[Congratulations to the young lady for receiving a Thank-You Card ×1]

With the Thank-You Card, Chuzheng looked at Miao Miao Miao with a lot more favor.

"Great disaster is bound to be followed by good fortune." Miao Miao Miao clenched her fists: "I will not be defeated by evil forces!"

"Wash and sleep."

You really think you’re that unlucky, encountering such evil forces every time.

"Let’s sleep together."

"No."

"Don’t be shy."

"Get down!"

"I’m scared... about to fall, boohoo, Xiao Chu, you’re so unromantic!!" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Miao Miao Miao got up from the ground, hands on her hips, glaring at Chuzheng.

Her response was a ’snap’ sound, as Chuzheng turned off her lamp.

"Remember to close the door when you leave."

Miao Miao Miao: "..."

Miao Miao Miao hugged a pillow and left the room. When she reached the door, she turned her head: "Thank you, Xiao Chu."

-

The convention ended, and everyone was preparing to return.

Miao Miao Miao and Bai Shuwen were from the same city, so they went back together.

Bai Dongai was probably angered to death by Chuzheng, not taking the same train as her, but the departure and arrival times differed by only a few minutes.

Bai Dongai didn’t come over, just sent Chuzheng the travel info, and retracted it a minute later, elegantly claiming it was sent by mistake.

Bai Shuwen came to the hotel early to pick them up, Chuzheng went down to check out, settling the expenses of the past two days.

She had just finished when Lu Qian and her companions dragged their luggage down to check out.

Chuzheng was a bit surprised that Lu Qian actually stayed for three days; she had thought Lu Qian was only here for a day.

Considering her aunt’s stinginess... What did Lu Qian do to make her mom spend so much money?

Is a stingy person never stingy to her own daughter?

"What?"

Lu Qian suddenly let out a startled cry.

The lobby was already quiet, so Lu Qian’s shout was abrupt, and everyone looked over.

"Why do I still have to pay so much?" Lu Qian wasn’t aware of her volume: "The room has already been paid for?"

The front desk staff said something softly, and Lu Qian appeared even more incredulous: "Isn’t that free?"

Chuzheng listened a while and it seemed that Lu Qian spent at the restaurant upstairs, thinking it was free, only to be informed it wasn’t when checking out.

The hotel has several restaurants; the free buffet is on the twelfth floor, whereas the rooftop restaurant requires additional payment and isn’t cheap—just some basic meals for two people easily costs thousands.

Lu Qian mistook the free buffet restaurant for the one upstairs, leading to the current situation.

The room fees for the last two days were gotten through crying and making a fuss; with these expenses, how could she dare to ask her parents?

Moreover, in such a setting, Lu Qian wouldn’t dare make a scene.

"Do you guys have any money?" Lu Qian asked her two companions.

Both companions shook their heads: "Qian Qian, I don’t have any..."

"Neither do I."

Lu Qian frowned: "But you ate too, you should share the cost, right?"

They spent so much money, neither companion dared to admit it.

"I already said not to go, it was you, Qian Qian, who insisted. We didn’t spend much the first time, I can only cover that cost."

The other agreed.

The later times, it was Lu Qian who insisted on going, ordered so many dishes to photograph for social media, and didn’t finish eating.

Obviously, Lu Qian was not happy: "Didn’t you eat?"

The three girls began to argue at the front desk, the staff beside them reminded them to lower their volume.

Yet at the time, they couldn’t care less.

Chuzheng watched for a while and found it boring: "Let’s go."

It was only after she returned that Chuzheng learned how Lu Qian’s issue was resolved.

The costs had already been incurred, refusing to pay would be tantamount to dining and dashing; the hotel had their identity info and wouldn’t allow them to ditch the bill.

However, her aunt’s family wasn’t easy to deal with either; eventually, the cost was split three ways.

After such a commotion, the plastic friendship between Lu Qian and the two girls couldn’t be maintained.

Upon returning, Lu Qian was scolded fiercely.

-

The May Day holiday ended, and the students returned to school in a lifeless state, a cloud hanging over the school at the beginning of the term.

Bai Dongai’s first act upon returning was giving Chuzheng a pile of practice books.

Indeed, a pile.

Chuzheng looked at Bai Dongai as if he were insane, Bai Dongai looked at Chuzheng with the compassion one might show to a dim-witted desk mate.

The next day Chuzheng gave Bai Dongai double the amount of practice books.

Under Bai Dongai’s shocked gaze, she patted the pile of practice books: "You’re welcome."

Bai Dongai: "..."

Classmates: "..."

The friendship among academic achievers is incomprehensible.

"That Lu Qian is really something, no money yet dining and dashing."

"You’ve heard too, huh?"

"It all got posted on the forums, never seen someone so outlandish, last time even slandered our Chuzheng."

"Disgusting, really."

"Lu Qian seems to be Chuzheng’s cousin, is this true?"

"Seems so..."

"Having relatives like that, really unlucky."

Lu Qian’s plastic girlfriends had anonymously posted the incident on the forums after returning.

Once Lu Qian entered school, people pointed fingers, and Lu Qian wasn’t one to take it lying down; she directly confronted the actual poster.

The matter became big, alerting the school authority, and Lu Qian received a demerit for initiating the dispute.

The school continued to buzz about her.

The rumor of her and Chuzheng being relatives spread, and more people knew.

Knowing they were relatives, comparisons increased.

From looks to grades.

From grades to attire.

People uncovered that some brands Lu Qian wore were fakes.

sitting at her desk, head down, listening to gossip all around her, feeling it was all about her.

She grasped her pen, slicing a harsh line on the paper.

Friday after class.

Lu Qian’s two plastic friends left the school joking and laughing, unaware someone was following them after school.

"Let’s grab some milk tea."

"The new flavor is reportedly very tasty."

"Let’s go quickly, this way is closer."

"Sure..."

The two girls decided on the shortcut, entering a quiet alley near the school.

The follower hurried up, blocking them when there was no one around from either side.

The girls had never seen such a scene, frightened they huddled together.

"Fork over the money."

They didn’t dare resist, quickly handing over whatever cash they had.

The punks looked at the meager sum in disdain.

They rifled through their school badges, taking pictures: "We’ll find you again tomorrow, have your money ready, got it?"

They’d heard from other students about thugs robbing near school.

But never imagined they’d face it themselves.

"We understand, okay..." The girls nodded tearfully.

The bully brandished a knife as he left: "If you tell anyone, you better watch out."