I Swear I Don’t Want to Be Everyone’s Favorite - Chapter 45.2

Jiang Lanhui hesitated. With such a large sum of money, Jiang Lianyan had naturally made her sign an agreement. If she revealed anything, she would lose both the money and her credibility.

She forced a smile and said, “What are you talking about, Luoyue? There’s no money involved. I was just worried about you because you hadn’t contacted us for so long.”

“Contact you for what?” Jiang Luoyue retorted. “To continue supporting you, your husband, and Li Yue’s lavish lifestyle?”

Struck by the truth, Jiang Lanhui grew even more flustered but still insisted, “Your father and I have no source of income, and your brother is still young. Isn’t it your duty to support us? After all, blood is thicker than water”

“Blood is thicker than water?”

Jiang Lanhui nodded repeatedly, but Jiang Luoyue laughed and asked, “On what grounds?”

“…”

Jiang Lanhui hesitated. “What do you mean, ‘on what grounds’?”

“Leaving aside the fact that you, the Li family, and I have never shared a blood relationship,” Jiang Luoyue stared at her, posing a question she had never received an answer to, “even if we did, why should I give you whatever you want?”

Memories of the past seemed to surface at that moment. Jiang Luoyue could still recall her first time acting. Under the scorching summer sun, she wore heavy costumes, suffocating in the heat. Tears and breath fogged up inside the layers of fabric. She wanted to find her mother but only heard the director’s harsh reprimands for her missteps.

Jiang Lanhui, who had been absent for so long, finally appeared. Apologizing to the director, she pulled Jiang Luoyue, who only reached her knees, close to her.

The damp cloth carried a faint fragrance as it wiped the corner of Jiang Luoyue’s eyes. It was the first time she had heard her mother speak to her in such a gentle tone, telling her that if she just endured a little longer, she would take her to buy beautiful stationery and dresses.

To avoid delaying the film crew’s schedule, Jiang Lanhui soon left. Before leaving, she fed Jiang Luoyue a piece of candy. Jiang Luoyue crushed it with her newly grown teeth, and the sweetness lingered in her mouth for many years, until it was eventually replaced by the bitterness of medicine.

To this day, Jiang Luoyue no longer remembers the taste of that candy, but she still recalls that the reason she began acting was simply because Jiang Lanhui had held her. In that moment, she had felt a sense of love from the other person.

It was like the beginning of an inescapable fate. For that faint, almost imperceptible love, Jiang Luoyue spent her entire life giving. She strived to fulfill every expectation and goal others set for her, yearning for Jiang Lanhui’s care, craving the attention of the Jiang family, and longing for Zhou Ruonian’s affection.

Even though she knew that no matter how hard she tried, she would never attain any of it, Jiang Luoyue still cherished the effort as if it were sweet.

Jiang Luoyue had always believed she was willing that she wholeheartedly embraced all of this, never caring about the returns or the meaning behind it all.

But it was only after her rebirth, only after she truly voiced this question, that Jiang Luoyue was finally willing to admit honestly: she was not willing.

She was not resigned.

She despised Jiang Lanhui’s favoritism, resented the Jiang family’s neglect of her, and loathed Zhou Ruonian’s betrayal.

She was no saint, nor was she any different from anyone else just as petty, just as meticulous in holding grudges.

As her final words fell, the resounding declaration plunged the entire room into silence. Jiang Luoyue could feel numerous gazes fixed on her face some shocked, some curious, but she no longer had the energy to care.

“I will file a lawsuit demanding that you repay all the illicit gains you have obtained from me over the past ten years.”

Jiang Luoyue looked at Jiang Lanhui, a faint smile curling her lips. “I owe you nothing. It is you who owe me.”

Jiang Lanhui’s lips trembled, on the verge of collapse. “What nonsense are you spouting ”

How could Jiang Luoyue possibly know about this? Could it be that her newfound confidence stemmed from finding her biological parents? How could that be?

But the response came in a calm, female voice.

“Whether it’s nonsense or not will be determined in court.”

Ning Fuguang pulled Jiang Luoyue behind her, silently shielding her from the stares. In the next moment, the urgent sound of a police siren seized everyone’s attention, including Jiang Lanhui’s.

“Enough,” Ning Fuguang finally lowered her gaze and whispered soothingly. “You’ve said more than enough for today.”

“Enough?” Jiang Luoyue blinked, struggling to hold back the tears welling in her eyes before their gazes met.

Ning Fuguang nodded, as if she hadn’t noticed Jiang Luoyue’s reddened nose, and abruptly changed the subject. “Before I joined this variety show, a friend warned me to speak sparingly and act cautiously, to maintain an air of mystery so the public would remain curious about me.”

Jiang Luoyue nodded. “And then?”

“Then, I asked her, why should I speak sparingly?” Ning Fuguang’s tone was filled with confusion, making Jiang Luoyue feel as if she were there in the moment. “The show already has one mute person. Am I here for a variety show or a mimicry contest?”

Jiang Luoyue couldn’t help but laugh, tears spilling from her eyes like shattered jade beads as she looked up. Ning Fuguang reached out to wipe them away and said softly, “Tears aren’t meant to be held back.”

“If you want to cry, then cry. It’s no big deal.”

“It’ll be really ugly,” Jiang Luoyue said. “So embarrassing.”

“Embarrassing?” Ning Fuguang pinched her cheek. “Isn’t your face right here?”

After pinching, she laughed. “So soft, just like I imagined like cotton.”

Jiang Luoyue’s voice was hoarse. “Do you think I’ve never touched cotton before?”

Why was Ning Fuguang also starting to talk nonsense with her eyes wide open?

“You never told me anything, so how would I know?” Ning Fuguang mimicked her tone, then murmured to herself, “But it’s fine. From now on, you can tell me anything you want to say.”

Good or bad, as long as it was related to Jiang Luoyue, Ning Fuguang would accept it all.

As the police arrived, Fu Yunqing’s pent-up anger finally found an outlet. She alternated between explaining the case and screaming at Jiang Lanhui, wishing she could personally send the other woman to prison right then and there, her voice growing louder with each word.

Xiang Fan recorded the farce as evidence. Passing by Luo Qing, she whispered a thank you.

“Fighting injustice is everyone’s duty,” Luo Qing replied with a smile. Xiang Fan chuckled wryly and, turning around, realized Yu Jingtang was standing right behind her.

“What are you doing?” Xiang Fan raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to comfort Jiang Luoyue?”

Yu Jingtang silently looked up, and Xiang Fan saw Ning Fuguang speaking softly to Jiang Luoyue. Within a few sentences, the young girl’s face bloomed into a smile again.

“So gross,” Xiang Fan said.

Yu Jingtang echoed, “So gross.”

This seemed to be the first time the two had spoken privately. In the silence, Xiang Fan glanced at her. “You’re not as annoying as I thought. When you’re not singing rock, you actually seem like a normal person.”

Yu Jingtang politely thanked her. “You’re not so bad either when you’re not making trashy films.”

Xiang Fan snapped, “Those are commercial films. One box office take is worth more than all the songs you’ve sold.”

“Oh,” Yu Jingtang said. “Still trashy films.”

Xiang Fan: “…”

After a few exchanges, they parted on bad terms, both inwardly reaffirming that, indeed, aside from Jiang Luoyue, there wasn’t a single normal person on this show!

By the time the police took Jiang Lanhui, Li Jiang, and the assistant directors who had voluntarily testified away, Jiang Luoyue sat on a bench, looking around in a daze.

“Hungry?” Before she could gather her thoughts, Yu Jingtang had already placed a few bread rolls and milk on the table. “Eat something to tide you over.”

Her eyes were filled with concern. Jiang Luoyue thought for a moment, then instead of touching the food, she imitated what Ning Fuguang had done earlier and pinched Yu Jingtang’s cheek. The texture wasn’t soft at all; she could even clearly feel the facial bones beneath.

Only after she withdrew her hand did Yu Jingtang ask, “Why?”

Why suddenly pinch her?

Jiang Luoyue answered irrelevantly, “I’m a bit stressed, wanted to pinch something soft ”

Before she could finish, Yu Jingtang suddenly leaned in, her hair whorl clearly visible. As her eyes widened slightly, Jiang Luoyue read a clear expression of anticipation in them.

Being stared at by her felt like being scrutinized by an intensely imposing cat. Jiang Luoyue was momentarily speechless.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Luoyue asked, amused and exasperated. “I was just joking.”

Yu Jingtang nodded, waiting for her to finish before replying softly, “I like you.”

After being interrupted by Jiang Luoyue so many times, Yu Jingtang had learned clearly that she didn’t want to expose this matter in front of anyone and had gradually learned to be discreet.

As if bound by an unspoken rule, Jiang Luoyue also lowered her voice and asked, “Why?”

She had long wanted to ask what Yu Jingtang liked about her, but out of shyness and an indescribable emotion, she had never voiced the question.

Yu Jingtang seemed caught off guard, falling into thought. Just as Jiang Luoyue was about to say he didn’t need to force an answer, she heard him say earnestly, “You’re wonderful in every way.”

The reason for his silence wasn’t that he couldn’t think of an answer, but rather that Yu Jingtang suddenly realized, in those few short seconds, he had grown to like Jiang Luoyue even more.