Chapter 4
Another episode.
Lou Mi stared at Chi Lin’s explosive hair and atrocious makeup, which she called “avant-garde.” Confirming it was indeed her dad’s girlfriend’s delinquent daughter, she started the car.
She set the destination: South Lake Third High School.
The self-driving car accelerated, and Chi Lin’s eyes widened slightly.
This carriage moved without horses!
The vast archives of the Hanlin Academy in Dayuan Dynasty did contain records of ingenious contraptions from previous dynasties, “self-propelled vehicles not reliant on wind or water.” There were even automatic wine pourers and self-fishing tools. Chi Lin, always curious, had built these devices herself. They worked, but their speed and smoothness couldn’t compare to this metallic vehicle.
Chi Lin noticed a curved screen in front of Lou Mi’s seat, flashing with colorful lights and unfamiliar symbols.
Lou Mi seemed accustomed to the self-driving feature. Unfazed by the speed, she attached the metal pieces—the access crystals—to her temples, closed her eyes, and occasionally muttered something, looking somewhat unsettling.
The car sped up, reaching a velocity that made Chi Lin’s heart pound. It carried her into this strange new world.
They merged onto a straight road, other vehicles whizzing past at alarming speeds.
Elevated roads crisscrossed the sky, a dense network of layers stacked high above.
This intricate and precarious structure was supported by pillars of an unknown material.
Countless vehicles converged at intersections. Each time, Chi Lin braced for a collision, certain of imminent destruction, only for the cars to narrowly avoid each other, continuing unscathed.
Though the ride was smooth and quiet, the unprecedented visual assault through the large windshield made Chi Lin’s heart race.
The speed increased, becoming almost unbearable.
Any desire to observe this new era vanished. Chi Lin felt nauseous.
Another sharp turn sent her lurching against the seatbelt. Instinctively, she grabbed Lou Mi.
Lou Mi, battling monsters on the snowy peak in “Return to Jianghu,” was startled by the sudden tug. Her in-game character slipped and tumbled onto her teammate, Pagoda.
Pagoda, half his face buried in the snow, dared not move. “Mi-jie, what… what strategy is this?”
Lou Mi flipped her character upright, ripped off the access crystals, and turned to scold Chi Lin, only to notice her pale face.
“Carsick?”
Lou Mi panicked. She couldn’t let Chi Lin vomit in her beloved car! She had just replaced the floor mats last month with a limited-edition design she’d begged a friend to procure. They could not be tainted with vomit!
She immediately changed lanes, exiting the highway and slowing down to a more manageable speed.
She offered Chi Lin a bottle of water from the car’s mini-fridge. “Better?”
With the reduced speed, Chi Lin’s senses gradually adjusted to the high velocity. She nodded sheepishly and murmured, “Thank you.”
She took the water bottle but couldn’t open it.
She didn’t struggle. She realized even water bottles were different in this era. To avoid revealing her origins, she handed it back.
Lou Mi frowned. “What now?”
“Could you please open it, Elder Sister? My hands are a bit weak.”
“…I’ll open it if you stop calling me that.”
Chi Lin was at a loss.
Lou Mi was older. If not “Elder Sister,” what should she call her?
Her name directly? That seemed too disrespectful.
Lou Mi easily twisted the cap open.
Chi Lin’s eyes lit up. So the cap twisted, not pulled. Another mental note.
They arrived at South Lake Third High School. Lou Mi parked at the gate.
To prevent another acrobatic display, she quickly pressed the button to open the passenger door automatically.
“After you,” she said.
Chi Lin felt a wave of embarrassment.
So the door was big enough to walk through normally. No need for acrobatics…
Her actions must have seemed utterly ridiculous to Lou Mi.
Well, what’s done is done.
Chi Lin blushed and got out of the car.
“Hey,” Lou Mi called after her. “I don’t care what tricks you’re planning, but save them for when they get back, understand? I don’t have time for your nonsense.”
They? Chi Lin wondered. Her parents?
Lou Mi was about to drive off when Chi Lin called out, “Elder Sister!”
Lou Mi: “…”
She lowered the window, glaring. “Didn’t I tell you to stop calling me that?”
It was mortifying.
Chi Lin gestured towards the school. “Which room are my sleeping quarters?”
She was fortunate to inhabit the body of someone with the same name, a young lady from a wealthy family, judging by the grandeur of this estate.
Lou Mi was baffled. “Thinking about sleeping before you even attend class?”
“Attend class?” Chi Lin murmured, surprised. “So this is a school.”
Lou Mi sighed. “…Can you speak normally?”
“How do I return home after class?” Chi Lin asked.
Lou Mi was exasperated. Chi Lin had always been prone to theatrics, but today was a new level of bizarre.
She paused, then said, “I’ll pick you up at 6:30. Behave yourself in class.”
Reassured, Chi Lin nodded.
“And one more thing.” Lou Mi, who had already started to close the window, opened it again and tossed a small white box. Chi Lin caught it.
Lou Mi was impressed by her reflexes.
“Ointment. For your foot. Don’t run around and make things worse.”
The excitement of the car ride had distracted Chi Lin from her injury.
Lou Mi hadn’t mentioned it, so Chi Lin assumed she hadn’t noticed. But she had.
This sister, surprisingly, was kind.
Chi Lin smiled, about to thank her, but Lou Mi had already driven off.
Chi Lin walked towards the school. Classes were in session after morning exercises.
She was alone at the gate, except for the security guard watching her from the booth.
As she approached, a beep sounded, and her face appeared on a black screen on the wall, along with a line of red text: “Chi Lin, Class 6, Grade 10, Late by 134 minutes.” Then, the gate opened.
These devices were everywhere. Her identity was readily apparent wherever she went.
What an unsettling world.
Chi Lin entered the school grounds and stared at the two curved, multi-story buildings. She felt dwarfed by their imposing presence.
Class 6, Grade 10… a room number. She didn’t know where it was, but she could find it eventually.
Should she start with the left building or the right?
As she hesitated, she felt a warm breath on her neck.
Someone was behind her!
Chi Lin had served in the army at the Empress’s behest, aiming for promotion through meritorious service.
Though only in her early thirties, she was a seasoned veteran. Someone appearing behind her triggered an instinctive reaction.
She was about to strike when reason prevailed.
Her hand stopped just inches from the neck of the bespectacled, middle-aged woman behind her.
No, she couldn’t just assault people in this era…
The stern-faced woman adjusted her glasses and glared at Chi Lin.
“Skipping class, bullying classmates, causing trouble, and now you’re trying to assault the Dean of Students?”
Dean of Students? A title. Someone in charge of the students.
“I wouldn’t dare,” Chi Lin apologized quickly.
The Dean’s voice rose sharply. “Wouldn’t dare? Is there anything you wouldn’t dare to do? Chi Lin, Class 6, Grade 10, correct? Do you have any idea how notorious you are in this school? The school explicitly forbids dyeing or perming hair. Did you leave the school rules and your homework at home again?”
The Dean’s words confirmed Chi Lin’s suspicions. She had assumed her extravagant hairstyle was common in this era, but apparently not.
“Your grades are at the bottom, yet you’re always causing trouble. Do you think a call home is all it’s going to take?” The Dean narrowed her eyes. “Your mother works so hard to send you here, and how do you repay her? With a withdrawal notice? How can you do this to your family? To yourself?”
The Dean, often mocked by students for being old-fashioned, never imagined her usual lecture would actually resonate with someone.
But every word struck a chord with Chi Lin.
Though she had never met the original owner’s mother, she felt a pang of sympathy.
As the Dean continued her tirade, Chi Lin bowed deeply.
“I will heed your guidance, Teacher. I will dedicate myself to my studies and strive for improvement. I will not disappoint you or my parents.”
The Dean was speechless.
“Well… you certainly have a way with words. If you put that effort into your studies, maybe you could pass your next Chinese exam!”
Chi Lin bowed again. “You are right, Teacher.”
“Just… go to class,” the Dean said, still slightly bewildered.
“Please, lead the way, Teacher.”
The Dean: “…”
There’s something definitely strange about this student.
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