“Hey, Ah Ji!”
After Liu Li finished showering in the bathroom, she carefully dried her hair, hummed softly, and strolled along the third-floor corridor of the Su Residence, returning to her bedroom door.
However, just as she was about to grasp the doorknob, a sudden wave of chill swept from the crown of Su Wanli’s head straight down through her whole body, making her shiver uncontrollably.
…Huh?
What was that?
Could it be that her hair wasn’t completely dry yet?
Was she about to catch a cold again?
[No, Host, during your leisurely combing, the considerate System already activated temperature regulation mode for you, but the health monitoring mechanism is still operating normally.]
Just as Su Wanli was about to turn back into the bathroom to use the hairdryer for a bit longer, the System’s voice suddenly sounded in her ear, gentle as ever.
[Moreover, the moisture level in your hair has already dropped sufficiently.]
[This degree of dampness won’t make you lose much body heat, and the probability of you catching a cold is less than six percent.]
[According to System analysis, the reason you shivered is more likely because someone is thinking about your name.]
Come on, are you the System or am I the System?
You even believe this sort of superstitious stuff?
It’s already eleven o’clock at night; who could possibly be talking about me now?
Su Wanli subconsciously wanted to reach out for the fluffy white ball she always kept nearby, but realized she’d left it in her room, so she could only rub her own head a couple of times.
Not to mention saying her name, it’s already terrifying enough if someone’s even thinking about her at this hour, isn’t it?
Besides, thinking about her own circle of acquaintances, those who could recall her name were probably just Su Heng, Li Zhengqi, Zhang Ma, and maybe Du Chuanxin and a few others.
And of course, there was Meng Huange.
The moment she thought of Meng Huange’s name, a bright flash suddenly crossed Su Wanli’s mind, making her freeze, feeling her body temperature rise.
She couldn’t tell whether her forehead was hot from embarrassment or a fever.
What a strange heroine.
Throughout the entire day, not a single thing she did was within Su Wanli’s expectations.
Never mind how Meng Huange was willing to set aside her pride as a model student and walk out of the Class Three, Year Two classroom with her, acting just like any other misbehaving examinee, even forcing the Homeroom Teacher’s hand, and blatantly knocking on his window—how outrageous these things were!
Even after Su Wanli had clearly expressed she didn’t need Meng Huange’s company in her mischief, the girl told a story on the spot that sounded perfectly reasonable, leaving Su Wanli unable to even refuse.
After that, things like sneaking into the British-style examination building, giving her soup in the cafeteria, or helping out with that embarrassing incident during the English Examination—all of those were minor compared to what happened at the Spring Sweet Shop after the exam.
Facing her, with whipped cream at the ready and malice in the air, Meng Huange actually smiled and took a bite, then even patted her head gently and said a heartfelt thanks.
Even now, Su Wanli could still recall the lingering warmth of her own fingers from that moment.
But all these actions could be explained, perhaps Meng Huange had figured out her preferences, knew that acting this way would make Su Wanli acknowledge her, or maybe she just refused to appear weak in front of her, so she kept taking the initiative.
Countless explanations could be made, but the very last thing Meng Huange did—Su Wanli racked her brains and still couldn’t understand what she was after.
Just now, during the movie, right after she took off the Dream Ghost Glasses from Meng Huange’s face, the girl’s first move was to straddle her, pulling Su Wanli’s hand up to her own face.
What was that all about?
Did Meng Huange imagine her face had been corroded by something in that terrifying hallucination and needed Su Wanli’s hand for confirmation?
Or had the terror broken her composure so much that in the first moment of coming to, she clung to the first sense of safety she could find—even from Su Wanli’s hand?
But then, how could that sentence be explained?
“Xiao Wanli, what do you think of my looks?”
The haloed heroine—could her looks really be doubted?
As beautiful as a goddess?
So stunning no one could resist?
Even the proverbial red string would loosen from your neck just to take a second look at her?
There were endless words she could’ve used, yet not a single one managed to leave her mouth…
Sigh, who knows what that girl was really up to—could that have been some kind of secret provocation?
It certainly was mysterious enough…
Su Wanli silently shook her head, gave a big yawn at the corridor spotlight, and then stepped forward to push open her bedroom door.
Whatever, can’t be bothered to overthink anymore.
Today, between mental strain and physical exhaustion, she’d hit a new limit—she really didn’t have the energy for anything extra.
As for tomorrow’s Evening Banquet, judging by everything that had happened so far, it would surely be a turning point on Meng Huange’s destined path to glory.
Who knew what kind of Mission Settlement the System would assign to her?
And tomorrow she still had to go to school.
When she was at school, there’d be school-related missions; it felt like there’d never be an end to them.
Su Wanli heaved a deep sigh, letting her weary body sink into the soft, springy bed.
[Don’t worry, Host.]
After returning to her room, the System’s voice shifted from the background hum to the white ball under her pillow as the new center.
[To ensure you’ll be in peak condition for tomorrow’s Evening Banquet, the System won’t assign you any extra tasks during the day.]
“…Really? I don’t believe it.”
[Of course it’s true.]
[According to your first Ability to Foresee the Future, the System’s tasks for you tomorrow will only appear during the Evening Banquet.]
“Oh? You’re even willing to swear on it? Fine, I’ll trust you just this once.”
“So at the Evening Banquet tomorrow, what exactly am I supposed to do, and what kind of role will I play?”
[Rest assured, the System has already let you use your Ability to Foresee the Future once.]
[If you have any further questions, please wait until the event’s conclusion to ask again.]
…I’ve already used that ability?!
When did I ever use it for fun?!
See, I knew nothing good would come out of this lousy System!
But there was nothing she could do.
After a whole day of Examinations, school drama, and a harrowing movie, Su Wanli felt she didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger.
At this point, all she wanted was to pull the blanket over her head and fall into a deep sleep.
She fished the white ball out from under her pillow, tossed it lightly into the corner of her room—
“Enough, stop nagging in my ear.”
“I’ll ignore you now—just let me sleep in peace…”
[Host, your daily Mission Settlement—]
…Right, Mission Settlement…
Stretching out her right hand, she gave the air outside her blanket a perfectly straight middle finger, and then her consciousness swiftly faded away.
[…Alright, your efforts today have been deposited into the Points Pool.]
[They can be used to redeem items in the future.]
[Good night, Host.]
[Sleep well, and—]
[Looking forward to your next exciting performance.]