The elite St. Mary's Academy was a place for the rich, the beautiful, and the powerful. I, Lin Xia, was none of those.
"Move it, Nerd. You're blocking the view of someone who actually matters," a sharp voice hissed.
I didn't need to look up to know who it was. Lu Feng. The heir to the Lu Corporation, the undisputed King of the school, and the man who made my life a living hell for the past two years.
He leaned against my locker, his expensive cologne filling my senses. His handsome face was twisted into a mocking smirk. "What's the matter, Lin Xia? Lost your voice? Or did you finally realize that a trash like you doesn't belong here?"
The hallway erupted in laughter. I gripped my old, worn-out bag, my knuckles turning white. I was tired. Tired of being the punching bag, tired of being the 'ghost' of this school.
Suddenly, a sharp, robotic sound echoed in my brain—so loud that I almost fell.
[ DING! Host's Despair Level: 100% ]
[ Universal Goddess System Initializing... ]
[ Binding to Soul... 100% Complete. ]
'What is this? Am I hallucinating?' I thought, my heart thumping against my ribs.
[ First Mission Issued: Break the King's Pride. ]
[ Objective: Give Lu Feng a taste of his own medicine. Slap him in front of everyone. ]
[ Reward: Beauty Transformation (Level 1) + 1,000 Yuan. ]
[ Penalty for Failure: You will lose your voice for 7 days. ]
I froze. A system? Like those novels I used to read in the library?
"What are you staring at, freak?" Lu Feng reached out, intending to flick my forehead as he always did.
[ Warning: 5 seconds left to complete the mission. ]
Something snapped inside me. For the first time, I didn't flinch. I looked Lu Feng straight in his dark, arrogant eyes.
"You want to know what I'm staring at?" I whispered.
CHAAATAAAK!
The sound of my palm hitting his cheek echoed through the silent corridor like a gunshot. Lu Feng's head jerked to the side. The smirk vanished, replaced by a red mark that was rapidly darkening.
The entire school froze. No one dared to breathe.
"I'm staring at a bully who thinks a bank balance makes him a man," I said, my voice steady and cold.
[ MISSION COMPLETED! ]
[ Reward Distributing: 5... 4... 3... ]
Suddenly, a wave of intense heat washed over me. My skin felt like it was glowing, my messy, frizzy hair suddenly became smooth as silk, and the heavy glasses on my face felt unnecessary as my vision cleared.
Lu Feng turned his face back toward me, his eyes burning with a mixture of rage and... shock. But as he looked at me, his breath hitched.
"You..." he stammered, his hand hovering over his bruised cheek. "Who are you?"
I didn't answer. I just walked past him, my head held high.
[ System Notification: Lu Feng's Heartbeat: 150 BPM. Status: Confused/Obsessed. ]
[ New Skill Unlocked: The Queen's Presence. ]
The game had just begun. And this time, I was the one holding the controller.
I didn't look back. Every step I took felt lighter, as if the heavy chains of bullying had finally snapped.
[ DING! System Reward Processing Complete. ]
[ 1,000 Yuan has been deposited into your digital wallet. ]
[ Glow-Up Level 1: Activated. ]
I ducked into the girls' restroom to catch my breath. When I looked into the mirror, I gasped. My skin, which used to be dull and prone to breakouts, was now flawless—like porcelain. My eyes were brighter, and even my posture had changed. I looked like a version of myself that was meant to be a movie star.
"Is this... really me?" I whispered, touching my cheek.
[ System Note: Beauty is just your weapon, Host. Power is the goal. Lu Feng is coming. Be prepared. ]
Hardly had the system finished speaking when the restroom door swung open. It wasn't a girl. It was Lu Feng.
His face was thunderous, the red mark on his cheek standing out against his pale skin. He ignored the 'Girls' sign completely. In this school, he was the law.
"You think you can just walk away after that?" he growled, pinning me against the sink. His arms were on either side of me, locking me in. "Where did that courage come from, Lin Xia? And why... why do you look so different?"
His eyes scanned my face, and for a second, his anger flickered into confusion. He was so close I could smell the faint scent of mint and expensive leather on him.
"I'm done being your toy, Lu Feng," I said, my voice not shaking even a little. I placed my hand on his chest and pushed him back.
To my surprise—and his—he actually stumbled. My strength had increased too.
"You're pathetic," I added, staring him down. "You have all the money in the world, but you're so bored that you have to pick on a girl to feel powerful. It's sad."
"You...!" Lu Feng's face turned from red to white. No one had ever dared to call him pathetic. "You'll regret this. I'll make sure you're expelled by the end of the day!"
[ New Side-Mission Triggered! ]
[ Objective: Reverse the Expulsion. ]
[ Hint: Lu Feng's father is the chairman, but the Principal has a secret... Find it. ]
[ Reward: 5,000 Yuan + Skill: 'Lie Detector'. ]
I smiled—a slow, dangerous smile that made Lu Feng flinch.
"Go ahead, try to expel me," I challenged, leaning in closer until our noses almost touched. "But remember, Lu Feng... the higher you stand, the harder you'll fall. And I'm going to be the one who pushes you."
I brushed past him, leaving him standing in the middle of the girls' restroom, looking completely lost.
[ System Notification: Target 'Lu Feng' is 20% intrigued. Obsession meter rising. ]
As I walked down the hall, my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.
"I saw what you did. Be careful. Lu Feng isn't your only enemy."
I looked around, but the corridor was empty. The game was getting bigger than I thought.
I walked out of the restroom, leaving a stunned Lu Feng behind. But as I headed toward the Principal's office, the weight of the situation hit me. In this school, Lu Feng's word was law. One phone call from him, and I'd be thrown out on the streets.
[ System Alert: Threat Level Increasing. ]
[ Principal Zhang is currently writing your expulsion letter. ]
'Not on my watch,' I thought, a cold determination settling in my chest.
I reached the office door and, without knocking, pushed it open. Principal Zhang, a middle-aged man with a greedy glint in his eyes, looked up in shock.
"Lin Xia? How dare you enter without permission! I was just about to call your parents. You are expelled for assaulting a student of the Lu family!"
"Are you sure you want to do that, Principal?" I asked, leaning against his mahogany desk.
[ Skill Activated: Lie Detector (Trial Version). ]
"What do you mean?" he stammered, but the System's screen flashed RED over his head. [Status: Terrified / Hiding Secret Documents]
"I mean the 'special fund' for the new school library," I said, bluffing based on the System's hint. "The library that was never built, but the money is sitting in a private account in the Cayman Islands. Would the Lu Corporation like to know where their donation went?"
The Principal's face turned from pale to ghostly white. His pen dropped from his hand. "How... how do you know about that?"
"The walls have ears, Principal. Now, tear up that expulsion letter and give me a full scholarship for the rest of the year. Or should I press 'send' on this email to the Board of Directors?" I held up my phone, which was actually just showing the System's countdown timer.
"Wait! Stop!" Zhang scrambled to tear the letter into tiny pieces. "Okay! Fine! Full scholarship. Just... keep your mouth shut."
[ MISSION COMPLETED! ]
[ Reward: 5,000 Yuan + Permanent Skill 'Lie Detector'. ]
[ Current Balance: 6,000 Yuan. ]
As I walked out of the office, I saw Lu Feng leaning against the wall, waiting for me to be dragged out in tears. When he saw me smiling and holding a 'Scholarship Confirmation' paper, his jaw literally dropped.
"How is this possible?" he hissed, grabbing my wrist.
I leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Because, Lu Feng... you're playing checkers, while I'm playing chess. And I just took your Queen."
I pulled my hand away and left him standing there, speechless for the second time today.