During this time of day, the roads were congested with heavy traffic, and the insurance adjusters and traffic police were likely to arrive slowly. Feeling somewhat bored, Su Lingyu took out her phone and unlocked it again using facial recognition.
In this era, one could learn a great deal about a person from their phone.
For instance, the photos in the gallery.
Most were merchandise related to anime, along with some candid shots of what appeared to be Fu Yuchen’s back and screenshots from social media feeds.
Another example was the purchase history in a shopping app.
Aside from high-end skincare and cosmetics, there were clothes leaning toward Lolita style and JK-style outfits.
Then there were the chat records in WeChat.
The original Su Lingyu’s contact list didn’t have many friends, and recent chat histories only involved two or three people.
This surprised Su Lingyu, as she had assumed that given the original host’s personality, there would be plenty of dubious friends.
It was unclear whether this was due to the original host’s character or the author’s limited portrayal of female supporting characters.
Regardless, it was a good thing for Su Lingyu—at least she didn’t have to deal with numerous unfamiliar characters unrelated to the plot.
Lu Jiuyan leaned against the car and happened to glance at Su Lingyu, who was staring down at her phone.
From this angle, her figure was striking; the black professional attire hugged her curvaceous body.
Her long black hair, fair complexion, and bright, large eyes were half-closed at the moment, her nose slightly red and lips pressed tightly together, as if she were preoccupied with something.
Was she worried about the compensation?
Lu Jiuyan glanced at her BMW and her outfit, thinking she didn’t seem short on money.
Could it be that she was frightened?
Just as someone was letting their imagination run wild, Su Lingyu’s phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID labeled “Old Man,” her hand moved faster than her brain, and she answered the call before she could think.
Su Lingyu: “…”
Was this the original host’s muscle memory?
How the hell was she supposed to handle this?
Call a stranger “Dad”?
She really, really couldn’t do it!
With the phone pressed to her ear, Su Lingyu was still hesitating about how to respond when the “Old Man” on the other end broke the silence.
“Xiaoyu, are you off work yet?”
It was the gruff voice of a middle-aged man.
“I’m stuck in traffic.”
Su Lingyu glanced at the congested road ahead and instinctively hid the fact that she had just been in a car accident.
“Then drive slowly and be careful on the road.”
“Mm.”
“Ahem, about that… are you free to come home for a meal this weekend? If you are, I’ll send the driver to pick you up?”
“…”
Su Lingyu fell silent, unsure how to respond.
She didn’t know what the relationship between the original Su Lingyu and her family was like, or how she interacted with her father. The book didn’t seem to mention much about this.
Could she agree now?
From Su’s father’s tone, it seemed he really hoped she would return?
If she went back, would she be able to handle it?
What if she was recognized as not being the original host? What should she do then?
“What, are you busy this weekend?”
Su’s father spoke up again, his words carrying a hint of caution.
“Not busy.”
Perhaps thinking of her own father whom she had never met, or perhaps wanting to comfort and make up for this “old man” who had just lost his daughter, Su Lingyu didn’t outright refuse.
“Then…”
“We’ll see when the time comes.”
Suddenly aware of her own soft-heartedness, Su Lingyu quickly added.
To find a way back, she shouldn’t take such a big risk.
“Great, I’ll have the housekeeper go grocery shopping ahead of time and prepare several of your favorite dishes!”
Su’s father’s voice carried undisguised joy. In his view, his daughter not directly refusing meant she had agreed.
Not knowing what else to say, Su Lingyu silently chose to hang up the phone.
A faint, peculiar emotion stirred within her.
“Boyfriend?”
“Hmm?”
Su Lingyu realized Lu Jiuyan was speaking to her and shook her head in denial. “No, it’s… family.”
“Parents?”
“Mhm.”
Lu Jiuyan nodded.
The two fell into silence again, slightly awkward, until the insurance company and traffic police arrived.
“Thankfully, the navigation had the address, and the online shopping and food delivery records included the house number, allowing me to find the place smoothly!”
Back home, Su Lingyu tossed her bag and keys aside, sinking into the soft sofa. Staring at the clock hands pointing past nine, she couldn’t help but sigh.
Just a bit of hassle and it was already this late.
When she used to read novels, it was just for fun, to pass the time.
Now, finding herself as a character in a book, she realized how difficult it is to take over someone else’s life. She was only just beginning.
And many things lay in the details, requiring her to search for them.
Especially for a female supporting character like her, who held little significance and wasn’t described much in the book!
After a brief rest, Su Lingyu got up, opened the fridge to throw together a quick meal, and took the opportunity to explore this ‘home.’
It was a mid-to-high-end two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment, not far from the company, in a quite good location. The place was relatively clean and tidy.
Based on the decor and some information around, Su Lingyu deduced that the house was likely purchased for the original owner by her family during college.
Meaning, the original Su Lingyu had lived alone from college until now.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. How can the gap between people be so vast?”
Thinking about her own college days crammed into a shabby eight-person dorm and working hard for years after graduation without being able to afford even a bathroom… Su Lingyu felt utterly disheartened!
The only consolation was that this was a fictional world in a book.
Everything was fake, everything was…
“Wow~”
When Su Lingyu saw the original owner’s entire wall of luxury goods, she suddenly thought, even if it’s fake, this kind of life is just too amazing!?
Jealousy is tearing me apart.
Early morning, the alarm clock by the pillow rang on time.
Su Lingyu reached out from under the covers to turn it off, threw back the blanket, got up, opened the side bedroom door, and pulled a brand-new toiletries set from the cabinet.
After washing up, she entered the walk-in closet.
It was packed full with Lolita dresses, JK uniforms, and Hanfu, dazzling her eyes.
“They’re very pretty, but… not really my style, I guess!”
Su Lingyu quietly took out a professional suit from the corner. Catching her reflection in the mirror, she suddenly thought, maybe trying a new style someday wouldn’t be so bad?
8:55 AM.
At the entrance of Kappa Technology Company, many young employees hurried inside.
“General Manager Lu.”
“Good morning, General Manager Lu.”
“Good morning, General Manager Lu.”
A man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a well-tailored dark blue suit had just stepped into the company, immediately causing flustered greetings from numerous employees around.
“Mhm.”
Lu Jiuyan nodded slightly in response.
He didn’t check the time on his wrist until his steps halted at the elevator entrance, his lowered eyes making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Those nearby who were about to be late immediately held their breath, not daring to make a sound.