It was an ordinary day, yet the atmosphere at Holy Sakura High School was anything but.
Outside the window, the sky was a clear, endless blue, but Classroom A of the senior year felt shrouded in dark clouds. Students whispered among themselves, their gazes frequently darting toward the last row, where an oppressive aura lingered.
The entire senior class—no, the entire school—was buzzing with excitement over one thing:
"Did you hear? Senior Xia Wan is coming back to school today!"
Some were shocked.
"Holy crap! Is that the Xia Wan we’re thinking of? Wasn’t she studying under the piano maestro, Mr. Jonet? Why would she suddenly return?"
"Who knows? Starting tomorrow, everyone better watch out. Anyone who dares stuff gifts or love letters into Yuchi Yan’s desk can expect a little chat with Senior Xia Wan!"
Others were confused.
"Wait, I don’t get it. Who is Xia Wan?"
A kind soul quickly stepped in to explain.
"You don’t know Senior Xia Wan? You must be a freshman. You’ve heard of Yuchi Yan, right? The two-time reigning leader of our school’s F4? Well, Xia Wan is his fiancée!!!"
Meanwhile, the center of all the gossip—the story’s female lead, Xia Wan—was stepping into a rundown barbershop with a sign that read "Haircut: 10 yuan."
An hour later.
A gentle, long-haired girl had walked into the barbershop, but a handsome, short-haired boy walked out.
After rejecting three separate requests from girls asking for his WeChat, Xia Wan stood outside the barbershop, tilting her head at a 45-degree angle to gaze dramatically at the sky. She blinked her beautiful eyes and delivered a classic line: "Is it my fault for being this handsome and rich?"
Two nights ago, Xia Wan had stayed up late reading a clichéd school romance novel about the F4. When she woke up the next morning, she found herself transmigrated into the book.
The story followed Xu Yaoyao, a tenacious commoner girl who enters an elite academy and gets entangled with the F4, eventually ending up in a happily-ever-after with the male lead, F1 Yuchi Yan, despite their class differences.
Xia Wan, however, had become the story’s villainess—Yuchi Yan’s scheming fiancée, who constantly sabotaged the main couple’s relationship before ultimately losing her mind and spending the rest of her days in a mental institution.
After absorbing the plot, a strange voice in her head calling itself "the System" gave her two choices: either earn love or friendship from the F4 to survive. Without hesitation, Xia Wan chose the latter.
Obviously. Why would she risk everything for a man when fate had dropped her into the lap of luxury as a wealthy heiress? Did she look like some lovesick idiot to you?
The System, however, was losing its mind.
[Host, why do you look like a man now?! Don’t forget you’re the villainess!!!]
Xia Wan: "And?"
[The villainess should at least be female, right?!]
Xia Wan smirked. "Think bigger. Remember what task I chose?"
[Earn friendship from the F4.]
"Pure friendship between men and women is rare. To avoid complications, I’m cross-dressing—cutting the problem off at the root. Pretty smart, huh?"
Xia Wan’s father doted on his daughter. Though the request was absurd, he agreed, arranging everything so Xia Wan could enroll under the identity of her "twin brother," Xia Mu.
As long as no one saw Xia Mu and Xia Wan together in a short span, the ruse would hold.
Xia Wan didn’t overthink the logic. Whatever worked.
[...I guess that makes sense.]
The System, successfully brainwashed, could only urge, [Then hurry to school, Host! Today’s your transfer day! You’re already late!]
Xia Wan’s expression turned serious. "Wait. There’s something important I need to do first."
[?]
Half an hour later, Xia Wan stood outside a restaurant.
The System was truly on the verge of a meltdown.
[Your ‘important thing’ is eating?!]
Xia Wan replied matter-of-factly, "People die if they don’t eat. They don’t die from skipping school. Therefore, eating is more important."
[...]
What kind of twisted logic was this?! What kind of host had it gotten stuck with?!
Just as Xia Wan was about to enter the restaurant, an elderly man with snow-white hair and a cane strode past her with surprising speed.
Then, disaster struck. Perhaps in his haste, the old man’s cane slipped on a banana peel, sending him tumbling forward.
Xia Wan: "!!!"
She lunged, arms outstretched to catch him.
The cane spun in a wide arc, twisting the old man’s body mid-fall—straight into Xia Wan’s embrace.
Xia Wan: "..."
Old Man: "..."
Xia Wan looked down at him.
The old man strained to look up at her.
Silence.
The awkwardness was palpable.
Then, thunderous applause erupted from onlookers.
"What quick reflexes!"
"Such strong arms!"
"Handsome and kind-hearted—what a catch!"
"Bravo!"
Old Man: "Young man… could you help me up? My back’s about to snap."
Xia Wan: "Oh! Right."
She quickly steadied him and tossed the banana peel into the trash.
A passerby chimed in, "Sir, you should be more careful. No need to rush."
The old man sighed. "I was just trying to make it in time for the limited-edition corn and pork rib soup at this place. Ah, well… too late now. Say, young man, you haven’t eaten either, have you? There’s a fantastic hot pot place nearby. You youngsters love that stuff, right? Let me treat you as thanks."
Xia Wan didn’t hesitate. "Deal!"
At the hot pot restaurant, the old man proved to be a culinary maestro, timing each ingredient’s boil to the second. His secret dipping sauce made Xia Wan question every hot pot meal she’d ever had. Every bite was perfection, and she couldn’t stop eating.
Watching her enjoyment, the old man set down his chopsticks, beaming. "Young man, since you helped me today, I’ve decided to give you a gift."
Xia Wan’s eyes sparkled. "A gift?"
The old man stroked his nonexistent beard like a sage in a martial arts novel. "Have you heard of Holy Sakura Academy? I happen to be its principal."
"Cough—cough cough!" Xia Wan nearly choked.
The old man chuckled. "No need to be so excited. Since you saved me, consider this your ticket to enroll."
Holy Sakura Academy is the most prestigious private school in the imperial capital. Its fame stems not only from the wealth of its students and the institution itself, but also from its incredibly generous scholarships and the terrifyingly high OP2 rate of its elite class. Whether you're the child of a wealthy family or a student from humble beginnings, people would fight tooth and nail just for an admission letter.
If an ordinary person were to receive an admission letter from Holy Sakura so easily, they’d be overjoyed. But Xia Wan stayed silent for a few seconds before saying, "I’m already a student here."
The old man was taken aback. "I knew it! A bright kid like you must be from our school... Wait, you’re one of ours?"
Xia Wan nodded honestly. "Yeah."
The old man frowned. "Then what are you doing here? It’s class time right now!"
Xia Wan: "..."
And just like that, she’d been caught skipping class by the school principal himself.
Xia Wan could only explain, "I’m a transfer student. I’ll go register after lunch."
The old principal accepted her excuse, and the two continued eating together in harmony.
But then, the system in her mind suddenly started screaming frantically.
[Host! You’ve messed up!!!]
Xia Wan: "?"
[Doesn’t that scene feel familiar to you?]
Xia Wan: "??"
[That was Xu Yaoyao’s destined opportunity!!! She was supposed to save the old principal of Holy Sakura Academy by accident, which would allow her to enroll as a special honors student! But now, because of your interference, it’s all gone!]
[Wahhhh—what do we do now, host?!]
The system’s crying was as loud as eighty parrots screeching around Xia Wan’s head.
Xia Wan: "I’ll just call my dad. Problem solved."
Come on, she was a rich kid. If she couldn’t handle something this small, what kind of rich kid was she?
[No! The female lead won’t accept such an unearned favor, wahhhh—]
Xia Wan: "Shut up. Let me think of another way."
[What way? QAQ]
The system let out a hiccup mid-sob, making Xia Wan grimace in disgust.
After lunch, Xia Wan saw the old man off and returned to the front of the restaurant.
[The female lead is here! She’s really here!]
The system shrieked as the restaurant door swung open. Out walked a girl with twin ponytails, her appearance pure and adorable—the textbook campus sweetheart protagonist.
Their eyes met.
The moment Xu Yaoyao stepped in front of Xia Wan, Xia Wan promptly lay down on the ground, her movements smooth and decisive.
Clutching her waist dramatically, Xia Wan moaned, "Oww, I can’t get up! Is there a kind soul who can help me?"
System: [?]
Xu Yaoyao: "?!"
The system was baffled. [Host, what are you doing?]
Xia Wan replied calmly, "The female lead won’t accept an unearned favor, right? So I’ll just give her a reason."
If Xu Yaoyao helped her up, she could follow the old man’s example and "reward" her with admission to Holy Sakura Academy—problem solved.
The system gasped. [Wow! Host, you’re so smart! Someone as kind as Xu Yaoyao would definitely help you up—]
Before the system could finish, Xu Yaoyao stepped right over Xia Wan.
System: "?"
Xia Wan: "??"
System: [What do we do now, host?]
Xia Wan: "What do we do now, system?"
System: [...]
Xia Wan: "What an interesting woman. She’s successfully caught my attention."
The system screamed: [AHHHHHH HOST! NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR WEIRD LINES LIKE THAT!]
Just then, Xu Yaoyao turned back, giving Xia Wan a complicated look. "Even if you’re really handsome, I’m not giving you my contact info."
Xia Wan: "?"
What was she talking about?
Wait… why did she say "even if"?
At that moment, a boy with a leg cast came limping out of the restaurant. "Yaoyao! Can you write your WeChat ID on my cast? With your love, I’ll recover faster—"
Before he could finish, he spotted Xia Wan lying on the ground.
Boy: "?"
Boy: "En garde, love rival!"
Xia Wan: "...?"
Who the hell are you? Who’s your love rival—wait, let’s talk this out, don’t come any closer!!!
