Rebirth of the Genius Bride – Chapter 4: Schemes and Shadows

 

🌸 Rebirth of the Genius Bride 🌸

Chapter 4: Schemes and Shadows

The classroom still buzzed with whispers long after the bell rang.

No one had ever dared to challenge Xuan Hao before. And now, a girl they barely noticed yesterday had not only challenged him—she had beaten him.

But Lianhua didn’t bask in the attention. She knew the storm she had just called down.

And it was coming.

—

“Lianhua.”

The voice stopped her at the corridor. Low. Cold. Sharp.

She turned—and there he was.
Xuan Hao leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, his eyes like blades cutting into her.

He didn’t shout. He didn’t need to. His presence alone pinned her in place.

“You,” he said, his tone measured, “aren’t simple.”

Her heart tightened, but she forced a faint smile. “What makes you say that?”

His gaze darkened. “Ordinary girls don’t see flaws where there are none. Ordinary girls don’t humiliate me in front of an entire class.”

“Maybe you’re not as flawless as everyone believes,” she replied softly, her words wrapped in silk but laced with steel.

For a moment, silence stretched between them. The world seemed to hold its breath.

Then, suddenly, he moved.

In one swift motion, Xuan Hao’s hand shot out, gripping her wrist. His touch was ice, his strength unyielding.

He leaned close, his voice a whisper only she could hear.
“Who exactly are you?”

Her pulse quickened. She remembered this grip. She remembered the weight of his cold dominance in her past life. But she wasn’t the same Lianhua anymore.

With deliberate calm, she pulled her hand free, her gaze unwavering. “Does it matter? You’ll find out soon enough.”

The flicker in his eyes told her she had struck a chord. But instead of anger, he smirked—dangerously.

“You’re interesting,” he murmured, turning away. “Let’s see how long you can keep my attention.”

And then he walked off, his back as imposing as a looming shadow.

—

Lianhua stood still, her wrist tingling where he had touched her. Her heart raced, but not from fear.

It was excitement.
This was the man who had destroyed her once. And now, she was planting the first seeds of doubt in his invincible image.

But she couldn’t let her focus waver. Xuan Hao was not her only enemy.
There were others—those who had laughed at her downfall, those who had sharpened the knives that ended her life.

She could already sense their presence circling her again, like vultures.

And sure enough, that very evening, she overheard them.

Behind the school library, two girls whispered in glee, their voices dripping with malice.
“Did you see how she embarrassed Young Master Xuan today?”
“She must be suicidal! We should teach her a lesson before she gets too arrogant.”
“Yes, if we put her in her place, maybe Young Master Xuan will notice us instead.”

Lianhua’s lips curved coldly. Fools.
They thought they were hunters. But in this life, she was the predator.

—

The next day, the trap was sprung.
The girls cornered her near the staircase, sneers painted across their faces.

“Lianhua, you’ve been acting too high and mighty lately,” one of them hissed. “You think you’re smarter than everyone just because of one lucky guess?”

“Do yourself a favor,” the other added, pushing her shoulder. “Apologize to Young Master Xuan in front of everyone, or—”

“Or what?” Lianhua’s voice sliced through their mockery like a blade.

Her eyes gleamed with a sharpness they had never seen before. She stepped closer, her presence suddenly overwhelming despite her small frame.

“You think humiliating me will make him notice you?” she said, her tone icy. “Pathetic. You’re not even worth his glance. And if you dare to touch me again…”

She leaned in, whispering each word with deadly calm.
“…you’ll regret it.”

The girls froze. Her aura, her gaze—it was like staring into the eyes of someone who had walked through fire and survived.

For the first time, they felt fear.

Lianhua brushed past them without another word, her steps steady.

This was only the beginning. Shadows lurked everywhere—schemes waiting to trip her.
But this time, she would not stumble.

This time, she would drag every last one of them into the abyss they had once thrown her into.

—

✨ End of Chapter 4
📖 Tomorrow: Chapter 5 – Contract of Fate

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Rebirth of Genius Bride — Chapter 5 (First…)