Chapter 22: Gossip at the Supply Line

Waiting in line was a long and tedious process. Shu Xin aimlessly observed the people around her. The expressions on their faces had visibly relaxed, sweeping away the tension and despair from the past few days.

The government’s rescue efforts had greatly soothed their panic, allowing them to regain a sense of stability.

No matter how dire the situation, they believed the nation would not abandon them.

At present, the authorities were distributing relief supplies to maintain public order. However, the country’s reserves were finite, and the disaster was not confined to a single city or province—it was a nationwide crisis.

This was not a short-term catastrophe. From the moment the downpour began, it became an endurance battle with no clear end in sight.

Due to last year’s abnormal weather, crop yields had been severely impacted. The available food supply consisted entirely of reserves.

Once the higher-ups fully believed Yan Mo’s warnings, they would undoubtedly begin strict rationing of all resources. At that point, whether relief supplies would continue being distributed—or if they would remain free—was highly uncertain.

If the official relief effort ceased while people realized the natural disaster was far from over, the resulting backlash would be catastrophic. Society’s fragile order would collapse in an instant.

A familiar name suddenly yanked Shu Xin from her wandering thoughts. She turned toward the source of the voice, where a confrontation was unfolding between a man, a woman, and another individual dressed in a more androgynous style.

“Ye Yu’an?! Is that really you?! What are you doing in this community?!” Wang Yayun’s sharp, astonished voice drew the attention of those around her.

The deeply ingrained Chinese tendency to spectate drama kicked in, and curious gazes discreetly shifted toward the scene, eager to see what was unfolding.

Standing beside Wang Yayun, Du Hanxu’s expression was equally unpleasant. His gaze toward Ye Yu’an carried a deep-seated resentment.

Ever since Ye Yu’an exposed his academic misconduct—publicly revealing that he had others complete his assignments—his reputation at the academy had been completely ruined. Everything he had painstakingly built crumbled overnight.

Originally, he had been set to receive the school’s prestigious Three Excellence Award this semester. But after Ye Yu’an stirred up trouble, his name was immediately removed from the candidate list and replaced by someone else.

That replacement just so happened to be a long-time rival of his. Taking full advantage of the situation, they had mocked and ridiculed him mercilessly. Du Hanxu blamed Ye Yu’an entirely—if she hadn’t lost her mind and exposed the truth, none of this would have happened. He would still be the admired and respected model student.

Wang Yayun harbored her own grudge against Ye Yu’an. She had no idea how Ye Yu’an discovered her relationship with Hanxu. Back when they were still hiding it, she had never noticed anything amiss, assuming Du Hanxu’s care for her was simply an extension of their close friendship.

She had naively believed that his affection stemmed from their close bond.

Who would have thought that Ye Yu’an would suddenly figure everything out? Not only did she realize they had been involved behind the scenes for a long time, but she also exposed them. This ruined Wang Yayun’s grand moment—she had been thrilled about soon being able to go public as Du Hanxu’s girlfriend.

A guy like Du Hanxu—wealthy, academically outstanding, and good-looking—was a coveted prize at school. Many girls envied the chance to date him. Just as Wang Yayun was basking in the joy of becoming his acknowledged girlfriend, Ye Yu’an destroyed his reputation.

Still, that was a minor setback. As long as she remained by Hanxu’s side through this rough patch, she was confident that he would come to appreciate her unwavering loyalty and sincerity, paving the way for her eventual place in his family.

“Why can’t I be in this community? What, do you own the place?” Ye Yu’an hadn’t expected such terrible luck.

She had already cut her long black hair into a short bob, dressed in men’s clothing, and concealed herself with a hat and mask. Yet, she had still been recognized by Wang Yayun. No wonder her right eyelid had been twitching before she left home—it was clearly an omen.

“Ye Yu’an, you actually have the nerve to show up in front of me?! You really have some guts!”

The venom in Du Hanxu’s voice was unmistakable. Even the bystanders in line could sense his barely contained rage, making them even more eager to watch the spectacle unfold.

“That’s right! Ye Yu’an, after what you did to Hanxu, how dare you show your face here?!”

“Shouldn’t I be the one saying that? It wasn’t me who betrayed my best friend by sneaking around with her boyfriend. It wasn’t me who plagiarized someone else’s work to climb the ranks. The ones with no morals, no integrity, and no shame are you two! Yet here you are, acting all self-righteous.”

“Oh, I get it now. You’ve done so many shameless things that you’ve become completely desensitized. You’re just used to shifting all the blame onto others and pretending you’re innocent.” Ye Yu’an’s voice was icy, her gaze devoid of emotion, yet her words were laced with scorn.

The surrounding onlookers, who had been discreetly listening in, immediately perked up. A best-friend-turned-homewrecker scandal? That was prime gossip material. The anticipation in their eyes burned even brighter.

The plot might be cliché, but it was undeniably thrilling—especially when witnessed live. Even the agonizingly long wait in line became a secondary concern.

The public’s judgmental stares hit Du Hanxu and Wang Yayun like slaps across the face, leaving them humiliated.

But they had no choice. They couldn’t afford to leave without collecting their relief supplies. Resigned to their predicament, they grudgingly put on their masks and slunk to the back of the line. Their resentment toward Ye Yu’an only deepened.

They had only just moved into this community and hadn’t yet stocked up on essentials. When the government issued the emergency storm warning urging people to hoard supplies, they had gone to the supermarket but found the crowds unbearable and left with only a few items.

Neither Du Hanxu nor Wang Yayun knew how to cook, so their food supply consisted mainly of instant meals and snacks. They had managed to survive this long thanks to a shipment of goods Du Hanxu’s family sent in the early days of the storm.

Now, their reserves were nearly depleted, and his family was unable to send more. Otherwise, they would never have stooped so low as to collect the very relief supplies they once looked down on.

Not far away, Shu Xin had been silently enjoying the show. Like a fox sneaking through a melon patch, she had thoroughly savored this juicy drama.

At last, she had put a face to Ye Yu’an, the novel’s ruthless and decisive reborn protagonist. In the book, Ye Yu’an’s residence was in a different neighborhood. Now, however, she was living in the same community as Shu Xin.

Tsk. Sharing a neighborhood with the protagonist? Hopefully, their buildings were far apart. Otherwise, trouble would come knocking sooner or later. And protagonist-level troubles were the last thing minor characters like them needed.