[Gold Powder GL] True Elegance Comes with Knowledge - Chapter 1

After discovering she had time-traveled to the Republic of China era, Yan Hui’s first priority was to figure out her background in this new world.

The results were surprisingly favorable: although her original self came from humble beginnings, she had a formidable elder brother—Yan Kai. Having left home at a young age, Yan Kai rose through the ranks to become a prominent warlord.

Upon achieving success, he brought his family to live with him and took especially good care of Yan Hui, raising her more like a daughter than a younger sister. Wanting the best for her future, he sent her off to study in Beijing.

Now living independently in Beijing, far from her original family, Yan Hui felt a deep sense of relief.

Yan Kai had purchased a traditional courtyard home, hired a maid, and assigned two loyal men to protect his sister—generously paying them. With financial security, physical safety, and no immediate familial obligations, Yan Hui enjoyed an unprecedented level of personal freedom.

It was an ideal situation.

Once she got a grasp of her new circumstances, her next concern was uncovering the cause of her predecessor’s death.

Although she was unfamiliar with the details, she could infer a lot. Despite having solid support, a military background—even one backed by wealth—was not enough to earn respect in a city dominated by old-money elites. The original Yan Hui, while physically strong and proud, likely endured hardship due to her rural roots and inferiority complex, which must have created constant friction at school.

Apparently, a recent conflict had escalated. During a heated altercation, someone had shoved her, and she hit her head on the edge of a table, resulting in unconsciousness and eventual death. And so, Yan Hui’s soul took her place.

Though accidental, the outcome was fatal—and overlooked by all. Yan Hui, enraged by the injustice, began plotting her return to school and how to deal with the person responsible.

But first, she needed time to recover.

Academics weren’t a top priority at first. After all, she had once been a university student in the 21st century—how hard could early 20th-century high school material really be?

Then one day, once her injuries healed, Yan Hui stepped into the study and laid eyes on the textbooks.

Her confidence vanished.

The curriculum was split into three main languages: English, French, and German. And no matter which she opened, the pages looked like arcane texts from another planet.

“Middle schoolers in the Republic of China were this intense?!”

At that moment, a maid with two braids entered with fruit and snacks. “Miss, you’ve been studying too hard. Take a break.”

Yan Hui sighed. “Xiaoping… how were my grades before?”

Xiaoping stifled a laugh. “Oh, this is the first time I’ve heard you ask about that! Well… I don’t really know. But your foreign languages were slower than ants crawling.”

That was all the confirmation Yan Hui needed—her predecessor had been a terrible student.

Worse still, the original Yan Hui at least knew something. She, on the other hand, was starting from scratch. If she wanted any hope of surviving final exams, she had to delay her return to school and hire private tutors.

She sifted through the class schedule and realized with dread that the semester had only a month left. She had to recognize the words on the exam papers—forget understanding them.

The revenge would have to wait.

Having made her decision, Yan Hui told Xiaoping, “Send word to Third Brother Cao. I need his help.”

Third Brother Cao, one of her brother’s trusted men, wasn’t stationed in the house due to propriety but lived nearby. He was often away on mysterious business—likely related to Yan Kai’s not-so-legitimate warlord dealings.

When he arrived, Yan Hui explained her plan to hire college students—especially ones struggling financially—to tutor her in English, French, and German.

Cao was skeptical at first, suspecting she was using “studying” as an excuse to flirt. But when she said she needed three tutors—one for each language—he saw the wisdom in the plan. He went straight to Peking University and, within two days, returned with three energetic, well-dressed female students.

The cram sessions began.

After a grueling month, Yan Hui finally reached a level where she could at least recognize most textbook material. Just in time—final exams were approaching.

The day she left for school, she was shocked to discover that she owned a car. It was small and elegant—clearly designed for a lady.

Her brother’s wealth and generosity were becoming more apparent. She had initially appreciated the distance from her family for the independence it afforded. But now, as she enjoyed the benefits of her new life, she found herself genuinely worrying about Yan Kai’s uncertain future. Being a warlord might look glorious, but it was a dangerous path.

Still, there was nothing she could do at the moment. She tucked the thought away and focused on the exams ahead.

Upon arrival at school, Yan Hui was surprised to be warmly welcomed by classmates—especially two girls who eagerly asked about her health and led her to class.

They also gossiped about the student who had pushed her. It turned out that girl’s family had been confronted after the incident, and she had quietly transferred to another school.

Yan Hui had planned to confront her—but it seemed Brother Cao had already handled it.

Soon, exams began. Despite all her tutoring, the tests were brutal. Yan Hui struggled to even read many of the questions. She did her best to guess and fill in what she could, but left plenty of blanks.

After days of testing, she was completely drained.

Lying at her desk, she overheard her classmates’ checking answers and groaning over mistakes. She smiled—some things about school never change, even across centuries.

Then, a classmate sat beside her: Miss Wang. She handed Yan Hui a delicate invitation—her mother’s birthday party is coming up, and there would be a private opera performance. Yan Hui noticed that only a few classmates received invitations.

Clearly, social hierarchy extended into the classroom too.

Naturally, she accepted. If Miss Wang was building connections, so would she. And besides, Yan Hui had never attended a live opera before.

Uncle Zhao immediately arranged for new clothes. Yan Hui requested modernized designs, which surprisingly earned compliments. She rejected Xiaoping’s suggestion of a perm—heated metal tongs weren’t worth the risk to her long, healthy hair.

The day of the party arrived. She arrived at the Wang residence dressed to impress and finally learned Miss Wang’s full name: Wang Zhaoxia. No wonder she preferred the vague “Miss Wang”—the name was terribly outdated.

Although excited to hear opera, Yan Hui quickly discovered she couldn’t understand a word. The music was elegant but overly drawn out, and she soon grew restless.

Her attention turned to the chattering guests around her, who were gossiping about the man downstairs. Suddenly, someone exclaimed, “Who is that?”

Yan Hui followed their gaze and spotted a pale, scholarly young man rising to his feet. He was strikingly handsome—clearly someone important.

“That’s Jin Yanxi,” someone whispered. “The seventh son of Prime Minister Jin.”

Yan Hui choked on her tea.What?! Him again?!