Reborn as a Fake Heiress Marrying the Tycoon-Chapter 1099: I Won’t Drag Anyone Down

Gu Zi wasn’t one for extracurricular activities. Outside of attending classes, she only had one goal in mind: finish her required courses and graduate as quickly as possible. She had no intention of spending unnecessary time on campus—after all, true experience came from the real world.

She politely declined, "The purpose of the freshman mixer is to give the boys and girls a chance to meet, right? But I’m already married, with a family. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go, so I’ll pass."

Tang Xue looked visibly disappointed, but as Gu Zi was already heading off to get lunch, she didn’t press the matter. However, once they were back in the dorm after lunch, Tang Xue tried again. "Gu Zi, please, just come with us. I promise, we’ll explain things to Su Shen. It won’t be awkward for you."

Meanwhile, Li Juan, who had been quietly working on her exercises, turned to Zhao Ling and asked, "Zhao Ling, you should come to the mixer tonight too. Our dorm’s all going—might as well join us."

Zhao Ling glanced at her, then her eyes landed on Gu Zi. She raised an eyebrow. A married woman with children—was she really planning to go to a freshman mixer?

She thought to herself, ’This is what happens when people marry too young—no sense of propriety.’

She wasn’t one to associate with such people, and her disdain was evident. With a frown, she replied, "We’re university students. A mixer? That sounds so trivial, and honestly, I’d rather just study. You should be the same. We’re lucky to get into this university—can’t afford to slack off. And Gu Zi, I’ve never seen you study. Isn’t that a bit concerning?"

Gu Zi, who had come to the dorm for a quick nap and hadn’t planned on bringing any books, paused at Zhao Ling’s words. She had no intention of starting a confrontation, so she simply replied, "I’ll study when I get back home."

But Zhao Ling wasn’t satisfied. She stood up, her tone turning stern. "Don’t make excuses. You won’t study here, so how will you manage at home? I’m not trying to meddle, but it’s a waste of resources. You’re part of our dorm, and the group performance grades are given by dorm. If you fail, it’ll affect us all."

Gu Zi felt her patience wearing thin, the incessant lecturing grating on her nerves. With a cold voice, she said, "I won’t drag anyone down."

Something in Zhao Ling snapped. Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "You’re so blindly confident, aren’t you? Just because you’re married now, you’ve stopped caring about school. You’re too busy with your children, cooking, cleaning—who has time to study? Why even come to university at all? It’d be better to let someone who actually values the opportunity take your place."

Zhao Ling, who was completely consumed by her studies, had always assumed that Gu Zi came from a poor family. After all, she had married so young—it made sense, right? In rural areas, it wasn’t uncommon for families to marry off daughters early for dowries. She’d always been dismissive of people from the countryside, and Gu Zi fit that stereotype in her mind.

But as Gu Zi listened to Zhao Ling’s words, she realized the situation had shifted. This wasn’t a kind-hearted reminder—it was an attack. Zhao Ling’s assumptions about her were based on nothing but prejudice.

Gu Zi hadn’t even said a word about her personal life, yet here Zhao Ling was, criticizing her for not studying. How ridiculous.

Gu Zi had originally come here for a peaceful rest, not to get involved in any drama. The atmosphere in the dorm had always been harmonious, but this was the first time such a conflict had erupted.

Tang Xue and Li Juan, who had been quietly observing, stayed silent, waiting for things to unfold.

At that moment, Gu Zi decided she wouldn’t let Zhao Ling’s comments slide. "I’m here because I earned my place. It’s not up to you to decide how I approach my studies. If you’re so concerned about me ’dragging you down,’ well, I’m just as worried that you’ll be the one holding me back."

Zhao Ling, stung by Gu Zi’s retort, scoffed and pointed to herself. "Me? Hold you back? Gu Zi, we’re in the foreign language class. I scored 96 in my entrance exam. I get why you’re upset, but I’m just trying to help our dorm out. Don’t take it personally."

Gu Zi raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Sorry, I didn’t realize 96 was considered high marks in your eyes. If you compare your score to mine, it’s actually kind of insulting. But since you don’t know better, I’ll let it slide. Just so you know, I scored full marks in the foreign language exam. In the foreign language class, you really don’t need to worry about me dragging anyone down."