Chapter 8: The Aloof Young Lady

By the time Luo Yihuan stepped inside, Jiang Li had already regained her energetic demeanor from their morning encounter. She slung a small bag over her shoulder and chatted animatedly with the director, her figure swaying with laughter.

The director was a kindly middle-aged woman wearing metal-rimmed square glasses. She grinned ear to ear while speaking with Jiang Li, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes crinkling upward.

No one knew what Jiang Li had just said, but the director clapped her hands appreciatively, her entire being radiating vitality and enthusiasm.

Jiang Li stood with her back to the door, so the director spotted Luo Yihuan first as she entered slowly. The director’s smile toned down a notch, and she called out respectfully, “Chairwoman Luo.”

The moment she heard Luo Yihuan’s name, Jiang Li’s body went rigid. The director who had been standing in front of her hurried over to greet Luo Yihuan, leaving Jiang Li standing there foolishly by herself.

She could move, of course.

But please forgive her ostrich mentality—she just wasn’t ready to face Luo Yihuan yet.

123 had this to say about Jiang Li turning her back on everyone while they all faced Luo Yihuan:

【Hehe, deluding yourself.】

Just thinking about that shameful content and the varied performance acts made Jiang Li’s teeth grind in mortification. The Yandere System was truly…

Luo Yihuan had noticed Jiang Li’s figure the instant she entered. Seeing she hadn’t moved, Luo Yihuan assumed she was busy with something and didn’t call out to her.

After chatting briefly with the director, Luo Yihuan realized Jiang Li still hadn’t turned around. She scanned the room, aware of all the eyes on her, then softly called out Jiang Li’s name.

In the end, there was no avoiding it.

Jiang Li’s back-turned face twisted into a bitter grimace. Embracing the mindset that she might as well get it over with sooner or later, she turned around with a radiant smile, her face blooming with warmth.

“What’s up? I was just memorizing my speech for later in such a focused daze that I didn’t hear what you were saying.”

Her excuse sounded perfectly reasonable, and her expression was utterly sincere. Luo Yihuan’s gaze flicked to Jiang Li’s empty hands. She let out an “oh” and nodded, as if accepting the explanation.

Turning back to the director with a curved smile, Luo Yihuan said, “Have all the children been seated? It looks like Doctor Jiang is fully prepared.”

At those words, the smile on Jiang Li’s face shifted into bewilderment.

Wait, when had she said she was fully prepared? She’d just claimed she was memorizing her speech with total concentration!

From the sidelines, Jiang Li watched as Luo Yihuan coolly directed the director. In just a few minutes, she rescheduled Jiang Li’s speech from eleven o’clock to a half-hour from now.

“Jiang Li, do you want me to be your first audience member?”

Once everything was settled, Luo Yihuan finally turned back, her eyes meeting Jiang Li’s wide stare and dazed expression as if she were still processing it all. Luo Yihuan asked softly.

Her gaze was earnest, without a trace of guilt.

She was clearly asking out of goodwill, but Jiang Li stared at her calm face and somehow spotted a hint of amusement in those deep, dark eyes.

She was doing this on purpose.

Jiang Li’s cheeks puffed out in irritation, a flicker of anger flashing in her watery eyes as she glared straight at Luo Yihuan.

But…

After staring too long at that faint expression on Luo Yihuan’s face—and thinking about having to say those embarrassing words to her in a bit—Jiang Li felt a wave of awkwardness.

Fine, whatever. She’d be the bigger person and treat it as mental compensation for Luo Yihuan. With that thought, all those little prickles of annoyance standing on end inside her softened and withdrew.

After all, she was the one who had to spout that tricky nonsense at her out of the blue.

Luo Yihuan had braced herself for Jiang Li to get angry—even her gaze toward Luo Yihuan had carried a hint of fury, and Luo Yihuan waited in some anticipation.

However…

What arrived instead was Jiang Li lifting the corners of her mouth, calmly walking past her with a composed look, and tossing out a casual remark with an upward lilt of arrogance at the end.

It was pure, absolute confidence in her own abilities.

“Wait and see.”

Jiang Li had spritzed on a light, sweet perfume that day. As she brushed past Luo Yihuan, she carried a gentle breeze with her. Her slightly curled locks swept across Luo Yihuan’s cheek, filling her nostrils with a clean, refreshing scent.

Even after Jiang Li had walked away, Luo Yihuan slowly raised her hand, her fingertip lingering lightly on the spot where the strands had grazed her cheek. She didn’t move for a long moment.

Her lashes trembled faintly as Luo Yihuan lowered her eyes, suppressing the emotions swirling within them—dark depths that sent a shiver through her.

Her fingertip trailed slowly downward from there, the specks of light in her eyes growing brighter and larger. A flush crept into the corners of her eyes, ripples stirring in those previously still pools.

Like a towering peak at the summit of a snow-capped mountain—long untouched by any soul—beginning to quake violently, shedding layers of pristine white snow to reveal an essence utterly at odds with its exterior.

Luo Yihuan rubbed at the corner of her eye, rubbing a patch of dark red onto her fair skin after just a few strokes. She paid it no mind, merely thrilling at the discovery: the Jiang Li she’d thought was nothing more than an obedient darling always mewling cutely was something else entirely.

Perfect.

Luo Yihuan had arrived precisely on time at the designated spot, where everyone else was already present. They moved about the stage front and back, directing the children to their seats and maintaining order.

She stood in a corner, leaning back against the wall in a relaxed posture.

The lights in the back of the room dimmed gradually, the space growing dark. She didn’t bother hiding the casual gleam in her eyes, narrowing them slightly as she eyed Jiang Li appraisingly under the beam of light up front with keen interest.

Let her show you, Jiang Li. Give her more surprises.

At the edge of the stage, Jiang Li closed her eyes, mentally rehearsing her speech one last time.

One by one, the lights dimmed until, with a click, the final beam in the back went out.

Now, the only light source left bathed the stage where Jiang Li stood.

Jiang Li took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and strode firmly to the center of the stage. The children below erupted into enthusiastic applause at her appearance, their cheers lasting quite some time.

“Hello, kids. I’m Jiang Li. I’m so, so happy to be here today to share a little story with you all.”

“Once upon a time, there was a…”

Jiang Li spoke freely and fluently from the stage, sharing an animal tale that captivated the audience. She wove animal abuse, counterattack, and the lingering trauma afterward together masterfully, her words humorous and vivid, drawing everyone effortlessly along with her train of thought.

A pure white light gleamed amid the darkness, filling Luo Yihuan’s eyes entirely with the reflected image of the woman on stage. She watched without blinking as Jiang Li shone like a star in everyone’s eyes—radiant yet never scorching.

Watching this confident, steadfast Jiang Li earnestly answer the children’s questions while facing them, Luo Yihuan leaned against the wall, her gaze fixed on her face.

One child after another asked questions, some utterly fanciful and outlandish, but Jiang Li curved her eyes warmly, considering each angle to thoughtfully resolve their every doubt.

She was like the gentle moonlight of a spring night. In her eyes, every child deserved the utmost care, every small sentiment cherished delicately in her palms.

Under the dim lights, Luo Yihuan gazed at Jiang Li with shadowed intensity, her dark irises brooding, the depths of her eyes inscrutable.

Why.