Shu Er typed furiously on her phone, “Brother! Don’t forget about the birthday party and the luxury cruise we talked about!”
This was non-negotiable!
Shu Er didn’t play coy with the male lead, who was too foolish to notice. If she had been more subtle, she might have hinted that her birthday was approaching and reminded him of his promise. But with Huo Chao, she always said exactly what she meant.
It must be said that after transmigrating into the book, Shu Er felt that one of the best things was how much easier life was now compared to before.
As the daughter of a newly wealthy family, she had to learn various etiquette and social skills, along with picking up different talents. Her time was packed, and it wasn’t until after the college entrance exams that she finally had a moment to breathe. If she hadn’t transmigrated into the book, her university years would only have gotten busier, as her parents were already considering her marriage prospects.
In her previous life, even in front of her closest family, she had to be polite at all times. Perhaps people always desire what they lack. Outsiders often criticized the Shu family for being nouveau riche with no foundation, so her parents were strict about etiquette. Even at home, she could never let her guard down.
She had to sit upright while eating, and conversation at the dining table was prohibited. Even peeling a banana required special training. It was exhausting.
But now, she felt completely relaxed.
Not long after, Huo Chao replied.
[Brother: …Let’s talk about it later.]
Even though he said “later,” Shu Er, who could see through Huo Chao’s tsundere nature, was not worried that her cruise would be forgotten.
No matter what she wanted, Huo Chao would always say “later,” but his “later” was different from the dismissive words of others. He always came through in the end.
Shu Er sent Huo Chao a kitten emoticon pack, and then prepared to go to bed.
But just as she was about to turn off the lights, there was a knock at the door.
Who could it be at this hour?
Shu Er got up and opened the door, revealing Shu Rou standing outside.
“It’s already late. What’s the matter?”
Shu Rou nodded, “Aren’t you going to invite me in for a bit?”
Shu Er stepped aside to let her in.
Shu Rou first scanned Shu Er’s room before pulling out her phone to show her the photo she had taken earlier that day.
Shu Er immediately recognized the two figures in the photo as herself and Jiang Xici, captured as they walked to the DIY ice cream shop.
So, what did Shu Rou mean by this? Was she planning to use this photo to threaten her? But what did she have to be afraid of? There was nothing ambiguous between her and Jiang Xici—she had nothing to hide.
After briefly showing the photo, Shu Rou put her phone away. “I took this this afternoon.”
Shu Er maintained her calm demeanor, “So?”
Shu Rou didn’t expect Shu Er to be so composed. She rolled her eyes and said, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Mom you’re in a relationship?” Shu Rou could take the photo to Huo Shao and stir up trouble, but if Shu Er broke up with him, it wouldn’t benefit her at all.
Their mother hates premature love the most and she also frequently reminds them to focus on their studies. She probably feared that Shu Er might lead her sisters astray, so she paid extra attention to her.
If it were before, Shu Er might have been more cautious, but now, their mother might not even be her biological mom; she probably deliberately switched children to allow her own to enjoy the luxury of a wealthy family. How could Shu Er still care about her mother’s opinion?
Shu Er replied flatly, “I’m not afraid.”
Essentially, she meant that Shu Rou could do whatever she wanted with the photo; it was none of her concern. She felt neither fear nor care.
Seeing Shu Er’s unyielding attitude, Shu Rou softened her tone first.
“Second sister, don’t be like that. We’re still sisters, right? If this gets out, it wouldn’t look good for either of us.”
Shu Er sat on the bed, “What exactly do you want to say?”
“Ah, it’s actually nothing big. I just wanted to ask if you could introduce me to a few friends of the big guys so I can meet them.”
???
At first, Shu Er thought Shu Rou was here to pick a fight, but she didn’t expect her to come asking for a favor.
Shu Rou’s current flattering attitude was a stark contrast to her previous demeanor.
Shu Er crossed her arms and said, “You just said you would tell Mom about me.”
Shu Rou was quick to backtrack, “Oh, you misunderstood, sister. There’s no way I would tell Mom about something so private.”
Shu Er found Shu Rou quite amusing; she was willing to put aside her pride to achieve her goals.
“So you took those pictures secretly?”
“I’ll delete them right away! There’s no backup! I promise!”
Shu Rou quickly deleted the photos, leaving Shu Er at a loss for words.
In fact, if Shu Rou had shared the photos in their school’s year group or even the larger school group, it could have caused quite a stir if it made its way to the No. 1 Middle School. But instead, she chose to threaten Shu Er with them in the middle of the night, saying she would tell their mother.
At their age, wasn’t this whole “telling Mom” game a bit childish?
But it also showed that Shu Rou is only verbally powerful; she wouldn’t really do anything bad. She just wanted to elevate her status and didn’t care about much else.
Those who are truly cunning are often the ones who smile sweetly while hiding a knife, while straightforward people like Shu Rou were actually the least harmful.
As it got late, Shu Er yawned, “I get it.”
Shu Rou smiled, “Thank you! Your sister’s happiness depends on you now.”
After saying that, she was about to leave when she suddenly turned back and sincerely said, “Second sister, I said something unpleasant the other day. Please don’t take it to heart. I apologize.”
Shu Er rubbed her eyes, “It’s fine. I didn’t take it to heart.”
If everyone could make Shu Er angry, wouldn’t she be exhausted?
“Alright then, second sister, good night.”
Time passed quickly, and Thursday was approaching. In just one more day, it would be Shu Er’s birthday.
She suddenly remembered that she didn’t have a beautiful skirt to wear for her birthday. She also didn’t have any pretty accessories, a nice handbag, or even beautiful crystal shoes.
To sum it up, she has nothing at all right now.
But she is happy now! Happiness is something money couldn’t buy.
In her previous life, although she was very wealthy, she lacked freedom, including the freedom to love. Her marriage partner is a second-generation dandy who is three years older than her and has been hanging around in the flower bush since he was a teenager. Huo Chao is far better than her marriage partner, although he is also a second-generation rich man.
Unfortunately, he belonged to the heroine.
That afternoon, Shu Er, as usual, went to the small shop with Ning Meng. The line was long, and they were pressed closely together.
Suddenly, Shu Er noticed someone deliberately bumping into her shoulder.
The force was quite strong, so she frowned instinctively.
Turning around, she saw a tall and muscular guy behind her, with large tattooed arms, wearing a white vest and shorts. He appeared to be about 1.9 meters tall, looking like an athlete with an air that said, “I’m not to be messed with.”
Shu Er sensed that he was targeting her.
Although there were many people around, this guy was clearly trying to provoke her, and she couldn’t tolerate even this minor offense.
Why should she be shouldered by someone?
She quickly took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to Huo Chao.
[Xiao Er: Woo woo woo woo woo, brother, someone hit me! I’m in the small shop, come quickly! If you don’t come soon, you won’t see me anymore!]
This small conflict wouldn’t have bothered her in the past; she once got knocked down by a child at an amusement park and scraped her palm without feeling wronged. But now, knowing Huo Chao was there to protect her, she couldn’t stand even a little grievance.
After the boy noticed Shu Er’s gaze, he sneered, “Are you Shu Er?”
Ning Meng, hearing the voice, turned around and immediately sensed that the boy wasn’t a good person. She hurriedly moved Shu Er behind her and asked defiantly, “Do you have a problem?”
The guy flexed his thick arms and said, “Nothing. I just wanted to see who defeated Beibei to become the Campus Goddess. But looking at you, you’re not impressive at all! You don’t even compare to Beibei’s pinky finger!”
After he finished speaking, he laughed mockingly.
Shu Er understood immediately.
So he is a fan of Zhang Beibei who is seeking trouble because he’s unhappy.
If it weren’t for her, the title of Campus Goddess would probably have gone to Zhang Beibei.
According to her classmates, Zhang Beibei had been well-known since junior high. She was the Campus Goddess of the first year and had a huge following among the students.
She had once declared in front of many people that she wanted to be the second person to win the title of “Campus Goddess” for three consecutive years. However, Shu Er’s arrival shattered that dream completely.
As a transfer student, Shu Er knew she couldn’t earn that honor solely on her own merits. She relied entirely on Huo Chao to get to the top.
This big guy probably thought Huo Chao was not easy to mess with, so he decided to pick on her?
But the selection process was inherently unfair; everyone relied on their own abilities, and it was all about who could shine the most.
Was he not satisfied? Tough luck! If he had the ability, he could just throw money around like Huo Chao. What kind of man picks on a girl?
Since Huo Chao wasn’t there, Shu Er didn’t dare to confront this big guy. If things escalated and she ended up getting hit, even if she fought back, she would still feel like she lost. Her shoulder still hurt a bit from the earlier bump.
The line at the small shop was long, and who knew how long it would take for them to check out. Not only did Shu Er have to keep an eye on this big guy, but she also had to glance occasionally at the door of the shop to see if Huo Chao had arrived.
The students in line around them were confused, not understanding what was happening. They glanced from one to the other, but since the big guy hadn’t made any overtly aggressive moves, no one said anything. They were either playing on their phones or chatting, busy with their own affairs.
Perhaps the wait felt particularly long, as it seemed like an eternity had passed.
In reality, only three or four people had checked out before them.
Finally, Huo Chao appeared at the door of the small shop!
The moment Shu Er saw him, she bolted toward him like a little cannonball, diving into his embrace.
Once she was safely in his arms, she pointed a finger back at the big guy and indignantly exclaimed, “Brother, it’s him! He hit me!”
Shu Er was quite skilled at using the “hiding behind the tiger’s might” tactic!
