My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

His original name was Bei Xiuzhi.

The surname “Bei” is quite rare. It is said to originate from a great clan, but there haven’t been any notable historical figures with that name, so many people may not have heard of it.

The surname itself doesn’t sound very auspicious. Although it may not be appropriate to say so, the pronunciation of “北” (běi) sounds similar to the word for “back” in Chinese. Bei Xiuzhi’s life has indeed been quite unfortunate. His parents passed away early, and his relatives were not supportive. He struggled to grow up, relying on the meager inheritance left by his parents, social welfare systems, and secretly working odd jobs. He gritted his teeth and persevered through his studies. Fortunately, he was intelligent enough to realize that in his circumstances, the only way to change his destiny was through education.

In the 21st century, China was different from the 1980s. Social classes had solidified, and it wasn’t easy to start from scratch.

He didn’t try his luck in the job market but chose to pursue education. Although he didn’t attend a prestigious university, considering his situation of balancing work and studies, it was already quite remarkable. If it weren’t for the hardships he experienced from an early age and his resilient character, he likely wouldn’t have persevered. He might have even taken a wrong path and ended up as a delinquent, crushed by the iron fist of the people’s democratic dictatorship.

After enduring the difficulties of high school, life became easier for him in college. He no longer had to work in secrecy, and he wouldn’t have to tolerate unscrupulous employers deducting his wages for various reasons. He worked as a tutor and a fast-food restaurant employee to earn tuition and living expenses while pursuing various certifications and planning his future.

Although his life started with a lousy hand, he never complained. He firmly believed that his life would get better and better. His motto was, “Character determines destiny, and effort determines success.” He believed that facing life with a diligent attitude would gradually improve difficult situations. It was useless to simply blame others. Instead of lamenting over a lousy hand, it was better to think carefully and seek victory in defeat.

Who said that a lousy hand always meant defeat? A pair of deuces could still beat a royal flush!

He firmly believed that as long as he worked hard, there would be rewards. So, ten years later, he wouldn’t be far behind ordinary people. He even had the confidence that thirty years later, he could ensure his children became second-generation elites and wealthy heirs, sprinting fifty meters ahead in the race of life.

Unfortunately, this beautiful plan eventually turned into a bubble. During the winter break of his second year of college, he died in his student apartment—a rather inglorious death. While playing a mobile game before bed, he was charging his phone, but he got electrocuted due to a faulty charger. He died right there in his bed.

Heaven pitied him. He used to play a mobile game for about twenty minutes before bed to relax and unwind, allowing his tense nerves to calm down for a good night’s sleep. But now, he ended up like this—technically, a phone charger is low voltage, and it’s impossible for 5V to electrocute someone. However, the charger he bought cheaply was probably poorly made or refurbished. It malfunctioned when converting 220V to 5V, leading to his tragic demise. He died from cardiac arrest, bewildered and unconscious.

Then, he found himself in the body of a Japanese high school student, completely bewildered. To make matters worse, he brought along a golden finger—a magical idle game he was playing before his death. As a result, he now sees messages like 【Name: XXX】 appearing whenever he stares at something, which is incredibly annoying.

This whole situation of dying and being reborn shattered his worldview. Add to that the occasional intrusion of the game, which made him question whether his body died but his brain remained in a “brain in a vat” state—perhaps a group of scientists in white coats were conducting research on his brain!

Or maybe everything he’s experiencing now is just the result of his brain’s cerebral cortex and frontal lobe being stimulated by electric current. It feels like a dream that lasts an eternity, even though it’s only been a few seconds. Thanks to this inexplicable game, he learned the skill 【Japanese】 in just a day and acquired a passive ability called 【Neat Handwriting】.

Before, he only knew one phrase in Japanese, “arigatou” (thank you), but now, with the activation of the 【Japanese】 skill, he can speak fluent Japanese. This… although there are nearly 3,000 kanji characters in Japanese, their pronunciation is different, closer to ancient Wu and Tang pronunciations, and they don’t correspond to modern Mandarin! He couldn’t possibly invent a new language out of thin air, right?

If it were just this 【Japanese】 skill, it would feel surreal, but he had never set foot outside his home country before. Now, looking at the unfamiliar faces before him and the buildings with exotic architecture, it couldn’t possibly be his imagination before his death, could it?

He probably really was reborn in Japan, salvaging his life… or half of it?

Kitahara Hideji—assuming this false identity, he’ll take it as the Japanese transliteration of his name. It’s like when he learned English in elementary school, and the English teacher assigned each student an English name.

Kitahara Hideji—now assuming a false identity—considers this as his Japanese transliterated name. It’s similar to when he learned English in elementary school, and the English teacher assigned each student an English name. It’s a way of assimilating into the local culture, so he won’t have to pause for a moment when someone calls him. Kitahara Hideji declined joining any club, which caused Shima Rei and Uchida Yuma to stop their bickering and turn towards him.

Shima Rei, no longer engaging with Uchida Yuma, curiously asked Kitahara Hideji, “Why don’t you want to join a club?”

“I plan to prioritize improving my academic performance.”

“I see…” Shima Rei’s expression showed a tinge of regret and disappointment. “That makes sense. Kitahara-kun is a specially invited scholarship student. He ranked second in the year’s entrance exam, and he will be entering the Special Advanced Course next year… With his academic abilities, he can easily get into a prestigious university. If it wasn’t for personal interests, there wouldn’t be a need to join a club.”

Uchida Yuma, with his mouth agape, looked at Kitahara Hideji in disbelief, his expression complex. “Second place in the year? There’s one student assigned to Class A for the top 15 rankings, and it turns out it’s you in our Class B! No wonder…”

No wonder Shima Rei has always been so polite to Kitahara Hideji. Even though Japan’s historical class hierarchy may have diminished, it still deeply influences society. While it may not be as severe in schools, there is still a sense of ranking and status among students. Everyone keeps a mental record, studying their own position and that of others, so they can navigate social interactions accordingly.

This could be considered a part of the national character, another example of a society that values the strong.

Kitahara Hideji waved his hand to indicate that it’s not a big deal… and it really isn’t. After all, he didn’t earn those rankings himself.

The original owner of this body hailed from Saihaku District, Tottori Prefecture in Japan. He was lured and deceived by Private Fukuda Academy with promises of free enrollment and scholarships. Naturally, his grades were excellent. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly after arriving in Nagoya City. It would be worth finding out if he somehow ended up in China.

The original owner of the body is gone, and now he’s back to being a minor at the age of 16. It would be extremely troublesome to try to return to China, and just the thought of it gives him a headache. Additionally, Tottori Prefecture is known to be a poor and remote area in Japan, similar to the poverty-stricken regions in the northwest of China. If it weren’t for the original owner’s decent intellect, he probably would have dropped out of school and started working long ago. But now, as the new occupant, he doesn’t even have the money to run away. The average annual income per person in Tottori Prefecture is around 700,000 yen, which may sound like a lot, but in Japan, it’s considered meager. That amount of money would only sustain a person for two to three months in a big city.

Leaving Japan now is even more difficult, but at the same time, there is an opportunity to pursue higher education at a renowned Asian university. He read the contract provided by Private Fukuda Academy, stating that if he is accepted into top universities like the University of Tokyo, Waseda, Kyoto University, or Nagoya University, the school would cover his tuition through scholarships. He’s tempted by this opportunity and plans to spend a few years furthering his education, treating it as a study abroad experience. He can reassess the situation and return to China later since he doesn’t have any attachments there anyway.

In his previous life, he was dealt a lousy hand, but surprisingly, this new life seems to have a decent hand. He’s ready to give it his all! No more playing around; it’s time to focus on studying!

Sports? No, studying!

Dating? No, studying!

He might work part-time to sustain his living expenses, but the rest of his time will be dedicated to studying. No one should try to stop him. He wants to live this life to the fullest and start with a high starting point—graduating from Harvard, Cambridge, Peking University, or the University of Tokyo sounds impressive, doesn’t it? And with a doctoral degree, he’ll be respected wherever he goes.

…

Kitahara Hideji has no interest in joining a club, and it’s his personal choice. He’s only known Shima Rei for a little over a week, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to try to persuade him at this moment. Uchida Yuma, on the other hand, continues to marvel at the situation and asks if Kitahara Hideji would be willing to share cheat sheets during exams. He’s even willing to trade them for two gravure photo collections of adult actresses.

Kitahara Hideji ignores the nonsensical remarks and focuses on Shima Rei, who seems hesitant to speak. He asks her curiously, “What’s the matter, Shima-kun? Will it have a negative impact if I don’t join a club? Please speak your mind.”

“Well, um… it’s actually a personal request from me. I hope Kitahara-kun can help me with something…”