r18novel Chapter 106 Outsmarting the Enemy
Chapter 106 Outsmarting the Enemy
Xia Anqi's public confession was a complete surprise to Lu Yuan.
This explains why everyone has been giving me strange looks lately; it turns out it was all Xia Anqi's doing.
She deliberately released the news in a high-profile manner, aiming to create a fait accompli and make everyone assume that Lu Yuan was already hers, and even if they hadn't talked, their relationship was definitely not shallow.
As she sat down, the surrounding chatter grew even louder.
"No wonder Lu Yuan has made such great progress. It turns out that he has Xia Anqi, a top student, tutoring him one-on-one and teaching him step by step. It's really enviable."
"Looking at the entire school, Lu Yuan is probably the only one who could win Xia Anqi's heart, right?"
"Lu Yuan is awesome! A role model for us all!"
Annoyed by the strange looks and comments around him, Lu Yuan glared at Xia Anqi, who was sitting opposite him, chin in hand and smiling, and said coldly, "When did I say I wanted to date you? Can you stop spreading rumors?"
As he spoke, Lu Yuan's eyes were still frantically searching for Ye Yixian's figure in the crowd, fearing that she would be affected by such negative public opinion.
Lu Yuan and Ye Yixian don't often eat together, probably because they don't want to be too high-profile, or perhaps they feel a little guilty, since they are genuinely planning to date.
If the school leaders find out, even if Lu Yuan isn't afraid of trouble, Ye Yixian will inevitably feel bothered.
After finally finding Ye Yixian, they saw her looking at them with a complicated expression, her face showing anger, jealousy, and sadness.
Xia Anqi completely ignored Lu Yuan's indifference and proudly raised her chin: "You've already accepted my love letter, so doesn't that mean you've agreed to date me? From now on, we're boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Wow!"
Another uproar erupted around them. The boys, in particular, were filled with extreme envy and jealousy towards Lu Yuan.
Who is Xia Anqi?
She is the most talented student in the history of No. 1 High School. She is beautiful, has excellent grades, and comes from a well-off family.
Many boys feel inferior in front of her, liking her but not daring to confess.
Yet this goddess-like figure, who was so high and mighty, not only didn't need Lu Yuan to confess his feelings, but also pursued him in a high-profile manner.
Is that correct?
Is it reasonable?
"Get lost!" Lu Yuan was even more displeased, but he didn't want to make things too ugly with Xia Anqi in public, so he could only try to control his emotions. "I can understand your high profile, but aren't you ashamed to say something like this in public?"
"Ashamed? Heh." Xia Anqi scoffed. "Do you know why I'm so popular with adults?"
She acted mysterious, but Lu Yuan looked at her with displeasure and didn't intend to respond.
She didn't mind and continued, "Because I'm poised and confident, I'm not shy or timid. Once I've decided on something, I'll work hard to do it, and I'll do it very well. I'm not the kind of shy, timid girl. In my world, only people who lack self-confidence are hesitant and timid."
"As for what you said about our relationship being all over the news, and asking if I'm ashamed? What do I have to be ashamed of? You have good grades, and so do I; your family is well-off, and so is mine. We're a match made in heaven, a perfect couple. If I told my family I wanted to date you, they would definitely be 100% in favor."
"You..." Lu Yuan was truly impressed by Xia Anqi's thought process, and even more so by her shamelessness.
But Xia Anqi didn't give him a chance to refute, continuing to argue vehemently: "Besides, how could I gain the upper hand if I didn't make it public knowledge and cause a city-wide uproar?"
"Seize what opportunity?" Lu Yuan asked, puzzled.
Xia Anqi smiled smugly: "Of course it's a matter of ranking. I've found out everything about you. You used to like Xu Lingjing, but then somehow you changed your mind and started liking Ye Yixian from Class 22. You seem to have someone you like, and many people have accepted your relationship with Ye Yixian. If I want to get you, I have to do something, otherwise wouldn't I become the third wheel?"
"You still know you're the other woman?" Lu Yuan was furious, feeling powerless as if he had been tricked.
"I'm not a third party anymore. I'm the first person to openly confess my feelings to you, and everyone knows you accepted my love letter. That's a fact, right? If you don't like me and don't want to date me, why did you accept my love letter?"
"Does accepting a love letter mean I agree to date you?"
"Isn't that right?"
"Wasn't that what you kept pestering me to accept? I just didn't want to waste time with you, so I was just making excuses."
"Who knows?" Xia Anqi shrugged, unconcerned, a smug smile spreading across her face. "Anyway, everyone knows you accepted my love letter. I can let you have your way, but what will everyone think?"
Lu Yuan clenched his fists, his heart filled with immense anger.
Xia Anqi clearly planned this all along, and today's situation is developing exactly as she designed.
Moreover, public opinion is in her favor because people subconsciously believe that no girl would fabricate such a lie to ruin her reputation.
Lu Yuan's anger did not frighten Xia Anqi. She continued, "Lu Yuan, since things have come to this point, why don't you talk to me? I clearly like you more than Xu Lingjing and Ye Yixian because I'm braver than them. If they really liked you, they wouldn't have hesitated and made no move."
Xia Anqi believed that her sincerity was sufficient, because she had gone to great lengths to win Lu Yuan's heart, and her true feelings were as clear as day. Lu Yuan had no reason to refuse her.
Of course, it doesn't matter if Lu Yuan rejects her now, because she has already achieved her goal.
Controlling public opinion is tantamount to putting Lu Yuan in the eye of the storm. Even if Lu Yuan explains to everyone, it won't make a difference, because what everyone wants to see is his romance with Xia Anqi.
Although Lu Yuan was furious, he did not lose his temper.
He tried his best to calm himself down, looking at Xia Anqi with no sympathy in his eyes, more like looking at a cunning opponent: "Xia Anqi, don't you think you're despicable?"
"Despicable?" Xia Anqi smiled. "I don't think so. I call it outsmarting him. Lu Yuan, you should be a smart man too. You know that when you do things, you must put yourself in an advantageous position and know how to take the initiative, otherwise it will be difficult to succeed, right?"
"For example, when it comes to learning, from childhood to adulthood, I have never needed my parents or teachers to supervise me. I will learn on my own initiative because I know that what I learn will be mine and will bring me many benefits."
"So, I'm also taking the initiative in dating you. I'm confident that you'll eventually have no choice but to date me."
At this moment, Lu Yuan truly felt how terrifying top students could be.
Xia Anqi doesn't act on impulse; she proceeds step by step with a plan and a goal.
Lu Yuan was now completely convinced that her confession was well-thought-out, because it was only the first step in her plan.
Lu Yuan had always regarded her as an immature girl, a high school student obsessed with studying and grades.
This was Lu Yuan's mistake; he underestimated this person's cunning.
She wasn't naive; she was arrogant and a master of disguise.
This is the first challenging opponent Lu Yuan has encountered since his rebirth. If he doesn't handle it well, he might actually fall into her trap, and it could even affect the relationship he and Ye Yixian have been gradually developing.
Lu Yuan needed to calm himself down; anger wouldn't solve anything.
He looked at Xia Anqi and said coldly, "You're essentially coercing me into doing something I don't want to do. Haven't you heard that forced relationships are never sweet?"
"It doesn't matter," Xia Anqi shrugged, looking relaxed. "I can just juice the melons that aren't sweet and add some sugar. Besides, I don't like sweets, so unsweetened melons are perfect for me."
"You're absolutely insane."
"I'm not crazy, I know how to fight for what I want." She then looked at Lu Yuan with a bright smile. "So, since things are already like this, why don't you just date me?"
Xia Anqi was absolutely confident that Lu Yuan would have no choice but to agree to her request. Even if he didn't agree now, she would still find ways to make him obey later.
Lu Yuan looked at her and suddenly stood up.
All eyes turned to Lu Yuan, staring intently at him, anxiously awaiting his next move.
Should I agree to Xia Anqi's request, or refuse?