I found myself sitting in an exam hall, only to realize I had unexpectedly gained the ability to read minds?

With the knowledge from my past life, where I was effortlessly admitted to Cambridge, I breezed through the test without breaking a sweat.

Only when I stepped outside did I realize the original owner of this body was a total academic failure??

The unattainable male god, whom I had been chasing for years, was now crying and begging me to let him go?

...

"30 minutes remaining until the end of the exam. Please finish your answers as soon as possible."

I jolted, looking around the room in confusion.

Wait, did I just... time travel?

Did I go back three months, to the time of the college entrance exam?

A flood of memories hit me.

It turned out that the original owner of this body had fallen head over heels for the campus heartthrob, Dorian Cross. To win his affection, she showered him with food and gifts, following him everywhere. But Dorian saw her as a trophy to flaunt, publicly humiliating her and making her feel small. The original was soft-hearted, enduring three years of ridicule. To avoid standing out from her peers, she never disclosed her background. Her expensive belongings were often misunderstood, and just before the exam, she discovered that Dorian had publicly announced his relationship with the school beauty, Lilith Ashford. The bracelet the original had gifted him was now adorning Lilith’s wrist. Heartbroken, she succumbed to depression and ended her life during the exam.

And now, I had taken her place... with the added bonus of being able to read minds.

"He slept through the entire exam and finally woke up."

"Looking around... is he planning to cheat?"

I caught a glimpse of the invigilator’s suspicious gaze. Was this her inner voice?

I, Elena Vance, had just received my acceptance letter to Cambridge University when, out of nowhere, disaster struck. In a moment of excitement, I drowned on water!

What a shame, so embarrassing. But now the heavens had granted me a second chance. Watch me live this life to the fullest!

I quickly glanced at the exam paper, and instantly knew what to do. With half an hour remaining, I finished the entire test. A deep sigh of relief escaped me.

The original owner had only written her name on the paper—how ironic, her name was also Elena. She had spent the final half-hour of the exam without even answering a single question. Was she some kind of genius who could slack off and still pass?

The bell rang.

I hummed a tune as I followed the flow of students out of the hall. A massive banner hung above the entrance:

"Good luck, Princess Elena, for your exam!"

Huh?

A lavishly dressed woman ran up from under the banner and embraced me.

"Elena, finishing the exam is a victory in itself! Don't worry about your grades. We have more than enough money to support you."

I was stunned. Rich, yes. But her words made it sound like I had done terribly on the test.

A stretched-out Maybach pulled up in front of me. My mother ushered me into the car. I could hear her thoughts:

"Elena can't possibly be that devastated, right? She always comes last in her exams, but she's such an optimistic child. Why is she so silent now? No, no, no... I’ll buy her an LV bag to cheer her up."

I was dumbfounded. The original owner was a total academic failure??

"Elena, let’s buy you a purse as a reward. You’re my precious girl!"

The woman in front of me beamed with affection, and for a moment, I felt a pang of sadness. In my past life, I was an orphan. I never experienced this kind of familial love.

"Uh-oh, you don’t like the purse anymore? Are you about to cry? Oh, my dear daughter..."

A thought floated through my mind.

"It’s okay, Elena. I’ll buy you a whole school if you want. You can study there as long as you like, and I’ll make sure it’s one that feels familiar!"

Oh my god!

I quickly stopped her, putting on a sweet act and asking for seafood for dinner, which made her happy again.

Later that night, as I stared at the enormous king crab and Australian lobster on the table—bigger than my face—I fell into deep thought.

The next morning, my father, dressed in a flashy suit with gold chains hanging from every part of his body, took the wheel himself, driving me to the exam hall.

Before I entered the exam hall, he made sure to remind me:

“Elena, just do your best, your dad is your strongest support!”

I was a bit touched, but then I picked up on his thoughts:

“Anyway, the money I earn will last you for generations!”

“….”

I glanced at the exam paper, knowing the answers immediately, but I couldn’t help feeling a little troubled. The original owner was a complete failure academically—no, a supreme failure, to be honest. If I did well, explaining it would be a bit tricky.

As I was pondering, an hour had already passed. Then I heard a voice in my head:

“This girl is zoning out again.”

It was that invigilator from yesterday.

Forget it. Whether I stick my neck out or not, the result’s the same. Since fate gave me this second chance, I’m going to live it to the fullest.

I picked up my pen and quickly filled in all the answers.

Just as I lifted my head, I noticed the boy in front of me sneaking a sideways glance at me.

“Elena, that ugly and chubby girl, she won’t be following me around after the exam, right?”

???

Is this the so-called "heartthrob" that the original owner had been chasing for three years?

He’s not even that handsome. Just a pair of eyes and a mouth, and she’s gone and ruined her life for a guy like that?

Alright, I’ve taken over your body, and I’ll return the favor by getting revenge for you.

Once the exams were over, that evening, as I ate dinner and scrolled through my phone, I saw a post from Dorian on his alt account.

“Desperately in need of money, contact me if you need a service~”

I narrowed my eyes and decided to comment using my alt account, a plan slowly forming in my mind.

The next morning, I was doing some exercises by the floor-to-ceiling window on the balcony. This body was way heavier than my last one, and I was out of breath in no time.

The original owner had gained weight due to the stress of high school, and with puberty came acne, so the boys at school bullied her relentlessly, which only made her more insecure.

“My baby is actually working out! Sob, baby’s grown up, caring about her looks now, keep it up!”

I didn’t even need to guess; I knew it was my dramatic father’s thoughts.

As expected, my dad sniffled, placed his hand on my shoulder with a serious expression, nodded approvingly, and even had a hint of redness in his eyes.

Really?

“Ding! PayPal deposit of ten million dollars received.”

“I must be a solid support for my baby!”

The words floated above my dad’s head as he walked away.

I was touched, so touched.

With this money, I could implement my plan even more effectively.

I contacted a few entertainment bloggers and gave them a sizzling headline.

“Male high school student works as a gigolo for money.”

I asked them to draft the article in advance, ready for when I sent them the go-ahead.

As I continued moving to the rhythm of the music, another phone lit up with a Facebook message.

I didn’t stop, a smile creeping onto my lips.

The fish had taken the bait.

Dorian sent me a message from his alt account:

“Really? You can lend me money? What’s the catch?”

I flattered him, knowing full well it was all a lie.

“No catch. I heard you’re the campus heartthrob, you must be really handsome. I just want to have dinner with you.”

Dorian was clearly flattered by the praise.

“Of course, my good looks are well-known. If you can lend me the money, I’ll have dinner with you!”

I couldn’t help but laugh. If only I could read his mind through the screen, I’d love to know how smug he must be feeling right now.

“Not now, in a month.”

Fish need time to grow fat.

Dorian panicked.

“A month? What about the money? I need it now!”

“I’ll send you an electronic contract. You’ll repay it in a month. If you agree, I’ll transfer the money to you immediately.”

Dorian agreed right away, and once I confirmed the contract was valid, I transferred 500,000 yuan to his account.

The plan was on track, but… I still needed some help.

I made a phone call.

Standing before me, a row of male models in masks, I felt like I was about to float to the heavens with how stunning I looked.

"She's fat, sure, but damn, she's rich."

"If it weren't for the money, I wouldn't bother protecting this ugly, fat woman."

"Better not be chosen. Staying close to a woman like this would give me nightmares every night!"

...

The voices of the crowd flooded into my mind, and my smile faded.

Forget it. They're just tools. I picked the tallest one, a guy standing at almost two meters. I waved away the others.

I chose him because, in his thoughts, I didn't hear a single shred of insult.

"I'm Noah Sterling."

He took off his mask.

Handsome.

Too handsome.

He'd wipe the floor with Dorian, no contest.

No wonder he's the top pick.

Sister's a bit into this.

This is exactly the kind of handsome man I need pretending to be my boyfriend. With Dorian and his crowd, I can easily catch them spreading rumors and slander.

"Don't be nervous. I don't need you to do anything. Just play the role of my boyfriend for this month. Be there whenever I call."

Noah seemed a bit surprised but still professionally agreed.

Every day after that, I worked hard on losing weight. My parents were so touched that they were on the verge of tears. Not only did they hire the best nutritionist to assist me, but they also set up a home gym for me. After two weeks, though I hadn't hit my target yet, I'd made noticeable progress.

In my spare time, I kept busy, often inviting Noah to go shopping, specifically to places where I might run into my classmates.

"Oh, look, it's the little fatty! Lost some weight?"

Marcus Flynn grinned mockingly at me.

I played the role of the timid girl and lowered my head.

"Marcus, long time no see. How's Dorian... how's he doing lately?"

The original me used to get mocked and insulted by him all the time, and his filthy mouth still hasn't changed.

"Dorian? He's all cozy with Lilith, you think losing some weight is gonna make him notice you?"

Marcus sneered.

"Dorian's grades are top-tier in our class. You? You're barely good enough for a technical school, and you have the nerve to keep fawning over him!"

I shot him a glare, my eyes cold as I muttered under my breath.

"Still talking back? You're asking for it!"

He kicked toward me without warning.

Then came a cry of pain.

Noah appeared just in time, shoving him to the ground.

"How dare he speak like that!"

A voice filled with anger surged into my mind. I quickly stopped Noah from stepping in any further. I was a bit surprised, not expecting him to be this righteous.

Noah kept holding onto Marcus’s leg, making him scream in pain.

"Do you understand the consequences of running your mouth now?"

I dropped my shy act, smiling sweetly at him.

He glared at me with hatred, his mouth cursing nonstop.

Another cry of pain followed.

Noah twisted his leg harder.

"I... I’m sorry! Let me go! I swear I won’t say anything again!"

I reached out and patted his head, my smile never fading.

"Good boy. Now, say 'Grandpa.'"

His eyes flickered with resentment. I gave Noah a signal.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Please let me go!"

He cried, surrendering.

I was satisfied. I hooked my arm around Noah’s, ignoring Marcus completely.

"You filthy bitch! How dare you treat me like this!"

"You think just because you're with your boyfriend, you're something special?"

"Let’s see how I ruin your reputation!"

...

A wave of bitter thoughts flooded in. I couldn't help but smile.

Another step of the plan complete.