Chapter 15

Lu Zhen was stunned.
Taking advantage of his daze, Chu Yin pulled back her earphone and turned to return to the classroom.
Study System asked: [Host, did you scare the male lead?]
Chu Yin giggled, her peach blossom eyes looking beautifully mischievous: "It'd be best if he died of fright."
When Lu Zhen walked over earlier, he should have heard those rumors and gossip too, right? Although she found it annoying to listen to herself, she was more than happy to let Lu Zhen hear more of it.
In Lu Zhen's mind, she was probably not just an ugly, unfashionable, and dull obedient student, but also a bit mentally unstable, otherwise, why would anyone listen to Buddhist scriptures every day for no reason?
Not bad, not bad, Chu Yin thought. This persona must be maintained at all costs (clenching fist).
Only after Chu Yin's figure disappeared down the corridor did Lu Zhen withdraw his gaze.
He leaned against the wall, slightly lowering his head.
A long while later, he let out a low chuckle.
...
Once the aftermath of the midterm exams had finally settled, the much-anticipated school belle and school hunk election that excited the entire school was about to begin.
Although everyone still attended classes diligently and studied hard every day, during breaks, they enthusiastically discussed the popular candidates.
The most well-known in the sophomore year were Fu Mingxuan from Class 5 and Chu Qiuqiu from the International Class. Both were wealthy, academically excellent, and beautiful, true "white, rich, and beautiful" girls. Naturally, students from their respective classes supported their own classmates.
"I think Mingxuan has a chance this time!"
"Have you guys looked closely? Chu Qiuqiu's facial features aren't actually that great, she just uses clever makeup."
"Yeah, her eyes are a bit small, and her face is a bit chubby. At best, she's just cute."
The boys listened to the girls' chatter, utterly confused. In their eyes, girls like Fu Mingxuan and Chu Qiuqiu were already beauties.
"But it's hard to say for sure now, right? What if a dark horse emerges?"
"What dark horse? Everyone knows what everyone looks like. Anyone using edited photos will get exposed."
They chatted and laughed throughout the entire break, while Chu Yin, after fetching water, hadn't moved from her seat and had been studying the whole time.
These exciting matters like school belle and school hunk elections seemed to have nothing to do with her.
And no one thought they did, either.
After Chu Yin scored first in the grade, the atmosphere in Class 5 became somewhat subtle. No one dared to openly mock her anymore, but she still had few friends in the class.
Chu Yin's exceptionally high grades attracted plenty of attention, while her overly low-key behavior added an air of mystery. So, even though no one said it out loud, many people in the grade were secretly watching her.
"By the way, have you heard about that rumor...?"
"I've heard. Is it true? Is she really that ugly?"
"I think it's possible. After all, I've never seen her take off her mask..."
Hearing everyone discuss Chu Yin's appearance, Xing Lan and Fu Mingxuan exchanged a glance, each with their own hidden agenda.
Since everyone was so curious, they would soon satisfy that curiosity!
A day later, the registration system for the school belle and school hunk officially opened to all students of Quiwen Private High School. Anyone interested could sign up by simply filling in their class and name, submitting a photo, and then waiting for review.
In Class 5, aside from Fu Mingxuan, several other girls also signed up. After all, the title of school belle was too dazzling, nearby schools would come asking about it, and within Quiwen Private High School, the chosen one would be highly favored. Everyone wanted to give it a try.
Moreover, after the selection, there would be a school-wide dance. Who wouldn’t want to be the center of attention on such an occasion?
The students in the international class were also discussing the matter, all agreeing to vote for Chu Qiuqiu.
Song Zhaolin came over to hang out and was chatting with Tan Ke at the back of the classroom. After overhearing the conversation, he turned to look at Lu Zhen.
“Brother Zhen, are you signing up this year?”
Lu Zhen gave him a look that said, “Are you an idiot?”
Tan Ke kicked him in the butt. “Are you stupid? Last year, Brother Zhen didn’t sign up himself, did he?”
Song Zhaolin dodged with a laugh. “Right, even if Brother Zhen doesn’t sign up, someone will do it for him, ahem, ahem. Anyway, what do you think? Am I qualified to be a contender this year?”
He shoved one hand in his pocket and ruffled his hair with the other, striking a cool pose. “I think I could get a thousand or so votes!”
Tan Ke grinned at him. “Forget school hunk. I signed you up for school belle, better chances there.”
Song Zhaolin lunged at him. “You bastard!”
Just then, a wave of exclamations erupted in the international class,
“Holy crap, is this our grade’s top student?!”
“She looks like this??”
“Oh my god, that’s terrifying, ”
Song Zhaolin froze. The top student, his deskmate? Chu Yin? What was so scary about her looks??
The international class students showed the photo to Chu Qiuqiu. “Qiuqiu, does your older sister really look like this?”
Chu Qiuqiu glanced at the photo. It was clearly a digitally altered image, the big nose and protruding mouth didn’t belong to Chu Yin. But as she looked at it, an indescribable sense of satisfaction welled up inside her.
With Chu Yin’s personality, she must have offended someone, which was why they had photoshopped such an ugly picture of her and spread it around the grade.
Chu Qiuqiu had no intention of defending Chu Yin.
Driven by a twisted mindset, she nodded vaguely. “More or less.”
Everyone sighed in sympathy. It seemed that although this daughter of the Chu family was academically outstanding, her looks were far inferior to Chu Qiuqiu’s.
Tan Ke also received the photo in a group chat on his phone. He opened it and gasped. “Damn, this girl really isn’t much to look at.”
Song Zhaolin snatched the phone to take a look. The group chat claimed it was a photo of the grade’s top student. On closer inspection, the upper half of the face did belong to Chu Yin, but the lower half, definitely not!
The lower half of the face, combined with those delicate eyes, created a jarring mismatch that was indeed somewhat frightening.
But it had to be said, the person who photoshopped it was highly skilled. If Song Zhaolin hadn’t seen Chu Yin’s face in person, he would have believed it too!
Tan Ke clicked his tongue and showed the phone to Lu Zhen. Lu Zhen glanced at it and frowned.
“Who sent it?”
“No idea, it just started spreading in the group…”
Lu Zhen leaned back in his chair, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught a familiar figure passing by the back door. He suddenly stood up and chased after her.
Song Zhaolin craned his neck in surprise. “Isn’t that my deskmate? What does Brother Zhen want with her?”
Holy shit, is he going to cause trouble for my Sister Yin because of this ugly photo??
Tan Ke clicked his tongue and asked, "Zhaolin, does your top-student desk mate really look like this?"
Song Zhaolin pulled his neck back. "Bullshit! She doesn’t look like that at all. Chu Yin is actually really pretty."
"???" Tan Ke stared at the photo, unable to imagine what "really pretty" could possibly look like, and simply tossed his phone aside.
Outside the classroom, Lu Zhen, with his long legs, caught up to Chu Yin in just a few strides.
She was wearing earphones again today, and he had no idea what she was listening to.
Lu Zhen walked over and gently removed one of her earphones. The moment she turned her head, he thought he sensed a flicker of murderous intent in her eyes, or was it just his imagination?
Lu Zhen raised an eyebrow, inexplicably feeling the urge to laugh.
Whether that unflattering photo was really her or not didn’t seem all that important to him.
His mother had been exceptionally beautiful, but what good had it done her? Excessively beautiful things only brought trouble to their owners. They spent their entire lives driven to madness by others’ envy and obsession... just like his father, who had died young.
He had no intention of becoming that kind of person.
Lu Zhen lowered his gaze to look at her. "Listening to Buddhist scriptures again today?"
Chu Yin had run into Lu Zhen several times recently and was already on high alert.
But as she observed his expression, it didn’t seem quite the same as the predatory look he’d had in their past life.
Did this bastard have any inappropriate ideas about her??
To be safe, Chu Yin decided to reinforce her bookworm persona. This time, she proactively handed him the earphone.
Lu Zhen was momentarily taken aback, his fingers trembling slightly beyond his control. Then he took the earphone from her and put it on.
The earphone still carried the lingering warmth of her skin. Lu Zhen’s mind wandered for a second before he registered what was playing,
"Gaokao English listening comprehension," Chu Yin told him expressionlessly. "The 2019 New Curriculum Standard, Volume 1."
Then she caught a flicker of astonishment on Lu Zhen’s face and felt quite satisfied.
My heart belongs only to studying. Don’t bother me, get lost!
By the time Lu Zhen returned to the classroom, there was a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his face.
Song Zhaolin was still there and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Lu Zhen’s expression. He’d really thought Brother Zhen was going to do something to his desk mate.
"Brother Zhen, what did you need my desk mate for?" Song Zhaolin asked curiously.
Lu Zhen lifted his eyes, their color deep and dark. Suddenly, the tone of his question felt incredibly irritating.
"None of your business."
"Alright then," Song Zhaolin, who was easygoing, pouted and changed the subject. "By the way, are you guys going to the swimming class?"
Quiwen was the best private school in the city, wealthy, with top-tier facilities. The swimming pool was kept at a constant temperature year-round and could even be used for competitions. However, there were only a few swimming classes each semester, with multiple classes attending together, and the teacher took attendance.
Tan Ke, who was slightly chubby with a bit of extra weight, didn’t want to go even if it meant losing points for the class.
Lu Zhen had a great physique, but he wasn’t interested either.
Song Zhaolin sighed in disappointment, "Fine, I’ll go, my deskmate doesn’t believe I have abs. I have to show her!!"
Although Chu Yin hadn’t actually asked him to show off, Song Zhaolin couldn’t stand being underestimated by a pretty girl!
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
Looking up, he met Lu Zhen’s icy gaze and instinctively shivered.
"You?" Lu Zhen glanced over. "Abs?"
Having been looked down on by a pretty girl and now by a handsome guy, Song Zhaolin felt so wronged he could cry.
I know you have an eight-pack!! But can’t those of us with three or four-pack abs show off a little too? TAT!
This world is so hostile to me!!
Chu Yin really didn’t want to attend the swimming class.
But the class representative had said that skipping would result in point deductions for the class. Although she didn’t have much sense of collective honor, she didn’t want to stand out either.
However, she had no intention of getting into the water. She planned to just show up for roll call, then find a spot to do her exercises.
The rest of Class 5, on the other hand, was excited,
At this age, boys and girls naturally felt curiosity and longing for the opposite sex’s bodies. The boys secretly fantasized about their female classmates in swimsuits, especially Class Flower Fu Mingxuan, as well as girls from other classes. It felt like heaven to them.
The girls, meanwhile, felt a mix of shyness and excitement, the school beauty pageant was about to begin, and this swimming class was the perfect opportunity to show off their figures. Everyone would be paying attention to who had the prettiest swimsuit and the best body.
If they could stand out and impress everyone, they could gather more votes when the school beauty contest began!
Just like the previous public math class, Class 5 and the International Class had swimming class at the same time. Although Lu Zhen hadn’t attended swimming class last year, the girls still held a sliver of hope in their hearts.
As soon as the class before swimming ended, all the girls in Class 5 rushed off, they were heading to the changing rooms at the swimming pool to put on their swimsuits. The boys, while pretending not to care, were actually just as eager. They left the classroom in small groups, heading to the pool.
It wasn’t until halfway through the long break that Chu Yin leisurely set down her exercise book.
Beep, Geography essay question completed. Accuracy rate 95%, [Modify a Single Word] permission obtained! Host, your problem-solving speed has improved!!
Chu Yin had noticed it too, the brain truly becomes more agile the more you study. If only she had studied this diligently in her past life.
She looked up, planning to head to the swimming pool now, but suddenly realized there was still one person left in the classroom.
It was a girl sitting in the front row. Chu Yin remembered her name was Jiang Yan. She had excellent grades and was ranked third in the class. This girl was usually quiet and hardworking, and the two of them had never spoken before.
But today, after Jiang Yan stood up, she glanced over in Chu Yin’s direction and suddenly said, "People who work hard are the most admirable. I really respect you. Don’t pay attention to the rumors going around the grade."
Chu Yin was taken aback. It had been a long time since she had encountered kindness, and she was genuinely surprised. But she quickly responded with a friendly smile, "Okay, thank you."
Jiang Yan probably didn't expect her to be so friendly. After hesitating for a moment, she added, "I don't think there's anything wrong with not being good-looking. It's the act of exposing someone's privacy that's shameful. You need to stay strong and not let it affect you."
Chu Yin was genuinely taken aback this time.
After saying what she had been holding in for so long, Jiang Yan finally felt relieved and left the classroom with her small vocabulary notebook.
Chu Yin, utterly confused, headed to the swimming pool. As she changed in the locker room, she pondered Jiang Yan's words.
From behind the row of lockers opposite, she overheard two girls talking:
"Did you see? The top student in our grade also signed up for the School Belle contest!"
"I saw it, haha. So brave! That photo of hers..."
"It’s really not great. How come Chu Shi is so handsome and Chu Qiuqiu is quite pretty, but she looks like that?"
"Thinking about it gives me chills. Is she even their biological sister?"
"Eww! I’ve got goosebumps. Hurry up and change, class is about to start!"
"..." Chu Yin leaned against the locker, speechless.
She had gathered two important pieces of information: 1. Just like in her past life, some unknown fool had signed her up for the School Belle contest again. 2. Someone was spreading her photo, and it seemed to be some kind of "heavily edited" version.
After thinking it over, Chu Yin felt the most likely culprits were Fu Mingxuan and her crew.
She tapped the system: "Unlock the script."
[Location: Swimming pool. Characters: Class 5 and International Class students.]
[...
Amid the vibrant crowd of girls in swimsuits, Chu Yin, wearing a professional black swimsuit under a white T-shirt and a face mask, stood out like a sore thumb.
After showing off their figures on the poolside, the girls began to get into the water.
Just as Chu Yin was about to find a quiet spot to study, Xing Lan approached her with a smile and asked, "Chu Yin, why aren’t you getting in the water?"
Chu Yin replied, "I’m afraid of the cold," and tried to leave, but Xing Lan gave her a light push. Caught off guard, she stumbled and fell into the pool.]
Chu Yin: "..."
This scene hadn’t happened in her past life. She guessed that Xing Lan and the others had been scheming all along, just to make her take off her mask and reveal her face.
But pushing someone into the water was so childish, even malicious.
What if she couldn’t swim? What if there were no teachers around?
Many things in this novel world defied logic, unexplained hostility, framed accusations, Chu Yin had experienced too much of it in her past life. Fortunately, this time around, she had a pen that could rewrite things, and she had no intention of going easy on these people.
She asked the Study System, "How many permissions do I have left in my account?"
Study System: "[Single Character], [Single Word], [Single Sentence], one use each. Host, would you like to use the [Modify Single Sentence] privilege?"
Chu Yin thought for a moment: "No, that would be too wasteful."
She only needed to change three characters in total.
Study System had full confidence in its host's script-altering abilities and was eagerly anticipating the outcome.
Moving the light pen to the phrase "Xing Lan gave a gentle push," Chu Yin changed "gentle push" to "slipped underfoot."
She kept one "one," modified one character and one word, perfect.
Study System: "As expected of you!! [Thumbs up]"
With the plot altered, Chu Yin felt relieved. She slipped a loose white T-shirt over her black swimsuit and entered the swimming pool area.
By the poolside, the fierce competition for attention had already begun.
Fu Mingxuan wore a carefully selected swimsuit, innocent yet slightly revealing, with a hint of sexiness, making several boys from Class 5 blush. The international class students were across from them; Chu Qiuqiu also had a nice figure. Though not tall, she was well-proportioned.
The boys were quietly discussing who to vote for as school belle once the voting system opened tomorrow.
Seeing Chu Yin's plain attire, Class 5 students were used to it. Fu Mingxuan and Xing Lan exchanged a glance and secretly made a hand signal.
Class was about to start when another commotion erupted at the entrance.
"Lu Zhen!!"
"Brother Zhen is here, ahhh!"
"Ahhh, I need to suck in my stomach, remind me not to relax!"
Lu Zhen was also wearing a T-shirt, tall with long legs, his exposed forearms showing firm, well-defined muscles. He looked lazy, as if he didn't care, but his gaze swept across the entire venue.
Spotting the slender figure hiding at the back of Class 5, the corner of his lips curled up slightly.
After Lu Zhen arrived, the atmosphere in the venue shifted again. The girls from Class 5 kept glancing over, sucking in their stomachs, puffing out their chests, and constantly adjusting their hair. Only Chu Yin kept her head down, staying inconspicuous within the group.
The swimming teacher approached with the attendance sheet, took roll call, confirmed Class 5 was all present, and began the lesson.
After warm-up exercises, the teacher gave a few instructions, then let students who could swim practice freely, while those who couldn't swim came to her for guidance.
As the crowd dispersed, Fu Mingxuan pinched Xing Lan, who suddenly exclaimed: "Ah, Chu Yin! Why are you still wearing a mask?"
Instantly, all eyes turned to Chu Yin.
The teacher also looked over and frowned slightly: "Student, you can't wear a mask during swimming class."
Chu Yin quickly coughed twice, feigning weakness: "Teacher, I have a cold and don't want to infect my classmates."
"Is that so..." The teacher didn't press further, considering the girl was still attending class despite being sick.
But Fu Mingxuan and the others knew she was lying! Chu Yin wasn't sick, she always wore a mask!
This only strengthened their belief that Chu Yin must be extremely ugly, too afraid to show her face.
Thinking about their upcoming plan, both of them grew excited, especially Fu Mingxuan. With Lu Zhen right there, if he saw her ugly face, would he still pay any attention to this country bumpkin?
Seeing the teacher busy teaching others to swim, Chu Yin planned to slip away and study. She deliberately stayed far from the pool's edge, but the two had meticulously planned this for too long to let her escape.
Xing Lan ran over, affectionately pulling Chu Yin toward the poolside. "Chu Yin, why aren't you getting in the water?"
Chu Yin kindly reminded her, "The floor is slippery, be careful."
Xing Lan wasn't paying attention to that at all. She smiled and said, "It's fine," then reached out toward Chu Yin's back,
But Chu Yin, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, suddenly dodged to the side.
Meanwhile, Xing Lan's feet slipped with a "squeak," and she flew out, landing in the pool with a "bang" like a bomb.
Chu Yin wiped the water splashed into her eyes. "I told you to be careful. Sigh."
She shook her head and had just turned around when she suddenly saw Fu Mingxuan holding a bucket from who knows where. A sense of foreboding rose in her heart.
Fu Mingxuan grinned and splashed the water down on her with a "splash." "Classmate Chu, let's play in the water together!!"
Chu Yin: "!"
The script didn't tell her there was a Plan B?!
The bucket of water drenched Chu Yin thoroughly, even washing her mask down a little.
Chu Yin wiped her face, then swept her wet hair back, revealing her fair, smooth forehead and delicate brows and eyes.
She was genuinely angry now.
This idiot.
Fu Mingxuan had already lunged forward, her fingers going straight for Chu Yin's mask. "Oh, you can't wear a wet mask!"
In her past life, trapped among the top tycoons, self-defense skills were essential, and many moves were taught to her by Lu Zhen. As Fu Mingxuan's hand shot out, Chu Yin raised her arm to block, twisting her wrist and pressing it down!
Fu Mingxuan couldn't withstand it and immediately cried out in pain.
The commotion quickly drew the attention of those around them.
"What's going on?!"
"Whoa, are they fighting?!"
"Who and who?!"
Hearing the noise, Lu Zhen turned around and saw the scene. His face instantly darkened as he strode over.
Fu Mingxuan, for her part, was desperate. Today, she had to make Chu Yin show her face!
Summoning all her strength, her captured hand suddenly swung toward Chu Yin's face, grabbing the precarious wet mask and yanking it down hard!,
Show yourself, ugly freak!
The mask's ties snapped, and it fell to the ground, finally revealing Chu Yin's face.
Fu Mingxuan, initially ecstatic, suddenly froze.
Not just her, the surrounding onlookers seemed to have been collectively muted, falling silent all at once.
Under the mask, there was no large nose or protruding mouth.
Only a petite face, fair and radiant like fine porcelain. Her nose bridge was elegant and delicate, her lips a vivid red with a charming lip bead resting on her upper lip. This lower half of her face, combined with the brows and eyes revealed beneath her wet hair, was breathtaking.
It formed a complete and stunningly beautiful face.
At that moment, Lu Zhen’s icy voice rang out from behind: "What the hell are you doing?"
He was speaking to Fu Mingxuan.
Chu Yin’s heart trembled. She immediately lowered her head and walked toward the locker room.
She couldn’t let him see her.
Everyone around seemed stunned, staring at her face, and no one dared to stop her.
Just then, Song Zhaolin suddenly darted out and grabbed Chu Yin’s arm: "Sis! Are you okay?!"
Caught off guard, Chu Yin was spun around and turned back to face the front.
Then, directly and unmistakably, she met Lu Zhen’s pitch-black eyes.