Guan Qingtong had often fantasized about the future. In her mind, there were two possible outcomes: either she and Su Yirao would eventually become a real couple, or she would confess her feelings and, if rejected, they would take a step back and return to being good friends.
But the scene unfolding before her eyes—a scene that looked like she had just caught her partner cheating—was something she had never imagined.
Shocked, she stood frozen in place, her mind blank. Her lips moved, but no words came out.
"Guan Qingtong, our relationship has always been fake. I don't owe you any explanations."
Su Yirao's voice was hoarse, and the cold, indifferent tone made Guan Qingtong feel utterly humiliated.
"Why are you still here? You're disturbing us."
The dismissive snicker snapped Guan Qingtong out of her stupor. She turned and left, pulling the door shut behind her.
Of course. She had no real claim on Su Yirao, so why would Su Yirao need to explain anything to her?
A bitter smile played on Guan Qingtong's lips as she let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping as she walked slowly back to her own room, feeling like a deflated balloon.
Meanwhile, Li Hengxuan was notified that Guan Qingtong had seen the scene he had carefully orchestrated and had walked away, looking heartbroken.
Satisfied, he dialed Su Yirao's number.
"You're out of your mind, Li Hengxuan! What were you thinking?"
The moment the call connected, Su Yirao's furious voice erupted, clearly seething with anger.
When Su Yirao returned to her room, she found it in disarray. She didn't need to guess—she knew she was too late, and Guan Qingtong had seen the staged scene.
She had tried calling Guan Qingtong, but her calls went unanswered, met only with a busy tone.
Frantically searching every corner of the hotel for Guan Qingtong, she noticed Li Hengxuan's call. Still fuming, she answered and immediately started yelling at him.
Li Hengxuan was momentarily taken aback, but he patiently let Su Yirao vent her anger.
"Are you done?" he asked calmly. "How about we make a little bet?"
"I don't have time for this. I need to find someone." Su Yirao hung up the phone.
Li Hengxuan, undeterred, called her back. "Just hear me out first."
"If she reacts as I expect—if she starts to resent and distrust you—then you'll have to let me pursue you openly. How about that?"
"And if she forgives you, I'll apologize to both of you in person, and I promise I won't pull any more stunts."
"If she believes that wasn't you, I'll withdraw completely. I'll even transfer the shares my brother holds in your company to her."
"Three options. Pretty interesting, right?"
Li Hengxuan spoke quickly, sensing Su Yirao's impatience.
"You're really sick, you know that? Seriously messed up in the head!" Su Yirao snapped, though something about his proposal felt eerily familiar.
This… seemed like something she had thought of before her awakening, a test she had once wanted to use to challenge Yu Xingye and another girl's relationship, to prove that their trust was fragile.
The irony wasn't lost on her—what she had once planned for others was now being used against her.
Su Yirao couldn't remember if she had ever shared the details of that plan with Li Hengxuan, so she cautiously asked, "Are you… one of them?"
Only someone who had awakened would know the original plot.
"One of them?" Li Hengxuan hesitated. "If you think it's me, then sure, it's me."
Su Yirao frowned, sensing that something was off. But now wasn't the time to figure out who was an awakened one. Her priority was finding Guan Qingtong.
"So, do you dare to take the bet?" Li Hengxuan asked.
Su Yirao could have hung up the phone and refused outright. But for some reason, she found herself thinking about Guan Qingtong, imagining her calling her "Su Jie."
Would Guan Qingtong believe her?
Based on the original character, Guan Qingtong would likely believe what she saw. She would hide away, hurting herself and the person she loved, until the misunderstanding was resolved much later.
But what about the current Guan Qingtong? What would she do?
Even though Su Yirao believed she knew Guan Qingtong well, she couldn't predict what the girl was thinking after seeing the scene.
Her heart tightened with anxiety.
"Letting someone else's choices dictate your own decisions is foolish," Su Yirao said coolly. "I'm not taking your bet. The moment you decided to manipulate me and her, you lost me as a friend, Li Hengxuan."
"Take care, Li Hengxuan."
With that, Su Yirao ended the call and immediately blocked his number, all in one fluid motion.
She didn't waste time searching for Guan Qingtong anymore. Instead, she went to the hotel's front desk to check out and reported that someone had broken into her room, requesting to review the security footage.
From the footage, Su Yirao saw the dejected figure of Guan Qingtong leaving the hotel. Walking beside her was someone familiar—a young man who often carried the camera equipment.
He seemed like a bright, sunny guy. Although Guan Qingtong had shown no interest in him, he had often been teased about his crush on her.
Su Yirao felt a pang of irritation.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she asked the hotel staff for the young man's contact information and dialed his number.
"Hello? Who's this?"
"It's Su Yirao. Is Guan Qingtong with you?"
"Uh…"
There was a brief silence on the other end, as if the young man had covered the microphone, making it impossible for Su Yirao to hear anything.
A few seconds later, there was a faint sound of breathing.
"Qingtong," Su Yirao called softly, her voice gentle.
"Mm, Su Jie…"
That she answered was a relief—it meant she had moved past the initial shock and was beginning to regain her composure.
"I…"
Even though she hadn't done anything wrong, Su Yirao found herself at a loss for words. How could she explain this in a way that would seem sincere?
How could she convince Guan Qingtong that it wasn't her?
"Su Jie, there's a reason I didn't answer your call."
"I know." Su Yirao paused. "That wasn't me. Explaining over the phone feels too shallow. Where are you? Let's talk in person."
Guan Qingtong's tone was calm, almost emotionless, as she gave Su Yirao an address.
As night fell, the moonlight bathed the coastline, highlighting the ebb and flow of the waves and stretching the shoreline infinitely.
Su Yirao hurried across the soft sand, heading in the direction Guan Qingtong had mentioned.
In the distance, she saw Guan Qingtong's slender figure come into view.
Her white shirt fluttered gently in the breeze, and her smile, bathed in the moonlight, seemed to glow softly as she waved at Su Yirao.
The tranquility of the moment, as if the events of the day had never happened, had a calming effect on Su Yirao, easing the turmoil within her.
"Su Jie." Guan Qingtong sat on the soft sand, motioning for Su Yirao to sit beside her. "Come, sit."
After a brief hesitation, Su Yirao sat down, hugging her knees as she tried to gauge what was going through Guan Qingtong's mind. Feeling slightly anxious, she started to explain.
"That wasn't me."
"I know."
Guan Qingtong brushed aside the strands of hair blown across her face by the wind, her smile gentle and serene.
"Su Jie, I've just been thinking about some things." Guan Qingtong gazed out at the shoreline, letting the waves wash over her shoes. Her voice was calm, almost detached, giving nothing away.
"I know that wasn't you, so there's no need to feel disappointed," Su Yirao continued. "It was all a setup by Li Hengxuan to drive a wedge between us. The person you saw wasn't really me…"
Guan Qingtong interrupted, "Su Jie, I truly believe that wasn't you. You don't need to go through so much trouble to explain."
"Her voice did sound a lot like yours. But from what I know of you, you'd never do something like that."
Su Yirao fell silent for a moment, then asked, "If you believe me, why do you seem so down? You're clearly upset."
"I came to a troubling realization," Guan Qingtong said softly, her tone tinged with sadness. "No matter whether that person was really you or not, I have no legitimate right to ask."
"You are my supposed girlfriend…"
Before Su Yirao could finish her sentence, Guan Qingtong spoke, her voice heavy with resignation. "I know, you know."
Her words were cryptic, but Su Yirao understood exactly what she meant.
Her fingers curled slightly as she involuntarily shifted her gaze away.
It was a moment of avoidance.
Guan Qingtong felt a sinking sensation in her heart, her smile becoming more strained.
"Su Jie, I've been trying so hard all this time. Not because I expect anything in return."
"I just want your approval."
Su Yirao pressed her lips together and tilted her head back, looking up at the sky.
After a long pause, she asked, "Do you see the stars up there? What do you think of their light?"
Guan Qingtong, puzzled, looked up and replied, "Some are dim, and some shine brightly."
"Stars, no matter how they shine, don't exist to illuminate others. So, I hope that your efforts aren't just for my approval."
Su Yirao's tone was regretful. "You could be chasing a vast, boundless sky. You don't need to limit yourself to seeking my approval."
"Su Jie…"
"Hmm?"
"Is that just an excuse?" Guan Qingtong bit her lip, hesitating before asking, "I want to hear the truth. If it's just an excuse, I won't make things difficult for you."
After a moment's pause, Guan Qingtong lowered her gaze, her voice barely audible. "And… I'm really sorry. If it's just an excuse, I don't think I can keep holding on to this fake relationship."
She didn't want to keep hoping, keep dreaming…
Though unspoken, Su Yirao understood.
They had reached a point where certain things needed to be said out loud.
Su Yirao let out a long sigh. "It's not an excuse. It's the truth."
A glimmer of hope flickered in Guan Qingtong's eyes.
"Qingtong, I do like you, but it's not the kind of like that you want."
The tiny spark of hope was extinguished in an instant.
Guan Qingtong hugged her knees tightly, fighting the urge to flee in shame.
"Qingtong, since we've come this far, I should be honest with you about what's on my mind."
"I don't know where your feelings for me come from."
"Su Jie, you've been so good to me."
In the original plot, Guan Qingtong's affection for Yu Xingye stemmed from the fact that he was the only one who had ever been kind to her when everyone else had been indifferent.
Now, Su Yirao had taken on a similar role, doing many of the same things Yu Xingye had done. Could it be that Guan Qingtong's feelings were just part of her character setting?
Having done so many things dictated by her character's flaws, Su Yirao had come to value genuine love and relationships more than anything.
But when it came to a pre-determined character like Guan Qingtong, Su Yirao had lost hope for such things.
All she wanted now was to live the rest of her days as smoothly and peacefully as possible, without encountering any more awakened individuals trying to drag her back into the original plot.
"If you like me just because I'm nice to you, then I'll stop being nice. And we can end this fake relationship you can't bear any longer. Let's go back to being strangers."
Guan Qingtong couldn't believe what she was hearing. A sharp pain stabbed at her heart, like a thousand tiny needles.
She instinctively began to speak, her voice trembling with desperation. "Su Jie, why are you suddenly drawing a line between us? You may not like me, but you don't hate me either. Why can't we even be friends?"