Zhou Yan didn’t even have time to react. Having never learned to swim, she was shoved suddenly into the pool and began to struggle violently. Water flooded her mouth and nose as she flailed. "Help... save... me..."
The few boys on the poolside burst into malicious laughter, even taking out their terminals to film the female lead’s pathetic struggles.
"Hahaha, look at this girl who can’t swim! The way she’s flailing is hilarious!"
"Hahahaha..."
...
The people around them noticed, but no one stepped in to help. Even the teacher pretended not to see.
Jiang You’s little followers started laughing along too, as if they were watching a show.
But she didn’t find it funny at all.
’The male lead should be making his entrance now.’
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
The male lead didn’t appear.
Just as the female lead was about to drown in the pool, Jiang You subconsciously looked for Long Yu. But instead, she saw the female lead, at the brink of death, adjust her posture, teach herself how to swim, and climb out of the pool. She marched right up to the boy who was laughing the loudest and slapped him across the face. Before he could even react, she turned and walked away.
Jiang You: ’Huh?’
’I must have gotten a fake script!’
’What happened to the hero saving the beauty!’
’What happened to the male lead proactively saving the female lead, while I, the vicious supporting female character, try to flirt with him only to have my head shoved underwater to get some sense beaten into me?’
That stark contrast was supposed to deepen her hatred for the female lead, which would be her cue to start making her life miserable.
Jiang You whipped her head around to look for Long Yu, only to find he was already gone. She had no idea when he’d left.
The male lead wasn’t following the plot.
The female lead wasn’t following the plot either.
’So why does the vicious supporting female character still have to follow the plot?’
[Mission Twelve has been issued.]
Jiang You: ...
She secretly ground her teeth.
’Is playing the villainess really a 24/7 job?’
"Let’s go. We’re finding Zhou Yu!" Jiang You stood up decisively.
Her three followers scrambled to keep up.
Jiang You changed back into her school uniform: a crimson, waist-cinching blazer with a purple rose school crest pinned to the chest. Below, she wore a pretty black-and-red plaid pleated skirt, which showed off her long, shapely, and healthy fair legs.
They left the gymnasium and ran into Yang Qi on the way.
He had brought four or five of his boys with him to find Jiang You.
"Sister You!" Yang Qi was dressed trendily in a black leather jacket adorned with a few chains, paired with loose black pants. He still wore his chunky gold bar necklace, which gave him a bit of a nouveau riche vibe. Right now, he was grinning brightly at Jiang You, his handsome face wearing a kind of goofy, bootlicking adoration.
"Class is about to end. Want to grab a bite together?"
He had come looking for Jiang You specifically to eat with her.
Jiang You’s pink eyes shifted. She had to go intercept Zhou Yu and ask him to eat with her, so she obviously couldn’t go eat with her simp.
"Sister You, want to come try the food at my school?" Yang Qi asked ingratiatingly. "It’s the sports academy right next door. You can just hop a wall to get over. I hopped the wall to come find you."
"Really? Where did you climb over? I’ve lived this long and I’ve never hopped a wall before," Yu Lin said, a little surprised and excited. She hugged Jiang You’s arm, eager to try. "Sister You, want to give it a shot?"
The other two followers didn’t say anything, but they both looked eager to try.
Jiang You could see that her three followers wanted to go. Normally, she would have agreed, but she had a mission to do and no time to spare.
"Yang Qi," Jiang You said, looking up at him, about to give him an order.
She had barely said his name when the young man rushed over excitedly, scratching his red hair. He looked at Jiang You with fawning anticipation. "Yeah, Sister You? Let’s go?"
His sudden burst of excitement made Jiang You pause for a second. Her pink eyes flickered, and she continued, her tone still commanding, "You take the three of them to your school to eat. I’m not going."
Yang Qi’s handsome face fell instantly. "Huh? Why? Why aren’t you going, Sister You? The food at our school is great. You’d definitely love our specialty peach cake."
"Oh, right. Didn’t Sister You just say she was going to find that pretty boy?" Yu Lin and the others were the first to put two and two together. "You’re going to eat with that pretty boy?"
"Yeah, I’m going to find him and eat with him in the cafeteria," Jiang You replied casually.
"What! Sister You, why do you have to go eat with that pretty boy?" Yang Qi grew agitated, his expression souring. "Sister You, eating with me is way more fun than eating with that pretty boy."
Jiang You: ...
"I’ll go with you guys next time I’m free," Jiang You said coolly. "I’m leaving."
She started to walk past Yang Qi.
Yang Qi tried to grab Jiang You to say something more, but Yu Lin and the other two yanked him back. They called out to Jiang You, "Okay, Sister You, you go on ahead! We’ll go try it out first. If it’s good, we’ll definitely take you next time."
Jiang You didn’t reply and just walked away.
"What are you guys doing?" Yang Qi frowned, looking annoyed.
"Don’t get in the way of Sister You’s business," Yu Lin said, not bothering to explain. "Weren’t you going to treat us to a big meal? Let’s go, what are you waiting for?"
"I came here to eat with Sister You, not..." Yang Qi growled through gritted teeth, but he couldn’t bring himself to finish his refusal. They were Jiang You’s people, after all. He stopped himself and irritably ordered his own lackeys, "You guys take them."
Then a thought seemed to strike him, and his attitude suddenly changed. He scurried over to Yu Lin and the others with a fawning, sycophantic smile. "So, uh, how about I take you myself? Then you can save some of the good stuff for Sister You and help me ask her when she’ll eat with me next time?"
Chen Yu tsked softly, and Yu Lin looked at him with disdain.
"Well, that depends on your performance," Lin Xue said with a grin.
Yang Qi immediately began to obsequiously lead Yu Lin and the other two away.
Jiang You went to intercept Zhou Yu by herself.
She was on her way to Zhou Yu’s classroom.
It was just about time for classes to be dismissed.
’The timing is perfect,’ Jiang You thought. ’I’ll definitely be able to catch Zhou Yu!’
Soon, Jiang You arrived in the hallway outside Zhou Yu’s classroom, only to find the door was locked.
Before she could process this, a loud crash, like a desk being knocked over, came from inside the classroom.
「Inside the classroom.」
Zhou Yu was kicked hard, sending him crashing into a desk before he slammed onto the floor.
His expression was grim, his knuckles covered in the red spots of an allergic reaction as he dug his fingers into the ground.
"Heard you think you’re hot stuff, huh?" Several boys surrounded him. One of them squatted down and grabbed Zhou Yu by the collar, his expression vicious. "Let’s see if you..." are still so cocky now?
He couldn’t finish his sentence before a fist slammed heavily into his face.
Zhou Yu was never one to just take a beating. Every time, he fought back fiercely.
This time was no exception.