I Just Want to be a Throwaway Character - Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Ji Wan ended up staying at the Lu family’s house. Even though she was Lu Fanghan’s fiancée, she hadn’t seen her since she moved in. Ji Wan was happy to have her freedom. What she didn’t know was that in the corners where she couldn’t see, a cold gaze was constantly watching her.

One day, Ji Wan was squatting in the large garden in the front yard of the Lu family’s house, watering a large patch of roses. Since her first day, she had voluntarily found a “job” for herself. After all, freeloading wasn’t a good habit.

Ji Wan was still wearing a white dress, but it was a simple one with a big, delicate straw hat. The sunlight fell on the girl’s fair skin, making her look like a beautiful painting. Ji Wan gently touched the lovely petals of the rose with her hand, her expression relaxed. Her eyes curved into a smile. “Be good. I’ll feed you well. You have to try to bloom even more beautifully.”

Lu Fanghan walked over and stood behind Ji Wan. She didn’t make a sound. She just kept looking at this “scheming” woman, her expression unreadable. It had been a week, and she hadn’t made a single move. “Heh, she’s a woman with a plan, alright,” Lu Fanghan thought.

Ji Wan felt a cold stare on her back and shivered. She looked up at the sun. It was early summer, so it shouldn’t be cold. But soon, Ji Wan saw a shadow next to her that wasn’t her own. She tilted her head in confusion. She saw the female lead’s face, which was a beautiful but cold mountain of ice, looking at her coldly.

“Uh, do you need something?” Ji Wan put the watering can aside, stood up, and looked at Lu Fanghan. She hadn’t provoked her, so why did Lu Fanghan look like she was about to settle a score?

“Grandpa wants to see you,” Lu Fanghan said, looking at Ji Wan coldly. She didn’t say much more, but her gaze lingered on Ji Wan’s exposed fair arms. For some reason, she wanted to get a piece of cloth and cover her up.

“Oh, okay,” Ji Wan said politely and calmly. She then squatted back down and picked up the watering can, not paying any more attention to Lu Fanghan.

Lu Fanghan wondered if she had understood. Ji Wan finished watering the last few roses and then unhurriedly put down the watering can. She walked toward the living room where Grandfather Lu was, ignoring the person who was waiting behind her, whose face was slowly turning dark.

As expected, compared to Grandfather Lu’s kind demeanor, Lu Fanghan is more terrifying. Especially with that vine of hers. The marks she left on me are only just starting to fade. Cherish life, and stay away from the female lead, Ji Wan thought silently.

Lu Fanghan watched Ji Wan’s back, which looked like she was running for her life. She looked at the patch of beautiful roses and, for some reason, wanted to have them all dug up. This woman ignored me for a few flowers?

When Ji Wan obediently sat down on the small sofa to Grandfather Lu’s right, Lu Fanghan also walked over and sat down on the small sofa to his left. Ji Wan wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but Lu Fanghan’s gaze was strange. She looked unhappy? But Ji Wan didn’t think too much of it. Anyone would be angry if they were forced into an engagement at age 16.

I should avoid the female lead from now on, or a single spell could be dangerous, Ji Wan thought to herself.

“Wanwan, are you getting used to living here?” Grandfather Lu looked at Ji Wan kindly. In truth, he knew exactly what Patriarch Ji’s plan was. He just wanted to get some benefits from it. He had originally planned to find a way to refuse, but the moment he saw Ji Wan, he liked her. Especially after spending time with her these past few days, he was certain that Ji Wan was a well-behaved and kind child. She was polite, sensible, and even a little clingy. She had just been used by the Ji family, and her background was pitiful, which made him feel sorry for her.

He agreed to the marriage. And when he saw his granddaughter, who didn’t like being touched by others, willingly hug the little girl, and saw her cold eyes when she looked at the girl, he knew that his granddaughter might like her but just hadn’t realized it herself. So he agreed to this seemingly unprofitable, even absurd, engagement for Lu Fanghan. As for whether or not this marriage would work out, it was up to his granddaughter’s own fate. He could only help her a little.

“Grandfather Lu, I’m very happy here,” Ji Wan said with a sweet smile.

“Good child. If you’re not used to anything, just tell me, and I’ll take care of it,” Grandfather Lu said. Ji Wan’s smile was very infectious, and Grandfather Lu couldn’t help but feel good and smile along with her. He then asked Ji Wan some other questions, all of which were about her well-being, making her feel warm. Ji Wan also answered obediently.

In a way, Ji Wan fulfilled Grandfather Lu’s wish for a granddaughter who would act a little spoiled. But as they chatted happily, they completely forgot about the other person.

Lu Fanghan looked at the two “grandfather and granddaughter” in front of her. Her expression was blank, and her eyebrows couldn’t help but twitch. She looked at Ji Wan’s sweet smile. It seemed that since they had met, Ji Wan had never smiled at her. And in the entire Lu family, she was the only one Ji Wan hadn’t smiled at. That subtle feeling of being ignored came up again.

“Grandpa, why did you call us here?” Lu Fanghan asked, interrupting the conversation between Grandfather Lu and Ji Wan.

Grandfather Lu remembered the main reason he had called them. His expression changed to a more serious one. “I called you here to talk about the St. Lan Academy admissions. You’re both 16. Tomorrow, you’ll take Wanwan with you to the magic test.”

“Okay,” Lu Fanghan said, her expression indifferent, as if she wasn’t interested in the magic test.

Ji Wan’s eyes, however, lit up. Since she had arrived in this world, besides seeing Lu Fanghan use vines and the elemental fluctuation from the door opening last time, she hadn’t seen any magic. She was incredibly interested. She remembered that the original host had the water element, but Ji Wan couldn’t use any powerful spells. She could only fill the watering can in the garden.

Seeing the girl’s expectant eyes, the words Lu Fanghan was about to say were caught in her throat. Ji Wan seemed so excited to go with her, so it wouldn’t hurt to take her.

…

The St. Lan Academy admissions site was bustling with people. At 160 cm, Ji Wan was completely swallowed by the crowd. If Lu Fanghan hadn’t grabbed her collar and pulled her out, she would have been lost. Ji Wan was like a curious baby, constantly looking at the different people around her. There was a boy with fiery red hair who was clearly a fire element user. There was a very large earth element user. And there was a short boy with a green head, glasses, and flowers growing on his head.

Feeling the strong elemental energy in the air, Ji Wan finally felt like she was in a magical world. Lu Fanghan helplessly glanced at Ji Wan, who was curious about everything. She led her into a wide, empty tunnel. The tunnel was long, as if it had no end.

“Hey, Lu Fanghan. This isn’t where we sign up, is it?” Ji Wan asked, looking at the expressionless Lu Fanghan. It had been a long time, and they still hadn’t arrived. Is this woman going to do something to me in this dark tunnel? Maybe beat me up? It’s not impossible, she thought.

Lu Fanghan didn’t answer right away. She just gave Ji Wan a cold look, which was enough to make Ji Wan obediently shut her mouth and follow behind her.

The light from the end of the tunnel gradually became brighter. Ji Wan soon arrived at a small room where several people were already waiting. An old man in a long robe was standing there with a cane. In front of him was a large crystal ball. Ji Wan followed Lu Fanghan and stood near the other people.

When everyone had arrived, the old man spoke. “You are all students from noble families and have the privilege of a direct admission. However, once you’re in, whether you have any talent depends on your own ability. This magic test is just a pass to determine which class you will be placed in. It doesn’t mean you have any other benefits. Do your best. Now, come up one by one.” The old man finished speaking and gestured for the first boy to come forward.

He placed his hand on the crystal ball, and two lights appeared. The old man glanced at them indifferently. “Metal and Earth. Both are High-rank. Next.” Another girl came forward and placed her hand on the crystal ball. Three lights appeared. “Water, Wood, and Metal. The ranks are Medium, High, and Medium, respectively.” The old man continued with a flat tone. Several more people went up, and they were all two-element users. The highest rank so far was a boy who had an Excellent-rank ability.

Now, only she and Lu Fanghan were left. “Next,” the old man said, his tone still flat.

Lu Fanghan walked up calmly. She casually placed her hand on the crystal ball. The next second, a surge of elemental energy erupted. Five elements rolled out. The old man’s eyes widened in surprise. This… this is five elements? And the energy level is at least Excellent-rank, maybe even Super!

But it wasn’t over. A white light rose up, illuminating the entire room. The old man’s expression froze completely, and then he became excited. It’s the Light element! Five magical talents plus the Light element. A genius! A once-in-a-millennium genius!

“Child, you are definitely a student in our school’s genius class,” the old man said excitedly, unlike his previous calm demeanor. He had to go back and report this to his superiors immediately. They had found a treasure!

The other noble children looked at Lu Fanghan with admiration. Even the principal of St. Lan, Su Li, a four-element user with one Excellent and three Super-rank abilities, couldn’t compare to this!

Lu Fanghan’s expression didn’t change much when she saw the old man getting ready to leave. But Ji Wan in the corner was a little awkward. She wished she had gone up first. The way he was acting, as if he was done for the day, made it difficult for her.

“Wait, there’s one more person,” Lu Fanghan said, stopping the old man’s excited steps. Everyone finally saw Ji Wan in the corner.

The old man calmed his emotions. “Come here.” She’s just an ordinary person. How can she be as important as that child?

Ji Wan obediently walked forward and put her hand on the crystal ball, feeling a little confused. The original host had entered without a test and didn’t care about it. So Ji Wan was a little curious about what the test felt like. The moment she placed her hand on the crystal ball, a gentle energy surged from within her. The crystal ball glowed with a pure blue light. The purity was very high.

But the old man didn’t show much of a reaction. As it stood, Ji Wan was the weakest one. She only had one element. He didn’t know what rank she was. Hopefully at least Medium-rank. St. Lan doesn’t accept waste.

But as Ji Wan’s energy level rose and the color deepened, it went from Medium to High and then slowly approached Excellent. The old man thought that was her limit and wanted to tell Ji Wan to stop. But Lu Fanghan stopped him. She could feel that Ji Wan’s energy was far from its limit.

Sure enough, the next second, Ji Wan’s energy surged again, reaching Excellent. But the energy didn’t stop. It continued to rise. A strange look appeared in the old man’s eyes. This shouldn’t be happening. The energy hasn’t stopped after reaching Excellent. A single-element user is usually lucky to reach High-rank.

Everyone present held their breath and looked at the girl holding the crystal ball. Ji Wan closed her eyes and felt the gentle energy. The energy gradually approached Super-rank. And finally, under everyone’s gaze, it reached it!

But the energy still didn’t stop. It suddenly became violent. The crystal ball was slowly starting to crack under the excessive energy.

“This is not good,” the old man said, sensing something was wrong. But it was too late. The next second, with a bang, the crystal ball cracked and exploded. Ji Wan also lost all her strength and fell backward. She fell into a warm embrace and passed out.

Lu Fanghan instinctively caught the girl and looked at her pale, exhausted face. A strange feeling of heartache filled her. The old man felt even more heartache for the crystal ball. That was a huge expense! But he looked up at Ji Wan with a hint of curiosity and surprise. It was said that a single-element user who reached an extreme level could become an incredibly powerful fighter. Ji Wan was clearly one of the legendary “Holy Water” users!

Everyone was shocked by the sudden turn of events. However, none of them noticed the trace of dark element that lingered on the broken crystal ball.