Chapter 30

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Yuan Jiaojiao glared at Tang Beibei hatefully, her head almost exploding.

How dare Tang Beibei snatch Lu Fan away?

“Lu Fan, why would you like a woman like Tang Beibei? What’s so good about her?”

Lu Fan looked at Yuan Jiaojiao calmly, his voice distant as he said, “She’s good in every way. Yuan Jiaojiao, apologize to her now!”

“Never!” Yuan Jiaojiao started to cry. “You are in a relationship with her and you want me to apologize to her? Lu Fan, you’re a bully!”

“…” Lu Fan’s mouth twitched. He was in a relationship therefore he was a bully?

Song Kai interjected, “Tang Beibei will be protected by Lu Fan from now on. Yuan Jiaojiao, don’t think that just because Lu Fan is gentle, he is easily bullied. Do you believe that we can go to the teachers and make them expel you?”

Yuan Jiaojiao cried and roared, “So what if I’m expelled? I don’t want to see you ever again! Lu Fan, I hate you!”

With that, Yuan Jiaojiao ran out of the cafeteria in tears, as if she had suffered a great grievance.

The onlookers stared at Tang Beibei with unfriendly eyes, as if they wanted to tear her apart.

She was not worthy as Lu Fan’s girlfriend!

“…”

Tang Beibei just wanted to have lunch, but such a trouble landed on her. She also felt helpless.

“Why are you people still here? And why are you staring at my basketball? Do you want a beating?” Song Kai started dribbling his basketball as he reminded the onlookers.

The girls were only there to watch the spectacle. They would never go head to head with Song Kai. Only Yuan Jiaojiao was crazy enough to provoke Tang Beibei because of some rumor.

Tang Beibei was now Lu Fan’s girlfriend. Although Lu Fan was gentle and kind, he wasn’t someone to be trifled with because of his family background.

The onlookers dispersed, and Tang Beibei wanted to escape.

However, Song Kai grabbed the back of her collar after she took two steps. She couldn’t escape and turned around helplessly.

“Senior Song Kai, what can I do for you?”

Song Kai laughed in amusement. “Do for me? I helped you again. Aren’t you going to show your appreciation?”

“Thank you, senior Song Kai. Thank you, senior Lu Fan.” Tang Beibei bowed twice respectfully.

Lu Fan looked at her formal bows and couldn’t help but want to laugh. He cracked a bright smile instead.

“Beibei, you are most welcome!”

“Yeah,” Song Kai added. “After all, you are junior Lu Fan’s girlfriend.”

Tang Beibei’s face fell. “Senior Song Kai, you know very well that it’s not true!”

“I’m just teasing you. I haven’t had lunch yet. Buy me lunch.” Song Kai ordered.

“…”

Tang Beibei touched her pocket subconsciously. She had to spend money again and her heart ached.

However, Song Kai and Lu Fan had indeed helped her, and Song Kai had explicitly asked her to buy lunch. If she didn’t treat them now, she would come across as a miser.

“Sure. I’ll buy you lunch.”

Seeing her pained expression, Song Kai laughed and patted her on the head.

“What’s with that expression? You’re talking as if I can eat until I break your bank.”

After saying that, Song Kai ordered three bowls of noodles and paid for them using his own card.

“Hey, senior Song Kai, wasn’t I supposed to treat you?”

Song Kai pushed her aside in disdain. “Spending money is a man’s business. You can go over there.”

“But…”

“But if you really want to treat us to a meal, we should go to a fancy hotel for some fancy food.” Song Kai said.

“…”

Tang Beibei shut up immediately.

Wouldn’t it cost more money to eat fancy food at a fancy hotel? Just the thought of it made Tang Beibei’s heart ache.

She was so willing to lose face if she could save money!

The three of them sat down. Song Kai slurped his noodles loudly. He was very uncouth and really didn’t look like a young master of the Song family.

As for Lu Fan, he ate his noodles in an elegant and refined manner. He was a picture of utter elegance.

“Tang Beibei, don’t tell me you like junior Lu Fan too?” Song Kai teased as he noticed Tang Beibei staring at Lu Fan.

“Cough, cough.”

Tang Beibei almost choked on her noodles. She patted her chest to calm her startled heart.

“Senior Song Kai, can you not speak when you are eating? I don’t like senior Lu Fan!”

“Then who do you like?” Song Kai immediately asked.

“I don’t like anyone!”

“You mean you don’t have someone you like?” Song Kai said with a cocked eyebrow and an evil smile.

“Yeah, is there anything wrong with that?” Tang Beibei retorted.

“Of course not. I’m just sad for somebody.” Song Kai gave Lu Fan a look.

Lu Fan saw it and lost his appetite instantly.

Song Kai continued, “I said that you are in a relationship with Lu Fan to help you, Beibei.”

“What do you mean?” Tang Beibei didn’t understand.

Song Kai explained, “You know about the echo chamber effect? When a rumor is repeated enough times, people will believe it. It will affect your reputation. If your teachers believe it and think that you have a questionable character, they can retract your scholarship and you’ll be the one crying then!”

Tang Beibei clenched her fists at the thought of her scholarship.

She studied hard to do well in exams so she could keep her annual scholarship. If her scholarship was terminated because of these rumors, she would be in for a tragedy.

“Thank you, senior Song Kai, for thinking for me. However, senior Lu Fan and I are not a couple.”

Song Kai smiled and asked, “So, you can’t tell that Lu Fan is interested in you?”

“What?” Tang Beibei’s eyes were wide open as if she had been badly frightened.

Lu Fan’s eyes were dark as he secretly glared at Song Kai.

Did Song Kai have to sabotage him like that?

Lu Fan quickly tried to save himself. “Senior Song Kai likes to joke. He’s just teasing you.”

Song Kai smiled and put an arm around Lu Fan’s shoulders, like they were good friends.

“I’m not joking. Don’t be shy. It’s not a sin to like someone. You should tell her.”

“…”

Lu Fan shook off Song Kai’s arm and wanted to stuff his mouth with chopsticks.

Tang Beibei chuckled awkwardly. “Senior Song Kai, your joke is quite lame.”

Song Kai laughed and said, “Alright, I won’t tease you guys anymore. I said that you and Lu Fan are a couple, but couples break up. Strangers to couple, couple to strangers again. You can figure it out.”

Tang Beibei nodded in agreement. “True. There’s nothing going on between senior Lu Fan and me. But I feel bad to have to sacrifice his reputation.”

“Your senior Lu Fan is a generous person. He is happy to make this small sacrifice if it helps you. More importantly, he is also sick of the girls who constantly bother him. You are helping him by pretending to be his girlfriend. Right, Lu Fan?”

Song Kai deliberately elbowed Lu Fan and gave him a look when he spoke.

Lu Fan nodded. “True. Tang Beibei, you don’t need to feel bad.”

Tang Beibei was relieved, but she felt that something was amiss but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

After the three of them finished eating, Tang Beibei left. Song Kai held his basketball and smiled at Lu Fan, asking for credit.

“I have made Tang Beibei your pretend girlfriend. You must work hard now to make her your real girlfriend!”

Lu Fan looked at him in confusion. “Why are you helping me?”

“Because both of you are my juniors! We should keep all goodies within the family!” Song Kai said matter-of-factly.

Lu Fan was silent for a few seconds as he thought about Tang Beibei’s marriage. He said with hesitation, “But…”

Song Kai interrupted his hesitation. “No buts, Lu Fan. If you like her, then go after her. She didn’t know you like her before this. Now that the cat is out of the bag, you must find opportunities to spend more time with her. Romantic feelings can develop over time. When the two of you decide to spend the rest of your life together, don’t forget to invite me, your matchmaker, to your wedding!”

Lu Fan thought about it. Tang Beibei did say that she didn’t have someone she liked, which meant that she hadn’t fallen for that man. He still had a chance.

They were a pretend couple now, but they could become a real couple in future.

“Thank you, senior Song Kai. I’ll do my best.”

“Attaboy.” Song Kai dribbled his basketball and started running, but his eyes were scheming.

If Jiang Jingchen found out that his wife had a boyfriend in school, would he be so angry that he died on the spot?