Chu Yin kept laughing even as she ran far away, the sound of her own mirth echoing in the empty corridors.
The system spoke in her mind: "Chuckchchch—host, you are such a clever ghost!"
Leaning against a wall to catch her breath, Chu Yin lifted her mask slightly and exhaled, saying, "That must be."
From what she knew of Lu Zhen, he probably wouldn't seek her out anytime soon. After all, he had told her to leave, and someone as valuable and careful as the young master wouldn't act on his own initiative so quickly. Chu Yin smiled inwardly at her own foresight—killing two birds with one stone, both avoiding trouble and gaining time. Strategy always paid off.
Buttoning her mask securely, she walked toward the classroom, her mind turning over possibilities. "By the way," she asked the system, "what is the power of the hero?"
The system responded in its usual mechanical tone: "The hero's power is generated from their inherent aura and serves to repair the hero's plot. It can affect the script generation of this system, but the system's authority always takes priority."
Chu Yin thought for a moment. So her golden finger couldn't override the male lead's halo, but she could act faster than him. That would be enough.
"Ding dong," the system confirmed.
Relief washed over her. She could avoid repeating her failures from the previous life, and she could use the system's authority to subtly tamper with Lu Zhen's communication and her original line of fate. Even if she couldn't avoid everything, she could fully display the personality of this life—Chu Yin did not believe Lu Zhen would fall for a well-behaved nerd.
Shakespeare English Week was coming soon, and while Chu Yin wasn't particularly interested, Class 5 had been buzzing with excitement for weeks. Students of this age took every activity seriously, no matter how seemingly boring, and reading aloud was considered a matter of pride.
Fu Mingxuan had spent days preparing, determined to make up for previous embarrassments. She read the Shakespeare excerpts fluently, her voice flowing with emotion, every word carefully enunciated.
When Class 5 arrived early at the auditorium on the big day, no one was there yet to greet them. The previous conflicts and the leak of Chu Yin's transcript had made some students openly hostile toward her. Many whispered that she didn't belong in their elite class because of her poor academic performance. Even Song Zhaolin, who usually slept through lessons, had higher English and math scores than Chu Yin. Her presence was seen as a potential threat to the class's prestige.
Song Zhaolin picked up his coat and said, "Sister Yin, I'm going to find Brother Zhen. You know the way to the auditorium, right?"
Chu Yin nodded casually. She didn't need to explain anything—her focus was elsewhere.
The system suddenly spoke in her mind: "Today's learning task is broadcast. Complete the translation of the Shakespeare excerpts to gain permission to [change words]."
Chu Yin stared at it for a moment. "…Fine," she muttered.
She realized she had to go, but the materials would not be distributed until they reached the auditorium.
Stopping Song Zhaolin, who was about to leave, she said, "Wait—"
He turned back, surprised. Rarely did Chu Yin speak more than a few words. He straightened, hand in his pocket, voice lowered, and asked, "What's the matter?"
"…Are you going?" Chu Yin asked.
"Don't go," he replied softly. "See what Brother Zhen wants."
Chu Yin raised an eyebrow and let him go. Song Zhaolin walked away, still puzzled. Why did she hide behind that mask? So beautiful, yet impossible to read—the mask erased every expression, leaving nothing but a silent mystery.
By the time Chu Yin arrived at the auditorium, most of the students were already seated. Everything—the layout, the podium, even the chairs—was the same as in her previous life. Memories of her past embarrassment on the podium flashed through her mind, making her chest tighten for a moment. Not this time. She was Niu Colu Chu Yin now, and she wouldn't repeat the mistakes of the past.
She moved to find a seat in the back row, but something made her pause. Glancing back, she saw Gu Qiuze smiling at her, holding out a can of sweet milk.
Chu Yin opened her mouth to refuse, but he whispered, "Take it. I'm just your brother's courier."
She couldn't help smiling and accepted it. His peach-colored eyes, clever and bright, seemed almost out of place against the deliberate old-fashioned uniform he wore.
Other students noticed the interaction. Girls in Class 5 looked on with sour expressions, jealous and unrestrained, while some boys whispered among themselves. Xing Lan muttered under her breath, "Our class genius… unstoppable!"
Others scoffed, "No wonder her grades are bad; all that energy spent on boys!"
Chu Qiuqiu, watching from a distance, clenched her hands around the lottery box she had prepared. Her brother favored Chu Yin? Why this girl, a hillbilly to her, of all people? Inspiration suddenly struck her—if Chu Yin liked to be pushy, she'd make her struggle plenty this time.
The back door of the auditorium opened, and a buzz went through the crowd.
"Brother Zhen!"
"Lu Zhen actually came to this?"
Chu Yin didn't look back. She whispered to Gu Qiuze, then turned toward the back and took her seat.
Lu Zhen's gaze swept the room, intentionally or not. His brows furrowed slightly, his expression cold and unreadable. The brown-red tears in the corners of his eyes made him even more striking. Many girls froze under his gaze, barely daring to breathe.
Chu Yin ignored him entirely, picking up the materials on the desk and beginning her translation.
A flicker of irritation crossed Lu Zhen's face. He rarely failed to speak, but last time he had scolded someone—he didn't like being interrupted.
Song Zhaolin, searching for Chu Yin, followed Lu Zhen's gaze to locate her. Seeing her seated so far away, he asked quietly, "Brother Zhen, do you hate me sitting at the same table?"
Lu Zhen's expression was calm but cold, his voice low. "…Are you at the same table?"
"Yes," Song Zhaolin replied, naive. "For over a month now."
Lu Zhen pursed his lips, then asked after a pause, "Are you guys connected?"
Song Zhaolin laughed softly, "It's not me who's bragging. I think she likes me! That's why I care whether I can come today!"
Lu Zhen rubbed his knuckles, looking down. "…Oh."
Song Zhaolin wasn't sure if he had imagined it, but Brother Zhen seemed even more displeased than usual.
The event began officially. Chu Qiuqiu managed the lottery box. From time to time, a student's name was drawn, and they recited their excerpt. Most students were proficient in English, but some struggled with pronunciation and vocabulary.
Fu Mingxuan almost choked on her recital, but Chu Qiuqiu ignored her, knowing she was well prepared and would not give her a chance to shine.
Finally, Chu Qiuqiu's gaze landed on Chu Yin. She was looking down at her phone, probably hurriedly checking words. Chu Qiuqiu's smile widened. Later, she would draw the most difficult section for her—the same paragraph that had humiliated Chu Yin in the previous life.
"Task complete. You have gained permission to [change words]. Host, your translation is excellent~" the system announced.
Chu Yin put down her pen and rubbed her wrist. Some of the words in the excerpt were new, but not too difficult.
"Do you want to load the script?" the system asked.
"Loading," Chu Yin replied. She wanted to see if Chu Qiuqiu had any tricks ready.
Sure enough, Chu Qiuqiu pulled a small note from the lottery box, her face showing a mixture of surprise and worry. Loudly, she announced, "I got Chu Yin!"
The crowd gasped. Chu Qiuqiu had deliberately picked the hardest selection to humiliate Chu Yin, the same one as in her previous life. But Chu Yin would not embarrass herself again.
"System, do I read it myself?" Chu Yin asked.
"No," the system replied. Chu Yin activated it and replaced "[Chu Yin]" with "[self]," taking full control of the moment.
Chu Qiuqiu pretended to hold the note and loudly declared, "I have drawn myself!"
Her face turned pale. She couldn't read the paragraph correctly—Chu Yin had outmaneuvered her.
Leaning back in her chair, Chu Yin smiled and said to the system, "Any motivational songs for this?"
Click—Invincible Is ~ How Lonely ~.
She chuckled softly. Today, victory was hers.