My Unconventional Online Dating - Chapter 30

Xiao Nianyuan froze. Using her roommate’s photo for online dating?

Which roommate was it—Du Xiaotong or Ji Rongxue?

Whichever it was, Xiao Nianyuan couldn’t feel happy about it. She desperately wanted to ask who it was, but she knew such a direct question would put Tan Xialan on guard. So she rephrased it: “Could it just be someone who looks similar?”

“Impossible!” Tan Xialan was adamant. “That was definitely my roommate’s photo. She’s incredibly beautiful—not in a generic way. In all my life, I’ve never seen anyone who resembles her!”

Xiao Nianyuan had heard the word “beautiful” used to describe her countless times since childhood, especially since her looks stood out even among other beauties.

Her heart skipped a beat as a suspicion crept in. Considering the strange looks she’d been getting lately, along with whatever Ji Rongxue and the others were keeping from her—could it be her photo being used?

Part of her found the idea absurd, yet another part felt she had stumbled upon the truth.

If only she could confirm her guess through Tan Xialan’s words.

“Is there any way I can help?” Xiao Nianyuan asked.

Tan Xialan looked at her and sighed in frustration. “If only it were that easy. Right now, we don’t even know who’s impersonating my roommate and using her photo for online dating.”

“Does your roommate know her photo is being used like this?”

Tan Xialan shook her head. “She can’t find out.”

“Why not?” Xiao Nianyuan was genuinely curious.

Even if it was to protect her, was it really necessary to go this far?

Xiao Nianyuan knew Tan Xialan wouldn’t take the bait with just that question, so she added, “What if it’s actually her using her own photo for online dating?”

Tan Xialan glared at her and took two steps back, putting distance between them. Hurt flashed in her eyes. “Why would you say that? I trusted you enough to tell you, and now you’re accusing my roommate?”

She bristled like a spiky little hedgehog, as if ready to lash out at the slightest criticism of her roommate.

Xiao Nianyuan found it amusing—after all, the roommate in question was her. Since Tan Xialan meant well, she softened her tone. “I was just speculating. How do you know it’s not her?”

Tan Xialan was firm. “She doesn’t play games. We asked her before if she wanted to join us, and she said no.”

Xiao Nianyuan felt a pang of guilt and averted her gaze. After a long pause, she muttered, “Maybe she’s secretly playing.”

Tan Xialan kept glaring at her, silent.

Xiao Nianyuan knew she had upset her by speaking ill of her roommate.

She also knew exactly what to say to appease Tan Xialan, but seeing her get defensive on her behalf piqued her curiosity. She rarely witnessed such reactions and wanted to see just how far Tan Xialan would go for her.

Pretending not to understand what Tan Xialan wanted to hear, Xiao Nianyuan deliberately said, “You two are roommates, but you’re not that close, right?”

Tan Xialan’s expression darkened, her face flushing with anger. “Do you think I don’t know how close we are? How would you know? We’re very close!”

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but wonder why Xiao Nianyuan seemed determined to argue with her today.

Xiao Nianyuan had always been the quiet type, listening attentively to whatever was said. But today, she wasn’t going along with Tan Xialan’s words, acting as if her roommate was some kind of irredeemable villain.

If this kept up, Tan Xialan might just cut ties with her. Clearing her throat, Xiao Nianyuan explained, “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but this is something you should really discuss with her.”

Tan Xialan muttered, “I told you, we can’t tell her.”

Xiao Nianyuan asked, “Why not?”

Tan Xialan gave her a suspicious look but answered honestly, “She doesn’t have many friends. Right now, everyone else is convinced she did it. Unless we catch the person impersonating her, even if she knew about this, she’d just be heartbroken.”

They were keeping it from her to protect her. Xiao Nianyuan sighed, “You two really have a good relationship.”

Hearing this, Tan Xialan lifted her chin proudly. “We’ve always been close. The four of us in our dorm are the best people in the world.”

During their school years, many people made grand declarations like “we’ll be best friends forever,” only to drift apart after graduation. Not wanting to ruin the mood, Xiao Nianyuan said, “You’ll be best friends for life.”

Tan Xialan blinked, taken aback. Why was Xiao Nianyuan suddenly so agreeable when she’d just been badmouthing her roommate?

Unable to make sense of it, she decided not to dwell on it. Glancing up, she said, “Du Xiaotong says she has a plan and wants me to meet her. I’ll head out now.”

Xiao Nianyuan watched her leave before finally furrowing her brows.

She understood every word Tan Xialan had said, but when pieced together, it made no sense. Who would go to the trouble of using her photos for an online romance?

It never crossed Xiao Nianyuan’s mind that this could be a scam. Fraud prevention had been drilled into them since elementary school, and with her cautious nature, she never even answered calls from unknown numbers. Trying to scam her was about as effective as trying to scam the police.

This was her first encounter with fraud—and she was the one being exploited. The absurdity of it left her both exasperated and amused.

Before long, Lian Qiushui returned. The moment she saw Xiao Nianyuan, she remarked in confusion, “How can there still be scammers in the game?”

Xiao Nianyuan blinked, vaguely guessing what Lian Qiushui had seen. She must have come across the post Tan Xialan had mentioned—about someone impersonating her in the game, using her photos to engage in online relationships.

She asked, “What happened?”

Lian Qiushui replied, “There’s this really beautiful girl…” She paused, nodding in agreement. “Truly stunning. But it’s not right to deceive people.”

Suppressing a laugh, Xiao Nianyuan asked, “How beautiful?”

Lian Qiushui was puzzled. Shouldn’t the question be about how the scam worked? Why ask about her looks?

After a moment, Lian Qiushui described, “The most beautiful I’ve ever seen.” She felt a little shy, but when she looked up at Xiao Nianyuan, something seemed vaguely familiar.

Xiao Nianyuan didn’t avoid her gaze or try to hide. She simply let Lian Qiushui study her in silence.

Initially, the game used players’ real data upon entry. However, to protect privacy, the system automatically made slight adjustments to their original appearance.

For example, facial data often differs from real-life appearances. Xiao Nianyuan’s face in the game wasn’t identical to her real one. Though still beautiful, the game had cleverly toned down her distinctive features.

Xiao Nianyuan didn’t think Lian Qiushui would notice. After waiting a while without further comment, she prompted, “What’s wrong? First time seeing what I look like?”

Lian Qiushui said thoughtfully, “Looking at you, I keep feeling you resemble that person in the photo.”

Xiao Nianyuan asked, “How so?”

Lian Qiushui frowned in confusion, “Though your facial features are different, there’s something similar. I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

She was speaking purely from intuition, and added cautiously, “I’m not saying you’re that scammer, just that there’s some resemblance.”

Xiao Nianyuan smiled and said, “Actually, that photo you mentioned really is of me.”