Chapter 35: A Fabricated Story

An Obedient Promise “I understand! I’ll steer clear of that person from now on!” Yu Li nodded gently at Fu Qingyue’s serious expression, speaking with an obedient tone.

A New Nickname “That’s good. But… what did you just call me?” “Little Qingyue? Back home, close friends call each other like that… Oh, sorry… Is that not okay here?” Yu Li appeared a bit crestfallen, but more than that, she was cautious, carefully observing Fu Qingyue’s reaction, worried that her actions might upset her.

An Unexpected Warmth “No… you can call me that from now on… I like it.” The corner of Fu Qingyue’s mouth curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. No one had ever addressed her so intimately before, and the feeling was unexpectedly pleasant.

Joyful Connection “Really? That’s great!” Seeing that Fu Qingyue didn’t mind, Yu Li looked overjoyed, like a little girl who had just made her first friend.

Exchanging Contacts “Oh, we’re at Little Qingyue’s classroom already. Let’s exchange contact info!” The two had unknowingly arrived at Fu Qingyue’s classroom door. Yu Li pulled out her phone and gestured at Fu Qingyue. “Mm.” Fu Qingyue responded softly and promptly added Yu Li as a contact.

A Cute Surprise Contrary to her usual impression, Fu Qingyue’s profile picture was an adorable teddy bear, seemingly photographed by herself. “Little Qingyue, your profile picture is so cute!” “…Mm.” Fu Qingyue paused for a moment before responding softly.

Playful Teasing “Oh? Is Little Qingyue getting shy?” “No.” This time, her reply was sharp and clear. “Is that so? Hmph~” Yu Li clearly didn’t believe her, studying Fu Qingyue’s face intently, but it remained as expressionless as ever.

A Hurried Goodbye “Oh no, I’ve got to go! Bye, Little Qingyue!” Realizing time was running short, Yu Li hurriedly dashed toward her own classroom. Watching Yu Li’s retreating figure, Fu Qingyue revealed a gentle smile she herself didn’t even notice. Perhaps this impulsive act had saved not only the black-haired girl but also herself, in a way. With that thought, Fu Qingyue turned and entered her classroom.

A Hidden Truth

A Whispered Question [The things you just said… were those your experiences before becoming Yu Li?] A voice, inaudible to others, sounded in Yu Li’s ear, startling her briefly before she chuckled lightly. “How could that be? It was just… a lie crafted to get closer to Fu Qingyue.”

A Calculated Deception […Sometimes, you’re really terrifying. Those lies just roll off your tongue.] After a moment of silence, Liuli spoke up. “Sometimes, only by piling up lies can you achieve your goal… isn’t that right?” Yu Li’s voice was cold. For her, the method didn’t matter as long as the goal was achieved.

A Strategic Past [Then… why did you fabricate that kind of past?] “For Fu Qingyue, a girl with a similar background is the least likely to raise suspicion and the easiest to form a close bond with.” That day, when she learned from Lin Mu about Ye Sheng’s ever-loyal childhood friend, she had already begun forming a plan. If Ye Sheng was truly the so-called reborn protagonist, then a girl like Fu Qingyue was surely the female lead.

A Calculated Bond To Yu Li, the only kind of person who would remain devoted to someone like Ye Sheng under equal circumstances was a blind fool. Perhaps because her expression never changed, or due to her unique status, Fu Qingyue likely had no one else around her… except Ye Sheng. And that isolation had made the solitary girl fixate solely on him. Of course, this was all just Yu Li’s speculation.

Master of Manipulation But this was how she always operated. She could easily discern what others needed, allowing her to effortlessly break through their defenses to achieve her goals. So, she used her ability to stir Fu Qingyue’s heart and posed as another lonely girl, knowing Fu Qingyue wouldn’t abandon someone like herself.

Liuli’s Disapproval [All you do is deceive innocent girls… When you mess up one day, don’t expect me to help you!] Liuli grumbled indignantly. “If they ever come for revenge, they can take it up with the god who gave me this power~” Yu Li chuckled lightly, appearing completely at ease, as if she couldn’t even imagine failing. “It’s… not my fault, you know?”

Back in the Classroom

An Awkward Encounter With that, Yu Li returned to her classroom, only to find Ai Xinglan staring at her with a displeased expression. Going to the university department to meet someone took time, so Yu Li had once again skipped class without telling Ai Xinglan. Seeing Ai Xinglan’s pouty, haughty expression, Yu Li felt a rare twinge of embarrassment. After all, every time she skipped class, Ai Xinglan covered for her. Despite having only enrolled recently, Yu Li had already missed multiple classes for various reasons.

A Pressing Question “Where did you go this time?!” The moment Yu Li sat down, Ai Xinglan couldn’t wait to demand an answer. “Well…” Ding— Before Yu Li could explain, the class bell rang, and the teacher for that period walked in.

A Temporary Reprieve “Hmph…” Ai Xinglan let out a soft huff and dropped the matter. For once, Yu Li was grateful for the boring theory class—it had saved her from Ai Xinglan’s interrogation, at least for now.

Drifting into Sleep “Today, we’ll discuss…” Yu Li, who had just been relieved, felt drowsiness creep in the moment the teacher began speaking. Not everyone could be like Ai Xinglan, listening attentively even when they already knew the material. This was why Yu Li dared to skip classes so freely. As the former Liuli, who couldn’t awaken any abilities, she had never slacked on her studies in other areas. That knowledge now served Yu Li well—she was confident that, even taking exams directly, she could rely on Liuli’s memories to rank among the top.

A Lulling Lecture The teacher’s droning voice continued like a lullaby. The scent of Ai Xinglan beside her filled Yu Li with an inexplicable sense of security. Perhaps due to overusing her abilities today, she felt so at ease that she drifted into a hazy sleep.

Waking Up

A Gentle Wake-Up Call “Yu Li? Yu Li! Dummy Yu Li!” “Ugh…” Yu Li, roused from her slumber by the voice of the girl beside her, groggily opened her sleepy eyes to see the golden-haired girl’s exasperated face. “Is class over already…?” “Over? School’s done for the day! You slept way too long!”

A Surprising Realization “Huh?” Yu Li instinctively checked the time and realized it was indeed after school. “Wow, Xiao Ai, why didn’t you wake me up!” “You wouldn’t wake up no matter what!” Ai Xinglan looked a bit huffy, her cheeks slightly flushed as she deliberately turned her head away, as if not wanting Yu Li to notice. She’d never admit that she couldn’t bear to wake Yu Li after seeing her peaceful sleeping face.

An Unexpected Blame “Is that so?” This was beyond Yu Li’s expectations—she hadn’t realized she’d slept so long. Glancing at her phone, she noticed several unread messages from Fu Qingyue. Looking up at Ai Xinglan’s face, Yu Li muttered under her breath: “It’s all Xiao Ai’s fault… for making me feel so safe…”