After Flirting with the Wrong Stand-in, I Overturned (GL) - Chapter 56

Shuyan knew.

Ren Xuan stared blankly at Lin Shuyan. She knew this early?

Countless fragments of memory flashed before Ren Xuan’s eyes. All the beautiful moments they shared were destined to vanish like smoke. She had hoped a thousand times to forget the cruel truth, but the reality was like a shimmering soap bubble—one breath of wind, and it would scatter.

A few days ago.

“Host, the protagonist’s affection value for you is maxed out.” The System’s mechanical voice never ceased; it remained a constant, rhythmic reminder to Ren Xuan. In the System’s view, Ren Xuan was the most rational and efficient host it had ever encountered.

Thinking back to previous hosts, the System felt like weeping. Whether it was the Ancient China arc or the Immortal Cultivation arc, others had to sacrifice so much for even a tiny gain. Even in the Modern arc, no one had been this efficient. Ren Xuan made its job easy, yet it still felt the need to offer a nudge.

“Proceeding smoothly to the next segment! Host, your mission is more than half finished!” The System was delighted by the progress bar on one hand, and happy for Ren Xuan on the other. Once the mission was done, Ren Xuan could return to her own world and resume her own life!

“I…” Ren Xuan hesitated.

“Host, is there a problem?” the System asked helpfully. “Dear, I’m online twenty-four hours a day. If you have any questions, I can answer them.”

“No.” Ren Xuan shook her head. Before the System could react, she quickly closed the communication interface.

Some things already have an answer. Asking again, Ren Xuan thought as she looked up, wouldn’t change anything. She had reasoned with herself many times: if the mission doesn’t proceed, you can’t go home.

In the whole wide world, was there anything more important than going home? As nice as this place was, it was ultimately a foreign world; everything felt so surreal.

Furthermore, if the mission wasn’t carried out, the book’s world would continue to fracture, and everything would reset. That meant Lin Shuyan would simply encounter a new “task-taker.”

No matter how many excuses she made to convince herself she must do this, Ren Xuan still felt despicable. To hurt a person’s unconditional affection…

You will do it, Ren Xuan heard her inner voice reply.

Back then, she thought she would cross that bridge when she came to it. Only when the moment finally arrived—the moment she could no longer hide or avoid it—did Ren Xuan realize how she would truly react.

That day came so fast. It caught her off guard, leaving her no time to prepare.

The person who lay so obediently in her arms just a moment ago—where would she be in the next?

Ren Xuan couldn’t utter a single word.

“A-Xuan,” Shuyan’s voice continued, “you go tell them yourself, tell them I’m not a stand-in, and then…”

Shuyan was immersed in her own fantasy. She had planned it all out: tomorrow, she would invite An Ruo out, bring A-Xuan along, and put on a show in front of her rival. No, it wouldn’t even be a “show”—she and A-Xuan were naturally like this every day. It was just a bold display of their life for An Ruo to see.

It was going to be so funny. Although it seemed a bit childish, a bit boring, and perhaps a bit like a “villain’s gloating,” Shuyan felt happy just thinking about it.

At the last birthday banquet, she was clearly A-Xuan’s real girlfriend. Yet those people looked at her with suspicion and scrutiny.

If she boldly proclaimed it like this, maybe fewer people would lust after A-Xuan?

Shuyan wasn’t sure. She only knew that with A-Xuan backing her, she was becoming bolder. In the past, facing someone like An Ruo, she might not have said a single word. But now…

No one could take A-Xuan from her. No one at all.

“A-Xuan…” Shuyan’s small mouth chattered on, but Ren Xuan could no longer process a single word.

It felt as if her throat were blocked. Ren Xuan tried to speak several times, only to close her mouth again. A sense of bitterness and helplessness flooded her body. Even speaking became difficult.

“A-Xuan?” Shuyan finally realized something was wrong. Her chatter stopped abruptly. She looked up and cautiously tugged at the corner of Ren Xuan’s sleeve.

“Does A-Xuan think I’m being too mean?” Shuyan asked uncertainly, the red flush of her recent tears still on her face. Before hearing those words in the bar today, even Shuyan hadn’t imagined she could have so many “wicked” thoughts.

“I…” Shuyan’s chin trembled slightly. She gripped the fabric of the sleeve tightly, staring at her stubbornly. Still receiving no answer, Shuyan hurriedly began to change her words.

“I—I also think it’s not very good. How about this, A-Xuan? You just tell them I’m not a stand-in, that the one you like…” The one you like is clearly me.

Shuyan was on the verge of sobbing. Her eyes had swollen at some point, making her look anything but “camera-ready,” but she didn’t care about her appearance. She gently shook A-Xuan’s sleeve again.

“A-Xuan,” Shuyan’s body trembled uncontrollably, but her stubborn face remained tilted upward. She stared at Ren Xuan unblinkingly, terrified to miss even the slightest change in her expression.

The hand that was gripping the sleeve gradually loosened. Shuyan shook her head, instinctively wanting to retreat. As she sat on the sofa, she moved back so far she was about to tumble onto the floor, but Ren Xuan suddenly grabbed her.

That instinctive, lightning-fast reaction was the breaking point for Shuyan. Her tears began to flow uncontrollably. She grabbed Ren Xuan’s wrist as if catching a piece of driftwood in a raging river.

“A-Xuan…” Say something. Even if there are other considerations, A-Xuan could…

Could what? Shuyan’s brain raced. She suddenly thought they could just invite An Ruo out directly. The An family was wealthy in Yecheng; there must be cooperation between the two families. If things turned sour, it wouldn’t look good for either side. She understood. she really did.

Shuyan subconsciously tried to ignore the one answer she feared most. Even though she knew the Ren family’s wealth and connections were far superior to the An family’s, and the two had no business dealings.

“A-Xuan, they said…”

Shuyan repeated the words she had heard, her face devoid of color.

Then, suddenly, Shuyan could hardly believe her eyes. She saw it. She actually saw Ren Xuan give a slight, slow nod.

But she had clearly asked—Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

Shuyan shook her head in disbelief. “Impossible!”

A-Xuan must have misheard. She had been talking too fast, being too wordy, and A-Xuan must have gotten confused.

“Lin Shuyan… is she… a stand-in?” Shuyan asked, pausing between every word, her voice raspy.

A moment passed. It might have been one minute, or two, or perhaps not that long at all. Shuyan watched as the person before her nodded once more.

Impossible. This couldn’t be true. The last trace of color drained from Shuyan’s face. She shook her head incessantly.

“No, no,” Shuyan murmured. “A-Xuan, you’re lying to me. You’re lying…”

Ren Xuan’s hand suddenly reached out.

What would usually be a normal, affectionate gesture felt extraordinarily revolting at this moment. Shuyan could no longer suppress her pent-up emotions and violently slapped Ren Xuan’s hand away.

“Shuyan!”

“Lin Shuyan!”

Seeing her dash toward the stairs, Ren Xuan started to follow, but she was a step too late. Shuyan had already slammed the door.

With a loud bang, Ren Xuan was locked out.

Ren Xuan raised her hand to knock, but stopped. She couldn’t see what was happening inside, nor could she hear any sound. She leaned against the door. After a while, her body slid down until she was sitting directly on the floor in front of the bedroom.

Butler Wang, hearing the noise from the living room, ran up in a hurry. He found Ren Xuan sitting on the cold floor with her head bowed.

“Eldest Miss,” Butler Wang said, clearly not yet realizing the gravity of the situation. He took a quick look and offered comfort. “This is all very normal.” There was no couple that didn’t fight. Especially after marriage—getting upset, sleeping in separate rooms, or visiting the parents’ house—those were all minor scenes. There was no need to panic.

But his overconfidence faded as he saw the expression on Ren Xuan’s face. He finally sensed that something was different from what he had imagined.

“Eld-Eldest Miss…” the butler called out worriedly. Ren Xuan didn’t reply. She pressed her ear to the door, listening for any sound inside. Suddenly, she scrambled up and ran downstairs in a panic.

Confused, Butler Wang followed her.

He only realized what she was doing when she stopped in front of the window—she wanted to catch a glimpse of Miss Lin through the glass.

There was no figure by the window. Ren Xuan let out a sigh of relief. As long as she’s okay.

Leaning against the bushes outside, Ren Xuan was about to sit down when Uncle Wang pulled her up. “Eldest Miss, you can’t sit here. Even if you don’t care about yourself, Miss Lin will worry.”

Given the current weather in Yecheng, it was anything but warm.

“Shuyan,” Ren Xuan shook her head weakly, “likely won’t anymore.” By now, Shuyan must hate her to death. She definitely would. Ren Xuan thought: Shuyan has every reason to hate me.

If she herself hated what she had done, how could Shuyan feel any different?

Ren Xuan stared silently at the unmoving curtains, as if she could see Shuyan’s face through them.

Butler Wang didn’t understand. Just before this, Miss Lin was pining for the Eldest Miss, and the Eldest Miss had ended her trip early to come home and be with her. How did it turn into this in the blink of an eye?

“Eldest Miss, let’s go inside first.” Butler Wang insisted on supporting her. “Everything will be fine.”

Step by step, he helped Ren Xuan back into the house. He was anxious, but there was no other way but to pray that he would see Miss Lin tomorrow morning.

Back on the second floor, Ren Xuan told Butler Wang to go rest.

“Uncle Wang,” Ren Xuan said, “some things can only be resolved between the two of us.”

The butler left, deeply concerned.

Separated by a door that wouldn’t open, Ren Xuan leaned against it and sat quietly through the night.

The sun gradually rose. Today looked like it would be a fine day.

When her office called, Ren Xuan hung up. Raising a limp, aching hand, she started to knock, but forced her hand back down.

She couldn’t disturb Shuyan right now. Perhaps she should give Shuyan some space of her own.

Using the door and then the wall for support, Ren Xuan slowly stood up and walked toward the stairs. Before descending, she took one last look at the door. Step by step, she moved downward.

“Eldest Miss.” With three or four steps left, Butler Wang rushed up to meet her. “You…”

She clearly hadn’t slept all night.

Ren Xuan waved him off dismissively, saying nothing, and simply ordered the driver to pick her up as usual.

“Uncle Wang, please… help me take care of Shuyan,” Ren Xuan instructed before getting into the car.

“Rest assured, Eldest Miss.” Even if Ren Xuan hadn’t said a word, he understood.

Behind the door, Lin Shuyan, who had also spent the night curled up on the floor, waited until she could no longer hear any movement outside before cautiously opening the door a crack. She walked aimlessly until she stopped in front of a room.

This room… Shuyan’s brain was slow. It took a long time for Butler Wang’s voice to echo in her head: “This one belongs to the Eldest Miss.”