I Swear I Don’t Want to Be Everyone’s Favorite - Chapter 59.1

After being hit with one truth bomb after another by Xiao Lu, even if Jiang Luoyue was unwilling to admit it, she had to accept the fact that the others seemed to genuinely have improper intentions toward her.

Under this premise, the arguments they displayed in front of the camera seemed to take on a somewhat ambiguous tone. It wasn’t just about winning an argument, they were vying for Jiang Luoyue’s attention.

Thinking of this, Jiang Luoyue took a deep breath and felt the road ahead was bleak. After all, even now, just stepping in to mediate would earn her a few sarcastic remarks, both overt and covert. If she were to actually choose to be with someone, her friendships with the others would likely come to an end.

The mere thought of that possibility made her frown with reluctance. For the first time, she was confronting her own desires so clearly.

She didn’t want to part with anyone.

But she couldn’t split herself into three. Caught in this dilemma, Jiang Luoyue ultimately decided to keep her distance from everyone. It would be better for everyone if she took her time to think things through before making a decision.

No sooner had she made up her mind than a notification popped up on her phone.

[Yu Jingtang Responds to the Jiang Luoyue Alt Account Incident]

Just the headline alone made Jiang Luoyue’s temples throb, and her intuition told her something was wrong. After reading the content, she fell silent on the spot.

Yu Jingtang had posted a response with the words “It’s me,” accompanied by a whopping eighteen photos, each one taken by her of Jiang Luoyue: Jiang Luoyue on set filming, Jiang Luoyue listening attentively to others, Jiang Luoyue in casual clothes on a variety show, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Many of the photos were taken from stealthy angles, and Jiang Luoyue had no idea when they were even captured. But every single one was meticulously taken by Yu Jingtang, exuding an intimacy that went beyond a girlfriend’s perspective.

As soon as the Weibo post went live, the comments section exploded. After all, Yu Jingtang rarely even posted on Weibo, let alone photos of someone else.

No one could have imagined she would post eighteen at once. For the first time, even her fans were unsettled, shocked and bewildered, wondering if Yu Jingtang had actually fallen in love.

If they were this dazed, the CP fans were practically speechless, frantically copying and pasting their ecstatic reactions. The sheer intensity of it made Jiang Luoyue’s scalp tingle when she accidentally scrolled through.

She didn’t dare linger for another second and immediately switched to her chat with Yu Jingtang, getting straight to the point: 【Don’t post about me on your Weibo. A lot of your fans are already misunderstanding.】

Her tone was uncharacteristically harsh, and she immediately regretted it after sending the message. Just as she was hesitating whether to soften her wording, Yu Jingtang had already replied with a confused kitten emoji, as if she had no idea what Jiang Luoyue was talking about.

Jiang Luoyue was both angry and amused.

【Stop pretending】

I’m not pretending.
I just don’t understand,what misunderstanding are you referring to?

【We’re not in that kind of relationship.】

But I’ve been pursuing you all along.
As long as you agree to be with me, we will be in that kind of relationship.

Jiang Luoyue was stunned into silence. Seizing the opportunity, Yu Jingtang slipped in her daily dose of affection: I like you.

Feeling like she was playing the lute to a cow, Jiang Luoyue was completely at a loss with Yu Jingtang. She replied with six dots and turned off her phone.

She wanted to avoid dealing with Yu Jingtang, but then a call from Fu Yunqing came one after another. Fu Yunqing had just finished work when she saw the trending topic and was eagerly demanding an explanation for the photos.

Jiang Luoyue tried to change the subject, but Fu Yunqing saw right through her: “Don’t lie to me! I know everything.”

“You know everything, so why are you still asking me for answers?” Jiang Luoyue retorted with a headache. “What do you want me to say? Should I post your photos too?”

Her alternate account had already been exposed, and deleting it would only make her look guilty. After discussing it with Yu Qing, Jiang Luoyue decided to take a hands-off approach meaning she would never log into that account again.

She had said it casually, but Fu Yunqing’s tone suddenly turned hesitant and hopeful: “Really? Do you have photos of me in your phone? Or should I send some to you now?”

Jiang Luoyue: “…?”

She paused for a moment, then asked uncertainly, “Are you serious?”

“Of course,” Fu Yunqing replied. “You don’t need to send too many just eighteen will do.”

Jiang Luoyue: “…” She only had a few photos of Yu Jingtang in her phone. What was Fu Yunqing planning to do with eighteen photos fill up her entire gallery?

But Fu Yunqing paid no mind and hung up the phone, immediately starting to carefully select photos. For the next few hours, Jiang Luoyue’s phone kept chiming with notifications of new messages. When she opened them, they were all photos sent by Fu Yunqing.

At this point, Jiang Luoyue decided to also reach out to Xiang Fan and Ning Fuguang.

Since the situation was already chaotic, she might as well let it descend into complete chaos.

That night, all the users following Jiang Luoyue’s Weibo saw a new post.

The caption was simple: 【Friends】

But the accompanying images were exceptionally diverse none of the five guests were left out, making it resemble a summary essay at the end of a variety show.

As soon as the post went live, it quickly climbed the trending charts. Jiang Luoyue had assumed people were discussing their friendship, but when she opened the comments, the top comment was an ambiguous statement: 【Is Jiang Luoyue opening a courtyard even a big deal?】

What was a courtyard? Puzzled, Jiang Luoyue searched the term and found a definition: “developing emotional relationships with many people at once.” Her face immediately flushed red.

The replies were filled with cryptic remarks. Comments like “I could tell the atmosphere between you all was off from the start” and “As long as you five live happily together, nothing else matters” made everyone burst into laughter, the comment section was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

For the next few days, Jiang Luoyue lay low. If it weren’t for the sudden announcement of the release date for Calling Souls, which required her to repost and promote it, she would never have wanted to log into Weibo again.

The day after she reposted the announcement, the pre-sale numbers for Calling Souls were publicly released 20 million, an astonishing figure.

Anyone could see that as long as the actual film wasn’t a complete disaster, Calling Souls would undoubtedly become a dark horse to be reckoned with this year.

While the internet buzzed with discussions about the film’s performance, Jiang Luoyue remained remarkably calm. After all, she wasn’t the lead actress, so the box office numbers didn’t affect her much. She continued with her own work as usual.

Nevertheless, director Song An and lead actress Yu Qiu made a point of sending her messages to express their gratitude.

The vast majority of the 30 million box office revenue had come because of Jiang Luoyue some wanted to support her, while others wanted to see her fail. Very few had bought tickets purely for the film itself.

It could be said that Calling Souls achieved such success entirely due to Jiang Luoyue’s controversial popularity.

That night, Yu Qing sent over the box office profit-sharing agreement, which director Song An had proactively proposed. While Jiang Luoyue reviewed the terms, Yu Qing was handling brand collaboration offers, marveling at each brand’s level of public recognition.

Halfway through, Yu Qing sighed deeply and exclaimed, “Things are really looking up now.”

Jiang Luoyue had proven her worth through her soaring popularity and was now considered a top artist at Yunyue Entertainment. Not only did she receive numerous collaboration offers, but all of Yunyue’s resources were also being funneled her way.

Yu Qing had never lived such a comfortable life, strutting around with her nose in the air. After sharing her joy with Jiang Luoyue, she couldn’t help but gloat, “Zhou Ruonian hasn’t shown up for half a month.”

Hearing that name again, Jiang Luoyue felt no emotional ripple, only a sense of detachment. She finally felt the reality of it all being over. Blinking, she asked, “Why?”

“Not sure.” Yu Qing was already exhausted from handling invitations from major brands and had no energy to spare for Zhou Ruonian. She replied offhandedly, “But she hasn’t come back, and President Shi hasn’t mentioned firing her either.”

Privately, they speculated that Zhou Ruonian, shamelessly clinging on, might be waiting for the company to terminate her contract so she could claim compensation.

To fall from being the most promising agent to this state it spoke volumes about how pathetic her life had become.

“Is that so?” Jiang Luoyue thought of Zhou Ruonian outside the hospital room and smiled. “Maybe she offended someone and is facing retaliation.”

In her past life, the Jiang family had favored Zhou Ruonian because she stayed by Jiang Luoyue’s side and held value. Jiang Lianyan’s attachment to her had also stemmed from a desire to “take what belonged to Jiang Luoyue,” though it later turned into genuine feelings.

But in this second chance, Zhou Ruonian no longer had those advantages and was naturally no longer valued.

The neglect and disregard Jiang Luoyue had once endured were now being revisited upon Zhou Ruonian. Smiling, Jiang Luoyue flipped to the last page of the agreement, confirmed everything was correct, and decided to sign it on an auspicious day.

Yu Qing was thrilled and suggested picking her up the next morning, but Jiang Luoyue declined, “I have something to do.”

“What is it?” Though Yu Qing doubted anything major could happen during the day, she asked out of concern.

Jiang Luoyue replied, “An exam.”

The tutoring center Jiang Luoyue attended periodically issued practice test papers. To immerse herself in a proper study atmosphere, she made a point of going there in person instead of printing the papers at home.

She answered naturally, but Yu Qing froze upon hearing her reply.

It wasn’t until after hanging up that Yu Qing slapped her forehead, suddenly remembering Jiang Luoyue’s age.

Exploding into fame for half a month, yet still a high school student if this were a novel, readers would surely criticize such a plot!

It wasn’t that Yu Qing had deliberately forgotten, but in her eyes, aside from a slightly youthful face, Jiang Luoyue’s demeanor, personality, and social awareness all resembled those of a stable adult. The longer they spent together, the easier it was to forget her age and treat her as an equal.

But thinking of Jiang Luoyue’s past experiences, Yu Qing choked up, attributing her maturity to premature world-weariness. As her heart ached for Jiang Luoyue, she reluctantly accepted this harsh reality.

While Yu Qing was lost in her thoughts, in a dimly lit room, Zhou Ruonian gasped for breath, jolting awake from a nightmare.

Before her eyes, it seemed as if the endless snowy landscape still lingered. The moment she closed her eyes, she was dragged back into the dream,

In the dream, it was a solemn funeral in the snow.