“Lin Youyou, why are you suddenly so focused in class today? That’s rare.” School had let out, and the girl at the next desk tilted her head slightly, her ponytail sweeping an arc through the air as she smiled and spoke to her.
Gu You recalled the Plotline and knew this girl was Ning Ning, from a military-political family dynasty. Ning Ning, like the Original Host Lin Youyou, usually didn’t like talking to people and was also a loner at school.
“I’m planning to study hard and get into a good university.” Gu You didn’t stop packing her bag as she spoke with a serious face.
Ning Ning’s eyes widened. “Seriously? Did you take the wrong medicine or something?”
“Believe it or not.”
With that, Gu You picked up her bag and headed out. The Lin family’s butler, Uncle Gu, arranged for a driver to pick her up from school every day, so he should already be waiting at the school gate.
Ning Ning stood frozen for a moment, then jogged after her and tapped Gu You on the shoulder. “Hey, is your driver here yet? Give me a ride, would you? My family’s driver’s car broke down halfway, and who knows when he’ll get here.”
“Not on the way.” Gu You kept walking without looking back.
“Hey, hey, hey! Ever heard of being kind to your classmates? You’re so cold, boo-hoo-hoo.” Ning Ning wiped at tears that didn’t exist.
A black Maybach was parked at the school gate, its polished emblem gleaming strikingly in the sunset. Even though it appeared at the gate every day, students streaming out couldn’t help but glance back, secretly envying Lin Youyou’s good fortune.
Seeing Gu You walk out of the gate, the driver, Xiao Chen, hurriedly opened the door and got out, taking the bag from Gu You’s hands while placing his other hand at the top of the door frame to keep her from bumping her head as she got in.
Gu You had been a wealthy heiress herself, raised by a houseful of servants and nannies, so this kind of treatment felt perfectly natural to her.
She had barely sat down in the back seat when Ning Ning slid in beside her, smiling at Xiao Chen. “Hello, I’m Lin Youyou’s classmate. My family’s driver can’t make it today. Youyou said she’d give me a ride home.”
Hearing this, Gu You glanced at Ning Ning and said nothing. As far as she could remember, Ning Ning and Lin Youyou had barely spoken a few times. Though they sat at neighboring desks, they were really just ordinary classmates. Still, Ning Ning seemed like a simple-minded girl, and with her impressive family background, she had no reason to scheme anything out of Gu You—making a friend wouldn’t hurt.
“Xiao Chen, let’s go.”
Only after Gu You said this did Xiao Chen drive off toward the Lin residence.
“Hey, Youyou, you just said you’re planning to get into a good university—which university is your target?” Ning Ning asked curiously.
Gu You said with a serious face, “Beihua University, of course—the best in the country.”
Seeing that Gu You’s expression was serious and she didn’t seem to be joking, Ning Ning smiled. “Then work hard. There’s still more than half a year left. If you need a tutor, I can help you find one—I have a cousin who works at the Education Bureau.”
“Mm, thanks.” Gu You knew Ning Ning was only half-convinced she could get into Beihua University. After all, their current class was Class 7 at Haicheng No. 1 High School—classes were sorted by grades, meaning theirs was the class with the worst students.
The two chatted a bit more in the car, even taking out snacks and soda from the built-in mini fridge, eating and talking as time seemed to fly by.
The Maybach stopped at the entrance of the Lin family villa, and only then did Gu You learn that Ning Ning lived in the same villa district as the Lin family. The district was just very large, so she had never run into her classmate Ning Ning near home before.
Mother Lin, Feng Qingru, was wearing a well-tailored light purple dress, her shoulder-length, slightly curly hair fluttering gently in the breeze, looking fresh and elegant. Standing in the flower-filled courtyard, she hurried over as soon as she saw Gu You get out of the car. “Youyou, you’re back! How was school today? Did you have fun?”
Gu You: “…” Wasn’t school supposed to be a place for studying? Now Mother Lin was asking whether she’d had fun at school?
“It was fine, just fine.” Gu You gave a perfunctory smile, then added, “Oh right, this is my classmate Ning Ning. Her family’s driver didn’t come to school today, so she rode home with us.”
“Oh my, Ning Ning? So you’re Ning Ning! I’ve gone shopping with Mrs. Ning a few times, and she’s always talking about her daughter Ning Ning. When I found out you were in the same class as my Youyou, I was hoping I’d get the chance to meet you. Come in, come have some tea and snacks at our home.” Mother Lin clearly knew Ning Ning’s mother. Mother Lin was quite active in the wealthy wives’ circle, constantly arranging outings to play cards, go shopping, and get beauty treatments.
Ning Ning said with a smile, “Hello, Mrs. Lin. My grandfather flew back from Jing City today, and he should be getting home right about now. I’ll come visit you another day.”
“Alright, come over and play another day then. See you tomorrow.” After Gu You finished speaking, she instructed Xiao Chen to take Ning Ning home.
Only after watching the car drive away did Gu You turn around. Taking Mother Lin’s arm, she imitated the Original Host’s way of speaking. “Mom, Mom, I’ll invite her over to our home another day, okay? Your precious darling is right here. What yummy food did you prepare for me tonight, Mom?”
Mother Lin looked at her youngest daughter acting cute with her, wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders, and smiled softly. “My precious darling, Mom prepared lots of dishes you love. Go wash your hands and have some snacks first. Once your dad and your brother come home, we’ll have dinner.”
Gu You finished the snacks under Mother Lin’s watchful gaze. Although she knew that she was now Lin Youyou—no matter what anyone said, she was Lin Youyou—she still felt a little nervous under Mother Lin’s loving gaze, though it didn’t show on her face.
After the snacks, she picked up her schoolbag and went upstairs. Gu You walked into the room from her memories on the third floor. Pushing open the door, pink was everywhere she looked. Pink wallpaper, pink furniture, pink curtains—even the computer and mouse were pink.
For someone with the mental age of thirty-five, all this pink gave off an indescribable sense of incongruity. Still, she had no intention of changing the room’s decor. After all, she needed to maintain the Original Host’s persona; too sudden a change would seem strange to others.
Gu You tossed her schoolbag onto the sofa and shook her head with a sigh. She took the books out of her bag and arranged them neatly on the desk. Then she sat down at the desk and seriously started making a study plan. The Original Host, Lin Youyou, was a hopeless academic underachiever—the only reason she’d gotten into No. 1 High School was that the Lin family had donated an entire teaching building to the school.