Professional Substitute

Chapter 6: Canteen Negotiation Expert

The day before, Mo Qinglan had resolutely embarked on her mission to guard the campus heartthrob. Today, a bucket of water fell from above, drenching her completely. Her clothes clung tightly to her body, revealing her graceful curves.

The classroom erupted in laughter, with her classmates looking at her as if she were a comical clown. "Ignorant and overconfident!" Gu Tianyi, who had entered the classroom first, slightly furrowed his brows but remained silent. Mo Qinglan's lips curled into a smile, tinged with a hint of disdain and boredom, as she slowly scanned the room with her gaze.

"Who did this?" she asked. The crowd continued laughing, ignoring her, leaving her to perform this solo act. Even two boys who felt sympathetic were silenced by the girls beside them. Mo Qinglan recalled the homework she had done the day before.

On the campus BBS, there was a long-standing prediction poll for the top ten beauties most likely to win over Academic God Gu. Mo Qinglan had carefully searched for each person's student number and photo. If they didn't provoke her, they'd coexist peacefully; if they deliberately caused trouble, she wouldn't mind retaliating.

"Do you have the courage to do it but not to admit it?" she asked again, raising her voice. Still, no one responded. Someone watching the drama mumbled, "If you have the skills, investigate it yourself. If you want to pursue Academic God Gu, you need some skills!" Mo Qinglan smiled at the girl who spoke and snapped her fingers, exuding a hint of enchanting beauty.

"You're right! This is Cloud University. If a collective bullying incident occurs publicly, the school won't sit idly by. I'll apply to the academic office to check the surveillance. Whoever did this good deed will be obvious. Guess how the school will handle it? Criticism, a major demerit, or expulsion?" A girl stood up, dressed in branded clothes, gently smoothing her long hair at her back, composed and unhurried. She had two girls behind her, presumably good friends, in the same camp.

"Just targeting you! If you have the skills, go ahead and check!" whispered voices erupted. Mo Qinglan turned to see the teacher entering the classroom. She quickly shook off the water, splashing it onto the girl. The girl's eyes flashed with disdain and disgust as she stepped back. Mo Qinglan leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Miss, you've caught my attention. Don't rush off after class, I'll be waiting for you." She winked at her and then walked confidently to her seat, still sitting next to Gu Tianyi. Gu Tianyi said nothing but didn't object either.

During class, dozens of eyes were fixed on Mo Qinglan. However, everyone noticed that Mo Qinglan was extremely attentive in class, while Gu Tianyi passed her a small note. Mo Qinglan twirled around 360 degrees in place, provocatively displaying it silently. This little action made everyone even angrier.

After class, Mo Qinglan didn't chase after Gu Tianyi but instead stopped the girl who had set her up before class, speaking lightly, "Shall we talk?" The girl, naturally, wasn't intimidated by her; she had a background too. "You want to talk? Who do you think you are?" Mo Qinglan's lips curled up, holding the note between her fingers like a victorious general.

"Because I sat next to Gu Tianyi while you experienced repeated failures. Because he passed me a note while ignoring your flirtatious glances." The girl was speechless with anger, "Who are you calling flirtatious? You're the one with cross-eyed flirtation!" Mo Qinglan laughed softly, amused by her frustrated demeanor. "I mean, dear... don't you want to know how I did it?" The girl subconsciously swallowed, thinking: yes. With just a few words, the girl was easily persuaded to follow Mo Qinglan.

The negotiation took place in the canteen because Mo Qinglan was hungry. She ordered a bowl of fish ball noodles. "Get to the point," the girl impatiently urged, her eyebrows furrowed. Several eyes in the canteen were on them. Mo Qinglan was considered a department beauty at Cloud University, and yesterday's BBS top ten had catapulted her to campus celebrity status. Now, her every move attracted some attention.

"I heard you're at the top of the BBS list, most likely to win over Academic God Gu. But I see you haven't succeeded yet. Why not share your failure experience and give me a good laugh?" The girl was so angry she couldn't speak. How could this woman be so annoying, rubbing salt in the wound and trying to steal her experience? Mo Qinglan saw the girl's puffed-up cheeks, like a little pufferfish, and slammed the table with a "bang." The girl jumped up in fright.

"You think I'm easily scared?" Mo Qinglan moved her hand to reveal the note beneath, "Want to know what Academic God Gu wrote to me?" The girl thought: yes! She swiftly snatched the note from Mo Qinglan's hand. Upon opening it, she was first stunned, then burst into laughter.

"I'm not interested in romance, so stop pursuing me." It turned out that this was the content of the note Gu Tianyi had given Mo Qinglan. How was she any different from all the other girls? Realizing that Mo Qinglan was also just a bronze-level player, the girl's heightened vigilance relaxed. "Is that it? I thought you had some great skill!" Mo Qinglan gently took the note back from her hand, treating it as a treasured possession.

"You need to see the meaning behind these nine words." Her words sounded more like a mysterious riddle. "Such straightforward words, could they hide some kind of confession or love talk? Hidden message, hahaha!" The girl laughed heartily. "Exactly, he's concerned about me." Mo Qinglan's voice rose and fell, still in a standard broadcasting tone.

"Considering today's events, you all targeted me, so the Academic God Gu, who didn't even glance at me yesterday, felt a twinge of sympathy and passed me a note today. Because he's kind and doesn't want me to be isolated or ostracized, I'm special to him." Mo Qinglan leisurely analyzed, her smile unwavering, as if victory was within her grasp. The girl was stunned by her smile. Damn, it made so much sense.

But admitting one's failure is not easy. She stiffened her neck and blushed, retorting, "That's all in your imagination, a ridiculous mental victory!" She couldn't believe Academic God Gu would take a liking to Mo Qinglan. "Wait, my noodles are ready." Mo Qinglan took small steps to the counter, returned with her food, and took a big bite, sighing contentedly.

"Believe it or not, you can continue targeting me, but it'll only tip the scales in my favor in Academic God Gu's heart. Because people naturally sympathize with the weak. If I show weakness appropriately, I can openly enter Academic God Gu's sight." The girl slightly opened her mouth, clearly acknowledging Mo Qinglan's point. Ah no, her twisted logic.

"So you're saying I'm a catalyst for you two?" Mo Qinglan smoothly picked up the conversation, "Bingo. Dear, that's a spot-on summary. On the contrary, if we all rely on our own skills, Academic God Gu might just reject us all equally. No one would be special. The choice is yours." The girl's eyes darted around as she considered the credibility of Mo Qinglan's words. Suddenly, she realized.

"In other words, you're asking for a truce!" Mo Qinglan took another big sip of soup, "I say, aren't you eating? Be careful not to develop an eating disorder." This blatant little curse left the girl both amused and exasperated. She wanted to initiate a campus battle, but Mo Qinglan completely ignored it. Her heavy punches landed on soft cotton.

"I'm declaring war on you, can't you take it seriously?" "I'm taking it as seriously as possible." With her noodles finished, Mo Qinglan delivered her closing statement, "Why should women make things difficult for other women? Everyone loves beauty; it's better if we each pursue our own, relying on our skills."

"I'm not one for internal competition. I thought, since you've failed many times anyway, why not take a break and watch how I pursue him? Stand on the shoulders of this giant, summarize your experience, and then continue your journey." The girl thought for a moment, then extended her hand, "I won't target you anymore; I want to see what tricks you have." Just like that, over a meal, Mo Qinglan and the girl reached a truce. As for the note, it wasn't even written by Gu Tianyi. The girls watched Mo Qinglan, but she made no suspicious moves, and they got bored. Mo Qinglan seized the opportunity, slipping a note to Gu Tianyi herself. Gu Tianyi, puzzled, threw the note back, and everyone saw it. It was all orchestrated by Mo Qinglan herself.

The girl who reconciled with Mo Qinglan was called Ruan Danfei, and she had now become Mo Qinglan's devoted fan, completely captivated by her charm. Over a year had passed, and while Mo Qinglan was still pursuing, they had long given up.Ruan Danfei had now become Mo Qinglan's devoted fan, completely captivated by her charm. Over a year had passed, and Mo Qinglan was still pursuing, but they had long since given up.