“Yes! You’re richer than me, you’re better at reincarnating than me! But so what? Does having money give you the right to trample on my dignity?!”
Qiao Chu hadn’t even opened her eyes yet when a wave of dizziness hit her. The heavy smell of cigarette smoke and alcohol filled her lungs. She coughed, and her stomach twisted in protest.
The next moment, a glass of iced red wine splashed over her head. The bright red liquid ran down, staining her smoky, ghostly makeup.
She wiped her face, and under the dim, colorful lights of the private room, she finally saw the girl who had thrown the wine.
Long straight black hair, barely-there makeup, a deep-V bodycon dress, sheer black stockings—clearly dressed as a flashy hostess.
Yet her delicate, lovely face was full of stubbornness and indignation.
It was as if someone had wronged her.
Qiao Chu had only done what she always did—slipped a tip into the girl’s waistband.
If this counted as an insult, then the 2-million-yuan annual-fee club could just close down—it was clearly unnecessary.
The girl was Jiang Yixuan, the story’s heroine, and the only special enrollee at the Noble Academy.
On her first day, she offended a few young masters from major families, earning the wary attention of peers—the “intruder” outsiders.
The socialite girls banded together to exclude her, while the young masters lined up to prank her.
Jiang Yixuan’s life seemed doomed from the start, but in reality, she was following a “forced-love” script.
Soon, the male leads in the academy would fall madly in love with her, competing, fighting, and tearing each other apart for her affection.
The rich girls who offended her would meet tragic fates—family ruined, lives shattered.
But the unlucky ones didn’t include Qiao Chu—her family, the Qiao clan, was too powerful for the male leads to touch.
Just now, Qiao Chu had been drunk, didn’t see clearly, and instinctively stuffed a stack of tips into part-time hostess Jiang Yixuan’s waistband.
This mundane act struck a nerve in the heroine’s “pride” and triggered a sudden outburst. She screamed and threw a glass of red wine at Qiao Chu.
It was utter chaos.
Qiao Chu wondered how such an inexperienced and ill-mannered waitress got hired by the club—probably the heroine’s halo effect.
Who could resist a pure, innocent little flower crying, throwing tantrums, and acting out?
Jiang Yixuan’s sweet, crisp voice immediately drew attention. The girls sneered, but the boys’ interest was piqued.
Everyone knew the Qiao family daughter was the most hot-tempered and dangerous girl around.
This unlucky little heroine had no idea she was about to face someone formidable.
A careful server timidly handed Qiao Chu a disposable napkin.“Miss Qiao, sorry! Yixuan is new and doesn’t know the rules. I’ll help you wipe it off!”
Jiang Yixuan raised her voice.“Jiajia, you saw it! She touched my chest! You just need to give her money and she becomes a groper?”
“I’m calling the police! People need to know money isn’t everything! We may be poor, but our profession deserves respect!”
Her impassioned speech silenced poor Jiajia.
What respect mattered more than money? The girl was high-minded, rejecting tips, and now accusing a client of groping!
Qiao Chu scanned Jiang Yixuan with a raised eyebrow.“You, A; Miss Qiao, C. Does anyone really need to grope your two bony ribs?”
The comment immediately shifted attention. The tipsy young masters leered down her deep-V neckline.
Sure enough… it was flat.
The crowd lost interest and returned to flirting with their glamorous companions.
Jiang Yixuan’s embarrassment burned like a slap across the face—why did anyone judge her body like that?
“Anyway, she touched me! I felt it—how could it be fake—”
“Slap—!”
Qiao Chu stood up, holding the napkin she had just used to wipe the wine, and flung it straight at Jiang Yixuan’s face.
Then came the red wine. Small conflicts were boring—she smashed the wine decanter, spilling the remaining contents onto Jiang Yixuan.
Qiao Chu’s style was fast, precise, and ruthless. Jiang Yixuan was drenched and bleeding from a head wound, cuts from broken glass on her hands and legs.
Qiao Chu knelt slightly, eyeing a good angle to strike again.
Her AI assistant alerted:[Host, one of the male leads is on the way, estimated arrival: 5 minutes]
Of course, Qiao Chu knew—if the male lead didn’t show, how could she save the heroine and “claim” her as a captive?
“Which one?”
AI: [Your fiancé, Shang Shixu.]
Qiao Chu groaned. Black line overhead.
Left hook, right hook—time to strike!
The private room was full of well-dressed young masters and ladies unaccustomed to such violence. They shrank back in fear of being accidentally hit by drunk, furious Qiao Chu.
She vented her anger, tossed aside the wailing Jiang Yixuan, and retrieved the soggy stack of tips from her waistband, handing it to Jiajia.
“Here, over two thousand. Blow-dry it, it’ll be fine.”
Jiajia was overjoyed.“Miss Qiao, thank you! You’re so generous. We didn’t serve you properly—can I take you to change clothes?”
Qiao Chu waved her off, pointing to Jiang Yixuan on the ground.“No, don’t want to see her. Throw her out. Also, get the kitchen to make me a bowl of winter vegetable and shredded pork noodles.”
If the male lead finds the heroine outside, she won’t have to deal with her inside. Smart little trick.
The truth: Qiao Chu was hungry. Drinking on an empty stomach was insane. She was foolish to hang out with these troublemakers in the club.
“Chu-chu, calm down. Here, have a smoke.”
A handsome man with sharp features held a lit cigar to Qiao Chu’s lips, smiling obediently.
It wasn’t just a smoke—it was a proper cigar.
Qiao Chu caught the fleeting dark glint in his eyes.
She recognized him—her fiancé’s illegitimate half-brother, Shang Shian, her number-one sycophant.
Due to his background, Shang Shian knew how to play the game and obeyed Qiao Chu completely, teaching her all sorts of reckless tricks.
Smoking, drinking, clubbing—recent projects of hers.
Though Shang Shian was a devoted follower, it was purely transactional. His true feelings were loyal to the heroine, Jiang Yixuan.
Jiang Yixuan’s bright, lively personality had illuminated his otherwise dark life. Now, seeing Qiao Chu bully her “little sun,” he wanted revenge.
He taught her how to properly inhale a cigar for maximum effect.
Qiao Chu took the cigar, blew a smoke ring, then with a flick of her wrist…
“Hiss…”
The glowing tip of the cigar poked the man’s face.
Qiao Chu smiled, eyes curved in mischief. Her ruined smoky makeup made her look like a vengeful spirit from hell.
“What’s wrong? Don’t like it?”
Shang Shian’s forehead veins bulged, teeth clenched.“Like it… anything from you, Chu-chu, I like it.”
Qiao Chu lightly slapped him twice.“That’s right. Want to be my dog? You have to bear the mark.”
She tossed the cigar box to him.“Here, reward for you—finish it properly tonight in front of me.”
Shang Shian stiffened. Despite Qiao Chu’s usual arrogance, she seemed… different tonight.
Someone must have whispered in her ear—was it Shang Shixu? The cunning butler? Or her new deskmate?
Qiao Chu yanked Shang Shian by the tie, kicking him onto the carpet, lazily issuing orders:“Kneel while you smoke.”
She hesitated to step on him in her heels when the AI suddenly screamed:[Host! Your fiancé is heading to the private room!]