Running Away While Pregnant with the Villain’s Child - Chapter 4

Luo Xingran, now flush with cash, felt like a completely new person. Her spirits were at an all-time high; this life of financial freedom—free from the shackles of being a corporate slave—touched her so deeply she could practically weep with joy.

This radiant mood lasted all the way until the end of her class. Just as she was about to step out of the classroom, she ran head-first into another girl.

Strictly speaking, this girl looked a bit pampered and delicate, mostly because her lips were perpetually in a pout. However, she was undeniably beautiful—the quintessential “White Marshmallow” or “Little White Flower” type.

“Stay away from Li Dan from now on. Stop stringing him along.”

Luo Xingran, who was mentally preparing for a feast at the cafeteria, froze. What? She assumed the girl wasn’t talking to her, but after glancing left and right, she realized she was the only other girl there.

“Me? Li Dan? Um… who is Li Dan?”

Hearing the genuine confusion in her voice, the girl clearly grew agitated.

“How can you not even remember your own boyfriend’s name! Do you even like him at all? If you don’t like him, why are you leading him on!”

Watching the girl get all flustered, her face turning red with a mix of shame and annoyance… well, Luo Xingran wasn’t even angry. Instead, she found this girl to be a bit of a “clumsy beauty.”

She had clearly come to pick a fight, yet after all this time, she couldn’t manage a single swear word. By the end of her interrogation, she had actually managed to embarrass herself more than anyone else.

Luo Xingran felt a twinge of guilt: “I’m so sorry, I forgot your name. You’re Li Dan, right? I’ll remember it now.”

Wait, what???

The girl turned even redder, stammering and unable to squeeze out a single word.

“Student, if you don’t mind, I’m heading to the cafeteria to eat.”

Luo Xingran wasn’t planning on getting tangled up in this, but just as she prepared to leave, the name “Li Dan” suddenly rang a bell.

Wait, where have I heard that before?

“Shen Yao, don’t make things difficult for Xingran just because of me! She’s done nothing wrong!”

That familiar voice… that familiar name… and that familiar plotline!

Everything clicked. Luo Xingran had an epiphany as all her memories came rushing back.

That was it! This was exactly the kind of trashy move that “Phoenix Man” (a man from humble beginnings who uses women to climb the social ladder) from the original novel would pull!

He would intentionally mention things about Luo Xingran to his childhood friend, baiting her into coming over to confront her. His goal was to make their “ambiguous relationship” public knowledge in front of everyone…

How is this any different from spreading rumors? she thought. What kind of twisted logic creates such a garbage tactic?

She clicked her tongue. What did I do to deserve this? Does the trashy plot have to kick in exactly when I’m in a good mood?

“Well, I’m certainly not in the wrong. I never even knew Li Dan had confessed to me,” Luo Xingran stated flatly.

“Is there anyone here who heard me accept a confession? Or, taking a step back, have I ever even walked into a classroom at the same time as him?”

Luo Xingran fired off three questions in a row, leaving Shen Yao speechless.

Seeing the girl’s eyes well up with tears of grievance, Luo Xingran felt a bit bad. There was no need for women to be so harsh on each other. The real culprit was the scumbag playing both sides.

Shen Yao was actually crying now; her day was only going to get worse.

Luo Xingran walked over, handed Shen Yao a handkerchief, and said softly, “You are very beautiful. Don’t let your emotions allow someone else to manipulate you. Anyone who uses your feelings isn’t worth your affection.”

“If you like someone to the point where you feel the need to harass other girls, it proves that person doesn’t actually like you—and more importantly, they have no character.”

“A normal adult handles their own relationships. Only a brainless, malicious piece of trash puts the person they claim to like in such a compromising position.”

After wiping away Shen Yao’s tears, Luo Xingran didn’t even acknowledge Li Dan. She turned on her heel and left, never giving him so much as a glance.

Li Dan, completely ignored: “…?” What just happened?

“She called me pretty while we were arguing! She’s so special! She didn’t call me spoiled like everyone else does.”

Shen Yao, Li Dan’s childhood friend and one of the future members of his “harem,” couldn’t help but marvel. For the past few days, she had felt as if she were trapped in a fog, until Luo Xingran’s voice cleared it away.

Shen Yao felt a sudden weight lift off her shoulders, as if she had broken free from some sort of invisible shackle.

“Yaoyao…” Li Dan sensed something was wrong and quickly tried to smooth things over. “I misjudged her just now. I shouldn’t have defended her.”

Shen Yao looked at her old childhood friend. Now that her mind was clear, she realized Li Dan was acting very strange. First, he had scolded her without rhyme or reason, and now he was throwing dirt on the girl he supposedly liked.

Shen Yao was a simple girl. Her family had been poor when she was young, and she had been Li Dan’s neighbor. As she grew up and her family’s situation improved, she hadn’t forgotten him. She always saw him as that kind boy next door who would give her a candy when she fell down.

Since her family struck it rich and moved away, she hadn’t seen much of him. But after reuniting in college, his behavior had become increasingly bizarre.

“It’s natural that you’d like her and defend her. Besides, I was looking for trouble. What’s wrong with that? Nothing,” Shen Yao said openly, without a hint of concealment.

Li Dan felt awkward and offered a few lukewarm words. Shen Yao took a long, hard look at him and realized this “older brother” figure was no different from those sycophants who only cared about status.

Realizing this, Shen Yao suddenly calmed down.

“I want to go back and rest,” she said, waving goodbye to Li Dan.

“Then get some good rest. Don’t make me worry about you,” Li Dan replied, putting on a gentle, considerate smile.

Looking at that same “tender and modest” face, Shen Yao felt none of her usual heartbeat. Instead, she just felt greasy.

If Li Dan liked Luo Xingran, why was he being so “good” to her? He called her a younger sister, yet his occasional boundary-crossing actions suggested he liked her. He had told her that liking someone meant treating them as special and unique, yet his actions and his words were like two different, incompatible computer systems.

To make matters worse, Li Dan reached out and ambiguously stroked her hair after saying that. To be honest, Shen Yao had so many goosebumps she was practically in pain.

How can someone be this oily?

Shen Yao nodded frantically and hurried back toward her dormitory as if something terrifying was chasing her.

As she was nearing the campus’s artificial lake, she was suddenly bumped by a student walking briskly in the other direction.

The railing of the artificial lake was fragile—nowhere near sturdy enough to support Shen Yao’s weight.

Just as Shen Yao was about to plummet into the water, filled with panic and dread, someone grabbed her by the arm.

“That was terrifyingly close. What a close call.”

The voice from before rang out—that familiar voice…

The voice that had complimented her beauty even while they were arguing…

“Thank you…”

Shen Yao’s voice was tiny and delicate, completely different from her usual self. Usually, she acted like a pampered young lady, but in this moment, she seemed innocent and bewildered, like a simple girl-next-door.

Luo Xingran felt that this was Shen Yao’s true personality.

“I’m sorry… It was way too much of me to pick a fight with you earlier…”

“Thank you for saving me.”

After saying this, Shen Yao’s cheeks flushed crimson. She spoke in a tiny whisper, shrinking into herself like a little quail.

Earlier, Luo Xingran hadn’t targeted Shen Yao not because she was soft-hearted or some saintly martyr who didn’t care about anything. Seeing Shen Yao admit her mistake now, Luo Xingran simply felt a sense of relief. She truly didn’t want such a beautiful girl to end up as a member of that guy Li Dan’s harem.

“Buy me a milk tea. Then I’ll completely forgive you.”

Luo Xingran winked at Shen Yao, her smile like a spring breeze brushing across the water.

“Just milk tea?” Shen Yao was stunned. She didn’t understand why this girl was being so easy on her.

Whenever Li Dan used to get angry with her, she had to buy him shoes worth several thousand dollars… Now that her mind was clear, Shen Yao realized she had basically been acting as Li Dan’s ATM.

“I’m going to add lots of toppings and make a huge dent in your pocket money!”

Luo Xingran intentionally emphasized her tone, acting as if she were about to take major advantage of Shen Yao. But even the most expensive milk tea couldn’t compare to a pair of shoes worth thousands.

Shen Yao realized she had truly been a massive “sucker.”

The two chatted and laughed all the way to the shop, and by the time they reached the milk tea place, they were already friends. Friendships between girls can progress at lightning speed.

Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, Shen Yao finally pieced together what had actually happened. As the situation became clearer, Shen Yao became increasingly speechless at her own past behavior.

She had basically been Li Dan’s automatic teller machine combined with an automated thug.

After ordering their milk tea, Shen Yao received a message from her older brother:

(Luo Xingran is the daughter of our business partners, the Luo family. Whatever you do, don’t get on her bad side. If anything happens, tell me first and I’ll handle it for you.)

Hearing this news, a whirlwind of emotions tangled in Shen Yao’s heart.

If her brother knew this, then how could Li Dan—who was actively pursuing Luo Xingran—not know?

He clearly knew that the Shen family was planning to collaborate with the Luo family recently. If she had gone there today and their relationship had truly turned sour… if the Luos withdrew their investment, the Shen family’s project would have taken a massive hit.

Thinking of this, Shen Yao’s expression grew increasingly grim.

“Xingran, can I come visit your house?”

Shen Yao asked tentatively, thinking she didn’t have much of a chance. As soon as she said it, she regretted being so abrupt.

“Sure, why not?”

Luo Xingran actually felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She had just been wondering how to salvage the alliance with the Shen family.

In the original novel, that scumbag Li Dan used a “divide and conquer” scheme against the Shen and Luo families. Partners who were originally perfectly fine and working toward a win-win situation were forcibly driven apart by that bastard, who then profited from the fallout.

Just thinking about it made Luo Xingran want to slap that guy.

Shen Yao sent a reply: (Brother, don’t worry. The relationship between the Shen and Luo families won’t be ruined because of me.)

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