Mistakenly Yours

"Li Miao, wait!" The urgency in the voice sliced through the bustling hallway, causing Li Miao to pause and pivot gracefully. A hint of annoyance flashed in her eyes as her entourage, a blend of adoration and curiosity in their expressions, closed the distance. They bombarded her with concern and confusion.

 

"What happened?"

 

"Are you okay?"

 

"Did you hit your head too hard?"

 

Their voices overlapped and grew more insistent, surrounding Li Miao and pushing her to step back. She felt as if the air around her was being sucked away.

 

The stark transformation in her demeanor, especially her recent interaction with Xu Yue, had sent ripples of disbelief through her once unquestioning followers. The Li Miao they knew—a storm of fury and command—seemed to unravel before their eyes, leaving them grappling with her unpredictability.

 

Why does everyone think I lost my mind? I’m perfectly normal, okay!? The old Li Miao was the one who went crazy! QAQ

 

She aired her grievances silently, biting her lower lip as the space between her and her followers vibrated with their growing impatience.

 

"Why did you let that bitch Xu Yue off the hook? I say we mess up her desk, make her regret crossing paths with us this morning," a sharp and vindictive voice cut through the tension.

 

It belonged to one of her followers, Qi Rui, whose loyalty to Li Miao was as much about the thrill of their escapades as it was about the protection the Li Group's name afforded.

 

A chill shot down Li Miao's spine, making her skin prickle with sweat despite the cool air of the hallway. The thought that a single act of spite could shatter her painstaking efforts to mend fences with Xu Yue sparked a fire of defiance within her.

 

No! I worked hard to make up with the female protagonist, and now you all want to ruin it? You saboteurs! Scoundrels! 

 

"I, uh, think that I don't want to bully her anymore! She's so far beneath someone like me that she's not worth my time," Li Miao announced, her hands flailing as if to weave her conviction into the air between them.

 

Her followers exchanged bewildered glances, their allegiance fueled by personal vendettas, the allure of the Li Group's power, and the status used to shield their harassment. Their disdain for Xu Yue, rooted in envy of her beauty and academic prowess, branded her an outcast in their eyes, a "green-tea bitch¹A girl who acts innocent on the outside, but is a schemer on the inside" undeserving of the attention she garnered.

 

"Anyway! If you all want to bully Xu Yue, I won't be involved anymore!" Li Miao's foot hit the ground with a thud. 

 

This action, so unlike the poised and elegant demeanor they were accustomed to, sent ripples of shock through her followers. Their faces twisted in confusion as if witnessing the crumbling of a monument they had long admired.

 

As they dispersed, disillusioned and disheartened, only a tiny, rabbit-faced girl remained, her innocence casting a stark contrast against the departing shadows.

 

"Okay! That sounds good to me!" Ying Lian chirped her voice a light in the dimming hallway. Her twin tails and wide, innocent eyes painted her as a figure seemingly out of place in the complex web of high school politics and power plays.

 

Caught off guard by Ying Lian's enthusiastic endorsement, Li Miao found herself at a loss. "Um… who are you?" she asked, her voice laced with genuine curiosity.

 

The air around Li Miao and Ying Lian crackled with uneasy tension, starkly contrasting with the otherwise mundane hallway bustling with students. As Ying Lian clasped Li Miao's hands with an eagerness that sparkled in her wide, innocent eyes, her voice bubbled with excitement. 

 

"I'm Ying Lian! Wow, you're even prettier up close! How do you get your skin so smooth?" Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight streaming through the windows.

 

Li Miao was caught off guard by the sudden attention and felt flattered and confused. She wanted to pull away from Ying Lian's intense grip but was also surprised by the affection. "H-Hey, let go of me!" she said, alarmed and pleading. But Ying Lian let go of her just as suddenly, causing Li Miao to stumble backward awkwardly.

 

As she fell to the ground, the corridors became eerily silent. The echo of her fall punctuated the following stillness, causing Li Miao to feel frustrated and bewildered. These new feelings compounded her already tumultuous emotions, and tears began to well up in her eyes, blurring her vision of the scene before her.

 

“Li Miao! Are you still feeling unsteady from the fall yesterday? Here, let me help you up!” 

 

Ying Lian's voice, tinged with concern, seemed to float from a distance. Her hand reached for Li Miao, pulling her up with an enthusiasm that belied the awkwardness. Feeling like a puppet in Ying Lian's eager grasp, Li Miao found her feet with a stumble, her heart a storm of emotions.

 

You’re obviously the culprit here! I’m so tired of all of this! How did I end up with this person following me?!

 

"Y-you…" Li Miao stammered, her arms drawing close to her chest in a defensive shield against Ying Lian's inexplicable zeal while pointing at Ying Lian. 

 

"You don’t have to follow me! I’m no longer bullying Xu Yue! Go away!" Li Miao used Repel!

 

“Xu Yue? Who’s that?” Repel was ineffective on Ying Lian. 

  

Li Miao responded with disbelief and exasperation, and her mouth opened like a big ring. "How could you not know who Xu Yue is?! I made you all bully her since we enrolled!"

 

Ying Lian's moment of concentration, her temples rubbed in earnest thought, broke the tension with the innocence of her revelation. "Oh! That was that girl's name? I didn’t even know her, I just listened to whatever you said."

 

“Why?!” The question exploded from Li Miao, her disbelief reaching new heights. Are you an idiot?!

 

"Duh, it’s because you’re pretty!" Ying Lian's answer was simple, her logic unassailable in her mind, leaving Li Miao dumbfounded and without retort.

 

The world seemed to pause as Li Miao processed this, her actions slow and deliberate as she sank to the ground, a lone figure trying to fold into herself. 

 

This is my punishment, isn’t it? Ahahaha~ 

 

Other students watched the scene and saw the once-powerful princess of the Li group sit down like a child. She rocked back and forth with tears in her eyes as if trying to escape from the reality of the situation. 

 

The sight of Li Miao, who was once the unchallenged queen of her domain, being reduced to a vulnerable child struck a chord with the onlookers. Their sympathetic gazes, a silent chorus of pity, wrapped around her like a shroud.

 

Don't look at me like that! Wuwuwu... 

 

After calming down, she stood up, brushed herself off, and gathered her remaining dignity. Li Miao trudged back towards the classroom, her steps heavy with resignation and lost appetite, barely noticing Ying Lian's buoyant presence behind her. 

 

"So, what are we going to do now?" Ying Lian bubbled with curiosity and eagerness, her gaze fixed on Li Miao with an admiration that seemed to light up her features.

 

Li Miao's pace slowed as they neared the classroom. A crowd of students blocking the entrance had gathered. She peered over the shoulders of several girls, noticing their cheeks flushed with excitement and their eyes shimmering with the unspoken stories of teenage dreams and aspirations.

 

Amid the group, Xu Yue and Zhang Wei stood together like a serene bubble. Their interactions painted a picture of youthful love. Zhang Wei gently rested his hands on Xu Yue's shoulders, and Xu Yue returned the tender touch with a soft caress of Zhang Wei's hand. The couple radiated warmth and an otherworldly glow that seemed to cast a spell over the onlookers.

 

Their protagonist auras blinded Li Miao, and she shielded her eyes with a hand, squinting as if the pair's luminescence was akin to the sun's glare.

 

Of course, only the destined couple together would have such an effect! She thought with satisfaction. 

 

She looked at Xu Yue’s hand on Zhang Wei’s, and a light of realization danced in her eyes.  

 

W-wait… I know what I can do to make it up to Xu Yue! In the novel, the female protagonist gets with the male protagonist after a series of tribulations, courtesy of yours truly! 

 

Her mind raced as her fragmented plan was slowly forming. 

 

But instead of bullying her, I can just play Cupid instead! That way, once the two get together, she won’t have a reason to get rid of me. Li Miao, you are a genius. A+ for excellence! 

 

Li Miao had established her ass-kissing strategy, and her goal was now evident in her mind. 

 

And look! They already have good feelings for each other, so this plan is going to be easy peasy. 

 

Li Miao was so engrossed in her plans that she suddenly stopped, causing Ying Lian, lost in admiration of Li Miao's beauty, to collide with her from behind. The impact made Li Miao emit a surprised squeal, and she quickly covered her mouth. Her eyes widened with fear as she tried not to disrupt the tender scene before them.

 

The crowd's attention snapped towards Li Miao, whispers and murmurs spreading like wildfire, speculating on her reaction to the intimate moment she had stumbled upon. 

 

"Oh no, Li Miao is going to snap again," someone muttered, the tension in the air thickening with anticipation of a confrontation familiar to them.

 

Xu Yue's reaction was immediate, her hands withdrawing from Zhang Wei as if burned, her movements cautious, a deer caught in the headlights of Li Miao's notorious temper. Protective and defiant, Zhang Wei positioned his arm as a barrier, his stare laden with a challenge that spoke volumes of the history between them.

 

Desperate to dispel the mounting tension, Li Miao flailed her hands in front of her, her head shaking so fervently it was as if she sought to detach herself physically from her past misdeeds. 

 

"Nono! Keep doing what you two were doing! I s-swear I won't interrupt," she stuttered, her voice a mixture of earnestness and panic.

 

The crowd: What?

 

Xu Yue: ???

 

Zhang Wei: What the hell is happening?