Chapter 9: The Online Love Rival Becomes a Charmer (9)

Chapter 9: The Web Novel Side Character Becomes an Enchantress (9)

It was totally a setup.

Tang Qing had aimed to fall right in front of Shen Yue. For maximum drama, she even deliberately knocked over a nearby advertising stand.

*Crash—*

Once the noise had everyone looking, Tang Qing removed her mascot headpiece…

Her sweaty hair stuck to her forehead in clumps. She flicked it back, revealing her forehead.

Today, Tang Qing had intentionally left her glasses off. The sauna-like heat inside the costume had left her eyes slightly reddened and moist, her lashes clinging together with sweat, making her look like she was either about to cry or just finished.

The flushed glow from the heat formed a stark contrast to Shen Yue’s patchy, overdone blush.

With her rosy cheeks, glistening sweat, and an air of vulnerability, she looked every bit the helpless beauty…

"Whoa! Since when was this hottie here?"

"Damn, she’s fire—in every way!"

Even Zhang Liang, who had rushed over, was stunned. Wait, was she always this fine?

She was the epitome of a vibe queen—the kind you just wanted to protect at first glance.

"You good?" Zhang Liang, as the event staff for the game, immediately stepped forward to help Tang Qing up. "Heatstroke or what? You should rest."

"Ah, the game’s over anyway. Ditch that oven of a costume."

Tang Qing obediently shed the bulky mascot costume, instantly drawing everyone’s attention to her figure.

Indeed, she had deliberately worn a V-neck T-shirt today. The sweltering heat inside the suit had drenched the loose fabric, making it cling to her body in wrinkled folds, perfectly accentuating her curves.

Nothing left to the imagination, paired with that dewy, flushed glow—like a snack.

"Her body’s insane!"

"I need her @ ASAP!"

"Seriously?! I always thought there was some sweaty linebacker inside that mascot suit, not this soft, delicate girl!"

…

The entire basketball team’s attention was now fixated on Tang Qing. A bunch of young guys, their horny post-game adrenaline still surging, locked onto her like targets, unable to tear their eyes away.

With so many eyes on her and Tang Qing, Shen Yue couldn’t hold back any longer. "Hey! I didn’t even touch you just now! You faked that fall on purpose!"

She wasn’t stupid. This mascot had suddenly collapsed in front of her, drawn a crowd, and now was putting on this whole "damsels in distress routine"—it was clearly a trap.

Ignoring Shen Yue, Tang Qing, dying of thirst after that performance, casually took the water bottle Zhang Liang offered and was about to take a sip…

"Humph! That’s mine! You can’t drink it!" Shen Yue suddenly lashed out, snatching the bottle and throwing it away.

Of course, the water Zhang Liang had handed Tang Qing was part of the batch Shen Yue had prepared for the team.

Zhang Liang frowned. "Why’s one bottle your hill to die on?"

"You’re a young girl too—why you gotta be like that? What’s your damage?"

"You’re the one who pushed her, aren’t you?"

Throughout the game, Zhang Liang had been keeping an eye on the score while also sparing some attention for Tang Qing, mainly worried she might faint.

He saw it clearly—this girl with the wild outfit passed by Tang Qing, and then she fell... She must have pushed her!

"Me? Pushed her? What nonsense!" Shen Yue immediately raised her voice. "She just fell over for no reason! You can’t just blame me!"

"Ask her yourself! Did I push you?"

Hearing the commotion, Zhao Mengru and Wu Feifei quickly rushed over. "Yueyue, are you okay?"

"Yeah, mister, you’d better have proof."

"Besides, Yueyue bought these waters. The one who bought them gets to say who drinks them, right?"

"If you're tired and thirsty, go buy your own!" Zhao Mengru and Wu Feifei jumped right in, backing Shen Yue up like a tag team.

"Brother Zhang, just drop it. Not worth the fight." Tang Qing suddenly spoke up, her voice—so familiar—making Shen Yue and the others freeze in shock...

Wait, that voice sounds familiar!

Wu Feifei was the first to notice something odd about the clothes—that ratty T-shirt Tang Qing had on—she recognized it!

Back then, she had mocked it, saying the neckline was stretched out and it was embarrassing to still wear it. So trashy, just like a country bumpkin...

Comparing Tang Qing’s usual appearance, Wu Feifei was stunned, unable to believe the person in front of her was actually their dumpy, backwater roommate.

"You're Tang Qing?"

Zhao Mengru was equally shocked. "Feifei, are you mistaken...?"

No freaking way! Tang Qing always had those ugly black glasses on! So frumpy and lame—how is she suddenly this hottie?

Zhao Mengru couldn’t believe it, but the more she looked, the more similarities she saw—the height matched, and the pants looked familiar too...

"Brother Zhang, they're my roommates." Instead of directly answering Wu Feifei, Tang Qing pulled the poor-me act, pitifully saying to Zhang Liang, "Sorry you’re stuck watching this mess. As you can tell, we don’t get along."

"They’ve all got it out for me."

"That’s why I moved out of the dorm recently. We just had a huge blowout, too."

She didn’t outright confirm whether Shen Yue had pushed her, but to Zhang Liang’s ears... it was obvious Shen Yue was the culprit!

These three were obviously ganging up on Tang Qing.

Zhang Liang, full of righteous indignation, stepped in front of Tang Qing. "So you know each other!"

"Won’t even share a damn water bottle? And you call yourselves roommates?"

Shen Yue was seeing red by now! So Tang Qing set this whole thing up! No wonder she had been watching her fail at handing out water and then throwing that heart sign in her face—she had been laughing at her the whole time! And now she was trying to frame her!

"You bitch! Who do you think you’re fooling?"

Never one to back down, Shen Yue went at Tang Qing like a pissed-off chicken, raising her hand to slap her!

But Tang Qing wasn’t about to take that. Before the slap landed, she stuck her foot out and nailed Shen Yue’s shoe.

Shen Yue wobbled, then ate it first—her knee cracked hard against the steps. From the thud alone, Tang Qing knew Shen Yue wiped out bad.

"How could you hit someone!" Shen Yue was dazed from being shoved, and before she even had a chance to speak, Tang Qing spoke up, "Shen Yue, don’t go too far."

"Back when we lived together, you always looked down on me, ordering me around day in and day out. I bought you breakfast so many times, and it took you months to finally pay me back today."

"You all secretly despised me, so I just moved out. And even that isn’t enough for you?"

Tang Qing’s voice wasn’t quiet, and the surrounding crowd heard everything clearly. "A few days ago when I went back to the dorm, you all had taken over both my desk and my bed."

"All I did was ask you to move your things. Do you really resent me that much?"

This made Shen Yue even madder!

Damn it! This girl had clearly promised before not to bring this up on Weibo! Why is she airing it out in front of so many people now?

After that explanation, the three dorm-mates were left gaping like stunned pigeons, completely unprepared for Tang Qing to choose this moment to drop the pretense.

Tang Qing’s words quickly sparked murmurs from the crowd:

"Wait, that’s Tang Qing? I totally didn’t recognize her! Turns out Tang Qing is actually this pretty?"

"Hold on, even though Tang Qing was wrong to deceive someone’s feelings, from the sound of it, these three roommates are pretty awful too..."

"Shen Yue was badmouthing Tang Qing to me just the other day. Turns out she's like this when no one's looking!"