Compared to Her, What Am I?

Lin Meng knew she couldn't talk her way out of this one. Su Yutang was exactly the type of paranoid protagonist who read ulterior motives into everything; the more Lin Meng explained, the more convinced Su Yutang would be that she was hiding something.

After all, the heart-wrenching, gut-punching misunderstandings in the original novel weren't caused just by Su Yutang and Yun Huaizhu refusing to talk to each other; Su Yutang's paranoia had fueled them too.

Paranoia—the standard-issue trait of every domineering CEO.

They were rich and overbearing, self-centered, and dictated everything to others without question. Yet beneath all that, they were extremely sensitive and fragile, which was exactly why their paranoia ran so deep.

At this point, there was no way Lin Meng could walk away clean. So she might as well go all in and damn the consequences: “Oh... so that's what you meant. To be honest... I'm Zhuzhu's superfan. She's my dream girl, you know? I read her fanfiction online. There was this one author who wrote her as a delicate, kind little flower, and in that novel there was a lead alpha named Su who did nothing but torture our Zhuzhu day and night. I'd had a bit to drink that day and my head was swimming. When I saw you, I thought of that scumbag lead from the novel, and that's why I said all those things...”

Lin Meng kept her head down, basking in her own perfect little speech, completely unaware that Su Yutang's expression beside her was growing darker and darker.

When she finished, Lin Meng looked up at Su Yutang, her face bright with delight: “I never expected you'd be surnamed Su too! What a coincidence!”

Su Yutang swore she had never in her life met anyone who could make her this angry. The worst part was that this person truly had nothing to do with her; even if she wanted to throw a fit or punish her, she couldn't do it on the spot.

The moment Lin Meng finished speaking, she clamped her mouth shut, because Su Yutang did not look happy at all.

She even felt like Su Yutang wanted to kill her right then and there.

Su Yutang believed a fun toy shouldn't be broken all at once. At the very least, she found this beta's personality rather entertaining, suitable for a little diversion. So she did her best to rein in her dark expression.

She gave Lin Meng a friendly smile. “Is that so? You like Yun Huaizhu that much? Then tell me—what exactly do you like about her?”

Hearing the question, Lin Meng answered based on the impression she'd formed after finishing the novel. “Her? Zhuzhu is a very gentle person. She has a big heart for small animals and regularly donates to girls in impoverished mountain regions. Not only that, she's beautiful too. Don't you think she's like the most beautiful snow lotus atop a high mountain?”

Su Yutang finally couldn't take it anymore. She reached out and gripped Lin Meng's chin. “Then take a good look at me. Compared to her, what am I?”

Lin Meng didn't know why Su Yutang had suddenly asked that, but if she asked, there had to be a reason.

Also, she didn't know what kind of kink these two had—why did they both love gripping people's chins so hard while interrogating them?

Su Yutang's grip was far stronger than Yun Huaizhu's. Lin Meng didn't want her jaw crushed.

So, just as she'd admired Yun Huaizhu's beauty, she confidently studied Su Yutang's bright, alluring face.

As expected of the novel's lead alpha, she was stunning—especially those eyes that could look deeply affectionate even when gazing at a dog—like stars fallen from the sky.

Lin Meng thought: Setting aside the novel's plot, Su Yutang's face really was top-tier. No wonder so many side female characters clung to her in the story, taking turns creating misunderstandings between her and Yun Huaizhu.

Aside from money and power, Su Yutang had nothing but that authoritative face.

Oh, right—she was also an S-rank alpha. In this world, Su Yutang really was a top-tier chosen one.

After taking in Su Yutang's beautiful face, Lin Meng sighed in admiration. “You... are like a desert rose, blooming in the scorching sand—a gorgeous, thorny flower. I get the feeling that even if someone risked being pricked, they'd still want to touch you—but before they could, they'd be swept away by the quicksand protecting you.”

Su Yutang's eyes widened almost instantly, visibly moved.

Seeing her shocked expression, Lin Meng asked cautiously, “Did I... describe it wrong?”

She read novels but didn't write them, so her vocabulary was rather limited.

Su Yutang came back to herself and smiled, satisfied and appeased. She said nothing, but the gloom on her face had long since cleared, replaced by a heart blooming with joy.

Su Yutang released Lin Meng's chin and leaned back, letting her spine relax against the chair. “You were certainly bold when we first met, but every now and then you do say something nice to hear. I'm in a good mood today, so I won't hold your insults against you.”

Hearing this, Lin Meng's face lit up with delight. “Really?”

Seeing her so happy, Su Yutang couldn't resist teasing her. “But no one in my entire life has ever dared insult me like that. You caused me psychological harm last time. If I go to the hospital and get diagnosed with some mental condition, you won't be able to escape responsibility.”

The smile that had just appeared on Lin Meng's face froze solid. Her lips even curved downward in a wronged, frightened expression. “Then... then what do you want me to do? Kneel down and apologize?”

Su Yutang was speechless.

This was the first time she'd met someone who made demands on herself. If this person were the timid, cowardly type who knelt and apologized in tears, she'd actually quite like to see that.

But this time, she'd let it slide. Toys came in two varieties: one-time-use and long-term.

If you scared someone off in one go, it wasn't fun anymore.

Su Yutang chuckled. “Hand me your phone.”

Lin Meng patted her pocket. Fortunately, her phone was still on her. Following Su Yutang's instruction, she opened the WeChat screen, and Su Yutang took the phone from her and smoothly entered her own contact information.

When Lin Meng took the phone back, she was a bit stunned. The next moment, Su Yutang looked at her with a smile. “You insulted me and made me uncomfortable, but what you just said—I found it quite pleasant. Here's the deal: starting today, you'll send me one compliment every day. Of course, you can only stop when I say I'm satisfied. If I'm not satisfied, you'll send it again. No AI, no Baidu—you have to praise me with your most sincere words.”

Hearing this, Lin Meng's eyes lit up. “Really?”

Her reaction seemed to exceed Su Yutang's expectations. Su Yutang paused briefly, then nodded. “Yes.”

Lin Meng immediately bowed her head like she was dealing with a client. “Don't worry, I'll praise you until you're satisfied!”

Su Yutang gave her a meaningful smile at that.

Then she rose and left the hospital room.