After Dumping the Female Lead, It's My Turn to Cry - Chapter 37

Ruan Yubai was not happy.

In fact, Ruan Yubai was having a total breakdown.

This continuous explosion of negative emotions lasted until she bumped into her teammates from the cheerleading squad. Her mood had not fully recovered, so she offered a listless greeting. Before she could even brush past them, she was grabbed by Dian Hong, who began shaking her excitedly like a salted fish.

“Fatty Bai, did you see? The supplementary spots for the Super A Games actually went to the two of us! What kind of crazy luck is this? I heard President Qing personally selected the names. As expected of the eldest young lady: she is considerate, gentle, and decisive. How can someone so perfect exist in this world?”

You clearly do not know what this perfect young lady did to this salted fish, Ruan Yubai thought.

To Ruan Yubai, this luck felt more like stepping in something foul.

Ruan Yubai felt like she was going to be shaken to the point of vomiting. Only after Dian Hong’s excitement subsided did she manage to escape death’s door, coughing slightly. “Do you really want to go that badly?”

Looking at Ruan Yubai as if she were an idiot, Dian Hong nodded instantly without needing a second to think. “Of course! Do you know how important the Super A Games are? For nouveau riche like us, it is like having half a foot in the aristocratic circle; it starts a brand new, happy life. Any enemies you have will be firmly stepped under your heels, and you can make them sing ‘Conquest’ whenever you want. How does the saying go? I do not need to marry a rich, handsome guy; I am my own peak of life!”

Alright then.

Because so much had happened recently, Ruan Yubai had not done much research on these Super A Games. Hearing this, she could not help but feel a bit curious. “What is the project for the second round?”

Of course, no matter how much of a stir the Super A Games caused in the galaxy, at its core, it was just a limited live-streamed show. No matter how generous the rewards, it could not easily topple the inherent social hierarchy. After all, the Games themselves were co-hosted by the ruling classes of various planets.

To put it bluntly, it was a relatively harmless dream-making game, providing a tiny goal for the workers living at the bottom of society to strive for.

But it was still very tempting.

Although Ruan Yubai still did not know the male protagonist’s true identity, if she could use this opportunity to meet some big shot who could rival him, she might be able to extend her life as a villainess.

The impulsive act from last time had resulted in very serious consequences. After all, the Initial Marking was a major turning point in the plot. Ruan Yubai had practically lived in the washroom these past few days; she had vomited blood to the point where she began to doubt her own existence as a fish.

Dian Hong said enthusiastically, “Jungle Survival! Have you seen Cast Away? The committee will scatter the contestants across Planet G404. Limited flags will be placed at the finish line; pulling one counts as passing.”

“Do contestants bring their own food?” Ruan Yubai calculated roughly. “Wouldn’t the load be very heavy?”

Dian Hong rolled her eyes. “What are you thinking? You can only bring yourself. Food is hunted on G404. But do not worry, most animals are not toxic. You can eat some rats, earthworms, or if you are lucky, find some barnacles on the rocks or make some snake jerky. Anyway, you will not starve to death.”

Ruan Yubai was speechless.

Seeing the girl’s stoic expression, Dian Hong curled her lips in a pleasant surprise. “Good job, Little Bai! I knew you were a Beta with guts. When I told my brother, he actually gagged. What a disgrace to Betas!”

Ruan Yubai silently turned her head away.

It was not that she did not want to speak; it was just that her heart was filled with many error codes. Her language system had an analysis error, her brain’s IPU circuits were malfunctioning, and she felt like she was being sent straight to the ICU.

Those terrifying terms that only appeared in novels and variety shows were things she did not want to experience in reality.

Aside from everything else, the name of this planet was full of malice. Why call it 404? They might as well call it the Point of No Return.

Ruan Yubai blinked, feeling that this plot was strangely familiar. Still, holding onto a glimmer of hope, she asked, “This is a holographic simulation game, right? If a contestant feels unwell, they can just disconnect and return to real life.”

Unfortunately, Dian Hong ruthlessly shattered her naive fantasy.

“No, it is not. This year, the committee somehow secured a massive amount of sponsorship. Someone actually bought Planet G404 specifically for these Super A Games.”

Unaware of Ruan Yubai’s increasingly stiff expression, Dian Hong talked incessantly. “So do not worry. The planet was originally uninhabited. All the beasts and insects were introduced later, and the caves have been professionally scouted. Although the food is not great, the risks you are imagining definitely will not happen.”

Ruan Yubai thought, You know nothing of my terror.

She remembered. She finally remembered why the island’s name sounded so familiar: it had appeared in the novel. However, it was not built for any Super A Games; it was a tourist site for the protagonist group’s team building trip later in the story.

That is right, the male lead literally leased the entire island for the female lead.

Whether this overbearing CEO style of flaunting wealth moved the female lead, Ruan Yubai did not know, but it certainly chilled her, a cannon fodder supporting character, to the bone.

As a melodramatic novel full of ups and downs, a trip to an island would never be just a peaceful daily routine, just as a summer festival in an anime cannot just be about watching fireworks. To increase the intimate interaction between the leads, many accidents occurred during the island trip.

For example, a hurricane caused by some butterfly flapping its wings. Or a sudden mutation in animals that accidentally ingested chemicals. Or perhaps the weather turning fickle, where a gentle breeze and drizzle turn into giant hailstones the next second.

Granted, for the protagonist group, these were just small plot devices serving as catalysts for intimate physical contact. Afterward, the male lead would calmly resolve everything with his pinky finger, and their feelings would heat up rapidly. But for cannon fodder like Ruan Yubai, being swallowed in one gulp by a mutant fly meant being swallowed; you would not even be found in a dung beetle’s winter rations.

Looking at her joyful companion, Ruan Yubai carefully revealed a bit of the plot. Before she could warn her to be careful, she heard Dian Hong’s nonchalant voice.

“Hahaha, Little Bai, you are too cautious! Although we cannot wear our light computers, we will have special survival bracelets. If anything unexpected really happens, just give up your qualification and press the button.”

That said, but…

Sensing Ruan Yubai’s doubts, Dian Hong continued to comfort her. “I have joined some groups for Super A Games contestants, and some insiders leaked a bit of the map. Only the big shots can truly enter the heart of the island. To put it bluntly, scrubs like us, with weak mental power and physical strength, will just wander around the periphery. We probably will not even make it to the jungle before fainting from dehydration. I was bragging earlier, but I am really just going to gain some experience. Of course, it would be better if I could advance.”

That made sense. Ruan Yubai fell into deep thought. She had recently noticed that, aside from the protagonist group and supporting characters like her, other people’s lives were not heavily affected. Before, Ruan Yubai was worried her presence would affect her childhood friend, but she found that Lin Yi’s life had not changed at all.

In fact, the same applied to her. As long as she did not interfere with the leads’ romance, whatever she did in the corner would not have a major impact on the plot’s direction.

Dian Hong smiled and extended an invitation. “Let’s team up then. You are not allowed to look down on me.”

“Okay, if I go, I will definitely team up with you,” Ruan Yubai agreed readily.

Provided that she actually went.

Setting aside the issue of eating insects and raw fish sashimi, Ruan Yubai was truly suffering from female lead PTSD. Now, even seeing a Student Council uniform in the hallway made her tremble, and she would reflexively step back if she saw a classmate wearing those specific cufflinks.

It was a nightmare.

The novel said marking was pleasurable; that was a total lie. There was a major problem with the sex education at Lawress; if things continued like this, the divorce rate this year would hit a new high.

Ruan Yubai did not feel any of the legendary pleasure of a conqueror; she only felt the despair of being conquered.

Fortunately, Qing Ling seemed busy. Even people in Class A could not catch a glimpse of her. Her presence was only seen at the Monday assembly. Hidden behind her calm voice was a sense of fatigue from lack of sleep. Before any admirers could step forward to ask caringly what the eldest lady was busy with, Qing Ling would turn and leave as soon as she put down the microphone, leaving only a hurried silhouette.

Ruan Yubai was very stressed about her spot in the Super A Games. She had tried to tentatively ask other Student Council officers about it, but they all brushed her off with the statement, “Only the President is responsible for that.”

She was now caught in a very complex state of mind. On one hand, she really wanted to find the female lead to give up the spot; on the other hand, she did not quite dare to see her.

Ruan Yubai also found it very strange. Clearly, she was the tool fish who had been overused last time, so why did she feel guilty about going to settle scores with the culprit?

The female lead’s contact number was stored in her terminal. Ruan Yubai’s finger hovered over it and then pulled back several times. In the end, she did not dial.

Ruan Yubai thought, like a true salted fish, “Anyway, there is still a long time before the second event starts. I can still survive a bit longer.”

This bit longer turned into nearly a month. During this time, the school seemed peaceful on the surface. The Crew Cut Guy and the Pink Haired Boy were in a convalescent home. Nan Zhuge’s relationship with his brother was getting better and better, no longer as antagonistic as before; many people were secretly shipping the beautiful brotherly forbidden love.

Of course, as the male lead, Nan Zhuti showed signs of reclaiming lost ground. Not only was he unaffected by previous scandals, but his former lackeys were even showing signs of returning. Many unfamiliar Omegas began frantically sending him love letters.

This scene finally returned to the original plot of the melodramatic novel.

After making a comeback in the Super A Games archery competition with a miraculous score, the previously unknown Nan Zhuti received unprecedented treatment at school.

The love letters stuffed into his desk were so numerous they had to be cleared with a shovel. While walking, he would encounter Omegas with a sweet scent looking at him with starry eyes, all seeming as if they were perpetually in heat. At first, Nan Zhuti would accept their chocolates with pleasant surprise, but later he would hide away in annoyance. The accumulated chocolates even killed two pet dogs.

The only good thing was that whenever his brothers took an interest in an Omega, Nan Zhuti would use his name to lure them out. After an Alpha and Omega marking, it was considered a good deed done. However, in Nan Zhuti’s view, these Omegas were very cheap and greedy.

Take a girl surnamed Tu, for example. Even after following one of his brothers, she was not satisfied and actually had the nerve to come to him. “You were the one who asked me out. What do you mean by finding an Alpha I do not even know to forcibly mark me?”

Nan Zhuti’s eyes, hidden behind his plain glasses, narrowed mockingly. “Isn’t this just helping you? It saves you from marrying some old widower. Of course, if you are still craving that old man, you can wash off my brother’s mark and then go beg him to take you. Why come back to me?”

Amidst a burst of laughter, he sneered with disdain. “I think it is dirty.”

He then strode away, leaving behind sounds of mocking laughter.

Vain women like this were ungrateful. Did she really think her meager looks could hook him? Even ten of them added together could not compare to a single finger of the pure eldest lady. They were not even qualified to lick his feet.

Ruan Yubai found it very strange. If the premise of this plot description was “the male lead wins the archery competition and gains everyone’s favor,” then why, when Nan Zhuti had exposed himself at the competition and was caught in a plagiarism scandal, were there more and more people gathering around him?

Moreover, it was even more exaggerated than the novel’s description. Those Alphas were practically stuck to Nan Zhuti like they had built in super glue.

One day, after class, Ruan Yubai helped her friend Bi Biba move basketballs.

The distance between the basketball court and the equipment room was not short. By the time the last load was moved, Ruan Yubai was sweating even in the middle of winter. She leaned against an equipment rack to rest for a while.

At that moment, two Omegas who were slacking off from class pushed the door open. Likely not expecting anyone to be in the equipment room, they did not stop their gossiping.

First was a soft female voice: “Didn’t you like that Crew Cut Alpha before? You even said you would marry no one but him. Why the sudden interest in Nan Zhuti? You were the one who told me about all his messy scandals.”

Then came a boy’s indifferent voice: “You female Omegas have long hair but short sight; your information is too outdated. Nan Zhuti is not a Beta at all; he is an Alpha disguised as a Beta. And his true identity is…”

Ruan Yubai had been dozing comfortably, but in her half asleep state, she was fed a huge mouthful of stale gossip. Seeing the two walking closer and realizing a social death event was about to happen, she quickly let out a small cough.

The boy Omega who had been bragging just now froze. His fingers trembled with fear. Only when he saw that the intruder was just a non-aggressive Beta did he breathe a sigh of relief. He snapped crossly, “Ruan Yubai, you are here skipping class to sleep? No wonder you ended up in Class F after the placement exam.”

Talk about a scapegoat even while sleeping.

These words were truly skin deep to her. But while Ruan was lazy, she was not happy about catching a face full of insults while minding her own business. She immediately shrugged.

“Do not worry, I did not hear you say you personally spread Nan Zhuti’s scandals, nor do I know you are approaching him because he is actually an Alpha disguised as a Beta. I also have no idea you cheated on his most valued brother to be a backup, so there is no need to worry.”

“You!” Facing those innocent almond eyes, the male Omega’s nose practically went crooked with anger. He shook for a long time, then finally waved his hand resentfully and hurried out of the equipment room in guilt.

The girl next to him, however, gave her an apologetic smile, looking very embarrassed. “I heard him say that because of the incident in the Omega restroom, Nan Zhuti has developed some special feelings for Student Ruan, so he might be a bit hostile toward you.”

Then, seeing no one around, she lowered her voice. “All of us Omegas are very grateful to you for what happened last time. Please be careful.”

Without waiting for Ruan Yubai’s answer, the female Omega quickly turned and called out the male Omega’s name, rushing out after him.

If that is the case, then things make sense.

Ruan Yubai spun a basketball on her fingertip, lost in thought. Clear light filtered through a small window, stroking her pinkish white cheeks; even the beads of sweat were crystal clear.

The fact that the male lead is the strongest Alpha in the galaxy is something the melodramatic novel had bluntly revealed to readers through its title. However, in the main text, his disguise was removed very slowly. After all, the original satisfaction point was: an Alpha hiding his true identity starts from scratch, using only his ordinary Beta status to collect a harem, recruit followers, marry the goddess, and reach the peak of life a second time.

Anyway, up until the point where Ruan Yubai had finished the first half of the novel, Nan Zhuti had not revealed his true identity yet. In short, he was just super strong.

But how could an identity that was supposed to be revealed so much later in the novel have the possibility of being exposed now?

If that was not enough, the gossip her friend Bi Biba shared two weeks later truly made her mouth hang open in shock.

“Yes, you heard right.” Seemingly understanding her friend’s shock, Bi Biba nodded and repeated, “It is that Nan Zhuge from Class A. At a major state banquet, he directly found the Grand Archbishop of the Upper House. He confessed on his own initiative that he had injected the Archbishop’s youngest son with a gender altering drug and then marked him. He begged for the Archbishop’s forgiveness. I do not know which brave soul recorded it, but it is going viral online now.”

For Ruan Yubai, whose light computer had lost its forum browsing function, she could only huddle in front of her friend to watch. She was stunned the moment she saw the deep red “EXPLOSIVE” tag on the post.

It had been a long time since she had seen a post with this much heat, especially one posted less than two hours ago.

“Watch it quickly,” Bi Biba handed over an earphone and whispered, “I expect it will be deleted in a bit.”

The person filming must have been doing it secretly; the footage was incredibly blurry. Ruan Yubai first scanned the people present in the wide angle shot.

Excellent. Not only was her biological mother, Ms. Ruan, there, but nobles from other planets were also present, and the Sovereign, looking extremely displeased, was there as well. Or rather, except for the bankrupt Qing family, every famous socialite family was represented here.

The Grand Archbishop clutched his scepter tightly. Even through the camera, Ruan Yubai could faintly hear it creaking.

The elderly clergyman, over seventy, forced a smile. “We old folks do not understand your jokes; I almost took it as the truth. It seems we old people cannot keep up with the thinking of the youth.”

This was practically writing the words “Shut your mouth” directly onto the scepter.

Unfortunately, Nan Zhuge was Nan Zhuti’s brother. As the control group for the male lead, his biggest trait was being reckless. He immediately stiffened his neck, his gaze circling the room before pausing subtly in a corner for a moment. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he actually knelt down directly.

“My father often taught me that if you do something wrong, you must apologize and take responsibility. It was I who got your youngest son drunk when I was young and foolish, and later used a gender altering drug to force him to become an Omega before his differentiation. But I am willing to compensate. Punish me however you wish, but please let me take on the responsibility of marrying your young master.”

“I swear, I will treat your young master well in the future and will never fail him!”

These words were spoken with such power that they seemed to shake the dust off the gold brick ceiling. It was clear Nan Zhuge was a decisive man.

He was so decisive that the Grand Archbishop looked like he wanted to strangle him to death.

Turning her head away, for a moment Ruan Yubai did not dare look at the poor old man’s expression. She practically covered her face and counted through the several seconds of silence in the banquet hall. Too reckless, Ruan Yubai sighed from the bottom of her heart. She knew the male lead’s brother was reckless, but she did not know he was this reckless. Did he really think his life was too happy and wanted to find trouble?

Or was this some new branch derived from the changes in the original novel’s plot?

Then the video became shaky and blurred, as if a guard had discovered the daring secret filmer. The camera jerked, and the screen soon went black.

But in those brief seconds, Ruan Yubai’s sharp eyes caught someone she would never easily forget. At the same time, that person was the source of the pause in Nan Zhuge’s gaze when he had scanned the room earlier.

A young girl in a waitress uniform, with red lips and black hair, curled her mouth into an extremely glamorous arc. Her hands, hidden in the shadows, clapped slowly and unhurriedly a few times.

Above that slender and beautiful jaw, the lips that had sipped champagne opened and closed silently.

When she refreshed the forum again, all information about the post had vanished without a trace. Even downloaded copies had turned into garbled code.

But Ruan Yubai did not miss that lip movement.

When she went home that day and saw the eldest lady sitting quietly, the image in Ruan Yubai’s mind overlapped perfectly with the elegant and cultured President before her.

The bright color of the lipstick had not faded.

“Idiot.”

The waitress in the video had clearly said that.

Support After Dumping the Female Lead, It’s My Turn to Cry