A Self-Cultivation of a Stand-in [Transmigration GL] - Chapter 3

At the school gates.

Getting off the car, Hua Luoyue let out a heavy sneeze.

A blast of cold wind hit her, making her shiver; she instinctively wrapped her coat tighter. It was late autumn, and the temperature difference between day and night was significant. The school was in a remote location near a forested mountain, making it even colder.

The sky was beginning to dim. At a glance, students who had just finished class were scurrying across the campus.

Hua Luoyue had previously lived in the school dormitory. Her family home had been sold to pay for her mother’s medical treatments; outside of school, she was essentially homeless. Yu Zhezhi clearly knew this, as she had prepared an apartment before the contract was even signed. It wasn’t too far from the school but was closer to the city center, offering better transportation options.

Upon her return, Assistant Li had given her the keys, mentioning that it was fully furnished and she could move in whenever she liked.

Hua Luoyue chose to return to school first—not just to pack her bags, but because she had an early class the next day. In the original host’s memory, only deeply emotional things remained: family tragedies, being looked down upon, and social exclusion. There were very few traces of textbook knowledge. To avoid the embarrassment of being called on in class and knowing nothing, Hua Luoyue preferred to use her moving time to review the curriculum.

Shouldering her bag, she followed her thin memories toward the female dormitory area.

The dorm was on the top floor. When Hua Luoyue pushed the door open, the room was empty. She did a quick scan, matching the layout with her memories. It was a six-person dorm with a mediocre environment: bunk beds and desks lined up against the balcony wall.

The original host lived in a bottom bunk for a simple reason—it was directly opposite the toilet door. She had been pushed into this spot by her roommates.

Hua Luoyue paused for a moment, standing at the door with a complicated expression, before sitting on the edge of the bed. She pulled her phone out to check the dormitory group chat. The last message was from a week ago—the dorm leader notifying everyone of an emergency class meeting. Any other “private” chatting likely happened in a separate group that excluded her.

The original host was rarely included in group activities. Firstly, because she was broke, and secondly, because of her personality. Moreover, a wealthy and influential female student in the class specifically targeted her; the others didn’t want trouble, so they naturally kept their distance. Isolated and sensitive, the host’s memories were filled with the sounds of people mocking her behind her back. Consequently, she had developed the habit of walking fast with her head down, interacting with others less and less.

It was pitiful. Just like her past self.

Hua Luoyue sighed silently. Perhaps this was a parallel version of herself—similarly experiencing family upheavals at a young age, worrying about money before even becoming an adult, and facing the malice of the outside world. The only difference was that Hua Luoyue had experienced a wealthy childhood. Though her parents died young, they were upright people who loved her deeply, fostering a stubborn but resilient nature in her.

Was the universe watching her climb out of the mud while her namesake in another world suffered?

Hua Luoyue gave a bitter smile, but the anxiety in her heart eased slightly. Transmigration, life, and death—these were things she couldn’t figure out on her own. She chose not to think about it; “Live in the moment” was her motto.

Suppreseeing her thoughts, she found the original host’s desk. It was closest to the balcony and the easiest spot to be disturbed. The desktop was messy, clearly left in a hurry. Fortunately, a class schedule was taped to the bookshelf. As her eyes swept across the spines of the books, she found a pleasant surprise.

The original host studied a minor foreign language—one Hua Luoyue had never heard of in her previous life. But after flipping through a grammar book, she realized it was remarkably similar to a language she had mastered before. At least she didn’t have to worry about failing her classes for now. Before transmigrating, Hua Luoyue had worked in translation for years; she had a natural gift for languages and her own study methods.

The only issue was the subtle differences in the world’s setting. In her original world, same-sex marriage hadn’t been legalized, the legal marriage age was higher, and certain laws and procedures differed. On a larger scale, she didn’t even know how many countries or languages existed here. She knew almost nothing about this world and needed time to explore it from scratch.

This was exactly the breathing room Yu Zhezhi had provided. This was why she considered Yu Zhezhi her “benefactor.”

Hua Luoyue closed her book and looked outside. It was pitch black, but for young college students, the night was just beginning. She didn’t expect her roommates to bring her dinner, nor did she have an appetite. After drinking some hot water and buying a new toothbrush and towel at the campus store, she washed up and climbed into bed. She pulled the bed curtains shut and leaned against her folded quilt, scrolling through news on her phone.

The smooth performance of the device reminded her that this was a brand-new phone. Hua Luoyue yawned, remembering Assistant Li’s mention of her mother’s ward transfer tomorrow. She should visit after class. Naturally, her thoughts drifted to Yu Zhezhi.

The phone was new. Since the host had no money, it was “sponsored” by her contract benefactor, President Yu. The previous phone was so old it couldn’t update software and often shut down automatically. After Yu Zhezhi failed to reach her several times, she lost her patience and replaced all of the host’s old equipment, even adding non-essential items like a tablet and a smart band.

Of course, Yu Zhezhi didn’t do this personally. A small assistant had called a store, and a set of equipment was prepared and delivered to the host in record time. It wasn’t necessarily that Yu Zhezhi was thoughtful; perhaps she just felt a “newlywed wife” using a scrap-metal phone was embarrassing—even in a contract marriage.

But these actions provided a level of care the host had never received. Every beautiful young girl in her prime wants to live comfortably. When Hua Luoyue first read the plot, she wondered if the host stayed with Yu Zhezhi out of vanity. After a few hours of experiencing it herself, she began to understand why the host fell for her. It had nothing to do with whether Yu Zhezhi liked her; it was simply that no one in the world had ever treated her better.

The host just lacked a bottom line and used extreme methods, which eventually made people despise her. Now that she was in the shoes of that “tragic cannon fodder”…

Hua Luoyue stopped thinking about it. She wasn’t the type to wither away just because no one loved her. She didn’t love anyone more than she loved herself. And when it came to being loved, she had more self-awareness than anyone.

With chaotic thoughts swirling, she drifted into a heavy sleep, feeling the cold. In her half-dreaming state, she heard people walking and talking loudly in the dorm. Someone hushed them, and the voices dropped. In a daze, she felt like she was back on a turbulent plane; a young colleague was shaking her arm, excitedly pointing at the sun above the clouds. Then, she was running toward a meeting with coffee in hand, only to see a child chasing a ball into the middle of the road. She chased after the child instinctively.

Finally, the screech of brakes…

Hua Luoyue woke up in a cold sweat. It took her five seconds to realize she was still in the dormitory of the twenty-year-old “Hua Luoyue.” There was no miracle of waking up back in her own world.

She pinched the bridge of her nose to force herself awake. The sun wasn’t fully up, but the dorm was empty. She quickly remembered her early class. Grabbing her phone, she saw there were less than ten minutes before class started. She scrambled to wash up, grabbed her pre-packed bag, and ran out.

Because she wasn’t familiar with the campus, she ended up arriving three minutes late, slipping in through the back door. The teacher reading at the podium glanced at her but said nothing. However, the boys in the back rows noticed her, turning their heads to stare with blatant, undisguised scrutiny.

Hua Luoyue was groggy and hadn’t eaten breakfast, so she didn’t notice the strange looks—most of which were fixed on the new phone in her hand.

As she sat in the last row, she heard a girl with brown curly hair in front of her let out a loud snort. The girl glared at her and dramatically moved to the furthest possible seat, as if she had encountered something filthy.

As a mature woman with a mental age nearing thirty, Hua Luoyue didn’t care to bicker with a young girl. She only glanced up while opening her textbook. This girl was likely one of the leaders who had excluded the host, so a faint memory remained. Her name was Yuan Xiaoxiao. She was a rich girl, but not a generous one, and there were rumors she hung out with a rough crowd outside of school.

Their grudge likely started because the host, having no money, refused to “pay tribute” or protection fees to her, which displeased Yuan Xiaoxiao. Later, a boyfriend had drunkenly remarked that she wasn’t as pretty as “Hua Luoyue,” sealing the host’s fate as her sworn enemy. Hatred lasts longer than love, even after the boyfriend was long gone. Yuan Xiaoxiao’s bullying had never stopped: isolating her, hiding her homework, tattle-telling to teachers, and spreading rumors among the boys.

Fortunately, college professors generally didn’t meddle, and the host was always busy with part-time jobs or the hospital, so no “substantial” harm had been done yet. But if it continued to escalate, who knew what would happen.

Hua Luoyue twirled her pen while listening to the lecture. Having reviewed the material, she followed along effortlessly and even had the mental capacity to eavesdrop on the girls in front. They were mostly talking about high-end restaurants, luxury jewelry, and designer bags they had thrown away.

A girl sitting directly behind them rolled her eyes and irritably shook her leg. Hua Luoyue’s gaze was drawn to her—specifically to a streak of bleached white hair. Her black hair was short and sleek, but a two-finger-wide lock of white on the side made her stand out. When Hua Luoyue first sat down, the girl had been sleeping on the desk. She had likely been woken up by the bragging and was now rolling her eyes so hard they almost disappeared. A long, thin cross earring swayed with the rhythm of her leg-shaking.

It was quite rhythmic.

Hua Luoyue was distracted when the teacher suddenly called out: “Cai Xinyue!”

The white-haired girl stood up with a thud. “Present!” Her knee hit the desk so hard the textbook almost slid off.

The teacher tapped the blackboard and asked her to translate the previous sentence. Hua Luoyue glanced at the girl’s book and saw a circle of little turtles drawn on the margin—the ink wasn’t even dry, leaving a blue smudge on Cai Xinyue’s hand.

Cai Xinyue didn’t even know which sentence it was. She stared at the board, stammering. Yuan Xiaoxiao and her group giggled. Cai Xinyue glared at them, then noticed a small note being slid toward her. She turned and was stunned to see Hua Luoyue, but she didn’t have time to think. She stuttered through the translation on the note.

The teacher told her to sit, corrected a few minor errors, and called on a few more people before returning to the lecture. Cai Xinyue looked gratefully at Hua Luoyue, but the latter seemed focused on the lesson, so she didn’t want to disturb her.

I’ll talk to her after class, Cai Xinyue thought. She finally forced herself to focus and found the question the teacher had asked. It wasn’t that hard. She pursed her lips and flipped through the textbook.

When the bell rang, Cai Xinyue closed her book to pack up, but she turned to find Hua Luoyue had already left. She only saw her back as she hurried out. A few boys sitting near the back door followed her with smirks on their faces.

Without thinking, Cai Xinyue grabbed her book, stuffed it in her bag, and chased after them.

The front door of the building led toward the library, but a corridor connected them. Most students used this path. To the side was a bamboo grove, and further back was a neglected small garden and the school’s back gate—a place where few people went. Cai Xinyue looked around and faintly heard voices coming from the bamboo grove. After crossing a low fence, the voices became clear.

Yuan Xiaoxiao and her lackeys stood by, laughing. A group of boys had Hua Luoyue cornered against a wall, mocking her while reaching out to grab her phone.

“Oh, look at our ‘poor but talented’ scholar with a brand new phone.”

“Tsk tsk, the latest model. The phone alone must cost ten thousand. Weren’t you too poor to eat? Where’d you get the money?”

“Isn’t it obvious? She got lucky and found a rich ‘Sugar Daddy’.”

“I saw her get into a luxury car the other day. Guess she’s in the business now.”

The back-and-forth mockery triggered a burst of laughter. Cai Xinyue frowned as she looked at the boys—they weren’t even from their class. Away from the classroom, they looked like common street thugs.

Yuan Xiaoxiao toyed with her new manicure and sneered, “I hate people like you most—acting like a pure saint while being a whore. You really think you’re so high and mighty? You’re just a low-class creature wagging your tail for scraps with that face! Your dad owed so much money, why didn’t he just sell you off?”

A boy nearby laughed, “Probably because she’s been played out and nobody wants her!”

The girls around Yuan Xiaoxiao laughed too. “I heard her mom is dying in the hospital. I bet she’s being angered to death by her. Poor woman, being stuck with such an unfilial daughter at her age—”

The words grew more vicious by the second.

Cai Xinyue froze, not because of Hua Luoyue, but because she couldn’t believe Yuan Xiaoxiao would say such things. She knew Yuan Xiaoxiao was mean, but she thought it was just catty remarks; she hadn’t realized there was such a malicious side.

Anger flared. Whether or not Hua Luoyue had a “Sugar Daddy,” it wasn’t an excuse for Yuan Xiaoxiao to bring men to humiliate her.

“You guys—”

Cai Xinyue couldn’t take it anymore. She stepped forward, but her words caught in her throat.

She looked up and met a pair of dark, brooding eyes. Hua Luoyue was clearly angry, but she wasn’t agitated. With her expression pulled back, her face looked like it was covered in frost. However, her actions weren’t as calm as her face. She raised her foot with swift, brutal precision.

Cai Xinyue instinctively winced, almost feeling the pain herself.

“Have you ever asked your parents if they are ashamed of you?” Hua Luoyue said calmly as she slammed her head against the boy’s. She let out a cold laugh that made one’s skin crawl. “Scum like you don’t get to talk to me about dignity.”

City X, Yu Corporation Branch.

Yu Zhezhi sat in her office, reviewing recent financial records. Assistant Li was busy booking flight tickets. This trip to City X wasn’t in the original plan, but having settled things with Hua Luoyue, it was worth it. Adopting an “already here” attitude, Yu Zhezhi had inspected the branch office and caught a few people slacking.

But now wasn’t the time to alert the targets. Yu Zhezhi put down the documents and prepared to tell Assistant Li to book an earlier flight. As for visiting her “legal newlywed wife” again, the thought never crossed her mind. Even though she had sought out the fake, seeing the “heaven and earth” difference between her and the original only made her angry. She didn’t expect Hua Luoyue to become “White Moonlight 2.0” overnight with a few lessons, but she at least wanted her to not drag down the class of that face.

Assistant Li agreed, but before she could finish the booking, a call came in. She looked hesitantly at Yu Zhezhi. Yu Zhezhi waved her off, and Assistant Li hurried out of the office to the balcony to take the call.

After listening for two seconds, her expression changed drastically.

When Yu Zhezhi finished her documents and Assistant Li still hadn’t returned, she realized something might be wrong. She stood up and walked to the door just as Assistant Li pushed it open with an awkward expression.

Yu Zhezhi asked, “What happened?”

Assistant Li stammered for a while, as if undecided on whether to speak. Yu Zhezhi raised an eyebrow and guessed a name: “Hua Luoyue?”

Assistant Li nodded and spoke hesitantly: “Hua Luoyue got into a fight at school. The school called… they want to ‘call the parents’.”

Yu Zhezhi: “…”

Did we skip a few steps in the middle?