Chapter 17

The person who came to team up with Shen Yu was none other than Bai Muyu, the very person she had confronted head-on.
Even without thinking too hard, it was obvious this woman was here to cause trouble.
Shen Yu guessed that Bai Muqing probably hadn’t mentioned her identity to her younger sister yet, nor did she know about the conflict between the two sisters. Otherwise, Bai Muqing would surely have put a stop to Bai Muyu’s childish behavior, after all, Bai Muqing hadn’t yet managed to cozy up to Shen Xiao, and Shen Yu was still someone she wanted to curry favor with.
Bai Muyu, completely unaware of these complicated dynamics, seized every opportunity to pick on Shen Yu.
Shen Yu found it quite annoying. There were so many people in the class, and a few had no connection to Bai Muyu, yet Bai Muyu fixated on her relentlessly. Anyone unaware of the situation might think Shen Yu had stolen Bai Muyu’s man!
Naturally, she rejected Bai Muyu’s offer to team up on the spot. Without even looking at the script, she knew it couldn’t be anything decent!
As autumn set in, the weather gradually turned cooler. Every time Shen Yu went out, she had to layer a thin jacket over her long-sleeved shirt. The originally loose clothes hung even more loosely on her, looking like a sack with no aesthetic appeal whatsoever. Many of her pants no longer fit, especially those with elastic waistbands, they would definitely slide right off.
All these signs indicated that she had truly lost weight. Under the supervision of Shen Xiao and a group of children, and tormented by fruit salads, she had shed a significant amount of weight, and her face had slimmed down considerably.
Stepping on the scale, the number 60 kilograms pleased her quite a bit. This weight was even lighter than the standard for her height, but it wasn’t her ultimate goal, she still needed to lose a bit more.
On Wednesday morning, there were no classes, but Shen Yu still made a trip to school. With the exam date approaching and her partner situation still unresolved, she needed to discuss it with the teacher to see if she could switch to a solo performance or something similar.
Before leaving, Shen Yu had a hearty breakfast. Uncle Li had prepared Cantonese-style chicken feet, and taking advantage of Shen Xiao still being asleep, she ate a little extra. Now, her stomach felt a bit full. As she walked from the side gate to the office building, she suddenly felt the urge to use the restroom. After a quick glance around, Shen Yu decided to find the nearest restroom.
She remembered there was one at the end of the corridor on the first floor of the office building, so she hurried over.
Inside the restroom, someone was standing in front of the sink, looking in the mirror. Shen Yu didn’t pay much attention, quickly choosing a stall and settling in.
Frowning, she thought back, she had only glanced casually at the person by the sink, but upon reflection, that profile seemed oddly familiar.
After taking care of her business, she stepped out of the stall feeling much lighter and headed to wash her hands, only to freeze in place.
That person was still there.
Shen Yu couldn't resist stealing a glance before stepping forward to wash her hands. The tap water gushed down, splashing tiny bubbles across the back of her hands.
She pursed her lips and asked softly, "Excuse me, are you Yuan Yue?"
The other woman, leaning against the sink playing with her phone, turned her head upon hearing the voice and smiled. "Hello, I'm Yuan Yue."
Shen Yu's heart pounded wildly. Oh my god, this is the female lead of the novel she transmigrated into! The woman whom Situ Yi loved desperately, a character with an innate halo!
Yuan Yue appeared to be around 170 cm tall, very slender, with slightly curly short hair, a pointed face, and large eyes that sparkled with warmth when she looked at people, giving off a gentle vibe.
Noticing Shen Yu standing there dazed after asking the question, Yuan Yue whispered, "Do you want an autograph? Or a photo? But if it's a photo, you can't post it online right away. Wait until I leave the school before you share it."
So, in a daze, Shen Yu ended up taking a photo with her and even got a personalized autograph.
Truthfully, she was just surprised to meet the female lead, it wasn't like she was fan-girling! Besides, Yuan Yue wasn't as famous as Bai Muqing yet. It would only be after she developed a relationship with Situ Yi that she'd be propelled to stardom.
After the photo and autograph, Yuan Yue said, "Is it far from here to the school gate? I got separated from my assistant and I'm a bit lost."
Shen Yu replied, "It's quite a distance to the main gate, but the east side gate is very close. I can take you there."
Yuan Yue's eyes lit up. "That would be really helpful, thank you."
After putting on her hat and glasses, the two left the restroom and headed toward the east side gate.
On the way, Yuan Yue arranged to meet her assistant at the east gate via her phone. By the time they arrived, the assistant's car was already parked there. Yuan Yue thanked Shen Yu several more times before getting into the car, truly a gentle soul.
Watching Yuan Yue's car drive away, Shen Yu turned and walked toward the office building. As she walked, she couldn't shake a strange feeling. If she remembered correctly, this was also Yuan Yue's alma mater. It hadn't been that long since she graduated, how could she be so unfamiliar with the campus? She seemed more like it was her first time here?!
Shen Yu couldn't figure it out and decided not to dwell on it. Shifting her thoughts to her own problems, she pushed the encounter with Yuan Yue to the back of her mind.
The discussion with her teacher didn't go well. The teacher felt she was too isolated and should try to communicate more with friends instead of constantly avoiding people. If she really couldn't find anyone, the teacher offered to ask around among her classmates on her behalf.
Shen Yu felt like crying but couldn't blame the teacher. The teacher genuinely had her best interests at heart, believing her personality wasn't suited for the entertainment industry and that she should change.
Before leaving the office, the teacher casually asked, "Have you lost weight?"
Shen Yu smiled and nodded. "I've been exercising lately."
The teacher nodded approvingly. "That's good. In the entertainment industry, you can't rely solely on acting skills. You also need to pay attention to your appearance. When I first saw you, I knew you had potential."
Shen Yu thought to herself: So it was you, teacher, who admitted the original chubby girl!
After saying goodbye to the teacher, as soon as she stepped out of the teaching building, Shen Yu began to worry again. She had just promised the teacher that she would try hard to find a partner, but no one in the class was willing to talk to her. Where could she find someone? She also forgot to ask the teacher if she could borrow a student from another class.
The next day at school, as soon as Shen Yu entered the classroom, the noisy room immediately fell silent, as if they were whispering secrets they didn't want her to hear. Shen Yu was already used to this atmosphere and ignored it. She looked around for Bai Muyu's figure, this girl hadn't been off filming with the crew recently and had been attending classes.
Bai Muyu was wearing a pink long-sleeved T-shirt and a white miniskirt, looking youthful and vibrant. She was sitting on a desk talking to a male classmate, swinging her long legs, which attracted the attention of many boys.
Shen Yu walked straight toward her and stopped in front of her. "Bai Muyu, let me see the script from the other day."
Bai Muyu turned around in surprise and sneered, "What, have you come to your senses?"
Ignoring her sarcasm, Shen Yu said, "The script."
Bai Muyu raised an eyebrow, jumped off the desk, returned to her seat, rummaged through her bag, and threw a script onto the table. "If you have the guts, take it. Besides me, you definitely won't find anyone else in the class to partner with you!"
Shen Yu brushed off her words, picked up the script, and flipped through it.
The script wasn't long, it was a palace drama, just a short scene of a confrontation between the favored consort and the deposed empress.
From the dialogue between the two characters, it was clear how arrogant the favored consort was and how oppressed the empress felt.
Shen Yu raised an eyebrow and asked, "You're playing the favored consort?"
Bai Muyu laughed. "Of course. You can play the pitiful worm!"
Shen Yu thought for a moment and nodded. "Fine, I'll take the role. But I won't rehearse with you. We'll perform directly in the exam."
Bai Muyu chuckled. "Sure, as long as you don't chicken out!"