When Song Zhiqing arrived, Shen Wei was in the middle of arguing with Ye Yuhuan about whether her revenge had gone a bit too far. From a distance, Shen Wei heard a loud shout, “You damn vixen, I’m going to fight you!”
Shen Wei paid it no mind, assuming it was just some silly high school girl messing around.
Ye Yuhuan, however, recognized Song Zhiqing’s voice. She turned her head and saw her running over, her backpack bouncing on her shoulders. For a moment, Ye Yuhuan couldn’t tell if the wind was moving her or if she was stirring the wind.
Ye Yuhuan frowned in confusion. Wasn’t Song Zhiqing the type who cared most about her image?
Prompted by Ye Yuhuan’s reaction, Shen Wei also turned to look, just in time to hear Song Zhiqing shout again, “Don’t just hide there! I’m talking to you, you damn vixen, Shen Wei!”
Shen Wei’s expression was one of pure bewilderment. She had no idea how she’d earned the title of “damn vixen.” But as she watched her nemesis from her past life bear down on her like a whirlwind, she had the surreal feeling that she must still be dreaming.
Amid the chaos, Shen Wei managed to turn back to Ye Yuhuan, her voice strained. “Song Zhiqing isn’t the villainess, is she?”
But even a villainess wouldn’t act like a goofy high school girl, right? My story is supposed to be a melodramatic revenge power fantasy. It couldn’t possibly devolve into a silly slice-of-life novel, could it?
Ye Yuhuan didn’t answer. She was starting to really dislike the word “villainess.”
In the time it took to speak, Song Zhiqing had already planted herself in front of them, looking Shen Wei straight in the eye. “Let’s fight.”
Before Shen Wei could even open her mouth, Ye Yuhuan saw that Song Zhiqing genuinely looked ready to throw a punch. Ignoring Song Zhiqing’s struggles, she quickly pulled her back into the classroom, tossing a single sentence over her shoulder to Shen Wei: “We’ve pretty much said all we need to. You can go.”
Shen Wei stood frozen in place, alone. Hey, why do I feel like I’ve just been casually tossed aside?
Song Zhiqing was fuming as she was forced into her seat. “Why didn’t you let me fight her?” she complained. “That little weakling? I could take her down with one hand tied behind my back.”
Ye Yuhuan lifted her gaze to glance at Song Zhiqing, reminding her, “That’s what you said last time we played tennis.”
Song Zhiqing choked, then her eyes narrowed dangerously as she questioned Ye Yuhuan, “Whose side are you on, anyway?”
“I’m on the side of peace,” Ye Yuhuan said calmly.
There was historical precedent for Ye Yuhuan’s statement.
As Qinglin’s top dog, Song Zhiqing originally had an obligation to fight for the school’s honor. But ever since Ye Yuhuan joined the Cosmic Beauty Garden, she had successfully used the twin weapons of reporting to the police and tattling to parents to clean up the area around the school. The great school boss Song Zhiqing was left with no battles to fight.
Song Zhiqing scoffed, silently repeating to herself that Ye Yuhuan was just a mother hen and not worth arguing with.
Ye Yuhuan didn’t let the topic drop. “Why do you suddenly want to fight Shen Wei? Are you still mad about what happened at the banquet?” she asked.
Song Zhiqing’s spirits flared. The anger that Ye Yuhuan had somewhat extinguished roared back to life. She picked up her phone and opened the post from earlier. “The old grudge hasn’t faded, and a new one has appeared.”
The photo was indeed quite suggestive. But still, why did Song Zhiqing care so much about her relationship with Shen Wei?
Ye Yuhuan voiced her confusion, but Song Zhiqing was suddenly at a loss for words.
Right, why did she care so much?
She’d completely ruined her cool-girl image by running all the way here. Even if she was worried about Shen Wei poaching her strategist, getting this worked up seemed a bit excessive.
So what was the reason?
Ye Yuhuan’s face mirrored the same question. Song Zhiqing gritted her teeth and started spouting nonsense. “I just can’t stand people like Shen Wei.”
“She’s deceitful and cunning, pretending to be an innocent little flower every day when she’s actually a big bad wolf.”
“She’s so calculating and always secretive. Who knows what she’s planning.”
The more Song Zhiqing spoke, the more smoothly the words came, until she even started to believe it was her true motivation.
Finally, after listing all of Shen Wei’s “crimes,” Song Zhiqing concluded with a resounding declaration: “She’s stringing Shangguan Xianxian along while also pestering you. For a two-timer like her, I have to fight her, if only to uphold the moral standards of Qinglin!”
After listening to Song Zhiqing’s rambling, incoherent speech, Ye Yuhuan asked with a complicated expression, “So, you’re saying you want to fight her because you think she’s a two-timing scumbag who isn’t good enough for Shangguan Xianxian?”
Relieved that Ye Yuhuan was finally agreeing with her, Song Zhiqing didn’t even register what she’d said and just nodded repeatedly.
Then she heard Ye Yuhuan’s next sentence clearly: “Song Zhiqing, I never thought that after everything that’s happened, you’d still be so deeply in love with Shangguan Xianxian. I really underestimated you.”
Huh????
What?
What what what?
What did I just agree to?!
Ah, so she’d just agreed to being Shangguan Xianxian’s ultimate simp.
Fuck!
Song Zhiqing was speechless with misery. She couldn’t very well say that everything she’d just spouted was a lie, and that in reality, she hadn’t even logged into the alt account she used to send those “how to turn a straight girl” files recently. That would be far too humiliating.
So, Song Zhiqing could only swallow this new title with tears in her eyes.
What else could she do? She couldn’t tell the truth when she didn’t even know what the truth was.
Song Zhiqing forced a smile. “Alright, now that we’ve reached a consensus, my chat quota for this morning is full. I’m going to start studying.”
Hearing this, Ye Yuhuan sounded inexplicably melancholic. “Of course. The moment Shangguan Xianxian is mentioned, you can even tolerate studying, which you hate most.”
Song Zhiqing could only continue her fake smile. “Naturally. I love her that much.”
After five minutes of being tormented by her textbooks, the deeply-in-love-with-Shangguan-Xianxian Song Zhiqing remembered the trigger for her outburst. She fidgeted before turning back toward Ye Yuhuan’s desk and asking furtively, like a thief, “So you and Shen Wei?”
Ye Yuhuan shot her a helpless look and explained, “There’s nothing going on. I was just giving her some counseling.”
“Oh, oh, oh.” Satisfied, Song Zhiqing turned back around.
But as she stared at her textbook, her mind began to wander. Ye Yuhuan said she was doing it for Shangguan Xianxian, but in truth, throughout that entire episode, Shangguan Xianxian hadn’t crossed her mind once.
That’s not normal, Song Zhiqing thought.
Then it’s very likely… that I don’t like her anymore.
The “Care for Lin Qi” campaign had been running for half a month. It had indeed gained the massive momentum Song Zhiqing had envisioned. The website was filled with videos of encouragement, not just from students at their school, but from other schools as well. Many alumni had also sent in videos. In Song Zhiqing’s mind, this much light should have been enough to encourage someone to step out of the darkness.
But no one had. The anonymous website only contained a few baseless rumors that fell apart under scrutiny.
This was not only disheartening for the members of the Cosmic Beauty Garden, but it also sparked doubt among others.
If no one ever came forward, did that mean such a person never existed in the first place?
Was this widely publicized campaign truly meaningful, or was it just a one-woman show for Song Zhiqing?
As time went on, these doubts grew louder. When Song Zhiqing walked into the Cosmic Beauty Garden’s clubroom, she was met with numerous worried glances.
Song Zhiqing herself wasn’t confident. She didn’t know if the “Care for Lin Qi” tower, built on passion alone, even had a foundation. But as the leader, she could only project an image of calm composure.
Shen Wei and Shangguan Xianxian were also there. Shangguan Xianxian had been very cooperative with the Cosmic Beauty Garden’s activities these past days, and with her excellent organizational skills, she had already earned a certain degree of influence within the club.
Song Zhiqing glanced at Shangguan Xianxian. She and Shen Wei were talking with their heads bowed, foreheads touching and hands intertwined. They were infinitely more intimate than Shen Wei and Ye Yuhuan had looked in that morning’s photo, yet Song Zhiqing’s heart was completely still, as if she were looking at two strangers.
Looks like I really am over Shangguan Xianxian, Song Zhiqing thought. My possessiveness toward her isn’t even as strong as my possessiveness toward Ye Yuhuan.
Beside her, Ye Yuhuan was organizing files. They had been busy for days sorting through the false information on the anonymous website, and the compiled evidence and materials had grown quite substantial.
So why, Song Zhiqing continued to wonder, do I feel this strange possessiveness toward Ye Yuhuan?
She clearly didn’t like Ye Yuhuan in that way. Holding her hand or hugging her never made her face flush or her heart race. They were just a pair of extremely good friends.
It’s normal to be possessive of friends, right? That was the only explanation she could give herself.
Sensing Song Zhiqing’s gaze, Ye Yuhuan looked up at her. Song Zhiqing returned a smile.
Puzzled, Ye Yuhuan lowered her head and went back to her files, attributing Song Zhiqing’s odd behavior to being provoked by the sight of Shangguan Xianxian and Shen Wei.
Once the meeting officially began, the topic inevitably turned to the doubts spreading on the school forum. Opinions were divided. Some suggested they should set the campaign period to one year, which would both achieve their goal and provide a graceful exit. Others insisted on sticking to the original plan.
Shangguan Xianxian was a staunch supporter of the latter. She stood up and articulated her viewpoint with clarity. “If we change the campaign period to one year, we’ll be playing right into the online rumors. It would imply that we’re more interested in showing off our own kindness than in actually helping people.”
“Yes, a year can also help people, and we haven’t ruled out the possibility of restarting the campaign in the future. We’ve discussed these things privately. But has anyone considered this: if we aren’t willing to take any risks, how can we truly help those who live with risk every single day?”
“Some things only gain power through persistence. What we are doing is exactly that kind of thing. Building trust doesn’t happen in a day or two, nor in a month or two. Of course, I don’t deny the possibility that there is no ‘Lin Qi’ at our school. But what if there is? If that one-in-a-million chance exists, could any of us here forgive ourselves for backing down today?”
When Shangguan Xianxian finished speaking, the room fell silent. Shen Wei’s eyes were shining as she gazed at her, wishing she could have recorded the whole thing with an HD camera.
Ye Yuhuan then stood up as well. “I agree with Shangguan Xianxian. We are trying to fight an evil that hides in the darkness, so it’s bound to be difficult. I hope everyone can persevere.”
At that moment, Wang Hao raised his hand and looked at Song Zhiqing uneasily. “I agree with Shangguan’s opinion too, but the things people are saying about our leader on the school forum are getting ridiculous. It would be one thing if we were all sharing the risk, but she’s become the sole target. I can’t stand for that.”
A warmth spread through Song Zhiqing’s heart, but she wasn’t one to be defeated by rumors. She just smiled, a flash of the domineering aura she’d had when she first started high school showing through. “Don’t worry about me. I don’t care about any of that. They’re just a bunch of cowards who can only hide and spread malicious rumors. If we stoop to their level, we’ll just be wasting energy we could be using to do what’s right.”
The members of the Cosmic Beauty Garden were suddenly reminded that the person standing before them was someone who had weathered the vicious storm of public opinion in the country alongside her mother. Before the great actress Gao Yiren had her god-tier collection of awards, the speculation and slander from the tabloids had been relentless. They ignored her box office success and called her someone who only got roles because of her connections. In photos from that time, Gao Yiren and Song Chen were often seen holding a tiny Song Zhiqing as they pushed through swarms of reporters.
It dawned on everyone. Ah, who is our Sister Song? She’s seen it all before.
This little mess at Qinglin was, compared to what the great actress went through, nothing more than a drizzle.
With their minds at ease, everyone turned their attention to figuring out how to get through this difficult waiting period.
Only Ye Yuhuan remained silent, flipping through the documents in her hands. She was starting to realize that some of the information inside might not be so baseless after all.
That night, Song Zhiqing sat on her bed and logged into one of her alt accounts. She was about to delete it, but when she compared Shangguan Xianxian’s previous indifference toward her with her current lovey-dovey behavior with Shen Wei, she couldn’t help but feel a little defeated. She decided that before deleting the account, she had to at least ask Shangguan Xianxian: Are you really straight?
But when she opened the chat window, she saw a notification: “Your friend Shangguan has received the file.”
!!!
She looked closely at the date. It was from back in September, during Shangguan Xianxian and Shen Wei’s push-and-pull phase.
So, without my knowledge, my attempts at courtship became fertilizer for the flower of love between the person I liked and the person she liked.
Song Zhiqing felt like the biggest sucker in the world.
When Shangguan Xianxian and Shen Wei get married, they won’t hire me to perform as a juggling clown, will they? Song Zhiqing thought numbly.
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