Ling Mo ultimately gave no reply—only asking for one night to think it over.

Xia Xinyan didn’t stop him.

She knew herself too well: press too hard, and it would only backfire. Even if the other person was a pampered young lady.

Rationality was perhaps her greatest strength. But sometimes, being *too* rational made you want to scream.

*A girl’s literally throwing herself at you—what’s there to hesitate about?!*

After Ling Mo left, she crouched right there, hands covering her face, calming herself for a moment.

Truly, one’s past self was the fiercest enemy. Facing that former version of herself—the flaws she now despised—it was so easy to snap and lash out.

*Calm down… She’s still *me*, after all…*

Still, she couldn’t help mentally cursing Ling Mo out, thoroughly and vividly.

Once slightly composed, Xia Xinyan sighed, stood, and walked out of campus.

—Unbeknownst to her, every second had been captured by a nearby student whose gossip instincts burned fiercely.

That night, Ling Mo went viral across campus feeds.

[SHOCKING! Male Student Did *THIS* to Campus Queen Xia?!]

[Miss Xia’s Bold Confession REJECTED?! Later Spotted Heartbroken by the Lake, Face in Hands, Tears Flowing! PHOTOS INSIDE!]

[Insider Report: Suspect “Ling” Is a Third-Year CS Major—Currently Under Class Interrogation! WATCH LIVE NOW—]

…

In the live stream, the cramped dorm room was packed. Only one bed held space for the “suspect”—Ling Mo, grinning like he’d just hit the jackpot.

“Damn! You’ve got guts, man?! When’d you snag the young lady?!”

“Uh… Well… I didn’t. Xia Xinyan came to *me*.”

“Holy shit! First-name basis already?! Did Miss Xia *hug* you?! For real?!”

“Well…”

“Is Miss Xia really a C-cup? How soft was it?”

“…”

“Damn! Who asked that?! Drag ’em out!”

…

Seemed the night’s star was enjoying himself just fine.

Xia Xinyan closed the stream, tossed her phone aside, and sank into the sofa, mind drifting.

This identity hadn’t existed before her rebirth. In her past life, Linjiang University had no “Miss Xia.” The Xia Group had no heiress.

So she’d never been famous… Well, not early on. Staying low-key had been comfortable.

But this life? With this identity, staying under the radar was impossible. What ripple effects would follow? Unknown.

One thing was clear: her past self—*this* Ling Mo—wasn’t easy to sway.

She’d always been rational. Even a pie from the sky demanded half a day of trap-analysis before picking it up. That caution had saved her countless times.

Downside? She’d never trust sudden kindness.

Sure, she’d fantasized: a girl with compatible vibes chasing *her*, building a happy life together. But fantasy stayed fantasy. Even if real, she’d wonder—ulterior motives? A scapegoat?

So earning Ling Mo’s trust? Would take time.

…Though there *was* a shortcut: exhaust him. Drain him till thought vanished—and belief would follow.

After all, she knew her college-era self: a high-energy pervert. A girl willingly sharing his bed daily? He’d likely get addicted.

—*Okay, pure guess. She’d never been “drained” herself.*

But even if true? She *couldn’t*.

*Let my past self… sleep with my current self?!* Ignoring the gender-swap weirdness—wasn’t that just… deeply strange?

“So… System,” she murmured slowly. “Why reincarnate me as a girl?”

[Calculations indicate this avatar is more likely to earn the original host’s favor.]

Xia Xinyan fell silent. Rose. Walked to the bathroom.

This body was beautiful. Speak without that world-weary tone, and the innocence radiated—pure “girl-next-door” charm.

The figure? Flawless. Curves, assets—enough to make anyone’s pulse race.

It matched *her* ideal perfectly. The literal embodiment of her dream girlfriend.

…Also Ling Mo’s type. A direct critical hit.

Yet still—he hadn’t stopped overthinking.

“Tch. Never knew *I* was this stubborn,” she muttered to her mirror reflection, expression unreadable. “Such stupid, pointless pride.”

After this brief encounter, Ling Mo felt like rereading cringey “cool” otaku quotes she’d scribbled years ago—she almost wanted to slap her past self.

People grow. And nearly all share one truth: dissatisfaction with who they once were.

Compared to *that*? Becoming a girl felt trivial.

Having died once… many things no longer mattered.

Showered. Back in bed. Xia Xinyan searched online for *Realm of Divine Descent*.

Launched after Miracle Day. Hype began *on* Miracle Day. Slogan blunt: *“Experience a Second Real World.”*

Free-to-play. *Earn while you play.* Gamers swarmed the forums, buzzing: *What kind of game is this?*

Memories of her past life surfaced.

What *was* this game?

A divine creation.

At first, just a game. A money-making fantasy. A superhero playground.

Until abilities and items bled into reality.

Then monsters. Disasters.

Only then did humanity realize: this wasn’t a game. It was salvation. The *only* path to survival.

Amid endless invasions, an expeditionary force formed for the final boss.

Xia Xinyan was among them. Her squad fell to a monster tide. Alone, she unleashed her ultimate power—and chose to perish with them all.

[Host should not have chosen mutual destruction. Had you endured until system initialization, all prior points would have transferred. With them, you could have become the world’s strongest.]

“…Useful *now*? Why not resurrect me *then*?”

[Impossible.]

Xia Xinyan sighed, too tired to argue. “So… my past-life points?”

[Time reversal reset all points to zero.]

“Can I swear?”

[…The system offers compensation.]

Her eyes caught a new item on the panel:

[Newbie Gift Pack (Unlocks after clearing first warzone dungeon)]

[Acquired Trait: Zero skincare or makeup needed. Maintain flawless appearance eternally.]

She stared at the text. Silent.

“This… is the compensation?”

[…Yes. Hello.]