In the end, she still decided to go to the banquet.
To inform Gu Ximian of her decision, she arranged to meet with her again. While Gu Ximian readily nodded, her eyes held a hint of curiosity. “I thought you would refuse me.”
…So that’s what Gu Ximian was thinking. Zhuang Chi was rather surprised. She hadn’t expected that this female protagonist, who should have never been refused in her life, would have been mentally prepared for it. She felt she should say something pleasant and diplomatic to explain her reason for accepting, but after a moment of internal struggle, she spoke honestly when she opened her mouth, “…I ran into An Chen earlier…”
“Hmm…” Gu Ximian raised an eyebrow knowingly. “Did he say something to you?”
“…We did talk quite a bit…” This included probing, a declaration of war, and a threat not to refuse Gu Ximian and make her unhappy. Zhuang Chi felt that if she said all this, it would sound too much like she was tattling. So, after some thought, she managed to pick out the most friendly remark to respond with, “…He just advised me to attend the banquet. And he said that if I didn’t have a formal gown, he could lend me one.”
“…” Clearly not expecting such an answer, Gu Ximian was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled lightly. “…He’s quite thoughtful, then. But that won’t be necessary. Of course, I’ll be the one to prepare your gown, since I’m the one who invited you. Do you want to wear a dress or pants? Any requests for color or style? Don’t be polite. As long as it’s what you want, I can basically get it ready for you.”
This was already giving her a headache. Zhuang Chi silently pressed her temples and sighed, “…You can just decide. I don’t have any requirements… Ah, but it’s best if it’s not too flashy…”
“I understand. Find some time later to give me your measurements, or we can just measure you directly…” Seeing Zhuang Chi freeze up again, a smile bloomed in Gu Ximian’s eyes, and she deftly changed the subject. “…But then again, no matter how understated your gown is, as long as you’re with me, you’ll inevitably attract attention.”
“That can’t be helped. So, what will you do, Zhuang Chi.”
She smiled gently, looking at Zhuang Chi who was at a loss because of her words, and tossed out a question as if making small talk: “Are you going to hide from me?”
“…”
…A question with an unfathomable intention. Zhuang Chi thought. It seemed Gu Ximian was a little different from before. Where was it? Was it because she was no longer concealing her protagonist-awareness in front of her…
“…I’ve already accepted your invitation. It would be outrageous to do that.”
Having tentatively asked this back, Zhuang Chi saw her female protagonist’s gaze shift slightly. She neither nodded nor shook her head, only lowering her eyes with an ambiguous attitude.
“Your willingness to accept my invitation was already unexpected. I won’t make any more demands… so it doesn’t matter if you really want to do that,” Gu Ximian said, her fair, intertwined fingers on the table unconsciously tightening a little. “…Anyway, if you really are my Official Match, then no matter what you think or do now, you’ll still end up by my side in the end, right?”
“Perhaps willingly, or perhaps by a twist of fate,” she leaned back slightly, giving Zhuang Chi a faint smile. “What kind of plot development will there be? It’s truly something to look forward to.”
There probably won’t be the kind of “plot development” Gu Ximian is concerned about, right? Is it too optimistic to think that?
The next day, sitting in the cafeteria, Zhuang Chi chewed her food without tasting it, forcing herself to find a thought from another angle that could cheer her up a little: If Gu Ximian was operating under the assumption that “because they are the Official Match, they will inevitably interact in the end,” then looking at it from the opposite direction, could it also be interpreted as “if they really go their separate ways for the entire banquet from start to finish with no contact, then they are not the Official Match”?
Could that be considered an opportunity? Zhuang Chi thought. If she could pull it off, perhaps she could cause this false identity of hers to waver a little…
“Ah, you’re spacing out again, Zhuang Chi!”
Her attention was pulled back by the complaint from across the table. Zhuang Chi looked up to see Ling Jing waving her spoon in dissatisfaction. “You’ve been spacing out so often lately. What’s wrong? Could it be that you’re tired from learning too much in the post-differentiation classes?”
“…It’s not that often, is it? It’s only been your second day since you were let out.”
Ling Jing’s susceptible period had lasted for three days. After finally getting out, she was completely listless and has only now recovered about seventy or eighty percent. She was quite indignant that she had missed something as major as Zhuang Chi’s differentiation while she was in her susceptible period—for reasons unknown. Anyway, asking her would just get her an earful of “You actually differentiated behind my back!” so Zhuang Chi chose not to ask again. She still looked unhappy now, huffing as she scooped up a spoonful of soup and brought it to her mouth, mumbling, “I’ve already seen you space out many times in this short period! You should reflect on yourself!”
Beside them, Lu Man muttered, “This one is acting less and less like a servant. Don’t tell me she’s completely forgotten,” Zhuang Chi gave a wry smile and responded good-naturedly, “…It’s true that I’ve been learning a lot recently, but thankfully the Alpha education course is almost over.”
The week-long education was visibly coming to an end, and in contrast, the October holiday was just around the corner—which meant the banquet would be starting soon, making Zhuang Chi more nervous with each passing day.
An Chen had a “hand” in this as well. He had somehow gotten Zhuang Chi’s WeChat ID and sent a friend request. After much deliberation, Zhuang Chi accepted it, only to receive a survey about her gown requirements. The items to be filled out were densely packed, clearly not something commercially available, but a form An Chen had made himself.
Surprised that An Chen was actually serious about preparing a gown for her, Zhuang Chi hesitated, carefully considering her words for a long while before finally sending a tactful refusal: Thank you for your kindness, but please don’t trouble yourself…
This single sentence was immediately followed by several rather long replies. The content roughly included a lesson on banquet etiquette about “the importance of a formal gown and how it cannot be treated casually,” a frank admission that “although our relationship isn’t great, you can rest assured I won’t pull any tricks in this regard,” and a heartfelt piece of advice that “I can understand your pride, but sometimes accepting help from a rival isn’t out of the question.” And just as Zhuang Chi was at a loss for how to reply, he sent another message, this time very short: Could it be because Ximian said she would prepare it for you?
…She hadn’t actually planned on bringing this up. Zhuang Chi silently thought that the Student Council President was quite sharp in this regard. After a long hesitation, she sent back a simple “Mm.” And then An Chen never replied to her again.
Although it wasn’t her intention, she felt that An Chen’s hostility towards her had grown stronger. Putting other things aside, just from the perspective of an ordinary university student, being resented by the Student Council President was not a good thing at all. The thought of it made Zhuang Chi feel weary, and she grew even more worried about the upcoming banquet… An Chen wouldn’t do something to target her because of this, would he? Damn it, to think that she would one day have the feeling of “I hope everything just follows the original plot.”
“You have it pretty good. At least your differentiation course didn’t take up your vacation time.” Not noticing that Zhuang Chi’s mind had drifted off again, Ling Jing huffed and complained, “I differentiated during the summer vacation—which means I lost a whole week of my break. Is there any justice in this world?”
That is indeed quite unlucky… Zhuang Chi responded and looked over at Ling Jing, her gaze lingering on her face for a moment as a small question mark formed in her mind.
…Regarding Ling Jing, it felt like she should logically be one of the attendees at the banquet, but in the plot Zhuang Chi recalled, she didn’t seem to have much of a role. She didn’t know if her unreliable memory was acting up again or if Ling Jing really had nothing to do with this event… Or perhaps in this event, Ling Jing was just a background character?
Actually, I could just ask her if she’s attending. Zhuang Chi thought for a moment and opened her mouth, “Ling Jing, are you—”
“—And especially since Zhuang Chi differentiated while she was alone with Gu Ximian! That’s so enviable! Isn’t that like getting a head start on all the other Alphas right from the starting line! Damn it…”
“…”
…She sensed a hint of danger. Zhuang Chi thought. Given the situation, if Ling Jing really hadn’t received an invitation to the banquet, then she would be exposing the fact that she had been invited by Gu Ximian to her family’s banquet…
It felt hard to say whether it would lead to some terrible consequences. There was already An Chen who had a problem with her; she didn’t want to make another enemy for herself.
“…Ah, forget it. It’s already happened anyway… Zhuang Chi, did you call me just now? What’s up?”
“…It’s nothing. I was just going to ask… are you allergic to dishes made with peanut oil?”
“Ah, I don’t think I’ve ever paid special attention. Now that you mention it, it makes me a little concerned. Maybe later I’ll go—”
“Don’t try it.”
Let’s just leave it at that for now. Better not to ask. Zhuang Chi thought. Anyway, if Ling Jing was attending, she would run into her at the banquet… They could talk then. It was also hard to say which would be better for her—Ling Jing attending or not. If she went, it would be a fifty-fifty split between “having someone to talk to” and “making the situation more complicated.” If she didn’t go, although the situation would be simpler, she would have to face An Chen alone, without even someone to share the pressure.
…Sigh, it’s like assessing the battlefield before a war. Zhuang Chi melancholically poked at the rice in her bowl. A normal university student wouldn’t be thinking about this kind of thing while eating, right? It feels like it would cause indigestion.
Forget it. At this point… as long as I can get through it smoothly.
She tried to mentally prepare herself for a few days, but when Zhuang Chi arrived at the banquet venue, she still couldn’t help but take a small, sharp breath.
Wow, what a beautiful building. It looked just like a castle out of a fairy tale. Does a place like this even exist in this city? Doesn’t anyone think it looks completely out of place compared to the surrounding modern urban architecture?
She stiffly stepped out of the car, which Gu Ximian had arranged to pick her up. Zhuang Chi quietly thanked the driver, then turned around alone to face the enormous castle and the surrounding people, who all looked to be dressed in rather extraordinary attire. The retreat drums in her heart were beating loudly.
Hey, I’m already here, how can I say such discouraging things! Let’s just go in! Zhuang Chi closed her eyes and made up her mind. I’ll just pretend I’m here for dinner!
With the inexplicable tragic feeling of a level 10 hero walking into the demon king’s castle, Zhuang Chi took a step forward.
Huge thanks to R, Waffles and Mat for the support!
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