Transmigrated as Jane’s Ghostly Godmother - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Not That I Want to Be Your Friend—Why Should I Listen to a…

This was an answer completely outside of Lin Zhao’s expectations.

But Jane seemed to have made up her mind. She gritted her teeth and hurled an even firmer rejection.

“I don’t want to be friends with anyone here.”

With that, she ran away without looking back.

Lin Zhao hadn’t expected Jane’s reaction to be so intense. After a moment’s hesitation, the small figure had already vanished from her sight. She recalled Jane’s assessment of her classmates earlier and felt a headache coming on.

Regarding the subtle discrimination at school, Lin Zhao’s original thought was to have Jane win over Eleanor first to avoid being completely isolated. But if Jane refused to cooperate, things would likely follow a “classic” development: targeted rumors would intensify, moving from whispers behind her back to open hostility, recreating the treatment she received at Gateshead.

Once bullying Jane became a daily routine, even a child like Eleanor would find it hard to resist collective pressure and offer kindness.

Though Lin Zhao didn’t know the exact root of Jane’s current distress, she couldn’t just let things take their natural course. After all, the “ghostly tricks” that worked at Gateshead would likely bring the opposite results at a school. Jane might not understand these nuances, but since Lin Zhao called herself a Fairy Godmother, she couldn’t stop helping just because the “client” wasn’t cooperating.

A plan popped into Lin Zhao’s head. She looked down at her handwritten schedule, her expression serious, and followed the direction Jane had gone.

Jane ran out of the main building, but she didn’t return to the dormitory. Instead, she headed toward the forest—the very place Mrs. Miller had warned them never to enter alone.

It wasn’t a deliberate attempt to break the rules; she simply needed space to be alone. Or rather, space to hide from Lin Zhao.

In the morning, not long after Lin Zhao had fallen into her deep sleep, the school bells had rung. Eleanor and Beatrice, having arrived earlier, were already accustomed to the routine and packed their things quickly.

Though Jane had initially felt intimidated by her roommates’ manners and dress—constantly reminded of her Reed cousins—Lin Zhao’s words the previous night made her realize this was different from Gateshead. This was the chance she had long prayed for: a fresh start in a new place.

She didn’t want to miss it. She followed her roommates out and tried to strike up a conversation.

“Good morning to you too, Jane,” Eleanor smiled, letting out a yawn. “The morning air is wonderful, isn’t it?”

Beatrice gave no response, staring straight ahead without so much as a tilt of her head. This attitude was all too familiar; Jane had been ignored by her cousins many times. She understood immediately: Beatrice disliked her.

Fine, there are more people at school than just Beatrice. Jane felt a bit stung but wasn’t discouraged. She listened to Eleanor’s intermittent chatter about school, praying that when they reached the classroom, most students would be like Eleanor.

Her prayer went unanswered.

There were many more like Beatrice than like Eleanor. They would glance at her and then ignore her, as if that one look had seen through her plain clothes to a coarse soul beneath—Jane knew exactly what those light, dismissive glances meant.

Frustration, resentment, and disbelief swirled within her. She bit her lip. This place was even more unreasonable than Gateshead. These students didn’t distance themselves because they misunderstood her; they were simply too arrogant to care to know her. If she were misunderstood, Jane had the confidence to fight for herself, but faced with this cold indifference, she only felt rage.

“Jane, you haven’t collected your books yet. Sit with me?” Eleanor noticed her empty desk and issued an immediate invitation.

Her clear voice shattered the invisible glass dome in the classroom. Jane sat beside her and whispered her thanks. Thanks to Eleanor, Jane didn’t resist the morning classes even though she didn’t understand much. Eleanor even offered to tutor her until she caught up.

During the lunch break, as they were about to head to the dining hall, Miss Lana, the teacher, stopped Jane. She said Miss Victor wished to speak with her.

With that sentence, Jane received the first real attention from her classmates since morning. It wasn’t the good kind.

This was what Jane had experienced in the classroom. She had told Lin Zhao the truth about that part, but she had slightly altered the contents of her talk with Miss Victor.

There was no school rule about being sent home for poor grades. Instead, Miss Victor had explained that Mrs. Reed had only paid for one year. Jane could either excel during this year to win a “Stipend”—a generous prize that would cover her next year’s fees—or she would have to return to Gateshead.

That was the straw that broke Jane’s back.

She could ignore the attitudes of others, but she would not return to Gateshead. Here, at least, people like Eleanor and Miss Victor were willing to smile at her, and she had the chance to change her fate through knowledge.

“And you have almost completed this one.”

Before those words, Jane had expected Lin Zhao to offer some heartfelt comfort or practical advice. Against John Reed and the others, Lin Zhao had been cold and calculated; Jane felt they deserved it then. But Eleanor was the only one here showing her kindness—and Lin Zhao spoke of her as if she were merely a “condition” for a goal.

In that moment, a doubt surfaced: Why should I listen to a ghost?

A non-human entity, a ghost who would eventually leave, was treating her with such meticulous care seemingly only to fulfill a “mission.” Had she predicted Jane would be in this precarious position? Did she intentionally miss the morning only to reappear with a schedule of unknown consequences? Just like the stories said, was she tricking her into paying some greater price?

Jane didn’t even know what she had to give. Like waking from a dream, Jane regained her fear of Lin Zhao. If this was a deal with a devil, she didn’t want Eleanor involved.

Running away in a fit of impulse, Jane realized she couldn’t actually hide from Lin Zhao, nor could she truly confront her. She hadn’t seen Lin Zhao use “spooky magic” yet, but she couldn’t physically fight an adult.

The bell for afternoon classes rang. Jane scrambled to a single resolution: She could not let Lin Zhao interfere in her decisions. First, she would not “become friends” with Eleanor as the ghost intended.

The cold war began.

Lin Zhao noticed Jane was intentionally ignoring her—specifically, ignoring her words. It started that afternoon outside the Headmistress’s office. When Jane didn’t return to the dorm, Lin Zhao followed Eleanor to the classroom. Jane greeted her when they met, but when Lin Zhao asked where she had been or why she hadn’t responded to Eleanor’s greeting, Jane only gave her a silent profile.

Lin Zhao wondered if she was putting too much pressure on the girl. A ten-year-old entering her second “rebellious phase” is bound to be mercurial. But Jane’s refusal to communicate left her helpless.

Worse than being ignored was Jane’s situation. While Jane was icing her out, she was also icing out Eleanor.

“Jane, do you want to go to the library later?”

“Thank you, Eleanor. I do not.”

Eleanor was popular; when she spoke to Jane, other students would often gather around. Consequently, Jane’s “aloofness” was broadcasted through every rejection of Eleanor. Just as Lin Zhao feared, the “evidence” for discrimination grew.

A week later, Beatrice finally snapped. She stopped Eleanor as she was trying to share notes with Jane again.

“Stop wasting your kindness, Lina,” Beatrice said loudly, ensuring everyone could hear. “She’s just a poor clergyman’s orphan here on her relatives’ dime. I’ve seen plenty of these scrubby children; they don’t know the meaning of gratitude.”

“Betty! How can you say that?” Eleanor pulled at her, but the words had reached everyone.

Oh no. Lin Zhao’s first instinct was to check Jane. Sure enough, Jane’s usually expressionless face buckled.

“I’ve seen plenty of arrogant children like you, too,” Jane retorted mercilessly. “Are you going to hell as well?”

“Jane…” Eleanor gasped.

The argument didn’t escalate further because Miss Lana walked in, oblivious to the atmosphere, and told everyone to take their seats.

“I know you’re hurting, Jane. Why won’t you tell me what you’re thinking?” Lin Zhao crouched by Jane’s desk, trying to reach her. “It would feel better to say it, wouldn’t it?”

Jane didn’t look at her. She picked up her pen and wrote a large “NO” on her book.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” Lin Zhao asked, losing hope.

This caused Jane to tilt her head. She wrote again: “LEAVE ME ALONE.”

Lin Zhao sighed. Her patience was wearing thin. She stood up silently and actually left the classroom.

Perhaps due to the strained relationship, Lin Zhao noticed her body was changing. When she first arrived, she was an invisible “solid”—she could grab things, even if others couldn’t see or touch her. But this week, she occasionally phased through objects she tried to lean on.

She feared that if she didn’t talk things out with Jane soon, she might actually vanish. A survival crisis—for both her and Jane. So, while she outwardly “left Jane alone,” she used her new ghostly state to follow her from the other side of walls.

At lunch break, Jane bolted from the classroom. Someone followed her.

“Stop following me, didn’t I say—” Jane turned around, hearing footsteps. When she saw who it was, her voice stumbled. “To… leave me… a-alone… Eleanor…?”

The smile was gone from Eleanor’s face. She actually had eyes that turned down at the corners, making her look cold when not smiling. She walked to Jane and shoved a note into her arms.

“Jane, if you don’t want to be friends with me, why did you write me this note?”

Jane scanned her surroundings. Not seeing the person she expected, she opened the note, her voice suspicious. “…What note?”

As she read what was written, her brow dropped in disbelief.

“I didn’t write this note! I never intended to be friends with you!”