Chapter 30: Scum, you have finally arrived.

There was no helping it; Meng Cheng'an was strikingly handsome and had a penchant for wearing white shirts. That snow-white collar framing his jade-like, refined face made him particularly eye-catching. Seeing Meng Cheng'an sitting alone, Tian Xiang walked over. Although both "Beauty" Meng and Chen Yong bore the labels of minor villains in her mind, Meng Cheng'an held a status that Chen Yong could never compare to.

Meng Cheng'an sat in a somewhat secluded spot near the door. It was strange, too—while the rest of the canteen was packed to the point of suffocation, the space around him remained empty.

"Is this seat taken?" Tian Xiang asked, gesturing to the chair opposite him.

Meng Cheng'an looked at her. "Are you sure you want to sit here?"

"What is there to be sure or unsure about? If it’s empty, I’m sitting." Tian Xiang sat down immediately. If someone actually claimed it later, she would just move.

Meng Cheng'an stared at her fixedly for a second, his eyes as dark as a deep pool, leaving Tian Xiang feeling puzzled. "What? Is there really someone?"

Meng Cheng'an shook his head and offered a helpless smile. What kind of expression was that? Tian Xiang felt it was odd and glanced around, noticing many people looking their way. It was just sharing a table—what was there to look at? Tian Xiang found these onlookers baffling; they always gave her such strange, inquisitive stares. Yes, she knew she was as beautiful as a flower, but they should be looking with appreciation, not with such weird gazes!

Tian Xiang didn't dwell on it and pulled an egg from her bag.

"You’re just eating that?" The potato stewed with cabbage in Meng Cheng'an's lunchbox looked completely devoid of oil or meat. He poked at a chunk of potato and asked as if casually, "Why didn't you go over there?"

Tian Xiang peeled the egg. "Go where?"

"I saw you walk in with Chen Yong."

So he had noticed her from the start. Tian Xiang replied, "We're both in the Internal Affairs Department and were assigned to the same team, but I don't have a good impression of him."

"Oh? Why?"

"Need you ask? Didn't he bully you at the dance that night? You can tell at a glance he’s not a good person." Chen Yong’s intentions toward her were blatantly obvious, and Tian Xiang knew she had to keep her distance. If she gave him even a single smile and he misunderstood, the trouble that followed would be immense.

"I don't like him either," Meng Cheng'an said. The two met each other’s eyes, both catching the glimmer of amusement in the other's gaze.

***

In the distance, Chen Yong watched Tian Xiang and Meng Cheng'an chatting and laughing, feeling heartbroken and dejected. He had even splurged on two meat dishes, intending to share some with the girl he liked, but she wouldn't even spare him a glance. A beautiful girl like her—why did she have to like Meng Cheng'an? With that background and being colorblind, what did he have that was better than Chen Yong? Chen Yong shoved a mouthful of white rice into his mouth, turning his grief and indignation into an appetite.

On the other side, Tian Xiang had finished eating and started asking Meng Cheng'an about certain matters. "Has Lu Feng been discharged from the hospital? Is he back at work?" Meng Cheng'an and Lu Feng were both in the Factory Labor Union’s Propaganda Department. Upon hearing the name Lu Feng, Meng Cheng'an's expression darkened. "He came in this morning."

So he was out of the hospital. Tian Xiang pressed on, "What’s his situation at work? Are his colleagues gossiping behind his back? How is everyone viewing his relationship with the widow Jiang?" The factory’s disciplinary notice regarding Lu Feng’s conduct, which stripped him of his "Advanced Worker" title, had already been posted; Tian Xiang had seen it that morning. She just didn't know if the departmental meeting for his self-criticism had been scheduled yet.

"You don't know yet?" Meng Cheng'an asked.

"Huh? Know what?" Had she missed something else?

"When you get back to the office, take a look at the *Red Star Weekly* that came out today."

He even made it into the paper! Tian Xiang urged, "What’s going on? Just tell me!" Her heart felt like it was being clawed at by a cat.

Meng Cheng'an looked conflicted. "It’s not something that can be explained in a few words."

Fine. After finishing their meal, they washed their lunchboxes at the sink, and Tian Xiang hurried back to the office. The department subscribed to the paper collectively, and she found the morning's issue of *Red Star Weekly* on Director Li’s desk. She flipped through it quickly and found a contribution by Lu Feng in the story column: "What Can I Use to Bridge the Chasm Between Us?"

What kind of nonsense was this! Tian Xiang read it through quickly and let out a dry laugh. Lu Feng wasn't stupid; he was highly calculating. She had gone to great lengths to drag him off his pedestal, and he had immediately retaliated. He was playing the role of a tragic, deep-loving soul, repackaging his sordid late-night visit to a widow’s house into a poignant tale of love forbidden by society.

***

Tsk, tsk, tsk... This move had effectively salvaged both his and the widow Jiang’s reputations. Wu Jinzhu would have to suffer a bit as the villain blocking her son’s path to love, but as Lu Feng’s mother, she would likely be happy to take the fall. Come to think of it, her disapproval was only natural. It would be strange if any family agreed to their son marrying a widow. The older women in the factory would understand, so Wu Jinzhu’s "fault" was trivial.

With Lu Feng flaunting his love so publicly, Tian Xiang felt a moment of silence for his harem of supporting female characters. However, as long as his "Protagonist" label remained, their feelings for him wouldn't collapse so easily—much like that fool Tian Chuying, who was willing to run to the hospital despite the public shaming. The only one likely to change was Zeng Qingwen. Seeing this report would probably make her feel worse than if she had swallowed a fly. Even if her "Supporting Character" label didn't disappear, it would surely be pushed into the background.

But even with all this, why hadn't the widow Jiang become the "Female Lead"? Tian Xiang took out her pocket mirror and checked. The "Female Lead" label on her own head seemed welded in place; it hadn't changed a bit. Since her own label hadn't been removed, she reasoned that Lu Feng’s stunt today was merely a tactical move to salvage his name, and he had likely already plotted the next steps with the widow Jiang.

Perhaps Lu Feng would first promote their love to turn public opinion around, and then the widow Jiang would "voluntarily withdraw" and offer her blessings, citing her desire not to make Lu Feng defy his mother’s wishes. That way, both would win and restore their reputations. Or perhaps Lu Feng was even more despicable—deceiving the widow’s feelings, pretending he intended to marry her and have children, only to later frame her for "betraying" him, thereby ending the relationship. If that were the case, Lu Feng wouldn't just clear his name; he would gain sympathy and craft an image as a poor, tragic victim. If it were the latter, it would be truly brilliant. A sordid scandal turned into a stepping stone for his glorious life.

Tian Xiang put down the paper and rubbed her temples. She didn't want to deal with Lu Feng’s romantic entanglements at all—she just wanted to remove her "Female Lead" label. Why was it so hard? She had already burned all bridges with him, so why?

Just as she was feeling frustrated, the office door was knocked. She turned her head and saw him. Perfect—the scumbag had arrived at the exact right moment. Tian Xiang shoved her chair back, stood up, and marched toward Lu Feng.

"You’re finally here..."