That night, Jia Li lay on her bed and stared at the faint cracks in the dormitory ceiling.
The fight had gone well. She did not mistake it for safety.
She had won because the bullies were weak. Even the original Zhang Rui, who could not hurt an ant, had been bullied by girls like that. Against someone stronger, those same moves would fail. This body would not keep up.
Her eyes shifted to the faint system panel in the corner of her vision.
One icon stood out.
[Physical Enhancement Training Plan – 50 points]
Her eyes widened. "Fifty points? What is this, daylight robbery?"
Grumbling, she scrolled through the catalogue, looking for something that would not bankrupt her. After skipping a few even pricier options, she found one that looked modest.
[Beginner Calisthenics Training Plan – 15 points]
She read the description carefully.
Focuses on bodyweight training for overall muscle tone, flexibility, balance, and endurance. Can be adapted for all fitness levels. Results in a lean, aesthetic physique while strengthening the core and improving posture.
No equipment. No bulky muscle.
"Fine," she muttered. "Let's do this."
Her finger tapped Purchase.
The system chimed:
"Purchase confirmed. Begin session now?"
"Yes."
The dorm room vanished in a blink. In its place was a vast, sunlit training hall with high ceilings and polished floors.
A woman stood at the far end. Tall. Lean. Perfectly conditioned. Her training suit outlined clean lines of muscle shaped by discipline, not bulk.
Damn. Jia Li mentally gave her two thumbs up
The woman smiled at Jia Li, offering no words, only a deep, respectful bow.
Jia Li bowed back.
The moment she straightened, a faint timer appeared in her vision: [Daily Limit: 1 Hour (Outside Time) / 100 Hours (System Time)]
Jia Li blinked. "…Wait, a hundred hours?!"
"The system safeguards your body by proportionally accelerating your recovery rate in this dimension. While you experience extended time, muscle fatigue and metabolic stress are kept within safe thresholds for your real-world body."
So she could train here for what felt like four days, but when she returned, her body would feel like she had only been working out for a single, intense hour.
The instructor clapped once.
Training began.
The hundred hours felt endless.
Sweat soaked her clothes. Her lungs burned. Her arms shook. She collapsed between sets and forced herself up again under the instructor's calm gaze.
The woman never spoke.
She did not need to.
By the time the timer reached zero, Jia Li lay flat on the floor, every muscle screaming.
The world blurred.
She returned to her bed.
Only one hour had passed.
The next morning, her body ached from head to toe. A deep, clean soreness.
She rolled out of bed and stretched. Her arms and legs felt heavy, but her back didn't hunch the way it usually did after sleeping on the thin dorm mattress. Standing in front of the mirror, she studied herself critically. No obvious changes yet but her skin had a faint, healthy flush, and her eyes looked just a little sharper.
When she walked to class, her stride felt… smoother. She didn't puff quite as much climbing the three flights of stairs, and she caught herself adjusting her posture without thinking.
At lunch, she chose lighter food than usual, almost on instinct. The memory of the instructor's silent, expectant gaze from the night before made her feel oddly guilty at the thought of greasy fried food.
That night, she returned to the hall.
Jia Li bowed deeper this time.
The session was still brutal. But she recovered faster between sets. Her body felt less heavy, less stubborn.
When she returned to bed, she was smiling.
Tomorrow, she thought again. But this time, it wasn't a promise. It was excitement.
Three days later, the ripples from the fight had not quite faded, but they had shifted.
Students still looked at her with contempt, but they kept their distance. The image of Chen Xiaomei on the pavement had spread quietly.
Even Lin Xue had stopped circling her as often. Sometimes, though, she couldn't resist. She'd wander over during lunch breaks, her voice honeyed and pleasant enough to fool anyone not paying close attention.
"You've been eating well lately. Your face looks healthier."
"Your skin looks fairer. The dorm lighting suits you."
Jia Li's replies were flat.
"Mm."
"I suppose."
No reaction. No engagement.
Lin Xue would linger a moment, smile poised and perfect, then drift away as if she had better things to do. Sometimes her eyes gleamed with irritation; other times, with faint amusement.
One afternoon, near the banyan trees in the east courtyard, Jia Li heard Lin Xue speaking to a small group of girls.
"I really don't know what I did wrong. Maybe Zhang Rui misunderstood me. I've tried to be friendly…"
"You're too nice," one girl said. "That bumpkin doesn't know what's good for her."
Lin Xue gave a soft, embarrassed breath. "Don't say that. She probably needs time."
Jia Li stepped around the tree.
"If you want to gossip, lower your voices," she said. "Basic courtesy."
The sudden silence was almost comical. The other girls avoided her gaze, cheeks flushing as they mumbled excuses and scattered.
Only Lin Xue stayed, her expression unruffled, though the faint curl at the corner of her lips suggested something between annoyance and amusement.
Jia Li looked at Lin Xue without the slightest softness in her eyes.
Disgust sat quiet and steady in her chest. Not loud. Not fiery. Just a cold awareness of how disgusting the imposter in front of her was.
She couldn't help worrying about the IQ of this world's fate, making such a person the female lead.
"I'm not angry with you," she said. "I simply don't want to be your friend anymore."
Lin Xue blinked, the confusion arriving a fraction too smoothly.
"You didn't do anything today," Jia Li continued, her voice level. "But whatever we had before is over. I don't want your concern. I don't want your explanations. Just leave me alone."
This was not revenge.
Lin Xue had played a part in Zhang Rui's slow collapse, eventually even killing her, but she had never been the only reason. The damage had come from everywhere. Classmates who mocked her weight. Teachers who overlooked her. Neighbours who whispered about her family. A life of poverty that kept her permanently on the outside of everything.
Jia Li's mission was not to settle scores. At least that wasn't what the original owner's wishes were.
parasite
The words fell between them and the air felt strangely heavy. Jia Li felt a tightness in her chest, sharp and unfamiliar, and for a moment she almost regretted speaking.
She knew that feeling did not belong to her.
It was the body. It was Zhang Rui.
Somewhere deep in the muscles and nerves was the ache of someone cutting ties with the person she had once relied on the most. Zhang Rui had clung to Lin Xue's kindness for years, shielding her even as she was bullied herself, treating her like the last safe place in a hostile world.
That attachment had been carved into this body like a scar.
Now Jia Li was the one reopening it.
"Why would you say something like that?" Lin Xue asked softly. "Did I—"
"You didn't do anything today," Jia Li interrupted. Her tone was calm, almost indifferent, though the body's pulse was still too fast. "I've just decided I don't want anything to do with you anymore. Leave me alone."
The heaviness in her chest pulsed again, like the echo of a sob that was not hers. Jia Li ignored it.
Lin Xue's lips trembled slightly, her expression delicate and wounded, but there was a faint glint in her eyes that did not match.
Jia Li turned away without another word, cutting the thread cleanly.
She did not look back.
She did not see Lin Xue still standing beneath the banyan trees, her fragile expression held in place for anyone watching. But once Jia Li's figure disappeared past the courtyard wall, that expression slowly hardened.
By the time Lin Xue returned home, the mask was gone.
Her bedroom looked like a staged photograph, pastel curtains shifting in the breeze from the balcony door, fresh lilies arranged neatly on the desk, the faint scent of jasmine in the air. Everything was orderly, sweet, and delicate, reflecting the inner demeanour of the owner.
The girl sitting on the edge of the bed was none of those things.
Her manicured nails dug into the duvet as she replayed Jia Li's words.
I don't want to be your friend anymore.
"How dare she?" Lin Xue muttered.
She had never cared about Zhang Rui. The friendship had only ever been useful, a way to keep a loyal shadow beside her, someone who would never compete, never outshine her.
She liked Zhang Rui quiet. Grateful. One step behind.
But now this.
This sudden detachment. This refusal to play her role.
Her reflection in the vanity mirror stared back at her, and the sweetness was gone. Her eyes were sharp. Her mouth twisted slightly.
No.
She was not going to let Zhang Rui walk away that easily.
Jia Li did not know.
And she would not care.
If Lin Xue insisted on pushing, Jia Li had no problem pushing back.