Jiang You heard the sounds coming from the classroom and instantly understood what was happening.
’I’ve run into the male lead being bullied again?’
’So, should I go in and stop them?’
Jiang You hesitated for a moment, but still decided to go in and say something along the lines of, ’He’s my person, so only I get to bully him.’
That way, she wouldn’t break character and could still save the male lead.
But just as Jiang You was about to make a move, someone grabbed her wrist.
"Jiang You?" a questioning voice sounded from behind her.
Jiang You turned around to see a beautiful, innocent-looking woman with long, silver hair.
She immediately recognized who it was: Yun Yue.
"It really is you." Yun Yue raised her eyebrows in feigned surprise, letting go of her hand. Her expression was condescending and superior. "Trying to steal my scene?"
Jiang You froze for a moment when she heard that, not quite understanding what she meant.
"I’m the one who hired those guys in there to beat him up. In a minute, I’m going to go in and be his savior." As she spoke, Yun Yue shoved her aside condescendingly. "Alright, don’t get in my way. You can have your turn after my performance is over."
Jiang You scoffed. "Fine. I’d like to see you try."
’She got it now. That girl, Yun Yue, was staging another one of her grand ’savior’ acts.’
Yun Yue had already pushed open the classroom door and stormed in, her tone instantly sharp with displeasure. "What do you think you’re doing?!"
Listening from outside, Jiang You’s lips twitched. ’She’s a pretty convincing actress.’
At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a sour taste in her mouth.
’Toying with someone’s life like this, all for a bet.’
Inside the classroom.
Outnumbered, Zhou Yu was kicked hard to the ground again. Blood trickled from the corner of his lip and from his right eye.
His eye had been injured before and had stitches. The wound had never fully healed, and now it had split open again. The trickling blood dyed his entire eye red.
He struggled back to his feet, his frame swaying.
Standing at the doorway, Jiang You saw this and couldn’t help but clench her fists. ’This is a little hard to watch.’
’In the end, I can’t just see them as characters in a book. They’re real, living people standing right in front of me.’
"Mind your own business!" one of the guys snarled, glancing at Yun Yue before turning back to Zhou Yu with a sinister grin. "Still able to stand?"
He raised his hand high, about to slap Zhou Yu.
Just then, Yun Yue jumped in front of Zhou Yu, and the slap landed squarely across her face.
Jiang You’s eye twitched. ’This girl, Yun Yue, is really willing to go all out. No wonder all those cold, impoverished top students she toyed with in the past actually fell in love with her.’
It was rumored that Yun Yue had toyed with many such "cold, impoverished top students" before. But unlike a male lead from a novel, they never had a triumphant comeback. Some dropped out of school and were doomed to a life at the bottom, while others had even jumped to their deaths.
’That’s reality for you.’
’At least the character I’m playing is an openly vicious idiot. What Yun Yue is doing... it’s just sickening.’
Jiang You felt her spirits sink.
Soon after, something was said inside, and the guys walked out.
They shot Jiang You a single glance and left. After all, their part in the play was over.
Yun Yue thought that by taking a slap for him, Zhou Yu would surely be moved.
After all, whenever she’d gotten hurt for her past conquests, their attitudes toward her had always changed dramatically. It was a trick she had mastered.
Yun Yue turned back, looking at Zhou Yu with concern as if to steady him. "Are you okay?"
"Stop acting." Zhou Yu dodged Yun Yue’s outstretched hand. His dark eyes stared right at her, his disgust completely unconcealed. "It’s sickening. You know that?"
The expression on Yun Yue’s face stiffened. Her mind reeled with shock and uncertainty. ’He knows? How could he know?’
Seeing Zhou Yu about to leave, Yun Yue immediately blocked his path. "What do you mean by that? Explain yourself."
"I went to Qingcheng First Middle School," Zhou Yu said, shoving Yun Yue aside and walking straight past her.
Hearing him mention Qingcheng First Middle School, Yun Yue’s expression froze.
It was because one of the people she’d messed with had jumped from a building there. The incident had caused a huge scandal at the time. Her family had paid the victim’s family a large sum of money, and she had transferred schools.
Jiang You watched as Zhou Yu walked out.
The young man’s expression was distinctly grim, and something was off about him. A somber aura surrounded him.
Jiang You’s eyelashes fluttered. Seeing that Zhou Yu was about to walk right past her, she followed her mission’s instructions, raising an arm to block his path. In a commanding tone, she said, "You’re coming to eat with me!"
Inside, Yun Yue looked toward the doorway, her expression dark. ’That idiot Jiang You can’t even act. Zhou Yu will definitely reject her.’
’If I can’t have him, there’s no way an idiot like Jiang You can.’
’The bet will have to end in a draw.’
But the young man at the door paused for a moment, then glanced sideways at Jiang You and said, "Okay."
Yun Yue’s expression cracked.
’Jiang You had been sure that after everything that had just happened, Zhou Yu would refuse to eat with her. Her heart had been pounding with anxiety, already weighing the options: get electrocuted for failing the mission, or just tie Zhou Yu up and force him to have a meal with her.’
’Who would have thought he’d actually agree?’
It took Jiang You a moment to process it. Then, she let out a cold huff and started walking first. "Let’s go."
Zhou Yu followed after her.
His gaze remained fixed on the back of Jiang You’s head.
「At the entrance of the school hospital.」
Zhou Yu’s blood-stained eye twitched. It was both painful and sticky. His lips parted, and he spoke very softly, "Aren’t we going to eat?"
Jiang You’s pace slowed just a fraction. She crossed her arms and said with cold arrogance, "You look hideous. Being seen eating with you would be a disgrace to me. Go in there and get yourself cleaned up before you come eat with me."
She stopped walking as she spoke, not intending to go in with him. ’This is far enough,’ she thought. ’Going any further would be out of character.’
She glanced at Zhou Yu, then looked away.
’It was hard to look at him. He was in such a miserable state.’
His handsome face was a mess of bruises, and the red spots and patches from his allergic reaction were still visible. One eye was bleeding, a field of crimson.
Jiang You kept her face impassive. ’It’s not like I did this to him. That woman, Yun Yue, did. Why should I feel guilty?’
’Wait a minute. His allergic reaction... I think that was my fault.’
’But even if I was to blame, he was the one who grabbed my hand and forced himself to drink that glass of wine.’
’Why?’
’I was going to have to make him drink for the mission anyway.’
Jiang You’s thoughts were a mess. She couldn’t understand the male lead, Zhou Yu, at all.
’Why is he so obedient to me, the villainess? He should be treating me the same way he treats Yun Yue!’
Zhou Yu watched her for a moment before walking into the school hospital by himself.
When he came out, his eye, which had previously been free of bandages, was once again covered by a square gauze patch.
Jiang You saw the young man with one eye now covered by a square gauze patch. His other eye was a deep, thick black, so dark it seemed to swallow the light. His slightly long black hair hung down, obscuring part of his brow and eye, making him appear even more gloomy and cold. His handsome face was still covered in red spots, the corner of his lip was bruised purple, and his entire aura was shrouded in darkness.
Her pink eyes flickered. ’I have to admit,’ she thought, ’he really is the yandere, gloomy male lead from the novel. Getting hurt just makes that dark aura of his even stronger.’
"Let’s go." Jiang You gave a haughty turn of her head and started walking.