Chapter 26: An Unhappy April Fool’s Day
“Of course it’s true.” Lu Li replied casually. “Zhu Xi” didn’t send any more messages. Perhaps she got bored, or perhaps she was busy with other things. After all, how could a princess have so much free time to spend online? Even Chen Jianing knew to go to the riverside to relax and occasionally travel. No one would just stay home all day playing games and browsing the internet, right?
Lu Li was still waiting for “Zhu Xi’s” reply when Silly Goose suddenly called. Lu Li’s spirits lifted, and a smile bloomed on his face. But after answering the call, the silly girl said she wanted to talk to Baili. Lu Li could only hand the phone to An Baili, who was in the kitchen, and let the two girls whisper their secrets. He was thinking about buying An Baili a phone. What brand and model should he get her?
During dinner, Zhu Xi noticed that Zhu Qiao was unusually excited, her long legs swinging restlessly under the table, bumping against her shins several times.
“Xiaoqiao, eat properly.” Zhu Xi said with a slightly stern tone.
“Yes, yes.” Zhu Qiao giggled, not even noticing that she was holding her chopsticks upside down. Zhu Xi rubbed her temples. “Did something good happen?”
Zhu Qiao gasped. “Sister Xi, you already know?”
Of course, your excitement is written all over your face. Zhu Xi never had the heart to scold her younger sister, so she just sighed. “Tell your sister about it.” Zhu Xi was a controlling woman. She disliked anything that was beyond her control, including Zhu Qiao. The online world was even more bizarre and unpredictable than reality. The internet was like a masked carnival where everyone could vent freely. You never knew if you were stepping on dog shit or gold. Zhu Qiao, lacking common sense and life experience, was the type of person who could easily get into trouble online.
Zhu Qiao wanted to tell her sister that she had chatted with the developer of her favorite game, but she noticed that Zhu Xi’s eyes weren’t focused on her – this was a habit of Sister Xi’s. Whenever she was scheming or had something on her mind, she would “pretend” to look at the other person, but her gaze would be fixed on some distant point in space. No one knew what she was thinking about.
Two years ago, Sister Xi brought her a cute puppy, and Zhu Qiao loved it. But a puppy was still a puppy, untrained and unruly. It often nipped at her playfully. The wounds weren’t deep, just small scratches. She mentioned this to Sister Xi during a casual conversation, and she still remembered Zhu Xi’s expression back then, the same as now, seemingly attentive but actually miles away. A few days later, without telling her, Sister Xi took the puppy away. She never said where it went, and Zhu Qiao never saw the lively little creature again.
For some reason, Zhu Qiao thought of this incident, and the words that came out of her mouth were, “I played a very fun game called Evening Collection.”
Just a game? Zhu Xi nodded slightly. She would look into the game’s background later. It wasn’t a big deal.
Zhu Qiao discovered that she had a talent for lying. She didn’t blush or feel nervous, just continued eating quietly.
Today was a momentous day in Zhu Qiao’s life. The first time playing a video game, the first time greeting a stranger, the first time having a proper conversation with a stranger, the first time lying to her beloved Sister Xi… She decided to record these achievements and have them engraved on her tombstone after she died…
Thinking of this, Zhu Qiao couldn’t help but giggle.
Time flew by. Youth was fleeting, and young boys and girls grew up in the blink of an eye. On his way to and from school, Lu Li started seeing senior students dragging their suitcases, leaving the campus. Some had already been accepted into universities and were going for early admissions. Some, unable to keep up with their studies, were going home to live a life of leisure. And some, no longer interested in a diploma, were starting to work in their family businesses. In contrast, students from other high schools in Chuanhai didn’t have so many choices. Half of them would go to vocational schools to learn a trade, and the other half would start working. Sometimes, the track you were on determined the outcome. The harder you tried to switch tracks, the more likely you were to be disqualified.
On his way to school, Lu Li walked behind An Baili and Chu Jingyi, listening to their chatter. Girls were good in many ways: soft bodies, smooth skin, sweet fragrance, shy and demure. But they were also very talkative when they got together.
“Baili, Baili, did you know? Senior Shi from the third year was ranked as the only top-tier student by the committee. They say she can start as a … level official after graduation…”
“The one who always jogs on the playground with a book in her hand? I always thought she was just showing off…”
“And there’s a Senior Jiang, I heard he was ranked as the lowest tier and has been called back by his family for punishment…”
“That’s so strict.” An Baili shivered. These hidden rules were incredibly cruel, a stark display of the rigid social hierarchy. “Jingyi, you should be able to get a high ranking next year, right?”
Lu Li smirked. What did she mean by “should”? It was a certainty. Chu Jingyi was Chu Xiaodong’s only daughter, the apple of his eye. Her father had been transferred to the capital this year and appointed as a Grand Scholar in the central cabinet, a true member of the leadership, someone who held real power. Would Chuanhai No. 1 High School dare to disrespect him?
He and An Baili, on the other hand, had to worry about their rankings. If they were ranked in the bottom three tiers, they might even have trouble getting into university.
“I don’t know… I don’t know how the committee evaluates us.” Silly Goose was actually a bit nervous, seemingly worried about her own ranking.
How are they evaluated? Lu Li suppressed a smile. It was best not to say anything and let Yi Bao remain blissfully ignorant. All he wanted was for this silly girl to be happy and carefree.
As Lu Li was lost in his thoughts, An Baili suddenly turned around and looked at him. “Ah! Lu Li, there’s something I haven’t told you…”
“What is it?” Lu Li asked casually.
“I can’t log into that account you asked me to keep safe.”
Lu Li froze, his hair almost standing on end. “What did you say?” That account was the joint account he shared with Sister Yameng, where they kept part of the revenue from Evening Collection, the money he had set aside for their college tuition. There was only one reason why he couldn’t log in: the account had been frozen!
His mind raced, going through various laws, regulations, and bank rules, but he couldn’t figure out what he had done wrong. Did he earn too much on the Valve platform and attract unwanted attention? Was it because one of the media partners he collaborated with was involved in illegal activities? That shouldn’t be the case…
Or perhaps, more simply and directly, someone had illegally withdrawn the money, triggering the bank to freeze the account automatically?
Just as Lu Li was getting increasingly anxious, An Baili suddenly smiled. “Silly Lu Li, Happy April Fool’s Day~”
Lu Li’s mind went blank, all his thoughts dissipating like smoke. He finally realized: today was April 1st, April Fool’s Day.
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