In winter, surrounded by the lake, in a small pavilion with upturned eaves, two white figures sat, one standing and one sitting, in harmonious quiet.
Ruan Mei tried hard to see Fang Zhishui’s expression but couldn’t quite figure it out. She only saw Fang Zhishui reach out, pick up a cookie, and examine it closely.
As she scrutinized it, Ruan Mei grew a little scared. Her skills were very average; she relied entirely on putting everything together to create an atmosphere, which couldn’t stand up to careful inspection!
Seeing Fang Zhishui’s slender fingers holding the pink cookie motionless for a long time, Ruan Mei became a bit anxious.
“D-do you want to eat it?”
She spoke cautiously, blinking her eyes and unconsciously clasping her hands together.
Fang Zhishui looked up at Ruan Mei, only seeing the other person’s pure eyes filled with the simplest expectation.
“…Mm.”
Fang Zhishui put the cookie into her mouth and chewed slowly. She never used to like strawberry flavor, always preferring matcha, but recently, she found the strawberry flavor very appealing.
While eating the cookie, she could almost imagine Ruan Mei bustling around in her narrow kitchen, wearing an apron, with flour smudged on her hands and cheeks while kneading the dough.
She must have been very cute…
Fang Zhishui slowly finished eating, looked up to meet Ruan Mei’s gaze, and nodded:
“The strawberry flavor is very sweet.”
Ruan Mei chuckled, awkwardly touching the back of her head, and pushed the whole box forward:
“Then take your time eating it, and you can pack up whatever you don’t finish to take home. Okay, that’s all I have to give you. I made everything myself, it definitely can’t compare to what they sell outside… You’re not allowed to dislike it!”
Ruan Mei wrinkled her nose.
Fang Zhishui subconsciously reached out as if to touch the tip of her nose but stopped herself in time, deliberately saying with a smile:
“What if I do dislike it?”
Ruan Mei’s entire face instantly crumpled, and her eyes began to well up with moisture:
“Really?”
Fang Zhishui felt like she had accidentally broken a precious item, and a sharp pain pricked her heart. She quickly said, “No, I was just kidding! I really love these gifts of yours, every single one, I love them very much.”
The tears in Ruan Mei’s eyes hadn’t even formed before she burst out laughing:
“Pfft, haha, I was kidding too! I could tell from your expression that there’s no way you wouldn’t like these; you clearly love them to bits!”
Fang Zhishui was helpless, watching Ruan Mei laugh heartily.
Ruan Mei laughed until she was leaning over, while Fang Zhishui just watched quietly, a smile lingering on her lips.
They spent half the afternoon in the pavilion, eating through more than half of the small desserts together, chatting about everything under the sun.
After opening up, Ruan Mei discovered that Fang Zhishui was actually a great person to talk to, especially skilled at listening.
No matter what topic Ruan Mei brought up, Fang Zhishui knew a little about it, could follow the conversation, and knew when to ask questions that would draw out Ruan Mei’s deeper thoughts.
Fang Zhishui was usually quiet, but when they truly chatted, she knew when to advance and when to retreat, always keeping the conversation firmly in her control without making the other person uncomfortable.
Ruan Mei unknowingly spilled nearly all her secrets before realizing that the calm, smiling Fang Zhishui in front of her was indeed cunning!
Fortunately, she still held onto her last line of defense and didn’t mention the fact that she was actually a person from another world.
“You’ve been coaxing me to talk the whole time, why don’t you say anything? Tell me about when you were little?”
Ruan Mei tried to emulate Fang Zhishui’s gentle, subtly guiding questioning method but found she was not very good at it.
Thankfully, Fang Zhishui was very accommodating. She let out a self-deprecating laugh:
“When I was little… from the age of one, my family sent me to a specialized daycare, then a bilingual kindergarten, and then a bilingual aristocratic middle school. I only came to No. 1 High School for senior high because I was adamant about not going to the aristocratic high school.”
“Why not go to the aristocratic school? The teaching resources there should be better than at No. 1 High, right?”
“I just didn’t like it. Besides, if I stayed at the aristocratic school, I wouldn’t know which classmate or teacher might be my mother’s informant. At least people at No. 1 High are more simple-minded; they haven’t grown up in corporate warfare since childhood, and even if someone greedy tries to get close to me, they’d be easier to spot.”
“…That sounds terrifying. You should escape this family as soon as possible. It’s okay, just choose a faraway school for the Gaokao (College Entrance Exam), and you’ll be free once you get to university.”
Ruan Mei patted Fang Zhishui’s shoulder in comfort.
“Yes, that’s what I’m thinking too. I hope the Gaokao comes soon. Also, I’m preparing to start a business; I definitely won’t be inheriting the family business.”
Fang Zhishui said this with a resolute expression, clearly having thought about it seriously.
“Oh, that’s great! You must work hard! If you ever need me to do anything later, you have to tell me. Who are we to each other!”
Ruan Mei vigorously patted Fang Zhishui’s back, causing her to stumble forward slightly. Ruan Mei quickly withdrew her hand.
“If I didn’t have the Fang family background, and I wasn’t even an ‘A’… do you think I could still succeed?”
Fang Zhishui turned her head, a trace of confusion on her face.
“Of course, you can! Who are you? You’re the top student in the grade, so smart and so capable, an all rounder in every aspect! Family background, whether you’re an ‘A’ or not, none of that matters. Success is all about insight, ability, and effort and you have all of those. I believe you will absolutely be fine!”
Ruan Mei wanted to slap her chest to guarantee it. She was a transmigration character although she hadn’t finished reading the ending before she came, she could guess with her eyes closed that Fang Zhishui’s future would be brilliant she was the female lead, after all!
So now, Ruan Mei had no psychological burden and was making wild promises, even trying to squeeze in some personal benefit, smiling ingratiatingly:
“So, you see, Classmate Fang, when you succeed in the future, you must remember to support me!”
Fang Zhishui’s previously confused expression gradually became firm and peaceful. She turned her face back, smiled at Ruan Mei, and nodded:
“No problem, how could I forget you.”
Ruan Mei giggled and made a ‘V’ sign, thinking her plan was a success.
That evening, the two followed the guide Ruan Mei had prepared earlier and ate at a very good private kitchen nearby. It was inexpensive and tasted excellent. Ruan Mei was very satisfied and was still chattering about it when they left:
“The owner said if we give a five star review, they’ll give us a discount coupon. I just got a 20 yuan coupon we’ll get a discount next time we come!”
The corner of Fang Zhishui’s lips curved upward:
“Then next time we come, we’ll use the discount coupon.”
Ruan Mei nodded vigorously, but after nodding, she felt like something was off. It wasn’t until she sat on the bus that she realized how had they already scheduled a ‘next time’?
But… an ‘exchange meeting for homework’ like today… a few more times wouldn’t hurt.
It wasn’t as noticeable at school, but out on an outing, Ruan Mei realized that Fang Zhishui was actually a great companion. She never got moody, was calm and reliable, and seemed to have no preferences of her own, letting Ruan Mei decide whatever they did, only rushing to pay the bill, and Ruan Mei couldn’t even beat her to it.
Next time, Ruan Mei was determined not to let Fang Zhishui pay! Ruan Mei clenched her fist in silent resolution, then subconsciously curved her lips as she thought about ‘next time.’
High school life is truly wonderful.
However, this sentiment only existed on the weekend. By Monday morning, upon entering the classroom, Ruan Mei was immediately confronted with an endless pile of test papers, and her whole spirit sagged. Who said high school life was wonderful! The test papers disagreed!
In the last two weeks before the exam, all the students plunged into a frantic study state. Ruan Mei canceled her part time job, slept only four hours a day, and used all her waking hours for revision. Even so, she felt time was insufficient, and occasionally, she still had to help Li Namei review.
Time was too tight, and the two weeks flew by in a flash. Everyone sat down in the final exam hall.
Ruan Mei met Fang Zhishui in the corridor. They nodded to each other, smiled slightly, and said simultaneously with perfect synchronicity:
“Good luck!”
The voices left their mouths at the same time, and both paused for a moment before unable to resist smiling.
Then, Fang Zhishui walked into Exam Room 1.
Just as she was about to enter, Ruan Mei suddenly called out loudly:
“Next exam, I will definitely be in the same classroom as you!”
Fang Zhishui didn’t stop her steps, just raised her hand and waved, looking chic and beautiful.
The two days of exams passed quickly. During these two days, Ruan Mei was fine, but her grandmother was exhausted. From morning till night, she was busy preparing delicious food for Ruan Mei, buying supplements, and boiling milk.
After the exams, there would be a two day break. Ruan Mei worked her part-time job at Hongfu Mall for those two days. After earning some money, she began looking for an apartment in the city, as she had long planned to move into a new home before the New Year.
On the day the results were posted, everyone was quite restless. Mainly because after attending classes for one day, they would receive their report cards and then it would be winter vacation. Many people weren’t even wearing their school uniforms; the campus was a vibrant spectacle of youthful energy.
Ruan Mei, modestly wearing her uniform, walked straight to her seat when she entered the classroom. Only after sitting down did she realize that the entire class was staring at her.
“What’s wrong?”
Ruan Mei widened her eyes and scanned the classmates looking at her. They were all familiar friends, their faces a mixture of shock and admiration.
It was Chu Wanji who finally turned around, staring at Ruan Mei with sparkling eyes, and said directly:
“Ruan Mei! You’re third in the class! Sixth in the grade!”
Ruan Mei just smiled faintly, looking quite smug:
“Pretty much what I expected.”
Chu Wanji raised an eyebrow skeptically:
“Really?”
Ruan Mei’s reserved smile abruptly broke into a loud laugh, so wide that her eyes narrowed into slits. She jumped up and grabbed Chu Wanji’s shoulder:
“Of course, I was lying! I’m just so happy! How am I this amazing? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I was only in the teens in the class last time; I’m really amazing!”
Chu Wanji:
“…Stop, you’re making me dizzy.”
Ruan Mei chuckled. All the surrounding classmates gathered around, each with an envious look:
“Ruan Mei, how did you improve so much? Do you have any special study guides? Please recommend one!”
“Classmate Meimei, since it’s winter vacation, can you tutor me a bit more? I didn’t do well this time, and I’m afraid I’ll get ‘bamboo shoots stir-fried with pork’ when I go home. I’m so scared; I need to work hard!”
“Meimeizi, you’re the best! I’m sorry for what I thought before… umm, now I think you are simply a god in my heart!”
“I’m not envious of a monster like Fang Zhishui, who’s always first, because I know I can’t do that. But Ruan Mei, you must tell me your secret! I’m so envious I’m practically morphing, okay? Your situation is a real dark horse comeback!”
Ruan Mei was surrounded by everyone, extremely happy, accepting all requests and chattering away, sharing her study techniques.
As she spoke, many people had questions:
“Wait, how can you finish so many test papers in one day? That’s not scientifically possible, don’t you sleep?”
Ruan Mei felt her ‘A’ identity was about to be exposed, so she quickly tried to cover it up:
“It’s genetics, a matter of genes! I just need less sleep, and my test-taking speed is fast too, reading and everything is quite quick. You guys just need to practice your speed, and you’ll definitely be like me!”
The previously alluring male Omega, Li Xiu, clicked his tongue:
“Looks like another talent based player. Being able to sleep less is also a super talent. Everyone disperse. We ordinary people shouldn’t expect a comeback like this.”
Ruan Mei quickly jumped in:
“Who said that? I’m an ordinary person too! I’m super ordinary! Li Xiu, you’re a rare Omega; compared to me, you’re far from ordinary!”
Li Xiu was about to retort when someone suddenly gasped:
“Holy crap, isn’t that the peerless fierce Alpha? Why is he with our class beauty?”
Ruan Mei’s heart dropped. She quickly walked to the classroom door to look.
In the corner of the corridor, Fang Zhishui was indeed with Gu Yanlin.
However, looking closely at their posture, one could tell that Gu Yanlin was using his body and arms to subtly create a triangle shape, subtly trapping Fang Zhishui inside. Unless Fang Zhishui actively pushed his arm away right now, she couldn’t get out.
Ruan Mei gritted her teeth and rushed forward.
The second update is here!