The School Prince is a Girl - Chapter 7

The youth seemed to have just woken up, still carrying a hint of laziness. His long, slender fingers rubbed the corner of his naturally cool eyes until they turned a little red. The fringe on his forehead, messy from sleeping all day, only added to a sense of casualness rather than looking sloppy.

Looking purely at his features, even Bai Xi had to admit that her “dead-pig” deskmate had some capital. His features were exquisite and sharp, poised between an adult male and a young man. Paired with his slender eyelashes and slightly upturned, phoenix-like eyes, his entire demeanor appeared cool and aloof, naturally possessing a noble, unattainable aura.

After clearly seeing the full appearance of her deskmate, Bai Xi already had her answer. With such astonishing looks and such an arrogant manner of conduct, who else could it be besides the male protagonist from the original novel, the one who was cold, aloof, and emotionally stunted?

The answer was, of course, no one. She had been lamenting this morning that she had missed the best time to observe the male protagonist, only to find that he was, in fact, her deskmate. One had to say, it was destiny.

“You also study the stock market?” Bai Xi knew her opening words were redundant, but if two people were going to chat, how could they not start with pleasantries? Who begins a conversation by cutting straight to the chase?

The long, phoenix-like eyes lifted, glancing at Bai Xi, who was sitting inappropriately on the podium.

“I saw your operations just now. I think we can cooperate.”

Bai Xi had habitually used her corporate negotiation tactics, but she hadn’t expected this male protagonist to be someone who truly did not follow the script, cutting straight to the chase.

She looked back at the large screen. Since the computer was connected to the podium, and she hadn’t thought to disconnect them, it was no surprise that the male protagonist could see her operations if he had been awake just now.

Having read the descriptions in the original book, Bai Xi was not at all surprised by the male protagonist’s choice now.

In the original novel, the male protagonist, Yu Mo, appeared to be the only son in the Yu family, but in reality, he was not the family’s only heir. To put it bluntly, he was merely a human shield pushed out by the family.

The male protagonist, who understood his fate from a young age, did not choose to compromise. Instead, he outwardly pretended to play the role the family wanted while secretly expanding his own power, learning everything he could, and gradually strengthening himself.

By the time the male protagonist graduated, when the role of this human shield was about to be completed and the Yu family planned to abandon him, they discovered this was no longer a decision they could make.

While reading the novel, Bai Xi felt that anyone who could thoroughly destabilize his entire family business during college and still walk away unscathed must not have been an ordinary person in high school.

Sure enough, although this male protagonist looked slightly green now and wasn’t entirely mature in certain aspects—and his emotional deficiency certainly had a significant impact on him—his professional ability was indeed beyond reproach.

“Since we are negotiating, I believe we should both show sincerity.”

Since the other party didn’t entertain her pleasantries, she couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words. She needed to quickly settle the terms; she was already hungry.

Neither of them was a sluggish person, and their opinions were highly consistent in certain areas. Coupled with the common interest driving them, the negotiation was exceptionally pleasant.

Only after 002 re-established contact with its Host did it discover this earth-shattering change, almost exploding Bai Xi’s brain immediately.

【002: What are you doing?! What are you nong sha lei? That’s the male protagonist! You’re supposed to chase him until you’re half dead with lovesickness! Why are you setting up a business collaboration with him? You don’t need a business collaboration, do you understand?!】

Watching the male protagonist walk away immediately after the two discussed terms and reached an agreement, Bai Xi was unusually patient with the frantic 002 inside her head.

【Bai Xi: I don’t see any conflict between the two. Besides, when did I agree to star in the Villainous Supporting Character’s script? Do you really want me to end up abandoned by my family and suffering a miserable fate?】

After this long period of interaction, Bai Xi didn’t dare say she was 100% certain, but she was 80% confident that she and 002 could survive even without following the original plot.

The rules initially set by this system were strange. It required her to ensure the original plot progression without deviation, yet based on the system’s guidance, she would often perform actions that deviated from the plot, and yet there was never any punishment.

Therefore, Bai Xi speculated that ensuring the main plot progression might not be the primary reason for her and 002’s survival. However, what that main reason was, Bai Xi couldn’t be sure; she needed to experiment step by step.

002 was completely unaware of the complexities in its Host’s mind. It was still immersed in the tragic reality that its Villainous Supporting Character Host and the Male Protagonist had become business partners.

Following the clues provided by the male protagonist during their discussion, Bai Xi decisively divided her money and made several investments. She then returned the computer to its original position, deleted all traces and data, and prepared to go home and sleep comfortably.

As one of the few day students in the entire school, Bai Xi did not need to attend evening self-study until 9:30 PM. She could go straight home after the third class ended.

Before heading to the main gate, Bai Xi detoured to a corner of the campus to retrieve 002, who was still curled up on the school bag, and packed it up to carry home.

With 002 secured, Bai Xi walked straight toward the school gate. Since the villa Madam Bai had prepared for her was not far away, Bai Xi didn’t need to worry about transportation and could walk home directly.

Just as Bai Xi reached the main gate, she saw several people gathered there. It was literally a few people clustered in a circle, and she didn’t know what they were doing.

Bai Xi was not someone who liked to meddle, and her curiosity was minimal. Regarding the commotion at the gate, she only cared if it would block her way out.

She was thinking of using the side gate to avoid any trouble, but unexpectedly, as soon as Bai Xi appeared, the crowd that had formed a circle seemed to stir.

“Isn’t that the eldest young master of the Bai family?”

“I’ve seen his photo. That’s definitely the Bai family’s eldest young master. We finally cornered him! Quick, go!”

Startled by their conversation, Bai Xi quickly withdrew her foot that was stepping toward the gate. The security guards nearby were not slow, and they promptly shut the gate completely.

It was fine for the opposing party to briefly stay at the school entrance, but if they tried to break into the school or threaten the safety of the students inside, it would become their responsibility—especially when the safety of the heir of the school’s major shareholder was threatened.

“Your Bai family must give us an explanation! We couldn’t corner the father; we don’t believe we can’t corner the son!”

“Exactly! Our demand is reasonable! This is all because your Bai family is too overbearing! Do you really think there’s no law under heaven?”

Watching the group cling to the gate, vehemently pointing fingers and accusing her, Bai Xi hugged the school bag containing 002, her expression blank and completely unmoved.

“I am indeed the young master of the Bai family. If you have any issues, you can state them here, but please remain calm. Otherwise, I believe the law will be punishing you, not me.”

What kind of scenes hadn’t Bai Xi witnessed in her previous life? Whether it was people blocking her company, her car, her home, or even her plane, she had encountered it all. These few people just causing a scene at the school gate were hardly a threat. How could she possibly be scared?

They hadn’t expected this seemingly precious and timid young master to show no fear at all. His voice was steady and well-organized, making him appear like a veteran businessman.

However, causing a scene was not within their initial consideration. If this young master of the Bai family was willing to reason, they also didn’t want to lose face by acting shamelessly at a child’s school gate.

“It’s like this. We know your Bai family is wealthy and powerful and won’t care about a small matter, but you don’t realize this is our very foundation.”

After rounds of introductions and explanations from the people opposite, Bai Xi finally understood the entire sequence of events.

These matters were complicated yet simple. They boiled down to the Bai Group wanting to expand its land and eyeing a location on the city outskirts. The location was poor but cheap and spacious, making it suitable for building warehouses.

That area had no other buildings, only an orphanage.

This orphanage had been established for several decades, saving countless lives and helping many families find fulfillment.

The orphanage rarely received outside aid, surviving mostly on the savings of the old headmistress and help from those who had left the orphanage and grown up.

The generations supported each other, struggling hard but meticulously maintaining this warm extended family. After all, for those who were abandoned by their parents or born without knowing them, this was a place warmer than a real home.

But now, the Bai Group planned commercial construction there, and this old orphanage was facing forced demolition because it lacked a business license.

The people at the orphanage were thunderstruck by this news. Although the orphanage was small, old, and dilapidated, it was still their warmest home. The usually kind and wise old headmistress had already been hospitalized in a coma due to the sudden setback.

Faced with this sudden misfortune, the group lost all direction. Out of desperation, they wanted to plead with the Bai Group to stop. They didn’t ask for much. The orphanage was originally located in a corner of the Bai Group’s plan, and removing that small corner wouldn’t affect the project. They could even collectively raise funds to buy the orphanage land themselves.

However, the Bai Group ruthlessly rejected their small request. They went to the Bai Group tower repeatedly, but each time they were either driven away by security or forcibly removed. They never met the Old Master Bai or even any high-level executive of the Bai Group.

Seeing the demolition date approaching day by day, and completely at a dead end, they happened to see the news of the Bai family’s eldest young master returning home. With the mentality of seeking any remedy for a desperate illness, they chose to block the young master on the first day of school.

In the morning, they only saw luxury cars moving in and out, and they didn’t even have the right to approach. So, they had no choice but to try their luck at the gate in the afternoon with faint hope.

Heaven must have shown mercy, as they actually ran into him.

Her mood was complicated. Whether in her past or present life, Bai Xi might have experienced things others couldn’t, and endured unbearable hardships. But she had never been so passionate about one cause, nor had she experienced the pain of such warmth being completely destroyed.

Because she had fundamentally never possessed any warmth herself.

“I am aware of this matter, but I cannot just listen to your side of the story. I also need to see the current design blueprint. You may not be aware, but if this project is already scheduled to start construction, the preliminary preparations and design blueprints alone represent a huge expense. It’s not as simple as just carving out a corner.”

Bai Xi had been a businesswoman. A necessary quality for a qualified merchant was to avoid emotional decision-making; everything had to start from self-interest.

The very first step of a project is planning and design. If the design for this new Bai Group project was already finalized, modifying it would definitely require massive manpower and resources again. The resulting economic losses were incomparable to those of an orphanage.

Unexpectedly receiving this kind of answer, the faces of the people showed despair simultaneously. Had all their running around for so long really been useless?

Just as the atmosphere turned cold, the mobile phone of the leading sister rang. The people outside glanced at the caller ID and immediately swallowed their words, remaining silent.

“Xiao Ying, the old headmistress is doing well recently, and the children are all fine. Don’t worry about us and focus on your studies.”

“The old headmistress was just talking about you the other day. She wants to be discharged quickly so she can come see you at your school.”

“Don’t worry now; things are all sorted out. Your main task in your third year is to study hard. You are the only top student among all of us, so you must bring honor to our ‘Sunshine’ Orphanage!”

“Okay, okay. I have some things to do here, so I’ll hang up first. Don’t you worry.”

The sister forced a smile and hung up the phone. The faces of the people at the gate were etched with bitterness. They looked at Bai Xi, who was reaching out to pet 002.

“Young Master Bai, we were indeed wrong today. If we scared you, I sincerely apologize here. We have disturbed you.”

The leading sister was quite calm and understood that Bai Xi was currently just a child. Even if Bai Xi would eventually become the Bai Group’s heir, the Bai family would not listen to a child now.

“Sister, why should you apologize to them? We didn’t agree to the demolition from the beginning! If we don’t want it demolished, then it won’t be! Why should we grovel and apologize to them? Even if the Bai family is rich and powerful, they can’t dominate everything!”

Although the leading sister appeared rational, not everyone was. For example, the others who came with her—the same people who were enraged at the beginning—now looked at Bai Xi with unfriendly eyes.

Listening to their conversation, Bai Xi’s eyes narrowed slightly. She didn’t know why, but the name of the orphanage felt somewhat familiar; she must have heard it somewhere. And the person the leading sister called just now… Xiao Ying? Was it Xiao Ying, Xiao Ying, or Xiao Ying? Could it really be what she had just suspected? That would be too much of a coincidence.

Connecting this to 002 saying that the female protagonist had suddenly skipped class for no reason, and Ye Ying’s mood on the rooftop didn’t seem very good, could it be because of this matter?

Although she had a guess, a guess was just a guess and couldn’t be confirmed. Furthermore, Bai Xi knew her current predicament. She couldn’t even guarantee her own safety, so how could she boast that she could definitely fix this issue?

So, watching the few people leave one after another, Bai Xi felt a sense of melancholy but ultimately said nothing more. She sighed twice and walked out with 002 in her arms.

002, whom Bai Xi had instructed to investigate the Sunshine Orphanage, failed to notice that after the group left, the person who emerged from the other side of the security room was none other than the female protagonist, Ye Ying.

Back at the small villa Madam Bai had prepared for her, Bai Xi first tidied herself up, changed into comfortable home clothes, and began to consider the events of the day.

After gradually clarifying the situation in her mind, Bai Xi opened her eyes with a sense of relief. In fact, the strongest asset humans possess is not a sturdy body but an intelligent brain. As long as her mind was working, there was no predicament she couldn’t break out of.

After a moment of vanity, Bai Xi picked up 002, who had started sleeping nearby. She wondered why this system, composed entirely of data, liked sleeping so much.

“How is the investigation into the Sunshine Orphanage that I asked you to do coming along?” She had returned home from school and even figured out her next moves, yet 002 still hadn’t provided the investigation results.

Bai Xi had to admit that she could clearly feel how passively 002 was working now. The system had been so enthusiastic about pushing her to do missions at the start, but after just a few short days, this thing was already slacking off.

“Your guess is correct. The Sunshine Orphanage is indeed the orphanage where the female protagonist once stayed. And the female protagonist still maintains contact with the people there.” After saying this, 002 sank back into sleep.

Bai Xi glanced thoughtfully at 002, then quickly mentally reorganized all the current circumstances. Only then did she eat a light meal and fall into a deep sleep.

Logically, Bai Xi believed her biological clock absolutely could not fail her. Even if her biological clock failed, her alarm clock certainly wouldn’t.

So, when Bai Xi opened her eyes the next morning and saw the hour hand pointing directly to eight o’clock on the bedside table, she almost suspected it was an illusion.

After repeated verification, she unfortunately discovered that this was indeed the reality. Bai Xi immediately rushed into action, performing her washing and brushing routine, grabbing a slice of bread, and speeding toward the school gate like the wind.