Chapter 11: 第11章 被看见了

After replying to Gu Nian, Jiang Qingli used the excuse of being "too tired" to ask Yin Nuo to leave.

Once he had left, she took out the camera that had been in her pocket all along.

The thumb-sized object was exceptionally exquisite.

Who was monitoring her? And using military-grade equipment at that...

Jiang Qingli toyed with it between her fingertips, attempting to find clues within the original host's fragmented memories.

But it felt as if there were a barrier in her mind.

Whenever she tried to recall anything prior to three years ago, a sharp, needle-like pain pierced her head.

Steadying herself, Jiang Qingli pulled out the original host's light computer and began to carefully sift through the traces left behind.

Regrettably, it contained nothing but official textbooks from the Imperial Academy and photos of handsome, powerful beastmen.

The memo synced with her terminal contained a lot of information, but it was all related to those former beast-husbands.

It was a detailed record of their information—age, preferences, zodiac signs, personality traits, and so on... it looked like a character guide for an otome game.

As Jiang Qingli scrolled through the chat logs, she found nothing unusual.

Until she clicked on the Blacklist.

The blacklist was filled with a dense list of names.

There was Bai Yiyi, the Jiang family, and several professors from the Royal Imperial Academy.

Seeing the professors made Jiang Qingli feel a headache coming on.

The original host was the same age as Jiang Qingli, currently a junior at the Royal Imperial Academy. However, she had been filming with Ling Qing last month and staying near the film set, so she hadn't attended school for a month.

A message from her counselor lay in the trash bin from last month: 【Miss Jiang, you have been absent without cause for a month. All your GPA for this semester will be voided. Please consider this carefully.】

Looking at the date, it was already late May; if she didn't go back now, she would truly be expelled...

The System had not sent any messages yet. She needed to live a normal life first, and going to the Imperial Academy would also allow her to learn more about this world.

Jiang Qingli sent a reply stating she would report there tomorrow.

After looking through some more data, Jiang Qingli felt drowsy.

Perhaps the mental healing from last night had been too draining, as she began to feel heavy-lidded and soon fell asleep on the bed.

In her daze, she felt as if a hand was gently stroking her hair and cheek.

She wanted to open her eyes to see who it was, but she sank deeper into a dream...

The blurry images swayed before becoming clear.

Under a lush, green apple tree, a youth with a blurred face and beautiful white hair hooked a slender finger under her chin, tilting her head to press a light kiss against her lips.

The touch was careful and very gentle.

A few seconds later, he pulled away and whispered into her ear with a low laugh, "Our little Li actually knows how to blush... I'm truly flattered..."

Jiang Qingli opened her eyes, her expression blank.

Was that the original host's memory?

Jiang Qingli lightly touched her own lips; she lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling.

Why...

Why did it feel so real?

***

It was already dark by the time Jiang Qingli went downstairs to the dining room.

In the dining room, Baili Jing sat at one side of the long table, his eyes lowered as if lost in thought.

Seeing Jiang Qingli approach, a flash of joy crossed Baili Jing's eyes. He stood up and walked over. "Qingli, how was your rest?"

His white hair reminded Jiang Qingli of her dream, making her nod somewhat unnaturally.

"It was fine," Jiang Qingli said. "Haven't you eaten? Where is Qin Muyu?"

"I was waiting for my female to join me," Baili Jing said. "He seemed to be in a bad mood, so he went out to eat."

Jiang Qingli didn't catch the subtle jab in his words and simply said, "You don't need to wait for me next time. It's quite a hassle."

Mainly, she didn't want to spend too much time with Baili Jing.

That dream had left her feeling heavy-hearted; subconsciously, she didn't want much contact with him.

"Alright, whatever you say." Baili Jing paused, his voice gentle.

Jiang Qingli felt a discreet sense of relief.

She failed to notice that Baili Jing, sitting opposite her, curled his lips into a bitter smile.

***

The next morning, Jiang Qingli arrived at the Royal Imperial Academy.

In the interstellar era, civilization had developed rapidly, and lifespans had been extended.

Generally speaking, the lifespan of females was higher than that of males, typically ranging between three hundred and five hundred years.

A male's lifespan was linked to his ability level; an S-class beastman could live up to five hundred years.

As age increased, the duration of schooling also lengthened.

University had to be attended for six years, from age eighteen to twenty-four.

*A nightmare, an absolute nightmare!* Jiang Qingli wailed silently in her heart.

Fortunately, the school administration took into account that many students were either from wealthy families or held important positions—some were working or even on battlefields—so the coursework wasn't heavy, with only one or two classes a day.

As soon as she stepped into the classroom, Jiang Qingli felt countless gazes fixed upon her, including several familiar faces.

Many people immediately turned to whisper to others upon seeing her.

Jiang Qingli: "..."

*I suppose this is the price one pays for being a celebrity.*

Jiang Qingli found a seat.

As soon as she sat down, a female sat beside her, smiling obsequiously.

After a moment of thought, Jiang Qingli recognized her as the original host's number one lackey at the academy, Du Qianqian.

"Qingli, I heard you returned those beast-husbands to Bai Yiyi?" Du Qianqian asked in a low voice.

Jiang Qingli nodded. "Yes."

"How can you be so foolish!" Du Qianqian looked distressed. "How could you give them back! They were five S-class males! You just handed over such amazing resources; Bai Yiyi will definitely suppress you even more in the future, believe me!"

Jiang Qingli said nothing, merely offering a performative sigh.

Seeing this, Du Qianqian grew anxious. "Look, you're being gloomy again. Actually, they don't like Bai Yiyi, they like you! Really, especially Ling Qing and Chi Yun, they treat you differently than they treat anyone else..."

Hearing this, Jiang Qingli nearly lost her composure regarding the sadness on her face.

It was true that they were different—they were much harsher to her.

Jiang Qingli glanced at Du Qianqian sitting beside her.

It was true that the original host had been a bottomless pit of devotion to those five, but she had always believed those five had feelings for her.

The ones giving her the greatest illusion were the lackeys around her who wouldn't stop flattering her instead of telling the truth.

Among them, Du Qianqian, out of her hatred for Bai Yiyi, was working hard to incite conflict, hoping to use Jiang Qingli to get rid of her.

Jiang Qingli had no intention of keeping such a person around, let alone making her a friend.

However, Du Qianqian was quite good at gossip, so she could be kept around for intelligence.

Unaware that Jiang Qingli had been replaced by a new soul, Du Qianqian continued with her old routine, desperately insisting that there was "chemistry" between them.

A few rows behind them, a male beastman teased the person next to him, "You've got quite the charm, Chi Yun. Even after the engagement was broken, the Eldest Miss Jiang is still pining for you."

With the excellent hearing of a beastman, Chi Yun heard the conversation between the two females clearly.

The moment he saw Jiang Qingli, the image of her slapping him yesterday flashed through his mind.

And... the hickey on her slender, pale ankle.

Chi Yun frowned unconsciously.

But then he heard Jiang Qingli say, "Don't mention them anymore. I've moved on."

"You mean those five F-class losers?" Du Qianqian laughed incredulously. "Stop joking! Take Qin Muyu, for instance—he's the first prince to ever fail a course, and he'll be in class with us in a moment!"

She winked. "Even if you don't like the arrogant Ling Qing, what about Chi Yun? You used to say he was cute!"

Behind them, Chi Yun's expression froze.

She... had called him cute?

He didn't notice that two rows back, Qin Muyu had raised his eyes, his gaze directed toward them.

Then, he turned his head away, a disdainful sneer escaping his nose.

Jiang Qingli had no idea anyone was watching her; she simply answered coldly, "Did I say that? Let me rephrase—"

"Of those five, the one I hate most right now is Chi Yun."

As if struck by a heavy object in the back of his head, Chi Yun's mind began to buzz.

He was actually the most hated one?

Clearly, Ling Qing was the one who gave her the most trouble...

Chi Yun's mind was a muddle of confusion.

Amidst his irritation, the class passed quickly.

After class, Du Qianqian nudged Jiang Qingli, urging her to go chat with Chi Yun.

Jiang Qingli ignored her completely. After checking her terminal, she walked out and turned right.

As if possessed, Chi Yun followed her.

He didn't notice that someone was following him as well.

The girl walked straight toward the depths of the building without stopping.

As she passed a classroom, a long-fingered hand suddenly reached out from inside and pulled her in.

Through the glass, Chi Yun saw clearly—

A male beastman leaned down to embrace Jiang Qingli, burying his face in the crook of her neck in an extremely intimate gesture.