After Becoming a Cannon-Fodder Lackey, I Swore to Protect the Young Lady to the Death - Chapter 2

On the other side of the divide, the original Li Xi was beyond bewildered.

It turned out that transmigration really could facilitate a leap between social classes; it’s just that she had leaped from comfortable middle-class living straight into homelessness. Her original plan of making easy money had vanished, replaced by a grueling shift as a manual laborer on an assembly line.

After finishing yet another round of overtime, Li Xi sat in a bathroom stall and addressed the toilet. “The world has officially gone mad.”

【Ding! Your system, Isakana, is now online.】

Li Xi froze. “…What?”

【Oh, crap! I linked to the wrong person! Aaaaaargh!!】

The system’s notification—which had started off sounding elegant and refined—instantly devolved into a chorus of hysterical wolf-like wailing.

Li Xi’s initial disbelief shifted into a profound realization. Once she confirmed her own brain hadn’t snapped, she concluded it was the world itself that was broken.

I’m the one who wants to cry here, she thought. Transmigration was supposed to be a shortcut to success, not a dead-end road to poverty.

【I can’t unbind! I’m stuck! Waaaaah!】 The system’s sobbing grew even louder.

“So what now?” Li Xi asked, looking at her discarded work uniform with a face full of weary resignation.

【Fine… it’s not like this world is empty of tasks,】 the system sniffled, trying to pull itself together. 【I’ll swap the mission for a different one. Since we’re stuck together anyway, you might as well get to work.】

“I’ve definitely lost it,” Li Xi muttered, shaking her head violently before forcing a nonchalant smile.

【Rest assured, Host, you aren’t crazy. You’ve simply transmigrated into the wrong book,】 the system replied, instantly pivoting back to its professional persona as if it hadn’t just been howling like a banshee.

Li Xi didn’t say a word. She walked out of the factory and stood by the desolate roadside to hail a ride. “Sir, take me to the Fourth Psychiatric Hospital, please.”

“You got it.”

【You’re really not crazy! Host, trust me! You’re sane!】 the system screamed inside her head.

Seeing that she was actually about to get into the car, the system panicked and forcibly pulled her consciousness into the System Hub.

Back at the curb, the driver blinked in confusion. What the hell? Where’d the passenger go?!

******

Back at the elite academy, Li Gangjiao felt like slamming her head against her desk as she stared at the assignments in front of her.

It was only the start of the first semester of tenth grade, and students hadn’t picked their specialized tracks yet. The homework for all nine subjects was piled up like a mountain. She swallowed hard.

Most subjects she could handle, but math and English? Those were completely beyond her pay grade.

With only twenty minutes left until the final bell, Li Gangjiao had only managed to scrape through three multiple-choice math questions. Her English paper was a pristine, untouched void.

She slumped in her seat, her pen tracing frustrated, jagged circles on her scratch paper.

Lu Jiaoyue had already finished all her work and was preparing to review when she caught sight of Li Gangjiao’s soul-leaden expression. She glanced at the paper. How did she get such simple questions wrong? Even if she were just guessing, how do you miss two out of the first three?

Li Gangjiao’s face was a masterpiece of misery. Why do these transmigration stories always dump people back into high school? Don’t they know how soul-crushing this is? This workload is literal torture!

“Here.” Lu Jiaoyue had been observing her for a while. She quietly reached over and placed her completed English and math papers on Li Gangjiao’s desk.

Internally, Lu Jiaoyue was starting to have doubts. Did Li Xi actually pass the entrance exams to get into this school? Did she manage to forget everything over summer break? I don’t remember her being this… dim.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

In that moment, Li Gangjiao saw a holy radiance shimmering behind the Eldest Miss. Lu Jiaoyue wasn’t just a boss; she was a divine goddess reaching down to save a drowning soul.

Over the next few days, Li Gangjiao committed herself fully to the role of the ultimate lackey. When she wasn’t in class, she was circling the Eldest Miss like a devoted shadow.

She quickly memorized all of Lu Jiaoyue’s habits and preferences, making her “service” even more seamless. Bringing breakfast, running for snacks, fetching hot water, carrying bags—if it involved Lu Jiaoyue, Li Gangjiao was on it with unparalleled enthusiasm.

The more time they spent together, the more Li Gangjiao felt that Lu Jiaoyue was simply a cool, aloof beauty. She couldn’t reconcile this person with the “arrogant school beauty” described in the novel.

After all, how could a girl who paid a fortune and let you copy her homework be a villain?

When school ended, the moment Lu Jiaoyue stood up, Li Gangjiao was already there to scoop up her backpack. As for her own bag? Please—Li Gangjiao had zero intention of studying at home. Why carry the extra weight?

“You know, you really don’t have to do all this,” Lu Jiaoyue said, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the “service.” She tried to reach for her bag.

This girl is being aggressively helpful.

Just as they were about to leave the classroom, a gossipy voice drifted from behind them.

“Lu Jiaoyue, have you heard? Gu Yan is chasing some girl lately. Su Momo, I think her name is.” The girl speaking, Chen Wan, was clearly fishing for drama.

In the original story, Chen Wan had a crush on Gu Yan and loathed Su Momo. She spent most of her time goading Lu Jiaoyue into starting trouble—a textbook member of the Villain Squad.

Li Gangjiao’s heart hammered against her ribs. Crap. Is the main plot actually starting?

“Oh. Instead of worrying about that, maybe you should worry about how your Han Xin ranking dropped from 34th to 78th in the country.” To Li Gangjiao’s surprise, Lu Jiaoyue only gave the girl a dry look before pulling Li Gangjiao out of the room.

“What?! Even you know about that?!” Chen Wan turned pale and scrambled to leave. After a few steps, she spun around and shouted, “I’ll get my rank back, just watch me!”

Being led down the hallway, Li Gangjiao asked, “What’s the deal with her?”

“She’s obsessed with gaming and is usually pretty confident about her skills, but she’s been on a massive losing streak lately.” Lu Jiaoyue pulled out her phone, opened the game, and showed Li Gangjiao Chen Wan’s disastrous match history from her friend list.

Li Gangjiao: …What kind of writing style is this? Magical realism? One of the main villains is just a gaming addict?

“What about you? Are you okay?” Li Gangjiao asked tentatively, remembering how the original Lu Jiaoyue was supposed to be consumed by jealousy over Su Momo.

In the book, the villainess had fallen for Gu Yan at first sight during the opening ceremony and had already decided he belonged to her.

“I’m fine.” Lu Jiaoyue shook her head and tucked her phone away, seemingly unaffected.

Li Gangjiao let out a massive sigh of relief.

As long as the Eldest Miss doesn’t mess with the female lead, that psycho male lead won’t come for her. If the Lu Corporation doesn’t go bankrupt, my life of luxury is secured!

The more she thought about it, the wider her grin became. She was practically radiating joy.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans. They were about to collide with the plot anyway.

While they were in the restroom later that day, Lu Jiaoyue and Li Gangjiao suddenly heard a desperate cry for help.

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