Chapter 13: Utterly Indulgent
In just a few minutes, she had earned more than a dollar. That wasn’t bad at all—it was easy money, enough to buy half a pound of rice or flour, or perhaps a handful of vegetables.
Although it couldn’t compare to the lavish “Four Young Lords” group, she knew that stumbling upon such a group was a stroke of luck, something that couldn’t be sought out deliberately. She had simply had a lucky break.
Yet, she wondered, since her phone could only snatch red envelopes within a ten-meter radius, did it mean someone from the Four Young Lords chat group had been within ten meters of her at the time? Could it have been that germaphobe jerk she’d run into? Was he one of the group’s members? She did remember thinking he looked familiar…
Heaven forbid. The Four Young Lords of Qingming—she had been at Qingming High School for over a year, now entering her second year, and she’d only ever seen their photos on the forum.
She’d never run into them at school; how could it possibly be them outside of school? No, it was impossible.
Yes, impossible. Perhaps someone from the group had just happened to pass by in a car or something. That had to be it.
She decided to stop thinking about it. If by some chance she really had bumped into one of the Four Young Lords that night, the embarrassment would have been unbearable…
How could she, Shi Qingqing, ever face anyone at Qingming again?
She certainly couldn’t! The very idea was terrifying, and she resolved to never entertain it again.
Just treat it as nothing, she told herself. Now that she’d let it go, eventually, it would fade away without leaving a trace.
She wondered what benefits the system would unlock once it leveled up to one. She truly wished she could fast-forward time and wake up to tomorrow morning, eager for the days when she could grab red envelopes every day. Life would be so sweet then!
Oh, how delightful that would be…
***
Inside the Zhan family’s ancestral mansion.
Old Wang, the driver, was reporting to the elderly couple. Master Zhan was a lean man, imposing even in silence, with a robust physique. Madam Zhan exuded an air of opulence and grace, her features kind and benevolent, with a warm and amiable smile—her manners were impeccable.
After listening to Old Wang’s account of the young master’s activities after dinner,
“What? Our little Su actually bumped into a woman? Oh dear, is he all right?”
Old Wang replied, “He’s fine. Dr. Rong has already made a house call to check on the young master—there’s nothing wrong. The young master instructed me to tell you both to rest well and not to call him.”
With that, the couple’s worries were eased.
Madam Zhan still fretted, “Old man, you know, our Ah Su didn’t even drink much with his uncle Jianping tonight. How did he end up feeling unwell and wanting to stroll in the noisy park downtown?”
Master Zhan pondered, “Perhaps it’s Yingying—she’s affected him somehow…”
Madam Zhan felt a pang of regret. “If I’d known he’d react so strongly, I wouldn’t have invited Yingying over. Yingying has just come back from abroad and hasn’t seen our little Su for so long—I just wanted to give them a chance to reconnect.”
“Little Su is most opposed to all that talk of matching horoscopes, and he’s always had a natural aversion to women. So of course he wouldn’t warm to Yingying.”
But regret was useless now.
Distressed, Madam Zhan turned her frustration on Old Wang. “Old Wang, how many times have I told you? If the young master goes out without a bodyguard, your duty is to be both driver and bodyguard…”
Old Wang nodded, admitting his mistake.
Master Zhan took a sip of tea. “You know our little Su’s temperament—he won’t let anyone follow him. There’s nothing Old Wang can do.”
Their personal bodyguard, Luo Hua, had requested leave, and since Zhan Su was out socializing with friends, he especially disliked having people tagging along.
Madam Zhan pressed a hand to her chest. “Fortunately he didn’t bump into a woman today. If he had, our Ah Su would have suffered again. In any case, I don’t care, old man. Starting tomorrow, increase the number of bodyguards for Ah Su.”