A Cake Fight and a Confession

Not long after dinner, Lin Yi felt too full after just a few bites of cake. He set down his dessert, intending to get a drink of water.

Suddenly, a sticky blob landed directly on him.

Lin Yi’s face darkened as he wiped the cream from his face, then turned to glare at Li Yan.

Li Yan held a cake base smeared with cream, and Lin Yi could faintly discern the imprint of a face in the frosting.

No explanation was needed; it was clear Li Yan was the culprit.

“Stop right there!”

Lin Yi declared, then picked up a piece of cake and hurled it straight at Li Yan’s face.

Fortunately, Li Yan was prepared. Seeing Lin Yi throw the cake, he quickly ducked.

The cream-laden cake soared over Li Yan’s head, flying directly toward Ling Qianwu.

Ling Qianwu’s movements froze. She glanced at her cream-splashed clothes, and her expression instantly turned grim.

“Lin Yi! You’re dead!”

“Holy shit, Sister, I didn’t mean to!”

Ling Qianwu didn’t care for his excuses; she snatched up a cake and threw it.

Lin Yi dodged, and the cake flew towards Lin Yiting.

Upon seeing the incoming cake, Lin Yiting’s arm moved swiftly, catching it firmly in her hand before placing it on the coffee table.

“Wasting food isn’t a good habit, you know.”

Lin Yiting offered a faint smile, her cream-covered hand already lunging towards Ling Qianwu.

In an instant, the scene devolved into utter chaos. Before long, Xu Wei and Qin Ruoxue also joined the fray.

Cakes and cream flew everywhere. Eventually, it became impossible to tell who was who, as everyone just aimed for the nearest face.

They had bought two cakes, which was certainly enough for a few people to wreak havoc with.

After a long commotion, Lin Yi and Li Yan, who had borne the brunt of the attacks, emerged from the private restroom. Since they had started it, all the cakes ended up splattering on them.

Lin Yi was covered in cream from head to toe, his hair even dyed white. He had washed the cream from his hair several times, yet it remained stubbornly sticky.

‘It looks like I’ll need a proper shower tonight,’ he thought.

Wiping the droplets from his hair, Lin Yi settled back onto the sofa. Only the top layer and the portion Lin Yiting had bought were touched; the remaining cakes sat untouched on the coffee table.

Realizing no one would likely eat them now, Lin Yi simply covered the plates and tidied up the area.

The big screen continued to play music, and Xu Wei, microphone in hand, sang a graceful and melodious tune.

Her voice was unique, possessing its own charm with a hint of a broadcaster’s cadence. Lin Yi held the remaining cake remnants, eating and listening.

He understood a bit about music theory; Xu Wei’s singing was far more skilled than his. Her voice was also quite good, though it lacked a certain emotional depth, making it seem a little stiff and uninspired.

As the song gradually drew to a close, Lin Yi finished the last of his cake. He opened a bottle of mineral water, took a large gulp, then leaned back on the sofa, feeling utterly drained.

What could he do? He had been the primary target of the cake assault. Being ganged up on by everyone and constantly running around had certainly taken its toll.

He lay with his eyes half-closed for a moment, a faint fragrance drifting towards him. Lin Yi opened his eyes to see a pair of dazzling golden pupils.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Lin Yi, I need to tell you something.”

Qin Ruoxue leaned closer to Lin Yi’s ear and whispered softly.

“Lin Yi, do you like me?”

Like a bolt from the blue, Lin Yi’s body instantly stiffened. A look of fear slowly crept into his eyes as he gazed at Qin Ruoxue.

This very line had been described in the original novel. It was by rejecting Qin Ruoxue that the male lead had caused her to lose all hope and descend into endless darkness.

This sentence was also the turning point, the pivotal moment where the entire novel began to shift.

Now, the same words were laid before Lin Yi. Despite his every precaution, this day had arrived, and significantly earlier than in the original story.

His thoughts slowly calmed, and he quickly strategized in his mind. Having endured Chen Sishi’s torment, his mental fortitude was now far stronger than before.

Yet, faced with such a dilemma, Lin Yi still didn’t know how to choose.

If he said he liked her, Chen Sishi would erupt.

If he didn’t like her, Qin Ruoxue would also erupt.

‘Damn it, it seems there’s no way out!’ he thought.

His body trembled slightly as Lin Yi instinctively swallowed. Of two evils, he’d choose the lesser; he decided to appease Qin Ruoxue for now, especially since Chen Sishi wouldn’t know.

With his mental calculations complete, Lin Yi parted his lips slightly.

“Of course, I li—”

In the end, Lin Yi couldn’t bring himself to utter words against his true feelings, but Qin Ruoxue already knew his answer.

She hugged Lin Yi tightly, her soft, cotton-like red lips pressing against his cheek, leaving a faint mark.

Lin Yi’s body felt as if it had been struck by lightning; such a sensation was truly more than his innocent, virgin self could handle. His cheeks immediately flushed, turning as red as a ripe apple.

“How wonderful, Lin Yi likes me, ahahaha.”

Qin Ruoxue nestled into Lin Yi’s embrace, her body rubbing against his as if trying to merge herself into him.

Feeling a little breathless from the embrace, Lin Yi struggled a few times, only to realize that Qin Ruoxue was holding him incredibly tight; no matter how he struggled, it was difficult to break free.

“Hmph, Qin Ruoxue, I can’t breathe.”

“Oh? Doesn’t Lin Yi like me? Then you can’t call me by my full name. You have to call me Ruoxue, okay?”

Left with no choice, Lin Yi could only go along with Qin Ruoxue’s words.

“Alright, Ruoxue, I’m really running out of breath.”

“Hmph hmph, that’s more like it.”

Contrary to his expectations, Qin Ruoxue didn’t seem to be having an episode. She was still her usual self, the Qin Class Monitor Lin Yi was familiar with.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Qin Ruoxue let go of Lin Yi and continued speaking.

“Lin Yi, you need to be careful of Chen Sishi. Her mental state has been a bit off lately. If you see her, hide as far away as you can.”

This was unexpected news.

According to Qin Ruoxue’s description, Chen Sishi was already transitioning into a mid-stage breakdown, and it was likely that a storm of blood and chaos would erupt soon.

A shiver of fear ran through Lin Yi; he distinctly remembered how brutal Chen Sishi was depicted in the novel.

Things like being encased in concrete pillars, fed to fish in the river, or mixed into asphalt roads—anything imaginable, she was capable of doing.

Of course, these methods were reserved for less significant female characters. For the original protagonist, it was the yandere treatment.

Imprisonment, binding, and ‘training’ – she did it all. Even Lin Yi, reading the novel, had felt a strong reaction to it.

Bringing his thoughts back to reality, Lin Yi thanked Qin Ruoxue and checked the time on his phone.

Their private room booking was almost up; there were about ten minutes left.

After the final song concluded, the five people once again gathered around Lin Yi.

“Happy Birthday, Lin Yi!”

Watching them, Lin Yi’s heart swelled with emotion. Although he was accustomed to celebrating his birthday alone, this rare lively occasion brought him genuine joy.

“Thank you…”

“Hey, Lin Yi, don’t thank me so fast; I still have a gift for you.”

Qin Ruoxue rummaged in her bag for a moment, then pulled out an exquisite long box. The box itself was brown, adorned with intricate golden patterns.

Upon opening it, a wooden flute, capable of being assembled and disassembled, lay nestled inside.

“This is… for me?”

Lin Yi was surprised by the beautiful flute. Given its exquisite decorations, he estimated it must have cost a considerable sum.

“That’s right! I hadn’t originally planned on this one. But your singing, Lin Yi, is so beautiful, I just had to give it to you. Please cherish it; it’s been with me for many years.”

“Wait, why did you bring a flute? To blow out the mic?”

“Hmph hmph, I’m not telling you, nah.”