Chu Tianqing pedaled her shared bike home.
She'd learned to "hide" a bike near the guard booth, having gifted the security guard patrolling the villa complex a basket of freshly picked vegetables.
The guard promised not to confiscate the bike parked in front of her villa.
This way, Chu Tianqing saved fifteen yuan every morning on cab fare to the subway station.
Chu Tianqing hummed a little tune, parked her bike, and scanned her face to enter the main gate.
Huh, someone was actually in the guard booth?
In the thirty-plus-square-meter glass booth, there were only two duty desks and a few scattered chairs.
A familiar figure sat at the desk, working on a computer.
"Babe! Why are you waiting here? I already registered your face last time—the whole villa's system is universal. You should've just gone straight home to wait."
Chu Tianqing pulled the door open for ventilation.
The weather was still muggy even approaching October.
The water dispenser in the booth had been moved out, and the AC had been removed too.
The clan elders were stingy to the bone—anything paid for by the group was taken away.
Shen Xinglan wiped the sweat from her forehead with a tissue and said calmly, "It's almost two kilometers from the guard booth to the villa's front door, mostly uphill. I couldn't be bothered to walk, and I don't know how to drive anyway."
"My brain—I forgot you can't drive." Chu Tianqing slapped her forehead, feeling terrible. "Next time, tell me when you're coming, and I'll pick you up in the golf cart ahead of time."
"It's fine. A calm heart brings its own cool."
Once Shen Xinglan entered her immersive study-work state, she couldn't care less about heat, cold, thirst, or hunger.
She was still furiously analyzing the original owner's massive data, completely absorbed.
Tissue clutched in her hand, Shen Xinglan only found the sweat dripping down her forehead annoying—her body didn't actually feel hot.
Chu Tianqing knew her best friend's bad habit: once she focused on one thing, she'd enter a self-forgetful state, with irregular eating habits. She'd developed stomach problems back in middle and high school.
"My dear ancestor, you're still the same as always—once you start studying or working, you forget to even drink water. Have you eaten?" Chu Tianqing asked patiently.
Shen Xinglan stared at the screen: "I ate. My dad from the book dropped me off and brought a sandwich on the way."
"Did you eat enough?" Chu Tianqing asked, worried.
"It's fine. I don't feel hungry right now anyway." Shen Xinglan's fingers flew across the keyboard.
"Pointless asking you."
Chu Tianqing grabbed her bag and led Shen Xinglan, who was clutching her laptop and lost in the data, slowly out of the guard booth.
"Watch your step—there's a curb. Don't trip." Chu Tianqing warned.
She felt like her best friend's "guide dog."
She led Shen Xinglan all the way to the golf cart.
Just like in kindergarten, when little Qingqing held the hand of Lanlan, who wouldn't let go of her encyclopedia, as they queued up for Yakult and alphabet cookies—otherwise, her snacks would always get snatched by the other kids.
Just like in elementary school, when Qingqing held the hand of Lanlan, the English class rep obsessed with the original Harry Potter books, and walked her to the bathroom during breaks—otherwise, she'd genuinely forget to pee.
And even more like in middle school, when Chu Tianqing held the hand of Shen Xinglan, the study committee member absorbed in math Olympiad competitions, and walked her through campus to eat at every cafeteria, almost having to spoon-feed her bite by bite—otherwise, she could go a whole week without lunch.
In the summer before senior year of high school, Chu Tianqing, the art student, held the hand of Shen Xinglan, the top scorer in the college entrance exam who had skipped a grade, and climbed Mount Tai to watch the sunrise.
At the summit, gazing at the rising sun, Chu Tianqing silently made a wish—
She had to get into the top drama academy in the capital and attend university in the same city as Shen Xinglan.
Before she could voice her wish, Chu Tianqing, eyes closed, heard Shen Xinglan, who had just "returned" from her daze, whisper softly in her ear—
"I just made a wish to Granny Tai Shan. All of Qingqing's wishes will come true. We'll be best friends forever, never apart."
After Chu Tianqing finished her art school entrance exams, Shen Xinglan—now studying biopharmaceuticals in the elite class with a heavy course load—would take a bullet train back home every other weekend to tutor Chu Tianqing in her cultural courses.
Chu Tianqing was very smart and picked things up at lightning speed.
Her only flaw was that she tended to lose interest quickly.
With Shen Xinglan's strict supervision, she became serious about her studies too.
A year later, Chu Tianqing was admitted to her dream drama academy with top scores in both her major and cultural courses, exceeding the first-tier cutoff.
Two little girls who had grown up hand in hand, after a year of separation, stood side by side again, starting a new chapter of life in the capital.
No matter what difficulties they faced, they never feared.
Because they possessed the most precious thing in the world—a friendship that belonged only to girls.
The other would always give you unconditional, unreserved support.
Chu Tianqing led Shen Xinglan to the dining table and plugged in her laptop's power cord.
Throughout it all, Shen Xinglan muttered to herself, brows slightly furrowed, occasionally tapping her forehead, fingers clattering away on the keyboard.
Chu Tianqing didn't disturb her.
She pulled two apples out of her bag—ones she'd swiped from the cheap husband's hospital room.
She washed and peeled one apple, cut it into small pieces, stuck a little fork in it, and set it on the dining table.
The other apple she just rinsed quickly with water.
She fed Shen Xinglan peeled, bite-sized apple pieces one by one, while holding an unpeeled apple in her other hand and taking bites directly from it.
Lately, she had gotten used to skipping dinner.
Chu Tianqing ate a full lunch, had an afternoon snack of fruit and pastries, and skipped dinner entirely.
Shen Xinglan was eating completely mechanically—whatever her best friend gave her, she ate.
Just as she finished the entire apple, Shen Xinglan's brain seemed to have finished running all its processes.
Shen Xinglan's eyes regained their sparkle: "Going head-to-head with the Lin clan elders isn't a good path, but we can use the fact that they're desperate to get their hands on Lin Zhichen's shares."
Chu Tianqing followed her train of thought: "Right now Lin Zhichen's condition is stable. He can't wake up, but he's not going to die either."
Shen Xinglan: "Qingqing, in that recording you sent me the other day, they mentioned Lin Zhichen's maternal family."
Chu Tianqing nodded: "Right, Lin Zhichen's maternal side only has a younger aunt left, and she's the one holding up Chen's Media."
Shen Xinglan's expression turned serious: "That means if Lin Zhichen kicks the bucket, his shares would be split into two parts. I looked up the inheritance law in the book, and it's a bit different from our world."
"In the absence of a will, 50% of Lin Zhichen's shares would go to the aunt, and 50% to the Lin clan elders. The prerequisite is that both sides have to prove they were the ones taking care of him before he died."
Chu Tianqing suddenly understood: "I get it now! That's why the Lin clan elders are so anxious to stay by Lin Zhichen's hospital bed—they're leaving evidence that they were taking care of him."
Shen Xinglan's specialty was biopharmaceuticals: "I know about long-term comatose patients, the kind of vegetative state cases. These patients are very prone to severe complications."
"Lin Zhichen's maternal family is in the media industry, so his aunt is probably also keeping an eye on his shares, guarding against the Lin clan trying to take everything for themselves."
"Qingqing, think about it—if Lin Zhichen develops severe complications, wouldn't Chen's Media accuse the Lin family of 'negligent care, abusing the heir' and use public opinion to their advantage?"
"They definitely would!" All of Chu Tianqing's confusion and scattered clues from the past period suddenly connected in that moment.
Chu Tianqing was the first to voice her thoughts: "Right now the Lin clan elders are in a 'want the shares but don't want the trouble' situation, stuck in a dilemma."
"So let's give them the perfect solution—help them solve their 'trouble' pain point."
"As Lin Sinian's new wife, I can pretend to defect to their side. Since they've decided I'm a gold digger, then I'll play the gold digger to the end."
"For example, I could go straight to them, act pitiful, say that Lin Sinian has amnesia, that most of the group's shares are in the clan elders' hands, that I know who's really in charge, and that from now on in the Lin family, I'll be relying on the elders."
Chu Tianqing immediately started acting, treating Shen Xinglan as one of the Lin clan elders: "Lanlan, what do you think of this?"
Shen Xinglan rested her hands behind her head and smiled: "Go ahead, start your performance."
Chu Tianqing slipped into her villainous female supporting character mode in a second, vividly delivering the lines she'd constructed in her head—
"Elders, I have a trusted friend who's a top-tier genius in biopharmaceuticals—both Qingbei and Peking University are fighting over her."
"She's a bit socially awkward, completely devoted to her research, but she comes from a poor family and really needs money."
"Just give her one or two thousand a month for living expenses so she can continue her studies and research, and she'll guarantee one hundred percent cooperation with the elders, working entirely for your benefit."
"If we let her enter the Lin family as Lin Zhichen's 'fiancée' and hold a wedding for them in the name of 'marriage to ward off evil,' not only would the shares be locked firmly in the elders' hands, but we could also publicly claim that the Lin family is 'loyal and righteous.'"
"And if Lin Zhichen later develops some complications, she can take the blame for the Lin family—carrying the black hat for 'negligent care' and 'abuse.'"
"You're asking what I want? Lin Zhichen's 'warding off evil marriage' is my offering of loyalty to the elders."
"The elders all know that Lin Sinian and I signed a prenuptial agreement. I'm a greedy person, but I'll only squeeze money from Lin Sinian—I won't touch a single cent of yours."
"As long as the elders keep me firmly in the position of CEO's wife, we'll always be on the same side."
Shen Xinglan applauded: "Hits the pain point, logically airtight. Brilliant."
Chu Tianqing returned to her happy puppy-dog look with clear eyes, leaning in to ask: "So? Babe, did I act well?"
"Oscar owes you a little gold man. If you ever don't want to act anymore, you can be a screenwriter, producer, or director." Shen Xinglan ruffled her hair affectionately.
After hesitating for a moment, Shen Xinglan voiced her concern: "Qingqing, the plan you came up with is perfect, but there's one thing you didn't consider."
Chu Tianqing calmed down, and a few seconds later spotted the obvious flaw.
"These old foxes in the Lin clan would probably just take my plan and run with it, finding some obedient woman from their own networks to marry Lin Zhichen!"
Chu Tianqing puffed up with anger, hands on her hips: "Oh my god! I almost handed them a free plan?"
Shen Xinglan patted her shoulder. "Qingqing, the plan you came up with is feasible—and it's excellent."
Chu Tianqing blinked pitifully. "Really?"
Shen Xinglan nodded firmly. "Of course. You need to trust that clever little brain of yours."
"But we can't use this plan." Chu Tianqing still felt dejected.
Shen Xinglan said, "We can use it—we just need to find a way to optimize it."
"Let me think…" Chu Tianqing propped her chin on her hand, deep in thought, first identifying the optimization point. "Since the plan is feasible, the key pain point we need to solve is making you irreplaceable."
"Smart." Shen Xinglan's gaze was full of admiration.
Chu Tianqing tapped her lips with her index finger. "Whether it's 'marriage to ward off evil' or 'puppet,' it has to be you, Shen Xinglan, marrying Lin Zhichen—no one else will do."
"We still have time. This is only day four." Shen Xinglan remained calm and composed. "There must be clues and evidence in our favor that we haven't uncovered yet."
Chu Tianqing hummed in agreement, then bounced up from her chair, her energy restored.
"Babe, let's go to the study. You go to Lin Sinian's study and search his computer."
Chu Tianqing shot up the stairs like a little cannonball. "I'll go to the original owner's study and carefully go through her files again to see if we missed anything."
Shen Xinglan stood up unhurriedly and took the elevator to the second floor. "We'll definitely think of a way."
Chu Tianqing's competitive spirit was inexplicably ignited. "Of course—since we're in this game, I'm going to win."
The two of them worked until past nine o'clock.
Chu Tianqing's stomach was growling.
If Shen Xinglan were alone, she'd be too lazy to eat even when hungry.
But since Chu Tianqing said she was hungry, she sighed and set down her work.
Shen Xinglan went downstairs and cooked up a bowl of spicy malatang using fresh vegetables from the small garden—the dish Chu Tianqing had been craving for days.
Chu Tianqing sat on the high stool at the kitchen island like a little puppy waiting to be fed. "I'm starving to death…"
Shen Xinglan brought over a large bowl of malatang but didn't hand her chopsticks. "It's too hot. Wait."
Chu Tianqing, the drama queen, wriggled around like a fish flopping on land. "I'm the most pitiful person in the world—such delicious malatang right in front of me, and I can't eat it."
"Stay pitiful then. Eating it this hot would burn your esophagus and stomach."
That's what Shen Xinglan said, but she still fetched a small plate and picked out some of the food from the bowl to let it cool.
She asked casually, "Not going to keep your husband company at the hospital tomorrow?"
"Nope. That old capitalist is so hard to please. A whole week and no progress—Worker Grandma is quitting!"
Chu Tianqing added, "Worker Grandma is resting for the weekend. She'll get back to work next week."
Shen Xinglan blew on a piece of broccoli, decided it was cool enough, and popped it into her mouth first. "I think it's time to give him some space. Only with contrast will he realize how good you are."
"So good, so good!" Chu Tianqing chewed and mumbled, "Oh right, our niece Lin Nanxi is coming home tomorrow."
"Oh? The little white flower female lead." Shen Xinglan handed her the chopsticks.
"She's rich. Tomorrow we're not cooking—we'll have her treat us to a big meal outside. I want sushi."
Chu Tianqing was eating what was in her bowl while already thinking about what was next.
Shen Xinglan's eyes lit up for a moment. "Can we get two meals out of her? I want hotpot. The food at my place and at school is terrible."
Chu Tianqing waved her chopsticks around grandly. "No problem. I'm her little aunt-in-law, you're her cousin aunt-in-law. What's treating two dear aunties to a meal?"
Suddenly, her phone rang.
The caller ID read [Vice Principal Wang].
"Hello, Lin Nanxi's little aunt-in-law. I'm sorry to call so late." Vice Principal Wang's tone was much more polite than last time.
"Vice Principal Wang, please go ahead." Chu Tianqing had a bad feeling about this.
"Student Lin Nanxi was in the small grove with two male classmates…" Vice Principal Wang seemed to be searching for the right words.
After a moment's hesitation, he still used the term "puppy love": "She's in her senior year now. Puppy love really has a very negative impact. Please come to the school."
Wait…
Two male classmates?!
Chu Tianqing was still processing Vice Principal Wang's words when she heard the voices of two young men arguing on the other end of the line—
"Don't give Nanxi a hard time! If you're calling parents, call mine! I was the one who tried to kiss her, and I didn't even touch her!"
"Get lost! Isn't your parent the same as mine? You dare mess with your big brother's woman? You've got a death wish!"
Chu Tianqing and Shen Xinglan stared wide-eyed at each other: Oh ho?!