The Impostor Campus Queen

After two months of online dating, I decided it was time to lose weight.

Suddenly, comments popped up in my vision:

Why is the supporting character dieting? If she gets slim, how will the female lead replace her with the male lead?

Dont worry, shes insecure. A few taunts from the female lead and shell quitshe never succeeds anyway.

Isnt the female lead unethical? Even if the supporting character edited her photos thinner, they were still hers. The female lead lied and accused her of using them.

The supporting character has potentialif she slims down, shed be elegant and cool.

What do you know? Shes 5'6", 130 lbsa total pig! How dare she date a rich, handsome guy?

I froze, stunned.

Then my roommate Luna peeked from behind her bed curtain, still masked, scanning my desk.

Wow, Audrey, just a veggie salad tonight?

She smiled sweetly.

I get ittrying to lose weight again? But youre so big, you wont look good even if you slim down. Dont bother.

1.

Luna said this while scrutinizing me from head to toe.

Her voice was laced with a smile, but her eyes held a strangely knowing look.

If it had been the old me, my face would have flushed crimson by now.

I would have hidden the salad away like Id committed some offense.

Then, I'd hastily explain that I was just trying it out, not necessarily aiming to be stunning.

Honestly, more than once, Id felt a subtle malice from Luna directed at me.

Shed always complain about how shed lost weight again whenever I intended to diet.

And if I skipped dinner, shed suddenly ask loudly during evening study hall, "Audrey, are you not eating anything all day?"

Then shed sigh dramatically, "Dieting must be so hard; everyone who does it is so amazing."

But these thoughts were quickly dismissed. Luna was the campus queen; why would she bear any ill will towards me?

Until now.

I saw the comments scrolling by with a gleeful tone:

Hahaha, the female lead is so cute even when she's being sneaky.

Actually, the female lead deliberately doesn't want the supporting character to lose weight. At the start of the semester, even though the female lead was there, the other roommates complimented the supporting character's cuteness several times. The female lead, with her lifelong high self-esteem, would naturally dislike her.

She's just so proud and insecure, like a cat, you know. Honestly, even if the supporting character, that pig, slims down, she couldn't be half as pretty as our kitty.

Don't worry, our girl is putting on a face mask; she'll be all dolled up soon to go meet the male lead! Afterwards, the male lead's love will give our girl all the security she needs!

My hands clenched into fists, almost instinctively.

Meeting Luna's innocent gaze, for the first time, I didn't rush to explain or tacitly agree.

I didn't know what emotion propelled me.

I pressed my lips together, then suddenly said:

"Not necessarily. What if I look quite good after I slim down?"

"I'll give it a try."

2.

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

The next second, comments scrolled frantically across my vision.

I'm taking shelter from this storm. She photoshopped herself twenty pounds lighter for online dating, found she looked a bit like our girl, and now she actually thinks she's a beauty?

Is she deliberately saying that in front of the female lead? Is this a catfight???

I can't take it. Does every chubby girl in the world fantasize about becoming a beauty if they just slim down?

The comments were incredibly animated.

It was then I understood: I was the insecure, chubby roommate of the campus queen, the female lead in a sweet romance novel.

The so-called villainess.

In the story, consumed by insecurity, I sent my online boyfriend photos of myself after Photoshopping them to look much thinner.

One day, the female lead accidentally discovered that my online boyfriend, who constantly sent me expensive gifts, was actually the campus heartthrob she'd secretly admired for two years.

While she secretly looked down on my actions, she also noticed that my edited photos bore a slight resemblance to her own appearance after she put on makeup.

So, the female lead had a flash of inspiration. She secretly approached the male lead in real life.

She claimed I was using her photos for online dating, and that she was the girl in the pictures.

She then orchestrated several situations, making the male lead completely believe I was a vain, lying fatty who stole my roommate's photos for online dating.

In the end, the male lead deleted me and began a sweet romance with the female lead.

As for me in the original story, completely unaware of all this, I simply assumed the male lead had found someone else after learning the "truth," and quietly transferred to another school.

I knew my actions were wrong.

But was Luna's behavior right?

After my retort,

Luna, who had already turned away like a victor, suddenly paused.

A flicker of surprise, quickly followed by coldness, crossed her eyes.

She gave me a half-smile, half-sneer.

"Alright then, good luck."

After that, the dorm room became unusually quiet.

Luna finished her mask, then went downstairs to wash her face.

Then she sat at her desk, opened her makeup bag, and began meticulously applying her makeup.

I, meanwhile, quietly made my diet plan.

As I passed Luna's spot on the way to throw out trash, I suddenly froze.

Since arriving at Westwood, both in real life and on social media, Luna had always embraced a sexy, outgoing style.

But this time, she had put on a fresh, demure, light makeup.

She had even somehow dug out a white dress that looked perfectly innocent and student-like, wearing it.

It was almost as if... she was imitating that photo I had sent to my online boyfriend.

3.

After Luna hummed a tune and left,

I used the information from the comments to search for the male lead's photos online.

He had actually told me his name was Lucas, but I hadn't known he was the second son of the powerful Monarch Group.

He was a private person, rarely showing his face online.

But a young man in his social circle was very active on social media, and Lucas had made a brief appearance in one of his videos.

A quick-fingered netizen had taken a screenshot, and although it was blurry, you could still see the man's striking profile and thin lips.

Just then, my phone buzzed several times.

WantToAdoptARiley: "You there?"

WantToAdoptARiley: "What are you doing? Miss you."

WantToAdoptARiley: "I sent you a gift, remember to pick it up and see if you like it."

A string of messages, as active and direct as ever.

I hesitated for a long time, but decided to tell him the truth.

I didn't know if this would change the "plot." Even if the readers scolded me for being manipulative, for not speaking up sooner, only now, just as the female lead was about to meet the male lead, to deliberately sabotage their romance.

I accepted all of that. I just felt unwilling to concede.

Unwilling to become a stepping stone for Luna, as the comments said, and unwilling to bear the accusation of "online dating using a roommate's photos."

I messaged him:

"Are you free now? Let's meet."

"The address is The Daily Grind Cafe on Maple Avenue."

Sitting in the cafe.

Looking at the chat box, which still had no reply, I suddenly felt uneasy.

Had Lucas really seen the message? Why hadn't he replied if he had?

What if he had already met the female lead?

As my thoughts raced, the crisp chime of a bell rang at the door.

A tall man pushed his way in.

His expression was cool, his unemotional eyes scanning the room.

When his gaze landed on me, he suddenly froze for a moment.

Before I could react,

He was already striding towards me, his voice somewhat uncertain.

"...Are you, Audrey?"

At his words, I looked up, carefully studying the man.

The familiar profile... very similar to the photo, his lips seemed a little thinner?

But the screenshot was too blurry, a slight deviation from reality was normal.

I nodded.

"Are you Lucas?"

The man paused, pressed his lips together, then pulled out the chair opposite me and sat down.

"...Yes, I am."

He was very tall, with a strong brow bone, a high nose bridge, and sharp, dark eyes that had an intense, almost intimidating presence when he looked at someone.

"Is there something you wanted to discuss?"

4.

To be honest, being looked at like that made me a little nervous.

Fortunately, I had prepared myself mentally before coming, and laid out the entire story of how I had used a photo editing app to deceive him.

I didn't mention Luna.

Firstly, I couldn't explain how I knew her plans.

Secondly, I thought that if Lucas, after knowing the truth, decided to break up with me and still ended up falling for Luna,

I could actually accept that.

I just didn't want to be treated as a stepping stone, and falsely accused of "online dating using my roommate's photos."

"...So, that's pretty much it."

After I finished speaking, I kept my head down, not daring to look at him.

But I waited for a long time.

The shock, anger, or questioning I had imagined never happened.

After a long silence, I finally couldn't help but look up at him.

The man was still staring blankly at me.

His gaze unwavering.

"............"

I asked, puzzled, "Mr. Lu... I mean, Lucas?"

He snapped back to reality, his voice somewhat lost:

"...Huh? Oh."

As if to cover something up, he picked up his coffee cup.

After a moment's thought, he said calmly.

"Are you saying you think you're fat? Why would you think that?"

"I think you're perfectly fine, not fat at all."

He looked at me again, stating with certainty: "You're very lovely."

I: "..."

Huh? I was completely dumbfounded.

This male lead... why did he seem so different from the story?

Just then.

The comments reappeared before me.

The supporting character is still foolishly? waiting for the male lead to reply to her messages, huh? Actually, the male lead is busy wrapping his arms around our girl's slender waist right now, ahhh, I'm dying, so much chemistry!

The female lead is so smart, deliberately bumping into the male lead who's looking at his phone, then pretending to fall. The male lead instinctively catches her in a full embrace! Hehe, a warm, soft beauty in his arms, tell me, wouldn't anyone be smitten?

Hahaha, the female lead said she was working and missed the bus back to Westwood University, so she just ran off. This 'playing hard to get' tactic has the male lead completely hooked.

Soon it'll be the part where the male lead actively seeks out the female lead! I'm so excited!

I was stunned. Realizing something, I sharply looked at the man in front of me.

"You're not Lucas?!"

The man paused.

He glanced down at his phone, and when he looked up again, the faint trace of bewilderment that had been on his face disappeared.

He straightened his back, his posture still relaxed, but his gaze settled calmly on my face.

"It seems Lucas won't be coming today."

He spoke, his voice steady:

"I apologize for deceiving you just now. I am Lucas's older brother, Liam."

5.

Liam said that the family had actually discovered Lucas's online romance long ago.

"For families like ours, we don't really encourage free relationships among the younger generation, especially..." Liam paused, "online dating of all things."

"My elders asked me to take some time to look into it. Lucas left his tablet at home today, and his account was synced. I saw your message and came to see."

Hearing this, I asked with some confusion, "Then why didn't you say so from the beginning?"

Liam lowered his gaze, saying softly:

"I'm sorry, I didn't react quickly enough at first."

"I also didn't expect... Lucas to stand you up, not coming to the appointment at all."

Seeing him like this, I also felt a little embarrassed.

But remembering that my efforts today were all for nothing, I couldn't help but feel a little deflated.

I sighed, "It's fine, it doesn't matter."

"Anyway... I've already said what I needed to say."

"The situation between Lucas and me... it's not suitable for us to continue. I'll find a chance to clarify things and break up with him later."

Saying this, I picked up my bag, intending to leave.

But Liam suddenly called out to me.

"Audrey."

He looked directly at me, his expression calm.

"Lucas is still a student; his family keeps a tight leash on him."

"But I'm different."

"Huh?" I froze.

Liam continued, "I've already joined the company and have a certain say in the family. I can freely choose my spouse."

By the end, his face remained impassive, but his earlobes suddenly flushed red.

"To be honest, it was love at first sight for me. Would you... consider me?"

"I'm different from Lucas; everyone in the family would bless us."

"Go home and think about it, okay? I'll wait for your answer."

6.

When I returned to the dorm room that night, I was still a bit dazed.

As I pushed the door open,

Luna was chatting with our two other roommates, laughter echoing continuously.

Seeing me, the smile on her face deepened.

"Audrey, you're back!"

"Let me tell you, I met an exceptionally handsome guy today! He's incredibly attractive, and his family is very wealthy too."

"He seems to really like me."

She was still wearing the white dress from earlier, her makeup untouched. When she smiled, she really did look quite similar to me in that photoshohopped picture.

But I wasn't as upset as I thought I'd be.

My heart was surprisingly calm. I simply hummed, "That's great then."

Luna stared at me intently for a long time.

Finally, she seemed to confirm that there was no hint of envy or jealousy in my eyes.

She apparently found it uninteresting and went back to chatting with our roommates.

I sat at my desk, opened my phone.

I saw a message from Lucas, sent half an hour ago:

"Sorry, I was busy today and didn't see your message."

"Are you working? Don't push yourself too hard."

Then, a transfer of twenty thousand dollars came through.

It was accompanied by a close-up, high-definition selfie.

The young man's face was handsome and bright, a completely different type from his brother.

WantToAdoptARiley: "Just in case you don't recognize me."

The comments scrolled:

Hehe, the male lead really thinks our girl is his online girlfriend! He feels sorry for her working and transferred a large sum of money to the supporting character.

Oh come on! Male lead, you transferred to the wrong person! It's not for the supporting character, it's for the female lead! This money all belongs to the female lead!

Don't worry, isn't this just setting the stage? First, an accidental meeting with the male lead, then tomorrow the male lead will actively ask the female lead out. The real show is yet to come.

Hehe, the female lead will first pretend not to know the male lead at all, then "accidentally" mention how her roommate seems to constantly ask for her photos recently, without knowing why...

These small amounts don't matter! Once the female lead marries into the Monarch family, what won't she have? With Liam, the most capable elder brother, inheriting the family business, the female lead just has to lie back, collect dividends, and enjoy life with her husband. Life couldn't be sweeter.

Seeing the comments mention Liam, the elder brother of the Monarch family, I paused.

The handsome face of the man from the cafe earlier flashed through my mind.

For some reason, my cheeks suddenly felt warm.

I hastily returned the transfer:

"I'm not short on money, and I've never worked a day in my life."

"You must be mistaken?"

Then, without waiting for a reply, I switched off my phone.

Over the next few days,

Luna would meticulously doll herself up every day before leaving.

Still with that pure, innocent "demure sweetheart" look. The other unsuspecting roommates asked her why she suddenly changed her style.

Luna just smiled shyly:

"I just suddenly felt this style suited me better."

I also clearly felt it.

Lucas started to reply less to my messages.

His attitude was distinctly colder.

Before summer break,

Lucas suddenly messaged me.

WantToAdoptARiley: "Let's meet."

Here it comes, here it comes! The catalyst for the male lead truly falling in love with the female lead! He's actively asking the supporting character to meet!

The chubby supporting character is too cowardly to meet, she'll refuse immediately. But our girl will trick her into meeting the male lead later! The contrast when the female lead and supporting character stand together will be undeniable, haha.

I remember the male lead immediately believed the female lead, didn't he? He immediately said he didn't know the supporting character and walked away with the female lead.

Hahaha, the supporting character cried miserably alone in the restaurant then. Although pitiful, it's also a bit funny.

I lowered my eyes and replied, "Okay."

"However, I'll set the time. Let's do it after summer break."

Lucas was visibly taken aback.

After a long pause, he replied: "...Okay."

"I'll wait for you."