Damn It! I Fell for the Hated Villainess Again! - Chapter 3

The hashtag #JiangYaoDiedToday suddenly went viral.

Students from Building A6 Dormitory Building leaked information claiming Jiang Yao had deliberately jumped down the stairs to frame her roommate. Fortunately, divine intervention had caused the universally disliked girl to hit the sharp edge of a step, receiving instant karmic retribution in the form of a bloody head wound.

Jiang Yao was beyond speechless. How could this be framing? Couldn’t it just be a clumsy slip?

This is truly tragic! I have to take the blame and pay for my own medical bills?

In the past, Jiang Yao would have assumed everyone hated her because she was too kind. But now, after this ordeal, she had glimpsed the truth: the root of all her misfortune lay in the author’s inhumanity.

That’s right. The reason she was so universally disliked was because the author had written her as a vicious, universally hated female supporting character.

Isn’t that right?

Can’t you at least compensate her with some money?!

Jiang Yao had wealth, beauty, talent, kindness, justice, and a fierce temper. Was this world populated by saints with maxed-out virtue, that they’d cast her as the villainess?

The more Jiang Yao thought about it, the angrier she became. She reached for her phone, intending to buy herself a designer bag to cheer herself up.

Instead of her phone, her fingers brushed against a hand—a hand with distinct knuckles, clearly suited for cooking.

Jiang Yao’s eyes snapped open in surprise. She turned her head and met a pair of fox-like eyes, their depths brimming with amusement.

Beneath the outer corner of the woman’s right eye lay a pale brown beauty mark, strikingly alluring yet softened by her gentle, dark eyebrows, lending her an air of compassionate grace.

“Are you feeling unwell, classmate?”

The woman spoke slowly, her voice deep and magnetic, with a husky quality like a late-night radio host’s. It made Jiang Yao’s ears tingle, yet she couldn’t help but savor the sound.

Jiang Yao’s gaze drifted downward, settling on the woman’s delicate, rosy fingertips. After a moment of stunned silence, she quickly averted her eyes from this “hot potato.”

I almost forgot! I’m still supposed to be fighting the main female lead for women!

Jiang Yao’s teeth itched with resentment.

She didn’t care about being a universally hated villainess, but this whole “stealing women” plot was utter nonsense; like a blind man playing the lute, just making things up as he went along!

From childhood, Jiang Yao had always been the object of unrequited love. She was the target of bitter resentment born from unfulfilled desire. If she wanted a relationship, others had to beg for her attention.

Was the School Belle in this setting some endangered species? Did dating her grant immortality or guarantee wealth and status? Jiang Yao resolved to develop an allergy to women—no, to School Belles—starting immediately.

Yu Tanning, noticing Jiang Yao’s lack of response, maintained her composure and reached out to touch Jiang Yao’s forehead.

Her cool fingers, like a soft, slender snake, startled Jiang Yao, who hadn’t encountered such brazen familiarity in centuries.

Like a startled cat, she bolted upright, glaring fiercely. “What do you think you’re doing, touching me like that?! Do I even know you?”

“I’m Yu Tanning from the Department of Finance, Classmate. Now we know each other.” The woman shrugged innocently, her every smile and glance radiating a spring-like charm.

“You…” Jiang Yao felt a chill run down her spine under Yu Tanning’s gaze, yet she couldn’t muster any real anger.

Yu Tanning smiled. “Your face was flushed earlier. I thought you might have a fever. Please forgive my boldness, Classmate Jiang.”

Jiang Yao felt as if she’d just been served a pot of 1982 vintage Longjing tea. The worst part was that she actually fell for it!

“You… what do you want?” Jiang Yao asked, her face stiff as she glared at the uninvited guest.

“The teacher said they couldn’t reach your family right now, so they asked me to look after you for a bit,” Yu Tanning replied, carefully tucking the blanket around Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao froze, her breath catching in her throat.

She had registered her grandmother’s secretary’s number with the school. But her grandmother adored her. Even if they had been arguing over studies and marriage prospects, there was no way her grandmother would be so heartless as to not visit her after she had cracked her head open.

Could it be that her cousin’s mother was interfering?

The thought reignited Jiang Yao’s temper. Suppressing her anger, she told Yu Tanning to leave and grabbed her phone to complain to her grandmother.

The call connected, and the sounds of a charity gala still in full swing filled the line. After a moment, Feng Lin’s voice came through clearly: “My darling, you’re awake! How’s your head? Still hurting?”

Jiang Yao’s defenses crumbled. “Grandma! So you knew I fell? I thought Jiang Yiqiu had kept you in the dark and forced you to stay away from your own granddaughter in the ICU!”

Feng Lin spat twice. “Don’t talk nonsense! A little scrape doesn’t mean the ICU. Yaoyao, don’t be mad at Grandma. The board of directors has been up to all sorts of tricks lately, and I’ve been swamped.”

“Besides, your teacher said that Yu Tanning from the Student Union volunteered to take care of you. I checked her background—she’s a steady and kind girl. Since you’ll be roommates, I feel much better knowing she’ll be there.”

Roommates?

Jiang Yao’s heart pounded like thunder. “Roommates? When did I change dorms? I thought I was still with that girl from the School of Pharmacy?”

The girl from the School of Pharmacy might not have been her favorite, but at least she was clean, quiet, and didn’t cause trouble. Jiang Yao could tolerate her. What if her new roommate was unbearable?

Feng Lin’s explanation followed. “Oh, you didn’t know? The teacher said your relationship with your previous roommate wasn’t great, and since you both fell together under such mysterious circumstances, it’s better to separate you.”

“Luckily, Yu Tanning volunteered to room with you, so the school made the switch.”

“Yaoyao, Beijing University’s dorms are actually quite nice. So many people would envy you two sharing a room. Since you’re staying on campus, try to keep your temper in check.”

“Xiao Yu is a very promising young woman, and she’ll be a valuable connection in the future. Grandma hopes you two can get along well.”

She asked to live with me?

What could she possibly want? My terrible temper? My army of online haters?

“Grandma, my family’s wealth isn’t going to be exposed, is it?” Jiang Yao’s thoughts spiraled. “Shouldn’t we investigate Yu Tanning more thoroughly? This whole thing smells fishy! Even the 180cm-tall athletes at school avoid me like the plague. Why would she suddenly want to room with me?”

“She’s probably planning to harvest my kidneys, sell my corneas, or kidnap me to some mountain village to bear children for some lonely old bachelor!”

Jiang Yao had indeed been targeted for her family’s wealth as a child, and Feng Lin had always been fiercely protective of her, scrutinizing everyone who came near her like they were precious jewels. But this time, Feng Lin’s unwavering confidence felt strangely out of character.

“Yaoyao, don’t worry. Xiao Yu wouldn’t try to take advantage of you. She’s a student leader in the Student Union. Even if she’s not genuinely altruistic, it’s normal for her to want to build a good reputation for her upcoming election campaign.”

“Besides, she really is a remarkable young woman…”

“What if she’s plotting against me? Grandma, are you losing your mind already? This whole thing just feels wrong!”

Feng Lin’s patience snapped. “Stop dragging this out! If she’s scheming against you, I’ll support your fashion design studies with the whole family. I won’t even interfere with your choice of ‘genetically impure’ girlfriends in the future. Satisfied?”

Jiang Yao jumped at the offer. “Yes, yes, yes! Grandma, say it again! I want to record it.”

Feng Lin: “Get lost!”

The call ended abruptly, the darkening screen reflecting Jiang Yao’s triumphant grin. She lay back contentedly on the hospital bed, scrolling through her phone while lying on her side.

The room was eerily quiet. On a whim, Jiang Yao opened her browser and searched for information about Yu Tanning.

Jiang Yao had never paid attention to club affairs and didn’t know which yu or tan to use. She guessed the ning correctly.

As she was searching, a voice drifted from behind her: “The yu in Tulip, and the tan from ‘Gazing at the sandalwood tree.'”

Jiang Yao startled again. “Why are you looking at my phone?! And why do you walk so quietly? At least knock before coming in!”

Yu Tanning wore an expression of feigned surprise. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Classmate Jiang. I saw you lying on your side, completely still, and assumed you were asleep. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Then why were you looking at my phone?” Jiang Yao cursed herself for landing another punch on cotton.

Yu Tanning’s face remained calm, her heart rate steady. “I know it’s best to see through things without saying anything. But seeing how much Classmate Jiang cares about me… it really makes me happy.”

“I don’t care about you!” Jiang Yao struggled desperately. “I was just… I was just looking at reviews for potential roommates, okay?”

The moment the words left her mouth, Jiang Yao regretted them. When it came to online reputation, she had no credibility whatsoever. Her negative reviews outnumbered the population of some small European countries.

“Oh? And what does the public say about me? Is Classmate Jiang satisfied with what she found?” Yu Tanning raised a delicate eyebrow, her smiling gaze feeling like the prelude to a slow, torturous execution.

Jiang Yao felt as if she’d been dosed with muscle relaxants; her tongue went numb, and her sharp wit faced imminent unemployment. Well, well, well… Jiang Yao thought, look who’s doing backflips now!

Forcing the corners of her lips to twitch upward, Jiang Yao managed, “You’re… fine.”

“But you didn’t even find me,” Yu Tanning pointed out.

Jiang Yao’s eyes widened. “Are you trying to pick a fight?”

Yu Tanning adopted a pitiful, wronged expression. “Just a little disappointed.”

Jiang Yao: ……

Search! Search, search, search, search, search, search!

“Tulip’s Yu, Sandalwood’s Tan, right?” Jiang Yao gritted her teeth as she typed furiously, hitting the search button. One “Chronicles of Her Child” entry after another nearly made her lose her composure.

No wonder her grandmother was so bewitched. Yu Tanning’s resume read like the coronation history of a business emperor. If she’d been born into the Linrui Group, she would have been the perfect heir—a super-sensible, unprecedentedly brilliant child, unmatched in history.

So this was why Grandma trusted Yu Tanning to share a room with her? Was this fair?

Jiang Yao stared blankly at a photo of Yu Tanning at a business competition, lost in thought. Suddenly, a hand covered her fingertip, pressing down gently, and the screen went dark. Yu Tanning had turned off her phone.

“What are you doing now?!”

Jiang Yao recoiled from the unannounced touch, startled again. She nearly dropped her phone, which would have been a costly mistake.

“These are all for outsiders,” Yu Tanning said softly, her voice carrying an almost imperceptible allure. “I believe, since we’ll be living together for two years, our relationship should be closer than that of strangers, don’t you think?”

Jiang Yao desperately wanted to deny it, but Yu Tanning didn’t give her a chance to argue, continuing, “The online comments only reflect what outsiders want to see. I’m not as perfect as they make me out to be, and Classmate Jiang isn’t the villain they portray either.”

“Since we’ll be living under the same roof, let’s just relax and show each other our true selves. I believe we’re kindred spirits.”

Jiang Yao turned her face away. “You’re overthinking things. I have a bad temper, a sharp tongue, and a cold personality. I hate making friends more than anything. Let’s just stay out of each other’s way from now on. Don’t ask for more.”

“A bad temper, a sharp tongue, and a cold personality?” Yu Tanning narrowed her eyes, the beauty mark beneath her eye glowing seductively in the dim light. “I don’t quite believe that.”

The fox-like girl casually pulled up a QR code and thrust it forward, her laughter gradually synchronizing with Jiang Yao’s racing heartbeat.

“How about we add each other on WeChat first? Just to test the waters?”

*********

Note:

Fake karma: A brain injury

Real karma: Meeting Yu Tanning

This whole “brain injury causing her to think she’s the hated villain from a novel” setup was actually just a plot device to get our two girls to fall in love. Once Xiao Yu was crowned School Belle, the story really started to move forward!

Rumor had it that after the first warrior of Beijing University’s School of Pharmaceutical Sciences escaped the demon’s lair with barely a sliver of health, the Dean of the School of Economics and Management, Princess Jiang Yao, bravely took command and made a heroic sacrifice, single-handedly saving all the female students from utter ruin. It was a tale of selfless devotion, worthy of song and tears.

The students universally admired Yu Tanning’s selflessness, and most tacitly agreed she would be the next Student Union President.

As the entire university wept tears of gratitude, in a neglected corner, office director Zhang Ke successfully secured a coveted apartment—her defenses had finally crumbled.

Zhang Ke never imagined, not even in her wildest dreams, that the competitive edge she had painstakingly built over years of winning Science and Technology Innovation Awards and having her patents repeatedly featured on the front pages of newspapers could be surpassed simply by Yu Tanning changing roommates!

She had initially assumed Yu Tanning would suffer through each day living with that notorious bandit. But before Zhang Ke could even fully process this scenario, she encountered the legendary demon king herself buying coffee for Yu Tanning at the university café.

Zhang Ke was certain Jiang Yao was buying the coffee for Yu Tanning.

Firstly, Jiang Yao suffered from a terminal case of “princess syndrome” and would never deign to drink the university’s cheap 9 yuan coffee.

More importantly, only Yu Tanning could stomach that vile, smoky, old coconut Americano—a brew so foul it would make your ancestors weep!

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