Today I Will Also Be the Male Protagonist’s Rival - Chapter 56

“Su Yu?”

Huo Shu pressed her lips together, her steps pausing unconsciously.

Compared to a few days ago, she seemed to have lost some weight—though it might’ve just been her imagination.

Sensing something, those beautiful yet indifferent eyes glanced over casually. Then, Su Yu stood up and said lazily, “Director, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back first.”

The discipline director was angered by her attitude and slammed the table. “You… clearly have no respect for school rules. Just for this instance of plagiarism alone, I could expel you. Believe it or not?”

Su Yu responded with a calm “Mm,” straightened up, and said, “Then go ahead and expel me.”

“You…”

“She’s making it up, please don’t believe her.”

Huo Shu clenched her fists and knocked on the door before entering the office. Word by word, she said, “I came here today to report something. Su Yu did not cheat. I don’t know whose rumor you heard, but I was sitting right behind her during the exam. I can testify.”

“She scored that result all by herself—without any outside help.”

Seeing her, the director was momentarily stunned. “Huo Shu, don’t speak recklessly. This is a serious matter.”

He adjusted his glasses and said sternly, “You’ll have to take responsibility for your words. Many students reported her for cheating. We confirmed it after conducting an investigation.”

“May I ask, specifically, how did you investigate?”

That question clearly displeased the director, but considering that the student before him was a top performer, he softened slightly.

“We looked into her academic records at her previous school and compared them with her current results.”

“Sir, past performance doesn’t determine everything. Isn’t a student allowed to improve?”

Huo Shu clenched her fists again and asked, “Did you check the surveillance footage?”

The director cleared his throat and said, “Huo Shu, you have to understand—surveillance footage is a dead object.”

He didn’t finish, but Huo Shu understood what he meant. He didn’t believe Su Yu in the first place. Even if the footage showed nothing suspicious, he still wouldn’t believe she hadn’t cheated.

She turned her head. The girl played casually with her keys, looking lazy and disinterested.

Huo Shu suddenly felt a wave of sadness.

Su Yu must feel terrible being so wrongly accused.

She bit her lip and suggested, “Sir, if you want to verify her grades, just give her another test of equal difficulty.”

“We’re not trying to wrong any student, but Su Yu is not cooperating.”

The director’s face darkened, his tone turning hostile. “We’ve already had teachers call her before, but she never picked up. That alone proves she’s guilty.”

Huo Shu froze for a moment and asked, “Why didn’t you answer the phone?”

The girl yawned, sounding listless. “Didn’t see it.”

The director’s face grew even darker. “You—”

“Sir, let me talk to her for a bit. We’ll come back in a moment.”

Huo Shu pulled her out and didn’t stop until they reached the end of the corridor.

She turned around and asked seriously, “Why are you giving up on yourself?”

The girl tilted her head and stayed silent. A slender, pale neck was exposed as she tucked her soft, short hair behind her ear, her delicate jawline becoming even more striking.

Huo Shu grew frustrated, her voice rising, “Why are you giving up on yourself, Su Yu? Answer me.”

Wearing her school uniform and already looking sweet and docile, Su Yu now resembled a kitten baring its teeth—more adorable than threatening.

Su Yu was slightly taken aback and said hoarsely, “You don’t care whether I live or die, so why ask?”

Her voice was low, tinged with the sorrow of being abandoned.

Huo Shu was stunned for three seconds, then blushed slightly and scolded softly, “That’s a separate matter. First tell me—why didn’t you answer the phone?”

She did care whether Su Yu lived or died. This girl was just twisting things around.

“Don’t care about me anymore, Huo Shu.”

Su Yu lowered her head and said softly, “If you keep caring, it’ll just make me overthink. If you don’t like me, then stop messing with my feelings, okay?”

Huo Shu froze on the spot.

She… still hadn’t given up?

She bit her lip, a little helpless. How could she just walk away from this?

Su Yu only set the goal of ranking in the top twenty because of her. It might’ve been just a casual remark from Huo Shu, but Su Yu had taken it seriously.

She succeeded—and then got slandered. How could Huo Shu turn a blind eye?

But Su Yu’s words now left her feeling cornered.

After a long silence, she looked up and almost pleaded, “Su Yu, please don’t make this harder for me.”

“Then stop caring about me.”

The girl turned away, her voice trembling slightly. “If you stop caring, I won’t trouble you.”

“You said you wouldn’t bother with me, then don’t for the rest of your life. Whether I live or die has nothing to do with you. You don’t need to fight the director on my behalf—it’s not worth it.”

Huo Shu grew increasingly exasperated, her cheeks flushing. “Su Yu…”

She knew she couldn’t just watch Su Yu be treated like this—and yet, this girl kept saying such hurtful things.

She bit her lip and softened her tone, “Su Yu, listen to me…”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

Su Yu took a step back and cut her off, saying quietly, “Huo Shu, if you want to keep your distance from me, then stay cold-hearted for life. Because if you give me even the tiniest hope, I’ll never be able to let go of you.”

Huo Shu was stunned.

Su Yu stared at her, her expression tense.

After a long stare, Huo Shu let out a deep sigh. She must owe her from a past life.

She’d thought about it long and hard—but still couldn’t bring herself to be cruel.

“Su Yu…”

Huo Shu stepped forward, took her hand, and said softly, “Be good, don’t be willful anymore, okay?”

The girl looked at her, then her smile slowly bloomed at the corners of her lips. She pulled her into her arms and murmured like in a dream, “Huo Huo, I knew you couldn’t bear to leave me.”

“I knew it—you’re not that cruel, I just knew it.”

Huo Shu’s cheeks flushed slightly. She pounded her shoulder lightly in annoyance. “You’re such a rascal. You knew I wasn’t that heartless, so you dared to be so reckless.”

Su Yu responded with a quiet “Mm” and buried her face in Huo Shu’s hair.

She had gambled right again.

This little girl, no matter when, had always been a soft-hearted, kind girl.

She gambled that Huo Shu had feelings for her, gambled that she wouldn’t stand by and do nothing—and thankfully, she was right.

Huo Shu didn’t disappoint her.

She curled her lips into a faint smile before lowering her head to look at her. “Huo Huo, do you still remember what you promised me?”

Huo Shu’s face instantly turned red, as if she had imagined something, her small face flushed like a cherry.

“I don’t remember.”

“You said that if I got into the top twenty, you’d agree to one of my requests.”

Su Yu leaned closer, smiling as she asked, “Now that I’ve done it, what about you?”

Huo Shu’s face was slightly flushed, and she replied somewhat annoyed, “What do you want?”

“I want…”

Su Yu deliberately paused, her mischievous gaze sweeping over her, then she cupped Huo Shu’s face. “I want you to never let go of my hand again, no matter what happens.”

Although Su Yu’s voice was light and airy, it pierced straight into the heart.

Huo Shu stared at her blankly.

When Su Yu said this, her expression was extremely serious. Her cold yet beautiful eyes were filled with Huo Shu’s reflection, so tender that it could drown a person.

Huo Shu reached out to trace her eyebrows and eyes, quietly lifting the corners of her lips, feeling a little secret joy.

Su Yu… really seemed to like her.

How could that be?

She was so beautiful, and so many people adored her—how could she possibly like her?

Her face was red, and even the tips of her ears turned pink.

Su Yu pinched her cheek gently, slightly annoyed. “Hey, are you going to answer me or not?”

Huo Shu snapped back to her senses.

Oh god!

She had actually been thinking all that nonsense right in front of her.

If Su Yu found out, she’d definitely laugh at her.

She patted her flushed cheeks and whispered, “Okay.”

“No backing out.”

Su Yu leaned down, threatening each word into her ear, “Otherwise, when I find you again, I’ll never let go.”

Huo Shu’s eyes welled up with warmth; she felt like crying a little.

What kind of threat was this?

She’s always calling her a little fool, but clearly, she’s the real fool.

She pouted, then suddenly remembered there was still something important to do. She quickly pushed Su Yu. “Come on, we need to go to the Dean’s office. We have to clear up the rumors. We can’t let people slander you.”

“How do you know I was slandered?”

Su Yu tilted her head and looked at her. “What if I really did cheat?”

“You wouldn’t!”

“Hm?”

“You wouldn’t!”

The girl repeated it firmly, her face red. “I believe in you.”

“Foolish girl…”

Su Yu sighed softly and rubbed her long hair. “Other than me, you’re not allowed to be this nice to anyone else. Got it?”

This little girl really ran straight over without a second thought. She didn’t even consider that if Su Yu had cheated, her biased defense might leave a terrible impression on the teachers.

What a little fool.

“Got it.”

Huo Shu replied casually, humming lightly in her heart.

As if she would.

Her personality was cold and slow to warm up—where would she get the time and energy to hand out kindness to so many people?

If it weren’t her, she wouldn’t have done such a thing.

What a big idiot.

They knocked and entered the office. The Dean handed over a stack of exam papers and said sternly, “These are questions just prepared by a few teachers. The difficulty is about the same as last time. If you can get a score similar to your last one, it’ll prove you didn’t cheat.”

Su Yu agreed readily.

The Dean glanced at her suspiciously.

So straightforward?

He looked at Huo Shu before saying, “Let me make one thing clear—Huo Shu absolutely won’t be allowed to participate in your test.”

“I know.”

Su Yu replied with a casual “Mm” and pouted her lips. “Go back to class first.”

Huo Shu nodded and gave her a small clenched-fist cheer before turning and leaving the office.