The Peahen Displays Her Plumage

"Hmm?" Han Juyou set down her pen, closed her notebook, and turned her head to ask, "Oh, it's you, Sun Zihan. What's up?"

Sun Zihan dragged a chair over and sat down beside Han Juyou. "You and our class monitor are pretty close, right?"

Han Juyou eyed her posture and subtly furrowed her brows. "We’re just friends. Why do you ask?"

"Well..." Sun Zihan hesitated before blurting out, "Do you like him?"

Instead of answering, Han Juyou countered, "Why are you suddenly asking me this?"

"Honestly, I fell for him at first sight," Sun Zihan admitted without reservation. "From the very first day after the class reshuffle, when I saw Liu Muye, I just knew."

"Oh, I see."

A faint smirk curled at Han Juyou’s lips as she sneered inwardly: First sight? More like first sight of Liu Muye’s wallet. Pfft.

"Yeah, yeah," Sun Zihan gushed, grabbing Han Juyou’s hand. "Juyou, you and the monitor seem really tight. I was worried you might like him too. If you do, I... I’ll back off. You’re so gorgeous—he’d definitely prefer someone like you. I’ll just keep my feelings to myself..."

Her long-winded speech boiled down to one thing: I like Liu Muye, so don’t even think about competing with me.

A naive girl might’ve been left speechless by such a performance.

But Sun Zihan had picked the wrong target. Messing with Han Juyou? She’d just kicked an iron plate.

Watching Sun Zihan put on a show of "selflessly stepping aside," Han Juyou scoffed internally but feigned shock, covering her mouth. "Oh, Zihan, what are you saying? How could I possibly like the monitor? You’ve got it all wrong! If you like him, go for it! I’ll totally support you!"

"Really?" Sun Zihan’s eyes lit up, her sorrow instantly replaced by joy. "You don’t like him?"

"Of course not! We’re just good friends." Han Juyou pressed her lips together, chuckling lightly. "Since you like him so much, let me help you out."

Sun Zihan’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"Absolutely." Han Juyou crooked a finger. "Come closer, I’ll tell you a secret."

"Huh?" Sun Zihan leaned in skeptically.

Han Juyou whispered, "Don’t let his handsome face and wealth fool you—he seems all proper, but deep down, he’s incredibly perverted. Tomorrow, you should wear..."

"W-wait, would that really work?" Sun Zihan frowned, looking uneasy. "He actually likes girls dressed like that?"

"You just don’t get it. Guys like him have the dirtiest minds. Even I think his tastes are pretty twisted." Han Juyou patted Sun Zihan’s shoulder, playing the concerned friend. "Zihan, listen to me—this kind of man is hard to handle without some cunning. Maybe you should just give up."

Her words sounded like advice but were really fuel to the fire.

"N-no, it’s fine! A low-cut top and a miniskirt? Just dressing sexy, that’s all." Sun Zihan clenched her fists, resolve hardening. "For the one I love, I’ll do it!"

Han Juyou beamed. "Don’t forget the stockings and heels~"

"Mmhm! Thanks, Juyou." Sun Zihan nodded eagerly. "If I really get together with him, I’ll make sure to thank you properly."

"No need! We’re dorm sisters, after all."

Han Juyou’s gaze flicked to Zhang Ning, who was pretending to scroll through her phone but clearly eavesdropping.

She deliberately raised her voice. "Zihan, a guy like Liu Muye must have tons of girls after him. You’d better move fast, or someone else might snatch him up."

"Got it!"

Sun Zihan left the dorm in high spirits.

The moment the door closed, Zhang Ning scurried over. "Juyou, what did you two talk about?"

"Oh, nothing much..." Han Juyou repeated the entire conversation verbatim, then gasped, covering her mouth in mock guilt. "Oops! I promised Zihan I wouldn’t tell anyone."

"Don’t worry, I won’t say a word." Zhang Ning grinned. "I know nothing. I’m just heading out for a late-night snack."

With that, Zhang Ning also left.

Once alone, Han Juyou finally burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.

She couldn’t believe how easily these two gold-diggers had fallen for it. A few well-placed lies, and they were completely fooled.

Shangguan Yurou stepped out of the shower, drying her hair, and blinked at the empty dorm and Han Juyou’s muffled giggles. "Juyou, what’s so funny? Where’d Zihan and Ning go?"

"No idea. Probably getting food." Han Juyou wiped her eyes, still grinning.

Yurou tilted her head. "Then why are you laughing?"

"Just remembered something funny while reading."

"Funny?"

"Yurou, have you ever seen a female peacock spread its tail?"

Yurou frowned. "But... only male peacocks do that?"

"Don’t worry. Tomorrow, you’ll see two female peacocks showing off. Hahaha!"

"Huh?" Yurou scratched her head, too innocent to read between the lines. "Anyway, the dorm’s water’s getting cut this weekend. Are you going home?"

Han Juyou’s smile faded. "Yeah, probably. My mom’s being discharged from the hospital. I need to pick her up."

"Okay."

"What about you?"

"I... can’t go back. It’s complicated."

Han Juyou nodded. "Make sure you stock up on water, then."

"Will do."

After a pause, Han Juyou lowered her voice. "If Zihan and Ning stay over the weekend, keep an eye out. They’re not exactly... harmless."

Yurou’s clear eyes widened. "You mean they’re bad people?"

"Not bad, just... be careful."

Having grown up on the streets, Han Juyou had a sharp eye for character. Without her around, the kind-hearted Yurou might end up as an easy target.

......

In the boys’ dorm, Liu Muye tossed and turned in bed, checking his phone every few minutes for messages.

He found it strange. Normally, Han Juyou would be pestering him nonstop at this hour, so why was it so unusually quiet tonight?

Recalling how she had acted when he ran into her earlier—avoiding him like he was some kind of ghost—Liu Muye couldn’t make sense of it. What had gotten into Han Juyou?

"Whatever. I’ll just ask her in person tomorrow!"

With that, Liu Muye set his phone down again.

Ding-dong!

A notification chimed, and for a second, he thought it might be Han Juyou. But when he picked up his phone, it was just a friend request from a stranger.

The note read: "Class monitor, it’s Sun Zihan~"

Uninterested, Liu Muye locked his screen without another thought.

Ding-dong!

Seconds later, another notification buzzed.

His hopes flared again—only to be met with another unfamiliar name.

The note this time: "Class monitor, it’s Zhang Ning!"

"What’s wrong with these girls?"

Annoyed, Liu Muye immediately changed his settings to "Block Friend Requests from Strangers."

...