Chapter 3 — From Collapse to Brilliance: I Don't Need You

The meeting to introduce new members of the immunology laboratory took place at exactly nine o'clock in the morning, as the words Diệu Kỳ had written in the desk calendar from her previous life. She stood at the end of the hallway for a long moment before entering, trying to compose herself, reminding herself that this time, she would only observe, would not let any feelings of pity influence her judgment.

When she pushed the door open, Professor Đoàn Khắc Tuấn was standing next to the whiteboard, holding a cup of tea, while Thảo My, Đình Vũ, and Nhật Lam were already sitting around the familiar long wooden table. And at the corner of the table, a small girl, her hair tied neatly, was sitting close, her hands on her lap, her eyes lowered, avoiding direct contact with anyone.

Trịnh Ý Nhi.

Diệu Kỳ paused for a second in the doorway. The feeling was strange—seeing the face that had haunted her during the final days of her previous life, now young, harmless, without any trace of the cruelty she knew was lurking within. If it were her previous life, perhaps she would have smiled friendly, walked over to shake hands, and would have been the first to greet her. But this time, she just nodded slightly to greet the group, then quietly sat down on the empty chair near Nhật Lam, keeping a polite enough distance.

"Everyone, this is Trịnh Ý Nhi, a transfer student from another school, will join our lab from today," Professor Tuan introduced, his voice calm as usual. "I hope you can help him get used to the research process here."

Ý Nhi stood up, bowed her head, her voice was soft and trembling just like Diệu Kỳ remembered. "Hello teacher, hello everyone. I'm Ý Nhi. I used to study in another lab but... some unpleasant things happened, so I would like to transfer back here. I hope everyone can give me more advice."

Thảo My, with her usual enthusiastic nature, immediately smiled in response. "It's okay, everyone here is very friendly, don't worry." Đình Vũ just nodded briefly, while Nhật Lam observed Ý Nhi for a while, his eyes were a bit probing but didn't say anything. Diệu Kỳ sat at the opposite corner of the table, keeping a calm face, only slightly nodding when Ý Nhi's eyes passed over her, not expressing any further emotions.

She noticed that, for just a brief moment, Ý Nhi's eyes lingered on her a little longer than the others - an assessing look, so quick that it was almost impossible to notice if one wasn't paying close attention. But Diệu Kỳ noticed. She knew that of all the people in the room, she was the one that Ý Nhi needed to "deal with" first — because she was the one with the most position, prestige, and the closest relationship with the remaining members. Getting rid of her, or at least weakening her influence, would pave the way for Ý Nhi to manipulate the entire lab more easily.

The meeting went smoothly, Professor Tuan reassigned some tasks and introduced Ý Nhi to ongoing projects. Diệu Kỳ paid close attention to how Ý Nhi reacted to each person in the group — how she asked Đình Vũ questions about the technical process, showing admiration for his meticulousness; the way she praised Thảo My's thoughtfulness when she saw her preparing a corner of the desk for the new member; the way she was quiet, somewhat more reserved when facing Nhật Lam — who, in her previous life, was the most difficult to manipulate in the group.

And with Diệu Kỳ, Ý Nhi hardly took the initiative to start a conversation, only maintaining a polite and humble attitude.

At first, Diệu Kỳ was a bit surprised by that reticence, but then she understood. In her previous life, she was the one who proactively approached Ý Nhi first, proactively showed interest, and proactively opened her heart. Ý Nhi then just needs to accept and skillfully lead the relationship in a direction that benefits her. This time, when Diệu Kỳ did not proactively approach, Ý Nhi was also in no hurry, perhaps because she noticed her unusual caution, or simply because she was waiting for a more suitable opportunity.

After the meeting, the group dispersed to begin their morning work. Thảo My approached Diệu Kỳ and asked softly: "How do you like your new friend? He looks pitiful, he must have been bullied a lot."

Diệu Kỳ smiled slightly, trying to keep her tone as natural as possible. "It's the first time we met, I don't know much. It probably takes time to understand how people are." Thảo My nodded, without thinking anymore, returned to her desk. Diệu Kỳ looked at her friend's back and suddenly felt a feeling of both warmth and sadness. She knew that her answer just now was completely different from the enthusiastic answer she gave in her previous life - at that time she said "you must definitely treat her well, so that she no longer feels lonely". That small difference, she hoped, would be the first step to changing the chain of events that had led to her death.

In the following days, Diệu Kỳ maintained a polite but measured attitude towards Ý Nhi. She didn't avoid it completely — that would only make her look suspicious to others, especially without any obvious reason to explain her coldness. Instead, she chose to behave normally and properly, but never shared private things, never revealed her thoughts or plans in front of Ý Nhi.

She also began to pay closer attention to the small interactions in the lab - the way Ý Nhi talked privately with each person, the way she always appeared at the right time when someone was confiding or complaining about work, the way she cleverly incorporated questions that seemed harmless but were actually probing the relationships and psychological weaknesses of each member.

One afternoon, when Diệu Kỳ was alone in the lab completing a report, she accidentally heard Ý Nhi's voice coming from the hallway, chatting with Đình Vũ. "Mr. Vu, I see that Ms. Diệu Kỳ and Ms. Thảo My are very close. Surely you are often left out of their confidences, right?"

That statement may sound like a harmless joke, but Diệu Kỳ clearly understands its nature - it is a seed of doubt subtly planted, targeting the feeling of being abandoned and despised that anyone can have in a close group of friends. Đình Vũ, with his quiet personality, may not react immediately, but the seed will silently germinate over time, gradually accumulating into dissatisfaction.

Diệu Kỳ sat silently behind the half-closed door, her heart beating rapidly. This was exactly what she had experienced in her previous life, except this time she was witnessing it happen with her own eyes, instead of only realizing its consequences after it was too late.

She knew she needed to remember this moment. Not to immediately rush to expose Ý Nhi in front of Đình Vũ - doing so would only make her become a suspicious person, making up stories, without any specific evidence other than a statement she heard by chance. Instead, she needs to silently observe, take notes, and wait until she has enough evidence to act effectively.

That night, Diệu Kỳ returned to her dorm room, sat in front of her desk, and took out a new notebook, completely different from her usual research notebooks. She began to write, carefully and meticulously, recording every smallest detail she observed during the day — Ý Nhi's words to Đình Vũ, Thảo My's reaction when mentioning the new member, even the smallest expressions in the way Ý Nhi interacted with each person.

This would be her secret diary, a systematic track record of what was actually going on in the lab, instead of just relying on vague memories and hunches like before. She knew that to deal with a sophisticated manipulator like Ý Nhi, she could not rely solely on intuition — she needed evidence, a series of events that were clearly recorded, with a timeline, and a specific context.

Diệu Kỳ closed the notebook and placed it in a separate locked drawer. She looked out the window, where the night sky was covered in dark blue, a few stars sparkling through the city lit. She knew the road ahead will not be easy — she would have to learn to live with the presence of the person who ruined her life, must suppress her feelings of anger and hurt so that she can observe in the most objective and rational way.

But she also knows that this is the necessary price to ensure that this time, when the truth is finally revealed, no one will be able to deny or distort it again.

She turned off the desk lamp, climbed into bed, and closed her eyes. In the darkness, the image of Ý Nhi's fake smile still lingered in her mind, but this time, instead of fear or hurt, Diệu Kỳ only felt a cold determination gradually forming, solid as a rock.

She will not let history repeat itself. And she won't be alone waiting for her fate to be decided again — this time, she will be the one writing the script.