Chapter 9: Hilarious—Does Grandma Really Fall for That Easily?

The first exchange between Qin Luo and Yao Yanyan unfolded without any hint of passion, ending as silently as it began, filled entirely with skill but devoid of emotion.

Those around them couldn’t hear their words; all they could see was the two appearing quite close, sharing laughter and light conversation throughout.

The murmurs grew louder.

“No way, could they really have gotten together...?”

“Looks like it, doesn’t it?”

“Qin Luo’s unstoppable. Can’t catch the campus queen, so he goes after her roommate instead?”

“‘About How I Woke Up from Being a Sycophant and Confessed to the Goddess’s Roommate in Front of the Goddess’.”

“‘Timid Before the Cold Campus Queen, Heavy-Hitting Against the Bull-Headed Warrior!’”

“Wow, where can we buy these books? What? No bookstore carries them? I’m going to smash the entire bookstore!”

“……”

The surrounding chatter intensified as all eyes fixed on Qin Luo and Yao Yanyan, speculating about their conversation while not forgetting to whip out their phones to snap photos.

After all, Qin Luo was a well-known figure at school. Though his reputation had never been stellar, following yesterday’s dramatic spectacle, more and more people had stopped mocking him with the nickname “God of Luo.” Instead, the moniker was now spoken with a tone of admiration.

As for Yao Yanyan—infamy is still fame, after all.

Two people who should have nothing to do with each other now walked openly side by side, and it was only the day after Qin Luo gave up on Xu Ke and confessed to Yao Yanyan that they were seen together.

Once such news hit the forums, was there any worry about lack of views?

In this era of entertainment to death, life was monotonous and dull; people craved a spark of excitement to add color to their black-and-white worlds. Qin Luo now held the brush, effortlessly stirring their emotions with just a few strokes.

Qin Luo paid no heed to the surrounding whispers, playing with his phone, but his peripheral gaze furtively drifted to Yao Yanyan.

From their earlier exchange, he couldn’t fathom what she was truly thinking.

Logically, as Xu Ke’s roommate, she should have been upset with him for his actions yesterday, and as Xu Ke’s friend, it would be normal for her to scold or question him.

Yet, how did she behave?

She never mentioned yesterday’s incident and naturally sat alongside him, chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened.

When Qin Luo deliberately made suggestive remarks, her reaction was mild at best—she deftly sidestepped, responding with questions, even attempting to analyze his motives for approaching her.

It seemed she answered everything yet truly answered nothing.

So this was the power of the bull-headed warrior and high-level schemer? Truly terrifying... Qin Luo thought silently, then gave up probing.

In this world, the hardest thing to read is the human heart—and even harder to read is a woman’s heart.

Resolutely, Qin Luo abandoned subtlety. He no longer tried to guess Yao Yanyan’s thoughts and opted to cheat instead.

With a flick of his hand, a small, exquisitely simple in-ear headphone appeared.

The “Heart-Listening Earphones” — one of the tools Qin Luo possessed, allowing him to hear the current thoughts of others. It could be used on different targets but only five times; afterward, it would revert to being an ordinary headphone.

Holding the earphone, Qin Luo felt its material was surprisingly ordinary, almost fragile to the touch.

Unbothered, he toyed with it briefly before placing it in his ear and selecting Yao Yanyan as the target.

The next moment, her voice echoed directly in his mind.

“Dog man, don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. You were crazily licking Xu Ke’s boots, and suddenly you give up on her? Who would believe that!”

“You say you like me? I think you’re just using me as a weapon, trying to use me as a breakthrough to change the situation and make Xu Ke pay more attention to you.”

“And now you’re deliberately coming close to me so Xu Ke can see it and get triggered. I have to admit, this dog man has some moves, but too bad he met me.”

“Oh! And you keep sneaking glances at me—what’s that about? Want me to believe you’ve fallen for me? Laughable. Am I that easy to fool?”

“Such petty tricks won’t work on me. If you want to use me as a weapon, think again. Just wait and see how I’ll make you look ridiculous...”

Qin Luo: “……”

Miss, could your drama be any less intense, just like your pure love factor?

He couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth, his gaze toward Yao Yanyan tinged with complexity. He hadn’t expected such a rich internal drama beneath her seemingly calm exterior.

Yao Yanyan noticed his stare, turned, and asked, “What’s with that look?”

Qin Luo pondered, then said, “If you became an actor, you’d definitely be famous.”

Yao Yanyan froze, then a look of delight spread across her face. “Really? Why do you say that? Do I really have what it takes?”

Her reaction surprised Qin Luo; he’d only intended a light tease, yet she seemed to enjoy it.

Could it be... acting was her dream?

Possibly. After all, she was a music major, perhaps aiming to enter show business through singing.

Still, he couldn’t be careless. From their earlier conversation, Qin Luo had concluded she was a high-level player. Her expressions, reactions, and words might all be disguises; what she truly thought might be entirely different.

If he now played along, praising her, she might take the bait and hatch a plan to humiliate him, just as she seemed to desire.

Ha, woman, your tactics are impressive, but too bad—I have cheats.

Qin Luo smiled silently, not responding further.

This left Yao Yanyan somewhat dissatisfied. She was about to speak again when the class bell rang. The music teacher, a man in his forties with flowing hair and a healthy hairline—a sight envied by countless math teachers—strolled in leisurely.

He walked to the podium, scanning the students. Seeing Qin Luo, he paused and said, “You... aren’t in our class, are you?”

Qin Luo, surprised, quipped, “Teacher, your memory is as enviable as your hair.”

The teacher smiled knowingly. “If it were anyone else, I might not recognize, but you... you’re more famous in school than any professor or dean.”

Even with Qin Luo’s thick-skinned nature, his face flushed at that.

Around them, classmates burst into laughter. Over the past months, Qin Luo’s relentless pursuit of Xu Ke had made him infamous, and after yesterday’s spectacle at the girls’ dorm, the teacher’s words were spot on.

After this pleasant interlude, the class settled as the teacher began a music lecture.

The students divided into three groups: the diligent ones sat upright, eyes fixed on the teacher; the uninterested ones lay on their desks, dozing; and the rest—the excited onlookers—cast quick, eager glances at Qin Luo and Yao Yanyan, as if staring harder might reveal some juicy gossip.

Qin Luo ignored it all, focusing intently.

Initially, he had come for Yao Yanyan, but after hearing the lesson, he found it quite interesting.

This was thanks to the “Music Mastery” reward he’d gained yesterday.

Originally indifferent to music, with only karaoke-level skills, his voice somewhat magnetic and on pitch, he was no match for professionals and knew nothing about music theory.

But after acquiring “Music Mastery,” he could effortlessly handle all things musical.

Piano playing, guitar strumming, bass mixing, belting high notes—none posed any difficulty.

Thus, when the teacher spoke of technical knowledge, Qin Luo found himself nodding along involuntarily.

His serious, focused demeanor might have fooled anyone into thinking he was a seasoned professor attending for evaluation.

Yao Yanyan, meanwhile, maintained a studious appearance but was secretly watching Qin Luo.

Seeing him silent after class started, she was unhurried, guessing he’d seek more chances to get close, hoping to use her to provoke Xu Ke.

Yao Yanyan didn’t mind cooperating; she wasn’t particularly fond of Xu Ke either and sometimes found his aloofness irritating.

Especially after his performance yesterday, which had truly angered her. So she was quite willing to help Qin Luo rile him up.

Still, she was displeased that Qin Luo treated her as a pawn and was pondering how to teach him a small lesson.

Now, watching Qin Luo so absorbed in class, she couldn’t help but smirk inwardly.

“Pretending so well, thinking you can look knowledgeable by acting serious? Ha, man, your name should be Immature...”

As Yao Yanyan thought this, the teacher picked up a guitar.

“You’ve all studied music for some time. Many of you play piano or guitar. Is there anyone willing to perform a song live? Good or bad, if you come up, I’ll give you an extra credit.”

The class instantly stirred. Even those who were napping perked up, eyes shining with desire for that credit.

Yet few dared to try; performing before so many peers was embarrassing, so no one moved.

Only Yao Yanyan reacted differently...