THIP Chapter 63

[Mission Target: Xi Yan]

[Main Quest: Help Xi Yan escape school bullying, leave the Xie family, and get into college.]

[Host Identity: Background Character – Ye Zhuoran]

[Note: Click here to access the storyline of this world.]

Most of the events in this world take place in a high school. The mission target, Xi Yan, is the illegitimate daughter of the powerful Xie family. At seventeen, she was brought back to the Xie household and forced to transfer from her regular public high school to a private school arranged by the Xie family.

From the day she was acknowledged by the Xie family and enrolled in that private school, Xi Yan’s once difficult but peaceful life descended into a living hell.

Xi Yan was brought into the Xie family after her mother passed away. Before that, she had grown up solely with her mother. Despite their poverty, Xi Yan had always been independent, mature, and a top student from elementary through high school.

Before her mother’s death, Xi Yan’s only dream was to get into a good university, find a stable job, and give her mother a better life.

But her mother passed away from overwork before Xi Yan could fulfill that dream. Still grieving, Xi Yan was taken to the Xie family, only to learn that the head of the Xie household—her father—had never married her mother. She was just the illegitimate daughter.

Even so, once acknowledged, the Xie patriarch would not allow her to continue attending an ordinary school. He arranged for her transfer to the elite private high school where his only legitimate son, Xie Shaoke, was enrolled.

And then… he stopped caring.

After all, the only reason he acknowledged her was likely due to lingering affection for her mother from his youth.

What he hadn’t considered was how Xi Yan, as an illegitimate daughter, would be treated in a school full of wealthy and powerful heirs.

In the eyes of these spoiled teens, being illegitimate was practically a crime.

Predictably, especially with Xie Shaoke stirring the pot, Xi Yan was ostracized the moment she arrived.

It started with cold shoulders, silent treatment. But after she beat Ye Zhuoran—the school’s top student—in her first exam by three points, the bullying escalated.

They accused her of cheating. Her textbooks were ripped apart. She was cornered in restrooms and dark hallways and beaten.

She was constantly covered in bruises. Her once-excellent grades suffered and began to fall.

Although she wanted to transfer out, the Xie patriarch rejected every request. Xie Shaoke never laid a hand on her himself, but he stood by silently as others did, and never once stepped in.

Then one day, less than six months after she’d entered that school, Xi Yan was cornered on the rooftop by a group of girls. In the struggle, she was accidentally pushed off the building.

Her blood stained the ground. She died on impact.

But because the girls came from influential families, and the Xie patriarch didn’t care, her death was covered up as a suicide.

Thus ended Xi Yan’s tragic life. She never got to leave the Xie family, escape the school, or make it to college.

After receiving the storyline, Mu Liuyin opened her eyes and cursed under her breath. Just because she was illegitimate, they bullied an innocent girl to death?

Those people were no better than animals.

She found herself waking up in the original body’s bedroom. After getting dressed and brushing her teeth, she looked in the mirror.

The boy reflected had delicate, handsome features, cool and aloof—a walking manga character.

This host body’s name was Ye Zhuoran, the youngest son of the wealthy Ye family, the school’s academic and social god, and the very reason Xi Yan’s bullying had spiraled out of control.

After breakfast, Mu Liuyin arrived at school. As she entered the classroom, a few classmates greeted her. Her eyes fell on a boy with blue-dyed hair and a rebellious air—Xie Shaoke.

Mu Liuyin’s gaze flickered with hidden disgust.

According to the storyline, it was Xie Shaoke who had first suggested transferring Xi Yan to this school. He knew exactly how brutal the environment was—and he deliberately spread the news that she was the Xie family’s illegitimate daughter.

Clearly intentional.

Maybe he thought she had ruined his perfect family and wanted to punish her. But he never considered: if his father hadn’t agreed, Xi Yan wouldn’t even exist.

And Xi Yan… she had never done anything wrong. Just because she was born without a choice, she had to suffer and die?

Thinking of this, Mu Liuyin nodded coldly in greeting, just like the original host would’ve, then took a seat and began flipping through her textbook, while inwardly planning how to help Xi Yan.

Xi Yan was truly brilliant. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have beaten the long-time top student by three points on her first exam. If she hadn’t been dragged into the Xie family and forced to transfer, she would’ve made it to college—even after her mother’s death.

Instead, all her hopes were crushed by school bullying.

Mu Liuyin sighed, a quiet fury rising inside her.

Since they weren’t in the same class, she waited until after the first period ended, then followed the guidance of System Xiao Jiu to find Xi Yan. The icon in her mind wasn’t far, and before long, she saw Xi Yan surrounded by a group of girls under a tree.

By now, Xi Yan had been in this school for over two months. The cheating accusation happened over a month ago. So she’d been enduring this for a long time.

Mu Liuyin quietly moved closer.

The girls were holding Xi Yan against the tree. The ringleader raised her hand, clearly about to strike. Xi Yan had already closed her eyes, bracing herself.

But the slap never landed.

Because someone grabbed the girl’s wrist.

The moment they saw Mu Liuyin, all the girls instantly let go of Xi Yan. Their eyes sparkled like they were meeting a celebrity.

The leader, clearly ready to lash out, froze when she saw Mu Liuyin’s face. Her cheeks flushed, and she stammered, “Ye… Ye Zhuoran, hi…”

Mu Liuyin’s voice was cold. “Shouldn’t you all be in class?”

“Huh?” The girl looked dazed, but when she met Mu Liuyin’s frosty gaze, she quickly called the others and ran off.

Xi Yan had already opened her eyes and was brushing dust off her uniform. As Mu Liuyin turned, their eyes met—those pale irises startled her.

They weren’t the same face, but those eyes looked just like Mu Qingzhi’s.

“Thank you,” Xi Yan said quietly, looking at the aloof boy.

Then she turned to leave, limping slightly—her leg must have already been injured.

For a moment, Mu Liuyin wanted to help her. But then she remembered her resolution from the last world—not to let the mission target misunderstand her intentions—and she restrained herself.

Still, worried she might be bullied again, Mu Liuyin followed her to her classroom.

She was about to leave when she saw Xi Yan approach a spot where the desk and chair had been overturned. She slowly squatted to pick up the scattered books.

Just then, a boy stomped on one of the books and looked down at her with a sneer, clearly about to say something cruel.

Mu Liuyin saw red.

Was her mission target someone they could bully at will?

Without hesitation, she stormed into the room and kicked the boy to the floor before he could speak.

Ignoring the stunned silence around her, Mu Liuyin retracted her foot, expression cold.

“Get up,” she told Xi Yan.

The tone was still cool and aloof—but somehow, Xi Yan heard a faint kindness in it.

She blinked, confused, and stood up.

Then the famously cold Ye Zhuoran added, “Come with me.”

Xi Yan hesitated, unsure of her intent.

Mu Liuyin repeated, “Did you hear me?”

Then she swept her eyes across the classroom and said coldly, “Clean this up before we get back.”

In this school of elites, Ye Zhuoran’s status was top-tier. His words carried weight.

And with that, she grabbed Xi Yan’s hand and pulled her out of the room.

At that moment, all her resolutions from the last world… conveniently vanished from memory.