Song An’an lowered her head, shyly imagining the thoughts swirling in A-Sheng’s mind.
Her A-Sheng definitely liked her too, right~
Meanwhile, Lu Ziqing was left speechless by Song An’an’s retort. She took a long moment to recover before speaking up. “Not necessarily! Is that really how you express liking someone? I can buy Liang Sheng all sorts of things she wants. Can you?”
Good grief. Liang Sheng felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. They were treating her like some kind of female gold digger.
Sure, lounging around while money rolled in had always been one of her biggest life dreams. But her family was already loaded—she didn’t need a sugar mommy to keep her. After all, she was the sugar mommy! Once her cheap dad finally kicked the bucket (Liang Wengao: You got some manners?), all that property and those deeds would be hers. She’d be set for life, never wanting for food or shelter!
“Actually, a life sentence comes with free room and board too,” Akino Kazuko couldn’t resist chiming in.
“Scram!” Liang Sheng snapped.
While Song An’an and Lu Ziqing bickered back and forth, Gu Yuqi and Bai Zhen were having their own clash on the other side.
“Sigh…” What a headache. Liang Sheng really wanted to bolt. Sure, being adored by a bunch of girls sounded like bliss, but harem drama? She couldn’t deal with that.
Just then, Mo Qingrou quietly approached Liang Sheng’s side. Her cool voice slipped into Liang Sheng’s ear.
“Seems like you have quite a few girls who like you.”
Liang Sheng jumped in surprise, shaking her head vigorously out of guilt. “No, no, no! Sister Mo Qingrou, what are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean.”
“I can tell. And I know you can tell too.” Mo Qingrou gave Liang Sheng a sidelong glance that sent a shiver down her spine. “No point hiding it. The more people who like you, the more charm you have.”
With everything out in the open and no one calling her bluff, Liang Sheng saw no reason to keep pretending. She let out a sigh. “Yeah, I can tell. But what can I do? I can’t accept them, and I can’t bring myself to hurt them with the truth. So I play dumb and keep the friendship boat afloat.”
Mo Qingrou turned to face the sea and didn’t respond. Instead, she said something that left everyone scratching their heads.
“Looks like I’ve got plenty of love rivals.”
“Hm?” Liang Sheng wasn’t in the best mood. She leaned in close to Mo Qingrou. “Sister Mo Qingrou, do you really like me? Is that why you’re chasing after me?”
Mo Qingrou froze, offering no reply.
Liang Sheng sighed again. “Sister Mo Qingrou, you don’t actually like me that much, do you…”
“No.” Mo Qingrou spoke up. “You’re different from the others. You give me this feeling like we’ve met before. And it fills me with a kind of sweetness… Yeah, sweetness. The taste of something sweet.”
Liang Sheng couldn’t quite grasp what Mo Qingrou meant. She sighed quietly to herself.
Truth be told, playing the heartbreaker didn’t feel good at all. She and the person she truly liked were already mutually in love, yet…
Suddenly, Liang Sheng turned the question inward. Did she feel absolutely nothing for Hana? Had her heart never fluttered during her interactions with the Young Miss? And had she never felt that spark of desire for Liang Jin?
Liang Sheng gritted her teeth and answered herself.
“Sure, anyone would. But it’s just base lust. A fleeting thrill at a pretty face—not the deep, from-the-heart desire to truly be together.”
“You’re lying!” The voice was sharp and piercing, as if demanding her submission. “If that were true, you wouldn’t be stuck in this limbo of neither rejecting nor accepting them!”
“I…”
Liang Sheng went still, lost in a daze.
“I’m only doing this for the missions. To save everyone.”
“Liang Sheng!” Akino Kazuko burst in, cutting off her host’s spiraling thoughts. “What kind of nonsense is that?! Don’t sell yourself short like this. It’s totally normal! Picture it: a sweet girl who adores you, showers you with kindness every day. You’ve got someone you like, but you’re not together yet. Of course you’d feel a little flutter for her!”
“Mm…”
After that heartfelt pep talk from her Favorability System, Liang Sheng’s mood lifted considerably. The guilt of being a “heartbreaker” eased up too.
“And besides, you’re doing all this to spare these poor girls their tragic fates—to keep them from gruesome deaths and their families from ruin,” Akino Kazuko added. She worried Liang Sheng might be overloading herself all at once.
Liang Sheng smiled in understanding. “Thanks, Kazuko. I feel a lot better. Not bad—you’re actually useful~”
There was her snarky self. For once, Akino Kazuko didn’t fire back. Instead, she urged, “Go hang out with them and unwind. You’ve had a long day.”
“Mm~” Liang Sheng hooked her arm through Mo Qingrou’s and flashed a radiant smile. “Come on, Sister Mo Qingrou. Let’s go have some fun~”
In that moment, Liang Sheng steeled her resolve once more.
She absolutely could not let these innocent girls—who should be living happily with their families—die in agony. Nor could she let so many households suffer the heartbreak of losing a beloved daughter!
“You seem happier than before,” Mo Qingrou observed keenly.
“Yeah~” Liang Sheng grinned. “I just realized some things aren’t as important as I thought~”
By now, a ton of barbecue was ready.
“Wooow!” Spotting the food, Liang Sheng instantly let go of Mo Qingrou’s arm and bolted for the grill.
Emmm… The resolute, justice-driven girl from moments ago? Forgotten in a heartbeat at the sight of delicious eats. She drooled like a greedy pup, staring longingly at the skewers in the server’s hands.
Mo Qingrou glanced down at her arm—the one Liang Sheng had just touched. Now it felt empty, bereft of that soft little hand. And somehow, her heart felt empty too.
The emergence of that hollow feeling filled Mo Qingrou with wild joy. Finally—a shift in her emotions! It had been years since she’d felt anything as vivid as anger, gloom, or happiness.
This only strengthened her determination to pursue a relationship with Liang Sheng.
“Ding~” Favorability increased.
“Mo Qingrou’s Favorability Toward Liang Sheng: 62”
Huh? Liang Sheng was still oblivious. It looked like Mo Qingrou was on the verge of developing real “feelings” for her.
Sigh~ Guilt level: plus one.
Luckily, there was food to distract her. Liang Sheng shoved her worries aside and dove into devouring skewers with gusto.
“Sis! Gimme another slice of grilled fish!” Liang Sheng called out excitedly to the server, her mouth already slick with grease as she waved her hand.
Bai Zhen sidled up close and gently wiped the corner of Liang Sheng’s mouth, her eyes brimming with indulgence. “You got it all over your little mouth. Such a goof.”
Senior Sister Gu Yuqi, meanwhile? Oh, she wore a look that could kill.
