Shen Lan’s long, narrow blue eyes narrowed slightly. He leaned in, closing the distance between them. His voice was low and husky, tinged with a smile. "What? You want to try?"
Jiang You’s pink eyes visibly constricted, and her thoughts descended into chaos.
’According to the plot, I should smile and tell him to get lost.’
"My current girlfriend is about to expire. Want to be my next one?" Shen Lan’s lips curled into a smile again, his amorous blue eyes sparkling beautifully. "I should warn you, though, there’s only a one-month shelf life. Are you willing?"
This close, Jiang You thought she saw a fleeting glint of light from his tongue stud as he spoke.
’This guy has never even held a hand and still has his first kiss, yet he’s putting on a pretty convincing act as a master player,’ Jiang You snarked internally.
"I think I’ll be your last girlfriend," Jiang You said, looking at him with a confident air, but her fingers couldn’t help but curl.
She had already finished the harassment part of the mission, but the system hadn’t indicated its completion yet.
’Don’t tell me I really have to drive the heroine away?’
’Is that what it takes to complete the mission?’
Just as Shen Lan was about to speak, a panting girl burst into the classroom and rushed to his side.
"Shen Lan, what did you mean by that message this morning? I don’t want your money, I just don’t want to break up!" The blue-haired girl, her eyes red, grabbed Shen Lan’s arm.
That morning, Shen Lan had unilaterally sent her a bank transfer and broken up with her.
She had been dumped before even a month had passed.
The girl couldn’t accept it.
The expression in Shen Lan’s blue eyes grew cold. He rose unhurriedly and started walking outside. "Let’s talk out there."
The girl hurried after him.
Jiang You, however, had no interest in the male lead’s drama. She was still wondering why the mission wasn’t complete.
’Do I need to go through with the part where I drive the heroine away and take her seat?’
Just then, Zhou Yan happened to walk over.
Jiang You’s gaze paused on her.
She watched as Zhou Yan carefully crouched down to pick up the utterly ruined textbook by Jiang You’s feet.
Only then did Jiang You realize that the heroine’s textbook was still with her.
’Perfect. I’ll give it a try.’
Just as Zhou Yan picked up the textbook, the person before her suddenly shot to her feet.
Before she could react...
Jiang You commanded, "Sit down."
Zhou Yan remembered her. That time at Qingfeng Pavilion, if Jiang You hadn’t suddenly spoken up and told someone to check the restroom for a strange smell, Manager Li wouldn’t have panicked. And if he hadn’t panicked, Zhou Yan wouldn’t have had the chance to bite him hard and escape.
And now, she had even taught a lesson to the people who were bullying her.
’She... she’s a good person.’
In a daze, Zhou Yan obeyed the command and sat down in her seat.
Jiang You had been wondering what she would do if the heroine resisted.
She hadn’t expected the heroine to sit down so obediently.
Jiang You was stunned for a second before she arrogantly yanked Zhou Yan up by the arm. "Get lost!"
After shoving the heroine aside, she sat back down herself.
[Mission Six Complete.]
Bewildered, Zhou Yan hugged her damaged textbook and returned to her own seat, completely baffled by what Jiang You had just done.
Jiang You broke out in a nervous sweat. ’So that’s really what it took? I can’t believe that counted.’
「Outside the classroom.」
"Ten million isn’t enough?" Shen Lan asked, casually swiping on the terminal on his wrist. "Another twenty million, then?"
"No, that’s not it. I really don’t want to break up." Her eyes red, the girl stepped forward, trying to get closer to Shen Lan.
Shen Lan took a step back. "Didn’t I tell you?" he said slowly. "I can end this relationship whenever I want. Once the money’s settled, so is the relationship."
"I thought I was different," Lin Wan said, gripping her skirt tightly as tears welled in her eyes. "Every time I came looking for you, you never sent me away. When I invited you to my birthday, you came. You even gave me such an expensive gift..."
They’d never held hands or kissed, but he was always generous with money. Everyone said he didn’t touch her out of respect.
Everyone said Shen Lan treated her differently, that he must have fallen in love with her.
And Lin Wan herself had started to believe it.
Until she received the breakup message and severance payment that morning, after which she was immediately blocked.
"Stop," Shen Lan cut in sharply, tilting his head with a slight sneer. "You’re no different. Take the money and get lost."
He paused, then continued, "If you’d rather I use other methods—say, creating a few setbacks for your father’s company—I can arrange that. But then it won’t be as simple as a breakup."
Lin Wan’s face turned deathly pale. Her father, knowing she was dating Shen Lan, had used his connections to acquire several difficult-to-secure land permits.
Shen Lan’s parents were both in politics; they were the leaders of the Loston Empire and held immense power. Shen Lan himself had already taken on many governmental duties.
Rumor had it that he was set to take over as head of the government immediately after graduation, having been groomed as the successor since he was a child.
He was someone Lin Wan absolutely could not afford to cross.
"Okay..." Lin Wan’s lips trembled. She didn’t dare say anything else.
Shen Lan said nothing more and walked right past her.
Lin Wan suddenly asked, "Shen Lan, can you give me a hug?"
But the young man didn’t answer, nor did he even pause at her question.
Complete and utter disregard.
Lin Wan’s face grew even more pale.
Shen Lan returned to his seat. He looked at the girl in front of him and began to tap his fingers aimlessly on the desk.
’So it really was just for the mission, huh?’
’She’s done with the harassment, so she’s just going to stop?’
Two claps echoed from the podium at the front of the room.
Everyone’s attention immediately shifted to the podium.
"All right, class, the results for the start-of-term exam are in." Teacher Li stood at the podium. "I must say, I’m quite surprised by these scores. This was all material you learned in high school. How is it that just a few months after graduating, you get to university and forget everything?"
She continued, her tone laced with surprise, "We even had someone score a zero, and others who turned in blank tests."
"Yeah, you’d think we were still in high school. We’re in college now, why do we still have evening study hall?" a voice muttered under their breath.
Teacher Li, however, heard the comment. She raised an eyebrow. "If you don’t want to attend evening study hall, you can wait until your second year. Sophomores don’t have it. That’s just the system here at Rose Liss College. If you have a problem with it, take it up with the school board."
The academic system at Rose Liss was indeed different from what Jiang You knew in her past life. Core classes for her major, the Healing System, were held with a fixed group of students, but for other general courses, students moved between different classrooms.
"All right, let’s pass the tests back." Teacher Li handed the stack of papers to a student. "As for the students who scored zero or turned in a blank test, I won’t name names. I just hope to see a better attitude from you moving forward."
Jiang You was looking down, playing with her terminal. ’That zero-point test... it couldn’t be mine, could it?’
The tests were handed out.
Jiang You took one look. A big fat zero.
’How could I get a zero? I should’ve gotten at least one right even if I guessed randomly!’
She stuffed the test into her desk drawer.
’How embarrassing. So I’m the one who got a zero.’
’I’ve never gotten a zero in my life.’
[Mission Seven Issued.]
Jiang You: "..."
Even a workhorse wasn’t assigned tasks as relentlessly as this system.