“It’s my sister.”
Hua Qi’an glanced in the direction where Lin Yanqiu had left.
There was no trace of Lin Yanqiu’s car anymore.
Lin Yanqiu was very wealthy, and her car was just as ostentatious.
Hua Qi’an hadn’t expected it to attract her roommate’s attention.
Upon hearing Hua Qi’an’s words, Zhao Yingying raised her eyebrows noncommittally and looked her up and down.
What Hua Qi’an was wearing now had been given to her by Lin Yanqiu to change into.
She usually wore clothes she bought herself, but this time it was because of a sudden incident…
The clothes Lin Yanqiu had prepared were naturally much more expensive than those Hua Qi’an would buy for herself.
“Xiaoqian, your clothes look pretty new today too.”
Zhao Yingying clapped her hands with an expression of surprise.
Hua Qi’an wasn’t stupid.
Although Zhao Yingying didn’t say it directly, she naturally understood what this person meant.
Did she think she was being kept?
What a boring thought.
But she still had to live in the dormitory and couldn’t fall out with these people.
This was also why she always greeted her roommates with a smile.
The school dormitory was for six people, and only cost four hundred yuan a year.
Although many people were dissatisfied with the dormitory, for the impoverished Hua Qi’an, she couldn’t afford to lose such a cheap place to stay.
“My sister bought it for me.”
Hua Qi’an knew what she was thinking, but not only did she not refute it, she even went along with it.
“Looks good, right?”
As she spoke, she gave Zhao Yingying a gentle smile.
If she broke her composure because of such malice, that would be falling into their trap.
Zhao Yingying stared, dumbfounded.
“It does look pretty good…”
She looked away.
“So Xiaoqian, you have a sister? This is the first time I’ve heard about it…”
She turned to look at the trees along the roadside, and together with Hua Qi’an, entered the school gate, chatting as they walked side by side toward the dormitory.
All along the way, Zhao Yingying kept sneaking glances at Hua Qi’an.
The girl’s figure was slender, and at the moment she was wearing casual clothes—clearly brand-name, with excellent material—a world apart from what she usually wore.
But on her, the clothes felt oddly empty, like a child secretly wearing an adult’s outfit.
That beautiful but slightly pale face wore a gentle smile as she responded to Zhao Yingying’s words.
This roommate of hers was indeed good-looking.
Hua Qi’an’s smile filled Zhao Yingying’s mind, and she blinked.
But her personality was timid and obedient, doing whatever she was told—really boring.
Still, maybe some people just liked this type with no backbone?
Zhao Yingying recalled Hua Qi’an stepping out of that luxury car and couldn’t help but look at her with a hint of mockery.
Heh, what sister? More like a “love sister.”
If she really had such a wealthy sister, would she need to act so ingratiating to the rest of them?
Actually, Zhao Yingying liked women too, so when she first saw Hua Qi’an, she knew the other girl was probably of the same orientation.
But before, Hua Qi’an always acted uninterested in romance—seemed aloof—but now it turned out she liked the whole being kept thing after all.
She also remembered that back in freshman year, Hua Qi’an had been severely harassed.
Although she had hidden it well, Zhao Yingying considered herself a campus gossip source and had still heard some rumors.
There really were people who liked Hua Qi’an’s type.
She hadn’t agreed at the time—maybe the other party just wasn’t rich enough?
Zhao Yingying tsked a few times in her heart.
What a pity. If Hua Qi’an was her type, she wouldn’t mind keeping her either…
She looked regretfully at Hua Qi’an.
The latter suddenly felt a chill for no reason, frowned, and tightened her sleeves a bit.
But her heart had long since belonged to someone else.
That person was a complete goddess, living in a world totally different from a poor person like Hua Qi’an…
Thinking this, her gaze landed on Hua Qi’an’s neck, where a bandage was wrapped.
“Xiaoqian, did you hurt your neck?”
Zhao Yingying asked with feigned concern.
Hua Qi’an snapped out of her discomfort and, hearing the question, subconsciously touched her neck.
Beneath the bandage was a handprint she couldn’t show to anyone…
“I slept wrong last night, so I put on some medicine.”
Hua Qi’an lied without changing her expression.
As she spoke, she rubbed her neck.
Unknowingly, the two of them had already returned to the dormitory.
Hua Qi’an looked down at the bag Zhao Yingying was carrying.
“Come to think of it, Yingying, you just got back from outside, right?”
“Did you go shopping?”
The bag wasn’t transparent, so Hua Qi’an couldn’t see what was inside.
But from its shape, it didn’t seem like food.
Upon hearing Hua Qi’an’s question, Zhao Yingying revealed a mysterious smile.
“You’ll find out tonight.”
Hua Qi’an glanced at the hallway window. The sun was already setting, and orange-red light spilled into the corridor.
She’d only asked casually and wasn’t that curious, so seeing Zhao Yingying act mysterious, she just nodded in response.
Entering the dorm, she quickly walked to her bed, tossed her backpack onto the desk, climbed up, pulled the curtain shut, and lay down.
A rare sense of comfort finally washed over her.
Even lying in a hospital bed had never felt like this.
The curtain blocked all the light, creating a private little space for Hua Qi’an.
The dorm was a shared space, but inside the curtain, she felt especially safe.
“Getting into bed so soon?”
Zhao Yingying’s voice came from the lower bunk.
Hua Qi’an responded absentmindedly, “I’m feeling a bit tired, I might sleep for a while.”
The meaning was clear—don’t bother her.
Their dorm was said to be for six people, but in reality, only four lived there, which was considered lucky.
Other than herself and Zhao Yingying, the other two roommates weren’t there.
Leaning against the headboard, the white light from her phone illuminated her face.
She hadn’t forgotten the culprit who had caused her so many inexplicable troubles.
The injuries on her hand and neck started to throb again, reminding her of her earlier carelessness.
It was true she’d been too careless, going alone to such a deserted place.
She shook her head, not knowing what had possessed her at the time.
Thinking carefully, this job was obviously full of strange points—and dangerous, too.
No matter how desperate for money she was, she should’ve looked for something more reliable…
Thinking this, she opened her message list, searching for the message from earlier when she’d contacted Human Resources.
“Hmm?”
She noticed a new text received six minutes ago.
[Ending 0419 card income (remitted from another bank)……]
Seeing the number displayed, Hua Qi’an’s eyes widened.
This is…?
She scrolled through the message repeatedly in disbelief.
Then she opened her banking app to check her account balance.
“It’s actually real…”
She murmured softly, staring at the digits in her balance.
Hua Qi’an clenched her left fist tightly.
The stinging sensation from the split skin on the back of her hand was no longer just pain—it was mixed with a strange sense of satisfaction.
She repeatedly opened and closed her fist, telling herself this wasn’t a dream.
So fast?
She remembered sending the video only that afternoon…
Her previous doubts and hesitation vanished under the allure of those numbers.
Maybe she should be even more careful in the future—
Her phone suddenly buzzed with another message.
It was from Human Resources, the person she had contacted earlier.