A Scholar’s Awakening and a Campus Scandal

Upon looking up, Zhou Yi’s gaze met Xiao Ju’s astonishingly bright eyes. Her other two roommates had also paused their makeup routines, turning in unison to stare at her.

“Oh, my goodness!” Xiao Ju deliberately leaned her face close to Zhou Yi’s. “Comrade Xiao Zhou, you were sleeping so soundly, and yet you called out so smoothly?”

“…You must have misheard,” Zhou Yi’s face darkened. She forced herself to appear calm as she rolled out of bed. “I didn’t say anything just now.”

“Oh, really?” Her other two roommates, with unspoken agreement, crowded around her. “We all heard it, you know~”

Zhou Yi opened her mouth, then swallowed her words. She understood the adage: explanations only serve as cover-ups, making things worse the more one tries to clarify.

Xiao Ju, a mischievous smile playing on her lips, leaned in closer. “Oh, why are you so quiet now? Tell us, is that Brother Chen also surnamed Jiang by any chance?”

“Absolutely not! I was dreaming I was late for class!” Zhou Yi resolved to deny it to the very end.

“Late for class, and ‘Brother Chen’?” another roommate immediately chimed in, delivering a playful jab. “Does your dream have a plotline?”

“Perhaps a ‘Love-Struck Brain’ curriculum?”

“Exactly,” Xiao Ju said, crossing her arms and analyzing with mock seriousness. “Judging by the tone, there was even a hint of coquetry. The emotion was rich, the lines delivered with extreme familiarity. It’s almost certainly an old dream.”

“…I really appreciate you all,” Zhou Yi said, her face expressionless, as she grabbed a pillow and hurled it at them one by one.

The three burst into laughter. Xiao Ju dodged, shouting, “Quick, record this! This material will keep us laughing for an entire semester!”

“Stop, stop, stop! Enough teasing!” Zhou Yi panted, raising her hands in surrender. “Can’t I just buy you guys some bubble tea?”

“Mango Sago with double taro balls?” Xiao Ju raised an eyebrow.

“And add a cheese foam topping!” Zhou Yi added, wincing at the thought of the extra cost.

While the three were engrossed in discussing the menu, Zhou Yi deftly slipped into the bathroom, locking the door behind her with a swift turn of her wrist.

With her toothbrush still in her mouth, she gazed at her flushed cheeks in the mirror, then resignedly turned on the faucet.

From outside, Xiao Ju’s voice came in a dramatic, modulated broadcast: “Breaking news! The individual involved is attempting to cover up the truth with bubble tea. This station will continue to track and report on the developments!”

Zhou Yi’s hand trembled, nearly getting toothpaste foam on her nose. ‘Enough already!’ she thought, exasperated.

Compared to dealing with these imaginative girls, the system’s tasks were undoubtedly simpler.

After finishing her ablutions, she stared at the unruly strands of hair sticking out in the mirror and sighed in despair.

“Xiao Qi! Help! Quick crash course! The simplest outfit and hairstyle for a girl’s daily outing, the more fuss-free, the better!”

[Ding~ Loading “Lazy Beauty Girl’s Crash Course Manual” for the player.]

Zhou Yi stared at the title on the system interface, unable to resist rolling her eyes.

‘Could this shoddy system be any more casual with its naming conventions?’

After a quick scan, she resignedly retrieved a bra from the bottom of her wardrobe and brought it into the bathroom. Following the holographic diagram, she awkwardly fastened the clasps.

[Friendly reminder: Please adjust to a naturally gathered state.]

She stared blankly at the word ‘gathered’. So it wasn’t enough to just put it on; she also had to… adjust it?

Her fingertips hesitantly touched the soft skin of her chest. After completing the adjustment as instructed, the sudden appearance of a deep, alluring curve utterly bewildered her.

‘This… was this the legendary cleavage?’

She stood frozen for a long moment, her eyes fixed on the unfathomable chasm and the dazzling expanse of white skin. She felt all the blood rush to her face.

‘No, this wouldn’t do. If she kept this up, she truly would fall into depravity…’

She snapped back to reality, shaking off the alluring thoughts. Decisively, she dismissed the system’s recommended lace dress option and, on her own accord, pulled out the simplest white T-shirt and straight-leg jeans. The familiar and comforting feel of the cotton fabric finally allowed her to regain a sense of control.

Again facing the mirror, she clumsily combed her unruly hair, managing to tie a reasonably neat low ponytail. A few wisps of hair fell around her neck, adding a touch of casual elegance.

Her gaze swept over the array of bottles and jars on the vanity. After a moment of hesitation, she finally reached for what appeared to be the most innocuous item: a pink lip balm. She twisted it open and haphazardly applied a few swipes to her lips in the mirror.

The delicate pink color bloomed on her lips, and the subtle sheen made her entire face appear brighter.

Her unexpectedly soft-looking face caused her to pause, then she quickly averted her gaze.

‘What kind of behavior was this, admiring herself in the mirror?’

A wave of shame washed over her. She quickly found a high-sounding excuse to console herself: at the very least, until she left this game, she had to maintain the persona of Senior Zhou Yi.

“Let’s go, let’s go, class is starting.” She pulled open the bathroom door, urging her roommates, only to see Xiao Ju leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed.

“Oh my~ Who’s this? Whose little fairy has come online?”

She narrowed her eyes, surveying Zhou Yi from head to toe with a mischievous grin. “This makeup, this aura… could it be that you’re going to meet Brother Chen?”

“Get lost!” Zhou Yi’s earlobes instantly flushed crimson. She snatched her backpack and rushed out the door. “If we dawdle any longer, we’ll be late!”

Her three roommates laughed and followed, Xiao Ju naturally linking her arm through Zhou Yi’s. Zhou Yi’s body stiffened; the soft touch and faint perfume sent shivers down her spine. She quickly reassured herself, ‘They’re all girls, it’s fine, it’s fine.’

Following her roommates, Zhou Yi blended into the junior-year specialized course classroom and calmly took a seat. She had already mentally prepared herself to coast through the entire lecture.

After all, this was a third-year elective. In reality, she was only a sophomore; coming here was practically setting herself up for failure, wasn’t it?

However, five minutes later, she was stunned.

On the podium, the professor was speaking animatedly. “Let’s look at this capital return rate model, and pay attention to its difference from net present value…”

To her astonishment, she could instantly grasp the core of every question the professor posed. Relevant theoretical support and several possible solutions would even spontaneously surface in her mind.

‘It felt as if…’

‘She had been enlightened?’

Zhou Yi’s eyes widened in shock. Now, she was truly dumbfounded.

‘So this “academic prodigy” persona… wasn’t fake at all. It was real!’

She covertly glanced at the junior-year seniors—no, now her classmates—who were diligently taking notes all around her. The corners of her mouth couldn’t help but turn up.

‘Hehehe, so even her brain could be superpowered in the simulator! This system was truly too understanding!’

If only she could bring this photographic memory and quick understanding back to her real life… Then what would she have to worry about? Final exams? Graduate entrance exams? Civil service exams? Professional certifications? Wouldn’t all of them be effortlessly conquered, leading her directly to the pinnacle of success?!

Just imagining that scenario made her so excited she felt as though she was floating.

[Detected player’s emotions are overly elated. Reminder: The mission is not yet complete. Do not assume you are truly a life winner. Please reasonably manage your show-off pace to avoid failure.]

Zhou Yi: “…”

‘Can’t she even dream? Hmph~’

Just then, her shoulder was nudged by Xiao Xia, another roommate from her dorm. Xiao Xia was fair-skinned and clean-cut, a very delicate-looking girl.

Xiao Xia discreetly passed her a phone from under the desk.

Zhou Yi took it and saw the screen displayed Donghai University’s campus forum. Xiao Xia’s fingertip tapped the top trending post:

[Shocking! A certain Senior Zhou from the Business School openly bullies a freshman! Pictures and truth included!]