“What?!”
The vendor, who had been busy preparing an order, stopped mid-motion the moment he heard those words. He tossed his spatula aside and glared at Zhang Lu.
“I’ve had this stall here for four or five years! All my permits and certificates are in order! My ingredients are guaranteed fresh every single day! Who are you to say my pancakes aren’t clean?!”
The vendor had a booming voice. With that shout, everyone in the vicinity turned to look.
Even the customers waiting in line spoke up. These were repeat customers; they were more than qualified to vouch for the quality.
“So young, yet so quick to spout nonsense. Aren’t you afraid the boss will sue you for slander?”
Comment after comment followed, people pointing and whispering, and some even pulled out their phones to start filming for Douyin.
Zhang Lu instantly became the target of public criticism. She had just been running her mouth for a momentary thrill; she never dreamed Shu Shu would literally drag her in front of the vendor for a confrontation!
It was social suicide!
Zhang Lu’s face turned pale. She stood there helpless, her previous arrogance completely vanished. She looked like she was about to cry from fright.
In the end, it was Chu Lian who stepped in to help smooth things over. Only after Zhang Lu reluctantly bowed and apologized to the vendor was the matter settled.
The other classmates in the group felt the secondhand embarrassment. Seeing how awkward things had become, Chu Lian quickly led the group away.
As the crowd dispersed, Shu Shu went back to squatting by the roadside to finish her pancake. Once she was done, she tossed the wrapper into a trash can. Just then, her phone vibrated in her pocket.
A new message.
The designer for her new house asked: Ms. Shu, have you arrived at Yujing Garden yet? The workers and I are currently at your property.
Shu Shu replied: Almost there~
Shu Shu looked up at the towering high-rises.
Thirteen “years” later, Yujing Garden was as luxurious and grand as ever. More importantly, the facial recognition system at the main gate still had her information on file. One scan of her face, and the gate clicked open.
Shu Shu walked toward her building with practiced ease. When she reached the entrance, she saw it was a secure door that required a key card rather than a passcode.
She had already given the key card for her new unit to the designer. Just as she was about to call the designer to buzz her in from upstairs…
“How did you sneak in here?!”
A shrill female voice pierced the air from the side.
Zhang Lu stomped over, her eyes blazing with fury. In all her life, she had never been as humiliated as she was just moments ago. She was now officially holding a grudge against Shu Shu!
“I’m talking to you! How did you sneak in?!”
Sneak?
Shu Shu tilted her head slightly. “Is it possible… that I have a house here?”
Zhang Lu let out a mocking laugh. “Who are you trying to fool? You were just squatting on the sidewalk eating a street pancake. Someone like you lives in Yujing Garden?”
Shu Shu: “???”
What does squatting on the sidewalk have to do with owning a house in Yujing Garden?
Seriously, what did the pancake ever do to deserve being targeted like this!
“Lulu, what’s going on?”
At that moment, Chu Lian and the rest of the classmates approached. They had arrived at Yujing Garden a while ago but hadn’t gone up yet; Chu Lian had been taking them on a tour of the gardens.
Since Yujing Garden was a luxury residence, the landscaping was beautiful. Several of them had their phones out, taking photos to post on social media.
“Student Shu Shu?”
Seeing Shu Shu, Chu Lian’s expression was one of genuine surprise. “What are you doing here?”
Shu Shu: “I have a house here.”
Chu Lian froze visibly, looking at the building behind Shu Shu. “You mean… you live in this building? But… why have I never seen you before?”
Shu Shu thought to herself: Duh. Because by the time you moved into my house, I had long since “kicked the bucket.” If you had seen me before, you would’ve seen a ghost.
Chu Lian’s question felt like a golden opportunity for Zhang Lu to pounce on Shu Shu’s supposed lie.
“Ha! Liar! Caught red-handed! It’s hilarious what kind of BS people will try to pull!”
With that, she turned to Chu Lian. “Xiao Lian, did we leave the gate slightly open when we came in?”
“It must be that!” Zhang Lu said with absolute certainty. “Otherwise, why would she appear right behind us after we just entered?”
Chu Lian was about to mention that the security at the Yujing Garden gate wasn’t that lax. But just then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a figure.
Not far ahead, a fair-featured boy in a white shirt was passing by.
Chu Lian’s eyes lit up slightly, and she called out in a sweet voice, “Class Monitor?”
The boy was Shi Jin. He had transferred from a school in Beijing to Anshi No. 3 Middle School three months ago. His family was extremely wealthy, and after transferring, he also lived in Yujing Garden, specifically in one of the buildings further back.
Chu Lian asked, “Class Monitor, are you heading out?”
Shi Jin’s voice was calm. “Yes, I have things to do.”
He was about to keep walking, but his gaze inadvertently brushed past Shu Shu, causing his steps to falter for a split second.
At this point, Zhang Lu pointed at Shu Shu and barked, “Xiao Lian, hurry up and call security to kick this lying poor loser out! Yujing Garden isn’t a place for just any riff-raff! Don’t let her ruin the reputation of a luxury estate!”
Chu Lian’s sharp eyes caught the moment Shi Jin paused upon seeing Shu Shu.
She bit her lip, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and gently stopped Zhang Lu.
“Lulu, don’t be like that.”
She then walked over to Shu Shu and spoke with an air of understanding.
“Student Shu Shu, if you’re really that curious about Yujing Garden, you could have just told me. I could have brought you in myself.”
Shu Shu: “?”
Chu Lian glanced at Shi Jin and continued, “How about this, Student Shu Shu—why don’t you come up to my house with us? It’s a good chance for you to have a look around. That way, you won’t have to be so… secretive about it in the future.”
Shu Shu: “??”
“Xiao Lian!” Zhang Lu was the first to object. “She was so rude to you on the street! Why would you invite her to your home?!”
Chu Lian shook her head, putting on a magnanimous act. “It’s fine, I don’t mind. After all, we’re all classmates from the same school.”
Shu Shu had originally come today to inspect the progress on her new unit’s renovation. But hearing Chu Lian’s proposal…
Perfect.
She actually wanted to see just how much the Chu family had “trashed” her original house. So, she said:
“Sure. Let’s head to 1701 first and have a look.”
Chu Lian was taken aback. “How do you know my house is 1701?”
Zhang Lu pounced again, acting as if she had suddenly solved a grand conspiracy.
“So that was your real goal all along! You knew we were coming to Xiao Lian’s house today, so you intentionally staked us out on the street just to sneak in! You even dug up her unit number!”
Shu Shu was silent for three seconds, genuinely impressed by Zhang Lu’s mental gymnastics. “Kid, if you’re going to use your brain like that, you might as well just donate it.”
“Who are you calling a kid?! Are you trying to belittle me?!”
Shu Shu thought, I’m not trying, I’m succeeding. She then gave a lazy urge, “Let’s go. Weren’t we going up? Hurry up.”
The group was stunned. How could Shu Shu—someone who was essentially a gatecrasher—have the nerve to hurry the host along so righteously!
Chu Lian looked at Shi Jin. “Then, Class Monitor, we’ll head up first. See you Monday.”
Shi Jin gave a slight nod. His gaze shifted back to Shu Shu, resting on her quietly for a moment before he walked away.
Sansukini: Just because you’re with rich people doesn’t give you the right to become a snob.