A few years ago.
A female teacher in the office quietly read Su Cheng's essay, filled with negativity. After finishing, she looked up at the young boy before her and sighed softly after a long pause.
"Have you been going hungry lately?"
"No. While I can't afford lavish meals every day, I still have meat and vegetables regularly."
"Are there issues with your living conditions?"
"Not really. It's not a mansion, but it meets basic needs."
"Then, are there conflicts in your relationships?"
"None. Even though we're not related by blood, everyone at the orphanage is friendly. There aren’t any major arguments."
"Well, your physique is a bit thin, but nothing alarming. And your grades haven’t slipped either."
She spoke earnestly, "Life requires both favorable circumstances to build confidence and some adversity to expose hidden flaws. This way, you can improve and prepare for the next stage of growth. Though I don’t know what unspoken hardships you’re carrying, fixating on negativity will only lead to a hard fall. Do you understand?"
With that, the teacher shook her head, sighed, and picked up a stack of papers to continue grading.
"Thank you for your guidance, I understand…"
Su Cheng lowered his eyes and replied respectfully before turning to leave. But as soon as he stepped out, her voice echoed in his ears again:
"Actually, I’ve heard you lost quite a bit of money. I just hope you’ll stay away from gambling from now on. Otherwise, I’ll have to visit the orphanage for a parent-teacher meeting. At your age, studying is the only right path."
Su Cheng’s lips trembled. After a long pause, he bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your concern."
When he first transmigrated years ago, Su Cheng had hoped to make a fortune using his otherworldly knowledge. But as if it were the price of crossing worlds, success always eluded him.
Not a single win. Not a single victory.
His heart brimmed with anger and resentment, yet he had nowhere to vent.
He could only pour his frustration into his essays, expressing his despair through poetry, hoping one day to break free from this world’s shackles and live freely.
But it was also because of his teacher’s wake-up call that he threw himself into his studies. Fortunately, he eventually found solace in learning, and his luck gradually improved. His once-unshakable streak of losses began to fade.
The feeling was strange—both exhilarating and unsettling.
It felt like rebirth.
He grew fond of this sensation.
For the first time, his dreams became clear.
But now—
Just as he resolved never to get involved with certain people, they came barging into his life.
And in front of everyone, no less.
He knew his peaceful days were over.
Hoping to graduate quietly as an unnoticed nobody?
Impossible now…
"What else can I even hope for?"
Su Cheng couldn’t help but look up at the sky.
It was overcast, shrouded in gloomy clouds.
The weather only deepened his irritation.
It was as if he could never escape this endless cycle—every step he took was doomed to be wrong.
Had even the path of studying failed him now?
His exhaustion and misfortune were laid bare in his weary eyes, leaving nothing but helpless despair and a hollowed-out soul.
This blonde girl claimed to be his girlfriend.
What a joke.
He didn’t know her at all. He’d merely glanced at her during the opening ceremony, and now she was declaring herself his girlfriend with absolute certainty?
Ridiculous!
To him, this was just some rich person’s sick joke—a prank at his expense. Even the person standing beside her was probably an actor!
Their performance was seamless, almost impressive.
But as an ordinary guy, he had no power to fight against society’s rules or the influence of the wealthy elite.
This could even escalate into an international incident.
So, he didn’t dare say a word.
If he embarrassed this blonde girl, he might as well kiss his academic future goodbye.
Forget about carving out a bright path in this elite academy crawling with the privileged.
Yet the stares and whispers around him burned with shame. Worse, among his classmates’ gazes, he caught traces of curiosity, mockery, disdain, disgust… and even envy.
Yeah, he was screwed.
But to everyone’s surprise, before Su Cheng could react, two lolis started arguing instead.
"I… I didn’t catch that. Say it again."
Ailiya’s face twisted in disbelief. She was convinced she’d misheard.
Cornelia would never snap at her.
This had to be a hallucination!
Cornelia had always obeyed her like a doting little sister.
How could she possibly raise her voice?
Cornelia was her proudest protégée! There was no way she’d side with some random guy over her!
"Stay out of this. Leave."
Cornelia repeated firmly.
Ailiya’s head spun, dizziness nearly knocking her off balance.
Why…?
Had that gloomy bastard poisoned her milk yesterday?
Nothing else made sense!
Her cheeks flushed with rage.
"You filthy creep, how dare you—"
She shrieked, lunging to grab Su Cheng’s collar, but before she could—
Slap!
Cornelia swatted her hand away. Ailiya stumbled back, barely catching herself.
Clutching her stinging arm, she gaped at Cornelia in shock. "Y-You… you!"
"This is between him and me. Don’t interfere. Just go."
Cornelia watched her nervously, afraid she’d provoke Su Cheng further.
Ailiya froze, then shook her head violently. Tears welled up instantly, her composure crumbling.
"You’re picking him over me?! You even hit me!! Do you have any idea what this’ll cost us?!"
Sobbing, she fled down the steps, vanishing into the crowd—her retreating figure pitiful and broken.
The outburst left Cornelia dazed for a moment before clarity returned. She glanced at Su Cheng beside her and flinched.
His face was ashen, his expression a portrait of helplessness and panic. His dull, wounded eyes made him look like a traumatized child.
The sight twisted Cornelia’s heart. She suddenly remembered—at this point, Su Cheng didn’t even know her.
"Is this… the legendary battlefield of love?"
"What's the deal with this new student? How could he make the school's popular beauty lose her composure and publicly fight over him like this... Tsk tsk, his background must be something special, right? Otherwise, how could he have this kind of charm?"
"One thing's for sure—he's definitely a scumbag through and through!"
The murmurs of the clueless students around her reached her ears, making Cornelia stomp her foot in frustration. "Why did I act so impulsively!?"
Regret and helplessness couldn't even begin to describe Cornelia's current state of mind. She practically wanted to slap herself silly!
But just as she was at a loss, a hand landed on her shoulder, instantly revitalizing her. Her spirits lifted as if she'd been injected with new life, and she looked up at the person before her.
"Senior, your acting was outstanding. I almost want to give you a little golden trophy for it. I bet the drama club would love to have you join."
After racking his brain, Su Cheng finally came up with a response that wouldn’t offend the blonde, gave both sides an out, and cleared his name.
But he knew this excuse wouldn’t really work—after all, she had clearly come here to mess with him. Still, saying nothing would mean resigning himself to the rumors, and that wasn’t an option. He refused to just sit back and accept social death.
A man may die, but he must never die socially!
Just when he expected her to keep up the act and refuse to cooperate, the outcome took him by surprise.
The blonde’s previously dull eyes suddenly lit up with hope and excitement, as if she’d found a lifeline. She gazed at Su Cheng with fervor. "Thanks for playing along, junior. You’re not bad yourself—want to join the drama club with me?"
As she spoke, her eyes gleamed with a cunning yet slightly clueless brilliance. She then scanned the crowd and actually spotted a drama club member. Raising her voice, she called out haughtily, "Hey, drama club guy! What do you think of our performance just now? Worthy of joining?"
Her tone was dripping with arrogance, like a proud white lotus, as if declaring to everyone how flawlessly she had embodied her role.
The drama club member, after confirming she was indeed talking to him, immediately gave a thumbs-up. "Absolutely! Your portrayal was so convincing I thought it was real. The drama club’s doors are always open for you!"
"Ohhh, so it was all an act!"
"She really went all out to get into the drama club!"
"That’s some dedication."
"They can’t possibly reject her now, right?"
"Not a bad strategy, honestly."
Hearing this, the onlookers all had an epiphany—so the blonde had just been acting! Talk about commitment. No wonder she was one of the school’s most popular beauties; her behavior was always so unpredictable.
Still, some had differing opinions. A former child star in the crowd shook her head. "I thought her performance was a bit over-the-top. She’s got some skill, but it lacked depth. Still, her guts to improvise like that? Respect."
A small minority, however, remained skeptical. Cornelia’s sudden shift in demeanor was just too abrupt, making some suspect there was more to the story.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, Cornelia finally let out a sigh of relief. But when she turned to look at Su Cheng again, he was already gone, leaving behind only a lonely, desolate silhouette.
Whether in the future or now, he was always the one who brought her strength and comfort in her most helpless moments.
The light in Cornelia’s eyes reignited, as if her fighting spirit had been renewed. Biting her lower lip, she thought to herself—even if the plan had changed, as long as she kept pushing forward, she’d get what she wanted. Nothing would stand in her way.
She took a deep breath, only to freeze when she noticed a pair of shoes suddenly beside her. Her gaze traveled upward until she met the dark, fathomless eyes of a girl standing there. Her heart clenched, and she stumbled back in panic. "Y-you! Stay away from him!"
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," the girl replied flatly, her tone devoid of emotion, as if she were just going through the motions. "But it seems you’ve caused quite a disturbance for my classmate."
"I—" Cornelia faltered. "I—"
"What do you mean, 'your classmate'? He’s my boyfriend."
Cornelia finally found her voice again. Lifting her chin defiantly, she shed her earlier fright and adopted an unyielding stance—no one was allowed to lay a finger on her man.
"Boyfriend…"
The literary girl frowned slightly, as if pondering something, before saying, "But he doesn’t seem to know you."
"What’s it to you?" Cornelia snapped irritably. "He’s mine, so keep your distance."
The girl gave a nonchalant nod. "Oh~"
But her dismissive tone only fueled Cornelia’s frustration. She grabbed the girl’s arm and started shoving her. "Swear to me right now—you’ll never go near him again!"
The literary girl seemed momentarily stunned by her rough handling, but before she could react, a sweet, bell-like laugh rang out nearby. "Sooo, you two weren’t actually acting earlier?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Cornelia froze. She turned stiffly and saw a lively, short-haired girl in school uniform grinning at them.
For a moment, Cornelia felt dazed, her mind flooded with confusion. What the hell was going on?!
Why was she wearing a school uniform?!
"Su… Sis Su?" Cornelia gasped, staring wide-eyed at the short-haired girl. "Why… Why are you here!?"
"Hmm? Are you talking to me?"
The short-haired girl glanced around before confirming she was indeed the one being addressed. Raising an eyebrow, she smirked at the flustered blonde. "Should I not be here?"
Cornelia’s mind went blank. She stood there, stunned, for a solid three seconds before stammering, "No way… This can’t be real!"
At this moment, Cornelia’s entire worldview was crumbling.
First, Su Cheng deviated from the script by not confessing to her. Now, an elder had somehow become her schoolmate. This was too much!
She didn’t even know what year it was anymore, what dimension she was in, or whether she was dreaming or had somehow traveled through time.
"What's wrong? Why do you look so shocked?"
Her dazed expression piqued the curiosity of both the short-haired girl and the literary-minded girl, especially the former, who couldn’t resist reaching out to pinch Cornelia’s soft, pink cheeks.
Yet Cornelia didn’t resist at all. She stood there foolishly, completely defenseless, her gaze wandering blankly over the unfamiliar surroundings.
Soon, however, she noticed a solitary, almost dreamlike figure in the distance, jotting something down in a notebook. Sensing her stare, the figure lifted her head and glanced in her direction.
Cornelia froze when she saw Gu Ruoxue—her appearance unchanged from memory—and instinctively stared straight at her.
Then, she watched as Gu Ruoxue gave her a cold, indifferent glance before lowering her head again to continue writing.
"That notebook…"
Cornelia’s eyes fixed on the notebook in her hands, and as if struck by a sudden thought, she hurried after her, desperate to see its contents. A gut feeling told her that whatever was written inside might explain the chaos swirling in her mind.
Witnessing this, the short-haired girl and the literary girl exchanged puzzled glances, baffled by the blonde’s odd behavior.
"Miss, your mental state seems unstable. I suggest you calm down first before speaking with me," Gu Ruoxue said softly, snapping her notebook shut. She glanced briefly at the two girls in the distance before adding, "If you need something, you can find me at the Practice Department."
With that, she turned and walked away, her tall, slender legs clad in black stockings carrying her off effortlessly. Cornelia stood motionless, staring at her retreating figure, only snapping out of her daze moments later.
Then it hit her—the walnut milk that always helped her calm down!
She still had nineteen bottles at home.
The thought reminded her that drinking a few more might allow her to glimpse the notebook’s contents even in this strange dream-like state.
Better to rely on herself than beg others—especially with a rival standing right behind her.
She couldn’t afford to act foolishly again. Resolute, she vowed to always carry walnut milk with her from now on.
………………………………
Meanwhile.
Elsewhere—
"President, this is the man who drugged the milk! He made Cornelia completely obedient to him, twisting her personality. You must punish this criminal severely!"
Ailiya, accompanied by a mysterious masked woman, pointed accusingly at Su Cheng, her voice dripping with fury and hatred.