“Do you?”
Lin Zhao raised an eyebrow, her voice as cold as ice.
The red-haired girl let go of Xu Ning’s arm. She frowned, watching Lin Zhao step closer. A flicker of confusion crossed her eyes, but she still restrained herself and asked, “Lin Zhao, what are you doing here?”
Lin Zhao let out a mocking laugh, not slowing her steps. She only stopped when she stood a step away from the girl.
Tilting her head, she looked her up and down with open ridicule. “If you can come here, why can’t I? Does your family own this restroom?”
She paused, suddenly slapped her forehead, and sneered. “Oh right, I forgot. With a mouth as filthy as yours, maybe this place really does belong to you.”
The words were harsh and suffocating.
Instead of exploding in anger, the red-haired girl grinned. “Haven’t seen you in a few days. Your tongue’s gotten sharper.”
“What’s wrong? Eat gunpowder or something?”
Lin Zhao stopped abruptly.
Something felt off.
Shouldn’t she be furious and start yelling back?
Did this person know the original owner?
Lin Zhao called out mentally, 101, who’s this redhead? What’s her relationship with the original host?
“Hmph! I’m still mad at you. I don’t feel like talking.”
Lin Zhao: “…”
Fine.
It’s gotten smarter.
She ground her teeth and cursed internally.
Since the system was useless, she would improvise.
“Don’t act friendly with me.”
Her gaze passed over the red-haired girl and landed on Xu Ning behind her, her frown deepening. “What were you just doing?”
The red-haired girl shoved her hands into her pockets, swaying slightly, her tone frivolous. “What else? Just bored, looking for some entertainment.”
“Entertainment?”
Lin Zhao’s voice suddenly dropped.
These people treated bullying an innocent girl as entertainment?
Her eyes instantly sharpened. She stepped forward so fast the red-haired girl had no time to react.
Lin Zhao grabbed the girl’s collar and yanked hard, slamming her against the wall.
With a dull bang, the girl’s back hit the wall, pain twisting her face.
Lin Zhao tightened her grip, almost deforming the collar. Her voice turned chilling. “Who did you call entertainment?”
A suffocating pressure bore down. The red-haired girl was instantly enraged, struggling violently. “What the hell is wrong with you?! Let go!”
“Wrong with me?”
Lin Zhao sneered.
“When I ask you something, you’d better answer honestly.”
Her gaze was terrifying—like an angered lion ready to pounce.
“Are you insane? Who else? Of course it’s Xu Ning!”
She paused, confused. “Weren’t you the one who hated her most? Every time you saw her, you—”
“Shut up!”
Lin Zhao cut her off sharply.
She was not that arrogant, brainless Lin Zhao.
She released the girl’s collar and stepped back, pointing toward the restroom door. “I don’t care why you’re here. Right now, get lost.”
The red-haired girl rubbed her aching neck. Hearing this, her anger exploded.
She had never been treated like this in her life.
“What right do you have to order me around?!”
“Lin Zhao, let me tell you something!”
She stepped forward until their noses nearly touched. “I’m only being polite today because of Gu Zhuoxiao! Don’t push your luck!”
She thought bringing up Gu Zhuoxiao’s name would intimidate Lin Zhao.
Lin Zhao laughed coldly. “His reputation means nothing to me.”
“Don’t deliberately say things to disgust me.”
The red-haired girl froze completely.
Had Lin Zhao actually gone crazy?
She was even defending Xu Ning.
Unable to hold back, she shoved Lin Zhao hard, shouting, “Are you out of your damn mind?! I didn’t even provoke you—stop looking for trouble!”
Lin Zhao had already prepared. She stood firm, unmoving.
Instead, the red-haired girl staggered back from using too much force.
The air froze.
“What?” Lin Zhao tilted her head slightly, deliberately provoking. “Embarrassed and angry now?”
The red-haired girl glared as if trying to pierce through her.
After a long moment, she lowered her voice. “Lin Zhao, we’re friends, aren’t we? There’s no need to go this far. Tell me what happened. We can talk.”
Lin Zhao looked like she’d heard the funniest joke in the world. “I have nothing to discuss with a brainless street thug like you.”
“Street thug?!” The red-haired girl instantly exploded, pointing at Lin Zhao. “Aren’t you the same?! Quiet for two days and you think you’re some noble lady now? Who are you pretending for? Everyone in school knows what you’re like—skipping class, fighting, chasing Gu Zhuoxiao around the campus. You think changing your attitude erases your past?”
Xu Ning clenched her clothes nervously, looking at Lin Zhao with concern.
But Lin Zhao remained calm. She even slowly adjusted her uniform collar, looking at the red-haired girl like she was watching a clown perform.
“No matter how much I pretend,” she said slowly, “I’m still better than a maggot that feeds on filth.”
As soon as she finished, she covered her mouth in mock surprise, though her eyes held no apology—only amusement. “Oh… was that insulting to maggots?”
“You—!”
The red-haired girl trembled with rage, her finger shaking as she pointed.
The old Lin Zhao had been arrogant, but never this vicious.
Taking a deep breath, she forced down her anger. “Lin Zhao, are you sure you want this? We won’t even be friends anymore.”
“When were we ever friends? Did I ever say that?”
She looked the girl up and down before lightly adding, “You used to be slightly amusing. Now you just look stupid.”
“LIN ZHAO—!”
“I’LL KILL YOU!”
The red-haired girl lunged forward.
Lin Zhao had expected this. She calmly sidestepped, dodging the attack.
The girl missed and nearly fell.
Regaining balance, she glared fiercely. “Why are you dodging?!”
She charged again, smarter this time—reaching straight for Lin Zhao’s face.
Before the hand could land, Lin Zhao flipped her wrist and grabbed it.
Her strength was precise—painful but not injuring. She twisted sharply, forcing the girl to spin halfway around.
Then Lin Zhao lifted her knee and slammed it into the girl’s lower back. The girl cried out, falling forward uncontrollably.
Looking down at her, Lin Zhao’s eyes were full of mockery. She crouched slowly and patted the girl’s cheek.
“I was wrong earlier when I called you stupid.”
A faint smile curved her lips. “Let me correct myself. You’re not just stupid—you’re also brainless.”
The red-haired girl trembled with fury, trying to get up but unable to gather strength.
Lin Zhao stood and brushed imaginary dust off her hands.
Fortunately, before transmigrating, she had trained in kickboxing for two years to prevent harassment.
Seeing this, the red-haired girl’s followers stepped forward, blocking Lin Zhao’s path.
Lin Zhao frowned slightly.
Instinctively, she shielded Xu Ning behind her, watching the three girls warily.
“Beat her to death!” the red-haired girl shouted.
The three girls rushed forward immediately.
One grabbed Lin Zhao’s arm, another wrapped around her waist, while the third yanked her hair.
Lin Zhao reacted quickly, kicking the girl at her waist—but another girl grabbed her leg tightly.
Two fists could not defeat four hands.
Though trained, she couldn’t overcome their numbers.
Her hair was yanked violently, pain tearing across her scalp.
“Mmph!”
She groaned as they forced her to the ground, knees pressing into her back so hard her vision darkened and she nearly lost breath.
The red-haired girl stepped forward and stomped heavily on her back, spitting blood to the side—Lin Zhao had split her lip earlier.
She looked down smugly. “Weren’t you so capable? Why are you lying on the floor now?”
Her foot ground harder. Cold sweat instantly covered Lin Zhao’s forehead, but she clenched her teeth and made no sound.
The red-haired girl bent close to her ear. “Want to stand up?”
“Bark like a dog, and I’ll let you get up.”
“Come on, puppy. Bark.”
Lin Zhao’s cheek pressed against the floor, yet a faint smile slowly appeared. “Isn’t a dog already barking? Didn’t you hear it?”
“What nonsense are you talking about now?”
Lin Zhao’s grin widened. “Listen carefully. Barking so happily and you still didn’t hear? Looks like you’re not just brainless—your hearing’s bad too.”
The red-haired girl grabbed Lin Zhao’s hair again and yanked upward.
“You’re still talking back?! Looks like we went too easy on you!”
She turned to her followers. “Didn’t you eat today? Hit harder! Beat her senseless! Don’t let her leave this place!”
At that moment, someone suddenly shouted, “The teacher’s coming! The discipline director’s doing rounds!”
“Run!”
The girls immediately released Lin Zhao, scrambling down the corridor without daring to look back.
The red-haired girl kicked Lin Zhao viciously. “Just you wait, Lin Zhao! This isn’t over!”
Then she ran off, disappearing around the corner of the hallway.