[Audio] She’s a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist’s Halo – CH31-40

Chapter 31

Upstairs, Xu Jiaojiao was utterly stunned upon receiving a message from A-Yan.

Why was Ji Ming-Yan here?

At this time, Su Nian was returning to the country, and these men were supposed to be scrambling to pick her up at the airport, completely ignoring her as usual.

Why would Ji Ming-Yan come looking for her?

It didn’t make sense. Her eyes were still swollen from crying, and A-Yan, who had brought up a boiled egg and some ice, delivered the latest update.

“He’s staying here,” A-Yan said expressionlessly.

“If you’re planning to leave, I can arrange a car for you now.”

If neither of them planned to leave, the days ahead in the Desert, where the Jidao Team was conducting tests, were bound to be eventful.

However, Xu Jiaojiao shook her head. “A-Yan, don’t trouble yourself.”

“At this hour, the roads are probably jammed. Don’t let me disrupt your plans. I’ll be fine.”

She wanted to see what Ji Ming-Yan was really here for. Was it to warn her not to appear during Su Nian’s return, or was it something else? It couldn’t possibly be a sudden pang of conscience, could it?

Xu Jiaojiao remembered clearly that in her previous life, Su Nian’s return had been unexpected, catching the men off guard. Liang Ruichi, who had asked her to dress up as Su Nian and accompany him to the desert rally, had been the last to rush back.

She had sat with him in the sweltering car, enduring the 50-degree heat, playing the role of a beautiful stand-in for the sister he longed for, maintaining a perfect smile and providing emotional support the entire time.

But when they reached one of the rally checkpoints and Liang Ruichi learned that Su Nian had returned, he immediately abandoned the race.

It was almost laughable. Before the race, he had claimed it was his lifelong dream to explore the desert with her, to conquer the vast sands. Yet, a single message from Su Nian had made that dream vanish. Dreams, it seemed, weren’t worth much.

In her past life, her heart had turned to ash, but for some reason, Xu Jiaojiao, who had only had her driver’s license for three months, had mustered the determination to finish the race alone.

Amid the endless desert sands, her tires left deep tracks as she sped over dunes, venting her emotions freely. Her dry, cracked lips gulped down sweet water, and her feverish body surged forward with unstoppable momentum.

The car beneath her felt like an extension of her own body, and she could hear the pounding of her heart. There was no looking back—only the road ahead.

Xu Jiaojiao thought to herself, this was how life should be lived. A-Yan could see that Xu Jiaojiao had her own plans, and matters of the heart were not something others could interfere with too much.

After leaving the egg and ice, A-Yan returned to her room with Zhu Jue and sprawled out on the bed in a “big” shape.

“Zhu Jue, I’m so emotionally drained.”

A-Yan told Zhu Jue about the sudden appearance of Ji Ming-Yan ’s “rebirth” halo, and the two sat together in silence. She counted on her fingers: “Yi Zhi was reborn from the apocalypse.” “Xu Jiaojiao was reborn from a fiery redemption arc.” “Ji Ming-Yan is just a straightforward rebirth.” “Could it be that Xu Jiaojiao infected Ji Ming-Yan with this?”

It was all so strange. How could rebirth just happen out of nowhere, without any warning?

Xu Jiaojiao had been in high school when it happened, while Ji Ming-Yan ’s rebirth came three years later. The time gap was puzzling. What exactly was the logic behind these “halo” individuals and their rebirths?

And if Ji Ming-Yan was the first male lead to experience this, would the other three follow suit? If that happened, A-Yan would seriously start to wonder if this “halo” was some kind of contagious virus.

“So, what happened to Xu Jiaojiao before Ji Ming-Yan ’s rebirth that made him suddenly appear here?” Zhu Jue asked.

A-Yan cupped her face in her hands. “I can’t figure it out.”

“Maybe he’s planning to take advantage of Liang Ruichi’s absence?”

“Rebirth doesn’t change your intelligence, and he never admitted to liking Jiaojiao before, always saying he was just looking out for a classmate.”

Meanwhile, Ji Ming-Yan, the subject of A-Yan and Zhu Jue’s discussion, was alone in his small hotel room. He splashed cold water on his face, his clear eyes now bloodshot. Ji Ming-Yan clutched his chest. He was back. He had really come back.

Back to when he was nineteen, just starting university, a time when Xu Jiaojiao was still safe and sound. His youthful face reflected in the mirror carried a maturity that seemed out of place. Only after losing something did he realize how much it hurt.

Now, none of those past events had happened yet. There was still time. It was good, so good.
He looked at his pale, bony hands and bit his lip until it bled. In his memory, when Su Nian had returned this time, he, Shen Jingchen, and Wen Yu had all rushed to the scene.

Back then, he had been secretly pleased that Liang Ruichi had taken Xu Jiaojiao away, reducing the competition. But Liang Ruichi had also shown up just in time to meet Su Nian, and at the time, Ji Ming-Yan hadn’t given a second thought to where Xu Jiaojiao had gone.

It was only long after Xu Jiaojiao had disappeared that he learned the truth. Back then, Liang Ruichi had abandoned Xu Jiaojiao in the desert. If it hadn’t been for a kind stranger, her life would have been in danger.

This time, the moment he realized he had been reborn, he had sought out Liang Ruichi. That flashy, reckless fool had once again discarded Xu Jiaojiao without hesitation. The only thing Ji Ming-Yan was grateful for was that, for some reason, Xu Jiaojiao had been left at the hotel this time, not deep in the desert.

In life, the greatest fortune was the chance to reclaim what had been lost. Everything he regretted hadn’t happened yet. Xu Jiaojiao was still here, and he had finally realized his true feelings for her.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Ji Ming-Yan ’s lips as he looked in the mirror. Liang Ruichi, Shen Jingchen, Wen Yu—let the three of you tear each other apart. He would make up for everything.

In this life, he would never let Xu Jiaojiao go again. He noticed that A-Yan had taken ice and eggs from the restaurant, and he could guess that Xu Jiaojiao was feeling lost and scared after being abandoned by Liang Ruichi in this remote place.

Now that he is here, having skipped meeting Su Nian, Xu Jiaojiao must be pleasantly surprised.
Ji Ming-Yan quickly showered in the modest bathroom, changed into a light blue shirt, and sent Xu Jiaojiao a message.

[Ji Ming-Yan ]: Jiaojiao, I’ve come to see you.

[Ji Ming-Yan ]: There’s something I need to tell you.

The moment Xu Jiaojiao saw the message, she sensed something was off. Ji Ming-Yan —at least the Ji Ming-Yan of this time—would never call her that.

“Xu Jiaojiao, do you understand this problem?”

“Xu Jiaojiao, look at me.”

Throughout high school, he had always called her by her full name. When she struggled with a problem, he would take the test paper and explain it to her in his cool, detached voice. And when she finally understood, especially when her face, so similar to Su Nian’s, looked at him with admiration, he would feel a deep sense of satisfaction.

Xu Jiaojiao had seen through this long ago, so in this life, she had kept Ji Ming-Yan at arm’s length. Why? Because he was a free, top-ranked tutor. As long as she provided him with the right emotional validation through her acting skills, she had saved herself three years of tutoring fees. A free all-subjects tutor—there was no denying that Ji Ming-Yan had the skills to become a professor someday.

If it hadn’t been for his tutoring, she wouldn’t have been able to juggle her entanglement with those four fools and her studies, which she had mostly forgotten from her past life, and still manage to get into Ning Normal University.

Xu Jiaojiao didn’t rush to reply. She had just cried her heart out and was now hiding under the covers to heal her wounds. Wasn’t it normal not to check her phone? The more anxious he became, the more likely he was to slip up.

That night, neither A-Yan nor Zhu Jue heard from Xu Jiaojiao or Ji Ming-Yan , and the hallway remained quiet. The next morning, A-Yan brushed her teeth with a thoughtful expression.

Today, they were heading into the desert with the team. Space in the vehicles was limited, with personnel, equipment, and supplies all carefully calculated. There was no room for the two “halo” individuals to join. With that in mind, could she relax?

Her clothes from the night before were dry, and she changed into sun-protective gear and long pants. She and Zhu Jue grabbed a small portable bag and headed out for breakfast. The small hotel in the town had only one restaurant, which was now packed with their team. The breakfast options were simple: bread, porridge, eggs, sausages, coffee, milk, and oatmeal. The focus was on convenience, just enough to fill the stomach.

A-Yan was nibbling on a small bread roll and drinking yogurt, her mouth rimmed with white from the yogurt bottle. Zhu Jue gently wiped her mouth with a tissue when he noticed A-Yan’s mouth slowly opening wide, as if she had seen something unbelievable.

“Am I seeing ghosts?” she muttered.

This morning, Xu Jiaojiao looked radiant. The puffiness from her crying had completely disappeared, and her icy pale skin showed no traces of sorrow. She was standing at the buffet counter, pondering what to pick, when Ji Ming-Yan appeared. He took Xu Jiaojiao by the hand and led her to a nearby table, right next to A-Yan and Zhu Jue. The bread had been sliced with a knife that seemed to appear out of nowhere, accompanied by jam. The boiled egg had been peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces.

“Jiaojiao, I borrowed the kitchen to make your favorite oatmeal porridge,” Ji Ming-Yan said.

His voice was as cool and composed as ever, but there was an unmistakable hint of eagerness in his tone. Compared to the neighboring table, where a simple breakfast had been transformed into a refined Western-style brunch, the eggshells left on A-Yan and Zhu Jue’s plates seemed embarrassingly plain. A-Yan glanced at the oatmeal porridge. Ji Ming-Yan might not have known, but A-Yan was well aware of one thing: Xu Jiaojiao didn’t like oatmeal porridge.

Xu Jiaojiao indeed didn’t like it. Back in high school, she would bring oatmeal porridge every day for Ji Ming-Yan , who helped her with her studies. They would eat bread and oatmeal porridge together for breakfast.

But she didn’t like it—she only did it to accompany him. It was Ji Ming-Yan ‘s sentiment, a memory of Su Nian, who had once tutored him and brought him oatmeal porridge when he didn’t feel like eating breakfast. Xu Jiaojiao’s eyes flickered with surprise, which Ji Ming-Yan interpreted as delight and disbelief.

“Ji Ming-Yan, did… did you make this for me?” she asked, her face lighting up with feigned joy.

Ji Ming-Yan looked at Jiaojiao, barely suppressing the urge to pull her into his arms. This was his Jiaojiao, someone who could be moved by even the smallest gesture. In his past life, he had never done anything like this for her. He smiled at her, his gaze filled with tenderness. “Eat up.”

“Mm,” she replied, taking small sips of the porridge, her eyes fixed on the surface of the bowl as if she couldn’t bear to swallow it too quickly.

“Is it good?” he asked.

Xu Jiaojiao kept her head down, her cheeks flushed as she nodded and continued to sip the porridge.
Ji Ming-Yan ‘s lips curved into a faint smile. His Jiaojiao was still the same. She cherished everything he gave her, even something as simple as oatmeal porridge made from the limited ingredients in this small hotel. He told her to drink the porridge, and she drank only the porridge.

Ji Ming-Yan ‘s eyes softened. “Don’t just focus on the porridge. This place is too simple. How about I accompany you somewhere else today? Anywhere you want to go, I’ll go with you.”

Xu Jiaojiao pretended to sip the porridge, though the sight of it made her want to gag. Ji Ming-Yan ‘s sudden change in behavior was utterly baffling.

“I’ve already arranged for a place near Ning Normal University. Didn’t you say you didn’t like living with roommates? You can live alone there, and I’ll come to keep you company, okay?”

“Liang Ruichi, Shen Jingchen, and Wen Yu—they won’t bother us anymore,” Ji Ming-Yan said earnestly.

Xu Jiaojiao was stunned. She was truly stunned. First of all, Ning Normal University was located within the Second Ring Road, and properties nearby, especially those in school districts, started at eight figures.

But Ji Ming-Yan ‘s subsequent words sounded like a nightmare, as if a prodigal son had suddenly turned over a new leaf and come back to her, the one he had left behind. Xu Jiaojiao noticed Ji Ming-Yan ‘s right thumb and forefinger pinching together, a habit he had developed after becoming a lecturer and handling chalk. Had he also been reborn?

Xu Jiaojiao wanted to laugh. If he had been reborn, why had he come to her first instead of going to Su Nian? What was this confession supposed to mean? Belated affection was worthless.

“I… I,” she licked her lips, her face red as she awkwardly put down the spoon, unsure how to handle the situation.

After a long pause, she finally looked up at him cautiously. “Is this for real?”

“I’m not talking about the house. I mean, are you really going to stay with me?”

Ji Ming-Yan looked at Jiaojiao’s reaction and realized he might have overwhelmed her. It was just a house, yet she was so startled, completely indifferent to the property and only hoping he would truly stay with her.

“It’s real,” he said softly.

“This one is for your university years, near Ning Normal University. I’ve also prepared one near Ning University, both in your name. You can come see me anytime, okay?”

Two properties! One near Ning Normal University and another near Ning University. Xu Jiaojiao suppressed a laugh. Three million at the very least, with attached prestigious elementary schools—she was about to strike it rich.

“I don’t want it. We’re just ordinary classmates,” she emphasized the word “ordinary classmates.”

This was the exact phrase Ji Ming-Yan had repeatedly used to remind her in their past life. Now, Xu Jiaojiao was throwing it back at him. Hearing this, Ji Ming-Yan felt a bitter, sour ache in his heart.

In his past life, he had repeatedly emphasized their ordinary relationship to Jiaojiao, telling her not to harbor any unrealistic hopes. Now, seeing her grit her teeth and refuse to accept his offer, he could only imagine how deeply hurt she had been.

“Xu Jiaojiao, listen to me,” he said, his tone rising slightly.

Xu Jiaojiao stiffened at the sound of her full name, as if conditioned to respond. Ji Ming-Yan didn’t want to be so stern, but he had no choice. He took out some documents from his bag, cleared space on the table, and pulled a heavy metal pen from his shirt pocket.

“Sign,” Ji Ming-Yan said coldly.

He owed Jiaojiao too much, but she was the type who never asked for anything. All she ever wanted was him. Two properties were just a small way to give Jiaojiao a place to call her own. It was frustrating that he had to resort to such tactics to get her to accept them.

Xu Jiaojiao’s eyes were red, as if she was holding back tears as she signed the documents. Two school district properties in the capital, top-tier locations, and they had fallen into her lap so easily. Her past self had been so noble!

“Even if I sign, I won’t go,” Xu Jiaojiao said fiercely.

Ji Ming-Yan looked at her. “I’ll go. Will you?”

“Jiaojiao, whether you go or not, I’ll have the documents sent to your school. You’ll have to accept them, whether you want to or not.”

A-Yan and Zhu Jue silently ate their breakfast. A-Yan watched Xu Jiaojiao’s trembling figure and thought to herself that if she were in that position, she’d probably be shaking from holding back laughter. Being forced to accept two properties worth millions—A-Yan could never have dreamed of such a thing. This was the privilege of those with the protagonist’s halo. A-Yan had never seen anything like it before.

After signing, Xu Jiaojiao didn’t finish her meal. She seemed to struggle with the urge to throw the pen but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She stomped her foot and ran out of the dining room. Ji Ming-Yan carefully put away the documents and tucked the pen back into his pocket, a confident smile on his lips as he quickly followed her. After the two left, the dining room erupted in chatter. The team members gathered around A-Yan and Zhu Jue.

“What the hell just happened?”

“Director Yan, Director Zhu, what’s going on with those two? And the one who left yesterday—who’s the real love interest for Jiaojiao?”

“This drama is so convoluted, but it’s definitely juicy!”

“Who’s that Su Nian person they mentioned yesterday? And there were a few other names I didn’t catch.”

“Free properties, and the beauty didn’t even want them? Why can’t I meet a guy who gifts me houses!”

A-Yan looked weary. She knew some of the story, but she couldn’t share it. She and Zhu Jue would have to discuss it privately in their room.

“I’m not entirely sure. It’s complicated,” she said dryly.

“Alright, everyone, finish up. We need to get ready to leave,” Manager Li and President Qin, who had been hiding in the crowd, were equally disappointed with A-Yan’s response.

But it was understandable. Given the backgrounds of Director Yan and Director Zhu, and the fact that those two looked like they belonged in a TV drama, this was clearly another level of drama that wasn’t meant to be shared. Young people sure have a lot of stories. The Jidao Team began checking their equipment. They would return to the hotel after their testing that evening.

A-Yan and Zhu Jue thought it over and decided to join the testing, even though they could have stayed near the hotel and explored the open tourist area. However… considering that Xu Jiaojiao and Ji Ming-Yan are both blessed with the halo of rebirth, they decisively decided to go together to experience the test.

This time, however, because the Land Dominator vehicle was undergoing various speed tests and high-difficulty maneuvers, the two of them rode in the following support off-road vehicle. The vehicle’s tire pressure had been adjusted in advance, and it was equipped with a satellite phone. The drivers were all seasoned veterans with extensive experience in various terrains, especially deserts.

“Young President A-Yan, can’t you give us even a little hint?” The logistics assistant sitting in the passenger seat looked at A-Yan with starry eyes.

The longing for gossip in her eyes was so persistent that A-Yan reluctantly shook her head. She really couldn’t say anything. Matters concerning those with the halo of rebirth were always unpredictable, and it was easy to face backlash or retribution. Before leaving, A-Yan sent a message to Xu Jiaojiao, asking if she was okay. In response, Xu Jiaojiao posed a question to her.

[Xu Jiaojiao]: If someone once did something extremely hurtful to you, but now they’re trying to make up for it with everything they have, do you think they should be forgiven?

A-Yan’s reply was also a question.

[A-Yan]: Do you think those abusive husbands who beat their wives and then cry and beg for forgiveness online deserve to be forgiven? Does a scoundrel with a guilty conscience suddenly become a good person?

As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. The past harm has already proven that person to be rotten. The deep, festering wounds are already there—how could they be easily erased or made up for?

As the saying goes online: There’s no such thing as a prodigal son turning over a new leaf and becoming a golden treasure. It’s just a scoundrel taking a break from their misdeeds.

The idea of someone instantly reforming and becoming a saint is something you’d only find in ‘Story Collection’ magazines.

In the hotel, Xu Jiaojiao read A-Yan’s reply and smiled faintly. As expected of A-Yan. Her words completely erased any lingering guilt Xu Jiaojiao might have felt.

She pretended to be angry and still didn’t reply to Ji Ming-Yan ’s messages. Instead, she switched between different real estate apps to check the average prices of the properties in the neighborhoods where she had signed two property gift contracts.

Over 30 million yuan worth of property in the capital city had come into her hands so easily. She couldn’t help but laugh softly under her covers.

Starting life over from a different angle was surprisingly effortless. Xu Jiaojiao didn’t reply again, and A-Yan also put her phone away. She and Zhu Jue watched the vast desert outside the window with great interest.

The Land Dominator raced ahead, while they followed behind. The endless expanse of yellow sand stretched before their eyes, instantly bringing to mind the lines of poetry they had once studied.

Several off-road vehicles released drones to capture the scene from multiple angles. A-Yan sat in the car, watching the tire tracks left behind—like watermarks in the sand, only to be erased by the next gust of wind.

As they climbed a steep dune, the off-road vehicle tilted almost 45 degrees, teetering on the edge of flipping over, only to stabilize and land safely the next second.

This was humanity’s battle with nature using tools, and A-Yan found it even more thrilling than the high-altitude rides at amusement parks.

The boundless desert, the endless blue sky—when they stopped to rest and sank their feet into the sand, it was a completely different feeling from the beaches by the sea.

After a full day of testing, though the bumpy ride had been a bit taxing, A-Yan didn’t regret it. Some landscapes could only be truly appreciated by experiencing them firsthand.

As they approached the outskirts of the desert, where the phone signal improved, A-Yan picked up her phone again.

She planned to browse and see if there were any authentic local eateries in the town where she and Zhu Jue could grab a bite.

But when she refreshed the “Nearby” section, a photo of a helicopter appeared on her screen.

The location was a town in the Menga Desert. The person who posted the photo was clearly a local, and the caption expressed amazement:

“This is the first time I’ve seen a helicopter in real life. I heard a big company is coming here—maybe they’re here for aerial photography?”

Seeing this, A-Yan was puzzled. The only major company currently in the Menga town should be the Jidao Team, right?

She turned to the logistics assistant in the front seat: “Did we hire a helicopter for aerial photography?”

The assistant was equally confused. “No, it’s not in our plans at all. Did the two of you add it to the budget?”

A-Yan shook her head. “No, it’s not us. I guess it must be some other tourists who hired the helicopter.”

At that moment, Zhu Jue grabbed her hand and zoomed in on the helicopter in the photo.

He carefully examined the helicopter in the picture. “Don’t you think this helicopter looks familiar?”

Huh? A-Yan was taken aback, and the more she looked, the more familiar it seemed.

“I feel like I’ve been in this helicopter before,” she said, her voice trailing off as a memory from high school surfaced in her mind.

The two of them exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with a hint of disbelief.

“No way…” A-Yan murmured.

A-Yan and Zhu Jue’s hands tightened around each other, both of them feeling an involuntary tension.

By the time the convoy returned to the town’s hotel, A-Yan’s legs were trembling as she stepped out of the car. The second halo of rebirth—no, wait, the third halo of rebirth—had appeared.

The owner of that familiar helicopter, Shen Jingchen, the current head of the Shen Family of Ning City and their high school’s former board Director, stood before them.

In a single day, three male protagonists had made their appearance! The mature man, dressed in a tailored suit, looked travel-weary but was currently locked in a fierce brawl with Ji Ming-Yan , who wore a light blue shirt and exuded a cold, scholarly air.

The two tall men were throwing punches with such intensity that it seemed they wanted to kill each other, their fists landing with brutal force. A-Yan looked up and clearly saw Xu Jiaojiao standing by the window, looking down at the scene below. She watched the spectacle with a look of amazement, holding a cup in her hand as if she were watching a drama that had nothing to do with her.

“Fight, fight,” she mouthed silently.

The assistant behind A-Yan whispered, “President A-Yan, should we call the police? Do we need to testify?”

“Men fighting over love—this is so entertaining!”

A-Yan rubbed her chin. “No need.”

These two men would never let this escalate to the point of involving Xu Jiaojiao or the police—it would be too embarrassing. However, from the looks of it, Ji Ming-Yan was at a slight disadvantage. Although he was athletic from his long years of studying in high school, he seemed to be a bit weaker compared to Shen Jingchen. Despite being older, Shen Jingchen clearly had the upper hand in strength training. It was rare to see such a physical fight between two strikingly handsome men.

“This is truly spectacular, and quite a sight to behold,” A-Yan couldn’t help but remark with genuine admiration.

***

Chapter 32

“Stop fighting, stop fighting!”

As everyone knows, when watching a spectacle, especially a fight, someone either steps in to help or tries to mediate.

However, the two men, now completely enraged, only fought harder when they heard the plea to stop.

It wasn’t until someone shouted, “The police have been called!” that Ji Ming-Yan and Shen Jingchen finally put down their fists.

It must be said, the two men fought with some restraint, avoiding each other’s faces.

Still, A-Yan couldn’t help but notice how Ji Ming-Yan’s shirt and Shen Jingchen’s tailored suit were now completely disheveled.

Xu Jiaojiao, who had been standing by the window, was nowhere to be seen. A-Yan watched as Ji Ming-Yan turned and entered the inn, while Shen Jingchen got into a luxurious business car.

With the main figures of the fight gone, the onlookers dispersed, still buzzing with excitement as they discussed what had just happened.

After a day of bumpy travel through the desert, the team’s dinner had already been delivered to the inn. Exhausted, everyone quickly grabbed their boxed meals and retreated to their rooms to rest.

After eating and throwing away the trash, A-Yan and Zhu Jue hurried back to their room to shower.

The water pressure in the shower was decent, and A-Yan rinsed the sand off her feet, scrubbing the shampoo into her hair, thoroughly washing away the day’s fatigue.

After a long day in the car, a proper shower felt like a blessing. Wrapped in a towel, she collapsed onto the bed, feeling completely drained.

She was so tired, she didn’t have an ounce of energy left.

Zhu Jue was still in the shower, so A-Yan waited to blow-dry her hair, scrolling through messages from her friends on her phone. The desert had terrible signal all day, so it was only now that A-Yan managed to send out a few photos she had taken earlier.

Chu Bingbing was the first to reply, her message dripping with envy.

[Chu Bingbing]: So! Few! People!

[Chu Bingbing]: Look at my day… I want to cry, it’s packed everywhere. photo.jpg

The photo Chu Bingbing sent was of the Forbidden City, with a sea of heads visible in the crowd, making it easy to imagine the suffocating feeling of being stuck in such a line. A-Yan couldn’t help but feel a little helpless. She sent Chu Bingbing a private message.

[A-Yan]: Bingbing, you could visit on the donation ceremony day. There should be a guide, right? Isn’t that day a Monday?

[Chu Bingbing]: blank stare.jpg I forgot.

A-Yan shook her head. Chu Bingbing’s plan to avoid the crowds had clearly failed. But then again, Ning City, the capital, was a tourist hotspot year-round, so there was never really a time when it wasn’t crowded. Aside from Chu Bingbing, her other three roommates were quiet, and there wasn’t much activity on their social media. After a while, Yi Zhi popped up.

[Yi Zhi]: Chu Shen’s fried rice is so popular.

[Yi Zhi]: photo.jpg

The photo showed the small restaurant that A-Yan and Zhu Jue had visited earlier. A-Yan could even recognize about a third of the customers in the picture, all crammed into the tiny space, devouring their meals. Yi Zhi was such a foodie! A-Yan thought to herself, impressed that he had gone out of his way to eat there.

On her social media feed, Zhu Jue’s roommate Xiao Qingnang shared his daily health tips, while Lin Fan posted about his wife and child. A-Yan scrolled through her feed, chatting and passing the time until Zhu Jue finished his shower. Then, she sat comfortably, blow-drying her hair.

“Zhu Jue, do you think something else will happen tonight…” A-Yan pondered, resting her chin on her hand.

“Hard to say,” Zhu Jue replied seriously, drying his hair.

A-Yan’s eyes flickered. Shen Jingchen and Ji Ming-Yan had started fighting the moment they saw each other. What would happen if they both appeared in front of Xu Jiaojiao?

From what she had observed earlier, Xu Jiaojiao had been watching the fight from upstairs. If she cared, she would have come down to stop it. But Xu Jiaojiao’s expression had been indifferent, almost like she was watching a dogfight.

A-Yan couldn’t help but wonder what had happened before their “rebirth” to cause such a drastic change in their attitudes afterward. Recalling Xu Jiaojiao’s message about “something really terrible,” A-Yan thought deeply for a moment.

Whatever this “terrible thing” was, she wondered if it had crossed any legal boundaries. Was the “rebirth crematorium” trope literal?

But with Ji Ming-Yan and Shen Jingchen’s current appearances, they probably wouldn’t show up in front of Xu Jiaojiao looking like this. A-Yan’s hair was about 80% dry when Zhu Jue used a wooden comb to smooth it out, making it look thick and glossy. After finishing her hair, A-Yan noticed that Zhu Jue’s expression didn’t look great. He was holding his shoulder.

She quickly pulled him to sit on the bed. “What’s wrong? Did you get hurt from sitting in the car all day?”

Zhu Jue met her concerned gaze, his eyes dark as he spoke softly, “Maybe. I accidentally bumped into a shelf in the bathroom.”

Hearing this, A-Yan immediately grew worried.

“Is it bleeding? Let me see. You’ve been holding the blow-dryer; if you pull it, it’ll hurt even more.” She quickly unbuttoned Zhu Jue’s puppy-patterned pajamas and gently pulled the shirt down.

A-Yan examined his shoulder carefully, her light fingertips brushing over the area. “Here? Is this where it hurts?”

She didn’t dare press too hard, afraid of causing him more pain.

“It looks a little red here,” A-Yan said, unaware of how her gentle touch was sending shivers down Zhu Jue’s spine.

Instinctively, she blew on the spot, just like she used to do when they were kids. The cool breeze only made his heart race even more. Zhu Jue suddenly turned around and pulled her into a tight embrace, his warm breath brushing against her collarbone.

“Zhu Jue?” A-Yan wrapped her arms around his back, feeling his heart pounding wildly.

“I’m not in pain anymore,” he said softly, loosening his grip but still keeping one arm around A-Yan’s waist. He looked down at her, his face flushed.

He held her hand tightly, his lips pressed together as he spoke, “Do I look good enough for you?”

“Shirt or suit, I can wear anything.”

A-Yan’s cheeks turned bright red as she sat on Zhu Jue’s lap, feeling a wave of warmth wash over her, as if she had just stepped into a hot spring. She nodded, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the jealous man in front of her.

“Of course, my Zhu Jue is the most handsome.”

Zhu Jue kissed her cheek in return, the faint scent of her shampoo lingering in the air. He swallowed hard, trying to suppress the heat rising in his chest, and tucked her into bed before getting up to put his pajamas back on. He adjusted the air conditioning, lowering the temperature by one degree. The sound of water running in the bathroom filled the room as Zhu Jue washed his clothes, cleaned up, and picked up the stray strands of hair on the floor—just like any other day. He moved the only chair in the room back to the desk, turned on the lamp, and began sketching their day in the desert.

By the time A-Yan and Zhu Jue had finished their drawings, taken photos, and saved them on their phones, it was already 10:30 PM. The team had also sent over the edited photos, even touching them up. The two of them selected their favorite pictures and posted them on social media. As usual, Zhu Jue added two heart emojis. He noticed Lin Fan had already liked the post and commented, “A perfect match, made in heaven.”

Zhu Jue clicked on Lin Fan’s profile and saw a family photo he had posted at 8 PM. He immediately liked it and left a comment: “A happy family, forever and always.”

Lin Fan: [thumbs up][thumbs up]

Though Lin Fan’s thinking was often a bit too straightforward, Zhu Jue had to admit that when it came to family, his roommate was a good guy. Before Zhu Jue could message Lin Fan, a private message from him popped up.

[Lin Fan]: Zhu Jue, you’re amazing.

[Lin Fan]: I followed your advice and went home before the company holiday to change into the clothes my wife gave me. I took our daughter to pick her up from work, and your sister-in-law was thrilled.

[Lin Fan]: [thank you flower]

[Lin Fan]: My wife called me “honey” in front of her coworkers, so now everyone at her company knows me.

[Lin Fan]: [spinning and jumping with joy]

Zhu Jue couldn’t help but smile, feeling lighter thanks to Lin Fan’s cheerful message.

“Zhu Jue, come look at the drone footage,” A-Yan called out to him. He quickly joined her, and the two of them snuggled together, watching the edited drone video of their day in the desert that the team had sent to the group chat.

Meanwhile, in stark contrast to their relaxed mood, Shen Jingchen had just checked into the small inn and was frowning at the cramped space. If it weren’t for Xu Jiaojiao, he would never have come to a place like this.

After a day of travel and a fight with Ji Ming-Yan, Shen Jingchen changed out of his suit and removed his cufflinks. Standing in front of the mirror, he gazed at the faint bruise on the corner of his lips and sneered coldly.

If only he hadn’t woken up too late, Ji Ming-Yan wouldn’t have had the chance to take the lead. The moment Shen Jingchen learned that Su Nian had returned to the country, he immediately had his driver take him to Ning City Airport.

What he didn’t expect was that during a brief nap, it felt as though he had lived an entire lifetime. When he woke up, he was no longer the person he once was. By the time the Aston Martin arrived at the airport, Shen Jingchen didn’t head to the arrival area. Instead, for the first time, he entered the bustling departure hall. It was too late to coordinate a private jet, and during the busy holiday season, flights to remote cities were nearly fully booked.

Shen Jingchen experienced the cramped economy class for the first time. The small plane had no first-class seats, and the business class was already full. He could have paid to have other passengers moved, but Shen Jingchen no longer had the patience for such things.

The budget airline seat was barely large enough to accommodate his long legs. His high-end suit was crumpled in the cramped seat for hours, and the child behind him, despite his mother’s scolding, kept kicking the back of his seat. For the first time in his life, Shen Jingchen felt what it meant to be truly “miserable.”

Before the plane took off, he made several calls, quickly issuing orders to coordinate his next steps. It wasn’t until the flight attendant repeatedly urged him to turn off his phone that Shen Jingchen reluctantly complied, under the curious gazes of other passengers.

The in-flight meal, which he glanced at but didn’t touch, and the elderly man next to him who kept calling the flight attendant “waiter” tested his patience. In his mind, Shen Jingchen repeatedly chanted the name “Xu Jiaojiao” to suppress his growing irritation.

After landing, traffic delays arranged by his local branch further tested his composure. Even with his remarkable self-control, Shen Jingchen was on the verge of losing his temper.

Finally, he arranged for a local helicopter and managed to reach the remote town. But to his frustration, Ji Ming-Yan had already arrived ahead of him. At this time, Ji Ming-Yan should have been in Ning City. After picking up Su Nian, there was no way he could have arrived earlier than Shen Jingchen.

According to the locals, Ji Ming-Yan had arrived the previous night. This could only mean one thing: Ji Ming-Yan had also been reborn. A flash of ruthlessness crossed Shen Jingchen’s eyes. Heaven was unfair. If it had given him a chance to right his past mistakes, why had it also allowed that scoundrel to return?

Fortunately, his Jiaojiao was safe. She hadn’t been abandoned in the desert. This was the nineteen-year-old Jiaojiao—young, vibrant, beautiful, and still looking at him with admiration and respect.

But this time, he would truly become her “Mr. Shen.”

On the marble countertop, Shen Jingchen’s phone buzzed repeatedly.

“How are the preparations coming along?”

“How much longer until you arrive?”

“I want everything to be perfect. No mistakes. You must be at this location by 6 a.m. tomorrow. Understood?”

After hanging up, Shen Jingchen glanced at the spare suit he had brought with him. It was a backup set he kept in the car, now hanging in the shabby wardrobe of the hotel. He layered the paper-thin hotel slippers over a pair of plastic ones. Even during his time studying abroad, he had never experienced such harsh conditions. He quickly showered to wash away the fatigue and changed into clean clothes, clutching his stomach.

Having only drunk water for over a day and enduring the traffic delays, he hadn’t been able to eat anything. Now, after the fight with Ji Ming-Yan in the town, Shen Jingchen’s energy was nearly depleted, and his chronic stomach condition flared up. His lips pale, he leaned against the marble countertop and sent a voice message to Jiaojiao.

[Shen Jingchen]: Jiaojiao, I’ve come to find you. I’m staying in Room 303 at your hotel. See you soon.

Xu Jiaojiao received Shen Jingchen’s message. Hearing the obvious strain in his voice, she knew immediately that his stomach condition had flared up again.

A mocking smile tugged at her lips. Shen Jingchen’s intention in sending her this message was crystal clear. With her reputation for being considerate, of course, she would notice his discomfort and rush to take care of him, right?

She went downstairs. Ji Ming-Yan wasn’t around—he had also sent her a message earlier. The two of them had fought, and now they were probably both licking their wounds. Xu Jiaojiao went to the hotel restaurant. The team had ordered extra boxed meals, which they had given to the hotel. She took one, borrowed a small pot, and boiled the rice with water to make porridge.

Carrying the stomach medicine, porridge, and the boxed meal, she knocked on the door of Room 303. Shen Jingchen opened the door, one hand clutching his stomach, his face pale. The moment he saw Xu Jiaojiao, he couldn’t hide his excitement.

“Jiaojiao, you’re here,” he said, his usually cold voice trembling slightly.

Xu Jiaojiao closed the door behind her, carrying the items while looking at him with concern. She helped him sit on the bed.

“Mr. Shen, are you alright? Please sit down.”

Shen Jingchen watched as she busied herself like a little bee, arranging everything neatly. Her voice was gentle, her fair skin unblemished, making him want to protect her at all costs. She squeezed out a pill from the medicine box and warmed the cheap bottled water provided by the hotel with her hands.

“Mr. Shen, this is stomach medicine. Please take it first,” she said softly, handing him the pill.

She was wearing a pristine white dress, standing before him as she offered the medicine. Shen Jingchen took the familiar pill from her delicate hand. The bitter tablet dissolved on his tongue, and the taste of the unknown brand of water washed it down. Strangely, he didn’t taste the bitterness—only sweetness. This was the same medicine Jiaojiao had bought in a hurry the first time he had a stomachache in front of her. Shen Jingchen knew that Jiaojiao didn’t suffer from stomach issues, but she always carried this box of medicine.

In the past, he would glare at her in disgust, saying, “Carrying stomach medicine with you—do you wish I’d always be sick?”

Now, looking back, Shen Jingchen wanted to slap his past self. How could he have thought that? How could he have said such things?

Xu Jiaojiao screwed the cap back on the water bottle and opened the porridge and boxed meal she had brought.

“Mr. Shen, there aren’t any fancy restaurants here. The hotel doesn’t serve dinner either. This is a meal my friend’s team ordered. I made some porridge to make it easier to digest. Please eat a little. You can’t go without food when your stomach hurts.”

Shen Jingchen watched as Jiaojiao looked at him with such care, as if afraid of accidentally upsetting him. His heart ached. Looking at the steaming porridge, he felt warmth in his stomach even before taking a bite. In such a short time, Jiaojiao had gone out of her way to get him a boxed meal and borrow the kitchen. This was her love for him—always so selfless. Shen Jingchen had never eaten such a simple meal, but he found it delicious. The pain in his stomach eased, and the pair of beautiful eyes beside him watched him with concern, making him eat the porridge bite by bite. Though it had little flavor, it was filled with Jiaojiao’s love. Xu Jiaojiao was surprised to see Shen Jingchen actually eating the porridge she had hastily boiled with tap water.

Go ahead, eat it. Porridge isn’t good for an upset stomach. If he loved it so much, maybe he’d have another episode tonight and stop bothering her. She quietly packed up the items, leaving the medicine behind. Shen Jingchen went to the bathroom to rinse his mouth with bottled water. Watching Jiaojiao clean up and leave the medicine, he felt a surge of warmth.

“Mr. Shen, there’s a bread roll in the bag. If your stomach still hurts, eat something before bed and take another pill,” she said, glancing at her watch as if calculating the timing of the medicine’s effect.

Shen Jingchen’s cold face softened. “Alright.”

Xu Jiaojiao bit her lip, looking at him. “What happened to you here?” she asked, pointing to the faint bruise on the corner of his lips.

Shen Jingchen realized what she was referring to and smiled faintly, brushing it off.

“I ran into Xiao Yan downstairs. Young people are hot-headed. Don’t worry about it.”

He subtly threw Ji Ming-Yan under the bus, noting the change in Jiaojiao’s expression. Her hand reached out as if to touch him but quickly withdrew. She lowered her head slightly, as if complaining about Ji Ming-Yan. “How could he lay a hand on you?”

Shen Jingchen smiled silently. “It’s fine, Jiaojiao. I’m the elder. It’s not right for me to argue with someone younger.”

Xu Jiaojiao sneered inwardly. Two idiots. Did they really think I didn’t see their fight from upstairs? You sure looked like you were arguing just fine.

It’s a pity that their faces weren’t more injured; otherwise, she would have definitely taken some embarrassing photos to show those who idolize them as male gods what they really look like.

She bit her lip, not saying anything, only concerned: “You should rest early.”

Xu Jiaojiao walked to the door, but before she could open it, Shen Jingchen suddenly grabbed her hand.

“Mr. Shen?” Xu Jiaojiao turned back, her delicate features showing a mix of confusion and a hint of excitement.

He lowered his head slightly, his cold, handsome face getting closer and closer to Xu Jiaojiao, so close that they could almost hear each other’s heartbeat and breathing.

“Jiaojiao, don’t call me Mr. Shen anymore.”

His hand gently caressed the top of her head. “From now on, let me be your husband, okay?”

He watched as a visible blush spread across Xu Jiaojiao’s face, her entire expression one of disbelief. Shen Jingchen’s heart softened even more. His Jiaojiao must be overjoyed by this news. She would be his little wife, the only love of his life. In this lifetime, he would never let her go. Xu Jiaojiao was truly in shock. One after another, these events were more of a fright than a delight. She looked startled, letting go of his hand in a panic, unsure of what to do.

“Mr. Shen, I… I…”

It was as if her brain had short-circuited, and she could only manage to say, “I’m only nineteen.”

Shen Jingchen chuckled softly. “Exactly, you’re nineteen, the best age. We can get engaged first, and next year, when you reach the legal age, we can get married.”

He couldn’t wait to take Xu Jiaojiao under his wing. He would make up for everything from their past life, cherishing and loving her.

“Mr. Shen, this joke isn’t very funny,” Xu Jiaojiao stammered, taking deep breaths as if trying to give him an out.

She pulled open the door. “You should rest well. I’ll be going now.”

Her flowing skirt fluttered around her calves as the young girl hurried away, leaving like a fluttering butterfly that had landed in Shen Jingchen’s heart.

He closed the door and murmured to himself, “Did I scare Jiaojiao?”

Shen Jingchen sat back down on the edge of the bed, his thoughts racing. He had been a bit too hasty. After all, Jiaojiao was just a girl who had just started college. But the thought of their past life made his heart ache. He was in a hurry, but it was necessary. Ji Ming-Yan, Wen Yu, and that foolish boy Liang Ruichi—Shen Jingchen’s eyes filled with disdain. Did they really think they were worthy? His phone buzzed, and he saw a message from Xu Jiaojiao.

[Jiaojiao]: Mr. Shen, I’ve already returned to my room. You should rest early and take care of yourself. Goodnight.

Shen Jingchen smiled as he read the message and replied with a simple “Goodnight.”

But he couldn’t help but think that Jiaojiao would probably be too excited to sleep tonight. It’s alright, Jiaojiao. Tomorrow, he will prove his feelings to her.

A-Yan and Zhu Jue slept peacefully through the night and woke up early, their biological clocks kicking in. As A-Yan stretched and was about to walk into the dining room, she noticed the members of the Jidao team gathered in the hotel lobby, peeking out the door at something. A-Yan and Zhu Jue exchanged a glance and quickly walked over. Could there be another fight so early in the morning?

“What’s going on?” they asked as they approached, and the team members made room for them.

“Little Yan, look! This is amazing. Where did this food truck come from?”

“There’s a chef cooking on the spot. I’m stunned.”

A-Yan and Zhu Jue were equally stunned by the scene before them.

In the open space in front of the hotel, two large trucks with their own equipment had appeared out of nowhere. Seven or eight figures in chef uniforms were busy at work. A-Yan saw a chef with a golden belt around his waist cooking a bowl of noodles on the spot. Under a nearby canopy, a well-dressed, mature man sat at an elegant table, while the young girl across from him looked visibly uncomfortable.

“Jiaojiao, I remember you like Zhajiang noodles. Chef Du from Ning City Royal Hotel is a master at this. Handmade, freshly prepared.”

As Shen Jingchen spoke, an elite assistant standing beside the chef brought over a plate of freshly cooked Zhajiang noodles. Two food carts appeared beside their table, one filled with Chinese dishes and the other with Western cuisine. The spread was dazzling, with Spanish ham being sliced on the spot by the chef.

“Mr. Shen, this… this is too extravagant,” Xu Jiaojiao said, her hands clasped tightly together.

“Jiaojiao, I told you not to call me Mr. Shen.”

“If you’re not ready to call me ‘husband’ yet, then call me Jingchen, alright?”

Xu Jiaojiao felt a shiver run down her spine. She tried to look around to distract herself, and her eyes caught sight of the group at the hotel entrance. Shen Jingchen noticed her gaze and followed it, spotting a familiar-looking couple.

They were Jiaojiao’s high school classmates, he vaguely remembered, and they seemed to be on good terms with her. He spoke up, “Is that the friend team you mentioned last night? The two kids look familiar. Is that… A-Yan? Little Yan, right?”

“Invite them to join us. There’s plenty of food, and we can’t finish it all,” Shen Jingchen said magnanimously, opening his hand in invitation.

Thinking about the plain porridge and milk A-Yan and the others had eaten yesterday, Xu Jiaojiao figured it wouldn’t hurt to let them enjoy this feast. Otherwise, Shen Jingchen would just let the extra ingredients go to waste.

She waved at A-Yan. “A-Yan, bring your team over for breakfast. There’s plenty here.”

The onlookers all turned to A-Yan, who pondered for a moment.

This was like getting a taste of the VIP treatment, right? In the desert, they’d been making do with simple meals, and the town’s resources were scarce. A free meal for the team was a good deal.

She waved her hand. “Let’s go, let’s grab some good food,” and walked toward the food trucks.

At that moment, Ji Ming-Yan emerged from the crowd inside the hotel. He took in the scene before him, his anger boiling over.

The young man in a white shirt sneered, “President Shen, ha, as expected of President Shen.”

“Shouldn’t you be picking up your fiancée instead of chasing after Jiaojiao?”

Shen Jingchen was at the food truck, preparing a plate of Western breakfast for Xu Jiaojiao. He spread butter on the bread with a knife, his movements elegant and precise, before placing the plate in front of her.

Only then did he slowly look up at Ji Ming-Yan. “A true gentleman wouldn’t interrupt someone else’s meal.”

In her past life, Xu Jiaojiao had endured enough of this cold, Western food while accompanying Shen Jingchen. The man had even developed stomach problems from eating it abroad, yet he still made her join him. She silently accepted the Zhajiang noodles, mixing the meat sauce with her chopsticks, when she suddenly touched something hard. Xu Jiaojiao froze. She picked it up with her chopsticks and pulled out a blue sapphire ring, at least ten carats in size, from the bottom of the bowl. A-Yan and Zhu Jue, who were holding bowls of freshly cooked noodles, were stunned.

The onlookers were equally shocked! Holy cow! Isn’t this the setup for a proposal?

“Shen Jingchen!” Ji Ming-Yan’s eyes turned red at the sight of the ring.

Shen Jingchen acted as if he hadn’t heard him. He gently took Xu Jiaojiao’s hand and smiled.

“Endless Blue. It suits you perfectly, Jiaojiao.”

“A belated high school graduation gift, personally gifted by me. May your future be boundless.”

An elite assistant, who had been standing unnoticed, suddenly appeared, holding a stack of documents ready for signing. Xu Jiaojiao stared at the ring in disbelief. If she remembered correctly, this blue sapphire ring was something Shen Jingchen had just bought at an auction, meant for Su Nian. Endless Blue, sourced from Africa, with a hammer price of 170 million. Her breathing quickened. Even though Su Nian hadn’t accepted it in their past life, this was nearly 200 million!

“Jiaojiao, you can’t accept that. That’s his…” Ji Ming-Yan was about to blurt out.

Shen Jingchen cut him off sharply, his smile laced with menace. “Classmate Ji, whether Jiaojiao accepts my gift or not is none of your concern.”

“I remember someone ruined Jiaojiao’s high school graduation gift. As the school director and her senior, I’ll make it up to her.”

He wiped the knife with a handkerchief and glanced at Ji Ming-Yan.

“Thinking you can win a girl over with just a house? That’s too easy, don’t you think?”

A-Yan, holding her bowl, couldn’t help but stare at the knife, fearing it might turn into a bloody scene at any moment. She was so nervous. They had already fought yesterday. Please don’t let this escalate into a legal matter today! That knife looks so sharp, so dangerous! She reached for her phone, ready to dial 110 and 120 at any moment.

At this moment, Ji Ming-Yan’s face turned pale and flushed in patches. It seemed like he had thought of something, and his tone shifted abruptly. He met Shen Jingchen’s cold, piercing gaze with an equally stern look and spoke to Xu Jiaojiao, “Sign it, Jiaojiao. Sign it. This is what he owes you, after all.”

“Just a piece of stone. Truly, the mark of a businessman—reeking of money.”

Shen Jingchen looked at him indifferently, as if he had heard something amusing. He smiled meaningfully and said, “Ji Ming-Yan, I look forward to it. Don’t worry, I won’t stop you from giving Jiaojiao whatever you want to give her.”

“Debts must always be repaid.”

Under the intense gazes of the two men, Xu Jiaojiao shivered as she was forced to sign, accepting a blue sapphire worth nearly 200 million yuan. Tears welled up in her eyes. Fight, go ahead and fight. All of this is being forced upon me, given to me without my consent.

By the dining cart, Chef Du was cooking furiously. A-Yan stood nearby, slurping noodles from a bowl. Zhu Jue was nibbling on a piece of bread, President Qin had somehow gotten hold of a watermelon-shaped bun and was munching on it, and Manager Li, hiding behind them, had already downed four small bowls of noodle soup.

A-Yan silently calculated in her mind. In just two days, Xu Jiaojiao had already netted 200 million yuan, averaging 100 million a day. Truly a person with an aura of success, her earning power rivaled that of her two other roommates.

As for A-Yan and Zhu Jue, they could only follow behind and sip the leftovers. Like today, for instance, they enjoyed a luxurious breakfast—literally drinking noodle soup—along with some impromptu dinner entertainment, leaving them stuffed and satisfied. Burp!

***

Chapter 33

The Jidao Team enjoyed a luxurious breakfast comparable to that of a five-star hotel. Although the team members were reluctant to part with the melons in front of them, Manager Li, glancing at the time, reluctantly took another bite of ham and bread before urging the team to get back to work.

“The desert is nice, but compared to these melons, work seems a bit dull,” someone remarked.

“Still, my holiday overtime pay is five times the usual rate, which is pretty sweet,” the logistics girl in the off-road vehicle sighed sincerely.

Though they would have loved to stay at the inn and continue eating melons, everyone on the team was earning more than triple the standard wage for working during this long holiday. Of course, it still paled in comparison to Miss Xu, who had received two properties yesterday and a large gemstone today.

As the saying goes, comparing yourself to others will only make you miserable. One must learn to be content with what they have, the logistics girl thought to herself.

A-Yan reclined on the spacious backseat, her head resting on Zhu Jue’s lap. She let out a long sigh, though she wasn’t sure why. She just had a feeling that something big was about to happen.

“Director Yan, is that Miss Xu your classmate?” the logistics girl chimed in.

Although A-Yan hadn’t shared much with the team, the gossip enthusiasts had already pieced together information from subtle clues and conversations among the men.

“Yeah,” A-Yan replied listlessly.

“Was it XX High School? No wonder it’s different from our district-level high school. You even have school directors there.”

The logistics girl marveled inwardly. Is this how dramatic the lives of rich kids are? Director Yan seemed so used to it all.

A-Yan absentmindedly responded while her thoughts wandered. She couldn’t understand why anyone would want to stay in this small town in the Mengsha Desert. Why weren’t they leaving?

Would Xu Jiaojiao and the others just stay here indefinitely?

Although they had enjoyed a lavish breakfast that morning, A-Yan would much rather quietly follow the team and complete the trip without all the drama.

Having already ventured into the desert the day before, the journey felt smoother today. Lying down, A-Yan noticed the ride was less bumpy than yesterday.

She muttered, “I don’t know what Shen Jingchen was thinking, putting a ring in a bowl of zhajiang noodles.”

This comment immediately resonated with the girl in the front seat. “True, I’ve only ever seen rings hidden in cakes online. Or maybe in a ring box tucked somewhere. Putting it in zhajiang noodles is a first for me. Wouldn’t it get all greasy?”

“But if I received it, I wouldn’t complain. I’d just wash it off,” the girl added.

A-Yan thought about it. If she were eating noodles and accidentally took a big bite, she might chip a tooth!

Then she wouldn’t know whether to feel worse for her tooth or the gemstone ring.

Moreover, putting a beautiful blue gemstone ring into a bowl of carefully crafted zhajiang noodles was a waste of both the ring and the delicious dish. A-Yan concluded that she simply couldn’t understand the thought processes of the privileged.

In high school, they had taken elective courses on jewelry appreciation and maintenance. A-Yan thought for a moment and sent Xu Jiaojiao a message.

Although aquamarine is relatively durable, it still needs proper care. Otherwise, the oily residue could dull its shine, reducing its value.

[A-Yan]: If you don’t have a professional cleaner, rinse the ring with water. Don’t scrub it directly with a toothbrush.

[A-Yan]: Use a water flosser or place it in a container of water with an electric toothbrush, but don’t let them touch directly.

A few minutes later, Xu Jiaojiao replied with an “OK.”

A-Yan lay on Zhu Jue’s lap as he gently massaged her temples with his fingertips.

After a while of comfortable pampering, A-Yan reached out with her left hand and clasped Zhu Jue’s hand, intertwining their fingers.

One sat while the other lay down, idly playing with each other’s hands.

A-Yan formed half a heart shape with her fingers, and Zhu Jue completed it with his.

When their thumbs pressed together, their hands spread outward, forming the shape of a little bird in flight.

When they pressed the backs of their hands together, it became a bunny.

Without a word, a simple twist of the wrist, and the other hand would instinctively follow, creating adorable little animals.

Back in elementary school over a decade ago, their class had held a shadow puppet competition. There were individual and team events. A-Yan and Zhu Jue had practiced tirelessly, only to tie with Tan Dabao and Tan Xiaobao in the team event.

After reliving all the shadow puppet memories, A-Yan stretched out her hands. Zhu Jue gently stroked her back and helped her sit up.

After playing for a while, A-Yan’s mood had improved significantly.

She rubbed Zhu Jue’s thigh and whispered, “Is it numb?”

She had been lying on his lap for quite some time.

Zhu Jue smiled at her. “No.”

He reached over to smooth her slightly messy hair. The two leaned against each other in the backseat as A-Yan typed a message on her phone.

[A-Yan]: Zhu Jue, I was thinking about our childhood.

[Zhu Jue]: Me too.

A-Yan chuckled as she typed.

[A-Yan]: Back then, after being challenged by Tan Dabao and Tan Xiaobao during the shadow puppet competition, I kept thinking that if we were twins, we’d have that psychic connection too.

Back then, the internet wasn’t as widespread, and twins or fraternal siblings were rare. Young A-Yan, who was always surrounded by extraordinary people, had wondered: Because Tan Dabao and Tan Xiaobao were twins, they were the “genius little treasures.”

In their naivety, the two had even asked their parents if they could be put back in the womb and reborn as twins, even deciding who would be the older sibling. To this day, it remained a joke among their families and neighbors.

As she grew older, especially during her teenage years in middle and high school, A-Yan wished she could go back and silence her younger self.

[Zhu Jue]: Good thing we’re not twins.

[Zhu Jue]: We’re just us.

From childhood to adolescence, and into adulthood, they had always shared the most intimate memories. They had spent more time together than with their own parents. A glance, a gesture, the first word spoken—over the long years, they had memorized every detail about each other.

In this world, there would never be another person like them for each other. They were irreplaceable.

Another day in the desert was spent chasing after the land-dominant vehicles, testing and adjusting various data and parameters.

A-Yan and Zhu Jue also lent a hand to the team, counting supplies and flying drones. Immersed in the desert, the vast expanse of yellow sand made it easy to forget other worries.

Under the scorching sun, A-Yan sipped water cautiously. Water was the source of life, and even though they had ample supplies, the desert instilled a sense of cherishing everything.

In the desolate, majestic landscape, survival was the top priority, and all other concerns were set aside.

After another bumpy day, A-Yan wondered on the way back to town: If this continued, wouldn’t their bottoms be sore from all the jolting?

Although the team’s work wasn’t particularly strenuous, sitting in a vehicle and enduring the bumps all day felt just as exhausting as a regular workday.

When the Jidao Team returned to the hotel’s large parking lot and approached the entrance, the windows of the off-road vehicles rolled down.

It was dinnertime, and the on-site food trucks and stoves were already set up outside the hotel.

There were wok-fried dishes and freshly grilled steaks, a blend of Chinese and Western cuisines. The aroma of the food wafted through the air, instantly making everyone’s mouths water!

The logistics girl in the same car instinctively glanced at A-Yan in the backseat. “Director Yan, can we tag along for dinner again tonight?”

A-Yan’s expression was blank. She had no idea. Had Shen Jingchen and the others done the same at lunch? If they kept lingering here, the boxed meals Jidao Team had ordered from the town’s restaurants would pale in comparison to the five-star chef’s live cooking. If they couldn’t eat, it would be the ultimate test of everyone’s willpower and endurance, and it would be too unbearable.

“Is she not here? No drama to gossip about?” The logistics lady looked left and right but didn’t spot the protagonist from the morning, her eyes inevitably filled with disappointment.

The team parked their cars, gathered their things, and entered the hotel lobby, where the hotel owner greeted them warmly.

“Hey, Manager Li, President Qin, you’re back.”

“Is there boxed dinner tonight? The assistant of that big boss, Shen Jingchen, said there’s plenty of ingredients, and the extra will be made into boxed meals for 20 yuan each.”

The hotel owner glanced around, covering her mouth with one hand, and whispered, “I took a peek. It’s some foreign beef, like A5 or something, and some cured ham I’ve never seen before. I saw on short videos that it’s super expensive.”

Hearing this, the team members’ eyes lit up instantly. “Really? Twenty yuan?”

One of the quicker-tongued members blurted out, “If the company meal exceeds the budget, we can buy it ourselves.”

President Qin clapped his hands. “Alright, then let’s all go with this boxed meal. The company will cover it. Please keep track of how many, boss, and we’ll settle the bill later.”

The boxed meals were packed with thick cuts of steak, steamed fresh shrimp, and other dishes, each one slightly different depending on what the chef had prepared. Some had stir-fries, while others even had a spoonful of caviar. Even the rice was steamed with mineral water, making the meal feel absolutely luxurious.

The team ate their boxed meals right in the hotel’s dining area. A-Yan and Zhu Jue didn’t hold back either. Though they weren’t sure why Shen Jingchen had suddenly arranged this, after a day of bouncing around in the desert, they really needed the nourishment!

Sharing the table with them were President Qin and Manager Li. Manager Li had been monitoring data in the land cruiser all day, using up a lot of mental energy, and had already eaten who knows how many energy bars.

Now, as he ate the boxed meal, he was deeply moved. “Real food is so much better. Those energy bars are way too sweet.”

“This meal is almost as good as the company annual dinner. I hope this drama lasts a few more days.”

As bystanders, no matter how much drama unfolded, it wouldn’t affect Jidao Team’s testing. Plus, they got to enjoy delicious food. With all the gossip and good meals, the team’s morale was high. Manager Li even hoped these people would stick around until the team left.

A-Yan quietly swallowed a bite of greens. People’s joys were different, and right now, she just wanted to finish eating and head back to her room.

It wasn’t for any particular reason, but after the team parked in the lot, she noticed a new luxury B-class RV had appeared at the hotel.

She wasn’t sure who had brought it, but she wondered what kind of drama was coming next.

“Manager Li, our desert schedule is about three or four days, right?” she asked Manager Li.

Manager Li, busy devouring his meal, nodded. “We’ve already collected plenty of data in the past two days. The weather has been great, and all the tests have gone smoothly.”

“We’ll continue to fill in any gaps tomorrow, and if everything goes well, we can move on to the mountain roads ahead of schedule.”

After eating sand in the desert for so long, everyone was starting to feel the strain. After dinner, A-Yan and Zhu Jue returned to their room, while the rest of the team dispersed. They lingered in the dining area and lobby, looking around for a while, but no further drama unfolded.

Back in her room, A-Yan still felt a lingering sense of unease. If nothing happened tonight, she was already inexplicably worried about the next morning.

Ning City.

That evening, Chu Bingbing, having returned from the Great Wall, collapsed onto her hotel bed, utterly exhausted. She had booked a hotel spa and nibbled on some fruit, too tired to eat a proper meal.

As she enjoyed the aromatherapy massage, she nearly fell asleep. The spa therapist was quiet, not pushing any products or prying into her privacy, only occasionally asking if the pressure was comfortable.

After an hour-long spa session, Chu Bingbing felt completely rejuvenated, though her stomach was starting to growl. She had switched hotels today, staying at one called the Royal Hotel, which promised guests an experience akin to that of ancient royalty.

Chu Bingbing had booked a massive Chinese-style courtyard suite for 16,888 yuan per night, luxurious enough to accommodate an entire family. She had made the reservation last minute, and due to the holiday season, the price had doubled. But the service was impeccable. She had her spa session in the courtyard’s spa room, where she could enjoy the view of the garden through the windows. The courtyard was adorned with maple trees, their red leaves adding a touch of autumn beauty.

“Miss, what does your hotel restaurant recommend? I heard your Chinese cuisine is excellent, especially the Ning City-style fried noodles by one of your chefs,” she asked the spa therapist.

Chu Bingbing had chosen this hotel based on a popular influencer’s recommendation. She distinctly remembered the influencer raving about the fried noodles and even introducing the chef in the video.

Ning City’s fried noodles were already famous, and she hadn’t had a chance to try them since arriving. The spa therapist smiled apologetically. “Miss Chu, if you’re looking for Chef Du’s fried noodles, he’s currently away on a business trip. Chef Huang is handling the dish now.”

Chu Bingbing was taken aback. “Chefs go on business trips? For competitions?”

The spa therapist shook her head. “It’s an internal transfer within the group. We don’t know the details.”

“That’s fine. I’ll have Chef Huang’s version then,” she said, not too bothered. After all, both chefs were top-tier, so the noodles couldn’t be that different.

Chu Bingbing didn’t leave her courtyard, simply waiting for room service to arrive. While some might find traditional Chinese decor eerie, her suite was a modern take on the style, spacious and bright, without the overly dark wooden tones often seen in period dramas.

Still, being alone did feel a bit lonely. She had no one to chat with, and even when she messaged her roommate, she had to wait for a reply.

Of course, there were perks to being alone too—no need to consider anyone else’s feelings. Chu Bingbing could do whatever she pleased.

Today’s trip to the Great Wall had been quite remote, and she had been on edge the whole time, worried that the system might suddenly assign her a timed task. With the crowds at the Great Wall and the notorious traffic in the capital, getting stuck would have been a disaster!

A hotel staff member wheeled in a cart, setting down a simple bowl of fried noodles, accompanied by a few side dishes and fruit, all within five minutes of being prepared. After scheduling a cleanup an hour later, Chu Bingbing was left alone in her courtyard again. She ate while scrolling through her phone.

She casually clicked on a trending post at the top of her feed. Why was she seeing something about the desert?

Had the app mined her photos after she saved A-Yan’s desert scenery shots? These companies were really crossing the line with their data collection! Frowning, she was about to mark it as “not interested” when she noticed the post was tagged in Mengsha Town.

Chu Bingbing found the name familiar. After a moment’s thought, she realized A-Yan and the team had gone there. She swiped to the second photo in the post, which showed a helicopter landing in the town.

“Some big shot must be in town! My daughter thought the helicopter was a giant toy and wanted to take it home. [Laugh-cry emoji]”

“Huh?” Chu Bingbing’s eyes narrowed.

Was something wrong on A-Yan’s end? Why was there suddenly a helicopter dispatched? Weren’t those usually for emergencies?

She switched to WeChat and checked the group chat where A-Yan had recently shared photos.

“Everything should be fine,” she murmured to herself.

Returning to the post, she noticed the helicopter photo was from yesterday and immediately felt relieved. The blogger seemed to be just sharing daily life, with each post casual and personal. Chu Bingbing read the comments, which were clearly from locals chatting with each other.

“Apparently, it’s some big boss from the capital!”

“We got free food this morning! If you take your kid tomorrow, you might get lucky too.”

Chu Bingbing’s mind stirred as she clicked into the person’s profile, which was publicly visible and not hidden. The top post was a video. She clicked to play the video, which was a bit shaky, clearly filmed casually by hand. She saw two elongated food trucks, and in front of them was an open area where a team of chefs was busy cooking on-site.

The chefs were fully dressed in their hats and uniforms. As the camera moved, Chu Bingbing followed the angle and saw both Chinese and Western dishes being prepared. For a moment, she thought it might be some kind of live cooking competition, similar to the shows she had seen on TV before.

But then, as the cameraman turned around, one of the chefs came into view, and Chu Bingbing froze in shock. This person, this chef’s uniform—she felt like she had just seen him in another video. She paused the video, took a screenshot, and then exited to find the video she had watched earlier, recommended by an influencer, about the Royal Hotel in Ning City.

Chu Bingbing quickly clicked into that video, scrolled to the part with the chef, and took another screenshot. Switching to her phone’s photo gallery, she compared the two screenshots. From the similar angles, it was obvious—it was the same person!

It was Chef Du from the Royal Hotel! Chu Bingbing’s eyes widened. What kind of coincidence was this? Chef Du, whose zhajiang noodles she had missed today, had actually appeared in the desert town where A-Yan and Zhu Jue were staying.

She remembered what the spa attendant had mentioned about a business trip. A chef from a five-star hotel in the capital traveling halfway across the country to a small town for work? She continued watching the blogger’s video. Besides the shaky footage, the blogger had also written a long caption:

“A big boss from the capital came to our town looking for someone. He even arranged for food trucks and a helicopter to be brought here. This morning, there were free noodles for the townsfolk, along with Wagyu beef, Australian beef, and ham. Even though I’ve never been abroad, I got to taste all of it. They say the chefs are from five-star hotels. Thank you, big boss [smirk].”

Reading this, Chu Bingbing was stunned. What the heck!

All the pieces of information came together, and a glimmer of realization flashed in Chu Bingbing’s eyes. A big boss from the capital coming to look for someone—who else could it be but A-Yan and Zhu Jue?

Mobilizing food trucks, all kinds of ingredients, and even a helicopter to deliver them to the town, all while offering free meals to the townsfolk—this was clearly a grand gesture to curry favor.

She searched online for the Royal Hotel she was staying at, which belonged to the Fuping Group, a conglomerate that owned hotels, tourist areas, and various industrial ventures across the country, with a reputation for investing heavily in emerging industries.

Chu Bingbing took a deep breath. The group’s big boss had transferred a five-star hotel chef to a small town, clearly not to cook for himself but to impress someone else. This was Ning City, the capital. A chef specializing in zhajiang noodles would naturally be catering to people from Ning City.

And A-Yan and Zhu Jue—they were both from Ning City. So, the boss of the Fuping Group had brought a chef all the way to the desert town, just so A-Yan and Zhu Jue could have a taste of home in a place with scarce resources.

Chu Bingbing suddenly recalled scenes from TV dramas where local officials would fawn over their superiors in ancient times. Although ever since she had acquired the “God of Wealth” system, she had been met with smiles and flattery from service staff wherever she went.

But this time, Chu Bingbing was genuinely shocked by her own deductions. For a group boss to go to such lengths, traveling thousands of miles with a team of chefs, even having them cook in small food trucks on-site—this elevated A-Yan and Zhu Jue’s status in her mind to an entirely new level.

This was the boss of a major conglomerate, yet he was bending over backward to please them. And the boss was probably older than A-Yan and Zhu Jue, right?

Someone who, in the eyes of ordinary people, was already untouchable, was going to such lengths. Chu Bingbing took another deep breath. No wonder they hadn’t returned to Ning City during their break. If she had simply thought of it as visiting a roommate’s hometown, A-Yan and Zhu Jue might have felt awkward, afraid of revealing their true identities.

They had grown up in such an environment, and they had specifically chosen to attend university in Bin City to escape the complications of their family backgrounds. Yet, even during their break, they couldn’t escape being pursued and flattered by those with ulterior motives.

Chu Bingbing put down her chopsticks, a glint of wisdom shining in her eyes. She could now confirm it—A-Yan and Zhu Jue were from the legendary aristocratic families often talked about online!

***

Chapter 34

On the third morning in the Mengsha Desert, the first thing the Jidao Team did after gathering downstairs was to glance outside the small inn’s entrance.

Today—Was yet another day they could enjoy free breakfast!

Although the buffet breakfast charged a symbolic fee of twenty yuan per person, given the quality of the ingredients, it still felt like a steal. The inn’s restaurant had already closed, and even the innkeeper’s family was eating there.

However, as everyone looked around, they noticed that the main characters were nowhere to be seen. No drama to watch today.

“By the way, why did they suddenly start charging? That boss probably doesn’t care about such a small amount, right?”

Someone in the dining room asked. Although twenty yuan was practically nothing compared to the quality of the food, the sudden decision to charge last night seemed to hint at something that had happened during the day.

“Ah, about that… It’s a bit embarrassing,” the innkeeper’s wife said with a hint of guilt.

“Yesterday, many people in town found out that there was free food at the inn, and they came in droves, eating and even taking some away. The chefs had already finished their shifts, and when the crowd arrived, there was nothing left, which caused quite a scene. The boss’s assistant decided to start charging to avoid further trouble.”

So that was it. The twenty-yuan fee was mainly to reduce hassle. After breakfast, A-Yan followed the convoy for another day of routine testing. Today, they didn’t have to work until nightfall. The afternoon heat was unbearable, so they wrapped up the tests early and returned to the inn to rest.

“Huh? That RV is gone,” A-Yan immediately noticed the missing luxury B-class RV in the parking lot.

“The food truck is gone too! Oh no, have they left? I was hoping for another feast tonight,” the logistics team’s lady wailed.

“They left around noon, not long after your convoy headed out. That boss, the beautiful woman, and that handsome guy all left together,” the innkeeper’s wife explained. It was only then that A-Yan saw the WeChat message Xu Jiaojiao had sent at noon.

[Xu Jiaojiao]: A-Yan, I’ve left. Have fun, and don’t worry about me.

[Xu Jiaojiao]: See you in Ning City during winter break.

A-Yan wanted to ask who Xu Jiaojiao had left with. Either of the two male guests could act unpredictably, but if both were present, they might balance each other out. In the end, she simply replied, “See you during winter break. Don’t let yourself suffer. You’re the most important.”

After confirming that the others had left and that the desert testing phase was over, the Jidao Team decided to treat themselves to a freshly slaughtered lamb from a local restaurant for a whole roasted lamb dinner that night.

Without the luxury buffet, the roasted lamb was a great alternative, especially in the desert setting. Compared to Wagyu beef, the juicy roasted lamb was a perfect match for the environment. They feasted on the lamb, accompanied by roasted eggs, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. The fragrant lamb placed on flatbread was delicious even without any dipping sauce.

The lamb had no hint of gaminess, instead carrying a subtle milky aroma. Under the bright stars in the pollution-free night sky, the entire team was in high spirits. They had to hit the road early the next morning, so no one pressured anyone to drink. After toasting with soft drinks and juice, they returned to the inn.

But—As the team, still buzzing from the feast, entered the inn’s lobby, A-Yan spotted a familiar figure and two golden halos. The familiar [Rebirth] halo shone above their heads, making the dimly lit front desk area look somewhat gilded.

A-Yan: Um…Good news: It wasn’t Shen Jingchen or Ji Ming-Yan. Bad news: It was the other two male guests, Liang Ruichi and Wen Yu, who had left just two days ago.

“They left? When did they leave?”

“How could this be? My room is still here? They didn’t take my things?”

Liang Ruichi looked like he had rolled in the dirt, disheveled and exhausted. His voice was hoarse, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at the innkeeper’s wife.

“They left a while ago. It’s privacy when guests leave,” the innkeeper’s wife said, rolling her eyes.

Beside him, Wen Yu remained calm. “Thank you. We’ll pack up and leave now.”

“Wen Yu, stop pretending to be the good guy! If it weren’t for you, I would’ve—” Liang Ruichi shouted angrily.

If Wen Yu hadn’t held him back, he might have made it in time! Jiaojiao! What had he done?

A-Yan, hidden among the team, rolled her eyes. Even rebirth couldn’t fix stupidity. These two had also been reborn and rushed back, only to miss Xu Jiaojiao and the others, who had left earlier.

A-Yan quietly pulled Zhu Jue upstairs under the cover of the team. If Liang Ruichi found out they were still here, he might storm over and blame them for not taking care of Jiaojiao. To avoid getting caught in the crossfire, A-Yan gave the innkeeper’s wife a sympathetic look and quickly retreated to her room.

The smell of roasted lamb and other barbecue clung to her, but A-Yan wasn’t in a hurry to shower. She pressed her ear to the door, listening to the commotion outside. The inn’s soundproofing wasn’t great, and through the crack in the door, she soon heard Liang Ruichi and Wen Yu arguing as they went upstairs to pack and leave.

These two came and went quickly. A-Yan stood by the window, watching them drive off, and snapped a photo to send to Xu Jiaojiao. She could only help so much; her friend would have to handle things on her own back in Ning City.

Four reborn male guests—just thinking about it gave A-Yan a headache. On the fourth morning in Mengsha Town, the convoy set off at dawn, heading to the next testing site.

In the off-road vehicle, A-Yan reviewed the upcoming route.

“The village we’re heading to in the mountains is called Kaoshan Village? That’s an interesting name.”

“I heard it’s named that because it’s nestled against the mountains and near water. The Jidao Team has been testing in that area for a while and has become quite familiar with the locals,” the logistics lady explained.

“I heard they’ve built new roads there. The mountain roads are wider and better maintained now, but there are still a lot of winding paths.”

Although they weren’t heading into the desert today, the journey was still long. Fortunately, the ride wasn’t as bumpy. After days of travel, A-Yan and Zhu Jue had figured out how to sit more comfortably.

“Once we finish in Kaoshan Village, we’ll have to head back to school,” A-Yan said, looking at the schedule. They had left Bin City for the Mengsha Desert, then detoured to the mountains for a few days before returning to Bin City, all timed perfectly with their vacation. The vastness of the country meant most of their time was spent on the road. They set off at dawn, with the drivers taking turns at the wheel all day, carefully maintaining distance on the winding mountain roads. The mountain roads alternated between steep and gentle, and the convoy moved at a steady pace. This time, A-Yan’s off-road vehicle was leading the way.

“Someone’s up ahead, trying to flag us down,” A-Yan said, stretching after waking up from a nap. She noticed the logistics lady leaning forward.

“She’s holding up her thumb. Does she want a ride? We haven’t seen anyone else in this mountain area. She doesn’t look like a local.”

The logistics lady waved a flag to signal the convoy behind them and reported the situation over the walkie-talkie, reminding everyone to maintain a safe distance. As they got closer, they could see it was a young woman wearing a windbreaker, a backpack, and a hat—typical hiking gear. Had she hiked up the mountain?

The logistics lady rolled down the window, and the woman leaned in to speak. “Hello, do you know where Kaoshan Village is?”

The question caught everyone off guard. The logistics lady asked directly, “Are you heading to Kaoshan Village? For tourism?”

The woman nodded. “Yes, I wanted to visit. I hitched a ride part of the way and then walked for hours. I’m so glad to see people again.”

The logistics lady spoke into the walkie-talkie and then turned to A-Yan and Zhu Jue.

“Is it okay if she rides with us?”

A-Yan nodded. “No problem. Let her in.”

Although the woman had a halo, she seemed harmless, much like Chu Shen.

“Thank you so much,” the woman said with a bright, charming smile. She had short, ear-length hair.

In the back of the Jeep, Zhu Jue sat behind the driver, A-Yan in the middle, and the hitchhiker on the right side behind the passenger seat. After getting into the car, she seemed a bit reserved. After introducing herself briefly, she quieted down and didn’t ask about what they were going to do.

A-Yan held Zhu Jue’s hand, her gaze subtly sweeping over the head of the girl who had introduced herself as “Ka Ka.”

Travel Buddy. This seemed to be a specialized aura, similar to Chu Shen’s “Kitchen God” or Yuan Ye’s “Girl’s Dress-Up” type of abilities, but more grounded in everyday life.

Ever since setting a flag in her mind on the bus leaving Bin City, and then immediately encountering Xu Jiaojiao upon arriving at the Mengsha Desert, A-Yan had been reflecting on herself.

Don’t set flags—flags are bound to fall! So this time, setting off again from the small town, she tried her best not to think about anything. Whether she would encounter someone with an aura or not, she left it to fate. If it was meant to be, they would meet across a thousand miles. If she suddenly ran into her and Zhu Jue’s good roommates, she wouldn’t even be surprised.

Life is full of reunions. Either accept it, or fate would force the two of them to accept it. A-Yan even noticed a cute little figure above Ka Ka’s head, like an emoji from a phone. The little figure had short hair and a backpack, a perfect caricature of Ka Ka herself. It was the first time A-Yan had seen such an adorable aura.

She quietly wiped her eyes with a tissue. Yes, it wasn’t her imagination, but she had never seen anything like this above the heads of other aura users before. Could it be because Ka Ka’s aura was special? What did “Travel Buddy” mean?

Ka Ka sat nervously in the back seat of the jeep. Even though the back seat was spacious, she still tried to stay as close to the door as possible, afraid that her presence might make the other passengers feel cramped.

This was her third blind box trip, and she was still a bit nervous. Especially this time, the location she had painstakingly reached was even more remote than the previous two. She had no idea how many modes of transportation she had switched along the way.

The early part of the journey was manageable, but as she got closer to Kaoshan Village, it became increasingly difficult because there were almost no vehicles! She had to rely on her own two legs to walk for four hours. By now, she was truly exhausted, so when she encountered a convoy that allowed her to hitch a ride, Ka Ka felt like she was about to cry. Good people deserve a lifetime of peace!

“Ka Ka, are you a college student?” The logistics girl in the front seat, an extrovert, initiated the conversation.

“No, no, I graduated this year,” Ka Ka shook her head.

“Oh, I see. So you’re on a gap year trip, huh? Traveling across Xia Country by hitchhiking—that’s impressive,” the logistics girl gave her a thumbs up.

Hearing this, Ka Ka felt a bit embarrassed. “Not really, it’s just okay.”

Her ability to walk so much now was a far cry from her college days, when she either ate or lounged around. It all started when she accidentally downloaded a game app. After graduating, Ka Ka had been lazing around at home when one day she saw an ad that said, “Do you want to find the meaning of travel?” “Do you want to see the scenery of distant places?” “Grab your backpack and start your journey!” She then downloaded the Travel Buddy app.

Ka Ka had thought it was a game where you could raise a little character, send them out to travel, bring back souvenirs, take photos of scenery, and so on—something to kill time. What she never expected was that after entering the Travel Buddy app, she wasn’t controlling a little character. Instead, she became the “traveling character” herself, a kind of traveling frog!

Of course, Ka Ka didn’t have an owner, but the Travel Buddy app often had various tasks. Some people posted tasks asking the little character to visit distant places, some issued blind box travel invitations for random trips, and others specified times and locations, requiring the little character to go to a certain place and take a photo.

Ka Ka avoided tasks with too many specific requirements, worried that if she followed the timing, she might encounter some unknown event. So from July, when she got the Travel Buddy app, until now, she had only been doing commission tasks and blind box trips, always on the road.

The so-called blind box trip meant that she would draw a travel location completely at random. For her first two blind boxes, Ka Ka had traveled to the northernmost village in the country and also endured great hardship to reach a remote primitive village in South Yunnan.

This third blind box, however, was even more challenging than the previous two. In a remote mountain valley with almost no vehicles, she had to find a place called Kaoshan Village that even locals couldn’t locate. Sticking to the principle of “since I’ve come this far, I can’t give up now,” she persisted until now.

Traveling blindly, with no prior knowledge, having to figure everything out on the spot, and even finding no relevant information online, brought her many unknowns and difficulties, but it was also quite interesting.

Especially since Ka Ka tried to treat herself as a game player. The difficulties she encountered were just temporary obstacles that players would eventually overcome. Everything was just a task to reach the final destination. Approaching life with a gaming mindset made it feel much more fun.

The place where Ka Ka had hitched a ride wasn’t far from Kaoshan Village. The off-road vehicle sped uphill, much faster than walking, and in no time, they arrived in the village. It felt like they got there in the blink of an eye.

In Ka Ka’s field of vision, her virtual little character on the map had successfully reached the destination of this blind box trip. She mentally cheered, “Yes!”

Third blind box trip—complete success! The convoy stopped at an open area at the village entrance. Manager Li, who had already contacted the village in advance, got out to negotiate with the locals, who were casually chatting with their arms around each other.

A-Yan and the others also got out of the car, and Ka Ka bowed deeply to them. “Thank you for the ride, thank you, NPCs!”

In her excitement, Ka Ka blurted out what was on her mind. The team, mostly young people, quickly caught on and laughed.

“This is the first time I’ve been called an NPC,” A-Yan said, touching her chin as she turned to Zhu Jue.

This remote mountain area clearly had no hotels. The Jidao team had tested here several times before and had also donated money to build roads and bridges for the village. The empty houses in the village had been vacated and were directly assigned by gender.

Kaoshan Village was in a remote location, and most of the people still living there were elderly folks who grew enough food to feed themselves. The younger generation and children had already moved down the mountain, and no one bothered to come back during the National Day holiday.

As the only “stranger” in Kaoshan Village, and the first person they’d heard of who had come specifically to travel here, Ka Ka was treated like a rare guest. She was taken in and arranged to stay with the girls from the Jidao team.

“I’m really causing you trouble this time,” Ka Ka said, still feeling a bit embarrassed. She had brought her own sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and plenty of dry food, prepared to borrow an empty room and make do for the night.

“It’s no big deal. Besides, it’s not safe for you to stay alone. Staying with us means more people and more fun.”

Although the village was remote, thanks to national infrastructure projects and Jidao’s donations, they had running water and electricity, and even showers were no problem. A-Yan would be staying with the girls from the team for the next few days. Everyone had their own sleeping bags, making it private and convenient.

On the second day in Kaoshan Village, A-Yan and Zhu Jue temporarily left the team. Instead of following the vehicles for testing, they stayed in the village to look around and enjoy the scenery. During the day, the elderly gathered not far away, sunbathing, chatting, and playing chess to pass the time.

A-Yan noticed that Ka Ka hadn’t left yet. She was talking to each of the elderly folks. If A-Yan hadn’t known about the aura above Ka Ka’s head, seeing her chat and probe like this might have made her suspect Ka Ka of being a spy gathering intelligence.

Of course, Ka Ka wasn’t gathering any intelligence. She was completing her travel task. Daily Task: During the trip, talk to at least five locals to learn about their daily lives (2/5)

At first, doing such tasks was difficult. She always set mental barriers for herself, afraid of bothering others, worried that people would find her annoying for asking so many questions. But after a few tries, Ka Ka realized that more than 90% of people were actually very willing to help, especially in the remote areas she had visited during her blind box trips. Her arrival made the locals particularly enthusiastic. Just like the grandparents in front of her now. Even though they spoke with a heavy accent, they eagerly asked where she was from, if she was sleeping well, and how her studies were going.

“Our village, Kaoshan Village, has been around for ages! If you climb to the top of the mountain and look around, you’ll see the sun setting behind endless mountains. That’s why it’s called Kaoshan—’Leaning on the Mountain.'”

“Big bosses used to come here. Did you see the river on your way here? The Green Ribbon River. It’s like a jade belt wrapping around the village. Our village is beautiful!”

“Just follow that road straight ahead, and you’ll reach the mountain top.”

Ka Ka nodded, quickly finishing her small talk with the elders. She then took out a bag of soft little cakes from her backpack and handed them out to the old folks.

“Go ahead, eat them! I brought these, and they’ll go bad if you don’t.”

Even A-Yan and Zhu Jue, who were standing nearby joining in the fun, received their share. Everyone got a piece.

“Thank you,” the two of them said, and the three young people sat with the elders on the rocks under the big tree, enjoying the cakes. A-Yan had a strange feeling, one that was hard to put into words.

Ka Ka wasn’t the first “halo person” she had met, but the impression she left was completely different. Unlike others who always caused drama and stirred up trouble, Ka Ka seemed more ordinary. If it weren’t for the obvious halo above her head, A-Yan might have mistaken her for just a regular person.

“Later, I plan to go to the mountain top that Grandpa mentioned. Do you want to come?” Ka Ka invited them proactively.

“Sure! I wanted to get up early to see the sunrise this morning but overslept. Let’s go watch the sunset instead,” A-Yan agreed without hesitation.

They followed the village path up the mountain, which was lush with greenery at this time of year. Although Ka Ka had initiated the invitation, she didn’t talk much, and the three of them leisurely made their way up together. Ka Ka glanced discreetly at the young couple beside her. Compared to the villagers, who showed a friendly green aura, the couple’s neutral yellow stood out on her map, making her wonder if there was some special quest she could trigger.

After all, the others who had been staying in the same house had all gone out to work on some tests, while these two, who looked the youngest, were here sightseeing. Ka Ka couldn’t help but feel like she had stumbled upon the hidden NPCs of this journey. During her previous travel quests, Ka Ka had accidentally uncovered hidden NPCs in the area and even managed to turn their mildly hostile red auras into friendly green ones, which boosted her quest rating by two levels and earned her plenty of rewards.

This young couple seemed amiable, and they hadn’t refused her invitation earlier, which made Ka Ka feel like this was her chance! Especially since they didn’t seem curious about why she was traveling alone to such a remote village, nor did they ask any questions. Yet, they seemed to hold some weight in the carpool group. Ka Ka was convinced they were definitely the heavyweight hidden NPCs of this trip.

As she pondered how to strike up a conversation, the three of them reached the mountain top and were greeted by the breathtaking view the elders had described. In front of them was the jade belt of the river, and behind them stretched the endless mountains. The scenery was vast and stunning, and with the sunset casting golden light across the sky, it was truly a sight to soothe the soul.

For a moment, no one spoke, all holding their breath as they took in the view. Ka Ka blinked, feeling that this sight made all her hardships worth it. She snapped a photo with her camera and then glanced at the young couple. Against the backdrop of green mountains, the setting sun, and the white clouds, the two figures sitting side by side, enjoying the mountain breeze, seemed to blend perfectly into the timeless scenery, as if they were the protagonists of this world. She didn’t dare make a sound and quietly took two more photos. After a while, she walked over and showed the pictures to them.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist taking these because the view was so beautiful. If you’d like, I can send them to you. If not, I’ll delete them,” Ka Ka said, scratching her head. She noticed that the couple’s neutral yellow aura immediately turned to friendly green.

Huh? Really? Did she just complete the quest that easily? The next moment, she saw an achievement pop up on her game interface. An achievement?! These hidden NPCs are so generous!

***

Chapter 34

On the third morning in the Mengsha Desert, the first thing the Jidao Team did after gathering downstairs was to glance outside the small inn’s entrance.

Today—Was yet another day they could enjoy free breakfast!

Although the buffet breakfast charged a symbolic fee of twenty yuan per person, given the quality of the ingredients, it still felt like a steal. The inn’s restaurant had already closed, and even the innkeeper’s family was eating there.

However, as everyone looked around, they noticed that the main characters were nowhere to be seen. No drama to watch today.

“By the way, why did they suddenly start charging? That boss probably doesn’t care about such a small amount, right?”

Someone in the dining room asked. Although twenty yuan was practically nothing compared to the quality of the food, the sudden decision to charge last night seemed to hint at something that had happened during the day.

“Ah, about that… It’s a bit embarrassing,” the innkeeper’s wife said with a hint of guilt.

“Yesterday, many people in town found out that there was free food at the inn, and they came in droves, eating and even taking some away. The chefs had already finished their shifts, and when the crowd arrived, there was nothing left, which caused quite a scene. The boss’s assistant decided to start charging to avoid further trouble.”

So that was it. The twenty-yuan fee was mainly to reduce hassle. After breakfast, A-Yan followed the convoy for another day of routine testing. Today, they didn’t have to work until nightfall. The afternoon heat was unbearable, so they wrapped up the tests early and returned to the inn to rest.

“Huh? That RV is gone,” A-Yan immediately noticed the missing luxury B-class RV in the parking lot.

“The food truck is gone too! Oh no, have they left? I was hoping for another feast tonight,” the logistics team’s lady wailed.

“They left around noon, not long after your convoy headed out. That boss, the beautiful woman, and that handsome guy all left together,” the innkeeper’s wife explained. It was only then that A-Yan saw the WeChat message Xu Jiaojiao had sent at noon.

[Xu Jiaojiao]: A-Yan, I’ve left. Have fun, and don’t worry about me.

[Xu Jiaojiao]: See you in Ning City during winter break.

A-Yan wanted to ask who Xu Jiaojiao had left with. Either of the two male guests could act unpredictably, but if both were present, they might balance each other out. In the end, she simply replied, “See you during winter break. Don’t let yourself suffer. You’re the most important.”

After confirming that the others had left and that the desert testing phase was over, the Jidao Team decided to treat themselves to a freshly slaughtered lamb from a local restaurant for a whole roasted lamb dinner that night.

Without the luxury buffet, the roasted lamb was a great alternative, especially in the desert setting. Compared to Wagyu beef, the juicy roasted lamb was a perfect match for the environment. They feasted on the lamb, accompanied by roasted eggs, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. The fragrant lamb placed on flatbread was delicious even without any dipping sauce.

The lamb had no hint of gaminess, instead carrying a subtle milky aroma. Under the bright stars in the pollution-free night sky, the entire team was in high spirits. They had to hit the road early the next morning, so no one pressured anyone to drink. After toasting with soft drinks and juice, they returned to the inn.

But—As the team, still buzzing from the feast, entered the inn’s lobby, A-Yan spotted a familiar figure and two golden halos. The familiar [Rebirth] halo shone above their heads, making the dimly lit front desk area look somewhat gilded.

A-Yan: Um…Good news: It wasn’t Shen Jingchen or Ji Ming-Yan. Bad news: It was the other two male guests, Liang Ruichi and Wen Yu, who had left just two days ago.

“They left? When did they leave?”

“How could this be? My room is still here? They didn’t take my things?”

Liang Ruichi looked like he had rolled in the dirt, disheveled and exhausted. His voice was hoarse, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at the innkeeper’s wife.

“They left a while ago. It’s privacy when guests leave,” the innkeeper’s wife said, rolling her eyes.

Beside him, Wen Yu remained calm. “Thank you. We’ll pack up and leave now.”

“Wen Yu, stop pretending to be the good guy! If it weren’t for you, I would’ve—” Liang Ruichi shouted angrily.

If Wen Yu hadn’t held him back, he might have made it in time! Jiaojiao! What had he done?

A-Yan, hidden among the team, rolled her eyes. Even rebirth couldn’t fix stupidity. These two had also been reborn and rushed back, only to miss Xu Jiaojiao and the others, who had left earlier.

A-Yan quietly pulled Zhu Jue upstairs under the cover of the team. If Liang Ruichi found out they were still here, he might storm over and blame them for not taking care of Jiaojiao. To avoid getting caught in the crossfire, A-Yan gave the innkeeper’s wife a sympathetic look and quickly retreated to her room.

The smell of roasted lamb and other barbecue clung to her, but A-Yan wasn’t in a hurry to shower. She pressed her ear to the door, listening to the commotion outside. The inn’s soundproofing wasn’t great, and through the crack in the door, she soon heard Liang Ruichi and Wen Yu arguing as they went upstairs to pack and leave.

These two came and went quickly. A-Yan stood by the window, watching them drive off, and snapped a photo to send to Xu Jiaojiao. She could only help so much; her friend would have to handle things on her own back in Ning City.

Four reborn male guests—just thinking about it gave A-Yan a headache. On the fourth morning in Mengsha Town, the convoy set off at dawn, heading to the next testing site.

In the off-road vehicle, A-Yan reviewed the upcoming route.

“The village we’re heading to in the mountains is called Kaoshan Village? That’s an interesting name.”

“I heard it’s named that because it’s nestled against the mountains and near water. The Jidao Team has been testing in that area for a while and has become quite familiar with the locals,” the logistics lady explained.

“I heard they’ve built new roads there. The mountain roads are wider and better maintained now, but there are still a lot of winding paths.”

Although they weren’t heading into the desert today, the journey was still long. Fortunately, the ride wasn’t as bumpy. After days of travel, A-Yan and Zhu Jue had figured out how to sit more comfortably.

“Once we finish in Kaoshan Village, we’ll have to head back to school,” A-Yan said, looking at the schedule. They had left Bin City for the Mengsha Desert, then detoured to the mountains for a few days before returning to Bin City, all timed perfectly with their vacation. The vastness of the country meant most of their time was spent on the road. They set off at dawn, with the drivers taking turns at the wheel all day, carefully maintaining distance on the winding mountain roads. The mountain roads alternated between steep and gentle, and the convoy moved at a steady pace. This time, A-Yan’s off-road vehicle was leading the way.

“Someone’s up ahead, trying to flag us down,” A-Yan said, stretching after waking up from a nap. She noticed the logistics lady leaning forward.

“She’s holding up her thumb. Does she want a ride? We haven’t seen anyone else in this mountain area. She doesn’t look like a local.”

The logistics lady waved a flag to signal the convoy behind them and reported the situation over the walkie-talkie, reminding everyone to maintain a safe distance. As they got closer, they could see it was a young woman wearing a windbreaker, a backpack, and a hat—typical hiking gear. Had she hiked up the mountain?

The logistics lady rolled down the window, and the woman leaned in to speak. “Hello, do you know where Kaoshan Village is?”

The question caught everyone off guard. The logistics lady asked directly, “Are you heading to Kaoshan Village? For tourism?”

The woman nodded. “Yes, I wanted to visit. I hitched a ride part of the way and then walked for hours. I’m so glad to see people again.”

The logistics lady spoke into the walkie-talkie and then turned to A-Yan and Zhu Jue.

“Is it okay if she rides with us?”

A-Yan nodded. “No problem. Let her in.”

Although the woman had a halo, she seemed harmless, much like Chu Shen.

“Thank you so much,” the woman said with a bright, charming smile. She had short, ear-length hair.

In the back of the Jeep, Zhu Jue sat behind the driver, A-Yan in the middle, and the hitchhiker on the right side behind the passenger seat. After getting into the car, she seemed a bit reserved. After introducing herself briefly, she quieted down and didn’t ask about what they were going to do.

A-Yan held Zhu Jue’s hand, her gaze subtly sweeping over the head of the girl who had introduced herself as “Ka Ka.”

Travel Buddy. This seemed to be a specialized aura, similar to Chu Shen’s “Kitchen God” or Yuan Ye’s “Girl’s Dress-Up” type of abilities, but more grounded in everyday life.

Ever since setting a flag in her mind on the bus leaving Bin City, and then immediately encountering Xu Jiaojiao upon arriving at the Mengsha Desert, A-Yan had been reflecting on herself.

Don’t set flags—flags are bound to fall! So this time, setting off again from the small town, she tried her best not to think about anything. Whether she would encounter someone with an aura or not, she left it to fate. If it was meant to be, they would meet across a thousand miles. If she suddenly ran into her and Zhu Jue’s good roommates, she wouldn’t even be surprised.

Life is full of reunions. Either accept it, or fate would force the two of them to accept it. A-Yan even noticed a cute little figure above Ka Ka’s head, like an emoji from a phone. The little figure had short hair and a backpack, a perfect caricature of Ka Ka herself. It was the first time A-Yan had seen such an adorable aura.

She quietly wiped her eyes with a tissue. Yes, it wasn’t her imagination, but she had never seen anything like this above the heads of other aura users before. Could it be because Ka Ka’s aura was special? What did “Travel Buddy” mean?

Ka Ka sat nervously in the back seat of the jeep. Even though the back seat was spacious, she still tried to stay as close to the door as possible, afraid that her presence might make the other passengers feel cramped.

This was her third blind box trip, and she was still a bit nervous. Especially this time, the location she had painstakingly reached was even more remote than the previous two. She had no idea how many modes of transportation she had switched along the way.

The early part of the journey was manageable, but as she got closer to Kaoshan Village, it became increasingly difficult because there were almost no vehicles! She had to rely on her own two legs to walk for four hours. By now, she was truly exhausted, so when she encountered a convoy that allowed her to hitch a ride, Ka Ka felt like she was about to cry. Good people deserve a lifetime of peace!

“Ka Ka, are you a college student?” The logistics girl in the front seat, an extrovert, initiated the conversation.

“No, no, I graduated this year,” Ka Ka shook her head.

“Oh, I see. So you’re on a gap year trip, huh? Traveling across Xia Country by hitchhiking—that’s impressive,” the logistics girl gave her a thumbs up.

Hearing this, Ka Ka felt a bit embarrassed. “Not really, it’s just okay.”

Her ability to walk so much now was a far cry from her college days, when she either ate or lounged around. It all started when she accidentally downloaded a game app. After graduating, Ka Ka had been lazing around at home when one day she saw an ad that said, “Do you want to find the meaning of travel?” “Do you want to see the scenery of distant places?” “Grab your backpack and start your journey!” She then downloaded the Travel Buddy app.

Ka Ka had thought it was a game where you could raise a little character, send them out to travel, bring back souvenirs, take photos of scenery, and so on—something to kill time. What she never expected was that after entering the Travel Buddy app, she wasn’t controlling a little character. Instead, she became the “traveling character” herself, a kind of traveling frog!

Of course, Ka Ka didn’t have an owner, but the Travel Buddy app often had various tasks. Some people posted tasks asking the little character to visit distant places, some issued blind box travel invitations for random trips, and others specified times and locations, requiring the little character to go to a certain place and take a photo.

Ka Ka avoided tasks with too many specific requirements, worried that if she followed the timing, she might encounter some unknown event. So from July, when she got the Travel Buddy app, until now, she had only been doing commission tasks and blind box trips, always on the road.

The so-called blind box trip meant that she would draw a travel location completely at random. For her first two blind boxes, Ka Ka had traveled to the northernmost village in the country and also endured great hardship to reach a remote primitive village in South Yunnan.

This third blind box, however, was even more challenging than the previous two. In a remote mountain valley with almost no vehicles, she had to find a place called Kaoshan Village that even locals couldn’t locate. Sticking to the principle of “since I’ve come this far, I can’t give up now,” she persisted until now.

Traveling blindly, with no prior knowledge, having to figure everything out on the spot, and even finding no relevant information online, brought her many unknowns and difficulties, but it was also quite interesting.

Especially since Ka Ka tried to treat herself as a game player. The difficulties she encountered were just temporary obstacles that players would eventually overcome. Everything was just a task to reach the final destination. Approaching life with a gaming mindset made it feel much more fun.

The place where Ka Ka had hitched a ride wasn’t far from Kaoshan Village. The off-road vehicle sped uphill, much faster than walking, and in no time, they arrived in the village. It felt like they got there in the blink of an eye.

In Ka Ka’s field of vision, her virtual little character on the map had successfully reached the destination of this blind box trip. She mentally cheered, “Yes!”

Third blind box trip—complete success! The convoy stopped at an open area at the village entrance. Manager Li, who had already contacted the village in advance, got out to negotiate with the locals, who were casually chatting with their arms around each other.

A-Yan and the others also got out of the car, and Ka Ka bowed deeply to them. “Thank you for the ride, thank you, NPCs!”

In her excitement, Ka Ka blurted out what was on her mind. The team, mostly young people, quickly caught on and laughed.

“This is the first time I’ve been called an NPC,” A-Yan said, touching her chin as she turned to Zhu Jue.

This remote mountain area clearly had no hotels. The Jidao team had tested here several times before and had also donated money to build roads and bridges for the village. The empty houses in the village had been vacated and were directly assigned by gender.

Kaoshan Village was in a remote location, and most of the people still living there were elderly folks who grew enough food to feed themselves. The younger generation and children had already moved down the mountain, and no one bothered to come back during the National Day holiday.

As the only “stranger” in Kaoshan Village, and the first person they’d heard of who had come specifically to travel here, Ka Ka was treated like a rare guest. She was taken in and arranged to stay with the girls from the Jidao team.

“I’m really causing you trouble this time,” Ka Ka said, still feeling a bit embarrassed. She had brought her own sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and plenty of dry food, prepared to borrow an empty room and make do for the night.

“It’s no big deal. Besides, it’s not safe for you to stay alone. Staying with us means more people and more fun.”

Although the village was remote, thanks to national infrastructure projects and Jidao’s donations, they had running water and electricity, and even showers were no problem. A-Yan would be staying with the girls from the team for the next few days. Everyone had their own sleeping bags, making it private and convenient.

On the second day in Kaoshan Village, A-Yan and Zhu Jue temporarily left the team. Instead of following the vehicles for testing, they stayed in the village to look around and enjoy the scenery. During the day, the elderly gathered not far away, sunbathing, chatting, and playing chess to pass the time.

A-Yan noticed that Ka Ka hadn’t left yet. She was talking to each of the elderly folks. If A-Yan hadn’t known about the aura above Ka Ka’s head, seeing her chat and probe like this might have made her suspect Ka Ka of being a spy gathering intelligence.

Of course, Ka Ka wasn’t gathering any intelligence. She was completing her travel task. Daily Task: During the trip, talk to at least five locals to learn about their daily lives (2/5)

At first, doing such tasks was difficult. She always set mental barriers for herself, afraid of bothering others, worried that people would find her annoying for asking so many questions. But after a few tries, Ka Ka realized that more than 90% of people were actually very willing to help, especially in the remote areas she had visited during her blind box trips. Her arrival made the locals particularly enthusiastic. Just like the grandparents in front of her now. Even though they spoke with a heavy accent, they eagerly asked where she was from, if she was sleeping well, and how her studies were going.

“Our village, Kaoshan Village, has been around for ages! If you climb to the top of the mountain and look around, you’ll see the sun setting behind endless mountains. That’s why it’s called Kaoshan—’Leaning on the Mountain.'”

“Big bosses used to come here. Did you see the river on your way here? The Green Ribbon River. It’s like a jade belt wrapping around the village. Our village is beautiful!”

“Just follow that road straight ahead, and you’ll reach the mountain top.”

Ka Ka nodded, quickly finishing her small talk with the elders. She then took out a bag of soft little cakes from her backpack and handed them out to the old folks.

“Go ahead, eat them! I brought these, and they’ll go bad if you don’t.”

Even A-Yan and Zhu Jue, who were standing nearby joining in the fun, received their share. Everyone got a piece.

“Thank you,” the two of them said, and the three young people sat with the elders on the rocks under the big tree, enjoying the cakes. A-Yan had a strange feeling, one that was hard to put into words.

Ka Ka wasn’t the first “halo person” she had met, but the impression she left was completely different. Unlike others who always caused drama and stirred up trouble, Ka Ka seemed more ordinary. If it weren’t for the obvious halo above her head, A-Yan might have mistaken her for just a regular person.

“Later, I plan to go to the mountain top that Grandpa mentioned. Do you want to come?” Ka Ka invited them proactively.

“Sure! I wanted to get up early to see the sunrise this morning but overslept. Let’s go watch the sunset instead,” A-Yan agreed without hesitation.

They followed the village path up the mountain, which was lush with greenery at this time of year. Although Ka Ka had initiated the invitation, she didn’t talk much, and the three of them leisurely made their way up together. Ka Ka glanced discreetly at the young couple beside her. Compared to the villagers, who showed a friendly green aura, the couple’s neutral yellow stood out on her map, making her wonder if there was some special quest she could trigger.

After all, the others who had been staying in the same house had all gone out to work on some tests, while these two, who looked the youngest, were here sightseeing. Ka Ka couldn’t help but feel like she had stumbled upon the hidden NPCs of this journey. During her previous travel quests, Ka Ka had accidentally uncovered hidden NPCs in the area and even managed to turn their mildly hostile red auras into friendly green ones, which boosted her quest rating by two levels and earned her plenty of rewards.

This young couple seemed amiable, and they hadn’t refused her invitation earlier, which made Ka Ka feel like this was her chance! Especially since they didn’t seem curious about why she was traveling alone to such a remote village, nor did they ask any questions. Yet, they seemed to hold some weight in the carpool group. Ka Ka was convinced they were definitely the heavyweight hidden NPCs of this trip.

As she pondered how to strike up a conversation, the three of them reached the mountain top and were greeted by the breathtaking view the elders had described. In front of them was the jade belt of the river, and behind them stretched the endless mountains. The scenery was vast and stunning, and with the sunset casting golden light across the sky, it was truly a sight to soothe the soul.

For a moment, no one spoke, all holding their breath as they took in the view. Ka Ka blinked, feeling that this sight made all her hardships worth it. She snapped a photo with her camera and then glanced at the young couple. Against the backdrop of green mountains, the setting sun, and the white clouds, the two figures sitting side by side, enjoying the mountain breeze, seemed to blend perfectly into the timeless scenery, as if they were the protagonists of this world. She didn’t dare make a sound and quietly took two more photos. After a while, she walked over and showed the pictures to them.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist taking these because the view was so beautiful. If you’d like, I can send them to you. If not, I’ll delete them,” Ka Ka said, scratching her head. She noticed that the couple’s neutral yellow aura immediately turned to friendly green.

Huh? Really? Did she just complete the quest that easily? The next moment, she saw an achievement pop up on her game interface. An achievement?! These hidden NPCs are so generous!

***

Chapter 36

On the evening of October 7th, just before the 11 PM curfew at Bin University’s dormitory, Chu Bingbing and Gu Jiasui rushed back to their room, dragging their suitcases behind them.

“Whew! Made it! I’m exhausted,” Chu Bingbing exclaimed as she pushed her suitcase into the room and collapsed onto her office chair, letting out a deep sigh.

Gu Jiasui, moving gracefully, also took off her coat, revealing a slight sheen of sweat on her neck.

“Glad you’re both back. Hurry up and wash up—don’t you have early classes tomorrow?” Yi Zhi called out to them.

A-Yan had returned in the afternoon, and although Ding Ling had stayed on campus during the holiday like her, she was often elusive, disappearing at random times. The two of them rarely crossed paths in the dorm.

Yi Zhi herself had been out and about quite a bit. She had to admit, the fried rice made by Chu Shen’s roommate was truly exceptional. Even someone like her, who usually just eats to fill her stomach, couldn’t resist visiting Chu’s little restaurant several times.

A-Yan poked her head out from behind her bed curtain to greet the two, then flopped back down. She and Zhu Jue had slept in at the hotel, used the laundry facilities to wash and dry some clothes, and didn’t return to campus until after dinner.

After unpacking everything from her hiking bag, A-Yan felt completely drained. She sprawled out on her bed, which she had only been using for less than a month, but already felt a sense of comfort. There’s nothing like your own bed!

After days of continuous traveling, A-Yan felt like she needed this week to recover and recharge. Right now, she was just feeling a bit sluggish. Chu Bingbing, after catching her breath, started unpacking with Gu Jiasui.

“The capital was so crowded. I even bravely tried some fermented bean juice—what a unique flavor,” she complained while placing the souvenirs she and Gu Jiasui had bought on the shared table.

“I got some pastries. They’re delicious, but a bit too rich if you eat too much. Since they have a short shelf life, I figured we should eat them tonight so they don’t go bad,” Chu Bingbing said. Instead of buying the typical touristy “Beijing Eight Delicacies” gift box, she had brought back some pastries she had tried at the hotel—hawthorn cakes, yam rolls, and the like.

“I bought some bookmarks from the Forbidden City,” Gu Jiasui added, also presenting her souvenirs.

A-Yan, lying on her bed, slowly lifted her head. Oh no, she had forgotten to bring back any local specialties. The thing was, the places she had visited didn’t really have anything worth bringing back. One was a remote mountain village, and the other was a desert town—both places were barely developed as tourist spots. She couldn’t exactly bring back a jar of sand. Ding Ling rushed back just one minute before curfew, carrying a large assortment of mooncakes in various packaging.

“Little Ding Ling, where did you get all these? Did some mooncake shop have a clearance sale?” Chu Bingbing asked, watching as Ding Ling dumped the pile onto the table and let out a sigh of relief.

“Nope,” Ding Ling replied, wiping away imaginary sweat. “A friend had too many and asked me to take them.”

In truth, these mooncakes—ranging from cheap to high-end brands—were a mix of gifts from the Special Case Team for the Mid-Autumn Festival and offerings sent by the school’s Mingzhi Hall. Senior Shen Hui and others had claimed they were tired of eating them and didn’t want them to go to waste, so they gave the extras to Ding Ling.

“Mid-Autumn Festival is over, and now no one wants to eat mooncakes. How long are we going to be stuck with these?” Chu Bingbing shook her head. She had never been a fan of mooncakes—too oily and sweet. She rarely ate them as a kid and even less so as an adult.

“They can be breakfast or a snack when you’re hungry. Mooncakes are pretty filling,” Ding Ling said.

She could sense A-Yan’s presence in the room, which inexplicably made her feel at ease. Meanwhile, Yi Zhi had already started digging into a small salted mooncake. “Sweet and salty—delicious,” she said, giving it a thumbs-up.

Foods like this, high in calories, would have been a godsend during the apocalypse. Even old mooncakes could provide a lot of energy, making them highly sought after.

After finishing the mooncake, Yi Zhi opened one of the pastries Chu Bingbing had brought back. “This hawthorn cake is tangy and sweet—it really whets your appetite.”

Seeing Yi Zhi enjoy the food so much, A-Yan was eventually coaxed out of bed to join in.

“I really didn’t find anything worth bringing back from the places I went. I’ll make it up to you all next time,” A-Yan said apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it,” Chu Bingbing waved her off. A-Yan had been on official business, after all. Who would go to such remote places for fun?

Gu Jiasui, who had flown back with Chu Bingbing and was also feeling a bit hungry, skipped the mooncakes and instead picked up a piece of kidney bean cake, eating it slowly. She glanced at A-Yan but decided not to voice her questions just yet. She would find a way to subtly probe A-Yan tomorrow when they went to class together. Unaware of Gu Jiasui’s thoughts, A-Yan was about to go to bed when Yi Zhi suddenly announced some good news to the group.

“Chu Shen said he can bring fried rice tomorrow morning. Who wants some?”

“Me!” Chu Bingbing immediately signed up.

“All of us! And don’t forget the side dishes,” A-Yan chimed in.

“Count me in,” Ding Ling and Gu Jiasui quickly followed.

They hadn’t had Chu Shen’s fried rice in over a week. If the chef was offering to deliver, why wait?

“Chu Shen said okay. He’ll bring enough for two dorms. I’ve already transferred him the money, and I’ll send a group payment request later,” Yi Zhi explained.

“Yi Zhi, how many times did you go eat there?” A-Yan asked curiously. She had seen the photos Yi Zhi posted of the restaurant during the holiday, and it was clear Yi Zhi had become quite familiar with Chu Shen.

“Ahem, just six days,” Yi Zhi admitted, a little embarrassed. Except for the days she had to deal with the gold shop, she had made a point to stop by Chu’s little restaurant early each morning.

Honestly, if she hadn’t been so confident in herself and sure that Chu Shen’s fried rice didn’t contain anything unusual, she might have thought she was under some kind of spell.

A-Yan gave a thumbs-up from her bed. “Impressive. Has he come up with any new dishes?”

The fried rice was great, but she was curious about trying something else.

“Nope. Just the fried rice, and the place is packed every day,” Yi Zhi said.

“Okay, okay, let’s not talk about fried rice anymore. I’m starting to drool and feel hungry again. I definitely can’t eat anything else tonight,” Chu Bingbing quickly cut in.

If they kept talking, they’d all be craving fried rice and unable to sleep. Yi Zhi hadn’t just been going to Chu’s restaurant for the fried rice. Every time she ate there, she confirmed that Chu Shen’s dish was made with top-notch ingredients and skill. Based on the restaurant’s popularity, she was considering whether she could collaborate with Chu Shen on sourcing ingredients.

She had a lot of ingredients stored in her space! Especially after depositing some of the gold bars she had exchanged into the bank and transferring the rest to her space, her little pocket dimension had started upgrading again—and it still wasn’t finished.

Yi Zhi was starting to wonder just how big her space would become. Her own capacity to cultivate the land was limited, and the black soil seemed endless—she couldn’t possibly plant everything!

She had been racking her brain trying to figure out how to offload some of the ingredients stored in her space, but with Chu Shen only serving fried rice, it was proving to be a challenge. The next morning, as Chu Shen was walking into campus with a massive backpack after getting off the subway, he ran into Yi Zhi, who was waiting for him.

“You’re up early?” he asked, surprised to see her.

“I go for a run every morning. Just give me the food for our dorm—no need to deliver it,” Yi Zhi said, taking two three-tiered pink lunch boxes from Chu Shen, identical to the ones A-Yan had brought back before.

She effortlessly carried the boxes and started jogging. “They won’t leak, right? I’ll hurry back while they’re still warm. Everyone’s waiting.”

Chu Shen wanted to say something more, but the sight of the athletic young woman sprinting off with the food left him speechless. She was clearly in a hurry to dig in. Chu Shen adjusted his now lighter backpack and tried to jog like Yi Zhi, but after a few steps, he decided to walk instead. He sent a quick message in the dorm group chat, telling the guys to come down and get their food.

He had been carrying that heavy backpack all the way on the subway—he was tired too!

In Room 320 of the girls’ dormitory, five girls were happily eating fried rice. Chu Bingbing, with a gentle demeanor, was lightly massaging Yi Zhi’s shoulders.

“You’ve worked hard, Zhi Zhi,” she said.

Although it was the first day back after the holiday, everyone felt a renewed sense of hope after eating the fried rice. Meanwhile, in Room 414 of the boys’ dormitory, the roommates who had received fried rice from Chu Shen were transferring money to him. Even though Chu Shen’s family ran a restaurant, no one wanted to freeload, not even for a small portion of fried rice. Ye Ping’an looked at Chu Shen’s half-empty backpack with surprise.

“Did you deliver some to the girls’ dormitory first?”

He wondered if Chu Shen had gone to Zhu Jue’s crush again on his own initiative. Chu Shen rolled his eyes at the question. “What are you thinking? I just entered the school gate, and Yi Zhi was already waiting there. That strong girl ran faster than me with her lunchbox in hand.”

“Judging by her speed, only Brother Fan in our dorm could keep up with her.”

“Yi Zhi? Oh, I know her. She’s from A-Yan’s dorm, right? She’s the all-around warrior from the Agricultural College who became famous during military training, almost hitting perfect scores in shooting,” Ye Ping’an said, well-informed as always.

“I heard her family is from the military. Isn’t that right, Zhu Jue? Didn’t you and your crush make it to the military skills finals too?” Ye Ping’an added casually.

From the military? Lin Fan’s ears perked up. A fellow comrade! During military training, he had kept a low profile, but he had heard about this fierce female freshman. He wondered which military region she was from.

“I’m not too sure,” Zhu Jue shook his head.

“Brother Jue’s brain can only store information about his crush. Asking him is useless,” Yuan Ye teased.

“I think it’s true. Yi Zhi has this strong presence. She’s been coming to the restaurant these past few days, and last night she asked if I could deliver food. I didn’t dare refuse,” Chu Shen said with a bitter smile.

He could usually be indifferent to other customers, but Yi Zhi’s presence was overwhelming. It was hard to describe, but even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, he felt that refusing her request would somehow be dangerous.

And… Yi Zhi ate at the restaurant with such relish, so seriously, as if she cherished every bite. While other customers did the same, Yi Zhi stood out. It felt like she had been starving for a long time, and it wasn’t just because the fried rice was delicious. She seemed to treasure every kind of food.

“I think Brother Shen is starting to have a crush,” Ye Ping’an joked.

“No, no, don’t say that. Don’t tarnish her reputation. She’s the type of person who exudes strength, tall and handsome like a warrior. I just want to kneel and call her ‘big sister.’ I like sweet girls,” Chu Shen quickly clarified, trying to shut down the conversation.

When guys talk about girls, it’s easy for the conversation to turn romantic. But Yi Zhi wasn’t his type, and she probably wouldn’t be interested in an ordinary guy either. It was better not to let the topic escalate, lest the roommates start teasing and cause misunderstandings.

Seeing Chu Shen’s reaction, Ye Ping’an stopped joking. However, Yuan Ye, curious after hearing about her, searched the school’s official account and found photos of the so-called “handsome sister” Yi Zhi in the military training section.

“Regardless of anything else, she really is handsome,” he said, holding his phone. The military training section had several solo shots of Yi Zhi showcasing different skills—shooting, first aid, CPR—and group photos. Even in the group photos, where everyone was wearing the same military training uniforms, her upright posture and spirited demeanor made her stand out.

Apart from Chu Shen and Zhu Jue, who had seen Yi Zhi in person, the other roommates gathered around to look at the photos.

“Brother Jue, your crush’s dorm seems to be full of interesting people. There’s the military training all-rounder and even a big celebrity,” Ye Ping’an remarked.

Zhu Jue thought to himself that his roommates weren’t exactly ordinary either, but he simply replied, “Bin University has a good student pool. Everyone here is outstanding, selected from the best in each city. It’s normal.”

Xiao Qingnang, who had been silent until now, gave him a thumbs-up, complimenting everyone with that one statement.

While they talked, none of them forgot to eat. Chu Shen quietly checked the system notifications. It’s going up! Zhu Jue and A-Yan’s favorability points increased again!

As expected, he had guessed that after not having his fried rice for over a week, eating it again after the holiday would boost their favorability!

Another five points, bringing each of them to ten points now. Heaven and earth, please don’t let it drop suddenly like a rollercoaster!

At that moment, Chu Shen looked at Zhu Jue with gratitude in his eyes. Good brother, this proves that the fried rice delivery strategy works! It’s something that can be consistently applied! Keep it up!

Deliver! Keep delivering! Yuan Ye noticed Chu Shen’s gaze and felt a bit uneasy. If Chu Shen hadn’t said he liked sweet girls, such an intense look at a guy could easily be misunderstood!

“Descendant of the Culinary God, special mission favorability progress has reached 10. You may now activate the stage-based reward system. Would you like to proceed?”

The Culinary God system suddenly spoke in Chu Shen’s mind, startling him. Stage-based rewards? Is that how it works?

Does this mean he’s completed 10% and can receive a reward?

“Activate. What’s the stage-based reward?” he couldn’t help but ask.

Was it because this pair was so hard to win over that the special mission had been upgraded to a long-term one? Without some kind of reward, he might have really given up.

“The River of Culinary Arts is now open. The Descendant of the Culinary God may enter parallel dimensions to learn from masters.”

Chu Shen was stunned by the system’s words.

“The River of Culinary Arts? Learning from masters? Are you saying I can enter the world of ‘Cooking Master Boy’? Or go back thousands of years to learn from Pao Ding, the legendary butcher?”

“The Descendant of the Culinary God may travel through the historical River of Culinary Arts to refine their skills. Fictional worlds are inaccessible.”

“So… this is like time travel? Can I go to the Song Dynasty to learn Dongpo Pork from Su Dongpo? Or learn Mapo Tofu from the original Mapo? What about my identity?” Chu Shen muttered to himself.

“The Culinary Arts dimension is exclusively for the Descendant of the Culinary God to hone their skills. You will be provided with a reasonable identity in that dimension. Whether you learn anything depends on your own efforts.”

So… soul transmigration?

“When can I enter the Culinary Arts dimension? Tonight?” Chu Shen was eager to try it out.

“The River of Culinary Arts space is a stage-based reward. Please continue to work hard, Descendant of the Culinary God.”

Chu Shen was immediately frustrated. It was only unlocked but not usable yet? Did this mean he had to keep working on Zhu Jue and A-Yan’s favorability?

Such an important feature, such a special space, was locked behind this special mission, bit by bit. Chu Shen felt restless, as if the system had dangled a carrot in front of him just to keep him grinding favorability points.

It had already been so hard to earn these ten points. When would he ever reach the next stage and enter the River of Culinary Arts?

A-Yan and Gu Jiasui walked together to the teaching building for class. A-Yan had only found time the previous night to catch up on the latest news in Bin City.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the grand birthday banquet of the Lu family’s patriarch in Bin City had gathered many elites. Gu Jiasui had presented “Lan Mo” as a gift, delighting both the grandfather and grandson. Lu Jianian’s photos from the banquet had sparked heated discussions online, with fans calling her the “Lu family heiress.” However, since the banquet photos showed the elderly Lu couple holding hands with Gu Jiasui in the center, another wave of controversy erupted online, with Lu Jianian’s fans accusing the elders of favoritism.

This had happened almost a week ago, so A-Yan was late to the news. At the time, she had been in the desert observing Xu Jiaojiao, sending daily updates, and with poor signal, she hadn’t paid much attention to online news. But looking at Gu Jiasui now, she seemed completely unaffected.

Last night, when Chu Bingbing and Gu Jiasui returned together, A-Yan suddenly remembered that Chu Bingbing had donated a Zhou Dynasty imperial scroll to the Palace Museum. But when A-Yan searched for information last night, there was nothing. It wasn’t until this morning that official announcements and morning news reported it. During breakfast, A-Yan noticed that the news had already made it to the trending topics.

#A Woman Donates National Treasure-Level Zhou Dynasty Imperial Scroll to the Palace Museum# was sparking heated discussions across platforms.

“Handwritten letters from three emperors and one princess! Oh my, when will it be exhibited? I need to see it immediately!”

“Please exhibit it soon! Make sure it’s well-protected. Thank you to the woman who shared such a treasure with the public. I hope the Palace Museum will be generous and not keep it locked away.”

“Ahhh! Jia Ning script! Another authentic piece! I can’t wait to see it!”

At Chu Bingbing’s request, the press release did not disclose any personal information about her.

“A-Yan.” As they walked, Gu Jiasui suddenly called her name. A-Yan turned her head to the side, “What is it, Suisui?”

Gu Jiasui’s tone was unhurried, as if she were casually asking, “I noticed you practice calligraphy and painting. Do you like the Jianing style?”

A-Yan’s mind instantly sharpened. Why was Gu Jiasui suddenly asking her this question?

She… wasn’t she Jianing herself? Although A-Yan wasn’t a hundred percent sure, in her heart, it was almost certain.

Facing “Princess Jianing” herself, she definitely couldn’t say she didn’t like it.

“I do,” A-Yan replied with a smile. “Who among those who practice calligraphy doesn’t like the Jianing style?”

Gu Jiasui smiled at her response. “I thought you didn’t like it. You gave me the chance to go to the Forbidden City with Bingbing. It’s such a rare opportunity to see the emperor’s scrolls up close.”

A-Yan’s internal alarm bells went off. So that’s what this was about! Gu Jiasui was testing her with her words.

Her expression remained calm as she blinked her eyes. “I’ve already seen them before. That time we went to the auction with Bingbing, I got to see the emperor’s scrolls up close. Besides, I have plans during the holiday, so the timing doesn’t work out for me. You’ve given me calligraphy and paintings that are clearly modeled after the Jianing style, and they’re so well done that if the ink weren’t so fresh, they could almost pass as originals. It’s obvious you’ve been practicing for years.”

“Compared to my not-so-exclusive interest, it’s clearly better for you to have this opportunity.”

A-Yan answered with complete composure. Regarding her speculation about Gu Jiasui’s identity, she concluded that Gu Jiasui was either Princess Jianing or a fan of Princess Jianing who had also come from ancient times. Either way, the chance to see the Zhou dynasty emperor’s scrolls was more meaningful for Gu Jiasui, whether she wanted to see her own old possessions or the authentic works of her idol. A-Yan thought it was better to give her the opportunity.

“Besides, there’s that cultural program Lin Lu mentioned. If you go, it’ll kill two birds with one stone,” A-Yan added confidently.

Gu Jiasui was momentarily stunned. The two reasons A-Yan gave were so perfectly logical that a hint of amusement flickered in her eyes. So that’s how it was?

Her tone carried a touch of helplessness. “You did such a good deed, yet you didn’t say a word about it.”

If A-Yan hadn’t mentioned it to Chu Bingbing, Chu Bingbing would never have known about the underlying complexities.

A-Yan casually scratched her chin. “The opportunity was Bingbing’s to begin with, so it didn’t really have anything to do with me. Besides, I thought it would be a nice surprise for you. Surprised? Unexpected?”

She suddenly extended her right hand, waving it in front of Gu Jiasui’s eyes like a magician revealing a trick.

Gu Jiasui couldn’t help but shake her head and laugh at A-Yan’s childlike antics. “You… I thought…”

A-Yan’s ears perked up, and her heart skipped a beat. What did she think? Did Gu Jiasui mistakenly believe that A-Yan knew her true identity?

A-Yan continued to play dumb. “Thought what?”

Gu Jiasui looked at her, the confusion in A-Yan’s eyes making her shake her head gently. “It’s nothing.”

She must have been overthinking it.

A-Yan… what could she even say about her? Doing good deeds without seeking recognition, giving favors without a second thought—such a carefree and unpretentious personality could only have been nurtured in the modern era.

In her past life, Gu Jiasui had carefully combed through her memories, but she couldn’t recall any noblewoman in the capital with such an endearing personality. She had rarely interacted with others back then. Whenever she attended a banquet, the room would be filled with flattery directed at the princess. Even the young ladies who played in the gardens would adopt a dignified and graceful demeanor in her presence, striving to emulate the princess.

Thus, Gu Jiasui couldn’t recall anyone from her past who resembled A-Yan in temperament. If they had only crossed paths briefly at a few banquets, poetry gatherings, flower-viewing parties, or boat excursions, it was even harder to know.

During the morning class, Gu Jiasui couldn’t quite reconcile her thoughts. She quietly set aside some of her suspicions, though there was also a small, unspoken sense of disappointment. Though they sat together, their minds were elsewhere. A-Yan appeared to be paying attention to the lecture, but in reality, she was frantically replaying and analyzing the conversation she had with Gu Jiasui earlier that day.

Had she slipped up? Were her responses flawless? Had Gu Jiasui’s doubts about her been dispelled?

The day was packed with classes, and it wasn’t until after dinner, during their evening stroll, that A-Yan finally had a chance to catch up with Zhu Jue. She whispered the day’s developments to her.

A-Yan patted her chest. “That scared me. Another day saved by my flawless acting skills. I almost thought I’d been exposed.”

She and Jue went over the logic of what she had said to Suisui that morning. It was airtight, a perfect explanation.

“It should be fine,” Zhu Jue said.

A-Yan and Zhu Jue walked hand in hand, chatting as they strolled along the familiar campus path. A-Yan looked up and saw two figures approaching.

One was a very familiar, graceful figure with an almost halo-like presence—it was Gu Jiasui, whom they had just been discussing. Beside her, maintaining a respectful distance, was a man in a suit who also looked familiar.

A-Yan was momentarily stunned. “Gu Jiasui and… Professor Su?”

Wasn’t he the one she had jokingly complained about stealing the “hero saves the beauty” moment from her? What were these two doing together?

***

Chapter 37

Gu Jiasui was on the phone when she heard a noise behind her. She turned around and unexpectedly came face-to-face with a familiar figure once again.

Su Jing, a professor in the mathematics department at Bin University. But this was not the Su Jing she had once known, of that she was certain. In fact, apart from the accidental encounter at the start of the semester, she had very little interaction with this man.

One was a student, the other a teacher. One was an entertainer in the entertainment industry, the other a professor in the ivory tower. At this moment, it was only their third unexpected meeting.

The last time had been just a few days ago, at the birthday banquet of the Lu family patriarch. Su Jing had been one of the invited guests, and her grandfather had specifically called him over to chat, asking him to look out for his granddaughter.

This Su Jing came from a prestigious literary family, with elders who were renowned writers, musicians, and painters—all highly celebrated figures. Yet Su Jing had chosen the path of mathematics. His gaze and demeanor were different from the Su Jing she had known in her past life.

This realization brought her a sense of relief, though tinged with a faint, almost imperceptible melancholy. It was just the same face and name, nothing more. Perhaps he was a descendant of Su Jing from her past life—who could say?

She had been given the chance to live another life, and she ought to cherish the present rather than dwell on the past. So, when Su Jing approached her and invited her to walk together, Gu Jiasui was somewhat surprised.

Professor Su clearly wasn’t the most talkative person. As they walked, their conversation was limited to a few perfunctory remarks like, “How’s school life?” and “How are things with your roommate?”

The questions felt almost like the kind of polite small talk an elder might make. Gu Jiasui responded with shallow answers, not feeling particularly close to him and having little to say. After a while of walking in silence, the man beside her spoke up:

“Miss Gu, has Old Master Lu mentioned the marriage arrangement between the Lu and Su families to you?”

Marriage arrangement? The words caught Gu Jiasui completely off guard. She remembered that before she had transmigrated into this body, there had indeed been a marriage arrangement between the Lu and Su families. However, since the original owner of this body had gone missing as a child, the arrangement had essentially fallen to the adopted daughter, Lu Jianian, and her fiancé.

“Wasn’t that arrangement meant for Lu Jianian?”

Seeing her expression, Su Jing realized that Gu Jiasui was unaware of the complications. He explained in a low, magnetic voice: “That’s correct. Originally, the arrangement was between my cousin and Miss Lu. However, during the birthday banquet, my grandfather mentioned that Lu Jianian is not a biological member of the Lu family, and he suggested reconnecting the arrangement.”

Reconnecting the arrangement? Gu Jiasui felt a strange unease. Did this mean Lu Jianian and her fiancé were no longer together? But hadn’t they been deeply in love?

So why had Su Jing suddenly approached her? Was he implying that the arrangement might now involve her and him?

She stopped walking and looked up at him. “Professor Su, given your current status, surely your marriage isn’t something your family can dictate, is it?”

“You mentioned the marriage arrangement between the Lu and Su families, but my surname is Gu. Arranged marriages are illegal in this day and age.”

Her expression was cold, her slightly furrowed brows clearly conveying her displeasure. Gu Jiasui had prepared herself for the possibility that he might react with anger, but instead, she heard him chuckle.

“Miss Gu, you’re absolutely right. I feel the same way.”

“To be honest, there’s nearly a ten-year age gap between us. Since we’re both in an academic environment, it’s better to keep things purely professional between teacher and student.”

Gu Jiasui gave him a surprised look as he continued, “It’s better for us to clear the air now than to let our elders meddle. That way, we can put this matter to rest for both families.”

She nodded slightly, and after this exchange, the atmosphere between them lightened considerably. They chatted about trivial matters as they walked.

“The staff canteen has a few good dishes, and students are allowed in. If you have time, you should try them.”

Su Jing also asked a few curious questions about some famous “gossip” in the entertainment industry. Gu Jiasui shook her head. “I really don’t know much about that.”

This wasn’t the first time someone at school had asked her about some celebrity scandal or another. Gu Jiasui found it frustrating. She didn’t have cameras installed in people’s homes, and while she might have met or heard about some of these celebrities, she had no way of knowing whether the rumors were true.

She relied on news and online gossip just like everyone else! As they talked, Gu Jiasui spotted A-Yan and Zhu Jue up ahead.

Without hesitation, she spoke up. “My roommates are over there. I’ll see you later.”

Su Jing nodded politely and gestured for her to go ahead. “Goodbye.”

A-Yan watched as Gu Jiasui waved at her and then left Professor Su behind, walking over to join them. She and Zhu Jue stopped and waited. Though they weren’t sure what had happened, it didn’t seem like anything major had occurred. However, it looked like their plans for a quiet evening together were over.

“Jiasui, want to head back to the dorm together?” A-Yan asked.

Gu Jiasui smiled apologetically. “Sorry for interrupting your time.”

A-Yan glanced curiously in the direction of Professor Su but didn’t ask Gu Jiasui any questions. After all, the man didn’t seem like someone who would cause any drama. The three of them walked together, and suddenly, a plump orange cat emerged from the bushes, boldly making its way toward them.

“Wow, a big orange cat!” A-Yan exclaimed in delight.

The Bin University campus was home to many cats and dogs, some of whom even wandered into classrooms, earning them the nickname “Bin University Class Monitors” among the students.

These animals were well cared for by the campus pet protection association, which ensured they were spayed or neutered. Now, they lived freely on campus, enjoying the constant stream of food from students. This particular orange cat was clearly one of them, its fur sleek and shiny, a testament to its well-fed life. The cat confidently approached Gu Jiasui, seemingly familiar with her, and promptly flopped onto its back, exposing its belly. A-Yan was stunned.

“So bold!”

Gu Jiasui, clearly used to this, pulled out a sealed packet of chicken breast from her bag, opened it, and placed it in front of the cat. But the cat sniffed it and refused to eat. A-Yan had noticed the convenience store chicken strips in Gu Jiasui’s bag before and assumed they were for her own diet as an entertainer. Now it seemed they were meant for the cats.

Gu Jiasui crouched down and began petting the cat, which lay there, completely relaxed and enjoying the attention. She broke off a small piece of chicken and held it to the cat’s nose. Only then did the cat deign to give it a lick.

And then, A-Yan swore she saw the cat make a “yuck” face.

Even the cat thought the chicken was gross! A-Yan and Zhu Jue crouched beside Gu Jiasui, watching her pet the cat. Despite its sharp claws, the cat kept them retracted, clearly mindful not to scratch her. What a clever little cat!

“A-Yan, do you want to pet it? This one’s not shy,” Gu Jiasui said softly.

She had first encountered the cat by chance while feeding it on campus. Since then, whenever she sat on a bench alone, the cat would come over and sit beside her, rubbing against her.

A-Yan shook her head wistfully. “No, we’ll just watch you enjoy it. Zhu Jue and I are both severely allergic to cats.”

Strangely, they weren’t allergic to dogs, but cat fur was a different story. Initially, only Zhu Jue had been allergic, but over time, A-Yan had developed the same sensitivity.

“That chicken probably doesn’t taste very good,” A-Yan commented.

Gu Jiasui shook her head. “It’s too fat. I took it to the vet once, and they said it needs to lose weight. The students here feed it too much, so I use this to help curb its appetite.”

A-Yan was surprised. She hadn’t expected that to be the reason.

“I actually contacted the association to have it adopted by my company, but after a few days, it kept escaping. It was exhausting trying to catch it, so we brought it back. It clearly prefers the freedom of campus life.”

A-Yan suddenly remembered. “That’s why you were away from the dorm so much last month.”

“Yeah, a cat that’s grown up on such a big campus probably doesn’t want to be cooped up indoors,” Gu Jiasui mused.

The big orange cat was petted for a while, then it nimbly flipped over its chubby body, sniffed around Gu Jiasui’s feet, picked up the chicken strip with its mouth, and disappeared into the grass, wagging its tail.

“Using me and then running away,” A-Yan said with a laugh.

Feeling much better after being healed by the kitten, Zhu Jue accompanied the two back to the dormitory. As soon as A-Yan and Gu Jiasui entered the room, they saw Chu Bingbing slamming the communal table in excitement.

“Scumbag! How despicable!”

“A teacher seducing a young girl, I’m so angry, I’m so angry, ahhh!”

Chu Bingbing waved her hands with great intensity, and A-Yan could almost see flames coming out of her head.

A-Yan was very curious about her state, “What’s wrong, Bingbing?”

Yi Zhi, who was sitting nearby, swiveled her chair around to face them and spoke in a smooth, rapid tone, “You haven’t seen the trending topic on Weibo, have you? Just now, a big scandal broke out. A former actor who quit the industry to run an art exam training school has been stringing along underage girls, dating them and taking a lot of money from them.”

“This male celebrity was quite famous a few years ago, his name is Xie Qiyuan.”

A-Yan blinked her eyes, utterly shocked, “Teacher-student romance? Underage? What a beast!”

“What’s going on?” she said, quickly pulling out her phone to check the gossip.

Gu Jiasui, listening to their discussion, was also stunned and began scrolling through her phone.

#Explosive: Xie Qiyuan, a playboy with multiple art exam students#

#Explosive: Qi Xue’er exposes Xie Qiyuan for dating multiple underage girls#

This Qi Xue’er is a freshman in the acting department at Ning City Film Academy this year. A-Yan noticed that she already had a million followers on Weibo, with an extremely pure and beautiful face, seemingly gaining fame during the art exams due to her good looks.

The leaked video was a screen recording of WeChat chat logs, not fabricated or edited. From the chat logs and the lengthy post, A-Yan quickly understood the details of the scandal. In short, Xie Qiyuan, a retired male celebrity, runs an art exam training institution, boasting that it offers training by actual film industry stars. Qi Xue’er is one of his students.

Qi Xue’er studied under Xie Qiyuan for two years, learning voice, acting, and movement from him. As a young girl, she naturally developed feelings for her teacher, who was a celebrity with a special aura, handsome, and highly skilled in his profession. The inevitable physical contact during training further drew her in.

Unable to suppress her intense feelings, Qi Xue’er confessed her love. Xie Qiyuan initially refused, citing his status as an actor who couldn’t date, but then turned around and said he actually liked her too.

Qi Xue’er came from a wealthy family. After receiving her teacher’s response, Xie Qiyuan suggested that there were some scripts worth investing in or that the training institution was facing financial difficulties. Not only did she provide money herself, but she also convinced her family to invest.

When Qi Xue’er got into her dream school, she thought they could eventually go public with their relationship. However, Xie Qiyuan claimed that revealing their romance would harm both their careers. It wasn’t until Qi Xue’er discovered that he had multiple phones and was simultaneously dating several other beautiful, underage students that she realized she was just one of many, deceived both emotionally and financially.

“Teacher-student romance, and with so many? This is just taking advantage of young girls who are still immature! How can someone be so vile!” Chu Bingbing was furious.

“Some people are actually defending him, saying that he initially refused to protect the girl’s feelings and prevent her from being too heartbroken, which might affect her grades. This is just stringing her along! It’s a classic manipulative tactic!”

“After following eight hundred gossip accounts about relationships, I’ve developed a sharp eye. Young, inexperienced girls who haven’t interacted much with boys are easily taken in by this kind of behavior,” she sighed.

“We had a handsome teacher in high school too. After being confessed to by a student, he went from being clean and tidy to unkempt, grinding his teeth, smoking, and picking his nose. He quickly got married through a blind date, and no one had a crush on him anymore.”

Gu Jiasui listened silently. Inexperienced young girls, huh?

“Exactly,” A-Yan chimed in.

“First, as a teacher, you should nip any inappropriate feelings in the bud and guide students in the right direction. A normal teacher would avoid physical contact with the opposite sex. The phrase ‘setting an example as a teacher’ exists for a reason.”

“In an environment with limited interaction with the opposite sex, especially in a training institution, the teacher’s age and experience naturally overshadow those of the students. This scumbag must have noticed the girl’s feelings early on but chose to let it continue until Qi Xue’er confessed. He probably enjoyed the attention and the thrill of being admired.”

A-Yan picked up a washed cherry tomato from the communal table and handed one to Gu Jiasui beside her. It was clearly another batch of fruit brought by Yi Zhi, bright red and very appealing.

“Right, Suisui?”

Gu Jiasui nodded silently, took the cherry tomato, and ate it.

Yi Zhi looked a bit dazed, processing everything in her mind.

“It’s so complicated.”

“It’s actually not complicated at all. People just tend to be blinded by their emotions. When you’re young and full of hormones, you see the person you like through rose-colored glasses. You don’t think too deeply. Usually, in relationships, after a breakup, you might hate the other person and wonder how you ever fell for them in the first place,” Chu Bingbing said, munching on a strawberry.

“Mmm, Bingbing is right,” A-Yan said, popping a blueberry into her mouth.

“Yi Zhi, you should take a closer look at the chat logs in the scandal. This scumbag is a classic example of wanting to have his cake and eat it too.”

“Most people would either reject or accept a confession. But he left a little opening for the girl, letting her continue to like him while also benefiting from her financial support.”

“Let me see, this girl is indeed from a wealthy family. They even set up an entertainment company to invest in his projects.”

“This is the epitome of pretending to be self-reliant while actually leeching off the girl’s resources. It’s the ultimate hypocrisy.”

“Moreover, as a teacher and an older man, his words carry weight and are easily believed by young girls. It’s a form of psychological manipulation, a kind of PUA.”

A-Yan shook her head, “The girl is so unlucky. Such a pretty girl, but so naive!”

“This guy is so sneaky!”

Yi Zhi looked enlightened, nodding in deep sympathy, while Gu Jiasui seemed lost in thought, as if her mind was elsewhere.

“Suisui, why aren’t you saying anything?” A-Yan asked, noticing Gu Jiasui’s distant expression.

Gu Jiasui stood up and took a big gulp of water, “I’m too angry to speak.”

“This is what they call being love-struck,” she said coolly, but A-Yan could hear a hint of bitterness in her tone.

“Ah, it’s normal to misjudge people when you’re young. There are plenty of good-looking people who do terrible things. Isn’t that what most entertainment industry scandals are about?” A-Yan said with a knowing air.

Gu Jiasui grabbed a strawberry and bit into it fiercely. The more A-Yan spoke, the more it felt like she was indirectly criticizing her.

Why didn’t A-Yan ask anyone else, but specifically sought her opinion every time?

“A-Yan, you sound like you have a lot of experience,” Chu Bingbing nudged her with her elbow.

A-Yan waved her hand, “This is all from observing scumbags with Jue during high school.”

Not to mention, the four scoundrels around Xu Jiaojiao were all handsome, but their character… well, it left much to be desired. Gu Jiasui watched as A-Yan spoke with the air of a seasoned veteran. Her eyes flickered, and she pursed her lips, saying nothing.

“Because you and Zhu Jue have such a good relationship, it’s easier to spot the contrast, right?” Chu Bingbing said.

A-Yan touched her chin, “Is that so?”

“Well, I think that if you truly love someone, it shows in everything you do,” she said, her eyebrows curving into a smile.

“Even if faced with a thousand choices, you would never doubt that they are the one,” A-Yan said, her cheeks flushing.

“Ooh la la,” Chu Bingbing teased, laughing at her expression.

“They say campus love is the most passionate because as you grow older, you start considering too many practical factors—work, distance, family, and so on,” Chu Bingbing mused. Given her own secrets, even if the damn system disappeared one day, it would be hard for her to give her whole heart. From discussing the scandal, the girls in the dormitory moved on to the topic of love.

“I think if two people love each other enough and can provide each other with a sense of security, and if they have the determination to face and solve difficulties together, they won’t separate. If they do separate, whether it’s for career reasons or something else, such reasons suggest that the importance of their partner in their heart isn’t higher than other things,” A-Yan said, tilting her head.

Isn’t being forced by circumstances just another way of saying one party lacks the courage to face hardships together? And that their affection isn’t that strong, after all?

As they snacked on melon seeds, tonight’s Weibo was buzzing with activity. One after another, new female accounts came forward to expose scandals, and netizens were feasting on the drama. The male celebrity Xie Qiyuan had already been thoroughly exposed. Even past two or three in the morning, the gossip-hungry netizens were still scurrying around, howling about staying up all night, afraid they might miss any new revelations.

A-Yan had been indulging in the gossip all night and only reluctantly closed her eyes after receiving two reminders from Zhu Jue to sleep on time. If she didn’t sleep now, she really might not be able to get up tomorrow. Though she often felt drowsy during class, she became wide awake the moment there was gossip to devour.

While her roommates were busy commenting on the drama and enjoying the spectacle, Gu Jiasui lay in bed, her emotions hard to articulate. Gu Jiasui had always had an excellent memory, and now A-Yan and Chu Bingbing’s comments replayed in her mind as if they were right beside her.

“Hypocritical and indecisive. Isn’t it just a lack of love?”

She closed her eyes. The “gossip” she had shared with her roommates today felt like a heavy blow to her own mind. It was as if this one moment had suddenly cleared away the fog, shaking out all the illusions she had held onto for years.

A-Yan had said something very true: people view their past memories through a filter. Because those moments from the past are so distant, many details are forgotten, leaving only the beautiful aspects we choose to remember.

Just like how, after someone passes away, those around them only reminisce about their good qualities, and the pain they once caused is no longer mentioned. When Gu Jiasui revisited her past with a different mindset, it seemed as though everything had a new explanation.

Back then, when Su Jing had told her that a true man should prioritize his country and family, he should have completely severed her hopes. Yet, just before she moved into the princess’s residence, he had knelt before her and gently urged her to take care of herself, as if still expressing his feelings.

She had a gentle and steady personality, and Su Jing had been her mentor. He knew her all too well. His words about prioritizing the nation and fulfilling his ambitions had struck her at her weakest point.

As a princess bound by etiquette and tradition, she couldn’t force him to become her consort. Su Jing had been nearly ten years older than her, with impeccable family background, prospects, and looks. None of the noble ladies in the capital had caught his eye, so why would a proud and privileged princess like her be any different?

Now, thinking back, it was likely not the case. Perhaps there had been some genuine affection, but it had never outweighed his ambition to serve the country.

Or perhaps there had never been any true feelings at all—just a way to placate her, to prevent her from doing anything reckless, using her lingering affection as an invisible political tool.

The Professor Su of this lifetime was not the same person from her past, and the Su Jing of her previous life was not without flaws.

All that had passed was merely a prologue. Gu Jiasui fell into a deep sleep. Since she had now lived hundreds of years later, it was time to bid farewell to the past.

The next morning, as the five of them had breakfast together, Chu Bingbing was still eagerly updating everyone on the latest gossip. The morning sun was bright, and Yi Zhi moved a few sun-loving potted plants on the balcony to better positions. A-Yan glanced at them, unsure what kind of plants they were.

“Yi Zhi, isn’t the top one growing a bit crooked?”

Yi Zhi waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. Let it grow wild. Plants are resilient; they’ll survive.”

The gentle morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting golden light on the vibrant green stems and leaves. Though the plant looked a bit crooked, it was full of life. Gu Jiasui took out her phone and captured the moment perfectly.

In her past life, as a princess, she had been bound by countless rules and traditions, let alone ordinary women. In this life, though she was just an ordinary person, she lived in an era that was the most favorable for women in thousands of years.

Even a crooked plant could thrive with such vitality, and so should people. Life should be like plants—unbound by rules, growing freely and wildly.

***

Chapter 38

The first week after the short holiday passed quietly on campus, and A-Yan and Zhu Jue didn’t encounter any special incidents. However, since the day when Room 320 finished gossiping about the teacher-student romance scandal on Weibo, A-Yan noticed that Gu Jiasui, who attended classes with her every day, seemed to have undergone some changes.

It was hard to pinpoint exactly what had changed. It wasn’t an immediate or drastic transformation, but rather something subtle. Gu Jiasui seemed to integrate more into the dormitory life. During tea parties, she no longer remained a silent listener but actively joined in conversations, as if she had let go of some burden.

Other students on campus would usually greet her with a nod, and Gu Jiasui would respond in kind. But recently, she had started smiling and replying with a cheerful “Good morning!” In short, she no longer seemed as distant and aloof as before, as if she had shed a layer of detachment from the world.

Early on Saturday morning, Room 320 was bustling with activity.

“A-Yan, are you really wearing that? Does this look okay on me?” Chu Bingbing was struggling to choose an outfit from her closet, her pretty face filled with indecision.

“We’re mainly going to see the sights, so wearing something casual will make it easier to walk around. I heard the venue is pretty big,” A-Yan replied.

A-Yan had tied her hair into a high ponytail and was wearing a stylish emerald green blouse with a denim skirt and a pair of comfortable canvas shoes, exuding a youthful vibe perfect for a day of walking.

Chu Bingbing finally settled on a heart-patterned knit short-sleeve top paired with jeans. Since she was the shortest among her roommates, wearing high heels wouldn’t make much of a difference, so she opted for a pair of comfortable white sneakers instead. She tied her hair into a bun, looking lively and adorable.

These days coincided with the annual CG Carnival in Bin City, held over three days from Friday to Sunday. As the economic and cultural hub of southern Xia Country, the Bin City CG Carnival was one of the grandest events in the nation. The entire dormitory was heading out to enjoy the event, thanks to an unexpected gift of tickets from Yuan Ye of the boys’ dormitory, Room 414.

“How late are we staying today? We should treat them to a meal afterward. I heard these tickets were super hard to get, and a lot of people couldn’t snag them. Who knew Zhu Jue’s roommate was so resourceful?” Chu Bingbing quickly applied loose powder as she spoke.

“Hmm, I think it’s because Yuan Ye is quite a well-known figure,” A-Yan scratched her head.

She wasn’t entirely sure either. Zhu Jue had handed her the tickets and explained that Yuan Ye had given them out to friends, just enough for both dormitories.

In the boys’ dormitory, Room 414, the previous night, Yuan Ye had suddenly announced some big news to his roommates. After what seemed like a lot of internal debate, he pulled out ten CG Carnival tickets and asked if they were interested.

In truth, Yuan Ye had been extremely conflicted when he handed out the tickets. If any of his roommates or friends who knew a bit about the event were to ask, they’d realize how hard these tickets were to come by, and he’d inevitably have to explain himself.

Fortunately, his roommates didn’t seem to know much about it. They happily accepted the tickets without asking too many questions, only confirming that he hadn’t bought them himself and insisting on paying him back. Since the tickets were free, Yuan Ye figured it was better to give them away than let them go to waste. He wasn’t looking to make a profit anyway.

“Anyway, you guys can go and have fun. Don’t worry about me,” Yuan Ye emphasized as his roommates got ready to leave.

“Got it. Are you a vendor or a volunteer there? If you’re swamped, just call us over to help,” Chu Shen said.

He assumed Yuan Ye had gotten the tickets as a volunteer or staff member. Although the customers at the Chu family’s small restaurant had been eagerly waiting, Chu Shen decided to take the day off. He had worked nonstop during the National Day holiday and had classes on top of that. Taking a day off to bond with his roommates seemed perfectly reasonable.

“Old Man Xiao, are you ready? I think you should cosplay as some immortal cultivator for the carnival. You’d totally pull it off,” Ye Ping’an said, watching Xiao Qingnang pack something into his bag.

“Brother Fan is going with his wife. She said her company has some anime project going on,” Zhu Jue glanced at his phone and looked up.

“Alright, we’ll probably split up once we’re there. I might even start a live stream. Brother Jue, are your ladies ready? Are we taking the subway together?” Ye Ping’an asked.

“They’ve already left,” Zhu Jue replied, having received a message from A-Yan.

“Let’s go, let’s go! Check your stuff. We can’t keep the ladies waiting,” Ye Ping’an quickly jumped up from his chair. His live-streaming equipment, including the support rod and microphone, was already prepared.

Today, the world would witness the power of Earth’s otaku culture. At the subway entrance near Bin University’s main gate, the five boys met up with the five girls. This was the first time the two dormitories had met in person.

Since both dormitories were moving as a group, A-Yan and Zhu Jue didn’t stick together but instead stayed with their respective roommates. On weekends, the subway station near the university was crowded. Since it was an intermediate station rather than the terminal, even though they split into two carriages, there were only a few seats available. The boys took the seats but eventually gave them up to the girls. The five boys stood near the carriage connection, while A-Yan and Gu Jiasui sat in one row, with Chu Bingbing, Yi Zhi, and Ding Ling sitting across from them. The group chatted in their group chat.

[Chu Bingbing]: Which one is Lin Lu’s husband? The one with the kid?

A-Yan broke into a cold sweat reading the message. She really hadn’t forgotten about that, huh?

[A-Yan]: Lin Fan isn’t here. He and Sister Lin Lu might be going together.

[Yi Zhi]: The guy with the buzz cut is Chu Shen, the one who makes fried rice.

Among the dormitory, only Yi Zhi had seen Chu Shen in person besides A-Yan.

[Ding Ling]: Got it, the fried rice guy.

[Gu Jiasui]: Plus 1

[Chu Bingbing]: @A-Yan, Zhu Jue’s dormitory is surprisingly good-looking! There’s a laid-back hottie, an ethereal hottie, a fair-skinned cutie, and the ruggedly handsome fried rice guy. The average attractiveness level is so high, I almost thought they were from the art school.

Chu Bingbing was genuinely shocked after meeting them. Among their peers, girls usually took care of their appearance early on, but many boys could barely pass as presentable, with no sense of fashion and questionable hygiene habits. But Zhu Jue’s roommates were all good-looking and clearly took care of themselves. It felt like they had stumbled upon a group of high-quality guys, and just looking at them was a treat.

[Chu Bingbing]: Did they dress up just for today? Do they always look like this?

A-Yan thought to herself, of course, they look good—they’re halo figures! But she couldn’t say that out loud. She quietly typed her reply.

[A-Yan]: They usually look like this when I see them. Zhu Jue says they’re all very clean and tidy, and under Lin Fan’s influence, they even clean up their dorm together. I guess birds of a feather flock together.

Aside from the halo figures aspect, A-Yan also felt that it was rare for dormitories like hers and Zhu Jue’s to get along so well and coordinate their living habits. It had only been a month since the semester started, and some dormitories had already reported conflicts to their counselors. Rumor had it that one student was so helpless that their parents had done everything for them, and now they expected their roommates to tie their shoelaces for them.

The group chatted and scrolled through trending topics, and the subway ride passed quickly. Many people got off at the convention center station, and the group finally gathered outside. A-Yan looked around and noticed that one person was missing from the boys’ group.

“Where’s Yuan Ye?” The guy who gave them the tickets was nowhere to be seen.

“He said he had to go prepare and wouldn’t be taking the same entrance as us,” Ye Ping’an said, carrying his chest bag with his hands in his pockets.

A-Yan blinked. Well, it didn’t matter. Yuan Ye’s “Girl’s Dress-Up System” halo was so conspicuous that she’d spot him immediately. Sure, there were a lot of halos at the convention center today, and the crowd was massive, but with her sharp eyes, she wasn’t worried about losing anyone.

On weekends, the line to enter the carnival was incredibly long, stretching in a spiral from the subway station to the convention center entrance.

“There are so many people,” Chu Bingbing exclaimed. The last time she had been to the convention center was to pick up a car, and while the auto show had been crowded, it was nothing compared to this!

The long queue was something she had only seen at popular tourist spots during holidays or at the two major theme parks in the country. It was absolutely overwhelming. Of course, what was even more eye-catching were the outfits worn by the visitors at the carnival. Hanfu, JK uniforms, and Lolita dresses were quite common, but the various cosplay costumes were the real showstoppers.

White-haired, green-haired, pink-haired, and yellow-haired individuals, along with those clad in armor, wielding weapons, or dressed in combat suits—looking around, the nine of them stood out like aliens from a distant planet!

It felt as if ordinary people had accidentally stumbled into some secret gathering, and this was a massive one at that. A-Yan accompanied Gu Jiasui, both wearing masks, while Ding Ling stood behind them, her eyes darting around, her face tense.

“Goddess of Mercy,” she muttered under her breath.

The crowd was enormous, and the mix of scents was overwhelming. Ding Ling felt like she was suffocating. If it weren’t for the fact that the place was filled with such vibrant energy, she might have thought she was surrounded by some kind of “demons and monsters”!

Ding Ling’s muttered “Goddess of Mercy” caught the attention of Yi Zhi, who was a head taller than her.

“Wow, that really does look like the Goddess of Mercy from TV dramas,” Yi Zhi remarked.

In the queue a row ahead of them, a woman dressed in white, holding a jade vase, walked gracefully forward. Behind her was a child dressed as the Red Boy, carrying a large bag on his back. Characters from TV dramas, anime, games, and novels—everywhere you looked, there was someone embodying a different role.

By the time A-Yan and her group had passed through security and entered the venue, they saw a line of people wearing different Peashooter headgear walking by. The carnival was packed with activities. It was essentially a gathering of like-minded enthusiasts, with large areas dedicated to vendors, cosplay zones, game company demo booths, and meet-and-greet sessions for various IPs, as well as signings and more.

“I’m going to livestream, so I won’t be sticking with the group,” Ye Ping’an said, pointing to his phone.

At that moment, A-Yan could see the barrage of comments flying across his screen.

[What kind of place is this? I just saw so many strange creatures walking by. Isn’t this Earth, the ancestral planet from thousands of years ago? Did Earth join the universe earlier than we thought? How are there so many different species here!]

[Peashooter people? And deities descending to Earth?]

[Dinosaurs! The legendary dinosaurs still exist? I thought they went extinct long ago!]

[That’s… such an ancient tactical suit. What kind of place has the streamer stumbled into? Why do these seemingly hostile species seem so comfortable interacting with each other?]

A-Yan: Um…

You interstellar folks really aren’t very worldly, huh.

Ye Ping’an waved his phone and walked off, afraid that if he stayed any longer, he wouldn’t be able to hold back his laughter, and that would be hard to explain. He vowed not to explain anything today—watching the interstellar viewers wildly speculate was just too amusing.

“Chu Shen, I need to talk to you about something,” Yi Zhi said, patting Chu Shen on the shoulder. She was slightly taller than him.

She wanted to ask him if his restaurant needed any ingredients.

Ding Ling’s gaze swept across the crowd, and her pupils contracted slightly. She took a step forward. “I think I saw someone I know. I’m going to go find them. Don’t wait for me—I’ll text you.”

Chu Bingbing glanced around, then silently linked arms with Gu Jiasui and looked at Xiao Qingnang. “Hey, Xiao, want to stick with us?”

After all, A-Yan and her boyfriend would definitely be together, and no one wanted to be the third wheel. Chu Bingbing felt she had taken on a great responsibility.

Xiao Qingnang waved his hand. “No worries, I’d just be in the way. I’ll wander around on my own.”

He had noticed some strange, eerie doctor cosplays and was curious about what kind of doctors would appear in such a bizarre and fantastical carnival. Moreover, as someone skilled in traditional Chinese medicine, Xiao Qingnang could see that many of the young people had makeup on their faces and bodies, with lips painted black or purple, making it hard to assess their actual health.

In the blink of an eye, the two groups from the dorms had split up, forming several smaller teams. A-Yan had thought the day would be divided between the boys’ and girls’ dorms doing their own thing, but the group had fragmented much faster than she expected.

“Alright, if anything comes up, just message in the group. I’ll find you quickly,” she said.

Including Lin Fan, the special forces soldier who might or might not show up, there were ten extraordinary individuals at the carnival today. A-Yan silently prayed in her heart.

Surely, nothing major would happen, right?

A-Yan held a map of the carnival in her hand. “Zhu Jue, let’s head to the vendor area first and see if we can grab some freebies. We can split up and cover more ground.”

“‘Call Me Detective Lady’ has a lot of giveaways if you show proof of purchase. And for the ‘Little Broken Planet’ movie series, there are official sponsored plushies if you answer some questions.”

A-Yan flipped through the guide she had prepared the night before and decided to go for the freebies first.

‘Call Me Detective Lady’ was a Western fantasy detective novel she loved, and it had exploded in popularity after being adapted into an anime. The fact that the detective lady didn’t have a fixed male lead meant there were plenty of ships to sail, making it incredibly popular.

A-Yan and Zhu Jue queued up to collect the freebies, answering questions at different booths, exchanging secret codes, posting photos for likes, and showing proof of purchase. Though it took some time, A-Yan happily walked away with shiny holographic tickets, free pins from kind-hearted creators, small cards, and stickers.

Free stuff from fellow enthusiasts—what a treat! As they walked away, they noticed several booths suddenly getting excited, almost competing to attract customers.

“Miss, our merchandise is really nice too! Check out my OTP!”

“Beautiful, our author X is super famous, and her writing is amazing! Here’s a pin for you—come on, take a look!”

“Check us out!”

A-Yan and Zhu Jue exchanged glances. What was going on?

Usually, it was the customers who were polite to the vendors. Why were so many vendors suddenly chasing after passersby?

After walking a few steps, A-Yan quickly identified the core of the situation through the sea of heads.

Well, well. The [Spend or Die] aura was in full effect, but A-Yan didn’t see [Ancient Meets Modern]. Wasn’t Gu Jiasui supposed to be with Chu Bingbing?

Why had they split up?

Chu Bingbing was clearly a normie, and Gu Jiasui didn’t know much about this stuff either. How had she ended up in the vendor area, being swarmed by eager sellers?

A-Yan and Zhu Jue approached, hesitating whether to help Chu Bingbing out of the situation. She looked completely surrounded! But Chu Bingbing didn’t seem too bothered.

As they squeezed through the crowd, they heard Chu Bingbing asking innocently, “Is this the green novel app? If I tip 100, I can get all of this?”

“Yes, yes! 100 yuan is the price for a legitimate subscription,” the vendor eagerly replied.

Chu Bingbing looked down, her pink manicured fingers tapping on her phone. “I have to manually enter 100? How annoying.”

“Alright, take a look,” she said, handing her phone to the vendor.

The goth-style vendor’s eyes widened in shock. “Miss, did you tip too much? It was supposed to be 100 yuan! This… this is 10,000 yuan! You’re now the ultimate overlord!”

“Wasn’t that the most expensive option? One is 100, so 100 would be 10,000,” Chu Bingbing tilted her head.

The vendor’s face twisted as if the sky had fallen. “Miss, I meant 100 yuan was enough. You just tipped 100 times that amount!”

Was she going to ask for a refund?

“It’s fine, just pocket change. I usually spend that much on two hair clips, and you’re giving me a bunch of stuff,” Chu Bingbing said nonchalantly.

Her system required her to spend 500,000 yuan within three hours. Being able to spend money and get physical items in return, rather than just virtual purchases, was a win. Chu Bingbing only wished the app allowed larger transactions—10,000 yuan at a time was such a hassle!

“Thank you, our generous patron!” The vendor bowed deeply, almost ready to kneel.

“Take a couple more sets. I have more at home. Should I send you a couple of boxes?”

Chu Bingbing waved her hand. “No need, I’ll check out other places.”

She was on a tight schedule, so she avoided the long lines and focused on the less crowded booths that required some serious spending.

And so—

“Damn, this rich girl, how many booths has she hit already? Some splurged ten thousand, others fifty or sixty thousand, all for comic and novel creators, just for a set of merchandise.”

“Looks like she’s already spent two hundred thousand.”

Chu Bingbing wore a mask, her face hidden as she swept through several booths. The amount of merchandise she had collected was overwhelming, and honestly, she didn’t recognize most of it. But it didn’t matter—she was here to support the creators.

She had started with just a small, cute bag, but now she had been gifted a sleek holographic bag, a canvas tote, and even a custom messenger bag from one of the booth owners.

Many of the smaller booths were niche, featuring less popular animations, novels, and even some long-forgotten fanfiction. The booth owners were passionate, funding their setups out of their own pockets.

Chu Bingbing didn’t discriminate. She methodically went through each booth in order. Someone had even brought over a camping cart to place beside her, and it was quickly filling up with more and more merchandise.

“The rankings and announcements on Green Site have been flooded by this girl. I’m following her account right now!”

“Same in the anime section. People are already posting threads asking who this wealthy goddess is.”

“Over three hundred thousand, right? That’s a car’s worth of money. She’s spending more in a day than I’ve earned in two years!”

Eventually, the scene escalated to the point where booth owners were voluntarily making way for Chu Bingbing. She sat on a chair, legs crossed, as niche creators lined up to introduce their works to her.

A-Yan noticed that Chu Bingbing was spending money frantically. She would glance at the merchandise, ask about the creator or the specific work, and then her fingers would fly across her phone.

A-Yan stared at the “spend or die” aura surrounding Chu Bingbing, then glanced at the growing crowd of onlookers. She frowned and tugged at Zhu Jue beside her.

There were too many people, and with all the cosplay and costumes, who knew if someone had snuck in something dangerous? Chu Bingbing didn’t have any bodyguards either. Just because this was the anime world didn’t mean there weren’t bad people. And with so many regular visitors around, it wasn’t impossible that someone might try to take advantage of a young girl throwing money around.

“Zhu Jue, put on your mask. Let’s go over there.”

A-Yan quickly sent a message to Chu Bingbing: “Zhu Jue and I are coming to get you.”

A-Yan had noticed on the event map that there were some clothing booths nearby. They’d need to get Chu Bingbing a change of clothes later. When Chu Bingbing saw A-Yan’s message, she lifted her head from her phone and felt the intense stares around her. She realized she had made a mistake.

“Hey, what are you doing? Don’t cut in line!”

Someone called out as A-Yan and Zhu Jue pushed their way through, thinking they were trying to skip the queue.

“We’re the young lady’s assistants.”

“Miss, it’s time to go.”

A-Yan delivered her lines coldly, and Chu Bingbing awkwardly stood up.

“Let’s go.”

A-Yan and Zhu Jue’s masks were firmly in place, and luckily, they had both brought bags. A-Yan had originally planned to collect merchandise and buy some books, but now everything would go to Chu Bingbing. They quickly and roughly packed up the items, and A-Yan pulled Chu Bingbing away from the scene. She led Chu Bingbing to a spot behind a pillar, noticing that Chu Bingbing still seemed anxious and kept checking her watch.

A-Yan grabbed her hands. “How much more are you planning to spend?”

Chu Bingbing froze. What did A-Yan mean? Did she… figure something out?

At that moment, A-Yan pulled out her phone and showed her an interface, her tone enthusiastic: “Okay, I actually wanted to show you my favorite creator, Cool Breeze. One deep-sea torpedo donation gets you an extra chapter. The whole story is already written!”

Chu Bingbing blinked. So A-Yan just wanted her to tip her favorite creator.

She glanced at the remaining balance of her special task. Earlier, because the green app kept lagging, she had impatiently clicked multiple times, resulting in some donations of thirty or fifty thousand. Now, she had already met the five hundred thousand spending quota.

But if A-Yan wanted to take advantage of her generosity, Chu Bingbing wasn’t going to ruin her fun. She looked at the leftover virtual currency from her earlier top-up. “Sure, Cool Breeze, right?”

Chu Bingbing generously tipped two hundred deep-sea torpedoes in one go. After all, the money she spent today would be multiplied and returned to her personal savings. No big deal.

Seeing that Chu Bingbing finally seemed to calm down, A-Yan looked around and called Gu Jiasui, who had wandered off somewhere. After a while, Jiasui arrived with a T-shirt A-Yan had instructed her to buy quickly and randomly. They headed to the restroom. Under A-Yan’s direction, Chu Bingbing changed her outfit, let down her hair, and put on a pair of chain glasses. Her appearance was now completely different from before. A-Yan finally let out a sigh of relief.

The hashtag #BinCityComicConRichGirlSpendsHundredsOfThousands had already started trending on Weibo.

Chu Bingbing now realized she had caused trouble for her roommates. “I’m sorry for causing you all so much trouble.”

A-Yan waved her hand. “It’s fine.”

At that moment, A-Yan’s phone buzzed with a flood of new chapter updates. Her face lit up with joy. “Cool Breeze just dropped a hundred chapters! I knew the whole story was pre-written!”

What could be more exciting than your favorite novel suddenly releasing a hundred chapters?

And it was all thanks to Chu Bingbing’s donations. Who could say they didn’t benefit from this?

***

Chapter 39

The exclusive hashtag for #Bin City CG Carnival was originally filled with fun photos and group cosplays, but now it has been overtaken by a wealthy woman generously spending money to get free merchandise.

Especially after someone tallied up the amount of money spent on tipping novels and comics on Little Green Station and manga video platforms, Chu Bingbing’s ID—a default string of numbers—was revealed to have spent a total of 520,000 yuan.

From the first tip to the last temporary collection, it only took a mere hour and a half.

#Bin City Comic Con Shocked by Wealthy Woman Who Spent 500,000 Yuan for Free Merchandise

“I was there and saw it with my own eyes. If it weren’t for her two assistants—a man and a woman—coming to stop her, she probably would have kept spending.”

“The wealthy lady is super young. I wonder which rich family’s daughter she is. She was dressed as a Blue Star character, and it seemed like she was just there to have fun and see the sights. But once she saw how nice the free merchandise looked, she started throwing money around like crazy.”

“The authors and artists who got tipped have already started popping up. One of them directly released their backlog, and several others have announced they’re working overtime to produce more content! Ahhhhhhh!”

“OMG, look what I found! There’s an old-school author who stopped writing six years ago after getting married and having kids. The wealthy lady tipped her 50,000 yuan, and now she’s back online saying she’s going to continue the story!”

“Rich sis, you’re my goddess!”

For those waiting for new content, the sudden appearance of a wealthy woman spending a fortune to motivate their favorite authors and artists is a dream come true. The creators get money, and the fans get a full stash of content. Happiness, pure happiness!

By now, many people in the hashtag are already begging, “Where is the rich sis? Please look at our small, niche fandom!”

Chu Bingbing was startled to see the hashtag trending so high on Weibo. She didn’t think she had spent that much—maybe 10,000 to 20,000 yuan per book. After all, compared to the tasks her system usually gave her, like splurging hundreds of thousands in luxury stores, this didn’t seem like a big deal. Other customers didn’t find it unusual either.

By now, several on-site videos had started circulating. Some were kind enough to blur faces, while others showed everything clearly, including A-Yan and Zhu Jue, who had come to rescue her.

After changing her clothes, Chu Bingbing looked at A-Yan and Zhu Jue apologetically. “Wait here for a bit. I’ll go buy some clothes for you to change into.”

A-Yan thought about it. Zhu Jue was wearing a white T-shirt and black pants, which were pretty common, but her bright green shirt was quite eye-catching.

“I’ll make a quick adjustment. The main issue is these bags. Let’s see if we can buy a suitcase.”

A-Yan was wearing a tank top under her shirt that could be worn on its own. She quickly took off her shirt, tied it around her waist, and tied her hair up into two little buns, making her look like a cat. She swapped her mask for a pair of heart-shaped glasses and applied a layer of glossy lip gloss, giving her a Y2K vibe—trendy and edgy, like she was ready to party at a music festival.

After both A-Yan and Chu Bingbing changed their looks, the four of them headed to some IP-themed stores to shop. Chu Bingbing bought a branded suitcase to store the two backpacks that had been “exposed,” while A-Yan got a free holographic shoulder bag that matched her outfit perfectly.

“This time, we definitely won’t cause any trouble,” Chu Bingbing swore to A-Yan and Zhu Jue.

She was wearing an oversized T-shirt from an unknown IP that Gu Jiasui had hastily bought for her. She planned to store the suitcase since they still had the whole afternoon to explore the carnival. Carrying a suitcase around in such a crowded place would be inconvenient.

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” Gu Jiasui raised her hand.

She had just gone to the restroom and gotten a bit lost in the huge venue. After figuring out the layout of the convention center, she received a call from A-Yan directing her back to the booth area. She then quickly went to find a place to buy clothes for Chu Bingbing. A-Yan looked at the two of them, her eyes shifting between them. She decided to trust Gu Jiasui’s promise. From her experience so far, Gu Jiasui seemed very reliable.

Still, she gave a reminder, “If the mask feels stuffy, you can go buy a mask or veil over there.”

In short, Gu Jiasui had to cover half her face in this convention center filled with thousands of people. Hopefully, the otaku community wouldn’t pay too much attention to real-life celebrities.

Gu Jiasui nodded seriously. “You two go have fun.”

A-Yan held Zhu Jue’s hand, glancing back every few steps. They had already collected some free merchandise, and after the commotion Chu Bingbing caused earlier, they planned to explore other areas.

“Zhu Jue, I feel like a teacher who’s worried about their students,” A-Yan said, her mouth twitching.

“We’re all adults. Don’t worry,” Zhu Jue reassured her, hoping his roommates would also be a bit more responsible.

A-Yan adjusted her pink heart-shaped glasses. “Whatever, we’re not their babysitters.”

“Let’s check out the performance area and the food area.”

One of the highlights of this carnival was the many internal food IP booths. Unlike previous events where attendees had to bring their own food or struggle to coordinate with delivery drivers, this time there were plenty of options. As they passed by a group of younger girls carrying themed bags and a team of cosplayers wielding lightsabers, A-Yan and Zhu Jue carefully avoided them but couldn’t help but watch with interest.

“It seems like several food-themed anime have collaborated here. There’s fast food, bubble tea, and even some IPs that hired chefs to cook on-site.”

“Herbal jelly tea, herbal jelly beer, sesame elixir—which xianxia novel is this from?”

A-Yan and Zhu Jue first bought some fruit tea in the food area. The “sesame elixir” turned out to be small sesame balls served in glass jars, which tasted pretty good. They visited several booths, buying different snacks to fill their stomachs. Some were pre-made, while others were packaged for easy takeaway. Up ahead, they noticed a large crowd gathering around something.

“What’s going on over there?”

“Looks like a chef is cooking live.”

“Wow! You can actually eat something fresh off the stove!”

“It’s a chef hired by Cooking Master Boy doing a live performance. They just picked someone to go up and compete in a fried rice showdown. They even played the battle music!”

Hearing the news from someone in the crowd, A-Yan and Zhu Jue exchanged glances. Wait, fried rice?! Their expressions changed slightly. This familiar description made them uneasy.

“Zhu Jue, should we go over?” A-Yan asked, her face full of hesitation.

She had a sinking feeling that the fried rice guy might need their help. What if the organizers randomly picked a lucky attendee to cook, and it just happened to be Chu Shen? And where did Yi Zhi go? Wasn’t she supposed to talk to Chu Shen?

Zhu Jue took a deep breath, and the two of them shared a look. “Let’s go check it out and see how he’s doing.”

If it wasn’t Chu Shen, great. If it was, they’d need to assess the situation. If Chu Shen was happily cooking fried rice, they’d just quietly leave. A-Yan and Zhu Jue walked over to the Cooking Master Boy live cooking area and sure enough, there was Chu Shen, with a glowing halo above his head, making fried rice on an induction stove.

There were two long cooking stations. On one side stood a chef—a chubby man wearing a chef’s hat and uniform, clearly a professional. On the other station, someone had tied a headband around Chu Shen’s head and wrapped an apron around his waist. The two chefs were standing side by side, cooking fried rice, making it look like they had accidentally stumbled onto a cooking competition show.

“Alright, everyone! The Cooking Master Boy Bin City Carnival competition is about to begin!”

“This round’s challenge is the simplest yet most profound dish—something everyone thinks they can make, but not everyone can master: fried rice!”

The host’s passionate commentary filled the air as A-Yan watched Chu Shen awkwardly rub his hands together.

How did things end up like this?

He had come to the comic con today specifically to avoid cooking at his restaurant! He didn’t have any particular plans for the carnival—just hanging out with his roommates to relax and unwind. But in the blink of an eye, their large group had scattered, and he had been pulled aside by Yi Zhi.

As for what Yi Zhi wanted to talk to him about, Chu Shen was completely clueless. He thought and thought, even speculating that the big sister might be addicted to egg fried rice and wanted him to figure out a way to make it in the dorm, right?

But to his utter surprise, Yi Zhi actually came to discuss a collaboration. She mentioned that her family owned a high-end organic farm and asked if he needed ingredients. She offered to send a batch for free to try out.

Chu Shen suddenly realized that the big sister had been frequenting his small, shabby shop all this time to evaluate it. Although he hadn’t unlocked more opportunities yet, after some consideration, he agreed.

After all, this batch was free, so he could test the quality and use it to practice his skills. Since there wasn’t a proper place to talk, Chu Shen and Yi Zhi walked and chatted. For some reason, perhaps because they were dressed too casually, Chu Shen felt like passersby were glancing at them and whispering something. After a while, when their conversation ended, Chu Shen even saw a young girl, probably in middle or high school, approach Yi Zhi to strike up a conversation.

“Teacher, do you take on external commissions?”

Yi Zhi and Chu Shen exchanged puzzled looks. “What? We didn’t catch that.”

What did she mean by “external commissions”?

Seeing their confused expressions, the girl and her companion quickly apologized and left with a look of regret. “Sorry, sorry, we got the wrong person.”

After parting ways with Yi Zhi, Chu Shen thought about how his roommates were probably busy with their own things, so he decided to wander around alone. As a chef, he naturally found himself drawn to the food section. There, he saw a live cooking event—a showdown of egg fried rice inspired by the anime Cooking Master Boy. Chu Shen was merely curious about how such a showdown would work, but then the host suddenly asked him:

“Hey, buddy, can you make egg fried rice?”

Chu Shen nodded in confusion. Egg fried rice was the dish he was most familiar with.

“Perfect! You’re the one, then—the hidden egg fried rice warrior among the masses. You’ll be competing against the chef!”

Before Chu Shen could even agree, the crowd around him took a step back, leaving him standing out in the open.

Chu Shen: “……”

Seeing his hesitation, the host spoke up with an understanding tone.

“It’s fine, buddy. We’ve got eggs, rice, and scallions ready. Just cook it like you normally would. No pressure, and you won’t have to pay for anything.”

“Are you sure you want me to do this? I make egg fried rice pretty often,” Chu Shen said hesitantly.

“Even better! A seasoned hand like you will make the showdown more exciting!” the host said, turning to Chef Yu, the professional egg fried rice chef they had invited.

“Chef Yu, don’t you agree?”

The slightly chubby chef chuckled. “Of course. A showdown with a skilled young man like him will definitely be more fun.”

And so, it began. The organizers prepared a large pot of rice, plenty of eggs, and chopped scallions. With a shout of “Let the competition begin!” the crowd, separated by a barrier, erupted in gasps and cheers.

Heating the pan with oil on an induction stove, Chu Shen quickly assessed the temperature, the quality of the eggs, and the rice. Though he wasn’t used to induction stoves, his expertise in egg fried rice made everything clear at a glance.

Egg fried rice skill—activate! Chu Shen cracked eggs by hand, swiftly and smoothly whisking them. His movements were so fluid that the host, who was preparing to commentate, was left speechless.

So fast! That hand speed, the flawless egg cracking, the rapid whisking with chopsticks—this guy was clearly a master egg cracker!

The host finally managed to comment, “Looks like our buddy wasn’t kidding. He really does make egg fried rice often. Haha, his moves are so skilled!”

At that moment, Chu Shen’s face was expressionless, as if he had entered a state of zen, fully immersed in the task at hand. The golden egg mixture blended with the rice, and the rapid stir-frying filled the air with an irresistible aroma. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the golden fried rice into the air, eliciting gasps from the crowd.

“Holy cow!” “Golden egg fried rice! It’s real!” “Mom, I think I just witnessed a miracle!”

“What if he doesn’t catch it? Will it spill?” someone worried.

But the rice, tossed high into the air, performed a perfect 360-degree flip and landed flawlessly back in the pan. With a final flip of the spatula, Chu Shen neatly arranged the rice onto a white plate. Egg fried rice—done!

Chu Shen said coolly, “The rice is ready.”

A-Yan and Zhu Jue: Um…

Was he acting like he was back in his own restaurant? Wake up, Chu Shen! This isn’t your shop; it’s a comic convention!

And you’re using an induction stove, not your usual gas burner. Is this speed even normal?

The host couldn’t help but gape. Holy moly, he had randomly picked someone, and it turned out to be a semi-professional!

Both Chu Shen’s and Chef Yu’s egg fried rice were ready, each portion the size of a standard restaurant serving.

The host invited the crowd to take two small bowls each to taste and rate the dishes.

“Which one do you think will taste better?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Definitely the chef’s. He’s a professional, while this guy was just standing in front of me watching the fun before getting dragged up. Talk about bad luck.”

“But the guy just did that fancy toss. He seems to have some skills.”

“Eh, people just like to show off. Who uses an induction stove and still does that kind of toss?”

“You’ve got a point… I’ll try the chef’s first.”

Though Chu Shen’s performance had been impressive, most of the crowd initially went for Chef Yu’s egg fried rice. After all, the chef looked like he had eaten more salt in his life than Chu Shen had eaten rice. This was a real chef—his chubby build, broad shoulders, and sturdy arms all screamed experience. His cooking wasn’t flashy, but it was bound to be delicious.

“Mmm, it’s good. Just like the egg fried rice you’d get at a restaurant, way better than what I make at home.”

“Let’s go try the guy’s.”

After tasting Chef Yu’s dish, the crowd moved on to Chu Shen’s egg fried rice. And then—The blue-haired, yellow-haired, and white-haired wizards, onmyoji, and witches let out screams of amazement after taking a bite.

“It’s real! The legendary egg fried rice! The texture, the egg flavor—it’s glowing!!!”

“My soul has been cleansed. What a magnificent egg fried rice!”

“How… how can something so simple and cheap taste so incredible?”

A-Yan’s jaw dropped. “Huh?”

The egg fried rice was indeed delicious, but were they really this dramatic after one bite?

Was this scene straight out of Cooking Master Boy?

What’s with the exaggerated reactions?

“Rice, I need more rice!”

“Me too!”

Since this was a free booth at the convention, the crowd at the back of the line, half in disbelief, started pushing forward. After tasting it, even if it was just a bite or two, they were already chanting, “Amazing!”

“Rice, rice, rice! Mom, please give me some egg fried rice!”

“Just one bite, please!”

The cosplayers holding disposable bowls and spoons eagerly lined up, each receiving a spoonful or two. The large portion was quickly devoured as people clamored for more. Seeing the crowd’s exaggerated reactions, both the host and Chef Yu were stunned.

What’s going on? Are you guys for real?

Are all anime fans this dramatic?

After the plate was emptied, the crowd, still craving more, noticed that the young man who had made the incredible egg fried rice was taking off his apron.

“No, buddy, please! Make another plate, we’re begging you!”

“Don’t leave! I’ll pay for it!”

As the situation nearly spiraled out of control, the host quickly stepped in to restore order.

The host turned to Chu Shen: “Young man, hold on a second. Could you please make another plate of fried rice? Our chefs are supposed to taste each other’s dishes during the competition, but unfortunately, we didn’t get to try yours earlier.”

The host used Chef Yu as an excuse, but in truth, he was also curious—was this young man’s fried rice really that good?

Could it be that the crowd of anime fans below were all in on some elaborate act to fool him?

Chu Shen glanced at the long lines forming on both sides, effectively blocking the area. The crowd was staring at him eagerly, and it seemed he wouldn’t be able to leave anytime soon.

He frowned. “I’ll make one more plate, then I’m leaving. I’m here to have fun, not to work.”

Seeing his obvious displeasure, the host quickly nodded. “Of course, of course. Everyone, let’s remember that this young man is here for the carnival today. He’s not hired by us, and we can’t force him to do anything against his will.”

Chu Shen and Chef Yu prepared another plate of fried rice, with the same smooth and effortless movements as before. To prove that the ingredients weren’t the issue, they even switched positions this time. The host made sure to set aside small bowls for the three of them to taste each other’s dishes before distributing the rest to the crowd.

“Is this really just fried rice? How can fried rice taste this good?” The host, holding the microphone, was stunned the moment he took a bite.

Chef Yu tasted it, paused, savored it carefully, and then slowly looked up at Chu Shen, uttering a profound remark.

“Young man, your fried rice skills must have been with you since birth.”

“Did you come here today knowing I, Old Yu, would be here, just to show me up?”

Chu Shen was baffled. “Huh? Didn’t your host ask me to come up here?”

He took a bite of Chef Yu’s fried rice, savored it briefly, then put down his spoon and nodded at the chef.

“Not bad.”

“Alright, I’m done with this plate. I’m leaving now.”

He took off his headband and walked away from the stage with a cool demeanor.

Thankfully, the eggs, rice, and scallions were provided by the organizers. He treated it as a chance to get back into the groove, since he hadn’t cooked fried rice at school for a week—electric stoves just didn’t give the right heat.

As Chu Shen stepped off the stage, someone from the crowd who had just squeezed in shouted loudly.

“Boss Chu! You’re secretly cooking fried rice at a comic convention? No wonder your shop is closed today!”

“Do you know how many people have been waiting for your fried rice? A whole week! We’ve waited a whole week! And you’re out here cooking for strangers instead!”

Chu Shen glanced over and recognized the voice—it was one of his regular customers. He lowered his head slightly, not feeling the least bit guilty about being caught cooking outside his shop.

He was the boss, after all. If he wanted to close the shop, he could close the shop!

As the customer’s excited shouts echoed, the surrounding crowd grew noisy.

“What? That young man owns a restaurant?”

“Wait, what’s the name of the place? Tell us, please!”

“Hold on, what do you mean by ‘cooking for strangers’? Are we strangers?”

Seeing the situation turning chaotic, Chu Shen immediately tried to make a quick exit. But just as he was about to leave, two pairs of hands grabbed his arms.

Thinking he was about to be caught, Chu Shen soon realized it was Zhu Jue and A-Yan. They swiftly put a mask and sunglasses on him and dragged him into a restroom.

“Stay right here. I’ll go buy you a change of clothes before we head out,” A-Yan said to Chu Shen, leaving Zhu Jue to keep an eye on him.

In the meantime, A-Yan walked away, checking her phone. As expected, the trending topic about the “Golden Fried Rice” at the CG Carnival was blowing up online, spreading like wildfire.

She hurried off, while Zhu Jue and Chu Shen entered the men’s restroom.

Chu Shen looked at Zhu Jue, hesitating to speak, then finally said, “Brother Jue, about what A-Yan said earlier… does she want to be…” He paused, noticing the increasingly dangerous look in Zhu Jue’s eyes, and quickly rephrased.

“Does she want to be my mom?”

Zhu Jue gave him a look filled with exasperation and replied in a deep voice, “Our parents aren’t quite ready for grandchildren yet.”

Well… if this “eldest son” of theirs kept making fried rice like this, they might reconsider.

***

Chapter 40

After a while, A-Yan came back with a black-and-white manga-themed T-shirt, and Zhu Jue accompanied Chu Shen to the restroom to change.

“The one you were wearing earlier got stained with cooking oil. Remember to wash it separately when you get back,” she casually reminded him.

Chu Shen nodded repeatedly, secretly checking the affection points between the two. Thankfully, it remained at ten points and hadn’t dropped.

After handing the bag with the clothes to Chu Shen, A-Yan and Zhu Jue, whose plans had been interrupted again, glanced at him.

“Why don’t you go find Brother Xiao?” Zhu Jue suggested tentatively.

“Anyway, don’t go back to the food area,” A-Yan added.

Chu Shen’s appearance wasn’t particularly memorable, but once you noticed him, he was easy to recognize.

Especially since, by chance, a customer from the Chu Family Eatery had spotted him at the event. If Chu Shen got caught, he might have to endure a tearful tirade from the customer right then and there.

Earlier, A-Yan had also bought a colorful anime-themed face mask, which made Chu Shen look much more exaggerated when he put it on.

Chu Shen gave a thumbs-up. “I’ll head to an area far from the food section.”

After A-Yan and Zhu Jue left, he turned around and went back into the restroom. At the fried rice station in the food area earlier, Chu Shen had unexpectedly triggered and completed a hidden mission from the Chef God System. He had been dragged away by the two before he could take a closer look.

[Hidden Mission: Astonish the Crowd] [Mission Description: Amaze everyone with your cooking skills when they know nothing about you.] [Mission Reward: Recipe for Braised Pork with Potatoes.]

A new recipe! Chu Shen was thrilled. Although “Braised Pork with Potatoes” seemed like a simple dish, fried rice was also simple, yet it had won over every customer. Who would have thought he’d unlock a hidden mission at a comic convention? Today was definitely worth it!

To be honest, Chu Shen was getting a bit tired of fried rice himself, so this new dish came at the perfect time. Finally, he could switch things up.

“I think Yi Zhi mentioned potatoes among the ingredients,” Chu Shen thought to himself. He could use the new ingredients to test the recipe.

Braised Pork with Potatoes was much more convenient than fried rice. He could cook two large pots at once, sell out by noon, and be done. Unlike fried rice, which he had to cook plate by plate. However, the recipe didn’t specify whether the meat should be pork, chicken, or beef. Could he use any of them?

Given the pricing at the Chu Family Eatery, beef was the obvious choice. But Chu Shen decided he’d try all three before making a final decision.

Meanwhile, A-Yan and Zhu Jue checked the situation online using their phones.

#Bin City Comic Con Shocked by the Appearance of a Modern-Day Xia Guo Cooking Prodigy! Golden Fried Rice!

The trending hashtag already had videos of Chu Shen flipping the wok and the mesmerized expressions of those who had tasted his fried rice.

“Oh my god, I literally exploded! Just one bite of that mysterious guy’s fried rice, and I couldn’t believe how good it was. Tears.jpg”

“Is this a publicity stunt by the organizers? Seems too over-the-top.”

“It’s not a stunt! I was there, and I can vouch for it! The host randomly picked people, and I was standing next to the guy. Everyone backed away, but he didn’t react in time and got pulled up. Turns out, he’s the real deal! I only got one bite, and now I can’t stop thinking about it. Where is this guy?!”

“Someone find that customer who dragged him up! Which restaurant does this guy own? They said his surname was ‘Chu,’ but I can’t find anything.”

Since the video captured Chu Shen’s face from multiple angles, and the tweet was quickly reposted, it soon spread to other platforms.

Then, a comment from a local Bin City user on a certain video platform was screenshotted and shared back on Weibo.

“Isn’t that Boss Chu? His restaurant was closed today because he went to the comic con to cook fried rice! Traitor!!!”

Now everyone finally knew the mysterious fried rice guy’s surname was “Chu,” not “Chu.”

Bin City local, Chu, fried rice, restaurant owner—these clues combined led to a wave of online sleuthing across various food review platforms.

“Guys, I found it!!! On Orange Review, search for Chu Family Eatery. It’s definitely this one!”

“Wait, am I seeing this right? 288 yuan per person, and they only serve fried rice?”

The Bin City Comic Con was always a hot topic every year. During the event, not only did anime-related bloggers post about it, but even many marketing accounts jumped on the trending topics for clout.

At that moment, A-Yan noticed a gossip account clearly trying to ride the wave.

[Brother Melon Online]: #Bin City CG Carnival# It’s that time of year again! First, a wealthy fan spent 520,000 yuan on merchandise, and now a mysterious modern-day Xia Guo cooking prodigy has appeared, cooking golden fried rice. [LOL] The world of anime is truly wild.

The post included a few poorly cropped screenshots with watermarks still intact.

A-Yan and Zhu Jue silently forwarded the post to the two involved parties, especially Chu Shen. With the Chu Family Eatery exposed, getting a meal there would probably be even harder now.

The sudden surge in attention for the Chu Family Eatery might not be a “stroke of luck” for Chu Shen. With limited capacity and his studies, he could only open the restaurant one or two days a week, catering mostly to regulars.

The comic con on Saturday was packed with people. Parents brought their kids, some clearly clueless but tagging along anyway. Some parents dragged suitcases to help their kids shop, while others adjusted their children’s cosplay outfits.

“Excuse me, do you know where the Magic Girl performance is?”

While A-Yan and Zhu Jue were scrolling through trending topics on their phones, a slightly balding middle-aged man approached them, clutching a colorful A4 printout like a lifeline.

“My daughter said the Magic Girl would be performing and signing autographs today. She made me promise to get her a video and an autograph,” the man said, wiping sweat from his brow.

A-Yan glanced at his printout, then checked her own carnival map. “Uncle, the performance isn’t in this area. You need to go to…”

She paused, her eyes narrowing as she read the name on the printout. Wait, one of the Magic Girl group leaders was named “Yuan Ye”?

Seeing that name, A-Yan suddenly felt a weight in her chest.

It’s probably just a coincidence, right?

But considering Yuan Ye’s behavior earlier and how he refused to let them find him… the chances of this “Yuan Ye” being the same person were way too high.

Feeling resigned, she decided to guide the man to the performance area herself.

“Thank you so much, young lady and young man. You’re so kind. No wonder my daughter said that even though people here might seem a bit strange, they’re all good-hearted.”

With A-Yan and Zhu Jue’s help, the man successfully found the Magic Girl group his daughter had asked him to line up for.

“No problem, no problem. You’re too kind,” the two replied, waving off the compliment.

A-Yan looked up at the performance stage, checking the carnival map for the schedule of performances and signings.

Some specially invited cosplayers, actors, or voice actors would perform on stage and then sign autographs afterward.

“The Magic Girl performance starts in ten minutes. I need to get in line,” the man said, bidding them farewell.

“Magic Girl… which anime is that from? Or is it just a cosplay group?” A-Yan whispered to Zhu Jue.

After all, Magic Girls were a staple in shoujo anime, appearing in countless series.

Their casual attire made it clear they weren’t hardcore fans, and sometimes insiders could be dismissive of outsiders. A-Yan didn’t want to draw attention, so the two quietly looked it up on their phones.

A-Yan quickly found out it was a cosplay performance based on the anime Yes! Magic Girl!, which followed five high school girls with distinct personalities who were chosen by another world to transform into Magic Girls, juggling school life by day and saving the world by night.

“They’re coming!”

“It’s starting! My daughters!!!”

A-Yan and Zhu Jue stood facing the stage, but since they had arrived a bit late with the bald uncle, even though they tried to squeeze in, they ended up somewhere around the middle. The front-row audience had already raised their phones and cameras, ready to capture the moment. Accompanied by upbeat music, five girls of varying heights and styles, all wearing wigs, appeared on stage. They sang and danced in perfect unison, while the large screen behind them played the theme song.

“Ahhhhhh—”

“So cute, so cute!”

The five girls, each dressed in different colored outfits, took turns being the center of attention, performing signature transformations and moves straight out of an anime. The one codenamed “Black” was a gothic-style witch in a long classical dress that revealed half her legs. The witch in a white floral dress smiled warmly, radiating kindness. The red-haired witch in shorts and a high ponytail wore fiery red gloves. The hooded, purple-robed girl holding a crystal ball wand murmured incantations with her head bowed. And the blue-haired girl sang with a voice as enchanting as a siren’s.

To the fans in the audience, it felt like the characters from the anime had come to life. Cold, mysterious, gentle, or cheerful—the girls on stage perfectly embodied their characters through their movements, expressions, and costumes. They didn’t wave or blow kisses, staying completely in character without any out-of-character moments.

But A-Yan’s gaze kept drifting toward the tall figure with long black hair, a hood, and a crystal ball wand.

After all—The words “Girls’ Dress-Up Game” were impossible to ignore!

So much so that A-Yan couldn’t help but wonder whether the other four magical girls on stage were played by boys or girls!

The main stage offered a high vantage point. Even though Yuan Ye, playing “Purple,” was the perpetually half-asleep, mysterious witch, he still easily spotted his roommate in the crowd below.

Zhu Jue, and his girlfriend, A-Yan. The moment Yuan Ye saw them, his pupils contracted. Thankfully, he had trained himself to remain calm in all sorts of cross-dressing situations, and today’s costume covered most of his face, so no one noticed his momentary panic.

Why did these two suddenly show up here?

They shouldn’t recognize me, right?

When it was Yuan Ye’s turn to take the center stage, he remained composed, deliberately avoiding glancing at A-Yan and Zhu Jue.

But, but… he felt like they were staring right at him! That prickling sensation on his back, especially with their intense gaze—could they really have recognized him?

No way, right? They didn’t know about his cross-dressing, and with today’s outfit, anyone would just see him as a magical girl. His face was mostly covered, after all.

Sweat dripped down Yuan Ye’s back as he suddenly remembered the promotional preview the organizers had sent him after confirming his appearance.

It featured his cross-dressing look and his online alias, “Yuan Ye.”

At this moment, Yuan Ye wanted to scream at himself internally. Could A-Yan and Zhu Jue have seen that and come here to check it out?

Stupid lazy me! Why did I have to use such an obvious name? Even something like “Lemon Tea” would’ve been better!

“Yuan Ye” was now a well-known cross-dressing cosplayer, with many people even believing he was actually a girl.

The characters “Yuan Ye” had portrayed were too perfect—doll-like, snow princesses, villainous noblewomen, savage fox girls…

The widely circulated images of him weren’t from anime or novels but were actually based on character designs from a girls’ dress-up game!

But when he appeared in these roles, especially with extravagant wigs or animal ears and costumes that looked straight out of an anime or game, Yuan Ye was simply seen as a “cosplayer.”

Being called a cosplayer was better than being outright labeled a cross-dressing guy. And so, thanks to the system’s tasks, Yuan Ye had inexplicably gained fame and amassed a group of loyal cosplay fans.

This was also why he had received ten free tickets to the annual Bin City CG Carnival.

“Yuan Ye” had truly made a name for himself.

Thinking about this, the manly Yuan Ye couldn’t help but shed a tear. From the initial awkwardness of cross-dressing to now being completely natural, who knew how much he had been through!

Although he had come to accept his identity as a cross-dressing cosplayer, it would still be mortifying if his real-life friends found out about his online persona!

Even though his roommates were good people, Yuan Ye still worried. If he were just a regular male cosplayer, people would accept him, but being a cross-dressing guy? That would definitely make him seem like a weirdo—like people might question his sexual orientation or something.

And his cross-dressing identity could even attract creepy people with inappropriate intentions! Yuan Ye had so many regrets. Despite his internal turmoil, Yuan Ye flawlessly executed all the choreography and interactions with his fellow performers on stage.

The theme song and ending performances were coming to an end. Finally, it was time for the five magical girls to step forward one by one and deliver their signature lines. Just then, Yuan Ye heard the voice of his idiotic system in his ear.

[System detecting host is currently in a stage PK…]

[System detecting host’s current outfit is “Magical Girl” and the number of PK participants is greater than 1. Automatically initiating forced PK match…]

Yuan Ye: I…you, stupid system! Stop, stop right now! Yuan Ye froze. Damn this system! Of all times to start a PK, why now? And it’s automatic? He was going to lose his mind.

There was no daily task today, so why did it suddenly initiate a PK? If he won this PK and transformed into a magical girl on stage, it would literally look like superpowers had appeared. Yuan Ye had never wished so hard to lose a PK.

At that moment, the other magical girls had already stepped forward and delivered their lines. Yuan Ye suppressed his internal curses toward the system. Holding his crystal ball wand, he lowered his voice, adding a husky tone to his falsetto, making him sound even more mysterious. He muttered a magical incantation.

Translated, it meant: “Magic flows through my hands.”

At that moment, Yuan Ye saw a series of indicators only visible to him.

[Magical] [Mysterious] [Sorcery]—tags appeared around him, each with a rating.

He forced himself to keep a straight face as he saw the words “PK Victory” flash before his eyes. At the same time, the five magical girls reached the climax of their performance. They needed to chant a final spell together.

“Magic will bless you—” “Welcome to the world of magic—”

In that instant, everyone in the audience seemed to hear the whispers of the magical girls. The mysterious incantation stirred an invisible wave of magic. A-Yan saw it. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly. The wave of magic swept over the audience, leaving behind something intangible, yet nothing at all. Because the PK victory and the chanting of the spell happened simultaneously, Yuan Ye couldn’t retract the magic buff he had activated.

In that moment, everyone seemed to fall into the same illusion, seeing a kaleidoscope of colors swirling before their eyes. They saw the flow of magic! The next second, the venue erupted in cheers.

“Ahhhhh—Oh my god, I think I saw magic!” “Did my eyes just play tricks on me? Did you see it too?”
“Red, green, blue, white—wait, was that a reflection on my glasses?” “Was it like streams of light, flowing?” “Is this mass hysteria or something?” “I don’t care, I definitely saw magic!”

As Yuan Ye retreated from the stage, he overheard the audience’s excited chatter, and his heart raced. After chanting the spell, he had immediately deactivated the buff, but he hadn’t expected the incantation to actually give the audience a glimpse of the magical world. This is bad, this is really bad. What if someone investigates this? Let’s just call it mass hysteria and be done with it.

Please, just pretend the organizers set up some lasers or rays or something. Yuan Ye saw A-Yan and Zhu Jue standing in the middle of the crowd, their calm demeanor starkly contrasting with everyone else. His heart, which had been hanging by a thread, leaped into his throat again.

Are these two so calm because they saw it, or because they didn’t?

Earlier, Yuan Ye had speculated that A-Yan and Zhu Jue might be involved in some kind of mystical, esoteric field.

The fact that they could remain unfazed even after seeing a female ghost, and now witnessing the appearance of magical energy without batting an eye—could it be because they’ve always been able to see it?

A-Yan and Zhu Jue are into Eastern mysticism, so if they have the ability to see spirits, wouldn’t magical energy and spiritual energy be essentially the same thing?

Sitting at the signing table, Yuan Ye, with a sullen expression, signed his online name while wearing gloves, all the while stealing glances at the crowd and pondering.

The event schedule was tight—half an hour for performances and half an hour for signings. Despite having seen all sorts of otaku culture, Yuan Ye couldn’t help but sweat a little when a balding uncle happily received his autograph.

“This is great! My daughter will be so happy. I couldn’t find the place at first, but a young lady and her boyfriend helped me get here,” the balding uncle said to Yuan Ye.

“They’re really nice,” the uncle added, waving happily toward A-Yan and Zhu Jue in the crowd.

Seeing this, Yuan Ye’s eyelid twitched. “Was it the girl in the tank top with the little bun and her boyfriend who brought you here?”

“Yes, yes! They’re such good people,” the uncle replied.

Yuan Ye’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the balding uncle. Well, well, old man, so you’re the one who brought the enemy—no, I mean, you’re the one who led them here!

No wonder A-Yan and Zhu Jue showed up here. With a heavy heart, he asked, “Would you like me to write anything else for your daughter?”

“Oh, is that allowed? My daughter told me not to make any special requests,” the uncle said, pleasantly surprised and even more delighted.

Yuan Ye nodded solemnly. After the thirty-minute signing session ended, he changed out of his costume. With his duties for the day complete and having returned to his male form, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

Seeing Yuan Ye successfully exit the signing area with the other magical girls, A-Yan and Zhu Jue both breathed a sigh of relief. Good, although there was a small unexpected hiccup, this one didn’t require them to step in as emergency helpers. With the workload split among five people, A-Yan and Zhu Jue were able to enjoy the show as mere spectators.

“Jue, we’ve been standing for so long. Let’s find a place to rest,” A-Yan said. The performance area only had standing room, and after half an hour, her feet were starting to ache.

The two found a spot nearby. Since new cosplayers were now performing and the lines were forming, A-Yan quickly spotted a bench in a corner where there weren’t many people.

With just the two of them there, they could speak freely. A-Yan leaned her head on Zhu Jue’s shoulder, her little head swaying slightly. “Jue, you have to admit, Yuan Ye’s performance was really impressive and true to the character.”

The mysterious magical girl vibe was absolutely spot-on!

Just as Yuan Ye, now changed out of his costume, was sneaking out of the backstage area, he overheard this comment. He froze in place.

So, they really recognized me? Could it be that A-Yan and Zhu Jue used their spiritual sight to identify me?

In those few seconds, countless thoughts raced through Yuan Ye’s mind. Should I come clean? Do I have to? Is there no other way?

With heavy steps, he walked forward, lips pressed together, and approached the two.

Yuan Ye spoke awkwardly, “So… you guys know, huh?”

They must know, right? They must have seen me using magic, right? How am I supposed to explain this? Yuan Ye was internally panicking.

“Ah!” A-Yan was startled. What are the odds that Yuan Ye would overhear them?

Talking about his cross-dressing performance behind his back—Yuan Ye must be feeling mortified. A-Yan felt awkward but tried to play it cool. The more she emphasized it, the more uncomfortable Yuan Ye would feel.

“Yeah, we know. It was amazing,” she said.

It takes real courage to be yourself and not care about what others think of cross-dressing. That’s really admirable.

“Amazing…” Was she referring to him using magic in public? Yuan Ye couldn’t tell if this was a compliment or sarcasm.

He sat down silently beside them. “I didn’t mean to hide it from you.”

“It’s just… this kind of thing isn’t exactly normal,” Yuan Ye added.

Suddenly turning into a magical girl—anyone would find that weird, right?

“True,” A-Yan nodded. It does take a lot of courage for an ordinary guy to cross-dress.

“Can you keep this a secret for me?” Yuan Ye pleaded, looking at them earnestly.

“Of course,” A-Yan and Zhu Jue nodded. Cross-dressing is a personal matter, and they weren’t the type to gossip about it.

In fact, the other roommates probably noticed too, but everyone had silently agreed not to bring it up.

“I’ll keep your secret too,” Yuan Ye said, relieved.

A-Yan and Zhu Jue were both confused. Wait, us? Huh? What do we have to keep secret? Are you misunderstanding something?

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