The Tragic Heroine Fell in Love with Me - Chapter 11

Xiao San could barely stand.

Even though she had been the first to report it, even though she had already experienced it once before, was she still going to be doubted and abandoned by everyone?

“Temporarily leave the club?” Lü Yu looked at Du Yitong, her eyes filled with disappointment.

Smack! Lü Yu slapped Du Yitong across the face. She was truly disappointed in him. “And to think I liked you, I must have been blind.”

Lü Yu grabbed Xiao San’s hand. “San’er, let’s go. Who cares about this stupid guitar club anyway?”

Xiao San followed Lü Yu like a ghost.

How could this be happening? She had been so composed. Last time, people had said it was because she was frantic, because she kept trying to explain herself, that no one believed her.

But this time, she had been so calm.

“San’er, San’er, are you listening to me?” Lü Yu shook Xiao San’s shoulders, feeling as though Xiao San might vanish at any moment.

Just then, Zheng Qi gently pushed Lü Yu aside and pulled Xiao San into an embrace. She softly tucked Xiao San’s hair behind her ear. “San’er, let’s go, okay?”

Zheng Qi didn’t wait for Xiao San’s response but instead began guiding her out of the school.

“Hey, where are you taking San’er?” Lü Yu remembered that this person was named Zheng Qi, a friend of Xiao San’s, but that didn’t mean she could just take her away like this.

“Do you think San’er can stay here right now?” Zheng Qi glanced around at the onlookers, who quickly pretended to be passing by some nearly bumping into pillars, others holding their textbooks upside down.

“Even so, we still need to ask for leave from the teacher. You can’t just leave like that.” They still had classes the next day.

“You go ask for leave. Just say San’er is sick.” Zheng Qi supported Xiao San as they walked away but suddenly paused and turned back to look at Lü Yu. “Also, please call her Xiao San. You’re just roommates stop calling her San’er all the time.”

“Huh?” Lü Yu was baffled by Zheng Qi’s words.

“Never mind, just go ask for leave first. We don’t want to lose any credits.” Lü Yu slapped her forehead and hurried off.

The teacher had also heard a little about Xiao San’s situation. “Tell Xiao San not to take it to heart. It’s just some silly rumors.”

Lü Yu hummed in agreement but thought to herself, How can these just be silly rumors? They’ve already reached her, and they’re so vicious. Even though Xiao San’s reaction was a bit extreme, shouldn’t the teacher do something about it? Just telling her not to take it to heart, how is that possible?

But there was nothing Lü Yu could do about the teacher. When she returned to the dorm, she ran into Shen Lin.

Shen Lin was one of the twelve exchange students and the only one from their own country.

Lü Yu had no resistance to good-looking people, especially someone as strikingly handsome and academically gifted as Shen Lin.

“Where’s San’er? Why isn’t she answering my calls?” Shen Lin had been trying to call Xiao San for a while before realizing that she might have blocked his number. He decided to see her in person to ask why she had blocked him.

Recalling how Xiao San and Shen Lin had acted around each other, Lü Yu guessed they might know each other, but she hadn’t expected Shen Lin to address Xiao San so intimately. Maybe Shen Lin could help Xiao San.

Lu Yu recounted the entire sequence of events from beginning to end.

Shen Lin’s expression grew increasingly rigid, and by the end, his anger had reached its peak.

“Thank you for protecting San’er. I’m going to track down this person right now. How dare they mess with someone under my protection? They must have a death wish.”

With that, Shen Lin turned and strode away. Though he moved swiftly, his steps remained steady and resolute, each one echoing as if treading directly on Lu Yu’s heart.

“If San’er could pair up with him, wouldn’t that be just perfect?”

Shen Lin was so furious it felt like his heart and liver were aching.

He had no idea Xiao San had suffered such a great injustice.

Why hadn’t she come to him? A single phone call from him could have resolved this matter.

Shen Lin let out a cold laugh.

He’d better not catch who was spreading these rumors, he would make sure they regretted it.

Meanwhile, Xiao San had been taken by Zheng Qi to a hotel.

It was a simple family suite, free from disturbances and far from the school rumors. Finally, Xiao San was able to come to her senses.

It was as if she had been trapped in that same nightmare from before. Even though the current situation wasn’t exactly the same as before, Xiao San couldn’t maintain her composure.

“San’er, are you okay?” Zheng Qi gently stroked Xiao San’s face, then cupped it with both hands, bringing some color back to her pale, cold cheeks.

Zheng Qi kept calling Xiao San’s name, and after much effort, she finally managed to rouse her.

“Sorry for making you worry,” Xiao San said with a weak smile.

Her limbs felt almost immobile, every movement stiff and difficult. It took a while, along with Zheng Qi massaging her arms and legs, for Xiao San to gradually regain sensation.

Xiao San felt genuinely sorry for making Zheng Qi rush over to take care of her because of her own troubles.

“I’m fine, don’t worry too much,” Xiao San said, trying to raise a hand to smooth the frown on Zheng Qi’s brow, but even lifting it required immense effort.

“How can I not worry when you’re like this?” Zheng Qi’s voice remained gentle as she softly stroked Xiao San’s hair. “Didn’t we agree that we’re best friends? Why didn’t you tell me when something like this happened?”

“It’s just a small matter.”

“Are you sure it’s just a small matter?” Zheng Qi hugged Xiao San tightly, closing her eyes before opening them again. The light in her eyes flickered uncertainly. After a long pause, she said, “Alright, you should rest now.”

Xiao San managed a faint smile and said in a lifeless voice, “Don’t worry, nothing can knock me down. Once I wake up from a good sleep, I’ll be the energetic Xiao San again.”

Zheng Qi hummed in acknowledgment but didn’t turn back.

“Rest for now. I’m going out to buy some things.”

Xiao San lay curled under the covers and waved at Zheng Qi. “Go on, go on. Have a smooth trip, and watch out for potholes. If you fall, just get back up.”

Zheng Qi snorted, unsure whether she was amused by Xiao San’s words or annoyed that, despite her lack of energy, Xiao San still insisted on cracking such silly jokes.

Xiao San closed her eyes and drifted into a heavy, drowsy sleep. When she woke up, Zheng Qi had just finished showering and emerged from the bathroom.

The clinging steam seemed to have spread throughout the bedroom. Xiao San could barely keep her eyes open, her eyelids feeling incredibly heavy.

“It’s so hot,” Xiao San murmured.

“It’s about to rain, so the humidity is quite high.” Zheng Qi wiped her hair as she walked to the door and pressed the air conditioning button. Soon, a cool breeze began to blow out.

“Why does it feel like I smell cigarette smoke?” Could someone be smoking inside the room? “Maybe someone downstairs is smoking. Let’s close the window.”

“It’s from downstairs,” Zheng Qi said as she walked to the edge of the window and reached out to close it.

Xiao San hummed in agreement. “So annoying.”

“Do you hate the smell of smoke?”

Zheng Qi walked over to Xiao San, who shifted inward. Xiao San didn’t mind that there was plenty of space on the other side of the double bed; Zheng Qi insisted on climbing into bed from the cramped side.

After Zheng Qi sat down, Xiao San buried her nose in the blanket. “I don’t like it, it’s suffocating.”

“Mm,” Zheng Qi nodded. “Next time we book a hotel, I’ll find a non-smoking one.”

Xiao San wanted to laugh but couldn’t bring herself to.

“If you want to cry, go ahead. I’m here.”

Xiao San shook her head. “I don’t want to cry. Crying doesn’t solve anything; it just makes people look down on you.”

As she spoke, tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.

Her tears were so abundant that they instantly filled her eyes, flowing from the corners down her temples and behind her ears, quickly soaking the pillow.

“I hic. I’m not crying. I just, the air conditioning is too strong.”

Zheng Qi nodded silently, taking a tissue from the bedside and placing it near Xiao San’s ear. “The air conditioning here isn’t great. Next time, I’ll find a better place.”

At those words, Xiao San’s tears fell even harder.

“You’ll have to change my pillow later.”

“Mm.”

“Ah Qi, I’m so scared. I’m scared that because of this, you’ll all ignore me.”

“Mm.”

“Ah Qi, you believe me, right? Those things are fake, all digitally altered.”

“Mm.”

“Ah Qi, those people are so hateful. Why do they have to spread rumors about me? Why? I’ve never done anything to them.”

“Mm, they deserve to die.” Xiao San’s ears felt blocked, and Zheng Qi’s voice seemed to come through a layer of water she could only hear it faintly.

Zheng Qi is so good.

Xiao San thought that no matter what she said, Zheng Qi would always respond.

“Zheng Qi, you’re so good.”

This time, Xiao San didn’t hear a reply or perhaps Zheng Qi didn’t answer.

In any case, Xiao San drifted into a deep, sweet sleep.

“Hoo!”

Xiao San let out a deep sigh. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Zheng Qi’s beautiful face beside her, and her heart began to race.

How could Zheng Qi be so good-looking?

But in the world of the novel, everyone seemed to think Zheng Qi’s face was plain and unremarkable.

Ah, such a beautiful face, only she could appreciate it.

Xiao San propped her chin in her hands and waited until Zheng Qi’s eyelashes fluttered. Then, she quickly closed her eyes, pretending she had just woken up. “Ah, Ah Qi, thank you. You must have taken care of me all night.”

Zheng Qi looked at Xiao San’s face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your eyes might have been bitten by bugs. Both of them are swollen.”

“Ah?” Xiao San hurriedly got up and ran to the bathroom to check her eyes. Sure enough, they were badly swollen.

“What should I do!” Xiao San exclaimed.

As she turned around, Zheng Qi was already standing behind her with an ice pack. “Apply this with some ice, it should help your eyes feel better. In a while, go to the window and look outside to rest your eyes.”

“Mm,” Xiao San nodded. Holding the ice pack to her eyes, she walked over to the window.

The room was on the thirteenth floor, offering an unobstructed view of the scenery outside. Since it had just rained, the distant mountains and water were exceptionally clear, and even the tall buildings appeared quite charming.

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