Today is the sixth day since I arrived at the Su house.
Because I caught a cold last night, my physical condition isn’t very good. My face is slightly pale, which was noticed by Su Wanli.
Consequently, Su Wanli, who originally had no intention of going to Baiying Academy anyway, used it as an excuse to stay at the Su house with me.
Taking this opportunity, I continued my approach from the past few days, attempting to make Su Wanli more dependent on me.
Current progress is going smoothly.
Su Wanli no longer resists me entering her room. This morning, she even took the initiative to invite me to practice painting with her.
—
Meng Wange thought for a moment before deleting that line.
After lunch, Su Wanli drove me out of the room because she felt tired.
Afterward, there wasn’t much interaction between us, and we both rested in our respective rooms.
It wasn’t until nightfall that Su Wanli suddenly suggested setting off fireworks in the manor and asked me to assist her with the preparations.
Although her tone and attitude were still far from friendly, I am still the servant closest to her in the Su house.
Compared to Housekeeper Zhang, who has worked at the residence for thirty or forty years, Su Wanli is currently more willing to leave matters to me.
Therefore, the time for the next phase of the plan to unfold… shouldn’t be too far off.
After organizing today’s records and reports, Meng Wange sighed softly and pressed her temples with her fingertips.
If she recorded everything that happened today truthfully — whether it was the game or the fireworks — it would serve as proof of her growing closeness with Su Wanli in the eyes of the Bai family.
In that case, they would inevitably urge her to achieve further results as soon as possible, and time would become increasingly tight.
‘I must find a way to control the pace.’
She could neither let them perceive the true changes in her relationship with Su Wanli nor let them feel she was making no progress at all.
Recalling the gaze Bai Qingyan had cast at the evening banquet, Meng Wange’s mood sank slightly.
Now was no longer the time to advance the plan leisurely.
Next, she had to pick up the pace and seize more of the initiative…
*Whoosh!*
“…Hm?”
A familiar sound rang in her ears.
Meng Wange looked up and gazed at the night sky outside the window.
Another firework burst in the same position as before.
Perhaps it was due to a staff member’s oversight that its ignition had been delayed for a moment.
Compared to the grand display from earlier, there was only this single burst in the night sky now.
It appeared somewhat lonely.
Yet it still stubbornly illuminated a corner of the sky.
‘If possible, I really want to delay things for a while longer.’
She wanted to extend these peaceful days just a bit more.
But that was impossible.
Neither her mother nor the people from the Bai family would allow her to remain stagnant.
Meng Wange shook her head, preparing to put the diary away and lock it in a drawer to continue her study plan for the night.
However, at that exact moment —
A faint blue light suddenly flickered on the pages of the diary.
The record book, which usually showed no reaction, actually underwent a change.
Meng Wange’s brow furrowed slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she turned the diary to the specified page.
**[This Sunday, find a way to take Su Wanli to the Yunsheng County Seaside Bathing Beach to attend the fireworks festival.]**
Yunsheng County, Seaside Bathing Beach, Fireworks Festival.
That was a coastal county near South City and a well-known vacation resort.
The most famous attractions were the Seaside Bathing Beach and the monthly fireworks festival.
Fireworks… fireworks again.
A bitter smile appeared at the corners of Meng Wange’s mouth as she looked out the window once more.
That lonely golden spark had already quietly extinguished.
“Heh, haha, what’s so good about this? It’s just shells exploding in the sky.”
“Just these few rounds? This doesn’t suit my style as a young lady at all!”
“I’ll take you to see the world when there’s a chance later. That way, you won’t get all excited over something like this and lose face for me!”
The memories from earlier resurfaced.
At that time, she had been wondering — how long would that “later” be.
She hadn’t expected it to come so soon.
Sometimes, Meng Wange even wondered if she was a jinx, just like those people said.
Even a simple memory like that couldn’t be preserved.
—
“Yawn…”
On the other side of the manor.
Su Wanli rolled over in bed.
‘So sleepy… it’s all because yesterday was too exciting…’
She had tossed and turned last night, unable to sleep. When she finally did drift off, she had a strange dream.
In the dream, she was still standing under the fireworks with Meng Wange.
The two of them were hugging tightly, gazing into each other’s eyes and pouring out their hearts…
‘Wait…’
‘Was it really that romantic?’
She thought back.
In reality, she had been terrified at the time. She didn’t even dare to make eye contact and just focused on staring at the sparks in the sky.
Her arms hadn’t known where to go, and they had stayed frozen in mid-air until they eventually grew sore.
‘As expected, that dream was completely useless as a reference.’
Su Wanli sighed.
‘Wait… is today Friday?’
‘Don’t tell me I still have to go to school!?’
Should she find an excuse to apply for an extension of her “home time” with the System?
In any case…
She should open her eyes first.
Just as she was struggling against gravity and preparing to open her eyes —
She suddenly realized something.
Wait.
Yesterday and the day before, when she woke up —
Was Meng Wange by her side?
And according to the System, even earlier than that, she would enter the room before Su Wanli woke up to help organize her clothes.
In other words —
She was very likely here today as well.
Su Wanli’s throat tightened slightly.
She recalled her behavior over the past two days.
The day before yesterday, she had simply yawned and changed her clothes directly under the covers.
Yesterday was even more ridiculous; she had actually pushed the feverish, unconscious Meng Wange aside, almost knocking her off the bed.
‘Fortunately, she was unconscious then.’
Otherwise, the Favorability Level would have definitely plummeted.
‘I have to be serious today.’
She began to think.
How did the heroine of a TV drama wake up?
First, stretch to show off her curves, then open her eyes softly —
“Oh, why are you here?”
‘No, that doesn’t fit my persona at all.’
If she switched to the Villainess Persona —
“Why are you here? Don’t you have your own room?”
‘Stop! If I say that, I’ll sound too mean!’
Su Wanli took a deep breath and adjusted her posture.
She slowly sat up and lazily stretched.
Then, with a faint smile, she opened her eyes —
“Yo, Meng Wange, how come you…”
However.
At this moment, the time was 7:10 AM.
The bedside was empty.
“…”
‘She… she’s not here?’
Su Wanli froze.
The next second, she slammed her hands over her face and let out a silent scream into the air.
‘She’s actually not here!?’