When they left Baiying Academy, the sky had already darkened completely.
A full moon hung in the eastern sky, radiating a hazy silver glow.
Su Wanli and Meng Wange sat side by side in the back seat of the pink-purple Maybach—the only one of its kind in all of South City. Through the car window, shifting neon lights cast flickering shadows across their faces.
“…Ah-choo.”
Su Wanli leaned her head back against the cushion and let out a lazy yawn at the rapidly retreating night scenery outside.
Meng Wange turned her head and said softly to Su Wanli,
“Miss Su, are you already tired?”
“If you need to, you can have the driver take you home first. I can go to the Furniture City by myself and take photos of some furniture we might use. Once everyone is here tomorrow, we can discuss it then.”
“No need to make a big deal out of it. That was just a normal bodily reaction.”
Su Wanli waved her hand casually at Meng Wange, then slowly lifted her gaze toward the full moon outside the window.
“Most high school students in the world would show some fatigue when leaving school, right? It’s only someone as energetic as you who can go through a whole day of classes without any sign of exhaustion.”
“…Hmm? Time spent in class does drain one’s energy. I’m no exception.”
As she spoke, Meng Wange smiled and blinked at Su Wanli, poking her own cheek with her index finger.
“It’s just that I’m good at hiding my fatigue in a certain way, so no one can tell how tired I really am.”
“Is that so? But you look like you could handle another five or six hours of class without a problem.”
“Hehe. Don’t let my face fool you. In reality, as soon as I get back to my room, I collapse into bed and fall asleep immediately.”
“…Really?”
Although their conversation contained no substantial content or information exchange, just idly chatting with Meng Wange like this gave Su Wanli a rare sense of leisure and comfort.
Lately, Meng Wange had been able to get up with her, go to school together, eat together, bicker aimlessly, and go home together every day.
Hmm? Looking at it that way, were she and Meng Wange becoming more and more like a pair of fairly amicable friends?
And moreover, the number of tasks with clear instructions from the System seemed to have decreased. In fact, it had been three days since it had assigned her any compulsory bullying missions. If it weren’t for that conspicuous Female Villain Value still hanging in front of her eyes, Su Wanli would almost have forgotten the System even existed.
“…Sigh. If only this peaceful, comfortable life could last a little longer.”
Without her noticing, the Maybach gradually came to a stop by the roadside.
The driver in the front seat pushed up his sunglasses, stepped out, and expertly opened the back door. He bowed respectfully to Su Wanli and said in a deep voice,
“Miss Su, Miss Meng, we’ve arrived.”
“Mm.”
Su Wanli responded casually, then got out of the car together with Meng Wange.
In front of them stood a brightly lit, multi-story Furniture City with a vast floor area. The huge billboard above displayed a dazzling array of furniture products, covering various decoration styles from both ancient and modern times, both domestic and foreign.
“Well, since we’re putting on the Western fairy tale Cinderella, the decoration style should be European Medieval—that means intricate patterns and luxurious carpets…”
With that thought in mind, Su Wanli strode into the entrance of the Furniture City.
Whether it was because Su Wanli looked hard to get along with, or because the salesclerks thought two high school students couldn’t possibly be serious about buying furniture, not many store clerks came up to eagerly guide them. This gave Su Wanli and Meng Wange the leisure to wander freely inside the Furniture City.
Looking around, everything was available—bookcases, lamps, bathrooms, wallpaper decorations—the choices were dizzying.
“Come on, Meng Wange. Since it’s a European style, let’s go directly to the wall and carpet stores.”
However, Meng Wange didn’t follow her immediately. Instead, she stopped beside a warm-toned wallpaper nearby and gently brushed her fingertips across it.
“Miss Su, before we begin the formal task, I’d like to ask you a question.”
“Hmm?”
Meng Wange turned around, slightly bent down, and looked seriously into Su Wanli’s eyes at eye level.
“I want to know, what kind of house do you hope to live in someday?”
“What kind of house I hope to live in someday?”
Su Wanli frowned in confusion.
“Of course it’s still the Su Residence, right? Why are you asking that? Aren’t we just picking a set design for the play?”
“Well, originally it was just about picking a set design, but… if I’m being honest, you might laugh—I’ve never been to a furniture city before this.”
Meng Wange cast her gaze over the exquisite storefronts nearby, a faint note of emotion coloring her voice.
“Ever since I was little… no, ever since I can remember, I’ve lived in that orphanage. Later, I was fortunate enough to receive Uncle Su’s appreciation, which gave me better living conditions. But buying furniture for my own place, adding decorations—that’s something I’ve never even thought about.”
“…Oh. I see.”
Seeing that Su Wanli’s expression seemed to darken slightly, Meng Wange quickly waved her hand to explain,
“Ah, sorry, Miss Su. I’m not trying to dwell on my past. I’m just stating the facts.”
“Actually, kids our age haven’t really been involved in decorating, right? After all, the places we live in were already set up by our parents long before we were born. All we can do is add a few decorations we like on top of what’s already there.”
“So, at this moment, standing here in the Furniture City, this thought suddenly popped into my head.”
As she spoke, Meng Wange walked up to stand in front of Su Wanli and said softly,
“Maybe ten or twenty years from now, when you own a new home that’s completely different from the Su Residence, what kind of house do you want it to be? What kind of decoration would you like to give it?”
“…Or, to put it more concretely, what kind of family life do you want to have in the future?”