How could Zheng Miaoning have arrived before her?
How did Zheng Miaoning know she was coming here?
How did Zheng Miaoning manage to get away?
…
Countless questions like these swirled in Wen Zhao’s mind.
Hundreds and thousands of questions spun together, until the trivial words finally coalesced into four:
Zheng Miaoning is here.
She had indeed done exactly what she once said she would.
Zheng Miaoning had said: Wen Zhao, no matter how much you want to cut ties with me, the only ending for you in this life is to be entangled with me until death.
Wen Zhao had always known she wasn’t just saying it for effect.
Meeting her at this moment, Wen Zhao also had to admit that deep in her heart, there were many hidden flickers of joy.
Zheng Miaoning had let her go so easily last night because she had known all along that they would meet again immediately.
Wen Zhao began to scan her surroundings.
Such a dilapidated place… Wen Zhao’s brow furrowed. It was too insulting to Zheng Miaoning.
Standing at the door maintaining a cold facade, Zheng Miaoning realized something was wrong.
Wen Zhao wasn’t actually looking at her; she was looking at the ceiling and the surrounding walls?!
The ceiling, rendered shabby by the dim light, and the wallpaper, peeling in several places—which of these was more worth looking at than her?
Zheng Miaoning’s petal-like lips pressed into a tight line as she walked toward Wen Zhao with a darkened expression.
Wen Zhao held her breath, helpless, and braced herself to walk forward.
The two met halfway. As they brushed past each other, Zheng Miaoning lowered her voice and said, “I hope that by the time I return, you haven’t done something as stupid as frantically trying to move again.”
—Because no matter where you flee, I will find you.
Zheng Miaoning left some words unsaid.
But she was certain Wen Zhao understood them.
Dragging her small suitcase, Wen Zhao didn’t speak, which served as a silent affirmation.
If she hadn’t seen Zheng Miaoning today, Wen Zhao might have stayed here for a while and then moved on to explore other places whenever she felt like it.
She could have left at any time.
But if Zheng Miaoning could arrive ahead of her in a place as obscure as a guesthouse in Songping County, there was no point in Wen Zhao hiding anywhere else.
Zheng Miaoning had all of Wen Zhao’s identity information in the various apps on her phone; Wen Zhao’s whereabouts were simply too easy for her to track.
Before today, Wen Zhao had always held onto a glimmer of hope.
What if Zheng Miaoning had deleted everything related to her during the time their relationship was at its worst?
Opening her suitcase, she took out her toiletries and arranged them. Wen Zhao then collapsed back onto the narrow bed with a “thud,” closing her tired eyes.
The retribution for not sleeping well last night had arrived.
Dizzy and physically drained, Wen Zhao tried to stand up to wash, but after lingering for two or three seconds, she collapsed back down.
Zheng Miaoning… Miaoning…
Miaoning.
The last time the world had spun like this was four years ago, during their first meeting.
At that time, Wen Zhao had just been dropped in from the clouds by the System.
The sensation beneath her feet felt so unreal; Wen Zhao felt as if she were standing on a clump of cotton. Even though there was a chair beneath her, her body couldn’t stop swaying. Wen Zhao subconsciously looked around, searching for any trace of the System.
She wanted to say that she hadn’t made up her mind yet.
But then she saw Zheng Miaoning.
Even though she had never met her before, Wen Zhao recognized her at a glance.
A person she had meticulously described and deeply loved—someone who had been virtual until this very moment of reality.
A girl of seventeen years, eight months, and two days, wearing an expensive and sophisticated school uniform, stood before the school leaders, calmly accepting the gazes coming from all directions.
Her vibrant features were exceptionally bright.
Standing still, Zheng Miaoning gave a slight bow and then smiled.
Her rosy lips moved; she was likely giving an introduction and stating her theme, but Wen Zhao couldn’t hear a single word.
It was a spring day, and the warm, gentle sunlight passed through the direction of the podium, finally landing on Wen Zhao.
The weightless sensation of the world spinning disappeared, and Wen Zhao slid to the ground.
The cold, hard land beneath her palms and buttocks became real.
A streak of light flashed across the sky and then vanished.
Only Wen Zhao noticed it; it was the trace of the System leaving.
The System seemed to assume that as long as she saw Zheng Miaoning once, she would change her mind.
The System was right.
Wen Zhao really, really needed a reason to keep living.
She could no longer find a reason in her real life.
Her heart, which had been dead for many days, beat violently, making her breastbone ache.
Wen Zhao hadn’t felt such a vivid sign of her existence in a long time.
She hadn’t heard a single word of what Zheng Miaoning said.
The surrounding students came to help Wen Zhao, but her body was completely devoid of strength, as if a thousand-pound weight were hanging off her. Several girls were unable to lift her up.
On the stage, Zheng Miaoning’s pupils contracted.
She saw a gap in the middle of her class line; four or five people had crouched down.
But this small matter didn’t affect Zheng Miaoning.
She still finished her speech brilliantly. It wasn’t until Zheng Miaoning returned to the ranks that the class advisor, who had been chatting with a neighboring class, finally came back.
The class advisor immediately let out a sharp cry.
“This, this, this—is it low blood sugar? Quick, a few more people help her up.” A completely strange person had appeared in the class, but neither the teacher nor the students found it odd; instead, they were all eager to help.
“Teacher Li, I want to take her to the infirmary!” a bold boy shouted, raising his hand.
The vice principal was speaking on stage, and Teacher Li wished he could plug the kid’s mouth. “Stay put! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do.”
The boy who spoke was always mischievous. Taking a classmate to the infirmary? His real goal was to skip the ceremony openly!
Strength gradually surged back into Wen Zhao’s body. Propping herself up with her arms, she managed to stand up with Teacher Li’s support.
The thin, pale girl slowly stood straight. The moment she stood firm, everything around her went silent for a second.
Zheng Miaoning clearly perceived that everyone’s movements and speech lagged for a moment along with the girl’s actions—except for her.
Within that second, she and this incredibly fragile-looking girl were the only two people existing in the world.
This strange, deathly-pale girl kept staring at Zheng Miaoning.
Curious, Zheng Miaoning met her gaze.
A pair of calm, withered eyes—Zheng Miaoning had never seen eyes like these in her life. Yet at this moment, those eyes held only her.
Even as the noisy surrounding sounds resumed and the abnormality of that moment vanished completely.
For some reason, Zheng Miaoning took a step forward and reached out.
“Teacher Li, let me take her to the infirmary.”
Zheng Miaoning clearly saw the girl’s body shudder.
When Wen Zhao heard the teacher agree to Zheng Miaoning’s request without hesitation, she reflexively lowered her head.
Just now… she must have been too rude to her.
Wen Zhao wasn’t a fool; she had seen the scrutiny in Zheng Miaoning’s eyes.
However, for her to be willing to take a classmate to the infirmary, she really was a kind and helpful child.
Supported by Zheng Miaoning, Wen Zhao’s pounding heart actually began to calm down, though her eyes still couldn’t help but glance at her.
A person raised under rigorous standards also possessed extraordinary sensitivity.
When they were about to reach the infirmary, Zheng Miaoning finally couldn’t help but ask, “Classmate, why do you keep looking at me?”
“Ah… huh?”
Caught off guard while peeking, Wen Zhao was a bit dazed.
Zheng Miaoning saw that she was completely out of it and realized now was the perfect time to test her.
She suddenly leaned close to Wen Zhao’s face and questioned, “Who are you?”
Zheng Miaoning trusted her senses. The entire world had actually stalled because of the woman in front of her. While finding it absurd, Zheng Miaoning was more so curious.
As the only heir on the surface to the country’s richest man, Zheng Miaoning could certainly be called a favored daughter of heaven.
She had never thought it possible that the world would turn for just one person.
Wen Zhao, who had been brooding over her thoughts all the way, was suddenly confronted. In her heavy-hearted state, she blurted out: “I’m your mother.”
Zheng Miaoning: “…”
Wen Zhao, after realizing what she said: “…”
A ghostly silence enveloped the two.
“I mean,” after pondering for half a minute, Wen Zhao came up with a perfect explanation, “I said I’m your ‘mom-fan,’ do you believe that?”
“If you leave out the last two words,” Zheng Miaoning chuckled.
The pale face of the woman in front of her flushed red from embarrassment, making her look much healthier and more radiant, though her lips remained terrifyingly white.
Zheng Miaoning actually found her deathly pallor eyesore.
Wen Zhao gave a couple of dry laughs and stopped talking, not knowing what to say.
Upon seeing the school doctor, before Wen Zhao could speak, Zheng Miaoning spoke first: “Dr. Lin, my classmate just fainted. It might be low blood sugar. Please take a look.”
“Alright. Classmate, your student ID.” Dr. Lin was a woman who looked very reliable, much like this school hospital.
Wen Zhao was stunned for a moment, then nodded, guiltily reaching into her school uniform pocket.
Her icy fingers actually touched another cold object.
Wen Zhao pulled out the student ID card that had appeared in her clothes at some unknown time. Suppressing her surprise, she obediently placed the card on the reader.
On the small screen, two lines of text jumped out.
Student Name: Wen Zhao Class: Senior Year Class *
Zheng Miaoning stared closely at the monitor, a hint of disbelief in her eyes.
She really was a classmate in the same grade.
And this “classmate,” who had been full of flaws from the start, now had nothing suspicious about her at all.
Dr. Lin quickly finished examining Wen Zhao’s body, then prescribed some medicine and instructed: “Student Wen, did you not eat breakfast this morning? You must remember to eat breakfast. Why didn’t you eat? You all work so hard in class every day; if you don’t eat enough, how will you have the energy for lessons?”
Hearing this, Zheng Miaoning looked at Wen Zhao in disbelief.
“I…”
Wen Zhao’s eyes flickered. She couldn’t exactly say she was planning to jump into a river an hour ago.
And it wasn’t just that she hadn’t eaten breakfast; she hadn’t eaten for nearly three days.
After muttering for a long time, Wen Zhao finally said, “It won’t happen again.”
Dr. Lin immediately showed a relieved expression of “a teachable child.”
“Doctor, since she hasn’t eaten anyway, why don’t we do a blood test for her?” Zheng Miaoning suddenly said.
The school Zheng Miaoning attended had top-tier facilities for everything.
Though everyone habitually called it the “school clinic,” it was actually a hospital with independent capabilities for checking and treating major and minor illnesses. Teachers and students could seek medical attention for free using their student or teacher IDs.
Dr. Lin looked at Wen Zhao with an inquiring gaze.
Indeed, the girl in front of her did not look healthy. Judging by her hair and lip color, there was a high probability of anemia.
Wen Zhao wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but when she looked up, she saw Zheng Miaoning’s uncompromising gaze. She said, “Student Wen, before you try to chase me, you should at least have a healthy body.”
Wen Zhao: ?
Dr. Lin frowned. “Student Zheng, Student Wen, no puppy love allowed.”
Zheng Miaoning gave a very familiar and generous smile. “Dr. Lin, you’ve misunderstood. Student Wen is my fan and wants to catch up to me in terms of grades.”
As the daughter of the richest man who sat firmly in the number one spot in her grade even at an elite private school, even though Dr. Lin wasn’t in charge of teaching, she recognized Zheng Miaoning.
Her words carried high credibility.
Dr. Lin immediately nodded and said earnestly, “Mmh, Student Zheng is right. Student Wen, if your health isn’t good, how can you win the battle for higher grades? Come!”
The lifeless Wen Zhao widened her eyes.
With Zheng Miaoning making up stories and Dr. Lin waving her hand, the matter of the blood test was settled.
And as the subject of the blood draw, Wen Zhao didn’t even get a chance to say a word. In the end, several vials of blood were mysteriously taken from her.
When she walked out of the school hospital, even the sun looked blurry to Wen Zhao.
This time, it was Zheng Miaoning’s turn to steal glance after glance at her.
Wen Zhao: “…Is there something you want to ask me?”
“If you don’t like eating breakfast, then have your family change chefs,” Zheng Miaoning said very seriously.
Wen Zhao was stunned. “Huh?”
“Does your family not have a chef?” Zheng Miaoning found her reaction somewhat unbelievable.
Wen Zhao shook her head.
To be more precise, in this book world, she didn’t even have a home. She still had to think carefully about where she was going to stay tonight.
Realizing she had said the wrong thing, Zheng Miaoning fell silent.
Zheng Miaoning knew that the girl in front of her was not simple at all. Not only was her origin strange, but her speech was also odd. Yet she couldn’t help but say, “Then I’ll have my family’s chef make an extra portion of breakfast and bring it to school for you.”
In their short time together, Wen Zhao had already seen that she was a domineering person.
In every single matter, Zheng Miaoning never consulted her.
Even though they were things closely related to Wen Zhao, she had made the decision on her own twice in a row.
“Okay then… thanks?” Wen Zhao said blankly.
Zheng Miaoning laughed.
Putting aside the secrets Wen Zhao carried, Wen Zhao’s personality was a type of softness Zheng Miaoning had never seen before.
She was like a ball of dough with a perfect water-to-flour ratio; if you reached out to knead her, she wouldn’t resist. When the kneading was over, she would even jump into the oven herself, turn into a sweet and fluffy bread, and then nudge up to you and ask softly: Are you hungry? Do you want to eat?
Zheng Miaoning narrowed her eyes with pleasure. Mimicking the thugs she had seen on TV, she said even more unreasonably, “Wen Zhao, from now on, you follow me. This young miss has your back.”
If Zheng Miaoning had a tail, it would surely be cocked high enough to topple the alchemy furnace in the Tushita Palace.
Wen Zhao automatically filtered out the flirtatiousness in Zheng Miaoning’s words. After a moment of thought, she nodded.
“Okay, I will take good care of you.” Wen Zhao nodded while seriously clenching her fist, though it was unclear who she was trying to convince.
Zheng Miaoning scoffed, looking Wen Zhao up and down.
This smile and gaze weren’t entirely kind; they carried a bit of mockery.
Leaving aside the fact that Wen Zhao fainted as soon as she arrived, just looking at her thin body, her bloodless skin and lips, and her yellowish hair, one could tell she took very poor care of herself.
Zheng Miaoning said, “Who’s taking care of whom?”
Who’s taking care of whom?
The slightly mocking tone of the once-bright girl caused Wen Zhao to startle awake from her heavy dream.
To her surprise, the moment she opened her eyes, Zheng Miaoning was actually sitting on the edge of her bed!
Wen Zhao’s eyes were still moist, and her hurried breathing was extremely noticeable in the room. Zheng Miaoning reached out her hand, and her soft fingertips brushed against the corner of Wen Zhao’s eye, wiping away her tears.
“Wen Zhao,” Wen Zhao heard Zheng Miaoning speak, “as for taking care of yourself, you don’t do a good job of it.”