Forced into a Secret Marriage with the Villain, We Now Have a Child - Chapter 22

Jian Chun felt a sense of relief after “clearing things up” with Yu Siyi. Her anxiety had dissipated, and she went about her morning like a normal student—eating, drinking, and attending classes.

However, the morning curriculum was a relentless onslaught. After Physics came Biology, then Math, each more grueling than the last. Jian Chun’s fragile new confidence began to waver, replaced by a sense of bewildered exhaustion. By the time the final morning bell rang, she felt as if she were walking on clouds, her spirit drifting somewhere far beyond the classroom.

Jing Ge, noticing Jian Chun’s dazed state, tried to console her. “Chun-jie, don’t listen to them. Those people just have trashy mouths.”

Jian Chun snapped back to reality. She looked at Jing Ge and, out of a professional habit from her past life as a teacher, corrected her instinctively: “Watch your language.”

Jing Ge froze, startled. She wasn’t even sure which part of her sentence had counted as “foul language” by Jian Chun’s new standards.

Jian Chun realized she had overreacted. In her previous life, she had been a headteacher; she was used to micromanaging students. She took a breath and looked around. The school felt smaller than she remembered. In the future, this place would be renovated with new dorms and a different gate, but for now, everything felt like a blurry intersection of past and future.

Since they were day students, Jian Chun, Jing Ge, and Li Ying usually ate on campus to save time. As they walked toward the cafeteria, the two girls flanked Jian Chun, hooking their arms through hers. Jian Chun sighed, irritated by the sticky heat and the unnecessary physical clinginess.

They headed to the second floor of the cafeteria, where the food was pricier but tasted better.

“Chun-jie,” Jing Ge said with a thick-skinned grin, “swipe your card for us today, okay?”

“Where’s your card?” Jian Chun asked.

“I’m out of money…” Jing Ge replied sheepishly.

Jian Chun wasn’t swayed by the flattery. She appreciated that Jing Ge had stayed by her side when everyone else hated her, but she was also painfully aware that Jing Ge was responsible for half the “hatred” she received from others. She disliked Jing Ge’s personality, but she wasn’t ready to burn bridges just yet.

“I remember you ate on my tab all last week, too,” Jian Chun said, her expression troubled. “I checked my balance this morning; I have less than thirty yuan left, and it’s only Tuesday.”

As a senior, they only had half a day off per week. In just two days, Jing Ge had helped her burn through nearly a week’s worth of allowance. Jian Chun realized that her “original self” had been far too generous, effectively training Jing Ge to be a parasite.

Jing Ge turned to Li Ying, a chubby girl with a long ponytail. “Li Ying, what about you?”

“No way,” Li Ying muttered, pouting. “You’ve swiped my card plenty of times and never paid me back.” Unlike Jian Chun, Li Ying kept a meticulous mental tally of every cent. She had been biting her tongue for a long time, and now that Jian Chun had spoken up, she found the courage to refuse.

Jing Ge pouted and turned back to Jian Chun, shaking her arm. “Chun-jie, just consider it a loan? I’ll pay you back!”

Jian Chun found it almost funny. She realized the reason she found Jing Ge so annoying was the girl’s total lack of tact. “When exactly will you pay me back?”

“When I get my next allowance! Come on, let’s just eat!” Jing Ge dragged her along.

Jian Chun went along with it, but her mind was firm: This person is not friend material. I need to distance myself. She suddenly realized that in the future she had seen, there was no one named Jing Ge among her friends.

As she was thinking, two people approached from the side: Yu Siyi and Zhu Feifei.

Yu Siyi gave them a brief, passing glance before looking away, but Zhu Feifei stared them down. Jian Chun stepped aside to let them pass, but she didn’t look away. She met Zhu Feifei’s gaze head-on.

As they crossed paths, Zhu Feifei sneered and muttered a single word: “Morons.”

She huffed with a bizarre sense of superiority and walked away. Jian Chun rolled her eyes. No matter the timeline, Zhu Feifei is insufferable. And I’m supposed to be friends with her in the future? No thanks.

Jing Ge, however, exploded. She turned to chase them. “What the hell did you say, you bitch? Say it again!”

Jian Chun’s mood shifted from annoyance to panic. She grabbed Jing Ge and hauled her back. They were near the small faculty dining area; if Jing Ge caused a scene here, the teachers would definitely see. Jian Chun was trying to reinvent herself as a serious student; the last thing she needed was more black marks on her record.

“Li Ying, help me!” Jian Chun called out. Together, they managed to restrain the fuming Jing Ge.

Zhu Feifei turned back, watching the struggle with her arms crossed. “If the shoe fits, wear it. I didn’t expect someone to be so eager to prove they’re a moron.”

“Enough!” Jian Chun barked, noticing the growing crowd of onlookers.

A cold, clear voice drifted from further down the hall: “Let’s go.” It was Yu Siyi. Zhu Feifei took one last look at the “morons” and hurried to catch up with her friend.

Jian Chun poked Jing Ge in the forehead. “It was one word. Did it take a chunk out of you? Who are you fighting for? Did I ask you to curse her out? Use your brain!”

“But she insulted you!” Jing Ge protested.

“I don’t care, so why do you?” Jian Chun warned her. “I’m telling you now—if you keep acting without thinking, we’re done being friends.”

Jing Ge’s anger vanished, replaced by hurt. “Chun-jie… are you tired of me?”

Jian Chun sighed. “It would be great if you actually had that much self-awareness.”

The Heroine Appears

After lunch, Jian Chun spent her break in the teachers’ office. She spent the entire hour badgering the Physics teacher, Mr. Li, with questions. Her foundation was full of holes, but she was determined. By the time she left, Mr. Li’s voice was hoarse, but he looked at her with a complicated, somewhat impressed expression. “If only you had started this earlier… but it’s not too late.”

Walking back to the classroom, Jian Chun saw a girl standing outside Class 1, fidgeting and looking around anxiously. It was Feng Xue.

Unlike the broken, tragic woman Jian Chun had seen in her “future dream,” the current Feng Xue was just a young girl with baby fat and a shy smile. The “original” Jian Chun had been a total “simp” for this girl.

As Jian Chun approached, Feng Xue’s face lit up with a forced, restrained smile. “Jian Chun…” she said, her voice trembling as if she were about to cry.

Jian Chun felt a wave of exhaustion. She saw the students in the hallway stopping to watch the drama. In the original plot, Jian Chun would have rushed to comfort her. The current Jian Chun just felt annoyed.

“What is it?” Jian Chun asked coldly.

“Did I… did I do something to upset you?” Feng Xue whimpered. “I can change, I promise!”

“Speak normally. Don’t cry,” Jian Chun snapped. The heat and the academic stress had left her with zero patience for “damsel in distress” acts.

“Chun-jie…” Feng Xue looked like she’d been slapped.

“If you have something to say, say it,” Jian Chun said, stepping back to avoid any “heroine aura” accidents. “People are watching. They’ll think I’m bullying you.”

“But… you asked me to do your homework for you,” Feng Xue whispered, holding out a stack of notebooks. “I finished them, but you never came to pick them up.”

“I told you last month—I don’t need you to do my homework anymore,” Jian Chun said, turning to enter the classroom.

“But your grades…” Feng Xue chased after her, then shrank back when Jian Chun turned around.

“What about my grades? Am I not allowed to do my own work?” Jian Chun laughed.

Jing Ge popped out of the classroom like a jack-in-the-box. “Chun-jie, what’s up? Is this little sister being disobedient again?”

“Ignore her,” Jian Chun said, pushing Jing Ge back.

Feng Xue stood there, clutching the notebooks, looking utterly wronged. Most students, seeing the “bully” Jian Chun and the “pitiful” Feng Xue, immediately took the side of the latter. One girl even spoke up: “Jian Chun, that’s uncalled for. Feng Xue is just trying to help. Why is your temper so bad?”

“Why are you jumping in?” Jian Chun countered. “Do you like her? Do you want to do her homework too?”

The crowd laughed, and the girl turned red. “I’m not talking to a psychopath like you!”

After a few more sharp words from Jing Ge, Feng Xue finally left, tears streaming down her face. To the onlookers, it looked like Jian Chun was being a monster. But to anyone with a brain, it was weird that Feng Xue was so desperate to do someone else’s homework after being told ‘no’ for a month.

The System’s Perspective

Back in Class 2, Feng Xue wiped her tears. Her friends rushed to comfort her, but she barely heard them. She stared at the crumpled notebooks in her lap.

She was panicking.

She had a “Heartthrob System.” In the original plot, she was supposed to use Jian Chun to make Yu Siyi jealous, creating a conflict that would drive Yu Siyi into her arms. But Jian Chun had changed. She had distanced herself and become cold.

Feng Xue had already spent her system points on “Beauty” and “Academic Ability,” but her “Charm” didn’t seem to be working on Jian Chun anymore. Without Jian Chun acting as the aggressive foil, her plan to conquer Yu Siyi was falling apart.

Maybe I should have given Jian Chun a bit more ‘sweetness’ earlier, Feng Xue thought regretfully.