Lin Zhao frowned. “I’m not uncomfortable, just… annoyed. Don’t block me—I have things to do.”
Gu Zhuoxiao didn’t press further.
He just shifted slightly to the side, letting her pass.
Lin Zhao didn’t dare linger and quickly walked past them, only letting out a breath of relief once she reached the entrance to Class 1.
“Host, that was really dangerous just now,” 101’s voice warned in her mind. “Gu Zhuoxiao is extremely perceptive. From now on, be even more careful around him—don’t let him notice anything.”
Lin Zhao nodded, adjusted her school uniform, and stepped toward the classroom door.
The classroom door was closed, leaving just a small crack.
Through the gap, Lin Zhao peered inside.
Most students had their heads down, focused on their work—a stark contrast to the chaos of her own class.
Her gaze slowly swept across the room until it settled on a girl in the corner.
The girl wore a faded uniform, her hair in two messy braids. Her side profile was soft, her skin pale. Her bangs hid her eyes, and oversized black-rimmed glasses covered half her face.
She held a pen but wasn’t writing. She just stared blankly at her textbook, her eyes empty, completely devoid of any spark. It was as if she existed in a world stripped of color.
From the very first glance, Lin Zhao knew: this was Xu Ning.
Xu Ning looked even more haggard than she had imagined—truly, she’d been tortured to no small extent.
Saving her would be far more difficult than she had anticipated.
Lin Zhao hesitated for a moment, then gently pushed the classroom door open and stepped inside.
The students looked up at the sound and, seeing Lin Zhao, their eyes flicked—intentionally or not—toward Xu Ning in the corner.
Everyone in the grade knew Lin Zhao loved to bully Xu Ning. They assumed she had come to torment her again.
Lin Zhao ignored the gazes and walked straight to the girl.
She just stood there beside Xu Ning, silently observing, unsure of what to say.
The original Lin Zhao had burned so many bridges that repairing them felt nearly impossible.
Xu Ning seemed to sense a presence.
Slowly, she lifted her head to look at the newcomer.
Her gaze landed on Lin Zhao, calm and unreactive, before she lowered her head and returned to staring blankly at her textbook.
Lin Zhao’s chest tightened.
She could feel that Xu Ning had lost all hope for this world—nothing mattered to her anymore.
Standing there, she didn’t know what to do. Moving forward or retreating both seemed wrong.
Her eyes left the textbook and lingered on Xu Ning’s profile—pale cheeks, a body thinned by malnutrition. Her emotions tangled further.
She knew it was best not to speak first. The original Lin Zhao had been far too cruel; sudden concern now would feel hollow.
It wouldn’t lower Xu Ning’s guard—it might even push her further away.
If the situation were reversed, Lin Zhao thought, and someone who had tormented her for years suddenly pretended to be kind, she’d assume the worst. She might even fear worse abuse was coming.
The other students watched quietly, not daring to break the silence.
Their eyes flicked between Lin Zhao and Xu Ning, completely puzzled.
Some elbowed their neighbors, whispering quietly so as not to be heard by Lin Zhao.
Time passed in tense silence until the shrill class bell rang, breaking the uneasy calm.
Lin Zhao straightened slightly, her eyes lingering on Xu Ning’s profile one last time before she turned and walked toward the classroom door. The two of them hadn’t spoken a word.
Leaning against the hallway wall, Lin Zhao exhaled.
She had feared that any sudden movement might provoke Xu Ning, but nothing had happened.
“Host, why didn’t you speak to Xu Ning just now?” 101’s voice sounded in her mind. “It’s not often you get a chance to interact with her. A few words might improve her impression of you.”
Lin Zhao closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead. “You know better than anyone what the original Lin Zhao did to Xu Ning.”
“I know, but—aren’t we trying to help her? How can we build a relationship without talking?” 101 sounded confused.
“This isn’t something you can rush,” Lin Zhao replied, opening her eyes. “The original Lin Zhao treated her so badly that she must already hate her deeply. If I suddenly turn nice, do you think she’ll believe it?”
In Xu Ning’s world, Lin Zhao had always been a source of pain.
How could anything coming from her be considered kind?
Even the word “good” sounded ridiculous coming from her lips.
“Xu Ning is extremely fragile right now. Acting rashly might provoke her, and the results could be worse than doing nothing. Do you want me to scare her to death?”
101 was silent for a moment before slowly realizing, “…That actually makes sense.”
Lin Zhao nodded. “Her current state is too delicate. If we want her to lower her guard, we need to take it slow. Let her adapt to my presence first, then look for opportunities to interact. That’s safer.”
“So what do we do next? We can’t just stand there every time, can we?” 101 asked.
“Of course not,” Lin Zhao said, narrowing her eyes. “We can start with subtle ways to interact—help her quietly when she faces difficulties.”
“Help her? The female lead wouldn’t accept help from anyone, especially from you.”
Though Xu Ning came from an ordinary background, she had strong pride. Any aid from Lin Zhao would feel like an insult.
“I know,” Lin Zhao said slowly. “Changing her perception won’t be easy. We have to go slowly, no rushing.”
After a moment, she added, “As long as she abandons thoughts of self-destruction, it doesn’t matter if I’m not in front of her.”
“You said it yourself: as long as the female lead survives to the ending, we’re good,” 101 reminded her.
“But our mission is to save the female lead! If the villainess doesn’t reform, the female lead will just suffer more,” 101 insisted.
Lin Zhao stayed silent.
Honestly, if the system hadn’t offered her something in return, she wouldn’t have accepted this task.
In her mind, the people in this novel weren’t real—so why should she go all out to help?
In the end, she would return anyway.
She knew she was selfish and fickle—but so what? Helping others didn’t compare to helping herself.
During the afternoon classes, Lin Zhao was distracted, her mind running over the plot and her next moves.
Finally, school ended. Lin Zhao packed her bag and left the classroom first, heading toward the school gate.
She didn’t want to deal with the original Lin Zhao’s two annoying lackeys—they were like flies, buzzing around her all day.
At the gate, she stopped, pretending to wait for a bus, scanning the crowd.
She spotted Xu Ning immediately.
Xu Ning walked alone, head down, hurriedly weaving through the crowd, avoiding all contact.
Lin Zhao followed silently at a distance, watching her head to the bus stop.
Xu Ning stood in the corner, still with her head lowered. Lin Zhao remained in the nearby shade, watching. She knew Xu Ning was heading to the hospital to care for her grandmother.
Soon, the bus arrived. Before boarding, Xu Ning looked briefly in Lin Zhao’s direction—just a glance—then hurried onto the bus.
Lin Zhao watched the bus drive off before slowly turning back.
At home, Lin Zhao opened the door to an enormous, empty villa. The original Lin Zhao’s parents were often away on business, leaving only a few servants who obeyed her every command.
She wasn’t used to this life. In her previous life, she had no parents, a small rented apartment, and a simple, ordinary existence.
Here, though luxurious, everything felt cold and oppressive. She didn’t like it.
She changed her clothes and sat on the living room sofa.
“Host, are you unhappy?” 101 asked.
Lin Zhao shook her head slightly. “It’s nothing.”
She idly swiped her phone screen and asked, “101, shouldn’t the male lead like the female lead? Why is he surrounded by other girls?”
The relationship between those two looked complicated.
“According to the author’s setup, the male lead isn’t particularly in love with the female lead,” 101 explained.
Lin Zhao sat up sharply. “What are you talking about? He doesn’t like the female lead?”
101 sounded embarrassed. “I’m not joking. The male lead is a playboy—he doesn’t refuse girls who approach him.”
Lin Zhao felt like a bomb had just gone off in her head.
A playboy? Doesn’t refuse anyone?
This kind of guy is the male lead? The author must be out to torture readers.
She furrowed her brows. “What about the female lead? She’s just a background board while he flirts with other girls?”
101 hurried to clarify, “Don’t worry. In the original ending, the male lead still ends up with the female lead.”
Lin Zhao stared in disbelief.
He flirts with everyone, yet ends up with her?
That’s not a male lead—that’s a scumbag.
Her chest tightened in anger.
Rubbing her forehead, she muttered, “So all the abuse Xu Ning endured doesn’t even matter? The male lead’s not only sick but a complete jerk. Even if they end up together, what difference does it make?”
Lin Zhao leaned back against the sofa, tilting her head to stare at the ceiling.
What kind of “happy ending” is this…
101 wanted to cry but had no tears. “Host… in the original story, they did end up together in the end… The author probably meant to write a ‘prodigal son returns’ arc, having the male lead make up for the harm he caused the female lead earlier.”
“However… in the original, the male lead’s turning-over-a-new-leaf process was very rushed, and many readers didn’t buy it.”
“‘Prodigal son returns’?” Lin Zhao let out a snort of derision. “I don’t believe anyone would give up an entire forest for the sake of one tree… unless that tree somehow offers a unique kind of value.”