After Backstabbing The Villain, The System Allowed Me To Enter The Book Again - Chapter 23

Su Zihan returned home and finally couldn’t resist opening the video.

Under the flash of cameras, the girl sang with abandon. The glitter on her album reflected dazzling light, and even through the blurred lens, she seemed like an angel descended to earth. Yet in such a breathtaking picture, her voice did not fade into a mere backdrop but became the indisputable focus.

She noticed the tag Qi Yi had used—#OriginalSong. At the end, he had even added a note: After searching and verifying, “Chasing Dreams” is in fact Shen Huaixin’s original work, a rare find.

Su Zihan’s chest boiled over. The fingers clutching her phone drained of color, pressed so tightly they turned white. Compared to her own show being outshone, what infuriated her most was: why was the poster Qi Yi of all people?

Her fingers swiped furiously across the screen. The post had already gone viral, with countless replies. Heated debates raged over Shen Huaixin’s version of Chasing Dreams versus Fang Xiao Zheng’s from the school arts festival. Which was better? Each side had its defenders. A small number brought up the “school belle rivalry,” but that was quickly drowned out by the arguments over the two versions.

It struck her like lightning—the school belle feud had already lost heat. People always chased the freshest gossip. Yesterday it was the beauty contest; today it was the Chasing Dreams face-off. She, and her performance along with her, were no longer in the spotlight.

—

The next morning, Shen Huaixin got up, washed, dressed, and slung her schoolbag over her shoulder before heading out for breakfast.

Her steps halted.

Shen Chumo stood before their parents, greeting them good morning. Yet no one responded—not even the housekeeper spared him a glance. On the table sat only one set of bowls and chopsticks and a spread of delicate dishes. When her parents saw Shen Huaixin, they immediately called her over warmly, urging her to eat quickly so she wouldn’t be late for school.

Shen Chumo remained where he was, like a child punished for some unknown mistake, out of place in this family.

Shen Huaixin couldn’t bear the suffocating cold violence. She sat, shoved down a few mouthfuls of rice, and declared herself full. Her mother walked her to the car. Shen Huaixin glanced back at Shen Chumo, still silently “standing punishment,” and frowned.

“What about Shen Chumo?”

“…Him? He can walk himself to school. We don’t have spare money to hire another driver.” Her mother’s voice was frosty, but then she forced a smile, pinching Shen Huaixin’s cheek. “Study hard, darling. Tonight Mama will cook you something delicious.”

“…”

【Shen Huaixin: Can I help him?】

【System: No.】

Sitting in the car, she thought again. The old method was still the most reliable.

【Shen Huaixin: Then can the heroine help him?】

【System: Yes.】

She pulled out her phone, switched to her burner account disguised as Su Zihan, and sent Shen Chumo some money for taxi fare along with a few casual greetings. After a while, he replied with a single “Thank you,” but he didn’t accept the transfer.

Knowing too well the taste of being ignored, Shen Huaixin kept messaging him anyway. She shared little anecdotes from school, tapping away from the car ride until she nearly bumped into someone.

Looking up, she met a pair of eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses. Quickly, she greeted:

“Qi Yi, morning.”

“Morning.”

“I actually wanted to ask a favor—could you help me get in touch with Su Zihan?”

“…No.”

Her face fell. So Qi Yi truly held her in disdain—yesterday he’d ignored her, and today he flatly refused.

Seeing her expression, Qi Yi sighed and explained, “It’s not that I don’t want to help. I just had… a falling-out with her.”

Shen Huaixin nearly blurted Impossible. In the original story, their relationship had warmed after the arts festival, gaining a wave of CP fans, and finally blossomed into romance once the heroine purified Qi Yi.

At this point, they should’ve been in sweet couple mode. What twist had led them into a quarrel instead?

She could only say, “Then you’d better think of a way to make up with her.”

【System: Yellow Card Warning!】

Her heart clenched. She had slipped and forgotten her persona—the original Shen Huaixin liked Qi Yi. His breath caught, eyes locking onto her. “You want me to reconcile with her?”

Afraid of a ten-thousand-volt strike from the system, she hurriedly amended, “Of course not! I just… don’t want you to be sad, that’s all!”

Qi Yi opened his mouth, thoughts swirling, but in the end he only pushed up his glasses. He dared not say more, afraid of giving her false hope. With a sigh, he hefted his schoolbag and walked away.

—

When Shen Huaixin entered the classroom, she heard talk about Chasing Dreams, but her mind was on Shen Chumo. Pretending to be casual, she messaged him:

Shen Huaixin: Luckily the traffic was clear today. I’m already in class. What about you?

Shen Chumo: I’m here.

Relieved, she settled into morning reading. But just before it ended, she stepped outside—and spotted Shen Chumo standing alone in the hallway. Sweat dampened his bangs, and he clutched his schoolbag tightly.

Punished for being late.

Her heart clenched. He had lied—he hadn’t taken the money. He had run all the way, just to avoid worrying her, but still arrived late. He had indeed listened to her advice about “telling harmless lies when necessary”—only he’d used it in the wrong way.

The bell rang. Boys tumbled out, laughing and jeering at him.

“Well, well, isn’t this our model student? Even he gets punished?”

“Caught red-handed for being late.”

“Did the teacher say how long you’re stuck here? Till you’re eighty, maybe? Hahaha!”

More students gathered, curious, pointing, whispering about him slacking or missing homework.

Shen Huaixin took it all in. No matter how she tried to help, she could not stop life from eroding him bit by bit with malice. She was powerless—always powerless.

When Shen Chumo finally looked up and saw her, panic flickered in his eyes. He shielded his face with his bag.

—

Before the second class, Shen Huaixin went to find Su Zihan. With Qi Yi unwilling to pass messages, she had to go straight to the source.

She handed her chocolates and cookies. “Here, give these to Shen Chumo. Say they’re from you. I’ll pay you after—it won’t be for nothing.”

Su Zihan’s jaw clenched audibly. With a sneer, she swept the snacks to the ground, scattering them everywhere. Qi Yi frowned at the sight.

“…Fine.” Shen Huaixin pointed at her nose, bent down, and picked everything up again. She had flared for a moment—only for a moment.

Honestly, she wanted to kneel and cling to Su Zihan’s leg, begging her to show mercy and deliver the chocolate. But damn this persona!

No wonder the heroine hated her—always begging in the wrong way, never speaking gently.

She had learned: except with her parents and Qi Yi, where she could be a little softer, she had to keep up the act everywhere else, or she’d be branded out of character.

One plan failed, so she hatched another.

She bundled the snacks, and during PE, she snuck them into Shen Chumo’s desk. After skipping breakfast and running to school, his stomach had to be empty—this would at least keep him going.

When PE ended, Shen Chumo returned to his seat. Reaching into his desk, he found the bundle: chocolate, energy bars, biscuits, candy. A sticky note was attached, signed simply with one word—Han.

His heart stirred. His fingers traced the handwriting, then pressed hard, as though to etch the ink into his skin.

Her burner ID had become part of him.

—

After school, Shen Huaixin saw him waiting at the gate as usual. But the car would never come again.

She climbed into her own vehicle, muttering under her breath, “Stay in character… staying in character is what matters…”

“Miss, what did you say?” the driver asked, glancing at the rearview mirror.

“Nothing.”

—

At home, she found her mother tossing box after box out the door, with servants and movers loading them into a truck. Peeking closer, she realized they were all Shen Chumo’s belongings—his clothes, his personal items.

“You’re throwing out his bedding too? Then what will he…” She stopped herself. “What will he sleep under?”

“There’s an old blanket in the house. That’s enough.”

She watched the brand-new things discarded like garbage, her heart bleeding. She tried to salvage a few, but the system’s warning forced her to stop.

Then her mother remembered something. She told the butler, “Oh, and freeze Shen Chumo’s bank card. Cancel his birthday party, return all the gifts that were prepared.”

“As for the basement—finish the arrangements today. And any other details I’ve overlooked, handle them. Leave no gaps.”

“Yes, madam,” the butler replied.

Shen Huaixin quickly asked, “The basement? What for?”

“A bedroom. From now on, that bastard can live down there.”

Her brows drew together. The basement was damp, windowless, cluttered with junk, probably filled with cobwebs. Her father had even converted most of the space into a wine cellar, leaving only a cramped corner unfit for anyone to live in. But her mother seemed satisfied by that.

“Providing food and shelter is already too much charity.” Shen Huaixin nodded along, feigning agreement. “I should go… check on him.”

“Xin Xin,” her mother said, hugging her, her trembling finally easing, “you should focus on your studies. Leave him to us. Don’t worry—he’ll get what he deserves. It’s lucky you advised against a press conference, or the Shen family would be the city’s laughingstock by now.”

All the warmth of their motherly affection in past days had dissolved like smoke.

Shen Huaixin pressed her lips together. At last, she asked against the warning: “Mom… why do you hate him so much? Maybe he only wanted love, and strayed because of it.”

“Xin Xin, you’re too naive.” Her mother’s touch was gentle as she stroked her hair again and again. “If he hadn’t pretended to be our son, we wouldn’t have stopped searching. Alive or dead, we would have found the truth. At the time, we already had leads. If we’d expanded the search, your brother might still have had a chance.”

“And since he had Chumo’s hair, if he’d given us that clue, I would have rewarded him. I’d have made him my godson, treated him as I treat you and Chumo—never showing favoritism.”

“But what did he do instead? He seized another’s place, wore another’s name, and left my real child to suffer alone, to die in pain.” Her mother’s voice trembled, her teeth clenched.

“It was him. He killed Chumo.”