“What?! Everyone Except Me Is a Villain (GL) - Chapter 39

“Focus.”

Zhen Xier’s voice broke through Ning’s momentary distraction. Her small face was serious, her hands gesturing animatedly like an angry little kitten adorable, but hardly intimidating. Ning couldn’t help glancing at her a few more times, but quickly decided that Zhen Xier’s sudden enthusiasm probably wouldn’t last long. So instead of responding, she quietly turned her attention back to studying.

Time slipped by quietly, and in the blink of an eye, the midterm exams were over.

If someone asked what Ning had been doing over the past few months, the answer would be simple living steadily, step by step. During the day, she studied with Zhen Xier. At night, she sought help from Xu Yixin. As for the other villains, she rarely had any chance to interact with them, and she wasn’t foolish enough to force unnecessary contact. Better to avoid trouble than to make things worse.

Her memory of academic knowledge gradually returned during this time. With each passing day, she was regaining her old sharpness.

Outside of studying, Ning kept her distance from drama and used the dating app’s notifications to sidestep hidden dangers. Thanks to Driver No. 9 someone Pei Fuliu had arranged for her life over the past few months had been full of close calls, but at least she’d survived.

System Message:
Congratulations, Host, on completing the “Top 100 Midterm Ranking” mission. Due to outstanding performance, achieving a Top 10 rank, reward: +10 Intelligence and 100 bonus fragments.

System Message:
Congratulations, Host, on surviving for three months without triggering any death route. Reward: “Rewind” skill and 100 bonus fragments.

Updated Status:

Name: Zhen Ning
Stamina: 50 (base) + 20 (bonus) = 70
Intelligence: 70 (base) + 10 (bonus) = 80
Charm: 80
Overall Rating: E-Rank Cannon Fodder
Affiliation: None
Skills: Beginner Sword Control, Beginner Disguise, Rewind
Items: 1000 Memory Fragments

When the results were released, Ning ranked among the school’s top ten students. The system chimed with achievement notifications, but she didn’t feel much excitement. She realized something: the stats she was supposedly “increasing” weren’t new, they were just pieces of herself she was reclaiming.

“Impressive,” Zhen Xier remarked, looking at the school’s official ranking post online. Her name was firmly at the top, far ahead of second place. The gap between her and the others was almost insulting. “But still not enough.”

Ning smiled faintly. “Thanks to you, Xier.”

She meant it. And later, she’d send a little red envelope to Xu Yixin as well after all, that girl had spent nights shortening her own study time just to tutor her, even lending her personal notes. Without that, Ning wouldn’t have recalled so much of her knowledge from a hundred and thirty-eight years ago.

During this time, Ning had also realized a grim truth: in every previous reincarnation, she’d never lived longer than a year before dying. But this time, with the help of the “Love App,” she believed she could finally break that curse.

“Everyone’s made noticeable progress this term…”

Teacher Dong, their homeroom teacher, was giving her usual encouraging speech one that always made Ning feel like she was watching an NPC push the plot forward in a game. As the woman’s gaze swept the classroom, Ning could see the floating stats above her head, including a visible “Favorability: 80.”

The class was quiet. Many students were on their phones, some bored, some bitter. After all, Ning’s sudden leap to the top ten had caused a stir. But because of what had happened at the beginning of the semester, no one dared confront her directly, much less accuse her of cheating.

Even Zhen Xier, beside her was tapping furiously on her phone, her delicate face tense with anger. Ning couldn’t see the screen, but she had a good guess people were probably gossiping about her results online.

She didn’t care. Her grades were earned. Ever since her rebirth, she had worked for everything she had. Because she knew she was only a “replacement,” she’d made it her mission to excel at something to have a skill no one could take away.

She was quick to learn, too. Anything but human hearts. That, she still couldn’t master.

Suddenly, she heard Zhen Xier’s breathing quicken beside her. Ning looked over immediately. That kind of rapid breathing was a sign her condition was flaring up again.

Worry clouded Ning’s face. “Xier”

But Zhen Xier didn’t hear her. Her pale fingers kept typing furiously on her phone, trembling slightly. Whatever she was reading, it was agitating her deeply.

Ning reached out instinctively and pressed her hand over Zhen Xier’s phone.

“What are you doing?” Zhen Xier snapped, glaring at her.

“Stop looking,” Ning said softly but firmly. “You don’t feel it? Your body’s not doing well right now.”

As the fake daughter, Ning understood Zhen Xier better than most. She knew that the girl valued her life she never allowed herself to stay angry for more than three seconds, afraid of triggering her illness. But right now, Zhen Xier’s emotions were spiraling, completely out of control.

Just like the time she’d seen Ning talking to the male lead.

Not that Ning had any interest in him she didn’t have time for romance, especially not when a yandere like Zhen Xier was in the mix.

‘Could it be that the male lead already has someone he likes?’ Ning wondered. That might explain Zhen Xier’s reaction. If she’d seen gossip about him, that would definitely trigger her.

“How can I not be angry?” Zhen Xier burst out. “I’m the one who tutored you, but look at what they’re saying, they’re accusing you of sleeping your way to the top! Is it that hard to admit someone’s talented?”

Her voice trembled with suppressed fury. They sat in the back row, her face flushed as she pointed at her screen, breathing hard.

Teacher Dong noticed, of course, but wisely chose to ignore it. Both girls were from powerful families best not to get involved. Around them, the atmosphere in the classroom grew tense.

Some students didn’t care, but the high achievers who’d lost their scholarship slots because of Ning’s ranking were less composed.

Then, unexpectedly, Ning laughed.

Zhen Xier froze, clearly offended. “What’s so funny?”

“It’s just…” Ning had to take a few deep breaths to steady herself. “You told me not to let anyone know you were tutoring me, remember? You didn’t want people to think you were helping me out of pity. So of course, they don’t know. They think I improved on my own. If they did know it was you, they’d be praising you instead of cursing me.”

Zhen Xier’s lips parted, but no words came. She knew Ning was right but admitting that only made her more frustrated. That was just who she was: proud, stubborn, and completely incapable of admitting when she cared.

“Alright, don’t be mad,” Ning said gently, patting her back in comfort. “You and I both know the truth, that’s enough.”

Zhen Xier stiffened. When she realized Ning’s hand was still on her back, she grabbed it and moved it away. “I’m not some pet.”

“I know,” Ning said lightly, smiling. “You’re my dear little sister.”

“I’m your older sister!” Zhen Xier huffed. “I checked our birthdays. I’m older than you!”

The words slipped out before she could stop them. A flush crept up her cheeks. She hadn’t meant to reveal that she’d gone as far as to look up Ning’s birthday or that she liked hearing the word “sister” from her lips.

“Alright, alright, thank you, Sister Xier,” Ning said, pulling out a small gift she’d been carrying for a while.

She set a delicate ceramic bottle on the desk. “This is for you.”

It was a bottle of diluted Marrow Cleansing Pill something Ning had made using basic alchemy. It could help cleanse the body of toxins, though this version’s effect had been reduced a hundredfold for safety (and taste).

Zhen Xier frowned. Suspicion flickered in her eyes, but politeness made her murmur a stiff, “Thank you.”

“It’s a very pretty bottle,” she added dryly, holding it gingerly.

“Go on, open it,” Ning encouraged softly. “I think you’ll like it.”

Zhen Xier hesitated. She suffered from mild anorexia and was extremely picky about food, almost to the point of phobia. Years of restrictive living had left her body fragile, and her relationship with eating was… complicated.

When she finally opened the lid, she froze. Inside were several dull, unremarkable-looking pills, nothing like the dainty sweets she preferred. But as a faint, soothing aroma wafted out, her stomach stirred for the first time in years.

“Try one,” Ning urged gently.

The tone gentle, patient, coaxing, was almost identical to the one Dr. Ma used to trick her into swallowing medicine as a child.

The memory hit hard. The fear, the betrayal, the helplessness.

Her chest tightened. Disgust surged not at Ning, but at the memory of everyone who’d lied to her back then, insisting Dr. Ma’s treatment was “for her own good.”

Before she knew it, her nausea turned into panic.

Without warning, Zhen Xier shot up from her seat and ran out of the classroom. The loud crash of her chair turning over made everyone look up in shock.

“Teacher,” Ning said calmly, standing as well. “Zhen Xier ate some of my snacks and might have a mild reaction. I’ll take her to the infirmary.”

She paused, her tone turning cold. “And if I hear anyone spreading rumors, the Zhen family won’t let it slide.”

The room went dead silent.

Ning pocketed the small ceramic bottle, glancing at the single pill Zhen Xier had left behind. She sighed softly. Healing her body would take at least six months of daily doses, but compared to fixing that fragile, twisted heart, that was the easy part.