Everyone else scattered like startled birds, and the room was instantly left empty.
Zhu Shuiwen also wanted to run, but she couldn’t.
The girl, her hair a messy, fluffy tangle, kept her head lowered. Nervous and stammering, she greeted softly, “Aunt… y-you’re back…”
The aunt smiled gently at Zhu Shuiwen. “Xiao Shui, go back to your room and sleep. The floor is so cold—what if you catch a cold?”
Then she turned around, her expression instantly changing as she roared at Zhu Feifei, “Zhu Feifei! It’s fine if you’re a mess yourself, but why did you drag Xiao Shui into this? Are you trying to lead her astray? Have you even thought about how I’m supposed to explain this to Xiao Shui’s parents?!”
Just as the family conflict was about to erupt, Zhu Shuiwen took a deep breath and spread her arms. “Stop—!”
Both of them froze.
The girl swallowed. “I-I’ll explain first.”
…
“She? Celebrated for you?” the aunt asked suspiciously.
Zhu Shuiwen nodded furiously. “Aunt, I’m sorry. There were a lot of people we didn’t recognize. It looked like a wedding-planning company or something, but everything got messed up… Maybe we were scammed…”
As she spoke, she grabbed up the blanket. “I-I’ll wash this…”
The movement was so sudden that the aunt immediately said, “No, no, no! You don’t need to! Put it down, Xiaos Shui. We have an auntie at home who can do the laundry…”
“No, no, it got like this because they were celebrating for me, so I—then I’ll mop the floor—”
“No, no, Xiao Shui, just sit—!” Seeing she couldn’t outtalk Zhu Shuiwen, the aunt panicked and slapped the table. “Sit down! Did you hear me?!”
Zhu Shuiwen: …
After a few seconds of silence, under the aunt’s helpless gaze, she said, “No, no… I should, I should.”
Seeing she couldn’t win against the younger girl, the aunt turned and shouted at Zhu Feifei, “Your sister is busy cleaning here, and you’re just sitting there doing nothing?!”
Oh no.
At the words “your sister,” Zhu Shuiwen’s whole body jolted, freezing like a stone statue.
She knew she should change the subject or say something light to smooth things over, but her throat felt blocked—she couldn’t say a single word.
The aunt continued, “Look how hardworking your sister is. Why is there such a huge gap between people…”
Zhu Feifei suddenly stood up.
“I say a couple of words and you already don’t like it, huh…”
The aunt’s voice was cut off.
Zhu Feifei silently walked over and took the rag from Zhu Shuiwen’s hand.
Zhu Shuiwen froze.
The aunt also froze.
Seeing her daughter actually start wiping the floor, the aunt instead looked awkward, her previously aggressive posture turning into confusion.
With the pressure suddenly lifted, Zhu Shuiwen turned to get the bucket.
Behind her, she heard a mutter: “Since when did she suddenly change her attitude?”
Half an hour later, the housekeeper arrived and officially ended the standoff.
“I’m going to sleep now. I’ve been playing cards all night—I can’t hold on anymore,” the aunt kept reminding them. “Xiao Shui, if anything happens, just call Ah Fei. Order her around if you need to.”
Of course, Zhu Shuiwen didn’t take that seriously. “Sister is very good to me. She even helps tutor me.”
The aunt fell silent.
Thinking of Zhu Feifei’s grades, she felt a rare flicker of guilt.
Second-to-last place tutoring last place?
Are you kidding?
Still, everyone kept up appearances, and the matter was dropped.
When she heard the door close, Zhu Shuiwen finally let out a long breath.
She nudged Zhu Feifei with her elbow and whispered, “Luckily Aunt didn’t see the injury on your hand.”
“It wouldn’t matter even if she did,” Zhu Feifei said, curling her lip.
“It would. She’d definitely feel bad for you.”
“She wouldn’t,” Zhu Feifei said flatly. “She’d just say I’m causing her trouble again.”
At that moment, it felt like the girl wanted to say something, but in the end what came out was abrupt—
“Big sister, are you free this afternoon?”
“Yes.”
“Then… do you want to do homework together?” The girl’s toes lightly tapped the polished floor, nervous. “I… I also want to try the competition papers… but I can’t solve the problems…”
Zhu Feifei thought to herself that if it were her mother, she would’ve said, “Competition? You barely scored a few points—why are you dreaming about that?”
So she didn’t say it out loud.
Instead, she said, “I didn’t bring my worksheets back.”
The girl’s eyes lit up. “I did! I did! I’ll go get them—wait for me!”
Zhu Feifei lowered her head. Her phone buzzed slightly.
It was Yuan Xiaxian.
Ah Fei, your mom didn’t do anything to you, right? 🥺
Before she could reply, more messages popped up.
Did she scold you again?
Don’t mind her. She doesn’t understand what you’re thinking at all.
Oh right, Luan Shuyu said a new shop opened at Mijia Plaza. Want to go try it today?
Zhu Feifei: …
Meanwhile, Zhu Shuiwen rushed into the room and opened her canvas bag.
Phew—!
Three photocopied worksheets. One had been given to He Xueqi, one she had already done herself, and one was still left—just right to give to her sister!
She gave herself a thumbs-up and ran out holding the paper, suddenly feeling like a clumsy actor rushing between multiple sets.
Suddenly, a new notification pop up from the system.
Why is a new plot point appearing right now?!
[Afternoon, discussing problems with the villain]
[As time spent with the female lead increases, the villain’s heart begins to waver, strange emotions spreading in her chest]
This is updating way too fast—can’t even get a break on the weekend!
She ran out with the worksheet and draft paper, only to see Zhu Feifei standing at the doorway with a complicated expression.
W-what is it?
Zhu Feifei said awkwardly, “I need to tell you something.”
Zhu Shuiwen tensed. “O-okay…”
Zhu Feifei placed both hands on her shoulders, speaking quickly and seriously—
“If someone asks why I didn’t go out to play, just say I’m sick these last two days. Got it?—Don’t touch my forehead! I’m faking it! I’m not sick!”
Zhu Shuiwen: “…Okay!”
Her sister couldn’t go out.
Even though Zhu Shuiwen didn’t quite understand why she couldn’t just say “I don’t want to go” instead of pretending to be sick, she didn’t ask further.
She only asked, “Then can I invite someone else here?”
“Oh, sure,” Zhu Feifei said absentmindedly, spinning a pen, still adjusting to studying at home.
She casually added, “Who? Fang Murou?”
“Uh… it’s the one who always gets first place…”
“Oh.”
Three seconds later, Zhu Feifei’s head snapped up.
“Who!?”
Ding-dong—the doorbell rang.
Zhu Shuiwen rushed to open the door first.
She still hadn’t told her sister about how she had impersonated Zhu Feifei yesterday. If the villain casually brought it up…
She had to stop it. Absolutely had to stop it!
The moment the door opened, it was indeed He Xueqi standing outside.
The boy was wearing a white shirt today. The top button at his collar was undone, vaguely revealing his thin collarbones.
He looked down at her. A faint brown trace of iodine stained beneath his eye, trailing downward and gradually winding, merging into the dark red injury marks before disappearing into his black hair.
—I’ve been using what you gave me.
For a split second, she almost thought he was about to say that.
But very quickly, she realized: the person who had given him the iodine should not have been “Zhu Shuiwen.”
It was “Zhu Feifei.”
She forced her gaze away with difficulty, only to realize in shock that, aside from the backpack on his shoulder, the boy was also holding something rather unusual.
—A carefully wrapped bouquet of chamomile.
“Ah—yes, it’s me! Hello, nice to meet you for the first time… I mean, I’ve talked to you before, I’m that—”
He only paused slightly before saying in a certain tone: “Zhu Shuiwen.”
“…Mm.”
For some reason, his gaze lingered on her for an unusually long time—so long it felt almost focused.
“Nice to meet you for the first time. This is a gift for you—Zhu Shuiwen.”
The chamomile, blooming brightly in clustered bunches, was suddenly placed into her arms.
She went to the kitchen and brought out an empty glass vase. After washing it clean, she placed the chamomile inside.
Was this bought for her only because of her sister’s sake?
Or was it originally meant for her sister, but since she was the one who opened the door, it became awkward to give it to her sister, so it was given to her instead?
Or perhaps the villain simply felt that the new transfer student needed some floral encouragement?
She couldn’t figure it out.
Why chamomile?
Was it chosen randomly, or did it… have some specific meaning?
She quietly searched it up. The meanings of chamomile varied widely online: strength, resilience in the face of adversity, the vitality to grow upward even in hardship, lively innocence and cuteness, and—
“Wanting to be closer to you.”
It suited her sister’s personality, she thought.
Just as she came out carrying the vase, she was startled by the strange atmosphere at the dining table.
The expected scene of the female lead and the villain chatting enthusiastically didn’t appear at all.
On the contrary, although the two were sitting face to face, neither of them had said a single word. Their expressions were each colder than the other, the oppressive atmosphere so heavy it felt like they were about to enter a life-or-death competition.
Hearing her footsteps, they both turned—
“You’re here.”
“Done?”
Zhu Shuiwen stiffly placed the vase on the table, not knowing whom to respond to first, and could only mumble vaguely, “Ah… yeah…”
She walked to the short end of the table.
This was the seat she had chosen for herself—a perfect “gossip-watching spot,” close enough to facilitate interaction between the female lead and the villain, and also convenient for her to fade into the background at any time. But—
Sensing both of their gazes land on her, Zhu Shuiwen sat down nervously, suddenly realizing—
Even though she was the “lightbulb,” she now felt like a high-wattage searchlight stealing all the attention.
“Want something to eat?”
“Do you want some water?”
The girl’s hands tightened under the table.
Can you two… just talk already?!
Say something! Anything!
Why are you both… looking at me?!
Her mouth barely felt like her own. After a long pause, she finally forced her voice out:
“Ah—no, I’m fine! Th-thanks for waiting for me, so next…”
—Next, you can ignore me!
Talk to each other!
Create some tension!
Make something happen!
But her pointed gaze met nothing but air.
On her left, He Xueqi tilted his head slightly, his tone calm. “Shall we begin? Which problem should we start with?”
On her right, Zhu Feifei replied coldly, a trace of suppressed irritation in her voice. “These are all very simple. There’s no need to trouble you—I can handle them myself.”
Zhu Shuiwen, stuck in the middle: …Huh?