Chapter 64: Mind Reading (5)

Xiao Lingfei turned to glance at Jin Yingyao’s face and, taken aback, asked, “What’s wrong? Did you eat something bad? Your complexion looks terrible.”

“Are you that happy?” Jin Yingyao couldn’t help but feel concerned; his cursed sense of responsibility wouldn’t let him ignore these people. “Do you have feelings for Yan Ling?”

Jin Yingyao’s expression was so grave it left Xiao Lingfei puzzled. “Why are you asking this?”

“Do you genuinely like her?” Jin Yingyao persisted earnestly, despite knowing he might be overstepping. “Lingfei, appearances can be deceiving. Some people may seem perfect on the surface, but one never knows beneath… In any case, matters of marriage require careful consideration; you must not take them lightly…” He continued with heartfelt advice, “Look, you’re still young, there’s no need to rush into engagements…”

The corner of Xiao Lingfei’s mouth twitched as he called out to Gu Li, “President! Yingyao’s condition seems to have worsened—he’s starting to spout nonsense!”

Gu Li was aware of Jin Yingyao’s interest in Yan Ling, but directly advising Xiao Lingfei against engagement showed how much Jin Yingyao’s judgment was clouded by dopamine-induced infatuation.

“Don’t listen to him.” Gu Li stepped forward this time, personally escorting Jin Yingyao back to his room.

As he pushed Jin Yingyao inside, Gu Li sternly said, “She is your good friend’s fiancée, and you’ve only met her once. Normally, I shouldn’t interfere, but I hope you understand my concern - do not affect their relationship.”

Jin Yingyao clutched his head in anguish, exclaiming, “Gu Li! I really can’t take much more of this! Don’t you know that Yan Ling she…”

“What about her?” Gu Li’s gaze carried a hint of warning. “She barely spoke to you; what could there be to discuss?”

Jin Yingyao fell silent. Damn! He indeed had no response to that!

“I’m aware that Yan Ling is very beautiful,” Gu Li continued, softening his tone as if offering consolation. “Given your abilities, finding someone even better wouldn’t be difficult.” He added reassuringly, “This might be your first experience with such feelings, causing some emotional turmoil. Just get to know more girls, and it will improve over time.”

The life drained from Jin Yingyao’s eyes again, and he stared blankly at Gu Li. “You’re overthinking it, seriously overthinking it. Gu Li, tell me, do you watch a lot of romantic dramas?”

With that, Gu Li slammed the door shut, feeling convinced that Jin Yingyao indeed didn’t need his concern. It was best to let him sort things out on his own.

After Gu Li emerged, Xiao Lingfei promptly asked, “What exactly is going on? Yingyao’s behavior is just too strange!”

In a hushed tone, Gu Li replied, “Let me ask you first, what do you think of Yan Ling?”

“She…” Xiao Lingfei recalled the girl’s shy demeanor, and a smile returned to his face, “She’s really nice.”

“So, barring any surprises,” Gu Li continued, “you would expect to get engaged with her, correct?”

Xiao Lingfei scratched his hair, a rare hint of bashfulness appearing on his face, “That depends on how smoothly our relationship develops.”

Free love, ah! The thought alone filled Xiao Lingfei with anticipation.

Observing Xiao Lingfei’s expression, Gu Li needed no further clarification. Clearly, things were progressing well between Xiao Lingfei and Yan Ling. Given this, it was crucial to provide the necessary caution. “Then you should be cautious about Jin Yingyao; he harbors strong feelings for Yan Ling.”

Xiao Lingfei looked taken aback. “What? He likes Yan Ling?”

His close friend had feelings for his fiancée?

“You’ve seen how he behaves around her, ever since they met.” Gu Li pushed his glasses up, exuding a calm demeanor as if seeing through everything. “The fact that he rushed to dissuade you from getting engaged shows this can’t be easily concealed.”

Xiao Lingfei fell silent, feeling conflicted. “Does he truly like Yan Ling?”

While Xiao Lingfei harbored feelings for Yan Ling, their time together had been brief. If Jin Yingyao genuinely liked her, should he…

Ahhhh, why does such melodramatic nonsense have to happen to me?!

“I advise against considering any cancellation of your engagement,” Gu Li said objectively. “Your emotions shouldn’t be swayed by others’ opinions. Moreover, it’s not just about you; unless Yan Ling doesn’t reciprocate, rejecting the engagement would cause her significant emotional harm.”

Yan Ling… She clearly did like him.

Realizing this, Xiao Lingfei gradually calmed down. “I understand now.”

Handing over a girl one likes, especially when she reciprocates those feelings, to someone else would make him a scumbag.

“Let Jin Yingyao cool down for now,” Gu Li suggested. “He’s only met Yan Ling once; I’m confident he’ll come around.”

Xiao Lingfei nodded, unable to suppress his admiration for why Yan Ling deserved her title as the academy’s goddess. With so many people fond of her, his fiancée was indeed incredibly popular.

This realization made Xiao Lingfei slightly anxious. Previously, he had always been the one pursued, but now he felt that if he didn’t pay close attention, his fiancée could easily slip away…

“Woah!” Unbeknownst to them, Lu Yifan had stealthily approached and eavesdropped on their conversation, exclaiming in surprise, “So it’s because Yingyao likes Lingling that he’s acting so strange…”

“Yifan, that’s not right,” Gu Li chided him gently. “You shouldn’t be eavesdropping.”

“Sorry, sorry!” Lu Yifan clasped his hands together, looking genuinely apologetic. “Considering we’re friends, please forgive me. I couldn’t help my curiosity; you both were talking behind my back, and I don’t like that. We should always be open with each other…”

Who could stay angry with Lu Yifan, the prince-like son of the grand duke?

Gu Li could only sigh and respond, “Don’t let it happen again.”

“Actually, I really like Lingling too,” Lu Yifan confessed his thoughts openly. “She’s so patient, friendly, and easygoing. I can feel that she treats me as an equal, unlike others who either overly praise or dismiss me.”

“She is indeed impressive,” Gu Li agreed. “Her etiquette is nearly flawless, and her personality is excellent as well.”

“Hold on, you two…” Xiao Lingfei frowned, “Is discussing this in front of me really appropriate?”

“So you need to find ways to keep her close,” Gu Li said calmly. “Outstanding individuals always attract attention.”

Xiao Lingfei smiled, “Alright, alright, I get what you’re saying.”

“As for Jin Yingyao, everyone should avoid mentioning matters of love or relationships around him,” Gu Li meticulously planned. “Give him some time to adjust his mindset.”

“Understood!” exclaimed Lu Yifan.

“Got it,” added Xiao Lingfei.

Gu Li thought to himself: With these precautions, there shouldn’t be any major issues. I’ve done what needed to be done; hopefully, no unexpected situations arise.

Saint Hieria had dedicated student housing areas, with many students choosing to reside on campus due to its excellent accommodations.

Yan Ling also had her own apartment within the college; however, it was typically used for temporary rest, as she would always return home to the Yan residence each evening promptly.

Similarly, S4 members, despite the superb on-campus living conditions, rarely stayed overnight at school. As heirs of prominent conglomerates, they needed to go home and learn various business affairs, often making their schedules more demanding than those of average students.

Following her memories, Tong Ling arrived at the student residential building. At Saint Hieria, accommodation zones were divided by rank: S-level students resided in standalone villas with luxurious gardens. From a distance, Yan Ling admired them momentarily before confiding in the system, “Once I’m done with classes, I’ll sleep in one of these villas during the day, hire a butler to bring me meals on time, and manage household chores.”

Unable to resist, m577 snarked back: [Are these really tasks for a student?]

“Has the college said it’s not allowed?” Tong Ling sighed wistfully. “That’s the perk of having privileges, you know.”

For now, though, Tong Ling could only return to her A-level student apartment. It must be noted that even the A-level apartments met five-star hotel standards externally, reflecting Saint Hieria’s status as a top-tier noble academy, permeated with an air of opulence.

Upon returning to her apartment, Tong Ling first took out the two love letters from her backpack and examined them. The letters were unremarkable, with perhaps only slightly flowery language. Approximately 80% of their content praised Yan Ling’s beauty, while the remaining 20% expressed deep admiration. At the end, each carefully included their social media accounts, expressing hope for a reply.

Tong Ling opened the female supporting character’s social media app to browse. She had numerous friends, mostly Saint Hieria students added through internal searches. However, apart from her parents, there were no frequently contacted individuals. Whenever classmates confessed their affection, Yan Ling would simply respond with a polite thank you and then ignore further interactions.

This approach was considered quite courteous, as others of her social standing typically wouldn’t acknowledge friend requests at all.

In the pending friend request section, Tong Ling found the two boys who sent the love letters and accepted their applications. While doing so, she also searched for their profiles on Saint Hieria’s official database.

One boy was rated B-level, the other C-level, both not insignificant standings within Saint Hieria.

It made sense; those with lower statuses wouldn’t dare to openly confess, as the mere disparity in rank would invite astonished stares from others.

As if they had been eagerly awaiting her response, immediately after accepting their friend requests, both boys sent her several messages in quick succession.

Perhaps realizing their confessions were unlikely to succeed, once Tong Ling expressed her gratitude, they quickly fell silent. If she ignored them further, they would eventually become idle decorations, much like those on Yan Ling’s friend list.

Tong Ling wouldn’t waste such resources; she intended to make full use of her contacts.

Tong Ling: [Due to being the heir of the Yan family, my parents will arrange marriage prospects for me, so I cannot freely engage in romantic relationships. If you don’t mind, perhaps we could try being friends.]

For ordinary people, suggesting friendship as a rejection is common, but coming from the college’s “goddess,” it was quite extraordinary. Moreover, by explaining her inability to pursue romance, her sincere approach left no room for criticism. The suitors understood that their lack of suitable status prevented any chance with her. For the young lady bound by familial obligations to extend an olive branch of friendship was already a significant gesture.

Both admirers enthusiastically embraced the idea of friendship, responding promptly: [Being friends is great!]

Tong Ling: [I don’t have many friends around me, and I’m unsure how to interact with them…]

As soon as Tong Ling sent this message, her two suitors’ attitudes became even more enthusiastic. She chatted with both for a few more exchanges, arranging “friendship dates” separately with each of them before concluding the conversation.

m577: [Dates? Are you already going on dates just to secure votes?]

Unhappily, Tong Ling replied, “How could you say that? It’s not about the votes; it’s about making genuine friends. Friendship cannot be tied to personal gain; our relationship is pure.”

m577 muttered: [The word ‘pure’ shouldn’t apply to you…]

“And besides, doing this aligns with the plot development,” Tong Ling said, referencing the original storyline. “There were rumors on the forums that Yan Ling went on dates with eight people in one day.”

“I must certainly achieve this feat—going on dates with eight individuals!”

m577: [What?!]

The entire m577 system seemed to crack in disbelief. [Why do your priorities always revolve around such peculiar aspects…]

Going on dates with eight people in one day? Only a fucking tentacle monster could manage that!