Lan Yuan walked back to her class with lazy steps. She had spent forty-five minutes trying to find her classroom because the original owner's memories hadn't appeared yet.
Still, she enjoyed wasting time. She toured the school alone without anyone complaining or punishing her. Lan Yuan yawned as she sat down in her chair.
Ignoring the loud noise in the classroom, she put her head down to continue her nap.
'Sleep. Sleep,' her mind repeated happily.
Lan Yuan found a comfortable position, but she was interrupted by someone kicking her table leg. She opened her eyes instantly.
Sighing, Lan Yuan realized she didn't know much about this side character's life yet, but this situation gave her an answer: 'I'm being bullied.'
The person who kicked the table had a bad vibe and a sneer on her face. Calmly, Lan Yuan lifted her head. First, it was the teacher slamming books, and now a classmate was kicking her desk. Lan Yuan looked displeased.
The girl in front of her had a bowl haircut and a loose tie. Based on her messy clothes and behavior, she didn't look like a decent student at all. Lan Yuan waited for her to speak. She looked at the girl's nametag and read the name in her mind: Zhou Xuexi.
A good name, but a bad attitude, Lan Yuan thought. The name meant "to study/learn," but this girl didn't seem to care about that at all.
What a waste of a great name. Lan Yuan felt sorry for the girl's parents. A little.
"Let me borrow some money. I want to buy a drink," Xuexi said. It sounded more like a command than a request.
Lan Yuan looked at her. She leaned back against her chair and raised an eyebrow elegantly.
"Why should I?" she asked without any emotion.
Xuexi impatiently repeated herself. "Just lend it to me!" She held out her hand.
No one in the class scolded her for demanding money. The room suddenly went quiet. Lan Yuan realized the other students just wanted to watch the drama instead of stopping the bully.
In every web novel, there is always a bullied side character that nobody cares about.
Lan Yuan felt irritated by that.
"Are you so poor that you have to borrow money from others?" Lan Yuan asked.
She looked Xuexi up and down, judging her messy uniform. A smirk slowly tugged at her lips when she saw how offended Xuexi looked.
Xuexi felt that something was wrong. This rich girl was usually obedient and scared; she would usually tremble and give up her money immediately.
But the current Lan Yuan was not someone who could be bullied easily—especially not by a former gang leader.
Xuexi scoffed, "Aren't you the one who always gives me money? Why are you being difficult now?"
She added mockingly, "Is your family going bankrupt?"
Lan Yuan was annoyed. This girl had a sharp tongue. "From now on, use your own money. I'm not your ATM," Lan Yuan said, rolling her eyes.
Xuexi cursed silently. She had lied about the drink; she actually needed the money to pay off a debt. She couldn't afford to lose her "human ATM."
As Lan Yuan watched her, she saw a flash of anxiety in Xuexi's eyes.
'Ah, she's in debt,' Lan Yuan realized. 'Now that I think about it, her name sounds familiar.'
"Just lend it to me! I'll pay you back!" Xuexi insisted.
Lan Yuan watched her with an amused look. "Really?"
"Yes, I promise!" Xuexi lied.
The classmates whispered to each other. "Why did Lan Yuan change so much? She's talking back and she isn't trembling anymore."
"Is it because of the rejection?" another whispered. "I almost forgot about her love confession yesterday. I guess a broken heart really changes people!"
Lan Yuan heard the students gossiping behind her. It was loud enough for everyone to hear. She usually wouldn't care, but their conversation caught her attention.
'Hmm? I was rejected? By who? Li Lan Yuan confessed? I didn't know that,' Lan Yuan's brow furrowed slightly as she processed the news.
Xuexi still hadn't given up, continuing to pester her for money. "Hey, I promise I'll pay you back!"
"No. Now, screw off," Lan Yuan said firmly. She made it clear she was done being disturbed and wanted to get back to her nap.
Whatever, I need some sleep. I'll think about this later once my mind is fresh, Lan Yuan thought.
She rested her chin on her arms, shifting into a comfortable position. She ignored the whispers of the class and the visible embarrassment on Xuexi's face.
Xuexi's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe Lan Yuan had just chased her away like an annoying fly. Humiliated by the rejection and the eyes of her classmates, Xuexi stopped making a scene and backed off.
'Just you wait!' Xuexi cursed angrily in her heart.
Meanwhile, Lan Yuan almost purred as she finally drifted off. A small smile touched her lips as she slipped away into dreamland.
Lan Yuan looked at the other students with a bored expression. When school ended, it was time to go home, but she didn't move from her spot at the bus stop.
Before leaving the school gates, Lan Yuan had taken out her expensive, branded phone and cursed silently. She didn't know the original owner's password, which meant she couldn't check her contacts or her address.
She sighed at her situation. How was she supposed to go home if she didn't know anything about this character's relatives or her driver? Shrugging it off, Lan Yuan decided to wander the streets instead. She figured if the parents of this body actually cared about her, they would eventually worry and come looking for her.
She walked leisurely, humming the "Doraemon" theme song from her world with her hands tucked into her uniform pockets.
As she walked down the street, she felt someone following her at a distance.
A smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. Lan Yuan purposely turned down a narrow alleyway known for gang activity.
'That girl still hasn't given up on my money. What nerve,' she thought.
Even though the original owner's memories hadn't returned, Lan Yuan finally recognized the name Zhou Xuexi.
She still remembered the plot now. Xuexi was the type of person who would do any dirty job to pay off her debts. In the novel, she was a recurring bully who targeted the Female Lead. Eventually, the Male Lead "rescued" the heroine and reported Xuexi to the principal, getting her suspended.
But that only made Xuexi's hatred grow.
Lan Yuan knew Xuexi wouldn't come alone, she probably brought some low-level thugs to help her threaten Lan Yuan.
Well, I might as well enjoy this. It's been a long time since I've done this kind of work, Lan Yuan said to herself.
The heavy scrape of an iron pipe sounded from behind her. She had reached a dead end. In this part of town, no one would find her.
Four people, including Xuexi, stood behind her with sinister expressions that only made Lan Yuan bored. Xuexi smirked, proud of herself for trapping the helpless girl. She was certain no one would come to the rescue.
"Li Lan Yuan, you're surrounded," Xuexi remarked. "You embarrassed me in front of the whole class. I asked for money, so why were you being so difficult? See? You forced me to do this. Now, hand over your money."
Xuexi pointed at her, expecting Lan Yuan to obey immediately.
Again, Lan Yuan was bored by the cheesy, villainous dialogue. Yawning shamelessly, she didn't say a word. She stood there motionless, which caused Xuexi's brow to furrow.
What is wrong with her today? Xuexi wondered.
"Wow," Lan Yuan said, her voice flat. "You must have practiced those lines in front of a mirror. Boo." She mocked the girl instantly, her tone full of disdain.
Xuexi's face turned red. She clenched her fists, her lips pressed together in a tight line of rage
"Go get her wallet now!" Xuexi was so enraged that she wasted no time ordering the attack.
The thugs stepped forward, ready to pin Lan Yuan down and terrify her. One of the men looked at her pretty face and smirked. "What a lucky day, boys! Such a beautiful face to waste."
Lan Yuan felt a wave of disgust at their behavior. She watched calmly as they moved closer.
"Pretty girl, how about you just give us the money and come play with us instead?" another laughed, clearly enjoying himself.
"Hurry up!" Xuexi commanded impatiently from behind them, eager to take the money and run.
"Hah. This is boring," Lan Yuan mocked.
"If you want to play the villain properly, you need to be scary, not just disgusting."
The men looked at her, confused by her lack of fear. Lan Yuan dropped her bag and began to stretch her arms and legs. A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she loosened her tie and looked them dead in the eyes.
Her stare sent a chill down their spines. Before they could even move, Lan Yuan lunged forward, sending a flying kick straight into the leader's face.
Xuexi's jaw dropped. She stood frozen as the scene unfolded.
Did I see that right? She can fight?! She couldn't believe her eyes.
The obedient, rich girl from her class was fighting effortlessly—but she looked terrifying. Xuexi felt the blood drain from her face as she watched Lan Yuan kick, punch, and mercilessly break their bones.
"Argh!" one man screamed in pain as Lan Yuan twisted his arm behind his back.
Beaten and terrified, the thugs scrambled to their feet and began to limp away. "I'm done! Let's get out of here!" one of them yelled. They shoved past Xuexi and escaped, leaving her alone with Lan Yuan.
Xuexi trembled, her body shaking as she realized she was trapped. She turned to run, but an iron pipe whistled past her head and clattered against the wall, causing her to collapse to the ground in shock.
"Who said you could go? Come here."
Lan Yuan had a small smear of blood on her cheek from where one of them had grazed her earlier. The slight injury only made her blood boil. She decided to vent her anger on the person who started this.
"Come. Here," Lan Yuan repeated, her voice like ice.
Xuexi gulped and took a trembling step closer. All her confidence and arrogance had vanished. The tables had turned. Lan Yuan reached out and forcefully grabbed Xuexi's chin, forcing the girl to look at her.
"Did you really think you could bully me this easily?"
Xuexi hissed in pain. She had completely underestimated Lan Yuan's strength, fooled by her "weak" mask. There was no turning back now.
"Where did all that arrogance go, huh?" Lan Yuan squeezed her cheeks until Xuexi yelped.
"Ah! Stop! I was wrong! Forgive me! Let go of my face, please!" Xuexi begged.
"You should have thought of that before you paid people to jump me," Lan Yuan said, finally letting go.
Xuexi slumped to the ground, her legs feeling like jelly. Lan Yuan crouched in front of her and tsked.
"Know your place, Zhou Xuexi."
Lan Yuan continued, her voice low and dangerous.
"What do you think will happen if I report that my money is gone and my things were stolen by a classmate? Do you think I didn't notice how you gossiped and laughed at me?"
Xuexi couldn't speak, she could only tremble.
"I have the money, and you are a nobody. No one will listen to you when I bring my evidence to court. Your luck has finally run out, because I've had enough."
Lan Yuan spoke in a calm, steady tone.
Xuexi remained silent, unable to find any words. Seeing her like this—trembling and defeated—actually made Lan Yuan feel a sense of dark amusement.
Suddenly, Lan Yuan's expression turned deadly serious. "Don't ever come to me for money again."
She leaned in closer, a dangerous smirk playing on her lips. "You don't want your little secret revealed, do you? The one about you being in massive debt?"
Xuexi gasped, her eyes widening in shock. She couldn't understand how Lan Yuan had figured it out.
"Say something, Zhou Xuexi. Stop wasting my time," Lan Yuan pressured her.
"I... I understand," Xuexi stammered, swallowing her pride to force the words out. Deep down, she was still cursing Lan Yuan, but her fear was stronger than her anger.
"Scram," Lan Yuan said, her face returning to its usual cold and stiff expression.
Xuexi nodded desperately, scrambled to her feet, and ran away as fast as she could.
Looking down, Lan Yuan noticed a small bloodstain on her white shirt.
Feeling the exhaustion hit her after the fight, she picked up her bag and slung it lazily over her shoulder. Right on time, her phone began to ring. She pulled it out and read the contact name: Mom.
As she walked out of the alley, Lan Yuan pressed the phone to her ear.
A soft, gentle voice spoke from the other end. "A-Yuan? Where are you? You're supposed to be getting ready. The Jiu family is coming over tonight to discuss your engagement."
Lan Yuan froze. The word 'engagement' caught her off guard. Her heart skipped a beat as a rush of memories flooded her brain and overwhelming.
"Ah!"
Lan Yuan clutched her head, leaning one hand against the wall to steady herself.
"Hello? A-Yuan? Are you there? Are you hurt?" her mother asked, her voice rising in worry.
After the sharp pain faded, Lan Yuan steadied her breathing and answered.
"I'm okay, Mom. About the meeting... I forgot. Mom, can you send a driver to pick me up? I'm not far from the school."
"What's wrong? I thought you didn't like the driver picking you up from school?" her mother asked, sounding surprised.
Lan Yuan glanced to her side and saw a sleek black car parked not far away. It was incredibly expensive, with dark privacy glass that made it impossible to see who was inside.
Suspiciously, Lan Yuan lifted an eyebrow. She didn't look away from the car as she spoke.
"I fell and hurt my hands," she lied smoothly.
The black car began to move, slowly passing her. Lan Yuan stared at the tinted windows as it rolled by.
"Oh, dear! Hang on, I'll send the driver right away," her mother replied, sounding even more worried before hanging up.
Lan Yuan checked the time on her screen. It was already evening; she hadn't realized how quickly the time had passed. Now that the original owner's memories had finally appeared, she understood her situation—but she was shocked.
Lan Yuan was engaged?
Why was this never mentioned in the book?
And this "Jiu" family... was it the same one from the novel?
The protagonist's family? Lan Yuan couldn't believe it.
The original owner of this body was engaged to the most wealthy family.
"Hahh... troublesome. I'm so tired, I just want to lie down. Where is that driver?"
With no energy left, Lan Yuan sat on a bench in front of a mini-mart and hugged her bag to her chest.
This is only the beginning, and I'm already engaged to him?! I don't want to get tangled up in a love triangle. Too much drama. Ugh.
Lan Yuan then thought back to the conversation she had overheard in class. They were gossiping about a rejection.
"Hmm... so the original owner of this body liked the protagonist and got rejected. As for this engagement, I might as well break it off. I'm not the real owner of this body, and I don't even like the guy. He must want the engagement gone too, since he rejected her confession anyway."
≤//≥
Little Theatre
Lan Yuan: (Expressionless) I'm not shocked. At this point, nothing surprises me.
Author: Good! Because I'm going to make you work even harder.
Lan Yuan: (Slowly picks up the iron pipe from the alley and looks at the Author)