We Weren’t Fated, I Just Played My Cards Right - Chapter 30
Before going to bed, Xue Lan sent another message to Xu Anze. Yet, by the time she fell asleep, she still hadn’t received a reply.
At that moment, Xu Anze was keeping vigil in Zhuo Ran’s hospital room. The chat notification from Xue Lan popped up on his phone, but he had no mind to open it.
Zhuo Ran had suddenly vomited bl00d and lost consciousness, rushed to the hospital by ambulance. The test results weren’t back yet, but Xu Anze could already guess the outcome.
Just like before, they would likely find no discernible illness, yet her body would remain as fragile as glass.
He had always known the real cause of Zhuo Ran’s condition—it wasn’t an illness but a curse.
The curse she bore was extremely rare, its cultivation method entirely different from ordinary curses. Back then, the Xu family had gone to great lengths to acquire it and gifted it to the Zhuo family.
But Zhuo Ran, while the adults were away, had secretly opened the jar containing the curse. The moment it smelled bl00d, it burrowed into her body.
Despite the Zhuo family’s extensive connections, they had never found a way to lift the curse over the years. The only solution was to force the Xu family to send Xu Anze—his bloodline could suppress the curse’s hyperactivity. Until recently, they had somehow obtained a life-substitution method.
The curse wouldn’t fatally harm its host, but it wouldn’t let them live in peace either—it tormented them relentlessly.
The previous substitution talisman had transferred the host’s suffering to a substitute, forcing someone else to endure it.
Now that Zhuo Ran was reacting so violently, the substitution talisman must have truly been destroyed.
Xu Anze stared at Xue Lan’s profile picture on his phone, wondering—was this an accident, or had she discovered something?
As he pondered, his phone rang.
Seeing the name displayed, his lips pressed into a thin line. He quickly stepped out of the ward, answering only after entering the stairwell.
The call was from Zhuo Ran’s mother. Her tone was urgent and far from polite. “Xiao Ze, what exactly happened? We entrusted you to take good care of Ranran. Why was she sent to the hospital the moment she got off the plane?”
“I’m sorry, Aunt Lin, I—”
“I don’t want your apologies,” Lin Qiu’s voice turned sharp. “Wasn’t there a Life Replacement Talisman? What’s the status of that girlfriend of yours now?”
Xu Anze hesitated before answering truthfully, “She’s completely fine. Both Zhuo Ran and I think the talisman might have been accidentally destroyed by her.”
“Destroyed?” An angry gasp came through the phone. “We only allowed you to date that substitute out of consideration for Ranran. And you couldn’t even keep an eye on one person? Such a precious Life Replacement Talisman, gone just like that? If anything happens to Ranran, none of you will get away with this!”
Xu Anze opened his mouth to explain, but in the end, no words came out. He could only listen silently as the woman on the phone furiously cursed him and Xue Lan, Zhuo Ran’s substitute.
After about five or six minutes, Lin Qiu finally vented enough and coldly said, “Your Uncle Zhuo wants to speak with you.”
Xu Anze instinctively clenched his fists.
After a brief silence, Zhuo Yongqi’s steady voice came through. “Xiao Ze, your Aunt Lin is just too upset. Don’t take her words to heart.”
Xu Anze forced his voice to remain calm, not letting any hint of resentment show. “I understand. Aunt Lin is just worried about Zhuo Ran. It’s all my fault—I failed to take care of her properly.”
It had always been like this. Every time something happened to Zhuo Ran, Aunt Lin would blame him.
Then Uncle Zhuo would comfort him and apologize on her behalf. When he was younger, he used to think Uncle Zhuo was kind to him. But as he grew older, he realized it was just a method of control—hitting him with one hand and offering candy with the other. They had never treated him as an equal.
No matter how much they seemed to value him in daily life, when something went wrong, both of them would always assume it was his fault.
“You can’t be entirely blamed for this incident. What’s done is done with the talisman. The ritual is almost ready anyway. Once we perform the life exchange on Ranran’s birthday in a few days, she won’t have to suffer anymore,” Zhuo Yongqi said calmly.
“You’re right,” Xu Anze replied, slightly relieved.
“However… the same mistake must never happen again. Ranran’s birthday is crucial—the ritual cannot afford any mistakes. That little girlfriend of yours listens to you, doesn’t she? Make sure she doesn’t disrupt our plans.”
Xu Anze took a deep breath and promised, “Don’t worry. There won’t be any issues with the plan. Besides, she’s just an ordinary person—she won’t notice anything unusual.”
“Good. I knew you were a reliable boy. Once Ranran’s life is exchanged, you can return home. I’ll have a talk with your parents—it’s been too long since they last visited you. That’s really unacceptable,” Zhuo Yongqi said gently.
Xu Anze was still young and couldn’t contain his impatience. He couldn’t help but ask, “What about Xue Lan…”
Zhuo Yongqi chuckled lightly: “How you deal with her is up to you—she’s just an ordinary person. Though after the life transfer, the gu worms will move into her body. Your family might be interested in the gu worms inside her, so keeping her around could be useful.”
Xu Anze sighed in relief: “I understand. Thank you, Uncle Zhuo.”
“Alright, focus on taking care of Ranran for now. If anything else happens, remember to call home first.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The next morning, everyone was more or less suffering from post-holiday lethargy, lying in bed unwilling to get up.
However, Liu Mumu and her friends had a morning class. By the time they finally left the dormitory, it was too late for breakfast.
The only one who woke up early and had breakfast was Xue Lan.
She had left the dormitory by 7 a.m. and only entered the classroom when the bell rang.
Liu Mumu and the others had saved her a seat. Xue Lan carried her bag and a takeout breakfast as she sat down.
She distributed the breakfast she’d bought to the other three: “I got these for you this morning, but I ended up running late.”
To Liu Mumu and her friends, Xue Lan was practically an angel.
Each gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek, then took advantage of the professor’s absence to quickly eat a few bites.
While the three of them were busy eating, Xue Lan seemed distracted, staring at her phone.
The messages she had sent Xu Anze the previous night remained unanswered. During breakfast, she happened to run into one of his roommates and learned he hadn’t returned to the dorm at all last night.
She had called him several times, but each call was eventually hung up.
A sense of unease settled in Xue Lan’s heart—had something happened to him?
Throughout the two morning classes, Xue Lan was listless, her attention drifting frequently. The three girls sitting beside her noticed her unusual state.
After class, Wei Xue asked quietly, “Lanlan, is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Xue Lan shook her head. “Anze hasn’t replied to my messages since yesterday. His roommate said he didn’t come back to the dorm last night. I’m worried.”
“Don’t worry. He’s a grown man—maybe his flight was delayed again, so he hasn’t made it back yet. Honestly, it’s more likely he lost his phone than anything serious.” Qian Xiaomeng quickly interjected.
Hearing this, Xue Lan relaxed slightly.
Liu Mumu didn’t interrupt them. Instead, she took out her phone and sent a message to Zheng Xuan.
Liu Mumu: Can you help me find out why Xu Anze from the Computer Science department isn’t at school? Also, what about Zhuo Ran from the History department—is she here?
Zheng Xuan was a social butterfly with connections across every department. He had once told Liu Mumu that if she ever needed help with anything at school, she could ask him anytime.
Since Liu Mumu was willing to accept his goodwill, she didn’t hesitate to ask.
Zheng Xuan: Give me a moment, Master. I’ll ask around.
About twenty minutes later, Zheng Xuan replied.
Zheng Xuan: Zhuo Ran isn’t feeling well. She was taken to the Second Hospital by ambulance last night right after her flight landed. Xu Anze requested leave for her and is still at the hospital taking care of her.
A short while later, Zheng Xuan sent another message.
Zheng Xuan: “These two are the ones we saw at the airport that day, right? No offense, but Xue should really consider changing boyfriends. This guy really isn’t reliable.”
When he saw the shoelace-tying incident at the airport, Zheng Xuan hadn’t thought much of it. But now with this hospital care situation, their relationship seemed rather ambiguous.
At the very least, he believed no man would be this attentive to a woman unless he had feelings for her.
Liu Mumu: “Got it, thanks.”
Zheng Xuan: “Come hang out again sometime.jpg”
Zhuo Ran had been hospitalized last night. Liu Mumu pinched her chin thoughtfully—what sudden illness could the campus belle have had that required immediate hospitalization?
Should she tell Xue Lan about this? Mumu hesitated.
Her eyes sparkled with an idea as she suddenly interrupted the conversation among the three: “If you want to know where Xu Anze is, I can do a divination for you.”
Xue Lan blinked in surprise before asking eagerly, “Really?”
“Finding people isn’t difficult. Here, shake these coins first.” Mumu placed the coins in Xue Lan’s hand, instructing her to shake them.
After the divination, Mumu rearranged the coins but sensed nothing special.
Apparently today wasn’t ideal for divination—but no matter, she already knew the location anyway.
Putting on her best mystical airs, she performed some finger calculations before declaring, “The person accompanying him has health issues. He should be at the Second Hospital—admitted last night.”
“What companion?” Xue Lan looked puzzled. Xu Anze hadn’t mentioned returning with anyone.
“A woman, though I can’t tell their exact relationship. Judging by the direction, they went to the Second Hospital last night.”
This wasn’t Mumu’s first divination for them, so no one questioned its accuracy.
Qian Xiaomeng, however, seemed to realize something, widening her eyes at Mumu.
Mumu winked back before suggesting, “Lanlan, if you’re worried, we can accompany you to the hospital. We’re free this afternoon anyway, with just one elective tonight.”
“No need, I can go alone…” Xue Lan didn’t want to trouble them, but Xiaomeng worried she might see something distressing.
“Don’t be polite! We can go shopping afterward too, right Mumu?”
Mumu nodded vigorously.
“Well… alright then.”
Wei Xue remained clueless about the situation, but seeing Mumu and Xiaomeng’s meaningful looks, she agreed too.
Around 2 PM, the four roommates took a taxi to Qingcheng Second Hospital.
It didn’t take long for Mumu to locate Zhuo Ran’s room.
Inside the hospital room, Zhuo Ran was playing with Xu Anze’s phone, laughing delightedly at something unknown.
The phone kept buzzing with notifications, but she paid no attention and refused to return it to Xu Anze.
Xue Lan and her friends stopped a few steps away from the hospital room, close enough to clearly hear the conversation inside.
A woman’s voice rang out, saying, “Xu Anze, I want grapes.”
Xue Lan froze in her tracks—she didn’t hear her boyfriend’s response.
But the next moment, the same voice spoke again: “I’m watching a video. Feed me.”
The tone was so entitled, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Only then did Xue Lan realize something was wrong. She turned to her three friends in confusion, unsure whether to step forward or retreat.
Qian Xiaomeng, who had already been fuming since the last time they were stopped, now grabbed Xue Lan’s wrist and stormed toward the room with a vengeance.
When she kicked the door open, the grape Xu Anze had been holding to Zhuo Ran’s lips hadn’t yet been eaten.
In the sunlit hospital room, the beautiful girl lying on the bed with a relaxed smile and the handsome boy feeding her fruit painted a picture-perfect scene.
“Lanlan, what are you doing here?” Xu Anze, recognizing the intruders, jerked his hand back and stood up abruptly from his chair.
Liu Mumu, standing nearby, calmly explained, “You weren’t answering your messages, so Lanlan got worried and asked around. When she heard you were at the hospital taking care of a classmate, we came to visit.”
Zhuo Ran didn’t seem the least bit fazed by the sudden audience. She didn’t even shift her posture, merely tilting her head slightly. “And you are?”
“She’s Xu Anze’s girlfriend. We’re her roommates.”
Qian Xiaomeng glared pointedly at Zhuo Ran, who simply responded with a flat, “Oh.”
Her gaze swept over the group before she turned back to Xu Anze. “Since they’re here for you, you should talk outside. Oh, and before you go, grab my clothes for me.”
She lifted her chin, gesturing toward the closet.
And to Xue Lan’s disbelief, he actually went to fetch Zhuo Ran’s clothes.
After draping them over the back of the chair, Xu Anze instinctively glanced at her. Zhuo Ran didn’t even look up, still engrossed in his phone.
Xue Lan’s eyes lingered on the familiar phone case before she turned and walked out.
She had so much she wanted to say—how she was feeling better, how much she had missed him after a week apart.
But now, standing face-to-face, the words died in her throat.
Outside the room, Xu Anze lowered his gaze, looking at the silent Xue Lan before addressing her friends. “Can I talk to Lanlan alone?”
“Go ahead.”
Qian Xiaomeng’s disdain was palpable. Wei Xue and Liu Mumu each grabbed one of her arms to drag her away.
Wei Xue, ever perceptive, had already sensed something was off from the earlier scene—the other two were far too calm.
Once they were out of earshot, she whispered to Liu Mumu, “Did you already know about this?”
Liu Mumu shrugged. “We saw them when we dropped you off that day. They were sitting right behind you on the plane.”
Wei Xue frowned, casting a dark look in Xu Anze’s direction.
Qian Xiaomeng grumbled under her breath, “Why let them talk alone? If Lanlan softens up, she might actually believe they’re just ‘normal friends.'”
“No matter how you explain it, it’s just about being acquaintances or relatives. If there’s a bl00d relation, fine, but if not…” Wei Xue’s voice was cold and indifferent. “Then it’s childhood sweethearts who grew up together.”
“So what?” Qian Xiaomeng didn’t understand.
“No girlfriend can compare to a childhood sweetheart, especially when one person indulges it and another tries to interfere.”
That Zhuo Ran might seem indifferent to Xue Lan being Xu Anze’s girlfriend, but she deliberately ordered him around in front of Lan Lan. Anyone could see it, and Xue Lan wasn’t stupid either.
“Anyone can tell with their eyes whether these two are normal or not. Even if Lan Lan doesn’t believe it, we can make her believe. We’re with her every day—how hard can it be to convince her to break up? Don’t underestimate my skills as the city’s top debater back in the day.”
Back when she was class president and teachers strictly monitored student relationships, she’d persuade every couple she discovered to break up—with a perfect success rate.
In Liu Mumu and Qian Xiaomeng’s eyes, Wei Xue’s image instantly grew taller.
So reliable!
On the other side, Xue Lan remained silent, not saying a word.
Her attitude made Xu Anze panic. He hurriedly explained, “Zhuo Ran and I grew up together. She’s always been in poor health, and after I transferred schools, we never saw each other again. This time when we came back together, she had an accident and was hospitalized. I couldn’t just leave her alone.”
“At the welcome party, why didn’t you tell me you knew her?” Xue Lan asked.
“I didn’t want you to misunderstand our relationship, so I didn’t mention it.”
“Last night I kept texting you, and today I called many times. Why didn’t you answer?”
“My phone was with her.” He couldn’t hide this—when they entered earlier, Zhuo Ran had been holding his phone, complete with the matching phone case Xue Lan had picked out.
“Lan Lan, there’s really nothing ambiguous between us. She’s just used to ordering people around since childhood.”
“And you’re very used to being ordered around by her.”
Xue Lan looked at Xu Anze before her and suddenly felt he was a stranger.
She thought the Xu Anze with her was different, but the Xu Anze with Zhuo Ran was someone she’d never seen before.
No ambiguity, yet he hand-fed her fruit.
Ignoring his girlfriend’s messages to let her play with his phone.
Making him fetch clothes right in front of her—he couldn’t possibly not know she’d mind, yet he still went.
What did they take her for?
“If you don’t believe me, I can have Zhuo Ran explain it to you herself.” Xue Lan had always been straightforward, even about her jealousy.
But he couldn’t say anything about Zhuo Ran’s situation.
He thought: Just endure it a little longer. Once his birthday passes, everything will return to normal.
“No need.” Xue Lan shook her head. She believed Zhuo Ran meant nothing to Xu Anze—the way someone looks at a person they like isn’t like that. But Xu Anze’s attitude unsettled her.
She had thought their relationship was simple. Who knew she would only discover today that there was someone else hidden between them?
It was like suddenly realizing your boyfriend has a very close female friend—someone more familiar, more intimate, more unrestrained—while you feel like an outsider.
“I just came to see if you were okay. Since you’re fine, I’ll leave first.”
Xue Lan turned to go. Xu Anze didn’t follow, nor did he offer to walk with her.
He only murmured behind her, “Wait until I get back, and I’ll explain everything, okay?”
She didn’t know what kind of illness Zhuo Ran had that could make him so anxious. When she turned away, Xue Lan’s palms were icy, her fingers trembling faintly without her realizing.
Liu Mumu and the other two girls immediately surrounded her. Qian Xiaomeng grabbed Xue Lan’s hand, asking nervously, “Lanlan, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Let’s go.” Xue Lan’s expression was calm—no one could tell what she was really thinking.
This composure lasted until evening.
She sat on her bed, hugging her knees in a daze. Not a single message popped up on her phone.
Everyone in the dorm was treading carefully, trying not to speak. Outside, Qian Xiaomeng, hanging laundry, frantically mouthed to Liu Mumu inside: “Mumu, lend me a clothes hanger!”
Liu Mumu, confused, pulled out a Snickers bar instead.
Qian Xiaomeng clutched her face in mock despair.
Xue Lan, watching from above, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Seeing her finally smile, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
“Tell me… was I overreacting today?” Xue Lan asked hesitantly.
Wei Xue set down her book and cleared her throat. “From which angle would you like me to refute your self-doubt?”
Startled, Xue Lan stammered, “A… a normal angle?”
“Xiaomeng, tell Lanlan how a normal person would react.”
“Beat the crap out of him!” Qian Xiaomeng answered smoothly, wrestling with the freshly washed clothes.
“Be civilized.”
“Punch his stupid face in,” Qian Xiaomeng amended immediately.
“What if it’s a misunderstanding?”
“After all that, and you still think it’s a misunderstanding? My boyfriend can only slave away for me—I won’t accept him fawning over other women.”
Wei Xue made a gesture as if to say, Take a good look. “This is the normal person’s perspective.”
“Then… what about the abnormal angle?”
As soon as Xue Lan asked, she and Wei Xue simultaneously turned to Liu Mumu, who was munching on her Snickers.
Liu Mumu tilted her head in thought. “If it were my boyfriend…”
Then she flashed a terrifying grin. “When I went home, my stepmother’s son was rude to me. Then his leg broke. If it were my boyfriend, I could break every bone in his body.”
Holy sh1t, that’s a bit extreme.
The three girls in the dorm recoiled.
Finally, Wei Xue concluded, “Don’t take their words too seriously—after all, they’ve both been single since birth. And don’t rush into deciding whether to break up, then agonize over your feelings.”
You can continue being with him. The first year you were passionately in love, hormones left no room in your brain for rational thought. Now you can take a good look at him and consider whether to continue—whether you can bear him keeping so many secrets from you.
He takes good care of you, but his caretaking habits stem from raising Zhuo Ran since childhood. So you need to reconsider how genuine his feelings for you really are.”
Xue Lan nodded subconsciously.
Qian Xiaomeng and Liu Mumu looked at Wei Xue with awe. This wasn’t just relationship advice from a confidante—it was outright brainwashing!
While persuading her not to break up immediately, Wei Xue was aggressively feeding her own opinions while Xue Lan’s emotions were wavering.
“Are all debate champions from your city this terrifying?” they wondered.
“Also, since Mumu’s abilities are already so unscientific, why don’t we embrace the unscientific a bit more?” Wei Xue smiled knowingly, looking completely in control.
“How unscientific?” Xue Lan was nearly convinced by her.
“If you want to know whether Xu Anze will stay with you, overthinking won’t help. You’ll regret decisions made hastily. Why not have Mumu divine whether he’ll ultimately become your destined partner?”
“If there’s no future, just treat it as fun—don’t take it too seriously,” Wei Xue added.
“Can you really do that?” Xue Lan looked expectantly at Liu Mumu.
Liu Mumu didn’t refuse. If Old Dong behaved and stayed home next Saturday instead of going out, it might be possible. Regarding Xue Lan and Xu Anze’s relationship, she’d begun developing some new theories.