Chapter 5

I squinted at the doorway.

It was Sophia, whom I hadn't seen in a long time.

She was two grades below me, not on the same floor, so I rarely encountered her.

She walked towards the small woods by the sports field, where there was an old sports equipment room.

I watched curiously for a few more moments and saw several girls standing in front of the equipment room door.

One of them roughly grabbed Sophia's collar, and the others immediately surrounded her.

Sensing trouble, I put the flashcards back in my pocket and quickly ran over.

I had only taken a few steps when I heard exclamations from behind.

"Olivia!"

Olivia's classmates were calling for her.

I ignored them and continued running towards Sophia.

Before I could reach her, she was already knocked to the ground by those girls.

I shouted while running: "Teacher! Over here! There's a fight here!"

Hearing this, the girls scattered in fright.

I helped up the dust-covered Sophia. Her face was bruised, and her blue sportswear was stained with footprints.

"Lucas..." she called out awkwardly.

"Are you okay? Who were those people?" I asked with a frown.

Sophia shook her head and explained:

"A boy in class gave me a love letter a few days ago. His admirers were unhappy and came to cause trouble for me."

I thought to myself, can't these young people care more about their future? All they do is fight over love.

"We should report this to the teacher."

Sophia shook her head again.

"It's fine... It's not a big deal, it's happened before."

Despite both being from the Gu family, Olivia was the school belle and a celebrity, while Sophia was treated completely differently.

Whether at home or at school, she was targeted maliciously because of her background.

I encouraged her: "Study hard, and when you grow up and become successful, you can slap their faces hard!"

"Mm, thank you Lucas..."

"If they go too far, you still need to tell the teacher, or you can tell me too."

"Okay..."

Sophia agreed verbally, but with her personality of being used to bullying, she had long lost the courage to resist.

"I'll take you to the infirmary," I said, supporting Sophia as we walked towards the teaching building.

Sophia hurriedly declined politely: "You don't have to trouble yourself, Lucas. Aren't you still in the middle of an event..."

I said frankly: "Watching girls dance is extremely boring. I was just idle anyway."

Only then did Sophia obediently follow me to the infirmary.

As I was supporting her in, I unexpectedly saw Olivia sitting inside.

She was accompanied by two girls, and the school nurse was crouched beside her, spraying her knee with an analgesic spray.

Her knee was scraped and slightly swollen.

When I left earlier, I heard her classmates calling her. I guess that's when she fell.

Seeing Sophia and me, Olivia's expression changed drastically.

Ignoring her, I said to the school nurse: "This junior was beaten up by some classmates. Could you please check her over?"

The nurse said: "Wait a moment, I haven't finished here yet..."

Olivia glared at us viciously. Sophia sensed the other party's hostile gaze.

She looked pitiful, her eyes reddening as she said: "Lucas, I can manage on my own... Why don't you go back first..."

"No need, I'm not in a hurry. I'll see this through," I insisted.

My conversation with Sophia finally provoked Olivia's displeasure. She said sarcastically:

"You really are compassionate, willing to skip class to help others."

I thought to myself, I didn't provoke you, why are you being so passive-aggressive?

I retorted: "Aren't you supposed to be a dance prodigy? How did you get injured in a small cultural activity? Have you been lacking exercise lately?"

Olivia's face immediately darkened. Her friend came to her defense: "Lucas, how can you talk like that? Olivia was distracted when she saw you leave and that's why she fell."

Olivia said angrily: "Shut up!"

I snorted coldly, not taking it seriously: "She carelessly fell on her own, why blame others?"

"You..." Olivia's friend wanted to say more.

Sophia beside me suddenly inhaled sharply.

"Ouch..."

6.

My attention returned to her, and I quickly asked: "What's wrong?"

She covered her cheek and said: "It's nothing..."

"Does it hurt a lot?"

I moved her hand away. Half of her face was swollen.

With the nurse's permission, I got an ice pack to apply to Sophia's face.

Olivia's friend couldn't help but interject again: "Why don't you show some concern for Olivia? Aren't you childhood sweethearts?"

Olivia remained silent, seemingly agreeing with her friend's words.

I said nothing, casting a cold glance at them, continuing to apply the ice pack.

Sophia whispered: "Lucas... you don't have to take care of me, I've dealt with injuries on my own before... Go check on Olivia... She needs you more..."

This sounded a bit manipulative.

But I wasn't falling for it.

No wonder men like green tea bitches, who could resist this?

I patted Sophia and said: "Silly girl, you're clearly the one who's been wronged but you're keeping it to yourself. She has so many people around her, does she really need me too?"

Ignoring Olivia and her friends' angry faces, I said solemnly:

"Olivia, you always claim to be the embodiment of justice, so why do you turn a blind eye when your own cousin is bullied at school? If either of these two friends of yours were beaten up, you wouldn't stand idly by, right? How come when it's your own flesh and blood cousin, you have this indifferent attitude?"

This was exactly how Olivia had berated me in my previous life when Ethan was bullied and I didn't help him.

Aside from that one time I locked Ethan in the bathroom, I never bothered him again.

It was always those who admired Olivia who did things in my name.

In my previous life, I knew Olivia didn't like cruel men, so I had already restrained myself from targeting Ethan.

But whenever anything happened to Ethan, Olivia would blame it all on me.

"When your own flesh and blood brother is bullied, you have this indifferent attitude?"

These were her exact words to me back then. Now I was throwing them right back at her, tit for tat.

Olivia was so angry and flustered by my scolding that she couldn't utter a word in response.

Her two sidekicks were also left speechless.

The school nurse felt awkward and said to them: "Alright, this student's injury isn't serious. Go back and rest well, don't do any strenuous exercise, it'll be fine in a couple of days."

Olivia was supported away by her friends on either side.

As soon as they left, the system came online: "Congratulations, host! You have successfully slapped the female lead's face. The system rewards you with 200 humiliation points! Current score: 500 points."

The school nurse came over to treat Sophia's wounds.

Sophia continued to play coy, saying: "Lucas, is Olivia angry? Why don't... you go comfort her? I'm fine now..."

I scoffed, "Comfort her for what? She's clearly making a fuss over nothing. Why should I indulge her?"

I realized that with Sophia around, slapping Olivia's face was a piece of cake.

Sophia said guiltily, "I don't want to affect your relationship because of me..."

"I don't have any relationship with her. We're just childhood neighbors and classmates, and our families are close. That's all," I lied blatantly.

Time flew by, and it was time to apply for universities.

During this period, I was busy applying to schools and didn't have time to slap Olivia's face.

My score remained at 500 points, but I wasn't in a hurry.

I still had seven years to slowly slap her face.

My hard work during this time paid off, and I finally got accepted into my dream school, Oxford University.

Olivia also got accepted to this school, but her GPA was much lower than mine.

As a result, she suffered a harsh slap to the face.

System: "Congratulations, host! You have successfully slapped the female lead's face. The system rewards you with 500 humiliation points! Current score: 1000 points."

My score suddenly jumped to 1000 points, and I felt triumphant.

In my previous life, I had spent a fortune to squeeze into Oxford University just to be with Olivia at all times.

Back then, she had mocked me: "With your level, even if you barely get in, you're just wasting a spot."

Now, I had finally vindicated myself.

After receiving the acceptance emails, the Gu and Lu families gathered for a celebratory dinner.

During the meal, Olivia's mother brought up: "The kids are all preparing for university now. Why don't we hold an engagement ceremony for Lucas and Olivia before the start of the semester?"

7.

Engagement...

This brought back unpleasant memories.

In my previous life, it was also at this time that I had pestered and pleaded to get engaged to Olivia.

At that time, my father wanted to curry favor with the Gu family, and the Gu family was also eyeing the wealth of the Lu family and my mother's family.

So the two families quickly agreed.

At the engagement party, Olivia had given me the cold shoulder the entire time.

When it came time for the group photo, she even pulled a disappearing act.

I later found out that she had snuck out to meet secretly with Ethan.

By the way, Ethan had been accepted into an art school in France.

He had a talent for design and went to study in France for four years.

During those four years, I thought I could win Olivia's heart.

However, as soon as Ethan returned, he effortlessly stole Olivia away.

Now history was repeating itself, but this time it was the Gu family who first brought up the engagement.

I saw Olivia frowning, neither agreeing nor refusing.

It seemed I would have to play the villain again.

I spoke leisurely: "You must be joking. Once we're in university, Olivia and I will meet many new friends. We might even meet our future partners. Getting engaged now would limit both our futures. I don't think it's appropriate."

The expressions of those at the table varied. After hearing this, Olivia glared at me angrily for some reason.

I took the opportunity to drag her into it: "Don't you agree, Olivia? Besides, we're just friends after all."

But Olivia didn't play along. She said sarcastically: "Just friends? Do you even believe that yourself?"

I chuckled and asked: "Olivia, did I say something wrong? Don't you want to be friends with me? I've always treated you like a little sister."

"You..." Olivia's chest heaved violently, as if suppressing her anger.

My father couldn't help but interject: "Enough! If you're not getting engaged, then you're not. Stop talking nonsense."

Olivia's aunt, who had suggested the engagement, looked embarrassed and tried to smooth things over: "Right, right... I was just joking. The kids are grown up now, they have their own thoughts. As parents, we should respect their decisions."

Olivia's uncle also chimed in: "We're all family here, no need for such formalities."

Olivia turned her face away from me in anger.

I glanced at Ethan, who was quietly eating. Intentionally not letting him off the hook, I said: "But now that the college entrance exams are over, we should celebrate properly. Ethan is preparing to study abroad in France. Why don't we throw him a farewell party?"

Ethan's mother, Jane, was a bit simple-minded. Hearing my suggestion, she immediately beamed with joy.

"That's right, Ethan is leaving for abroad soon. We should invite relatives and friends to celebrate for him..."

My father interrupted her sternly: "What do you know? If we're having a party, it should be for all the graduating kids together! Hosting one just for Ethan, what kind of rule is that?"

Jane suddenly realized she had misspoken and repeatedly apologized.

Thus, the engagement party from my previous life was forcibly turned into a graduation party.

I achieved my goal of slapping faces.

System: "Congratulations, host! You have successfully slapped the female lead's face and your stepmother's face. The system rewards you with 300 humiliation points! Current score: 1300 points."

The graduation party was held in the banquet hall of my house.

On this day, I encountered Sophia, whom I hadn't seen in a long time.

In just half a year, she had grown into an even more graceful young woman.

Sophia took the initiative to raise a glass of champagne to congratulate me: "Congratulations, Lucas, on getting into your dream university."

I took a glass of juice from nearby and replaced her champagne.

"You're underage, don't drink alcohol," I said, caring like an older brother:

"How have you been lately? Is anyone still bullying you?"

She shook her head and said: "Almost never now. Even if there is, it's just verbal taunts. I just ignore them."

"Good, focus on your studies. Use your good grades to hit back at those who look down on you."

"Thank you, Lucas. I'll work hard," her eyes seemed to sparkle.

I smiled brightly and said: "If you ever need anything, just let me know. I'll help if I can."

"Okay..."

As we were chatting pleasantly, an unwelcome voice came from the side:

"Lucas, I didn't know you liked playing the big brother so much."

8

This voice, I knew without looking that it was Olivia, who had been giving me trouble lately.

I changed my warm attitude towards Sophia to a cold glance at Olivia.

"Miss Gu, don't you have anything better to do? Don't you need to entertain guests?"

I was implicitly criticizing her for meddling.

Olivia's tone sank: "Uncle Lu asked me to call you. He wants you to greet the professor from the Business School."

Only then did I put down my champagne and walk towards my father.

Olivia left with me.

As she was leaving, she shot a warning and hateful glance at Sophia, which happened to catch my eye.

I stood beside my father, graciously exchanging pleasantries with the professor.

The professor praised me for my promising future, saying I would be a big shot in the business world one day.

My father was proud yet humble, saying: "Oh no, you're too kind. You're overpraising this boy."

I walked around with my father for a while, but didn't see Olivia again.

I assumed she had gone off to meet secretly with Ethan — however, I spotted Ethan sitting on a sofa in the rest area.

Why was he still here? I wondered.

Although there were three main characters at the party, Ethan was clearly being neglected.

He sat quietly with Jane in a corner, eating a piece of cake.

Ethan was timid and didn't actively greet people, and other guests treated him as if he didn't exist.

High society was just that realistic. The illegitimate son of a mistress who had climbed the social ladder, without much ability himself — no wonder others in the circle treated him with disdain.

As I was thinking this, the butler came running towards me in a panic.

He didn't dare to speak loudly, and whispered to me: "Young Master, Miss Gu... she's arguing with her cousin!"

Olivia was arguing with Sophia?

I quickly asked: "Where are they?"

"By the swimming pool..."

I immediately ran off.

Just as I reached the pool, I saw Olivia and Sophia grappling with each other.

"Stop!" I shouted.

Their movements paused for a moment.

However, in the next instant,

Sophia was "pushed" by Olivia, and she slipped.

Splash!!

Sophia fell into the cold pool water.

I hurriedly called for help: "Someone come quickly—!"

Several male servants rushed over and helped me pull Sophia out of the water.

Several elders also arrived, having heard the commotion.

Until Sophia was rescued, Olivia stood rooted to the spot like a clay statue.

Sophia was like a drowned rat, lying on the ground coughing.

Her face was pale, covered in water, looking pitiful.

Uncle Gu asked: "What happened here?"

Nobody at the scene dared to speak.

I glared fiercely at Olivia, who was pretending to be deaf and dumb.

I asked coldly: "Olivia! You pushed her in yourself, and now you don't dare admit it?"