After Dumping the Female Lead, It's My Turn to Cry - Chapter 31.1

When a person focuses intently on something, time flies. This is exactly why people often recommend boxing to those dealing with a broken heart. It is certainly not so they can pummel their ex’s face from a 3D figure into a 2D plane the next time they meet; it is because that level of concentration allows one to forget previous pains.

Probably.

Ruan Yubai tossed the last stack of bound test papers into a nearby cardboard box. According to a rough calculation, this box of junk alone could fetch ten Interstellar Credits if sold as scrap.

Thinking of this, she dropped her pen and counted on her fingers for a moment. “The Super-A Games seem to be coming up soon. Have you decided which event to sign up for?”

The Super-A Games, as the name suggests, is a competitive gymnastics and athletic event that transcends the A-rank level. It is a prestigious sporting event co-hosted by the twelve major universities across the interstellar system.

The competition is broadcast live globally. Not only can winners earn a massive cash prize, but the trophy itself serves as a passport to high society, making it a target for countless ambitious young people.

Of course, in Ruan Yubai’s eyes, this thing was purely a carrot dangled in front of a donkey. Most students, herself included, would not even qualify to participate.

The tournament utilized a multi-layered selection process, ruthlessly filtering out high-quality competitors in every round. Very few could fight their way to the finals.

Most importantly, the competition spanned a long period and interfered with daily classes. Although the Super-A Games claimed to do their utmost to ensure student safety, those words were essentially meaningless once the competition actually began. Unless one had absolute confidence in their abilities, most people were just there for the ride.

The first round consisted of internal selections within each academy, which were naturally more relaxed. The events were diverse, and the entry requirements were significantly lowered. As long as one reached an A-rank or higher in mental strength, physical stamina, or even academic grades, they could enter.

Since it was broadcast across the galaxy, every student in the A-Class was required to participate to showcase Laurels’ strength. For students in other classes, the school encouraged anyone who met at least one criterion to try their luck.

In other words, a rare “Straight-B” student like Ruan Yubai was at best an unofficial cheerleader holding a light stick on the sidelines, a bystander through and through.

Qing Ling glanced at the official school email and said casually, “Archery.”

As expected.

Ruan Yubai let out a silent sigh, feeling that she had lived too comfortably lately and had forgotten the inevitability of the novel’s plot.

[As the competition progressed, more and more people stayed in the contestant area. Countless eliminated players were escorted to the spectator stands with faces full of resentment. Gradually, only Nan Zhuti and Qing Ling remained.

In the final showdown, Nan Zhuti went first. This seemingly ordinary male Beta had a cold expression as he notched his arrow. He seemed completely unaffected by the pressure radiating from Qing Ling, the young lady who had crushed every other contestant with terrifying strength. He calmly fired all twenty arrows required by the regulations. The underlings nearby, who had seen their share of storms, did not dare look at the results, and even the audience held their breath. For a moment, only the cold, mechanical voice of the scoring machine could be heard.

One hundred and ninety-one points! This was the best score Nan Zhuti had ever achieved and the highest in the history of Laurels’ internal archery competitions. A man like him, who favored close-quarters combat, was not particularly skilled at archery, yet he managed this score purely through mental strength without much training. What a hidden gem of a man!

But even a man who hid his thoughts well found it hard to mask his joy in the face of such success; he could not help but smile like a child.

The sudden, triumphant smile on this usually mediocre man’s face actually gave his common features a hint of rugged handsomeness. It instantly attracted the obsessed gazes of countless Omegas in the stands. Even the young lady passing by him could not help but freeze for a moment at that boyish, bright smile. That face lingered in her mind even as she took her turn. The favored champion started strong, but at the final moment, the scent of the Beta wafted past her nose. Her finger slipped, and she nearly missed the target!

Despite this, Qing Ling still achieved a high score of one hundred and ninety points. When Nan Zhuti smiled and congratulated her, the icy beauty turned her head away awkwardly, her cheeks flushed as she huffed, “Hmph.”

An unfair victory; how could he use a “honey trap” like that?]

Ruan Yubai did not know how Nan Zhuti could be associated with the term “honey trap,” but it was clear that the male and female leads were destined to meet.

Still, Ruan Yubai did not want to give up until the very last moment. “Why don’t you consider swimming? Or running would be good too. With your height and long legs, you would definitely surpass them and take the championship.”

“Not interested,” Qing Ling replied unmoved, calmly turning a page of her book. “Archery takes the least amount of time. It is the most efficient.”

Ruan Yubai thought: Excuses! These are all excuses!

She angrily snatched the book from the female lead’s hands and childishly hid it behind her back.

Seeing the girl’s puffed-out cheeks, looking like she was about to explode like a pufferfish again, Qing Ling gave a soft laugh. “Or, if you enter the competition, I will agree to your request.”

What kind of impossible condition is that!

Ruan Yubai was driven to the brink of madness. “My ratings are all B. How am I supposed to sign up?”

“What if I can get you in?” As if on a whim, Qing Ling tapped her fingers against her sleeve, her dark eyes looking over with interest.

Ruan Yubai’s anger flared. She was about to nod when she spotted the Student Council President’s folder on the desk. Instantly, her pufferfish ego was deflated. She lowered her head guiltily and handed the book back.

Forget it. Asking a “salted fish” like her to sweat under the hot sun and run around was worse than just letting the original plot play out.

She gave up, but Qing Ling sat closer. The shadow of her eyelashes seemed to dip into the scent of freesia, brushing against the lowered face of the girl. “Tell me, why do you want me to change events so badly?”

Ruan Yubai screamed internally: Just talk! Why do you have to get so close?! Ahhh!

Unfortunately, the distance was so small that Ruan Yubai could see her own reflection in Qing Ling’s pupils. Under the lure of that bewitching freesia fragrance, she inadvertently spoke the truth. “Because Nan Zhuti is going to be in archery, too.”

Qing Ling’s smile froze for a moment.

It was like a trigger. Ruan Yubai finally seemed to remember her mission as a villainess and began openly bad-mouthing the situation. “We are love rivals. Of course, I do not want you getting too close to him.”

As soon as she said it, before it could even damage the enemy, the salted fish nearly choked on her own words.

Qing Ling returned to her original position. She did not lean in again, nor did she look angry; she maintained her cool, beautiful composure. “Setting me aside, you do not even like Nan Zhuti.”

Ruan Yubai flared up. “Who says I don’t?”

But with just one calm look from Qing Ling, she immediately lost her momentum and asked pitifully, “Can’t you really change events? If you do, I will never pester you again.”

After those words, the room fell into a heavy silence. Qing Ling did not look up at her again, though she did not stop flipping the pages of her book.

Just as Ruan Yubai thought she would not get an answer, she heard the female lead’s emotionless voice.

“You want me to give up archery, yet you are unwilling to accompany me. Where in the world is there such a thing as a free lunch?”

The lilac sunset crashed against the golden-tea hue of the desk lamp, and the clouds, torn into shreds, flowed around the quietly sitting girl. She projected a sense of distant coldness, yet perhaps because the saturation of those two colors was so low, there was a trace of subtle tenderness.

If they were not the only two in the room, Ruan Yubai would have sworn a third person had spoken.

Besides, what did she mean by “free lunch”?

It sounded as if the incredibly popular President actually needed a salted fish like her for company.

Realizing her thoughts were turning a bit sour, Ruan Yubai quickly shook them off and gave a small huff. “If you are unwilling, just say so. Why use a ‘honey trap’ on me?”

Wait, why does that phrase sound so familiar? Probably just an illusion.

Qing Ling smiled, though her voice did not sound particularly joyful. She closed her book and looked over calmly. “As for who is truly unwilling, I think Miss Ruan knows better than I do.”

That night, Ruan Yubai tossed and turned in bed like a pancake on a griddle. Even though the female lead had long since returned to her own room, that faint, cool scent lingered in the space.

Knows better than her.

Ruan Yubai tousled her messy hair, frantically punching her pillow.

Know what?

Know your face, you boba tea kettle!

However, even if she did not compete, she could not escape the responsibility of being a cheerleader, shaking pom-poms and performing calisthenics. Ruan Yubai stood listlessly at the back of the line for the drawing, while Bi Biba next to her was full of energy. “Old Bai, which event do you want to draw?”

Ruan Yubai: “Diving, ice hockey, gymnastics, or the General Knowledge Quiz.”

“You are going to be the death of me, you lazy pig,” Bi Biba muttered, realizing her friend just wanted to hide indoors. “Can you pull yourself together? There aren’t many A-ranks here, barely even any Bs. Everyone wants to go to the sprints or high jump. How can you be so unambitious?”

Ruan Yubai blinked innocently. “I don’t even like Alphas. After they exercise, the whole field smells like pheromones. It is stinky.”

Bi Biba was past the point of criticizing her bone-deep laziness. She sighed, “Indoor events aren’t just those. There is also arch—”

Just then, the Omega in front of Ruan Yubai finished their draw. Clutching the small round ball, they began to pray fervently: “To all the great gods, immortals, spirits, and ghosts; anyone who can hear me, you handsome and brave beings; if you can hear this little O’s prayer, please let this draw be archery. For this, your believer is willing to eat vegetarian for three years, then meat for five, and once I find my destined Alpha, I will plate your statue in gold!”

Beside her, Bi Biba whispered to the salted fish, “The probability of drawing archery is about the same as ascending to godhood on the spot. I would rather just worship that god myself, okay?”

Sure enough, the Omega plucked up the courage to open the draw and immediately let out a wail. If the teacher had not caught them, they would have collapsed onto the floor. “General Knowledge? Why this one? It is all Omegas; what is the point of watching that!”

As the Omega was led away, Ruan Yubai looked at them with envy.

General Knowledge! How wonderful! You do not even have to do calisthenics, just some hand dances on the sidelines. You can even sit in the stands and take a nap.

For a hot event like archery, people had to buy scalped tickets just to get into the stands. It practically funded the entire scalping industry. Cheerleaders would not even have a place to stand without squeezing through the crowd. What was the fun in that?

But whatever, she would not draw it anyway.

With that thought, Ruan Yubai walked forward and reached in with a relaxed expression, pulling out a ball in less than a second.

Suddenly, the people waiting anxiously in line saw the teacher nearby gasp, eyes widening in shock.

What happened?

The noise nearby was ignored for now. Seeing that her friend had not moved in a while, the impatient Bi Biba leaned over. “Old Bai, what did you get? Don’t tell me it is the Deep Sea Shark Show?”

Truth be told, Ruan Yubai would rather be dancing with sharks right now.

Amidst the teacher’s congratulations, Ruan Yubai forced a smile that looked worse than crying. “You can start worshiping me now.”

In her soft, white hand, she held the yellow ball. Two words were clearly printed on it:

“Archery.”

Ruan Yubai felt that things were not good. No, not just “not good”; they were very, very bad.

Ignoring the envious looks from others, Ruan Yubai felt her heart sink. This specific plot point had never appeared in the original melodramatic novel. So why was this happening?

Had the plot already deviated?

Or was it because a cannon-fitter’s role was so insignificant that even if the plot did not change, the characters in the corners simply were not described?

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