I Quit Being This Female Lead (GL) - Chapter 19

“Miss Yue Yin, aren’t we love rivals?”

Mang Ke  looked at the woman backlit by the light and asked with some confusion: “Do the things you just said mean you want to be with me?”

Even with Yue Yin’s  thick skin, she couldn’t handle Mang Ke’s straightforward question and her ears couldn’t help but turn red. However, since she found Mang Ke interesting, she certainly wouldn’t back down.

“Yes,” Yue Yin said: “I like you. I think you’re much more interesting than Xun Fangyun, so I’d rather be with you than her.”

Mang Ke thought for a moment and said: “You just think I’m interesting?”

“Yes.”

“And what exactly is interesting about me?”

“Hmm?”

Mang Ke pointed to herself and said: “I’m very ordinary. I’m not as pretty as Miss Yue Yin, nor do I have Yun Yun’s presence. What I like most is being a happy shut-in at home. So, if you think I’m interesting, what exactly is it?”

Yue Yin: “…”

Mang Ke’s light-colored eyes stared at Yue Yin, and she told her: “I actually don’t have deep feelings for Xun Fangyun, but I don’t like being treated like a trophy by others.”

“You…” Yue Yin was a little surprised. She didn’t expect a normally obedient female protagonist to say such a thing, as if she had her own mind. Looking at Mang Ke’s clear eyes, Yue Yin didn’t know how to answer for a moment.

Mang Ke was right. Yue Yin just found life in this book too boring and wanted to cause some trouble to make her monotonous life more exciting. It was like a law-abiding ordinary person suddenly breaking out of their long-suppressed nature in an environment where no one knew them, becoming like a different person.

Yue Yin was not a cruel person, so she treated this life as a vacation, enjoying life while having a romance with a character from the book—a perfect encounter.

But now, Mang Ke’s words made Yue Yin waver. Why would a paper character ask her what she liked about her? Do paper characters… have personalities too?

Yue Yin was startled by her own thought. The way she looked at Mang Ke also became strange, as if she were looking at something odd.

Just as Yue Yin opened her mouth to speak, the door of the billiard hall was kicked open. The two women turned around together and saw the woman standing in the doorway.

Xun Fangyun, who found this place somehow, was grim-faced, holding her phone and standing at the entrance. Despite the cold weather, sweat was already beading on her forehead from urgency. She scanned the billiard hall, and her gaze finally settled on Mang Ke. After confirming that Mang Ke was intact, she shifted her attention to Yue Yin standing nearby.

Yue Yin seemed to be deep in thought. She glanced at Xun Fangyun and then immediately focused on Mang Ke again, picking up the nearby teapot and pouring Mang Ke a cup of lemon black tea.

“Here,” Yue Yin said with a light smile: “Have some tea and watch the show.”

Mang Ke looked confused, but still took Yue Yin’s black tea and took a sip. The taste was surprisingly good.

“You’re a bit slow, Fangyun,” Yue Yin walked to the billiard table and told Xun Fangyun: “I thought you’d find this place quickly.”

Xun Fangyun put away her phone and walked down the steps: “I don’t think my speed is slow right now.” It had only been half an hour between Aunt Liu’s call and finding the billiard hall. Xun Fangyun felt she had been swift enough. A woman must be fast when necessary.

Xun Fangyun looked at Mang Ke, who was sitting on the sofa in the billiard hall drinking tea, and couldn’t help but frown. What is going on?? Just sitting there drinking tea?? She’s too carefree!

For some reason, Xun Fangyun really disliked Mang Ke drinking tea poured by someone else. She took out a banknote, slapped it on the counter, pulled a bottle of milk tea from the refrigerated display, and walked over to Mang Ke, saying: “Drink this.”

Mang Ke looked up at her, showing a blank expression.

Xun Fangyun frowned: “Drink this.”

Mang Ke obediently took it: “Oh.” Why so aggressive…

Xun Fangyun turned to face Yue Yin, but didn’t speak first. Yue Yin tilted her head, looking somewhat mischievous under the billiard hall’s fluorescent lights. She curved her lips slightly and said to Xun Fangyun: “A game?”

Xun Fangyun didn’t refuse. She turned and walked to the cue rack, picking up a comfortable cue. It looked like she agreed. Yue Yin also picked up a cue. A staff member saw that the two were preparing to play, took out the red and green billiard balls, and arranged them in a triangle on the green felt table.

“Best of three,” Yue Yin said, leaning against the table with the cue: “What do you say?”

Xun Fangyun’s expression was normal. She glanced at Yue Yin but didn’t speak.

Mang Ke held the warm black tea and took a few sips, finally realizing that she preferred something sweet, so she uncapped the milk tea Xun Fangyun gave her and took a large drink.

Just after taking a sip, she heard a ‘bang’, followed by a clear sound from across the room. Following the sound, she saw the previously neatly arranged billiard balls scattered everywhere across the table.

Yue Yin couldn’t help but clap her hands and chuckled: “You break first.”

Xun Fangyun glanced at Yue Yin, then smiled lightly and rolled up her sleeves, leaning over the table. The cue was long and straight, looking slender and graceful. Xun Fangyun gripped the slender cue, leaning her body over the table. With a push from her shoulder, the white ball shot out, hitting the number 3 red ball, which rolled into the opposite pocket.

For the rest of the game, Yue Yin and Mang Ke stood by and watched Xun Fangyun play through the entire rack virtually by herself.

Mang Ke: “…”

Yue Yin: “…” This is seriously breaking the rules, isn’t it??? If one person hits all the balls, what is the other person supposed to do? Play for nothing??

Yue Yin’s face turned a little green. She pointed her finger at the table and said: “Fangyun, don’t you think about leaving one for me?”

Xun Fangyun’s long black hair draped over the table along her shoulder. With her final strike, she completed a ‘home run’ of the entire rack.

“Why should I leave one for you?” Xun Fangyun turned to Yue Yin and said: “You told me to break first.” You told me to break, but you didn’t tell me to clear the entire table, Sis!

Yue Yin rolled her eyes helplessly, walked over to Xun Fangyun, and complained: “No one will be friends with you if you play like this.”

Xun Fangyun smiled: “No need for that.” In a fake world, who needs friends? All that matters is winning.

The second game was Yue Yin’s break, but her skill wasn’t great. After sinking two balls, she handed the rest of the game over to Xun Fangyun. Xun Fangyun’s flowing black hair moved around the table. Her hand raised and lowered until she pocketed the last ball, bringing the two-game match to an end. Even though Mang Ke didn’t understand billiards, she knew Xun Fangyun had won.

Clack—

Xun Fangyun put the cue back in the rack, turned, and glanced at Mang Ke who was drinking milk tea: “It’s time to go home.”

“Wait a minute.” Yue Yin walked over, looking upset: “Are you just taking Mang Ke away like that?”

“What else?” Xun Fangyun said: “Do you want to hold a meeting?”

Yue Yin gritted her teeth and told Xun Fangyun: “You don’t even like her, so why waste her time?”

Xun Fangyun turned and looked at Yue Yin at her words.

“What about you?” Xun Fangyun counter-questioned: “You took Mang Ke with you. Do you like her?”

“I…”

“You just find her amusing and fun. You don’t actually like her.” Xun Fangyun pulled Mang Ke’s hand, shielding her behind her: “Since you don’t like her, why did you take her away from me?”

Yue Yin was momentarily speechless, unsure how to answer Xun Fangyun’s question. Indeed, she had never taken anyone or anything in this world seriously. Everything was just for fun. Just as Xun Fangyun said, she just found Mang Ke interesting.

“I’m taking Mang Ke with me,” Xun Fangyun looked back at the girl with the slightly messy long hair, her gaze unusually tender: “I’ll forgive you for today. Don’t let me catch you doing this again.”

Yue Yin watched the two leave and couldn’t help but toss the cue in her hand onto the table, making a loud noise. She irritably scratched her head, then turned and saw the cup of black tea she had poured for Mang Ke still sitting on the coffee table by the sofa. The barely touched black tea looked desolate under the fluorescent lights, mirroring Yue Yin’s frustrated and gloomy mood.

Even with the drink, can’t she compete with Xun Fangyun?

Yue Yin sighed softly. It seemed continuing to stay here was also boring.

“It’s about time, isn’t it?” Yue Yin murmured: “The ending of this book.”