Flame City Private International Academy.
The sun shone brightly in a cloudless sky, filling the campus with a vibrant youthful energy. The school was decorated with welcoming activities and ceremonies, everyone working hard to create an uplifting atmosphere in anticipation of the new semester.
New Student Admissions Office.
"Special admission?"
A bespectacled, intellectual-looking female teacher raised an elegant eyebrow in surprise as she examined the special admission letter in her hands. She then looked up at the thin, somewhat gloomy young man standing before her and asked, "You're Su Cheng?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
Su Cheng gave a slight nod and met her gaze. The two stared at each other for a long moment.
The teacher was the first to look away, sighing softly. "No, it's just... you're not quite what I expected. You seem... mature for your age."
Su Cheng had been specially admitted as the top-scoring student, so logically, he should have exuded the diligent, hardworking aura of a model scholar.
While his features weren’t bad—he could even be considered handsome in a refined way—he carried an air of weariness that didn’t belong to someone his age, especially in his deep, somber eyes.
Coupled with his quiet, reticent personality, he gave off an aloof, almost gloomy impression, making it hard for others to approach him. She could already imagine how isolated and lonely his school life would be.
Unless someone actively sought him out, he probably wouldn’t even have anyone to talk to.
"Class 1-2," the teacher added, pulling out a card from her drawer and handing it to him. "Go report to your homeroom. Your teacher will help you settle in. I hope you enjoy your time here."
"Thank you."
Su Cheng accepted the card politely, bowed slightly, then turned and walked out, heading toward the school building.
In truth, he was a transmigrator.
But beyond that, he had no special advantages.
He was ordinary. Average.
That was why he had worked himself to the bone to get into this school—a place that could change his destiny.
Since fate had given him a second chance, he was determined to rewrite his life.
But his goal was simple.
To graduate from this school quietly, without drawing attention.
He knew all too well that in an institution like this, where social hierarchies were rigidly defined, there was no way he’d find peers or friends who shared his perspective.
To avoid trouble, he would be invisible.
………………
Class 1-2.
Inside the classroom, the teacher sat at the podium, flipping through documents, while the students chatted animatedly at their desks, their faces bright with excitement.
Most were eagerly discussing the day’s events and the upcoming opening ceremony. From Su Cheng’s observations, everyone already knew each other, each belonging to their own established social circles.
But the moment he knocked and entered,
The room fell silent.
Dozens of eyes turned toward him in unison, surprise flashing across their faces as they took in the unfamiliar newcomer.
Because to them, he was the only stranger here.
"Is that the new student?"
"I thought it’d be a girl!"
"He looks so plain!"
"I heard he was the top scorer from outside."
Whispers rose and fell as the students scrutinized him, murmuring their judgments. Su Cheng, however, acted as if he heard nothing, not even glancing at anyone as he strode straight to the podium.
"Teacher, here’s my registration form."
He spoke softly as he stood beside the desk.
The teacher looked up, studying him carefully before slowly closing the folder in her hands and nodding. "Su Cheng, you can take any empty seat for now."
"Thank you."
He bowed slightly, then scanned the room—his gaze lingering briefly on the coveted back-row window seat—only to find it already occupied. Resigned, he settled for the most inconspicuous corner spot.
Then, without hesitation, he slumped onto the desk, burying his face in his arms as if too exhausted to keep his eyes open, completely indifferent to the curious stares around him.
To him, sleeping was the simplest way to avoid awkward interactions.
There was nothing to talk about with these privileged heirs born with silver spoons in their mouths. Even if someone did approach him, it’d likely be with condescension and superiority.
Time passed slowly.
More and more students arrived to register.
Though Su Cheng appeared to be asleep, his ears were sharp, picking up every whisper in the room.
Most of it was about him.
He’d already earned a new nickname: "The Weird New Kid."
Then suddenly—
"Ah! Could you not sneak up on me like that? Your presence is way too faint!"
A blonde girl at the podium, in the middle of submitting her form, jumped in fright as a black-haired girl materialized beside her. She clutched her chest, shooting the other girl an exasperated look.
"Sorry."
The black-haired girl apologized flatly, then descended the steps—though not before scanning the room briefly. Seeing only familiar faces, she headed straight for the corner seat.
Of course, she overlooked the sleeping Su Cheng.
Who in their right mind would nap on the first day of school?
So she assumed he wasn’t this year’s special admit.
But the moment Su Cheng heard the phrase "Your presence is way too faint," he jolted upright like a man resurrected, frantically searching for the girl who had spoken so indifferently.
He needed to learn that skill!
No matter what, he had to become her disciple!
Unfortunately…
He couldn’t spot anyone matching her description.
He sighed inwardly and shook his head.
Soon, the class was fully assembled. The usual self-introductions began—Su Cheng gave his, then promptly returned to his nap—followed by form-filling and announcements before dismissal.
However, the homeroom teacher assigned a classmate to give Su Cheng a tour of the school, explaining class rules, management policies, discipline, and academic expectations.
Su Cheng had braced himself for this kind of formal procedure, so he didn’t resist, obediently following the other student out.
Besides, he needed to understand the school’s power dynamics to avoid being caught off guard by troublesome figures.
"This is the archery club. The captain is the Ji Family’s princess. If you see her, stay away. Don’t even glance in her direction unless you want to die. And the club members are all elites—don’t provoke them."
The boy leading him pointed at the dojo-like building, his tone deadly serious.
"Got it."
Su Cheng nodded, committing the warning to memory. This was crucial intel.
"Shit! The Ji Family’s young mistress is coming out—don’t look at her!"
Suddenly, a male classmate with sharp eyes noticed a figure emerging from the archery club entrance. The person's gaze and appearance were icy cold, exuding an air of nobility and arrogance. He quickly grabbed Su Cheng's arm and whispered urgently.
"Huh?"
The male classmate realized his hand had closed on empty air. When he turned his head, he froze on the spot.
Because—
Su Cheng had already sprinted away at a speed resembling competitive racewalking, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
......
"Whew—"
Su Cheng sat panting heavily on a deserted patch of grass, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead, evidence of his earlier sprint.
He wiped the sweat away with his hand.
"That was close."
Su Cheng let out a sigh of relief.
He was well aware of the Ji Family—this financial conglomerate had no tradition of abiding by laws or discipline, and their demeanor was domineering and unrestrained.
Rumors said Ji Qingyi had a volatile temperament, and the slightest defiance could result in being thrown into the sea as fish food.
He wasn’t about to gamble with his life.
What if his "commoner gaze" offended her and she sent someone to eliminate him?
After all, spoiled, willful young mistresses like that were a dime a dozen in dramas and novels.
From the moment he stepped onto campus, he had resolved to keep a low profile to avoid becoming a target.
But luck wasn’t on his side.
As a transmigrator, he’d expected some kind of advantage—yet here he was, dragged by a classmate assigned to guide newcomers straight into danger. It wasn’t that he was cowardly or overly cautious, but he had to avoid even the slightest risk.
After all, he didn’t have the system that every transmigrator was supposed to have!
So, he absolutely couldn’t afford to offend anyone.
If he could avoid trouble, he would.
He couldn’t afford to perish here!
He was still a transmigrator, after all.
"Perish" was the most fitting word.
Even without any cheat abilities, he firmly believed he could thrive through sheer willpower and hard work.
Not only that, he was convinced that with his unyielding perseverance, he could eventually change his circumstances.
His first step? Survival. Only by staying alive could he create miracles and achieve his dreams.
"Dammit, I need to rest…"
Su Cheng clutched his chest, his mouth slightly open as he gasped for air. His emotions had surged too intensely just now, causing his heart to pound erratically, even sending sharp, stabbing pains through him.
Dragging his heavy body, he trudged toward the shade of a large tree—but to his surprise, there was a picnic blanket spread beneath it.
"Is this spot taken?"
He glanced around but saw no signs of anyone nearby. After a moment’s hesitation, he sat down, planning to rest before moving on.
"Ahem…"
A clear, delicate cough suddenly rang out, startling him to his feet. He whipped his head toward the sound and saw a girl standing beside the tree, watching him.
She was the epitome of a black-haired, straight-haired beauty—her glossy, raven locks cascading over her shoulders, her delicate features as exquisite as a painting, radiating a gentle, serene aura.
But upon closer inspection, her eyes betrayed a cold, detached aloofness.
"Sorry, I’m not comfortable sharing space with strangers. Could you find another spot to rest? If not, I can leave instead."
Her voice was as flat as her expression, making it hard to tell if she possessed any human emotions at all.
"Ah, my apologies."
Su Cheng scrambled to his feet, awkwardly rubbing his neck. "I’ll move right away."
With that, he relocated.
As he did, he caught a glimpse of the girl smoothing her skirt before sitting on the blanket. The way her black-stockinged legs crossed momentarily stole his attention.
"Su Cheng, your gaze is making me uncomfortable."
Her tone remained even, but this time, a hint of frost and barely concealed disgust seeped through.
"Ah—!"
Su Cheng snapped back to reality, hastily turning his head away as if nothing had happened.
Wait, she knows my name?
Are we classmates?
Frowning, he tried to recall her face and turned to get a better look—only to find her holding up a book, completely obscuring her features.
"Hmm… A ring?!"
Though he couldn’t see her face now, he noticed a black-and-gold band on her finger. His eyes widened in shock.
She already has a boyfriend?
And one serious enough for marriage?!
The revelation stunned him. She looked around his age—how could she already be engaged?
But he brushed off the thought. It wasn’t his business.
What puzzled him more was how this literary girl knew him.
"Um…"
Unable to curb his curiosity, he tentatively asked, "Do we know each other?"
The girl glanced up briefly, then lowered her eyes back to her book. "We’re classmates."
"Oh."
So they were.
Her voice did sound familiar.
Maybe she was one of those quiet, easily overlooked students?
Having his answer, he decided not to linger. Being this close to her might invite trouble if her boyfriend showed up.
He stood to leave—but before he could straighten, a wave of dizziness crashed over him. His vision darkened, and he swayed, nearly collapsing.
"Should I call an ambulance for you?"
The literary girl observed his unsteady stance, setting her book aside with a faintly puzzled look, as if baffled by how someone their age could be in such poor physical condition.
"N-no, I’m fine."
Su Cheng waved her off through gritted teeth, forcing himself to stay upright.
He couldn’t afford to make a scene on the first day of school and draw unwanted attention.
That said, his health was abysmal—years of malnutrition, overworking his brain to get into this prestigious school, and zero exercise had left him frail.
"Delicate" would’ve been an understatement.
The girl gave a slight nod and returned to her book, uninterested in further interaction. Since he’d declined help, she saw no reason to press.
She unwrapped a freshly bought dessert and took a bite. The rich sweetness exploded on her tongue, filling her senses.
As she ate, she flipped through the pages of an ancient-looking tome—its cover bearing the title Voynich Manuscript.
The text inside was written in an indecipherable script, completely alien to modern languages, resembling something from medieval alchemy. To this day, its contents remained a mystery.
The reason she’d borrowed it from the library today?
She’d woken up to something… strange.
A ring had appeared on her ring finger—a blackened gold band, or more accurately, a faded gold ring.
She had no memory of it whatsoever.
Where had this ring come from?
Why had it materialized on her finger out of nowhere?
She had no answers.
And when she removed the ring, something even stranger happened—a pang of inexplicable loss surged through her.
This unfamiliar sensation left her unsettled and panicked, as an overwhelming void and loneliness crashed over her. Not only that, but an obsessive urge to put the ring back on took hold.
Though she had no recollection of the ring, its eerie effects led her to a vague suspicion. Yet it was only a guess, as her memory held no clues.
She wondered if the ring was somehow tied to her psyche, which would explain the unease and emptiness when she took it off.
To test this, she had her sister wear the ring. But her sister felt nothing unusual, dismissing it as a cheap trinket.
In other words—
She alone experienced these bizarre sensations.
Given all this—
She was now determined to uncover its origins and meaning, especially since it had appeared on her ring finger.
What did the ring finger symbolize?
Every girl knew.
"This."
Just then, a word in the book caught her attention—a Romanian term. Translated, it meant "spiritual communion."
"Spiritual communion?"
She closed the book and gazed at the ring on her finger, lost in thought.
Since the ring had appeared out of thin air—already a fantastical occurrence—she was willing to explore even the faintest possibility.
With that in mind, she cleared her thoughts and focused inwardly, reaching out to the ring, then listening intently.
But after a full minute—
No response came.
Maybe she needed to speak aloud?
"Hey, can you hear me?" she murmured, tapping the ring lightly.
"......"
Still, the ring remained silent.
She pursed her lips, hesitated for a second, then tried again, softer this time: "Ring, are you there?"
Again, nothing.
Frowning, she dismissed the idea and turned her attention back to the book.
The text was dense and cryptic.
She could only grasp fragments, and flipping through the pages yielded no useful clues.
But—
Two words stood out to her, their meanings eerily aligned with the ring’s nature.
"Spiritual communion... and physical cleansing."
"Spirit and cleansing..."
She whispered them to herself. Could it mean she needed to bathe before attempting communion?
If the two were connected...
As absurd and superstitious as it sounded, she was desperate enough to try. After all, she had no leads—only trial and error.
Practice reveals truth, after all. Better than doing nothing.
So she shut the book, packed her things, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed for the school gates.
Time to go home and bathe!
......
Along the cobblestone path, the towering university building loomed in the distance. But on a nearby bench, she spotted a familiar face—Su Cheng, the boy from earlier.
He sat slumped, eyes shut, his face twisted in discomfort, lips pale and cracked. He looked exhausted, as if asleep yet in pain.
She paused, then walked over and pressed a hand to his forehead, checking his condition.
It wasn’t a fever or illness—just severe fatigue and low blood sugar, leaving him unconscious.
As his classmate, she couldn’t leave him like this. But recalling his stubborn pride earlier, she doubted he’d want her calling for help or an ambulance.
Instead, she pulled a water bottle from her bag—filled with juice—unscrewed the cap, and gently tipped it against his lips, letting the liquid flow into his mouth.
After a few gulps, Su Cheng’s eyelids fluttered open. The first thing he saw was an exquisitely delicate face, framed by a faint, elegant fragrance.
"You’re awake," came a calm, clear voice, as if its owner remained unshaken by anything.
Su Cheng blinked, staring blankly—then jolted back in alarm, colliding with the bench behind him. He gasped, disoriented. "You—"
Mortification hit him. The girl’s water bottle, the sweetness on his tongue—she’d just helped him.
And that made it worse. It was only the first day of school, and he already owed someone a favor.
Worse still, he rarely spoke to girls.
He had no idea what to say.
And this girl? Everything about her—her poise, her grace—screamed aristocracy. She was no ordinary girl.
They weren’t even in the same world.
The pressure crushed him.
He was just an average guy with nothing special to offer. How could he ever repay such kindness?
So—
When in doubt, say thanks.
"Th-thank you!" he stammered, swallowing hard. But she raised a hand, cutting him off.
He froze, looking up—only to be stunned speechless.
The breeze played with her hair and skirt, her skin like polished jade, her features flawlessly sculpted.
Yet her expression was cold.
The scene was surreal.
Su Cheng’s mind buzzed, his chest fluttering wildly.
In that instant—
A crush took root.
"Helping a classmate isn’t a big deal," the literary girl said, tucking the bottle back into her bag. Her voice remained detached as she added, "Take care of yourself. You should see a doctor. I’ll be going now."
And with that, she left.
Su Cheng didn’t snap out of it until her slender figure vanished from sight.
He clenched his fists, forcing himself to calm down.
Just now—
For a moment, he’d fallen for her.
But he knew better.
A girl like her was beyond his reach. And she probably had a boyfriend.
He took deep breaths, burying those budding feelings deep down where they couldn’t resurface.
For a girl with a boyfriend to be so kind to others...
"I really hate ‘kind’ girls," he muttered.
He muttered to himself, silently warning not to entertain any improper thoughts about the other person, lest he invite trouble. He didn’t want to lose the little peace he had left in his life.
After leaving school, he boarded the bus to return to his rented apartment, but considering the unexpected incident earlier that day, he decided to stop by a store to buy some essentials to carry with him daily, just in case.
Getting off the bus, he entered the store and came out carrying a carton of walnut milk. He sat on a bench outside the store, tore open the packaging, took out a bottle, and tilted his head back to drink.
"Hey, he’s wearing our school uniform."
"Never seen him before. Is he one of this year’s special admissions students?"
Suddenly, two petite figures emerged from the store—one with brown hair, the other with golden locks—their gazes simultaneously landing on Su Cheng.
However, the golden-haired girl’s eyes lingered on the carton of walnut milk beside Su Cheng, and she couldn’t help but murmur, "That drink looks really good."
For some reason, she felt an inexplicable craving.
She wanted it. She really wanted it.
"Let’s go. This guy looks gloomy. Better not get noticed by him—just asking for trouble," the brown-haired girl urged, nudging the blonde.
Hearing this, the golden-haired girl frowned, glanced at Su Cheng one more time, and reluctantly followed. But before leaving, she stole a few more glances at the walnut milk.
"That special admissions student’s drink… looks really tasty."
In the end, the blonde couldn’t resist her desire and turned to the brown-haired girl.
"Fine, let’s go back and buy some."
The brunette didn’t argue and simply took her hand, leading her back into the store. But when they reached the beverage aisle and saw the same drink, the blonde’s craving vanished instantly, replaced by sheer disdain.
"Aren’t you going to buy it? Grab a carton."
"No… it looks gross now."
The golden-haired girl put the bottle back on the shelf, shook her head, and walked away without buying anything. Her desire had completely disappeared.
This cheap drink…
I’d never drink it.
The brown-haired girl found the whole thing baffling but didn’t comment as they left the store again.
Yet, when they reached the entrance and the blonde saw the special admissions student’s walnut milk once more, her earlier disgust transformed back into an intense craving. Her sapphire-blue eyes locked onto the carton beside Su Cheng.
"Hey, what’s wrong with you now?"
The brunette noticed her friend had stopped walking and was staring fixedly at the walnut milk, utterly confused.
"I want the walnut milk next to that special admissions student."
The blonde suddenly blurted out something that made no sense to her.
"Huh?"
The brown-haired girl was dumbfounded. "Wasn’t it the same one in the store just now? Why didn’t you buy it then?"
"No, it feels different."
The golden-haired girl tore her gaze away, grabbed the brunette’s hand, and started shaking it pleadingly. "Help me figure something out. I only want the carton next to him."
"Are you serious?" the brunette asked skeptically.
"Yes."
The blonde nodded vigorously, tugging at her friend’s sleeve and pouting. "Let’s offer to buy it from him at a higher price!"
Seeing her like this, the brown-haired girl couldn’t refuse and reluctantly agreed.
"I really don’t get you."
She sighed, her face full of disdain. "But we shouldn’t get too close to some gloomy guy like him."
"Then what do we do?"
The brunette glanced around, then her eyes lit up. "How about this—we’ll ask a store employee to buy it for us. We can pay extra."
"You’re so smart! That’s a great idea!"
The blonde beamed, showering her friend with praise.
…………………………
"Maybe I’ll go home for lunch, boil some noodles, fry an egg, and add some greens—call it a celebration for the new semester."
Su Cheng sipped his walnut milk, lost in thought about his meal, when light footsteps approached and stopped right in front of him.
He looked up.
A store employee in uniform stood before him.
"Excuse me, sir."
The man greeted him politely. "This carton of walnut milk is defective. We’d like to recall it."
"Huh?" Su Cheng raised an eyebrow, quickly checking the expiration date on his bottle. Seeing it was still good, he relaxed but remained puzzled. "It’s not expired, and it tastes fine. Why recall it?"
The employee smiled apologetically. "Our quality inspection just found the walnuts used were substandard. As compensation, we’d like to offer you 300 yuan. How does that sound?"
"Wait…"
Su Cheng was stunned.
He’d bought it for just over 80 yuan, and they were offering 300?
That wasn’t a small amount.
The extra 200 could cover his living expenses for a month!
Seeing his hesitation, the employee pulled out a stack of bills—about ten in total—and handed Su Cheng three. "This is our way of making it right."
"Thanks, but no."
Su Cheng shook his head firmly. He wasn’t the type to take advantage, especially since he’d already drunk a few bottles. A refund at the original price would be enough—no need for extra compensation.
But before he could say more, the employee sighed and added two more bills, making it 500 in total. "Then how about 500? Consider it a gesture of goodwill."
"This…"
Su Cheng was shocked. This store was way too generous. Still, he shook his head again.
A business this honest didn’t deserve to be taken advantage of.
Yet before he could speak, the employee kept raising the offer.
"700."
"800."
"900."
"950."
The man’s face darkened as he took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. "This is really the highest I can go."
Two girls had given him 1,000 yuan to buy the carton from Su Cheng, even saying he could keep the extra as a service fee. But he hadn’t expected the guy to be so stubborn.
"What’s really going on here?"
Even Su Cheng could tell something was off now. This wasn’t just about a recall—someone was skimming way too much. He pressed for answers.
The employee looked like he wanted to cry. "The store might not have this brand in stock anymore. Two young ladies asked me to buy your carton and gave me 1,000 yuan for it."
Su Cheng paused, then understood. But he recalled seeing plenty of the same brand earlier.
Weird.
"Just give me one bill. You can take the carton."
Though puzzled, Su Cheng decided to avoid unnecessary trouble and simply took one bill before standing up and leaving, leaving the milk behind.
"Thank you, thank you."
"You're welcome. I just don’t like taking advantage of others."
The staff member excitedly stuffed the remaining money into his pocket. Only after Su Cheng had left did he pick up the crate of walnut milk and return to the supermarket, handing it to one of the two girls.
"That gentleman only took a hundred. Here’s the extra money back."
Perhaps influenced by Su Cheng, he instinctively added a polite remark. But as he reached to hand over the money, the two girls had already turned and walked away, leaving behind only their slender, graceful figures.
…………………………
Noon.
Villa District.
Cornelia carried the drinks to her bedroom and arranged all twenty-two bottles neatly in a row on her computer desk.
"Gulp…"
She swallowed hard, her eyes burning with desire as she stared at the drinks on the desk. The craving grew unbearable until she finally couldn’t resist—she grabbed one, twisted off the cap…
But the next second, she froze. A strange premonition washed over her, as if drinking this would trigger something monumental.
In the end, Cornelia mustered her courage, brought the bottle to her nose for a sniff, and then downed it in one go.
Instantly, a rich, sweet flavor flooded her taste buds, and an intoxicating fragrance filled her mouth.
Her eyes narrowed in bliss as she closed them, savoring the moment. Then, she scratched her head—it was unbearably itchy—ruffling her once-smooth hair into a messy nest.
Without hesitation, she opened another bottle and took a swig. Three gulps later, the bottle was empty, and she felt invigorated, her mind buzzing with a mix of dizziness and drowsiness.
"Huh? I think I’m a little dizzy~"
Cornelia shook her head, forcing her eyes wide open to stay alert. But her vision soon blurred. Still, she stubbornly grabbed another drink.
"Mmm…"
She hummed, opened it, and chugged it down.
Now, her head grew heavier, her surroundings fading into a haze. In the fog, she seemed to see a tall, striking figure—someone with an affectionate gaze.
"Su… Su Cheng…"
Her lips trembled as she whispered the name.
"Thud—"
Her body suddenly collapsed backward onto the gaming chair, her eyes half-lidded as if she’d lost consciousness. The empty bottle slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor, its sweet aroma lingering.
Time stretched like an eternity before she sluggishly opened her eyes and sat up, rubbing her temples. Though dazed, her mind felt unnervingly clear.
"Where am I?"
Cornelia looked around, recognizing her bedroom—but something was off. The layout was slightly different.
"Where’s the Su Cheng figurine cabinet Sister Xue gave me?"
Her heart lurched when she noticed the cabinet was gone, replaced by a bare wall. Panic surged as she shrieked, "Mom! Mom, where’s my chibi Su Cheng figurine?!"
She was convinced her mom had hidden it. But after calling out several times, there was no response.
"Young Miss, is something wrong?"
The door swung open, and a middle-aged woman in an apron hurried in, looking flustered.
"Why is it you, Aunt Liu?! Where’s my mom?!"
Cornelia was stunned. This was the housekeeper who took care of her daily needs—but her mom had sent Aunt Liu home after returning. Yet here she was, delivering news that shattered Cornelia’s reality.
"Young Miss, Madam is swamped with work and hasn’t planned to return anytime soon," Aunt Liu replied matter-of-factly.
Cornelia blinked once, then again, her mind short-circuiting at the abrupt revelation.
She could only stare blankly at Aunt Liu.
What the hell is going on?
Didn’t Mom come back ages ago?
Is this some kind of joke?
April Fools’ Day?!
Just as her brain threatened to crash, she spotted the walnut milk on the desk. Without thinking, she grabbed a bottle, chugged it down, and tossed the cap into the trash.
"Young Miss! Are you alright?!"
Aunt Liu fretted.
After a moment, Cornelia managed to collect herself and shook her head weakly. "I’m fine. You can go."
"Phew, that’s a relief."
Aunt Liu smiled. "If you miss Madam, I can call and ask her to make time for a visit."
"Thanks, Aunt Liu, but it’s fine. You can go now."
"Young Miss is too kind."
Once the housekeeper left, Cornelia launched into a frantic search, tearing through her room.
"My bow’s gone…"
"Ah… this is missing too."
"My keys are gone."
"My chat friends aren’t here."
"Ah! My chest got smaller!"
"Everything’s gone."
"How…?"
Defeated, she slumped into her gaming chair and stared at the date on her computer screen. After a full minute of stunned silence, the horrifying truth dawned on her.
Had she… gone back in time?!
"Ah!! This date—"
Her pupils shrank as she lunged forward, gripping the desk and glaring at the time displayed on the screen. Her expression shifted from shock to exhilaration, then to sheer excitement.
Finally, it settled into nervous anticipation.
A whirlwind of emotions overwhelmed her, and Cornelia completely lost it—bursting into loud, messy sobs while wailing, "Am I dreaming?!"
To test it, she pinched her arm hard. The sharp pain confirmed it was real.
This was a scenario she’d fantasized about countless times.
And now, against all odds, it had happened!
Tomorrow was the school opening ceremony—
The day Su Cheng would confess to her!