Just then, the soothing, elegant waltz began to play, breaking the awkward atmosphere in the corner.
The music, like a command, immediately drew the attention of most guests and also gave Su Qinghan a way out of the annoying argument.
She let out an obvious sigh of relief, as if she wanted to leave the moment behind. Her tone was decisive. “Alright, let’s drop it here.”
She looked at Yan Yu first, her gaze sweeping over the glaring stain on her chest, and her brow furrowed 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 a little, both soothing and with a hint of barely perceptible distance. “Muyun, don’t take it to heart. It’s your birthday today. Cheer up.”
When she heard Su Qinghan voluntarily offer to pay for the dress and casually brush off the matter, Jiang Muyun felt even more suffocated.
She was about to explode!
It was obviously Yan Yu playing the victim and turning things around unfairly.
How did it end up with 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 made her stance clear. If she kept making a scene, she would only look more immature.
She had no choice but to swallow her words, forcing out an unwilling “mm” through her nose, and then shot Yan Yu a vicious glare.
She also glared, with a look of frustration, at her curly-haired friend who had been standing there dumbfounded, before grabbing her friend’s arm and stomping away with heavy steps.
Watching them leave, Yan Yu’s pitiful and self-blaming expression instantly vanished, leaving only a calm stillness.
She picked up the damp, crumpled handkerchief she had used to dab at the stain 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-like mark on the pearl-white dress.
What a shame about this nice dress.
Yan Yu lightly touched the rough spot with her fingertip, but she didn’t feel much regret.
To her, this outfit, like the previous “Jiang Muyun style” old clothes, was just a “costume” and “prop” for completing the mission.
If a damaged prop could lead to a higher score and thicker “rewards,” it was worth it.
Almost simultaneously, that cold, emotionless voice, like a scoring machine, rang in her mind again:
[Ding!]
[Key plot “Jiang Muyun’s Birthday Banquet” completed.]
[Performance Score: 94 points.]
[Commentary: Perfectly portrayed the reaction of the “sickly substitute” being bullied in public. Using the tactic of “admitting fault first to appear magnanimous,” she retreated to advance, leveraging her own frail health and the “humble deep affection” persona to successfully make target Su Qinghan want to protect her, while beautifully countering the instigator Jiang Muyun. Emotional changes were on point, words were timely, and the live reaction was excellent, greatly increasing the plot conflict and tension between the characters.]
[Current main storyline progress for “Substitute Female Supporting Character”: 16%]
[Reward Issued: Special Item “Mint of Longing” x1.]
[Item Description: Looks like an ordinary mint candy—colorless, tasteless, and dissolves quickly. After being consumed by a specific person, for the next month, the target will occasionally and uncontrollably think of you and have fleeting memories related to you. The effect is subtle, hard to notice, and has no side effects. (Note: Can only be used on one person at a time.)]
Mint of Longing?
Yan Yu was intrigued by the strange item name and description.
With a thought, a semi-transparent info box appeared before her eyes, visible only to her. After carefully reading it, she opened her palm.
Her palm felt a slight chill, and a pale green mint candy, like crystal, materialized out of thin air.
The candy was small, glimmering faintly under the light, with a very faint, almost imperceptible minty scent.
This thing… was interesting.
Yan Yu pinched the candy between two fingers and held it up to her eyes.
A way to make someone think of you constantly for a month?
Who should she give it to?
Su Qinghan? The thought was dismissed as soon as it arose.
Not only was Su Qinghan’s current attitude toward her and their relationship a barrier—she had no opportunity or reason to make her eat this suspicious candy.
More importantly, she didn’t want Su Qinghan to develop too much goodwill toward her right now.
What if, because of the candy’s effect, Su Qinghan actually rekindled old feelings or developed unexpected interest, causing the plot to deviate? If the story took a completely different turn before she had accumulated enough Acting Progress, 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 and for the right purpose—they couldn’t malfunction or “go stale” prematurely.
What about giving it to Jiang Muyun?
That seemed even more unnecessary and would likely invite more trouble.
Bai Yan’er?
The thought made her heart tighten inexplicably, and she immediately suppressed it.
That sister was already enough of a headache. Adding a “longing” effect—who knew what would happen.
And Ruo Xiaozhen was even more out of the question. Last time, she had already barged into Yan Yu’s bathroom while she was showering with a dangerous look in her eyes. After eating this candy, she would probably devour her whole!
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 put the seemingly ordinary but actually special mint candy into her evening clutch purse.
‘Ah, I’ll figure it out later.’
By now, the dance floor in the center of the banquet hall had become lively.
Under the crystal chandelier, beautifully dressed men and women paired up gracefully, spinning in time with the music.
And the most dazzling, indisputable center of the dance floor was, of course, tonight’s birthday girl, 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 darting about, perfectly playing up the “little princess” vibe.
Su Qinghan was still in her sharp, dark suit, her posture straight and her dance steps steady. Occasionally, when she leaned down to speak to Jiang Muyun, her profile was striking in the interplay of light and shadow.
One was soft and pure, like a spring flower; the other cold and sharp, like a winter pine.
In everyone’s eyes, the sight of them dancing together under the brilliant lights was indeed beautiful and well-matched, as if they were born to be together.
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 stain on her chest, which had turned a dark brown, and decided to go to the changing room to deal with it or see if there was a change of clothes.
She maneuvered her wheelchair, silently gliding away from the lively dance floor area, heading toward the corridor beside the banquet hall.
Along the way, she could still hear the envious murmurs of the surrounding guests.
“Look, Miss Su and Miss Jiang—what a perfect pair!”
“Yeah, Miss Su really dotes on Miss Jiang. Look at this scene, this extravagance…”
“Tsk tsk, both girls, but Miss Su’s aura, her dance moves… too cool! I’m getting a crush!”
“Dream on! Only someone with Miss Jiang’s family background and temperament is worthy of standing beside Miss Su.”
“A perfect match… ah no, a perfect pair of ladies, made for each other!”
Yan Yu acted as if she hadn’t heard any of these comments, her face expressionless, as if the words were just irrelevant wind.
She controlled her wheelchair, deftly finding the VIP changing room deep in the corridor, and gently pushed the door open.
Unlike the lively warmth of the banquet hall outside, the changing room was brightly lit but incredibly quiet and cold.
Because the dance had already started, most guests who needed to change had already finished. Now, it was completely empty, with only rows of luxurious wardrobes and large mirrors reflecting the cool light under the ceiling lights.
Yan Yu let out a soft sigh. At least she had temporarily escaped those exhausting gazes and scenes.
She maneuvered her wheelchair, about to head toward the nearest row of wardrobes to see if there was a spare shawl or coat to cover the stain—
Behind her came a very faint, soft rustling sound.
Not from her wheelchair.
A feeling of being watched, like a cold thread, immediately coiled around her back.
It was that gaze!
The sharp, focused gaze from earlier in the banquet hall that had made her vaguely uncomfortable!
Yan Yu’s heartbeat quickened. Her fingers holding the wheelchair control lever tightened slightly.
She didn’t panic and turn around immediately. Instead, she naturally pivoted the wheelchair.
At the other end of the changing room, in front of a mirror, stood a person.
She had her back to the door, as if she had just been changing. Now, she was only wearing a simple but high-quality black underwear set, outlining smooth, elegant shoulder and back lines and a slender, taut waist.
Her long black hair was tied into a neat high ponytail, hanging down her bare back.
As if hearing the slight sound of the wheelchair turning, the figure paused briefly, then unhurriedly turned around.
It was her again.
Under the light, Dai Feng’s delicate yet handsome face appeared clearly before Yan Yu.
Her expression was neutral, her eyes calm as they looked at Yan Yu.
There seemed to be no surprise in them, only a certain deep scrutiny.
Yan Yu looked at her, her eyelashes fluttering slightly. A smile slowly spread across her face, and her voice was soft and gentle:
“Miss Dai? What a coincidence.”