"Ever watched 'Love and Death'?

The current situation of Maureen is somewhat similar to that of the real heiress who is the antagonist in the novel.

After the heiress was lost in the countryside, it took a whole year to find her.

However, when she came back, she found out that a more lively, naive, and cute girl had fully taken her place in the family during these fifteen years.

The only difference may be that I am even more foolish," Maureen thought resentfully.

These past two years, Maureen had tried really hard to please this family, always remembering everyone's birthdays and personal preferences.

She carefully massaged her mother's shoulder, but her mother got up uncomfortably and walked upstairs, saying,

"You don't have to do this."

Once, when they all went out for dinner at a restaurant, a waitress accidentally tipped over the soup bowl.

Seeing that the soup was going to splash on her eldest brother Oliver, she quickly moved in to block it.

However, by the time she got back to her senses, the whole family had rushed to the hospital with Bianca, who had gotten a tiny burn spot on his thigh.

When she was left stunned and belatedly discovered a small burn mark on her own face, the family was nowhere to be seen.

The next day, only her sixteen-year-old brother Smith Chris noticed.

Maureen thought that at least her younger brother Smith Chris treated her equally.

But half a month ago, there was a chemistry competition which only accepted one participant from each family.

When Smith Chris found out that Bianca wanted to go, he sneaked away with Maureen's application form.

Maureen lost her qualification to the chemistry competition and obtained a small scar on her cheek that made her wear a face mask for the whole year.

When Bianca got an allergic reaction after mistakenly eating peanut butter at her friend's ice cream shop, the whole family assumed that she had deliberately harmed Bianca.

Even her explanations didn't convince them. All these, they were no problem.

She was okay.

She wasn't even that angry.

After all, she had a tough personality and never swallowed her words.

She had given the entire family a piece of her mind when they upset her.

Anyway, her textbooks used to say that continuous water drops could wear down even the hardest stones, and she believed that if she kept trying for a few more years, she'd eventually make it.

But she was wrong.

Just when it seemed like her family was finally starting to accept her.

She died at the age of twenty-three from advanced brain cancer. Is this a joke to them?

How is this different from reaching the final level in a grueling game, only for it to crash?

It wasn't until after her death that Maureen realized she was living in a tragedy.

She was nothing more than a supporting character in a book.

Summing up the life of supporting character Smith Maureen, the description was:

"Since childhood, she lived in a rundown small town in the north.

At the age of 15, she was brought back by the Smith family.

After that, she went all out trying to snatch the Smith family from the female protagonist, Bianca, due to envy.

After knowing Bianca and Oliver's secret feelings for each other, she went even farther and meddled in their relationship...

Finally, she died of cancer and was forgiven by everyone after her death."

What? "Snatch"??? Wait a minute, wasn't this family her own in the first place?

So her actions in her past life were all defined as "snatching" from the female protagonist, Bianca, by this book?

On what basis? Just because Bianca is heaven's favored child, a fragile and innocent little lily, and woman of destiny?

And Bianca even had a fling with her older brother Oliver?

Maureen's expression was like 'grandfather-looking-at-cellphone.jpg.'

She didn't know if it was because of her strange way of dying, but after her brief 23-year-life as a tool, Maureen surprisingly returned to her seventeen-year-old self.

This time, she has gained a [Support System for the Female Supporting Character]. System:

"Your role is set as a villain destined for a tragic end, so your luck quota is definitely negative.

Walking could lead to getting hit by a car, drinking cold water could lead to a toothache, and any illness you get will undoubtedly be incurable.

But what if you could quietly turn yourself into a protagonist?" Maureen stared blankly,

"What do you mean?" System:

"I mean you should try to rub off some luck from others.

You won't be able to get any luck from the male and female leads, Bianca and Oliver, but you could siphon off some from secondary characters with high popularity.

Over time, your incurable disease might even be cured under the influence of good luck."

Maureen slapped her thigh,

"I get it! You're suggesting I should make friends with popular characters, right?"

In every book, besides the male and female leads, there are also some characters who don't appear frequently, yet have very stylish and attractive character settings.

If the readers like these characters, she could frequently show up around them, be in the spotlight, do some good deeds and get the chance to siphon off some luck.

The system was very pleased, "

That's why I picked you, a poverty-stricken supporting female character, because you got it in one shot!"

Who doesn't want to live a good life?

Even if she lived a confused and silly life in her previous one, now that she has the opportunity to start over, Maureen will seize it!

Especially after suffering from the taste of withering due to an incurable disease, she doesn't want to experience it again.

"And after you've garnered some luck," the system continued,

"The scars on your face should heal quickly."

Maureen touched her left cheek and her eyes sparkled.

The burn marks are on her face, and in order to avoid scars, the doctor recommended she use sun protection all year round until the skin has completely recovered.

This had resulted in her wearing a mask for a whole year, hiding her originally beautiful face.

The system gave Maureen a list titled "People Whose Luck Can Be Siphoned".

She glanced over it, finding a good number of names listed.

However, it seems that only the first few have higher return rates, namely Liam, the direct grandson of the century-old financial group Williams family, the second grandson Mr. Williams, along with the famous Drake of the Brown family.

These three were well-known to Maureen, they were all notable figures at school.

After them were the top students ('nerds') and handsome guys from each grade.

The class president of Maureen's Senior III class 6, a bit of a simpleton, was also on the list!

Maureen was immediately elated, as she was quite close to the class president from her class! However...

The class president was ranked at 108th place, and the fortune return rate written in parentheses next to his name was only 0.000001% - what's the difference between being on the list and not being on the list??? Everything before Maureen's eyes turned black.

Holding the life-saving list in her hand, Maureen stood up to get a cup of water to calm her shock and said,

"I think I need to have a medical check-up as soon as possible."

In her previous life, she died at the age of twenty-three.

Now she's only seventeen.

What if she doesn't have cancer yet, or is still in the early stages of cancer?

There's still hope to survive, right?

"No need." the system said,

"In the end, your death from a terminal illness is not a physical problem, but the fortune problem of you being a villain.

Even if you go to the hospital for an examination and treat it in advance, if your fortune value doesn't change, you'll still die when it's time.

What's the difference between dying from a car accident and dying from cancer?"

Upon hearing the system's words, deep sadness welled up in Maureen, and she burst into tears.

So, her only way out is this list before her eyes.

With a return rate of 6%, Liam, who tops the list and outdoes everyone else, is said to be extremely difficult to deal with, being flamboyant, domineering, and acting recklessly, like an aloof high school genius in other stories.

Even so, spurred by his status as the heir apparent of the Williams family, everyone desperately flocked to his side.

It was just very difficult to even get a word in with him. Recognising the difficulty, Maureen's gaze moved down the list.

Williams Demon is currently studying abroad, and there are no signs of him returning.

As for this Drake – she seemed to recall he is a decent guy. She even saw him giving a gentle and polite speech last semester.

He should be the easiest one to befriend. However, how come the return rate for the two of them is only 2% each?!!

This is so embarrassing! Oh well, even a mosquito's leg is meat no matter how small it is.

Maureen decided not to set a target for now, she would go for whichever Good luck big shot she could catch.

"Weren't your scores from last week ranked in the top three of the entire grade?

According to your school's rules, the top five can freely transfer classes, right?"

Maureen cooperated very well:

"You mean I should first transfer to the international class that's filled with the children of nobility?"

The system responded,

"Yes, being in the same class as these people will rub off some Good luck on you.

Although it's not much, it's better than none."

The high school section of A Middle School where Maureen studies has not only regular classes, but also international classes, evergreen classes, and gold medal classes.

The latter two classes are self-explanatory, they are classes for students with excellent academic performance and for those who participate in national competitions.

The international class, on the other hand, is where the heirs of renowned families who have no academic skills gather.

In her past life, Maureen also reached this node and transferred from a regular class to the gold medal class.

One very important reason for this was that Richard, who was engaged to her when they were children, was in the gold medal class.

In her past life, she was a bit shameless, she indeed really liked Richard.

After all, Richard was handsome, talented but a bit cold in character.

And Richard treated her and Bianca equally - of course, he was aloof and arrogant to both of them.

But this still attracted Maureen.

However, she didn't manage to pursue him in the end, and it just faded away.

Maureen couldn't be bothered to think about these things anymore, and her life was the most urgent matter at hand.

She was already once dead, did family or Richard even matter anymore? "

Alright, I'll apply now.

I should be able to report to the international class tomorrow."

Maureen had a very strong ability to take action, she immediately went to her desk, turned on her computer, slightly modified the already filled out information, changed the gold class to the international class, and sent it to the Headmaster's email.

After finishing this task, she opened her suitcase and spread it out on the floor, starting to pack her clothes one by one.

From outside the door, urgent knocks sounded, it was Smith Chris's lowered voice saying,

"Sister Maureen, Bianca was discharged from the hospital and just got home.

What are you doing hiding in your room?

While the whole family is downstairs, you should apologize to Sister Bianca.

Let's forget about the allergy incident!"

A few days ago, there was a huge commotion in the house.

Bianca had an allergic reaction to peanut butter in one of Josephine's chain stores.

Josephine was Maureen's friend, so the family thought Maureen was responsible.

Maureen was so angry that she went to Josephine's store and started to look at the surveillance tapes one by one, but it wasn't that simple.

Despite being red-eyed from exhaustion, she was unable to prove her innocence. Maureen found it stupid.

How do you even prove that you didn't do something?

In her previous life, did she care so much about what her family thought of her?

Was she really that desperately worried about them disliking her?

In the end, this all was like tying herself up.

Maureen zipped up her suitcase and opened the door.

Smith Chris almost fell inside, he was about to persuade her again, but his face immediately turned sour when he saw Maureen's suitcase:

" Maureen, are you going to play this trick again?

Are you running away from home or going to live in school?

Won't you obediently come back in a few days? Is all this fuss worth it over such a trivial matter?"

"Is this a trivial matter?"

Maureen's face turned icy cold, and the wheels of her suitcase almost rolled over Chris's foot.

"Move aside!" Chris promptly stepped back, looking at Maureen's expression, he blanked out for a moment.

Whether the members of the household either disliked Maureen or were distant toward her.

When Maureen first came to the house, he was only fourteen years old, hence his relationship with Maureen was arguably the best.

After two years of living together, he had never seen Maureen treat him with a cold, knife-like attitude, demonstrating a desire to sever ties — Maureen had always been slightly ingratiating toward him and the other members of the household.

Chris didn't really think too much about it for a moment. He, too, was becoming agitated. "Isn't this a minor matter?

Even if Bianca's allergy has nothing to do with you - I believe you, isn't that good enough?

But Bianca just came out of the hospital, would it kill you to say something comforting?

You are always so stubborn, which is why no one in our family gets along with you!"

"If you can't get along, then don't bother."

Chris froze in place, he watched Maureen's retreating figure in disbelief.

Maureen's words were devoid of any emotion, merely a straightforward statement.

Moreover, her eyes did not redden, nor did she spare him another glance, surprisingly it did not seem like a spat out of anger as it used to be.

Chris had an inexplicable feeling of dread welling up in his heart for some reason. He continued to follow her.

Seeing Maureen dragging her suitcases downstairs, the faces of the family who had just picked up Bianca from the hospital dropped.

Mr. Smith and younger brother, Mike, were still at the company.

Mrs. Smith, supporting the just-discharged Bianca, took a seat on the sofa and annoyed, glanced at Maureen,

"What are you up to again?

Can't you just stay put for a few days?"

Other than Maureen and Bianca, there are eight people in the Smith family.

Mr. Smith is completely focused on his career, seldom paying attention to domestic affairs. Mike was a minor actor in the entertainment circle with 18 lines to his name.

He's always been critical of Maureen, either mocking her or outright ignoring her.

Fortunately, he is on the road most of the time, barely spending any days at home within a year.

The ones who spend most of their time at home, apart from youngest brother Chris and their mother, and it is Oliver, who runs a company.

Despite being the lead male, his outstanding abstinence personality strikes a gentle character.

But, when Maureen learned from the system that he would develop a romantic line with Bianca, Maureen could no longer face him comfortably.

Their mother has never been particularly fond of Maureen, and Maureen couldn't care less.

She walked directly towards Oliver, pulled out two pieces of paper, and handed them to him, saying,

"Help me sign these." Oliver, was somewhat troubled,

"Maureen, don't be unreasonable.

This time—" Maureen interrupted him, "

Just sign them.

I'm going to board at school."

Her eyes were clearly black and white, calm and indifferent, unlike her usual fussiness.

Oliver keenly noticed that something was off with Maureen today, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Just sign it!"

Their mother snarled furiously, "She creates a ruckus daily, let her go to the boarding school.

We've compensated for everything we could have, what more does she want?"

Oliver was a tolerant person and he'd never blamed Maureen.

He thought Maureen was just a child who refused to grow up, her rebellions were just her desperate attempts to snatch attention from Bianca.

However, humans are emotional beings and they all have had a seventeen-year emotional bond with Bianca, a connection that no one can take away.

Perhaps it's time for Maureen to experience some hardships at boarding school.

After a while, she might come to her senses and obediently come back.

If she stopped competing with Bianca, Oliver would be able to treat her as his dear younger sister.

Oliver absent-mindedly signed the papers. One was for an application for boarding school, and the other was a request for a class transfer.

He had long heard from Bianca that Maureen was always following around that Richard family boy at school, as if she wanted to transfer to his class.

After waiting for him to sign, Maureen promptly snatched the document away, turned around with her luggage, and walked out of the Smith family's front door.

The September air was a little chilly, but what she saw was a world of golden warmth.

Maureen took a gentle breath, put on a mask reflecting it was a time for her to change her destiny.

She would no longer waste her time pleasing this family.

Everything could still be changed in time. Mrs. Smith glanced at her and felt a headache coming from her audacity, "

Just you wait, that ungrateful girl will come crying back in a few days."

Oliver capped his pen, feeling something odd and asked Bianca,

"Didn't you mention Maureen intended to apply for the elite class?"

"Yes, big brother," Bianca, who had been quiet all along, propped her head up from her mother's hug.

"Maureen has always been following Richard.

Rumors at school aren't flattering... Richard hasn't visited us recently, presumably wanting some peace."

"But why did she write that she wanted to transfer to the international class on her application?"

Both Bianca and Chris were taken aback and said incredulously,

"That's impossible."

Leaving the Smith family was simpler than Maureen had imagined.

Indeed, the truth proved that she had only spun a web of her own making in her previous life.

Once she decided to leave her family behind, she no longer felt the sadness brought on by the interference of unworthy people.

Now, Maureen was solely focused on preserving her life.

She acted quickly and started packing up her books after processing her transfer procedures the next morning.

The system gave Maureen a bare potted plant with only soil - something only she could see.

"With each bit of luck you accumulate, a tiny bud will grow.

Only when the potted plant is entirely full will the negative karma of the villain brought upon you be essentially eliminated.

After that, your fate will no longer be 'meeting a miserable end,'" said the system.

"Even if you manage to grow the potted plant thick enough, your luck might even surpass that of Bianca."

Maureen asked, "Will this impact those who the luck is drawn from?"

"That won't happen.

Have you ever heard of Wi-Fi hotspots?

You are leeching off their luck, but their own luck won't decrease."

That put Maureen at ease.

After getting the potted plant, she was full of excitement and decided to try it out on the class president of class 6.

Before she left, she gave him a massive hug.

The class president was pleasantly surprised.

As Maureen held the president in a deep hug, she intently stared at the floating potted plant in the air, just as a husband would wait for his wife to give birth.

...After a full three minutes of hugging, the bare pile of soil in the potted plant didn't move an inch. It was like a static jpg. Maureen:

"The system is comforted,

"Your class president is just too unremarkable, the return rate is only 0.000001%, you should better focus on the people at the top of the list."

Maureen felt like her world was falling apart.

The pot of soil was as big as her head, how long will she have to plant trees?!

And she has to surpass Bianca, she has already given up, hoping not to suffer from an incurable disease and die.

With a wounded heart, Maureen pantingly helped the class president carry the books to the building where the Evergreen class, the Top-ranked class, and the International class were located.

She was wearing an oversized dark school uniform of A Middle School, her long black hair fell over her collarbones, her skin was pale white, and she had a red string around her neck, tied to a piece of jade.

Sweat dripped from her fair nose, and she always wore a mask on her face.

This mask made it difficult for Maureen to breathe.

But she couldn't just take it off.

In her last life, she did not listen to the doctor's advice and stopped wearing a mask early, relying only on sunscreen, and as a result, there was always a faint mark on her face that scar cream was ineffective against.

It wasn't so noticeable from a distance, but up close, it was like a stain on an otherwise flawless vase, the kind that would make its creator curse the heavens for putting a mark on a perfect creation.

If it wasn't for her face, Bianca probably wouldn't have been the school beauty.

Maureen was also helpless, maybe because she was a villain, so she was always at a disadvantage.

Anyway, she must bear it this time until the wound is completely healed.

Richard was dealing with the gifts people had crammed into his desk over the weekend.

The unfinished circuit board and the thick competition question book in his desk were all squeezed by the gift boxes.

He picked up the trash can and set it next to his desk with a "clang."

He hung his eyes low, not even bothering to look properly, he swept all the chaotically arranged gifts into the table drawer.

Using two fingers, he picked out a pink letter.

The likely afraid person who sent the love letter thought he would discard it without even laying his eyes on it, and had purposely tied a tight knot with a slim silk ribbon through the envelope, fastening it sturdily onto a gold medal he had dumped in the drawer.

Richard's chilly eyebrows knit so tightly it looked like they could squish a fly.

The next second, with a "plop," the love letter and the gold medal were both tossed into the trash.

Suddenly, a few people leaning on the windowsill spoke, "--- Isn't that Smith Maureen? Is she moving here?

Holy shit, she even got into the top five!" Richard was just about to pull his chair out, but his movement abruptly halted.

Richard, who twisted his head from the window asked:

"Holy shit, Richard, do you know what we just saw? Maureen is downstairs!

She's indeed awesome, "doggedly persistent", she studied tirelessly for a whole year--- just to be in your class, how do you feel about it?"

"Boring." Richard's expression didn't seem to falter at all, he sat down, lowering his gaze and connected the circuit board of the miniature robot,

"As per school rules, the top five from the regular class are free to transfer to other classes, this is her right, it has nothing to do with me."

"We are going to be in the same class, what if she sticks to you and doesn't let go?"

"The results have just been announced and she's already moving here, she's quick on her feet!"

Richard remained indifferent, not even raising his eyelids, and coldly said,

"I'm not in for puppy love."

Everyone's sparks of gossip were doused by Richard's coolness.

Maureen transferred to this school a year ago, she never once took off the mask on her face, rumour has it that she accidentally wounded her cheek, wearing it for sun protection.

However, not many people in the gold class were interested in her face, probably just above average looks, nothing out of the ordinary.

What they were interested in was the matter of Maureen pursuing Richard.

This girl was rather fierce and determined, incredibly going non-stop from being just one of their plain, average classes all the way into the top five.

Again, all just to transfer to a different class. However, judging from Richard's indifference, they knew he had no interest in this socialite. Richard touched his nose,

"But you can rest assured. If she joins our class but can't keep up with the pace, she'll have to return to her original class.

She won't stay for too long.

If she clings too much and hinders your competition, the teacher would likely kick her out."

Richard raised an eyebrow, about to speak. The silhouettes of Maureen and the class president appeared in the corridor.

"She's coming," someone laughed, "

Richard, your life is about to become colourful, best luck to you—"

However, before he could finish his sentence, he saw Maureen and the class president of class six carrying books, passing right by them in the corridor.

The atmosphere inside their elite class instantly fell silent for five seconds.

Richard's face expressed his bewilderment,

"But ahead is the international class, did she go the wrong way?"

Oblivious to the thoughts of the neighboring elite class, Maureen had no mind to consider it.

As she walked into the back door of the international class with her arms full of books, her vision started to darken without any warning, as though she was stepping on cotton.

"In my past life, there were times when I felt like this too. I just thought I had low blood sugar, but wait--"

Maureen suddenly woke up, "could this be a precursor to some terminal illness?"

"Yes, what else could it be?"

The system said, "Even in novels, there's logic and foreshadowing.

Even the most annoying villain wouldn't suddenly drop dead.

It will certainly foreshadow readers through subtle sentences, such as 'Smith Maureen inexplicably felt unwell' or 'Smith Maureen had a bruise on her ankle that wouldn't fade.'"

"Maureen had no energy left to bicker with the system.

She held her book, swaying. In the pitch black before her eyes, a few pale white orbs of light appeared at various seats.

The system said, "Those are the fortunes/lifelines.

The brighter they are, the higher their rank on the list I gave you."

Maureen, like a drowning fish, heedlessly headed for the brightest position without a second thought.

When she sat down in a state of exhaustion, her hands loosened, and the book noisily hit the floor. She couldn't care less.

She slumped onto the table, deeply inhaling in the direction of the brightest light on the right.

A faint, pine scent infused with a hint of medicinal herbs unexpectedly filled her nostrils.

It was like fresh oxygen pumping into her brain, instantly relieving Maureen's discomfort.

The potted plant in front of her suddenly shivered.

At its edge, a tiny, weak sprout sprouted forth.

Less than one millimeter, it looked to be only about one-tenth the size of a complete sprout — but Maureen's eyes widened in awe, almost moved to tears.

"What is this?! Why did the first one suddenly sprout?"

She asked the system excitedly.

The system: "Look who's sitting next to you."

Maureen raised her head. The whole international class was deathly quiet, all eyes were fixed on her.

Everyone watched as this strange girl walked in with a mask and a book, not even saying hello, and went straight to the second last row by the aisle and plunked down!

Then she took a deep sniff towards Liam. Among the stupefying silent crowd, someone said, "Damn, you've got guts." Someone else whispered in alarm,

"That's Liam next to you, and you just smelled him.

You're done for when he wakes up."

" Liam equals Liam?"

Maureen immediately looks to her right. The first thing that catches her eye is the back of a head with a short red porcupine haircut that screams

"I'm the cockiest."

A young man is lying sprawled on the table, wearing silver noise-cancelling headphones, clutching a sports jacket, and is lazily sleeping with his back to her.

He is at least 1.88 meters tall and because of his long legs, which look almost coiled up under the table, he appears quite scrunched up.

He is wearing a black long-sleeved shirt with a pale neck and a thin black and gold skull chain hanging from it.

From Maureen's angle, she can only see half of his side face.

There is a small mole near the tail of his right eye. He is strikingly handsome.

His eyebrows are slightly furrowed, forming wrinkles that make him look unemployed and rebellious.

In Maureen's head immediately pop the words

"Irritable dumb beauty." Someone asks,

"Who are you? Nobody ever sits there!" Maureen turns to look at the person and replies,

"I'm Maureen, transferred from Class 6. Why can't I sit here?"

"You're looking for death?"

he exclaims,

"Have you ever heard of the future head of the Williams family?"

He's the school bully.

Anyone who dares to sit on his side will definitely be threatened and average errands. But Maureen wouldn't mind running some errands for Liam.

Run more errands, wouldn't her luck value come in torrents?

It's a lose-lose situation anyway.

She doesn't think that a seventeen year old stupid brat could pose a bigger threat than the villainous backlash to her.

Quickly seizing the chance, Maureen inhales deeply in stealth, and continues pulling in some of the luck value of Liam.

As she watched the faint white light enveloping him finally transitioned a tiny bit onto her, she felt a ray of hope, even though it was as small as a fingernail and could be easily neglected.

She gracefully picked up the books on the ground one by one.

"Yeah, I got it. But there are no other seats available, so I will just sit here."

The international class students were dumbstruck.

Many had tried to get close to Liam, but this masked girl, whose face couldn't even be seen clearly, was the first to approach him with such a "screw it all" attitude.

She was... smelling him.

Smelling him, like how one would smell a cat. Oh my god!.

The commotion woke Liam up.

Once Liam woke up, no one dared to make a sound, eagerly waiting for Liam to explode his anger.

Liam took off his noise-cancelling headphones and nonchalantly tossed them onto the desk.

He rubbed his hair listlessly, his actions seemingly soft and limp.

Then, he started rummaging through his desk, eyes closed as he pulled out several white bottles. Whether they contained vitamins or something else, no one could tell.

He poured a handful into his palm with a swooshing noise.

Maureen watched him with impressive sparkling eyes.

Her gaze was like how one would look at WiFi hotspots on busy streets, at chilled watermelons during summer, or at the most expensive cat in a cat cafe.

She picked up the water jug on his desk and handed it to him.

"Thanks," Liam, who had just woken up, said hoarsely.

He took a sip of water and swallowed the pills with his eyes closed.

Only after swallowing did he suddenly become aware of Maureen's presence.

Liam reacted strongly and stood up abruptly.

His tall and long-legged frame almost knocked the table behind him over. He looked down at

Maureen from a superior position, his facial expression darkening suddenly.

He seemed to have a "stay away from stranger" sign written all over him.

"Who is this woman sitting next to me?"

Everyone in the international class thought to themselves:

Don't even think about it, she obviously has a crush on you.

Maureen, patient as ever, explained herself to the one destined to be her optimal wifi hotspot in the future.

"My name is Maureen Smith, I just transferred from Class 6."

Damn.

The crowd collectively thought to themselves: she actually worked so hard to be among the top five in her grade and transferred over.

Studying into the wee hours, diligently doing exercise after exercise must have been tough.

Unbelievable, she must really like this.

Liam apparently also thought of this point, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

He swallowed back the curse he was about to utter, but his face was still irritable.

"Change seats immediately. No one ever sits next to me."

Maureen knew that it wouldn't be so easy.

She was reluctant to move, grinding her bottom against the chair without getting up.

If this was before, she would've left already.

But glancing around, among the whole international class, Liam's aura was the most prosperous —- perhaps sucking in a little more every day, she might sprout several tender shoots after ten days or half a month.

"Send me away as if I threatened your life."

Just as Maureen was saying this inwardly, she suddenly sensed a silence sweeping the classroom.

She shivered as she raised her head, all faces in the room were gaping at her in astonishment, eyes wide in utter shock. Liam's ears turned a physiological crimson-red, he was infuriated.

"What, what did you just say?"

Damn it. It was then she realized that she had accidentally vocalized her inner monologue.

"Pack up her books and move her away."

Just as Liam finished his cold command in an iron tone, the head teacher of the international class stormed into the room carrying a stack of books.

As soon as he entered, his eyes scanned through the class and landed directly on Liam.

Maureen suddenly recalled the scene in her mind.

The original storyline focuses more on Bianca, Smith Oliver and herself, with bits and pieces on Liam.

However, Maureen remembers that in her previous life, just the day after Bianca was discharged from the hospital, the school flag pole noticed criticized a few students from the international class who rode in a motorbike wild race over the weekend.

Of course, with Liam's status, he couldn't possibly be punished, so the list only carried names of insignificant students.

But when the teacher walked in, she glanced straight at Liam, meaning this matter must have something to do with him.

Just as she expected, the teacher walked toward them, face as stern as stone, and slapped down a stack of newspapers,

"Liam, look at this mess you've caused!"

The newspaper slammed down in front of Maureen, giving her a start.

She took a glance and saw that A Middle School students made the news.

She guessed the teacher's bonus was probably all gone, no wonder she was furious.

The class, majority of them seemed aware about the issue, fell silent, with no one daring to speak up.

Liam hooked the chair with his foot and sat down resolutely.

He casually picked up the newspaper to browse, and laughed,

"Teacher Logan, it's not the era of reading newspapers anymore."

The teacher was fuming, the veins on her forehead throbbing,

"You think no one can manage you? Now you go run thirty laps for me!

If you don't finish, I'll do nothing but wait in the office for your parents!"

The smirk on Liam's lips faded.

He was eyeing the teacher, just about to say something when Maureen suddenly stood up.

"Um, can I run for him?"

The international class went completely silent, and everyone was caught by surprise. The system said,

"Exchanging labor for luck has the highest return ratio.

If my calculation is correct, after you finish running, you should be able to grow at least three sprouts."

Maureen's eyes lit up with excitement, a bit dizzy from the happiness.

Thirty laps add up to twelve kilometers, how much luck can she gain from this?!

Her hand was shaking with excitement.

Suddenly, gaining a pot of fortune energy doesn't seem too challenging, she might actually be able to escape the fate of a tragic side character suffering from terminal illness!

Everyone was thinking:

Damn, is she that fond of him?

There were not a few who approached Liam, but honestly speaking, there were not many women who truly liked their 'Liam'.

They were just after either his money or his family name.

Apart from these pursuits, the most they did was present love letters and chocolates.

This was the first time anyone had taken it this far.

They were all dumbfounded.

Even Liam, who was seventeen years old, was encountering this for the first time in his life.

He had encountered those who feared him, those who buttered up to him, and those who confessed their love to him, but very few had done anything genuine for him.

Liam finally turned his head, giving Maureen a thorough look.

The girl was slender and petite, her skin was pale like jade.

The hand she raised was as delicate as a scallion, trembling ever so slightly—she was clearly terrified of the thirty laps, even her hand was shaking, but she stepped up.

The Classroom teacher was near the end of his tether.

His anger was suddenly redirected towards Maureen:

"Good, you go and run.

You're not allowed back in class until you finish!"

"Yes!" Maureen darted out like an arrow. —

Was she so scared that the teacher would continue to punish Liam, was she so afraid the teacher would regret his decision that she immediately and without hesitation started running?

Niel, seated in the last row, lifted his dropped jaw, snapped it shut, and stared dumbfounded, patting Liam on the back:

"Liam, where on earth did you find such a girl who is—"

Unable to find the right adjective, Niel resorted to an old-fashioned phrase,

"madly in love."

Liam's gaze fell on the window, on Maureen's figure as she ran down the stairs.

He tried hard to maintain his indifferent expression, but he couldn't control the blush creeping up his ears.

He lowered his gaze, licked his lips, suppressing his sense of pride and happiness.

"Sheesh." He seemed very troubled.

"It's charisma, I can't help it."

"We can't let her actually run the thirty laps, that would be a disaster for my reputation." He said leisurely.

"Let's have someone go to the gym and stop her."

"News in the International Class always spread at a swift pace.

Just as their class ended, students at the Gold Medal Class were informed.

A boy burst into the room, shouting,

"Bombshell news, Richard, you're spared!

I heard Smith Maureen has applied to transfer to the International Class!"

Ever since Richard became a part of their class, everyone knew Smith Maureen as his most ardent suitor.

Upon hearing the news, everyone swiveled in their seats to look at the source, faces expressing nothing short of astonishment. Richard:

"How is that possible???" The boy continued,

"And it seems she...she has shifted her target - she's chasing Liam now. Folks from the International Class are saying she was punished by running laps because of Liam."

"The air held its breath for five seconds. "What's with Smith Maureen? Richard, is this some kind of prank?"

Richard flat out refused to believe it.

Even mentioning Liam - they'd never even met before.

Aside from that, why would she transfer to the International Class?

She worked hard to rank into the top five, opened up the opportunity to transfer classes, only to not transfer to the Gold Medal Class. Next month, getting into the top five won't be as easy.

"That's none of your business."

Richard had unfathomably turned towards the window during the conversation.

There were no figures on the track; punishment by running was generally enforced in the indoor stadium.

But when Richard looked his way, he quickly averted his gaze.

His expression appeared colder and sterner than it had at any point before:

"Go back to your own seats."

Twelve kilometers may sound a lot, but once you start running, it's just a matter of your legs nearly breaking and your lungs nearly bursting.

If it weren't for a matter of life and death, Maureen wouldn't know how she could be so determined.

She ran round after round, sweat pouring from her body.

A male student from the international class came over to take her place, but she ignored his offer.

The guy ran back and relayed the event to his classmates.

When class was over, the whole international class was buzzing.

By the time it reached Liam's ears, it had morphed into a story of how the new transfer student was running laps for him, willingly and cheerfully, while also wearing a smile of blissful hope.

Liam had lived for seventeen years, when had he ever seen such a fierce and ostentatious pursuer?

A small red bird in his heart stood tall and fluffed its feathers in satisfaction, but he maintained an extremely irritated exterior and slammed the desk, yelling,

"Enough of this gossiping? Are all of you grown men so gossipy?" When Liam lashed out, the noisy classroom finally quieted down a bit.

Drake had caught a cold these days and wasn't attending school. Informed by a gossiping junior on the phone, he couldn't stop laughing and coughing, he couldn't resist calling Liam.

"Impossible! Are you guys mistaken? Maybe the transfer student just needs a favor from you- You say she likes you?

Hahaha, what could she possibly like about you?

Your explosive temper and your sour face? Or perhaps, your bizarre hairstyle and a personality akin to a hound? Besides, apart from having a bit of a flush family..."

"Shut your mouth if you can't speak human language!"

As expected, Liam was pissed.

He hung up and tossed his phone into the desk drawer.

Yes, it was amusing, and the transfer student was indeed a fierce player.

But naturally, Liam didn't truly believe that this transfer student was setting her sights on him.

Eight out of ten times, it would be for the wealth. Grass, Liam kicked the chair beside him in frustration, intending to pay off the transfer student when she returned.

On the other hand, after running thirty rounds, Maureen was on the verge of collapsing.

She didn't return to the classroom, instead, she went straight back to the dormitory, took a shower and went to bed.

She woke up around half past eleven.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw that her potted plant had indeed sprouted three complete tender shoots!

They were shimmering green, swaying under the electric fan.

Along with the tender sprout embryo that she had cultivated by sitting next to Liam and inhaling some luck, she now had approximately three-and-a-fifth sprouts.

Maureen was so thrilled that she immediately climbed down from the top bunk and rushed to the bathroom to look in the mirror.

On her fair left cheek, the slightly darker spot of skin had noticeably faded a great deal.

Unless she looked closely in the mirror, it was almost imperceptible.

Maureen: "At this rate, I'll be able to take off my mask soon!" System: "Of course, all the misfortunes you've encountered are tied to your negative karma as the supporting female character.

Once you absorb the positive karma, everything will go much smoother for you."

Maureen felt a surge of excitement.

As long as she worked hard, she could change the miserable fate of the evil supporting female character!

Having run so many rounds and burned a lot of calories, Maureen was hungry.

As she walked towards the canteen, she racked her brains, thinking about what she could do to absorb more karma in the shortest time.

This Williams family's young master was indeed ruthless and daunting.

It was only because the class teacher had punished him with running laps today that he didn't have the time to move her books away.

If it wasn't for this interruption, her textbook might have already been mercilessly discarded into the trash can.

Maureen, however, wasn't angry; after all, she was the one who needed assistance.

She only felt a headache - what should she do to get closer to him?

Maureen quickly thought of one of the things she excelled at, cooking.

For the first fifteen years of her life, before she was found by the Smith family, she had always been the one to cook and tend to her grandmother.

She often received some vegetables from the neighbors in the town's street, then cooked delicious meals as a form of gratitude.

As early as when she was seven or eight, people were already raving about her dishes.

And for the past two years, having arrived in the Smith family, she often cooked several of her signature dishes to put on the dining table in order to assimilate more quickly.

Mrs. Smith loved to nitpick, but she had nothing to say against the dishes Maureen cooked.

As for Chris, not to mention, he always ate as though he couldn't get enough, even sometimes pleading her to cook a few more dishes so he could take them to school for lunch the next day.

It seemed that she would have to visit Josephine's store to prepare ingredients after school today.

With a plan in mind, Maureen's steps became much livelier.

The incident in the international class this morning also reached the ears of Bianca and her friend Ann.

Chris came over from Class 1 to have lunch with Bianca and sat next to them.

Upon hearing about the situation from Ann of Bianca class, the siblings, although surprised, didn't think that Maureen was actually switching her affection to someone else.

"What a joke, it's well known that she likes Richard."

Every time Richard comes to their house, she bolts down from the second floor all dressed up with sparkling eyes, it's not like they haven't seen that.

"Are you deliberately trying to upset Richard?" Chris was messing with the food in his tray and struggling to swallow,

"The canteen's food is so bloody awful."

Bianca picked up some meat from her own tray and passed it to him, slowly chewing while she sighed,

"Maureen can be very childish sometimes, just like with this argument she's having with Richard.

Also, her sudden decision to leave home and stay at the school dorms, our mother is really worried--Chris, has she told you when she's planning to come back?"

"What does it matter to me? She can come back or not!"

Chris retorted angrily,

"How many times has she pulled this stunt?

Didn't she always come back in the end?"

"Don't be angry."

Bianca advised,

"You have the best relationship with her. Why don't you try to convince her?

If it doesn't work, we'll simply wait until she comes back and then clarify to her that my allergy has nothing to do with her."

Chris replied annoyed, "I won't bother this time.

You shouldn't either. I checked her wardrobe last night, all her clothes are there.

Including those that mom bought for her, she hardly took anything.

This clearly shows she doesn't plan to stay at school for long.

I won't believe that she won't come back shamefully after a few days!"

Although he said all this, looking at the colorless food in the canteen's tray, Chris felt deeply annoyed and upset.

Before this, he either used to jump the school wall to eat out, or he'd eat the lunch box Maureen brought from home.

Maureen's cooking is really delicious.

During the fourth period every morning, Chris would rush toward the canteen, longing for her delicious food.

One could say that without Maureen's lunch box, his day would be soulless.

In the past, even if they quarreled at home or if Maureen had an argument with him - no matter how severe the quarrel was, she would always bring him a lunchbox.

After their fights, they'd sit awkwardly and eat together, then by the end of the meal, all their irritation would vanish.

But today, Maureen unusually didn't show up! Chris kept looking out from the canteen in a barely noticeable way, but with the meal almost finished, he could not see a trace of Maureen!

"Where has she gone?" Chris thought to himself.

"Did something unexpected happen, or did she just forget to pack my lunch? Or maybe she remembered, but she's so mad at me that she deliberately didn't bring food?"

This is very unusual! Chris felt an ache in his heart, his Spoon almost piercing through the plate.

Ann was still laughing by his side:

"Word has traveled to our Evergreen class that she's running circles.

Is she trying to get Richard's attention?

But the line of people trying to approach Richard has extended to the neighboring school, she definitely doesn't stand a chance!

If she wants to chase after Richard, she needs to at least be as attractive as Bianca, or even just as good-looking as Elizabeth from the school next school."

"What nonsense are you babbling about?!"

Unable to suppress his anger, Chris suddenly slammed his Spoon down:

"You should take a good look at yourself first."

Ann was taken aback for a moment, only then did she realize that she had spoken out of line.

Although Chris and Maureen had an ordinary relationship, after all, he was still Maureen's younger brother.

"I'm sorry." Ann apologized quickly. Bianca also said,

"Please don't fuss about Maureen, let's eat."

Chris glared at Ann and stopped talking.

However, Bianca couldn't help but think of Maureen's face. Ann hadn't seen Maureen's face when she had just arrived at the Smith household two years ago.

She was far more beautiful than her.

Bianca was more of an innocent and pitiful kind of beauty, a delicate and precious gem.

Whereas, Maureen's beauty was pure and extroverted, with her brightly stunning features.

The day Maureen came to the Smith Family, the moment they saw her, nobody could take their eyes off her.

In that moment, Bianca felt an unusual sense of crisis in her heart. Of course, all of these were ended by that burn from a year ago.

Beauty was marked with scars, no longer flawless, which made Bianca feel somewhat balanced in her heart.

Just as her thoughts were scattering, Chris's voice suddenly came from her side: "Maureen?"

Bianca and Ann turned their heads. Maureen was walking in from the main entrance of the cafeteria, still wearing a disposable mask.

Chris guessed that she had been delayed because of running laps, so she didn't come to the cafeteria.

His gaze first landed on Maureen's hands—unusually, they were empty, with no lunch box.

Chris suddenly felt a bit sullen in his heart.

This was the first time that Maureen hadn't brought him lunch after they had an argument.

It seemed that Maureen was really quite upset this time.

Chris was hesitating, wondering if he should apologize first.

The things he said when Maureen left home yesterday were indeed quite harsh.

The two of them always had the best relationship in the family.

It was understandable that Maureen was angry because his tone was so aggressive yesterday.

As he was hesitating, Maureen had already come near.

Chris was an extremely stubborn boy, but he gritted his teeth, hardened his scalp, and still stood up. "

Maureen, sister."

He spoke out, "you---" But before he could finish his words, Maureen walked past him as if she had not seen him at all.

Chris felt as if he had been hit by a sudden blow. He was stunned for a moment and couldn't react.

Then he turned around only to see Maureen ignoring him, heading towards the window.

She took the plate of prepared food, and as she turned around, she met his surprised gaze.

But she quickly averted her eyes, heading towards a corner of the room to sit alone.

The expression on Chris's face instantly froze.