Turns out, after Ye Yuzhe’s wig slipped off, his real hair was revealed. The original story described it as a tomboyish, shoulder-length cut—but what the audience saw was a buzz cut.

Liang Sheng covered her mouth, stunned.

“N-no… don’t look at me! Please, don’t look at me!” Ye Yuzhe sobbed, crouching frozen in place, legs gone weak.

Whispers rippled through the crowd below.

“Is that a boy?”

“Tsk tsk… why are boys so delicate these days?”

“Wearing girls’ clothes this young… something wrong with him?”

Kids had long shrugged it off, but adults seized it like scandal, hurling cold jeers.

*Hurry up! Get backstage!* Liang Sheng gripped the curtain, heart twisting as she watched Ye Yuzhe hide his face.

Su Ze suddenly stood. Liang Sheng thought he’d help—but he just sneered at the trembling figure onstage. “So ugly.”

*Damn you,* Liang Sheng nearly cursed aloud.

Su Ze sighed, reaching for the curtain. Furious, Liang Sheng shoved him back. “Stay right there, Mr. Su—the ever-helpful gentleman.”

Ignoring his shocked face, she rushed onstage, knelt, and gently lifted Ye Yuzhe. Her makeup was smeared clean off from crying.

Gritting her teeth, Liang Sheng half-carried her offstage, stumbling toward the wings.

*Ding!* Affection Level surged.

*Ye Yuzhe’s Affection for Liang Sheng: 18*

Liang Sheng ignored it, frantically soothing Ye Yuzhe, now sobbing into a puddle.

“Am… am I so embarrassing?” Ye Yuzhe stammered.

“No way! You were gorgeous—like a fairy! The wig flying off? Pure comedy gold. Everyone loved it!”

Sniffling, tears and snot streaming, Ye Yuzhe whispered, “Am… am I a freak for liking… girls’ clothes?”

Liang Sheng’s voice sharpened. “Who told you that? Wearing what you love—is that a crime? Gender isn’t your choice anyway!”

“Wahhh…” Touched and heartbroken, Ye Yuzhe buried her face in Liang Sheng’s waist, hiccuping softly.

*Ding~* Affection Level rose.

*Ye Yuzhe’s Affection for Liang Sheng: 20*

“Shh… cry too much and your eyes’ll swell. Won’t be pretty anymore.” Liang Sheng rubbed her head gently.

Hearing that, the vanity-prone Ye Yuzhe instantly stopped—but hiccuped. *Hic!* She clapped a hand over her mouth, glancing around nervously.

Liang Sheng nearly snorted, but bit her lip hard and handed her a glass of water.

Su Ze watched them, his warm-gentleman mask cracking into icy stillness.

“Listen,” Liang Sheng patted Ye Yuzhe’s head. “Even if you smeared mud on your face, you’d still outshine them. Don’t let jealous lemons get to you.”

A line every beauty-loving girl melts for. Ye Yuzhe’s mood lifted instantly.

*Ding~* Affection Level rose.

*Ye Yuzhe’s Affection for Liang Sheng: 21*

“Alright! My turn to announce next. Go change. If you wanna chat later, I’m always here~” Liang Sheng jogged toward stage, calling over her shoulder.

Ye Yuzhe nodded, pulse fluttering strangely. *Wait… I only get flustered around boys…*

When Liang Sheng returned backstage after announcing, Ye Yuzhe was gone.

Acts rolled on. Soon came Grade 11, Class D—Gu Yuqi’s class. The story said she’d play cello.

But this time? Martial arts.

Fluid, fierce movements. Liang Sheng’s eyes turned to literal hearts. *So cool!* Her grin threatened to launch straight to the sun.

Sweat-drenched and radiant in sleek training gear, Gu Yuqi knew Liang Sheng had zero resistance to this androgynous, effortlessly cool vibe. She skipped cello on purpose—to show Liang Sheng her strong, protective side.

“This… all this fighting. Hardly ladylike,” Su Ze muttered coldly nearby.

*Oh?* Liang Sheng caught it. *Who decided girls can’t train martial arts?* Her dislike for Su Ze deepened.

“Senior Yuqi~ You were amazing!” Liang Sheng threw her arms around Gu Yuqi backstage.

Hehe~ Gu Yuqi melted into a goofy, blushing mess—Mulan turned meme queen.

Su Ze stepped forward, bowing politely. “Truly brilliant performance, Senior. We all loved it.”

*Huh?* Liang Sheng blinked. *You just trashed it!* *Such sincere eyes… Nobel Prize for Acting, anyone?*

Seeing right through him, she felt nothing but contempt.

Grade 11, Class E followed script: An Hua sang. No deviations.

Backstage, Liang Sheng decided to tease the secretly masochistic senior again. She drifted past, let out a soft, disdainful “Hmph,” leaned close, and whispered: “Senior… on stage just now… were you secretly hoping I’d come up and do… something naughty?”

An Hua’s body trembled slightly. She fled without a word.

*Ding~* Affection Level rose.

*An Hua’s Affection for Liang Sheng: 27*

Without the system, who’d guess Senior An Hua craved this?

Inside the changing room, An Hua pressed her school uniform to her burning face. *Ugh… almost lost control.* *Liang Sheng’s too dangerous. Must stay away.*

…*But… I kinda want her to keep insulting me.* She shook her head hard. *If anyone found out, I’d die.*

…*But… just imagining is okay, right?* Hugging her clothes, she slumped against the wall, blushing, hiding giggles behind her hand.

*Ding~* Affection Level rose.

*An Hua’s Affection for Liang Sheng: 29*

A chill ran down Liang Sheng’s spine backstage. *Did someone just curse me?*

The show ended perfectly—aside from Ye Yuzhe’s mishap.

Exhausted, Liang Sheng dragged herself home, collapsed onto bed, eyelids drooping. *Can’t sleep… gotta wash up.* She forced herself up, brushed her teeth.

Staring in the mirror, she pondered. Su Ze’s act today… this story hid secrets. One thing was clear: he wasn’t the flirty, warm-hearted gentleman from the original text.

Every word revealed a two-faced hypocrite. But how to expose him?

She’d thought surviving a brainless rich-kid romance would be easy—*hello, money!*—but now it felt like a mystery thriller.

Drifting into sleep, she dreamed again.

Picking up where last time left off: her body in a pool of blood. Hua Nai turned, silencing Liang Jin and Song Anan with single, precise strikes.

Su Ze stood there, that unreadable smile fixed. His lips moved like a goldfish underwater. Her head grew heavy… eyes closed.

*What kind of dream was that?*

Waking up felt like ten trucks had rolled over her. Head pounding.

Downstairs, Zhong Wen packed Liang Sheng’s clothes, snacks, meds into a large suitcase. Glancing at the clock—6:30 AM—she knocked.

“Sweetie? Six-thirty! You up?”

Liang Sheng answered instantly, ignoring the headache. *Back in my world, high school had zero events. Now? Fancy academy life—gotta enjoy it!*

Splashed water on her face, grabbed a bite, and dashed out.

Zhong Wen called after her: “Don’t skip your jacket! Snacks last all trip! Meds are in the side pocket! And—"

“I know, Mom!” Liang Sheng waved, grinning. “Three days only. I’ve got it!”

*Hehe… being cared for feels nice.* Annoying? Maybe. But warm. *Maybe… being reborn as this Liang Sheng isn’t so bad.*

Zhong Wen sighed, watching her go. *This child never gave me peace of mind… but lately? She’s grown.* (Well yeah—her soul’s a twenty-something auntie now.)

Song Anan and Gu Yuqi didn’t walk with her today—their class gathered earlier. Not scheduling conflict. Dong Yue just couldn’t wake up. She’d “kindly” told everyone to rest… really just craving lazy mornings.