Pretending to Be a Scumbag A, But Being Targeted by a Paranoid O - Chapter 9

Yun Shu froze completely.

 

Her face flushed crimson, her heart pounding uncontrollably, yet she deliberately maintained a stern expression as she asked, “Didn’t I tell you to leave?”

 

Xie Tang ignored Yun Shu’s embarrassed blush and deliberately asked, “So, should I leave now?”

 

“Wait.”

 

Yun Shu frowned and stopped her, her gaze fixed on Xie Tang’s slender wrist. “It’s all your fault for waking me up.”

 

Xie Tang had long learned to ignore Yun Shu’s sharp words, knowing she often hid her true feelings behind a facade of irritation.

 

Yun Shu, determined to maintain the Original Host’s villainous persona, lifted her chin imperiously. “Go make me breakfast.”

 

Xie Tang raised an eyebrow slightly, and Yun Shu’s commanding air instantly crumbled. “Is that… is that okay?”

 

The System facepalmed. Host, are we still sticking to the character?

 

Yun Shu doubled down, her voice fierce. “I only like women who are skilled and capable!”

 

Xie Tang glanced at her sideways, deliberately asking, “What if I can’t?”

 

Yun Shu: O.O

 

Huh?

 

Yun Shu’s expression froze. She blurted out the answer she knew Xie Tang feared most: “Then I won’t like you anymore.”

 

After saying this, Yun Shu felt a pang of guilt. Had she gone too far? Was it wrong to threaten Xie Tang with her grandmother’s medical expenses?

 

At that moment, Xie Tang finally realized: Yun Shu was truly clueless.

 

Even her threats were clumsy.

 

How could this girl possibly survive in the Yun Family without being bullied? she wondered, bored.

 

But when her gaze landed on the bandage on Yun Shu’s forehead, she felt her suspicions were spot-on.

 

Noticing Xie Tang’s stare, Yun Shu asked nervously, “What is it?”

 

Xie Tang smiled. “Nothing. I just noticed your cold seems to be getting better quickly.”

 

Hearing this, Yun Shu immediately covered her mouth and started coughing again. She turned away, hacking, and said, “I’m going to wash up… Make sure you’re done before I get back!”

 

Only after retreating to the bathroom did Yun Shu feel the air was no longer suffocating. She whispered to the System, “That was close! I almost got caught.”

 

The System had been about to gently tease Yun Shu about her clumsy acting, but when it saw Xie Tang’s current Blackening Value, it was stunned.

 

It had dropped another 2%!

 

Could it be that the one who doesn’t understand acting is me?

 

Yun Shu quickly washed up, then unwrapped the gauze, her voice genuinely surprised. “Wow, it’s healing so fast!”

 

In the past, when she’d left her wounds to heal on their own, it had taken several days for them to close.

 

The System fell silent, wanting to say something but then shutting its mouth.

 

It seemed no one had ever taught its Host the proper way to care for injuries.

 

To give Xie Tang more time to prepare, Yun Shu lingered in her room a while longer before heading to the main hall.

 

Xie Tang had already prepared breakfast: a bowl of clear broth noodles and a fruit platter arranged beside it.

 

Yun Shu glanced at the spread and asked, “What about yours?”

 

Xie Tang replied calmly, “I’ve already eaten.”

 

Yun Shu finally sat down, her attention drawn to the fruit. She speared a piece of apple with her fork, but before she could bring it to her mouth, Xie Tang said, “Have you forgotten? You’re allergic to that.”

 

Yun Shu: “…”

 

She instinctively put down the apple slice and stammered, “Can’t I just look?”

 

Xie Tang chuckled softly. “Is that all?”

 

Yun Shu’s heart pounded wildly, terrified Xie Tang might have seen through her. She quickly lowered her head and began eating her noodles.

 

She had always been easy to please when it came to food, never picky at all. Xie Tang’s cooking was also quite good, leaving Yun Shu feeling slightly unsatisfied even after finishing her noodles. She ended up spearing a few small peach slices and nibbling on them.

 

Xie Tang observed Yun Shu’s little gestures, the panic from seeing the news abruptly vanishing.

 

As long as this ditz stays alive, that’s all that matters.

 

As for…

 

Xie Tang’s gaze lingered on Yun Shu’s still-healing wound, her lips pressing into a thin line.

 

After finishing her meal, Yun Shu suddenly felt restless.

 

What should I do next?

 

If she were the Original Host, she might have pinned Xie Tang in a corner and kissed her, or made her wear revealing clothes and do… things. But… but Yun Shu didn’t know how to do any of that! TT

 

And how could she dare do such things to Xie Tang? What if it increased her Blackening Value and ruined all her efforts?

 

What other truly wicked methods could she use?

 

Yun Shu bit her lip.

 

Suddenly, her eyes lit up.

 

I’ve got it!

 

“Xie Tang,” Yun Shu said, lifting her chin proudly, “you’re watching a movie with me today.”

 

She emphasized her words, deliberately stressing, “A super, super scary horror movie.”

 

The Yun Family villa had a screening room indistinguishable from a small cinema.

 

Yun Shu drew the curtains, plunging the room into complete darkness, and deliberately dragged Xie Tang to the front row.

 

If I’m going to be the villain, I’ll commit to it!

 

The final rule of villainy: Deliver a villainous declaration.

 

Yun Shu, thinking she sounded truly wicked, declared, “If you get scared, I won’t pause the movie.”

 

Xie Tang glanced at her and murmured a soft “Mm.”

 

The movie started quickly.

 

The opening scene showed the protagonists gathered in a circle, each slicing their finger and dripping bl00d into a newly assembled bowl.

 

Yun Shu could still tolerate this, but her delicate brows furrowed slightly. That looks so painful…

 

Xie Tang silently observed her small expressions and movements.

 

At first, Yun Shu managed to maintain a semblance of composure. But as the protagonists began encountering ghosts, her fear became palpable.

 

Xie Tang felt the person who had been putting on a show just moments ago suddenly lean closer, her skin soft and warm. Yun Shu swallowed nervously, wanting to close her eyes but afraid Xie Tang would notice.

 

As the protagonist walked toward the bathroom, she suddenly noticed a female ghost in blue clothes crawling out of the toilet with a creaking sound.

 

Yun Shu broke out in a cold sweat, instinctively grabbing Xie Tang’s hand and huddling closer to her.

 

The System nearly couldn’t bear to watch. It warned: Character!

 

Yun Shu was on the verge of tears, yet she stammered, “A-are you… are you scared?”

 

Xie Tang, completely unfazed, remained silent.

 

Whether she was frightened or not was unclear, but the girl beside her was clearly terrified.

 

Xie Tang reluctantly replied, “A little, I guess.”

 

Yun Shu swallowed hard and glanced up at her. “Since you’re so scared, maybe we should watch something else?”

 

Xie Tang turned to look at her. Though she held the power to decide, Yun Shu seemed clueless about how to use her privilege.

 

Her beautiful eyes were filled with fear and pleading, making it seem as if Xie Tang were the one in charge.

 

This girl is too easy to bully.

 

But remembering Yun Shu’s humiliation at Xia Yan’s birthday party the previous day, Xie Tang decided not to tease her further. “Alright.”

 

Yun Shu finally exhaled in relief. “What do you want to watch then?”

 

“Anything is fine,” Xie Tang replied.

 

Yun Shu’s heart leaped with joy. She reached for the remote, only to realize her hand was tightly gripping Xie Tang’s.

 

Yun Shu froze instantly.

 

Xie Tang’s palm was slightly calloused, about the same size as her own.

 

Wait! Why am I holding Xie Tang’s hand?!

 

Yun Shu’s face flushed crimson. She had never held a girl’s hand before.

 

Flustered, she yanked her hand away. “I… I’ll pick something else.”

 

The warm, soft sensation vanished from Xie Tang’s hand. She expressionlessly rubbed her fingertips together for a moment.

 

“Okay.”

 

This time, Yun Shu chose an art film. She claimed it was for Xie Tang’s sake, but secretly she was just too afraid to watch horror movies herself.

 

The plot was simple: two girls fall in love in high school, break up, and eventually reconcile.

 

Yun Shu curled up on the sofa, clutching a pillow and watching intently. By the time the couple separated onscreen, she was secretly shedding tears.

 

The System had meant to remind her not to break character, but it was too busy sobbing over the plot itself.

 

Yun Shu cried silently, pressing her lips tightly together and furtively wiping tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. Sometimes she even covered half her face with her hand, trying to hide her tears from Xie Tang.

 

But her shoulders still trembled with each sob.

 

Even then, Yun Shu found time to be grateful she wasn’t sniffling.

 

Otherwise, she’d definitely notice! Waaah!

 

What a crybaby with such a low tear threshold.

 

Xie Tang sighed quietly.

 

The movie was long, clocking in at two and a half hours. The final half-hour was dedicated to the sweet romance that blossomed after the protagonists reunited.

 

Yun Shu, exhausted from crying, suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her.

 

Logically, the horror film should have left her deeply traumatized. But her calf was pressed against Xie Tang’s, and she could even catch the faint, reassuring scent emanating from Xie Tang.

 

After a moment of sluggish deliberation, Yun Shu told herself: I can’t sleep.

 

I can’t…

 

I can…

 

She slowly closed her eyes.

 

By the time the movie ended, Yun Shu had completely sunk into the throw pillow, fast asleep.

 

When she slept, Yun Shu dropped all her defenses. The usual facade of ruthlessness and arrogance vanished completely, leaving behind only unmasked docility.

 

Xie Tang turned her head and gazed at Yun Shu for a long time.

 

While Yun Shu slept, the System remained vigilant, observing Xie Tang’s every move.

 

It watched as Xie Tang first stared coldly at Yun Shu for an extended period, then leaned down slightly, her dark hair brushing against Yun Shu’s cheek.

 

The System instantly went on high alert. What was Xie Tang planning? Was she going to kill its Host?

 

Then it saw Xie Tang poke Yun Shu’s cheek, her voice carrying a hint of tenderness mixed with nonchalance. “She’s quite well-behaved when she’s asleep.”

 

The System: …?

 

Utterly bewildered.

 

The current plot had completely escaped its control.

 

No, the world had begun to deviate from the moment Yun Shu made her initial choices.

 

Before this, the System had clearly known Xie Tang’s key life events and Blackening Value triggers. But now… it was like a final exam with no textbook to study.

 

Xie Tang had never treated Yun Shu this way before.

 

Unaware of the virtual System monitoring her every move, Xie Tang’s gaze finally settled on Yun Shu’s bruised and scraped skin, and her eyes, swollen and red from crying.

 

Xie Tang frowned, suddenly struck by an eerie sense of familiarity.

 

It was as if, many years ago, another child had cried just like this—crying so pitifully.