The Heartthrob Halo Doesn't Work on the Villain - Chapter 19

Lin Yan, having just finished washing up and settling in for a good night’s sleep, suddenly heard the familiar voice announcing a change in favorability. Her heart leaped to her throat, but the panic quickly subsided. After all, Lou Yubing’s favorability was already so low it was practically off the charts—there was nowhere left for it to fall.

What is she even doing right now? Lin Yan wondered, puzzled. How can she still be thinking of me at this hour?

As she dried her hair, waiting to see if the favorability would plummet back to -99, a single, glaring “0” flashed across her vision, momentarily stunning her.

“What?! The favorability is back up?”

The unexpected news made Lin Yan drop the towel. Ignoring it, she blinked in disbelief as she sat on the bed, hastily summoning 555 from its dormant state.

I’m not sure what’s happening either, 555 replied.

Recently, the Temporal Bureau had inexplicably granted it expanded permissions, causing it to spend most of its time in hibernation, secretly reclaiming these powers. As a result, it had been neglecting Lin Yan’s situation. Although Lou Yubing’s emotional outburst that afternoon had been sudden, Lin Yan had instructed 555 to remain vigilant. Yet, according to the data simulations, no further fluctuations were expected tonight.

Its mechanical mind simply couldn’t comprehend the complexities of human emotions.

Not even 555 could understand them, and neither could Lin Yan. But this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary, the regained favorability points brightened her mood considerably.

As if comforting 555 and herself, Lin Yan stood up again and began searching for the hairdryer.

“Forget it. Overthinking won’t help. That Big Ice Block wouldn’t let me give her the phone, so there’s no way to get anything out of her now. I guess I’ll just do as she said and wait until Monday to talk.”

She had been running around all day, even going to the hospital for an IV drip late at night. She also had plans for tomorrow, so she was exhausted and just wanted a good night’s sleep.

But Lin Yan never expected to encounter Lou Yubing, who had been waiting downstairs for an unknown amount of time, when she went out the next afternoon.

Even standing still, Lou Yubing’s back remained ramrod straight. Her striking height and beauty made her instantly recognizable in any crowd.

At first, Lin Yan didn’t flatter herself by assuming Lou Yubing had come to find her specifically. She thought Lou Yubing was simply passing by and had paused to stand there, still debating whether to approach and say hello. Before she could decide, Lou Yubing took the initiative and approached her.

“Lin Yan.”

Lou Yubing strode forward with long strides, closing the distance in just a few steps.

Perhaps because Lou Yubing was standing too close, or because her actions were so unexpected, Lin Yan instinctively took two steps back. Still, she tilted her head up and put on her usual smile.

“What are you doing here? Were you waiting for me?”

Lin Yan had used this playful tone before. After all, she believed that pursuing someone required shamelessness. Though it had never worked, it was still better than Lou Yubing’s usual icy demeanor.

When Lou Yubing noticed Lin Yan’s retreat, a faint flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes. But when she met Lin Yan’s smiling gaze again, her heart skipped a beat. Instead of her usual sharp retort, her perpetually frozen expression softened, like ice thawing in the spring breeze, and a faint smile bloomed on her face.

“Mm.”

Now it was Lin Yan’s turn to be stunned. She even tapped her wristband, wanting 555 to scan Lou Yubing and see if she, too, had been possessed by an outsider. How else could she have changed so completely overnight?

But 555’s scan confirmed that the Lou Yubing before her was the genuine article, with no trace of a replaced soul.

Still unprepared for mockery, Lin Yan wore a dazed expression. Yet she needed to keep the conversation going, so she asked, “Then why did you come looking for me?”

Lou Yubing froze, as if she hadn’t anticipated the question. She couldn’t simply lay bare her tangled emotions before Lin Yan, but she quickly found a convenient excuse.

“I thought about it last night. I overreacted. You really did miss our appointment due to circumstances beyond your control, and you even came to explain. I shouldn’t have let my anger disrupt your studies today. Since I couldn’t reach you, I decided to come directly and finish this week’s lessons as soon as possible.”

This was the first time Lou Yubing had spoken such a long sentence to Lin Yan, and also the first time she had lied to conceal her true feelings. Though what she said wasn’t entirely false, she swallowed nervously after finishing, her hands still clasped tightly in her lap.

Is she apologizing? She’s definitely apologizing!

Lin Yan was so stunned she couldn’t speak. If she weren’t afraid of breaking character in front of Lou Yubing, she would have pinched her cheek to see if it was someone else in disguise.

But according to Lou Yubing’s explanation, last night’s favorability fluctuation was because this girl had been thinking about this matter?

What a blockhead, a real clam! All my persistence and nagging were useless. Instead, she just brooded under the covers and figured it out herself.

Now, Lou Yubing’s bowed head felt like a complication. Lin Yan had arranged lunch with Jiang Jingfei for noon, and it was already half an hour before the appointment. She had just rushed out the door when her seemingly sincere target had stopped her.

After much deliberation, Lin Yan concluded that her business partner was more important. After all, the villain in this novel was utterly unpredictable, changing her mood daily. Who knew if Lou Yubing might suddenly turn hostile again?

Moreover, this was Lin Yan’s first meeting with Jiang Jingfei. If she were to arrive late or stand her up, it would undoubtedly leave a terrible impression.

With no time to spare, Lin Yan had no choice but to skip explaining to Lou Yubing. The driver was already waiting downstairs. She lowered her gaze and gently squeezed Lou Yubing’s fingertips.

“I’m so glad you listened to my explanation. But I have urgent matters to attend to right now, so I can’t accept your tutoring. I’ll be back soon, and I’ll come find you the moment I return.”

Another urgent matter?

Lou Yubing hadn’t fully processed the words. By the time she reached out to stop Lin Yan, hoping to at least ask a few more questions, the lovely girl had already turned away like a butterfly, gracefully fluttering toward the black sedan parked nearby. Only then did Lou Yubing notice that Lin Yan wasn’t wearing her usual school uniform but had changed into an exquisite little dress, as if she were going to meet someone very important.

The thought flashed through Lou Yubing’s mind as she watched the black sedan disappear into the distance. She stared after it for a long while, only tearing her gaze away when it was completely out of sight. Lou Yubing didn’t want to go back. Since Lin Yan had said she’d return soon, she would wait here. After all, she couldn’t think of anything else to do. Normally, she would take on part-time jobs during breaks, but for the past two weeks, Saturdays and Sundays had been reserved for Lin Yan’s tutoring. Yesterday, she had spent the entire day in the study hall, but now, looking back, she realized she hadn’t managed to focus on her studies at all, only growing increasingly frustrated.

The school cafeteria remained open on weekends. After a hurried lunch, Lou Yubing returned to her stakeout spot near Luyuan Building. The sun was already starting to burn fiercely, with cool mornings and evenings but stifling heat during the day. To escape the sun and ease her aching legs from standing for so long, she shifted her position, settling on the stone steps in front of the main hall.

Two or three hours passed. The hope in Lou Yubing’s eyes gradually faded into a faint disappointment. But before she could see Lin Yan again, she ran into the person she least wanted to encounter at that moment.

The surgery was a success. The doctor said that with proper rest, the patient would recover quickly. This news shone like dawn on the Xia family, and Xia Qiyu felt a wave of relief wash over her. Remembering her promise to Lin Yan from the previous night, she informed her adoptive father and hurried to the supermarket.

Lin Yan had indeed prepared plenty of ingredients, but perhaps due to her lack of cooking experience, she had overlooked several essential seasonings. With ample time before dinner, Qiyu had plenty of time to prepare.

However, as she rushed back to the dormitory, she encountered an unexpected person downstairs.

“Yubing?”

Having left in a hurry yesterday and only returning from the hospital today, Qiyu suddenly remembered she had forgotten to explain her dorm move to Lou Yubing. While technically it was her personal matter, given Lin Yan’s involvement, Qiyu felt obligated to clarify things.

Before Qiyu could speak, Lou Yubing glared at her with undisguised hostility, her usual detached demeanor completely gone.

Confused by this sudden animosity, Qiyu froze momentarily. Her hands were full of bags—groceries from the supermarket and belongings from the hospital—and this was hardly the place for a serious conversation.

“Would you like to come up and sit for a while? I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”

Xia Qiyu’s demeanor was that of a hostess, and Lou Yubing initially wanted to refuse. But a part of her secretly wanted to confirm whether Xia Qiyu was living with Lin Yan. Besides, Xia Qiyu had said she wanted to talk.

Following Xia Qiyu into the elevator, they rode up to the tenth floor. Lou Yubing watched as Xia Qiyu swiped her access card to open a room. A dormitory roster was indeed posted on the door, along with the school’s emergency contact number. Lin Yan’s name was prominently printed at the top, and below it, Xia Qiyu’s name had been newly added in handwriting. Peeking into the entryway, Lou Yubing saw two pairs of slippers—one yellow, one green—likely the same style but more like matching couple’s slippers.

This realization dimmed Lou Yubing’s spirits considerably. Li Jia’s words from the previous night weren’t just empty threats; they were being confirmed one by one. All her overthinking yesterday had led to nothing more than wanting to see Lin Yan, hoping she would eagerly explain herself as before. Instead, she had only seen Lin Yan rush away. Now, through Xia Qiyu, she was confronted with these facts, and her heart instantly recoiled. She wanted to retreat, to desert, but the woman who had just entered the room called out to her.

“Yubing, aren’t you coming in?”