Rebirth of the Best Businesswoman at School Chapter 5

A pause in front of the Year One, Class Three classroom was unavoidable for Jian Ai. The hum of conversation and laughter within the room created a strange duality; the scene felt both foreign and intimately familiar to her.

She nudged the door open and stepped inside. Instantly, all conversation ceased, and every student's gaze fell upon her, the sudden silence amplifying her isolation. Some faces still held expressions that betrayed their previous glee.

A bitter smile touched Jian Ai's lips. This isolating scenario was a tableau she knew all too well. For all three years of her high school experience, she had felt like an outsider, never truly belonging.

Gradually, the students returned to their own affairs. Not one of them offered Jian Ai any words of concern.

Jian Ai felt no need for superficial solicitude from people who held no importance in her life.

“If you’re not coming in, then move! Are you planning to be a door ornament all day?”

A sharp, impatient female voice cut through the air from behind her. Jian Ai turned, her eyes meeting a pair of gazes filled with mockery and disdain.

Though more than a decade had passed, Jian Ai recognized the face instantly. It was Li Yunmei, the very same girl who had shoved her into the pond.

Li Yunmei possessed a tall, slender frame, a small face, and large eyes, giving her the appearance of a delicate doll. Yet, those familiar with her knew that beneath this doll-like exterior resided a tempestuous spirit.

Furthermore, she had a penchant for provoking others. Jian Ai vividly recalled an incident where Li Yunmei and an accomplice had relentlessly taunted a girl from another class simply for casting a glance her way in the hallway.

During her high school years, Jian Ai had made every effort to steer clear of Li Yunmei. Back then, she was insignificant, content to lose herself in her studies and minimize her presence, thus avoiding any direct confrontations.

However, she hadn't anticipated that upon her rebirth, the first person she would encounter would be the notorious 'female tyrant' of this very class!

Jian Ai averted her gaze and walked directly to her designated seat, her expression unreadable.

Li Yunmei’s face tightened, unable to comprehend being so blatantly ignored. In the past, Jian Ai would have hunched her shoulders and hurried away. Why the sudden change?

Jian Ai had barely settled into her seat and placed her bag down when Li Yunmei approached. Stopping beside Jian Ai’s desk, she deliberately amplified her voice. “Jian Ai, don’t get a big head just because Lin Yi passed you a love letter. You probably don’t even know that Lin Yi only wrote it as part of a bet with Yan Tian and the others. They were wagering on whether a wallflower like you actually liked Lin Yi.”

“Exactly! Did you truly believe you had a chance with Lin Yi? You even went to confess to him. How pathetic,” another girl added with a cold sneer.

Jian Ai paused in her tidying of the desk. Hearing these words, fragmented memories began to click into place.

Lin Yi. The name was etched into Jian Ai’s memory, for he was the sole object of her youthful affections. Yet, she had never voiced these feelings, not even to Lin Yi himself.

Naturally, Lin Yi was handsome, excelled at basketball, was a strong student, and possessed a charming demeanor. He was the object of affection for many girls, Li Yunmei included.

But for Jian Ai now, this was all ancient history. She couldn't deny her three-year-long crush during high school, but her heart remained entirely unmoved. A wry amusement even bubbled within her.

The incident where Li Yunmei had pushed her into the pond was likely connected to that very love letter from Lin Yi.