By the end of the afternoon, Bai Xi and Yu Mo had managed to memorize the names of nearly half the class, taking a small but solid step toward expanding their network.
Classes dismissed promptly at five o’clock. Bai Xi glanced at the students heading to the cafeteria in small groups, then looked at Yu Mo, who was packing his bag just like her. “You’re a day student too?”
“Obviously,” Yu Mo replied, picking up a backpack that contained nothing but a single notebook and a pen. He glanced at Bai Xi’s bag; he had noticed earlier that there was a cat inside that hadn’t moved an inch all afternoon. “Is your cat dead?”
Bai Xi looked down at the soundly sleeping 002. She shook the bag, and seeing 002’s tiny paw impatiently hook the zipper shut from the inside, she shook her head. “It seems it’s still alive.”
“Oh.” Yu Mo nodded hesitantly. Witnessing this strange scene, he wanted to say something, but years of habit left him unsure of how to express himself. He simply blinked and gave up.
Not noticing Yu Mo’s internal struggle, Bai Xi shouldered the bag—now 002’s private carriage—and remembered her promise to the system to “stick to the male lead” to advance the plot.
“Where do you live? Is it far? If not, let’s walk together.” Bai Xi invited him naturally, not finding anything improper about her words.
Yu Mo’s body stiffened for a split second, his fingers gripping his bag strap. “I live in Mingfei District. It’s not that far.”
“Oh, what a coincidence! I live in Mingfei too. Tell you what—from now on, we’ll come in together in the morning and leave together in the afternoon. If your family asks, just say I’m the one pestering you.” She made the decision cheerfully. Seeing Yu Mo nod slowly, she took the lead and walked out. “Let’s go.”
After settling their plan in hushed voices, the two left the classroom one after the other. Just as she stepped out of the door, Bai Xi heard someone call her name. She turned to see a familiar-looking chubby boy running over from the washing station at the other end of the building, shaking water off his hands.
“Great Scholar Yu, Great Scholar Bai! Are you two heading home? Walking together?” Qian Ying looked at their bags and hurriedly wiped his wet hands on his clothes.
“We happen to live in the same district, so I’m dragging Yu Mo along. Something up?” Recognizing this boy as the first one who had “worshipped” them earlier, Bai Xi took the opportunity to take the initiative. While she lacked freedom online or outside of school, she was much freer than Yu Mo when it came to socializing within the campus.
Thinking this way, the two of them really did complement each other. It was quite a stroke of luck.
“Don’t leave yet! I just caught wind of some major news. I have to share it with you,” Qian Ying whispered, leaning in mysteriously while looking left and right.
Unaccustomed to being so close to people, Bai Xi tilted her chin up. “Speak up. There are only a few of us here. Why are you dawdling?”
“Coming right up!” Qian Ying didn’t mind Bai Xi’s blunt tone at all. “So, a middle school classmate of mine has an elementary school classmate whose summer camp roommate went to the office building to deliver materials. He overheard our Old Liu talking to that ‘White-Faced Eunuch’—the Dean of Students. Guess what they were saying?”
Bai Xi had no interest in Qian Ying’s overly expressive and dramatic storytelling. She gave him a look that clearly said: Speak now or get lost.
Even though neither Bai Xi nor Yu Mo cooperated with his suspense, it didn’t dampen Qian Ying’s enthusiasm. “Old Liu was talking to the ‘White Eunuch’ about the three people from our class who went to Europe for an exchange program over the summer. Word is, those three ‘Great Gods’ from our class successfully convinced our dear European peers that every person in our country knows Kung Fu. Now the White Eunuch is trying to stir up trouble for Old Liu. Once those three get back, things are definitely going to get chaotic.”
Bai Xi was confused, while Yu Mo seemed to have a vague understanding, though he didn’t care much. It had nothing to do with him.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Great Scholar Bai just joined us and isn’t familiar with everyone yet. I have to warn you: most of the people in our class are easy to get along with, but there are always exceptions. Out of the three returning, you should be careful around two of them—everyone except our Class Monitor. I won’t say more, just keep it in mind. I’m off now—wouldn’t want to delay you two getting home. Sayonara!”
After finishing his gossip, Qian Ying remembered it was dinner time. A glance at his mechanical watch sent him into a panic, and he bolted away as if his hair were on fire.
“Who are those three?” Bai Xi thought back to the original novel. She had a faint guess but wasn’t certain. She asked Yu Mo as they headed downstairs.
“The Class Monitor is the eldest daughter of the Fu family, Fu Zuo. Then there’s the prince of the Chen underworld family, Chen Jingmo. Finally, there’s Jiang Zhiya. Her background is a bit mysterious; even the major families have to give her some face, but I don’t know her specific identity. Regardless, Chen Jingmo and Jiang Zhiya are the key figures who have given Nanluo Academy a transcendent status among noble schools when it comes to… fighting.”
Though Yu Mo was a loner, it didn’t mean he was ignorant. Having shared a classroom for two years, he knew a fair amount.
As Yu Mo finished his introduction, they reached the first-floor corridor. Bai Xi was about to say something when a person on a phone suddenly appeared in front of them. They nearly collided at the corner—a common occurrence when neither side sees the other.
Looking down at the person, who was slightly shorter than her, Bai Xi was about to say it was fine when she recognized the face. She swallowed her words instantly.
“Ye Ying? Are you rushing to your reincarnation?”
Bai Xi’s tone was casual, as if she were just saying hello. Ye Ying froze for a second, then reacted. She gave Bai Xi a cold look, but someone on the other end of the phone must have said something. Ye Ying responded to the call, shoved the “obstructive” Bai Xi aside, and walked straight out.
Yu Mo watched Ye Ying’s retreating back, then looked at Bai Xi, who had stumbled back two steps but didn’t seem angry. “You two know each other?”
“Sort of. That’s Ye Ying from Competition Class Two. We’ve only met a couple of times before.” Bai Xi tugged at her ear. The first meeting between the male and female leads was actually introduced by me, the “vicious” female supporting character? It felt strange.
Not putting much thought into the interlude, Bai Xi and Yu Mo arrived at Mingfei District, only to discover they were actually neighbors. Because the villas were spread out and neither of them liked to wander, they had simply never run into each other.
Back at her villa, Bai Xi pulled out the stretching 002. “Well? I’ve been stuck to the male lead all afternoon. Is the plot progressing?”
Three seconds later, after waking from its “stiff” state, 002’s cat ears twitched. “It works, it works! The plot has advanced a bit, which will keep me powered for quite a while. Just maintain this state until the next plot point—the high-profile confession. Also, do you wish to open the System Mall now?”
Recalling 002’s earlier promise, Bai Xi nodded. “Let’s have a look.”
Following 002’s instructions, Bai Xi closed her eyes. A dazzling mall appeared before her. Whatever she wanted would appear with just a thought, but most items required money—standard market currency.
“No way. Your system is short on cash?” Bai Xi looked at 002 with disdain. Given their level of technology, they should be products of a higher dimension. Why did they need low-level world currency?
“Because of the unique nature of some systems, hosts can use ‘Plot Points’ to exchange for real-world money. But we aren’t money-printing machines, okay? We have to choose suitable hosts and bind ourselves to currency transactions to make a profit.”
Life is hard, the cat sighed. 002 had no choice. Given the snail-like pace at which its host followed the plot, using money was better. If they relied on Plot Points, Bai Xi might not be able to afford a single item in her lifetime.
After listening to the explanation, Bai Xi looked at the prices. They were clearly marked and fair. Aside from things that obviously didn’t belong in a “normal” world—like a spirit spring to cure a zombie virus—everything was available.
“So, your criteria for picking a host for this mode is just… they have to be rich?” It seemed she was the chosen ATM.
“Not just rich. You have to be willing to spend it. And most importantly, you have to be unwilling to follow the plot.” 002 shot an appreciative look at Bai Xi. It had almost thought it would never get the chance to open the mall.
Bai Xi: … So it really was tailor-made for me?
“But don’t worry. Hosts in this mode are our ‘Gold Provider Daddies.’ We’ll never treat you poorly. As long as your spending is high enough, we can fulfill any wish. The price is always negotiable.” 002 sounded like a predatory salesman.
Bai Xi sat at her desk, finding this quite interesting. “What if I want eternal youth?”
“From the age of one hundred onwards, it’s calculated at 100 million per year. If the world experiences inflation, we’ll adjust the fee accordingly. Renewals are yearly, or you can opt for auto-pay. If you live for a thousand years, you get ten years free—high cost-performance ratio, highly recommended. You can also pre-pay for a century-long package for a 1% discount.” 002 stared at Bai Xi with glowing eyes, as if looking at a walking vault.
“And what if I want my original physical constitution back?” Bai Xi ignored the price of immortality; she didn’t care about that.
Slightly disappointed, 002 slumped onto the carpet. “Oh. You cannot choose options that contradict the setting of this book. However, once you finish the plot of the original ‘Bai Xi,’ you can choose to purchase a constitution upgrade to restore your original body.”
“When does the plot end?”
“In one month, when your identity is exposed and you’re kicked out of the Bai family. In the original text, that’s your ending.”
Bai Xi’s brow twitched. Well, isn’t that simple?