Mu Wanqing soon discovered another document among the papers.
It was a handwritten letter by her grandmother.
A guardianship declaration her grandmother had personally written before her death, entrusting Mu Wanqing’s legal guardianship to Mu Qinglan.
For a long moment, Mu Wanqing simply stared at the paper.
This was the very thing Mu Qinglan and Shen Yucheng had used to control her for so many years.
She carefully gathered every important document, the property ownership certificate, her uncle’s property transfer declaration, the household registration booklet, and the guardianship document, and placed them securely inside her old schoolbag.
Once she had finished, she turned and walked outside and than entered the storage room.
She searched through the clutter until she found an old duffel bag.
The bag was worn and faded, with several scratches along its surface, but the zipper still worked.
Mu Wanqing dusted it off and carried it back to her room.
She did not own many things.
That realization was strangely painful, but it came to her advantage.
A few changes of clothes, basic toiletries, her identification documents and old school materials, that was all.
Mu Wanqing packed everything quietly and placed the duffel bag beside the door.
Suddenly a cold glint flashed through her eyes.
There was still one more thing she need to take.
Without hesitation, Mu Wanqing walked toward Shen Ruoxi’s room.
She entered and immediately approached the wardrobe.
Shen Ruoxi had always been fond of collecting little ornaments and accessories.
The upper shelf of the cupboard was filled with boxes, jewelry cases, photographs, and various trinkets.
Mu Wanqing began searching through them one by one.
Soon, her fingers stopped.
Inside a small velvet box lay a jade pendant.
A Guanyin goddess pendant.
Mu Wanqing’s expression changed immediately.
She reached inside and picked it up.
Although it was not particularly valuable, she recognized it instantly.
It had belonged to her grandmother.
When Mu Wanqing had been a little girl, her grandmother had personally placed the pendant around her neck.
At that time, the old woman had smiled gently and said that Guanyin would bless her and protect her from misfortune.
The jade itself was not expensive.
It was merely ordinary Qinghai jade, pale and slightly cloudy, with none of the brilliance that wealthy collectors admired.
But to Mu Wanqing, it was priceless.
It was one of the few things her grandmother had personally left behind for her.
In her previous life, Shen Ruoxi had taken a liking to it, and because Mu Wanqing had always been taught to give in, she had surrendered it without even daring to protest.
She placed the jade pendant inside her bag.
After checking carefully to make sure that she had taken everything important, Mu Wanqing finally returned to her room.
The electronic clock on her phone showed that it was nearly three in the morning.
She could not stay any longer.
The sleeping medicine she had mixed into the food and baijiu would not keep them unconscious forever.
If one of them woke up before she left, everything would become troublesome.
Mu Wanqing picked up her duffel bag and schoolbag.
Then, without looking back, she quietly opened the front door and left.
The moment she stepped outside, a cool night breeze brushed against her face.
The narrow lanes of the old district were dark and quiet.
Only the yellow glow of aging streetlamps illuminated the cracked pavement.
Somewhere in the distance, a stray dog barked before the neighborhood once again fell silent.
Mu Wanqing tightened her grip around the strap of her bag as she began walking quickly.
Perhaps because of the way she had died in her previous life, deserted streets at night still frightened her, Afterall the memories were too vivid.
Just as her footsteps began to quicken, System 888 suddenly spoke inside her mind.
[Host, calm down.
There is no danger nearby.
I have scanned the surrounding area.
Everything appears normal.]
Her tense shoulders slowly relaxed.
Right.
How could she forget?
She was no longer alone.
She had a system now.
A faint smile appeared on her lips, “System, I didn’t know you could do something like that.”
System 888 immediately seemed to become nervous.
[Host, please do not misunderstand.
My current abilities are limited.
I can only perform basic monitoring by accessing publicly available information and certain surveillance networks within a limited range.
I cannot solve every problem for you.]
Its voice became increasingly serious.
[Therefore, Host must not become overly dependent on me.
You must work hard and improve yourself.
As you become stronger and more capable, my functions will gradually improve as well.]
Mu Wanqing blinked.
Why did it sound as though System 888 was desperately trying to establish boundaries with her?
She could almost imagine a tiny expressionless creature waving its hands in panic.
Mu Wanqing suppressed a laugh, “All right, all right.
I understand.”
Inside her consciousness, System 888 released an imaginary sigh of relief.
Fortunately.
Mu Wanqing, completely unaware of the system’s internal crisis, continued walking.
After a while, she said thoughtfully, “System, I’ve decided that for next ten days, I will stay in a hotel until the College Entrance Examination is over.
Finding a rental apartment right now would take too much time.
I need somewhere safe where I can focus entirely on preparing.”
System 888 considered her decision.
[That is a reasonable choice.
However, Host, you do not need to speak aloud when communicating with me.
You only need to think your words.
I can receive your thoughts directly.]
Her eyes widened slightly, “So convenient?”
[Yes.]
Mu Wanqing immediately decided to test it.
She kept her lips tightly closed, “System?”
[I’m here, Host.]
Her eyes brightened and lips curved upward.
She continued walking while communicating silently, “Then I’ve officially decided to accept the mission.”
[That’s good, Host.
I’m sure you can succeed.]
However, if it had possessed a physical body, it would probably have rolled its eyes.
Accept the mission?
What did the host mean by accepting it?
The mission had already been triggered.
There was no accepting or rejecting it.
She had no choice but to complete it.
But System 888 wisely kept that thought to itself.
Mu Wanqing stopped beneath one of the dim streetlights and took out her mobile phone.
Her fingers moved quickly across the screen as she opened a hotel-booking application and began searching for accommodation near South City No.
3 High School.
Her College Entrance Examination had been assigned to that school as the examination centre.
Unfortunately, South City No.
3 High School was considerably farther from her old home in Hongkou District.
It was located much closer to the Huangpu River and the Bund, one of the most prosperous and expensive areas in Shanghai.
Mu Wanqing frowned as she scrolled through the available hotels, “Ten thousand yuan…
nine thousand eight hundred yuan…
five thousand five hundred yuan…
three thousand yuan per night.”
Her expression gradually stiffened, “Aiya…” She stared at the screen in disbelief, “The cheapest decent hotel around the Bund costs nearly three thousand yuan a night?”
Even though she now had more than five hundred thousand yuan in her bank account, Mu Wanqing still found the prices difficult to accept.
Five hundred thousand yuan might sound like an astronomical amount to the seventeen-year-old girl she had once been, but she had lived through an entire lifetime.
She understood perfectly well that money could disappear much faster than it was earned.
She had ten days before the college entrance examination.
If she spent several thousand yuan every night simply on accommodation, she would be throwing away money that could be used for something far more important.
Without hesitation, Mu Wanqing expanded the search radius.
If the Bund was too expensive, she could simply stay farther away.
Shanghai’s metro system was extensive.
As long as she found a safe hotel near a subway station, commuting to the examination centre would not be particularly difficult.
Just as she was about to confirm her search…
System 888 spoke.
[Host, I do not agree.]
Mu Wanqing paused, “What do you mean?”
The system’s voice became unusually serious.
[As the future Supreme Aristocratic Heiress, how can you casually choose an ordinary hotel simply because it is cheaper?]
Mu Wanqing blinked, than shook her head, “System, there is absolutely no need for that.” She continued scrolling through the options, “I will only be staying there temporarily.
For the next ten days, my entire focus will be on preparing for the College Entrance Examination.
Whether the room has marble floors or ordinary tiles will make no difference to my studies.”
System 888 remained silent for a moment.
Then it replied firmly.
[It makes a difference.
First, Host is still a minor.
Staying alone in an inexpensive and poorly managed hotel is not necessarily safe.
Second, checking into such places may involve unnecessary complications because of your age.
Third, what if the Shen family finds you?]
Mu Wanqing’s fingers stopped moving.
[High-end hotels place great importance on the privacy and security of their guests.
Their surveillance systems, security personnel, and internal procedures are far more comprehensive.
Most importantly, they are accustomed to protecting the privacy of wealthy guests.]
Mu Wanqing slowly lowered her phone.
The system’s words were not entirely unreasonable.
However…
If she immediately went to a luxury hotel near the Bund and began spending money without restraint, she might wake up one day and discover that her fortune had vanished before she had even figured out what to do with her new life.
System 888 seemed to sense her hesitation.
Inside its imaginary consciousness, the young system nearly collapsed.
Why?
Why had it been assigned such a frugal host?
Most hosts would have been ecstatic after receiving five hundred thousand yuan.
Yet Mu Wanqing was calculating hotel prices as though every single yuan were about to be deducted from her lifespan.
System 888 wanted to curse.
It truly did.
But after considering its host’s age, it restrained itself.
A civilized system could not casually curse in front of a seventeen-year-old girl.
That would leave a terrible impression.
Therefore, System 888 made a decision.
If reasoning did not work, it would use motivation.
[Ding…!
Side Mission Triggered.]
[System Analysis: A person is adorned by clothing, just as a Buddha is adorned by gold.
True worth is not merely something one possesses.
It is also reflected in one’s surroundings, and the standards one sets for oneself.
A phoenix that lives among sparrows may eventually be mistaken for one.
The Host’s current environment does not reflect the standards required for the cultivation of a future Supreme Aristocratic Heiress.]
Mu Wanqing stared at the screen.
Her eyelid twitched slightly.
Somehow, she felt as though System 888 had just insulted her entire life.
[Side Mission: Check into the Presidential Suite at the Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai.]
[Mission Reward: ¥10,000,000 RMB.]
Mu Wanqing stopped breathing and her legs almost gave out as she stared at the number.
“Ten…” Her voice became faint, “Ten million yuan?”
Surely, she had not read it incorrectly.
Earlier, she had believed that five hundred thousand yuan was already an unbelievable fortune.
Yet only a few hours later System 888 was offering her ten million yuan simply for staying in a hotel.
Mu Wanqing suddenly felt that her understanding of wealth had been completely overturned.
Ten million yuan.
That was enough to change the life of an ordinary family completely.
With ten million yuan, she could purchase a good property in Shanghai.
Perhaps not in the city centre, but outside second ring road, she could get a huge residential property at this price.
For many ordinary people, ten million yuan was an amount they might never earn throughout their entire lives. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
It was enough to provide security and change one’s future.
Enough to ensure that a person would never again need to count every single yuan before buying something necessary.
Mu Wanqing’s heart began beating rapidly.
System 888 immediately spoke again.
[Host, do not become complacent merely because of ten million yuan.
This amount is insignificant compared to what you may obtain in the future.
Wealth is only one aspect of cultivation.
Host must not lose sight of the greater goal.]
Mu Wanqing stared into the empty air.
For some reason, she could distinctly hear the faintest trace of condescension in its voice.
Her eyebrows rose.
Did this system just look down on me?
But she immediately shook her head.
Perhaps she was imagining things.
After all, System 888 was merely a system.
“All right.” A determined smile appeared on her face, “Don’t worry, System.
I will work hard and earn more and more money.”
System 888 fell silent.
Somehow, it suddenly felt that its host might have misunderstood the purpose of the entire system.
But before it could explain, Mu Wanqing had already opened the Didi application and a few minutes later, a car arrived near the intersection.
Mu Wanqing placed her duffel bag inside and climbed into the back seat, “Bvlgari Hotel, please,” she said.
The driver glanced at the destination displayed on his navigation system and than at Mu Wanqing, up and down, before starting the car.
He kept glancing at Mu Wanqing and than at her appearance, is she going there for food rescue?
But he never heard Bvlgari hotel do that?
He wanted to remind her, but than kept quite, usally such people didn’t like anyone mentioning that to them and sometimes even the offence.
On the other hand Mu Wanqing had no idea that because of her unkempt appearance the DD driver has completely misunderstood her purpose for going to Bulgari hotel.
As the vehicle merged into the midnight traffic, Mu Wanqing leaned against the window and looked outside.
Shanghai truly was a city that never seemed to sleep.
Even in the middle of the night, the streets remained alive.
Cars moved steadily along the wide avenues.
Neon lights reflected across glass buildings.
Convenience stores remained brightly illuminated, and restaurants still welcomed customers beneath glowing red lanterns and modern signs.
People continued moving through the enormous city, each following their own destination.
Shanghai was awake, and for the first time in a very long while, Mu Wanqing felt as though she was awake too.
In her previous life, she had spent years trapped inside circumstances she had believed she could never escape.
But now she had left with no regrets.
The car gradually entered the bund and the scenery outside became increasingly magnificent.
Tall buildings rose toward the night sky, their glass facades reflecting the endless lights of Shanghai.
Finally, the car slowed.
Mu Wanqing looked outside and her breath caught.
The Bvlgari Hotel stood before her.
The building was elegant and imposing, illuminated against the darkness of the night.
Everything about it seemed refined and distant from the world Mu Wanqing had known.
Luxury vehicles stood near the entrance.
Uniformed staff moved quietly through the brightly lit lobby.
The entire place carried an atmosphere of understated wealth.
Mu Wanqing paid for the ride and stepped out of the car.
Then she slowly turned around.
For a moment, she simply stood there.
Despite possessing the memories of two lifetimes, this was the first time she had ever entered such a high-end hotel as a guest.
All the guards stood in a neat line at the hotel’s entrance as the security-in-charge stood before them, his voice low but carrying the weight of command.
“Tonight, everyone must keep both eyes open and minds sharp.
All the second-generation heirs of Shanghai’s high society are gathered here for Young Master Zhang’s birthday celebration, and the festivities will not end until the sky turns pale.
I will not allow what happened last time to repeat itself.
Is that understood?”
“Yes, Team Leader!” the guards answered in unison, heads dipping in one clean motion.
The man nodded, satisfied, the corner of his mouth betraying nothing.
“Return to your posts.
Stay alert.” With that, he turned and walked off.
The moment his figure disappeared around the corner, a collective sigh rippled through the line of guards, but not one of them dared to let their guard down, not truly.
Like soldiers falling back into formation, they scattered to their assigned posts.
Two men stood at each entrance, backs straight, eyes forward.
At the main entrance, one guard swayed on his feet, so exhausted he could hardly hold himself upright, while beside him his colleague greeted each arriving guest with a smile so practiced it looked painted on.
The second guard noticed his companion’s eyelids drooping and immediately hissed under his breath, “Brother Qiang, what’s wrong with you?
Did you not hear what the team leader just said?
We must stay alert tonight, this is not the time to be nodding off.”
Liu Qiang, thus addressed, felt a flare of irritation rise in his chest at being scolded like a child.
“I heard him,” he muttered, clipped and short.
“I’m not sleeping.”
He gave his head a sharp shake, forcing his exhaustion back down where it belonged.
But beneath the surface, a different fire burned.
These rich young masters and their endless celebrations, he thought bitterly.
“A birthday that lasts an entire night, do they think the sun rises and sets only for their pleasure?” His said disdainfully.
“Just because they were born into money, must the whole world bend around their leisure?”
The second guard heard him and quickly lowered his voice further.
“Brother Qiang, mind your words.
It is because of people like them that we have rice in our bowls at all.
Who are we to sit in judgment of them?
We are nobodies, small people carrying the burdens of life on our backs.
We have no right to question.”
If anything, the words only stoked the flame higher.
“Aren’t we human too?” Liu Qiang shot back, low and sharp.
“These young masters will burn through an entire night in laughter and wine, and tomorrow they will return to houses worth tens of millions and sleep until noon undisturbed.
And me?” He gave a hollow, humorless laugh.
“I finish this shift, sleep three hours if I’m lucky, and report right back tomorrow as though I were made of iron.”
The second guard exhaled, long and heavy, “Have you already forgotten what happened last time?
A group of small-time livestreamers snuck their way in, pretending to check in as guests, only to slip straight into Young Master Zhang’s private gathering.
What followed was chaos, Young Master Zhang tore the whole place apart in his fury.
That’s precisely why we were pulled in for tonight’s emergency shift.
The Zhang family sits at the very top of Shanghai, we cannot afford the smallest mistake where his comfort is concerned.”