The Tragic Heroine Fell in Love with Me - Chapter 8

Xiao San returned to the dormitory fuming.

“Is that guy out of his mind? The whole lot of them are insane!” Xiao San slammed the table angrily. “If I’d known earlier, wouldn’t it have been better to just go work a part-time job? Getting dragged into this mess is one thing, but almost being treated like a candidate for a harem? And on top of that, being accused of seduction? Seduce your grandpa!”

“Hey, don’t be mad,” Lü Yu tried to console her, though she knew she’d feel just as upset if it happened to her. “Who would’ve thought those guys, who look so handsome, would turn out to be like this?”

“Hey, hey, are you seriously still thinking about how good-looking they are right now?”

“Well, it’s the truth.” Lü Yu muttered under her breath. “They really are quite good-looking.”

“Oh, heavens, please take away this woman who abandons loyalty for looks!” Xiao San collapsed onto the bed, pretending to sob uncontrollably.

“Alright, alright, they’re not good-looking. They’re not good-looking at all, they’re all hideous,” Lü Yu said, leaning closer. “Okay? Don’t be angry.”

Knock, knock, knock! A sound came from the door.

Xiao San pushed Lü Yu aside. Her face was completely dry, with no trace of tears.

Following the sound, they saw Zheng Qi standing at the doorway, her hand still resting on the door. When she noticed Xiao San and Lü Yu looking over, she immediately lowered her hand and asked softly, “Did, did I disturb you?”

Xiao San sprang to her feet. “A-Qi, what are you doing here?”

Lü Yu studied Zheng Qi curiously. “So you’re the A-Qi that San’er is always talking about.”

Zheng Qi lowered her head, her face and neck flushing red.

“Stay away from A-Qi. She’s not as rough as you are, she’s really shy,” Xiao San said, quickly stepping in front of Zheng Qi to shield her.

Lü Yu rolled her eyes. “Tsk, as the saying goes, new clothes can’t compare to old friends. Now that you’ve reunited with your old friend, you don’t care about the new one anymore.”

“San’er…” Zheng Qi tugged on Xiao San’s sleeve, seeming to tremble slightly.

Xiao San nudged Lü Yu. “Aren’t you supposed to go on a date with your boyfriend? Hurry up and go. Don’t stick around here being an eyesore.”

“Hmph, and here I thought I loved you so much. You heartless woman,” Lü Yu retorted, grabbing her clothes. As she walked out, she made sure to slander Xiao San’s reputation further. “You better be careful, this girl is so fickle. All the girls in our class are part of her harem. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

“Just go already!” Xiao San quickly shut the door, afraid Lü Yu might say something else that would make Zheng Qi overthink things.

“Did I make you angry?” Zheng Qi asked quietly.

Xiao San immediately explained, “Of course not! We’re best friends. How could I ever be angry with you?”

Zheng Qi was perfect in every way, except she could be a bit clingy and prone to overthinking.

Xiao San had to find a way to ease her worries. “I told you about my roommate, Lü Yu. She loves to joke around.”

“But you have so many friends,” Zheng Qi said, sounding like an abandoned doll. The more she spoke, the more her voice filled with grievance, as if tears were about to fall.

Xiao San took Zheng Qi’s hand. “Even though I have many friends, you’re the one I like the most. Please don’t overthink it. I absolutely, absolutely like you the most. It’s only you.”

“Really?”

“Of course, it’s true.”

Only then did Zheng Qi finally show a faint smile.

Xiao San had Zheng Qi sit down and coaxingly asked, “Why did you come to my school? Didn’t we agree that I would go to you?” After saying this, she worried her words might have been too blunt, so she carefully explained, “What I mean is, it’s such a long way, and recently my school has had some exchange students, it’s all chaotic, I was afraid you wouldn’t like it.”

“I…” Zheng Qi stammered, “My parents are getting divorced, and I didn’t know who else to turn to.”

“Ah?” Xiao San quickly pulled Zheng Qi into her arms. No wonder Zheng Qi had been acting more clingy and insecure lately.

“What exactly happened? Tell me quickly.”

Zheng Qi lowered her head, trying hard to hold back her sobs. “My dad’s son is about to start high school. Because of household registration issues, he wants to divorce my mom so his son can take the college entrance exam.”

Wow.

Such a straightforward reason.

She wasn’t marveling at the fact that the female lead’s parents were divorcing over a mistress, but rather that the reason for the divorce was so down-to-earth, like the kind of trouble ordinary people face.

Zheng Qi waited for a long time without getting a response from Xiao San and couldn’t help but softly call out, “San’er?”

Xiao San shook her head. “Oh, oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking, are you okay?”

Zheng Qi shook her head. “I just don’t know what to do. My dad, he always wanted a son, but I never expected it to happen like this.” She lowered her head, unable to continue. “San’er, I’m so scared that neither of them will want me anymore.”

“What are you afraid of?” Xiao San comforted her. “Even though your dad is a jerk for keeping a mistress, he’s still your dad. As long as he leaves you the inheritance later, it’ll be fine. Besides, you’re already grown up. You’re in school now, which is practically like living on your own. After you graduate, you can come live with my family. I’m not bragging, but even though we’re poor, our place is pretty nice, a four-bedroom, two-living-room apartment, over 200 square meters.”

Xiao San proudly described her home again. “And after I graduate, I plan to buy a place. If you don’t want to live with my parents, you can live with me. How about it? The two of us in a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment?”

“San’er,” Zheng Qi leaned closer to Xiao San, “will you always be this good to me?”

“Of course! We’re best friends.”

“What if? What if we both fall for the same person?” Zheng Qi asked.

Xiao San thought about it.

Who would Zheng Qi like? It had to be the male lead.

But right now, Zheng Qi didn’t seem to have any interest in the male lead. Still, no matter who it was, Xiao San would never compete with Zheng Qi. “Don’t worry, that day will never come.”

Just as Zheng Qi was about to ask more, Xiao San’s phone rang.

“Come out.” Two short words, and then the call ended.

Zheng Qi glanced at the phone number and lowered her eyes slightly. “Whose call was that?”

Xiao San tossed her phone onto the bed. “Who knows? They only said two words probably a wrong number.”

“What if it’s someone important? Don’t you want to go out and check?”

“What important person? If they were important, I would have saved their contact. If I didn’t, they can’t be that important. If it’s urgent, they’d explain clearly or call back. If it’s not urgent, there’s no need to rush out.” Xiao San had her own logic for handling things. Besides, the voice on the phone sounded annoying, why would she run out just for that? Was she that bored?

Zheng Qi let out a soft chuckle.

Xiao San felt there was a hint of mockery in that laugh. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing. I just think you’re amazing, San’er. I never thought of it that way.”

“Right, right?” Xiao San lifted her chin proudly. “Let me tell you, these are life hacks. If you want to learn, I can teach you plenty. They’ll definitely save you time, effort, and hassle in your daily life.”

“Really? San’er, you’re so good to me.”

As she spoke, Zheng Qi picked up Xiao San’s phone and handed it to her naturally. “San’er, could you unlock your phone and play a song for me?”

Flattered by the praise, Xiao San racked her brains for more life hacks while unlocking her phone with her fingerprint. “What do you want to listen to? You can search for it yourself. I have plenty of data.”

Zheng Qi hummed in agreement. After the song started playing, she placed the phone face down on the bed and asked, “San’er, can I stay at your place during winter break?”

Xiao San nodded emphatically. “Of course! My door is always open for you. You’re welcome anytime you like.”

Zheng Qi praised her a few more times, leaving Xiao San practically floating on air.

The two chatted for a long while until it started getting dark. Xiao San walked Zheng Qi to the door. “Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you back to school?”

Zheng Qi shook her head. “No need. I’ll take a taxi back. I’ll call you when I get to the dorm.”

“Alright then. Next time you come, make sure to let me know, okay?”

“Mm.” Zheng Qi nodded and waved. “You go back inside first. I feel bad for troubling you for so long.”

“Who are we to each other?” Xiao San chuckled. “In a few days, when break starts, we’ll go home together. My parents have been wanting to meet you.”

“Okay.” Zheng Qi turned around, her smile vanishing instantly. But as she faced Xiao San again, her cheerful, slightly shy grin returned, and she waved enthusiastically.

She walked slowly toward the school gate. About seven or eight hundred meters from the girls’ dormitory, a man holding a cake box was kicking a stone on the ground in frustration.

Last time, he hadn’t meant to accuse Xiao San of seducing Mond Hale. He didn’t know why the words had slipped out uncontrollably.

To make up for his mistake, he had bought a cake and waited outside Xiao San’s dorm, hoping to apologize.

He used to think liking Xiao San was embarrassing, which was why he kept avoiding it.

But over the past two years, he had come to realize that his feelings for Xiao San were undeniable and unchangeable.

So, he was here.

He wanted to pursue Xiao San, to show her how he felt.

But even though he had called to apologize, Xiao San hadn’t come down.

After that, no matter how many times he tried calling, he only heard the automated female voice: [“The number you have dialed is powered off.”]

He waited for a long time.

“Shen Lin?” A soft female voice, like a lamp suddenly lighting up in the darkness.

Shen Lin looked over, his smile rising, then slowly freezing.

“Zheng Qi.” His expression returned to indifference.

“I didn’t expect to run into you here.” She seemed not to notice his coldness. “Long time no see.”

Two years abroad had gradually taught Shen Lin a bit about social graces. “Mm.”

At least he didn’t turn and walk away coldly like he used to, right?

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