I Swear I Don’t Want to Be Everyone’s Favorite - Chapter 67

After the director’s statement, the live stream was abruptly cut off, followed by another round of chaotic arguments. Fu Yunqing couldn’t understand why Yu Jingtang, who had decided to withdraw from the recording early, was still eligible to receive gifts, believing it was unfair to herself, who had to complete the full three days of filming. Xiang Fan, on the other hand, mocked Ning Fuguang for employing child labor, accusing him of exploiting Jiang Luoyue all day long.

To escape the noisy and chaotic environment, Jiang Luoyue agreed without hesitation when Yu Jingtang offered, “Walk me out.”

It wasn’t until they stepped out of the villa and the cold wind brushed against her that Jiang Luoyue snapped back to reality as if waking from a dream.

At that moment, Yu Jingtang was holding her wrist with one hand while pushing her suitcase with the other. Her assistant had run ahead of them, dressed in white, appearing like a glaring white dot in the dim, flickering light.

“Yu Jingtang?” Jiang Luoyue called out tentatively, but Yu Jingtang remained silent.

She tried to free her left hand, but Yu Jingtang only tightened her grip.

After a few moments of silence, she changed her form of address: “Jingtang? Xiao Tang?”

When she called her “Xiao Tang,” Yu Jingtang finally turned to look at her.

Her face was still expressionless, and Jiang Luoyue couldn’t tell if she was angry or not. She decided to change the subject: “Are you very busy?”

Yu Jingtang was someone with a strong sense of time and responsibility. This manifested in her habit of rehearsing on-site for several days before an event rather than participating in highly unpredictable variety shows.

Yu Jingtang nodded. Jiang Luoyue asked, “Because of me?”

The answer was obvious, but she still asked. Yu Jingtang finally spoke: “Yes.”

“I wanted to see you.”

That day, Jiang Luoyue had heard “I wanted to see you” twice, but the feelings it evoked were entirely different. Ning Fuguang’s words carried a sense of aggression and instability, while Yu Jingtang’s were much gentler, like water. She even felt bold enough to ask in return, “Why did you want to see me?”

A faint floral fragrance drifted over with the wind as the two walked along the path. Yu Jingtang said, “I like you.”

Jiang Luoyue asked, “How many times is this?”

Yu Jingtang glanced at her.

Jiang Luoyue clarified, “How many times have you said you like me?”

Yu Jingtang stopped walking, thought for a moment, and gave an answer: “Twenty-one times.”

Jiang Luoyue had only asked casually and hadn’t expected Yu Jingtang to provide an exact number. She was momentarily stunned.

Her surprise seemed to please Yu Jingtang, who spoke with a hint of pride: “I remember every word you’ve ever said.”

Jiang Luoyue: “Then what was the first thing we said to each other when we first met?”

Yu Jingtang replied, “You asked me if I could be your teammate.”

Yu Jingtang had agreed, so they formed a team and grew closer.

Although their time together hadn’t been long, Jiang Luoyue genuinely liked Yu Jingtang. Being with her was comfortable, evoking a profound sense of tranquility. Because of this, Jiang Luoyue had never considered the possibility of losing this friend, until Yu Jingtang’s sudden confession.

Yu Jingtang’s gaze was too intense, leaving Jiang Luoyue speechless for a long while. Finally, she asked, “Are you not angry anymore?”

“I was never angry,” Yu Jingtang said.

She had simply found Jiang Luoyue’s fear of her anger endearing and wanted to watch it a little longer. But after realizing others might have the same idea, she decided to take the initiative and ask Jiang Luoyue to walk her out.

Jiang Luoyue: “Then why were you silent the whole time?”

Yu Jingtang asked, “Should I apologize?”

Jiang Luoyue shook her head, so Yu Jingtang took her hand and suddenly kissed the back of it.

The memory of Ning Fuguang kissing her cheek resurfaced in Jiang Luoyue’s mind. Instinctively, she pulled her hand back, her entire body stiffening as she took a few unnatural steps backward.

Yu Jingtang was also startled by her excessive reaction and, after a few seconds, softly asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Jiang Luoyue frowned, shaking her head after a long pause. “Let’s go.”

Yu Jingtang wanted to press further but ultimately fell silent.

Amidst the blaring of overlapping car horns and the dazzling glow of neon lights, the two arrived at a crosswalk.

The ceaseless flow of traffic reflected in her pupils, Jiang Luoyue pursed her lips, finally looked up, and took one last glance at Yu Jingtang.

It was then that Jiang Luoyue noticed Yu Jingtang had, at some point, put on a hat. Her hair had grown longer her bangs, which had once just reached her eyebrows, now nearly covered her eyes, giving her a melancholic and detached appearance.

They stood in silence for a while. In truth, Jiang Luoyue knew there were plenty of topics to discuss, but neither of them wanted to speak.

Yu Jingtang remained silent out of fear of upsetting her or making her unhappy.

Jiang Luoyue, on the other hand, hesitated because she couldn’t give Yu Jingtang the answer she wanted.

She recalled Ning Fuguang saying earlier that day that she was best at waiting. Yet, Yu Jingtang had said the same thing when she confessed.

Yu Jingtang had said she could wait, but how could Jiang Luoyue feel at ease letting her wait?

“Yu Jingtang,” she finally spoke, deciding to make things clear.

Yu Jingtang lowered her gaze to look at her. Face to face, Jiang Luoyue could clearly see the style and logo of her hat.

That morning, she had been wearing the same hat while resting in the car.

“I bought it earlier,” Yu Jingtang explained, noticing her gaze. “When I watched your livestream this morning, I noticed you had the same one. I thought it was a funny coincidence, so I dug it out and wore it.”

As she finished speaking, she even curved her lips into a slight smile, as if this were something worth celebrating.

Jiang Luoyue pursed her lips. “Really? What a coincidence.”

Her gaze drifted downward, and she realized that, aside from the hat, Yu Jingtang’s top was also strikingly familiar. Earlier in the year, she had posted the other version of a couples’ outfit.

Moreover, from the red bracelet adorned with matching beads on her wrist to the ring on her finger, every accessory Yu Jingtang wore could be found in similar styles on Jiang Luoyue’s Weibo page.

Jiang Luoyue suddenly remembered, this hat was from an obscure brand that had long been discontinued. But she had loved wearing it in the past, posting many photos of it and even expressing regret over the brand’s closure.

She didn’t believe such a coincidence could exist, that Yu Jingtang just happened to own the same hat and just happened to dress in this “Jiang Luoyue-inspired” outfit. The only explanation was that Yu Jingtang, unsure of what she liked, had scoured her Weibo, striving to emulate the style she had once favored.

The so-called coincidence was nothing but an inevitability born of careful planning.

At that moment, she finally became certain: Yu Jingtang liked her. It wasn’t a deception or a game, Yu Jingtang was genuinely pursuing her.

And precisely because of this, Jiang Luoyue fell into an even deeper silence before finally speaking again. “Yu Jingtang.”

“I think we need to talk.”

Yu Jingtang’s smile gradually faded.

“You’re a good person,” Jiang Luoyue said. “I really like you.”

“But my feelings for you are the same as my feelings for the others.”

“So, I can’t accept your confession.”

After speaking in one breath, the only sound in her ears was the fierce rush of wind pouring in.

Jiang Luoyue didn’t dare to look up, didn’t dare to see Yu Jingtang’s expression, afraid of finding coldness and annoyance on the other’s face, afraid that Yu Jingtang would ask her, “How can affection be equally divided? Everyone has preferences, people and things they like more.”

She was afraid Yu Jingtang would discover it, yet truly hoped the other would expose her greed.

But what responded to her was a cold palm.

Yu Jingtang cupped her face with both hands, lowering her gaze, even strands of her hair brushing against Jiang Luoyue’s cheeks, tickling her.

In the other’s pupils, she saw herself and heard Yu Jingtang softly ask, “So, you like them too, don’t you?”

Jiang Luoyue instinctively wanted to bite her lip, but Yu Jingtang gently pressed her fingertips against it. Afraid of touching the other’s hand, she could only nod.

“I’m not your favorite,” Yu Jingtang said. “So, you want to reject me first.”

Jiang Luoyue: “That’s not it.”

She tried to argue, but Yu Jingtang had already lowered her face, her lips landing on Jiang Luoyue’s forehead, then sliding downward nose, Cupid’s bow. The fingers pressed against her lips shifted to grip her chin, almost forcing Jiang Luoyue to respond to her kiss.

At first, it was clumsy and chaotic, but once their lips met, it became instinctive. Yu Jingtang’s tongue pressed against her teeth, delving deeper. Only then did Jiang Luoyue belatedly taste the same strawberry flavor in the other’s mouth,

“Yu Jingtang.”

She tried to mumble a protest but was held even tighter. The barely maintained social distance vanished completely as Yu Jingtang pulled her into an embrace. Still unsatisfied, Yu Jingtang kissed her eyelids, her hair, until every part of Jiang Luoyue was tainted with her scent. Only when Jiang Luoyue was nearly breathless did she finally release her.

Jiang Luoyue’s first reaction was to gasp for air, then she glared sharply at Yu Jingtang: “You”

In response, a kiss landed on her forehead, tender and doting, as if comforting a pet. A low, husky, laughter-laced voice sounded in her ear: “I like you so much…”

A tingling sensation spreading from her neck made Jiang Luoyue stiffen, almost turning into a speechless block of wood. But after Yu Jingtang’s confession, the anger rising in her heart inexplicably turned into a bittersweet ache.

She suddenly began to sob, her words still the same old clichés.

“I hate you.”

But Yu Jingtang cupped her face, continuing to kiss her, kissing away her falling tears, and whispered, “I like you.”

For as long as she hated, Yu Jingtang would like her.

Later, the kisses stopped, but Jiang Luoyue was still held tightly in Yu Jingtang’s arms.

She struggled, but Yu Jingtang only held her closer. It wasn’t until Jiang Luoyue slapped her shoulders and tried to push her away that Yu Jingtang slowly loosened her grip.

Then, the moment she let go, Jiang Luoyue slapped her.

Not hard.

Even gentle.

It was a force that required deliberate restraint.

Yet, Yu Jingtang felt her blood run cold for a moment, an unprecedented chill washing over her.

She instinctively opened her mouth to explain but saw Jiang Luoyue’s face under the light.

The finger marks on her chin were obvious, her lips nearly swollen from kissing, marked with clear bite marks, the skin already broken.

Remembering the metallic taste she had just savored, Yu Jingtang fell silent.

“Go back to your home and do what you need to do.” Jiang Luoyue noticed her gaze lingering on her lips, the tips of her ears growing increasingly flushed. She took a deep breath before mustering the courage to finish what she wanted to say, “I don’t want to see you again.”

Never before had Jiang Luoyue been so acutely aware that she was lying.

She still wanted to see Yu Jingtang, even after this unwarranted kiss. She still longed to see the other person, even wished to do the same things again.

But her teetering sanity forced her to utter this threat.

Yu Jingtang remained silent, merely watching her, yet it made Jiang Luoyue think of Ning Fuguang.

If the other person saw her like this with Yu Jingtang, would she still like her? Would she still care for a coward who wanted everything but dared not admit it?

The long-buried self-loathing surged through her once more. Facing a stunned Yu Jingtang, Jiang Luoyue paused for a few seconds before speaking again, “I mean it.”

“This is my answer to your affection, and I’ll give the same answer to anyone else.”

The car finally arrived.

Hundreds of meters away, the assistant, not daring to disturb the two, called.

The urgent ringtone pierced the air. Jiang Luoyue, utterly exhausted, said, “Go back, Yu Jingtang.”

She wanted to add, “I don’t dislike you,” but felt it unnecessary. Turning away, she left.

Yu Jingtang did not stop her.