Pretending to Be a Scumbag A, But Being Targeted by a Paranoid O - Chapter 5

The distance between them was far too close. Yun Shu instinctively gripped her pants tightly, her breathing becoming erratic.

Why is Xie Tang so different from how she’s described in the book?

In the original story, Xie Tang was gentle and warm.

Her tone now was still gentle, but there was an indescribable quality to it that Yun Shu couldn’t quite place.

Just as Yun Shu was about to cry without tears, the car came to a stop.

“We’re here,” the driver announced.

Yun Shu finally seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, forcing herself to appear calm as she opened the door and stepped out.

Xie Tang slowly emerged from the other side.

Having been completely focused on Xie Tang, Yun Shu hadn’t noticed her surroundings at all.

They were in a dilapidated old residential area, so run-down it could be considered a slum.

There were no streetlights, leaving the area pitch-black, and a long-neglected garbage heap lay nearby.

In the deep silence of the night, the distant laughter of street thugs could still be heard.

It was hardly a safe place for a girl to live alone.

Yet this was how Xie Tang had survived for so many years.

“Alright,” Xie Tang said, her voice flat. “You’ve dropped me off. You can go now.”

In the book, Xie Tang treated everyone with gentle warmth, except for Yun Shu, whom she regarded with icy indifference.

Yun Shu blinked, then murmured softly, “Okay.”

System: OOC WARNING!!

Yun Shu finally realized her mistake and immediately added, “If I don’t see you at school tomorrow, you’re dead!”

Xie Tang glanced at her, her tone perfectly serious. “Alright, I’ll meet you at the Old Spot at 12:30 tomorrow.”

Yun Shu: O.O

What Old Spot?

She frantically called for backup in her mind: “Tongtong, Tongtong, where’s the Old Spot?”

The System frantically flipped through its virtual books: It doesn’t seem to be mentioned anywhere in the text.

Yun Shu was internally panicking, but she maintained a cool facade, pretending to understand Xie Tang’s implication. “Fine, don’t be late.”

After hearing this, Xie Tang gave Yun Shu a faint smile.

It was the first time she had ever smiled at Yun Shu, and the already captivating face became even more alluring. Yun Shu nearly froze in place, mesmerized.

She didn’t even notice Xie Tang turn and leave, nor did she see the meaningful smile that flickered across Xie Tang’s face as she turned away.

There was no Old Spot.

It was just a way for Xie Tang to tease this clueless fool who had wandered in from who-knows-where.

Who could have guessed she would pretend to understand and agree?

At that moment, the System’s voice suddenly boomed in Yun Shu’s mind: Host! Xie Tang’s Blackening Value has dropped to 65%!

Yun Shu was stunned, completely baffled as to why Xie Tang’s Blackening Value had suddenly plummeted.

Had she done something just now?

But a decrease in the Blackening Value was a good thing, right?

Yun Shu quietly breathed a sigh of relief. So, sticking to the character’s persona really did lower the Blackening Value.

Does that mean I’m doing a pretty good job cosplaying?

Elated that the task was completed, Yun Shu immediately took a taxi to a large shopping mall to buy Xie Tang a phone.

She had initially worried about the budget, but after seeing the Original Host’s lengthy bank balance, she realized she had been overthinking it.

Still, she chose a mid-range phone.

The System was puzzled. Why not just get her the latest model? It reviewed past cases and found that most Hosts had chosen to buy Xie Tang the newest phone.

Yun Shu explained as she browsed, “Xie Tang is a financially disadvantaged student at school, and her poverty subsidy is crucial to her. If I buy her the latest phone, she’ll likely be reported and lose her eligibility.”

Yun Shu understood all too well the feeling of being forced to work because she couldn’t afford proper meals.

After hearing her explanation, the System reviewed past cases again and discovered that most Hosts had failed in the early stages.

Eighty percent had lost control and marked Xie Tang, while the remaining twenty percent, who managed to restrain themselves, later tried to win her over by showering her with designer brands and luxury goods. However, the records showed that Xie Tang’s poverty subsidy was indeed revoked, and around that time, she was framed for theft and trapped in the mall.

At that time, Xie Tang’s grandmother suddenly fell ill, requiring urgent medical expenses. But Xie Tang was still trapped in the mall over a few thousand yuan, unable to see her grandmother one last time.

Her Blackening Value rose even faster than in the original plot.

Yun Shu was the first to realize this problem.

After buying a new phone for Xie Tang, Yun Shu picked out a phone case with a puppy rubbing its face emoji and put it on for her.

Satisfied with her choices, Yun Shu returned home with the new phone, eagerly anticipating her meeting with Xie Tang the next day.

In truth, Xie Tang hadn’t dropped out of school. She had simply been marked absent during this period. The Original Host’s plan was to have Xie Tang skip classes for three months straight, leading to her expulsion and forcing her to rely solely on Yun Shu.

Yun Shu’s eyes darkened at this thought.

She opened her phone’s contacts, stared at the entry labeled “Aunt,” pursed her lips, and made the call.

The call was immediately disconnected.

Yun Shu stubbornly redialed.

“Hello?”

A woman’s authoritative voice answered. It was Yun Zhuxi, the President of Capital University and the Original Host’s aunt.

Yun Shu swallowed nervously. “It’s me.”

Yun Zhuxi’s tone suddenly turned cold. “Why are you calling me?”

Yun Shu pursed her lips. “Do you know a student named Xie Tang?”

Yun Zhuxi sneered coldly. “Since when have you been so polite to your elders?”

She had always looked down on her niece, considering her nothing more than a degenerate despite her good grades.

But business was business. Yun Zhuxi reluctantly answered, “Yes, I know her. She hasn’t been to school in a long time.”

She expected Yun Shu to explode in anger, but instead, she was stunned to hear Yun Shu apologize. “I’m sorry, Aunt.”

“Xie Tang hasn’t been to school for the past two months because I’ve been keeping her locked up at my house.”

Yun Zhuxi felt a wave of darkness wash over her.

She had only recently received news from her subordinates about Xie Tang, a financially disadvantaged student who had just enrolled in the finance department this year. Xie Tang had suddenly requested a month’s leave from the school and then vanished completely, becoming unreachable.

Yun Zhuxi and the Vice-Principal had been discussing whether Xie Tang might have left school due to financial difficulties. Just as they discovered she had a critically ill grandmother, Yun Shu’s call came.

“You little brat!” Yun Zhuxi snapped. “Yun Shu, don’t push your luck!”

Yun Shu lowered her head, meekly enduring Yun Zhuxi’s fury. With no other option, she whispered, “I’m sorry, Aunt.”

“Yun Shu, you’ve really outdone yourself this time,” Yun Zhuxi retorted. “Now you’ve learned to imprison people too?”

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and massaged her throbbing temples. “I’m deeply disappointed in you.”

“I understand you resented your mother for losing you and making you live alone for so long, but that’s no excuse for your continued misdeeds.”

Yun Zhuxi’s gaze turned icy. “Listen carefully: if you’re still at the bottom of your class this semester, I’ll have grounds to fire you.”

Yun Shu nodded. “I understand.”

“Aunt, Xie Tang will be back at school tomorrow. Can you let her attend classes normally?”

Yun Shu’s unusually docile demeanor caught Yun Zhuxi off guard for a moment, but she was too annoyed to dwell on it. She snapped, “Fine, I’ll handle it,” and hung up.

Only after the call ended did Yun Shu finally exhale, collapsing onto her bed.

Now that Xie Tang had avoided being marked, she could return to school, and her Blackening Value had dropped to 65%.

Could the Blackening Value really decrease by so much in just one day? Yun Shu wondered. This mission doesn’t seem too difficult after all. All I need to do is genuinely treat Xie Tang well.

Yun Shu suddenly remembered the lingering, sweet peach scent that had clung to Xie Tang in the taxi last night.

Her thoughts drifted to the image of Xie Tang pinned beneath her on the bed last night.

Her skin was so pale…

“Stop thinking about it! Stop thinking about it!”

Yun Shu’s entire face flushed crimson as she buried herself face-down on the bed, pretending to be dead.

She couldn’t explain why her mind kept replaying the scent of Xie Tang leaning close tonight, or that beautiful face.

She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to sleep.

The marking ritual last night had drained her energy, and today had been filled with heart-pounding moments. With her limited stamina, Yun Shu drifted off into a dizzying slumber.

But the next morning, she remembered her responsibilities and woke up early.

Today was the Original Host’s 8 AM class.

Yun Shu seamlessly transitioned from a recent high school graduate fresh off the college entrance exams to a Capital University student.

As she entered the classroom, she immediately noticed all eyes were on her.

Yun Shu’s social anxiety threatened to overwhelm her.

Yet the more nervous she felt inside, the more intimidating her expression became.

Clutching her textbook, she walked to the back row, ready to focus on her studies. But she soon realized the students around her were whispering.

A strange feeling crept into Yun Shu’s heart.

Did I put my clothes on backwards today?

Just as she was about to sit down, a haughty voice cut through the air: “Did I give you permission to sit here?”

Yun Shu: “?”

She turned her head in confusion and found herself next to a girl with skin so pale it seemed to glow. Dressed in opulent, expensive clothes, the girl stood with her arms crossed, her expression arrogant.

The System chimed in with a reminder: This is the Original Host’s unattainable White Moonlight.

Yun Shu understood.

Besides being a twisted obsessive stalker toward Xie Tang, the Original Host had also been a suitor to the Xia Family’s heiress—in simpler terms, a simp.

The Original Host had transferred all the vile, depraved acts she wanted to commit against Xia Yan onto Xie Tang instead.

A major reason she had initially targeted Xie Tang was because Xie Tang resembled Xia Yan—not in facial features, but in temperament.

Both exuded a pure, innocent aura.

After speaking, Xia Yan turned her head to the side, relishing the spotlight.

In the past, Yun Shu would have gently coaxed her.

But today, Yun Shu didn’t say a word. She simply picked up her book and walked away, even choosing the seat farthest from Xia Yan. She opened the book and began pretending to study.

Not once did she glance at Xia Yan.

Xia Yan’s almond-shaped eyes widened, her face flushing crimson.

How dare Yun Shu humiliate me like this!

If she ever speaks to me again, I’ll ignore her!

Yun Shu couldn’t care less about the favor of anyone except Xie Tang.

Besides, she had more pressing matters at hand—preparing for the final exams.

The exams themselves weren’t the terrifying part; it was the fact that first-year students still had to study advanced calculus, and Yun Shu was a poor liberal arts student.

Throughout high school, she had juggled work and studies, barely scraping by with a second-tier university admission. Her overall grades relied entirely on her humanities scores, while her math score on the college entrance exam was a laughable 59 points.

But Capital University was full of academic elites, and the course pace was relentless. Yun Shu found it almost impossible to avoid being at the bottom of the class.

Staring at the screen filled with incomprehensible symbols, she felt like the sky was about to fall. She wanted to cry, but no tears would come.

She was going to be expelled for failing her remedial courses.

Yun Shu was relentlessly tortured until midnight.

Rubbing her exhausted brain, she began to ponder another pressing problem: where exactly was the “Old Spot” she had agreed to meet Xie Tang at?

Yun Shu felt like she could compete on the “Brainiest” show after this book transmigration.

She devised a plan: wait outside Xie Tang’s classroom like a rabbit lying in wait!

The Original Host’s phone contained Xie Tang’s class schedule. Xie Tang had a full morning of classes today, so Yun Shu could secretly follow her and then “casually” appear!

Yun Shu was impressed by her own cleverness!

The thought of seeing Xie Tang soon made her feel suddenly light and buoyant. She tossed aside her worries about the academic challenges and began humming softly as she tidied her books.

The other students were gradually leaving the classroom. Just as Yun Shu was about to leave, someone called out, “Hey.”

Xia Yan glared at her, her tone haughty. “Where’s my cupcake?”

Yun Shu looked bewildered. “What little cake?”

Xia Yan, infuriated, repeated patiently, “You promised yesterday you’d bring me a little cake today.”

Yun Shu’s brow furrowed. Her patience with this girl had worn thin. “I have things to do. If you want cake, go buy it yourself.”

Not just Xia Yan, but the others nearby gradually slowed their pace.

After all, who at Capital University didn’t know about the love-hate drama between Yun Shu, Xie Tang, and Xia Yan?

The old Yun Shu used to do whatever Xia Yan asked. Though she was notoriously rude and short-tempered with everyone else, she spoke to Xia Yan in gentle, soothing tones. If Xia Yan had announced she was entering the entertainment industry tomorrow, Yun Shu would have invested in her.

But today… Yun Shu seemed like a completely different person overnight.

Her usual flamboyant makeup was gone. Today, she wore no heavy makeup or extravagant clothes, just a simple short-sleeved shirt and loose wide-leg pants, her hair tied back. She looked surprisingly… clean and beautiful, like a normal person.

Yun Shu had no time to care about their reactions. Grabbing her book, she hurried out.

All she wanted now was to see Xie Tang.

Yun Shu still remembered her promise to Xie Tang.

But this was her first time at Capital University, and she hadn’t yet figured out the layout of the academic buildings, let alone navigate the peak rush hour after classes.

By the time she reached Xie Tang’s classroom door, most of the students had already dispersed.

Yun Shu stopped, feeling utterly dejected.

Xie Tang had undoubtedly left long ago.

The campus was so vast, and she didn’t even know where their “Old Spot” was.

Had Xie Tang been waiting for her for ages, getting dizzy in the sun?

Or would she be angry that Yun Shu had taken so long?

Before Yun Shu could fully wallow in her disappointment, she suddenly spotted Xie Tang still in the classroom!

Xie Tang was just putting away her black pen and calmly organizing her textbooks.

Yun Shu’s eyes lit up.

She quickly turned sideways to avoid being seen, planning to quietly follow Xie Tang when she came out.

Inside the classroom, Xie Tang’s gaze flickered slightly, and a faint smile curved her lips.

This clueless fool who’d appeared out of nowhere… she’s actually quite amusing.