A/n: This Chapter has now been fixed. Thank you for waiting.
*****
"Did you have fun watching me make a fool of myself?"
"Taking all the blame is the same as getting rid of my chance to properly settle the score with those people who have harmed me."
"But what did I expect? You’ve never been considerate of other people’s feelings, so you don’t bother to care about these things."
Fei Chuan turned his back to her. "So, I’m not really disappointed."
....
Bei Sangyun sighed deeply as she recollected the events on the rooftop.
After Lin Sunji’s departure, she sought him out.
But he appeared more upset than usual.
His eyes glinted with anger as he started saying those words. Bei Sangyun considered explaining, however, whatever would come out of her mouth would just sound like an excuse.
And this might further upset the already angry Fei Chuan. So she decided to bear his outburst and remained silent.
In the past, she wouldn’t have cared about his feelings and would have said whatever was on her mind. But now, she couldn’t.
Firstly, she was afraid of aggravating him further, and she knew she had wronged him. The guilt she had never acknowledged before surfaced, making her cautious in her words and actions.
Fei Chuan was angry that she had kept him in the dark. His cold stare and furrowed brow made her unable to approach him. She followed him in silence all the way to the room and dared not speak, giving him space.
In the classroom, Fei Chuan sat beside her, radiating his bad mood. Bei Sangyun didn’t even consider bothering him for a moment.
This was the quietest they had ever been since becoming seatmates.
The class proceeded smoothly, and the break finally arrived.
Fei Chuan stood up and left the room. Unlike usual, Bei Sangyun didn’t follow him.
As he disappeared from her view, Bei Sangyun sighed in frustration.
"Boss! Aren’t you going to eat with Fei Chuan?" Bei Sangyun’s lackeys surrounded her, curious.
Bei Sangyun slumped in her seat, dejected. "I can’t approach him today."
The lackeys noticed her downcast mood. They exchanged glances, concerned about what had transpired.
Fei Chuan had left with the model student, a pretty one at that. Their boss followed after them. What had occurred between them that left her so disheartened?
In their minds, a dramatic love triangle was taking shape.
One lackey with a knack for speaking without thinking blurted, "Did Fei Chuan choose Lin Sunji over you, boss?"
The others were taken aback by his audacity.
"Lin Sunji might be a model student and attractive, but—" Before the impulsive lackey could continue, his companion covered his mouth.
"This guy has a vivid imagination... Haha."
"That’s right! Maybe boss is just hungry."
"Boss, don’t dwell on what he said. There are plenty of fish in the sea—"
"What are you guys talking about?" Bei Sangyun asked, puzzled by their strange behavior.
They laughed awkwardly, their faces filled with hesitation.
"N-nothing, boss! We were just having a casual conversation! We are definitely not thinking any nonsense!"
Bei Sangyun arched an eyebrow. She had said ’talking,’ not ’thinking,’ but these people seemed to be imagining all sorts of wild scenarios.
"Boss, to be honest, Fei Chuan isn’t good enough for you," the same lackey, now freed, chimed in again.
His friends quickly covered his mouth once more. They exchanged exasperated glances; this guy’s loose tongue would be the end of them someday!
Bei Sangyun couldn’t help but chuckle. She had finally figured out what her lackeys were thinking.
Had they really concocted some insane love rivalry involving Fei Chuan, Lin Sunji, and herself?
The notion was so absurd that she burst into laughter. Lin Sunji disliked Fei Chuan and the latter was disgusted at the former. Not to mention her relationship with the two was worse than the other.
"It’s not like that," Bei Sangyun said with amusement in her eyes. The topic was too amusing, and she decided to enlighten her loyal followers.
"It’s more complicated than you think."
"Complicated? But the rumors—" the impulsive lackey started again, but his friends silenced him. They were giving him stern looks, fearing his recklessness.
However, Bei Sangyun had caught onto what he had mentioned.
"Rumors?"
The lackeys fell silent.
"What rumors?" Bei Sangyun pressed.
They exchanged hesitant glances.
"Boss, haven’t you seen the posts on the school forums?"
.....
[The tyrant and the target have been coming to school together!]
[The tyrant and the target eating lunch together...]
[The tyrant rejected the school hunk to partner with the target for the homecoming dance...]
[The tyrant buying drinks for the target...]
[The tyrant holding the target’s tray...]
Bei Sangyun: "...."
Did these people not know her name and Fei Chuan’s?
"The whole school has been talking about it for days. They’re wondering about your current status with Fei Chuan."
There were numerous posts with thousands of comments under each one.
Two main arguments emerged. The majority of students believed that Bei Sangyun had devised a new way to torment Fei Chuan.
On the other hand, some insisted that Bei Sangyun was pursuing Fei Chuan as a potential romantic interest.
Bei Sangyun: "..."
People actually believed this?
Surprisingly, this misguided group had a substantial following.
"This is hilarious," Bei Sangyun remarked with a laugh.
She read a comment suggesting that she had been bullying Fei Chuan to gain his attention and isolate him so that she could have him all by herself.
According to this theory, Fei Chuan was now ’ripe’ for the taking, and Bei Sangyun had come to pluck him, which explained her strange behavior over the past week.
If Fei Chuan had seen these comments, his face would have turned entirely black.
Fortunately, he paid little attention to the forums.
"I knew the rumors aren’t true! There’s no way boss would fall for that weak-ass Fei Chuan," one of the lackeys exclaimed with relief.
Bei Sangyun gave him a cold glance. "Watch your language."
The lackey who received the cold glare: "..."
...Right?
For a moment, he became doubtful again. If their boss wasn’t interested in Fei Chuan ’that’ way, why was she upset when he called Fei Chuan a ’weak-ass’?