Along the way, she overheard many rumors about Lin Yue, and even found herself woven into them—it was utterly ridiculous.
But right now, she couldn’t be bothered to care about any of that; what mattered was what was happening with Isabella…
There’s a saying: “Better to destroy ten temples than ruin a single marriage.”
If she ended up causing the two of them to break apart, the guilt would be immense.
She couldn’t be that villain; she couldn’t bear that weight…
Finally, she spotted Isabella at the library entrance.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward.
“Um… Excuse me, are you Isabella?”
Isabella turned her head.
Seeing that it was Airella, a flash of confusion crossed those beautiful eyes, but was quickly replaced by her usual cool indifference: “Is something the matter?”
“I… I’m Airella, from your class.”
She mustered her courage, ready to explain.
However, Isabella spoke first, her tone tinged with impatience: “You’re here for Lin Yue, aren’t you?”
She recognized this girl as the one who’d been sitting with Lin Yue yesterday.
“Uh… I suppose so.”
Airella hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
At that response, Isabella’s brows immediately knitted together, her eyes filled with undisguised contempt.
She looked Airella up and down.
Who would have thought such a cute girl could be dumb enough to cling to someone like Lin Yue, that fool.
“If you’re here to plead for him or to challenge me, you might as well leave.”
Isabella’s tone grew even colder.
“I have no interest in wasting my time with people close to him.”
She paused, as if compelled by a final bit of kindness, and added: “Here’s some advice: stay away from him. Nothing good will come from getting involved with him.”
In her eyes, Airella was either tricked by Lin Yue or after something from him.
Airella was stunned by this barrage of words.
This… This was completely different from what she’d expected!
Why was she being so aggressive from the start?
“N-no, that’s not it!”
Airella hurriedly waved her hands.
“I just wanted to explain that there’s really nothing going on between Lin Yue and me!”
Isabella arched an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
Airella was on the verge of tears.
She’d wanted to talk about how Lin Yue had saved her, but when the words were about to leave her lips, she changed her mind: “Lin Yue… helped me out with a small favor before the school year started, that’s all. I only know him, nothing more. Really!”
The more she tried to explain, the more flustered she became, and as she looked at Isabella’s “I see right through you” expression, Airella felt there was no way to defend herself.
Forget it, there’s no getting through!
Gritting her teeth, Airella left one final sentence: “Anyway, there’s really nothing like that between me and him!”
Then she turned and dashed away, vanishing like a startled rabbit down the end of the hallway, not giving Isabella a chance to reply.
Isabella stood in place, staring after Airella’s retreating back, dazed for a good while.
“A small favor?”
She muttered to herself, her eyes full of suspicion.
“Probably being threatened and too scared to say anything. Lin Yue, that guy, really is up to no good.”
Not only did this explanation fail to clear up the misunderstanding, it made Isabella even more convinced that Airella was being “controlled” by Lin Yue.
“……”
Looking in the direction Airella had fled, Isabella felt a deep discomfort.
She didn’t want to see a girl with so much potential ruined at the hands of a scumbag like Lin Yue.
[As long as you… just don’t choose Bella…]
What was this?
She’d only just escaped from a situation like that herself, and here she was worrying about someone else.
“Sis, what’s wrong?”
Bella had found the magic book she’d been looking for, and noticed her older sister lost in a daze.
“It’s nothing…”
It seemed she’d missed quite a show.
“It’s about Lin Yue, isn’t it?”
Bella knew her sister all too well.
“Hmph… It’s not.”
“Alright then.”
Meanwhile, Airella, who had run far away, leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, with only one thought in her head: This Isabella, she’s way too tsundere!
All she wanted was to clear things up and avoid having Isabella, the “real deal,” misunderstand her relationship with Lin Yue.
At first, she’d just followed him because she thought they were alike, and could understand each other.
“And what’s with that, ‘nothing good will come from following him’…”
Airella pouted and muttered softly: “Lin Yue might seem cold, but he saved my life at least once—he’s not that bad.”
Thinking back on what Lin Yue had said to her in the cave, Airella was certain he wasn’t as evil as the rumors claimed.
She couldn’t understand why Isabella was so hostile toward him.
Did they have some kind of deep-seated grudge?
Or was Isabella just so possessive that she felt threatened by any girl who approached him?
“I really don’t get you rich kids…”
Airella patted her cheeks, trying to shake off the jumble of thoughts.
“Whatever, let them think what they want. I’m not going to worry about it!”
Just as she was about to return to the dormitory, she suddenly spotted an unfamiliar silhouette—but the scent was unmistakably familiar.
“Lin… Yue?”
…
Lin Yue walked along the academy’s commercial street, carefully searching for any shop with a “Help Wanted” sign.
What was a little odd was the wig on his head; as long as no one looked too closely, it shouldn’t cause a stir.
Though it was stifling, he didn’t have a choice.
He’d already asked at no fewer than five shops, either being politely turned down or subjected to mocking sarcasm.
Some said he was a pampered young master with skinny arms and legs, weak on the inside; others accused him of lacking an appreciation for the language of flowers and being devoid of charm.
How the hell was a grown man like him supposed to be charming anyway?
Did this world even want to let him live?
But come to think of it, in the game, all the shop routines were set and never short-staffed.
Sigh…
Just as he was about to lose patience, he caught sight of the café-library at the street corner.
A “Help Wanted” notice was freshly posted by the door, as if it had just gone up.
A café, huh…
His mind instantly conjured up a slew of real-world “café manager” creepypastas, and suddenly he wasn’t so eager to go in.
Damn it, if I transmigrated into a villain, at least let me live the life of a young master!
But complaints were complaints.
Thinking of his empty pockets, all he could say was “life is hard,” and push open the door.
Ding-ling-ling…
At the sound of the door chime, a middle-aged Proprietor with a full beard and a battered felt hat behind the counter immediately looked up.
He toyed with a coffee cup in his hand, sharp eyes sweeping over Lin Yue and instantly recognizing him as an applicant.
“Looking for work, kid?”
The Proprietor’s voice was loud and carried a raspy note from years of smoke and drink.
“Yes.”
Lin Yue nodded.
“Are you still hiring?”
Glancing around, Lin Yue noticed many girls from the academy laughing and chatting at the tables—this place was apparently a hotspot.
The Proprietor put down the coffee cup and pointed at the chair opposite him:
“Sit. So, what can you do?”
“Anything. I learn fast.”
Lin Yue kept it brief.
He’d done plenty of part-time jobs in college and knew the drill.
The Proprietor grinned:
“Big talk, but I like it.”
He paused, deliberately heaving a sigh.
“To be honest, I really do need someone. The last kid was clumsy and lazy, so I kicked him out.”
“But more importantly…”
The Proprietor looked out the window, eyes resting on the girl students.
“Most of my customers are young ladies. Having a pretty boy brings in more business.”
That reason…
I can’t say I’m happy about it.
Standing up, the Proprietor gave Lin Yue a firm pat on the shoulder—he didn’t hold back: “You’ll do. I bet you’ll attract plenty of customers. Come in tomorrow at four in the afternoon for a trial shift.”
“The pay…”
Lin Yue started to ask.
“Don’t worry!”
The Proprietor waved a big hand, cutting him off.
“Definitely better than any other place you’ll find. Pay is settled daily, and if you do well, there’s a bonus at the end of the month!”
He spoke with complete confidence, giving off the air of a seasoned street boss, utterly at odds with the quiet café-library.
Lin Yue was a little surprised, but didn’t press the matter—he nodded: “Alright, thank you, boss.”
The Proprietor waved him off and returned to the counter, calling out loudly: “Be on time tomorrow!”
With that, he dismissed Lin Yue, saying he needed to prepare things for his shift.
“……”
He was an odd Proprietor, but at least Lin Yue had achieved his goal.
After walking a little way, Lin Yue took off his wig.
He hadn’t even asked for his name—wasn’t that a bit too hasty?
He’d been prepared to be thrown out, but instead, nothing happened.
The hiring process had gone way too smoothly—something felt off.
“Whatever, as long as I get paid.”
After Lin Yue left, in the library on the second floor above the café, a slender finger stirred a coffee with a thin iron spoon.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on the face gazing out the window.
“So he wore a wig. Looks like this young lady’s advice, he really did take seriously, huh.”