After Dumping the Female Lead, It's My Turn to Cry - Chapter 32

With the crack of a starting pistol, the competition began.

Aerial filming drones, disguised as hummingbirds and adorned with blue-green feathers, featured tails long enough to trail a vibrant gradient through the air. These machines could not only adjust their angles to capture the subtle facial expressions of the contestants but also unfurl wings made of nanomaterials to soar into the sky, providing bird’s eye views of the entire virtual battlefield.

Yes, a virtual battlefield.

The official justification was that projecting the archery event into a holographic setting with 100% fidelity would reduce arrow consumption for environmental purposes and eliminate cheating.

In Ruan Yubai’s view, however, this was pure nonsense spoken in a fever dream. Setting aside why other events did not require such considerations and remained grounded in reality, there was the matter of the male lead’s lackeys. They had easily disguised themselves as staff members to infiltrate this holographic scene.

Before the buzz cut guy with the leg injury walked in, he shot Ruan Yubai a sinister glare. His vengeful, provocative intent was not hidden in the slightest.

Dian Hong, on the other hand, got straight to the point. “Many of the Alphas in archery come from influential families. Even if they miss every shot, Laurels has to let them through to the second round. A virtual setting is definitely easier to manipulate than the real world. Besides, as beautiful as this holographic spectacle is, Laurels’ budget can only stretch far enough to cover this small patch of ground.”

It was a harsh reality, but a true one.

As for the cheerleaders, who were only allowed into the virtual field during halftime, they did not even have seats in the stands when they were not dancing. They were forced to stand in a row under the sun like they were being punished.

Most of the cheerleader members were focused intently on the competition, while quite a few were looking into small mirrors to check their makeup, hurriedly dabbing at areas where their powder had caked. Consequently, Ruan Yubai’s absentmindedness made her stand out.

The Spectator Stands

“Is that little Omega looking at me? Damn, she has great taste. Not to brag, but a ruggedly handsome guy like me is way more charming than those sissies doing archery, right?”

“Wake up. She is clearly just trying to hide from the sun. Even if she is smiling, she is smiling at me. Did you completely forget that time you tried to flirt with an Alpha girl and she turned around to give me her contact info instead?”

“An Alpha can be called a woman? Only a freak would be into you. A soft, fair little girl like that definitely likes a rough guy like me who can protect her.”

In the stands, where the atmosphere was heated with cheers for the contestants, such whispered discussions were piercingly loud. They quickly drew complaints on the school forums.

[What are those two guys in Row C, seats 3 and 4, blathering about? Do they have no respect for the contestants? Did they feed the “Archery Spectator Etiquette Agreement” to a dog?]

[Finally, someone said it. For the first time, I hate having B+ level mental strength ears. If they were any better, I could actually hear them clearly; as it is, I just have to listen to these two idiots squeaking like mice. If you want to chat, go back to your dorm. No one cares if you talk until you are in bed together, but why bring that to a public event? I nearly messed up my cheer just now. So annoying.]

[The person above sounds like they are from the Northeast Star. That accent is so nostalgic; you don’t hear it often at Laurels. It’s good to see a fellow provincial!]

[Tell me about it. I took a thirty-six-hour spaceship ride just for Qing Ling. There was even a black hole jump glitch midway that nearly shook my appendicitis out. But I have to say, the Young Lady is so noble and beautiful. I’d die happy if she just used that face to give me a harsh scolding.]

[Damn, a true masochist right out of the gate. But me too…]

[Who wouldn’t want that? To hell with it, those two pieces of trash in C34—when are they going to kick the bucket? They’ve been buzzing in my ear since the Young Lady took the field. Can someone sitting nearby give them a couple of kicks for us?]

[I am in Row B, Seat 2. I have already filed a formal complaint with the committee. It should be handled soon.]

Five minutes later, after a brief commotion.

[The world is finally quiet. Row B, Seat 2 is a saint. May you have a peaceful life!]

[Inner ring tickets for archery are so expensive. What was so important they had to talk now? Those scalped ticket prices just went down the drain.]

[I’m actually curious now. What were they talking about? Any insiders care to share?]

[Brother from Row B, be kind one more time. I’m dying of curiosity.]

[Curiosity +1]

[Curiosity +10086]

…

[Here we go. They seemed to be talking about an Omega in the cheerleading squad. I took a look, and she really does look quite pure.]

[Thanks, bro. Much appreciated.]

[The cheerleading squad? Aren’t those all Omegas? Our school only has a handful of good-looking ones; what is there to talk about? Are they outsiders?]

[Wait, is it the one with the ponytail? I’ve actually never seen her before.]

[Sorry brothers and sisters, I suddenly understand the two from Row C. I’ve fallen in love.]

[I have to say, that girl has a beautiful smile. She looks like my next first love.]

[Not awake yet?]

[Move aside, brothers. My “yellow urine” will wake him up.]

[Strange. Why does she look familiar? I’ve seen every Omega at Laurels, so it is impossible for me to have missed her.]

[That makes sense, because she is not an Omega.]

[What?]

[No joke, for real?]

[I am seriously tired of saying this: Ruan Yubai from Class F is a Beta. Human memory being worse than a shrimp’s is no joke. Has it only been a few months since the “fishing in the restroom” incident?]

It wasn’t entirely true that Ruan Yubai’s mind was just empty. In reality, she was recalling a small segment of the archery plot from the novel The Arrogant Girlfriend of the Interstellar Alpha General.

[The competition scene was magnificent, filled with the products of the latest technology, gleaming with the cold metallic luster of the sun. The contestants wearing holographic helmets were either wealthy or noble. Nan Zhuti, who appeared utterly mediocre, was the only commoner among them.

Before the halftime break of the finals, a group of scantily clad cheerleaders entered the field to dance. Many judges were distracted by the sight. Nan Zhuti was also a man, and naturally, he did not miss such a pleasant view.

As he walked back to the stands to drink water, he suddenly heard a familiar call.

“Brother Nan, don’t listen to those bitter people and their salty words. They are used to being arrogant and have no idea of your abilities. Sometimes I really wish I could tell them your true identity and see if those haughty Alphas would wet themselves on the spot,” [Redacted] complained, pouting her small mouth in dissatisfaction.

Just moments ago, a group of Class B Alphas had failed their event, hitting zero rings out of ten. Seeing the only Class F student there made them resentful; they resorted to cold irony, mocking comments, and even intentionally crossing their eyes to provoke him. This had made [Redacted], who was hiding in the shadows, extremely anxious. She had wanted to rush out and teach them a lesson several times, only to be stopped by a single look from Nan Zhuti.

Nan Zhuti picked up the glasses he had dropped earlier, wiped them on his shirt, and put them on casually. Acting as if he had not noticed [Redacted]’s timid, affectionate gaze, he said in a deep voice, “I wanted to ask earlier but didn’t have the chance. You are supposed to be on the Mung Bean Fungus Planet. Why are you here?”

After a short silence, [Redacted]’s eyes suddenly turned red, her voice carrying a suppressed sob. “Brother Nan, how can you say that? I only wanted to come and cheer for you. I even specifically evaded my manager’s surveillance for this. Do you know how hard it was for me to come back? Or is it that Brother Nan has been dazzled by that wretched woman Qing Ling and forgotten about me?”

The little display of jealousy was charming and lovely. Nan Zhuti had been slightly dissatisfied by her words, but seeing her pouting red lips, his irritation vanished.

After all, this was the girl who had grown up alongside him.

Nan Zhuti could not help but sigh, his attitude softening. “You know you are a semi-debuted star now. Why are you still so reckless? I’ll let it slide this time, but don’t do it again.”

With that, he gave a confident, triumphant smile. “What does that woman matter? Watch your Brother Nan win the championship for you.”

Watching Nan Zhuti leave with eyes full of admiration, [Redacted]’s smile turned cold. Her gaze toward the Young Lady on the field revealed a hint of ill intent. Women are naturally more sensitive than men. Perhaps Nan Zhuti had not realized it yet, but [Redacted] already felt the threat Qing Ling posed to her.

Hmph, she thought, pouting her lips in dissatisfaction, Brother Nan is such a big stupid pig! I hate him!]

Ruan Yubai wondered if the book was just poor quality; the publisher couldn’t even print the name of “[Redacted],” using garbled square blocks instead. However, judging from the preceding and following context, just as the novel described, this “[Redacted]” should be the “childhood friend” who grew up with the male lead.

Unfortunately, no matter how deeply this girl loved Nan Zhuti, a childhood friend was no match for the “fated arrival.” In the novel, the only rightful partner could be Qing Ling.

This description served as a side-character moment to highlight the turning point of the male lead’s feelings for the heroine, showing that the lead who insisted on pretending to be a Beta was actually an ordinary man capable of being moved. It helped readers relate to him more.

Probably.

But in any case, Ruan Yubai was definitely curious about this garbled character. When she was looking at the stands earlier, she was searching for this “Cannon Fodder Number Two.” Unfortunately, there were too many people, and she eventually had to give up in disappointment.

“Baibai, stop dazing. Halftime is starting; we have to get up there and work.”

Ruan Yubai acknowledged the call, hurriedly organizing her messy thoughts. She picked up her pom-poms and entered the competition field with the other members.

The holographic venue constructed with Laurels’ massive investment was indeed extraordinary. As a technical novice, Ruan Yubai could not tell the difference between this and a real-world setting.

Well, perhaps the real venue would be a bit quieter. Even the thunderous cheers from the stands were scaled down proportionally; by the time they reached the field, there was almost nothing left.

As a result, when the music started, it sounded slightly distorted due to the high volume. Ruan Yubai was startled for a moment and nearly missed the beat for the first section of the calisthenics.

For the audience in the stands, however, it was a completely different story.

What Ruan Yubai privately joked about as a calisthenics track was actually a currently popular girl group song—cheerful and lively.

 

The girl swayed her body gently to the rhythm, her neck and slender waist forming a fluid silhouette. Her exposed skin looked as though it had been soaked in snow-white milk, and the hem of her skirt rippled in sweet waves. During a mid-tempo leg-bend and hop, virtual colorful streamers drifted down, making the young girl bathed in the shadow of the pom-poms look like a lithe, nimble fawn.

 

At the very end of the track, a robotic hummingbird suffered a trajectory calculation error. Its metallic wing inadvertently grazed the neck of the girl moving through the center position.

 

It must have been painful. Yet, as the ornate blue-green feathers trailed a long streak and vanished into the center of the screen, she simply curved her eyes into a smile. Her eyelashes softened into crescent moons, and her vibrant sense of purity was displayed vividly before everyone.

 

It was painful, but it was also undeniably beautiful.

 

[Holy crap, is this girl a former idol?]

 

[The dance moves aren’t standard, but watching her makes me so happy. She’s definitely a hidden treasure; I’ve officially become a fan.]

 

[Her stage presence is top-tier. Can the newly debuted boys learn a thing or two from this?]

 

[I definitely didn’t misremember; she’s the Beta who pretended to be an Omega during the restroom incident. All the later posts were deleted, and I thought my memory was playing tricks on me.]

 

[You aren’t the only one. Was that some kind of collective amnesia?]

 

[I might have missed this little beauty once, but I definitely won’t miss her a second time!]

 

Ruan Yubai was naturally unaware of the explosion on the interstellar forums. In reality, the moment the wing grazed her, she nearly cursed the hummingbird’s entire ancestry. However, her muscle memory was too strong; the teacher’s devilish training was etched into her bones. Before her conscious mind could react, her smiling muscles had already responded for her.

 

The teacher had some foresight after all, knowing that someone with zero foundation like her shouldn’t be the visual center for long. They had only arranged a brief stint in the center during a movement sequence. This allowed Ruan Yubai to barely suppress the pain. If this stage accident had happened at the start of the song, the cheerleading performance would have been a total disaster.

 

The moment the dance ended, Ruan Yubai instinctively glanced at the contestant waiting area. As expected, there was no sign of the male lead. Just as she was about to look away to find the “Redacted” character from the novel, she suddenly locked eyes with a pair of dark, beautiful eyes.

 

Wasn’t this person supposed to be resting with her eyes closed?

 

Ruan Yubai felt incredibly awkward. She was still wearing the heroine’s brooch on her chest and didn’t know how to react. She gave a polite smile and was about to look away when a faint voice reached her.

 

“Come here.”

 

Oh boy. Miss Heroine, do you think you’re so tough? Bossy lady, please get off your high horse!

 

Ruan Yubai turned her head, trying to pretend she hadn’t heard. However, the people around her weren’t as calm. Small gasps of surprise broke out one after another. Even the cheerleader who had just exchanged contact info with a departing Alpha opened her eyes wide in shock.

 

“Qing… I mean, Candidate, is there something you need?” Not just the students, but even the teacher raised their voice in surprise.

 

Hearing the address, Ruan Yubai instinctively followed the sound. A tall figure with a bow slung over one shoulder came into view.

 

Qing Ling gave a polite smile. “I have something to discuss with Student Ruan from your squad. If possible, may I borrow a bit of her time?”

 

Listen to that! Using the gentlest tone to do the most shameless things!

 

By the time she was sitting beside the heroine, Ruan Yubai’s expression was wooden. Even when that cool, faint scent of freesia drew near, she didn’t have the energy to lift her eyes.

 

No human rights!

 

Ruan Yubai realized she was at the absolute bottom of the food chain at Laurels. That was fine, but wasn’t the heroine supposed to be an oppressed, helpless little thing? Why did Ruan Yubai feel like she was the tragic one?

 

When a bandage was unceremoniously slapped onto her face, Ruan Yubai could no longer maintain her poker face. Her expression twisted into a grimace.

 

“What are you doing!” Ruan Yubai was furious.

 

The believers who thought the Young Lady was gentle and kind should see this. Qing Ling’s movements were precise and ruthless—and she even gave her a cold smirk!

 

“Who was Miss Ruan looking for just now?” Slender fingers pressed lightly against the edge of the wound. It was a bit itchy, but before Ruan Yubai could instinctively pull away, Qing Ling had already retracted her hand.

 

Ruan Yubai snapped back, “I already said we’re love rivals. Who do you think I was looking for?”

 

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, the male lead’s bespectacled figure appeared at the entrance. Immediately, several hummingbird cameras swarmed him, conducting close-up interviews with the commoner Beta who was expected to pull off an upset victory.

 

Looks like he’s finished meeting with [Redacted].

 

Thinking of this, Ruan Yubai shot an annoyed glare at Qing Ling. But when she met that calm gaze, she hung her head timidly. “Anyway, I wasn’t looking for you.”

 

Forget it, Ruan Yubai thought. According to the plot, the heroine is going to lose anyway. I shouldn’t make things harder for her.

 

Thinking about the novel’s plot made Ruan Yubai feel frustrated. If the heroine truly lacked skill, that would be one thing. But why did she have to lose her cool and miss a shot just because the male lead suddenly acted like a romantic lead?

 

Is the male lead’s smile really that good-looking?

 

Ruan Yubai instinctively glanced at the other end of the waiting area. The male lead had already stepped up as the first contestant. Nearby, the buzz cut guy disguised as a staff member noticed her gaze. He gave a contemptuous smirk, his tongue pushing against his cheek as he looked her over.

 

It was a blatant, aggressive hint.

 

Ruan Yubai pinched her own face, her eyes still watery from the lingering pain, yet she forced a smile at Qing Ling that looked worse than crying. “Look at me. Am I not good-looking?”

 

At least be a little immune. I’m not saying you have to win, but at least don’t miss the target again.

 

Unfortunately, the heroine was merciless. She said coldly, “You look hideous.”

 

Ruan Yubai let out a slow “Oh.” Seeing that the competition was about to start, she got up to slink away, only to be caught by a hand.

 

The knuckles were well-defined, and the fingertips had developed thin calluses from exercise, but they were clean and free of dust.

 

“Was it those two Alphas next to Nan Zhuti who bullied you?”

 

So what if it was! You can’t get revenge on the field.

 

This was something better handled by her family. Last time, Ruan Yubai mistakenly thought her parents’ marriage was in trouble, and since those guys hadn’t caused a major scene, she hadn’t mentioned it. But this time, she was definitely going to involve her family.

 

Thinking of this, Ruan Yubai shook her head and said softly, “Just focus on your match. Try to advance. Good luck.”

 

Qing Ling didn’t ask further. She only curled her lips slightly, though the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

 

Ruan Yubai had probably forgotten that the top two from each match advanced to the next round—people like her and Nan Zhuti, or perhaps that buzz cut guy and the disgruntled pink-haired Alpha beside him.

 

“If I win, will Miss Ruan give me a gift?”

 

Ruan Yubai replied perfunctorily, “If you win, I’ll even accompany you through the rest of the matches.”

 

Anyway, the heroine couldn’t win, and Ruan Yubai wasn’t qualified to compete.

 

Just then, Dian Hong appeared hurriedly at the entrance and pulled Ruan Yubai away from the venue. Qing Ling stretched her fingers and stepped onto the field.

 

The Young Lady was composed and elegant. She didn’t look like she was preparing for a competition; she looked like she was at a banquet, socializing over drinks.

 

However, that feeling vanished the moment she notched an arrow. Instead, a cold, lethal aura took over. The metallic arrow tip wasn’t blunt to begin with, but in front of her recurve bow, it looked even sharper. Like a performer’s hand, she pulled back the taut string without haste, her calm eyes suddenly sharpening.

 

The arrow flew like lightning, cutting through the moment of held breath, driving a streak of white through the vast sky.

 

The machine broke the silence: “Ten rings.”

 

“Ten rings.”

 

“Ten rings.”

 

“Ten rings.”

 

…

 

Ruan Yubai clenched her palms tight, her nails nearly carving small crescents into her soft skin. While the crowd cheered at the “miracle,” her heart raced faster as the number of arrows decreased.

 

By the eighteenth arrow, Ruan Yubai blinked nervously. For a moment, she felt her heart in her throat.

 

At that moment, the girl who had been calmly staring at the target turned her head toward the screen and gave a very gentle smile.

 

Unlike her usual cold, noble demeanor, this smile was incredibly approachable and radiant. For a moment, the audience went wild, practically ready to pull out banners saying, “Gentle Young Lady, fall in love with me!”

 

Qing Ling leaned down and lightly picked up the arrows from her quiver. All the hummingbird cameras zoomed in on her perfect features. She notched the arrows as usual. The metallic alloy bow curved into a dark, solemn shape, contrasting with her black hair and red lips so vividly that any praise felt empty.

 

Mysteriously, at that moment, Ruan Yubai’s heart skipped a beat.

 

In the next instant, the direction of Qing Ling’s bow suddenly shifted. Her clenched fingers unfurled. Before the audience could scream in surprise, two arrows flew out.

 

Wait—two arrows?

 

Because that gentle smile had been so captivating, the hummingbird drones that usually followed the trajectory had been switched to manual control to focus entirely on her face.

 

Because of this, everyone had missed the number of arrows Qing Ling had drawn. It wasn’t one; it was two.

 

The buzz cut and the pink-haired Alpha, who were yawning and secretly plotting how to pin down the little Beta kitten, had no idea danger was coming. Suddenly, they heard the whistle of wind and Nan Zhuti’s shout: “Watch out!”

 

They instinctively opened their eyes wide, only to see two arrows flying straight toward their faces. They tried to dodge, but the arrows were faster. In their final moments, all they saw were two gleaming tips.

 

A sudden, excruciating pain hit, and their retinas were flooded with blood-red before everything faded into a sensory-deprived gray.

 

Amidst the agonized screams, everyone was stunned, frozen in place. Not even the target, which was supposed to refresh automatically, had moved; the fletching of the previously fired arrow was still vibrating.

 

In the middle of the uproar, Qing Ling calmly picked up the last arrow from her quiver. Her dark eyes reflected no emotion; she was utterly indifferent.

 

Draw, notch, release, fire.

 

The arrow didn’t waver. Its aim was perfect. It struck the fletching of the previous arrow, splitting the long shaft apart with irresistible force and taking its place in the bullseye.

 

Someone instinctively swallowed. Qing Ling put down her bow and smiled at the two people who were about to be forced out of the holographic scene because they had “lost their vital signs.”

 

The smile was incredibly gentle, but no one would ever think of her as a refined young lady again.

 

“My apologies,” she said, her lips curving softly into the perfect image of a Young Lady. “I missed the target.”