The mango had been wrapped in a tough, flexible leaf. The leaf had been rolled up and tied securely with its own stem, forming a neat knot.
Carrying the mango, Cen Wu instinctively looked around for Mom.
She did not find Mom.
Instead, she spotted a tall, stunning young woman not far away.
It would be wonderful if I could grow that tall someday.
Cen Wu couldn’t help feeling envious.
In her previous life, her maximum height had only been 153 centimeters. In a crowd, she had practically disappeared from sight.
Scumbag Dad had never cared about her height, but that Scumbag Brother had called her “shorty” every single day.
Sometimes she had even suspected that she had failed to grow taller because he had cursed her into it.
Pulling her gaze away, Cen Wu thought that, judging by Mom’s personality, she would probably be more interested in unusual items than food.
So, while searching for her, she only gave the food stalls a quick glance.
Very soon, she found Cen Yi bargaining at a stall filled with all sorts of strange objects.
Well…
Calling it bargaining didn’t seem quite right.
To Cen Wu, Mom looked more like she was about to rob the poor vendor.
When she walked over for a closer look, she blinked.
Oh?
An acquaintance.
The tanned young man had noticed Cen Wu as well. With his excellent memory, he naturally recognized the mother and daughter.
“Little Younger Sister, your Mom isn’t nearly as generous as you.”
He sighed dramatically.
“This is ninety-nine percent pure—a genuine rarity!”
Cen Yi held a bone spike in her hand and casually twirled it through a flourish like a sword. It fit her grip perfectly.
“How much is it?” Seeing how much Mom liked it, Cen Wu asked.
The young man’s eyes immediately lit up, sensing an opportunity to raise the price.
“Three hundred points! This is the dorsal spine of a mutated yellow catfish. It’s incredibly difficult to find one this well-shaped. Not only can it be used as a weapon, but it’s naturally poisonous too. If it weren’t because we’re acquainted, I’d still think I was taking a loss selling it for three hundred points.”
He rattled on enthusiastically.
Cen Wu understood none of it.
She simply made her offer.
“One hundred and fifty points.”
The young man let out a mournful wail.
“Is that bargaining? That’s no different from chopping me apart!”
Beside them, Cen Yi chimed in casually.
“If we chopped you apart, we wouldn’t even have to pay any points.”
The young man’s mouth twitched.
“I’d better make one thing clear to you outsiders. Base No. 18’s regulations clearly state that forcibly taking other people’s property is strictly forbidden!”
Seeing that neither mother nor daughter responded, he snorted smugly and pointed behind them.
“Otherwise, the Base Chief won’t let you off.”
The Base Chief?
Cen Wu turned around.
Only then did she realize that the tall, beautiful young woman from earlier had somehow appeared behind them.
Then she heard the beautiful woman call out to Cen Yi.
“Mom.”
Cen Wu: “…”
Ahhhhh! She’s actually Big Sister!
Luke had said that Base No. 18 was Big Sister’s territory.
She had assumed he meant she was some influential local boss.
Who would have guessed…
She was the actual person in charge of the base!
The young man: “…”
Ahhhhh! I just tried to make a fortune off the Base Chief’s mother?
I’m finished!
The Base Chief had always been known for enforcing the rules fairly and showing no favoritism.
Would she arrest both him and his stall?
The young man’s face instantly filled with the agonized expression of someone about to lose money to avoid disaster.
“When did you get here?” Cen Yi affectionately linked arms with her eldest daughter while waving the bone spike in her hand. “Look at this. Doesn’t it suit me perfectly?”
“If you like it, then buy it,” Cen Jiao said.
Cen Yi turned back toward the young man.
“We haven’t agreed on the price yet.”
The young man immediately put on a pitiful expression.
“This bone spike isn’t worth much anyway. Please accept it as a gift. Consider it my apology for offending you just now.”
“Oh, that won’t do.”
Cen Yi had no intention of embarrassing herself on her eldest daughter’s home turf.
“We’ll go with Little Wu’s offer. One hundred and fifty points.”
The young man forced out a smile.
Seeing the Base Chief’s calm, unreadable expression, he had no idea whether he should accept the payment.
Instead, he hurriedly flattered them.
“My humble stall is truly honored today to receive such distinguished guests. This is a once-in-the-apocalypse opportunity! Let’s forget the points. We can just be friends.”
Standing on tiptoe, Cen Wu scanned the QR code on his stall and transferred him 150 points.
“Uncle, saying that makes it sound like we’re bullying people with our status. The points have been paid, so we’re even from now on.”
Who wants to be friends with you anyway?
The young man wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest.
He chuckled twice.
Friendship was fake.
Points were real.
As long as the points had arrived, he hadn’t lost out.
Having spent all her points, Cen Wu could only continue browsing the market without buying anything.
Along the way, she listened as Mom chatted with Big Sister.
Most of the time, however, Big Sister merely responded with indifferent hums to acknowledge what had been said.
Cen Wu couldn’t tell whether this was simply how the mother and daughter interacted, or whether Big Sister was genuinely cold toward her family.
So she kept sneaking glances at her like a curious little kitten.
Until…
Cen Jiao suddenly cast a glance her way.
In that instant, it felt as though all the warmth around Cen Wu had vanished.
A chill swept through her body.
Ah…
She felt a little discouraged.
Cen Wu clearly realized…
Big Sister really didn’t like her.
When they reached the end of the marketplace, Cen Yi pulled Cen Wu over proudly.
“This is your little sister. She’s such a good girl, just like a Doll. Since you’re her Big Sister, shouldn’t you prepare a meeting gift for her?”
“A Doll?”
Cen Jiao repeated the words.
Enduring her cool gaze, Cen Wu forced herself to remain composed.
“Hello, Big Sister. My name is Cen Wu.”
“Add me as a friend.”
What?
Big Sister was actually taking the initiative to add her as a friend?
Cen Wu immediately opened her wristband and tapped it against Cen Jiao’s.
Moments later, Cen Jiao’s name appeared in her friends list.
The very next second, she received Big Sister’s meeting gift.
[1,500 points have been credited to your account.]
“Big Sister…”
Before she could finish speaking, Cen Wu looked up again.
All she could see was Big Sister’s retreating figure.
Being tall really was nice.
She could cover such a huge distance with every step.
“Mom! Big Sister gave me so many points! I’ll give you half!”
Overjoyed, Cen Wu jumped up and hugged Cen Yi around the waist, wriggling excitedly.
Suddenly, something occurred to her.
She froze.
“Mom, wait here for a moment! I have a gift for Big Sister too!”
With that, Cen Wu sprinted off in the direction Cen Jiao had gone.
By the time she finally caught up, she hadn’t even finished catching her breath before holding out the mango in both hands.
“Big Sister, this is my favorite fruit. If you don’t want to eat it, you can just keep it in your room. Its sweet fragrance will help you sleep better.”
Cen Jiao instinctively refused.
“You don’t need to try so hard to please me just because I gave you some points.”
Cen Wu shook her head.
She firmly stuffed the mango into Cen Jiao’s hand.
“I’m not trying to please you because you gave me points.”
“I’m willing to please you because you’re my Big Sister.”
She never thought that trying to please someone was something shameful.
Wasn’t that how family relationships became stronger?
One person treated the other well.
The other returned the kindness.
Little by little, the bond grew stronger.
Besides…
Big Sister was so beautiful.
It was impossible for Cen Wu not to want to get close to her.
“Then… I’m going now.”
Cen Wu waved cheerfully before running back toward the marketplace in a flash.
Ahead of her, colorful lights illuminated the bustling streets.
Cen Jiao remained standing alone in the dim shadows.
Her long hair concealed her expression, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
She set the mango down on the stone steps.
Then she turned and disappeared into the darkness.
…