Hua Lian still didn’t move, staring straight at Luo Xizhi. Of course, this wasn’t because she was admiring Luo Xizhi’s overly beautiful appearance, but because she couldn’t understand why the female lead in front of her was being so ruthless. Logically speaking, Luo Xizhi should have tried every possible method to get Hua Lian out of bed, rather than directly delivering the most fatal blow to her. If Hua Batian were brought up, Hua Lian would have no choice but to go to school no matter what.
“But Big Gray and Little Gray need someone to take care of them,” Hua Lian whispered in protest at that moment, trying her best to hide her lack of confidence. Her concern for the mother wolf and her cubs played a significant role the fourth male lead, Hua Zhengtai, had a hobby of abusing animals, and Hua Lian was worried that he might poison the mother wolf and her cubs while she was away.
However, she couldn’t tell the female lead the truth, because Hua Zhengtai appeared to be extremely well-behaved on the surface. Everyone in the Hua family judged others based on their looks, and she didn’t know how much of Hua Zhengtai’s true nature Luo Xizhi had seen, or whether she would side with someone whom Luo Xizhi also disliked.
“I heard from the butler that the master is worried about everyone’s safety, so he paid the animal trainer to stay a little longer,” Luo Xizhi continued to remind her. The image of that older brother immediately surfaced in Hua Lian’s mind.
Putting aside his character, the older brother was exceptionally skilled with animals. Moreover, since Hua Lian had added him as a contact, as long as she reminded him about Hua Zhengtai’s “mischievous” behavior, she could definitely avert the crisis. However, the thought of having to go to school afterward left Hua Lian feeling particularly dejected.
She didn’t like going to school, neither before nor now. Especially since the social dynamics at this school were even more complicated. On the surface, everyone seemed friendly, but she had no idea how many nasty things were said behind her back.
Seeing that Hua Lian still showed no intention of getting up, Luo Xizhi glanced at the watch on her wrist. The watch looked a bit old, as if it had been around for years. Her words, as cold as her demeanor, followed: “Miss, I can wait for you for five more minutes.”
The tone was enticing, as if in the original host’s mind, going to school with Luo Xizhi was an extremely joyful thing.
Hua Lian let out an “oh,” but she was contemplating how to send Luo Xizhi away. Having grown accustomed to solitude, Luo Xizhi’s presence only made her feel an indescribable sense of pressure.
“Then you go ahead. I won’t even be able to pick out my clothes in five minutes,” Hua Lian said. She had spent over ten seconds mentally preparing herself to muster the courage to say this. Her tone carried the original host’s spoiled air while remaining tactful, ensuring it wouldn’t hurt the female lead’s fragile little heart or lead to any conflict.
In short, Hua Lian was very satisfied with this statement, but she noticed Luo Xizhi slightly furrowing her brows, as if her words had triggered an obvious emotional reaction.
“Today is Monday. You can only wear the school uniform.”
The reminder felt like a heavy blow to Hua Lian. Everyone in Class A wore their school uniforms properly, which had led her to believe that the school strictly required uniforms. Whenever she saw someone not wearing one, she assumed they were rebellious and kept her distance from them. Now, this answer made Hua Lian realize that she had long been acting out of character.
“It seems the young lady is still groggy from sleep.”
Hua Lian’s movements grew increasingly stiff, as if she were on the verge of tears from her own teasing. Luo Xizhi turned her gaze toward Hua Lian’s wardrobe and effortlessly located the school uniform tucked away at the very back. Her actions were so practiced, as if the original owner frequently tormented Hua Lian in this way, making Hua Lian feel a pang of pity for Luo Xizhi.
Yet, words of encouragement eluded her, for she was now playing the role of one of the perpetrators.
The school uniform was gently placed beside the bed, and Luo Xizhi continued, “I hope you won’t be late.” With that, she turned and left the room, leaving Hua Lian alone with the gradually relaxing big gray wolf.
The wolf seemed somewhat remorseful, even bewildered by its own behavior, unable to comprehend why it felt such intense fear toward Luo Xizhi, to the point of being immobilized.
“It’s alright. Everyone has something they’re afraid of, and I believe even if the whole world turned bad, Luo Xizhi wouldn’t harm you,” Hua Lian reassured, though she too found it strange.
After all, in the original plot she had read, while Luo Xizhi was only liked by perverts, she was immensely popular among animals. Hua Zhengtao had harassed Luo Xizhi in various ways, but she paid him no mind. It was for this reason that he targeted the animals that approached her.
Even the third female lead, Hei Lu Tai Nü, was drawn to Luo Xizhi’s ability to attract animals, which led her to commit wicked deeds in the abyss.
‘But if Luo Xizhi’s character setting no longer holds, what does that mean?’
Hua Lian couldn’t help but shiver, feeling that Luo Xizhi was entirely different from how the plot described her. Though not as foul as Hua Batian or Hei Lu Tai Nü, she wasn’t exactly pure either.
‘If the character has changed so drastically, wouldn’t she naturally fall into corruption? Why does the system specifically need me to ruin her?’
More questions arose as she pondered, and she changed into the uniform of Paradise Academy. She still remembered how much trouble she had gone through to find this uniform on the first day, which had caused her to be late. As a result, she missed the opening ceremony and the self-introductions, simply finding a seat in a corner.
Washing her face, brushing her teeth, eating breakfast until she reached the classroom, countless possibilities crossed Hua Lian’s mind, only to be dismissed. The only answer was that she had no desire whatsoever to get entangled in the romantic entanglements of this dark novel. Either the system would have to kill her, or it should leave her thoughts alone.
With this settled, her mood lightened slightly. Hua Lian scanned the classroom and noticed that almost everyone was bent over their books, even though there was still about half an hour before morning study began. She hurried to the window, intending to use the plants as usual to block outsiders’ view, but she noticed droplets of water on them. When she touched the soil, she found it damp.
‘Not only has someone watered them, but many people have been taking care of them?’
Hua Lian was quite surprised, as these were her personal belongings, so it was unlikely that a gardener had watered them. A few days ago, when she brought the plants, her teacher had been displeased, but her family name had silenced any objections, and no one dared to say anything. The people in the class were incompatible with Hua Lian, unwilling to associate with her, and even less likely to kindly tend to her plants.
In short, before the issue of Luo Xizhi’s character collapse was resolved, Hua Lian found herself facing new troubles. Seeing that the students were acting as usual, Hua Lian first blocked their line of sight with plants and then contacted the zookeeper.
Sure enough, Luo Xizhi hadn’t lied about this matter. She sent photos of the mother and daughter gray wolves, expressing gratitude for the part-time job Hua Lian had provided.
As a result, Hua Lian encountered another new problem, one she couldn’t even comprehend. This was supposed to be a world of fictional characters, so why were there so many variables?
“Hua Lian, your math homework.”
Suddenly, a female voice startled Hua Lian, nearly causing her to drop her phone. She looked up and saw Xiao Lin, who sat behind her. This was the first time Xiao Lin had spoken to her, which came as a surprise.
“Haven’t done it?”
Seeing Hua Lian remain silent, Xiao Lin wore an expression that said, “I knew it,” seeming somewhat disappointed.
“No… I did it.”
Hua Lian spoke up. Last week, no one had asked her about it, and to maintain her character, she hadn’t turned it in. On one hand, she was worried others might notice her handwriting was different, but she soon realized no one had ever seen Hua Lian’s handwriting before. On the other hand, the math teacher was terrifying, and Hua Lian really didn’t want to be scolded harshly, so she ended up writing it out of instinct.
Fortunately, the content was the same as what she had learned in her second year of high school, so it wasn’t difficult for her. She even felt that with a bit of effort, she could become a good student.
“You did it?”
This time, it was Xiao Lin’s turn to be surprised. She flipped through Hua Lian’s homework and saw the crooked, seemingly hastily written handwriting, as if trying to hide something.
For a moment, Xiao Lin recalled the rumors circulating at school, claiming that Luo Xizhi was working as a maid at Hua Lian’s house. And Luo Xizhi was always the top student in the grade. Therefore, it was likely that the homework in front of her was written by Luo Xizhi, not Hua Lian.
Xiao Lin felt even more disappointed, but she was only collecting homework. As for the consequences of submitting it, that wasn’t something she needed to consider.
And so, Hua Lian unexpectedly completed the task of speaking with a classmate. However, the expression on the face of the student sitting behind her was very strange, making Hua Lian feel that the other person must have formed a new misunderstanding.
Hua Lian sighed inwardly and recorded the completed achievement in her notebook. This notebook was cleared daily, and writing in it was just a way to vent. She was talkative online but struggled to express herself clearly in reality. As a result, although she did nothing in real life, Hua Lian actually thrived in the school’s alumni group, learning more gossip.
【Group】Nianhua Yixiao: Another day of wanting to admire Hua Lian’s face.
Just as she was about to greet the group, Hua Lian saw the administrator’s daily check-in photo. Of course, it was the version blocked by plants.
Because she had been photographed every day during the first few days of school, Hua Lian had come up with the idea of blocking the view to prevent sneak photos. She had originally wanted to use a partition, but the online purchase hadn’t arrived in time. Now that it had arrived, Hua Lian felt it would be too obvious, as if reminding everyone that she didn’t want to socialize.
【Group】Luo Xizhi Is My Wife: Does Hua Lian know you’re doing this?
【Group】Nianhua Yixiao: What if she does?
The words spoken were rather crude, but Hua Lian was already accustomed to the style of the alumni group and quickly greeted everyone. In a group like this, she was the type who could respond with ten sentences for every one spoken by others. People marveled at her enthusiasm and were quite curious whether Hua Lian was just as passionate in real life.
[Group] I’m Socially Anxious: Isn’t it obvious from my username?
[Group] Luo Xizhi Is My Wife: Do you usually talk then?
[Group] I’m Socially Anxious: Social anxiety isn’t the same as autism, of course I can talk. It’s just that I really dislike socializing.
Hua Lian responded candidly, explaining that social anxiety manifests in various ways and comes with different challenges. But compared to others, she realized her own case was quite severe. When called on in class, her mind would go blank, her face would flush, and she would stutter. Whenever she had to engage in conversation, she would spend a long time mentally preparing herself. In the end, she would rather face obstacles on her own than trouble others. But what Hua Lian found hardest to accept was making eye contact with people.
In short, the experiences of social anxiety vary greatly from person to person. If possible, Hua Lian wished she could stay online forever, never having to interact with anyone in real life.
[Group] Luo Xizhi Is My Wife: Wow, breaking news Luo Xizhi went to find Hua Lian again. She seems to be holding something and looks a bit angry.