Days slid by unhurriedly. Yan Yu found that living with Ruo Xiaozhen was far more comfortable than she had expected. Perhaps it was because of Ruo Xiaozhen’s meticulous care, or perhaps it was because of the System.
She could clearly feel her physical condition gradually improving. Although her legs were still weak, the dull pain that seemed to emanate from the marrow had lessened significantly.
More importantly, her complexion was no longer that sickly pale; there was a bit of color now, and even the frequency of her coughing seemed to have decreased. Compared to living alone in that cold, empty apartment before, this small, rented room full of life was obviously more relaxing for her.
In the early morning, waking to the sounds of Ruo Xiaozhen clattering around as she prepared breakfast; during the day, listening to her chatter about all sorts of school gossip; and occasionally in the evening, squeezing together on the sofa to watch a boring movie… These simple, trivial routines, like warm water, gradually soothed her tense nerves and quietly diluted the chill left in her memories by the cold, oppressive time Su Qinghan had brought.
It was another ordinary morning. Ruo Xiaozhen deftly fried eggs and bacon, heated milk, and brought breakfast to the table while yawning. After they ate, she pushed Yan Yu out as usual and headed toward school.
“Ah—I’m dying of sleepiness…”
Pushing the wheelchair, Ruo Xiaozhen yawned one after another, tears streaming out.
“Last night I studied until almost two. I feel like my brain cells are all dead.”
“It’s just a periodic quiz today, no need to work so hard.”
Yan Yu leaned back in the wheelchair; the morning breeze brought a slight chill.
“Quiz?! That’s going toward our participation grade, sister!”
Ruo Xiaozhen immediately wailed.
“Our major has two culture courses! One art history, one design principles! So many terms and schools of thought to memorize… kill me now!”
She shook the armrests of Yan Yu’s wheelchair dramatically.
“I’m not like you, Yan, the top scholar, always at the top of the exams. I’m a standard ‘passing-line warrior’, constantly teetering on the edge of failing! A point more is waste, a point less is crime—I go for precise control, thrilling and dangerous!”
Her words made Yan Yu’s mouth curl up involuntarily.
“How am I any top scholar? I barely manage to be above average in the class. If we’re talking about good grades… Jiang Muyun in our class is the one who’s really outstanding. I heard her GPA was very high when she was abroad.”
“Oh, why are you comparing yourself to her!”
Ruo Xiaozhen interrupted immediately, her tone full of undisguised partiality.
“In my heart, you’re the best! That Jiang Muyun, she might have good grades, but her character…”
She pursed her lips, not finishing the sentence, but her disdain was obvious. However, as soon as she finished speaking, as if to prove the saying “the world is a small place,” a few people came out from the corner of the teaching building not far ahead.
It was Jiang Muyun and Su Qinghan, along with another girl. That girl had a high ponytail, wore a sharp athletic tracksuit, and looked rather arrogant. Yan Yu searched her memory and remembered that girl’s name was Dai Feng. It was said her family was in scientific research, with an unusual background, and because the family business had dealings with the Su family, she was considered a childhood friend of Su Qinghan.
Ruo Xiaozhen clearly hadn’t expected that speaking of the devil would make him appear, and that their words had been overheard. But instead of feeling guilty, she raised her chin and threw a provocative look at Jiang Muyun, as if to say,
“So what if I said it?” The smile on Jiang Muyun’s face froze instantly, then turned pale and red; a flash of anger passed through her eyes as she looked at Ruo Xiaozhen and Yan Yu. Su Qinghan’s gaze paused on her face for a moment, and then, unexpectedly, she took the initiative to walk over to Yan Yu, surprising her a bit.
“Yan Yu,” Su Qinghan stopped in front of her wheelchair.
“Morning.”
“…Morning.”
Yan Yu nodded slightly, switching into her “tragic substitute” mode. She raised her eyes, first letting her gaze sweep over Su Qinghan’s face with a hint of longing, then lowered it, speaking softly.
“The weather has been changing a lot lately, Qinghan. Remember to add clothes and keep warm.”
“Hmm,” Su Qinghan responded.
“You too.”
“Thank you for caring, Qinghan.”
Yan Yu revealed a smile tinged with flattered surprise, her eyelashes trembling lightly, her eyes clear and bright. Su Qinghan looked at her smile and then… somewhat hastily turned her head away, not meeting Yan Yu’s gaze directly. Yan Yu keenly caught this subtle movement.
‘…Embarrassment?’
This thought absurdly entered her mind, making her laugh at herself.
‘Could Su Qinghan be embarrassed with her?’
‘Impossible.’
‘It must be a misread, or simply that she doesn’t want to face this face—a substitute’s face.’
Jiang Muyun, standing nearby, had obviously also noticed Su Qinghan’s unusual avoidance and the interaction between her and Yan Yu. Her face turned colder. She stepped forward and took Su Qinghan’s arm.
“Qinghan, let’s go. We’re going to be late for class.”
As she spoke, she half-pulled, half-dragged Su Qinghan toward the teaching building. Su Qinghan stumbled a little from the pull, turned back to glance at Yan Yu again, but ultimately said nothing and followed Jiang Muyun’s force away.
Dai Feng followed behind them. When she passed Yan Yu, her sharp eyes gave Yan Yu a once-over. She opened her mouth as if to say something to Yan Yu. But Jiang Muyun called for her from ahead, so Dai Feng had no choice but to unwillingly withdraw her gaze and quickly catch up.
“Hmph! Whatever!”
Ruo Xiaozhen made a big face toward their retreating backs.
She put her hands back on Yan Yu’s wheelchair handles and pushed forward vigorously.
“Let’s go, Xiao Yu! Ignore them! Bad luck!”
“…Hmm.”
Yan Yu responded quietly, lowering her eyes, temporarily putting aside Su Qinghan’s slightly abnormal reaction. Whether it was an illusion or not, it had nothing to do with her. She just needed to perform her role well.
[Detected interaction with key character ‘Su Qinghan’. Conformed to the ‘Bitter Love Former Substitute’ persona. Emotional expression natural, triggered brief emotional fluctuation in the target.]
[Current Role-Playing Progress: 12%]
[Reward Distributed: Cash 20,000 yuan.]
[Reward has been transferred to the host’s bound account via legal channels. Please check your account.]
Cash? Twenty thousand? Yan Yu was slightly stunned. This system… this was the first time it had given such a simple, down-to-earth reward. But, just as well. She had been worried about money recently. Her previous savings had dwindled to almost nothing after paying the rent, deposit, and buying some necessary daily items and medicine.
She didn’t even have the rent for the month after next yet. Although Ruo Xiaozhen had never mentioned it, Yan Yu didn’t want to rely on her forever. Furthermore, she really needed to go to the hospital as soon as possible for a comprehensive follow-up and assessment of her physical condition, which would also be a considerable expense. This 20,000 yuan “performance fee” was a godsend.
Yan Yu’s heart settled a little. She lifted her head and looked at the sunlight broken into fragments by the plane tree branches ahead, and at the back of the energetic Ruo Xiaozhen’s head.
“Zhenzhen,” she suddenly spoke, her voice soft.
“For lunch… I’ll treat you, okay? That new Yunnan restaurant outside the school, I heard their rice noodles are good.”
“Eh? Really?”
Ruo Xiaozhen turned back in surprise, her eyes sparkling.
“Great, great! I want the signature crossing-the-bridge rice noodles! With double the quail eggs!”
“Okay, add it all.”