TFRLTOP Chapter 16 Part 2

Ming Ming perked her ears.

“Holy crap, that’s Huo—”

“Fifth Master Huo, that’s actually Fifth Master Huo.”

“What’s he doing here? Since when does Dean Ye have the pull to invite him over?”

“No way… he didn’t actually come to drop someone off for class, did he?”

“…No chance.”

The whispers spread like wildfire, but every eye was fixed on the car door.

And Ming Ming suddenly got it. If she got out of the car now, she’d instantly become the center of attention.

She would be the woman personally dropped off at school by Fifth Master Huo!

Whether he meant to or not, he was giving her face.

Her gaze at Huo Xiao immediately shifted into one of pure worship.

Fifth Master Huo is truly, absolutely, 100% a good man!

The wilted little weed that had left home earlier suddenly stood tall and proud again.

She practically bubbled over with energy, leaned in, planted a kiss on Fifth Master’s cheek, then flung open the door. Transforming from scraggly roadside grass into a strutting peacock, she circled the car with exaggerated grace and waved back toward him in front of the teaching building.

Under everyone’s eyes, Fifth Master gave her the faintest nod in reply before raising the window.

The orange Cayenne didn’t even turn around but drove off toward the administration building, making it look like he really was just stopping by on the way to business.

Didn’t matter. Her vanity was thoroughly satisfied.

As she turned to head upstairs, He Chengtian came barging through the crowd, storming down the steps in a fury. He stopped right in front of Ming Ming and demanded, “Why are you with Huo—Huo family’s Fifth Master? What’s your relationship with him?”

Ming Ming hadn’t planned to answer. But from the corner of her eye, she spotted Ye Weiran watching from nearby, worry etched on her face.

Didn’t matter if Huo Fifth Master did it on purpose or not—he’d backed her up. She had to return the favor.

At the very least, she couldn’t let the female lead misunderstand!

Ming Ming’s eyes flashed with inspiration. Perfect timing, perfect setting, perfect audience.

She brushed back the stray hair from her forehead and gave He Chengtian a lazy, sultry smile.

“He’s my sugar daddy.”

The words dripped with three parts flirtation, four parts indifference, and five parts What are you gonna do about it.

The crowd went dead silent.

Ming Ming didn’t wait for his reaction. She simply slipped past him and headed upstairs.

“You stand right there!” He Chengtian bellowed behind her.

She ignored him completely.

By the time she reached Ye Weiran, Ye slipped an arm around her back and hustled her away from the scene.

They’d barely set foot on the second floor when He Chengtian’s furious cursing still rang up from below.

“Fucking slut!”

“You turned me down, acting all high and mighty, then went and became some rich man’s kept woman? Fuck!”

Ming Ming’s face twisted in confusion.

Ye Weiran noticed and quickly tried to comfort her. “Don’t pay attention to him. He’s just bitter because you wouldn’t have him. That kind of person insults what they can’t get—completely lacking class.”

Ming Ming pointed at herself. “Wait—he was talking about me? I turned him down?”

Ye Weiran nodded.

But wasn’t he supposed to like the female lead?

System, hello? What’s going on? Since when did I have a subplot with him?

The system finally piped up, late as always: “Oh, right, forgot to mention since it wasn’t important. Originally, he wanted to chase Chu Yun. But Chu Yun was drowning in an advanced physics elective at the time, buried in her final report, and gave him nothing but cold shoulders. After getting rejected, Young Master He threw a tantrum and spread slander about her being loose.”

“…He’s really a piece of trash.” Ming Ming was speechless. “So when the heroine later got recognized back into the He family, all his hostility toward Chu Yun wasn’t just about ‘defending’ her—it was also personal resentment. Look at him, fuming like a kettle. New grudges plus old grudges, tsk tsk tsk…”

On her way up, Ming Ming suddenly stopped mid-stair and leaned far over the railing to shout down:

“Hey, Young Master He! Next time you want a pair of limited-edition sneakers, come find me! You know who my sugar daddy is—I can get anything!”

Dead silence, again.

Ye Weiran turned to her, fuming. “Why smear yourself like that? Don’t you know how these people gossip? Who knows how they’ll twist it later! The moment a girl dates someone rich and powerful, they’ll say she’s being kept. Can’t stand to see anyone doing better than them!”

Ming Ming: ?

She waved her hands. “No, no, no, you’ve got it wrong.”

Only then did it dawn on her—Ye Weiran still thought she and Huo Xiao were just a normal couple.

That wouldn’t do.

She’d deliberately said “sugar daddy” in public to make sure Ye Weiran wouldn’t misunderstand.

Otherwise, when Huo Xiao and Ye Weiran eventually got together, she’d be the awkward “ex” in the way.

“That man really is my sugar daddy.”

She pointed down toward where the Cayenne had gone. “He pays.” Then pointed at herself. “I provide the… company.”

“We’re in a completely impure sugar-baby relationship.”

Ye Weiran stared, dumbstruck, as if her worldview had just been shattered.

This is the female lead? She’s way too innocent.

Ming Ming shook her head. She couldn’t say more. The system expected her to purify herself; if she went on, it’d be like throwing a clean sheet straight into a dirty dye vat.

She patted Ye Weiran’s shoulder earnestly. “Don’t worry. I don’t like him, and he doesn’t like me. Whatever you do, don’t misunderstand!”

Ye Weiran nodded blankly. “Oh… okay.”

Something felt off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.