Chapter 9: The Fool’s Many Mischiefs

Seeing the indifference on the faces of the other three, Wang Yanan felt a slight irritation, especially under Liu Yujia’s occasional furtive glances, which she found profoundly strange. It wasn’t as if she was unaware of being deliberately excluded. In the past, Chu Luoxi had been a lone wolf; her only decent acquaintances were Zhu Xueshuang and Liu Yujia, but Wang Yanan hadn’t minded. After all, she had never cared much for associating with these “ordinary mortals.”

Now, however, with only herself left out, Wang Yanan found herself resenting the situation. In her eyes, none of these people could compare to her, so what gave them the right to act so arrogantly? Of course, this sense of superiority was entirely her own invention. Even without that classmate’s stunning performance back then, she would never have ended up as the top scorer. To be frank, she ranked at the bottom of the class. Some had whispered behind her back that she was nothing more than a pretty vase; her success in getting admitted was mostly due to luck—the audition questions had all suited her, and her appearance had certainly scored high, allowing her to pass through smoothly.

Yet, she lacked the self-awareness to see it.

The others treated her as if she were air, and whatever she said was as insubstantial as smoke. Chu Luoxi tossed her bag onto the computer desk, then limply climbed onto her bed and lay back as if she were a corpse.

After twenty years in the industry in her past life, Chu Luoxi had long since grown a thick skin. Words like these were nothing more than background noise to her. Zhu Xueshuang, with her gentle temperament, was unlikely to let her annoyance show, no matter how little she liked Wang Yanan.

With both of them so calm, Liu Yujia, though irritated, remembered her earlier experiences and what she had just witnessed. She rolled her eyes but refrained from saying anything.

For a time, the air in the dormitory was filled with an inexplicable tension.

In her sophomore year, the real Chu Luoxi, though she tried to ignore Wang Yanan, would sometimes rise to the bait and argue fiercely. But now, Chu Luoxi was truly unruffled, leaving Wang Yanan feeling more out of sorts than ever. She had expected Chu Luoxi to bite back.

In truth, Wang Yanan was not entirely thoughtless. Her provocative words were meant to test whether Chu Luoxi was truly on good terms with Zhu and Liu. The outcome, however, unsettled her.

“Chu Luoxi, you got hit on the head before National Day. Don’t tell me you’ve been knocked stupid!” Wang Yanan, undeterred by the lack of response, pressed on, determined to jab where it hurt. In her mind, if Chu Luoxi wasn’t foolish, why would she suddenly get along so well with Zhu and Liu?

At that, Liu Yujia shot her a glare but found herself at a loss for words. Zhu Xueshuang, meanwhile, frowned and glanced worriedly at Chu Luoxi, who lay on her bed.

Turning her head to catch their reactions, Chu Luoxi felt a warmth bloom in her heart. How much she had missed in her previous life, she could only wonder.

Since Wang Yanan had called her out directly, Chu Luoxi couldn’t just ignore her. She lifted her head lazily, meeting Wang Yanan’s gaze with an indifferent expression. “Whether I’m stupid or not is none of your business. And don’t pretend you care—we all know each other well enough by now; no need for empty courtesies. And, Yu, are you sure you want to keep wasting time here? Be careful, or someone might get tired of waiting and leave first…”

Even though they had seen that person leave already, it didn’t hurt to bring it up. If someone hands you a weapon, there’s no reason not to use it—especially when they’re the ones provoking you.

That incident from her past life, the accidental injury, was a scar she preferred left untouched. Wang Yanan knew this well, yet she always brought it up, deliberately trying to provoke her. Watching her lose her cool seemed to delight the coquettish woman.

How young she’d been! Back then, it seemed like a catastrophe, an insurmountable chasm that cast her future into darkness. Only after entering society and witnessing the twists of human nature did she realize how trivial it truly was. Even when the media dredged it up repeatedly, she had learned to take it in stride.

This time, though, Wang Yanan’s face paled. Guilt flickered in her eyes, quickly replaced by a flush of anger. She opened her mouth as if to argue, but under Chu Luoxi’s half-smiling gaze, she faltered, inwardly wondering: Could she really know something?

Before she could come up with an answer, Liu Yujia chimed in, waggling her brows and echoing mischievously, “That’s right, that’s right, don’t waste any more time. Some things really shouldn’t be delayed!”

Wang Yanan’s complexion took on a sickly hue, and when she caught Zhu Xueshuang’s meaningful smile, she faltered further. In the end, she dared not retort. With a stomp of her foot and a cold snort, she whirled around and left, slamming the door behind her so hard that the frame shuddered, sending a faint cascade of dust fluttering down.

Watching the aftermath, Chu Luoxi’s lips curled in satisfaction. She lay back down, resuming her feigned death.

She had never been one to back down. Though she’d learned to restrain herself for the sake of social niceties after entering the industry, she had always stood her ground when it mattered. Otherwise, with no backing at all, she could never have climbed to her later heights.

Dealing with Wang Yanan felt a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but since Wang Yanan insisted on provoking her, how could she simply ignore it? Since friendship was out of the question, Chu Luoxi saw no reason to offer kindness.

“Sheesh, what did she even come back for?” Zhu Xueshuang couldn’t help but sneer, finding some people shameless, eager to bully the weak and cower before the strong.

“Who knows? She’s always been a bit off,” Chu Luoxi muttered weakly, her disdain clear.

The three of them had shopped together; Zhu Xueshuang and Liu Yujia busied themselves dividing up the goods, still finding time to chat.

“By the way, now that the National Day holiday’s over, the freshman gala is on October fifteenth. I heard Senior Xiao will be back to perform! And there’ll be a lot of alumni, too!” Liu Yujia, ever spirited, seemed to recall something exciting and exclaimed with delight.

To outsiders, the Imperial Capital Film Academy’s freshman gala was akin to a red carpet event—a dazzling display of star power. For the students themselves, only newcomers felt the thrill; the rest looked on with admiration and envy at the illustrious careers of their predecessors.

For the many celebrities, returning to their alma mater was a chance to relax. As long as they could spare the time, none would refuse. Here, there were no paparazzi, no crazed fans—just a rare haven of peace where they could be ordinary people again.

“Senior Xiao?” Chu Luoxi’s thoughts, still a bit muddled, led her to ask in confusion, mainly because Liu Yujia’s excitement at the mention of this person seemed a little excessive.

“Oh, come on—it was just one summer! Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already!” Zhu Xueshuang laughed, unable to hold back. “Xiao Jingxuan—the superstar closest to us.”

“Oh…” Realization dawned on Chu Luoxi.

He was called their “closest superstar” because he was a living legend they had all witnessed at the Imperial Capital Film Academy. Xiao Jingxuan was only three years ahead of them, making them the last cohort to share the campus with him. In fact, he had just graduated that summer.

His legend began with his entrance exams.