Novel Turned Yuri – Chapter 24

The person who gains her favor is the luckiest person in the world

The day to announce the monthly exam rankings was approaching, and Qiao Yu felt somewhat nervous.

Although the grades for various subjects had been released intermittently over the past few days, and she had managed to just escape failing, whether she could break out of the bottom ten in her class would only be confirmed once the rankings were out.

But actually, she felt quite secure; after all, her misfortunate comrade, Lu Yao, failed five out of nine subjects. According to him, this was his normal performance, and he’d probably end up third from the bottom in the class.

It seemed like this second generation rich kids weren’t that bright.

After morning reading, the class teacher posted the thin sheet of the full class performance list next to the blackboard. The list, organized by student number, displayed everyone’s class rankings, individual subject scores, and overall grade ranking. Instantly, a crowd swarmed around it, and Qiao Yu had to fight her way through the throng just to get to the front.

Qiao Yu’s class ranking: 23, grade ranking: 196.

Yay!

Overjoyed by jumping up two hundred places, Qiao Yu was about to go find Lin Qing to boast but barely pumped the brakes before taking a quick look further down the list.

Lin Qing’s class ranking: 1, grade ranking: 5.

…Oh my heavens, is this the power of a top dog?

Qiao Yu was dazzled by these brilliant grades, bustling her way out of the crowd and making a beeline for Lin Qing, who was sitting at her desk, cool as a cucumber.

“Lin Qing! Lin Qing! You got first in our class!”

She was as elated as if she herself had clinched the top spot, while Lin Qing simply nodded in her usual calm manner and asked, “How about you?”

“I’m 23rd this time!”

Though she couldn’t compare to Lin Qing, Qiao Yu, now free from the fate of after-school tutoring, was quite content and puffed out her chest with pride.

“It’s all thanks to Lin Qing!”

“Hmm? What about me?”

Cong Ye, who had also come back after checking the grades, stopped in his tracks upon hearing this and came over, pointing to himself.

“Huh? I don’t know what place you got.”

“I mean my contribution! You saw Lin Qing got first place; you should know my rank too!”

Not able to come up with an answer, Qiao Yu desperately looked toward Mi Yi for help, who reluctantly gestured a “two” to her.

… Well, I’ll be, she had been coached to 23rd place by the two top dogs ranked first and second. It felt like a bit of a waste of resources.

Qiao Yu thought it best not to dwell on this and listened as Cong Ye continued to claim credit.

“I and Lin Qing taught you together. Even if Lin Qing did 90% of the work, I should still get 10%, right?”

“? What about my hard work? It’s worth mentioning too! That 10% shouldn’t all be yours!”

Well, then go nick it from Lin Qing’s 90%! He’s already yielded so much and here you are, trying to snatch away more!

Cong Ye bit back his anger, and after a heated argument, he finally clung to his 1% of the credit, demanding his due reward.

“Well, okay, then shouldn’t you give me a little thank-you gift?”

“Huh? Has Lin Qing said anything? Why are you coming to me asking for stuff first?”

Both of them looked simultaneously at Lin Qing, who held 90% of the credit. Lin Qing, clueless about Cong Ye’s antics, tilted her head in confusion.

“I don’t need that…”

What a waste! If only I had given Lin Qing a heads-up in advance!

Cong Ye shut his eyes in frustration, missing such a golden chance to ensure that Qiao Yu tells the truth!

All it would’ve taken is to say, “I want to ask you a question and you have to tell the truth, okay?” Given Lin Qing’s influence, Qiao Yu would definitely be able to guarantee it with confidence, and then Lu Yao wouldn’t have anything to question!

Just as Mi Yi had mentioned before, find someone whom she can only tell the truth to and have them ask. Now that he and Lin Qing, who Qiao Yu owes favors to, could’ve been that person, it’s a shame that Lin Qing has already backed out, so it’s all up to him now!

Ignoring Cong Ye’s gaze, which practically screamed “Are you really going to keep asking about this?” He put on a show of deep thought before speaking calmly: “Then I want to ask—”

“Qiao Yu—Song Wanwan from the next class is looking for you again.”

“Oh, okay, coming.”

The call from the doorway completely disrupted Cong Ye’s well-laid plans. Clenching his teeth, he turned to see the innocent classmate who relayed the message shiver under his glare.

He watched with cold eyes as Qiao Yu leisurely walked out to join Song Wanwan, while Lu Yao at his seat had already buried his head, probably furiously typing away in the group chat, filled with resentment towards him.

Running off every day right in front of Lin Qing! Will Qiao Yu ever chase after someone or not?

Cong Ye, fretting like a worried old father, felt anger rise from his heart and evil grow from his gall. He decided that before Qiao Yu could collapse, he’d drag her back to the right path, even if it took all his strength. Straightening his clothes, he marched towards where Qiao Yu was.

Lu Yao, after typing a storm without any response, looked up in confusion only to see Cong Ye’s implacable back. Sensing something was amiss, he quickly got to his feet and followed.

Mi Yi twitched her eyelids, feeling quite helpless toward the boys who couldn’t stand patience.

After spending some time with Song Wanwan, Qiao Yu had more or less figured out her personality. In short, she couldn’t keep things to herself and wanted to share even the smallest of happenings, which is why she kept coming to her so often.

…And Song Wanwan probably didn’t have many friends in her class.

At this time, she likely just saw her grades and wanted to chat about them… Qiao Yu thought, walking up to her and asking familiarly, “What’s up?”

Song Wanwan’s eyes lit up, and just as she was about to speak, she suddenly stopped, her gaze slowly shifting past Qiao Yu.

Qiao Yu followed her gaze, turning to see Cong Ye and Lu Yao standing behind her, one on each side, like two bodyguards who looked the part but weren’t actually much for fighting.

“…What are you guys doing?”

The two exchanged a look that sparked fire, and Cong Ye was the first to turn his head back with a smile plastered on his face.

“I didn’t finish what I was saying just now, and it turns out that the thank-you gift I want can now be realized, so I came out to tell you.”

What does he mean by the thank-you gift he wants can now be realized?

Qiao Yu, puzzled and not understanding, glanced at Song Wanwan, whose face was once again flushed red before Cong Ye, and began to feel a sense of foreboding in her heart.

“Look, you and Song Wanwan have been quite chummy lately.”

Cong Ye emphasized the phrase “quite chummy” with a smile and then cheerfully said,

“So, I also wanted you to introduce Song Wanwan to me, but just as I was about to finish, Song Wanwan showed up, isn’t that convenient?”

He maintained a gentlemanly demeanor as he turned towards Song Wanwan, but before he could speak to her, Qiao Yu whisked him away like a gust of wind.

“What nonsense are you spouting!”

Qiao Yu’s pupils shook, hardly able to believe what she had just heard.

Before, Cong Ye had even deleted the game recommended by Song Wanwan for her! How come he’s suddenly interested in her now?

The male lead said he wants her help to introduce him to the second female lead! It’s a major crisis straight out of a romance novel!

“Yeah, that’s right!” Lu Yao suddenly joined the conversation, speaking righteously in support of Qiao Yu, “What’s going on, Cong Ye? The two girls were getting along fine, what’s with you trying to butt in?”

Cong Ye had long since gotten tired of that rule about only looking on without interfering; he wanted to break into their inner circle to keep Song Wanwan too busy to look for Qiao Yu. He ignored Lu Yao and gave Qiao Yu a penetrating smile.

“What’s wrong, Qiao Yu? Is it fine for you to be all buddy-buddy with Song Wanwan, but when I want to get to know her, you start playing the guardian?”

“What do you mean by ‘getting along famously’…”

…Why does what he said sound so sour? Could it be that Cong Ye is actually developing an interest in Song Wanwan?

Qiao Yu was in a flurry of panic, stammering as she tried to dissuade him.

“It’s not like that, you and Song Wanwan aren’t even close, how come you suddenly—”

“Hey Song Wanwan, let’s exchange contact information.”

Cong Ye feinted a move to bypass Qiao Yu and headed straight for Song Wanwan. Racking her brains, Qiao Yu couldn’t come up with a legitimate reason to stop him and could only watch helplessly as he walked over, leaving her so frustrated that she felt dizzy.

Although he didn’t quite grasp the reason, Lu Yao bravely tried to block his way, showing much more insight than Cong Ye! After all, Qiao Yu had been swallowing her pride, thinking that it was good for Song Wanwan to seek her out every day—it’s better that she pester her than pester Cong Ye, right?

She had also thought that, along with her company during leisure time, Song Wanwan would have no chance to think about Cong Ye. But now, before Song Wanwan could even respond, Cong Ye was practically throwing himself at her doorstep!

Powerless against his flashy maneuvers, Qiao Yu felt weak and helpless as she rubbed her temples. Suddenly a cool hand reached out from behind her, gently massaging her head.

“Does your head hurt?”

Lin Qing’s voice came from behind, and for some reason, it tugged at a sense of grievance within Qiao Yu.

She shook her head, took Lin Qing’s hand, turned around, and saw not only was Lin Qing there, but Mi Yi was also idly leaning against the side. Looking over at Cong Ye, who was in the midst of exchanging contact information with the blushing Song Wanwan, she made a meaningful “tsk” noise.

“Why did you guys come out?”

…Quite the crowd had gathered, and the male lead was immediately caught by the female lead flirting with another girl—clearly, he was reaping what he had sowed.

“Here to watch the excitement.”

Mi Yi got straight to the point, her gaze casually sweeping over her and then retracting: “But it seems there’s not much to see now.”

Lin Qing, brought out by Mi Yi, didn’t glance over at Cong Ye and the others; she only looked at Qiao Yu, worry rippling in her eyes: “What’s wrong? If your head still hurts, how about we go to the infirmary?”

She seemed completely oblivious to what Cong Ye was doing; Qiao Yu felt a mix of emotions, shook her head, and, leading Lin Qing, started to walk back, merely saying they should go back, implying all was well.

Even when they returned to their seats, Cong Ye hadn’t come back. Qiao Yu couldn’t precisely articulate her current feelings, but it was as if there was a fire burning inside her chest and a touch of grievance too.

Grievance on behalf of Lin Qing.

Cong Ye, as the male lead, has everything — it’s destined that he will get a lover like Lin Qing. She feels that this would be a life that others would envy.

Even if it’s a cliché scene from a romance novel, she doesn’t want to see Cong Ye wavering between two girls.

After all, a girl like Lin Qing should be firmly chosen.

The person who wins her favor is the luckiest person in the world; why doesn’t Cong Ye understand this?

Because of this matter, Qiao Yu was listless for the rest of the day, and when she got home and faced her parents’ praise for her significant academic improvement, she just mustered up some energy to respond, and politely declined the offer from Father Qiao to celebrate by lifting her high.

Although the National Day holiday starts tomorrow, Qiao Yu just can’t seem to get happy.

Aside from updating her writings, which hadn’t been done in a long time, the system, which hadn’t sensed its host’s mood swings in a while, felt that it might be responsible for making her tired by leaving everything up to her after seeing her do well for some time. So, it peeked out stealthily with a sense of guilt.

“Does the host have any worries?”

Qiao Yu shrunk into her chair, leaning against the backrest, zoning out.

“…Why hasn’t Cong Ye fallen for Lin Qing yet?”

The system reviewed the events of the day and guessed why the host would ask such a question, then started to earnestly enlighten her.

“This is pretty normal, after all, this story starts off slowly, and it does need a second female lead to drive the romance plot forward.”

“The male lead asking for the second female lead’s contact isn’t necessarily a bad thing, maybe this action will make the female lead realize her feelings, right?”

“…”

Although what it said made sense, Qiao Yu still felt that something was off with how things were progressing.

“The host could also try to take the initiative to push things forward, since you are now an indispensable character in the story; adding this to your plate won’t make much of a difference.”

…Indeed.

She’s continued the story for four chapters now, and except for the times when she deliberately reduced her own role to be just an extra, she has appeared quite frequently in the last three chapters. The readers have also become familiar with the character Qiao Yu, heaping praise in the comments on how effectively she’s been assisting.

She can’t just waste these seven days of the National Day holiday, can she? Shouldn’t she do something about it?

As Qiao Yu was pondering this, her phone buzzed twice, showing a new message in a group named “Buy and Hold, Losers Concede”—a clear hint at a decisive commitment to see something through.

…What kind of group is this?

She opened her phone in confusion and found out that it was a group chat with her, Cong Ye, Lu Yao, and Mi Yi—four people in total. She had no idea when the group name was changed to such a peculiar one.

Mi Yi: Tomorrow I’m thinking

Mi Yi: to go to Karaoke

Lu Yao: OK

Cong Ye: What’s up with this group name?

Qiao Yu scrolled up and found out that it was Mi Yi’s doing.

However, it seemed that the other party had no intention of explaining and, with great initiative, quickly sent out the time and place.

Karaoke… sounds good, getting everyone together, it could very well spark something—assuming Lin Qing also decides to go.

Feeling reinvigorated and determined to take the initiative to act as a matchmaker for the male and female leads, to make Cong Ye realize how great Lin Qing is, Qiao Yu sent out a message.

Qiao Yu: Is Lin Qing going?

The reply came almost in the blink of an eye.

Cong Ye: She’s going

Cong Ye: You don’t have to worry, I’ll definitely bring her along.

…Why has he suddenly become so sensible? Has he changed his mind so quickly? Men really do change quickly.

Lu Yao: Is Song Wanwan going?

The sudden mention of Song Wanwan’s name made Qiao Yu go on alert again—wouldn’t the situation get complicated if Song Wanwan showed up? She didn’t want to just scrape by in the midst of chaos!

But she didn’t stay alert for long, as the reply came just as quickly.

Cong Ye: No, she’s not going

Cong Ye: If Song Wanwan goes, Qiao Yu won’t go.

…Huh?

Qiao Yu, the person involved, was completely confused.

The two had a few sharp exchanges, and in the end, Cong Ye stood his ground and emerged victorious. Qiao Yu couldn’t figure out what he was thinking and watched speechlessly as he swaggered about in the group chat.

…Anyway, her goal was achieved. Qiao Yu put down her phone, considering the preparations needed for tomorrow’s event, and got busy without stop.

After putting down his phone, Cong Ye went to knock on Lin Qing’s door and quickly settled the matter—in no time at all after he mentioned that Qiao Yu would also attend, Lin Qing agreed readily, which made him feel extremely satisfied.

Karaoke is universally recognized as a good place to lighten up the atmosphere—sing a few songs, play some games, everyone relaxes; how could there be no progress between Qiao Yu and Lin Qing?

Tomorrow is the day of reckoning! He has to shatter Lu Yao’s unrealistic fantasies, to show him that false couples can never stand up to the real deal!

Full of triumphant ambition, Cong Ye got busy preparing for tomorrow’s event without skipping a beat.

Lin Qing was also making serious preparations.

She flipped through her frequently used music app playlists, carefully noting down every song she knew how to sing.

After all, she had never been to karaoke before. The thought of singing in front of others made her a bit nervous, and she began to reflect on whether she had been too hasty in agreeing as soon as she heard Qiao Yu would also attend.

What if Qiao Yu didn’t like her singing? And singing love songs in front of Qiao Yu felt somewhat…

Lin Qing paused in flipping through the song list, silently skipping over the love songs.

She didn’t know that among the participants of this event, she might be the only one seriously planning to sing.

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