Chapter 12 – Campus Arc: A Glamorous Romance – The Cinderella Sweetheart’s Endless Love (12)
Tian Lingxue lowered her head, feeling dejected. Suddenly, a pair of fair, delicate hands entered her line of sight.
“Tang Tang?” Tian Lingxue looked up, only to have a small, bulging bag placed into her hands.
Was Tang Tang… trying to comfort her?
Bai Tang smiled gently and pointed at the bag. “Thank you, Lingxue.”
Whether it was the original Bai Tang or the person he had become, Tian Lingxue had always been the first to step forward and protect him.
His voice, damaged from the burn, no longer carried its usual soft, gentle tone. Instead, it was hoarse and slightly torn—
But it was warm.
“Tang Tang, get some good rest.” Tian Lingxue ruffled Bai Tang’s dark hair—it was soft, just like him.
Bai Tang waved at Tian Lingxue as a silent farewell.
On the way back, he kept a certain distance from Hudson, neither too close nor too far, following him at a steady pace.
The passing students couldn’t help but stare in surprise at the odd pair.
Did the student council president… hit someone?
That looks way too brutal!
Ahh, if the president doesn’t like the cute little Eastern boy, then let me take care of him instead…
Bai Tang’s battered appearance was pitiful, and his deliberate effort to avoid walking alongside Hudson only deepened the misunderstanding.
The onlookers dared not confront Hudson directly, but that didn’t stop them from shooting him judgmental glances filled with ‘righteous indignation.’
Hudson endured the waves of silent accusations all the way back to the dorm. Finally, a door shut behind them, sealing out all the prying eyes.
Bai Tang, lost in thought, didn’t realize that Hudson had stopped walking. He bumped straight into his broad, firm back, accidentally pressing against his burned skin.
“Hiss—” Bai Tang sucked in a sharp breath.
“Tang Tang, did it hurt?”
Bai Tang, rubbing his sore nose, looked up—only to be met with Hudson’s deep green eyes, filled with guilt.
He shook his head and tried to step around Hudson.
But before he could move away, a strong arm pulled him in. Instead of escaping, Bai Tang found himself seated in Hudson’s embrace.
“I’m sorry.”
A voice came from above.
Bai Tang’s heart clenched. It was strange—this sudden wave of inexplicable emotion.
“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have been so rough with you. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”
His nose tingled.
“But… I don’t regret it.”
“!!!” Bai Tang turned his head and met Hudson’s deep, unfathomable eyes.
“Don’t do this again, okay? I’ll get scared…” Hudson tightened his embrace as if trying to merge Bai Tang into his own body.
Bai Tang: Hmm… I feel like I understand even less now?
“Disrupting the official CP pairing progress: 50% complete.”
In the heavy silence of the room, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in Bai Tang’s mind.
“Qiu’er, is that you?”
System: “It’s me, Host.”
Bai Tang was delighted. “Qiu’er! You finally have energy again~”
System: “Since this is the first world, and you’ve disrupted the romantic progression of the male and female leads, the world’s consciousness has granted me partial energy. Keep going, Host! At this rate, we’ll complete the mission in no time.”
Hearing the word “mission,” Bai Tang seemed to remember something. His whole demeanor suddenly drooped.
“Qiu’er, I think I’m sick.”
The system jolted in alarm and immediately ran a full-body scan on Bai Tang.
“Oh my god, Host! What happened to you? Are you okay?” The system was heartbroken at the sight of Bai Tang’s injuries. How did he end up in such a miserable state after just a few days?
“It’s not that… It’s here.” Bai Tang pointed at his heart. “It feels weird… sour and tingly.”
“According to my scan, your heart is completely healthy.” The system, a simple-minded AI designed to disrupt official pairings, didn’t quite grasp human emotions.
“Host, let me heal you.”
The system began treating Bai Tang’s burns while carefully disguising the process to prevent anyone from noticing anything strange.
“E-energy insufficient… Host, I need to go back into hibernation for a while… Zzz… zzzt… bzzzt—”
Author’s Note:
The system is finally online! Our dear Tang Tang is no longer fighting alone~
Our squirrel finally take notice