Chapter 2

Her father handed her a bank card, his hands steady on the wheel.

"This is all your lucky money from when you were little. Your mother and I saved it for you all these years. Now it's yours. The password is your birthday."

Ruan Ning took it, and her face lit up at the sight of the card—it was printed with her favorite game's artwork. A delighted grin spread across her face before she could stop it.

If it were just money, she wouldn't have felt much. She rarely shopped or bought things, and her allowance often went unspent. But seeing her favorite game's design on the card sent a burst of happiness shooting through her deadened heart, exploding like fireworks.

"Thank you, Dad! Thank you, Mom!" Ruan Ning clutched the card and rubbed it over and over.

"Go buy yourself some clothes, and doll yourself up, you hear me?" Qiu Yan couldn't help complaining that her daughter stayed cooped up in her room all year round, wearing the same few outfits.

"Got it." Ruan Ning answered with a pout.

"This girl, she's never this happy when we just give her money. What's gotten into her today?" Qiu Yan felt relieved that her daughter had finally come around and realized the value of money.

When she'd taken the bank card, Ruan Ning had almost kissed it.

They really were her birth parents. With them as her solid support, half the weight pressing on her chest lifted at once.

In truth, another reason Ruan Ning had been worrying herself sick since awakening was money.

Although her family ran a small garment factory, their life was comfortable but nothing more. Even if she wanted to freely move in the circles where the rich male leads hung out, it would be harder than reaching the sky.

The Ruan family had neither wealth nor status. Without an introduction, there was no way she could find her way into high-society banquets.

Besides, everyone in those circles was worth billions. Without the wardrobe and presence to match, she'd be mistaken for a server the moment she walked in.

In the original novel, the supporting female character, driven by vanity, secretly borrowed tens of millions to pose as a socialite—and ended up being hunted down by the underworld.

With the bloody original plot fresh in her mind, Ruan Ning warned herself never to repeat that mistake.

Now that she had money, at least she wouldn't have to worry about the cost of getting close to the male leads.

"You've grown up, and your mother and I are getting old."

"From now on, the family business will be handed over to you eventually. You need to prepare for that early."

"As long as you have a happy family, good health, and take over the business well, your mother and I will be at ease."

Ruan Ning clutched the bank card without a word, quietly turning her head to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes.

The car soon drove into the school. Qiu Yan sighed in admiration: "A top school truly lives up to its name. Just look at the grandeur."

The school's main avenue was wide and straight, leading straight to the campus's landmark building—the Gate of Sacred Favor. Lined with lush trees on both sides, it was adorned with Iya's famous purple banners, fluttering in the wind.

The school was famed for the jacaranda trees planted throughout the campus. Every summer, the campus was immersed in a dreamlike world of light purple, drawing crowds of tourists to enjoy the flowers and the scenery.

That was why the school emblem was set on a purple shield, with the engraved figure of a warrior goddess wearing an olive crown, raising a sword in one hand and holding a book in the other, accompanied by the school motto in Tivan, the traditional language of Country A—"Truth Never Dies."

Ruan Ning's dormitory had been assigned to a castle with three hundred years of history.

As the car approached from afar, the whole family got a taste of the lively bustle of the millennium-old school's opening day.

Under the azure sky, tall and ancient stone castles stood scattered among the clouds. Green stone walls were covered with verdant ivy, winding past carved stone pointed-arch windows, like the windows of a princess's castle in a fairy tale.

All kinds of luxury cars crouched at its feet, surrounding the castle in an impenetrable mass. On the ancient cobblestone walkways, people came and went, car horns and human voices interweaving in a rolling din.

Ruan Dahong slowly controlled the driving speed, catching sight of a plaque at the castle's main gate: "Country A Historical Heritage Protection List."

Qiu Yan, meanwhile, noticed that the parents accompanying their children were basically all wearing red lipstick, designer bags, and big diamond rings, with servants helping them out of their cars as they swarmed through the gate in droves. She was glad she'd dressed up properly too, so she wouldn't embarrass her daughter.

Ruan Ning was excited to see the castle, but also a little worried, wondering if it might be damp and old inside.

But as it turned out, it had been modernized inside, and the rooms were both comfortable and spacious.

Every incoming freshman had their own student apartment. The rooms were decorated in a simple and elegant style, equipped with a living room, kitchen, balcony, bathroom, full set of household appliances, and Wi-Fi—even a printer and fax machine.

Qiu Yan especially loved the area by the living room window. Beneath the colorful stained-glass window sat a pair of beige classic sofas popular in the last century, along with a delicate tea set. You could sip tea while enjoying the plane trees and lawn outside the window.

Qiu Yan picked up a teacup, sat by the window, and took a photo to send to the family group chat. The group instantly came alive, with dozens of messages flooding in:

"A top school indeed—better than a hotel."

"Can Ningning take us on a tour? Let's broaden our horizons."

"Ningning really makes us proud. Tell her to teach her cousin to study hard and get into a good university."

Qiu Yan kept scrolling through the screen to show Ruan Dahong, smiling sweeter than honey.

The whole family bustled about for a day and finally settled the dorm. Ruan Ning urged her parents to head back quickly, lest it be unsafe to drive at night—though in her heart, she was thinking about the mission.

But Ruan Dahong didn't want to leave immediately. He insisted on going to the best restaurant nearby and ordering a big table of dishes.

In the private room, her father solemnly raised his teacup.

"Ningning, this is the last dinner your mother and I will have with you before you start college. Study hard from now on, take care of yourself, and call home if anything happens."

The warm yellow light of the private room cast a soft filter over them, yet Ruan Ning could clearly see the fine lines at the corners of her father's eyes.

In her memory, he had always been the steady driver sitting up front, leading the whole family. At this moment, she truly felt that her father had gotten old.

Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. Qiu Yan wiped her daughter's tears and teased her: "You rushed us off all afternoon, and now that we're finally leaving, you must be thrilled."

"No, I'm not." Ruan Ning blushed and lowered her head. "Mom, you're wronging me."

Qiu Yan pulled her daughter into her arms and murmured softly: "No matter what happens, you have to tell us. You're our daughter. If we don't protect you, who will?"

"Mm..." Ruan Ning finally couldn't help burying her face in her mother's shoulder, tears spilling out and dripping down one by one.

I will definitely complete my mission.

Iya University had strict academic requirements, and Ruan Ning was drowned in a pile of tedious introductory courses as soon as the semester started.

She familiarized herself with and mastered her new classes while also investigating and preparing on the side. Before she knew it, only two days remained until the freshman ball.

At noon, Ruan Ning, as usual, bit into a sandwich and quickly opened social media, heading straight for Jiang Yihao's topic.

On the first day of school, Ruan Ning had noticed quite a few paparazzi specializing in royalty and nobility lurking around campus.

The three male leads really lived up to being the center of attention among the wealthy elite. While she was buried in homework, dizzy with exhaustion, the male leads' gossip and candid shots were already spreading all over the internet.

This, at least, gave her plenty of useful intel.

According to bits and pieces of news, Jiang Yihao was mysterious with his whereabouts, usually not staying at school, only showing up for classes. He often sat alone in the corner wearing a cap and mask, leaving as soon as class ended. Occasionally, he'd go to the campus café to buy a sandwich.

He valued his privacy greatly. No one had yet managed to capture a clear shot of his face; all that could be seen from the half of it visible was that he was a strikingly handsome man, one in a million.

A waiter had exposed in the comments that Jiang Yihao had come by a few days ago to buy a cheap black coffee for eight yuan and left a hundred-yuan tip.

The comment section instantly went insane. Fifty thousand likes shot it to the top comment within seconds, and netizens flocked to howl:

"Is your restaurant hiring?"

"Which restaurant does Jiang Yihao usually go to? I'll climb in overnight to wipe tables."

"The young master's coffee is secondary—the tipping is the real deal."

Before long, marketing accounts caught wind of it. Ruan Ning watched as it spread from one account to ten to a hundred, climbing the hot search rankings. The impression of the Jiang family's deep pockets was once again etched into the minds of ordinary folk.

When Ruan Ning realized that the café Jiang Yihao frequented was the very place she'd bought her sandwich today, she sighed and silently canceled the membership she'd just topped up at noon.

She reluctantly took the last bite. This sandwich was really good, though.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and finally, the day of the freshman ball arrived.

The students, who had been worn down and disheveled by the start of the semester, came back to life overnight. Everyone dressed up in glittering finery, looking dashing and elegant, as they headed off to the banquet in high spirits.

Tonight's dinner and dance would last four hours in total. The system required her to imprison Zeng Shuya before Jiang Yihao attended the ball to prevent them from meeting, or else the mission would fail.

Ruan Ning had prepared early, wearing a light gray strapless chiffon mini dress. Her hair was pulled back into a low bun styled as a blooming princess bun, revealing her slender, fair neck.

Ruan Ning had originally planned to attend in plain attire, but under her mother's strong insistence, she'd dressed up grandly.

Indeed, in such a setting, being too low-key would actually stand out more. So she chose a dragonfly brooch passed down from her grandmother and pinned it on the left side of her chest.

The brooch was made of diamonds—delicate and small, with the dragonfly's wings studded with tiny sparkling diamonds, and a heart-shaped ruby at the back that was especially dazzling. It was exquisite and refined, no less impressive than high-end jewelry.

Prepared, Ruan Ning made her way to the great hall, nervous but keeping a low profile.

She crossed the ancient stone steps, and as soon as she stepped inside, she was captivated by the intersecting ribbed vaults on the ceiling of the hall.

The entire room was filled with the mingling scents of perfume and the sounds of laughter. On the walls on both sides of the banquet hall hung portraits of famous Iya alumni from various eras, bringing a heavy sense of history rushing in.

In the center of the hall, several rows of black walnut tables over a hundred meters long stood in parallel, adorned with pale purple hydrangea blooms and flickering candlelight scattered among them. The neatly arranged silver cutlery and sparkling crystal glasses made every guest present look radiant and spirited.

It was Ruan Ning's first time attending such a formal banquet, and she was amazed that even the waiters were as elegant as something out of an old movie, every move polite and proper.

She took her seat under the graceful guidance of a waiter, and the moment she sat down, she saw the female lead, Zeng Shuya, sitting diagonally across from her.

Ruan Ning's lashes trembled slightly.

"Miss, what would you like to drink?" A waiter in a black bow tie suddenly interrupted with a smile.

Ruan Ning was startled for a moment, then hurriedly withdrew her gaze: "Just a glass of water will do."

Ruan Ning lifted the tall, transparent glass goblet, her gaze secretly darting to the opposite side.

The Mary Sue female lead truly lived up to her role. Zeng Shuya wore only a cheap white dress, yet she managed to outshine everyone around her. Among the pile of rich young ladies dressed to the nines, she was refreshingly beautiful in a way that stood out. In the crowd, her eyes found her at once.

And so, the rich young ladies banded together to isolate Zeng Shuya. But she, naive as she was, didn't notice, assuming they just weren't familiar with each other. She sat alone in her seat, anxiously waiting for the banquet to begin.

Ruan Ning lowered her lashes, as if seeing a reflection of her former self who knew nothing.

No. She was the villainess now. She couldn't do anything extra.

When it came down to it, it was just Zeng Shuya's bad luck.

Originally, the banquet was supposed to alternate male and female seating, but with the three male leads enrolled this year, the number of female students had directly increased by ten percent.

When it came time to arrange this table, the seats around her were all female, and all of them were young ladies from well-off families. Almost every girl at the table was discussing the male leads.

"When are the sons of the three dukes going to show up? All the girls in the room are waiting for them."

"The other two might not come, but the Duke of Tapei's son might. Though odds are we won't get to see him."

Ruan Ning followed their gaze. Jiang Yihao's seat indeed had a lone name card, standing out starkly in a banquet hall where every seat was filled.

The girls pointed at the empty seat and whispered among themselves.

"Just look at the level of banquets he attends at home. How would he care about a school banquet?"

Everyone knew this well.

He'd been attending the Country A National Day banquet—broadcast on the news—and receptions for foreign royalty since childhood. How could a small freshman ball at a university compare?

While everyone was lamenting that they might not get to see the legendary diamond bachelor, only Ruan Ning secretly rejoiced.

Jiang Yihao, have fun out there. And please, never show up.