The Frail, Alluring O Always Wants Me to Mark Her (GL) - Chapter 12: 012

As the last word fell, Zhou Yang said nothing more, but this silence allowed for ample time for people to speculate, brimming with malice.

Li Nian opened her mouth to curse, but a voice fell before hers: “So what?”

Yan Mian closed the book in her hands and looked at Zhou Yang: “Even if Zhu Lexing and I have a so-called unspeakable relationship.”

“How does that concern you?”

Zhou Yang had long known of Yan Mian’s reputation as a “punching bag” and was stunned that she would respond this way.

As for how it concerned him, it didn’t—he was simply jealous.

Jealous that he wasn’t the one Zhu Lexing chose.

Zhou Yang said with disdain, “I was just saying what’s fair. On the other hand, by saying that, are you admitting that you got in through the back door?”

“The back door?” Yan Mian retorted. “Besides you, who would think a role requires getting in through the back door?”

“According to your logic, there are plenty of people more talented than you in Class 4. Does your presence here also mean you have an unspeakable relationship with them?”

“Otherwise, why would they give up their spot and let you in?”

Her voice was steady and her words were clear. In just a few sentences, Zhou Yang’s face turned red. He said angrily, “What are you trying to say?”

“Isn’t that your logic?” Li Nian finally came to her senses and immediately jumped in. “What, you can’t handle it when someone uses the same words on you? You’re not even playing a prince, but you have ‘prince syndrome’—”

Before Zhou Yang could retort, a playful whistle ended the farce.

Qiao Qiao shook the notebook in her hand, smiling brightly: “Didn’t the school say no pets were allowed? How come I keep hearing dogs barking outside?”

The expressions of those who had just spoken turned pale with rage. No one knew who Qiao Qiao was referring to.

But Yan Mian only saw Zhu Lexing.

The girl’s expression was calm, making it hard to tell if she was good or bad, but it felt like a storm was brewing.

If Zhou Yang had only been talking about her, Yan Mian probably wouldn’t have fought back. She was used to enduring things, and enduring Zhou Yang’s nonsense one more time was no big deal.

But when he started making up stories about her and Zhu Lexing, and even dragged in Li Nian, she suddenly felt a string of reason snap.

Zhou Yang still thought Qiao Qiao was going to stand up for him and was about to speak, but Qiao Qiao said again, “Yan Mian? Li Nian? Do you know who brought a dog in?”

Qiao Qiao smiled and pointed to the people who had spoken.

The only one left out was Zhou Yang.

Combined with her previous words, the one not named was, naturally, “the dog.”

Before they could answer, Zhou Yang had already figured out her stance and said angrily, “Qiao Qiao, what do you mean?”

“I heard it again,” Qiao Qiao sighed, completely unbothered by his outburst. “Where did this barking dog come from? Was it not taught at home? And it keeps repeating the same sentence. Seems like its education level isn’t very high.”

Remembering her identity, Zhou Yang didn’t dare to confront her directly. He could only endure it and look at Zhu Lexing, hoping she would speak up for him.

At this point, his dignity was already gone, but saving a little was better than nothing.

Zhu Lexing, however, didn’t pay him any mind. Instead, she asked the others, “Besides him, does anyone else think my role assignment is unfair?”

In the crowd, Xu He yawned carelessly.

Zhu Lexing nodded: “Looks like no one does.”

“I have always been very democratic. If you don’t want to accept my arrangements—”

“Then please leave this team.”

Zhou Yang’s hopeful expression froze on his face.

Zhu Lexing’s tone was calm: “I don’t need team members who won’t cooperate with a schedule. If the cooperation isn’t pleasant, then there’s no need to cooperate.”

“You—”

“Stop with the ‘you’ and ‘I’ already.” Qiao Qiao found Zhu Lexing’s words increasingly flowery and said impatiently, “Can’t you understand? Let me translate for you: You’re not needed. Now, and immediately, get lost.”

Zhu Lexing said casually, “Anyone who thinks he’s pitiful or that he’s right can also leave with him.”

Zhou Yang’s eyes were filled with disbelief: “Why?”

He asked Zhu Lexing, so Qiao Qiao didn’t interject.

Zhu Lexing pondered for a few seconds and said, “Of course, it’s because I practice favoritism and like to make my classmates the leads. Isn’t that what you wanted to hear, to satisfy your twisted curiosity? I told you, are you satisfied?”

Zhou Yang left… smoothly, suddenly, and with no one caring.

But Yan Mian still couldn’t recover.

This was the first time Zhu Lexing hadn’t mocked, slandered, or ridiculed her in front of others. She had defended her.

Around her were other people’s laughter. Zhu Lexing was sketching and writing in her notebook, but she also kept thinking about that scene.

The backstage area was just a wall away.

Zhu Lexing didn’t need the system to hear Zhou Yang’s voice.

She was so angry her body trembled. Her first instinct was to turn around and vent her anger for Yan Mian.

But just as she was about to open the door, Yan Mian spoke.

If Zhou Yang’s words were subtle slander aimed at inciting trouble, Yan Mian was an unceremonious person who grabbed him and made him her target, sharp-tongued and highly aggressive, completely unlike her usual calm and indifferent personality.

The hand on the door paused in mid-air.

Zhu Lexing was a little surprised at first, but after thinking about it, Yan Mian was always this kind of person—decisive and tough on herself. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had her scent gland removed later in the story and actively escaped the Zhu family.

However, in the original work, Yan Mian had too many weaknesses, leaving her too few opportunities to be brave. Only when she lost everything did she have a chance to truly be herself.

After figuring this out, Zhu Lexing felt that this was better.

This was the Yan Mian she wanted to see.

Today’s comments section was filled with “?”.

It was only in this chapter that readers truly dared to believe that “Zhu Lexing” had genuinely transformed from a scumbag into a “pure love war god,” fighting for love and going crazy for it.

The character’s “persona collapse” had already increased to 10% a few days ago, and in just one day, it instantly soared from 10% to 30%.

She was only a step away from being shocked, but Zhu Lexing was not panicking at all.

As soon as she discovered the system’s [persona collapse] setting, she began to think about how to exploit the loophole.

What did persona collapse mean?

“Zhu Lexing’s” persona, at its core, was that of a neurotic scumbag Alpha. She had no morals and didn’t care about any other characters. In short, she was human trash.

Human trash suddenly becoming affectionate or sunny and cheerful was considered a persona collapse.

But what if the human trash suddenly gained a little humanity, gradually corrected their personality, and changed their behavior, subtly telling the public that “Zhu Lexing” was truly reformed, and building up her “good” side with concrete actions?

Would that still be considered a persona collapse?

Certainly, some people would think “Zhu Lexing’s” persona had collapsed no matter what.

But as long as half or more of the readers felt that the persona hadn’t collapsed, or gradually accepted this new one, Zhu Lexing could keep the collapse rate within a safe range.

Maybe when enough people liked her, the collapse rate would even decrease.

It was all the best-case scenario. To put it bluntly, it was a gamble. Zhu Lexing didn’t know if she was betting right, but since she was alone on this narrow path, she might as well try everything.

If it succeeded, one more way to die would be eliminated.

Yan Mian’s favorability rating remained a steady [-1000]. Clearly, Zhu Lexing’s recent actions hadn’t swayed Yan Mian’s heart.

This was easy to understand, and Zhu Lexing wasn’t surprised. Before closing the interface, she casually checked her lifespan and was surprised to find that her death date had been postponed by twenty days.

The system explained: [When the Host’s words and actions are beneficial to Yan Mian or those around her, the Host’s lifespan will be extended accordingly.]

In Zhu Lexing’s eyes, she had only driven away a piece of foul-mouthed trash.

But in Yan Mian’s eyes, even if she hated Zhu Lexing, she would still remember Zhu Lexing’s kindness.

Looking at those twenty days of extra life, Zhu Lexing, for the first time, wished Yan Mian wasn’t so “good.”

So good that it was impossible to accept this kindness.

Zhu Lexing spent a day writing the script and another day acquiring props. The first day of official rehearsal was just three days before the school anniversary.

To respect the original work, Zhu Lexing didn’t drastically change “Snow White” into “Rebirth of Snow White.” She simply added more of the princess’s growth arc to the main plot, making the magic mirror rebel and become Snow White’s “weapon” and a tool.

With her character having abilities, she would naturally no longer be a beautiful and pitiable dependent as she was in the original story.

As for her own “prince” role, Zhu Lexing pondered for a few seconds and wrote the character as a socially anxious medieval prince, silent and with only three lines of dialogue. All other thoughts would be conveyed by her aides.

This way, she could be with Yan Mian at all times, ensuring her safety, and because her lines were minimal, it wouldn’t make Yan Mian feel awkward.

A win-win!

Yan Mian, upon receiving the script, could see Zhu Lexing’s blatant “bias.”

But with the lesson of Zhou Yang, most of the others dutifully played their roles. Xu He was a little unhappy, so Zhu Lexing swapped her character with the guard who complained about having too many lines.

Another win-win.

Yan Mian had an excellent memory. After reading the script twice, she had already memorized it all. She wanted to use the extra time for her studies. After a brief chat with Li Nian so as not to worry her, Yan Mian took the script and her homework to the second floor.

The hallway was wide and quiet. Yan Mian had just done a few problems when her phone vibrated. She thought it was a new message, but when she unlocked it, she only saw an advertisement.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs. Yan Mian looked up, and Qiao Qiao was standing not far away.

“Oh,” Qiao Qiao saw the homework on the windowsill behind her, but what she asked was, “A good student using their phone on campus? Well, it’s a break. It’s normal to relax.”

Yan Mian put her phone away: “Is something wrong?”

Qiao Qiao shrugged: “Zhu Lexing went out for a few minutes, came back and saw you weren’t here, and almost blew a gasket—”

Seeing Yan Mian’s calm expression, completely unmoved by her story, Qiao Qiao could only say, “Alright. She saw you weren’t here and asked Li Nian. She heard you were on the second floor, so she sent me to find you.”

Yan Mian’s hand holding her homework paused: “Why didn’t she come herself?”

Qiao Qiao raised an eyebrow: “If Zhu Lexing came, would you still be talking like this? Aren’t you doing homework? Go on, I’ll watch you.”

Qiao Qiao thought Yan Mian would refuse, but in her sight, the girl, after a brief silence, put down her book, grabbed her pen, and began writing and circling seriously.

What a strange person, Qiao Qiao thought.

Just like Zhu Lexing, who knows exactly where Yan Mian is and that Yan Mian is fine, but still sends me to ‘look after’ her until the end of class.

Two strange people.

She had heard rumors about Zhu Lexing and Yan Mian’s relationship.

They weren’t a reconstituted family, but they lived under the same roof, and Yan Mian was a punching bag.

A few days ago, when Zhou Yang spoke from behind the wall, Qiao Qiao had thought Zhu Lexing would pretend she didn’t hear. Just as she was about to leave, bored, Zhu Lexing, without a moment’s hesitation, turned and walked away, and everything she did afterward showed a bias toward Yan Mian.

This made Qiao Qiao feel that something was different.

The information she had received in the past was likely not wrong, but Zhu Lexing’s rapid change was also a fact.

What exactly did Yan Mian do to make Zhu Lexing change? This question had been lingering in Qiao Qiao’s mind for days.

Qiao Qiao tried to ask Zhu Lexing directly, but after a moment of speechless frustration, the other girl bluntly suggested she read more books if she had nothing to do.

Qiao Qiao could only hope to get an answer from Yan Mian.

But Zhu Lexing kept a tight watch on Yan Mian. Either they were surrounded by a group of people, making it difficult to ask for gossip.

This was a rare moment for Yan Mian to be alone.

Qiao Qiao’s gaze was as if a physical presence. Even if Yan Mian felt it, she chose to ignore it.

She guessed that Zhu Lexing had called her here, but as long as Qiao Qiao had no ill intentions, she didn’t want to probe.

Qiao Qiao finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “You and Zhu Lexing—”

In the stairwell, Zhu Lexing had been waiting for twenty minutes.

Yan Mian wasn’t there. She couldn’t focus on anything. After Qiao Qiao left, she followed, timing it carefully.

As soon as Qiao Qiao started to speak, Zhu Lexing remembered their last conversation. Her internal alarm bells went off, and she felt a great sense of unease.

She thought Qiao Qiao had given up on her suspicions about their relationship, which was why she let her be with Yan Mian.

Who knew, it was just a pretense! A surprise attack! A deceit!

A few days were enough for Zhu Lexing to understand that Qiao Qiao was someone with a cool, goddess-like exterior but was foul-mouthed on the inside. Just by imagining a few of Qiao Qiao’s possible questions, she felt a bit of a breakdown. She quickly had the system blast the end-of-class bell at maximum volume.

Qiao Qiao’s question was completely drowned out. Yan Mian, confused, said, “What?”

Neither of them could read the other’s lips. After the bell stopped, Qiao Qiao still yelled, “I said—”

“Haven’t finished your homework yet?”

The female voice appeared at the perfect moment, the timing too coincidental. Both of them were a little stunned.

Zhu Lexing stood on the stairs, her expression as cold and noble as ever, but her gaze was on Qiao Qiao, frowning, as if conveying a message.

Qiao Qiao received Zhu Lexing’s silent warning, clicked her tongue, and was about to leave gracefully, but Yan Mian said, “I’m done.”

“…Qiao Qiao.” She looked at Qiao Qiao and suddenly asked, “What did you want to ask just now?”