Chapter 5

To suppress the lingering emotions of the original owner in my body, I recite the Taoist “Heart-Clearing Mantra” and the Buddhist “Avalokitesvara Heart Sutra” every single day.

And let me tell you, it actually works pretty well.

I even went as far as changing my WeChat profile picture to a Buddha statue with a golden halo in the background, and changed my nickname to “The Great Way is Simple.”

I look like I’ve got some serious spiritual wisdom, if I do say so myself.

Military training is the first hurdle of freshman year.

I tore up the fake UV allergy report Yang Zheng had prepared and headed off to training, full of vigor.

Every day after training, if I had any spare time, I’d head to the library to start gnawing on my major-related textbooks.

I’ve got it all planned out: freshman year for the foundation, sophomore year for practical experience, and by the time I start job hunting in my junior and senior years, I’ll be miles ahead of the students who just coasted through.

Meanwhile, Yang Qi’s brow has been furrowed ever since she saw me participating in the training like a normal person.

During wash-up time in the evening, Li Xuefang was fretting over her sun-tanned cheeks.

Yang Qi walked past me after washing her face.

“Yang Zheng, your face has gotten so dark, too. It’s not even the same color as your neck anymore. You were the fairest girl in our class; what a pity.”

The others chimed in, nodding in agreement.

I wiped on some moisturizer, looking completely indifferent. “It’s normal to get tan when you’re out in the sun. Besides, military training is only two weeks; it’ll fade back to normal eventually.”

Yang Qi gritted her teeth, stepped closer, and peered at my face with faux concern.

“But some people have UV allergies. Yang Zheng, I think you haven’t just gotten darker, you look a bit red, too. Maybe you should ask for leave? If the allergy gets serious, it could leave you disfigured.”

I closed the lid of my moisturizer and looked up at the fake concern plastered all over Yang Qi’s face. “It’s just a little redness, nothing to worry about. If it gets serious, I’ll go to the hospital.”

As I spoke, I reached out and patted Yang Qi’s short hair, my voice filled with sincere concern. “Actually, Qiqi, your hair is so thick, and it’s so hot out—you really should tie it up. Otherwise, you might get heatstroke during training, and that would be a real pain.”

Who doesn’t know how to play the “loving sister” act?

Trying to hint that I should take leave? Then I’ll hint that you should tie your hair into two ugly, ridiculous pigtails.

To make her “ugly duckling to swan” transformation more dramatic later on, Yang Qi has been trying way too hard to look dowdy, cutting her hair into a choppy, unflattering style. If she ties it up, she won’t just look dowdy—she’ll look downright stupid.

To my surprise, the very next day, Li Xuefang and the others all showed up with UV allergy reports to ask for leave.

The instructor was furious that people were asking for leave only three or four days into training, so he made the sessions even stricter.

Yang Qi, determined to compete with me in standing at attention, pushed herself until she fainted from heatstroke. Shao Xuan, the head of the Student Union’s Organization Department, happened to be passing by, scooped her up, and rushed her to the infirmary.

After that, Yang Qi became obsessed with the “princess-carrying” senior Shao Xuan, and her focus shifted away from me.

My world was finally at peace.

And because I was particularly good at enduring hardship and marched well, I was chosen as a guide and eventually won the title of “Outstanding Trainee.”

I might be a bit tan, but hey, I got a certificate! Life is good~

Everything was going great, but then something weird happened at the class meeting to elect class officers.