A Genius Plan

Lu Qingyan opened WeChat, mostly out of habit.

The app loaded in a second, and the top contact immediately caught her attention—pinned with an avatar that screamed "I'm a jerk, block me." It was a side profile photo, clearly taken from behind, probably meant to look artsy but instead gave off strong 'brooding scumbag with daddy issues' energy.

The contact name?

"Dear Big Brother."

Lu Qingyan's eyelid twitched.

"…Dear?" she muttered under her breath, her tone laced with disbelief. "Big Brother?"

That was already weird enough, but the real horror began when she tapped the chat.

Green.

All green.

An endless monologue of one-sided devotion.

The chat was a graveyard of ignored messages, every single one from her—well, the original Lu Qingyan, the girl whose body she'd woken up in.

Whoever she used to be, the girl had apparently mastered the art of bootlicking to an Olympic level.

Big Brother's Little Cotton-padded Jacket:

Big Brother, good morning. Today is another day where I love you~

Big Brother's Little Cotton-padded Jacket:

Big Brother, what are you eating for lunch? I'm eating mashed potatoes~

Big Brother's Little Cotton-padded Jacket:

Big Brother, good evening! I'm flying back to China next week!! [happy cat][happy cat]

There were dozens more. Daily affirmations. Check-ins. Weather updates. Emojis. Hearts. It was a simping spree worthy of a drama.

She scrolled faster, wincing at every line.

Big Brother's Little Cotton-padded Jacket:

Big Brother…

Big Brother's Little Cotton-padded Jacket:

Good morning, big brother. Mother said you should pick me up from the gate later, since today's my first day. [excited][excited]

Then came the grand finale.

The latest message, the cherry on top of the bootlick sundae.

The other side finally returned a message. 

 ——"Your message has been sent, but it was rejected by the other party."

"...Wow."

She was blacklisted. 

All that bootlicking, in the end, it didn't amount to anything.

Was this what despair felt like? So much enthusiasm wasted. So many emojis sacrificed in vain.

"This is tragic," she whispered solemnly, like she was paying her respects. "A whole era of cringe… gone."

Still stunned, she closed the chat and pulled up the map.

Might as well focus on the more pressing issue: survival.

She typed in Liyang Private Academy, and the location popped up. ETA: 5 minutes.

Great. Enough time for a minor existential crisis.

From what she remembered the in the novel, Liyang Private School was famous private school in the country. It had the most advanced teaching equipment, the most comfortable learning environment, and the top teachers. Therefore, the tuition fees here were very expensive. The students who could come here to study were all from rich families. At the same time, the class system here was especially obvious. Before students with a certain amount of power came here to study, they would comb through the school's power network under the guidance of their parents. They had a clear idea of which classmates they should befriend, which classmates they could not offend, and which classmates they had to please. Those with poor family connections could find out who they could not offend. This was the second class. Those who came here through sponsorships could only figure it out themselves and guess. They could even find out the identities of others from other students. This was the third class. There were also special-level sponsorship students.

Although this school was called a private school, it was actually a large social circle created by a consortium and political groups for future heirs and family members. It was very powerful. Students from ordinary families who needed a full scholarship to study here were protected by the school to survive.

Because the school needed to rely on these students' outstanding results to increase their reputation and overall strength, special-grade students usually did not interact with other students.

So to summarize, there were four tiers of students at Liyang:

The Crown Class — Rich kids with powerful families. Born with silver spoons, private drivers, and a network of influence as wide as the Pacific. 

The Connected Class — Not as elite, but still had money and a web of favors to cash in. They knew who to flatter, who to avoid, and who to ignore.

The Guessers — Sponsored students. Middle-class at best, clinging to their scholarships. Always watching their step, learning the rules by trial and error.

The Ghost Class — Special-grade students. Genius-level scholarship holders who were so exceptional that the school protected them like prized mascots… but they rarely socialized.

In short, one of the most expensive, exclusive institutions in the country—less like a high school, more like a runway for future CEOs, heirs, and socialites.

Wang Jingyuan, the tragic character she loved so dearly, was one of those rare special-grade students. Smart. Isolated. Her heart twisted again just thinking about him.

Meanwhile, both she and Lu Mingxuan—the insufferable "Dear Big Brother"—belonged to the "The Crown Class", the top tier.

She was basically standing at the edge of a minefield.

On her walk to school, she tucked her phone into her blazer pocket and sank into thought.

In novels, it didn't matter whether you were friends or strangers with the protagonist or the villains. If you accidentally stepped on their halo the wrong way, you'd still get crushed like a bug.

Especially the villains.

Villains weren't just evil—they were smart, petty, and terrifyingly influential. The protagonist might spare a passerby. A villain? A villain would remember your face for five volumes and get their revenge during the epilogue.

And the worst part?

Lu Qingyan… was neither a protagonist or a villain.

She wasn't even a proper villain, she was just a annoying cannon fodder. From what she recalled, the original Lu Qingyan was vicious and targeted Wang Jingyuan endlessly. The only thing notable about her was being Lu Mingxuan's forgotten annoying sister.

Which meant she had two options.

One: Stay completely out of everyone's way and play invisible.

Two: Suck up to the major characters again—but this time with strategy, not cringe.

She nodded seriously. "That's right. Either avoid trouble… or kiss ass efficiently."

A brilliant plan. Simple. Clean. Genius, even.

She patted herself on the back. "I'm amazing," she whispered with pride.

Just then, her surroundings changed.

She'd arrived.

Lu Qingyan stopped in her tracks, wide-eyed.

The school grounds looked like they belonged in a fantasy RPG. Stone towers. Ivy-covered walls. Fountains shaped like phoenixes. A student building that looked more like a Victorian mansion than an academic institution.

It was breathtaking.

The architecture alone was ridiculous. French windows, Gothic spires, marble staircases… if a castle and a tech startup had a baby, this school would be it.

"It really is a novel world," she whispered, awe in her tone. "Even the air smells like privilege."

But she quickly shook the daze away. No time to get distracted.

Her first stop was the principal's office. 

Before being assigned a class, all new students had to take a placement exam. Apparently, your score determined whether you ended up in a regular class, an honors class, or—if the heavens smiled on you—a special-grade class like Wang Jingyuan.

Lu Qingyan adjusted her uniform, straightened her back, and marched forward.

Her heart was steady.

Because no matter how messed up this world was—rich boys, halos, death flags and all—she had one mission.

Stay alive.

And maybe, just maybe… rewrite a villain's ending.