Healing the Black Lotus Female Supporting Character (Transmigration into a Book - ABO) - Chapter 18

Every time Hua You touched Bian Chengyi’s hand, it felt… strange.

There was a faint static charge to it—tingling, warm, and almost addictive. She couldn’t help but rub her thumb over it a couple of times. Bian Chengyi, on the other hand, simply let her lead, allowing herself to be pulled along without resistance. Even when they brushed past Fang Jinyu, she didn’t spare her a glance or a nod.

Fang Jinyu stood there, momentarily stunned, watching the two of them walk farther and farther away.

Had she just… been left behind?

She’d often thought to herself how nice it would be if fewer people in the class had issues with her. But now that Hua You—who she’d once been at odds with—was suddenly getting along with her, the feeling that came with it was far from pleasant.

Maybe it was because this sudden harmony came with a price: Bian Chengyi and Hua You had become close friends.

And so, as a consequence, they could now coexist peacefully.

The trade-off—losing a friend to gain a peaceful class dynamic—left a bitter taste in Fang Jinyu’s mouth. Maybe it wasn’t fair to call it losing a friend, but the feeling lingered: that awkward ache when your friend finds someone else they click with better. That odd sense of being… replaced. And on top of everything else that had happened today with Fang Huai, her world was spinning just a bit.

Meanwhile, in the study room, Hua You was just about to let go of Bian Chengyi’s hand—when Bian Chengyi caught it again.

Hua You blinked at her, confused, but Bian Chengyi’s lips curved slightly as she gently ran her fingers along the back of Hua You’s hand.

“Has your fever gone down?” she asked softly.

Hua You nodded.

They stood so close, Bian Chengyi could subtly breathe in the mixed scent of their intertwined pheromones—peach blossoms riding a sea breeze, fluid and untamed. The scent was intoxicating, and her body responded with a subtle, rising heat. She kept gently rubbing Hua You’s hand until the skin turned slightly pink from the friction. Only then did she finally let go.

“It’s getting late. Let’s start. Are you still attending class tonight?”

The moment Hua You heard the word “class,” she perked up, her eyes sparkling with energy. She was, after all, the type who genuinely loved teaching. “Of course! I was thinking we could go over organic chemistry—especially that section on—”

“This week is the liberal arts assessment,” Bian Chengyi cut in. “Maybe we should review history?”

Hua You thought about it and agreed. “Sure.” As it happened, she had just organized her history notes over the weekend.

When the exam rolled around on Friday, one of the subjects was indeed history. Even Bian Chengyi had to admit: Hua You’s accuracy in predicting the test questions and her approach to solving them felt like she’d been living inside the mind of the person who wrote the test.

When the final exam ended, the whole class sighed in relief. “My hand’s about to fall off,” someone groaned—standard fare after a liberal arts exam week.

Lu Qianzi came over to compare math answers with Hua You, only to realize she’d made a mistake on a very basic multiple-choice question. Her face instantly fell. It was Lin Lingwan who comforted her for quite a while. Hua You offered a simple breakdown of the logic behind the question: “Don’t overthink questions like this. Just look at where it appears in the paper—that’ll usually tell you what kind of thinking the question wants you to apply…”

As they chatted, the three of them prepared to head back to their dorms and pack up.

Pei Fei, the class geography rep, stayed behind to turn in papers at the office. From her spot up ahead, she could see the three of them walking together. She instinctively wanted to call out to them, to ask them to wait—but Qin Jing tugged on her arm.

“They’re not even including you anymore. Why bother trying to force your way in?” Qin Jing said with a casual, dismissive smile.

Pei Fei pressed her lips together but didn’t respond.

Since falling out with Hua You, Qin Jing—who couldn’t stand being alone—had latched onto Pei Fei, who was more reserved and usually preferred doing things by herself. But Pei Fei had a soft heart. Every time Qin Jing approached her with a cheerful face, she couldn’t bring herself to push her away.

Still, Qin Jing’s constant chatter always left her feeling unsettled. She wasn’t stupid—she could tell Qin Jing was trying to drive a wedge between her and the other three.

And truth be told, Pei Fei had always been a bit of an outsider in their dorm group. That much was undeniable.

She sighed quietly to herself. She didn’t blame her roommates for not waiting. After all, she had chosen the path of independent, focused studying. But the way Qin Jing kept picking at that choice and turning it into something shameful—that was what made her uncomfortable.

“I’m good now,” Pei Fei said coolly, not acknowledging Qin Jing’s comment. “We’ll walk out of the teaching building together, then go our separate ways.”

Just as she said that, Lin Lingwan and Lu Qianzi came through the door and spotted her. They waved with a cheerful “Bye!”

Back in the dorm, only Hua You and Pei Fei were left.

Hua You had already packed her bag and was idly sucking on a lollipop—sweet things helped her think, a habit she had never quite broken.

In her half-zoned-out state, Hua You only noticed Pei Fei a second later. She offered her a warm smile.

Pei Fei walked over, looking slightly embarrassed. “Hua You, you’re really amazing. I’ve been meaning to ask you, just the two of us—how did you improve so fast? I saw you finished early again today.”

Hua You smiled. “Aren’t you worried I might be cheating?”

Pei Fei laughed. “Who cheats their way to first place? Besides, there’s a certain look, a feeling—those can’t be faked. Not to mention all the times the teachers have been testing you subtly in class.”

“I see,” Hua You lowered her eyes. “Would you believe me if I said I had a breakthrough moment?”

“I would,” Pei Fei replied with a gentle smile. “I’d believe anything you said. I mean, it’s the kind of thing that only happens in novels.”

Hua You was momentarily speechless.

She let out a small sigh. “Actually, the high school curriculum follows a certain logic… though of course, the ceiling can get pretty high, especially with difficult STEM questions. As for liberal arts? It’s mostly muscle memory. There might be techniques, but it’s all about repetition. If you memorize the entire history textbook—right down to which page each image is on—I can’t believe your scores would still be low.”

“Fei Fei, I know you often doubt whether all your effort is even worth it. Like no matter how hard you try, you just can’t catch up to certain geniuses. Take Fang Jinyu—she practically aces politics every time. That’s not just from memorization.”

She looked serious now. “But I really believe the old saying’s true: hard work pays off. Yeah, it sounds cheesy. But it works.”

After a pause, Hua You fidgeted with her fingers, then looked up a bit awkwardly. “There’s actually something else I wanted to ask you about… Qin Jing. Has she been bothering you?”

It was still somewhat related to her, after all. If it ended up affecting Pei Fei’s focus for the college entrance exams, Hua You would feel genuinely guilty.

But Pei Fei simply shook her head with a calm smile. “If she could mess me up that easily, then I must not be cut out for this. Still… Hua Hua, I really admire you. To think you stayed friends with her for so long.”

Okay. Now she was the one getting lectured.

Hua You, once again, silently took the blame on behalf of her original self. She chuckled awkwardly, “Hey… well, haven’t we all been young and dumb once?”

They chatted a little longer, and when it was almost six o’clock, Hua You finally grabbed her suitcase and headed out.

This time, though, she wasn’t going home. She went in the opposite direction—toward a small alley.

If she remembered right, this was the place where the novel’s heroine encountered danger—and where Bian Chengyi and the male lead, Fang Huai, happened to pass by and rescue her. It was one of those classic mini-shura field moments, and a key turning point in Fang Jinyu and Fang Huai’s relationship.

The setup was simple: a side character, a jealous girl from another class, had paid a few street thugs to embarrass Fang Jinyu by dousing her in water. Just to make her look pathetic in public. Why? Because she was sick of Fang Jinyu always being in the spotlight.

Yes—this was the original Hua You’s idea of revenge.

She hadn’t been the worst person in the story. She just liked seeing Fang Jinyu humiliated, unable to stand how perfect she always seemed.

But now, Hua You wasn’t so sure what would happen.

That other girl hadn’t approached her this time. Probably because she’d heard Hua You was now close to Bian Chengyi.

Her guess? The girl had probably turned to Qin Jing instead. After all, the heroine was beloved by most—only a few ever went against her.

Hua You’s main goal tonight was simple: make sure the heroine didn’t get seriously hurt.

She still felt a bit guilty for how she’d altered the storyline. Even if she didn’t feel any affection toward the heroine personally, she didn’t want to ruin her romance with the male lead. Ideally, the novel’s original happy ending would stay intact.

Sure, the male and female leads had plot armor—but just in case, Hua You decided to be there in person.

By 6:30 p.m., Hua You was sitting in a small café near the alley, sipping slowly on nothing and watching intently. Soon, she saw Fang Jinyu walking alone, dragging a suitcase.

Hua You unwrapped another lollipop—her go-to thinking snack—and kept her eyes locked on the scene.

Sure enough, a suspicious figure began following behind Fang Jinyu.

Without hesitation, Hua You slapped some cash on the table and rushed out of the café—trailing the man who was stalking the heroine.

They turned two corners, and just as the man was about to throw some unknown liquid—

Hua You struck him from behind with a brick.

The man’s hand jerked violently. The bottle slipped and smashed to the ground, and the liquid that spilled out began to corrode the pavement on contact.

Hua You’s pupils shrank.

Seeing the danger, and the stunned look on Fang Jinyu’s face as she turned around, unsure of what was happening, Hua You shouted at the top of her lungs:

“**Fang Jinyu, listen to me—**RUN!”

Fang Jinyu didn’t hesitate. Understanding instantly, she abandoned her suitcase and bolted straight toward the main road.

Meanwhile, Hua You took off in the opposite direction, pressing the emergency alarm button as she ran.

The man, having missed his chance and nearly injured himself in the process, now wore a savage expression. He looked between the two fleeing girls—one headed toward safety, the other into darker alleys.

And without a moment’s hesitation— He chose to chase after Hua You.