Chapter 9: Saving the PUA’d Supporting Female Lead (9)

The streets were crowded and lively, everyone chatting and laughing happily. Tang Qi and Luo Xue searched for a long time before finding a restaurant that still had seats.

Tang Qi requested a private room and ordered several dishes that Luo Xue liked.

“Aren’t you going to ask me why I broke up?” Luo Xue asked with a playful smile.

In fact, the System had already told her everything word-for-word. But thinking that Luo Xue might want to talk about it, Tang Qi still considerately asked, “Why did you break up?”

“Because I realized I deserve better. Just like you said, I deserve to be loved too.” Luo Xue’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, like stars in the sky. “My parents don’t love me. I’m always hoping someone will love me, but I can’t lose myself, can’t give up on myself, just because I want ‘love’.”

She couldn’t keep brainwashing herself. In truth, if Tang Qi hadn’t appeared, she might have actually ended up brainwashed by Li Chengyu. Turning into the kind of “unworldly” girl he described.

Altering world lines wasn’t her principle, but looking at Luo Xue before her, Tang Qi couldn’t bring herself to correct her words. “You’re thinking the right way.”

A server came in to deliver the dishes, and Tang Qi got up to leave the room. Luo Xue thought she was going to the restroom. She didn’t expect Tang Qi to be gone for quite a while. When she returned, her hair still carried faint traces of moisture.

“What’s this…”

Tang Qi handed over what she was carrying. Luo Xue took it. It was a small cake and five hair clips of identical style but different colors. Tang Qi felt a rare touch of embarrassment and rubbed her nose. “There weren’t any good shops nearby. I forgot to prepare a holiday gift, so I just bought each of us a hair clip.”

Luo Xue looked at the colorful clips. Tang Qi stared at the ceiling. “Pick a color you like. For New Year’s, I’ll get you a proper make-up gift.”

The System kept mocking her in her mind—getting a gold ingot and giving back a hair clip. Tang Qi silently stared at the ceiling. She had absolutely no concept of gift-giving. In the past, she’d just done whatever the world line prompted her to do.

“Don’t dislike it,” Tang Qi said, awkward.

But Luo Xue suddenly laughed. It was clear she was genuinely happy. She picked out a purple hair clip from the bunch. “I’ll take this one.” It was never about the gift itself, nor the price.

The cake was an ordinary cream cake. It was the first time Luo Xue had ever received one. What did Li Chengyu give her for her past birthdays?

In any case, it couldn’t have been much better than a “true heart.” She took a bite and smiled brightly. “Mmm, really sweet.” She scooped up a spoonful and offered it to Tang Qi. “Want a taste?”

Only after speaking did she remember the spoon was one she’d already used. Unexpectedly, Tang Qi didn’t notice at all. She took the spoon and ate the bite. Luo Xue stared, stunned, and then heard Tang Qi offer a serious assessment. “They put too much sugar in the cream.”

Looking at the spoon being given back, Luo Xue silently took it. She reached up and pressed a hand against her suddenly racing heart. Yet Tang Qi, oblivious as ever, showed no reaction and even asked another question. “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it.”

“No, no! I like it. Cream cake is my absolute favorite.” To prove how much she liked it, Luo Xue wolfed down a huge bite. “See? I really love it.”

Li Chengyu didn’t come looking for Luo Xue again. After a few days of anxiety, Luo Xue felt relieved. She felt that with Li Chengyu’s warped ego, he wouldn’t cling shamelessly.

Time quickly reached the end of the semester. Everyone was stressed over final exams, and even the air seemed filled with a bit more anxiety.

Tang Qi, however, continued her tutoring, attended classes, and rested as usual. Amidst the chorus of lamentations from the class, she offered up her notes.

Everyone then discovered that Tang Qi’s notes were exceptionally clear. Even students from other departments came to borrow the notes for the core classes. But Tang Qi only had one set of notes. Eventually, she simply told everyone who came to borrow them to photocopy a set for themselves.

After their exams, everyone was eager to rush home. The dormitory quickly emptied out, leaving only Luo Xue and Tang Qi. Tang Qi wasn’t going back to her hometown and would spend the New Year here. Luo Xue didn’t see much point in going back either, so she bought a train ticket for a day later.

“Are you staying at Sister Zhou’s place?” The dormitory felt empty and quiet. Luo Xue watched Tang Qi pack her things, feeling a sense of reluctance.

“Yeah, she asked me to tutor the kid for next semester’s courses.” Tang Qi smiled. “There’s not much for me to do if I go back.” The original host hadn’t asked her to do anything regarding the eldest uncle’s family, so keeping her distance was the best course.

“I don’t want to go back either. It’ll just be me at home.” Luo Xue was troubled and felt like staying here to keep her company. “But my parents come back to see me once every winter break, so I definitely have to go home.”

Tang Qi’s phone rang at that moment. Luo Xue didn’t think much of it. After Tang Qi hung up, she casually asked, “What was that about?”

“The counselor said the school received an anonymous report—claiming I knew the exam content in advance and used the final exams to seek personal profit.” Tang Qi stated this with a calmness entirely at odds with the situation.

“Which bastard said that?” Luo Xue bolted upright like a carp leaping out of water, furious. “I’m going to the counselor with you.”

The counselor was a gentle-natured old man. When he saw Tang Qi, he didn’t immediately accuse her but had the two sit down. “Tang Qi, you did extremely well on these exams, with scores near perfect in all subjects. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the National Scholarship for next semester is yours.”

Tang Qi wasn’t surprised. The counselor continued, “I’ve checked your past grades. You’ve always been at the top of the class. So these results aren’t shocking. However, since a report was filed, it still needs to be addressed. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”

“This isn’t fair! How can you make someone who hasn’t done anything wrong prove she hasn’t done anything wrong? Are you asking for a certificate of innocence?” Luo Xue was outraged.

Tang Qi took hold of Luo Xue’s hand to signal her to calm down. She took out her phone, ID card, and bank card. “When it comes to scholarships, it’s only right to be cautious. You can check my accounts. All my money is earned from tutoring in my spare time. I have a list of my tutees here; you can verify it, Teacher.”

The counselor was surprised by Tang Qi’s composure. “The accuser says you sold your notes for personal gain and also says you knew the exam content beforehand, which is why you scored so highly.”

Tang Qi produced her notes—over a dozen notebooks in total—and placed them on the counselor’s desk. “Teacher, you can check my notes. The exam content is all recorded from my class notes; it’s perfectly normal for me to get a perfect score. If this isn’t proof enough, the course instructors can create a new exam. I will retake it, and if my score is lower than this time, I’m willing to accept the punishment.”

“As for selling notes, I lent them out for free. Every student who used my notes can testify to that. My phone has no transfer records whatsoever.”

“The accuser claims you accepted cash,” the counselor said, sounding weary, but quickly added, “Though, let me be clear: even if it were true, that kind of personal initiative is something the school wouldn’t interfere much with. It just wouldn’t look good if you actually took money.”

“At what location, what time, which place? The school is full of cameras; it can be checked.” Tang Qi showed no sign of panic. “Lending notes between classmates is an act of friendship. I would never charge any fee.”

“It’s obvious someone is just jealous of Tang Qi,” Luo Xue chimed in. “Teacher, you can’t just let her be bullied.”

The counselor nodded. “As your teacher, I believe in your character. I will report this to the school. Leave the notes here for now; you can take your bank card back.”

After leaving the counselor’s office, Luo Xue was so angry she viciously kicked a nearby planter. “Which bastard did this?”

The System was also furious, but it could only monitor events happening in real time. It couldn’t review past events, so it fumed silently on the side.

“It’s fine, there won’t be any consequences,” Tang Qi reassured Luo Xue. Luo Xue bared her teeth. “Let me find out who it is, I’ll chop them into pieces and feed them to the dogs.”

“That’s right! Feed them to the dogs!”

For once, girl and System were in complete agreement.

Back in the dorm, the more Luo Xue thought about it, the angrier she became. She briefly explained the situation in the class group chat. The chat instantly exploded in an uproar. Tang Qi had suffered such a huge injustice. What if she stopped lending out her notes next semester?

Who the hell was that despicable accuser?

The matter quickly spread to other departments. Quite a few people called the school to explain, vouching that Tang Qi had never taken a single cent. Some students even posted about it on the school forum. Many commenters cursed the whistleblower for having malicious intentions.

It had to be someone jealous of Tang Qi getting the scholarship.

“Host, should I look into it?” the System asked angrily. Tang Qi nodded. “Go check who got the scholarship last year, and who would be on the list to replace her next year.”

The incident stirred up quite a buzz within the school. Many demanded an explanation be given to Tang Qi, especially since Tang Qi had selflessly helped so many people at the end of the semester. Even several teachers had opinions on the matter.

Saying Tang Qi knew the exam questions in advance was the same as saying they leaked the topics, wasn’t it?

The school soon issued an internal statement. Their investigation had revealed no issues on Tang Qi’s part. They even released screenshots of some of her notes, demonstrating that Tang Qi had meticulously recorded the key points taught by the instructors, making it perfectly natural for her to score high.

The matter gradually quieted down. As it faded, the campus returned to complete tranquility.

Winter arrived. Tang Qi tutored students daily. Between her base pay and a bonus, she earned quite a bit of tutoring money over the winter break. Luo Xue sent her WeChat messages every day—sometimes idle chatter, sometimes talking about matters at home.

Tang Qi learned that Luo Xue’s parents each returned separately during the winter break to see her once. They each left her one hundred thousand yuan. After consulting Tang Qi, Luo Xue kept a few thousand for herself and deposited the rest in savings.

Amidst Tang Qi’s busyness and Luo Xue’s anticipation, a new semester began once more.

“Tang Qiqi! You’re finally back! I’ve missed you to death!” Mai Lingling threw herself into an enthusiastic hug upon seeing Tang Qi. Tang Qi smiled and acknowledged her.

Luo Xue, as usual, brought out local specialties and handed them out to everyone. Tang Qi couldn’t help but think back to half a year ago when she first arrived in this world. She never expected she would end up getting along so well with her dorm mates.

“Host, host! I got the proposed list for this year’s scholarship. Fresh off the press!” The System popped up, displaying two lists in Tang Qi’s mind. Tang Qi had nearly forgotten about this matter; she hadn’t expected the System to still remember it.

Tang Qi quickly scanned the lists. Her eyes paused on one name.

“Li Chengyu.” Tang Qi pondered. The System sneered. “He only got the scholarship in the past by sheer luck with some bonus points; it’s normal for him to be pushed off the list now.”

University A was different from other schools. Normally, there would be two scholarship spots per grade level, but at University A, it was entirely merit-based. The eight students with the best grades in the school simply got the scholarship.

Li Chengyu had earned the scholarship the previous year thanks to bonus points from a competition win. This year, Tang Qi had risen up and pushed him off the list.

“It has to be that piece of scum,” the System roared.