Damn It! I Fell for the Hated Villainess Again! - Chapter 7

Jiang Yao rushed to finish Yu Tanning’s deadline, but the expected surge of anger never came. As she clicked the “Submit” button on the email, she realized that despite all the frustrating incidents since becoming Yu Tanning’s roommate, she hadn’t actually lost anything.

First, she had exceeded the design brief requirements. Then, she had gained fresh inspiration for the competition garment fabrics. And to top it off, she had enjoyed a delicious meal at Qiehe Private Kitchen.

By any measure, she had come out ahead.

As Jiang Yao reflected, her resentment toward Yu Tanning vanished completely. In high spirits, she drafted a proposal for the competition garment fabrics and sent it to Professor Peng before rewarding herself with a long, uninterrupted nap.

When she opened her eyes again, Yu Tanning had already packed her luggage.

The sneaky woman had clearly gone out of her way not to disturb her. She had dimmed the desk lamp to its lowest setting and packed silently, without making a single sound. Jiang Yao had assumed she was alone in the dorm and was startled when she pulled back the bed curtains, staring at Yu Tanning as if she were a ghost.

Yu Tanning was at her computer, preparing her competition materials. Under the dim light, her bright, fox-like eyes shone with unprecedented focus, radiating a fierce determination. It was as if the entire world had receded, leaving only the dense data on the screen.

With the “bitch” filter temporarily removed, Jiang Yao suddenly realized how genuinely beautiful Yu Tanning was at that moment—a comfortable kind of beauty, without aggression or aloofness. There was no need to curry favor or get close; her radiance simply shone openly.

Jiang Yao peeked through the half-drawn curtain, momentarily forgetting to breathe, her body stiffening awkwardly in place.

“Did I wake you?” Yu Tanning finally spoke after a long silence, without turning around.

Feeling inexplicably guilty, Jiang Yao replied stiffly, “No, what time is your flight? Why are you packing so early?”

“My flight’s at noon tomorrow. The more I prepare, the more nervous I get, so I figured I might as well pack now.”

Yu Tanning sighed deeply, moved away from the computer, and got up to turn on the lights.

Jiang Yao was amused. “Oh, so you get nervous too?”

Yu Tanning glanced back, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Too? Why ‘too’? Tell me more, Boss.”

The “bitch” filter snapped back into place. Jiang Yao rolled her eyes fiercely. “Nervous to death, then!”

Yu Tanning smiled good-naturedly and returned to her computer, fiddling with her data charts. Her voice was calm as she said, “The business competition in the US is different from those in China. This time, H University’s competition requires integrating knowledge from multiple fields. You not only need to be proficient in finance, but also have a keen understanding of cutting-edge technology and market trends. I haven’t had much experience with this kind of thing before, so the pressure is definitely high.”

“Ah, if the competition is so difficult, why doesn’t the professor approve?” Jiang Yao blurted out, immediately regretting her words. She felt like she was being downright mean.

Yu Tanning didn’t take offense, explaining honestly, “Because this competition doesn’t really carry much weight in the Chinese financial world.”

Jiang Yao: …

She couldn’t contain herself and erupted like a volcano again. “Have you lost your mind? You’re a Student Union officer! Skipping class for a competition that doesn’t even matter?”

Yu Tanning made a shushing gesture and smiled helplessly. “Boss, calm down.”

She paused the model simulation on her computer, swiveled her chair around, and said earnestly, “Even though this competition might not mean much in China, I’m really interested in the challenge itself.”

Jiang Yao felt Yu Tanning had stated the obvious. Just as she was about to abandon her altruistic tendencies and embrace a life of moral ambiguity, Yu Tanning added, “Besides, there’s someone I don’t want to see at the upcoming national business competition. Consider this trip abroad a way to avoid trouble.”

“Someone you don’t like?” Jiang Yao asked skeptically, her gossip instincts tingling.

But Yu Tanning had no intention of elaborating. She turned away with a soft laugh. “Alright, thanks for the chat, boss. I’m feeling much less nervous now.”

Typical Yu Tanning, always changing the subject!

Jiang Yao scoffed, slightly annoyed. “So pathetic, getting worked up over a silly competition.”

“I don’t do things half-heartedly, no matter what it is. If I commit, I aim for perfection. You should understand that about me, right?” Yu Tanning’s voice was light, teasing yet earnest.

“Speaking of pathetic, boss, I saw you during your major transfer interview. Even though your GPA guaranteed your spot, you were pacing like a cat on a hot tin roof in the waiting room.”

Jiang Yao froze, the retort she’d been about to make stuck in her throat. Her face flushed crimson.

Jiang Yao wanted to demand where Yu Tanning had dug up her embarrassing history, but remembering the Student Union’s spy-like activities all over campus, she clamped her mouth shut. She grabbed her tablet and drawing stylus, determined to ignore the wretched woman.

Yet the harder she tried to ignore Yu Tanning, the more her eyes stubbornly drifted in her direction. It wasn’t until Feng Lin called that Jiang Yao finally felt released, fleeing the scene like she’d escaped a crime scene.

“Yaoyao, what’s this about someone trying to seduce you? Are you alright, my dear?” Feng Lin’s voice was urgent when she finally returned Jiang Yao’s message.

Jiang Yao sighed. “I’m fine, Grandma. You took forever to reply! If something had really happened, would you only be calling now to demand compensation for my emotional distress?”

“Quit being cheeky! What was that message about? You nearly scared me to death!”

Jiang Yao’s mind flashed back to the afternoon’s incident, leaving her momentarily speechless. She mumbled, “It was nothing. I just overreacted.”

Feng Lin cut through the pretense. “You didn’t think Xiao Yu was trying to seduce you, did you? Oh, I’ve checked her out—she’s straight! Her family keeps setting her up on blind dates. Stop being so narcissistic and smearing the reputation of lesbians!”

Jiang Yao grew increasingly furious. “How am I being narcissistic? I’m just cautious! Anyone would be suspicious if someone they barely knew started showering them with excessive warmth and trying to get close so quickly!”

“Oh, Xiao Yu is a Student Union officer, so it’s normal for her to be friendly with her roommates…”

“Normal, my foot! She’s going abroad for a competition and wants me to cover her classes while she’s gone.”

Feng Lin hummed in understanding, then insisted on praising her granddaughter’s new roommate. “Going abroad for a competition? That’s wonderful! See how serious she is about her studies? Yaoyao, I think studying finance is a good idea after all. Why don’t you ask Xiao Yu for advice and consider switching majors?”

Jiang Yao angrily interrupted. “Am I your granddaughter or is she? Even Yu Tanning herself said that competition isn’t particularly prestigious. What’s the point of praising it so much?”

Feng Lin hummed again, still stubbornly praising. “Still, it’s a serious endeavor. I’ve looked into those business competitions held domestically recently, and they all invited Qiu Yuanyuan as a judge. They don’t seem very prestigious either.”

Qiu Yuanyuan was Jiang Yao’s stepsister, and the turning point in her deteriorating relationship with her biological mother—practically PTSD. The mere mention of her name made Jiang Yao bristle. “She’s a judge? Does she even have the qualifications? Is Jiang Yiqiu deliberately promoting her?”

Feng Lin, equally displeased with the wild girl her daughter had brought home, her voice carried a hint of irritation. “Who else would dote on her besides your mother? The more I think about it, the angrier I get! Yaoyao, listen to your grandmother—please stop studying fashion design, okay? Your mother is clearly planning to hand the group over to this outsider. The board members, those scheming old foxes, are only too happy to see your mother’s plan succeed. If you don’t start studying something proper, no one will acknowledge you as the rightful heiress in the future!”

Jiang Yao’s breath tightened, her entire demeanor darkening. “Grandmother, do we really have to do this? Do you have to force me to do something I hate?”

Feng Lin’s voice on the phone grew hoarse. “Yaoyao, you know exactly how your grandmother passed away. The group is the culmination of our life’s work—how can we entrust it to an outsider?”

Jiang Yao gritted her teeth. “But I don’t want to be a businesswoman! Doing something against my conscience would be agony. Is that what you and Grandmother wanted for me? Do you really love me? From the moment I was born, all you’ve ever wanted was a tool to inherit the family business, never caring about what I actually wanted!”

“Yaoyao!”

“Fine! I’m the unfilial one. I’m destined to never be the good child you wanted, Grandma. From now on, I’ll keep my promise and won’t take a single penny from the family,” Jiang Yao said, her teeth aching fiercely, her voice trembling at the end. “As for the heir, just pull the same trick you did with my mother. Persuade her to have another child. Just like with me, pay for IVF and create another tool. Who knows, maybe this one will actually enjoy business!”

With that, Jiang Yao hung up decisively, clutching her phone as she stared blankly at the corridor ceiling light for a long time.

Every phone call with her grandmother ended in such heart-wrenching pain.

Yet she always clung to the fantasy that the love she had received over the years was real, that it belonged to Jiang Yao, not some so-called heir to the family conglomerate.

Because of this fantasy, she had never been able to sever ties with her family. She always pretended there were no conflicts, acting sweet and affectionate with her grandmother. She always fought with Qiu Yuanyuan for her mother’s attention in dark, twisted ways…

Jiang Yao slowly crouched down against the wall, aimlessly recalling the events of the past years, and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Perhaps it was time for her to wake up.

Living alone wasn’t so bad after all.

Back in her dorm room, Jiang Yao collapsed onto her bed, feeling utterly drained. Even breathing felt like a struggle.

She lay there, dazed and listless, completely losing track of time. After what felt like ages, Yu Tanning, notebook in hand, plopped down beside her with her usual familiarity. “Boss, you look terrible. Already missing me?”

“Narcissist,” Jiang Yao muttered, too drained to kick her off the bed. She simply turned her back and stared blankly at the wall.

As she listened to Yu Tanning’s rhythmic typing, something suddenly occurred to her. “You mentioned someone from the domestic competition you’d rather avoid. Who is it?”

Yu Tanning glanced back, her gaze lingering on the curled-up figure of Jiang Yao. “A senior alumna from the Department of Finance, graduated three or four years ago.”

A senior alumna from the Department of Finance, graduated three or four years ago…

That fits someone perfectly… Heh…

Jiang Yao blinked, deciding not to press further. She assumed it was Qiu Yuanyuan and let out a relieved chuckle. “If she managed to piss you off, she must be truly awful.”

Yu Tanning smiled. “So, Boss, you’re saying you don’t dislike me?”

I knew you’d pull this!

Jiang Yao sat up abruptly, forcing herself to admit fiercely, “Fine, I don’t dislike you. You’re the only person at Beijing University I don’t dislike.”

Yu Tanning raised an eyebrow, amused by Jiang Yao’s rare moment of bluntness. “Well, I’m truly honored. It would be even better if Boss could give me a certificate of appreciation.”

“Are you in elementary school? You want a certificate!” Jiang Yao’s composure cracked at Yu Tanning’s shamelessness. She shoved her off the bed, her voice rising in exasperation. “I don’t like anyone sitting on my bed. Don’t do it again, or you’ll become the most annoying person ever!”

“Alright, alright, I won’t sit here anymore,” Yu Tanning said with a smile, settling back onto her own bed across the room. Her fingers tapped restlessly as she changed the subject. “By the way, Boss, if anyone from the Student Union contacts you while I’m abroad, you don’t need to respond.”

“Why would they contact me? Are they looking for trouble?” Jiang Yao frowned.

“Who knows?” Yu Tanning lowered her lashes, smoothly concealing her true intentions.

A few days after Yu Tanning left the country, absurd rumors about Jiang Yao’s gaming habits—whether she played Honor of Kings, PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact, and other ridiculous topics, began trending on the campus social media.

Finally, Jiang Yao, her patience worn thin, sent Yu Tanning a screenshot, utterly bewildered.

[Jiang Yao: What’s going on? Is the Student Union trying to bully me in the game???]

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