Chapter 7.2: An Unexpected Heroine

As if drawn by instinct, Bei Xuanyu began walking toward them.

Bei Ling looked alarmed. "Uh-oh. I think she's coming over here."

Shi Mo calmly sipped her soup.

Moments later, Bei Xuanyu stopped at their table.

"Mind if I sit here?" she asked politely, though her gaze was fixed on Shi Mo.

Shi Mo nodded. "Go ahead."

Bei Xuanyu smiled and set her tray down beside her.

There was an odd silence at the table.

Then she turned toward Shi Mo. "You're new, right?"

Shi Mo nodded.

"I've seen you around. You're… Shi Mo?"

"Yes."

"I'm Bei Xuanyu. Third-year, Class 2. We've probably passed each other before."

Shi Mo nodded again, noncommittal.

Bei Ling looked from one to the other, sensing something unusual in the air.

Bei Xuanyu leaned in slightly. "You're roommates with Fu Yunshen, right?"

"Yes."

"What's he like?"

Shi Mo hesitated. "…Quiet."

Bei Xuanyu smiled faintly. "That sounds about right."

She didn't press further, but Shi Mo sensed something behind her polite curiosity. It wasn't interest in Fu Yunshen romantically—not yet. Rather, it felt like observation. As if she was studying her.

After lunch, as Shi Mo was walking back to class, the system's voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

[Ding. Character recognition activated.]

"What now?" she muttered under her breath.

[You've encountered a plot character: Bei Xuanyu, the original female lead of the world you've entered. Status: Potential ally.]

Shi Mo's eyebrows twitched.

"She's the one who's supposed to help Fu Yunshen grow emotionally, right?"

[Correct. In the original timeline, she was crucial to his healing and later became a moral anchor for him. Your interference has now altered that trajectory.]

Shi Mo frowned. "So what? Are you telling me I need to befriend her too?"

[It's recommended. But optional.]

She scoffed. "Optional, my foot. Everything you suggest turns out to be necessary sooner or later."

[I'm merely a support system.]

Shi Mo sighed.

She had originally planned to focus solely on Fu Yunshen—but the world was evolving around her, and she couldn't afford to ignore key players.

Still, one step at a time.

Back in the classroom, Fu Yunshen had his head resting on his folded arms, headphones in, eyes closed.

Shi Mo sat down beside him.

She didn't speak.

She didn't need to.

She just watched him—observing his breathing, the way his jaw clenched slightly in sleep, as if he never truly let his guard down.

It reminded her that behind the mission, behind the numbers and stats on her Brotherhood Panel, was a real person—scarred, defensive, but still human.

And somehow, she felt a flicker of something she hadn't expected:

Empathy.

Maybe even… understanding.

Not romantic. Not emotional.

Just real.

She glanced at her panel.

Brotherhood Value: 15 / 1,000,000

Still a long way to go.

But it was progress.