Chapter 14: Just Friends

Except for attending one class together in the morning, Qin Luo and Yao Yanyan spent the rest of the day mostly together.

They played in the amusement park for half a day, then had lunch together inside the park, and in the afternoon went shopping and watched a movie.

Throughout this time, they laughed and chatted, their closeness seeming less like two people who had just met and more like a couple deeply in love.

Of course, Qin Luo knew it was all an act, and so did Yao Yanyan.

He was pretending to build his reputation as a playboy; as for why Yao Yanyan was pretending, he wasn’t entirely sure but had a rough idea.

It was simply the nature of a femme fatale—this was something he understood without needing to use his mind-reading headphones, which only had four uses left, and he hoped to save them for more critical moments.

At first, Qin Luo felt a bit awkward about this charade, but on reflection, it was no different from how he had pursued Xu Ke in the past.

The only difference was that one was self-torment, and the other was self-indulgence.

Compared to the former, the latter made Qin Luo feel somewhat lighter, and besides… a scoundrel with a femme fatale wasn’t that mismatched, was it?

Since the initial approach was driven by purpose, there was no need to expect genuine feelings in return. If Yao Yanyan were truly deceived by him, he would feel guilty.

Fortunately, she wouldn’t be. She was the public enemy among the school’s girls, a formidable presence to the boys, with a penchant for stealing affections and stirring emotions.

Faced with such a woman, Qin Luo felt no psychological burden and had long seen through how it would end.

It would simply be a repeat of his failure with Xu Ke, but that didn’t matter—he was already used to it and even thought it was only fitting.

After all, before he struck hard at Yao Yanyan, he had already placed himself firmly in the role of the villain.

And villains, naturally, don’t deserve happy endings.

So, Qin Luo gave up overthinking and devoted himself wholeheartedly to this playboy game.

Their date lasted until after dinner.

Around nine o’clock, Qin Luo accompanied Yao Yanyan back to school and thoughtfully walked her to the entrance of the girls’ dormitory.

Girls coming and going saw this and recognized them, their expressions complex and subtle, yet not surprised.

Noticing the stares, Yao Yanyan grinned and said to Qin Luo, “They probably all think we’re dating now.”

Qin Luo winked at her, “What do you think?”

“Well…” Yao Yanyan dragged out the tone but didn’t answer directly, instead replying offhandedly, “Spending the day with you, I feel like I’ve gotten to know you better—thoughtful, gentle, handsome, talented... I think I might actually like you a bit... but that’s not really what I wanted to say.”

Qin Luo asked, “Then what do you want to say?”

Yao Yanyan looked him straight in the eye and asked, “Do you still like Xu Ke?”

Whether it was a trick of his mind or not, Qin Luo sensed her smile fade slightly, her tone more serious than before.

He didn’t take it seriously though and replied lightly, “No, I don’t.”

Yao Yanyan narrowed her eyes, “Really?”

Qin Luo answered with a question, “If I said yes, would you start dating me?”

“Tsk,” Yao Yanyan clicked her tongue softly, then suddenly changed the subject, “If your song…”

Mid-sentence, she paused and then gave a mischievous smile. “Alright, it’s getting late; I have to go back to the dorm. See you later.”

Qin Luo looked at her with a mix of amusement and exasperation, “Hey, dangling a mystery like that is so shameless.”

“Basic tactics of a femme fatale. Haven’t you gotten used to it yet?” Yao Yanyan’s smile remained playful, tinged with a hint of charm.

Without waiting for his reply, she turned and bounced away with hands behind her back.

Qin Luo shook his head helplessly, not bothering to guess what she was going to say at the end. Instead, a thought struck him, and he suddenly produced a plain pair of black-rimmed glasses.

Putting them on, he glanced at Yao Yanyan’s retreating figure, and some information immediately appeared in his mind.

[Name: Yao Yanyan]

[Appearance: 94]

[Figure: 98]

[Special Trait: 95]

[Hobby: Music]

[Skill: Acting]

The “Magic Glasses” were one of the hundred-day login rewards Qin Luo had received during his “Deep Affection” role-play. As the name suggested, they allowed the wearer to see some basic information about the target.

Yao Yanyan’s stats matched Qin Luo’s own observations perfectly: her alluring, fox-like face deserved the 94 rating, her slender form well merited the 98, and her talents and hobbies aligned with what he knew. But that special trait…

Looking at the 95 score, Qin Luo’s expression grew a bit complicated.

According to what he’d learned from the system, a woman’s special trait rating represented how much interaction she had with the opposite sex.

The higher the score, the less interaction; the lower the score, the more. A score above 90 indicated someone almost untouched.

By Qin Luo’s judgment, a fierce, alluring warrior like Yao Yanyan should have scored below 60. But reality was the opposite.

Did this mean beneath her seemingly carefree exterior lay a heart as pure as gold?

Qin Luo was momentarily perplexed, even briefly questioning his understanding of life.

But his greatest strength was his ability to pick up and let go, so he chose not to dwell on what he couldn’t grasp.

He put away the glasses and leisurely returned to the boys’ dormitory.

Before opening the door to Room 404, he took out his phone, opened WeChat, and removed Xu Ke from the blacklist.

“I think I’m pretty talented at being a scoundrel…” he muttered to himself.

He had never experienced a true, complete relationship, yet now he was about to become a playboy—something he’d never imagined.

His smile bore a trace of bitterness and self-mockery before settling into calm as he pushed open the dorm door.

Immediately, three pairs of bright green eyes fixed on him.

Qin Luo tightened his legs instinctively, backing against the door, watching them warily.

“What’s up?” Li Chenggang grinned kindly. “Don’t be scared, man. Come on in—we’ve got a pretty big room. Come on, let us take a look!”

Qin Luo raised an eyebrow. “So you’re feeling brave now?”

Wu Xuan pushed up his glasses; a gleam flickered through the thick lenses, and a lecherous smile played on his lips. “Just kidding—we’re super brave, okay?”

Qin Luo sighed helplessly. “You’ve changed. No longer the three fools who gave up their own interests for a bite to eat.”

His cutting remark silenced the three roommates instantly.

Finally, the more reasonable Wang Chen asked, “Brother Luo, the forum is buzzing with talk about you and Yao Yanyan. What’s really going on between you two?”

Qin Luo didn’t answer immediately and instead asked, “What are they saying?”

Wu Xuan handed him his phone right away. “I was just scrolling through it. Take a look yourself.”

Qin Luo took the phone and browsed the forum posts with interest.

After a day of rumors, the news that Qin Luo had serenaded Yao Yanyan in class had spread, along with claims that they were seen dating intimately off-campus, supposedly confirming their relationship.

Some applauded, saying Qin Luo should have given up on Xu Ke and found true love elsewhere—these were his male admirers moved by his actions.

Others expressed concern, warning that Yao Yanyan was no good—these were the voices of her victims.

Some lamented that Qin Luo shouldn’t give up halfway; if he had sung that song to Xu Ke, she might have agreed to be with him—this was the romantic idealists’ view.

And then there was a group that accused Qin Luo of immediately switching from Xu Ke to Yao Yanyan without missing a beat, branding him a complete scoundrel.

At first, Qin Luo was unmoved by the first three reactions, but when he read the last, a smile crept to his lips.

Because that was exactly the effect he had aimed for and most wanted to see—just as when he’d courted Xu Ke before.

It proved his actions were not only correct but nearly perfect.

His three roommates were stunned by Qin Luo’s calm, even amused reaction.

Li Chenggang couldn’t help but ask bluntly, “Come on, man, be honest—are you really together with Yao Yanyan?”

“Yao Yanyan…” Qin Luo recalled the enchanting face that had accompanied him all day and smiled. “Just friends.”

…

“Just friends,” Yao Yanyan said with a radiant smile to Tang Yu.

She and Tang Yu were on the small balcony of the dormitory, with Tang Yu having brought her there immediately upon entering.

Tang Yu locked the balcony door and launched straight into questioning: “Are you and Qin Luo really dating?”

After Yao Yanyan’s reply, Tang Yu’s brow remained furrowed as she pressed on, “Just friends? He wouldn’t come find you in class, sing to you, or hang out with you otherwise.”

“Come on, it’s normal for friends to attend a class or go out together. What’s the big deal?” Yao Yanyan shrugged, casually dismissive, then added, “Besides, don’t you already know who that song was really for?”

Tang Yu’s expression softened a little and she spoke quietly, “Yanyan, have you ever thought that Qin Luo might just be using you as a pawn to change Xu Ke’s opinion of him, to make her take him more seriously?”

Yao Yanyan narrowed her eyes, the smile fading. “So what if I know? So what if I don’t? What exactly are you trying to say?”

Tang Yu hesitated, then sighed, “After Xu Ke saw the photos of you and Qin Luo together and the video of him singing, she reacted strongly—more than yesterday. I think she actually likes Qin Luo.”

“But she just won’t admit it, or maybe she hasn’t realized it herself yet. And we all saw how much Qin Luo liked her. How can we believe he just gave up so easily?”

Pausing, Tang Yu softened her tone, “If what you did before was just because you couldn’t stand Xu Ke and wanted to provoke her a bit, then you’ve done enough. After all, we’re friends sharing a dorm, aren’t we?”

Yao Yanyan opened her mouth as if to say something but ultimately remained silent. She turned expressionless, unlocked the door, and went inside.