On the first day of school, the gates of A City’s Third High School—where Xue Ji attended—were packed with students and parents. Due to the recent awakening of supernatural abilities, the crowd also included swarms of reporters.
Third High was the first school in A City to reopen, making it the birthplace of the city’s first wave of ability awakeners. Fortunately, the school administration and local police had prepared countermeasures in advance. While the crowding was inevitable, safety was at least guaranteed.
Xue Ji had no intention of joining the chaos at the school gates. Instead, she opted for a leisurely morning at home, waking up naturally.
LOL, living off-campus means no fighting for a dorm bed. I’ll take my sweet time.
Ling Xiaoxiao, however, had risen early to go grocery shopping with Xue’s mother and even helped with chores afterward, leaving Mrs. Xue feeling almost embarrassed.
“Auntie, I’m already so grateful you’ve taken me in. I can’t just freeload when I’m perfectly capable of helping.” Her words were sincere. After awakening a thousand years into the future, being treated with such kindness felt like an immeasurable blessing.
Frankly, it would’ve been reasonable for them to kick her out, given how suspicious her origins were.
“Oh, you’re such a sweet girl—way more sensible than my own kid!” Mrs. Xue adored Ling Xiaoxiao. She was beautiful, well-mannered, and practically the perfect daughter-in-law… if only Xue Ji still had the equipment for it. Damn it!
By the time Xue Ji left for school, it was already 2 p.m. Ling Xiaoxiao couldn’t accompany her and could only watch wistfully as Xue Ji walked away.
Perhaps moved by Ling Xiaoxiao’s unusually pitiful expression, Xue Ji paused to reassure her before leaving.
“I’m just going to school. I’ll be back tonight.” She turned to leave but stopped after a few steps when she realized Ling Xiaoxiao was still trailing her.
Xue Ji glanced back and saw Ling Xiaoxiao’s evasive gaze. It dawned on her that Ling Xiaoxiao, a person from a thousand years ago, was utterly alone and dependent on others’ charity—of course she’d feel insecure. So Xue Ji turned around, stood on her tiptoes, and patted Ling Xiaoxiao’s head.
“Don’t worry. I won’t abandon you.”
Ling Xiaoxiao couldn’t resist pulling Xue Ji into a hug, murmuring softly, “Mm, I know.”
After Xue Ji left, Ling Xiaoxiao finished the chores and slipped into Xue Ji’s room. She lay on the bed, greedily inhaling the scent that belonged to Xue Ji alone.
…
By the time Xue Ji reached the school gates, the crowd had thinned, but the forest of cameras made her instantly wary.
She tried to sneak past the reporters, but her striking white hair and delicate features made her impossible to miss. What she thought was stealthy evasion was, in the reporters’ eyes, just an adorable attempt at shyness. The moment she stepped off the bus, all eyes were on her. Hiding that snow-white hair would’ve been harder than spending a whole day naked in class without anyone noticing.
Within a few steps, a sharp-eyed reporter intercepted her. As a microphone was thrust toward her, Xue Ji sidestepped with a smooth dodge, evading several others—until a female reporter blocked the school gate, nearly shoving the mic into her mouth.
The reporter, Xia Che, asked politely, “Hello, classmate! Mind if I ask you a few questions?”
Caught off guard by her courtesy, Xue Ji’s refusal morphed into reluctant agreement.
“S-sure.” Her eyes darted around nervously.
“What’s your surname?”
“It’s Xue.” The moment her name came up, Xue Ji wanted to dig a hole in the ground with her toes.
“What kind of ability are you hoping to awaken?”
“Something like invisibility or teleportation,” Xue Ji blurted out, her mind blank.
Xia Che’s eyes lit up. “So far, most students I’ve interviewed want combat-related abilities. Why do you prefer these two?”
Xue Ji answered bluntly, “So I wouldn’t have to do interviews.” Her smile was so genuine it was disarming.
Xia Che froze. Damn, that’s the coldest line delivered with the cutest face.
Xia Che laughed awkwardly. “Haha, you’re quite the comedian! So, how do you feel about life after the spiritual revival? Any worries?”
Xue Ji: “Well, at first, it’s scary. Who knows what kind of monsters might pop up? But humans are contradictory—the unknown terrifies us, but it also makes us curious.”
Xia Che’s eyes sparkled. “Wow, that’s profound! You’ve really thought this through.”
Xue Ji nodded, forgetting she was being interviewed as she grew more confident. “Danger always comes with opportunity. Most crises hit us unprepared, but this time, we’ve been warned. We even have preliminary countermeasures. For once, we’re the ones with the upper hand.”
Xia Che had spent all morning hearing pessimistic responses. Though the devastation in A City’s southern district hadn’t been widely reported, fear lingered. Some parents even opposed letting their kids awaken abilities, while others saw it as a career boost. But Xue Ji’s answer stood out—clear, rational, and rare. This wasn’t just another crisis; it was a turning point where humanity held the advantage.
Xue Ji added, “Ancient texts about spiritual revival aren’t just prophecies—they’re a legacy of wisdom. And their core message is this: human resilience far surpasses our imagination.”
Xia Che, visibly moved, nodded eagerly. “Thank you for your insights! Any final words for our live audience?”
Xue Ji stiffened. “Wait, live? Then goodbye!” She bolted, her earlier eloquence replaced by sheer panic.
Xia Che chuckled and turned to the camera. “What a delightful girl! As she said, we do have the advantage. Instead of hesitating, let’s move forward—with faith in ourselves and humanity’s strength.”
Xue Ji’s succinct yet powerful words soon went viral. Unaware, she finished her enrollment and headed to class, where students were buzzing about the interview.
“Since when did our school have such a cute white-haired girl?”
“That contrast cuteness tho! I just wanna hug her—”
“Ugh, Class Prez is simping again.”
“This time I get it! She’s interesting.”
“Wait, where’s Xue Ji? He didn’t reply to any messages all break.”
Suddenly, the class fell silent, punctuated by sharp gasps.
The class president, Shen Dai, sitting in the front row, tensed, assuming the teacher had arrived.
“Prez, turn around! Now.”
“You scared me—I thought it was Old Hu. Hiss—”
Xue Ji walked in to find everyone hyperventilating, as if some legendary Flame Emperor had appeared.
She calmly took the only empty seat, deepening the confusion.
Shen Dai approached hesitantly. “Um, are you a transfer student? That seat’s taken. Want me to get you a desk?”
Before Xue Ji could reply, their homeroom teacher, Hu Yan, entered.
“Shen Dai, sit down. I have announcements.”
“Yes, sir!”
Hu Yan scanned the room. “Since everyone’s here, let’s address the elephant in the room.”
He gestured for Xue Ji to step forward.
“So she is new?”
“Then where’s my bro Xue Ji?”
“No clue.”
The moment Xue Ji reached the podium, the chatter died instantly.
Amused by their reactions, she smiled. “Your ‘bro’ is still here—just with a title change. Hi, I’m Xue Ji.”
One second later, the entire Class 5 erupted:
“WHAT?!”
Xue Ji waved it off. “Don’t overreact. I was always a girl—just raised as a boy due to… circumstances. And the hair turned white on its own. No idea why. That’s all.”
No point explaining the absurd truth, so she stuck to a simple lie.
Hu Yan continued, “That’s the situation. Hard to believe, but treat her the same. No disruptions. Next: Ability awakenings start tomorrow at 8 a.m. Hand in your health forms. Boarders, surrender your phones too.”
The boarders groaned—some scheming, others resigned. Hu Yan smirked. Give it two days. I’ll confiscate them all.
Xue Ji’s best friend, Zhao Cheng (aka “Class Genshin Nerd”), grinned and whispered, “Bro… show me your legs.”
Xue Ji’s face darkened. “Fuck off.”
Instead of backing down, Zhao Cheng looked pleased, replying cheerfully, “Aye aye!”
Shen Dai, witnessing this, mentally inserted herself into Zhao Cheng’s place, cheeks flushing.
“Xue Ji, can you… scold me too?” she begged, voice barely audible.
Xue Ji blinked. “Huh?”
Shen Dai clasped her hands. “Please! Just once!”
Xue Ji stared at her like she was garbage.
Shen Dai shivered in delight. “Yes! That look! Do it again!”
Then she whipped out a notebook, flipping to a dog-eared page.
Xue Ji hesitated but finally indulged her. In a deliberately girly voice, she spat, “Baka! Hentai! Urusai!”
The sheer embarrassment turned her cheeks scarlet, her eyes glazing over cutely.
The class froze—except for Shen Dai, who giggled like a maniac. If not for her also being a girl, the scene would’ve looked like Xue Ji being harassed by a creep.
Burning under their stares, Xue Ji turtled behind a wall of textbooks.
Though once a background presence, she was now the class’s center of attention. The scrutiny was overwhelming, and she prayed for the clock to speed up.
Shen Dai, from her perch at the teacher’s desk, watched her with glee.