A New Persona and a Family Confrontation

After rummaging through the dormitory, Jiang Zhe concluded that the original owner of this game body was truly a dull and uninteresting person. There wasn’t even a trace of typical male hobbies like basketball or skateboarding.

Jiang Zhe lowered his gaze to his arm, then reached out to pinch it. His muscles were not at all prominent.

It truly fit the persona of a delicate, slender pretty boy.

Although the game primarily promoted the character’s beautiful and harmless traits, Jiang Zhe himself disliked it. While he didn’t aspire to be rock-hard with muscles, he certainly didn’t want to be as scrawny as a plucked chicken.

Exercising his body needed to be prioritized sooner rather than later.

Considering this, there was plenty to do, so he wouldn’t have to worry about future days being boring.

Afterward, Jiang Zhe didn’t linger in the dormitory. After quickly observing his living environment, he casually grabbed a black hat and put it on. Pulling the brim low, he decided to explore other areas.

Jiang Zhe had no prior impression of Fenghua High School, and a single misstep could expose him.

Learning more was certainly beneficial.

After all, he would be spending a significant amount of time here in the foreseeable future.

As he descended the stairs, Jiang Zhe reactivated his phone. Once the screen lit up, over a dozen missed calls and messages confirmed that turning off his phone earlier had been the correct decision.

It prevented him from being harassed.

After failing to reach Jiang Zhe’s phone, his stepmother, Wang Chunmei, hadn’t continued to harass him. This prompted Jiang Zhe to check the time again; it was already six in the evening, meaning their meeting was likely imminent.

However, these matters were not a major concern for Jiang Zhe.

He continued to check his phone. Upon opening his social media apps, there weren’t many posts on his Moments or Weibo—only about a dozen, mostly consisting of emojis.

He had only a handful of friends, and not even any custom names for them.

‘What a bland life!’

Jiang Zhe disdainfully raised an eyebrow, then checked other apps. There were no online games, only Tetris.

Well, there was no need to look further. The original owner’s life was incredibly dry and boring. No wonder he was so easily deceived by a manipulative ‘white lotus’ like Su Lianlian, mistaking trash for treasure.

Alas, the more he looked at the original owner, the more he wanted to complain. Fortunately, he had transmigrated at the very beginning of the game’s plot. If it had been mid-story, when the original owner’s relationship with Su Lianlian had made substantial progress, Jiang Zhe would have been agonizing over how to sever ties with the female lead.

Thankfully, it was still not too late.

Subsequently, Jiang Zhe left the dormitory building. He studied the school map on a roadside notice board, locating the teaching buildings, dormitories, and dining hall, then observed the positions of other facilities.

Fenghua High School covered a considerable area, boasting a full range of facilities. There were places for eating, drinking, and entertainment, even a golf course.

As private cars were prohibited on campus, school shuttle buses departed every ten minutes. Those unwilling to take the shuttle could opt for bicycles, electric scooters, or skateboards.

After reviewing the map, Jiang Zhe selected an electric scooter and began to wander.

A gentle breeze swept past his ears, causing his loose hair to flutter. The setting sun painted the sky with crimson and gold, and the quiet atmosphere filled him with a sense of ease.

Having transmigrated into the game several hours ago, from initial confusion to shock, and finally to gradual acceptance, Jiang Zhe’s resilience was formidable.

After all, before transmigration, he was a rich, handsome, and successful man; afterward, he was a pitiful underdog.

The disparity was immense, and most people would find it incredibly difficult to adjust in such a short time, their hearts surely brimming with extreme imbalance.

However, in Jiang Zhe’s eyes, wealth and power could be re-accumulated, but life was singular. Compared to being in an urn, his current situation was far from dire.

If the predicament he faced was the price of rebirth, then he wouldn’t mind a more challenging difficulty.

‘Perhaps true contentment comes from a simple life only when one is old.’

After circling the entire school on his scooter, the time shifted to nine o’clock. Streetlights lining both sides of the road had long since illuminated, casting a soft glow all around.

‘Buzz‘

The next moment, his phone vibrated. Jiang Zhe didn’t decline, choosing to answer.

–Jiang Zhe, you’d better not have reported him, or I swear I won’t let you off!

Wang Chunmei’s sharp voice arrived as expected. Jiang Zhe ignored her threat, directly counter-questioning: –Is that all you have to say?

His tone was languid and tinged with doubt, as if he would hang up again if Wang Chunmei simply nodded in affirmation.

He had no desire for idle chatter.

This caused a moment of silence on the other end of the line. Wang Chunmei gritted her teeth, compelled by the circumstances to follow Jiang Zhe’s lead, unable to change direction.

‘How did this damned brat become so difficult to control!’

Now, Jiang Zhe was acting like he had nothing to lose, daring to challenge them because he had no reputation to protect.

Once Jiang Chengcai was caught for embezzlement, in addition to serving a sentence, the misappropriated funds would also need to be repaid.

–I’m already at your school gate. Come out so we can talk in detail. As long as you don’t report your elder brother for embezzlement, I can forgo my monthly stipend.

Just as Jiang Zhe had predicted, Wang Chunmei, unable to maintain the upper hand, reluctantly capitulated.

She adopted a subservient posture, no longer as arrogant as before.

Jiang Zhe didn’t make things difficult for her. He simply replied with ‘Wait,’ then hung up the phone.

A meeting was inevitable; sarcastic remarks were unnecessary. Jiang Zhe merely wished to temporarily distance himself from the Jiang family, hoping that this problematic bunch wouldn’t actively disrupt his life, or at least not mess with the early stages of the game’s plot and increase the difficulty.

However, given Wang Chunmei’s character, even if she compromised, she would still try to trip him up.

Therefore, he couldn’t give her an inch!

After silently deliberating, Jiang Zhe rode his electric scooter to the school gate. Passing beneath the golden, gleaming sign, he saw a middle-aged woman with an anxious expression standing not far away.

Wang Chunmei had captivated Jiang Jianguo back then not just because of her youth, but primarily due to her delicate, pitiable appearance. Now older, she could still be considered a beauty, provided she maintained herself.

However, without inner grace, even beauty could be dull.

Unlike Ning Ran, who was strong, proud, and sharp-tongued, making her truly memorable.

Jiang Zhe raised an eyebrow upon seeing his stepmother from the game. He then parked the electric scooter and immediately walked over to stand opposite her.

Up close, the ferocity on Wang Chunmei’s face was even more pronounced. Her venomous gaze, directed at Jiang Zhe, felt almost tangible, making one’s scalp tingle.

However, Jiang Zhe remained unfazed, maintaining a slight smile.

His mere presence completely suppressed Wang Chunmei, giving her no advantage. He was utterly different from his usual impotently furious yet repressed self, as if he had become another person entirely.

Consequently, Wang Chunmei looked at Jiang Zhe with a mix of surprise and scrutiny.

–Everyone is busy, so let’s get straight to the point. From now on, don’t even think about taking another cent from me.

Jiang Zhe had no intention of playing staring games with Wang Chunmei here, so he wasted no time in directly stating his position. This earned a cold snort from Wang Chunmei, who found her stepson increasingly displeasing.

Being unable to extract more money from Jiang Zhe meant a loss of income for Wang Chunmei. However, as long as Jiang Zhe bore the Jiang surname, he would remain within her grasp.

She just needed to endure it for a while. Once he reached a certain age, she could simply sell him off for money.

This was why Wang Chunmei could bear to give up the stipend; she could gain much more later. There was no need to fuss over petty gains, nor to alert Jiang Zhe and make him wary.

–No problem, but you have to write a guarantee letter.

However, upon hearing Wang Chunmei’s demand, Jiang Zhe gave her a half-smile and directly refused.

–Impossible. Besides no longer receiving the stipend, you also need to return last year’s stipend to me.