Ch. 9 - A Method of Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

My Fake Girlfriend is Going All Out to Defend Against Their Attacks

Cough, cough, cough—

Senior Ning Yi’s string of unexpected words had thrown my throat into chaos once again, and my emotions felt unsettled, as if a cat were clawing at them. At this point, even if I swallowed the handkerchief in my hand, I probably still wouldn’t be able to calm down.

“S-S-S-Senior Ning Yi really knows how to joke.” I hurriedly wiped my mouth like a sneaky mouse.

I must have been under too much stress lately and started hallucinating. That had to be it.

“I wasn’t joking.” Although Senior Ning Yi lightly stirred her coffee, she hadn’t taken a single sip. Her movements were elegant, yet her words were astonishing.

That sentence completely threw me into disarray.

What was I supposed to do next? Reject Senior Ning Yi? Would that seem too arrogant? What excuse should I use when rejecting her? If Wu Yaoyao found out that what I said yesterday was a lie, what would I do when she came after me? Should I go buy a steel plate tomorrow and carry it with me, just in case I got attacked by Senior Ning Yi’s admirers?

Nervously, I clinked my spoon against the cup as I stirred my coffee, a flood of questions bursting into my mind in an instant. Beads of sweat the size of peas slowly seeped from my forehead, and it felt like there were thorns under my feet, making it impossible for me to sit still.

Seeing my reaction, Senior Ning Yi realized she hadn’t explained clearly. Even she, who was usually composed and aloof, became slightly flustered. “What I meant was… that Junior Bai Qiao would pretend to be my boyfriend.”

“…Pretend?” The key word of her sentence brought my chaotic state to a halt.

“Yes.” Senior Ning Yi explained slowly, “Your situation is roughly that classmate Wu Yaoyao confessed to you, and after being rejected, she refused to give up, while you had no way to deal with it. Am I right?”

“Ah, yes…” I nodded as I listened to her calm explanation.

“At that time, you said you liked me.” Senior Ning Yi looked into my eyes. “We can go along with that.”

So that was it. I had said that I liked Senior Ning Yi, and Wu Yaoyao knew that it was impossible for me and Senior Ning Yi to be together, which was why she hadn’t given up. But now, if we simply followed through on what I said and pretended to be together, Wu Yaoyao would give up on me. Although the logic of getting together with one girl in order to reject another girl felt a bit strange, it was indeed a good solution for now.

But…

“Why would Senior Ning Yi help me?” No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out why she would help me. Could it be that because of the poetry gathering, she wanted to repay me with her body? That was too ridiculous.

Senior Ning Yi looked out through the glass window at the neon lights outside, let out a soft breath, and her eyes revealed a trace of helplessness. “Because I’ve encountered the same kind of problem as you.”

“By the same problem, do you mean that after Senior rejected someone, that person also refused to give up?” I asked, puzzled.

Was there really someone who, after being rejected by her cold and emotionless gaze, still had the courage to keep confessing?

“Yes.” Senior Ning Yi nodded. “But my situation is a bit more complicated than yours.”

Logically, I should have agreed immediately. However, putting aside Senior Ning Yi’s appearance and popularity, the very idea of pretending to date one girl in order to reject another already felt problematic. If I entered a fake relationship with her, my future high school life as the vice president of the student union might end up being spent under the resentful gazes of others.

This seemingly perfect solution was nothing more than robbing Peter to pay Paul.

“I’m just making a suggestion. Junior Bai Qiao doesn’t need to trouble himself too much over it.” Perhaps noticing that I was deep in thought, Senior Ning Yi said this to me. Then she rested her cheek on one hand, turned toward the window, and quietly stared outside in a daze.

I nodded at her words, but what she had said continued to linger in my mind.

I glanced at my phone and realized it was already getting late. I finished the last bit of coffee in my cup, quietly stood up, and prepared to go pay the bill before heading to pick up Bai Lu.

“I’ve already paid.” Senior Ning Yi was still looking out the window, as if speaking to someone else. “The day after tomorrow at this time, I’ll be here waiting for your answer.”

The coffee in her cup remained untouched.

I was stunned.

“…Okay.”

…………

As a result, I hadn’t slept well that night.

Of course, it wasn’t because I had brought back that faintly fragrant handkerchief. Mm… it must have been because I drank too much coffee yesterday.

“Big brother’s panda eyes are ugly in a way that suits my taste.” Bai Lu smiled as she put the lunchbox into my schoolbag that morning.

Being disliked by my dear little sister—how sad.

Early in the morning, I walked alone on the way to school. The still slightly chilly breeze made my eyes feel uncomfortable, and my mood couldn’t help but sink.

“Good morning, classmate Bai Qiao.”

A lively and sweet voice sounded beside my ear, and the faint fragrance of a girl snapped my drowsy mind awake.

“Good morning, classmate Wu Yaoyao.” I turned my head, half-lidded and lacking energy, and glanced at Wu Yaoyao, who had somehow appeared beside me and was now walking shoulder to shoulder with me.

Wu Yaoyao always looked so energetic, with a slight smile constantly lingering at the corners of her mouth. Her slender figure and height—about half a head shorter than me—always made me unconsciously place her in the category of a younger sister.

Today, she had tied up her signature twin ponytails into two buns on top of her head, revealing her fair neck. This meant there was probably a club performance today. Following that line of reasoning, I would also have to go help out at the archery club.

Ah, what a hassle.

However, it seemed she hadn’t been affected by my rejection at all. That put me at ease.

This atmosphere between the two of us, unchanged from usual, was as if Wu Yaoyao had never confessed to me in the first place. It was truly strange.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t classmate Bai Qiao sleep well last night?” Wu Yaoyao leaned closer, her big eyes blinking as she looked at my tired eyes.

“Yeah. I drank too much coffee.” I quickly stepped back a little to keep some distance from her. I hurriedly glanced around, and after confirming that no one had seen, I let out a sigh of relief.

Seeing me dodge away, Wu Yaoyao stomped her foot in annoyance. “I’m not a snake!”

You’re not a snake, but your admirers are even more dangerous than snakes. I ignored Wu Yaoyao, who was staring at me, and continued walking forward.

“I went to see Senior Ning Yi yesterday.” Wu Yaoyao pouted and followed along.

Ch. 9 - A Method of Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

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