I Fell In Love With My Rival (GL) - Chapter 12
Once Lu Fang returned to school, Su Chunyin planned to publicly expose the situation between him and Fu Erqiu and make them apologize to Little Freckle. It was a simple plan, one that she didn’t expect to trouble her too much. Yet, two days before Lu Fang’s return, she began to feel nervous.
She kept scrolling through her phone, double-checking the reservation details—the time, address, and private room number of the restaurant. She also repeatedly reread the message Lu Fang had sent her. She had told him she wanted to treat him to a meal when he got back and talk about something important. He hadn’t asked much and simply agreed.
Time, place, and people—the three essential elements. The time and place were set; the only missing pieces were the other two “main characters”: Little Freckle and Fu Erqiu.
Little Freckle was timid and lacked confidence. If Su Chunyin told her she was going to meet her in-game boyfriend, she might not have the courage to show up. So instead, Su Chunyin just said the semester was almost over and invited her out to hang.
Little Freckle didn’t suspect a thing and cheerfully agreed:
[Sure, sure! I’ve been so bored lately I could die.]
Before Su Chunyin could say anything else, a flurry of messages followed:
[Niaoniao, sob sob sob… Ever since that pink fox came looking for me, I haven’t known how to face Wind-gege. He’s been acting weird too. Aside from borrowing money from me the other day, he hasn’t talked to me at all.]
Borrowed money?
Su Chunyin paused. Lu Fang had been intensely preparing for the Olympiad lately and shouldn’t have had any major expenses. So why was he borrowing money?
Suppressing the strange feeling rising in her chest, she reminded herself that soon, everything would come to light.
With Little Freckle’s part settled, only Fu Erqiu was left.
Su Chunyin sighed, thinking of the conversation she had overheard yesterday near the grove. She didn’t know who Fu Erqiu had been speaking to, but their words filled her with curiosity. What exactly had they been talking about?
Lost in thought, Su Chunyin found herself at the entrance of Class 1. She intended to walk in boldly, but just as she was about to step over the threshold, the memory of Fu Erqiu’s humiliation in the cafeteria flashed in her mind. Her thoughtless actions had clearly brought the girl trouble.
Her foot faltered. Instead, she grabbed a nearby student and handed her a hundred yuan. “Hey, could you help me call Fu Erqiu out for a moment?”
Su Chunyin thought Fu Erqiu would come out right away, but the schoolyard was nearly empty by the time she finally showed up.
Seeing that familiar tall figure made Su Chunyin’s heart quicken. She stood, patting the dust off her pants.
“You came.”
Fu Erqiu had her arms crossed as she slowly stopped in front of her.
“What do you want?”
She stood a little too close. So close that Su Chunyin could clearly see every detail of her face. It wasn’t just her proximity—her cool gaze, drifting lazily downward as she spoke, carried a beauty so striking that Su
Chunyin’s breath caught involuntarily.
She opened her mouth. “I…”
There was an awkward silence. Then she finally found her voice again:
“This Sunday—two days from now—around noon, I want to treat you to a meal at Mai Xiang Ju.”
Fu Erqiu didn’t respond, only looked at her with a subtle, probing expression.
Su Chunyin cleared her throat, uncomfortable.
“I know you probably think I’m up to no good, so I’ll just be blunt. Lu Fang and his girlfriend will be there too. I invited you because I want to end this tangled mess once and for all. After everything’s laid bare, the two of you owe his girlfriend an apology. Whatever happens afterward—whether you break up or stay together—is none of my business.”
At this point, Su Chunyin’s heart ached. She had liked Lu Fang for years, yet her feelings had never gone beyond unspoken affection. Now she was forced to watch the chaos between him, Little Freckle, and Fu
Erqiu from the sidelines—and even participate in it. It felt like a kind of cruel punishment.
Silence again.
Su Chunyin glanced up at the elm tree, feeling a little anxious. She’d expected Fu Erqiu to be the most difficult person to convince. She was prepared for rejection.
“Apologize?”
After a long pause, Fu Erqiu’s expression shifted into something unreadable. Her gaze brushed past Su Chunyin’s cheek, as if she were pondering something private.
“Fine.”
Su Chunyin didn’t like that look. Whenever Fu Erqiu showed that expression, it made her feel like the other girl knew something she didn’t—and that she herself was somehow excluded.
“You can just treat it as a meal among classmates. We—”
She abruptly stopped. Wait. Did Fu Erqiu just say ‘fine’?
________________________________________
“So… she just agreed like that?”
Song Rao rubbed her chin.
Su Chunyin nodded, equally baffled.
Song Rao sighed. “Well, Lu Fang’s coming back soon anyway. If something fishy’s going on, we’ll find out then.”
Su Chunyin nodded again. That was exactly what she was counting on.
________________________________________
Two days later, in Room 102 of Mai Xiang Ju, Su Chunyin sat face-to-face with Lu Fang, Fu Erqiu, and Lin Zhizhi.
Her phone buzzed—a message from Song Rao, who was in the room next door.
Why is Lin Zhizhi there too?
As a seasoned gossip connoisseur, Song Rao had booked the adjacent room. The private rooms in this restaurant were connected by one-way mirrors—she could see into Su Chunyin’s room, but they couldn’t see her.
Su Chunyin used the moment the waiter brought tea to reply:
I’d like to know that myself.
Just then, a cheerful knock came at the door.
“Niaoniao-jiejie, is this the right room?”
Su Chunyin finally exhaled in relief. The last player had arrived.
“I’m inside. Come in.”
With a soft creak, the door opened. A fresh-faced girl peeked in, wearing a bright yellow ruffled blouse and a pale cotton-linen skirt.
“Niaoniao-jiejie, I—”
She stopped mid-sentence. The joy on her face quickly turned to awkward tension as she clung to the doorframe.
“Who… are they?”
Su Chunyin beckoned her over.
“They’re my classmates. Come, I’ll introduce you.”
Little Freckle hesitated but eventually walked over and sat down beside Su Chunyin.
The restaurant, probably because of the reservation, served the food quickly. Soon, the table was full of fragrant dishes.
Little Freckle’s eyes landed on a plate of stir-fried crab. She swallowed unconsciously.
Then Su Chunyin patted her on the shoulder.
“Let me introduce someone to you.”
“Okay.”
She politely put down her chopsticks and looked at the boy sitting across from Su Chunyin—a handsome, youthful guy. He looked vaguely familiar, and she gave him a second glance, quietly waiting for an introduction.
The next moment, Su Chunyin dropped the bomb:
“You should know him well. He’s your in-game boyfriend—’Misty Wind.’”
The room fell utterly silent.
Su Chunyin turned and stared at Lu Fang, watching closely for any sign of panic, guilt, or embarrassment.
Unexpectedly, none of those expressions appeared on his face. Just a flash of surprise and confusion. Then, he turned toward someone—Lin Zhizhi.
Su Chunyin followed his gaze. Lin Zhizhi? That quiet, forgettable girl?
Not just Lu Fang—Fu Erqiu was also looking at Lin Zhizhi.
The air in the room grew thick. Little Freckle sat stunned. Lu Fang and Fu Erqiu looked at Lin Zhizhi. Lin Zhizhi looked at Lu Fang. Only Su Chunyin scanned the room with growing unease.
Something didn’t feel right.
Then Little Freckle suddenly cried out:
“Ah! I remember! No wonder he looked familiar. In the photo Wind-gege sent me, there was a little red mole on his arm, right here!”
Su Chunyin’s eyes moved to the inside of Lu Fang’s arm. Sure enough, there was a small red mole—clearly visible in the photo he had sent Little Freckle.
After saying that, Little Freckle grew flustered and shy. Though she knew it was pointless, she still tried to cover her face in a panic.
“I-I didn’t know I’d be meeting you in real life! If I had, I would’ve dressed up properly. You’re so handsome and smart, and I—”
“Little Freckle,” Su Chunyin called gently, shaking her head.
“I didn’t bring you here just for a meet-up with Misty Wind.”
She pointed at Fu Erqiu.
“Have you seen her before?”
Little Freckle looked over, momentarily stunned by her beauty.
She shook her head. “No, I haven’t.”
Su Chunyin nodded. No one forgets a face like that. If Little Freckle said she hadn’t seen her, she hadn’t.
“And do you know who she is?”
Little Freckle lowered her hand, still dazed.
“Who is she?”
Su Chunyin looked over at Fu Erqiu, who lowered her gaze slightly as if waiting for her cue.
“She’s the one who’s been constantly harassing Misty Wind, sending you provocative messages—the Pink Fox, ‘Scarlet Daji.’”
“What?!”
Little Freckle jumped up, nearly knocking over her teacup.
“She’s Pink Fox?!”
Since entering this room, every word Su Chunyin had spoken felt like a bombshell. She looked between Lu Fang and Fu Erqiu, utterly bewildered.
“You… she… what…”
Su Chunyin placed a calming hand on her shoulder.
“There’s more. Brace yourself.”
Her gaze swept across Lu Fang and Fu Erqiu, a hint of irony flashing in her eyes.
“Your in-game boyfriend Misty Wind and the Pink Fox—Lu Fang and Fu Erqiu—they’ve been secretly seeing each other in real life behind your back.”
If the previous statements were like grenades, this one was a deep-sea torpedo. Not only did it devastate Little Freckle, who sat there reeling, but even the usually calm Lu Fang lost his composure.
“Su Chunyin, what nonsense are you spouting?!”
“Nonsense?”
Su Chunyin’s eyes widened.
“Wow, Lu Fang. First you fool around behind her back, and now you’re accusing me of making things up? Shameless. I can’t believe I ever liked someone like you.”
“That’s enough!”
Lu Fang stood up, hands planted on the table.
“I thought you genuinely just wanted to have a meal. I didn’t expect you to stage this entire drama. You—”