“…So that’s how it is. Something that was mine to begin with, huh?”
Meng Wange smiled as she repeated Su Wanli’s words.
She took a soft breath, then leaned back against her chair, meeting Su Wanli’s gaze.
“Miss Su, are you referring to that white hair clip from yesterday?”
‘Finally remembered! If she tried to play dumb any longer, I’d start doubting my own memory!’
Su Wanli cheered inwardly but maintained a calm exterior.
She rubbed her fingertips together, rested her chin on her other hand in a casual pose, and said with feigned nonchalance—
“Heh, I never said you could only take one thing. Whatever you want, just help yourself.”
Afraid Meng Wange might misunderstand, she added a clarification.
“…But, well, that hair clip really is the least valuable thing in this room. I don’t mind if you take it. In fact, it probably should’ve—”
“I’m sorry, Miss Su, but it seems you might have misunderstood me.”
Meng Wange spoke in a quiet, composed tone.
“I’m not nearly as desperate for that hair clip as you seem to believe. And right now, it doesn’t belong to me.”
“…Huh?”
Meng Wange’s eyes shifted past the stunned Su Wanli and landed on the vanity behind her.
“From the moment you asked me for it yesterday, that clip no longer belonged to me. It became my gift to you—our first meeting gift.”
‘…So Meng Wange meant she didn’t want the clip back?’
‘Wait, that can’t be right.’
The system had clearly confirmed it—this was the only memento left by Meng Wange’s mother.
The moment Su Wanli took it, Meng Wange’s dislike for her had shot up to 70.
It obviously held great emotional value.
Su Wanli had given her the perfect chance to reclaim it.
‘Why was she now saying something so final?’
She hesitated, then said, unsure, “So what I’m saying is, if you want it, you can take anything. Even if it’s a so-called ‘gift’…”
“If this challenge was meant to help me regain that hair clip, then I’m truly grateful for your kindness, Miss Su.”
Though still smiling gently, Meng Wange shook her head with firm resolve.
“But as I said back then—until I’ve paid back everything I owe you, I don’t have the right to take it back.”
“…”
Su Wanli pressed her fingers to her forehead in frustration.
“But aren’t you already helping me with my studies? That’s more than enough. I don’t need you doing anything extra for me. Just take it if you want it.”
“Maybe to you, it’s just an ordinary hair clip. Maybe it’s worth less than a random bag of trash you throw away. But to me, it’s not something I can reclaim just by tutoring you.”
Meng Wange reached out and took the notebook from Su Wanli, closing it softly and turning it face down on the desk.
Her calm, pale eyes locked with Su Wanli’s.
“Miss Su, I really do appreciate your kindness. But please forgive this insignificant pride of mine. Being able to enter the Su family, being able to work at your side as an assistant—that’s already more than I could have hoped for.”
“So unless I truly accomplish something meaningful for you, even if you were to destroy that clip in the very next moment, I still wouldn’t accept it back.”
“……”
***
After hearing Meng Wange’s words, Su Wanli blinked slowly, feeling as if her heart were sinking little by little.
‘So… heavy!’
‘How did it come to this? I just casually asked for something when we met, just to play the part of the villainess a bit! Why is it so hard to even give it back now?’
Still, perhaps that unyielding pride… was part of what made Meng Wange the heroine in the first place.
Su Wanli let out a sigh, turning her gaze toward the scenery outside the window.
“…Really now, Meng Wange? You’re even refusing the reward I specially prepared for you? Don’t tell me that, in your eyes, tutoring me isn’t worth a measly hair clip?”
Meng Wange smiled and shook her head.
“Of course not. But the reason you asked me to tutor you wasn’t for the sake of studying or scoring well on a test. It was to earn the right to attend that banquet happening in three days, wasn’t it?”
The banquet…
The one the system had mentioned—hosted by the Bai family.
In order to attend it and confront Bai Hewei, the person who had tarnished her reputation, Su Wanli needed to rank at least mid-tier in the class.
That was why she’d accepted Meng Wange’s tutoring in the first place.
She had nearly forgotten all that—good thing Meng Wange hadn’t.
Seeing Su Wanli fall silent, Meng Wange hesitated for a moment before speaking softly.
“Miss Su, could you tell me why you want to attend that banquet so badly? Uncle Su only gave me the general idea—he didn’t go into any details.”
‘Why?’
‘Because it’s a mission from the system, because I need to earn 12 billion points or whatever…’
Of course, she couldn’t say that out loud.
Su Wanli lazily leaned back in her chair and met Meng Wange’s eyes.
“Do you know about the Bai family?”
“The Bai family? I know the basics. They’re a prestigious family in the southern part of the city. Before Uncle Su led the Su family to prominence, the two families were neck and neck in almost every field. Now, the Bai family is considered the second most powerful family in the South.”
‘As expected of the heroine—she’s got all the intel. Though, it seems she hasn’t paid much attention to the petty gossip among the younger generation.’
Su Wanli let out another sigh and spoke in a low voice.
“That’s right. The banquet is being hosted by that very Bai family. And their only son, Bai Hewei, recently used some extremely vile methods to ruin my reputation.”
“Extremely vile methods? You mean like spreading rumors or false accusations?”
“Something like that. Anyway, I have to attend that banquet. I’m going to confront him in front of everyone, make him clear my name, and apologize to me.”
Just imagining some random guy publicly declaring “I like Su Wanli, I want to confess to her” was enough to make Su Wanli’s skin crawl.
Even worse was how everyone who heard it had unanimously agreed that she wasn’t good enough for him.
‘Disgusting.’
“So, do you understand now, Meng Wange? Why this banquet matters so much to me?”
“I see… It’s about your reputation, Miss Su…”
As she watched Su Wanli’s expression twist in disgust, Meng Wange pressed her lips together and gave a gentle nod.
“I understand now. It really is a matter of great importance.”
Seeing that she had finally relented, Su Wanli also relaxed a little and tried to steer the conversation back to where they had left off.
“As long as you get it. That’s why your tutoring is important to me. So this hair clip—you should just—”
Before Su Wanli could finish her sentence, Meng Wange had already stood up and, just like the night before, walked over to stand in front of her.
This time, however, she didn’t kneel on one knee.
She only bent slightly at the waist, placed her right hand over her chest, and bowed respectfully toward Su Wanli.
“Miss Su, I promise—I will do everything in my power to help you make a grand entrance at that banquet.”
As she spoke, Meng Wange gently took one of Su Wanli’s hands, looking straight into her eyes with unwavering seriousness.
“And I will make that man who slandered your name—”
“—kneel and apologize to you.”