Downstairs, He Zhenghe had just finished calling the school and was now dialing the private doctor, asking them to come and check on He Shichen’s injuries.
Yu Xin and Aunt Li also came downstairs to check on He Shichen.
Fortunately, he was not seriously hurt, just had a shallow scratch on his face, like he had been scratched by a cat.
Yu Xin anxiously looked over He Shichen. “Silly boy, if you need anything, just tell Aunt Li. Why would you use a glass cup to hold boiling water!”
Aunt Li blamed herself. “Oh dear, it’s all my fault. I forgot to tell you that this machine in the kitchen is not for daily drinking water; the water temperature is extremely high…”
The machine was meant for kitchen use. There was also a water purifier outside. If he had not been looking for a cup, He Shichen wouldn’t have gone into the kitchen.
The kitchen was a mess, and He Shichen looked disheveled. Amid the adults’ concern, he felt awkward and embarrassed, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into, while an infinite sense of confusion welled up within him.
This must be a coincidence.
He initially thought Chu Qianli was out for revenge, then suspected she was naive, and now felt she was a spy, remotely controlling the glass to explode. He couldn’t understand it; in a family feud, shouldn’t it be a battle of wits? Why resort to physical fights on the first day?
His mind was in chaos, and he suddenly felt extremely exhausted, even entertaining the thought of “let the world be destroyed.”
Upstairs in the bedroom, Chu Qianli was quite satisfied with her new room. It had ample natural light, a soft and spacious bed, and a high-end, stylish wooden bookshelf and desk. In the corner, there was a comfortable blanket and cushion where she could curl up to read or play games.
The bedroom also had a walk-in closet and an en-suite bathroom. Her belongings were already properly arranged, though she didn’t have many to begin with. She lay down on the big bed, feeling very content.
Chu Qianli had transmigrated into a book world for many years and finally began living a wealthy life, which somewhat eased the loss of leaving the village.
She had been a once-famous but short-lived astrologer, reborn in this world with memories of her past life, now named Chu Qianli. She quickly noticed something unusual about her new body and used a star chart to deduce the life trajectory of the original body.
This trajectory was very similar to that of a novel character, even having the same name, Chu Qianli.
Chu Qianli was a supporting character in a strong-female protagonist novel. Due to an accident, she had been separated from the He family for many years and developed a timid and weak personality in the village. After reuniting with her family, she fell for He Shichen, who had taken great care of her.
He Shichen’s kindness stemmed from guilt, as he indeed believed she was harmless, but the original supporting character mistook it for love. She had never seen such a handsome man before and lived under the same roof with him every day, making it hard to suppress her excited feelings, even hoping her biological parents would help match them.
Her parents initially thought it was a good idea, but it triggered He Shichen’s rebelliousness, leading to a series of unfortunate events. The supporting character, just a supporting character, was not the male lead’s type.
In the end, He Shichen chose to sever ties with the He family. He left the mansion alone and started from scratch outside. The original supporting character frequently went to find He Shichen after he left, but this only pushed him further away and made him even more unwilling to return to the He family.
Of course, these were the original novel’s plotlines and had nothing to do with the current Chu Qianli.
She wasn’t sure if this was truly the world from the book or a time-space similar to the novel. After all, she had memories from the moment she was born and was taken away by her grandfather right after leaving the swaddling clothes. She had never lived with He Shichen’s parents.
Her grandfather, He Shichen’s maternal great-uncle, was a somewhat well-known feng shui master in the village. He had never married, had no children, and never contacted his relatives, yet he had come to the door unexpectedly.
“You can’t raise this child. She has a reason for being here.”
People who study destiny might have some mutual understanding. Although Chu Qianli and her grandfather were not from the same system, they inexplicably communicated well and shared common interests. Her playing cards were also bought by her grandfather, who regretfully discovered that she didn’t like using the compass.
Not long before Chu Qianli’s true identity was revealed, her grandfather passed away peacefully one day, with a calm and amiable expression on his face.
Those who understand destiny see through many things. They both calculated the day of farewell but tacitly said nothing about it.
Everyone comes to this world to improve themselves and find the meaning they pursue in this life. Her grandfather had already completed his journey perfectly, obtaining everything he wanted. What lay ahead was her solitary path.
Chu Qianli shuffled the cards at the table, believing that there was a reason she came here. Both she and her grandfather were convinced of this, but she hadn’t figured it out yet and needed to wait for the critical moment.
On the table, the playing cards were turned over one by one, forming combinations that answered the question in her heart.
Chu Qianli sighed lightly. “So, it’s still not possible…”
She would divine the same question every so often, but the answer had never changed over the years.
The right time, place, and people had not yet arrived.
The next day, Chu Qianli woke up early. She enjoyed breakfast at the dining table and greeted He Shichen amiably, “Brother, are you feeling better today?”
She indeed had no prejudice against the original book’s male lead. Whether it was her previous life’s star chart or the current body’s star chart, the synastry chart with He Shichen was quite good.
Moreover, from his personality, he wouldn’t make things difficult for harmless people, so she took the initiative to greet him, at least keeping up appearances.
Chu Qianli didn’t know that in He Shichen’s mind, she was unfathomable and had nothing to do with the word “harmless.”
He Shichen looked at her feigned sincerity with complex feelings, his face still bearing scars. He couldn’t lose his temper in front of his parents, so he replied, “A bit better.”
Chu Qianli: “Oh, that’s good. Your fortune this week…”
He Shichen immediately changed the subject, calmly saying, “Dad, have you finished the paperwork for my sister?”
If Chu Qianli’s predictions continued to come true, He Shichen’s mental state would collapse. He really didn’t want to listen to her.
He Zhenghe replied warmly, “It’s all done. Qianli, you’ll go to school later to get your uniform and textbooks, and you’ll be in the same class as your brother, so you can be at ease.”
Chu Qianli nodded obediently. “Mm, I’m very at ease.”
He Shichen subconsciously swallowed, now feeling inexplicably uneasy.
He didn’t know if the exploding glass was a coincidence or a meticulously planned scheme by her.
At the gate of the private high school, the He family’s car dropped them off.
He Shichen handed Chu Qianli over to the teacher and quickly walked away, not wanting to stay a moment longer. He wanted to get back to the crowded classroom as soon as possible and keep a cautious distance from Chu Qianli, fearing a bizarre accident if they were alone.
Chu Qianli followed the teacher to the storeroom to get her uniform and textbooks. After changing in the dressing room, she came out, surprising the waiting teacher.
The teacher looked at Chu Qianli, who was wearing pants, and asked in astonishment, “Why aren’t you wearing the skirt?”
The high school’s girls’ uniform was a preppy skirt, but Chu Qianli had taken the boys’ pants from the storeroom.
Chu Qianli looked down at her pants, not knowing there were two types of uniforms, and answered confusedly, “Because I’m wearing pants?”
Since she was already wearing pants, there was no space for a skirt. Should she layer it over?
The teacher, amused by her, said with a chuckle, “Alright, if you want to wear that, it’s fine.”
With her short, somewhat ragged haircut, the teacher assumed she preferred wearing pants.
In the classroom, Chu Qianli stood on the podium with her short, choppy hair and wearing pants, presenting a stark contrast to her classmates and giving a strong impact to those around her.
Most students in the class were from prestigious backgrounds or wealthy families and cared deeply about their personal image. They had never seen such an odd classmate!
In the front row, Ruan Ya scrutinized Chu Qianli, then tentatively leaned towards someone nearby and whispered, “Is this a boy? A girl?”
People around looked at He Shichen, puzzled, “Is that your brother? Sister? Brother-sister? Sister-brother?”
He Shichen: “…”
He Shichen thought to himself, Great, her bizarre methods of embarrassing me are increasing. I’m on the brink of social death.
He silently cursed his parents for not paying enough attention to their biological daughter. They should have had her hair fixed before sending her to school. This was an utter disgrace to the entire He family!
The homeroom teacher spoke gently, “This is our new classmate. Please introduce yourself.”
Chu Qianli said confidently, “Hello everyone, my name is Chu Qianli.”
As soon as she finished speaking, some students whispered, clearly surprised, “Ah, she’s not surnamed He. Didn’t they acknowledge her?”
“Is the He family falling apart?”
“Don’t say that, He Shichen is still here…”
The students’ social circles weren’t very large, and having heard rumors about the He family, they couldn’t help but watch the drama unfold.
Chu Qianli didn’t look like an heir, and her attire wasn’t proper. He Shichen, of course, looked much more fitting. If a conflict arose between them, perhaps the He family would indeed fall apart.
He Shichen’s eyes darkened. He did have the idea of competing with Chu Qianli but couldn’t tolerate others belittling the He family. He had a strong sense of family honor and blamed her in his heart for causing disgrace.
Chu Qianli’s introduction was very brief. The homeroom teacher patiently guided her, “Is that all? You can also talk about your study plans or the school you want to apply to in the future.”
Chu Qianli was taken aback, “Can I choose not to study?”
She just wanted to study the stars. After all, the company was managed by the male lead, so she felt she didn’t need to study.
Everyone has different ways to realize their life’s value, and she had already found the most suitable path for herself. There was really no need to struggle in areas she wasn’t good at.
In short, she wasn’t very smart and could only understand things related to stars.
The homeroom teacher broke into a sweat and awkwardly said, “Ah, why wouldn’t you study?”
Chu Qianli replied calmly, “As long as I don’t study, no one will discover that I’m not smart.”
Homeroom teacher: “?”
The homeroom teacher, maintaining his good temper, said, “But if you don’t study, then future work…”
Chu Qianli responded, “As long as I don’t work, no capitalist can exploit me.” Plus, she could exploit the male lead.
Homeroom teacher: “???”
Classmates exclaimed, “That makes so much sense…”
Everyone was stunned by Chu Qianli’s profound insights, unsure whether she was smart or not.
He Shichen, unable to tolerate it any longer, stood up to stop this embarrassing farce, saying gruffly, “Teacher, let’s start the class. My sister just came back and is not quite used to things yet.”
He Shichen didn’t want to deal with Chu Qianli, but he didn’t want her to continue tarnishing the family’s reputation. After all, she was the He family’s long-lost daughter, recognized and returned!
He had worked hard to uphold the He family’s reputation for so many years, not for it to be ruined by her in one day!
He Shichen’s timely intervention allowed the homeroom teacher to wrap things up, saying helplessly, “Alright, then take the seat by the window.”
Chu Qianli looked towards the seat at the back. She had no complaints about the secluded spot and carried her textbooks over to the desk.
Her new deskmate was a chubby boy who sat awkwardly on the outside, wanting to move inward but feeling a bit uncomfortable.
The other students watched this scene with glee, knowing that the chubby boy never had a deskmate because others disliked being squeezed next to him.
Seeing his panic, Chu Qianli said gently, “You don’t have to move. I want to sit by the window.”
Wang Zheng, nearby, mocked, “You probably can’t squeeze past the big chubby!”
The chubby boy’s expression darkened. He stood up to make way, saying, “I still…”
Chu Qianli swiftly squeezed past her deskmate, establishing her territory at the window seat. She looked back at the speaker and raised an eyebrow, “Who said I can’t squeeze through?”
Wang Zheng pouted, and the chubby boy was taken aback.
Chu Qianli asked, “What’s your name?”
Wang Zheng interrupted again, “Just call him Big Chubby!”
Ignoring Wang Zheng, Chu Qianli asked again, “What’s your name?”
“…Tan Muxing.”
The bear-like chubby boy had a gentle disposition. Seeing her hesitation, he decided to show her the name on his textbook.
Chu Qianli praised, “Nice name.” It had stars in it, which she liked.
Tan Muxing was a bit surprised and stammered, “Thank you.”
He couldn’t help but secretly observe Chu Qianli as she organized her textbooks. He initially thought the new classmate was slightly rebellious, but she seemed unexpectedly easy to get along with.
After a moment of hesitation, Tan Muxing kindly suggested, “Actually, you can ask the teacher to change your seat and get a different deskmate. It might be inconvenient with me.”
Given his large size, Tan Muxing took up a lot of space, making daily activities less convenient for Chu Qianli. He wasn’t sure why the teacher placed her next to him. Knowing the class’s reluctance to sit beside him, he suspected the teacher might be punishing her for her earlier remarks.
Chu Qianli casually replied, “It’s convenient, very convenient. I won’t change my deskmate.”
Tan Muxing was puzzled, “Huh?”
Chu Qianli piled her textbooks on the desk, then turned to her new deskmate and said, “Please move a bit closer to me.”
Tan Muxing, bewildered but compliant, did as she asked.
Chu Qianli nestled herself in the triangular space formed by the window, her textbooks, and Tan Muxing. Using the stack of books and her deskmate’s body to hide herself, she comfortably lay on the desk and cheerfully said, “Goodnight.”
Tan Muxing reminded her, “It’s morning.”
Chu Qianli, resting her head on her arms, smoothly changed her greeting, “Good morning.”
The next second, she peacefully closed her eyes, openly taking a nap.
Tan Muxing: “?”
Once the homeroom teacher left, no one noticed Chu Qianli sleeping during class. Even the teacher didn’t realize the new student was present, as she hid behind Tan Muxing like an invisible person.
All of this infuriated He Shichen. She had been assigned the worst seat in the class and still didn’t make any effort, choosing instead to sleep!
Yesterday at home, Chu Qianli was so spirited. How could she be so unmotivated outside? Did she want to tarnish the family’s reputation just to spite him?
Chu Qianli had three methods to kill He Shichen: 1. Blow him up; 2. Cause his social death; 3. Make him die of anger.
And the lethality of these methods increased progressively from low to high.
During the break, Tan Muxing glanced at the still-sleeping Chu Qianli by the window, then saw He Shichen approaching with a stern expression, which made him nervous. Previously, no one paid attention to him sitting there, but Chu Qianli’s arrival had drawn a lot of attention.
He Shichen was the top student in the class, ranked among the best in the grade. Though he had declined the position of class president, he had significant influence in the class. Despite everyone coming from wealthy families, the former heir of the He family stood out, not only because of his family background but also because of his own excellence.
Of course, the current heir of the He family was sleeping beside Tan Muxing, oblivious to the former heir’s furious approach.
He Shichen said calmly, “Excuse me, please move a bit.”
Tan Muxing leaned back, feeling caught in a dilemma.
Impatiently, He Shichen knocked on Chu Qianli’s desk. Seeing that she was deeply asleep and unresponsive, he finally gave her a slight shake and coldly said, “Wake up.”
Chu Qianli groggily looked up at him, completely unaware of why He Shichen was so upset.
Facing his oblivious opponent, He Shichen wanted to scold her for disgracing the He family, but he had never been good at harsh words. He finally managed to say stiffly, “The He family has never had someone as lazy and unambitious as you!”
He thought this was harsh enough.
His father, He Zhenghe, was extremely capable, working all day and still studying at night. His mother, Yu Xin, was highly educated and had profound insights into art, never a shallow, ignorant person.
He Shichen had always been strict with himself and believed that Chu Qianli should also strive hard; otherwise, how could she manage such a large enterprise?
Chu Qianli: “?” What did he mean by that? No lazy people at home?
Chu Qianli casually replied, “Oh, well now there is one. I’m quite special.”
He Shichen: “!!?” Do you have no shame?
He Shichen had never encountered a brat like this before and had no experience in educating others. He could only sternly warn her, “I don’t want to see you sleeping in the next class.”
Chu Qianli promised, “I won’t sleep.”
Hearing this, He Shichen’s expression softened a bit, and he returned to his seat satisfied.
