Reborn As A Doomsday Villainess-Chapter 94: I was waiting for you to leave(1)

"Tsk." Haoyu ran a hand through his hair, already dreading this whole thing. Meng Nian had been annoyingly persistent ever since that stupid accident, and now he had to go find him? How was that fair?

Lotus hummed in amusement. [You should get moving. Clock’s ticking.]

Haoyu pulled up the map, glaring at the blinking marker showing Meng Nian’s location. He was nearby. Too nearby.

"Why the hell is he so close?"

[Because fate is cruel, and so am I.]

Haoyu took a deep breath, resisting the urge to punch something. Fine. If he had to do this, he’d at least get it over with quickly.

He turned toward the door, but before he could slip out, Qingran spoke without looking up from her screen. "Going somewhere?"

Haoyu stiffened, debating if he should lie. But knowing Qingran, she probably wouldn’t care either way.

"...Just handling something."

She didn’t press further, only nodding as she continued browsing the shop. "Don’t cause trouble."

"As if I would."

Lingquan snorted.

Haoyu ignored him and stalked out the door, determined to get this over with as fast as possible.

Haoyu followed the map’s directions, each step making his stomach twist with irritation. Meng Nian was too damn close, which meant this wasn’t a coincidence. That guy had been hovering around for a while, hadn’t he?

He shoved his hands in his pockets, kicking a loose pebble on the ground. Maybe if he just walked in, said a few words, and left, it would count as completing the mission. No need for unnecessary conversation. No need to acknowledge the awkwardness between them.

Lotus, of course, wasn’t about to make things that easy.

[Reminder: Mission requires meaningful interaction. No half-assed greetings.]

Haoyu gritted his teeth. "Define meaningful."

[Enough that Meng Nian remembers this encounter vividly.]

He stopped dead in his tracks. "What the fuck does that mean?"

[It means if you show up, mumble ’hi,’ and run away, I’ll consider it a failure.]

Haoyu seriously considered throwing his system into the nearest pit.

Before he could plot Lotus’ downfall any further, he spotted Meng Nian up ahead, sitting in the outdoor area of the cafe.

Meng Nian was stirring his coffee absentmindedly, eyes focused on his phone, He hadn’t noticed Haoyu yet.

Haoyu turned to leave.

[Ah, ah, ah—] Lotus clicked his tongue. [Mission says you find him, not see him and run like a coward.]

Haoyu clenched his jaw. He should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy. Begrudgingly, he approached the table, Meng Nian looked up, and for a moment, there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Then, a slow smile curled his lips.

"Tang Haoyu, you’re a really hard guy to catch."

Meng Nian, stood up walking to Haoyu, at 192cm he was towering over Haoyu who was 179cm, the difference wasn’t much but because of his built, he looked bigger. freewebnσvel.cѳm

"I’ve been busy.."

".."

"So much you skipped school for it? Where you scared to run into me. You don’t have to worry I’ve graduated, so don’t skip classes anymore."

Haoyu clicked his tongue, refusing to let that stupid warmth creep up his neck. "I didn’t skip because of you."

Meng Nian raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Oh? So it was just a coincidence that you suddenly stopped showing up the moment I started visiting more often?"

Haoyu scowled. "Coincidences exist."

Meng Nian chuckled, slow and amused, like he was enjoying this way too much. "Sure, if that helps you sleep at night."

Haoyu resisted the urge to punch his smug face. Why was this guy so annoying? And why the hell was he acting like they had some kind of unfinished business? That stupid accident was just that—an accident.

Meng Nian studied him for a moment, then sighed, stepping back just enough to give Haoyu some space. "Relax, I’m not here to haunt you."

"Could’ve fooled me," Haoyu muttered.

Meng Nian smirked but didn’t push further. Instead, he gestured to the table. "Since you’re here, have a drink with me."

"Pass."

Meng Nian didn’t look surprised at the rejection, but he also didn’t let Haoyu walk away so easily. "Come on, one drink. Unless you’re afraid of spending more time with me."

Haoyu froze. His pride wouldn’t let him back down from that kind of challenge. "Why the hell would I be afraid of you?"

Meng Nian’s smirk widened. "Then sit."

Haoyu glared at him before reluctantly dropping into the chair across from Meng Nian. He could suffer through one drink. That would be enough to complete this stupid mission, right?

[Good boy,] Lotus hummed. [Now, make sure it’s meaningful~.]

"Do you really think I’d forget?" Meng Nian propped his chin on his hand, his eyes dark with something unreadable. "You left an impression, Tang Haoyu."

Haoyu stiffened, gripping the edge of the table. He didn’t like the way Meng Nian said that. Like there was more to it.

Before he could respond, their drinks arrived. Haoyu grabbed his cup and took a sip, using it as an excuse to avoid Meng Nian’s gaze. Damn it. Why did this guy always get under his skin?

Meng Nian didn’t push, letting the silence settle between them. He stirred his coffee absentmindedly, his fingers tapping against the cup.

"Are you really planning to avoid me forever?" he finally asked, voice quieter this time.

Haoyu exhaled sharply. "I wasn’t avoiding you."

Meng Nian let out a soft laugh. "Right. You just happened to disappear the moment I started showing up more. Total coincidence, huh?"

Haoyu scowled. "I had my own reasons."

Meng Nian leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp. "Then tell me. What were they?"

Haoyu’s grip on his cup tightened. He couldn’t exactly say,

[I was avoiding you because I didn’t know how to deal with the fact that my first kiss was an accident with you, and now you won’t stop looking at me like you know something I don’t.]

He glanced to the side. "Does it even matter? You’ve graduated. You won’t be around anymore."

Meng Nian’s jaw tensed for a fraction of a second before he let out a low chuckle. "So that’s how it is. You were just waiting for me to leave."