The Fallen Diva

Today's physical education class was an excruciating ordeal for Su Cheng, as Ji Qingyi and Li Guanqi—two female classmates—were interacting.

The worst part? They weren’t including him.

He was worried something might go wrong. Though both women were intelligent, what if they ended up fighting?

Sure, he enjoyed watching girls fight, but it was obvious Li Guanqi stood no chance against Ji Qingyi.

One had a stamina level of 5, the other 8.

It would be like an egg striking a rock.

While Su Cheng idly imagined the two of them brawling, the actual scene unfolding between them was one of harmony.

Li Guanqi sat atop a horse, gripping the reins tightly, while Ji Qingyi watched with a glimmer of admiration in her eyes.

"Your riding skills are impressive," Ji Qingyi remarked, tilting her head slightly as she observed Li Guanqi.

Li Guanqi shook her head humbly. "You flatter me, Senior Ji. I just know I lack natural talent, so I make sure to listen carefully in class and practice diligently. That’s the only reason I’ve improved."

Hearing this, Ji Qingyi raised an eyebrow, her expression turning intrigued.

"If only Su Cheng were as hardworking as you, things might be more interesting," Ji Qingyi commented offhandedly before falling silent.

At the mention of Su Cheng, Li Guanqi stiffened slightly, then glanced over at him. He was crouched nearby, absentmindedly drawing circles in the dirt while holding a horse’s reins. She noticed his gaze kept flickering toward them, restless and uncertain.

"Though he lacks experience in this area, effort can make up for it. As they say, 'Sweat more in training, bleed less in battle,'" Li Guanqi replied.

Their exchange was calm, their tones revealing no emotion.

Ji Qingyi nodded. "I acknowledge the necessity of hard work. But if one’s efforts are misdirected, the result isn’t just inefficiency—it’s outright futility."

"I agree," Li Guanqi said with a nod.

Just then, a girl suddenly approached Su Cheng. She had delicate features, an innocent face, and an inexplicable charm that seemed to draw people in effortlessly.

It was Chen Wanwan, a second-year student.

A celebrity child, she had starred in numerous hit TV shows since childhood. In middle school, she had even won a national youth idol award as a singer, earning a reputation as one of the country’s most promising young stars.

Unfortunately, last year, her voice had been damaged due to unforeseen circumstances, forcing her to retire from singing.

"Junior, I usually practice with Guanqi. Since I’m alone now, why don’t we pair up?"

Noticing Su Cheng’s odd expression, Chen Wanwan took the initiative to invite him, her gaze shifting meaningfully toward the horse beside him.

Su Cheng felt a headache coming on as he looked at this girl with a question mark practically floating above her head. But he couldn’t refuse—after all, both of them were alone, stuck in an awkward situation.

And she had swallowed her pride to ask him.

Meanwhile, their interaction didn’t go unnoticed. Many were watching, including Li Guanqi and Ji Qingyi from a distance.

"Another vixen!" Xuan Ying muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing with hostility as she glared at Chen Wanwan.

Just a washed-up celebrity...

Her father’s words echoed in her mind: "These stars are nothing but mass-produced entertainment products."

What stung the most was the class divide between her and Su Cheng.

But at least the others were in the same boat.

Now, a retired star was cozying up to Su Cheng.

Her guard shot up instantly.

However, when she instinctively glanced around, she froze. Seven or eight pairs of eyes were locked onto her, filled with judgment and malice.

I shouldn’t have come here.

She felt wronged.

Her own horse, Black Moon, was with Su Cheng, leaving her stranded and embarrassed in the riding arena.

She had waited forever, but Su Cheng never came looking for her. Now that she’d approached him, she was suddenly under scrutiny—by a whole crowd!

A chill ran down her spine.

She might have once been a glamorous star, but now she was just an ordinary girl. Even back then, she had always been careful with her words and actions, terrified of offending anyone. And now...

It felt like she’d somehow managed to piss off the entire world. The hostility in those stares was unmistakable.

A realization struck her, and she turned back to Su Cheng, only to find him already looking at her.

The problem definitely lies with this junior.

Extremely close with Ji Qingyi.

The new archery champion.

A scholarship student from an ordinary background.

These were the only things she knew about Su Cheng.

"Junior Su Cheng, if it’s inconvenient, just forget it," Chen Wanwan ventured hesitantly, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Su Cheng studied her expression, then noticed Xuan Ying in the distance, looking like she wanted to devour Chen Wanwan alive. With a sigh, he stood up.

"Thank you for your kindness, senior, but I'm already well-versed in horseback riding,"

With that, he walked up to the horse and handed the reins to her, explaining, "I have some matters to attend to. Please practice on your own, senior."

"Then, thank you."

Chen Wanwan took the riding crop, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. She smiled warmly at Su Cheng, her expression friendly.

Then, she turned and led her horse, 'Black Moon,' away.

But as she walked off, she noticed the lingering gazes from before had vanished. Her steps quickened slightly, as if afraid Su Cheng might call out, "Senior, wait a moment."

"Huh?"

Yet the next second, she realized the horse she was leading had stubbornly stopped moving.

"Black Moon, Black Moon~"

She called softly, but the horse only circled in place, letting out restless whinnies.

It outright refused to acknowledge her as its original owner.

"It... won't listen to me anymore..."

Chen Wanwan was dumbfounded, wondering what to do in this situation.

After a moment of hesitation, she decided to give up on riding for now.

Just then, Su Cheng noticed the scene and approached, murmuring apologetically, "Sorry, senior. I took the liberty of giving it a new name—'Miharu.'"

Ever since this horse had left with Li Guanqi, it had been acting up.

But with just one stern look from Su Cheng, the horse had immediately gone limp, completely submitting to him.

"Ah?"

Though inwardly displeased, Chen Wanwan recalled the earlier stares and forced a polite smile. "Miharu? That’s a lovely name."

"Miharu, let's go."

She spoke against her true feelings, tugging at 'Miharu’s' reins to leave.

Sure enough, the moment she called the horse by its new name, it obediently followed her lead, walking calmly by her side.

The sense of being controlled against her will left her frustrated, but she had no choice but to endure it and keep moving forward.

However, just then, a first-year student suddenly appeared beside her, leading her own horse. The girl tossed out a casual remark:

"Senior Chen, I suggest you stay away from him from now on!"

Chen Wanwan froze mid-step, her expression turning stiff.

She recognized this girl.

The daughter of an international shipbuilding tycoon—her family background was only moderately influential at school, but to Chen Wanwan, it was an insurmountable gap.

"Huh!? Is this girl about to pull a 'don’t bully the poor young girl' moment?"

Watching the exchange unfold ahead, with Chen Wanwan looking visibly uncomfortable, Su Cheng was utterly shocked. Recalling Chen Wanwan’s past, he couldn’t help but mutter to himself.

As a former superstar who had once dominated the entertainment industry, she was someone he had followed closely—especially since they were schoolmates.

"Wait, holy crap—she’s wearing a ring! Could there be some legendary songstress from another world inside it?"

Su Cheng noticed the ring on Chen Wanwan’s left hand, and his eyes widened in astonishment.

She was still a student—why would she casually wear a ring?

"But even if she becomes this world’s top superstar in three years, she still wouldn’t be able to get her revenge."

"Still… if she really is the protagonist here, wouldn’t the logical progression be her defeating all her enemies and then adding a commoner heartthrob like me to her harem?!"

His imagination running wild, Su Cheng couldn’t resist the sarcastic thought. Then, his gaze shifted to Xuan Ying, realizing she wasn’t the same as before.

The way she looked at Chen Wanwan was dripping with disdain, and the smirk on her lips radiated triumph.

Su Cheng frowned.

Had that woman from the library really corrupted her?

She used to be such a sweet, innocent girl.

Why did she now give off such strong 'arrogant young master handing out experience points' vibes?

"No way!"

At that moment—

He felt an overwhelming urge to pull Xuan Ying back onto the right path.

He had to make these two girls become good sisters!