Chapter 37
After finishing breakfast, Yuan Luoyi bid farewell to her Fifth Brother Yuan Jun and, carrying the book given to her by Director Zhang, went to Class D for lessons. She was somewhat unsettled.
Yuan Luoyi knew that at eighteen, she would be sentenced to death, reduced to ashes within a day. Her five brothers would then embark on a path of vengeance, but in the end, the true culprit would evade justice, and everyone in the Yuan family would perish.
To change this outcome, she had to participate in a knowledge competition, upgrade her influence to Level 100, and use the system to make a wish to save everyone.
However, gazing at the mountain of books on her desk, Yuan Luoyi lay down dejectedly. Any difficulty could overwhelm her, let alone one with such an immense workload.
She saw no hope of completion...
After much agonizing, Yuan Luoyi rose again, opened a book, and began reading. Her learning ability was not bad; apart from English, she had been either first or second in all other subjects. With some effort, she could acquire knowledge within a short time.
[Ding! System: Warning! Host must rest soon!]
Yuan Luoyi's hand paused as she turned the page.
What? Rest soon?
She noticed that the system's original "Laziness Value" had changed to "Diligence Value," currently at 12%.
Yuan Luoyi lowered her head and continued reading.
[System: Warning! Diligence Value has reached 15%]
[18%]
[20%]
Suddenly, Yuan Luoyi felt dizzy, and the words on the pages blurred, as if they were about to float away.
Many memory fragments flooded her mind. At one moment, she was in the deserts of the Middle East, with caravans stretching endlessly and camel bells ringing softly. At another, she was in the Age of Exploration, ordering her ships to set sail and explore.
Her head throbbed painfully.
Sitting nearby, Yu Hua looked at Yuan Luoyi with concern: "Are you alright? You don't look well."
Closing the book, Yuan Luoyi frowned and said, "I'm fine, just need to rest."
[System Prompt: Diligence Value reset to zero, restarting Laziness Mode]
The series of strange physical sensations vanished.
Yuan Luoyi confirmed two things.
First, she could continue being lazy.
Second, she had no choice but to be lazy.
It was truly an odd system.
Yuan Luoyi could only toss the book aside and let nature take its course. After all, as long as she kept being lazy, her influence would upgrade.
Moreover, she had already seen many memory fragments and learned far beyond the level of an ordinary middle school student. In the knowledge competition, she might not necessarily lose to Su Xun.
The next day, Yuan Luoyi arrived at school. As usual, her Elder Brother Yuan Ao dropped her off, but there was a difference: Yuan Ao got out of the car with her.
Yuan Luoyi tilted her head in puzzlement: "Elder Brother, aren't you going to the company today?"
Yuan Ao gently ruffled Yuan Luoyi's hair: "I'm a special guest for the variety show event. I missed the first two events, so I finished my work early to free up an entire day to accompany you."
As always, her Elder Brother cared for his sister in his own special way.
Originally, Yuan Luoyi had adjusted her mindset and felt less anxious, but now that her Elder Brother was here, she became nervous again.
Yuan Ao added, "Second Brother Yuan Fa will join us later."
Yuan Luoyi grew even more nervous. She had no confidence in the competition's outcome, and her Elder Brother, Second Brother, Fourth Brother, and Fifth Brother were all coming to watch. As for Third Brother, given his personality, he would likely hide in some corner to observe - and he still owed her a delicious pizza, so maybe he would show up carrying one.
All five of her crazy brothers gathered together...
Well... at least Elder Brother would be there, so they probably wouldn't start fighting.
But Yuan Luoyi didn't want to be hounded by all five of them, so she decided to stick close to her Elder Brother for safety.
Many people were gathered at the school gate, holding up various light boards and excitedly looking around. Yuan Luoyi saw her name, followed by a big heart.
Oh, these were her fan club members.
A beautiful young lady spotted Yuan Luoyi and shrieked, "Ah! Sister Luoyi is here!"
"Help! She's so cute! Sister Yuan, look this way!"
"We'll always love you! Good luck in the competition!"
The fans raised their phones, countless lenses tracking Yuan Luoyi. If not for the security guards, the scene would have spiraled out of control.
Most of the fans were beautiful ladies, with few male fans. Yuan Luoyi didn't understand her positioning in the entertainment industry - a beloved, nurturing little sister?
Inside the Star Han Middle School's activity hall, it was a sea of people - spectators, reporters, and even students' parents. Director Zhang had already set up cameras, and staff members scurried back and forth, busily working.
The competing students had also arrived. From afar, Yuan Luoyi spotted Su Xun, dressed especially beautifully today with a conspicuous pink bow, looking both excited and anxious.
Sensing Yuan Luoyi's gaze, Su Xun mockingly smiled at her. Today's competition was her forte, and she was confident she could defeat Yuan Luoyi.
Yuan Ao found their seats in the front row, in the same area as the school leaders. He sat down, and Yuan Luoyi took the empty seat beside him.
Yuan Ao asked, "Aren't you going to sit in the contestant area?"
Yuan Luoyi replied, "Not for now."
Yuan Ao studied Yuan Luoyi intently, his gaze powerful as he analyzed her behavior. "You're nervous?"
Yuan Luoyi sighed softly, her Elder Brother had seen through her again. "Yes."
Suddenly, Second Brother Yuan Fa emerged from the crowd, clutching a bucket of popcorn. "Sorry I'm late. I had to queue to buy this stuff - should have asked my assistant to get it earlier."
He sat down and leaned toward Yuan Luoyi. "What were you two talking about?"
Yuan Ao said, "She's nervous."
Yuan Fa burst into a fit of laughter, prompting an angry glare from Yuan Luoyi.
Reining in his laughter, Yuan Fa patted Yuan Luoyi's back reassuringly. "Ahem, don't worry. Second Brother will cast a courage spell on you. Just do your best. Besides, it's only a knowledge competition - what's there to be nervous about?"
Yuan Luoyi felt gloomy. "It's not my strong suit. A miracle would have to happen for me to win."
Yuan Ao and Yuan Fa chuckled in unison, their sister's small worries seeming especially adorable to them.
Yuan Ao said, "You are a miracle yourself."
Yuan Luoyi looked puzzled.
Yuan Ao gazed at her, his originally icy black eyes softening with affection. "One day, you'll understand what I mean."
The five Yuan brothers were not normal people. They were emotionally detached, lacking in humanity, and innately evil. Their sister's presence had given them human emotions and made them more tolerant of this world; otherwise, they would have been even more cruel and insane.
One could say that their sister was the thin thread of reason holding them together - fragile as a spider's silk, yet indispensable.
For them, ever since that little infant arrived in the Yuan family, a miracle had occurred. The world had lost five maniacs but gained five brothers, all determined to protect her.