Chapter 14: She Should Like Boys

Zhao Xue’s reputation was improving, simply because she hadn’t caused any trouble lately. It really lived up to the saying: a “bad” person only needs to do one good deed for people’s perception of them to shift dramatically.

Though Zhao Xue hadn’t actually done anything—she just quietly went to school and went home—everyone felt that an “obedient” Zhao Xue who didn’t stir up drama was doing a good deed in herself.

Ever since she rejected her two “minions,” they hadn’t dared to cause trouble either. The classroom atmosphere had become lively, and even the number of people bad-mouthing her had decreased significantly.

People’s gazes drifted toward her uncontrollably. Lately, it was as if Zhao Xue had fully blossomed; her features were increasingly vivid and eye-catching.

Beneath her thick, dark brows were classic “peach blossom” eyes, the corners slightly upturned with a faint pinkish tint. Her eyes weren’t just sharp black and white but possessed a hazy, dreamlike quality, as if she were perpetually half-drunk—every glance and smile carried a hidden hook.

Her nose was straight and delicate, her lips full with a small “pearl” at the center of the upper lip. The corners of her mouth tilted upward, matching her eyes to create a face as radiant as spring blossoms.

Even now, just sitting there quietly with the sunlight filtering through her hair and casting a halo around her, she looked too beautiful to be real. Some sighed, thinking it would be wonderful if Zhao Xue could stay like this forever.

Zhao Xue didn’t care what others thought. Resting her head on her hand, her thoughts drifted aimlessly.

Truthfully, this task seemed easy enough. She just needed to cure Meng Yao’s grandmother, and presumably, Meng Yao’s “Death Value” would drop. All she had to do was wait.

The surgery was only half a month away.

She wondered why so many people before her had failed such a simple task. She found herself curious; she’d have to ask the system when it returned.

Suddenly, a letter was held out in front of her.

“Zhao Xue, a student from another class asked me to give this to you.”

Zhao Xue raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?” She took the letter and glanced toward the classroom door, only catching sight of a thin, small figure scurrying away.

Seeing the girl who delivered the letter still standing there, Zhao Xue looked up and asked, “Is there something else?”

She heard the girl stammer, “Zhao… Zhao Xue, you’re… you’re really beautiful.”

Zhao Xue gave a soft smile. “Thank you.” Her eyes seemed to sparkle with starlight, instantly leaving the girl dazed.

The girl stumbled back to her seat. When her friends buzzed around her asking what happened, she replied dreamily, “She didn’t scold me. She even smiled at me… it was so pretty, hehe.”

Zhao Xue was in a good mood. It was because of these cute people that she wanted to stay in the world of the living, even as a ghost. She flicked her finger and opened the letter.

Zhao Xue, I already know your secret. You wouldn’t want it to be made public, would you? Meet me at the Art Building piano room after school. I’ll be waiting.

Plain black ink on white paper. No signature.

Zhao Xue chuckled. She immediately deduced what the “secret” was—most likely her involvement with Meng Yao. She had wondered why there had been no movement from the person who photographed them. It turned out they were waiting for this.

“Go wait for me in the car for a bit,” Zhao Xue told Meng Yao.

Below the teaching building, Meng Yao was standing in her usual spot. Passing students were used to it by now; they had been surprised at first, but after a while, they stopped caring.

Meng Yao looked down at Zhao Xue, who was half a head shorter than her, her gaze sweeping over Zhao Xue’s captivating eyes. Today was the first time since they had been together that Zhao Xue had told her to go ahead first.

Meng Yao opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she just nodded and gave a quiet “Okay.” She never refused any of Zhao Xue’s requests.

The two walked in opposite directions. Zhao Xue didn’t know that after walking a certain distance, Meng Yao stopped, turned around, and began to follow her.

Meng Yao’s footsteps were light. She trailed far behind Zhao Xue, unsure why she was doing this—she just felt she had to.

Zhao Xue arrived at the piano room and saw a familiar-looking back standing by the window—the same figure she’d seen at the classroom door. At the sound of the door closing, the figure flinched, appearing somewhat frightened.

Zhao Xue closed the door and approached slowly. The person turned around.

It was a plain-looking girl with glasses and twin ponytails, her frame thin and small. Her hands nervously toyed with the hem of her shirt. She looked tense and timid, but Zhao Xue didn’t miss the flash of greed in her eyes.

Zhao Xue crossed her arms, searching the original host’s memory, but she didn’t recognize her. “Speak. What do you want me here for?”

The girl’s lashes fluttered as if Zhao Xue’s presence intimidated her. She pulled out her phone and showed a photo. It was the one from the empty classroom—Meng Yao kissing Zhao Xue’s neck. Only Zhao Xue’s face was clearly visible.

Her face was visibly flushed, her lips slightly swollen as she tilted her head back, her eyes hazy and wet. She looked breathtakingly alluring.

Zhao Xue smiled, her gaze unreadable. She said nothing. The atmosphere grew heavy for a moment.

Finally, the girl spoke: “Zhao Xue, give me ten million yuan and I’ll delete the photo. Otherwise, I’ll post it online.”

Zhao Xue let out a snort. “You’re quite stupid. Telling me directly… aren’t you afraid of my retaliation?”

The girl looked panicked, but she forced herself to calm down. Once she had the money, she would take her family and flee. She had worked so hard to get into this school via special recruitment just to meet a rich partner, only to realize she was a frog at the bottom of a well. The school was full of beautiful, tall, elegant girls. When she saw that scene, she took the photo and hatched this plan.

Zhao Xue found it incredibly boring. A brainless “cannon fodder” character. She’d rather be kissing her “puppy” and seeing her blush than dealing with this.

She toyed with a lock of her hair. “Whatever. Post it if you want. I don’t care.”

The girl’s face turned bright red. She hadn’t expected such an indifferent attitude. Society was still quite dismissive of homosexuality. She had heard that Zhao Xue’s parents were particularly repulsed by it, viewing it as a disease. No matter how spoiled Zhao Xue was, she wouldn’t have a good time if her parents found out.

But Zhao Xue’s indifference was genuine. Looking into her eyes, the girl knew she truly didn’t care.

The girl gritted her teeth. “You don’t care, but what about Meng Yao? She’s just a commoner with a sick grandmother. Don’t you care about how this will affect her if her grandmother finds out?!”

Outside the door, Meng Yao’s fingers tightened. She had guessed what this was about—the photo. Her heart clenched as she waited for Zhao Xue’s response.

Then, Zhao Xue’s voice came through the wall, slightly distorted.

“Do as you like. She’s just a dog I’m keeping. I tease her when I’m in the mood. Why? Seeing me with her every day, did you actually think we had a good relationship?”

Meng Yao’s mind went blank. Her heart plummeted, a dull, throbbing pain blooming in her chest—not sharp, but persistent, like a needle prick. It was a suffocating bitterness.

This must be Zhao Xue’s true feelings.

Meng Yao didn’t listen to the rest. She quietly slipped away.

Inside the room, the girl was stunned. She realized Zhao Xue wasn’t someone who could be manipulated. She didn’t care about Meng Yao at all. Despite their intimacy, Meng Yao was just a toy in Zhao Xue’s heart.

The girl took a deep breath. “Meng Yao is so pitiful, being played like a dog by you.” She thought about how Zhao Xue had bullied Meng Yao before this. What was the difference between this and training a dog? A stick and then a carrot.

After saying it, she belatedly began to fear retaliation, her body trembling.

Zhao Xue chuckled. “She is my little dog.” Perhaps it started as an attraction to her looks—after all, she’d been single for ten thousand years. Finally having a body and seeing someone so perfectly to her taste, what was wrong with a few kisses?

But after teasing her for so long, she did like Meng Yao a little. Not that she needed to tell anyone else that.

Zhao Xue turned and left, leaving the girl dazed.

Meng Yao’s footsteps felt heavy. She didn’t know how she got back to the car. She sat motionless, her eyes dark, devoid of any light. No one could tell what she was thinking.

[Death Value +5] [Death Value: 85/100]

Zhao Xue heard the notification in her head and frowned slightly. Reaching the car and seeing Meng Yao sitting there, she got in.

She raised the privacy partition, leaned in close to Meng Yao, and looked her in the eyes. Her lips curled into a flirtatious smile. She tilted Meng Yao’s chin up and leaned in slowly.

Nose to nose, their breaths mingled. Zhao Xue’s peach blossom eyes narrowed. “Why are you unhappy?”

Meng Yao’s expression was faint, showing no emotion. Her voice was flat. “I’m not.”

Zhao Xue’s eyes flickered. She kissed her. Their lips met, the fragrance of Zhao Xue’s scent filling Meng Yao’s senses. Meng Yao allowed it. When Zhao Xue tried to pry open her lips, she opened them submissively; when Zhao Xue wanted to tangle their tongues, she responded.

But through the kiss, Zhao Xue could clearly feel that Meng Yao’s heart wasn’t in it.

Zhao Xue pulled back slowly, her smile gone. Her grip on Meng Yao’s chin tightened, her eyes darkening.

“Meng Yao, your grandmother’s surgery is in half a month. By then, I’ll likely be bored of playing with you and I’ll let you go. But for now, I expect you to respond to me properly.”

Meng Yao met her eyes without flinching. Her voice was very low. “Okay.”

In half a month, it will all be over. Yes, that would be for the best. To go back to how things were at the start.

Zhao Xue let go and looked out the window as the scenery flashed by. It was strange. Meng Yao had looked like an abandoned puppy just now, and it had made her own chest feel tight.

She was going to leave eventually, so she always kept a boundary. She wouldn’t let Meng Yao fall in love with her; she would throw cold water on her whenever she got too immersed.

But seeing the “puppy” look so sad just now… she suddenly didn’t want to do anything cruel to her anymore.

Zhao Xue remembered the resistance Meng Yao had shown during their first kiss.

Originally, the little dog should have liked boys.