Chapter 7: I Love Points, and Points Love Me
With that, Chi Qian turned and swaggered away, not forgetting to tell the waiter to come find her later for compensation.
Out in the corridor, chaos reigned. Mrs. Gu spat curses, each one more venomous than the last, regretting she hadn’t smothered Chi Qian in her cradle.
The general manager rushed over after hearing the commotion, smoothed things over for Chi Qian, and promptly had the Gu family thrown out.
The three of them stood outside the restaurant, humiliated under the stares of passersby. Their faces burned with shame.
“We’re VIP guests here! How dare he treat us like this!” Mrs. Gu fumed.
Chairman Gu frowned, sensing something was off. “The moment Chi Qian left, the general manager took her side… Hua, you’ve lived in the Chi family for so long. Do they have some powerful backing?”
Gu Hua hesitated, then shook her head. “No, they’re just an ordinary working-class family. Her uncles are all pretty down-and-out. It must’ve been a coincidence.”
But deep down, she didn’t believe it—didn’t want to believe it. How could Chi Qian possibly live a better life than her after leaving the Gu family?
Otherwise, wouldn’t all her scheming to return to the Gu’s become nothing but a joke?
*
Back in her private room, Chi Qian couldn’t shake off a nagging thought.
When she’d gotten close to Gu Hua earlier, she’d heard a mechanical voice: [Mission failed. Through face-slapping the supporting female character to seize fortune—task incomplete. Host will now be punished.]
Could that have been Gu Hua’s system talking?
Well, damn. So the heroine not only got special treatment, she even had a system that could steal her fortune through missions?
Chi Qian’s mind instantly lit up.
If being near Gu Hua let her overhear the system’s prompts, then she could predict Gu Hua’s moves ahead of time and counter them.
The catch? She had to stay within a certain distance—too far, and she’d hear nothing.
*
That night, Chi Qian was so tired she fell asleep in the car. It was Chi Lisen who carried her back to her room.
He glanced at her still-swollen wrist and recalled her reckless, headlong charge earlier.
For the first time in years, the ice around his heart seemed to thaw.
Suddenly, in her sleep, Chi Qian threw both hands up and shouted, “Oh mighty storm! Thunder and lightning! Grant me power and roast the male and female leads well-done!”
Chi Lisen: “…”
She was a fool, yes. But a foolish little thing with sincerity.
When he left her room, Chi Lisen called for Butler Nan. “I want a full investigation into Chi Qian’s fifteen years in the Gu household. And also, get me a book.”
“Yes, sir. What kind of book?”
“A parenting manual.”
“…?”
*
By the end of the weekend, Chi Qian’s wrist had mostly healed, but it was time to return to school.
She woke up the next morning with a bitter face.
Seeing the time, Chi Lisen urged her, “Hurry up and eat, you’ll be late for class.” He straightened his tie as he spoke, a little stiff—it was his first time sending a child to school.
“Grandpa,” Chi Qian said weakly, “can I not go to school today? I feel so unwell.”
“What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”
“The moment I remember I didn’t do my homework, I can’t breathe…” She clutched her chest dramatically.
Chi Lisen’s brow twitched. “It’s almost finals and you still don’t do homework? What do you even score on exams?”
“Full marks, of course. If you don’t believe me, check my old test papers.”
“You got full marks without doing homework?”
“That’s because I’ve got a special technique.”
“What technique?”
Putting down her chopsticks, Chi Qian grabbed at the air as if stuffing invisible energy into her head, chanting, “I love points, and points love me. Scores come rolling in endlessly…”
Chi Lisen’s temple throbbed. The Chi family had produced elites in every field—yet somehow ended up with this girl who resorted to spells for exams?
Could she really avoid getting expelled this way?
“But I don’t use it all the time,” she added.
She then pulled out a tortoise shell, placing it on the table. “Last exam, I relied on this. Got every multiple-choice question right.”
She shook the shell, muttering, “Tell me, will it rain today?”
The copper coins all landed face down. She announced proudly, “Grandpa, it’ll rain today—don’t forget your umbrella!”
Chi Lisen: “…”
So her full marks came from fortune-telling? Was heaven simply indulging this silly child?
Watching her still fiddling with the tortoise shell, Chi Lisen finally lost patience. “If you won’t eat, then forget it. You’re going to school right now.”
“Alright, alright.”
After breakfast, Chi Lisen personally drove Chi Qian to Lingshui High, the school she currently attended.
This school was one of the most prestigious private academies in Fuguang City, famous for its sky-high tuition. Most of its students came from wealthy or powerful families.
At the very top stood four great houses: the Gu’s, the Ling’s, the He’s, and the Xu’s.
It wasn’t until she arrived at school that Chi Qian remembered—today the school had organized a field trip, and all the students were to take a luxury bus together.
The moment Chi Qian stepped onto the bus, the chatter and laughter died at once. Everyone turned to look at her with pity.
“Chi Qian, are you okay? I heard the Gu family threw you out. That’s just too much, not even remembering all the years you lived together.”
“Exactly! After so long, how could they have no feelings at all?”
“Gu Hua is a nice girl, but the rest of the Gu family is way too heartless.”
“If you don’t have a place to stay right now, you can come to my house. My room’s really big!”
They all spoke at once, voicing concern and offering her suggestions.
Just as Chi Qian was about to reply, a cold snort came from the very back seat:
“What’s so pitiful about a cuckoo in the magpie’s nest? If you really want to pity someone, pity Gu Hua—she’s the one whose life of wealth and privilege was stolen for more than ten years.”
“Chi Qian, I just saw you getting out of some man’s car. Don’t tell me you’re broke and desperate, and planning to sell yourself?”
“Hah, don’t flatter her. Who’d even want a bean sprout like her?”
The ones who said these cutting words weren’t strangers.
They were people Chi Qian had grown up with—friends from her own circle.
But ever since Gu Hua appeared, they’d all gone brain-dead, just like Ling Qian, and turned their knives on her.
The malice of those closest to you is always the sharpest blade.
Because they know exactly where to stab so it bleeds the most.
But Chi Qian wasn’t about to indulge them. She opened her mouth and asked, “Wow, you seem pretty familiar with the market. Could it be that you’re already working under some sugar daddy, is that why you know so much about this?”
“You’re spouting nonsense!” He Fangzhi slammed the back of his seat. “Believe it or not, I’ll kill you!”
Chi Qian: “You’ve got a piece of vegetable stuck between your teeth.”
He Fangzhi froze, then instinctively covered his mouth.
Xu Zhiqing shook his head and looked at Chi Qian in disappointment. “You never even apologized to Hua Hua for pushing her into the water last time, and you still dare act so self-righteous? Chi Qian, no wonder A-Qian doesn’t talk to you anymore.”
Chi Qian: “That’s like you dousing yourself in perfume, but I can still smell the overwhelming stench of stupidity. It’s choking my nose.”
“You—how can you be so ill-mannered?”
“My manners are reserved for people. Not for animals who don’t understand human speech.”
Xu Zhiqing’s face turned red, then white, completely unable to reply.
When did Chi Qian get such a venomous tongue?
Was it the blow from breaking off the engagement with Ling Qian? Or had she gone crazy after being cast out by the Gu family?
Either way, she deserved it. She couldn’t even compare to one of Gu Hua’s fingers.
Chi Qian found her seat and sat down. He Fangzhi immediately stood and declared, “Anyone who sides with Chi Qian is standing against us! Think carefully before you choose!”
