Damn It! I Fell for the Hated Villainess Again! - Chapter 18

Her focus snapped back to reality.

Jiang Yao suddenly realized she was in China, and the person in front of her was Yu Tanning, not…

Aaaaaah! What have I done?!

Damn it! This foreign trash is poisoning people!

I want all foreigners to die! Aaaaaah!

Jiang Yao’s pupils trembled. It felt like she had pressed her face against a branding iron, not a woman’s cheek.

“Boss, is this a French greeting?” Yu Tanning’s breath still lingered near her ear.

As she spoke, Yu Tanning took a small step back, her eyes searching Jiang Yao’s face.

Jiang Yao stood frozen, questioning her entire existence. Her red lips moved, forming a few incoherent syllables. Seeing her bewildered state, Yu Tanning smiled wryly.

Just moments ago, she was all over me, practically on fire. Now she’s acting like she’s spotted the school counselor. This woman’s ability to switch between hot and cold is light-years ahead of any water heater brand.

Yu Tanning mentally grumbled. Then a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. She casually draped an arm around Jiang Yao’s shoulder and swiftly pressed a kiss to her left cheek. Her voice was teasing, “Did I return the greeting properly? Or should I do it like in the movies… with a real kiss?”

You wicked fox, Jiang Yao thought. Her mind exploded with the force of several tons of TNT, jolting her language system back to life. “Y-you! What are you saying?! You pervert!”

Yu Tanning feigned hurt. “I’m wounded! Calling me a pervert when I was just asking about proper etiquette!”

Jiang Yao felt her entire body burning up. It felt like a lesbian who’d gotten a job scrubbing backs at a women’s bathhouse—each step forward meant her dignity crumbled further, while each step back was just burying her head in the sand.

Joy turns to sorrow.

The four words flashed before her eyes.

Last time it was hotpot, this time it was the competition. Both times, her joy had ended in sorrow at Yu Tanning’s hands.

Their fates were clearly intertwined.

Jiang Yao numbly closed her eyes. “It’s fine.”

“What’s fine?” Yu Tanning countered. “Is a kiss better, or no kiss at all?”

Wow, this woman!

Jiang Yao’s eyes widened in alarm. She wanted to remind Yu Tanning that she was a lesbian, but that would be too embarrassing. She swallowed her words, her voice hoarse with suppressed anger. “I said, your cheek kiss was perfect! Stop obsessing over nonsense!”

Yu Tanning hummed. “So it was a cheek kiss. Then what’s the proper occasion for the kind of kiss they do in movies?”

Jiang Yao glared back. “Why are you asking? Who are you planning to kiss?”

Yu Tanning answered honestly, “You.”

Jiang Yao’s defenses crumbled. “I’m a lesbian!”

Yu Tanning blinked. “I thought such greetings weren’t discriminatory.”

Jiang Yao: “Don’t make me punch you on this joyous occasion, okay?”

Yu Tanning: ovo

Back in her seat, Professor Peng immediately recognized the stunning woman who had entered with Jiang Yao. His aunt-like smile was impossible to hide.

Jiang Yao’s internal alarm bells went off. She shot him a warning glare. Only when she saw he had no intention of grilling Yu Tanning about their relationship did she finally exhale in relief.

What a morning this has been… Sometimes being a lesbian felt so helpless.

The competition was nearing its end. The final model completed her pose and retreated. The spotlight vanished around the corner of the runway before cascading down like a waterfall moments later.

Daylight flooded the stage once more as all the models returned to the arena. They formed two rows in a vibrant display of floral arrangements, awaiting the host’s announcement of the scores.

Jiang Yao sat up straight. Her gaze was fixed intently on the host’s cue cards.

Although she had dominated the online voting, her design was made from repurposed old clothes, and she couldn’t be sure if the judges would approve.

The host, holding gold-edged cue cards, smiled warmly at the audience. The stage lights behind her wove into a shimmering river of light. “This year’s competition has been the most fiercely contested in history.”

She paused deliberately, tapping the cards lightly with her fingertip. “We’ve seen an unprecedented divergence between online popularity and professional judging—a dark horse with overwhelming public support, and hidden gems unanimously praised by the panel.”

Jiang Yao had always been the type to feel the tension hit her late. Earlier, she had been confident of victory, but now her heart was pounding so hard she nearly clawed through the armrest of her seat. In the dim light, she felt Yu Tanning’s hand gently cover hers. The warmth of her palm seeped through Jiang Yao’s slightly numb fingers like an invisible tether, anchoring her suspended heart.

“First, let’s reveal the bronze medalist, the third-place winner—Dawn! With a composite score of 89.5, its fusion of traditional embroidery and cutting-edge fabrics has captivated the audience!” As applause erupted, Jiang Yao felt her heart nearly leap out of her throat.

“And the silver medalist,” the host’s voice suddenly lowered, “is Cocoon! Despite consistently ranking second in online voting, it staged a remarkable comeback during the professional judging round, ultimately scoring 92.3!”

Amidst the cheers, Jiang Yao watched the designer next to her, eyes red-rimmed, rise to accept the award. She completely forgot how to breathe, wishing she could just hop into an ambulance and escape right then and there.

With the bronze and silver medals announced, only the gold remained. For every contestant except the runners-up, it was now a life-or-death gamble: 100% or 0%.

A strange silence suddenly fell over the entire venue. The host slowly unfolded her cue card. Her gaze, framed by long, false eyelashes, held a profound meaning. “I believe everyone here is eagerly anticipating the results of the next piece! It achieved a staggering lead in the online voting phase, yet sparked the most intense debate in the professional judging panel since the competition’s inception.”

She paused, glancing in Jiang Yao’s direction. “Some criticized its designer for recklessness, challenging industry norms by repurposing old clothes. Others hailed it as a ‘revolutionary expression of deconstructionism.’ So, what is the final composite score for this piece? Let’s reveal it now!”

Yu Tanning’s hand clenched abruptly. Jiang Yao felt the world’s sounds fade away, leaving only the thunderous pounding of her own heart.

“Cunning Rabbit! Composite score: 98.7! Please welcome this year’s Gold Award designer, Jiang Yao, to the stage!”

The moment Jiang Yao’s name was announced, a tidal wave of cheers engulfed the venue. The live stream chat exploded with comments, scrolling at lightning speed.

[Wait, what? Did the host read the name wrong? Say it again—who designed Cunning Rabbit?]

[There must be another Jiang Yao, a hidden genius! Everyone, stay calm! It’s just a minor mix-up! That’s all it is!]

[I think it’s just a coincidence in names. Our Meibao would never collaborate with someone as vile as that Jiang Yao!]

[Help! Everyone, go check Jiang Yao’s fan club post! Meibao and Jiang Yao have been secretly meeting…]

[Aaaah?! Didn’t they say the video from the café was AI-generated? How did it suddenly become real?!]

[Stop arguing! It’s definitely Jiang Yao. She’s already on stage… Who else understands the catharsis of seeing that beautiful yet hated face on camera?]

[Judging by the host’s words, Jiang Yao’s work was originally going to be rejected by the judges, but we somehow managed to pull off a miracle and save her, right?]

[Jiang Yao’s fan club admin should just give me the account… I even campaigned for her to my ex! Who loves her more than me? /clown emoji/]

[No, give it to me! I not only voted for her with six alt accounts, but I also commented that she’s my mother…]

[Does no one care that I promised to do a headstand while washing my hair?!]

[I’ve marked down these top anti-Jiang Yao spies. They’ll all face execution later.]

[Speaking of which, isn’t anyone curious about the beautiful woman Jiang Yao is holding hands with?]

[I know this one! She’s her roommate.]

[What kind of roommate? That kind of roommate?]

[They’re holding hands in public! What other kind of roommate could they be?!]

People really shouldn’t let their emotions get the better of them. Take Jiang Yao, for example. It wasn’t until the host teased her that she realized she was still holding Yu Tanning’s hand.

They were about to walk onto the stage hand-in-hand.

On stage, Li An’an smiled, her lips pressed together, looking like she was completely obsessed with their pairing.

An extrovert’s feast, an introvert’s near-death experience.

Jiang Yao’s face flushed crimson. As if shocked by an electric current, she jerked her hand away from Yu Tanning’s. Amidst the cheers and teasing, she gritted her teeth and scurried onto the stage. Stumbling over her words, she managed to cobble together an acceptance speech. When she posed for photos with the judges, clutching her trophy, her smile was almost tragic.

Riding the wave of her Golden Award win, Jiang Yao’s name once again became a trending topic. Li An’an had anticipated this, scheduling a post to announce her breakup with Shen Nan. In the post, she candidly explained the reasons for their split and threw her full support behind Jiang Yao.

Thanks to the positive momentum generated by “Cunning Rabbit,” Li An’an’s official breakup announcement successfully transferred the active followers from their couple’s account to her personal account. Her transition was remarkably smooth. The talent agency, recognizing her potential, didn’t pursue the breach of contract. Instead, they abandoned Shen Nan and fully backed Li An’an’s solo career as a model.

Relieved of the financial pressure from the contract and confident in her future prospects, Li An’an was ecstatic. At the celebratory banquet, she splurged on a bottle of Salon champagne. She mixed red, white, and beer with abandon. Before the dishes had even arrived, she was already clinging to Jiang Yao’s shoulder like a koala, slurring drunkenly, “Teacher Jiang, I’m so lucky to have met you!”

“Hey, Teacher Jiang, do you have any wishes? I’m rolling in money now, I’ll definitely make them come true for you!”

“Oh, right! Teacher, are you still living at Lingdi? Teacher, I know a place with affordable rent…”

On one side was Yu Tanning, and on the other was Li An’an, clinging to her and nuzzling against her. Jiang Yao felt utterly awkward, especially since the drunkard possessed the strength of a discus thrower and refused to let go no matter how hard she pushed.

When Yu Tanning cast a chilly glance her way, a thin layer of cold sweat broke out on Jiang Yao’s back. She nearly considered severing her own arm to escape.

Seriously! Why is my stupid conscience acting up again?! This drunkard is the one who came on to me! I’ve been trying to get her off me! What am I feeling guilty about?!

As her inner turmoil raged, Yu Tanning had already summoned a waiter. She was forcefully dragging the inebriated Li Koala away to take hangover medication.

Hearing the cold, detached instructions from the person beside her, Jiang Yao inexplicably felt guilty again. She quickly chewed on the air in her mouth, pretending to be busy.

“Boss,” Yu Tanning called out, her voice carrying a lazy, nasal tone.

Jiang Yao’s heart pounded like a drum solo as she stiffly glanced over. “W-what?”

Yu Tanning chuckled. “I was a little jealous just now. As my only good friend, aren’t you going to come over and comfort me?”

Feeling guilty, Jiang Yao lowered her head in defeat. “I’ll treat you to milk tea later. You can have all the most expensive toppings.”

The sound of a chair scraping against the floor drowned out the end of her sentence. A low, intimate laugh, tinged with a hint of menace, filled the air. “How insincere, Boss. Anyone can treat me to milk tea. Don’t I deserve special treatment?”

Jiang Yao was genuinely at a loss. “Then what do you want?”

“She was just hugging and nuzzling you,” Yu Tanning said, her eyes narrowing as her gaze lingered on Jiang Yao’s peach-blush cheeks. A smirk tugged at her lips. “Since hugs and cuddles aren’t exclusive to close friends anymore, letting me kiss you wouldn’t be too much to ask, would it?”

Jiang Yao: You still claim you’re not a lesbian?!

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