Jiang Mian was referring to the new apartment he had arranged for her. She asked casually, in line with her persona without any real expectation that Shen Shiyan would actually come over—nor did she want him to.

Just as Shen Shiyan was about to respond, He Lai couldn’t hold back and quickly reminded him. “President Shen, you have a meeting tonight with President Zhang from Huaxin Venture Capital!”

If she didn’t speak up now, Shen Shiyan might actually get lured away by this shameless woman!

This woman had no shame. She clearly knew how busy Shen Shiyan was and still had the nerve to ask him to visit her apartment in the evening. Her intentions were obviously impure.

Shen Shiyan paused, his gaze coldly sweeping over He Lai as if displeased by her meddling.

He Lai felt a tightness in her chest, biting her lip as she shot a resentful look at Jiang Mian.

In the end, he didn’t agree to go to Jiang Mian’s apartment. “I have plans tonight,” he said flatly.

Jiang Mian looked at him expectantly, but when she heard his refusal, her dark eyes immediately dimmed, losing their brightness. She looked utterly disappointed.

She responded with a soft “Oh,” behaving obediently and without complaint, her demeanor perfectly conveying that she was well-behaved and wouldn’t make a fuss.

In truth, though, Jiang Mian was secretly hoping Shen Shiyan would never come over—ever.

Who wouldn’t enjoy living alone in a luxurious apartment? It was perfect.

Shen Shiyan glanced at her fresh, delicate face and changed his mind. “I’ll come by another day.”

Jiang Mian’s eyes lit up at his words, and she immediately looked up, her gaze sparkling. “When is ‘another day’?”

“In a few days.”

A few days?

Wasn’t that just a polite way of brushing her off?

Jiang Mian wasn’t naive. She figured Shen Shiyan had no intention of seeing her which suited her just fine. It was exactly what she wanted.

Still, she maintained an excited, cheerful expression. “Alright, I’ll cook a grand meal for you when you come!”

“Mm.”

This time, Jiang Mian was more cautious. Before leaving, she glanced back at Shen Shiyan several times to make sure she didn’t feel any lingering pain anywhere. Only then did she briskly get into the car.

However, in the eyes of a certain shameless man, her actions seemed like reluctant attachment to him.

The new apartment Shen Shiyan had arranged for her had already been thoroughly cleaned with spotless furnishings and complete amenities.

It seemed to be one of Shen Shiyan’s properties, a place he didn’t visit often which was probably why she was allowed to stay there.

Not only was it located in an upscale neighborhood with top-notch security, but it was also by the riverside. At night, she could stand on the balcony and enjoy the view of the riverfront lights.

After exploring the apartment, Jiang Mian had already figured out the best spots for shooting videos.

She recorded one and sent it to Shen Yin.

[Shen Yin: OMG, girl, did you strike it rich? Can you sponsor me now? Clinging-to-you meme.jpg]

[Jiang Mian: No way, I’m just staying here temporarily!]

[Shen Yin: I’m still jealous. Does your boss, President Shen, need anyone else? Someone like me—average-looking but hilariously entertaining?]

The two chatted back and forth casually when a housekeeper approached Jiang Mian, carrying shopping bags. “Miss Jiang, would you like me to help put these away?”

Jiang Mian lifted her head, smiling sweetly. “No need, I can handle it myself!”

“But there’s so much here. It might take a while to clean up,” the housekeeper replied. “And leaving everything piled up like this makes it look messy.”

“It’s fine, I’ll take my time,” Jiang Mian reassured her.

All of these items were unopened, as she planned to use them for unboxing videos. And honestly, it didn’t matter how cluttered it looked since she was living here alone.

Afterward, she asked the housekeeper to leave and told her she only needed to come once a week.

The housekeeper was a bit surprised but nodded, took her things, and left.

Finally, Jiang Mian was alone. She happily kicked off her shoes, threw herself onto the soft bed, and rolled around a few times without falling off.

Having the entire bed to herself felt incredible—so different from before when she had to sleep carefully, afraid of accidentally touching Shen Shiyan.

She snapped a few pictures of the apartment and sent them to Shen Shiyan, one of which featured her leaning on the balcony railing.

[Jiang Mian: This place is amazing! I hope I can watch the night view here with you, Mr. Shen. I can’t wait to see you soon!]

At that moment, Shen Shiyan was in a meeting, his expression unreadable as he briefly scanned the content, the corners of his thin lips slightly curling upward.

After a while, Jiang Mian stopped expecting a response from him and returned to chatting with Shen Yin.

Soon, she noticed a new message from someone else.

Seeing the name “Li Sisi” on the screen, she racked her brain for a moment before remembering who it was.

Li Sisi was the dorm leader and also the class monitor. She was messaging Jiang Mian because the CET-4 and CET-6 exams were coming up, reminding her to return for the test.

The original owner of this body had been so focused on Shen Shiyan that she had completely neglected her studies and skipped the exams.

Jiang Mian, however, knew she needed to take the exams to ensure she could graduate smoothly, so she decided it was necessary to go back and take them.

She quickly replied with a simple “thank you,” which left Li Sisi momentarily stunned.

Although Jiang Mian was her roommate, their relationship had never been warm. Jiang Mian was known for her bad temper, harsh words, and had even gotten into several arguments with other girls in the dorm.

So when she received the thank-you, Li Sisi couldn’t help but question if it was really Jiang Mian herself replying.

That night, Jiang Mian enjoyed the beautiful riverside view while soaking in a relaxing bath. After completing her skincare routine, she got into bed to sleep.

Just as she was about to drift off, she suddenly remembered something she had forgotten to do. She quickly sat up and grabbed her phone.

To maintain her persona, she still needed to send Shen Shiyan a love confession message.

She snapped a photo of the night sky outside the window and sent it to him.

[Jiang Mian: There are so many stars tonight. If you were here with me, I’d be even happier. Good night, Mr. Shen!]

Jiang Mian planned to return to school to catch up on the classes she had missed and to cram for the last few days before the CET-4 exam.

The next morning, she was woken up by her alarm, groggily sent Shen Shiyan a “Good morning” message, and tossed her phone aside.

It was the first class of the day, so Jiang Mian rushed to the classroom.

When she arrived, the classroom was still fairly empty with only a few students trickling in, chatting and laughing.

As students found their seats, they were surprised to spot Jiang Mian there as well.

Jiang Mian was the most beautiful girl in their class but she rarely came to class. She usually had classmates mark her attendance for her, so everyone was surprised to see her actually attending today.

The students were so taken aback that they kept glancing at her, whispering and discussing among themselves.

This included her roommates as well.

One of the girls with short hair and a round face, glanced back at Jiang Mian who was attentively listening and taking notes. She nudged Li Sisi’s shoulder in disbelief. “I can’t believe Jiang Mian actually came to class today. And she’s listening and taking notes, too! Do you think the sun rose in the west today?”

After hearing her desk mate, Li Sisi also turned to look. Sure enough, she saw Jiang Mian completely absorbed in the lecture.

Ever since Jiang Mian thanked her on WeChat last night, Li Sisi had felt something was off about her.

She gripped her book and stared straight ahead, unmoving. “Who cares about her?”

After class, Jiang Mian packed up her things and walked straight over to Li Sisi. “Are you heading back to the dorm?”

Li Sisi paused, surprised by her approach. Jiang Mian shyly explained. “I left my CET-4 admission ticket in the dorm. I was planning to go get it, but I lost my dorm key, so I thought I’d walk back with you.”

Li Sisi nodded. “Alright, let’s go!”

As they walked, many people couldn’t help but glance over.

Jiang Mian had a perfectly shaped oval face with fair, delicate skin and features that were exquisitely proportioned. Her smile was bright and bold, and when she smiled, the tear mole beneath her eye added a seductive charm.

Anyone standing next to her seemed overshadowed as if they were mere background compared to her.

Unconsciously, Li Sisi and the round-faced girl who had been walking side by side, fell behind as they admired Jiang Mian’s slender figure. The round-faced girl sighed enviously. “Jiang Mian is really beautiful.”

Li Sisi responded dismissively. Jiang Mian was famous in their department for being the campus beauty, and it wasn’t uncommon for boys to pursue her and send her gifts every day.

When they arrived at the dorm, Jiang Mian glanced at her bed and thought to herself that she would need to come back another day to pack up her things.

She grabbed her CET-4 admission ticket and the books she needed for studying, preparing to leave.

“I’m leaving!” she called out.

Li Sisi didn’t respond, still staring at her with a strange look. However, the round-faced girl spoke up. “Your things look pretty heavy. Do you want me to help carry them?”

Before Jiang Mian could refuse, the girl had already grabbed a cardboard box from the desk, ready to help her carry it downstairs.

“No need, I can carry it to the door and take a taxi.” Jiang Mian replied.

The round-faced girl insisted. “It’s fine, I’m really strong!”

“Well, thank you, Chen Yao!” Jiang Mian said.

When Chen Yao heard the words “thank you,” she was so surprised that she almost dropped the box.

They had been roommates for over a year and a half with Jiang Mian frequently asking her to run errands for her. This was the first time Jiang Mian had ever said thank you.

She looked up at Jiang Mian in surprise. Jiang Mian smiled, her lips curving upward as she walked out of the dorm.

It was cold now, and besides the students coming and going to classes, there was no one else on the campus paths.

Halfway there, Jiang Mian noticed Chen Yao was sweating while carrying the box, breathing heavily with visible puffs of white air. She suggested, “How about we switch? You carry the suitcase, and I’ll hold the box.”

“It’s fine, I can handle this short distance!” Chen Yao smiled cheerfully, looking endearing as she spoke. “You’re too slim to carry something this heavy!”

Chen Yao was a little chubby, ate a lot, and had great strength.

Jiang Mian searched her memory, recalling that the original Jiang Mian had treated Chen Yao poorly, often using her like a servant.

However, Chen Yao seemed to hold no grudges, still treating her like a friend. If it were her, she certainly wouldn’t be as forgiving as Chen Yao.

They walked and talked.

Chen Yao asked curiously. “So you moved out? Does that mean you won’t be coming back to live here?”

Without hesitation, Jiang Mian nodded. “I’m staying at a relative’s house. You know I’m making videos, and sometimes it might disturb you guys, so I’m really sorry about that!”

Even if she were to be dumped by Shen Shiyan in the future, she would still have enough money to support herself.

“Which relative of yours is it? I don’t remember you ever mentioning them before?”

“Oh, it’s my uncle’s family. I only recently heard about it from my dad!”

……

“By the way, can I call you Yao Yao from now on?”

“Sure, that’s fine!”

Chen Yao nodded, and the two of them reached the door just as the car arrived.

Chen Yao put the things in the trunk, and Jiang Mian said. “Yao Yao, once I get settled in, how about you come over and visit me?”

Chen Yao thought Jiang Mian was living with her uncle’s family and hesitated a bit. “Ah, would that be okay? Won’t your uncle’s family mind?”

“My uncle moved abroad, so the apartment is empty, and he’s letting me stay here!”

Since moving into the new apartment, Jiang Mian had received all the new filming equipment she had ordered. She spent her time unpacking and recording videos while also attending classes and preparing for the CET-4 exam.

The CET-4 exam shouldn’t be a problem for Jiang Mian; she just needed to spend the next few days reviewing, and passing the exam was pretty much a given.

Besides that, the thing Jiang Mian did the most was scour the internet for a mountain of cheesy love confessions. These weren’t romantic declarations at all; they were downright cringy, and she could barely stand reading them herself.

Every day, she sent Shen Shiyan a confession at set times—at least three messages, one in the morning, one at noon, and one at night. In between, she would occasionally send a few selfies to keep her presence felt in front of him.

After several days of this, Jiang Mian was even moved by her own actions. She considered herself the model of a stand-in lover, someone everyone else should learn from.

At first, Shen Shiyan would reply with a few short words, but eventually, he seemed to get tired of her constant messages and stopped responding altogether.

That was exactly what Jiang Mian wanted—she hoped to annoy Shen Shiyan to the point where he grew frustrated with her.

Before she knew it, the exam day arrived.

The weather was nice that day with the sun hanging high in the sky and its warm rays spilling down making everything feel cozy.

For the past few days, Jiang Mian’s first action upon waking was to send a message to Shen Shiyan.

After staying up late to study the night before, she almost missed the alarm that morning.

Jiang Mian woke up, hurriedly washed up, and quickly copied a cheesy love confession from the internet. She didn’t even bother to read it carefully—something along the lines of “I’m missing you in my life”—and sent it off without a second thought.

After finishing up, she grabbed her exam admission ticket and rushed out the door to head to school.

As soon as she arrived at the exam hall, she received a message from Shen Yin.

[Xiao Yinyin wants to make big money: Hope the exam goes smoothly! I’ll pick you up at noon, let’s go have hotpot together!]

[Jiang Mian: Got it, buy the ingredients first and come pick me up!]

[Xiao Yinyin wants to make big money: Ok!]

At the exam hall, Jiang Mian quickly found her seat and sat down.

The CET-4 exam was in the morning, and it was freezing cold. Many students couldn’t get out of bed and ended up skipping the exam, so the classroom had only a handful of people.

By the time the exam ended and the papers were handed in, it was already noon.

Jiang Mian, who was always sensitive to the cold, had been sitting in the classroom for so long that her feet were almost numb.

Taking an exam in the middle of winter was pure torture, and she could finally understand why some students couldn’t manage to get up in time to take the exam.

As all the students handed in their papers, they began to file out of the exam hall. Jiang Mian joined the crowd, heading downstairs with them.

It was unclear what was happening downstairs, but the area started to get congested.

Standing at the back, Jiang Mian sent a message to Shen Yin while moving forward with the crowd.

[Jiang Mian: Not sure what’s happening up ahead, it’s suddenly gotten crowded. Wait for me, I’ll be there soon!]

Just as she sent the message, Jiang Mian reached the door, and the crowded space suddenly cleared up.

Before she could process what was going on, a vibrant bouquet of roses suddenly appeared in her line of sight.

Then, a man’s gentle voice called out her name. “Jiang Mian!”

Startled, Jiang Mian looked up and saw the owner of the flowers.

The man was dressed in a stylish black tracksuit, towering at nearly six feet three inches, giving off a tall and imposing presence.

His fluffy light blue hair caught the sunlight making him stand out even more. His face was strikingly handsome, with thick brows and large eyes, and when he smiled, it was both warm and radiant—exactly the type of guy Jiang Mian liked.

Wow, a guy like this—he’s just too charming.

With a handsome guy like him, standing downstairs with a bouquet of fresh, vibrant roses, how could anyone not stop and stare?

If it were her, she’d definitely want to stick around and watch to see which girl he’d give the flowers to.

Never in a million years did she expect it to be for her. Was she about to get a little bit of good luck in love?

Jiang Mian’s heart fluttered, though her expression remained calm. She searched her mind carefully, but couldn’t recall any memory of this guy. She looked at him, confused, and asked. “May I ask who you are?”

The guy seemed a bit surprised by her question, but after a moment, he smiled and introduced himself. “My name is Cheng Wenhan. We’re in the same year, second-year students, but I’m from the Department of Physical Education.”

A PE student, no wonder he’s so tall!

Since she’d already “entered” this story and turned into someone else, unable to resist, she might as well enjoy it and maybe even have a good time with a little romance.

The original Jiang Mian was beautiful, and many guys had confessed to her, but she never cared about the schoolboys, always obsessed with the male lead.

But was this handsome guy in front of her any less attractive?

Jiang Mian thought about leaving the male lead, but the problem was, she was afraid of ruining her character.

After all, her current role was that of a female supporting character who was madly in love with the male lead. If she accepted flowers from another guy and showed any interest, it would completely destroy her carefully constructed persona.

The thought of that unbearable feeling made her scalp tingle. Besides, with Shen Shiyan not around, what if she suffered the punishment for deviating from her role? By the time Shen Shiyan arrived, she might already be in too much pain to survive.

After careful consideration, she decided that her life was more important than any man, so she politely declined the flowers.

“Sorry, I can’t accept your flowers.” Jiang Mian smiled and said.

Cheng Wenhan was taken aback. He hadn’t expected such a straightforward rejection from Jiang Mian.

She was quite famous on campus with many boys pursuing her, but her standards were apparently too high, as none of them had caught her eye.

Every day, people would talk about how beautiful Jiang Mian was, and without realizing it, Cheng Wenhan had developed an interest in her. He’d seen her a few times himself and couldn’t deny that she was stunning—her beauty made an immediate impression, something that would stay with you.

Cheng Wenhan had also been pursued by girls before, and whenever there was a sports competition, he’d always have a crowd of girls cheering for him. Over time, his confidence grew, and with the encouragement of his friends, he’d ended up in this situation today.

Most people would feel sad or angry when their confession was rejected, but Cheng Wenhan didn’t react that way. He smiled gently and said. “Jiang Mian, I really like you. I hope we can at least start off as good friends. Let this bouquet be the beginning of our friendship!”

Before Jiang Mian could react, Cheng Wenhan swiftly pressed the bouquet of roses into her arms and ran off as fast as lightning.

Jiang Mian didn’t even have time to process it. In an instant, she found herself holding a bouquet of flowers. Her first thought was that she didn’t actively accept them; he had forced them on her, so it wouldn’t ruin her character.

After mentally reassuring herself, she realized that she hadn’t felt that familiar pain, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking up, she saw Cheng Wenhan already about ten meters away. He turned around and waved at her, shouting. “I’ll keep pursuing you! See you next week!”

Left standing there, holding the roses in a daze, Jiang Mian was the only one still rooted to the spot. The crowd of onlookers was filled with people watching her in curiosity.

Although Jiang Mian didn’t know Cheng Wenhan, everyone around her did.

Cheng Wenhan was on the school basketball team, and he had helped the team win the city university championship during the autumn basketball competition. Not only were the girls at their school fond of him, but even girls from the neighboring school would occasionally come over to watch him play.

He was kind to every girl, but no one had ever seen him get too close to any of them. No one expected that he would be interested in Jiang Mian.

After hearing his confession, the girls around her had their hearts shattered into pieces, the kind that couldn’t be picked up again.

Only then did Jiang Mian realize: he confessed and just ran off like that?

All eyes were on her now, filled with curiosity. Some girls were envious, some were jealous, and others looked on with disdain…

Ignoring the curious glances around her, Jiang Mian simply held the bouquet of roses and walked off.

The flowers looked quite fresh, so it would be a shame to just toss them away. She could always use them for a petal bath later in the evening.

Jiang Mian was already eye-catching enough, and holding a bouquet of roses made her even more noticeable.

Shen Yin had been waiting outside for quite a while, but finally spotted Jiang Mian.

She lowered the car window and waved, saying. “Over here! You told me it’s just an exam, why did you come back with a bouquet of flowers?”

She almost thought she’d mistaken the person!

Jiang Mian placed the roses in the back seat, then climbed into the front passenger seat. Rubbing her hands in front of the heater, she sighed. “It’s so cold out there!”

“Where did you get those flowers?”

Shen Yin glanced at the bouquet in the back and pressed the gas pedal.

Jiang Mian told her about the confession after the exam. Shen Yin burst out laughing. “Of course, our beautiful Jiang Mian would have someone confess to her after an exam. Look at that big bouquet of roses—I’m so jealous!”

“How about the guy who confessed to you? Is he handsome?”

Jiang Mian thoughtfully stroked her chin. “He’s pretty handsome, and he’s from the sports department at our school!”

“Sports department, so he must have great athletic skills, right?” Shen Yin’s mind immediately went off on a wild tangent, and she laughed lewdly.

After getting to know her better, Jiang Mian realized that while Shen Yin appeared pure and well-behaved on the surface, in reality, she was a bit of a pervert, always thinking inappropriately.

Jiang Mian decisively interrupted her thoughts. “What are you thinking about? Focus on driving!”

“I didn’t say anything! How do you know what I’m thinking?” Shen Yin shot back, adamantly refusing to admit her thoughts had gone in that direction.

Jiang Mian rolled her eyes. “Is there anything serious in your head besides that stuff?”

Shen Yin huffed in protest. “Well, there’s always food!”

Jiang Mian: “…”

They reached the underground parking lot.

Shen Yin glanced at Jiang Mian out of the corner of her eye and saw her texting her dear Mr. Shen. She sighed and teased. “So, how are things going with your Mr. Shen? Have you two gotten to first base yet?”

It was already noon after the exam, and Jiang Mian had to send a message to Shen Siyan.

[Jiang Mian: Mr. Shen, have you had lunch yet?]

Lately, Shen Siyan’s replies had gone from short two-word responses to single letters, and then there were no messages at all. Jiang Mian sent the text casually, not expecting a reply.

She put her phone away and showed a sad expression. “Ever since that day, we haven’t seen each other again. I think he might have forgotten me!”

No matter when or where, in front of anyone, she had to play the role of the devoted supporting character.

Shen Yin raised an eyebrow, one hand holding her things and the other casually draped over Jiang Mian’s shoulder as she joked. “Well, in that case, why don’t you just date that sports guy? After all, your Mr. Shen doesn’t care about you! Even if you’re cheating on him, he won’t even know!”

Jiang Mian wanted to consider it, but the conditions just weren’t right.

She absentmindedly touched the rose in her arms and thought about Cheng Wenhan. He was really quite handsome, but…

When she turned around, she thought she had imagined it—she blinked, only to see the man standing just a few meters ahead, staring at her with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

In her ears, Shen Yin was still babbling on about the advantages of athletic guys, but all Jiang Mian could think was she’s done for.

>>>