Damn It! I Fell for the Hated Villainess Again! - Chapter 8

Due to the time difference between them, Jiang Yao hadn’t received Yu Tanning’s reply yet, but she was already fed up with the Student Union’s harassment.

It started with Zhang Ke, who claimed to be a member, repeatedly “accidentally” running into her at the library. Later, she must have offended someone else, because the entire Student Union seemed to mobilize. From the secretary-general to various department heads, anyone who happened to “bump into” Jiang Yao would demand her contact information for reasons that remained unclear.

The library had become unbearable, but the stifling atmosphere of her dorm wasn’t conducive to creative inspiration. Jiang Yao decided to indulge herself for once and went to an upscale café off campus to work on her manuscript.

But she’d almost forgotten that her “universally disliked” reputation made her even more vulnerable outside the campus bubble.

From the moment she sat down, she was surrounded by surreptitious glances and hidden cameras. The most absurd incident occurred when she was barely halfway through her draft: a figure in white rushed over and began sobbing uncontrollably.

“Teacher…”

The newcomer wore a white dress, her hair loose, her eyes swollen and red from crying. Jiang Yao stared back, bewildered, half-convinced she was seeing a ghost.

“White Dress” sobbed uncontrollably, her words tumbling out in a jumbled mess. Jiang Yao briefly wondered if she’d forgotten how to speak Chinese.

Assuming the woman had mistaken her for someone else, Jiang Yao stood up to move to a less unlucky spot. But as she reached for her bag, another person—a disheveled, bankrupt-looking young man—stepped in front of her.

His tone was unapologetically rude. “Teacher, you can’t leave yet.”

Individually, she wouldn’t have recognized either of them. But standing together, Jiang Yao immediately recognized them.

These are the influencer couple who got my livestream banned!

Seriously? I must be some kind of cosmic magnet for misfortune, sent here to experience every bad thing imaginable!

Now that she recognized them, and seeing the Special Assistant’s son’s utterly unrepentant attitude, Jiang Yao’s voice turned even colder. “I’m leaving today, and you can call the police if you want.”

“What’s with this attitude? You were the one who made my girlfriend cry with your rude behavior before! Now we’re trying to negotiate with you in good faith, and you’re not even grateful…”

“Little Tanhua” finally snapped out of it and quickly covered the fake young master’s mouth. Her face panicked, she apologized profusely to Jiang Yao. “Teacher, I’m so sorry. We actually need your help with something. A-Nan shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. I apologize on his behalf.”

Jiang Yao narrowed her eyes. “You’re apologizing on his behalf? What’s wrong with him? Did he suddenly lose his voice from a stroke, or is his cerebellum so atrophied he can’t even lower his head? Why can’t he apologize to me himself?”

Little Tanhua’s face paled. She turned and tugged at her boyfriend’s sleeve, whispering, “Just apologize to Jiang Yao.”

The fake young master, still clinging to his pampered persona, exploded. He pointed at Jiang Yao and snarled, “Don’t push your luck! You’re the one being dragged through the mud online! We’re here to help you, so don’t bite the hand that feeds you!”

“Dragged through the mud online? Oh, so what? I’m not signed with an MCN, so I don’t have to worry about getting dropped,” Jiang Yao said, finally understanding their motives. She smirked and settled back into her seat. “You’re the ones who should be ashamed. You only came here to exploit me and salvage your reputations, so your boss won’t fire you, right?”

“Sorry, but I don’t care about being ‘dragged through the mud,’ and I owe you nothing. Even if you both kowtow to me eight hundred times each today, I’ll still refuse to help you. If you insist on blocking my way, I’ll call a special car to take you straight to the police station.”

“You—!”

Little Tanhua gripped her boyfriend’s hand tightly, her voice rising in rare anger. “That’s enough, A’Nan! Stop acting like this! We were in the wrong to begin with. Stop being so stubborn! If you won’t apologize, then just leave.”

“An’an… how could you side with a stranger?” The Special Assistant’s son was visibly shaken, staring at his girlfriend in disbelief. His arrogance had deflated, replaced by a wounded expression.

Jiang Yao watched coldly as “Little Tanhua” pushed the Special Assistant’s son out of the café. She then turned her attention back to her sketches, treating the returning “Little Tanhua” as if she were air.

“Little Tanhua” didn’t rush to speak. She waited until Jiang Yao had nearly finished her initial draft before finally saying, “Teacher, I’m Li An’an, my online ID is ‘Little Scholar and Young Master’. I apologize for what happened in the livestream.”

Jiang Yao didn’t even look up. “You did nothing wrong. There’s no need to take responsibility for someone else’s mistakes.”

“I really didn’t like that revealing dress that day, Teacher. I should have admitted it sooner.”

Jiang Yao sighed, set her drawing board on the table, and gave Li An’an a cold look. “I don’t care about that incident at all. If you’re just trying to get me to help you clear your name, save your breath. I’ll say this one last time: I’m not a saint, and I owe you nothing.”

Li An’an remained remarkably composed, shaking her head gently, her eyes now filled with newfound resolve. “Teacher, I don’t want you to help us clear our names. That was my manager’s idea, not my own. I asked Shen Nan to leave so I could speak to you honestly.”

Jiang Yao, seeing the sincerity in her expression, nodded slightly, signaling her to continue.

“After the livestream incident, I realized something: Shen Nan and I aren’t right for each other. I hate his world. I think he looks ridiculous pretending to be a young master obsessed with racing. The way he looks at me… it’s like I’m just another trophy, a ‘girlfriend’ to show off. I despise that.”

As Li An’an spoke, her eyes welled up again, her hands twisting tightly together on the table, her voice trembling. “I used to be so vain. Even though I didn’t love him, I kept brainwashing myself to maintain my ‘influencer’ persona, pretending to be deeply in love. I did so many things against my conscience… It wasn’t until that livestream, when I heard your words, Teacher, that I finally woke up and realized how terribly wrong I’d been. Thank you, Teacher…”

Jiang Yao was terrible at handling emotional outbursts. She forced a stiff smile and said, “It’s good you’ve figured things out for yourself. I just tend to speak my mind; I didn’t really help you. If you really feel bad, donate some money to a temple.”

Li An’an laughed through her tears. “Teacher, you’re so kind. Actually, there’s one more thing I wanted to ask for your help with today.”

Jiang Yao rolled her eyes, her voice impatient. “Can you just get to the point already?”

Li An’an blushed and lowered her head. “Okay, Teacher. I want to break up with Shen Nan. But if I do, the MCN will demand a huge breach-of-contract penalty…”

Jiang Yao, who had become wary of anything involving money, immediately raised her guard. “Don’t even think about it. No loans.”

“No, it’s not about a loan!” Li An’an stammered, her excitement making her stutter. “My current savings… my current savings aren’t enough to cover the penalty. I… I saw online that you’re entering the Beijing City University Fashion Design Competition. I thought you might need a model…”

Jiang Yao’s face turned ashen. “After all this beating around the bush, you still want to pick my pocket! My livestreaming channel’s been banned—where am I supposed to get the money to hire a model?”

Li An’an frantically waved her hands, her face flushed crimson. “Teacher, that’s not what I meant! I’d never charge you to model for you. It’s just that I think you’re an incredibly talented fashion designer. Your designs are so beautiful, you’re sure to win a top prize in the competition.”

“I do have selfish motives, though. I figured if we collaborate and become famous, I’d have no shortage of opportunities as a print model in the future…”

Jiang Yao shot her a suspicious glance. “Collaborate with me? I’m being trashed all over the internet right now. If you get dragged down with me and blacklisted by the industry, don’t blame me.”

“That won’t happen!” Li An’an shook her head vigorously, her eyes brimming with sincerity. “Teacher, you’re a wonderful person. I believe the public will eventually see the truth. You and your designs are destined to become wildly popular.”

Jiang Yao narrowed her eyes, sizing Li An’an up and down, her mind racing.

Li An’an had a youthful, doll-like face, but her tall, well-proportioned figure made her a natural for modeling. And since she was offering her services for free, she seemed like an excellent choice.

But Jiang Yao, the anti-fraud expert, still kept her guard up. With a look of disdain, she said, “Are you sure about this? Your taste in boyfriends is terrible. Why should I believe anything you say?”

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Li An’an’s face, but she straightened her back and spoke with unwavering conviction. “Teacher, people don’t stumble over the same stone twice. Precisely because I misjudged someone before, I’m determined to prove my judgment in other matters.”

“I may not understand fashion design, but I’ve read the online comments about your sketches. Even though some misunderstand you now, your talent is undeniable.” She pulled out her phone and scrolled to the comments section under Jiang Yao’s design sketches, offering it to her.

Jiang Yao didn’t bother looking. She knew better than anyone what people thought of her work. They might call her malicious, dark, and detestable, but no one could honestly criticize the beauty of her designs.

Gradually, her cold, guarded expression softened. “The competition isn’t just about the sketches. The finished garment’s impact and the model’s performance are equally crucial. Have you had professional runway training? I don’t want you tripping on stage and embarrassing my work.”

“I’ve already studied it! And I’ll continue to delve deeper into it!” Li An’an, sensing Jiang Yao’s implication, quickly pressed her advantage. “I worked as a child model when I was younger, and later I studied in a modeling class for several years. If my father hadn’t lost his job, I might have continued down the path of art school.”

“To switch to academic studies midway and still rank third in the entire province? You’re truly impressive,” Jiang Yao said, a rare hint of admiration in her voice.

Li An’an smiled shyly. “Teacher, you must believe I’m willing to work hard. If you give me this opportunity, I’ll dedicate myself completely and won’t let you down.”

Lowering her voice, she added, “Besides, I can also help you sell your work to the right people. Shen Nan’s group of wealthy second-generation friends often host private parties and invite minor celebrities. These celebrities always bring stylists, and stylists have their own networks. If your work could be showcased at one of these parties, word would spread like wildfire.”

This piqued Jiang Yao’s interest. She was familiar with such parties, but she had always disdained entering those decadent environments and had never considered finding serious buyers there.

Jiang Yao chuckled softly. “You certainly have your connections.”

“I don’t have enough money yet, so I can’t afford to burn bridges with Shen Nan,” Li An’an said with a bitter smile. “As long as I keep up the act of being his devoted girlfriend, getting an invitation from him won’t be too difficult…”

“Alright, then I’ll give you a one-month trial period,” Jiang Yao said, her lips curving into a smile. “Send me some full-face and full-body photos of yourself. I’ll design a sample garment based on your features. If your performance doesn’t meet my standards, don’t blame me for cutting you loose.”

“Really?!” Li An’an’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Teacher, you can count on me! I’ll definitely…”

“Hold your thanks for now,” Jiang Yao interrupted, tapping the table lightly. “Since we’re partnering, you’ll follow my rules. First, you must clock in daily for your runway practice. Second, remember you’re modeling my designs, not acting as my agent. Third…”

Her fingertip paused on the wooden table, and when she looked up, her gaze was sharp. “Since you’ve said you’re breaking up with that man, if you dare pull some ‘old flames rekindled’ nonsense to disgust me, I’ll make sure you never work as a model again.”

Li An’an nodded solemnly. “I understand! Teacher, you can trust me. I’ll absolutely keep my word. I genuinely despise Shen Nan now. I…”

Jiang Yao unconsciously rubbed the edge of her sketchbook as she listened, her gaze fixed on the unwavering determination shining in Li An’an’s eyes. It was as if she were watching a butterfly struggle free from its aged cocoon, and suddenly, the floodgates of inspiration burst open in her mind. A completely new design style flashed into her consciousness—one that could showcase feminine strength and recreate the epic tales of ancient matriarchal clans.

So, I’m not always unlucky after all.

“Alright, alright,” Jiang Yao interrupted Li An’an’s chatter with feigned annoyance, though a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “I’ll trust you for now. I’ll sketch a draft first. Add me on WeChat and send me your height and measurements.”

“Yes, yes, Teacher!” Li An’an chirped, eagerly accepting the QR code Jiang Yao pushed across the table.

The golden rays of the setting sun streamed through the café’s glass windows, bathing the pair in a warm glow. Jiang Yao’s pen scratched softly across the paper as she sketched, while Li An’an propped her chin in her hand, gazing at the design with occasional bursts of admiration.

Neither of them noticed the figure in the corner, wearing a baseball cap, discreetly putting away their phone—the screen displaying a photo of the two women chatting animatedly.

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