9,009

Page 1/3

At 5:30 on a Monday afternoon, an extraordinary scene unfolded at a luxury brand store in Tianyue City. Three teenagers, resembling high school students, stood before the counter. On the left, a boy sported limited-edition designer sneakers and wore a trendy necklace worth several thousand yuan. On the right, a girl had a seasonal hairpin from Chanel pinned in her hair and wore chunky pink sneakers from Gucci.

Between them stood a tall girl, dressed entirely in non-designer clothes, yet both companions vied eagerly to pay for her purchases, each trying to outdo the other.

“You said you just wanted to give Huanhuan a belated seventeenth birthday gift,” Meng Xin frowned gently, her voice soft yet questioning. “This is already the second item. Why are you still insisting on paying?”

Zhao Wenxing replied confidently, “Who says you can only give one birthday gift? I want to give three or five—what’s the harm in that?”

Born into wealth, Zhao Wenxing believed that showing friendship meant either standing up for friends in a fight or buying them things. But since meeting Yu Linghuan, both methods had become unnecessary. Yu Linghuan was strong enough on her own—she had never lost an argument or fight, and few dared to provoke her at school.

As for gifts, Yu Linghuan was stubborn. She refused to accept anything over two hundred yuan from Zhao Wenxing and only selectively accepted less expensive items, which frustrated him greatly. Now that he finally had the chance, Zhao Wenxing was eager to make up for it all.

“I think the perfumes here look great,” Zhao Wenxing said, scanning the counters and waving his hand expansively. “Linghuan, pick out whichever you like; we’ll buy ten or eight bottles!”

Yu Linghuan looked at him in disbelief, nearly black lines appearing on her forehead. Did this guy think perfume was meant to be drunk? Why buy so many?

With patience, she said, “I accepted the hairband earlier only because you said it was a seventeenth birthday gift. Don’t buy anything else—I don’t want it.”

Meng Xin nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Huanhuan said it’s unnecessary. I’ll pay for this bottle of perfume.”

She handed her bank card to the clerk, who smiled warmly and reached out to accept it. But Zhao Wenxing swiftly placed his own card on top of Meng Xin’s.

“No, no, use mine!” he insisted.

The clerk hesitated. Frankly, she didn’t care who paid since her commission was the same. But from experience, wealthy young ladies and gentlemen not yet in society tended to have the largest tempers. If she upset them, the employee would suffer.

So she maintained a polite smile and turned to Yu Linghuan for her decision, clearly the one with authority among the three.

Before she could respond, a male and a female voice rang out simultaneously: “Use mine!”

Yu Linghuan was speechless.

Meng Xin rarely fought over anything. Honestly, her personality perfectly matched the heroine of a deeply emotional romance novel—gentle, kind, resilient, and uncompetitive.

In their high school class, three students took turns cleaning the classroom after school. Once, when it was Meng Xin’s turn, the two boys found excuses to slip away, leaving her to clean alone. She said nothing and quietly swept the floor by herself. It was Yu Linghuan who later found out and dragged the boys back to help.

Meng Xin was that kind of person. Sometimes Yu Linghuan was annoyed by her overly gentle nature, but perhaps their contrasting temperaments were why they remained friends. Otherwise, during the summer when Yu Linghuan was overwhelmed by the plot and said hurtful things to her, Meng Xin would have already broken off their friendship.

In Yu Linghuan’s memory, Meng Xin had only once argued with someone—when someone spoke ill of Yu Linghuan, saying Meng Xin shouldn’t be friends with a girl of such a bad temper and that she’d be led astray. Meng Xin loudly rebutted, “Huanhuan’s temper isn’t bad at all. You shouldn’t say that. You owe her an apology!”

So today’s scene was unexpected. Meng Xin was willing to argue with Zhao Wenxing over who should pay, showing no sign of backing down.

Naturally, Yu Linghuan sided with Meng Xin and unceremoniously pushed Zhao Wenxing’s hand away. “Enough, don’t cause a scene. If Xin Xin wants to pay, let her.”

Page 2/3

Fearing further trouble, the clerk quickly took Meng Xin’s card. “Alright, no problem. We’ll use this card to pay.”

Realizing this, Zhao Wenxing pouted, “...That’s not fair!”

Yu Linghuan retorted, “This was supposed to be a girls’ shopping trip. You insisted on tagging along.”

“Okay, okay...” Zhao Wenxing relented. “I’m just one guy—I can’t compete with you two girls. I give up, alright?”

Meng Xin smiled at his exaggerated tone.

Yu Linghuan thought maybe Zhao Wenxing’s presence wasn’t entirely bad. At least Meng Xin seemed genuinely happy to have won this time.

Yu Linghuan wasn’t particularly fond of shopping. After accepting the hairpin from Meng Xin, the perfume, and the hairband Zhao Wenxing claimed was her seventeenth birthday gift, she felt it was enough.

She decided to send Zhao Wenxing off. “Weren’t you going to buy a phone case? Why haven’t you gone yet?”

Zhao Wenxing slapped his forehead. “Oh! I completely forgot!”

“By the way,” he suddenly remembered, “we’ve been shopping all this time, but you haven’t told me if you’re playing games tonight.”

Zhao Wenxing was an international student whose father had already planned his future: after high school, he’d study abroad at a mediocre school and then return to work in the family business. So even though he was in his senior year, he felt no urgency. He wasn’t taking the college entrance exam and just needed passing grades.

Yu Linghuan was different; her exam results mattered greatly. Though she had little homework today and had completed much during self-study, she planned to study more that evening, especially to memorize the English vocabulary she hadn’t covered during summer break.

She replied honestly, “Depends. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.”

After a moment, she added, “Zhao Wenxing, I probably won’t play much this year. You should find someone else to game with.”

Yu Linghuan believed in balancing study and relaxation—even in senior year, occasional gaming was acceptable. But the game they played, “Path of Immortals Online,” was a popular MMORPG requiring about half an hour daily to complete routine tasks for a good experience.

Half an hour daily might seem little, but for a senior student, it was a luxury.

Hence, Yu Linghuan decided to give it up for now.

Zhao Wenxing was stunned, as if he hadn’t understood. “Huh?”

They had met because of this game. At the start of junior year, Zhao Wenxing had been loudly discussing combo moves in the cafeteria when Yu Linghuan overheard and casually suggested, “Why don’t you use Gale Step before Whirlwind Slash? It should increase damage.”

Zhao Wenxing was annoyed and immediately argued that he’d spent days perfecting his combo and wouldn’t change it just because of one comment.

But when he tried Yu Linghuan’s suggestion in-game, his damage per second increased by ten percent.

Completely convinced, Zhao Wenxing lingered in the cafeteria for three days, finally finding Yu Linghuan again and shamelessly asking for her contact and gaming account.

Two people with no prior connection became friends.

Zhao Wenxing couldn’t understand why Yu Linghuan suddenly wanted to quit. “Why? Didn’t we play every day this summer? Why quit all of a sudden?”

Yu Linghuan rolled her eyes. “Because not everyone has their school arranged by their family like you. I have to study hard for the college entrance exam.”

Zhao Wenxing mumbled an “Oh,” still confused. “But you don’t have to quit completely. You could play a little when you have time.”

Yu Linghuan shook her head. “No, I don’t have time for daily tasks.”

“Hey, that’s easy!” Zhao Wenxing brightened. “I’ll pay for a year-long account booster! Guaranteed to do your daily tasks on time, even weekly quests!”

He glanced warily at Meng Xin. “I’m saying this first, don’t steal my idea!”

Meng Xin blinked. “Oh... okay.”

She didn’t play games and barely understood Zhao Wenxing’s words.

In her first two years of high school, Meng Xin devoted all her energy to studying and working part-time. Though she knew her best friend played an online game, she never looked into it beyond the name.

But now she had an idea: maybe she should learn more about Yu Linghuan’s game to know what gifts to send next time.

Zhao Wenxing was oblivious to Meng Xin’s thoughts. He just knew he had finally won once, and his eyes sparkled.

“Deal!” he said, worried Yu Linghuan might change her mind. “I’ll find a booster as soon as I get home!”

Relieved, Zhao Wenxing stopped pestering and hurried home to arrange the booster.

Page 3/3

With Zhao Wenxing’s chatter gone, the atmosphere quieted significantly.

Time was getting late, and it was almost dinner.

Compared to Yu Linghuan’s previous public middle school, Langde Middle School had a notable advantage: the cafeteria served delicious, nutritious, and affordable meals.

Before heading back, Yu Linghuan asked Meng Xin if she wanted to get some milk tea from a nearby beverage shop.

Yu Linghuan loved milk tea but had only occasionally asked Meng Xin along before, knowing she was frugal and reluctant to always have drinks paid for her.

Now that concern was gone.

They each ordered a cup, but the shop was busy, and it would take ten minutes to prepare.

While waiting, they wandered into the adjacent dessert shop.

Yu Linghuan propped her chin on her hand, studying the menu. She liked sweets and planned to take some back as a late-night snack.

Suddenly, a familiar system notification sounded: [Host, Meng Mingzhu should be nearby; I have detected her.]

Yu Linghuan frowned.

Moments later, another system voice came through—this one from Meng Mingzhu’s transmigration system:

[Miss, Meng Xin is currently at the dessert shop ahead, but Meng Qichuan is not.]

Meng Mingzhu smirked. “Hmm, looks like my guess was right. Meng Qichuan didn’t come to school to find Meng Xin.”

[Indeed, Miss. In the Meng family’s heart, Meng Xin is far less important than you, and Meng Qichuan is no exception.]

After spending time with the host, the system had learned Meng Mingzhu’s mindset and knew how to flatter her.

As expected, Meng Mingzhu’s smile deepened. “You’re right. Meng Xin is a delicate, foolish heroine—how could she compare to me? But even if Meng Qichuan isn’t here for Meng Xin, maybe he isn’t here for me either?”

[That’s uncertain, but as a transmigrator, you are the greatest variable in this world, so the possibility is high.]

Encouraged, Meng Mingzhu’s imagination soared.

As a transmigrator bound to the system, her primary goal was to win over the novel’s male lead, Sheng Han, and steal him from Meng Xin.

However... Meng Qichuan was also an outstanding man.

Before transmigrating, Meng Mingzhu had seen similar dramas: an adopted younger sister and a non-blood-related elder brother developing feelings and ending up together.

She had reviewed Meng Qichuan’s profile through the system—his looks and physique rivaled Sheng Han’s and even surpassed him in her aesthetic.

Moreover, Meng Qichuan was highly intelligent, earning substantial money at eighteen through a class project and graduating with a master’s degree from a prestigious school at twenty-two.

Not to mention, he inherited wealth from his mother, Chen Wanzhi, and held influence in the Meng family estate.

If she could make Meng Qichuan like her and willingly devote himself to her...

The thought made her grin uncontrollably.

She instructed the system, “Organize Meng Qichuan’s preferences and tell me when you have time. I plan to woo the male lead while simultaneously pursuing my dear big brother.”

...

“Huanhuan, are you okay? Do you feel unwell?” Meng Xin asked, concerned.

Yu Linghuan had been looking at the dessert menu but suddenly frowned, appearing very uncomfortable.

Yu Linghuan blinked as if awakening. “Oh, I’m fine.”

She was simply disgusted by the conversation between Meng Mingzhu and the system.

The thought that Meng Qichuan might one day fall for Meng Mingzhu made her dislike him at least twenty percent more.

This was probably what they called “hating the sinner along with the sin.”

Meng Xin remained worried. “Really? You didn’t look well just now.”

“I’m sure,” Yu Linghuan reassured her. “I just saw someone and felt a bit nauseated.”

She spoke while raising her chin, locking eyes with Meng Mingzhu, who had just appeared at the dessert shop entrance.

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft—just enough for Meng Mingzhu and her followers at the door to hear.

Meng Mingzhu’s expression instantly changed.