After Dumping the Female Lead, It's My Turn to Cry - Chapter 34

The subsequent farce was something no one could have predicted. Naturally, this included the Principal of Laureus, who was currently sitting on pins and needles.

Nan Zhuti’s true identity was far from that of an ordinary Class F Beta. He came from a powerful background; it was simply that this young master had hit a rebellious phase and suddenly decided to go undercover at school to find some excitement.

 

A poor working stiff like the Principal naturally could not fathom the joy in such a stunt. This sense of absurdity had reached its peak when he was forced to help lower Nan Zhuti’s rating during the entrance exams. To put it simply, the Principal felt the boy was just bored out of his mind and looking for trouble.

 

However, the Principal could only keep these thoughts to himself. Sometimes, when the young master’s antics went too far, the Principal had to follow behind and clean up the mess. Take the previous secret filming incident, for example. If the Principal had not risked his old life to sweep it under the rug, would Grandpa Nan Zhuti really have believed that his band of lackeys was so loyal they wouldn’t sell out their leader once they were in the station?

 

How long had it been since then? The Principal clutched his aching lower back, not even having caught his breath yet, and now an even bigger disaster had emerged!

 

Beside him, a few naive young staff members were smirking and mocking the situation. “That Nan Zhuti is really something. If he was S-rank, I might believe it, but a Beta with A-rank mental strength hitting a 191? Who is he kidding? He doesn’t even know how to cheat properly; he should just drop out. I’m embarrassed just looking at him.”

 

Principal: You blind fools, his mental strength actually IS S-rank!

 

An intern teacher noticed the Principal’s indescribable expression. Naturally, they could not imagine the complex meaning behind the old man’s deep gaze and chirped naively, “Look, even the Principal thinks Nan Zhuti is an embarrassment.”

 

This intern taught physical reinforcement; essentially, all the energy meant for his brain had detoured straight to his biceps. His voice was so booming that even students below the rostrum heard him. They curiously turned their heads to whisper with their peers.

 

Principal: I’m the one who was truly blind for hiring you!

 

Frowning, he summoned several deans who were “in the know” for an emergency meeting, vowing to launch a PR campaign within twenty-four hours.

 

However, the Principal had lived a comfortable life at the school for too long. He had yet to realize the gravity of the situation and began with his usual posturing. “Don’t we have our people on the committee? How did it turn into this? You lot haven’t handled this efficiently, letting those low-class reporters wag their tongues like this.”

 

The deans exchanged glances. Dean Da Mao, who was only one strand of hair away from total baldness, gave a bitter smile. “Principal, this isn’t just about small-time reporters. we have temporarily cut off the data sources for the live-stream drones, but we just got in touch with several major media outlets. They see our desperation and are making astronomical demands. Lately, the ‘Trans-Omega incident’ has been a huge mess, and the higher-ups are frantic. This Super-A Games is the perfect distraction, and Nan Zhuti just walked right into the line of fire. According to Xiao Li, these big media outlets have backing—they are more ruthless than Dispatch from Old Earth.”

 

Dean Er Mao, whose hair was slightly more lush, rubbed his brow and sneered, “Using Nan Zhuti as a shield. Brilliant. They’re using their own shield to block their own spear. In-house production and sales, quite the setup.”

 

That was the crux of the problem. Nan Zhuti being unscrupulous was one thing, but being stupid and unscrupulous was a recipe for disaster. Because the confidentiality measures were so thorough, aside from his immediate family, almost no one knew the “Young Master” was here on an inspection tour. This created a time gap. By the time the higher-ups realized something was wrong, Nan Zhuti would have already made his “center-stage debut” with the reputation of a rotten egg.

 

Dean Da Mao added, “Money is a secondary concern. The key is that the archery match gained too much traction. The stands were full, and the most popular forum posts are all from the spectators.”

 

The Principal didn’t take it seriously. “Aren’t the spectators all our students? Just ban their IDs and give them a warning later. Once some other news comes out from the other matches, the heat will die down.”

 

If only it were that simple.

 

Dean Er Mao thought the Principal was indeed getting on in years; his cerebral atrophy seemed to be accelerating annually. He sighed. “Besides our students, many outsiders bought scalped tickets. Banning Laureus’ students is fine, but how do we control the outsiders?”

 

The Principal flared up, about to ask how they were managing the school, but then he remembered how the buzz-cut and pink-haired duo had successfully snuck in as staff. He deflated.

 

A brief silence fell over the office, broken only by the sound of the crowd outside chanting “Qing Ling’s” name.

 

His eyes darting around, the Principal had a “brilliant” idea. “Then let’s push everything onto that Young Lady of the Qing family. Her last rating wasn’t low, but it wasn’t at this level either. That would grab more attention, plus the Qing family is in trouble anyway because…”

 

Just then, a secretary knocked and entered. Dean Da Mao hurriedly coughed to stop the Principal’s loud rambling, but the Principal didn’t notice and kept talking. In a moment of desperation, Da Mao simply kicked him. Seeing things go south, Dean Er Mao rushed to catch the falling Principal, but he tripped over the wheels of a chair and went down too.

 

Thus, when the secretary entered, she saw the respected Principal face-down on the floor in a “dog-paddle” position, with the usually dignified Dean Er Mao pinned tightly on top of him, let out low groans.

 

Secretary: Good heavens, my world-view is shattered! Why are two Alphas doing a naked-wrestling ‘human pyramid’ in the office!

 

Not to mention the usually kind Dean Da Mao—his neat trousers were strangely soaked in a large patch, shattered porcelain lay at his feet, and he was frantically avoiding her gaze, whispering, “Young lady, this is an accident, don’t overthink it.”

 

As soon as he said that, the air became even more awkward. The secretary silently placed the documents on the desk, not daring to look at anyone. She muttered, “These are documents just sent by the Twelve-School Alliance Committee,” and quietly closed the door.

 

Just as the men inside breathed a sigh of relief, the secretary poked her head back in. “Even though the current law doesn’t recognize Alpha-Alpha relationships, I support you!”

 

What kind of taboo, epic, triangular romance is this? Today’s manga wouldn’t even dare to draw this!

 

The three men in the office obviously didn’t know about her thoughts. Ignoring the mess behind them, they flipped through the materials she had brought. Their faces shifted into a terrifying three-way split of reactions.

 

The Principal, still flushed a deep purple from being pinned by Er Mao, asked in confusion, “What does ‘Secondary Testing’ mean?”

 

Recalling the secretary’s meaningful expression, Er Mao’s face turned black, and he cursed, “Damn it! These people are bored out of their minds. They say because of this incident, they don’t recognize Laureus’ testing ratings. They are demanding a re-test for Nan Zhuti and Qing Ling.”

 

Da Mao, thinking deeper, turned pale with fear. “Not only that. If their ratings show a massive change, the Committee might petition the Federal Government to re-test the results of every single Laureus student.”

 

At this, all three faces darkened. Laureus enjoyed high autonomy, making it difficult for even the government to interfere. This wasn’t just a lack of trust in the institution; it was a sign that the Twelve-School Alliance was dissatisfied with the current leadership and wanted to use this chance to reshuffle the deck.

 

“Preposterous!” The Principal trembled with rage. He couldn’t even sit still and began to stomp his feet, forgetting the shattered teacup from Da Mao’s fall. A sharp piece of porcelain pierced his sole, and he let out a piercing scream of pain.

 

Er Mao was close by, but the memory of their awkward position was still fresh. He didn’t dare step forward to help and instead instinctively shouted, “Principal, does it still hurt?”

 

The tragic scream echoed through the office door, making those outside shudder. They crowded around the only witness, the secretary, asking curiously, “Why did you come out so fast? You said there’d be lots to handle today. What are those three doing in there?”

 

Heh, what do these ordinary corporate drones know? The secretary gave a cryptic smile. “PR is precious, but love is more expensive. For the sake of lost hair, both can be discarded.”

 

Poor Dean Da Mao. In a romance between two people, he could never be named because of his thinning hair.

 

The onlookers were initially bewildered, but as strange clattering noises drifted from the room, combined with the secretary’s loaded words, their eyes widened in disbelief. “You mean… they… this… isn’t this a thr—three-p…”

 

The secretary didn’t answer. She simply gazed at the falling snow outside and wore a meaningful smile. “It’s snowing. The season of the ‘White Album’ has arrived once more.”

 

But those were matters for later. Regardless of what happened on the field, the archery competition had to proceed. Even though Nan Zhuti’s victory was under suspicion and the fake staff were still screaming in rage, the award ceremony went ahead as scheduled.

 

[A soft, crimson carpet stretched toward the podium. Nearby, reporters clicked their shutters incessantly, showering the air with free praise. Flying flowers, heavy medals, and the burning gazes of countless spectators were intoxicating. It wasn’t the first time Nan Zhuti had seen this, but it was the first time he had reached this stage through his own efforts, giving even the usually calm boy a fleeting sense of bliss.

 

Naturally, the thing that gave him the greatest sense of accomplishment was the Student Council President standing one step below him on the podium. Amidst the fresh, soft scent of Omega pheromones, Qing Ling still wore that icy, noble expression. However, her bright red lips pursed slightly as she whispered: “Next time, I won’t lose to you so easily!”

 

Hearing this, Nan Zhuti couldn’t help but steal a smile. What a classic tsundere.]

 

In reality, the ceremony wasn’t much different. No matter how rough the carpet was, a layer of “rotten tomatoes” would make it feel soft enough. The reporters, just as the novel described, were praising without end.

 

“Miss Qing, look this way.” “Though Candidate Qing Ling didn’t take the championship, in our hearts, you are the true winner.” “Truly a formidable talent. We just received word that many judges believe your mental strength may have reached S-rank! Miss Qing, don’t be afraid. Did the Laureus administration deliberately lower your rating for some reason?”

 

When they turned to Nan Zhuti, however, the tone became much sharper.

“How do you respond to the allegations made against you by those two Alpha gentlemen just now?”

“What gave you the courage to step onto the podium despite being suspected of cheating?”

 

“Mr. Nan, do you attribute this achievement to your superior cheating techniques, or to your friends who disguised themselves as staff?”

 

This was the first time Nan Zhuti had faced such a relentless onslaught. To be honest, many of the reporters were familiar faces who used to bow and scrape before him, their words dripping with enough honey to make anyone sick. He had never imagined these people could reveal such undisguised malice.

 

Nan Zhuti felt as if he were walking on soft cotton; he didn’t even know what was happening in his own head.

 

How did it come to this?

 

His goal was to be the strongest Alpha in the galaxy. Where did it all go wrong?

 

It wasn’t until a cold, exquisite face entered his field of vision that Nan Zhuti shuddered violently. That faint scent of freesia he was once obsessed with was as subtle as ever, but in this moment, it felt like ice piercing his bones.

 

Qing Ling!

 

He finally realized—all of this was her design!

 

Nan Zhuti lowered his voice, the words squeezed through his gritted teeth, his eyes behind his glasses flashing with a predatory ferocity. “You did this on purpose! You little b—”

 

Accompanied by the melodious music and a sea of flashing lights, Qing Ling curved her lips into a gentle smile. Her voice was elegant and soft, yet Nan Zhuti heard the blatant mockery beneath it.

 

“I hope I can lose to you as easily as this in the next competition.”

 

As soon as the ceremony ended, Qing Ling turned to leave, surrounded by the Committee and the Student Council. The Young Lady, who held everyone’s gaze, gave him one last faint smile. “By the way, congratulations on your championship, Student Nan Zhuti.”

 

Then, she swept away.

 

Her smile was refined and her manner impeccable. Even the tightest camera zoom couldn’t capture a single trace of resentment from the Qing family’s eldest daughter. She was every bit the noble lady, bright and radiant as a reflection of the moon on water.

 

Meanwhile, for the buzz-cut and pink-haired Alphas, the next several days were a waking nightmare of despair they couldn’t escape.

 

Setting aside the school rules they had broken, the two of them were so traumatized that they voluntarily withdrew from their other competitions. No matter how much their mentors pleaded, they simply shook their heads; they didn’t want to have anything to do with the Super-A Games for the rest of their lives.

 

Due to this turn of events, two slots automatically became vacant. When a staff member presented the documents to the President for instructions, they looked worried. “It was indeed those two Alphas who violated the agreement. However, if we select two more A-rank candidates to fill the gap, the Committee surely won’t approve. What should we do?”

 

The beautiful Young Lady smiled softly, her profile in the sunlight as exquisite as a goddess in an ancient Greek oil painting. “I will handle this. Do not worry.”

 

The staff member remained anxious until the new list came out. They froze for a moment, then praised the move from the bottom of their heart, it was brilliant.

 

The members of the archery cheerleading squad had also been quite shaken by the incident, so these slots served as a form of compensation. Furthermore, most of these members did not meet the “A-rank” requirement the school typically demanded for selection. In other words, they weren’t highly competitive, meaning other schools couldn’t complain. Plus, including a student from Class F perfectly demonstrated Laureus’ commitment to equality across all classes, which would earn them major diversity points in next year’s Twelve-School rankings.

 

Truly worthy of being the President! the staff member thought with sincere admiration.

 

The naive staff member was, of course, oblivious to the President’s wicked sense of humor. Similarly, the “salted fish” Ruan Yubai who had finally managed to get permission from Ms. Ruan to browse the forums was also currently in the dark.

 

The incident was massive. Fearing her daughter might be traumatized, Mother Ruan allowed her a day of relaxation to distract her. She encouraged her to read some novels to help her forget the bloody scene she had witnessed earlier that day.

 

To be honest, for a “cannon fodder” supporting character who was used to coughing up blood, a little thing like the sight of blood was a non-issue. She was now immune to such scenes and was having the time of her life scrolling through the interstellar web forums.

 

The day of the archery competition had certainly generated a lot of news. The heat was off the charts; even Ruan Yubai marveled at the bright red “Trending” tags.

 

Beyond Nan Zhuti’s championship scandal, Qing Ling’s double-arrow feat, and the countless stunning photos of the Young Lady that netizens were drooling over, the public’s doubt regarding Laureus’ student evaluation scores occupied a significant amount of space. It was only after leaving the chaotic venue that Ruan Yubai learned the school had briefly locked down the grounds that day.

 

Ruan Yubai understood why. Laureus likely wanted to use both “the carrot and the stick” to silence people. The school had a history of centralizing lockdowns to cover up scandals. At that time, the leadership hadn’t realized the severity of this storm and mistakenly thought a simple lockdown would suffice.

 

Naturally, once they realized things were going south, the school opened the gates immediately. However, during the process, an interesting anecdote was discovered.

 

[To the rising star Yan X, currently ‘sketching’ on the Mung Bean Fungus Planet: Come look at your long-lost twin sister at your alma mater!]

 

The original poster of this thread was a pro. They stayed silent for over a hundred comments while fans alternated between crazy insults, attempts to white-wash the situation, and “fans-acting-as-haters-acting-as-passersby-acting-as-the-OP’s-dad.” The OP didn’t release a single word until the thread hit the front page of the forums. Then, they dropped a pile of photos.

 

“Artist Yan, do you recognize which gene-recombined twin sister of yours this is?”

 

A girl wearing sunglasses was shrinking into a corner, dodging the cameras. Her guilt was practically written all over her fair, well-maintained face. Forced to take off her sunglasses, she revealed a pair of “peach eyes” red from crying, looking piteous and fragile.

 

Not just the netizens on the front lines of the gossip, but even Ruan Yubai recognized who it was at first glance.

 

She furrowed her brows, her soft white fingertips tapping through the replies that mentioned the name “Yan Lan.”

 

Unlike the “useless” Ruan Yubai, Yan Lan’s life was an inspirational model of a successful underdog. All her previous teachers had predicted she would fall to the bottom of the grade. Yet, when the class assignments came out, she was a shining A-rank. It was a slap in the face to all the teachers, and onlookers felt triumphant on her behalf.

 

As the tragic contrast, Ruan Yubai—who many had expected to be a Class B reserve—fell straight into Class F. She hadn’t been prepared at all.

 

After entering Class A, Yan Lan discovered a new species during a visit to a “trash planet.” By chance, she was discovered and interviewed by the media. However, the frail girl simply tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled modestly. “I just want to discover more beautiful things to make specimens. I don’t want to debut as some world-famous star. Compared to such vanity, I’d rather do something meaningful for Laureus. My dream for the future is to open an art exhibition of my own.”

 

As the saying goes: the truly big stars are the ones who just accompanied a friend to an audition and got picked by mistake; the ones who explode in popularity are the ones who are calm and don’t want fame; and the ones worth loving are those with simple, humble dreams.

 

Yan Lan was the gold standard for idols, the model of a megastar. For a girl so gifted and virtuous, people didn’t call her a star, they called her a “Great Artist.”

 

Of course, the path of every top interstellar star is paved with the thorns of “black-and-red” fame. This “Artist” title was also what many anti-fans used to mock her style.

 

Clearly, the person in the photos was Yan Lan. The “genius girl” who was supposedly “braving loneliness to focus on her studies” on the Mung Bean Fungus Planet had suddenly appeared at the Super-A Games. Her eyes were red after the results came out, though whether she was heartbroken for someone or just had a case of watery eyes was anyone’s guess.

 

There were just too many coincidences.

 

Ruan Yubai pulled out The Arrogant Girlfriend of the Interstellar Alpha General and placed a checkmark next to the childhood friend “[Redacted].” Almost instantly, the previously blurred, pixelated name melted into a mass of black mist. When it reappeared, it had turned into two clear words.

 

Yan Lan.

 

It really was her.

 

Ruan Yubai raised her eyebrows in surprise. However, before she could organize these complex thoughts, there was a gentle knock on her bedroom door.

 

“Who is it?” Ruan Yubai asked, instinctively hiding the book.