Chapter Forty-Nine: I Grew Up Reading Your Works

After carefully signing his name on the cover of the notebook, Luo Chen handed it back to his female fan. Seeing the girl's delighted expression, Luo Chen's mood, previously dampened by the peculiar stares from those around him, lifted with a sense of pleasure.

The unfamiliar girl, after receiving his signature, was so excited that she gave Luo Chen a quick hug and, her voice tinged with excitement, exclaimed, "This is wonderful, senior! I grew up reading your books!"

"Ahem." Luo Chen hadn’t expected such enthusiasm from her. He glanced at Luo Tianyi and Yan He, whose expressions remained perfectly composed, and finally felt relieved.

But what did she mean by "books"? Which books exactly?

Luo Chen looked in confusion at the unfamiliar girl before him. She grew up reading his books? What on earth did that mean?

"What's the matter, Luo Chen?" Yan He, who was walking a short distance ahead, noticed Luo Chen had stopped in his tracks, lost in thought, and came over to ask.

"It's nothing, I must have been overthinking," Luo Chen replied, snapping back to himself. Seeing Yan He's delicate face so close, he instinctively took a step back—this distance was a bit too intimate.

"Yan He, could you sign here too?" The unfamiliar girl, noticing Yan He’s arrival, immediately abandoned Luo Chen in favor of her. If she could collect signatures from both the author and the two protagonists in this cherished edition, her best friends would be green with envy.

Yan He glanced at the notebook the girl handed over. She was about to sign her name when she noticed the two names already written inside. She paused, a hint of unease in her voice as she asked, "Wait, is this that kind of book?"

"Hmm? That kind of book?" Luo Chen noticed Yan He’s expression of utter despair and began to suspect something he could hardly believe. He quickly snatched the notebook and, hands trembling, flipped it open.

He turned a few pages at random, and there, drawn unmistakably, were scenes of himself and Yan He in rather intimate poses. Which scoundrel was responsible for this? No wonder some of the girls at school had been eyeing him so strangely lately. Which wretched culprit had done this?

Yet, these familiar lines and the particular style seemed oddly recognizable.

"Dai Xinhua!"

Luo Chen instantly realized it—wasn’t this the same style as that girl in the beret? And who else but Dai Xinhua, whom he knew, could have drawn him so effeminately? The artwork depicted Yan He in a bold, dashing style—handsome beyond words—while Luo Chen was rendered with a degree of prettiness that made the whole thing look like a scene out of a manga. It was as if the artist had deliberately portrayed Yan He as a suave, handsome youth.

Luo Chen pulled a wry smile and turned to look at Yan He, who had averted her gaze, unable to meet his eyes. Even from the side, he could clearly see the blush on her cheeks. For some reason, whenever Luo Chen looked at Yan He now, he couldn’t help but think of these damned manga scenes.

"Wait, senior, you didn’t know about this?" the unfamiliar student asked in confusion. She had assumed the comic’s author had gotten his consent, which was why she so boldly approached for a signature.

In a secluded corner of the campus, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen was cornered against a wall, her eyes full of despair, her body trembling, looking pitifully at the boy in front of her. She neither cried out nor tried to escape, as if resigned to quietly awaiting her impending doom.

Luo Chen couldn’t help but find the scene absurd—Dai Xinhua, cowering in the corner and resigned to her fate, looked like an innocent girl confronted by a delinquent, when in fact, he was the real victim here.

"Mind explaining this?" Luo Chen held out the cherished edition he’d borrowed from an unfamiliar girl, demanding an explanation from Dai Xinhua.

If anyone else had pulled such a reckless stunt, Luo Chen would have already roughed them up and demanded compensation for his damaged reputation. But Dai Xinhua’s meek, penitent expression left him at a loss, and he couldn’t bring himself to do anything to her.

Perhaps because the comic depicted himself and Yan He, after his initial fury, Luo Chen gradually calmed down. In fact, seeing Yan He’s flustered expression even gave him a small, secret thrill.

Of course, the content of the comic wasn’t as explicit as he had feared—nothing racy, at most a few kissing scenes. And after learning that its readership was almost entirely made up of fujoshi, Luo Chen breathed a sigh of relief.

Perhaps it was possessiveness, but Luo Chen didn’t want any other men seeing this.

"How did this get printed as a physical book?" Dai Xinhua, taking the edition Luo Chen handed her, was momentarily distracted from her fear. She flipped through it, and a vein throbbed on her forehead. Which traitor had done this? Hadn’t she made it clear it was never to be circulated?

These scoundrels had even printed the thing—how despicable!

"This really wasn’t me," Dai Xinhua pleaded, unable to muster any anger in the face of Luo Chen’s accusation. She could only offer a tearful explanation, completely clueless as to which traitor had printed her comic.

"But who else could have drawn it?" Luo Chen pressed, his gaze fixed on the girl who was on the verge of tears. He almost softened, but then steeled himself. If he let her off too easily, who knew if she’d just keep drawing? Luo Chen had no intention of letting himself be the subject of more of these comics.

Dai Xinhua glanced nervously at Luo Chen, who was closing in. In despair, she covered her forehead with both hands, eyes shut, tears slipping from the corners. Where on earth was Ling today? Was her life going to end like this?

After waiting for a long while, Dai Xinhua sobbed softly, but to her surprise, the expected pain never came. She opened her eyes a crack and saw Luo Chen still standing there, not having attacked her or struck her with a brick or a stick as she had imagined.

Luo Chen looked helplessly at the tears sliding down the girl’s face and, taking in her adorable, puzzled expression, realized he could never be that cruel. Though he felt she was the main reason he was still single, he couldn’t really take out his anger on her.

Still, though he wouldn’t physically punish her, some form of retribution was necessary. Since what was done could not be undone, it would have to be repaid in kind.

Looking at the anxious girl awaiting his judgment, Luo Chen slowly began to speak.

Special thanks to the readers Demacia Tower, Big Eater Yuyuko, and Stranger Dance Yan Junxi for their generous rewards of 100 starting coins each—much appreciated.