Deceiver

Long Aotian rode his electric scooter back home.

"I'm back!"

Pushing open the door to the sunroom, he was surprised to find no one inside.

Long Aotian walked in and took out his phone to call the girls.

The ringtone sounded from outside.

Just as Long Aotian was about to follow the sound, the sunroom door swung open. Seeing the three of them standing there, a faint smile curled at the corners of his lips.

The surprise and astonishment in Long Aotian's eyes filled the three girls with an unparalleled sense of satisfaction.

Hu Yuying had changed her hairstyle—it was hard to describe, but it looked stunning, reminiscent of the Pirate Empress's iconic look from a certain anime in his past life.

It was truly eye-catching.

Meanwhile, Li Qingxue had dyed her hair a chestnut brown, with textured waves that, after some styling, gave off a vintage Hong Kong vibe.

It added a touch of mature sensuality to her usually fresh and lively appearance.

"Do I look good?" Hu Yuying asked softly.

Though Long Aotian's amazed expression had already given her the answer, she couldn't help but ask.

"Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful."

Li Qingxue turned to Hu Yuying. "See? I told you it looks amazing. You're just not used to the new style yet."

The hime-cut hairstyle was notoriously tricky to pull off—at least Lin Wanning and Li Qingxue couldn't quite manage it.

But on Hu Yuying, it was perfection.

Sometimes, even a small change could leave people utterly dazzled.

"How much did you drink?" Lin Wanning sniffed the air. Today, the scent of alcohol on him wasn't as strong.

"Just a little. I kept your words in mind."

Li Qingxue rolled her eyes. "More like you listened to Sister Yuying."

"Let's eat first," Hu Yuying said with a light laugh.

......

Before they knew it, the new semester had begun.

The night before, Long Aotian bought two more electric scooters.

"I told you, I could've just brought Sister Yuying myself. You really don't trust me, do you?"

At the university gates, Li Qingxue took off her helmet and complained.

"It's not about trust. I'm just used to it," Long Aotian explained with a smile as he took Hu Yuying's helmet.

University T had plenty of free time, and since he had nothing better to do...

"In the afternoon, Qingxue and I will head back on our own. Drive carefully, Long Aotian," Hu Yuying reminded him.

"Got it. I'll go home early and buy groceries for dinner."

Only after Long Aotian's figure disappeared from view did Hu Yuying and Li Qingxue finally step onto campus.

The start of the semester brought a lively buzz to the university.

Hu Yuying's performance at the New Year's Eve gala had skyrocketed her popularity to an all-time high.

Suddenly being the center of attention was overwhelming, even for her.

Li Qingxue, by association, had also gained some fame.

"Yuying, we've gone viral. Check the forum."

Li Qingxue handed her phone to Hu Yuying.

The top two trending posts on University A's forum were about Hu Yuying and Li Qingxue.

[Shocking! The Pure Campus Belle Looks Like a Fairy Goddess...] The attached photo showed Hu Yuying in her Hanfu costume from the gala.

[Heartwarming! Searching for the World's Most Healing Smile—Here’s Mine...] The picture featured Li Qingxue flashing a peace sign, her smile radiant and joyful.

Both posts were blowing up.

Hu Yuying only glanced before closing the forum.

This was so awkward. She didn’t even know these people, yet they were calling her "wifey" in the comments. It felt invasive.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Hu Yuying logged into the forum herself and left a comment under the hottest post: [I have a boyfriend.]

The reply was quickly noticed.

Soon after, another post—[Fairy Goddess Reportedly Taken, Heartbroken Nation Mourns...]—shot into the forum's top ten trending list.

"Isn’t this a bit much?" Li Qingxue was stunned.

These people really had nothing better to do. In just minutes, the comments had already surpassed a hundred.

"It really is excessive." Hu Yuying had only meant to clarify that she was taken, to stop the "wifey" comments.

Instead, she’d accidentally triggered a mass heartbreak epidemic.

......

On the first official day of classes, Long Aotian and his three dorm buddies walked into the lecture hall together.

Huang Fei scanned the room before his gaze settled on Shen Mengjie.

"Later, guys!" With that, he headed straight for the empty seat beside her.

Long Aotian glanced over briefly before looking away.

Today, Shen Mengjie wore a mask, sitting quietly by herself.

......

After that, life seemed to return to normal.

Simple, uneventful—just shuttling between school and home.

Aside from Lin Wanning occasionally attending stage training, nothing particularly noteworthy happened.

Well, except for one thing.

"Achoo!" Long Aotian lay on his bed, utterly miserable, the trash bin beside him overflowing with used tissues.

"Long Aotian, time to take your medicine."

Hearing the voice, Long Aotian suddenly felt something was off.

Noticing his dazed expression, Hu Yuying waved a hand in front of his face. "Are you okay?"

"Probably fine. It’s just a minor cold—no fever, so his brain shouldn’t be fried," Li Qingxue said, holding a glass of water. Despite her words, the concern in her eyes was unmistakable.

"This cough syrup works really well. I’ve used it before, so try a little if your throat hurts," Lin Wanning added. She’d gone to several pharmacies just to find this brand.

Seeing the worry in their eyes, Long Aotian shook his head. What was he even thinking?

At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel useless.

Out of the four of them, the three girls were perfectly fine—only he, the guy, had fallen sick...

He took the medicine from Hu Yuying, accepted the water from Li Qingxue, and downed a capful of Lin Wanning’s cough syrup.

After completing the routine, he flopped back onto the bed, groaning dramatically.

Anyone who’d had a cold knew it wasn’t this bad even at its worst.

But Long Aotian acted like he was on death’s door.

Secretly reveling in their care, he struggled to suppress a smirk, inwardly gloating.

Seeing his suffering, Hu Yuying grew increasingly anxious, wishing she could take the illness upon herself.

But a fleeting glance caught the slight upward curve of Long Aotian’s lips.

Annoyed, she pinched his waist.

"Ow!" Long Aotian yelped, bolting upright—just as Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning were massaging his shoulders.

The sudden movement made both girls eye him suspiciously.

Realizing his mistake, Long Aotian quickly flopped back down, resuming his pitiful groans.

"Faker!"

"You’re the worst!"

"Brother, you’re so annoying..."

If you can’t find the book by title, try searching the author—it might just have been renamed!