The story began so long ago that I’ve long since forgotten when exactly.
But the ending of the story—I absolutely must know.
——
“Good morning, everyone.”
“Good morning, Teacher…”
“Hm, today we’re going to cover…”
The first class was Chinese Language. The lesson was nothing special—just reading the text, explaining the content, and discussing the author’s core ideas.
It wasn’t like math class where you’d zone out completely, staring blankly as if reading an alien language, nor was it like English class where you didn’t understand a word the entire time.
After all, Chinese class should be something everyone could understand, right?
Well, Meng Siyu didn’t understand a thing at all.
So, the first class ended quickly without anything happening.
The second class was still Chinese, and likewise, nothing happened.
Watching Meng Siyu dozing peacefully beside her, Su Moli began planning in her mind how to use hypnosis to get her into university.
After all, even though she had a Romantic Comedy System, she wasn’t like those protagonists in novels who spent all their time chasing after one person or another, constantly wrapped up in romance and yet somehow still getting excellent grades. That’s just not realistic.
And most protagonists with romance systems ended up toying with the feelings of the heroines, flitting between them while smugly thinking how great they were—always taking, never giving back. That kind of person was truly disgusting.
So, as a mature adult, Su Moli’s plan was to hypnotize Meng Siyu so that she would study all day. Only then could she get into her dream university, fulfill her parents’ wishes, and free herself from the chains on her soul… or so she hoped.
Su Moli wasn’t quite sure, because for traditional parents like Meng Siyu’s, once she got into university, she’d have to study well, find a boyfriend, graduate at 23, immediately get married and have children, then come the mortgage, the bride price, the car loan—probably for the next ten years.
By then, Meng Siyu would be around 35, and her children would be in elementary or middle school. The family’s money would be spent on them again.
When the kids grew up and went to university without needing much care, Meng Siyu would be in her forties, then it would be time to care for her elders. And when she finally reached her fifties or sixties and sent off the older generation…
Would she be able to live comfortably then?
But when someone reaches their fifties or sixties—an age when even going to the bathroom is a struggle, when you have to be careful not to bump or fall—what else can they really do?
“It feels like life is just a trap. Though it seems young and full of possibilities, most people end up as mere cogs in society’s machine, with no freedom whatsoever.”
Su Moli sighed deeply. Although she spoke of Meng Siyu’s life, it was also her own. Before she transmigrated, she had lived such a mechanical, numb life, as if pre-designed.
Until her thirties, when she gave up struggling and decided to spend all her savings to marry a woman she didn’t love, who didn’t really love her either—just because they were both getting old and had to settle down together—then the system appeared and completely changed her fate.
Though she wished the system had appeared ten days later, so she could transmigrate right after her wedding night, and not have to bear the burden of being Chu Nan forever.
——
“Ding ling ling~”
The bell rang, pulling Su Moli’s thoughts back from afar.
She watched as the teacher stopped lecturing, packed up the books, and prepared to dismiss the class.
All the students shuffled out of the classroom, and on the playground, a strong burst of music🎶 began to play.
“The 8th Annual Radio Calisthenics, Rainbow Sunshine…”
Su Moli suddenly realized that today was her greatest challenge.
After staying up all night, running laps and doing calisthenics was truly a form of torture.
If Meng Siyu had to do it, her Infinite Cola quest would probably fail right then and there.
“Ha~”
On the desk, hearing the loud music from the playground, Meng Siyu was immediately woken up.
Reluctantly, she stood up, preparing to follow the crowd out to the field for running and calisthenics.
“Moli, aren’t you going yet?”
“If the teacher catches us, she’s definitely going to be mad.”
Meng Siyu glanced back nervously at Su Moli, who was still standing still.
They were already the last ones leaving the classroom.
If they didn’t hurry, they would fall behind the main group, get called out by the class monitor, and then reported to the teacher.
And what would happen after being reported?
Meng Siyu didn’t know.
For a good student like her, just making the teacher angry was terrifying enough.
“Siyu, have you ever thought about not doing the radio calisthenics?”
Su Moli suddenly put her hands on Meng Siyu’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes, asking seriously.
“Huh? Not do the calisthenics? I-is that okay?”
Seeing Su Moli’s serious gaze, Meng Siyu instinctively averted her eyes, feeling panic rising.
For a good student like her, she had been taught since childhood to listen to teachers, school, and parents. If she didn’t obey, she would be scolded or even punished. This had become a mental imprint she followed without question.
Like being afraid of ghosts on a dark road—no one knows what a ghost really is, but the fear is real and overwhelming.
“What’s wrong with that? You stayed up all night, your body is obviously exhausted, your heart is pounding. What if something happens while you’re running? You’ll have to bear all the consequences yourself.”
“After all, your body belongs to you.”
“But… I’m fine. I’ve been through this before a few times…”
Though she knew Su Moli was looking out for her, Meng Siyu still didn’t want to take the risk.
She was very afraid—terrified of what terrifying consequences might come if she did something against the rules.
“Alright, I’ll take you to ask the homeroom teacher for leave. Just be honest—tell her you’re anxious about studying, couldn’t sleep all night, you’re exhausted, your body feels weak, and your heart hurts a little. See if you can skip the running.”
Su Moli saw Meng Siyu’s fear and hesitation, so she took her hand tightly, comforting and encouraging her.
“But… but… my body isn’t as bad as you say… my heart doesn’t hurt…”
Feeling Su Moli’s grip on her hand as she tried to pull away, Meng Siyu lowered her head, unwilling.
“???”
Watching Meng Siyu struggle free, Su Moli was shocked, her eyes wide as if seeing something incomprehensible.
She stood there stunned for a second.
Having been through life’s hardships, she couldn’t understand it—were students really so afraid of teachers?
Was the entire school their entire world?
“Meng Siyu, look at yourself. Nine years of compulsory education and this is what it’s made you into? You can’t even lie properly?”
“Sorry＞人＜”
“Why are you apologizing?”
“I…”
“Sigh…”
Su Moli sighed deeply, heartbroken.
Only now did she realize just how hard it was to change Meng Siyu’s mindset and personality.
It was nothing like in romance novels, where the male lead just comforts the heroine a few times, takes care of her a little, gives her some money, and everything in her life is saved.
“……”
Seeing Su Moli so disappointed, Meng Siyu fell silent, lowering her head as if she had done something wrong, waiting to be punished.
“Alright, alright, it’s okay. I was wrong to force you to do something you didn’t want to do.”
Seeing Meng Siyu’s expression like a student who had made a mistake and was about to be scolded, Su Moli could only smile wryly.
Had she really become so cruel because of a fragment of Infinite Cola’s power?
Had she become so calculating?
Had she become the ugly adult who uses “for your own good” as an excuse to force others to do what they dislike?
But then again, glancing out the window at the students already lining up and running, it seemed they were already running late.
“Siyu, I think we’ve become accomplices now?”