[AR] Chapter 8: The Main Cast Assembles

Chen Fengling carefully adjusted her outfit, gave her soft chest a reassuring pat, and took a deep breath.

“You got this. You can do it.”

She was cheering herself on—not just to make a good impression when reuniting with her old friends, but also to remind herself that it was time to start being more careful.

The apocalypse was less than a day away. That meant by tonight, the first fully mutated infected would begin appearing on campus.

In her previous life, she had stayed in the clubroom with them the whole day. But when she tried to go home that night, the world outside had already started to fall apart. After narrowly escaping with her life, she rushed back to warn Luo Yuan—but by the time she returned, the school was already overrun with infected. She ended up trapped there with him.

Now that she was back in the past, her time was limited. Thankfully, she had already stocked up on supplies after moving in—and even rushed some additional purchases online that same night—so she didn’t have to worry about resources.

Standing in front of the clubroom door, Chen Fengling knocked lightly. But as the sound echoed, she suddenly blanked on what to say. She was never good with social situations.

Before she could figure it out, a burst of light footsteps approached. The door flung open.

She was met with the cozy sight of a room full of literary charm. A cute little bookshelf stood in the corner. A few students were gathered around a central table, holding books, all now turning to look at her.

She scanned the room—but Luo Yuan wasn’t here yet.

Well, that made sense. It was still half an hour before 10 o’clock. It wasn’t strange for him to be absent.

Still… she felt a tiny twinge of disappointment.

“Hey there. Are you looking for someone? If they’re not here, I can leave a message.”

Fengling turned her eyes to the girl who had opened the door. She wore a stylish JK uniform and was a head taller than Fengling. There was something devilish about her beauty, though she wore a smile like she was greeting a kitten. Still, there was a hint of doubt in her expression. After all, a cute girl had just knocked, said nothing, and started scanning the room—kind of suspicious behavior.

“Hi. Luo Yuan invited me here last night. He said I could come meet you all.”

At her words, everyone in the room turned to look at her. They stared at this doll-like girl standing at the door like she’d walked straight out of an anime. The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

“…No way. Did Luo Yuan save the world in his past life or something?”

A bespectacled club member muttered to the guy next to him.

Ye Xintong quickly caught on to what was happening and lit up with enthusiasm.

“So you’re the adorable junior Luo Yuan mentioned? Come in, have a seat! He went out to get drinks. Didn’t think you’d arrive this early.”

Fengling followed her inside. The sight brought a wave of memories rushing back.

“I’m Chen Fengling. Nice to meet you all again.”

A slightly contradictory greeting slipped out. She smiled faintly—but every word was genuine.

“Nice to meet you too, Fengling-chan. When he said you were cute, I thought he was exaggerating. But you really are a beauty.”

With her arrival, the room quickly burst into lively chatter—especially thanks to this little witch of a senpai, Ye Xintong.

“So, how far have you two gotten? I swear, after he met you yesterday, he wouldn’t stop talking about you.”

Xintong leaned in energetically, making Fengling visibly tense. She’d never been good with overly friendly types.

“N-No, we’re not like that…”

Her cheeks turned slightly red at the mention of Luo Yuan constantly talking about her. But looking at Xintong’s smug face made her feel oddly guilty.

“Oh~?”

Xintong let out a teasing hum. She’d assumed Luo Yuan and this girl were just acquaintances—but now, it felt like there was something more.

That’s when the door opened again. Luo Yuan walked in, carrying drinks. He caught part of the conversation and instantly got nervous. Were they talking about him?

“Yo, what’re you all chatting about?”

He spoke casually, but when he saw Chen Fengling already there, his eyes widened a bit. He suddenly feared this pure, sweet little gremlin had been exposed to their chaotic energy too soon.

Fengling, hearing the door, flinched and silently prayed he hadn’t heard anything earlier.

The rest of the club jumped at the chance to bombard him. The one closest to him looked ready to conduct a full-on inquisition.

Luo Yuan wore a slightly smug smile as he walked toward the table. He was about to sit next to Ye Xintong—but paused when he noticed Fengling pouting slightly, her cheeks puffed in a subtle sulk.

He changed course and sat beside her instead.

Seeing him approach, Fengling greeted him with a soft smile. A few of the club members swore they just got a mouthful of dog food.

To Luo Yuan’s left sat Fengling. To his right, the guy from before—his name was Tian Bo, someone Fengling remembered well. He had journeyed far with them in the past timeline. If this were a novel, he’d definitely be a core party member. But in the end, he too had fallen to a Cthulhu projection.

“Fengling-chan, Luo Yuan didn’t bother you yesterday, right? He might look like a gloomy loner sometimes, but he’s actually a great guy.”

Tian Bo spoke up in his defense. Luo Yuan had always been a bit aloof around girls—except for Ye Xintong—and that had been obvious even during his first conversation with Fengling.

She knew it was just how he was with strangers, and Xintong just happened to be the only girl he was close with. But still… that tiny sour feeling crept in again.

“No, not at all. Luo Yuan’s the best. He helped me clean my place, played games with me, and even took time to talk to me patiently…”

She easily rattled off a list of his good traits. But midway through, she caught herself, cheeks turning pink, and stole a glance at him. She really looked like a girl in love.

Tian Bo scooted closer and whispered, eyes wide. He’d been hit by the full force of her cuteness—and a weird sense of déjà vu.

“…Wait, is she talking about you? You’re the same guy who always calls himself unlucky and pathetic, right? But you got invited by a hot senpai and now you’re hanging out with this pure, adorable junior… Are you gonna tell me your eyes contain a lion or something next?”

In his head, he was already imagining Luo Yuan as the protagonist of a story—once burdened by tragedy, but now stepping into his destiny as a legendary dragon-slaying hero.

“That’s just me being self-deprecating. I’ve decided I can’t live like that anymore. I’m going to be more proactive—whether it’s protecting those around me or going after what I want.”

Tian Bo was stunned by the new aura radiating off him.

“…Are you sure you’re Luo Yuan and not someone who possessed his body?”

He mumbled, starting to feel like he was the real loser here.

“Wait, is this the power of love? If you two end up getting married, make sure you invite me to the wedding!”

Ye Xintong chimed in, clearly loving the drama. After all, Luo Yuan had been gushing about Fengling since yesterday—and now this? Juicy.

“W-We’re not like that…”

Fengling tried to protest weakly. All she’d done was say a tenth of the good things she thought about him. Why were they reacting so strongly?

Still, if Luo Yuan really was changing because of her… it made her so happy she almost giggled. She held it in, but everyone could tell she was a goner.

“No, I just… I don’t want to be that timid version of myself anymore. Whether it’s protecting others or chasing dreams, hiding like that isn’t going to help.”

Luo Yuan was being totally serious now.

“Also, don’t pressure her. Fengling’s really shy.”

Even though her embarrassed reactions were kind of adorable, he still stepped in to help.

They chatted for a while longer, and Chen Fengling gradually started feeling more comfortable around them. Then, as if she’d been waiting for the perfect chance, Ye Xintong pulled out a flyer she’d prepared earlier.

“Fengling-chan, wanna join the Literature Club? We’re the best club in school—fair screening, high-quality members, amazing vibes.”

Tian Bo joined in with a salesman’s smile.

“Yeah! Our great president, Lord Qingtang, never lets a good person go… or spares a bad one!”

The two of them leaned in close. Fengling instinctively backed up a little. She really wasn’t good with high-energy people.

Luo Yuan lightly bonked Tian Bo’s head and stepped in front of her.

“Wrong order. Also, Senpai, stop pushing her so hard. She’s really shy—she couldn’t even work up the nerve to say hi earlier.”

She looked adorably flustered, but he still stepped up for her.

“Isn’t our club known for strict standards? If people saw you inviting someone right after meeting them, they’d think we were some shady cult.”

He looked at Xintong in exasperation. But she just gave him that same mischievous smile.

“I just didn’t want you to let happiness slip through your fingers.”

He sighed, giving up on trying to understand her logic, and turned back to Fengling.

“They’re always like this. Don’t worry. If you ever want to join, we’d love to have you—but if not, no pressure.”

He meant it. Even though he really did want her to join, it was ultimately her choice.

“Then… Luo Yuan, do you want me to join? Wouldn’t I be boring to have around?”

She smiled sweetly, the embarrassment from before completely gone. She already knew the answer—but she wanted to tease him a little.

“Of course I do. Having you around makes everything more fun. Besides, I already said—I’d never push you away.”

She expected a simple answer, but he pulled out the big guns—her absolute weakness.

Her eyes dropped, cheeks burning.

Seeing her stunned reaction, Luo Yuan tilted his head, leaning in a little.

“So, will you?”

As she felt his breath close to her face, her mind blanked.

“…I will.”

Her voice trembled. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up slightly, something deep inside her stirring.

“Hm—?”

She jolted at the touch, only to realize he was gently placing a hand on her forehead.

“It rained last night. You didn’t catch a cold, did you? You look a little flushed.”

“I-I’m fine! I’ll go sign up right now. Excuse me!”

She quickly moved his hand away, face red, and rushed out the door. Once outside, she leaned against it, hands covering her burning cheeks, and took a long time to calm her racing heart.

“Ugh… what’s happening to me…”

Something precious in her heart had changed. And from that change, a seed had begun to sprout.