Chapter 3 — When the Goddess Appears

Someone brought me up in the conversation:

You guys have no idea, our dear leader Jiang was once emotionally scammed by a tank for over a year, nearly drove him to absolute disgust. Now that he has finally found a gorgeous girlfriend, let us all offer our congratulations!

Lam An Nhien chimed in:

What kind of tank?

The other person recounted the entire ordeal from start to finish. Everyone burst into mocking laughter at my expense.

Damn, a tank actually dared to set her sights on Jiang? Let us hope she didn't make poor Jiang sick to his stomach.

That kind of pig-love probably gets no attention in real life, so she has to go online and fake a sweet voice just to deceive people.

I heard that same pig-love even wants to get into the same university as Jiang. She might even be a freshman in this year's incoming class. We will have to see just how hideous she truly looks when the time comes.

Lam An Nhien chuckled as well:

That girl must have simply been driven by deep insecurity. Being unattractive is not her fault, but under no circumstances should she have lied to and manipulated others.

Jiang Yianchuan added:

Let us not speak of the past anymore; just thinking about it makes me nauseated. Fortunately, I have found you now.

Jiang Yianchuan had no way of knowing that I had already slipped into the group chat using an alternative account. Every single moment of our supposed romance had played out right before my eyes. Someone in the chat asked Jiang Yianchuan:

Leader Jiang, what was the name of the tank who scammed you? Who knows, maybe you will run into her during orientation.

Jiang Yianchuan replied:

Co Nam.

Just hearing the name sounds utterly mediocre, no wonder she is so hideous.

The very next second, I logged into the group using my primary account. I changed my display name and nickname to match: Co Nam. The entire chat fell into an instant, suffocating silence. Yet I knew without a doubt that everyone was eagerly waiting to watch a grand spectacle unfold. A few minutes later, Lam An Nhien sent two messages.

A warm welcome to our new classmate, sending virtual flowers!

Oh right, Co Nam, our class is holding a welcome gathering for the freshers on the third, will you be attending? Cute expression dot jpg.

I knew full well that she intended to turn me into the laughingstock of the room. A faint, cold smile touched my lips as I typed out a single character.

I will.

Just as I was preparing for bed, my online-dating boyfriend—whose username went by the peculiar moniker "This Person Is Absolutely Not A Scallop"—sent over another batch of photos.

My darling, do you see how gorgeous this handbag is? I bought it in Italy, and the moment I laid eyes on it, I knew it would suit you perfectly. I will give it to you as soon as we meet!

My darling, why aren't you replying to me? Have you fallen asleep already?

My darling! My darling!

I furrowed my brows. Whoever had bought out Jiang Yianchuan’s old social media account was taking this roleplay far too seriously. He was undeniably generous, too. Just last month, he had gifted me an expensive necklace along with a full set of La Mer skincare products, and he had even transferred money directly to my account on Valentine's Day. Red packets were sent on a nearly daily basis. Surely he knew by now that I was heavy, so what on earth could he possibly want from me? Could he simply possess a bizarre taste for novelty? Without further ado, I sent him a photograph of myself taken exactly a year ago. Ninety kilograms, one meter seventy in height, my frame sprawling completely outward, and my eyes pressed into mere slits.

I look like this. If you cannot accept it, we might as well break up right now; I have no desire to waste your time.

I refused to believe that after laying eyes on this image, he would still have the tenacity to continue. The response came back almost instantly:

My darling is so adorable. Cute puppy dot jpg.

I: ??? Has he lost his mind! I grew anxious:

Take a proper look at the photo, I weigh ninety kilograms, I am very fat!

I know. I think you are utterly adorable, but my darling must still pay close attention to her health.

My brows drew together even tighter. Could this man perhaps be heavily overweight himself, or did he harbor some bizarre, niche fetish for large women?

What do you look like? I asked. I have never seen a single photograph of you.

This Person Is Absolutely Not A Scallop:

Photo.

Photo.

Photo.

Angles from every conceivable direction, from top to bottom, even including a close-up shot of his defined shark-tooth abdominal muscles. A cold chuckle escaped my lips at the sight. The man in the photos possessed broad shoulders and a slender waist, the lines of his obliques sharply etched, and his height visibly stood at no less than one meter eighty-eight. Yet more exaggerated than his physique was a face that could instantly debut in the entertainment industry. His eyes curved like pools of clear water, his light brown pupils gleaming with bright clarity. His slightly tousled black hair was casually swept back, revealing a fair, smooth forehead. His entire being radiated the vibrant energy of a young man. So he was using stolen internet photos for our relationship, was he?

My darling, I am not dressed up at all, just snapped these casually on a whim. Are you dissatisfied with what you see?

Very well, we would have to meet sooner or later anyway. I would wait and see how he planned to explain himself when the time came. Outwardly I wore a sneering smile, but my fingers typed back:

Not at all, my darling, you are far too handsome. Is this truly you? I am so looking forward to meeting you!

That is wonderful then! Oh, right, when we meet, there is something I must tell you.

A slight smirk curved my lips. What else could it possibly be, other than a confession that the photos he had used were stolen from the internet? I replied:

Alright.

The moment the airplane touched down, my phone began to buzz incessantly.

My darling, where have you reached? I am waiting for you at the arrivals area, and I am even holding a massive bouquet of flowers!

Photo.

My darling, I am so nervous. What if you see me and decide you do not like me!

In the photograph, there was no person to be seen, only a gigantic bouquet of red roses. This internet-fraudster pretending to use stolen photos possessed a rather romantic streak. My heart softened involuntarily, and a fleeting thought crossed my mind—perhaps I should simply let the matter go. When we met shortly, we could clear the air and start fresh as ordinary friends. After all, over the past three months, he had genuinely treated me with absolute kindness. He accompanied me day and night. Whenever I mentioned my inability to sleep, even when he was so exhausted he was talking in his sleep, he would still stay on the phone and keep me company. Every single holiday, and even ordinary days, he would invent reasons to celebrate, showering me with gifts and sending monetary packets. He remembered every single one of my preferences, and even kept track of my menstrual cycle. At his core, he was a decent human being. A bit deceitful about his looks perhaps, but it wasn't as though we couldn't make it work. The young man sitting in the adjacent seat suddenly brushed gently against my arm. I turned my head toward him. A heavy flush crept up his neck as he stammered:

Forgive me, but ever since we boarded the plane, I haven't been able to take my eyes off you. Might we… might we exchange WeChat contacts?

I waved my hand dismissively:

I am sorry.

His face turned bright crimson:

Ah, then my apologies for disturbing you.