After Being Bound to the Scummy Alpha System, I Became Famous Thanks to My Face Blindness - Chapter 46

Tang Ling immediately sensed that this was another one of those unreliable ideas. “Go ahead, say it.”

Sure enough, Xiao Nan was lost in her own daydream: “Girls, obviously, want their other half to be gentle and considerate, someone who can give them a warm, strong shoulder to lean on when they’re feeling down, right?”

Tang Ling: “Are you saying I’m supposed to provide that warm, strong shoulder? Do you think she’d even accept it?”

Xiao Nan nodded seriously: “If you just do it directly, she definitely won’t accept it. Girls love romance! You could set up heart-shaped candles outside her dorm, light fireworks, give her roses—move her first, then hug her—it’ll happen naturally!”

Tang Ling stared blankly. “Do you also want me to sit by the roadside and play a love song on a guitar while confessing in public?”

Xiao Nan enthusiastically nodded: “Yes! Yes! That’s perfect! How did I not think of that before?”

Tang Ling couldn’t take it anymore. “Where did you even learn these socially mortifying tactics? You actually think any of this would make a girl fall for someone?”

Xiao Nan countered: “Why not? You dismiss it just because you haven’t tried. Those failures only happen when there’s no real connection to begin with. Why blame the candles, fireworks, or roses?”

“I haven’t tried, but I know it wouldn’t work.” Tang Ling’s gaze locked on Tan Shiyi. “I’m wondering why she’s upset. In that photo earlier, she didn’t look like this.”

Xiao Nan pondered too: “Oh yeah, why?”

Tang Ling thought carefully: “Something must have happened after that photo was taken, something that left her unsettled.”

In other words, something had occurred between Tan Shiyi and Pu Xiaoyu that upset Shiyi.

Tang Ling couldn’t figure out what it might be. After all, the two were the original canon couple of the story; they should have high compatibility and no reason for conflict.

Xiao Nan grumbled: “It must have been Pu Xiaoyu bullying Shiyi! Otherwise, with Shiyi’s good temper, how could she end up like this?”

Tang Ling also suspected Pu Xiaoyu was likely the cause. Given Shiyi’s personality, she probably wouldn’t suffer a huge loss, but her current demeanor definitely indicated she had been wronged.

Xiao Nan urged: “Host! Don’t just think about it in your head—show her you care! Go ask her why she’s unhappy!”

Tang Ling sighed in frustration: “Ask her what? I’m afraid that if I go now, I’ll just make things worse.”

Xiao Nan shot back: “Afraid of what? Your image in her mind is already at rock bottom. What’s there to hold back? Being a jerk is your camouflage—use it to your advantage!”

Tang Ling had no rebuttal.

After a moment of hesitation, she decided to go talk to Tan Shiyi. Xiao Nan was right: her image in Shiyi’s mind couldn’t get any worse, so there was nothing to be self-conscious about.

Besides, emotions are time-sensitive. Waiting ten days or half a month to ask would render any concern meaningless; it wouldn’t provide emotional support and would only seem insincere.

Luckily, the training room was empty—being rejected here wouldn’t be too embarrassing.

Tang Ling took a deep breath and approached Tan Shiyi.

Even though she saw her every day, something felt subtly different at that moment, making her chest pound and her mind uneasy.

Tan Shiyi smelled faintly of perfume—not the milky-sweet scent of her own osmanthus lactone pheromone, but the noble, serene fragrance of water lily, exuding a cold elegance that kept others at a distance, untouchable and refined.

Tang Ling forced herself to speak casually, though her palms were sweating: “Was the shoot today going smoothly?”

Tan Shiyi seemed surprised that Tang Ling had the nerve to talk to her and gave her a strange glance. “It was fine.”

“According to Miss Pu’s Weibo, after the shoot you went to feed the penguins?”

At this, Shiyi’s expression turned cold. “She posted on Weibo?”

She pulled out her phone and refreshed the homepage with a frown. After checking, she neither reposted nor liked it and casually slipped the phone back into her pocket.

Her actions confirmed Tang Ling’s suspicion: Tan Shiyi had had a conflict with Pu Xiaoyu.

Tang Ling cautiously asked, “What’s wrong? You seem upset.”

Shiyi glanced at her with a faint, almost mocking smile: “What does it have to do with you?”

Tang Ling was momentarily speechless. Xiao Nan urged in her mind: Go straight! Tell her you care! Charge, Host!

Tang Ling steadied herself. “You’ve been gone all day, and you’re exhausted—I’m worried about you.”

Shiyi’s face remained expressionless. “After a day of work, it’s normal to be tired. No need for your concern.”

Tang Ling looked at her frail yet stubborn frame and felt a pang of worry. She blurted out: “Shiyi, I have something to tell you.”

Shiyi didn’t speak, simply watching her.

Tang Ling felt her face heat up, nervously rubbing her palms. “The other day, when you asked me if I liked you, I finally have an answer now…”

Tan Shiyi was momentarily stunned, then, as if she’d heard something amusing, let out a laugh. “You’re not going to tell me that you’ve fallen for me, are you?”

Tang Ling hadn’t expected her feelings to be so openly read, and she responded awkwardly, “I, I like you.”

Tan Shiyi sneered, her laughter carrying a hint of bitter coldness. “You people, what exactly do you take me for? Do you think I should be grateful for your affection? Bow down and worship you?”

Tang Ling immediately caught the implication in her words. “You mean, Miss Pu confessed to you too?”

“Confess?” Tan Shiyi repeated sharply. “Oh, maybe you call it a confession. Treating someone as your possession, teasing them frivolously, thinking a few sweet words can make them yours. But Tang Ling, don’t you understand? Not everyone’s feelings are that cheap.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Tang Ling hurried to explain.

Tan Shiyi, weary, pulled out a chair and sat down. “Tang Ling, I can’t play along with you anymore. Please, don’t toy with me.”

A pang of sorrow hit Tang Ling. She didn’t know what kind of provocation Tan Shiyi had endured from Pu Xiaoyu to make her so fragile. The girl she had once wanted to protect had become sensitive and brittle after repeated hurts.

Tang Ling knelt, meeting Tan Shiyi’s gaze, and spoke softly. “Shiyi, I’m not toying with you. I really’m not. I admit I’ve made so many mistakes before, trampling on your feelings. I was too slow, too oblivious, to see my own feelings for you. Everything I’ve done wrong—I’ll fix it, one by one. I promise I won’t repeat it. Will you trust me once more?”

Tan Shiye drew in a long, deep breath. “I don’t know, I don’t know if I still have the capacity to trust you again.”

Tang Ling sensed the truth behind her words. It wasn’t anger; it was the weight of deep, repeated disappointment. “You don’t have to do anything. Let me help you find that ability to trust me again, okay?”

Tan Shiyi met her gaze for a moment before lowering her eyes. “Do as you like. I don’t promise any response, don’t expect anything from me.”

Tang Ling understood—this was the greatest concession Tan Shiyi could make. Just reaching this point made her feel satisfied.

At that moment, laughter and chatter drifted in from the hallway. The other girls had returned from dinner.

They pushed open the door and froze slightly when they saw Tang Ling and Tan Shiyi together.

He Junnian, ever blunt, asked, “Have you two made up?”

Tang Ling exchanged a glance with Tan Shiyi, then teased lightly, “When were we ever not okay?”

He Junnian laughed. “Alright, alright, if you say so, but next time you two fight, don’t expect anyone to be your messenger, got it?”

Tan Shiyi flushed slightly. “Sorry for troubling you all.”

Fu Xin smiled. “Trouble? Don’t be silly. Being reconciled is enough. We should all help and support each other as teammates.”

Once the girls gathered, they threw themselves into practice. Under He Junnian’s guidance during the day, they had already choreographed most of the dance and mapped out their positions. After an evening of fine-tuning, the entire routine began to take shape.

Afterward, Tang Ling insisted on walking Tan Shiyi back to the dormitory.

Tan Shiyi didn’t refuse, allowing her to follow.

It was Tang Ling’s first time pursuing a girl, and she realized there really was an art to making someone happy. No matter what she said, Tan Shiyi remained calm, betraying no emotional reaction.

Inside, Xiao Nan was impatient. “Host! After you take her back, we’re going to get candles, fireworks, roses! Everything will be perfect for her!”

Tang Ling ignored her, continuing, “What do you want for breakfast tomorrow? I can make it for you.”

Tan Shiyi’s voice was soft. “There’s no kitchen in the dorm, how would you make it?”

Tang Ling smiled. “You used to wake up early to make soup for me in the cafeteria. Can’t I do the same for you?”

Tan Shiyi shook her head. “Too much trouble. It’s fine, I can’t eat much anyway.”

“That won’t do,” Tang Ling said earnestly. “Whatever you can do for me, I can do for you. I want our efforts to be equal, not me just enjoying your care and attention alone.”

Then she added, “Shiyi, I’m serious about pursuing you. This isn’t a whim. I’ll prove it to you with my actions.”

Tan Shiyi felt a sting in her chest, lowering her eyes so Tang Ling couldn’t see her emotions. “Then I’ll wait for you tomorrow morning.”