A Play for Karma

“That’s enough,” Jiang Chen’s lazy voice drifted from behind her. “Can’t keep the act up, can you?”

Zhou Yi’s back stiffened.

‘That bastard had clearly seen right through her from the start, yet he had waited until she was utterly out of options before calling her bluff! Did he just revel in watching people flounder?’

A wave of inexplicable indignation, mixed with annoyance, surged within her.

‘Forget it! All she needed was a helper, after all. At worst, she would simply devise another plan! She wasn’t so desperate as to pin all her hopes on Jiang Chen alone!’

Anger diluted the awkwardness, causing her to stop and turn her back to Jiang Chen as she declared petulantly, “Uh… I mistook you for someone else! Alright?!”

Even as she spoke, she found herself a little ridiculous; inwardly, she desperately wanted his help, yet at this moment, she clung stubbornly to her pride.

However, she had only taken two steps when a light tap landed on her shoulder.

“Hey,” Jiang Chen’s voice was laced with amusement. “Are you really sure you mistook me for someone else? Out of thousands of students in the entire school, you just happened to pick me?”

Zhou Yi stiffened her neck, neither turning back nor uttering a sound.

Jiang Chen waited for a moment, then simply took a large stride, circumventing her to stand directly in front of her.

He bent down, meeting her gaze that was deliberately averted to the side.

“Don’t you have anything to say?”

‘Say? Say what?’

‘Was she supposed to openly admit how foolish her excuse had been just now?’

“Uh…” Zhou Yi’s eyes darted, and she suddenly pointed behind Jiang Chen. “Look! A UFO!”

Jiang Chen didn’t even turn his head. “Are you serious?”

Zhou Yi was speechless.

“Tell me, why did you go to such great lengths to trick me out here?” Jiang Chen watched her playfully. “Don’t tell me… you want to pursue me?”

“!!!” Zhou Yi’s face instantly flushed crimson, and her hackles rose. “You’re thinking too much! Absolutely not! Two hundred percent no!”

She was utterly dumbfounded on the spot.

‘Good heavens, I’ve shared a room with you for over a year, and only now am I discovering such a flamboyant soul hidden beneath that respectable exterior!’

‘Is this really the same Jiang Chen who would help buy fever medicine in the middle of the night and look after his roommates? Or has he been swapped out by aliens?!’

“Oh?” Jiang Chen clearly didn’t believe her, watching her with an air of composure. “Then tell me the truth?”

His interruption dissipated much of Zhou Yi’s stubbornness.

She glared at him, exasperated, before finally conceding defeat.

“…Fine, fine! Yes, yes, yes! I need your help! A big favor! Happy now?!”

“Why didn’t you just say so earlier?” Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow, observing the flustered, crimson-cheeked girl before him.

Suddenly, he found the situation rather amusing.

“What kind of help?”

“…Wh-what other kind of help could it be? The kind that accumulates good karma, of course!”

“Accumulating good karma? Sounds rather mystical. Am I supposed to help old ladies cross the street, or donate money to build bridges and roads?”

“Neither! Be serious for a moment! It’s… to ask you to help act out a play!”

“You make it sound so grand, but it turns out to be just acting?”

“What do you know! This isn’t ordinary acting; it’s the kind that concerns a major life event!”

“Oh, it can escalate to a major life event, can it?”

“Just tell me, will you help or not?”

“I’ll help!” Jiang Chen agreed without a moment’s hesitation, nodding readily.

His straightforwardness, however, caught Zhou Yi off guard.

She looked up, gazing at him with some surprise.

“However…” Jiang Chen drew out his words, “there’s a precondition.”

“What precondition? As long as I can…”

Jiang Chen cut her off. “The precondition is… I don’t even know your name. Is that how you ask someone for help?”

“Zhou Yi!” she blurted out instinctively.

“Zhou Yi?” Jiang Chen repeated softly, a sound that made Zhou Yi’s heart clench.

She stared nervously at Jiang Chen, terrified that he might inadvertently connect her to his roommate, her true self, Zhou Yi.

‘He shouldn’t… discover it, right?’

She swallowed hard. ‘Don’t let me fall before I even begin!’

Jiang Chen merely offered an enigmatic smile. “Nice name, quite elegant.”

Zhou Yi’s heart pounded, but she forced herself to maintain composure. “It’s the ‘Yi’ from ‘spirited and vibrant’! Pretty easy to remember, right?”

Jiang Chen gazed deeply at her. “Mm, I’ve remembered it.”

With a half-smile, he took a step closer.

“So, my spirited and vibrant classmate, Zhou Yi,” he leaned in slightly, closing the distance between them. “What’s your reason for wanting me to act in this play for you? You must have some excuse to convince me, right?”

A powerful sense of oppression washed over her, making Zhou Yi’s nervous heart pound almost out of her chest.

‘How had she never noticed before that this guy’s aura was so intimidating when he looked down on people?’

She bit her lip, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. “It’s just… you know Chen Hao, right?”

Hearing Chen Hao’s name, Jiang Chen nodded.

“He’s almost getting expelled because of online loans,” Zhou Yi blurted out in a rush.

The playful expression on Jiang Chen’s face receded slightly, and he narrowed his eyes. “Elaborate?”

So Zhou Yi, as concisely as possible, outlined the entire affair from beginning to end: how Chen Hao had been manipulated by Lin Yating, how he had been infatuated and refused to turn back, and finally, how he had fallen into the trap of campus loans, even alarming the school.

After finishing, she exhaled, secretly observing Jiang Chen’s reaction.

Jiang Chen didn’t respond immediately.

After a moment of contemplation, he stared at her thoughtfully. “One question… why did you come to me for help?”

“Well… of course, it’s because you’re presentable enough; you can command a presence just by standing there, and you can even bluff people at critical moments.” Zhou Yi spouted nonsense, almost bursting into laughter herself as the words left her mouth.

‘Oh my god, what am I even saying?! Isn’t this just showering him with excessive praise?!’

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow, his smile growing even more mischievous. “Oh? So I’m that impressive in your eyes?”

Zhou Yi was speechless.

‘This person really brightens up with just a little encouragement!’

Jiang Chen, however, wasn’t letting it go. “Then why not just be completely honest? Is it because I’m handsome?”

“Get lost!” Zhou Yi rolled her eyes, utterly speechless.

A low chuckle escaped Jiang Chen’s throat, and he finally straightened up, returning to a serious demeanor. “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Let’s get down to business. How do you need me to act? How can I help?”

Zhou Yi’s spirits finally lifted.

She cleared her throat and began to elaborate on her battle plan. “It’s like this…”

…

“…So, you just need to pretend to be a little interested in Lin Yating, chat with her casually a few times, and show just a hint of affection…”

Zhou Yi grew more enthusiastic as she spoke. “She admires you so much; she definitely won’t be able to resist using every trick in the book to get close to you and attract your attention…”

“And then…”

Just as she reached the crucial part, Jiang Chen suddenly took a step closer, startling Zhou Yi into retreating a step.

Her back instantly hit the library wall.

Jiang Chen propped one hand on the wall beside her ear, leaning in close. “And then… tell me, why should I help you play the villain in all this?”

This classic ‘kabedon’ pose sent Zhou Yi’s blood pressure skyrocketing.

‘Seriously, just talk, you jerk! Why do you have to get so close?’

The warm breath, carrying a faint scent of mint, washed over her face, and Zhou Yi instantly stammered. “B-because…”

“Because what?” Jiang Chen seemed quite pleased with her flustered state, and deliberately pressed in a little closer, so near that he could see her trembling eyelashes.