Chapter 13: Don’t Let Yourself Be Deceived

Jiang Yaoyao returned home, picked up a notebook, and began recalling the plot of the original novel she had read.

For some reason, ever since she transmigrated into this world, she had felt that the characters in the book were strangely off.

The notorious, bloodthirsty villain wasn’t actually that bad.

The warm, optimistic, and resilient white-lotus female lead had turned into a scheming green tea.

Meanwhile, the supposed underdog, the male lead Wei Changze, remained as unlikable as ever.

Even though the author had explained at the end of a chapter that the male lead was not perfect and asked readers to be more understanding…

Why did everyone extend their understanding only to the protagonist but not to the villain?

Why was Pei Heng, despite being just as imperfect, written as a ruthless, bloodthirsty character and constantly berated in the comment section?

Yet Wei Changze, simply because he wore the protagonist’s halo, could have his manipulative, cutthroat actions glorified?

It was unfair.

But whether it was fair or not, one thing was undeniable:

As a cannon-fodder female supporting character, she had no rights in this world. Any slight disturbance she caused could lead to her death.

She bit her pen and did her best to jot down the key events from memory, completely missing the repeated flashes of her phone screen on the sofa behind her.

She had no idea how much time had passed when a sudden, urgent knock on the door broke the silence.

The delicate beauty, who had been furiously scribbling away, paused her pen. She closed her notebook and walked toward the door.

Her slender fingers rested on the doorknob, gently twisting it open.

“Jiang Yaoyao, what the hell are you—”

The young man standing at the door, his face filled with anger, stopped mid-sentence the moment his gaze landed on her.

Wei Changze’s pupils flashed with unmistakable astonishment. His mouth was still slightly open, one hand resting on the doorframe, his entire body frozen in place.

The Jiang Yaoyao who had disappeared for a few days looked completely different.

She was dressed in a simple white knee-length dress, her small face lifted, free of any makeup.

Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes shimmered like a pool of water, the slightly upturned corners curving just right, as if meticulously painted by the hand of God.

Her dark hair cascaded down her back, and her features were stunningly delicate.

She was both slender and pure.

A stark contrast to the pretentious, cheap-looking women in the entertainment industry who constantly threw themselves at him while pretending to be innocent.

Even her lips, as she scolded him, looked particularly soft and tempting.

“Wei Changze, why the hell are you barking like a dog so early in the morning?”

He should have retaliated.

He should have sternly reprimanded her.

After all, he had never once suffered a loss in front of Jiang Yaoyao.

From the moment they met, she had always been the one clinging to him, sweetly calling him “Brother Ze.”

But for some reason, despite her unusually hostile attitude today, Wei Changze’s heartbeat inexplicably quickened. His face even felt a little warm.

“I’m sorry.”

He heard himself speak, his voice carrying an unfamiliar note of humility and appeasement.

“You must have been resting, right? I’m really sorry for disturbing you. When I was coming upstairs just now, I smelled something really good—no, I mean, I wanted to ask if you’ve had breakfast yet. The restaurant downstairs makes great food.”

The beauty standing inside tilted her head slightly, her delicate brows knitting together as if struggling to make sense of his disjointed words.

Wei Changze swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and under her dismissive gaze, he finally found his voice again.

“Are you hungry? I can go buy breakfast for you, okay?”

The stunning girl inside slowly shook her head, her attitude sharp despite the soft, sweet lilt of her voice.

“Stop pretending to be a good person, Wei Changze. We already cut ties. We’re done.”

“I never agreed to that—”

Wei Changze stared at her, his words rushing out in a panic.

“Yaoyao, I was wrong a few days ago. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

“How about this? Today, I’ll take you to buy that bag you wanted, okay? You’ve been wanting it for a while, haven’t you? I’ll get it for you.”

“I don’t want it!”

The little beauty pursed her lips and looked at him with clear eyes, asking irritably:

“What exactly do you want, Wei Changze?”

“Can you use your brain for once? We’ve already gone our separate ways. Stop bothering me!”

“Yaoyao, listen to me—”

“I never want to see you again!”

The little beauty inside glared at him indignantly and swiftly shut the door in his face.

Wei Changze’s explanation got stuck in his throat.

He just stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the tightly closed door, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

His heartbeat was so fast, it felt like it was about to leap out of his ribcage.

Jiang Yaoyao looked really beautiful today.

He didn’t know why—her face was exactly the same as before.

But her entire aura had undergone a drastic transformation.

She was soft, her gaze was delicate, those dewy eyes full of clarity and emotion.

Even her temper, no matter how sharp, somehow made people want to dote on her.

Wei Changze raised a hand, pressing it against his racing heart, now filled with nothing but regret.

If he had known, he wouldn’t have impulsively sent Jiang Yaoyao those accusatory messages earlier today.

He should have come here first. Should have seen her face first. Should have spoken to her properly.

But Jiang Yaoyao liked him so much—she was always easy to coax.

Once she cooled down, all he had to do was say some nice words, buy her a few bags and accessories she liked, and she would surely forgive him.

Determined to win Jiang Yaoyao back, Wei Changze returned with freshly bought breakfast in hand and placed it outside her door.

He touched the closed door, then raised his voice slightly.

“Yaoyao, don’t be mad.”

“I left breakfast at your door—remember to eat it later.”

“I have a roadshow event coming up, and my assistant keeps calling me. I can’t stay with you for long, Yaoyao.”

He stood there, talking to the door, hesitating for a moment before continuing:

“Yaoyao, I’ve reflected on it. It was wrong of me to ask you to smear Pei Heng before.”

“That guy Pei is scheming, full of tricks—he’s no good…”

The more he spoke, the angrier he got, his brows knitting together.

“You must not let yourself be deceived, Yaoyao.”

“He doesn’t know how to love. He doesn’t really like you. Don’t let yourself get swept away by a few sweet words from that old man and forget who truly cares about you—”

“Young man—”

A voice sounded from behind him. Wei Changze turned around to see an elderly woman carrying shopping bags.

She looked at him strangely, as if he were a lunatic.

“Young man, that little girl went downstairs a while ago.”

“And you’re still standing here talking to the door?”

“There’s no one inside. Didn’t you know?”