The air in the city was thick with spring, the scent of blooming magnolia trees trailing along the wind. Bai Zhi stood at the gates of the Imperial Performing Arts Academy, one of the top schools in the nation. In her past life, she had helped Bai Meilin get admitted here, submitting performances and theory work in her name.
But today, she came for herself.
Dressed in a simple cream blouse and black wide-leg trousers, her long black hair braided over one shoulder, she looked like every inch the poised, confident woman she was becoming. Her almond-shaped eyes held a quiet fire as she walked through the gates, completely ignoring the stares that followed her.
Inside the admissions office, she handed over her portfolio. The receptionist looked skeptical at first, until she flipped through it.
Scripts. Song lyrics. Scene analysis. Her original compositions.
"You… wrote these?" the woman asked, surprised.
Bai Zhi smiled faintly. "Yes. I'm applying as a special candidate."
The receptionist nodded and immediately passed it to the department head.
She had included just enough to whet their appetite, not the best of her past-life work, but enough to get her foot in the door. She had no intention of hiding behind others ever again.
As she turned to leave the office, a commotion at the entrance caught her attention.
A sleek black sports car had pulled up outside.
A man stepped out. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed in a fitted suit without a single wrinkle, his presence commanded attention even before he stepped through the school gates.
Students around her began whispering.
"Isn't that Li Jiannan…?"
"The CEO of Jianning Group?"
"I heard he's an alumnus… came to donate a new building…"
"So handsome… and terrifying…"
Bai Zhi's heart stilled.
Li Jiannan.
The Man who said he was watching her.
The man who would one day become her husband in her past life's second year of death. The cold-blooded CEO who'd never looked twice at her in the past. Their marriage had been arranged for political convenience, and he'd barely spoken a dozen sentences to her even when she was alive.
But he was also the only person in her past life who had avenged her death.
After uncovering what Bai Meilin did to her, he destroyed the Bai family, exposed Chen Yuxuan, and made Meilin disappear from the entertainment industry. Though he never expressed affection in life, his actions after her death had been loud and merciless.
She owed him.
And now, they were meeting 10 years earlier in this life.
As if sensing her gaze, Li Jiannan's eyes flicked to her.
Cold. Sharp. Observant.
For a split second, their eyes locked.
Did he remember her from the dark Banquet?
Bai Zhi's breath caught in her throat. She bowed her head quickly and walked away.
Now wasn't the time to fully meet him. She wasn't ready to stand beside him, not as a stranger.
But he watched her retreating figure for a moment longer than necessary, brows slightly furrowed.
That evening, back at the Bai estate, the atmosphere had changed.
The scandal of her broken engagement with Chen Yuxuan hadn't settled yet, and many relatives were still whispering. But Bai Zhi held her head high.
At the dinner table, Bai Meilin sat beside Madam Bai, delicately serving soup and chatting with a sweet voice.
"Mom, Zhi-jie seems really tired lately," Meilin said gently. "Maybe she's overwhelmed from the engagement breakup. Should we send her to a spa?"
How thoughtful.
Bai Zhi smiled faintly. "Thank you for the concern, Meilin, but I'm fine. You should focus on your etiquette lessons instead of worrying about me."
Madam Bai shot her a glance. "Zhi'er, Meilin is just trying to help."
"I know," Bai Zhi replied, her tone calm. "But there's no need to act like I'm falling apart. I'm thriving."
Old Master Bai raised his brows. "You've changed recently."
"I've just… remembered who I am," Bai Zhi replied, calmly sipping her tea.
Bai Meilin's fingers clenched under the table.
Later that night, Bai Meilin made a call.
"Chen Yuxuan," she said sweetly, "Zhi-jie has been acting so strange since you broke up. I think she's losing her mind. I'm worried for her."
"You think I should check on her?" came Chen Yuxuan's voice, uncertain.
"Yes. Maybe she regrets it and is just too proud to say so."
She smiled as she hung up.
Let's see how long Bai Zhi can keep this act going.
The next day, Bai Zhi was walking through a boutique district, scouting costume pieces for a short film she had submitted to an online student festival, when someone stepped in front of her.
Chen Yuxuan.
He looked uncharacteristically casual, plain shirt, no tie, no cold arrogance. But Bai Zhi wasn't fooled.
"Zhi'er," he said, clearly trying to sound warm. "Can we talk?"
She blinked. "We already did."
"I mean… properly. You were upset that day. You didn't mean it."
"I did."
"Come on," he said, stepping closer. "You're just confused. You don't have to act tough"
She laughed.
"You think I'm pretending?"
"I know you," he insisted. "You've always listened to your family. You wouldn't just cut me off"
"I've listened enough," she interrupted, her smile fading. "To everyone. Especially to you."
Listening did not get her anywhere or anything but pain in her past life. Bring the obedient people-pleasing kind "princess" didn't pay her well.
He frowned. "Is there someone else?"
There it was. The arrogance.
"No," she said clearly, "but there will be. Someone better than you in every way."
She turned and left him standing there like a fool.
That night, Bai Meilin stormed into her room again.
"You're trying to humiliate me!" she snapped. "You know Chen Yuxuan has been checking up on me now, asking questions!"
"Oh? I thought you liked attention," Bai Zhi said lazily, flipping through a film script.
"You're ruining everything!"
"No, Meilin," Bai Zhi said, standing slowly. "I'm just taking back what's mine."
And you're about to find out how it feels to be second-best.