I Don’t Want to Be the Heroine Anymore - Chapter 16

The neon-lit streets buzzed with life.

On the second floor of a loft apartment, Yue Yin sat on the balcony sofa, gazing at the bright moonlight outside.

The sky in the book was pure and unblemished, and even in the dead of night, the moonlight poured in relentlessly, illuminating Yue Yin’s surroundings as if it were broad daylight.

The crystal wine glass in her hand held a crimson liquid. Yue Yin raised it toward the moonlight and snapped a close-up, capturing the rippling rhythm of the red wine with her phone.

Red wine, paired with moonlight.

After a moment’s thought, Yue Yin added another line: Just missing someone to share it with.

She tapped the green send button and tossed her phone onto the empty sofa beside her, tilting her head back to drain the glass in one go.

The chilled wine tingled against her tongue and throat, leaving Yue Yin with a strangely novel sensation.

Clink—

She set the glass down and picked up her phone again.

Only a few seconds had passed, yet over a dozen red notification dots had already appeared. She ignored them all, scrolling down instead to a conversation from a week ago.

The last message Mang Ke had sent her read: I’m here. Where are you?

That was from the last tea party, when Mang Ke had been waiting for her by the roadside. Then Xun Fangyun had shown up and taken her away, and Mang Ke hadn’t spoken a single word to Yue Yin since.

Why?

Yue Yin rested her cheek on her palm, troubled. Why was Mang Ke ignoring her?

What did Xun Fangyun have that she didn’t?

Or was loving Xun Fangyun simply Mang Ke’s fate?

“Sigh…”

Yue Yin exhaled deeply. Weren’t you supposed to be able to change characters’ affection levels in this world? So why hadn’t she managed to shift anyone’s feelings?

She tapped Mang Ke’s profile picture and saw that she had posted a moment earlier that evening.

Mang Ke: Sick. Can’t taste anything. Need an angel to bring me some spicy dried fish to save me!

Yue Yin’s eyes instantly lit up.

The little bunny was sick?!?!

How could someone so healthy fall ill?!

She clicked on the attached photo—a bowl of plain congee, already finished. It must not have tasted very good, or Mang Ke wouldn’t have felt the need to post about it.

Now that the little bunny had become a sick bunny, Yue Yin felt compelled to do something.

Her fingers danced across the screen as she sent a message: Feeling any better?

Mang Ke, who seemed to be on her phone, replied almost immediately: Thanks for asking! I’m much better today. The doctor says I just need to rest for a couple more days.

Yue Yin: How could you be so careless? The weather’s been changing—you need to keep warm. Must be miserable being sick, huh?

Mang Ke: Yeah, my mouth feels so dry. Everything tastes bland.

Yue Yin: Even now, all you can think about is food? You really are a glutton, aren’t you?

Mang Ke: Hehe, well, I’ve got nothing else to do. What else is there besides eating?

Yue Yin propped her chin on her hand, a playful smile curling her lips.

Even sick, the little cutie still sounded lively in her messages.

Yue Yin: Tell you what—I’m free tomorrow. How about I bring some spicy dried fish and come check on you?

I thought Mang Ke would reply instantly to this message, but Yue Yin waited and waited, and after more than ten minutes, there was still no response from her.

Yue Yin: ?????

Why aren’t you replying to me!!!!!

Meanwhile, Xun Fangyun was holding Mang Ke’s phone with a displeased expression.

“You’re sick, why are you playing with your phone???” Xun Fangyun’s face darkened. “Do you know you have a fever again? If you don’t take care of your own health, do you expect me to take care of you?”

Mang Ke buried her head under the blanket. “Stop nagging, stop nagging, master, please stop!”

She had been lying in bed all day and had just woken up, wanting to play with her phone for a bit. Who knew Xun Fangyun would be so angry?

Mang Ke grumbled inwardly: This domineering CEO is acting like a nagging mother…

People say domineering CEOs are childish with a mental age of three, but Xun Fangyun isn’t just childish—she’s also a tsundere. Mang Ke poked her head out with a pained expression. “Why are you so mean to me? I’m sick—won’t you even comfort me?”

Xun Fangyun glanced at her, knelt on the bed with one knee, and pinched her cheeks into a pout.

“If I comfort you, will you behave?”

“Mmm…”

“Little dummy should go to sleep. Phone confiscated.”

“Wha—?!”

Mang Ke quickly sat up. “No, I just—”

Xun Fangyun glared coldly. “Just what?”

“Nothing,” Mang Ke muttered. “It’s just that if I don’t move soon, I might get reported for AFK…”

Xun Fangyun tucked the phone into her pocket. “With your skills, if I scattered rice on the screen, even a chicken could play better than you. Go to sleep. I won’t repeat myself.”

Mang Ke had no choice but to duck back under the covers, preparing for her third nap of the day.

Meanwhile, Xun Fangyun took Mang Ke’s phone back to her own room and casually tossed it onto the desk before getting ready to wash up and sleep. Though she hadn’t gone to work today, she had spent the whole day taking care of Mang Ke.

As she unbuttoned her shirt, Xun Fangyun couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Who knew taking care of a patient could be so amusing.”

Remembering how Mang Ke’s face had twisted in disgust when she fed her medicine, goosebumps rising all over, Xun Fangyun marveled at how childlike Mang Ke could be.

After tossing her last piece of clothing onto the floor, Xun Fangyun turned to head to the bathroom—but just then, the phone on the desk emitted a faint chime, signaling a new message.

Mang Ke’s screen lit up briefly, displaying a green notification box, the app’s unique message alert.

Barefoot, Xun Fangyun turned back and walked over to glance at the phone.

Due to privacy settings, the notification didn’t show who had messaged Mang Ke or what the message contained.

Xun Fangyun’s gaze darkened as she stared at it, as if trying to see through the thin electronic screen to what lay beyond.

In the end, Xun Fangyun chose to respect Mang Ke’s privacy. She flipped the phone face-down on the desk and turned away to continue with her own business.

Soon, steam filled the bathroom, obscuring Xun Fangyun’s sight and hearing—completely unaware that Mang Ke’s phone had just received another call.

This time, without the privacy protection, the caller ID displayed upside down on the desk showed only two words—Yue Yin.

——————

The next morning, after sleeping for a solid ten-plus hours, Mang Ke felt like her body and mind had turned into a slime, soft and almost devoid of strength.

She opened her eyes to the first delicate rays of sunlight.

The warm light spread across the bed and carpet, making Mang Ke feel cozy all over.

So comfortable!

It felt like her illness had vanished in an instant!

Mang Ke sat up and stretched, yawning as she planned to first wash her face in the bathroom and then tidy up before heading downstairs for breakfast.

Pushing the bedroom door open, Mang Ke lazily shuffled toward the bathroom in her pink fluffy nightgown. She had barely taken two steps when she heard voices talking downstairs.

Who could that be, visiting so early in the morning?

Curious, Mang Ke tiptoed stealthily to the second-floor railing and peeked down. There, she saw Xun Fangyun sitting on the sofa in a black silk nightgown, her voluminous black curls cascading elegantly behind her.

Seated across from her was a woman with a graceful figure.

Xun Fangyun spoke slowly, “What brings you here to see me?”

The woman opposite her took a sip of tea and chuckled lightly. “Can’t I visit you without a reason, Fangyun?”

Mang Ke craned her neck for a better look and finally caught a glimpse of the woman’s profile.

It was Yue Yin?!

Why was she here???

Mang Ke’s heart skipped a beat—this woman… she must be here to kick her out of Xun Fangyun’s house!!!!