After Being Targeted By A Sweet Girl With Big Eyes - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Bomb

Fan Ling looked at Jiang Ruyi, who had already run out of sight, and sighed, propping her head up with her hands. Great. Now she was caught in the middle again.

Jiang Ruyi crouched by Shi Yuyan’s apartment door, knocking for a long time but getting no answer. Bored, she squeezed out a few more tears and cleverly started taking photos using the back flash of her phone. In the dim hallway light, the pictures showed her with fair skin, sharp facial features, and her eyelids and nose, mixed with her intentionally bitten red lips, looked incredibly attractive.

She sent the original photos straight out, without editing. Who are Shi Yuyan and I to each other? What haven’t we seen? Why would I need to edit the photos? The vibe is what matters.

Sister, I miss you so much.

A beautiful photo +1

Sister, I’m at your door. Are you home?

A beautiful photo +1

She truly had nothing to do and sent a barrage of messages. While she was on a roll, a notification popped up for a new friend request. Jiang Ruyi’s hand quickly tapped it. Before her brain could process it, she absentmindedly clicked into the photo album and sent a message with a photo.

Starry eyes, crying-cutely beautiful photo +1

Sister, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me.

Fu Tian: ?

Fu Tian on the other end thought, Who is she calling ‘Sister’? Such a huge contrast! She’s this cutesy, petulant personality online, but in person, she’s really…

Before Fu Tian could type out a message offering merciful forgiveness, the chat box abruptly displayed two “Sender has unsent a message” notices.

Fu Tian sent another question mark, but Jiang Ruyi stubbornly refused to reply. Fu Tian was nearly laughing at Jiang Ruyi’s antics. Who else would Jiang Ruyi call ‘Sister’ but her own dear sister (lover)?

She waited for two minutes and saw the other person was seriously trying to ignore her. She sent the screenshot she had quickly captured earlier.

Jiang Ruyi: Are you evil!!!

Fu Tian: Not as evil as you, kneeling to beg someone to get back together?

Jiang Ruyi: Mind your own business! Who are you to tell me what to do?

Fu Tian: Before, I was the innocent victim of your mean mouth. Now, I’m the creditor holding your secret leverage.

Then, Fu Tian witnessed an epic scene of apology.

Jiang Ruyi: I’m sorry, I was wrong. You’re incredibly beautiful, enough to be the lead actress even without professional training. Your eyes are so lovely, big and round, like the moon in the sky. Your singing is also wonderful. How can one person be so outstanding? The most important thing is, is…

Jiang Ruyi: …you’re such a good person. You’ll definitely be the bigger person and not hold a grudge against a small-minded person like me, right?

Fu Tian didn’t reply. First, she took screenshots to save the entire exchange, then slowly savored the message. She could perfectly imagine Jiang Ruyi’s stifled, miserable, and utterly furious expression as she crouched outside her ex-girlfriend’s door, typing this message out through gritted teeth. This is just too much fun.

Jiang Ruyi waited and waited but got no response from Fu Tian. She urged: Can you?

Can you?

Can you?

Fu Tian: Of course not.

Jiang Ruyi immediately started unsending messages without a second thought.

Fu Tian: Sorry, I screenshotted again.

Jiang Ruyi: Are you evil!!!

She was utterly enraged. Her fingers flew, and in the space before Fu Tian could reply, she sent several complaining texts to Fan Ling.

Fan Ling’s phone screen was spammed with Jiang Ruyi’s “It’s all your fault” messages. She thought, What the heck? Did her attempt at reconciling fail and turn into a phone virus? This wasn’t her fault. She had said what needed to be said and taught what needed to be taught. Reconciling requires the right time, place, and people. She chose to ignore the messages, turned off her phone, and went to take a shower.

Fu Tian: You think my makeup is ugly?

Jiang Ruyi thought, It’s not the makeup that’s ugly, it’s you.

But she knew her limits. She didn’t say it outright. She deleted and rephrased things in the chat box. Before she could come up with a diplomatic response for Fu Tian, another message came in from the other side.

Fu Tian: Can you do makeup? Come do my makeup tomorrow, and I’ll delete that screenshot.

This person is so aggressive! Whatever! Who cares? She had already retired from the industry, so who could do anything to her? If anyone asked, she’d just grit her teeth and say she was acting cute to her older sister to beg for money.

Tsk. Jiang Ruyi thought of her sister and decided against it. Be dignified. Be dignified in front of her fans, and be dignified in front of Wang Rumeng.

Jiang Ruyi: Okay (v^^)

Fu Tian looked at the passive-aggressive emoticon Jiang Ruyi sent and burst into a loud, earth-shaking laugh, thinking that Jiang Ruyi must be wanting to tear her to shreds right now.

With the distraction from Fu Tian, and seeing that Shi Yuyan still hadn’t replied, Jiang Ruyi’s mind cleared up. She quickly stood up and dusted off her rear. As she fled, she sent a voice message to Fan Ling: “I’m not going to your performance tomorrow! It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault!”

Fan Ling (typed reply): What’s up? Did you get back together? No need to thank me.

Jiang Ruyi got even angrier: “Bullshit! It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault! You told me to go make a scene at her door! I sent the messages, and no one replied, but I’m left with a string of black history on someone’s phone! I’m so humiliated! And, I accidentally sent my beautiful photo to Fu Tian just now! Do you think we have bad chemistry or something? Why does this keep happening? Now, she’s got leverage on me, and I have to go do unpaid labor for her tomorrow! I’m going to die of anger!!!”

Fan Ling: Just so you know, the performance I asked you to go to is theirs.

Jiang Ruyi: “Why didn’t you say so earlier! I wouldn’t have gone!”

Fan Ling: Do you really think you have a choice not to go now? Go clean yourself up and go to work for her.

Jiang Ruyi: “Lingling, we’re friends! I think the rest of the Sunset Pact members, besides Fu Tian, are quite nice. I met their bassist yesterday. I’ll introduce you two. We’re all in the same circle; it’s good to meet more like-minded friends.”

Fan Ling: I’m going back to my phone. I don’t have time for your nonsense.

After that, no matter how much Jiang Ruyi harassed her, Fan Ling never replied.

Ugh, Jiang Ruyi was truly miserable tonight.

She took a shower, went back to bed, and saw a message from Fu Tian: Tomorrow at 10:30 AM, meet at this location.

Jiang Ruyi…

That damn Fu Tian.

She didn’t reply, but still set her alarm for the next morning. She had been suffering from severe insomnia recently. If she used her phone, she was afraid her ex-girlfriend wouldn’t reply; if she didn’t use it, she was afraid she would reply. She spent a frustrating amount of time looking for movies and finally fell asleep around three or four in the morning.

When Jiang Ruyi woke up to her alarm the next day, her first thought was whether to ditch Fu Tian’s appointment. I’m going home to feed cattle anyway; I’m not staying in the entertainment industry. But then she pictured Fu Tian’s smug, triumphant expression, and her heart clenched with hatred. Today, I’m going to show Fu Tian what real skill is.

While choosing clothes, she considered wearing all black to intimidate her, but then changed her mind. Isn’t Fu Tian’s group called Sunset Pact? Sunsets are orange and red, so I’m deliberately going to wear something green.

When Jiang Ruyi arrived at the spot Fu Tian had mentioned, wearing a honeydew-green tank top and skirt, it wasn’t even the agreed-upon time yet. Still, she was annoyed. She called Fu Tian while simultaneously sending a barrage of messages to Fan Ling.

Fan Ling: Bomb

Jiang Ruyi: (Smiling wide-toothed yellow soybean emoticon)

Suddenly, someone put a hand on her shoulder from behind. Jiang Ruyi turned and saw Fu Tian, dressed all in white with a white mask and a white baseball cap. The only parts of her face showing were the large eyes that Jiang Ruyi disliked the most.

“Good morning,” Fu Tian said, her eyes smiling as she leaned closer to Jiang Ruyi.

“Hey, you’re actually quite pretty when you don’t wear makeup,” she stated truthfully.

Fu Tian genuinely hadn’t expected Jiang Ruyi’s mouth to produce a compliment. After a pause, she replied, “Thank you.”

Fu Tian put her arm around Jiang Ruyi and guided her toward the curb to hail a taxi. Jiang Ruyi asked, “Where are we going? Didn’t we agree I was going to do your makeup?”

“We’re going to eat. I even cover meals for my makeup artist, two meals in a row! Isn’t that great?”

“Great my foot! Did I agree to eat with you? It’s my fault for being incoherent last night and groggy this morning. What sane person does makeup at this hour? You tricked me! I don’t want to eat with you.”

Despite her complaints, Jiang Ruyi was pushed into the back seat of the taxi by Fu Tian. After giving the driver the address, Fu Tian offered a single comforting phrase to the deceived Jiang Ruyi: “You’re already here.”

“Screw your ‘already here’! I don’t want to be here! I owe you!” Jiang Ruyi shook Fu Tian’s hand off her arm and huddled against the far side of the seat, only to be blinded by the morning sun. Before Fu Tian could cheekily sweet-talk her, she quickly shrank back, like a vampire avoiding sunlight.

She then squeezed against Fu Tian, crossing her legs, and conceded, “Fine. You already said it: I’m already here.”

Seeing Jiang Ruyi manage to soothe herself, Fu Tian found it amusing. She played along, cooing, “Mm, good. You eat. Order the expensive stuff. Gorge yourself. Eat me out of house and home.”

“Oh my god, I don’t lack that much money! Also, is your band really that broke that eating a meal could bankrupt you?”

Fu Tian ignored whatever Jiang Ruyi said, simply agreeing with an “Uh-huh.”

Jiang Ruyi found this boring. Thinking that good friends shouldn’t just share happiness but definitely share hardship, she abruptly ignored Fu Tian and called Fan Ling. The moment Fan Ling answered, she asked, “Are you awake?”

“You jerk! Whether I’m awake or not, you’ve been harassing me all day with nothing else to do! Go bug your ex-girlfriend!” Fan Ling was already cranky from being woken up by messages, and the source of her irritation had just called her. When better to vent?

“Hey! Why bring up sad stuff when things are fine! I didn’t even yell at you about yesterday! You told me to go cry to her, and I made a fool of myself, and she still hasn’t replied to my message!” Jiang Ruyi also got agitated, letting everything tumble out without restraint.

“Oh, so the ‘Sister’ you were talking about yesterday was your ex-girlfriend.”

Fu Tian leaned in to look at Jiang Ruyi. Jiang Ruyi’s mind was reeling, contemplating if she could crash headfirst right now, causing Fu Tian temporary amnesia without damaging her own brain, then bribe the driver to concoct an elaborate, foolproof conspiracy.

However, she clearly couldn’t.

On the phone, Fan Ling was adding fuel to the fire: “Who’s next to you? Fu Tian? You two are close, huh~”

Jiang Ruyi rolled her eyes to the heavens: Ugh, this is so annoying!