Chapter 3: A New Message, Encountering the Scumbag and the Scheming Girl
“Alright, please wait a moment.”
The middle-aged shopkeeper warmly greeted Fang Xiaocao.
Ten minutes later, her phone chimed with a message notification.
Fang Xiaocao picked up her phone and glanced at it—8 million had been deposited into her account.
“Thank you for your business! Come again!”
The shopkeeper enthusiastically bid farewell as Fang Xiaocao stepped out of the store.
“Goodbye, sir!”
She waved at him and walked down the street, excitement surging through her.
An 8-million windfall—could a mere freshman possibly earn that kind of money?
Ding!
[Your friend has sent you a message.]
Fang Xiaocao checked her phone.
It was a WeChat message.
Without hesitation, she tapped on it.
[Hot Noodles: Congratulations, we are now millionaires. Don’t forget to pay taxes.]
Blinking at the message, Fang Xiaocao immediately hailed a cab and headed straight for the tax office.
At this point, she fully trusted “Hot Noodles.” Whether or not they were her future self didn’t matter—at least the 8 million yuan was real.
Since the message specifically reminded her to pay taxes, there was a high chance that neglecting to do so would cause unnecessary trouble.
After settling the taxes and leaving the office, she realized that obeying the advice had saved her from a lot of hassle.
Large, unexplained deposits were subject to investigation. Whether from unexpected income or trade profits, one needed to provide an explanation and voluntarily pay taxes.
Once taxes were paid, everything became legal.
Ding!
[Your friend has sent you a message.]
Fang Xiaocao had just gotten into a taxi when her phone chimed again.
She picked it up and opened WeChat. The chat window popped up automatically.
[Hot Noodles: Congratulations, we successfully avoided unnecessary trouble. As a reward, go to the second-hand car market tomorrow at noon and buy the only available Mini. Oh, and there’s a surprise for you in the morning—stay away from Han Xue and Qi Yu.]
Blinking at the message, Fang Xiaocao replied with a simple: “Got it!”
[Contact does not exist!]
Seeing this notification on the chat screen, she rolled her eyes.
She then directed the taxi to the nearest mall and entered full-blown shopping mode.
Three hours later, carrying numerous shopping bags, she returned to the hotel.
She extended her stay by ten more days before heading back to her room with her purchases.
Until the murder case in the rental apartment was solved, she had no plans of checking out.
She didn’t feel safe being near the police station anymore.
The Next Day
Fang Xiaocao turned down a part-time job offer from a staffing agency. With several million in savings, she no longer needed to work part-time.
After freshening up, she put on a sporty outfit and tucked a can of pepper spray into her pocket before heading downstairs to check out the second-hand car market mentioned in the message.
She had bought the sportswear on purpose.
Thinking about what Officer Li Qiang had said—that the murderer’s target might be her—she felt a chill run down her spine.
The killer who murdered her neighbor still hadn’t been caught and could come after her at any time. That’s why she deliberately chose clothes that allowed for easy movement and a quick escape.
She didn’t want to be caught just because restrictive clothing slowed her down.
“Xiaocao? What are you doing here?”
As soon as she reached the hotel lobby, she ran into her best friend Han Xue…
…And her pursuer, Qi Yu!
Seeing Han Xue and Qi Yu holding hands tightly, with a bouquet of roses in Han Xue’s grip, Fang Xiaocao instantly understood.
So this was the “surprise” mentioned in the message.
“Xiaocao, let me explain—”
Han Xue hurriedly let go of Qi Yu’s hand, desperately trying to grab Xiaocao’s.
But Xiaocao subtly dodged and smiled. “There’s nothing to explain. I wish you both happiness.”
Now she understood why Han Xue had always spoken badly of Qi Yu while he was pursuing her. It was because Han Xue wanted him for herself.
And Qi Yu—the scumbag—had just sent her flirty messages before the holidays, asking her out to play. Now, he had turned around and hooked up with Han Xue.
What a perfect match.
Scumbag and scheming girl—they deserved each other, as long as they stayed far away from her.
“Xiaocao, don’t misunderstand! I was drunk last night, and Qi Yu only brought me to the hotel to keep me safe!”
After her initial panic, Han Xue quickly composed herself and offered a flimsy excuse.
Maybe before, Fang Xiaocao would have believed her. But with the warning message, she knew better.
She was naive, but she wasn’t stupid.
“It’s fine, you don’t need to explain anything to me.”
“I never had anything to do with Qi Yu anyway.”
Xiaocao grinned.
Without giving Han Xue a chance to continue, she quickly exited the hotel, flagged down a taxi, and headed straight for the second-hand car market.
Saying she wasn’t hurt would be a lie.
Qi Yu was slightly handsome, and his warm smile had left a good impression on her.
If Han Xue hadn’t constantly badmouthed him, she might have considered accepting his pursuit.
Even after Han Xue’s interference, she hadn’t outright rejected him—she was still observing whether he was truly sincere.
She hadn’t expected to stumble upon such a disgusting scene.
But in a way, she felt she should thank Han Xue.
If Han Xue hadn’t thrown herself at him, Xiaocao wouldn’t have seen Qi Yu’s true colors.
A man who flirted with her one day and booked a hotel with her best friend the next—could he possibly be sincere with anyone?
She even pitied Han Xue.
After scheming so hard, she ended up with nothing but a scumbag—and lost a rich best friend in the process.
Ding!
[Your friend has sent you a message.]
Her phone screen lit up with a WeChat notification.
Without thinking, Xiaocao tapped on the chat.
[Hot Noodles: Still upset over the scumbag and the scheming girl? You should be grateful you didn’t have to go through my suffering. At least you saw their ugly sides early. Han Xue will invite you out tomorrow night—don’t go. I repeat, cherish your life, and stay away from them.]
Reading the message, Xiaocao’s heart pounded.
Her future self had gone through something terrible—because of Han Xue and Qi Yu.
And tomorrow night, Han Xue would invite her out. If she accepted, her life would be in danger!
She immediately locked onto the critical detail in the message.
“Miss, we’ve arrived!”
The taxi driver’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
She looked up to see the second-hand car market sign in front of her.
After scanning the QR code to pay, she stepped out and briskly walked into the market.
Once inside, she was stunned by the massive parking lot filled with all kinds of second-hand cars.
As a university girl, she knew nothing about cars.
In fact, for a girl to even recognize a few car brands was already considered impressive.
(End of Chapter 3)
