I Swear I Don’t Want to Be Everyone’s Favorite - Chapter 68

It wasn’t until she had completely distanced herself from the traffic that Jiang Luoyue felt the delayed exhaustion wash over her. She didn’t even know why she had gotten angry earlier, only feeling as though she had messed everything up once again, trapped in a vicious cycle with an indescribable heaviness in her heart.

She had left without her phone, and it was only when she returned to the villa that she noticed the lights in the living room were off. Only the third and fourth floors were illuminated, like lighthouses in the dark.

They had already registered their fingerprints that morning, so Jiang Luoyue casually opened the door. A sense of emptiness, delayed like the tide, washed over her.

Standing in the entryway for several seconds, Jiang Luoyue tried hard to calm her emotions after all, she might still have to face others later.

She remained in a daze for an unknown length of time. Just as she was about to head toward the staircase, a voice suddenly cut through the darkness: “What are you thinking about?”

Startled, Jiang Luoyue instinctively turned toward the sound. Beside the living room’s liquor table, Xiang Fan was lighting a lamp with a candle.

Next to her lay a book with a golden cover, held open to a specific page by her fingertip, as if she had been reading just moments before.

Even with her mind weighed down by worries, Jiang Luoyue was taken aback by her unexpected presence. “Have you been here all along?”

Xiang Fan waved the book lightly, and both of them were reminded of Ning Fuguang, who had used the same gesture to provoke irritation hours earlier. With a cold scoff, Xiang Fan was the first to speak candidly: “Reading.”

“Did it take you that long to see someone off?” She pulled out the chair beside her, as if extending an invitation. “Anyone would think you were planning to leave with her.”

Jiang Luoyue let out a faint laugh, hesitated for a few seconds, then moved closer.

“We talked about some things, so it took a while,” she explained as she sat down beside Xiang Fan. It was only then that she got a clear look at the book, it was the finance textbook Xiang Fan had given away earlier. She couldn’t help but chuckle. “Ning Fu, President Ning didn’t want it?”

Noticing the change in her address, Xiang Fan raised an eyebrow slightly. “No, it’s been sitting there all along. It’d be a shame to throw it away. What would you like to drink?”

Though it was called a liquor table, it came equipped with a wine cabinet, ice, and even cocktail-making tools. Jiang Luoyue had never been to a bar, so she tentatively suggested the drink she’d most often encountered in novels: “Tequila Sunrise?”

Xiang Fan replied, “That’s a strong drink. How about something else?”

Jiang Luoyue racked her brain. “Long Island Iced Tea?”

Since it was called iced tea, it must be tasty, right?

As she thought this, Xiang Fan acknowledged her request and turned to gather the tools, opening several bottles of liquor labeled in foreign scripts.

Jiang Luoyue couldn’t read the labels, so she simply rested her chin in her hands and watched. Xiang Fan seemed quite skilled at mixing drinks, her movements swift and precise. The long spoon stirred in the glass, creating rippling sounds that carried a certain charm.

It felt as if looking at her for too long would burn her gaze, so before long, Jiang Luoyue lowered her head to flip through the book.

But what met her eyes were upside-down words. It was only then that Jiang Luoyue realized the finance book was held inverted.

Clearly, Xiang Fan hadn’t been reading seriously otherwise, such a basic mistake wouldn’t have happened. Or perhaps she had been reading, but in her panic upon hearing Jiang Luoyue enter, she had hastily turned the book upside down?

Whatever the reason, Jiang Luoyue didn’t have the courage to delve into what it might mean.

She simply straightened the book and quietly flipped through it. Most of the text consisted of professional terminology that was hard to understand, so Jiang Luoyue had to search for explanations to grasp the meaning. Just as she struggled through half a page, a glass was pushed in front of her.

The brown liquid in the glass held a slice of lemon, and the ice cubes shimmered with distinct textures under the candlelight, their ripples swaying with the flickering flame.

Jiang Luoyue pursed her lips around the straw, and the carbonated liquid burst in her mouth like popping candy. The sweet and tangy taste left her dazed for several seconds before she exclaimed in surprise, “Cola?”

Xiang Fan nodded. “Iced tea is also a strong drink.”

Jiang Luoyue: “…” But that didn’t mean serving a beverage completely unrelated to alcohol, right?

Yet she didn’t voice her confusion and simply drank quietly.

The dopamine released by the sugar lifted her mood, and Jiang Luoyue suddenly realized she felt much better. The most direct evidence was that, although she still thought of Yu Jingtang, his face had grown blurry. It seemed that with just a little more to drink and one more night, she could forget all the embarrassment of that evening.

It was a strange sensation, as if she could control her own memories. Lost in this thought, Jiang Luoyue didn’t notice the frequent glances Xiang Fan cast her way.

Xiang Fan had indeed altered the recipe, but only by reducing the amount of alcohol. Jiang Luoyue clearly hadn’t noticed and thought it was cola, which amused Xiang Fan even as she worried about the hangover Jiang Luoyue might suffer the next day.

Just as she was about to advise against drinking more, her gaze shifted and she caught sight of the mark on Jiang Luoyue’s lips.

Recalling Jiang Luoyue’s earlier remark about “talking about some things,” Xiang Fan’s hand trembled slightly as she held her glass.

Did they talk and then kiss? Jiang Luoyue wouldn’t have been the one to initiate, so did Yu Jingtang kiss her?

How dare he?

Couldn’t Jiang Luoyue have avoided it?

Xiang Fan refrained from speaking rashly and simply watched coldly as Jiang Luoyue finished her drink and pushed the glass back toward her. “Could I have another one?” she asked cautiously, as if afraid of being refused.

Xiang Fan smiled and prepared another drink just like the first.

Halfway through the second glass, she called out softly, “Luoyue.”

Jiang Luoyue turned to look at her. “Hmm?”

“What did you do today?” Xiang Fan asked casually, as if making small talk. “After leaving the Ning family.”

Jiang Luoyue blinked, her memories feeling heavy. It took her a few seconds to recall the events. “A date?”

Xiang Fan asked, “Was it fun?”

Jiang Luoyue shook her head, then nodded.

“Ning Fuguang set the photo as his profile picture. It’s not flattering.”

Profile picture?

Of course, Xiang Fan wouldn’t normally bother paying attention to such things, but a throbbing pain at her temples prompted her to unlock her phone. Sure enough, she saw the intimate photo of two faces.

She suppressed a cold laugh with great effort.

“Are you saying Ning Fuguang isn’t good-looking?”

“No.” Jiang Luoyue shook her head. “I’m not good-looking.”

As she spoke, she buried her face in her drink again. This time, it wasn’t just her lips that turned red, her cheeks and even the tips of her ears flushed as if burning. When her eyes grew hazy, the youthful innocence about her faded entirely, reminding others that she, too, was an adult.

No longer needing to be coddled like a naive girl, she could do what adults do.

“Why do you think that?” Xiang Fan asked.

The only response was a soft murmur: “The profile picture should have been a better one.”

Suddenly, Xiang Fan understood. Jiang Luoyue wasn’t bothered by Ning Fuguang using their photo as his profile picture, she was bothered that the photo wasn’t flattering enough and might cause Ning Fuguang to “lose face.”

So thoughtful, so well-behaved to be able to call her by her full name so intimately. What else had Ning Fuguang said to her?

“Do you like her?” Staring at her flushed face, Xiang Fan spoke slowly, but mentioned another name: “Yu Jingtang.”

Jiang Luoyue’s mind was already muddled, and it took her a moment to realize this was already the next question.

Even in her drunken state, her instincts still told her that “who she liked” was a question she needed to hide, and she refused to answer. It wasn’t until Xiang Fan coaxed her softly, asking if she trusted her, that Jiang Luoyue hesitantly nodded.

How could she not trust Xiang Fan? Or rather, she couldn’t think of any reason for Xiang Fan to deceive her.

Then, right before her eyes, Xiang Fan smiled.

A drunk person couldn’t tell the difference between a cold smile and a genuine one; she just thought Xiang Fan looked beautiful this way.

What Jiang Luoyue thought, she unconsciously voiced aloud.

Xiang Fan gazed at her face, listening to her sincere praise, and reached out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “You think I’m good-looking?”

“Your glasses are good-looking,” Jiang Luoyue said.

Xiang Fan coaxed her further: “Answer one question for me, and I’ll give you my glasses. How about that?”

Jiang Luoyue nodded, so obediently that Xiang Fan could hardly believe it.

Her movements softened, and her tone grew gentler. “Did Ning Fuguang confess to you?”

Jiang Luoyue nodded.

“Did you agree?”

Even in her drunken state, Jiang Luoyue could still grasp the rules: “…That’s the second question.”

Xiang Fan chuckled softly, but in her heart, she already guessed the answer. The fact that Yu Jingtang had kissed her most likely meant Jiang Luoyue hadn’t made a decision yet. And if she hadn’t, that meant there was still a chance for her.

Besides, who said that just because Jiang Luoyue made a decision, she couldn’t interfere?

Conventional morals and ethics were meant to restrain those with a strong sense of shame but no ability to break free. Xiang Fan didn’t belong to that category, so from the very beginning, she had made different plans.

But when it came to this little drunkard before her, the pure, kind affection in her heart suppressed all other meaningless thoughts.

Thinking this, Xiang Fan casually placed her glasses on the other’s nose bridge, then sighed inwardly once again, Jiang Luoyue had such a beautiful face.

Even the non-prescription frames suited her perfectly. She even considered writing a script specifically tailored to this look for her.

But after staring at her reflection in the mirror for a few seconds, Jiang Luoyue suddenly took off the glasses and reached out clumsily to touch Xiang Fan’s face.

Xiang Fan clicked her tongue inwardly and gently took hold of Jiang Luoyue’s warm hand. “Not wearing them anymore?”

Kids these days were so capricious, changing their minds on a whim.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Luoyue’s response was still the same: “Not good-looking.”

Unable to get a clear answer, Xiang Fan could only hold her hand with one hand and put her glasses back on with the other.

This time, when she glanced back at Jiang Luoyue, the previously restless girl suddenly became still, staring blankly at her face.

Xiang Fan raised an eyebrow, finally understanding what “not good-looking” meant.

She curved her lips and slowly leaned closer. “Do you like it?”

Jiang Luoyue didn’t speak, only held her breath, seemingly a bit nervous.

After a few seconds of this standoff, Xiang Fan clicked her tongue again, inwardly mocking herself for bothering to reason with a drunk. But then, Jiang Luoyue leaned in closer.

And then, her lips clumsily pressed a kiss onto Xiang Fan’s cheek, like stamping a seal. To make sure it stuck, she even rubbed it a few times.

In those few seconds of stunned silence, Xiang Fan had been kissed on the right cheek three times.

Seeing her lean in again toward her left cheek, even Xiang Fan’s ears flushed red. “Jiang Luoyue, you ”

“Beautiful.”

At that moment, Jiang Luoyue suddenly spoke, answering Xiang Fan’s earlier question.

If not for the strong scent of alcohol on her breath and the haze in her eyes, Xiang Fan might have thought she was sober.

But the reality was that Jiang Luoyue drew even closer to her left cheek. Only when her left cheek was damp from kisses, with a tendency to drift toward her lips, did Xiang Fan, amidst a buzzing in her ears, catch Jiang Luoyue’s barely audible whisper.

“Like.”

It felt as if a fire were burning in her chest. Xiang Fan, unsure how long she had been frozen, abruptly stood up.

Jiang Luoyue, having lost her target, tipped forward with a soft thud. If Xiang Fan hadn’t caught her, she would have landed face-first on the floor.

Before Xiang Fan could even laugh in exasperation or shake off the lingering intimacy, Jiang Luoyue, suddenly in contact with a warm presence, wrapped her arms around her.

Xiang Fan, who had just suppressed dangerous thoughts, stared at the crown of her head: “…” Was this girl born to torment her?

This thought persisted even as Xiang Fan helped Jiang Luoyue upstairs.

The villa had five floors. The production team had originally planned to assign rooms by drawing lots, but after Yu Jingtang left, each guest naturally got their own floor and private room.

But where was Jiang Luoyue’s room? Xiang Fan had no memory of it.

Pacing at the staircase landing on her own second floor for several minutes, Xiang Fan glanced at the drunk girl beside her and thought of Ning Fuguang on the third floor, her brow furrowing.

If all else failed, she could just let her sleep in her own room for the night. After all, she had only dropped off her luggage and hadn’t actually rested yet.

“Stand up straight,” Xiang Fan said as they stumbled back to the room. Watching Jiang Luoyue still clinging to her shoulder, she finally found one of the few redeeming qualities in a night full of demerits, when drunk, she was clingy, like a big dog. “I need to find the key.”

Jiang Luoyue nodded dazedly in her embrace, trying to stand straight but still leaning against Xiang Fan’s back. Her breath tickled Xiang Fan’s neck, sending shivers down her spine.

This damn key was always in sight when she didn’t need it, but now that she did, why was it so hard to find?

Frowning, she rummaged through her large keychain and, before any other thoughts could surface, finally found one with the production team’s mark.

Insert, twist, open

“Stop nuzzling,” Xiang Fan muttered under her breath as the door opened. “Get inside.”

Jiang Luoyue obeyed, stumbling into the room. Xiang Fan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to find another room for herself when she heard a soft thud.

Turning on the light, she saw Jiang Luoyue completing her near face-plant from the living room right there in the room.

If not for the thick carpet, she would have surely ended up with a bruised face.

But as it turned out, Jiang Luoyue wasn’t hurt at all. Instead, she seemed to find the sleeping position comfortable, adjusted slightly, and peacefully closed her eyes to sleep.

Leaving Xiang Fan, who had witnessed it all: “…”

What kind of mess was this?

The warmth of Jiang Luoyue’s reckless kisses still lingered on her cheek, and she was almost tempted to laugh in frustration.

But since things had come this far, moving her to the bed would be seeing it through to the end.

Xiang Fan stepped forward, bending down to lift her, when a crisp notification sound suddenly rang out.

A phone slid out of Jiang Luoyue’s pocket, its screen glowing. With the screen facing up, Xiang Fan couldn’t avoid seeing it even if she wanted to respect her privacy,

[Yu Jingtang]: The medicine I bought will be delivered to the villa soon. I was too impulsive earlier, I’m sorry, Luoyue.

【Yu Jingtang】: I don’t mind what you said. I didn’t stop you because I thought you were angry with me and I wanted to give you space to calm down.

Xiang Fan stared at these two sentences, trying to piece together the scene in her mind, when Yu Jingtang sent another message,

【What I want isn’t a title, just your affection. As long as you’re willing, I’m willing to do anything.】

What followed were voice messages and pictures. Since her phone was locked, Xiang Fan couldn’t see them, of course.

She simply sat down on the floor, playing with Jiang Luoyue’s hair, and suddenly understood what the other person was struggling with when she thought of the phrase “don’t want a title.”

Xiang Fan said, “Those who want everything often end up with nothing.”

The room was filled only with the soft sound of Jiang Luoyue’s breathing. At first, she had been sleeping stiffly, but now she unconsciously curled up, like a large dog drenched in a downpour, finding a spot to tuck its tail and sleep.

After gazing at her sleeping face for a long time, Xiang Fan suddenly leaned down and placed a kiss on Jiang Luoyue’s forehead.

Indeed, those who want everything often end up with nothing.

But Xiang Fan loved Jiang Luoyue, so even if she was greedy and clumsy, Xiang Fan was willing to give her what she wanted.