Chapter 4

After transmigrating, Shen Yu hadn't been lazy either, attending school on time every day. At first, she worried that some of her habitual small actions might make others notice her strangeness, but after a few days, she was no longer concerned about this issue. The original owner's presence in the class was so low it couldn't get any lower, to put it bluntly, others couldn't even be bothered to look at her, treating her as if she were invisible.
Shen Yu couldn't quite understand it. How exactly had the original owner managed to isolate herself to this extent? Could this level of low self-esteem be bordering on depression?? This was beyond Shen Yu's comprehension.
Before transmigrating, Shen Yu was a professional dancer. During her school days, she excelled academically and gained some fame for her performance of "Ode to Dunhuang." After graduation, she was selected to become an actress and was well-loved for her stunning appearances in period costumes. Later, she starred in several popular historical dramas. Though her popularity couldn't compare to that of A-list celebrities, she was still considered a third or fourth-tier rising star. At events, whether the attendees were genuine fans or not, security had to be called to maintain order. She even heard she was voted the second most beloved female star by otaku in the annual rankings.
Whether during her student days or after entering the entertainment industry, Shen Yu had always received a fair amount of attention. She was accustomed to it and even enjoyed being in the spotlight.
Being completely ignored and ostracized like this was a situation Shen Yu had never encountered before, and it left her feeling a bit unsettled. However, she wasn't one to complain about fate. Since she had transmigrated and taken over the original owner's life, she needed to adjust her mindset and face reality.
That said, she didn't plan to make any drastic changes immediately. Although she had become invisible and friendless, she could focus wholeheartedly on her studies without anyone disturbing her or having to put effort into socializing. In fact, aside from dealing with that lunatic Shen Xiao, this period after transmigrating had been the most peaceful and tranquil time of her life.
But obviously, there were still people who couldn't stand to see her too at ease. Shen Yu looked up and scrutinized this Bai Muyu. The book mentioned that the Bai sisters were exceptionally beautiful, the older sister had become popular in the entertainment industry, and the younger sister was no less striking. The younger sister had a stubborn, competitive personality but lacked her sister's cunning, making her prone to offending others.
Now, seeing her in person, this person really was unpleasant. Right off the bat, she called someone "fat." So what if she was a bit chubby? It wasn't like she was eating her family's rice!
Although Shen Yu also felt a bit dissatisfied with her own chubby body, she couldn't stand others looking down on her. A surge of anger flared up inside her, and her gaze toward Bai Muyu sharpened noticeably.
Bai Muyu was still there, looking smug. Bullying this pitiful creature had become one of her daily pleasures. Whenever she ran into her, she couldn't resist coming over to taunt her. But today's Shen Yu seemed a little different, her eyes didn't seem quite right.
Before, when she looked at Shen Yu, her gaze was always evasive, unwilling to meet others' eyes, as if she were a thief. Sometimes she would even lower her head to avoid others' stares. But today, not only did Shen Yu dare to meet her gaze, but her eyes also seemed sharp and forceful, as if they had substance.
Had this person taken the wrong medicine today??
The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds, eyes locked in a silent battle of wills. The classmate beside them, oblivious to the tension, nudged Bai Muyu and said, "The teacher is coming soon. Don’t cause trouble, find a seat quickly and tell me about your trip to Europe."
So, the two of them randomly found seats near Shen Yu and began speaking in hushed tones. The surrounding classmates, familiar with Bai Muyu, gathered around to listen.
Shen Yu, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but overhear. She learned that Bai Muyu had been absent from class for the past few days because she had made a cameo appearance in her sister’s TV drama and then spent some extra time traveling there.
Her classmates were envious. "You’re so lucky to have a sister like that! Muqing is trending again lately. I heard she’s going to endorse Shen Corporation’s products."
Bai Muyu curled her lip and said, "I’ll definitely be even more famous than my sister in the future. It’s just a domestic brand, I don’t care for it. I’ll only endorse international brands!"
One of her classmates teased her, "You’re just bragging! But is that necklace new? It’s so pretty."
Bai Muyu immediately perked up. "It’s from Tiffany. Beautiful, right? My sister had it custom-made, but it didn’t suit her style, so she gave it to me."
"Wow, custom-made? Was it expensive?"
Bai Muyu lifted her chin proudly. "Not too expensive, just tens of thousands."
"Oh my god! That’s not expensive?!"
Everyone marveled at how wealthy her family must be.
Shen Yu raised an eyebrow, unfazed, and calmly opened her book to focus on the content. For her, the most luxurious and valuable thing right now was professional knowledge, everything else was superficial.
As Bai Muyu chattered on, she suddenly remembered Shen Yu, the usual target of her taunts, and called out to her, "Hey, Fatty Shen, have you ever heard of Tiffany? Want to borrow it? But with your thick neck, you probably couldn’t even wear it."
As soon as she finished, the group burst into laughter, as if the louder they laughed, the clearer the line they drew between themselves and Shen Yu.
Shen Yu took several deep breaths to keep her emotions in check.
In that moment, she didn’t just feel like she had entered the original host’s body, she had merged with her soul. She could vividly sense the host’s past emotions: the insecurity, helplessness, and anger, as well as the malicious attacks from the outside world.
A child picked up from the trash heap, starved for love, raised in an indifferent environment, with a psychotic brother at home and classmates at school who delighted in personal attacks, it was no wonder she had developed such an introverted personality.
Understanding this, Shen Yu could no longer stand apart and look down on the original host. Instead, she felt a deep ache of empathy, because in that moment, she was the original host, and the original host was her.
When she returned home in the afternoon, she didn’t run into Shen Xiao. According to Uncle Li, Shen Xiao had social engagements and would be staying at a private club for a couple of days. Shen Yu breathed a sigh of relief. If Shen Xiao were home, she was afraid she’d have nightmares about that psycho every night.
Dinner was once again just her and Uncle Li. Even with so few people, Uncle Li didn’t cut corners. Instead, he prepared many exquisite dishes. In his eyes, eating was the most important thing.
Uncle Li ladled her a bowl of soup and said, “You mentioned this morning that you wanted to move out. Is that true? Are you brave enough to live alone?”
Shen Yu replied obediently, “It’s in a neighborhood near the school, mostly students live there, and there’s a police station nearby. It’s very safe.”
Uncle Li nodded and sighed, saying, “If you think moving out will make you happier, then go ahead.”
Shen Yu looked up in surprise and asked Uncle Li, “Did you mention this to my brother?”
“Before the young master left this morning, I mentioned it briefly, saying you’ve been too busy with your studies and wanted to live closer to the school,” Uncle Li said.
Shen Yu pressed anxiously, “Was he angry? What did he say?”
Uncle Li shook his head. “The young master wasn’t angry. He just said, ‘I know,’ and then left.”
“’I know’? Does that mean he agreed?”
“Probably. If he didn’t agree, he would’ve lost his temper.”
Shen Yu widened her eyes in disbelief. She never expected things to go so smoothly, without her even having to speak to Shen Xiao directly. Had she really managed to slip through so easily?
This was undoubtedly the biggest surprise since she had transmigrated!
But could it really be this simple? That guy was a lunatic! Had he really given her silent permission to leave? Who would feed his cherries then? Ugh, why did she have such a strange thought?!
After spacing out for a moment, Shen Yu still felt a bit uncertain. “Can I really move out?”
Uncle Li thought for a moment and said, “The young master’s temper is unpredictable. He might agree today and change his mind tomorrow. If you really want to move out, it’s best to do it while he’s away these next couple of days. Is it hard to find a place? Do you have enough money? I can give you some more.”
Shen Yu waved her hands repeatedly. “I have enough money.”
Uncle Li then made the decision. “Then pack your things. I’ll drive you when the time comes.”
The thought of being able to escape the Shen family and that lunatic Shen Xiao made Shen Yu heave a huge sigh of relief. Her heart felt as if clouds had parted, letting in a sense of lightness and clarity.