Chapter 20: Saving the PUA’d Supporting Female Lead (20)

Li Chengyu’s interview flickered through Luo Xue’s mind, but it did nothing to dampen her good mood. As long as he didn’t come to bother her, Li Chengyu could say his first love was a person, a demon, or whatever he liked—she couldn’t care less.

The two traveled without any specific purpose or agenda. Over two months, they visited famous historical sites they loved. Sometimes, on a whim, they would be watching the sunrise by the sea in the morning and find themselves in a wooden cabin at the foot of a mountain by evening.

Luo Xue felt she had never been this happy. She could laugh without restraint and make a fuss without reservation. Tang Qi agreed to every request she made. They camped on mountaintops in the middle of the night and took evening flights chasing the sunset.

Tang Qi was also overjoyed. She could finally travel according to her own whims, lingering over things she liked and skipping past those she didn’t. Though the body wasn’t her own, her soul was truly free.

Their final stop was an ancient city within the country. The two walked side-by-side down the street. Countless lanterns hung along the long pedestrian walkway. The moonlight was soft, and the strollers were lively. With little modern technology in sight, it calmed the heart and made one linger amidst the worldly hustle and bustle.

Some stalls mimicked ancient street vendors. The lanterns were like beautiful art pieces. Luo Xue looked at the lanterns, then at Tang Qi. Tang Qi understood immediately. “You like it?”

“Buy it for me.” Luo Xue tugged at the corner of her clothes, acting coy. She increasingly enjoyed Tang Qi buying things for her.

She wasn’t greedy, however. She always asked for small trinkets, and they were now piled high all over her bedroom.

The stall owner cupped his hands in a playful, old-fashioned salute. “Honored guests, one lantern is one hundred taels of silver.” He pointed to a blackboard beside him that read: ‘One tael of silver equals one yuan.’

Tang Qi took out her phone and paid. Luo Xue picked a Jade Rabbit Lantern. She held it up beside her cheek, looked up, and asked with a smile, “Does it look good?”

Her eyes shone brightly, reflecting the candlelight, and her gaze was full of Tang Qi. Tang Qi involuntarily averted her eyes and coughed lightly. “It looks good!”

Back at the hotel, Tang Qi went to shower first. Luo Xue carefully placed the lantern on the table and sat beside it, quietly observing the ink-wash painting of the jade rabbit.

Tang Qi came out of the bathroom. “You didn’t go back to your room?”

Luo Xue stood up, her gaze falling on Tang Qi. The hesitation in her eyes gradually dissipated. “I’m going back now.”

Tang Qi dried her hair. “Get some sleep early. We have to return to the company tomorrow. Good night!”

She didn’t hear Luo Xue’s reply. When she looked back, Luo Xue had already left. Tang Qi noticed the lantern left behind on the table and frowned. Why did she leave this?

Luo Xue never used to let anyone even touch the things Tang Qi gave her.

The System jumped out to mock her. “Maybe after this trip, Luoluo has gotten over you. Heh!”

Seeing Tang Qi silent, the System continued its output. “When you had your accident, so many people kicked you while you were down. Only she never abandoned you. Ah~ True hearts are hard to come by~ Some people just don’t know how to cherish them.”

“Are other systems as noisy as you?” Tang Qi asked, her tone nonchalant. The System wasn’t backing down. “What’s the matter? Did I hit a nerve, so now you’re resorting to personal attacks out of anger?”

Tang Qi didn’t want to argue with it. She dried her hair and lay down on the bed, only to find her gaze constantly drifting towards the lantern.

For millions of years, she had observed the world from a bystander’s perspective. So many Taskers in the Retirement World used extreme methods to vent the pain of their imprisoned souls.

She hadn’t gone mad like those Taskers, but she didn’t know if she was capable of caring for and loving another person.

Knock, knock. There was a knock at the door. Tang Qi sat up abruptly. The knocking paused for half a beat, and for a moment, she wondered if she had just imagined the sound.

Knock, knock, knock. The knocking sounded again. Tang Qi opened the door. Standing outside was Luo Xue, wearing a bathrobe.

Seeing the door open, Luo Xue raised her face in a smile. “I came to get the lantern.”

Tang Qi stepped aside to let her in. The instant Luo Xue passed by her, a whiff of alcohol drifted into her nostrils.

“You’ve been drinking?” Tang Qi asked casually.

In the next moment, Luo Xue suddenly turned around, cornered Tang Qi against the wall, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed her without the slightest hesitation. An intense aroma of alcohol exploded in Tang Qi’s mouth.

Before she could even react, Luo Xue reached out and turned off the room light, leaving only the dim bedside lamp.

In the darkness, Tang Qi couldn’t see Luo Xue’s expression, but she could feel her trembling.

“I drank a whole bottle.” Luo Xue felt a little dizzy. Spurred on by the alcohol, she gritted her teeth and untied her bathrobe. As it slipped to the floor, Tang Qi then realized she was wearing nothing underneath.

“Hold me, okay?” Luo Xue embraced Tang Qi.

Tang Qi felt her heart pound fiercely, so much so that she didn’t even try to stop Luo Xue’s hands from untying her own bathrobe. “Tang Qi, I like you. Can you like me too?”

“I… I don’t know what ‘liking’ someone is.” Tang Qi’s mind went blank. Luo Xue giggled softly, leaning her whole body into her embrace. “Then it’s fine if only I like you. I just want to be with you. Together during the day, together at night. Eating together, sleeping together. I don’t want to be apart from you for a single second.”

She called out softly, “Tang Qi!”

Tang Qi didn’t know what was happening to her. Her mind was just a complete blank. What followed seemed to happen naturally, a natural progression. Embraces, kisses; the room filled with an intense atmosphere. It wasn’t until Luo Xue was on the bed that Tang Qi felt a thin barrier against her hand, and she suddenly snapped back to her senses.

She abruptly withdrew her hand, rolled over, got out of bed, and retreated several steps.

Luo Xue opened her eyes. She sat up and stared fixedly at Tang Qi. Before she could even speak, her eyes were already brimming with tears. “Why?”

Tang Qi said nothing. Luo Xue felt utterly humiliated. She got up awkwardly and walked to the door. Her hands were trembling so badly it took her several tries to put her bathrobe back on properly. “Do you… do you mind that it’s me? Li Chengyu and I never did anything.”

“I know.” Tang Qi felt as if her throat was blocked, every word forced out with immense effort.

Which was precisely why she had stopped!

“So you think this responsibility is too heavy, and you don’t want to take it, right? I don’t need you to take responsibility.” Luo Xue was shaking all over. Her voice was trembling too, like a withered lotus in the wind. Every word she spoke was an act of trampling her own dignity.

But this person was Tang Qi. She didn’t care about dignity; she just wanted Tang Qi. “Even if it’s just for a day, just an hour, I still want… I, I don’t mean anything else by it. You don’t have to take responsibility, you can…”

Luo Xue wiped away a tear and tried hard, with great difficulty, to express her meaning. This time, she had truly staked everything she had.

If she lost, her career, her love, her friends—all would leave her.

“Don’t be like this!” Tang Qi wanted to comfort her. Luo Xue was in despair. “So, is it truly impossible? I’m not shameless. It’s not that I have to use this kind of method. I just… I just didn’t know what else to do! I’ve never done this before. I’m not that kind of person. Don’t look down on me!”

She covered her eyes. “I like you too much. It’s not because you saved me. I just… I just think you’re wonderful.” She broke down, her body swaying unsteadily. “I… can I still stay by your side?”

Tang Qi wanted to reach out and support her, but Luo Xue suddenly stepped back. “I’m going back to my room. I won’t do this again. Really! Don’t send me away!”

She scrambled to her feet, as if all her strength had left her in an instant.

Coming here, she had gambled all her dignity and courage. She wouldn’t have the courage to confess a third time.

The System was so distressed it felt like crying. Tang Qi had a splitting headache. She blocked out the System and stared blankly at the door, lost in thought.

She had truly considered Luo Xue her best friend and had never thought about developing any other kind of relationship. She knew herself. She didn’t possess such advanced emotions.

No matter who she was with, she would end up disappointing them.

But thinking of Luo Xue’s broken expression, Tang Qi hesitated. The System struggled to break free from the block. “Host, just think of it as doing a good deed. It’s just one world. Luoluo won’t be able to bear it.”

The moment Luo Xue returned to her room, she couldn’t hold on any longer and burst into unrestrained tears. Every minute she spent with Tang Qi, she feared someone would take her away.

For a fleeting moment, the thought of death crossed Luo Xue’s mind.

But she couldn’t do that. That would cause Tang Qi immense pain. She could only endlessly console herself: as long as Tang Qi didn’t send her away, she could still shamelessly stay.

“Luoluo.” Tang Qi knocked on the door. Luo Xue was dazed. She got up in a trance and opened the door.

Tang Qi looked at her eyes, swollen from crying, unsure if her decision was right or wrong. She walked into the room and closed the door. Fear flickered in Luo Xue’s eyes; she was terrified Tang Qi would tell her to leave.

“I’m sorry!” Tang Qi spoke. Luo Xue swayed slightly but could only grit her teeth and brace herself to listen.

Tang Qi hadn’t noticed Luo Xue’s fear. “I… I realized a long time ago that I can’t love a person. I seem to lack the emotion of ‘like.’ For you, too, it’s the ‘like’ one feels for a friend…”

Luo Xue’s face was deathly pale. She nodded, tears streaming down. “I know.” I know. So you don’t need to say it again.

“…If you don’t mind that I may never love you in this lifetime, we can be together.” Tang Qi compromised. “But I will be responsible for you. I’ll take care of you, respect you, and care for you for the rest of my life. Everything I have is yours to command. Whatever you ask for, I will fulfill.”

Luo Xue had been waiting for judgment but never expected this sudden turnaround. Her eyes widened abruptly—she couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing.

For a moment, she thought it was a hallucination born from sheer desire. She wanted to reach out and touch the Tang Qi before her, but she was afraid this person, too, was a figment of her imagination.

Tang Qi took Luo Xue’s outstretched hand and pulled her into an embrace. “I’m sorry for causing you so much pain. If being together can ease your suffering, then let’s be together.”

“You… you mean it?” Luo Xue couldn’t believe it.

“Yes.” Tang Qi didn’t want to give herself room to back out. When she said something, she did it. Her intention from the start was to protect her first friend; it was just that their relationship status had changed. “Are you willing?”

Luo Xue froze for a few seconds. Once it sank in, she nodded vigorously. Fearing Tang Qi couldn’t see, she quickly spoke up. “Willing. I’m willing.” She clutched Tang Qi’s clothes, pleading, “Don’t lie to me. Don’t take it back tomorrow.”

“I won’t.” She sighed inwardly, unsure if what she was doing was right or wrong.

As she spoke, she handed the things in her hands to Luo Xue. “These are all my bank cards. Besides what I’ve invested, all my money is in these. You can use it freely. When we get home, I’ll hand over all my investments for you to manage.”

“I don’t need…” Luo Xue quickly refused.

Tang Qi shook her head. “This is my principle.” She had never loved anyone and couldn’t offer Luo Xue emotional security. She had to make up for it in other ways.

Luo Xue looked at the ID card and bank cards in her hand. This was Tang Qi’s promise.

Her previous pain seemed to be swept away by the wind. She asked tentatively, “Can we wear matching accessories?”

“Yes.”

It’s real! Luo Xue secretly pinched herself, then firmly wrapped her arms around Tang Qi’s waist and confirmed once more. “You’re my girlfriend from now on, right?”

“Yes.” Watching Luo Xue, her eyes still swollen yet shining with a happy smile, Tang Qi felt for the first time that maybe she hadn’t made a mistake.