Accidentally Marking The Vicious Female Lead After Transmigrating Into A Period Novel - Chapter 41

Chen Aihua’s eyes darted back and forth between the two of them for a long while. Just when they thought she wouldn’t say anything else, she spoke with startling bluntness. “You two aren’t… dating, are you?”

She suddenly stood up and slapped her best friend on the shoulder. “Li Yan, you’re so lucky!”

She understood. She understood everything now! It all connected!

However, her excitement didn’t rub off on her friend instead, it sent the person opposite her into a state of shock.

Li Yan had just taken a sip of water and hadn’t even swallowed it yet. Hearing those words, she choked and began coughing violently. Her face turned red as she tried to explain. “Cough, cough… don’t talk nonsense! It’s not like that at all…”

As she explained, her eyes stole a glance at the person beside her.

Lin Yishu keenly caught her gaze. Watching her, she deliberately spoke slowly. “It really isn’t.”

Li Yan felt as if her heart had been punched.

She couldn’t quite describe her feelings, but beneath the surface of her denial was a hidden sliver of hope, the hope that the other person would actually admit to it.

Chen Aihua was dumbfounded to hear them both deny it so quickly.

“Huh? You’re not dating? Then wasn’t it the two of you who went to see the movie with the tickets from the factory?”

Li Yan sat back down dejectedly, losing even the will to answer.

Lin Yishu blinked as she watched her.

Good, it seems these past two days of effort haven’t been in vain.

Her gaze slowly shifted away from the slumped figure and she gave Chen Aihua a faint smile. “We did see it together.”

Chen Aihua’s mouth dropped even wider. “Huh? Then…”

Lin Yishu spoke unhurriedly. “Can’t good friends go to the movies together?”

Chen Aihua was stumped. After a moment, she answered blankly. “I mean, I guess so, but…”

Before she could finish, her friend stood up. “I’m finished eating. You guys keep eating, I’m going to wash my lunchbox.”

Chen Aihua shut her mouth, her eyes darting nervously.

Oh no, I think I touched a sore spot.

Chen Aihua spent the whole afternoon dwelling on it. Finally finding a chance, she squeezed in next to her friend and whispered, “I’m sorry about what happened at noon.”

Li Yan had immersed herself in work, and that small bit of emotion from noon had long since dissipated. Hearing the apology, she just waved it off.

But Chen Aihua kept leaning in. “That story you told me before… it wasn’t about a ‘friend,’ was it? It was about you and the Fairy, right?”

Li Yan didn’t answer.

Taking it as a silent admission, Chen Aihua continued: “It’s fine. If you ask me, the Fairy doesn’t seem completely indifferent to you. Besides, didn’t you say it yourself? You two are already forced to be together. What’s that saying? ‘A pavilion near the water enjoys the moonlight first’…”

Li Yan gave her an annoyed look. “Didn’t you analyze before that she wasn’t interested in me?”

Chen Aihua chuckled, her tone a bit placating. “That was then, this is now. Before, I didn’t know the Fairy personally. I was only hearing your side of the story, wasn’t I?”

Li Yan was nearly floored by that logic.

So, it was her storytelling that was the problem?

She pushed her friend aside. “Forget it, don’t worry about it. Go back to work…”

Seeing her still looking listless, Chen Aihua patted her shoulder to cheer her up. “Don’t be discouraged, Comrade Li Yan! You have a broad base of support among the masses! We will all cheer for you!”

Li Yan glanced at her. “Where are they?”

Chen Aihua giggled. “I alone am worth a thousand troops!”

Li Yan: “……”

She was wasting her time talking to her.

Finally getting rid of Chen Aihua, Auntie Chang poked her head in and waved. Li Yan took off her gloves and walked out.

The two found a corner. Auntie Chang looked around to make sure no one was watching, then whispered behind her hand with a hint of joy, “It’s a success! Chen Liang said he’ll find a way to get the tickets for you now. He’ll be waiting for you by the boiler room after work today.”

Li Yan’s face lit up. She thanked Auntie Chang repeatedly before they parted.

After work, she went to the broadcasting room first as usual.

Sister Hu from the broadcasting room smiled when she saw her. “Comrade Li Yan, here to pick up Comrade Lin from work?”

There were four people in the broadcasting room now. Sister Hu was the person in charge. Lin Yishu and another girl, Comrade Xiao Lu, were the main announcers, and another comrade was responsible for collecting scripts like weather reports, news, and production knowledge.

Though Lin Yishu had only been there for two days, Sister Hu fully recognized her ability.

The girl was educated, knew many characters, and had a naturally good voice, she was prime material for an announcer. Consequently, Sister Hu also had a very good impression of Li Yan, who had recommended her.

Li Yan greeted her with a smile. Sister Hu enthusiastically offered, “Shall I go call her for you?”

She started to walk inside, but Li Yan quickly stopped her, laughing. “No need, Sister Hu. I’ll just wait here for a bit.”

Seeing she meant it, Sister Hu left first.

After she was gone, Li Yan looked through the glass window at the person inside chatting harmoniously with the other two girls. An unconscious, gratified smile appeared on her face.

It wasn’t until a colleague nudged Lin Yishu that she noticed Li Yan at the door. She ran over and asked, “Why didn’t you call me?”

Li Yan just kept smiling foolishly.

She didn’t know why, but seeing Lin Yishu like this made her incredibly happy, happier even than getting a raise.

Lin Yishu didn’t understand what she was smiling about, but seeing her smile made her own lips curve up. She teased, “Silly,” then went back to pack her things for home.

The moment she turned around, a thought flashed through Li Yan’s mind.

She thought: It doesn’t matter if Lin Yishu likes me or not. As long as she is here, as long as she is where I can see her, it’s enough.

When the two arrived at the boiler room, someone was already waiting.

Li Yan told Lin Yishu to stop a little distance away, then stepped forward. “Comrade Chen Liang?”

The man wearing a Lei Feng hat nodded, his eyes drifting past her to look behind.

Li Yan shifted her body an inch to block his line of sight. Her friendly expression turned stern, and her voice became two shades colder: “Are we trading or not?”

She hadn’t wanted to haggle much to begin with, but seeing the way he looked, she lost all desire for politeness. She just wanted to finish the trade and leave.

The man finally retracted his gaze, his voice rough. “Trading.”

Li Yan had counted them earlier, seventeen cigarette tickets in total. She had hoped to trade ten for one bicycle ticket and use the rest for industrial coupons.

But Chen Liang insisted on twelve tickets for one bicycle ticket, with the rest for industrial coupons.

Li Yan hesitated for a long while but eventually agreed.

So, she got one bicycle ticket and five industrial coupons. Adding the eight she already had, she had thirteen industrial coupons total.

She had heard from coworkers that a Phoenix bicycle required one ticket and thirty coupons, while a Forever bicycle required one ticket and twenty coupons.

She couldn’t afford either of those, so she’d have to buy a Flying Pigeon. Ten coupons should be enough for that.

After the trade, Li Yan happily pulled Lin Yishu away. “Come on, let’s go to the state-owned store and buy a bicycle!”

As Chen Liang passed them, he couldn’t help but peek again.

Lin Yishu caught a whiff of pungent cigarette smoke and wrinkled her nose in disgust, covering her mouth and nose.

Noticing her reaction and seeing Chen Liang’s eyes again, Li Yan stepped between them once more.

The two slowed their pace, forcing Chen Liang to leave first.

Once he was gone, Lin Yishu lowered her hand, but immediately frowned again in discomfort.

Seeing her like this, Li Yan quickly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Yishu knit her brows, sounding utterly repulsed. “Stinky. The smell is making me nauseous.”

Li Yan immediately understood.

Chen Liang was clearly a heavy smoker; the smell of tobacco clung to him from five meters away, and even the air he walked through seemed tainted.

Li Yan pulled her arm. “Then let’s get away from here quickly.”

Lin Yishu was dragged along for a few steps, but she could still faintly smell it.

Li Yan was at a loss. “What should we do then?”

Lin Yishu pointed at her scarf. “Give me your scarf.”

This was the scarf Li Yan always wore. Although she had washed it before the New Year, wearing it for the past few days meant it was saturated with her pheromones.

For some reason, Li Yan’s mind clicked into clarity today.

As she unwrapped the scarf, the tips of her ears beneath it began to burn.

Lin Yishu took the scarf from her and naturally handed her own over in exchange.

Li Yan took it awkwardly but didn’t put it on immediately. After seeing the other woman naturally wrap herself in her scarf, Li Yan carefully wrapped the rose scented scarf around her own neck.

“Finally, I can’t smell that disgusting stench anymore,” Lin Yishu sighed with satisfaction, burying the lower half of her face in the scarf and taking a deep breath.

Watching her, Li Yan felt as if her heart had been seared.

The two finally walked out in peace.

When Lin Yishu wasn’t looking, Li Yan mimicked her action, burying half her face in the fabric.

It really is fragrant. It’s the scent of Lin Yishu.

Inside the state-owned store, Li Yan didn’t immediately say which one she wanted. Instead, she asked for the prices of several models. The saleswoman was a bit impatient but told her one by one.

However, when the saleswoman stated the price for the Flying Pigeon, Li Yan’s eyes went wide. “Fifteen industrial coupons? Isn’t it ten? I heard it was ten!”

The saleswoman replied impatiently, “Fifteen. It’s always been fifteen. Not a single one less.”

Li Yan felt like the sky was falling.

How could it be fifteen?!

Didn’t that mean she couldn’t afford any bicycle at all?

After all that effort, it was for nothing. Li Yan was both angry and frustrated, confirming again: “Really fifteen? Could you have remembered wrong?”

The saleswoman’s face hardened even further, clearly offended by the questioning. “Hey, you! What do you mean by that? I said fifteen, so it’s fifteen. If you can’t afford it, move aside and don’t block the way!”

Lin Yishu had been waiting for Li Yan to ask her for coupons, but seeing that the other woman seemingly hadn’t even thought of her, and remembering that “it has nothing to do with you” from this morning, she had stubbornly decided not to offer them proactively.

But seeing the saleswoman behind the glass counter glaring and belittling the person she liked, Lin Yishu’s temper flared instantly.

She’s just a saleswoman. How dare she look down on Li Yan like that?

She reached into her bag, pulled out a stack of coupons and cash, and slammed them onto the glass counter.

“We’re buying. Who said we weren’t? And not just any bike, the best one. The Phoenix brand. It’s just a bicycle, isn’t it? You’re just a saleswoman, it’s not yours, so what are you acting so high and mighty for?”

Her eyes were sharp, staring the woman down without blinking, her words unapologetically blunt.

The saleswoman wanted to snap back, but seeing the mountain of coupons and cash, the words died in her throat. Her face just turned a bright shade of red.

After rebuking the saleswoman, Lin Yishu turned to look at the stunned person beside her. “Hand over the bicycle ticket.”

Li Yan hurriedly pulled it out, along with the money and coupons she had prepared. “Wait, let’s just get the Flying Pigeon. No need for the Phoenix, let’s save some coupons…”

She didn’t finish.

Lin Yishu’s gaze shot toward her like a sharp blade as she insisted: “I want the Phoenix.”

Li Yan rubbed her nose and awkwardly stepped back.

It seemed the saleswoman’s attitude had truly enraged her, it was better not to poke the hornet’s nest. Phoenix it is.

Lin Yishu took the bicycle ticket from her but didn’t take the other things. She counted thirty industrial coupons and 160 yuan from her own pile, then stuffed the rest back into her bag.

She pushed them across the counter and ordered expressionlessly: “Bring the bicycle out for us.”

The saleswoman, fuming but silent, took the money and tickets and obediently wheeled the bicycle out.

Looking at the brand-new bike, Li Yan was filled with joy, having already forgotten the previous unpleasantness.

She forcefully stuffed the money and tickets back into Lin Yishu’s bag and patted the seat excitedly. “Lin Yishu, get on! I’ll give you a ride, let’s go home!”

Looking at her carefree attitude, Lin Yishu felt a surge of frustration.

She sure recovered quickly!

She didn’t move, standing there staring straight at her.

Li Yan finally realized she was unhappy. She leaned in, blinking. “Still mad? Don’t be. Salespeople are all like that, acting like they’re the center of the universe. They’re like that to everyone, it wasn’t targeted at you. Don’t be angry.”

Lin Yishu got even angrier.

Was she angry for herself? She was clearly angry for her!

Even if they were like that to everyone, she still wouldn’t allow them to treat Li Yan that way. More accurately, she wouldn’t allow anyone to speak to Li Yan like that!

“Why did she have to have that attitude with you? Aren’t you angry at all? You were so bold with me this morning! Why do you just let her say those things to you?”

Lin Yishu’s chest heaved with anger, and she even felt a bit wronged.

She had been so blunt with her this morning, saying hurtful things without thinking, yet here she was silent in front of a saleswoman, letting the woman belittle her.

Li Yan was stunned, wondering why she was bringing up this morning.

She thought back but couldn’t recall being “bold” in that way. Confused, she asked, “Lin Yishu, did you misunderstand? I didn’t lose my temper with you this morning. Oh, hey, don’t cry! I was wrong, okay? It’s all my fault. I’ll change from now on, alright?”

Seeing large teardrops fall, Li Yan felt nothing but heartache. She didn’t care about the reason anymore; she parked the bike and reached out to catch the tears.

Lin Yishu felt it was embarrassing to be like this, but she couldn’t control herself. She gave up trying and said aggrievedly. “If you didn’t have enough coupons, you could have asked me! Would I not give them to you? Or is it that you just want to cut ties with me in your heart… that everything has ‘nothing to do with me’? The thermos breaking has nothing to do with me, buying a bike has nothing to do with me…”

Li Yan finally understood what she meant by her “attitude” from this morning.

She explained, her tongue nearly tripping over itself. “No, it’s not like that. It’s not what you think. I just thought it was just one coupon and I could handle it myself. It’s not that everything has nothing to do with you. I want you to have as few worries as possible, to be carefree in this house. It’s not what you meant!”

Lin Yishu stopped her tears, looking at her through watery eyes. “Really?”

Li Yan nodded vigorously. “Really!”

Lin Yishu finally smiled, though her eyes were still red. Her warning had a touch of fierceness to it. “Even so, you aren’t allowed to let that saleswoman talk to you like that! Even if you can’t afford it, don’t you have me? I’ve never even spoken to you like that, so who is she to do it?”

Watching her protectiveness, like a kitten trying to look fierce. Li Yan felt a powerful impulse surge in her heart.

“Can I kiss you, Lin Yishu?”