Just then, a slow and elegant waltz began to play, breaking the awkward atmosphere in the corner.
The music was like a command, immediately drawing the attention of most guests and giving Su Qinghan an escape from the annoying argument.
She let out a visible sigh of relief, as if she couldn’t stand to stay a moment longer, and said in a decisive tone, “Alright, let’s leave it at that.”
She first looked at Yan Yu, her eyes sweeping over the glaring stain on her chest, her brow furrowing again.
“Yan Yu, I’ll pay you back for the dress no matter how much it costs. Don’t worry.”
Then she turned to Jiang Muyun, who was still fuming, and softened her voice, with a hint of comfort but also a barely noticeable distance.
“Muyun, don’t take it to heart. It’s your birthday today—cheer up.”
Hearing Su Qinghan voluntarily offer to pay for the dress and brush it off so lightly only made Jiang Muyun’s anger swell even more.
She was absolutely furious!
It was Yan Yu who played the victim and turned the tables!
How did it turn into Su Qinghan playing the good guy, “paying” Yan Yu, and telling her to “not take it to heart”?
But Su Qinghan had already spoken and taken that stance.
If she kept making a scene, she would only look more immature.
She had no choice but to swallow her words, forcing out a reluctant “hmph” through her nose, then shot Yan Yu a vicious glare.
She also gave a frustrated glare at her curly-haired friend, who was standing there dumbfounded, before storming off with heavy steps, dragging her friend along.
Once they were far away, Yan Yu’s pitiful, self-blaming expression vanished instantly, replaced by nothing but calm.
She picked up the handkerchief she had used to wipe the stain—now wrinkled and damp—and casually tossed it onto a nearby server’s tray.
The mix of wine and juice on her chest had already half-dried, leaving an ugly patch on the pearl-white dress like a sewn-on patch.
It was a shame about the nice dress.
Yan Yu touched the rough spot lightly with her fingertips, but she didn’t feel much regret.
To her, this outfit was no different from the old “Jiang Muyun-style” clothes she had worn before—just “costumes” and “props” to complete the mission.
If a prop got damaged, as long as it brought a higher score and thicker “rewards,” it was worth it.
Almost at the same time, that cold, emotionless voice, like a scoring machine, rang in her head again.
[Ding!]
[Key plot “Jiang Muyun’s Birthday Banquet” completed.]
[Performance Score: 94 points.]
[Commentary: Perfectly portrayed the “frail substitute’s” reaction to being bullied publicly. Used the method of “admitting fault first, appearing magnanimous” to retreat in order to advance, precisely leveraging your own frail constitution and “humble, devoted” persona to successfully make target Su Qinghan want to protect you, and cleverly counterattacked the troublemaker Jiang Muyun. Emotional transitions were on point, timing of dialogue was perfect, and your improvisation was excellent, greatly enhancing the plot conflict and tension between characters.]
[Current “Substitute Female Supporting Character” main story progress: 16%]
[Reward Issued: Special Item “Yearning Mint Candy” x1.]
[Item Description: Looks just like an ordinary mint candy—colorless, tasteless, dissolves quickly. After feeding it to a specific person, for the next month, that person will occasionally and uncontrollably think of you and flash memories connected to you. The effect is very subtle, hard to notice, and has no side effects. (Note: Can only be used on one person at a time.)]
Yearning Mint Candy?
Yan Yu was intrigued by the strange name and description.
With a thought, a translucent description box appeared before her, visible only to her.
After reading it carefully, she opened her palm.
Her palm felt a slight chill, and a pale green mint candy appeared out of nowhere, like a piece of crystal.
It wasn’t big, glinting faintly under the light with a barely perceptible minty scent.
This thing… was pretty interesting.
Yan Yu picked up the candy between two fingers and held it up to her eyes.
A way to make someone think of me for a month?
Who should I use it on?
Su Qinghan?
The thought barely surfaced before she dismissed it.
Not to mention Su Qinghan’s current attitude toward her and the state of their relationship—she had no chance or reason to get her to eat a candy of unknown origin.
More importantly, she didn’t want Su Qinghan to develop too much affection for her right now.
If Su Qinghan, because of this candy’s effect, actually rekindled old feelings or developed unexpected interest, causing the plot to derail before she had accumulated enough Acting Progress—leading the story to an entirely different ending early on—wouldn’t that be a huge loss?
Su Qinghan and Jiang Muyun were both important tools for her to farm “Acting Value” and rewards.
Tools needed to be used at the right time for the right purpose; they couldn’t “malfunction” or “go stale” prematurely.
What about Jiang Muyun?
It seemed even more unnecessary, and might invite more trouble.
Bai Yan’er?
The thought made her heart tighten inexplicably, and she immediately suppressed it.
That younger sister was already giving her enough headaches.
Adding a “yearning” effect—who knew what might happen.
Ruo Xiaozhen was even worse.
Last time, she had already barged into the bathroom while I was showering with ill intent.
If she ate this candy, I’d be completely devoured!
No, no, no, no, no, no. Absolutely not!
After thinking it over, there was no suitable person or opportunity for now.
Yan Yu shook her head, carefully stowed the seemingly ordinary but special mint candy into her evening clutch bag.
Ah, I’ll figure it out later.
By now, the dance floor at the center of the ballroom had become lively.
Under the crystal chandeliers, beautifully dressed men and women paired up, twirling gracefully to the music.
And the most dazzling, unquestionable center of the dance floor was naturally the birthday honoree, Jiang Muyun, along with her dance partner, Su Qinghan.
Jiang Muyun had changed into a light pink gown covered in sequins, sparkling under the lights.
She smiled sweetly, her eyes dancing, fully embodying the “little princess” vibe.
Meanwhile, Su Qinghan was still in her sharp dark dress, standing tall with steady steps.
Occasionally, when she lowered her head to speak to Jiang Muyun, her profile was strikingly clear in the interplay of light and shadow.
One was soft and pure, like a spring flower; the other was cool and sharp, like a winter pine.
In everyone’s eyes, the sight of them dancing together under the brilliant lights was truly beautiful and well-matched, as if it were meant to be.
Yan Yu’s gaze lingered on them for less than three seconds before she calmly looked away.
No matter how beautiful the scene, to her it was just part of the background.
She looked down at the now dark brown stain on her chest and decided to go to the dressing room to deal with it, or see if there was a change of clothes available.
She wheeled herself silently out of the lively dance area and toward the corridor beside the ballroom.
Along the way, she could still hear envious murmurs from the guests nearby.
“Look, Miss Su and Miss Jiang—they’re such a perfect match!”
“Yeah, Miss Su really dotes on Miss Jiang. The scale of this event, the setup…”
“Tsk tsk, even though they’re both women, Miss Su’s presence and those dance moves… that’s too cool! I’m impressed!”
“Dream on! Only someone with Miss Jiang’s background and temperament can stand beside Miss Su.”
“A match made in heaven… no wait, a match of two beauties, perfect together!”
Yan Yu acted as if she hadn’t heard any of it, her face completely expressionless, as if the words were nothing but irrelevant wind.
She maneuvered her wheelchair, easily finding the VIP dressing room deep in the corridor, and pushed the door open gently.
Completely different from the lively warmth of the ballroom outside, the dressing room was brightly lit but eerily quiet and cold.
Since the dance had already started, most guests who needed to change had already finished.
Now it was empty, with only rows of luxurious wardrobes and large mirrors reflecting the cool light under the ceiling lights.
Yan Yu let out a soft breath, finally temporarily escaping the gazes and scenes that exhausted her.
She wheeled toward the nearest row of wardrobes, thinking to check if there was a spare shawl or jacket to temporarily cover the stain—
Behind her, a very soft sound of friction.
Not from her wheelchair.
A feeling of being stared at, like a cold thread, wound around her back.
That gaze!
The sharp, focused, unsettling stare she had felt earlier in the ballroom!
Yan Yu’s heart skipped a beat, her fingers tightening slightly around the wheelchair’s joystick.
Instead of whipping around in panic, she naturally turned the wheelchair around.
By the mirror at the other end of the dressing room stood someone.
The person had their back to the door, as if they had just been changing.
Now they wore only a simple but well-cut black undergarment set, highlighting smooth, graceful shoulder and back lines and a slender, toned waist.
Long black hair was tied into a neat high ponytail, hanging down against her bare back.
Hearing the faint sound of the wheelchair turning, the figure paused slightly before turning unhurriedly.
It was her again.
Under the lights, Dai Feng’s face—delicate yet handsome—appeared clearly before Yan Yu.
Her expression was blank, but her eyes calmly looked at Yan Yu.
There seemed to be no surprise, only a deep, probing scrutiny.
Yan Yu looked at her, her lashes fluttering slightly, before a gentle smile spread across her face, her voice soft and light.
“Miss Dai? What a coincidence.”