Despite the gentle, melodious voice outside the door—like something straight from the heavens—Su Wanli was so startled that she practically leapt off the bed in a single bound.
‘Huh? No way… is it really Meng Wange?’
‘W-Why?’
‘The mission is already over! Why would she suddenly come looking for me?’
‘Surely she’s not addicted to reading my diary, right? She already read two entries in my room just now—don’t tell me she’s back because she wasn’t satisfied and wants to read a couple more?’
‘No, please no! If I listen to too many of those sentimental little stories, I’ll just start associating Meng Wange with all her past tragedies, and then I won’t be able to bring myself to act against her!’
‘There goes my twelve billion!’
‘No, no—calm down. No matter how you look at it, Meng Wange doesn’t seem like the type to do that. So maybe she’s here because…’
Su Wanli blinked blankly and slowly glanced at the delicate white hair clip sitting on her vanity.
‘Could it be… she came for my mother’s keepsake?’
—’But please rest assured. Whatever I owe you, I will repay in full. So please, keep this hair clip safe.’
Meng Wange had spoken so seriously back then.
‘Surely she wouldn’t suddenly show up now asking me to return the hair clip…’
‘Then what could it be?’
‘Wait… could there still be another mission today? Was the system wrong just now…?’
With that thought, Su Wanli slapped herself lightly on the forehead and stared up at the pristine white ceiling.
“Hey, system, stop pretending to be dead! I almost forgot about you! Get back to work! Why is Meng Wange suddenly here looking for me?”
The system seemed to still be lost in its thoughts from earlier and didn’t reply right away.
“Hey! Cut it out! I know you can hear me—especially at times like this!”
[Apologies, Host. I was just thinking for a moment… huh?]
The system finally responded, letting out a surprisingly human-like sound of confusion for the first time.
Su Wanli could almost imagine a pair of eyes hovering above her head, glancing back and forth between Meng Wange outside the door and herself, then adopting a confused expression.
“Hey, don’t you dare tell me you don’t know what’s going on either! Besides the whole thing with the bandages and iodine I tried to give her but didn’t—I’ve done nothing out of line. Don’t try to pin this on me!”
[…Fine, Host. While I did previously confirm that today’s mission was complete… it seems an unexpected event has occurred.]
***
At the same time as the system’s robotic voice, Meng Wange’s calm voice came through the door—
“Miss Su, the new semester is about to start. Uncle Su once said he hoped we could both achieve good grades. May I come in?”
In that one short sentence, Su Wanli was shaken three times over.
‘What? School? I still have to go to school? I’m the heiress of the top clan—why am I still going to school?’
‘What? Good grades? I transmigrated, and I still have to worry about grades? Don’t tell me there’ll be exams too?’
‘What? She wants to come in? Meng Wange wants to come into my room and study with me?’
‘Was this seriously the first time in my life that a girl was about to enter my room?’
‘What was I even supposed to say once she got inside? What should I do first? Where was I supposed to put my hands…’
‘Damn it—way too many “firsts in life” today!’
[Host is, of course, a high school student. A sixteen-year-old girl, currently attending high school. The story made it clear from the beginning that Meng Wange would be transferring to your class.]
The system coldly reminded her.
“Ugh, even after everything I went through today, you’re telling me I still have to squeeze in a study session?”
“Do you guys have no humanity!? Isn’t there some handy little tool I can use to reject Meng Wange and make her leave?”
‘…Wait a second? Couldn’t I just reject her outright?’
‘I mean, I am playing the villainess here. It would be completely in character to refuse her after she made such a sudden and rude request.’
‘Study? Study my ass!’
Just as Su Wanli was about to channel her inner Li Yunlong and bark out a dramatic rejection, the system suddenly interrupted her performance with an urgent update—
[New task triggered: On her first day at the Su residence, Su Wanli successfully caused the family head, Su Heng, to lose trust in Meng Wange during the welcoming banquet. He didn’t adopt her as his god daughter, nor did he present her with any gifts. Later, during a tour of the Su estate, Meng Wange was harshly humiliated by Su Wanli.]
[After that, an enraged Meng Wange… for one reason or another, decided that very night to regain her confidence by helping Su Wanli with her homework.]
‘…Huh?’
‘No, wait—just reading that setup and the phrase “an enraged Meng Wange” already feels absolutely ridiculous. Isn’t that a completely absurd reason to follow up with tutoring? If she’s trying to get her confidence back, can’t you at least come up with a better, more believable motive!?’
[…Ahem. In any case, Su Wanli accepted Meng Wange’s tutoring offer, deciding to take the opportunity to humiliate this clueless girl once again.]
“You’re just trying to brush this off!?”
[Additionally, Host, after analyzing the protagonist’s attitude toward you, I’ve concluded the issue doesn’t lie with the task itself. You’ve done excellently. The problem may be with your character’s details.]
Su Wanli blinked.
“Character details? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Could it be that some of my subconscious actions and reactions are exposing the fact that I’m not a noble-born young lady, but actually a socially starved anime nerd possessing her body…?”
Su Wanli instinctively looked down at her chest.
A deep crimson evening gown clung to her soft, full curves.
Below that was a narrow waist and long, shapely legs…
“This—this is peak girliness, okay? What part of this doesn’t scream ‘young lady’!?”
[It’s not about those details. The system believes the issue may be your frequent emotional outbursts.]
Su Wanli looked even more confused.
[For example, phrases like: “Hmph, it’s not like I’m worried about you,” or “You’re the worst! Get as far away from me as possible!” and even “I don’t want to see your face ever again! Get out of my sight!”]
[These kinds of lines can shift your image away from that of a cold villainess and closer to… a certain other type of character. One that may unintentionally evoke familiarity or even affection from the female lead.]
Just listening to the system recite those lines in its emotionless voice made Su Wanli feel like all the memories of every tsundere character she’d ever seen were attacking her in waves.
‘You—you bastard… how dare you insult me with this…!’
[In summary, the system suggests that if you can reduce your emotional outbursts and maintain a cold, aloof demeanor, you may better preserve your villainess persona.]
Completely ignoring Su Wanli’s stream of curse words, the system calmly announced her next mission—
[Your task this time: During the tutoring session with Meng Wange, find ways to make her uncomfortable and humiliate her.]
[And while doing so—]
[Suppress your emotions and maintain your pride, elegance, and cold detachment.]
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