Scumbag A's Plan to Save the Heroine - Chapter 45

“Do you know how to dance?”

On Ruan Ye’s first day at Noadon Academy, when the dance teacher asked her this question, she froze, unsure how to respond.

Yes or no?

She couldn’t give a definitive answer. Long ago, she had taken dance lessons with a private tutor, but the lessons were abandoned halfway through when war broke out.

Whenever she recalled the dance teacher’s regretful gaze, cracks would appear in the ice that had frozen her heart in the past. Deep within her soul, she still harbored regrets and resentment.

The evening was quiet.

Outside the apartment complex, the crisp chirping of cicadas and the sounds of people passing by occasionally drifted in. This highly private apartment, located in the Federation’s affluent district, was where Zhi Qiu’s bodyguard had brought her.

Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the girl leaning against the sill. Her raven-black hair cascaded naturally, shimmering under the lunar glow. She appeared languid and carefree, but a closer look would reveal the anxiety hidden deep within her.

Tomorrow was the ball.

The girl rested her hand on the mahogany table, her thick, raven-black lashes drooping to conceal her weary gray eyes. Her head occasionally bobbed, rising and falling as she drifted into a drowsy state.

It began to rain.

The sound of raindrops gradually intensified, driving pedestrians off the streets like a worried mother urging her children home to warmth and dryness.

The northwest wind, like a shepherd, relentlessly herded the falling droplets against the windows of tall buildings, helping them find their true destination.

The sudden chill jolted the half-asleep girl awake.

Though her drowsiness had reached an unbearable point, Ruan Ye forced her eyes open. Her first act upon waking was to carefully adjust her hair. Despite her exhaustion, her face remained as impeccably made-up as when she had first applied it, though her eyelids kept drooping, her eyes narrowing to barely visible slits.

The long night stretched endlessly before her.

Ruan Ye stubbornly glanced at the clock before reaching for the stimulant on her left. It would help her stay alert through the night without ruining her makeup.

Tearing open the packet of instant herbal coffee, the bitter, medicinal aroma transferred from the pouch to the cup, eventually mingling with the steam to fill the air.

Ding-dong. The vibration of her phone blended with the clinking of the spoon against the ceramic cup, causing Ruan Ye to momentarily miss the notification.

It wasn’t until her phone vibrated twice more that she finally opened the interface to check the messages.

Zhi Qiu: See you tomorrow.

Zhi Qiu: It’s raining outside. Remember to close the windows tightly so you don’t catch a cold.

What’s with this?

The previous message in their chat was still from last week.

That day, she couldn’t resist sending Zhi Qiu a text asking why she hadn’t been coming to class. For the next few days, she kept checking her phone, but her message had vanished without a trace.

I should be angry.

The girl tilted her head slightly away from the window, ignoring the noisy raindrops outside. Her expression remained neutral, but the corners of her lips unconsciously curved upward. Clutching her phone in both hands, she repeatedly tapped the keyboard with her thumbs, typing and deleting countless words without managing to compose a single message she could send.

Why haven’t you been coming to class lately? Are you seriously ill?

Too nagging.

It’s raining heavily outside. The roads are slippery, so be careful when you come tomorrow.

Too bossy?

Okay!

Too unnatural!

Meanwhile, on the other side of the conversation, Zhi Qiu lay on her bed at home, holding her phone up in confusion. She had been staring at the chat window for a full ten minutes, the “typing…” indicator flashing persistently, yet no message ever arrived.

She logged in, logged out, and refreshed repeatedly, but still received no messages. The situation was so bizarre she began to suspect the developer’s app was malfunctioning.

The Zhi Family villa was always quiet.

The master bedroom was separated from the servants’ quarters, Zhi Ze’en often stayed at the company, and the female lead flew abroad daily. As a result, the sprawling villa typically housed only a few people, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Unfortunately, this tranquility didn’t extend to Zhi Qiu’s room, where she had a noisy companion.

Today, the Truth System had transformed into a plush pillow, lounging comfortably on her bed. If the pillow had legs, it would undoubtedly be propped up with one leg crossed over the other, a cigarette dangling from its mouth, observing the scene with detached amusement.

Seeing Zhi Qiu’s conflicted expression, the Truth System waved dismissively and scoffed, “Oh, you’ll see her tomorrow anyway! Why bother messaging now? You managed to resist replying to all those messages she sent you before, but now that you’re about to meet her, you’re suddenly impatient? Aren’t you worried Ruan Ye might find out about your plan to publicly confess at the ball? Wouldn’t all our preparations these past few days be for nothing?”

The girl lying on the bed silently rolled her eyes, ignoring the clamoring voices around her as she stubbornly stared at the chat window, as if determined to get an answer.

The Truth System sighed, put down the virtual game console in its virtual machine, and turned to comfort its host, whose emotional intelligence was truly… remarkable.

One glance.

Just one glance.

All the carefully prepared words in the System’s mind died before they could be spoken. It couldn’t say a thing.

Zhi Qiu’s appearance made the Truth System frown. Even with all the tasks she’d handled and the meticulously planned arrangements she’d made over the past few weeks, she shouldn’t have become this gaunt.

Her already pale face was now as white as paper, as if it would tear at the slightest touch.

The Truth System’s heart skipped a beat. A sense of foreboding sent goosebumps prickling across its body. It gently suggested, “Even though the ball is tomorrow, shouldn’t you get a medical checkup now? I’m genuinely worried you might faint on the spot in your current condition.”

Under a clear, boundless sky, the streets buzzed with traffic.

Inside the office building, the sharp click of high heels against the floor mingled with the furious reprimands of a senior executive, sending waves of panic through the entire company.

The woman wore a crisp black blazer over a white Persian skirt, the contrast adding to her elegant severity.

Though her makeup was flawless, her skin porcelain white, and her lips a vibrant crimson, no one dared to meet her gaze. Her gray eyes burned with fury.

“Are you all a bunch of useless fools?! I pay you exorbitant salaries just to monitor a few security cameras, and you can’t even manage that!”

Ruan Ning’s hand trembled violently as she clutched the hospital’s critical condition report. She gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, and forced each word through the gaps between her clenched jaws.

“Get to the hospital now!”