They All Want to Be My Female Lead v2 c89

Chapter 89: Yan Zhen Borrows Money

To celebrate Yan Zhen’s recovery and his victory as the top-ranked student, Instructor Yu Xuan prepared a feast, urging him to eat heartily.

He hadn’t eaten in two days, confined to his bed. However, strangely, he didn’t feel hungry. A pleasant warmth lingered in his stomach, a steady flow of energy coursing through him.

He vaguely recalled entering the Crystal Stone Space while unconscious. Perhaps his Beautiful Sect Master had fed him some miraculous medicine? His memory was hazy.

After dinner, he enjoyed a relaxing bath and returned to his room. Activating his Star Shifting Fire Seal, he appeared before the altar. To his surprise, his Beautiful Sect Master wasn’t meditating. Instead, she was gazing at a round mirror.

The round mirror was a Mystic Tool for recording images. He had learned this technique as well. The “storage capacity” was linked to one’s Spiritual Power. With his current level, he could only store a few short videos.

Sensing his arrival, Chen Xi calmly waved her sleeve, dismissing the mirror.

“Have you fully recovered, Zhen’er?”

“Yes, Master!”

“Come closer. Let me have a look at you.”

“…”

He blushed, shuffling closer to her.

She examined him from head to toe, her gaze lingering on his bruises. Finally, she spoke. “You might have entered the initial stage of Body Tempering, Zhen’er, but repeatedly using the Triple Burst has taken a toll on your body. Don’t be so reckless in the future.”

He nodded vigorously.

“You consumed a significant amount of Mid-Grade Small Origin Pills to reach the Seventh Star, Zhen’er. There’s a buildup of medicinal residue and impurities in your body. You need to use your Extreme Flame to refine them completely, or it could lead to problems later on. Mid-Grade pills only meet the minimum standard for consumption. They contain impurities and their medicinal properties aren’t perfectly balanced. They’re not suitable for frequent consumption. From now on, you should only consume High-Grade pills, understand?”

He continued nodding.

Pills were categorized into five grades: Inferior, Low, Mid, High, and Supreme.

Inferior pills were practically useless, barely effective and unlikely to cause any harm. Low-Grade pills contained too many impurities, their toxicity potentially outweighing their medicinal benefits. Consuming them was not recommended unless absolutely necessary. Only Mid-Grade pills met the minimum standard for safe consumption. High-Grade pills were even better, containing very few impurities and boasting well-balanced medicinal properties. Supreme Grade pills, of course, were the best, but incredibly rare. Only high-ranking Mystic Refiners had a chance of creating them, and even then, only when refining lower-tier pills.

Therefore, High-Grade pills were further categorized into nine sub-grades, from High-Grade 1 to High-Grade 9.

His Beautiful Sect Master, being a perfectionist, consistently produced pills of High-Grade 9 or Supreme Grade quality.

“Let’s focus on your alchemy training for a while. It will not only improve your control over Mystic Power and Spiritual Power, but selling the pills you refine will also replenish your funds. You’re running low on savings, aren’t you, Zhen’er?”

He blinked, his nodding becoming stiff and hesitant.

“Uh… yes, pretty much.”

“Then you need to find a way to earn some money. Mystic Refining is quite costly in the early stages.”

“…”

Thanks to his Spiritual Perception, he was now more attuned to the subtle changes during the pill refining process, resulting in a noticeable improvement in the quality of his pills.

He could now consistently produce Mid-Grade Small Origin Pills, placing him among the top tier of the First Rank Mystic Refiners.

He spent the entire night refining pills before emerging from the Crystal Stone Space, stretching luxuriously.

Despite having slept for two days and staying up all night, he didn’t feel tired.

After breakfast, he headed to the academy.

…

As he entered the Advanced Class 1 classroom, he noticed a shift in his classmates’ gazes. Some held admiration, others a hint of fear, particularly those who belonged to Xiao Mie’s faction.

“Yan Zhen.”

Xiao Mie was also present, though he didn’t look well. His body was wrapped in bandages, and he was using a cane to walk, as if he had been in a serious accident. He stared at Yan Zhen in surprise. “Why do you look perfectly fine? Have your injuries already healed?”

“Yeah, I took some pills, slept for a couple of days, and I’m good as new. What else would I do?” Yan Zhen eyed him curiously. “Why are you still in such a sorry state?”

“…Did you take a Tier 3 Healing Pill?”

“I don’t know. I just woke up feeling fine. Instructor Yu Xuan took care of me.”

Xiao Mie felt a pang of jealousy. Every male student in the academy idolized Instructor Yu Xuan. He was no exception. That Yan Zhen brat was actually enjoying her personal care, simply because he was her student! It was infuriating!

He wasn’t the only one. The other male students were also staring at Yan Zhen with envy, the air thick with jealousy.

“Is there something you need, Xiao Mie?”

“I’m here to tell you that you only won once. Before we graduate, I’ll request another duel with you. I hope you’ll reach the Mystic Scholar realm soon.”

“I wouldn’t recommend it. If I could beat you once, I can beat you again.”

“Hmph, I lost because of my inferior physique and endurance. I’ll work on those weaknesses. Beating me again won’t be so easy.”

“By the time you’ve addressed your weaknesses, I’ll be miles ahead of you. I told you, stop suppressing your cultivation!”

Yan Zhen rolled his eyes, unwilling to waste his breath on this stubborn fool.

Xiao Xinyan, sitting in a corner, watched their exchange, a strange sense of satisfaction blooming within her.

…

After school, Yan Zhen went to the Gold and Jade Chamber of Commerce to purchase another batch of ingredients. As a top student, he was entitled to free supplies.

Although the ingredients themselves weren’t expensive, he needed a large quantity. This single purchase was worth nearly a hundred thousand crystal coins.

At his current rate of consumption, he would need to restock every half month. For a student, this was a significant expense.

He couldn’t keep up with the costs. Pill refining wasn’t a guaranteed success. The slightest distraction could ruin an entire batch.

According to the script, he would soon find himself struggling financially. He would first borrow money from Instructor Yu Xuan, then receive aid from the three girls. However, these would only be temporary solutions. In the end, his Beautiful Sect Master would come to his rescue.

As a Saint Rank Mystic Refiner, she was practically a walking treasury, overflowing with wealth. She could casually toss him millions of crystal coins without batting an eye!

Of course, there was no such thing as a free lunch.

The script described it like this:

“Master, as a Saint Rank Mystic Refiner, you must have quite a fortune, right? Could you perhaps… lend your disciple a small sum?”

“You cheeky brat! You dare to scheme against your own master? How bold! Ahem, well, I do have some savings, but I won’t give them to you for free.”

“I’m willing to do anything for you, Master! I’ll go through fire and water for you!”

And so, Yan Zhen became her personal servant for a month.

He served her tea, massaged her shoulders, baked her pastries, brewed her wine, played board games with her (and got scolded for being terrible), and even collected storybooks for her, claiming she wanted to learn about the local culture.

He was at her beck and call, less a servant and more a devoted lackey.

This was when he first entered the Fire Refining Starry Sky in the script, marking the beginning of their true relationship. She gradually let down her guard, revealing her true self to him.

In this life, he didn’t need to borrow money from Instructor Yu Xuan, rely on the three girls’ generosity, or beg his Beautiful Sect Master for assistance. However, he still needed to follow the script.