"Ahhh, there are knives in the sky!"
"Help!"
The pink bubble burst, and the school gate descended into chaos.
The blade spinning in the air fell down with a sharp gleam. Fortunately, it didn't hit anyone. On closer look, it wasn't even a real blade—just a shard of light that only looked deadly at first glance.
Lu Zhen frowned and scanned the crowd.
Both school buildings on either side had their windows tightly shut. Who threw that?
Far across the campus, a slim figure lingered for a moment, watching the school gate before quietly looking away.
Chu Yin lowered her eyes. The corner of her lips, hidden beneath the mask, lifted in the faintest arc.
System: "Hey hey, so you really are the host! But you know the system can't actually harm the male lead~"
Of course, Chu Yin knew she couldn't kill Lu Zhen. But that wasn't the point.
With Lu Zhen's suspicious nature, anyone near him would now be filed away in his mind as a potential enemy. The original bridge between them was broken. From here on out, everything would change.
At the edge of the crowd, Chu Qiuqiu followed Chu Yin's gaze, noticing Lu Zhen among the commotion. Her lips curled with disdain. This bumpkin sister dares to stare at Lu Zhen? She should take a look at herself first.
Yesterday, she'd briefly felt a stab of unease, after all, her face did look like a low-profile version of Chu Yin's. But so what? A bumpkin was still a bumpkin. The school allows casual dresses, yet Chu Yin wore the most hated old uniform. Worse, she even covered her face with a mask, as if afraid of being seen.
And her? On the very first day, she had spent hours carefully dressing up, even perfecting her makeup. Standing side by side, one was polished and refined, the other rustic and dull. Chu Qiuqiu relished the contrast. So what if Chu Yin had the same blood? Obviously, I'm the true young miss. Catching curious glances from her classmates, Chu Qiuqiu gracefully hooked Chu Yin's arm: "Sister, don't think too much about Lu Zhen. I'll introduce you to… ordinary boys. Come, I'll take you to the general class."
Chu Yin pulled her arm free. "No need. Thank you."
Lu Zhen alone was reason enough for her to never trust men.
Class 5 was the top liberal arts class. The teachers were excellent, the students mostly wealthy. Unlike the international track, they aimed for the domestic gaokao route.
Madam Chu, though distant from the daughter she'd just recovered, still wanted to give Chu Yin the best. She had personally arranged for her to enter Class 5.
At the moment, the classroom buzzed with chatter.
"Holy crap, did you hear? Someone almost killed Lu Zhen at the school gate!"
"No way. Who would dare touch him?"
"For real! It's already on the forum."
Since the incident centered on Lu Zhen, the news had spread across Huiwen within minutes. Rich second gens in Class 5 gossiped excitedly, each more animated than the last.
But the lively classroom fell silent when two figures appeared at the door.
——Chu Qiuqiu? Why is she coming to Class 5?
Fu Mingxuan, sitting at the center, had been fretting over Lu Zhen. Spotting Chu Qiuqiu, her mood shifted instantly, and she greeted her with a sugary smile: "Hello, darling~"
Chu Yin entered behind her "sister" and stilled when she saw Fu Mingxuan. This girl, Lu Zhen's most shameless admirer. In her previous life, she had chased him endlessly and turned her hostility on Chu Yin at every chance.
But right now, Fu Mingxuan's main rival was Chu Qiuqiu. Both born to wealthy families, equally pretty and accomplished, they were the definition of plastic besties—competing in everything, even English fluency.
Chu Qiuqiu smiled sweetly: "Morning, babe~"
Fu Mingxuan's eyes darted past her—and froze. "Omg. Who's she? Why are you standing with her?"
Chu Qiuqiu's gentle smile was ready: "This is my sister, Chu Yin. She was just brought back from the countryside. She doesn't understand English, so let's speak Chinese."
The words landed, and several students exchanged strange glances. So this is the country bumpkin they dragged into Class 5? In that ugly uniform? Hiding behind a mask?
Fu Mingxuan wrinkled her nose, stopping Chu Yin as she looked for a seat. "Hey—you. Why don't you go to Class 7 instead? That's more your level."
Laughter broke out. Everyone knew Class 7 was the dumping ground, poor grades, no rich heirs, no prestige. Chu Qiuqiu put on a pained expression. "Mingxuan, she's my sister after all…"
Fu Mingxuan arched a brow. "And? People should know their place, shouldn't they?" All eyes shifted to Chu Yin, eager to see how the bumpkin would react. But Chu Yin simply walked to the window, placed her bag down, and looked at them with calm eyes.
Her face remained hidden under the mask, only her gaze visible, clear, cold, untouchable. Her voice was steady, unhurried: "You're right. People should return to where they belong. Don't you think so, sister?"
Chu Qiuqiu's heart skipped. Her face paled instantly. She knew exactly what Chu Yin meant.
The home she had crawled out from. The shabby walls. Her real parents' haggard faces. Memories she had buried deep. No, she refused to go back. She would never let anyone know where she truly came from. Fu Mingxuan blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
But Chu Qiuqiu dared not continue. Her smile stiffened. "My mother already spoke to the school. Mingxuan, don't make trouble. My sister won't get in your way." Fu Mingxuan rolled her eyes, annoyed.
Chu Yin ignored them, already flipping open her math textbook.
"Ding, broadcasting today's study task. Finish the finale problem in class. Difficulty: ★★★. Reward: [Word Change] permission."
Word change? Chu Yin's eyes sharpened. So the system's authority scaled with task difficulty. If she cleared harder questions, maybe she could change sentences, paragraphs, even entire scenes. A thrill coursed through her. She had never felt this much passion for studying.