I Don’t Want to Be the Heroine Anymore - Chapter 5

After returning from the hotel, Mang Ke came across a gossip news article featuring someone she knew—her love rival Yue Yin, whom she had encountered at the hotel that day.

EXCLUSIVE! Yue Yin Spends Hours at Hotel Before Being Assisted into Car by Assistant!

Yue Yin Leaves Local Hotel in the Evening, Flushed and Apparently Exhausted!

These were the more polite headlines. The ruder ones were filled with so much speculation they might as well have been censored with mosaics.

In response to the rumors, Yue Yin’s studio quickly issued a statement overnight, clarifying that Yue Yin had simply had too much to drink and urging irresponsible media outlets to stop spreading false information.

Yue Yin herself took a firm stance on Weibo, responding with just two words: Bullshit!

The internet exploded, and Weibo crashed multiple times from the traffic.

At the time, Mang Ke was lounging on the sofa, scrolling through the news. She took a closer look and noticed that Yue Yin had indeed been unsteady on her feet when leaving the hotel, requiring her assistant to support her several times.

Recalling how Yue Yin had looked lying on the bed earlier, Mang Ke could guess that someone had likely tried to take advantage of her. Fortunately, Yue Yin’s assistant had been attentive enough to notice something was wrong and quickly secured a room for her.

And then, of course, she had run into Mang Ke—the capable and resourceful heroine—who had helped her out of the predicament.

The thought made Mang Ke smirk with satisfaction. She was about to continue scrolling when the app crashed again…

“Miss Mang Ke, it’s time for dinner.”

Aunt Liu carried a bowl of soup over to Mang Ke, who was still sprawled on the sofa playing with her phone. “You’re always on your phone—it’s not good for your eyes. I’ll brew some cassia seed tea for you this afternoon. It’s good for vision.”

Mang Ke chuckled and sat up. “Thank you, Aunt Liu. I appreciate it.”

When she took her seat at the dining table, she noticed only two place settings—hers and Aunt Liu’s. The lady of the house was absent again today.

Noticing her glance, Aunt Liu couldn’t help but smile. “Miss Xun is very busy these days and won’t be home for a while. If you miss her, you could always visit her at the company.”

Mang Ke thought about it for a moment before pouting. “Nah, why would I go looking for her when I have nothing better to do…?”

That’s what she said, but the truth was, Mang Ke really did have nothing better to do.

Ever since the Qi family had sold her off as their adopted daughter, they’d completely cut ties with her. Meanwhile, Xun Fangyun was busy flirting with her first love, leaving no time to spare for Mang Ke.

After some reflection, Mang Ke realized that the person she interacted with the most in this world was still Aunt Liu.

She sighed as she looked at the kind-faced woman in her fifties. If only she could choose her own partner freely—Aunt Liu was an excellent cook, diligent with housework, and had a gentle temperament. Aside from being a bit older, she was practically the ideal partner!!!

Her thoughts didn’t linger for long, though. In the end, Aunt Liu handed Mang Ke a bag containing a pair of Xun Fangyun’s gloves.

“The temperature’s dropped lately, and driving without gloves would be too cold.” Aunt Liu smiled. “Miss Mang Ke, could you deliver these for me? I still have a lot of laundry to do, so I’ll leave this to you.”

Mang Ke took the bag and noticed some dried fruit snacks inside as well. She knew then that she really had no choice but to make a trip to Xun Fangyun’s company.

Hailing a taxi from the mansion wasn’t easy—after all, what wealthy neighborhood had no private cars? Most taxis didn’t even bother passing through.

Mang Ke didn’t feel like driving, and no taxis were available, so she resigned herself to taking the blue bus that stopped near the entrance.

Riding a two-million-dollar bus into the city, she casually took out her phone and aimlessly scrolled through the news.

As she browsed, she came across another trending topic—

Yue Yin: “Thank you to my colleagues and friends who helped me that day. When drunk, I tend to ramble and stumble around. After work, I just want to unwind, so please, media reporters, stop twisting my words. Life isn’t easy—who hasn’t gotten drunk a few times? But that drunken night showed me who truly cares for me. There’s always someone who appears in my darkest moments to light up my world.”

Reading the vague statement, Mang Ke guessed that Yue Yin’s studio must have been unhappy with her earlier “bullshit” comment, deleted it, and replaced it with this more neutral post to downplay the situation.

But who was this person who appeared in her darkest hour and lit up her world?

Mang Ke propped her chin on her hand, unable to figure it out. She gave up and turned off her phone—why was she so concerned about her love rival anyway? In the end, Yue Yin was still someone who wanted to steal Xun Fangyun from her.

After getting off the bus, Mang Ke headed straight for the company’s location.

In the lobby, a strikingly handsome receptionist greeted her with a polite smile. “Hello, may I ask who you’re here to see?”

Mang Ke hesitated slightly before answering, “I’m here to see Xun Fangyun.”

“Understood. Do you have an appointment?”

“An appointment?”

Mang Ke thought about it—Aunt Liu definitely wouldn’t have made one for her—so she shook her head. “No, I don’t have an appointment.”

“I’m sorry, but Ms. Xun is very busy. Without an appointment, we can’t arrange a meeting.”

“But I just came to deliver something to her.”

The receptionist glanced at the bag in Mang Ke’s hand—a reusable tote from a convenience store near the villa district, woven from coarse jute with the store’s logo printed on it.

Aunt Liu was thrifty, and the bag was clean and sturdy, perfect for carrying the gloves, so she had told Mang Ke to use it.

But standing in front of the reception desk now, it looked just a little… cheap.

“Really, I’m sorry,” the receptionist apologized with a practiced smile. “Without an appointment, you can’t see Ms. Xun.”

Mang Ke sighed, clutching the bag. “Then… can I just sit here for a while?”

“Of course. Would you like some tea?”

“Thank you.”

Settling onto the sofa near the reception, Mang Ke placed the bag on her lap and pulled out her phone, scrolling to Xun Fangyun’s number and dialing.

The call went unanswered—Xun Fangyun must not have heard it. After two tries, Mang Ke gave up.

Meanwhile, on the 24th floor—

Xun Fangyun had just finished a meeting. Her assistant followed behind her, carrying documents. “Ms. Xun, this afternoon’s—”

“Cancel all my afternoon appointments,” Xun Fangyun said as she strode toward her office. “Meeting with those idiots is a waste of my time.”

“Uh, understood. Yue Yin is coming to have lunch with you—the restaurant is already booked. What do you think?”

“Yue Yin?”

Xun Fangyun glanced back at her assistant, recalling the woman, then said, “Got it. Anything else?”

The assistant hesitated, wondering if she should mention the girl downstairs holding a convenience store bag. But then again, people came looking for Xun Fangyun all the time—if she had to report every single one, she’d be exhausted.

Then she said, “No more, President Xun.”

Meanwhile, Mang Ke, sitting on the sofa, was playing a matching game. Finally passing a level she had been stuck on for a while, Mang Ke smiled happily at the screen’s explosive display of little birds.

Satisfied, she put away her phone and checked the time—it was almost past 1 p.m., and many employees were returning from lunch.

Didn’t Xun Fangyun come down to eat?

Mang Ke pouted slightly. She had thought the woman would come down for lunch and had deliberately waited here for her. It seemed the stereotype about 2D characters not needing to eat, use the bathroom, or sleep was true.

Just as Mang Ke was grumbling to herself, a commotion suddenly erupted at the entrance.

Employees who had just returned and hadn’t made it to the elevator yet turned around for some reason, standing nervously and excitedly by the door as if waiting for someone.

The area around Mang Ke also quickly filled with people. Blocked by those in front, she couldn’t see clearly and had to stand up to ask a nearby employee, “What’s going on? Why is everyone gathered here?”

The short-haired employee’s eyes sparkled as she said, “A big celebrity is coming!”

“Big celebrity?”

“It’s Yue Yin!”

The short-haired girl explained to Mang Ke, “She’s President Xun’s first love! They grew up together—they’re such a perfect match!”

Mang Ke blinked. “But isn’t President Xun already engaged?”

“Pfft, that fiancée of hers? Arranged marriages are so outdated these days—free love is the trend now!”

“Oh…”

For some reason, Mang Ke felt a little unhappy. She turned her gaze toward the entrance, curious to see who was coming.

Just then, a silver sports car pulled up outside, and Yue Yin stepped out in a pair of silver high heels.

A houndstooth-patterned dress hugged her waist, and her slender, fair calves looked incredibly graceful. With her long hair flowing, she walked into the lobby like a radiant protagonist, so dazzling that even Mang Ke couldn’t help but clap.

Unlike their encounter at the hotel that day, Yue Yin now looked much more spirited—and even a little haughty.

“It really is Yue Yin!”

“She looks even prettier than on TV!”

“Oh my god, she’s so thin! Did you see her waist? It’s like, what, 20 inches?!”

Mang Ke’s arm was being shaken violently by the short-haired girl beside her, whose eyes burned with the fervor of an obsessive fan—clearly, she was a die-hard Yue Yin stan.

“Uh, yeah, sure…” Mang Ke winced at the grip and struggled to free herself, only to accidentally use too much force. While she managed to pull her arm free, she stumbled forward a few steps.

With a loud crash—, Mang Ke knocked over the cups on the table in front of her, sending them shattering to the floor.

Oh no!

She’d made a mess!

Startled, Mang Ke quickly crouched down to pick up the broken pieces, carefully wrapping them in tissue to avoid cutting herself.

Just then, she sensed someone standing right behind her. The short-haired girl who had grabbed her earlier was now flushed deep red, looking extremely excited.

Mang Ke: “???”

Puzzled, she turned her head—only to find Yue Yin standing right behind her, looking at Mang Ke with an amused expression.

“What a coincidence, running into you here,” Yue Yin said. “I didn’t get to thank you properly last time.”

Mang Ke stood up and looked at Yue Yin, saying, “It’s nothing. I’m happy to help you.”

Yue Yin smiled slightly, her red lips parting as she spoke, “Have you had lunch yet? How about… we grab something to eat?”

Mang Ke: “…Huh?”