Chapter 4: Jiang Muye and I Are Together

Song Jingyi returned at eight in the evening.

Mi Ke had just come out of the bathroom after washing up, her cheeks still beaded with water, making her skin look even

more smooth and translucent.

"Keke, your face..." Song Jingyi's gaze landed on Mi Ke's clear, smooth complexion, her smile freezing for a fraction of

a second-so faint it was nearly imperceptible.

The change in Mi Ke wasn't insignificant. As her closest friend who saw her day in and day out, she could naturally spot

the difference at a glance.

"I've been using a new acne mask lately," Mi Ke said casually, dabbing the water from her cheeks with a face towel. She

smiled at her. "How is it? Do I look a little prettier?"

Song Jingyi paused, her gaze drifting to Mi Ke's still-heavy figure. Her expression quickly settled back into composure.

Even if the campus's ugliest girl had gotten a little prettier, she was still just an ordinary ugly girl.

She blinked and her lips curved back into a perfect smile. "Of course! In my heart, Keke is always the prettiest. Now,

come have some cake-I brought it just for you."

Catching that subtle flicker in Song Jingyi's eyes, a glint of quiet mockery passed through Mi Ke's gaze. She gently

brushed off Song Jingyi's hand without making a show of it.

"Let's save the cake for later. There's... something I want to tell you first."

"What is it?" Song Jingyi looked at her curiously.

"Jiang Muye and I are together."

The news landed like a bolt from the blue. It didn't just stun Song Jingyi-it blew open the bed curtains of their two

other roommates as well.

"Jiang Muye confessed to you??"

"Really? Wasn't he into..."

Du Li caught herself mid-sentence and exchanged a glance with Zhao Xinwen, both wearing identical expressions of

meaningful suspicion.
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Jiang Muye liked Song Jingyi. Between the number-one campus beauty and the

number-one campus ugly girl, even a fool knew which to pick-let alone Jiang Muye, who ranked third on the heartthrob

board.

"Yep," Mi Ke said, ignoring the wariness in her roommates' eyes, her lips curving into a sweet smile. "He also said he

wants to treat everyone to dinner tomorrow night. Think of it as making it official."

A strange silence settled over the dorm for two seconds.

Everyone understood. No one called out the strangeness behind this relationship.

Song Jingyi took Mi Ke's hand affectionately, looking utterly convinced. "Then tomorrow night I'll help you keep a close

eye on him. I won't let Jiang Muye treat you poorly-not even a little!"

"Mm-hm." Mi Ke beamed with innocent sweetness.

A heavyset girl already looked harmless and kind. No one saw through the coldness behind her eyes.

In her previous life, Song Jingyi had been equally supportive of Jiang Muye's confession to Mi Ke.

After all, Jiang Muye didn't even rank among her serious suitors. Tossing a lapdog to Mi Ke meant she could keep

enjoying the adoration and perks without any cost. Why wouldn't she be on board?

Only this time, Mi Ke wasn't the fool being used.

This time, she was the one setting the board.

-

The next evening at eight.

Mi Ke's group arrived by taxi at Chunhua Road. Jiang Muye was already waiting at the restaurant entrance, a bouquet of

pink roses in hand.

As the four of them climbed out of the car, Jiang Muye's gaze immediately locked onto Song Jingyi.

She wore a soft white dress and offered Jiang Muye a warm, pure smile. Her gentle beauty was as fresh and pleasant as a

spring breeze.

The tips of Jiang Muye's ears reddened instantly, and he instinctively started toward her.

But in the next second, a soft, plump arm linked naturally through his.
At the same time, Mi Ke's casual reminder drifted into his ear, "Don't forget whose boyfriend you are today."

The night before, Mi Ke had already briefed him. The more eagerly Jiang Muye fawned over Song Jingyi, the more distant

Song Jingyi would become. So today, he had to attend to Mi Ke with meticulous care-creating a sense of落差 for Song

Jingyi.

Jiang Muye had agreed. But every time he pictured Mi Ke's pitted, cratered face-ugly enough to make a fly trip and

fall-a wave of irritation surged uncontrollably in his chest.

"I know." He ground his teeth and looked over-only to freeze the instant his gaze met Mi Ke's face.

That hideous, revolting face from his memory didn't appear.

Instead, what he saw was a face that was slightly plump, yet clean and soft.

Setting aside her weight, Mi Ke's features actually leaned cool and sharp. Her clear, dark-bright almond eyes lifted

slightly, her unpainted lips a touch pale, pressed together in a cool line. Yet somehow, they gave off a clean, aloof

sense of stubbornness.

The acne that had covered her face seemed to have vanished overnight. Her skin was no longer the soy-sauce brown he

remembered-it was a warm, fair tone.

She looked... considerably more pleasant to the eye.

The irritation in his chest inexplicably subsided. Jiang Muye looked away, uncomfortable, and shoved the roses into Mi

Ke's arms.

"Since everyone's here, let's go in."

The waiter led the four of them to their reserved table. Seeing the candlelit ambiance and the cake on the table, Zhao

Xinwen tugged excitedly on Du Li's sleeve. "Is Jiang Muye being serious? Not only did he book a place this expensive, he

even set up all these decorations!"

And Du Li, watching Jiang Muye attentively pull out Mi Ke's chair without so much as a glance at Song Jingyi, frowned in

bewilderment. "That's weird. Does Jiang Muye have a thing for ugly girls?"

Song Jingyi naturally noticed the shift in Jiang Muye's behavior as well. But she maintained her warm smile on her face,

showing little reaction.

To put it bluntly, Jiang Muye was just another lapdog. Even if he truly had fallen for Mi Ke, she wouldn't feel any

great loss.

Soon, exquisite French dishes arrived one after another. Zhao Xinwen and Du Li excitedly snapped photo after photo.

Eight hundred yuan per person at a French restaurant wasn't an everyday occurrence!

After being treated to such a meal, the two girls' skepticism about the relationship softened into sweetly worded

blessings.

From start to finish, Jiang Muye kept his eyes on Mi Ke-peeling shrimp for her, cutting her steak. The two occasionally

leaned in and whispered to each other, looking every bit the sweet couple.

But only Mi Ke knew what Jiang Muye was actually saying through gritted teeth with a strained smile:

"You're not playing me, are you?"

No matter how much Mi Ke's appearance had changed, she still couldn't compare to Hua University's campus beauty. He'd

waited on Mi Ke for an entire dinner, and Song Jingyi still hadn't reacted. The irritation was creeping back.

Mi Ke smiled faintly, dabbing her lips with a napkin. She leaned close to his ear and spoke in the sweetest voice

imaginable, "You haven't even tossed out the bait yet, and you expect to catch a fish?"

Jiang Muye understood. Gritting his teeth, he slowly pulled the jewelry box from his pocket, where it had been warming

against his thigh.

"Mi Ke, this is... a gift for you."

The box opened slowly in front of the three girls, revealing a necklace that gleamed with a rose gold luster. The curved

pendant looked exactly like a sweet smile.

Zhao Xinwen and Du Li were stunned again and again. Their minds went blank.

"Whoa, T brand's Smile necklace-and the large size! That's got to be over ten thousand!"

"Oh my god, Jiang Muye, you're really going all out!"

And in that moment, Song Jingyi-who had been maintaining her flawless smile-saw the necklace, and for the very first time, that perfect, unblemished expression finally cracked.