Chapter 4 – Tingting (Part 2)

“Tingting, you’re up? Hurry downstairs for breakfast.”

“I peeked already—we’ve got eggs today.” The girl combing her hair beside her spoke when she saw Tan You sitting dazed on the bed.

Tan You blinked back to herself. She remembered—this girl was Liu Na.

“Okay, I’ll go wash up first.”

She folded the quilt neatly into a square and carried Han Tingting’s washbasin to the sink. But when she caught sight of the toothbrush, her hand faltered. In the end, she set it down and only splashed some water on her face before joining the other girls heading downstairs.

Tan You herself was severely near-sighted—normally, stairs were her natural enemy, always climbing with a death-grip on the railing. But here, in Han Tingting’s body, her vision was crystal clear.

“So this… is what it feels like not to be nearsighted.” She murmured, a little dazed.

“What are you mumbling about?” Liu Na called from behind. “You’ve never been nearsighted. Hurry up, let’s eat.”

Tan You quickly covered, “I was just… feeling emotional, that’s all.”

And then, bold and carefree, she strode down the stairs without hesitation—no longer shackled by bad eyesight. She also noticed something else: this body was far healthier than her own. She herself had been chubby since childhood; walking was fine, but running left her breathless. Yet Tingting’s body was solid and strong—dashing down the stairs didn’t even raise her heartbeat.

Breakfast was a blur. Afterward, slinging Han Tingting’s schoolbag over her shoulder, she followed her roommates to class.

Now a second-year middle schooler, Han Tingting belonged to Class 3. Sliding into Tingting’s seat with the help of her memories, Tan You settled in.

Almost immediately, the girl in front turned around. “Homework collection. The group leader is rushing us.”

Tan You opened the notebook—and froze. The work was far too neat. With her own memories, she knew she’d managed second-year math just fine. So why was Han Tingting always at the bottom of the rankings?

The girl in front smirked knowingly. “Copied it again, huh? From Wan Wei in Class 2, right? She’s the year’s top student.”

Tan You lowered her lashes. Her mother, Cheng Wenhui, had always drilled one lesson into her: [Never copy. If you can’t do it, leave it blank.] And so she had never once plagiarized.

But here she was, in a world where the original owner’s homework was routinely copied.

No. She couldn’t go on like this. If she wanted to stay in school, she needed to build the image of a hardworking student—not a cheater.

Clenching her fist under the desk, she pulled out Han Tingting’s almost-pristine English workbook and began scribbling away before morning reading started.

Math was her weakness, but she’d always been fond of Chinese and English. Her English teacher back home had encouraged her, so she had poured her heart into the subject.

Seeing her suddenly absorbed in exercises, the girl next to her gave a side glance but said nothing. Tingting had never had poor relations with classmates, so no one openly mocked her—at least not yet.

Just then, a figure stopped by her desk. A sharp voice said, “Math homework.”

Tan You looked up at the proud-faced girl standing there, then quietly handed over the notebook.

The girl scoffed, “Pointless collecting it. Everyone knows it’s copied.”

Tan You stayed silent. She wasn’t much for words, but she understood the attitude well enough. [Top students always looked down on those at the bottom.]

But that was fine. She narrowed her eyes slightly, watching the girl’s back for two seconds before calmly returning to her English work.

At 6:40, morning reading began. Today was for Chinese. Tan You obediently pulled out the textbook. She frowned—Han Tingting’s book was spotless, not a note in sight.

She herself had rarely written in her Chinese books either—not because she hadn’t listened, but because her memory was sharp enough to retain lessons. Still, in math, her notebooks were filled to the brim. She had fought with numbers, pouring her energy into them, only to scrape by at the passing line.

Her fists tightened. Not this time. [This time, she would conquer math.]

Running her fingers across the ring on her right hand, she whispered, “System, are you there?”

Yesterday had been chaos—arrival, sleep, and the rush of morning. Only now did she have a moment to check in.

The system’s voice was faint: “Host, I’m here.”

Something was off. Tan You’s brows knit. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Bringing the host across worlds consumes energy. System energy reserves are low.”

Tan You’s chest tightened. “I’ll work hard to finish the mission. But… can we still return?”

The system perked up instantly: “Yes! If the host performs well, this system can apply to the Main System for an advance of energy. Once the mission’s reward is delivered, we’ll repay the loan.”

Tan You blinked. “So… like borrowing money?”

“Exactly. Which is why you must complete the mission diligently.”

Responsibility surged in her chest. She nodded hard. “Don’t worry. I’ll give it my all.”

She flipped another page of the textbook, musing aloud. “It’s so strange… the books here are the same as in my world. Honestly, when I saw my exam results yesterday, I was crushed. I never thought I’d score that badly.”

Her lips curved faintly. “But maybe this is fate. Another chance to learn it all again. This time, even if not for Tingting—for myself—I’ll achieve a score to be proud of.”

The little system waved its stubby arms. “Host, you can do it! I believe in you!”

Tan You chuckled softly, warmed. At least she had arrived before things hit rock bottom. Tingting was still enrolled, not yet forced out. Perhaps… things could still change.

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