Damn It! I Fell for the Hated Villainess Again! - Chapter 15

Jiang Yao had never lost sleep from hunger. But the moment she thought about what had happened with Yu Tanning at the hospital, her eyes widened like copper bells.

She was guilty.

If she hadn’t been so greedy for spicy hotpot, she wouldn’t have ended up in the hospital. She wouldn’t have been driven mad by the disinfectant fumes. And she wouldn’t have given that wretched woman the satisfaction of laughing at her!

The little cat was furious. The little cat was going crazy. The little cat was retaliating by staying up all night and ordering a copy of Uniform Fetish.

She bought a legitimate Uniform Fetish book. But the algorithm, convinced she was anything but legitimate, immediately flooded her screen with bizarre toys and perfumes with suggestive names.

Jiang Yao’s face flushed hot as she frantically refreshed the page.

Another perfume popped up. Its description was eerily intriguing:

“Human Catnip: Make them physiologically obsessed with you.”

Jiang Yao’s fingertip hovered over the screen. She clicked on the product details as if daring fate.

The page loaded, and a lengthy description of the fragrance notes filled the screen: “Top notes: the crisp chill of melting cedarwood; middle notes: the hidden tenderness of iris root; base notes: the lingering allure of ambergris. Scientifically formulated to mimic human pheromone release frequencies, awakening primal attraction…”

Cedarwood…

As Yu Tanning leaned in, the scent of cedarwood mingled with her body heat. That woman’s teasing, half-smiling expression flooded Jiang Yao’s mind.

Damn it! Is the algorithm broken or something?!

Jiang Yao slammed her phone face-down on the pillow. Her ear tips burned as if that faint, phantom fragrance had already invaded her bed curtains.

Not again!

Yu Tanning! You scheming woman! Don’t you dare claim you haven’t used this seductive sorcery to ensnare me, your king!

Jiang Yao frantically clawed at her hair, snatched back her phone, and quickly took a screenshot. She secretly memorized the perfume’s packaging.

“What perfume do you wear every day? Show it to me.”

The next morning, Police Chief Jiang Yao woke up and immediately went online to investigate.

Yu Tanning paused mid-curl. She wondered what this pampered princess was up to now. She smiled and countered, “So eager to use the same scent as me?”

“Pah! Stop talking nonsense!”

“I don’t wear perfume,” Yu Tanning replied, glancing back as she continued getting ready. “That scent you like is probably my laundry detergent.”

“Liar! Who said I liked it?!” Jiang Yao glared. “Yu Tanning! With your twisted logic, you’d fail the English reading comprehension section for sure!”

“Wow! Boss really thinks highly of me, letting me get at least one right!”

“Don’t change the subject! You definitely wear perfume. Stop lying to me,” Jiang Yao insisted relentlessly.

Yu Tanning glanced at the disheveled little cat in the vanity mirror. An idea formed in her mind. “If I’m not lying, how will you compensate me later?”

“If I’m wrong, I’ll treat you to that omakase place that costs 999 yuan per person.” Jiang Yao said. Then, remembering something, she added stubbornly, “Just the 999 yuan one, though. It’s too expensive for you to appreciate anyway.”

Yu Tanning chuckled. “Very well. I’ll look forward to Boss’s treat.”

With that, she rose and retrieved a delicate glass jar from the bathroom cabinet. Opening it, she held it under Jiang Yao’s cat-like nose.

The familiar scent of cedarwood filled Jiang Yao’s nostrils. She fell silent at once.

“How is it?” Yu Tanning asked.

Jiang Yao glared. “If I ever catch you wearing perfume with this scent, you’re dead.”

“Boss, what’s gotten into you today? Why are you suddenly so against perfume?” Yu Tanning put the jar away, her expression puzzled.

“I’m not,” Jiang Yao retorted. Her words betrayed her true feelings as she desperately tried to suppress thoughts of what she’d seen online last night.

Yu Tanning didn’t press further. She put away her curling iron. “I’m going to help out at the company sports day later. Want to come with me? There’ll be prizes.”

Who does she think she’s talking to?!

Jiang Yao turned to go back to bed. “I wouldn’t be caught dead accepting your petty favors.”

“Someone signed me up for the clothing fabric R&D project team,” Yu Tanning said softly. “Ah, out of friendship, I didn’t call her out or complain. I squeezed in time every day to work on the research, hoping to share the results with my friend. But now she calls it a ‘petty favor.'”

Jiang Yao whirled around. “You actually joined that project team?”

She’d almost forgotten about it.

She’d dug that pit in a fit of anger, but the woman hadn’t even mentioned it. Jiang Yao had assumed the project team had disbanded.

Yu Tanning finished getting ready, twirling a strand of hair around her finger with a half-smile. “Since you went to the trouble, Boss, how could I refuse? Wouldn’t that be embarrassing for you?”

Yu Tanning paused. She pulled a narrow, rectangular box from the bookshelf and handed it to Jiang Yao. “Internal testing product. Handle with care.”

Jiang Yao ran her fingers over the “Warmth Crossing Tech” logo on the box, guessing its contents. But when she lifted the lid, she couldn’t help but gasp softly in awe.

A fabric as thin as a cicada’s wing lay delicately on the plush lining. It shimmered with a pearlescent glow, like moonlight solidified into silk. The moment her fingertips touched it, the material seemed to come alive. It expanded with her body heat and bloomed into a shy sunset hue.

Dream material!

Seeing Jiang Yao’s captivated expression, Yu Tanning’s smile gradually faded. Her gaze fell on the logo of her cousin’s subsidiary. A faint resentment stirred within her.

If I can’t secure the patent for my medicinal cosmetics and build my own brand, will even my only friend abandon me…?

“Hey, what are you thinking about?”

“I’m reluctantly agreeing to keep you company, so why the long face?” Jiang Yao had apparently called her several times already. By the time Yu Tanning snapped out of her reverie, Jiang Yao was growing impatient.

“Nothing,” Yu Tanning said, taking a silent breath and forcing her lips into a smile. “I’m really happy you’re here with me.”

Beijing University served as the main venue for the sports festival. It hosted major events like the obstacle relay race and the land dragon boat race. With the largest number of invited athletes from outside the university, the school’s top administrators and corporate leaders were all in attendance, creating a lively atmosphere.

As part of the event’s support staff, Yu Tanning arrived early, but a bustling crowd had already gathered in front of the main stage.

Listening to the infatuated screams from the crowd, Jiang Yao was reminded of a film crew that had borrowed the university library for a shoot last semester.

“Which celebrity did you invite?” Jiang Yao asked.

Yu Tanning’s face showed little interest. “It’s probably President Yu from Wendu Technology.”

“Yu as in Tulip?” Jiang Yao clarified.

Yu Tanning replied casually, “Mm-hmm.”

“Oh, a family member! Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?” Jiang Yao teased, unaware that this was Yu Tanning’s deeply resented cousin.

The atmosphere instantly chilled.

After a long silence, Jiang Yao noticed Yu Tanning’s pace had slowed. Puzzled, she glanced back.

Having spent over a month together, Jiang Yao had grown familiar with Yu Tanning’s temperament.

This seasoned businesswoman, a true fox in the corporate world, never revealed anger. When uncertain, she would only offer a practiced smile.

But this slightly chilling smile meant she was truly angry.

Jiang Yao cut straight to the chase. “You don’t like that person?”

Yu Tanning lowered her gaze. The corners of her lips curved into a lively smile. “I don’t. In fact, they annoy me a little.”

“Since there’s someone I dislike here, I need my best friend to keep me company.”

“You should have said so sooner! If I’d known, I definitely wouldn’t have tricked you into joining that project group.”

Jiang Yao guiltily averted her eyes. Her mind inexplicably drifted to her own relationship with Qiu Yuanyuan. She suddenly empathized with a whole new set of conflicting interests. “Then… you shouldn’t force yourself to stay in their project group. I’ll retrieve the fabric and return it to them later. No one should take advantage of anyone else.”

Yu Tanning’s heart skipped a beat. Her voice came out strained. “What about the fashion competition? Li An’an mentioned that you were missing a piece of fabric like that the day your stomach hurt.”

“If we’re missing it, we’re missing it,” Jiang Yao said dismissively. “Better to have nothing than something subpar. I refuse to use fabric from that shady company.”

Yu Tanning couldn’t help but laugh. “Boss, you change your mind so quickly! Just because of one thing I said, you’ve condemned Wen Du Technology to death?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. This works both ways,” Jiang Yao declared righteously. “I’m doing you this favor today, so in the future, if I dislike someone, you’d better stay far away from them too!”

“Did you hear me? Otherwise, I’ll invest in Wendu Technology!”

After the threat, it was time for the real torture.

Jiang Yao, receiving no response to her grand declaration, feigned a pinch at Yu Tanning’s wrist. Yu Tanning deftly evaded her.

“Boss, we’re acting like elementary schoolers,” Yu Tanning said with a bright laugh, impulsively grabbing Jiang Yao’s hand and squeezing it firmly.

“If you don’t want to be an elementary schooler, stay away from me!” Jiang Yao retorted.

“I do! I do!” Yu Tanning replied earnestly. “Then let’s wish our two elementary schoolers eternal happiness.”

Eternal happiness…

Jiang Yao’s mind went blank for a moment. Just as she was about to scold the “stinky woman” for using such ambiguous language, Yu Tanning vanished like a gust of wind. She disappeared into the crowd as the Student Union’s assembly whistle blew.

Yu Tanning’s name tag shimmered in the sunlight. Its refracted rainbow halo resembled a summer dreamscape.

Only after the “stinky woman” had blended into the staff crowd and disappeared did Jiang Yao realize she had unconsciously almost followed Yu Tanning.

Oh, wow.

When Jiang Yao regained consciousness, she found herself standing alone in the bustling sports meet arena, utterly disoriented.

Suddenly, she didn’t know where to go.

It wasn’t that the crowded venue lacked space for her; it was simply that she didn’t want to be anywhere but by Yu Tanning’s side.

Damn that catnip!

With the competition about to begin, Jiang Yao couldn’t linger on the track, drawing attention to herself. She wandered aimlessly through the stands, searching for a seat.

There were plenty of empty seats, actually.

But seeing the panicked “please don’t sit here” looks in everyone’s eyes, Jiang Yao reluctantly abandoned one seat after another. She moved further and further forward.

What’s wrong with me? Why am I being such a saint?

Why should I care about these blind fools? I haven’t done anything wrong! I don’t even want to sit with them! If anyone should move, it’s them!

Jiang Yao stopped abruptly, laughing at her own ridiculous sense of propriety. She glanced at the prime, shaded seats at the front. Without hesitation, she strode up the steps.

As expected, the entire row she chose emptied in an instant. It transformed into a royal VIP section—exceptionally spacious and utterly luxurious.

Jiang Yao scoffed indifferently. She sent the seat location to Yu Tanning and settled in comfortably, ignoring the restless fidgeting of the girls in the row ahead.

Ten minutes later, the competition officially began.

Jiang Yao’s phone vibrated with a message from Yu Tanning: I’m here.

Jiang Yao’s brow relaxed as she casually put her phone away. She waited demurely for Yu Tanning to come find her. She barely noticed a pale yellow figure hurrying toward her.

“Jiang-jie, do you remember me?”

“I’m Yu Weixi from the ballet department. May I sit with you?”

Jiang Yao looked up and saw a junior from the ballet department. She was a moderately popular dance content creator. Before Jiang Yao transferred, Yu Weixi had been considered the campus beauty. Some clueless people had even spread rumors about a rivalry between them.

Though Jiang Yao didn’t understand why Yu Weixi insisted on sitting with her, this was a public space. Jiang Yao wasn’t the type to hog seats unreasonably. She nodded in agreement.

Yu Weixi thanked her with a smile and sat down, leaving one seat between them. Soon after, Yu Tanning strolled over, carrying two cups of hand-squeezed lemon tea.

It was the only thing Jiang Yao could stomach from the cafeteria, and her lips curved into a slight smile.

She waved warmly to Yu Tanning. But to her surprise, Yu Weixi also stood up. “Tanning-jie, you must be tired from work! This spot’s nice and shady—come sit with us!”

Jiang Yao’s smile froze. Her face suddenly fell. For a fleeting moment, she even doubted herself, wondering if she truly harbored those disgusting, competitive thoughts.

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