The next day.
When Song Yi came to class wearing a face mask, it caught the attention of her classmates.
After learning that her face had broken out in red rashes due to an allergic reaction, her classmates expressed their concern.
This news spread quickly, and the school forum was soon buzzing with the latest gossip—
[That Song Yi from Class A had an allergic reaction on her face after eating something wrong, breaking out in red rashes]
[That Song Yi from Class A had an allergic reaction, with red rashes and bumps all over. They say her face is almost rotting]
[You know Song Yi from Class A? Her face is rotting! They say it's terrifying!]
[That Song Yi from Class A, her face is rotting from allergies. They say when she took off her mask, it made her classmates faint!]
Song Yi: "..."
Although the rumors had gotten a bit outrageous as they spread, this was exactly the effect she wanted.
Throughout the morning classes, Hang Feng no longer slept sprawled over his desk as usual, but instead kept glancing up at Song Yi.
Song Yi couldn't help but pull her mask up a bit higher, covering her face completely.
"Hey," the young man's voice rang out as he pointed at her face, "is it serious?"
"Very serious," Song Yi said with a straight face. "It might rot, leave scars, or even disfigure me."
Just as Song Yi was saying this, Jiang Yiheng happened to pass by and stopped in his tracks.
Seeing both the second male lead and the antagonist staring at her, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. She had to exaggerate even more about her face, using her "ugliness" to scare them away.
Song Yi wiped away nonexistent tears and said, "My face is ruined. It will rot piece by piece, leaving acne marks and scars, becoming as cratered as the moon's surface. But it's okay, I'm prepared for it. This is a hereditary skin condition in my family. My mother was the same way—beautiful when young, but by the time she was twenty, her entire face was ruined. She had to wear a mask for the rest of her life, otherwise she'd make children cry if she went out!"
Jiang Yiheng: "..."
Hang Feng: "..."
Faced with their simultaneous silence, Song Yi began to wonder if her performance had been a bit too over-the-top.
Then Jiang Yiheng suddenly said, "Murong Huan's grandmother runs a plastic surgery hospital abroad."
Song Yi looked at him gratefully, "Thanks for letting me know, but it's fine. This can't be cured, so I won't waste time! After all, I believe that a person's appearance means nothing in life—having a sincere and kind heart is what's most important!"
Jiang Yiheng silently looked at her for a few seconds before walking away.
Having gotten rid of one, Song Yi turned to the other, "Hang Feng, why do you keep staring at me? Don't tell me you like me?"
Hang Feng: "..."
Here we go again?
Song Yi touched her face again, "Please stop staring at me. I told you my face is ruined. Don't tell me you still like me even though I'm disfigured? Oh my goodness, your feelings for me are so intense that I can barely handle it! Since you like me so much, then..."
Before Song Yi could finish, she watched as Hang Feng pulled out a pair of earplugs from his pocket and expressionlessly put them in his ears.
For Hang Feng, the world became peaceful.
Song Yi: "..."
Being able to push Hang Feng to this point could be considered a victory in its own way.
So Song Yi took out her pen and solved a math worksheet to celebrate.
The last morning class was Physical Education.
Not entirely coincidentally, it was a joint class with Chen Xue's class.
Today's lesson was shot put. Everyone found it heavy and tiring, so the teacher was understanding and only made them practice for ten minutes before allowing free activity.
Song Yi sat on the steps, memorizing vocabulary from a textbook.
Suddenly, someone walked up to her.
When she looked up and saw Chen Xue, Song Yi put away her book and asked, "Do you need something?"
Chen Xue sneered, her eyes filled with undisguised schadenfreude, "I heard your face had an allergic reaction?"
When Chen Xue said this, it attracted the attention of many nearby students. Whether malicious or kind, people are always curious about such things.
Song Yi nodded, "Yes."
After getting Song Yi's confirmation, Chen Xue continued, "We're all classmates, so let's not be so distant. We'll be together for so long anyway, there's no point in being so secretive."
With that, Chen Xue reached out to pull off Song Yi's mask.
Song Yi had been looking for an opportunity to show her face to everyone anyway, so she naturally pretended to be caught off guard.
When the mask came off, Song Yi's "rashes" made the surrounding students gasp, and some even took out their phones to take pictures.
Song Yi cooperatively stood there like a celebrity, letting them take photos for a full ten seconds before pretending to just realize what was happening. She snatched the mask back from Chen Xue and ran towards the bathroom.
Chen Xue stood behind her, calling out with fake concern, "I'm sorry, Song Yi!"
Running all the way to the bathroom, Song Yi felt like she was running towards freedom.
However, just as she rushed in, she collided with someone coming out.
Song Yi stumbled back two steps before barely managing to steady herself. Seeing that it was Shen Yujing in front of her, she asked puzzled, "What are you doing here?"
Shen Yujing shrugged and answered honestly, "Didn't want to attend class."
Song Yi: "I mean, why are you coming out of the women's bathroom? Are you a pervert?"
As soon as Song Yi finished speaking, Shen Yujing's face turned "whoosh" red, and he immediately apologized, "Huh? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
After speaking, Shen Yujing instinctively looked back at the bathroom sign, then his face returned to normal color, and he declared righteously, "This is the men's bathroom! You're the one who went to the wrong place!"
Song Yi: "..."
Turned out she was the pervert.
"I'm sorry!" Song Yi also chose to apologize, then turned to head towards the women's bathroom.
But Shen Yujing suddenly grabbed her wrist and asked, "Hey, what's wrong with your face?"
Song Yi turned to look at him, "Did you wash your hands after using the bathroom?"
Shen Yujing: "...I did."
"It's just an allergic reaction," Song Yi said as she pulled down her mask, revealing her carefully crafted "special effects makeup."
Shen Yujing's brows immediately furrowed as he pulled her by the wrist towards the exit, "Let's go to the hospital."
Song Yi tried to break free from his hand, "Don't pull me, I won't go. This is a hereditary disease, it can't be cured."
But Shen Yujing was strangely strong today, "Medical conditions are different from the past. How would you know it can't be cured if you don't go?"
Song Yi: "Well, just pretend I don't want to go to the hospital. I want to stay like this, okay? Can you mind your own business?"
Shen Yujing: "No!"
Song Yi: "Let go! Let go! I need to use the bathroom! The bathroom!!!"
Shen Yujing: "..."
*
In the end, Song Yi managed to send Shen Yujing away by claiming it was just a temporary allergic reaction.
On the forum, someone had posted the secretly taken photos of Song Yi, and discussions began.
Someone even brought over the photos that Lu Qingqing had posted on her social media with Song Yi, discussing the difference between then and now.
Post 1: Strange, I always thought Song Yi was very beautiful, but in these photos she looks just average.
Post 4: Yeah, Lu Qingqing actually looks prettier, her dimples when she smiles are so cute.
Post 6: Are you all guys? Lu Qingqing's photo is so calculated, look how much she photoshopped herself. I even suspect she deliberately edited Song Yi to look ugly.
Post 8: Be more confident, aren't they both fair-skinned? But in these photos, Song Yi looks almost a shade darker than Lu Qingqing.
Post 11: What's the point of discussing this now, Song Yi's face is already like that... sigh!
Post 13: True, what a pity.
Whether Song Yi's face condition was temporary or permanent, at least for now, she had nothing to do with the title of school beauty.
Watching as the vote gap between her and Lu Qingqing gradually widened, with even fourth place showing signs of catching up, Song Yi finally felt at ease.
After lunch, back in the classroom.
To Song Yi's surprise, her desk drawer was stuffed full of medicines?
Anti-inflammatory, oil control, scar removal...
Almost every skin-related medicine had been bought for her.
There were anonymous medications tucked away in the drawer - a secret gesture of care.
Song Yi got goosebumps.
Oh no, could these be from one of the three - Shen Yujing, Jiang Yiheng, or Hang Feng?
Song Yi pressed her fingers against her philtrum and without hesitation dropped all the medicines on the lost and found desk.
In the afternoon, Hang Feng didn't come to class, and Jiang Yiheng was nowhere to be seen due to a competition.
Song Yi temporarily forgot about the medicine incident and felt in an excellent mood, even completing two extra test papers during breaks and nap time.
Until evening, when Murong Huan arrived.
She looked anxiously at Song Yi, "What happened to your face? Come on! My family runs a hospital, I'll take you straight to my grandmother!"
"No, no, no."
Seeing Murong Huan's worried expression, Song Yi immediately removed her mask and peeled off a "swollen red patch" from her face.
Murong Huan froze, bewildered, and rubbed her eyes, doubting what she was seeing.
Knowing Murong Huan's persistent nature, Song Yi offered a different explanation: "Actually, I feel that beauty brings me too many troubles."
Murong Huan: "?"
Song Yi looked at Murong Huan with hopeful eyes, "Only by losing my beauty can I live like a normal person, you understand?"
Understanding hell - she didn't even understand what she was saying herself.
But after a few seconds of silence, Murong Huan nodded vigorously, "I get it! You're trying to test Shen Yujing by pretending to be ugly, right? If he truly likes you, he won't care about your face, and if he doesn't truly like you, this is a perfect chance to expose him as a scumbag!"
Song Yi: "...?"
Was that what she meant?
However, Murong Huan's interpretation gave Song Yi an opportunity to break her preconception about the relationship between her and Shen Yujing.
So Song Yi nodded and held Murong Huan's hand, "Actually, I have a favor to ask you."
The next day at noon.
In the Student Council Disciplinary Inspection Department meeting room.
Song Yi sat in the main seat: "..."
Shen Yujing and Murong Huan sat on her left and right, with Quan Le and Jiang Yiheng sitting beside them respectively.
Murong Huan wiped nonexistent tears with a tissue and spoke seriously while making up stories: "My grandmother already said that this facial condition is hereditary and incurable. She'll likely continue getting red rashes in the future, and it might even leave scars."
Song Yi played along, nodding dramatically.
Shen Yujing's gaze toward Song Yi was complex, filled with worry and indescribable emotions.
Quan Le said: "If your grandmother says it's hopeless, then it must be serious."
Everyone knew that Murong Huan's grandmother was the country's top dermatology expert. If she thought it was incurable, then finding a cure would be harder than climbing to heaven.
Shen Yujing didn't understand, "Then let's seek treatment abroad! I refuse to believe it's some rare disease that can't be cured!"
Quan Le nodded in agreement, "We can all chip in for the expenses."
Song Yi was deeply moved but declined: "We'll see about that later, I just want to focus on studying right now."
Shen Yujing frowned, "But your face..."
"That's exactly what I wanted to discuss," Murong Huan interrupted Shen Yujing and looked at Jiang Yiheng, "So I want to ask for your help in looking after Song Yi, hoping that students will be more respectful to her. At least prevent incidents like Chen Xue removing people's masks and poking at their wounds from happening again today."
After a few seconds of silence, Jiang Yiheng nodded: "Alright."
But Murong Huan suddenly asked: "Do you think looks are important? If you truly like someone, would you change your feelings if their appearance changed?"
Faced with this question, Shen Yujing fell into deep thought.
Quan Le jumped in to answer, "Probably yes, appearance is part of why we like someone. If they become completely different from before, it would be hard to accept."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the meeting room door.
Hang Feng walked in, surprised to see everyone sitting there, and they were equally surprised to see him.
Jiang Yiheng said: "Just give me the documents."
Hang Feng nodded and handed over the stack of papers, turning to leave.
At that moment, Shen Yujing finally made up his mind and answered: "No, I think the most important thing about liking someone is their soul. No matter how their appearance changes, my feelings won't change."
"Really?" Quan Le turned back to look at him in surprise, then asked: "So if the person you like suddenly changed from a beautiful girl into a giant snapping turtle, that would be fine too?!"
Shen Yujing: "..."
"Bang—"
A loud noise made everyone look over. Hang Feng had apparently hit his leg on a chair and was bent over holding his knee in pain.
Jiang Yiheng asked: "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." The young man squeezed these words through his teeth, then limped away.
It was all Quan Le's fault, why did he have to mention snapping turtles? And a person turning into one at that!
Thinking about the two dreams he had, and the person in his dreams turning into a turtle, Hang Feng felt cold sweat breaking out even in broad daylight.
Forget it, don't think about it!
Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, rule of law!
In the meeting room, somehow, Song Yi felt a sense of desolation watching Hang Feng's retreating figure.
However, not having received an answer, Quan Le continued pressing Shen Yujing, "Why aren't you saying anything? Didn't you just say the soul is most important? What about the turtle? What about the turtle?"
Shen Yujing's face showed signs of distress, his previous determination wavering instantly.
Right, they only talked about major changes, but it didn't have to be human! What if the person he liked turned into a turtle?
Would he have to close off his heart and never love again, spending the rest of his life with a turtle? Could the turtle speak human language? Would he have to talk to himself? Wouldn't that drive him crazy?
And would he have to be extra careful when going out? What if they went to a restaurant and the chef accidentally took his turtle to make soup? Could he sue the chef for intentional homicide... no, intentional turtle-cide?
Quan Le's simple question had plunged Shen Yujing into endless contemplation and worry. Even as Quan Le dragged him out of the meeting room, his mind was still stuck on this question.
Meanwhile.
Murong Huan held Song Yi's hand, "After today's observation, I think Shen Yujing is not bad, he's acceptable!"
Song Yi: "Huh?"
Murong Huan directly criticized Quan Le, "He actually said feelings would change because of appearance changes, what kind of statement is that? He's clearly a scumbag!"
Song Yi asked: "If Jiang Yiheng were a 200-pound balding man, would you still like him?"
Murong Huan: "Of course not!"
Song Yi: "Well, there you have it."
Murong Huan: "Oh, I guess you're right."
Song Yi turned to brainwash Murong Huan, "So you see, Quan Le's answer was clearly more sincere. Unless you love someone deeply enough to follow them through life and death, no one can pass such a test. So Shen Yujing's answer was just smooth talk - men like that aren't reliable! They're not sincere!"
Murong Huan nodded with partial understanding, "So you're saying Quan Le is actually more sincere and reliable than Shen Yujing?"
Song Yi held Murong Huan's hands, her eyes full of sincerity: "Exactly, so I've decided to stop liking Shen Yujing from now on! I want to study hard and work towards becoming an excellent person, only then will I be worthy of being your friend."
Although Murong Huan didn't quite understand the logical connection between these statements, she was still dizzily led along by Song Yi's hand-holding and sweet talk.
So... Song Yi was studying hard to improve herself to always be worthy of being her friend!
In that case, she couldn't hold Song Yi back!
Murong Huan decided that starting today, she would study hard and learn from Song Yi.
Song Yi was her best friend! Even slightly more important than Jiang Yiheng!
*
That evening, at the Shen residence.
From afternoon classes until now after school, Shen Yujing was still troubled by the same question.
That is—
"So if the person you like suddenly changed from a beautiful girl into a giant snapping turtle, that would be fine too?!"
Shen Yujing couldn't figure out the answer, or perhaps he lacked the confidence and courage to make a decision.
Sitting at his desk, without realizing when it had started, the pen in his hand kept spinning on the paper, drawing circles after circles, creating one... big turtle after another.
At dinner time, his mother asked, "What soup would you like tomorrow? I'll ask Aunt Li to make it."
Shen Yujing kept his head down while eating, glumly responding, "Whatever."
Mother: "Black chicken soup?"
Shen Yujing: "Whatever."
Mother: "Then lamb soup?"
Shen Yujing: "Whatever."
Mother: "Soft-shelled turtle soup?"
Shen Yujing: "What... No! Absolutely no soft-shelled turtle soup!!!"
Mother puzzled: "Why?"
Shen Yujing naturally couldn't explain, "Just no means no, our family absolutely cannot have soft-shelled turtle soup!"
Soft-shelled turtles and regular turtles are the same thing! Cooking soft-shelled turtle is like cooking turtle! And cooking turtle is like cooking...
No, no, no! That's not it! Stop thinking about it!
Shen Yujing instantly lost his appetite, put down his chopsticks, and went upstairs.
That night.
Shen Yujing had a dream.
In the dream, he was in a church, wearing a suit, about to marry his beautiful bride.
The only problem was... he didn't know who his bride was.
The bride's face was hidden behind a white veil, and under the priest's urging, Shen Yujing found himself exchanging rings with her.
The guests below applauded, as if blessing their love.
Then the priest announced, "Now the groom may kiss the bride!"
The applause grew more enthusiastic.
Shen Yujing, feeling both expectant and curious, reached out his slightly trembling hand and lifted the veil, revealing a familiar face.
Song Yi looked at him, her eyes showing both shyness and joy.
The moment he saw Song Yi was the bride, Shen Yujing felt his heart settle down considerably.
The dream suddenly didn't feel so illusory anymore, instead taking on a sort of absurd reality.
And then in the next second—
Song Yi's face transformed into a turtle's head, asking him, "Why aren't you kissing me? Didn't you just say the soul was most important? Just because I turned into a turtle, you don't love me anymore? You lying scumbag! I'll eat you, you oath-breaking scum, and do society a favor!"
The next moment, the turtle head opened its mouth wide, attempting to devour Shen Yujing.
Shen Yujing screamed while running in his dream, and suddenly, all the guests below simultaneously transformed into turtle heads.
A group of turtles stood up, all moving to block Shen Yujing's escape route.
"Help!!!"
Shen Yujing woke up from the dream, covered in cold sweat.
He lay in bed staring at the ceiling for a long while, and after his heartbeat gradually returned to normal, he got up and grabbed his phone, "Hey, Quan Le."
Quan Le's voice was hoarse with sleepiness, "What is it?"
Shen Yujing continued, "I've figured it out. I think the most important thing about liking someone is their inner self, not their appearance, so no matter how my future girlfriend might change, I'll always like her. But the prerequisite is that she has to remain human - she can get old or ugly, but absolutely no mutations, oh, and no gender changes either."
Quan Le: "...Are you done?"
Shen Yujing: "Yeah."
"Beep beep beep—"
Shen Yujing: "...?"
