After Backstabbing The Villain, The System Allowed Me To Enter The Book Again - Chapter 10
The next day was another school day.
Shen Huaixin walked through the campus with her backpack and happened to run into Qi Yi. He wore a sweater on top of a blue school uniform jacket and casually paired it with jeans, looking fresh and handsome. She was about to wave at him when she noticed him stride past her with long legs, acting as if he wanted to avoid her.
…Which was normal, considering the unpleasant encounter yesterday. Shen Huaixin, considering herself an outsider, naturally didn’t take it to heart.
Qi Yi’s classmates, however, approached him and draped an arm around his shoulder, teasing him: “Morning! I think Shen Huaixin looks really good lately, especially now that she’s stopped overdoing makeup—she’s getting prettier and prettier. I even voted for her in the school beauty contest. I could understand your indifference before, but now…”
“I judge people by who they are, not by their looks,” Qi Yi said lightly, unconsciously recalling the surprise he felt that morning when he first saw Shen Huaixin without makeup. But so what?
Vulgar, malicious, uneducated… His parents, driven by their own interests, even tried to match him with her. Just the thought of being with her disgusted him. Only someone like Su Zihan—optimistic, kind, and ambitious—was truly worthy of attention.
“By the way, do you know why she tried to grab the music room? Actually, it’s because…” His friend trailed off, teasing him, curious to see his reaction.
Qi Yi didn’t know, but it wasn’t really something worth worrying about. It was probably, as other classmates guessed, just her being jealous of him being nice to Su Zihan. He remembered the watch she gave him—expensive and flashy, more for show than substance.
“Don’t walk away,” his friend pulled out a phone. “I’ll forward you a post; you’ll see.”
In class, Qi Yi opened the school forum post titled: “The School Beauty Contest Between Su and Shen Heats Up—To Be Decided at the Arts Festival!” He frowned as he read on. The post detailed the music room incident from yesterday, complete with images and emotional commentary, likely written by someone involved.
The post explained that Shen Huaixin had also signed up for the arts festival, which explained her interest in the music room. It also hinted at some ambiguous interactions between Qi Yi—the campus heartthrob—and the two beauty contest candidates, adding fuel to the fire. Finally, the post exaggerated Shen Huaixin’s personal threats, turning what started as a minor conflict into a full-blown campus spectacle, implying that the outcome of the festival would determine who truly deserved the title of school beauty.
Being an impressionable age, students found this exciting. They eagerly replied to the post, pushing it to the top of the forum, marked with a [HOT] tag.
[Internet Enthusiast: I saw Shen Huaixin on the playground last time—so pretty I almost ran into a tree! Regardless of her personality, I’m voting her for school beauty.]
[Curious Onlooker: Does anyone know if Shen Huaixin likes Qi Yi? Did she really give him a safety helmet?]
[Zihan’s Fan: It’s true. I heard she even gave him a hotel key card, but he didn’t care, lol.]
“…Boring.”
“What?” Su Zihan turned around, curious.
Qi Yi’s heartbeat skipped. He pushed up his glasses and handed the phone to Su Zihan: “Just some busybodies, don’t mind them.”
Worried she might misunderstand, he added, “Also, anything about me is a rumor. I refused both the bank card and the couple phone case.”
Su Zihan read the post carefully, frowning slightly. Indeed, during the morning run, Shen Huaixin had asked if she was the school beauty—clearly coveting the title for some time, which explains why she escalated the incident. The poster’s analysis was accurate, especially with Qi Yi involved. She handed the phone back.
Now, she was somewhat certain: Shen Huaixin wanted to take away things that belonged to her—the school beauty title and the protection of her brother. But Shen Huaixin could not take either, and Su Zihan was confident about that.
“Thanks, Yi-gege,” Su Zihan said after a pause, her gaze lingering on Qi Yi. “Which do you think is better—our performance or hers?”
Qi Yi answered without hesitation: “Ours, of course.” Although he hadn’t seen Shen Huaixin perform, he understood her well enough to know she wouldn’t make a fool of herself. Besides, he firmly stood by Su Zihan’s side.
Qi Yi’s confidence held until the end of school.
As a top student, he disciplined himself to maintain focus on studying. After school, when the campus was crowded, he preferred to stay in the classroom, finishing some assignments before leaving once most students had gone—maximizing efficiency.
That day was no exception. After finishing English exercises, he stretched and packed his bag. A few steps later, he was drawn by singing.
Just like flowers attract bees, passionate singing draws attention. He followed the sound cautiously, afraid of disturbing the singer. Qi Yi wasn’t a music connoisseur. Compared to professional singers, this performance was not perfect, but the voice resonated.
He had attended concerts in Vienna where every note was executed flawlessly by top conductors. He had seen street performers on Shoreditch High Street, guitars slightly out of tune, yet their melodies were full of life. Even without expertise, humans instinctively appreciate beauty.
Gradually, he reached the music room and pinpointed the source. Up close, he noticed the tone wasn’t completely stable, yet certain aspects were deeply moving, making the imperfections part of the charm.
Qi Yi leaned against the doorframe, waiting for the female singer to finish. He couldn’t help smiling at the harmonies, realizing some students were just goofing around, yet it added to the fun.
Finally, the song ended. Qi Yi opened the door, full of curiosity.
“…”
“…”
Five students stared at him.
Qi Yi closed the door, exhaling to calm his racing thoughts. Firstly, the lead singer sounded exactly like Shen Huaixin. Secondly, the three backup voices matched her friends. The question was clear: who had gone to such lengths to impersonate Shen Huaixin?
“Qi Yi, are you using the music room too?” a voice from inside asked, rasping from over-singing.
Alright, he conceded—it was Shen Huaixin.
Qi Yi entered, and Shen Huaixin’s friends—Fang Xiao Zheng and the others—quickly ushered the backup singers out, shutting the door to leave the pair alone.
Qi Yi smirked, realizing why they were so devoted to her. They were skilled at reading her moods and creating opportunities for private moments.
“When did you practice?” he asked.
“Uh…while doing chores? Just singing casually,” she replied.
A blatant lie. Qi Yi had never heard of Shen Huaixin doing chores, and even if she did, her doting parents would never allow it.
“Since you’re capable, why threaten others?” Qi Yi frowned. “Why not compete fairly?”
Shen Huaixin didn’t know how to explain, shrugging helplessly. Life under someone else’s constraints was like this—she even had to think carefully about how to soften her harsh words without hurting classmates. Then, inspiration struck.
[Shen Huaixin: Calling Thunder God!]
[System: 1.]
[Shen Huaixin: Quick question—originally, the protagonist liked Qi Yi. If I use this as a basis to do some kind deeds indirectly, is it OOC?]
[System: Consistent with character, allowed.]
She immediately put on a smile: “Qi Yi, since you asked me, I can promise not to oppose them, including Su Zihan. But I have one request.”
“What?” Qi Yi asked cautiously.
“Let me take a photo,” she added quickly as he looked ready to refuse. “Just one. I won’t show my face, nor post it anywhere.”
Qi Yi hesitated: “Why take a photo? To send to Su Zihan?”
“Don’t worry—it’s not about her, and it won’t cause you trouble…just trust me this once, okay?”
Her tone was soft, sweet, and sincere, nothing like the haughty girl he knew. Her expression seemed genuine, even slightly naive. Qi Yi, seeing no harm in the request, agreed.
“Alright, just don’t show your face,” he said.
He understood that love was complicated. She meant no harm; she simply wanted a memento. He couldn’t accept her feelings, but taking a photo was harmless. If she hadn’t been so unreasonable before, he might not have been so cold.
“Yay!”
Shen Huaixin grinned, taking her phone. For a close-up, she made a “yay” gesture; for a wide shot, she captured Qi Yi’s upper body.
Qi Yi, tidying his clothes, was caught off guard. Could looking at the back of someone’s head really satisfy longing? Pure love was bewildering.
He hesitated: “Do you want another shot? I didn’t look up.”
“No need—it’s natural, has life to it,” Shen Huaixin said, giving him a thumbs-up.
With the photo in hand, she posted to her social feed: “Romeo and Juliet, hard at rehearsal.”
Romeo was Qi Yi, Juliet was Su Zihan. Since faces weren’t shown, the ruse was enough to mislead Shen Chumo, who would have guessed her friend’s identity and willingly…well, been “purified.”
Shen Huaixin shook off a sudden sense of guilt and smiled at Qi Yi:
“Thanks, Qi Yi, you really helped me out.”
“No need, just remember your promise.”
So sweet. Shen Huaixin thought: the reserved, top student humbled himself just to avoid causing trouble for the scheming supporting female character—it was deeply touching.
“You… what do you think is good about Su Zihan?” Shen Huaixin quickly changed the subject, knowing Qi Yi hadn’t confessed anything yet. She just wanted a taste of first-hand romantic ambiguity.
Qi Yi paused, softening his tone: “Everyone has their strengths. I’m sure you do too.”
Shen Huaixin blinked, unsure how to respond to his vague comfort, and simply thanked him.