Back from the dead, my first challenge was still the same: I'm broke.

Even with four years of foresight, everything needed money to start.

So, not long after school started, I went back to my old trade—collecting recyclables.

I needed to accumulate my initial capital through recycling.

The amount of recyclables in a university was astounding, and the surrounding shops, stores, and delivery stations provided a huge opportunity. If done right, the profit could be unimaginable.

Thanks to my mom, who also collected recyclables, I knew a bit about it.

I used this semester's living expenses to rent a small room off-campus dedicated to storing the recyclables.

Initially, I only collected around the school.

During that time, I got a lot of disdainful looks.

Whenever the teaching assistant saw me, she would pinch her nose and avoid me.

"Wow, you're really following in your family's footsteps and collecting trash even at school. Erica, why are you even in college? Just focus on collecting junk."

I ignored her every time.

I knew that until I became strong, everything I did would be looked down upon.

My roommates also refused to share a room with me, claiming collecting recyclables was too dirty.

Juliette Hoover, the richest among them and the head girl, threw my things out of the dorm.

"Erica, you better not come back. We don't want to be laughed at for living with someone who collects trash. Besides, what if you bring back germs?"

In my past life, even though I didn't collect recyclables, they still ostracized me.

Especially Juliette and the teaching assistant, who openly plagiarized my designs, stole my thesis, grabbed my internship opportunities, and mocked me like a clown.

I leaned in and whispered to Juliette, "Aren't you into Joel? How about a bet on who he'll end up with? The loser publicly apologizes and calls the winner 'Daddy'."

Juliette laughed, "Erica, have you lost your mind from collecting trash? Fine, I'll be waiting for you to call me 'Daddy'!"

She prided herself on being fair-skinned, beautiful, and rich, confident Joel would never choose me over her.

I smiled and dragged my luggage to my rented room outside.

In my past life, I couldn't even dream of being with Joel.

But now, knowing Joel's bet, I was sure to win.

If he could use me for a bet, why couldn't I turn the tables?

As for Juliette, who stole my designs, thesis, and internship, I couldn't wait to hear her call me 'Daddy' in front of everyone.

Two months later, with some money saved, I expanded my business.

I rented a larger house, bought a tricycle, and started covering a wider area for recyclables.

The profit from recyclables was substantial, and by the end of freshman year, I had saved a significant amount of money.

During the last class of freshman year, everyone discussed their summer travel plans and made plans with friends.

After a speech, the teaching assistant approached and mocked me, "Erica, you've been so self-reliant, collecting trash for a year. I suppose you don't need financial aid anymore?"

This was her way of telling me that if I didn't obey her like the other students, running errands for her, she'd find ways to make my life difficult, starting with canceling my financial aid.

I turned my back on her, giving her no chance to speak further, and she stormed off in anger.

After she left, Joel came in.

In front of everyone, he held a bouquet and approached me.

"Erica, do you have plans later? I'd like to take you out for dinner."

I knew his friends were peeking from outside the door, and Juliette, who had been chasing Joel, was also watching.

Oblivious to the truth, Juliette sneered, "She doesn't have time; she's busy collecting trash. Joel, what's with your taste? Shouldn't you get your eyes checked?"

To spite Juliette, I took the flowers from Joel. "I don't have other plans."

Joel's eyes lit up with joy, and he glanced smugly at his friends outside. "Shall we go then?"

As we left, I hooked my arm through Joel's and said to Juliette, "Jealousy makes you ugly."

Juliette's face turned pale.

This was just the beginning. The real show was yet to come.

I wasn't going to let any of those who caused my downfall in my past life go unpunished.

Once we were off-campus and out of sight, I let go of Joel's hand and changed my demeanor.

"I suddenly have something to do. Let's have dinner another time."

Joel was taken aback by my sudden change but quickly caught on. "You did that to spite Juliette, didn't you?"

I knew that if I immediately agreed to be Joel's girlfriend to win against Juliette, he would lose interest soon.

Just like in my past life, once he made me fall for him and won the bet, he dumped me instantly, holding Juliette's hand the next moment and mocking me for being delusional.

I wanted both Joel and Juliette to lose their bet miserably.

This act had to continue.

I said coolly, "I admit I accepted your invitation just to spite Juliette. I won't just fall in love with anyone. I only like those who are genuinely kind to me. Sorry, even though you're a great guy, I have no feelings for you."

For someone like Joel, a rich boy who was used to getting his way, a challenge was enticing.

I had to strike a balance, not pushing him away completely or making it too easy.

Sure enough, Joel's interest was piqued. "Don't worry, Erica, my feelings are genuine. If you don't believe me, I'll prove it with my actions."

Seeing the determination in Joel's eyes, I knew the fish was on the hook.

During the summer break, I didn't go home. Instead, I embarked on a major venture.

In my previous life, poverty drove me to work harder in my major. My designs were the best in the class, and I even worked part-time at a design company, gaining some experience.

This time, I invested all my earnings from collecting recyclables into starting an advertising design business. I hustled to get clients, did the designs myself, and worked with printing companies, focusing on business with colleges.

Thanks to the knowledge from my previous life, my first project—a promotional booklet for a university—earned me a solid 4,000 dollars.

I quickly built on this success by recruiting a few talented college students specializing in different areas—design, client acquisition, networking, etc. I even bought equipment and worked together with them, leveraging information gaps, and soon took over design and promotion projects for various universities in the area.

Luckily, my frequent part-time jobs in my previous life helped me meet these capable and kind-hearted partners.

This time, I approached them in advance, and together, we formed a small advertising office.

By the time the new semester started, I had made a fortune. I no longer needed to collect recyclables and had successfully transitioned into advertising design.

Earning money wasn't enough; I also needed to improve myself in other ways.

With enough money, I began focusing on my appearance.

Joel Stephens and Juliette Hoover thought I was the poorest and ugliest in the school. I would show them who the real fool was.

In truth, I was never ugly. I had nice features, but working part-time under the sun damaged my skin. Poverty also prevented me from dressing well, making me stand out as the ugliest among the vibrant college students.

In this life, I would play to my strengths and avoid my weaknesses.

During the summer, I enrolled in etiquette classes to cultivate my taste and even squeezed in one-on-one dance classes to learn some routines.

Soon, my taste and temperament improved significantly.

Money gave me confidence. I dressed stylishly and applied tasteful makeup. By the time the new semester began, I showed up on campus, leaving everyone stunned. They barely recognized me.

Joel saw me from afar and was stunned. "Erica, is that really you?"

Juliette, on the other hand, angrily dragged her friend away. "Does a toad think she's a swan just by putting on a coat?"

I'm running my own small advertising business, and with an improved demeanor, along with a generous hand, those who once mocked me quickly flocked to flatter me.

Threads on the school forum even detailed my transformation from a trash collector to a successful student entrepreneur, gossiping about my rumored relationship with Joel.

Many people seemed to only now realize that the girl they once unanimously deemed the ugliest in the school, once stripped of those ill-fitting, dull clothes and unflattering hairstyles, actually had very striking features, even rivaling the most beautiful girl in the class, Juliette. With a bit of grooming, my bright eyes and radiant smile shone through.

Now, my photos frequently appeared on the "campus crush" wall, causing a stir each time.

This truly validated the saying: the harder they mocked me back then, the harder they praise me now.

Despite all this, I didn't let it get to my head.

I knew everything I achieved was due to my own efforts.

Only when you become good enough will the world be kind to you, and better things will be attracted to you.

No one was more upset about my transformation than the teaching assistant.

She despised me the most, and now that I was on par with the rich students she favored, she was even more caustic in her words.

"Erica, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're now popular on campus. As a student, grades are what matters. If you spend all your time running that ad shop, when will you study? If you fail this semester, I'll make sure you don't get your diploma!"

She was already threatening me. I wasn't going to back down. "What if I pass and even become top of the class?"

She probably didn't expect me to challenge her head-on, let alone aim for the top.

She sneered, "You think you can beat Juliette? If you top the class, you can have my job!"

I scoffed, "That's unnecessary. If I don't top the class, I'll obey you for the next two years. But if I do, you have to publicly apologize for your past actions."

A bystander posted our exchange on the school forum, and everyone was eagerly waiting for the outcome.

Some were waiting to see me fail, while others, fed up with the assistant's bias, supported me.

I ignored it all.

In my previous life, I studied hard to escape poverty and secure a better future, consistently topping my class.

In this life, I downplayed my abilities initially to avoid the same fate of having my designs plagiarized. I kept my grades average on purpose.

Now that I was forced to reveal my true capabilities, topping the class would be a breeze.

Hearing about my bet, Joel came to comfort me. "Erica, we all know Juliette's level. Don't let the assistant get to you. Apologize to her, or you might really not get your diploma!"

Juliette, on the other hand, was smug. Her head was held high all the time.

Last time, I had overshadowed her in the class beauty contest.

This time, she was ready to crush me with her academic prowess, and she was strutting around with a newfound swagger.

I pushed Joel away. "We'll see who has the last laugh."

As I juggled studying and running the ad agency, the campus Independence Day Gala finally arrived.

In my previous life, the gala was a painful memory. Juliette closed the show with a sensational dance that drove the crowd wild. At the end of her performance, she turned the spotlight on me, dragging me onto the stage and announcing that I would also perform a dance for Joel despite my complete lack of experience.

I was thrust onto the stage in front of a jeering crowd, feeling like a clown. Amid the laughter, I saw Joel and Juliette standing together, sharing a private joke. Juliette playfully punched Joel's arm and leaned on his shoulder, laughing as he smiled at me and said, "Erica, you prepared a dance for me? Let's see it! Don't let me down!"

The laughter grew louder.

"What dance could she possibly do? Does she think she's Juliette? Her family collects trash…"

"Look at her, trying to perform. She should be hiding in a hole instead…"

"Going out with Joel? He wouldn't even hold her hand. If I were her, I'd just disappear…"

Amid the mockery, the lights suddenly went out. I scrambled off the stage, nearly tripping, and I fled the scene.

This time, I knew history was about to repeat itself, but I was going to rewrite it.

Before the event, I approached the organizer, offering to sponsor the gala with the condition of adding a performance.

After I came into money, I didn't become arrogant. Instead, I frequently helped others and sponsored various events, which earned me a great reputation and made me well-acquainted with the event organizers.

Adding one more dance performance was no problem for them; they agreed without hesitation.

I hired a professional dancer to perform a dance that mirrored Juliette's. I remembered the dance Juliette performed in the past life, so I had the dancer learn and modify it, giving it a new name.

The new dance was scheduled as the penultimate act. When it was performed, it was a hit—a stunning, energetic display that left Juliette's routine in the dust.

Watching from the audience, I relished every change in Juliette's expression—from initial confidence to shock and, finally, to anger and retreat. She had been waiting by the right side of the stage for her turn.

If it had been in my past life, with no professional dancers among the college students, Juliette's high-energy dance would indeed have brought the house down. But with a professional routine preceding hers, she now appeared out of place, like a poor imitation.

She would embarrass herself.

If she didn't go on stage, however, it would damage her reputation and blacklist her from future major events, making it impossible for her to stand out in the future.

As Juliette's turn came, the host, unaware of the earlier dance's impact, continued to urge her to go on stage.

Juliette's face changed colors like a painter's palette. Under the pressure from the crowd, she reluctantly took the stage and performed her routine in a rush. As predicted, the anticipated excitement and climax didn't materialize.

The audience, having just witnessed a dance spectacular, found Juliette's performance to be a poor imitation. Booing erupted.

"What was that? It's just like the earlier dance."

"Yeah, it's nowhere near as good as the previous dancer…"

"Juliette, the 'beauty and talent' of the design department? She's not as pretty as Erica, and her talent isn't impressive either."

The audience booed and demanded Juliette leave the stage. Juliette, caught in a moment of embarrassment, stood there helplessly, her face going from flush to pale, much like how I had been during my forced performance.

She cast a pleading glance at Joel, unaware that Joel's feelings for her had changed. My on-again, off-again relationship with Joel had only deepened his interest in me, leaving him little time to pay attention to Juliette.

Seeing Juliette's desperate look, I mimicked her previous behavior and deliberately rested my head on Joel's shoulder. Juliette's face darkened immediately.

The next moment, Juliette grabbed the microphone and adjusted her expression. "I heard Erica also prepared a dance. Would you like to see Erica perform for us?"

Juliette looked at me with a vengeful glare, clearly hoping to see me fail. The audience erupted with excitement, calling my name and urging me to go on stage. My name had frequently appeared in the campus news and forums, making me one of the most talked-about figures of the year.

Some acquaintances knew that I came from a scavenging background and had never received any dance training, so they tried to help me out.

Unlike last time, Joel didn't join the cheerers either but tried to pull me away, "Let's go. There's no need to emba—"

He didn't finish his sentence, but I could tell he meant I would make a fool of myself. To him, having someone from a background of picking up trash dance was like asking Anna Pavlova to feed pigs.

I smiled, shrugged off Joel's hand, and took the stage alone. "Guess I'll make a fool of myself then!"

I had the sound technician play some classical music and performed a little ballet dance. During the summer, I hired a one-on-one instructor to learn this dance just for this moment.

Wearing a flowing white dress, I danced gracefully, creating an ethereal presence. After being bombarded by high-energy dance routines, the sudden shift to a classical dance captivated the audience.

The room fell silent, the lights dimmed, and I spun in the center of the stage, my white dress fluttering.

When the dance ended, the audience was silent for a few seconds before erupting into thunderous applause. I heard cheers and saw the excitement on everyone's faces.

I even noticed Joel's eyes widening with joy and disbelief. I knew this moment would become a new legend about me at the university.

Backstage, Joel rushed in, ignoring the other people present, and hugged me tightly. "Erica, you've totally blown me away! Anything else I should know about you?"

When Joel entered, Juliette's face lit up, but her hope was soon crushed, replaced by a look of rage. I didn't push Joel away and deliberately said, "Joel, you asked me to be your girlfriend. The answer is yes."