Pretending to Be a Scumbag A, But Being Targeted by a Paranoid O - Chapter 13

After Yun Shu left, she lingered near the school gate for a while, repeatedly scrolling through her chat history with Xie Tang on her phone. Her worry persisted.

 

What is Xie Tang doing right now?

 

But what could she even say to Xie Tang?

 

A small dark cloud seemed to be forming above Yun Shu’s head.

 

Just then, a pale white profile picture flashed at the top of her screen.

 

Yun Shu stared in surprise—it was Xie Tang.

 

Xie Tang: Still at school?

 

Yun Shu’s fingers hovered over the reply button, but she forced herself to hold back. After all, the Original Host would never respond immediately.

 

Besides… Yun Shu remembered how Xie Tang hadn’t reached out on her own for days, and a bubble of resentment welled up inside her.

 

I’ll deliberately ignore her message and make her wait.

 

Let her taste the bitterness of being on the receiving end of the silent treatment!

 

Yun Shu stubbornly held out for two minutes before finally replying, “About to leave. What’s up?”

 

The last three words dripped with undisguised resentment.

 

Xie Tang: I’ve been busy lately. If you’re free, would you like to have dinner together?

 

The mere fact that Xie Tang had initiated the conversation had already melted away half of Yun Shu’s anger.

 

Her heart leaped with joy, and a smile involuntarily spread across her face. Yet the words she typed remained icy: “I’ll need to think about it.”

 

Xie Tang: Okay.

 

Yun Shu: ?

 

Okay?

 

Okay, then think about it.

 

Or okay, let’s reschedule?

 

Yun Shu’s heart ached.

 

How long had it been since she’d seen Xie Tang?

 

Didn’t Xie Tang miss her at all?

 

Afraid Xie Tang might change her mind, Yun Shu quickly replied, “I’m barely free today.”

 

She hadn’t seen Xie Tang in days, and she couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

 

Yun Shu typed another question: “Where are you?”

 

Xie Tang: Look behind you.

 

Yun Shu instinctively turned her head.

 

Xie Tang was dressed simply and elegantly today: gray culottes, a loose white undershirt, and a dark gray jacket. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, her hands were tucked into her jacket pockets, and a faint smile graced her delicate features. Yun Shu wondered how long Xie Tang had been standing there, watching her.

 

Remembering the stubborn words she’d just typed, Yun Shu’s ears flushed.

 

Despite her reddened face, she forced a confident tone: “What a coincidence.”

 

Xie Tang pressed her lips together, struggling to suppress a smile.

 

Instead of calling out Yun Shu’s lie, she played along: “Mm, what a coincidence. I saw you right as I was leaving campus.”

 

Yun Shu hummed softly, “I was just about to leave.”

 

Despite her words, she honestly moved closer to Xie Tang, nuzzling against her like a puppy.

 

“You…”

 

Yun Shu wanted to ask where Xie Tang had been these past few days, but after hesitating, she forced herself to remain silent.

 

She was afraid Xie Tang would find her annoying.

 

“I’ve been busy helping a friend run market research these past few days,” Xie Tang said, breaking the silence. “That’s why I haven’t had much time.”

 

Yun Shu’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense, suddenly dropped. She muttered, “I thought you…”

 

Xie Tang raised an eyebrow. “Thought I what?”

 

Yun Shu couldn’t resist. “I noticed you weren’t working at the cafeteria anymore. I thought the manager was deliberately making things difficult for you.”

 

Xie Tang smiled faintly. “No, I found a better part-time job and quit the old one.”

 

Intrigued, Yun Shu asked, “What are you doing now? Do you need any financial support?”

 

As they strolled slowly forward, Xie Tang replied softly, “No, the school offers entrepreneurship grants.”

 

“You’re starting your own business?” Yun Shu’s eyes widened.

 

Xie Tang nodded. “I have plans for that.”

 

Yun Shu quickly ran through the things she could do for Xie Tang.

 

“Then… then if you run into any trouble, you absolutely have to tell me.”

 

Yun Shu pulled out her all-purpose threat formula: “After all, the contract between This Lady and you stipulates that I can help you with any difficulties you encounter during these months.”

 

Hearing this dorky girl’s clumsy concern, the corners of Xie Tang’s lips curled into a smile.

 

“Let’s not talk about that for now.”

 

She turned to Yun Shu. “What do you want to eat today?”

 

Yun Shu was easy to please and had grown tired of eating out since childhood.

 

Without exaggeration, Xie Tang was the first person in her memory to ever cook a meal specifically for her.

 

“You don’t need to treat me. Just make that noodle dish you made for me last time.”

 

As soon as Yun Shu said this, she seemed to realize it sounded a bit cheap and quickly tried to salvage her dignity. “I’m just tired of all the fancy delicacies from outside.”

 

“If you want to eat it, I’ll make it for you sometime,” Xie Tang said. “But let me treat you today.”

 

Xie Tang tilted her head, looking at Yun Shu as if seeking her opinion.

 

When Xie Tang spoke to people, she always looked them directly in the eye, inevitably drawing them into the depths of her beautiful gaze.

 

Yun Shu stared blankly for a few seconds before nodding dazedly. “O-okay.”

 

At the same time, she felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in her heart.

 

Xie Tang had said “if there’s a chance.” Did that mean they would have a reason to meet again in the future?

 

Xie Tang led her to a quiet, elegantly decorated restaurant. As soon as Yun Shu stepped inside, she felt like this was the kind of place where even a bottle of mineral water would be renamed “Fountain of Life” and sold for 30 yuan.

 

Before they even entered, Yun Shu quickly tugged on Xie Tang’s sleeve and whispered, “This place…”

 

She struggled for a moment before finally managing to say, “It just looks like the food won’t be good.”

 

Xie Tang smiled at her. “Trust me.”

 

Yun Shu still wanted to object, but Xie Tang suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside.

 

In that moment, all of Yun Shu’s senses focused on Xie Tang’s hand holding her wrist.

 

Warm and soft.

 

Yun Shu’s face flushed uncontrollably.

 

This was the first time she had ever held a girl’s wrist, and the person was none other than Xie Tang.

 

To prevent Xie Tang from noticing her embarrassment, Yun Shu quickly lowered her head.

 

She had initially assumed the restaurant would be exorbitantly expensive, but when she opened the menu, she found the prices were high but not outrageous—still far beyond Xie Tang’s means.

 

Yun Shu propped up the menu to shield the lower half of her face and leaned in to whisper, “Should we go somewhere else…?”

 

Just then, a waitress approached their table and quietly said to Xie Tang, “Sister Xie Tang, it’s been a while since you’ve been here.”

 

Xie Tang smiled at her. “Yeah, I just happened to have some free time today.”

 

The waitress turned her gaze to Yun Shu. “And this is…?”

 

Xie Tang glanced at Yun Shu, whose blush still hadn’t faded, and answered for her, “She’s a friend of mine.”

 

Yun Shu, never one for small talk, gave a curt nod.

 

Only after the waitress left did Yun Shu let out a quiet sigh of relief. But a question immediately surfaced in her mind.

 

As if anticipating Yun Shu’s question, Xie Tang poured her a glass of juice and said, “I used to work part-time here.”

 

“That’s why I said this place is good. You should try it.”

 

Yun Shu swallowed the words “Should we go somewhere else?” She’d read online that such remarks could dampen the mood, and she didn’t want to upset Xie Tang.

 

When ordering, Yun Shu deliberately chose the cheapest items, wanting to save Xie Tang as much money as possible.

 

Xie Tang took the menu without a change in expression, circled a few items with her pen, and handed it back to the waiter.

 

As the waiter brought their food, he teased, “Xie Tang-jie, this is the first time you’ve brought a friend here!”

 

Yun Shu, who was sipping her juice, suddenly widened her beautiful eyes like a startled hamster.

 

After the waiter left, she asked awkwardly, “Is that true?”

 

Xie Tang knew exactly what answer Yun Shu wanted to hear.

 

So she replied simply, “Yes, it is.”

 

Yun Shu’s heart fluttered with sweetness.

 

Yun Shu lowered her gaze and noticed that the dishes laid out before her seemed to be some of the most expensive items on the menu. For a moment, she was taken aback.

 

The price of just one of these dishes might equal Xie Tang’s entire day’s earnings from her part-time job.

 

“What’s wrong?” Xie Tang asked. “Aren’t you going to try it?”

 

Afraid Xie Tang might see through her little scheme, Yun Shu quickly shook her head, picked up her fork, and took a bite.

 

“Wow!” Yun Shu exclaimed. “Xie Tang, this is delicious!”

 

Yun Shu’s eating habits, like her personality, radiated warmth and happiness. When she tasted something she loved, she would nod slightly, her eyes sparkling with joy.

 

Xie Tang lowered her gaze to watch the person before her, suddenly overwhelmed by an intense, inexplicable desire. She wanted to do everything in her power to keep Yun Shu this happy forever.

 

This feeling was so strange that Xie Tang struggled to suppress it, but to no avail.

 

It wasn’t until Yun Shu took a break that Xie Tang finally spoke up. “Thank you, Yun Shu.”

 

Thank you for rescuing me from that disaster.

 

I had nothing before, which is why this gratitude comes so late.

 

Yun Shu paused, looking up to meet Xie Tang’s dark, unwavering eyes. In that instant, for some reason, Yun Shu felt as if Xie Tang were speaking to her true self.

 

For a moment, Yun Shu panicked, then feigned nonchalance, saying, “If it’s about the money, don’t worry about it. We’re just getting what we need from each other.”

 

As soon as she said those words, Yun Shu instantly regretted them.

 

She wanted to slap herself. Xie Tang had kindly invited her to dinner, and here she was, blurting out such tactless remarks.

 

“I…”

 

Yun Shu tried to backtrack, but the System suddenly erupted with a piercing alarm:

 

Host! You’re amazing! Xie Tang’s Blackening Value has dropped to 35%!

 

Yun Shu: O.O

 

Huh?

 

Could it be that those harsh words she’d just spoken were exactly what Xie Tang wanted to hear?

 

Yun Shu was starting to feel completely lost about what Xie Tang actually liked.

 

“Getting what we need from each other.”

 

Those words suddenly reminded Xie Tang of last Saturday at Yun Shu’s apartment, when she had pinned Yun Shu against the wall and witnessed her helpless expression.

 

She had never seen Yun Shu look like that before—as if even if Xie Tang had done something truly terrible to her, she wouldn’t have resisted.

 

Yun Shu, who held Xie Tang’s life in her hands, seemed utterly uninterested in using that power to threaten her.

 

Foolish girl.

 

Even for a simple meal, Yun Shu went to such lengths to consider Xie Tang’s feelings.

 

Yun Shu.

 

Why do you go to such lengths for me?

 

Why do you always pretend to be so cruel while being so kind?