Earlier, heâd worried that Mu Jinli might veer off course due to Tao Xiaoyaoâs influence. But seeing the protagonistâs heroic actions stirred something in her.
She, with her natural inclination to help others, was watching him intently, admiration dawning in her eyes.
As for why she fell for him â who cared? What mattered was that everything was going according to plan.
Mu Jinli herself felt conflicted. She had tried to avoid this, yet it had still happened. Her rebellious nature pushed her to help people, a form of counterbalance against her motherâs violent lifestyle.
After realizing she was merely a character in someoneâs story, sheâd resolved to fight against any outside influence on her actions. But despite her best efforts, the storyline unfolded anyway. The protagonistâs moment to shine had succeeded.
âHow long are you going to stand there, honey? Iâm hungry, and you still need to get me food.â
Chen Fan realized that no matter what Mu Jinli said, he couldnât take her words at face value anymore. Heâd briefly wondered if she mightâve developed feelings for him, but her mesmerized gaze at the protagonist made it clear.
With his belief in the plot reaffirmed, Chen Fan resolved to follow the storyline.
Silver needles flew, and the girl on the ground gradually resumed breathing as Ye Aotian completed his life-saving treatment. Some students supported the girl, taking her to the campus hospital to receive further care.
Meanwhile, Chen Fan and Mu Jinli were calmly eating steamed buns. Mu Jinli was fully focused on her food, savoring each bite. For her, food was a pleasure. But for Chen Fan, the situation felt less than ideal.
The people around them were all looking at Ye Aotian with amazement, deeply impressed by the medical skill on display. Clearly, everyone was astonished by how acupuncture could be used to treat a heart attack.
Chen Fan, however, wished Mu Jinli would pay more attention to the protagonist. Yet, she showed no inclination to do so.
âWait and see,â Ye Aotian said, standing before Chen Fan. âOne day, Iâll make you pay for this.â
At that moment, Mu Jinli picked up some salted vegetables and, without hesitation, fed them to Chen Fan, who accepted the bite with a smile. âOh, already feeling challenged?â he taunted.
âMu Jinli,â Ye Aotian said, âI donât blame you for this. I know itâs just your duty, but I hope you wonât assist evil. You donât seem like the type to help bad people. My instincts are never wrong.â
Chen Fan couldnât help but silently applaud the protagonist. But upon reflection, he realized the protagonistâs resentment toward antagonists was deeply ingrained.
After all, the campus belle falling in love with the protagonist was standard. Beautiful women were always destined to fall for the protagonist at first sight. But Chen Fan admired Ye Aotianâs professionalism â he seamlessly fit his role, ready to hate Chen Fan no matter what happened.
Chen Fan wondered if, one day, the protagonist tripped on his way out the door, he would also mutter,
âIâm done eating. Letâs go,â Chen Fan said, standing up. Mu Jinli took his arm, and they left the cafeteria together.
As they walked away, Ye Aotian chuckled. He was a perceptive man, and heâd noticed Mu Jinliâs stunned reaction when he saved that girl. Clearly, she was conflicted.
he thought.
Outside, Chen Fan looked down at their intertwined arms and said, âLetâs drop the boyfriend act. Iâm not a fan of pretending.â
Mu Jinli released his arm and replied, âThank you.â
âMind telling me what this was all about?â
âIt was just a way to avoid unnecessary trouble. Since Iâm the
, people always speculate about who I might date. Instead of dealing with that, I figured if I pretended to have a boyfriend, people would stop bothering me.â
thought Chen Fan.
After they walked around the campus for a bit, Mu Jinli left to attend her classes, and Chen Fan returned to his dorm room, a specially arranged double room. Zhu Yeqing had already tidied up the space and set up Chen Fanâs bed.
âYoung master, did you run into Ye Aotian in the cafeteria?â
âHow did you know?â
âWell, the campus confession wall has already posted about it, along with details of your interaction with him.â
Chen Fan was curious, as he remembered the confession wall scene in the story being entertaining.
âOh, and if you donât mind, Iâd like to look around campus.â
âGo ahead. Mu Jinli is responsible for security here, so feel free to relax and enjoy yourself.â
âThank you, young master.â
With that, Zhu Yeqing left. Chen Fan didnât bother to think too much about her whereabouts.
Dressed in workout clothes, Zhu Yeqing found Tao Xiaoyao in a secluded corner of the campus.
âYou want to train with me?â Tao Xiaoyao asked.
Zhu Yeqing nodded. âI want to grow stronger. I feel like Iâm not much use these days.â
âActually, youâre quite talented among the younger generation. But remember, the technique you practice is based on charm, so I can only help you build a foundation. The core is still up to you.â
âI understand. Building a solid foundation is a good start.â
Tao Xiaoyao put down her phone, paused her game, and said, âSo, have you snagged any man yet?â
âYoung master ⦠is different. Heâs not just any man.â
âAnd what about your revenge against the Chen family?â
Zhu Yeqing stared intently at Tao Xiaoyao, who simply said, âDonât look at me like that. I just heard some things. Someone mentioned that Ye Aotian is the child of an old friend, so I looked into it and found your name.â
âI donât care about revenge. I just want to protect my young master.â
âAlright, my training is intense, so good luck.â
âThank you. Iâll work hard.â
At that moment, the diary updated again.
Ling Yuyan seethed internally.
Ling Yuyan suddenly regretted accepting the principalâs offer to teach, feeling an urge to escape.