“What?! Everyone Except Me Is a Villain (GL) - Chapter 7

From the side came Xu Yixin’s unrestrained laughter, as if she had never imagined Jin Buning would pull such a stunt.
As for the person at the center of it all, her expression was more complicated trying to smile but failing miserably. The mischievous little devil probably never dreamed that the one in front of her would handle the situation this way.

“Let me reintroduce myself. I’m the new transfer student, Zhen Ning. It’s such a blessing to meet someone as kind as you on my very first day,” Jin Buning said brightly. She knew Zhen Xier cared deeply about appearances; the more face she gave her in public, the less likely she’d lose her temper.

And sure enough, with just those words, Zhen Xier’s attitude softened, like a kitten whose fur had been smoothed down. She even looked a little at a loss. Having been protected all her life, she was like a blank sheet of paper, easily colored by others.

Before the moment could drag on, the real doctor finally rushed in clearly anxious about Zhen Xier.
And what she saw upon entering was Jin Buning kneeling on one knee, holding Zhen Xier’s hand, while the girl’s pale face flushed slightly, looking completely flustered.

Dr. Ma froze, then barked sharply, “What on earth are you doing?!”

The shout startled everyone. Only Xu Yixin remained by the wall, lazily waving the phone in her hand no doubt the one who had called the Zhen family doctor in the first place, just to keep the chaos going.

“Dr. Ma, you scared me,” Zhen Xier murmured, her voice gentle and calming. The moment she spoke, the doctor’s tone softened at once. She gently pulled Jin Buning aside and began checking Zhen Xier’s condition.

Jin Buning stood frozen, feeling more and more like an outsider. She had met Dr. Ma a few times before always in the presence of Zhen Batian but she’d never imagined this usually cold and restrained woman would harbor such an extraordinary affection for Zhen Xier.

If there were a word for it, it would be infatuation.
Seventeen-year-old Zhen Xier, adored obsessively by a woman nearly forty.

Still, Dr. Ma kept her professionalism. After a quick checkup, her tense expression eased.

Zhen Xier, however, only felt more embarrassed. What started as a little prank on Jin Buning had turned into a complete humiliation. The examination reopened her old wounds, leaving her ashamed and uncomfortable.

“Don’t be afraid, Xier. You just have a few minor injuries and some shock. The infirmary doctor treated you well, so just keep the wound dry and you’ll be fine,” Dr. Ma said softly. Then, worried the girl was still uneasy, she opened a small box from her medical bag.

Inside were rows of colorful handmade candies. Zhen Xier frowned slightly, but Dr. Ma simply picked out the pinkest one and handed it to her.

“Good girl. Eat this and it won’t hurt anymore.”

Her coaxing tone so gentle, so childish only made Zhen Xier blush harder.
To Jin Buning, though, it didn’t sound like affection; it sounded like possession.

Whatever was going on between those two, she pretended not to see. Lowering her head, she focused on her phone.

[System message: Zhen Xier Favorability +5. Current Favorability: -95.]

It was as if her fake flattery had worked. The next second, she looked up and met Zhen Xier’s gaze directly.
Both froze, caught in the act, unsure how it turned into such an intimate stare.

Then Zhen Xier beckoned her over.
Jin Buning hesitated, glanced at Dr. Ma, who was now chatting with Xu Yixin in her white coat and finally stepped closer.

Zhen Xier raised a hand, mouthing two words: Open your mouth.

Puzzled, Jin Buning did as told and felt something placed on her tongue.
Bitterness spread instantly. No matter how pretty the wrapping had been, it couldn’t disguise that what she’d just been fed was a pill.

[System: Pill information scanning — 100%. Analyze components?]

The mechanical prompt popped into her head. She wanted to confirm immediately but held back, deciding to check later when she was alone.

“This makes us even now,” Zhen Xier said, smiling in satisfaction as she watched Jin Buning scrunch her face from the bitterness, the perfect picture of a prank well played.

Jin Buning couldn’t reply, the taste lingering sharply on her tongue. It grounded her reminded her she was still alive, that this was her 138th reincarnation, and that she shouldn’t afford sympathy to anyone.

“Oh, heavens, look at the time! You there, the new student, come with me! We’ll be late for the opening ceremony!”
Teacher Dong’s voice broke the moment.

What had felt like a long ordeal had only been twenty minutes.
But if the Zhen family doctor could arrive that quickly, something was off. Either the entire Paradise Academy was crawling with Zhen family informants, or both she and Zhen Xier were under surveillance at all times.

“Alright, Xier, I’ll take the new student along,” Teacher Dong added politely. After Zhen Xier nodded, she pulled Jin Buning away.

Zhen Xier’s gaze lingered on their clasped hands, her own fingers still holding the torn pink candy wrapper, lost in thought.

Once they had walked about a hundred steps, Teacher Dong finally stopped and sighed in relief.

“That doctor of Xier’s… scarier than I imagined. Don’t take it to heart, she’s like that with everyone. Once, a student accidentally bumped into Xier, and Dr. Ma literally knocked his tooth out.”

The woman’s casual gossip made Jin Buning blink. This teacher was nothing like the strict, serious homeroom teacher she’d expected, more like a talkative bystander with no sense of propriety.
No wonder she felt like an NPC with a D-rank role while Jin Buning herself was just an E-rank cannon fodder.

“I saw your reflexes earlier,” Teacher Dong continued. “You’ve trained before, haven’t you? Don’t deny it you even caught that soy milk cup without spilling a drop. Anyone else would’ve crushed it.”

Jin Buning froze. Her stats only listed 50 points of stamina average but that didn’t account for instincts honed over lifetimes. Her precision came from years of survival, not strength.

“Anyway, this school’s full of rich kids. Keep your head down, okay? Don’t go around fighting.”

“I understand, Teacher. I’ll stay low-profile.”

[System: Teacher Dong Favorability +10. Current Favorability: 10.]

Checking the interface, Jin Buning noticed that unlocking Zhen Xier’s favorability had now revealed everyone’s though it only updated when someone’s feelings changed. Within a one-kilometer radius, she saw three new readings:

Zhen Xier: -95
Xu Yixin: 0
Dr. Ma: -999

As expected, Dr. Ma hated her most.
Thinking about how any future interaction with Zhen Xier meant dealing with that woman again, Jin Buning sighed inwardly. Still, she reminded herself once you’ve seen hell, everything else feels like heaven.

Her mood lightened. She chatted idly with Teacher Dong as they reached the school hall.

The ceremony had already started. Teacher Dong pointed her to an empty seat in the back before returning to the teachers’ section.

Settling down, Jin Buning opened her phone again and pulled up the dating app interface.
Now, aside from the Character and Mission tabs, there were new ones: Social and Items.

The setup looked increasingly like a romance game.
She tapped on Items the unidentified pill appeared first on the list.

“Analyze,” she whispered.

[Analyzing… please wait one minute.]

[Analysis complete: Unknown pill composition detected.]
[Contains ingredients …&*&… Result summary:]

The scientific terms blurred together chemistry had never been her strength.

“Can you explain it in plain language?” she muttered.

The screen flickered, then simplified the message:

[Analysis result: The pill contains “Butterfly Powder.” Prolonged use can cause bone loss, muscle atrophy, and elevated bl00d sugar. More severely, it weakens the immune system, dulling the body’s response to viruses and bacteria.]

Jin Buning stared at the message.
Zhen Xier’s “sweet prank” had just turned into something far more sinister.