only pretending.
"Pfft..." A laugh rang out.
Jiang You turned her head and saw a girl who also wore a purple brooch. She had wine-red hair and was covering her mouth as she chuckled at Jiang You, her red eyes filled with mockery. "Jiang You, how embarrassing~"
For a moment, Jiang You couldn’t recall who this was.
Her three followers at her side had already started firing back for her. "What are you laughing at, Xu Mei!"
"Yeah, you’re laughing so hard your foundation is cracking! All your wrinkles are showing!"
"Just as expected from someone with a plastic face. You don’t even dare to laugh out loud!"
...
The smile on Xu Mei’s face froze. Her gaze cut coldly to Yu Lin and the others. "You bitches. Don’t think I won’t do anything to you just because you have Jiang You protecting you!"
The three of them fell silent, still a little scared.
Jiang You now remembered who this was.
Another villainess, Xu Mei had always been at odds with her. In the original story, she had repeatedly goaded her into doing stupid things.
After all, there are levels to being a villainess. She was the stupid type of villainess, while the other girl was the vicious and cruel type, whose methods were far more sophisticated than Jiang You’s.
Jiang You: ...
"I am protecting them. What about it?" Jiang You looked coldly at Xu Mei.
Xu Mei merely shot her a contemptuous glance, let out an ambiguous scoff, and then looked away, as if she didn’t want to waste her breath on an idiot.
"What’s her problem!" Jiang You feigned anger.
"Sister You, she’s just jealous of your natural beauty, that’s why her face is so twisted," Yu Lin hurriedly flattered her.
"That’s right! The powder on her face is as thick as a wall. Not like our Sister You, who’s a total beauty even without makeup," Chen Yu added.
"Yeah, who knows how jealous that woman is of our Sister You on the inside," Lin Xue chimed in.
Jiang You took the graceful exit they had offered her, raising her chin arrogantly. "Hmph."
’In truth, she didn’t care at all. While putting on a show, her mind was wandering. ’When will this opening ceremony end? What should I eat later? I’m craving braised pig’s feet with rice, but would eating braised pig’s trotters be out of character for a rich young lady? Oh, right, I have to eat fat-loss meals in front of everyone.’
’I’ll just order the braised pig’s trotter rice when I get home!’
Her terminal buzzed.
Jiang You’s eyes fell upon the screen.
It was a small group chat with ten people. All of them were "sisters" from the same wealthy district and social class. Some went to the same school as Jiang You, while others attended different ones. They were all around the same age, only two or three years apart.
Bai Sisi: [Photo] [Photo] [Photo]
Bai Sisi: Girls, these few scholarship students are pretty hot. We’ve got something to play with now.
Yun Yue: They are hot, definitely exciting. But forcing them is no fun. Why don’t one of you chase one, and then dump him hard once you get him? Isn’t that more fun? Messing with someone’s feelings is even more thrilling than messing with their body.
Lin Li: Who has the time and energy to chase someone just to play with their feelings? Just force them, it’s easier. What’s so fun about the feelings of some poor loser?
Bai Sisi: Sister Lili, you just don’t get it.
Yun Yue: [Photo] I’ll play with this one.