Villain Strategy Rules [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 36

When Wen Zhixu woke up again, it was Aunt Sun calling her to get ready for evening self-study. She had no idea when Qin Nanxi had woken up, but the girl was already sitting by the window, gazing outside.

Wen Zhixu asked, “Did you sleep well?”

Qin Nanxi snapped out of her thoughts and replied flatly, “Yes.”

Wen Zhixu smiled. “Then let’s go to self-study together.”

“No need,” Qin Nanxi stood up. “Tang Mo is waiting for you outside.”

Wen Zhixu: “…”

It was almost dark—why hadn’t she returned to class yet?

Wen Zhixu insisted, “Let’s go together.”

Qin Nanxi stepped out of the car, exchanged a glance with Tang Mo, and said, “Hurry up, then. I don’t want to be late.”

Wen Zhixu quickly followed. “Ah, okay.”

“Hey!” Tang Mo, noticing her friend hadn’t even spared her a glance, called out in confusion before growing annoyed. “Where are your eyes?”

Once they reached the classroom, Tang Mo immediately asked, “What’s going on with you two? When I came to get you, Aunt Sun said you and Qin Nanxi were asleep—together in the same bed?”

Wen Zhixu nodded. “Yeah. By the way, do you know anything about her roommates?”

Normally, the dorm rooms housed four students, but since Wen Zhixu and Tang Mo were transfer students, they shared a room alone.

Tang Mo scowled in disgust. “I don’t even want to talk about those three. Qin Nanxi’s grades are good, but I heard that every night when she tries to study, those three take turns disturbing her. They even exclude and bully her—it’s practically harassment at this point.”

Wen Zhixu bit her lip and nodded slightly. “You’re oddly well-informed. Weren’t we just transferred here?”

Tang Mo was naturally gossipy. The moment she arrived, she joined all the class group chats, keeping her eyes and ears open. Within a week, she’d learned about every minor feud in the class.

“You have no idea how awful they are. A while ago, when they were airing their quilts, because they woke up late, they just threw Qin Nanxi’s quilt down and claimed the wind blew it off. But that’s not even the worst part. The worst was when they stood by the window brushing their teeth and just dumped their mouthwash water down.”

Wen Zhixu frowned. “They’ve always been like this? Which three are they?”

Tang Mo pointed toward the first two rows near the door. “Those three. The one in the innermost seat of the second row is a day student. After she left, Qin Nanxi was moved into that spot, and that’s when the bullying started.”

Wen Zhixu’s gaze turned icy as she stared at the trio, gripping her pen tightly. Then she asked, “Do they usually pick on other students too?”

“Not sure,” Tang Mo leaned against the window. “But they’re definitely snobs. They tried bothering us when we first arrived, but since you were chasing after Qin Nanxi, they slunk away.”

Wen Zhixu scoffed inwardly. She truly despised this kind of indirect harassment—psychological bullying was often far worse than physical. At least with physical harm, you could call the police. But psychological torment? You just had to endure it.

“By the way!” Tang Mo suddenly turned Wen Zhixu around. “Did you know? The National Day talent show is coming up soon. They’re selecting performances tonight—want to go check it out?”

Wen Zhixu’s mouth fell open as she frowned. “Com…ing… up… soon?”

“It’s only August right now.”

Tang Mo curled her lips and shook her finger, “Because we need to prepare. Today’s just the selection, and evening self-study is too boring. Let’s go watch.”

Wen Zhixu: “Not going.”

Tang Mo tugged at her arm, “It’s so boring.”

Wen Zhixu: “If you’re bored, study.”

Tang Mo: “I’ll help you chase Qin Nanxi.”

Seeing her scheme succeed, Wen Zhixu smiled and said, “Deal!”

Tonight’s evening self-study was supervised by their Chinese teacher, a middle-aged woman nearing fifty whom everyone called Teacher Wang. Her most distinctive feature was her gold-rimmed glasses, which Wen Zhixu always thought suited her perfectly.

Teacher Wang’s self-study sessions were the most relaxed—she usually didn’t come to the classroom as long as the class remained quiet.

As the bell rang, Wen Zhixu and Tang Mo sneaked out. Qin Nanxi noticed them from the corner of her eye, her lips parting slightly, but she didn’t intervene.

The selection was held in the school auditorium, which was closest to the dormitory. Wen Zhixu even considered returning to the dorm early and waiting in the hallway to see how Qin Nanxi’s three roommates bullied her.

To better showcase their performances, the students had done their makeup and chosen their best outfits. For a moment, the place resembled a splash of vibrant red against pure white, a burst of spring’s colors in the midst of summer.

Tang Mo pulled Wen Zhixu backstage, her eyes constantly darting inside. Though she was holding onto Wen Zhixu’s arm, Wen Zhixu could feel her weight leaning inward.

Wen Zhixu asked directly, “Are you looking for someone? You’re not here to watch the performances—what can you even see back here?”

Tang Mo stiffened instantly, stammering, “N-nothing.”

When people lie, they often grow nervous, feigning awkwardness. Her legs wobbled uncertainly, nearly causing her to stumble, but Wen Zhixu caught her.

Wen Zhixu: “You’re hiding something.”

“I’m not!”

Suddenly, a girl emerged from backstage.

She wore a red Hanfu, adorned with meticulously crafted hair accessories, including a few golden hairpins with small bells that chimed melodiously as she walked. But as she moved farther away, the sound faded. A lotus was painted on her forehead, with a pearl at its center. Her performance was a classical dance—something Tang Mo had mentioned on the way.

Tang Mo had said, “You know, there’s a senior from the third year performing this time. She’s an art student and really good at classical dance. I heard about her before and even saw her once. She loves wearing red and bells.”

Both distinctive traits matched perfectly. Combined with Tang Mo’s nervousness, it wasn’t hard to guess.

Only after the girl left did Tang Mo dare to look up, her gaze lingering on the front row where the senior sat.

Wen Zhixu said bluntly, “You like her, don’t you?”

“What?” Tang Mo snapped back to reality. “I don’t! I wouldn’t… You know I don’t date in high school.”

“Really?” Wen Zhixu drew out her words.

Tang Mo had never been in a relationship before. Like Jiang Qingyue, she preferred having fun.

“You said you’d help me chase Qin Nanxi,” Wen Zhixu paused, then stared at Tang Mo. Seeing the growing brightness in her eyes, she softened. “Fine, I’ll help you chase the senior.”

“This…” Tang Mo began to blush, then whispered, “You’re the one who said it, not me…”

Wen Zhixu, seeing this, remarked with a hint of sarcasm, “Why are you so timid? Learn from me—back then, I was so bold and knew exactly how to pursue someone.”

“Oh really?” Tang Mo, teased by her friend, retorted, “But I won’t be like you, chasing someone only to discard them and now having to start all over again.”

Wen Zhixu felt as if her heart had been pierced by a thousand arrows. Leaning against the wall, she sighed inwardly. Indeed, those closest to you know best how to wound you.

“Fine!” Wen Zhixu said. “Since you put it that way, let’s help each other out.”

Tang Mo immediately grabbed Wen Zhixu’s arm. “You’re the best! The performance is about to start—let’s go find our seats and watch.”

Just as Wen Zhixu was about to nod in agreement, she caught sight of a familiar figure and froze, her expression turning grim.

“Cla… Class monitor?”

Tang Mo: “What?”

“Jiang Qingyue, Tang Mo, what are you two doing here during class?”

The speaker was Teacher Zhang. She had originally gone to check on her students, only to find two empty seats in the back. When she asked the class monitor, Song Shuya told her Jiang Qingyue and Tang Mo had gone to the auditorium to watch the performance.

And so, she hurried over to catch them.

Wen Zhixu stammered, frantically trying to recall the excuses she’d used in the past to placate the teacher.

Just then, Qin Nanxi arrived and calmly said, “Teacher, they’re here for the performance. I forgot to report it earlier—my apologies.”

Qin Nanxi was the class’s academic and arts committee member, responsible for submitting performance entries for the cultural festival. Initially, she had only been the academic committee member, but since scholarship evaluations included contributions to the class, Teacher Zhang had assigned her the easiest additional role.

Seeing her favorite student, Teacher Zhang’s expression softened. “I had no idea you two were willing to participate in the performance. Such dedication to the class!”

Jiang Qingyue had studied piano and dance since childhood, but she was somewhat prideful. Since they had transferred to this class later, Class 1 hadn’t submitted any performances, which was why Teacher Zhang was surprised.

Tang Mo’s eyes suddenly lit up as an idea struck her. Gripping Wen Zhixu’s shoulders, she exclaimed, “Exactly!”

Then, thinking on her feet, she added, “The three of us—me, Qin Nanxi, and Wen Zhixu—signed up for a performance! I’ll dance, Qin Nanxi will sing, and Wen Zhixu will play the piano!”

Teacher Zhang looked surprised. “Nanxi, you’re participating too?”

Qin Nanxi usually led a quiet life, focused solely on academics and assisting teachers. The competitions she joined were mostly school contests—things she otherwise wouldn’t have bothered with, except that first place often came with prizes, sometimes even cash rewards.

But this time, she had stepped in to save them on her own. She hadn’t planned to get involved, but when Song Shuya mentioned they’d gone to the auditorium, a flicker of concern had stirred in her.

Reluctantly, she nodded. “Yes.”

Wen Zhixu had been considering ways to back out or perform poorly to avoid selection. Being chosen would mean rehearsing during class time every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—except during senior year.

But she had to protect Qin Nanxi. She had to help her. She had to change her.

Now everything had changed. Qin Nanxi was going to compete with her—they would rehearse together, dance hand in hand. This was nothing short of a blessing from heaven!

Wen Zhixu immediately nodded. “Teacher, I’ll definitely give my best performance!”

Teacher Zhang patted her shoulder. “I still remember listening to you play the piano when you were 14. It was truly wonderful. You must do your best today and bring honor to our class!”

Wen Zhixu replied, “Yes!”