The driver got into the car and turned on the air conditioning.
Chi Yan’s mother, Chi Guisu, approached in high heels, wearing a dark-toned golden dress. With her movements, golden light flowed over her like water. Her steps were slow, yet she carried herself with an air of aristocratic poise.
Chi Guisu opened the door and sat in the back seat as well. The cool air from the AC spread through the car, and only then did Gu Ling roll up the window.
Chi Guisu rested her arm against the car window, her hand propping up her temple, and said, “Uncle Li, let’s go.”
The atmosphere in the car remained tense for a moment. Gu Ling took a deep breath and said complimentarily, “Mom, you play the piano so beautifully.”
The System hurriedly popped up to remind her: “Host, you’re out of character.”
Gu Ling replied internally: “What are you panicking for, System? This isn’t a mission this time. No matter how much I break character, she can’t exactly disown me as her daughter, can she?”
System: “I’m just a poor working System too. The plot has already been slightly adjusted. If you break character, what if—”
Gu Ling: “Isn’t this the time I get a reward for completing all my missions? Relax. No matter how much I break character, I’m still Chi Yan.”
System: “Alright, Host. I’ll do my best to save you on the knowledge front.”
With that, the System vanished into thin air again.
Gu Ling nodded in satisfaction. Chi Yan’s personality was truly not something just anyone could handle. Anyway, she now possessed Chi Yan’s body, and with the System’s help on the knowledge front, as long as everything else was normal aside from a slightly different personality, no one should suspect anything.
Chi Guisu paused, glanced at Gu Ling, and merely replied with a light “Mm.”
Seeing the topic she had worked so hard to find so bluntly shut down, Gu Ling didn’t speak again.
＊＊
The next day, morning.
Shi Yu pushed open the door to the principal’s office at S University.
When the principal saw Shi Yu arrive, he walked over and poured a cup of tea. After Shi Yu entered, the principal noticed a girl following behind him. His face immediately turned cold. He slammed the teacup onto the desk, causing the books on the surface to tremble slightly.
The video of Shi Yu publicly canceling the engagement banquet yesterday had spread like wildfire, and the principal had naturally taken notice.
Principal: “Hah. I won’t hold you accountable for abandoning Chi Yan at your engagement banquet, but what do you mean by bringing your new flame before me?”
“Chi Yan came out of S University. Slapping her face is the same as slapping mine. You are not welcome here. Please leave.”
“Wait a moment, Principal Su,” Chi Yan stepped in front of Shi Yu, curved her lips into a smile, and said, “The current Chi Yan may not necessarily surpass me.”
Principal Su was taken aback. That tone was exactly the same as the Chi Yan he knew.
“Hmph,” Principal Su let out a light snort and said to Shi Yu, “Abandoning a student of our school and finding a replacement?”
“Principal Su, please show me some respect. I am speaking to you right now, so I would ask that you not bring up others,” Chi Yan emphasized.
Principal Su sat down in his chair, took a sip of tea, and couldn’t be bothered to look at Chi Yan.
“You say you can surpass the current Chi Yan?” Principal Su acted as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. “On what grounds?”
“On the grounds that… I am Chi Yan.” The girl’s gaze was firm, without a trace of wavering.
Principal Su was silent for a long while, then slowly spoke: “Young Master Shi, if this is your reason for trying to force someone into S University, don’t blame me for seeing you out.”
Shi Yu rushed forward to explain something, but Chi Yan stopped him with one hand.
“Chi Yan’s success isn’t something an ordinary person could ever replicate. If not for this member of the Shi family backing you, you’d already have been blacklisted across the entire city by the Chi family.”