It was noon when I stepped out of the principal's office.

Located in the north, September’s sun still blazed fiercely—too bright to stare at directly. Its orange-gold particles sprinkled across our faces, tapping against every body.

Dry. Hot.

I watched everything shimmer under the light, suddenly hit by a strange emptiness.

Probably because, since my rebirth, nothing had felt truly real.

I pursed my lips and pushed the thought away.

Well—better to live poorly than die well.

Overthinking was useless.

The dummy behind me hurried over, stopping right in front of me. He asked in a weird tone, “Su Su… why were you so sure about making me sign that contract just now? Aren’t you scared Principal Qi might trick us?”

“Dummy, why would anyone bother tricking us? We’ve got no money and no power. The most valuable thing here is me—use that pig brain of yours! Principal Qi isn’t some human trafficker!”

“But… what if he added bad terms to the contract?”

Bai Su just wouldn’t let it go. I was getting annoyed.

Kids sure overthink things. Being cautious was fine, but this suspicion? Pointless.

People only trick you for one reason—profit.

What profit could two kids offer?

Unless he was a trafficker, eyeing my looks and genius to sell me off as a child bride in some remote village.

Ridiculous.

“Don’t worry so much, big brother,” I chirped, pulling out my cute act. “It’s just a tiny contract for the school brochure’s photo rights. What bad terms could it have? Hmph, do you doubt your genius little sister’s IQ?”

Yep, my cuteness skills were leveling up.

Sure enough, Bai Su went completely dazed. He wobbled, rubbing his face, then stared in disbelief.

…Had my sudden sweetness made him question reality after all my coldness?

A flicker of guilt pricked me.

Ugh… my conscience ached.

Maybe I should be nicer to this dummy. He looked so pitiful…

Bai Su had no idea his sister saw him as a pitiful pet begging for head pats—a little dog whining softly, gazing up with wet eyes, licking your hand for affection.

Well, if the puppy was this pitiful, I’d pity him more often.

“Big brother~ I’m hungry. Let’s go eat, okay?” I blinked, softening my voice.

Exactly as expected.

Bai Su covered his face like he’d lived a full life. He fumbled out his wallet, jaw set. “Su Su, what do you want? I’ll take you!”

I felt like I’d unlocked a new world.

So this was the power of a cute girl’s charm?

No wonder those League of Legends nerds in my past life swarmed female players like flies to meat. Or those perverts who got instantly excited by moe girls.

Humans just couldn’t resist cuteness.

Though some LoL players were just horny creeps.

Since I’d live as a girl now, why not use this cute body’s perks?

It sounded fun, actually.

Tease men’s hearts, drain their usefulness, then toss them away—so fascinating.

Heh heh heh.

Shamelessly lost in these thoughts, I mumbled, “There aren’t many eateries near school. Let’s grab rice noodles or beef noodles from some random stall to fill up.”

“Yeah, fine,” Bai Su agreed.

We headed toward the gate.

No.1 High wasn’t huge—just front and back courtyards. The gate was in the north; my class, Senior 1 Class 16, sat in the south corner. We’d cross almost the whole campus.

As the city’s largest and best school, it swarmed with Su Su’s classmates.

Her memories were fuzzy. I barely recognized anyone except a few vivid faces.

So when classmates waved greetings, I forced a sweet smile and waved back.

Luckily, Su Su had few close friends—probably because her beauty intimidated them.

Kids, all of them.

I barely suppressed a scoff.

Lost in thought, I didn’t notice Bai Su stop suddenly. I crashed into his back, rubbing my sore forehead as I peeked past him.

“Hey! Why’d you stop, big brother? You hurt me—wait… huh?!”

Holy crap!

No wonder the dummy froze!

Right there… was Yu Qingyu!

Silence crashed down. Awkwardness thickened the air.

Bai Su stiffened, then robotically raised a hand. “Xiao Yu… long time no see.”

The girl in a simple floral dress and backpack smiled, dimples flashing on her cheeks. “Bai Su-ge, long time no see,” she said.

A chill of danger shot through me.

This scheming Xiao Yu had dressed carefully today.

Sparkling crystal earrings. A modest floral dress showing off her slender, athletic legs. Simple white sandals revealing cute toes.

Women notice women’s makeup—even half-baked ones like me.

Xiao Yu wore light makeup, a cool straw hat, and loose short hair giving off a fresh, rain-like vibe.

Honestly, even as her rival, I had to admit… she looked stunning today.

If I thought that, Bai Su was practically drooling—his eyes bulging out!

I huffed and poked his back.

He jolted, face reddening.

Biting my lip, I hugged his arm, pressing close.

Holy crap! To beat this rival, I’d go all out today!

Sliding on a seductive smirk, I licked my lips playfully. “Xiao Yu, long time no see…”

[To be continued]