Oops, I’m the Scumbag Ex in Her Storyline - Chapter 4
The next morning, after a full night’s sleep, Xin Yan finally felt like her head wasn’t about to explode.
She spent forever rummaging through the original owner’s closet, finally managing to piece together an outfit that was—at best—decent. Standing before the floor-to-ceiling mirror wall, Xin Yan brushed her hair while silently marveling at how hard it must be to be rich.
Seriously, how do people with decision paralysis even leave the house? They’d be stuck here for life.
She smoothed a few messy strands and stared at her reflection.
This was her face.
Strangely enough, she and the original owner looked exactly alike. The only difference was that Xin Yan had laugh lines—ones that made people instinctively like her—whereas the original owner’s lips curved ever so slightly downward, giving her a cold, even bitter expression.
Xin Yan had never been the “delicate beauty” type. She was too tall—176 cm—with none of that helpless fragility that triggered people’s protective instincts. Still, no one could deny that when she stood there, she embodied one phrase: a peerless beauty.
Her nose was slim and well-shaped, her eyes long and bright with a subtle upward tilt—sharp, but still tinged with warmth.
Her lips were naturally red. Lipstick, a staple for most women, was a hassle for her—it never adhered well. So Xin Yan rarely wore makeup. Without the added weight of lipstick, her lips looked naturally thin and tempting.
Aura is such a mystical thing. Same face—on Xin Yan, it said “gentle, approachable big sister next door.” On the original owner, it screamed “do not approach” and “VIP ice queen.”
The original’s hair was longer than hers, falling all the way to her waist—jet black and pin-straight, sleek and sharp. Xin Yan frowned at it. She didn’t like this hairstyle; it looked too cold.
She checked the time and made a mental note: when she had time, she was definitely getting it cut.
Wasn’t changing hairstyles one of the top things people did after a breakup? Perfect excuse.
Although she’d never even met Jing Chu, Xin Yan felt nothing but gratitude toward her. Best. Assist. Ever. With Jing Chu around, Xin Yan could do whatever she wanted and just blame everything on her.
Feeling good, Xin Yan headed downstairs.
In the dining room, the servants had already laid out breakfast. The long dining table stretched for several meters. Bei Lanlan sat at one end. Her seat was at the other.
Xin Yan: “…”
After getting a new haircut, she was definitely replacing this ridiculous table.
As she passed by Bei Lanlan, she glanced at her shoulder. Seeing nothing unusual, she picked up her pace and continued walking.
Bei Lanlan seemed wholly focused on her meal, showing no reaction.
Yes, the table was absurdly long, but thankfully not so long that they couldn’t hear each other. Xin Yan, starving, devoured half her breakfast before finally slowing down.
Between bites, she spoke: “When do you want to go back to school?”
“Today,” Bei Lanlan replied.
Xin Yan nearly choked. “…That’s not going to work. I haven’t called the school yet. I’ll get things moving as fast as I can.”
Bei Lanlan made a soft sound of acknowledgment and took a sip of orange juice.
After a few more bites, Xin Yan remembered something she’d mentioned the day before. “Even if you can’t return to class right away, you can still start reviewing. University classes require credits anyway. How about I hire a tutor to help you catch up on the coursework?”
Bei Lanlan set down her glass and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. Compared to last night, she looked much calmer now.
“No need.”
Xin Yan assumed she was just trying not to trouble her. “Really, it’s fine. I’ll handle everything. I promise I’ll find you the best.”
Bei Lanlan shook her head. “No need. Yesterday, I spoke with one of the professors at school about going back. She said she’d help me with the process. As for the courses I missed, she’s willing to give me extra help to catch up.”
Xin Yan froze mid-bite, chopsticks in hand. She’d never had much goodwill toward the characters in this book. Nine out of ten people around the heroine were walking red flags. But now it seemed the tenth—the good one—had finally shown up. She didn’t know how to react.
The professor sounded helpful—and already knew Bei Lanlan. Compared to hiring a stranger, someone familiar seemed like the better option.
Xin Yan nodded and lifted her glass. “Then let’s have her come here. What’s her name, by the way?”
“Xu Suyu,” Bei Lanlan replied.
Choke. Cough cough cough!
Xin Yan nearly drowned in a mouthful of water. But there was no time to recover—she was panicking.
Xu Suyu. The “chaste older woman professor” Xu Suyu. The undisputed strategist of Bei Lanlan’s post-blackening harem, IQ 160, the full package—brains, beauty, maturity. In the plot, she was the one who helped Bei Lanlan pull off an intricate trap that the original Xin Yan walked right into without a clue.
But all of that wasn’t even the real problem.
The real problem was—
She knew the original.
She’d investigated her in order to save Bei Lanlan from her torment.
Bringing someone like that into the house was like inviting a full-body scanner inside.
She was going to be exposed.
Absolutely, totally exposed.