The bell rang, sharp and final, signalling the end of lunch break.
"Host, the next period is about to begin."
Jia Li dabbed her face dry with a folded handkerchief and smoothed her blouse. Her reflection in the window showed plain, worn fabric. Everything sat in place. She stepped into the hallway.
The corridor hummed with returning students. Chairs scraped. Bags thumped against backs. Laughter bounced off the walls. When eyes landed on her, the tone shifted.
Glances came first. Quick. Assessing. Then they lingered.
"Some people are so shameless."
The words were soft. They still found her ears.
Jia Li's pace didn't change. Her gaze stayed forward, cold and steady, until she reached the classroom door.
The homeroom teacher was already inside, arranging some papers. He looked up, his expression sharpening as soon as he saw her. His eyes swept over her clothes, then settled on her face with open disdain.
He could not stand poor countryside students. In his mind, she dragged down the class average simply by existing.
"Go take a seat."
A few students snickered.
"She really is hopeless."
Jia Li said nothing. She walked to her seat and stopped.
The tabletop was buried under garbage. Crumpled wrappers. A leaking juice box soaking into her notebook. Pencil shavings scattered across the surface. Written in thick black letters across the desk were the words Dirt Faced Bumpkin.
The smell of stale food lingered.
From the next desk, a girl whispered loudly, "Guess someone prepared her lunch."
Another voice followed. "Careful. She might think it's a gift."
Jia Li looked at the mess for a long moment. No expression. Only the faint narrowing of her eyes.
She crouched, set her bag down, and began clearing the table with slow, deliberate movements.
Inside, her thoughts remained calm.
So this was the torment the original endured every day. And still she only wished for a better life instead of revenge. She was far more forgiving than her at least.
Jia Li finished wiping the last streak of ink when the classroom door slid open.
A hush moved through the room.
Lin Xue entered.
She walked with unhurried grace. Pale skin. Dark hair swaying gently. A faint scent of jasmine followed her. Every gaze turned.
She took her seat beside Jia Li and placed her bag down carefully. A warm smile curved her lips.
"Jia Li, you're already here? You must have come early."
Her eyes moved to the faint insult still visible on the locker. Her expression shifted into perfect dismay.
"Oh, Jia Li… how could someone do this to you?" Her voice softened just enough for nearby desks to hear. "I can't believe people can be so cruel."
She reached toward the mark and drew her hand back as if touching it might hurt.
"I'm really sorry. If I had been here earlier, I would have said something. I know you can handle it but seeing this just… it makes me upset too."
Whispers began at once.
"She's honestly such a good person."
"Anyone else would be embarrassed to sit next to Jia Li after this."
"It's crazy. She's so loyal."
"Lin Xue is also from the countryside, you know."
"Don't say that. It's different for her."
Jia Li sat through the performance, expression unreadable.
Inside, her thoughts cursed every single one of these snot-faced brats.
When Lin Xue realised Zhang Rui hadn't rushed over to pat her on the back and praise her "loyalty," her voice faltered for a moment.
She turned to Jia Li, tilting her head with concern.
"I'm sorry. Don't take it to heart, okay? These people don't know you like I do."
"Why would I blame you?" Jia Li interrupted. Her tone stayed light but carried steel.
Lin Xue blinked. "Blame me? Of course not, I was just…"
"You're crying so much," Jia Li said lazily, "it's like you were the one called a dirt faced bumpkin. If you are this worked up, what am I supposed to do? Fall to the ground and wail for the whole school?"
For a brief second, Lin Xue's smile froze.
Did this big idiot Zhang Rui just say that to me?
Lin Xue laughed softly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Jia Li… you don't have to act brave for me. I only wanted to let you know you are not alone. You are simple and kind. People take advantage of that. I can't sit by and watch."
Ah. The sheer audacity really was becoming of her title as the Female Lead
Jia Li stared back without gratitude.
The moment stretched.
Lin Xue's smile held, but something behind it tightened.
What is wrong with her today?
She adjusted her skirt with delicate fingers.
Maybe she is in a bad mood.
A faint flicker of irritation passed through her thoughts.
She should be grateful I am even sitting next to her after that mess.
She inhaled and let out a practiced sigh. The smile returned, flawless.
The moment between her and Lin Xue was broken when the classroom door banged open again, this time revealing their homeroom teacher, chalk in one hand, register in the other.
"Settle down. Open your textbooks."
Students hurried back to their seats.
Jia Li straightened slightly. Her mind had already moved on.
"System. My goal is to live well. Step one is improving my living conditions, right?"
"Correct. A stable environment is essential."
"Check my balance."
"Checking Zhang Rui's account…"
A translucent screen popped up in her mind. Numbers glared at her in pitiful shame.
Balance: 10097 yuan.
Jia Li blinked.
This was the original host's entire net worth.
"Note. Your mother struggles financially. You avoid asking her for money. You live in the dormitory due to constraints."
Jia Li tapped the desk lightly.
So broke she almost expected background music from a charity advertisement.
"I need a fast way to make money. Suggestions?"
"Stock trading is viable."
"Show me."
A new interface slid into view: Shopping Mall. Bright icons for skills, items, and abilities flickered before her eyes. Under the "Finance" category, one glowed enticingly — Beginner Stock Trading.
Cost: 20 points.
Her expression darkened.
Twenty? Why is it so expensive?
"You have 100 points."
"How do I earn more?"
"Major actions that alter this world's plot and Zhang Rui's outcome."
"Easy enough."
"Host, Zhang Rui is meant to be a plot device for the Female Lead. This World's fate will try to correct any deviations that may affect the lead's happy ending"
Her brows arched. "So basically, I'm fighting the invisible hand of fate itself."
"Correct."
From middle class nobody to going against destiny itself. Splendid.
"Fine. I'll buy it."
Her previous world had taught her that money was the most important tool in communicating with others.
As the teacher lectured about the Tang Dynasty, her consciousness entered the system space.
A modern room. White light. Glass walls. A blackboard.
A tall man stood beside it adjusting his glasses.
"Welcome. I am your instructor. Are you willing to learn and become my apprentice?"
"Of course."
"Training initiated. Time ratio 100 to 1."
Images blurred together. She scribbled notes. Charts moved across the board. Candlestick patterns. Risk calculations. Mock trades. Failures. Corrections.
By the end, her mind felt sharp and exhausted.
Stock Trading Level 1 became Level 3.
Her eyes opened in the classroom as if from a nap. The teacher still droned on.
"Hmph. Trash grades and she still dares to sleep," he muttered.
Jia Li remained calm.
If only you knew.
The last ten minutes of class crawled by like a snail with a limp. Finally, the bell rang, shrill and liberating. Desks scraped, chairs clattered, and the room exploded into chatter.
Jia Li was halfway through packing her books when a sudden ripple of excitement moved through the room.
"Shang Yiran is coming!"
"The male god!"
Jia Li raised an eyebrow.
The door opened.
Shang Yiran walked in.
His face made people pause mid-sentence. Fair skin with a warm glow. A straight nose. Long phoenix eyes with a lazy, mocking glint. Lips curved in a deliberate smile. Hair slightly messy as if styled by accident.
He didn't spare anyone else a glance, striding directly toward Lin Xue.
"Why are you here?" she asked softly, her lashes trembling as if the weight of his attention was almost too much.
"To see you."
She bit her lip, taking a tiny step back like a frightened rabbit. "You shouldn't be here…"
"Oh? Then you'll have to punish me," he said with a lazy grin, eyes glittering with amusement.
Gasps filled the room.
Lin Xue tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice laced with a delicate sigh. "You're impossible."
She stepped back slightly.
Someone bumped her from behind.
She stumbled forward into his arms.
The class forgot how to breathe.
"She's so lucky."
"Of course he likes her."
"Of course, Shang Yiran would like her. She's pure and sweet" another boy sighed.
"She's such a good person for hanging out with Zhang Rui. She doesn't look down on her at all!"
Jia Li froze. …Wait. Did I just get hit with a stray bullet?
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
"Yeah, she's different."
Jia Li stared.
"Host," the system said calmly, "you appear unsettled."
"Unsettled? My eyes are under attack."
Even soap operas weren't this corny.
"Data shows the scene is popular. Audience satisfaction is high."
"Of course it is. I am the only person here with a mental age above eighteen."
Lin Xue let out a soft gasp and leaned perfectly into Shang Yiran's arms.
"Romantic tension detected," the system noted.
"Romantic tension? I saw her adjust her centre of gravity like an auntie picking vegetables."
"Host seems emotionally resistant."
Girls squealed. Boys watched with envy.
Jia Li packed her bag with calm efficiency.
"Host, you are leaving?"
"Quickly, if we stay any longer, background music will start playing"