Chapter 10
Early the next morning, Lou Lixing replied to Lou Mi’s message.
“Mimi, your Auntie and I are swamped with work and can’t get back. I know you’re busy too, but Chi Lin is still a minor and needs supervision. She’s going through a rebellious phase, so her unconventional behavior is understandable. Please be patient with her. I’m begging you. Oh, and the mattress will be delivered this afternoon. Also, didn’t you mention wanting a new car? I’ll be back in a couple of days, and we can go look at some. Your pick, I’ll pay.”
Lou Mi, sleep-deprived, was about to nap when she saw her dad’s message.
She was startled by the length of the text. He had typed it all out manually.
Why was he so averse to voice messages?
He had initially offered only a mattress, now he was throwing in a car.
He was pulling out all the stops to bribe her into babysitting.
Lou Mi wanted to tell him it wasn’t just a rebellious phase. It was more like a possession.
But exhaustion won, and she didn’t reply.
She checked her schedule. She didn’t have to be at the club until the afternoon. She could still get some sleep.
Chi Lin, after a few hours of sleep, woke up early.
She had a morning routine: a set of Five Elements Fist exercises to stretch and invigorate her body.
She had noticed the spacious and beautiful backyard the previous day, with its grass, flowers, pavilion, and pond. It resonated with her.
She went outside and performed her exercises in the fresh morning air.
Afterward, she sat in the pavilion and meditated, her breathing steady, her mind clear.
Back inside, unsure where to wash up, she consulted the system.
The system displayed the house layout. The washing area was connected to the lavatory.
The house was indeed large, with a front yard, backyard, garage, and nearly ten rooms, each serving a different function.
She memorized the layout and entered the bathroom. The lights turned on, and she saw her reflection in the mirror for the first time.
She had been too engrossed in reading last night to examine her appearance.
She knew her hair was messy, but seeing it was still a shock. The red, spiky mass was twice the size of her head.
Her makeup was equally horrifying. Black eyeshadow smudged around her eyes, fluorescent blue lipstick smeared across her lips. It had all run during the night, turning her face into a palette of colors.
And was that a tattoo on her neck?
In Dayuan, tattoos were reserved for criminals, marking their faces and necks with their crimes, or for courtesans, who sometimes inscribed the names of favored patrons on their bodies as a token of gratitude.
Neither scenario was acceptable to Chi Lin.
She rubbed the tattoo. It came off.
Just a temporary tattoo, then. A childish whim.
Thankfully.
The tastes of this era’s youth were baffling.
She washed off the makeup, but some color stubbornly remained. It was remarkably resilient.
After scrubbing until her face was red and her hands ached, she finally achieved a semblance of cleanliness.
She then tackled her hair, painstakingly combing the wiry strands and arranging them in a neat bun.
Looking in the mirror, she felt transformed.
The original owner was quite pretty, hidden beneath the outlandish makeup and hairstyle.
Her face was small, her eyes large and bright. And there, beneath each eye, a small mole, just like Chi Lin’s own.
Seeing the moles, Chi Lin wondered if inhabiting this body was mere coincidence or something more.
Though her hair was now neat, its texture remained dry and brittle, the tight bun pulling at her scalp.
She wanted to ask the system for hair care advice. As she exited the bathroom, she called out, “Teacher.” Before she could leave, the bathroom wall lit up.
“Good morning, Chi Lin. How can I assist you?”
Chi Lin paused. “Teacher, you’re everywhere.”
She explained her hair problem to the system.
The system promptly generated a shopping list.
Conditioner, hair dye, hair straightener… total cost: 366 yuan.
“I don’t have any money,” Chi Lin realized.
“Yes, you do,” the system replied.
It scanned her face, and the payment was processed.
The order would be delivered that afternoon.
“How did you do that?”
The system explained the concept of facial recognition payment.
“So I can purchase things just by showing my face?”
“Yes.”
“Such magic… You don’t need physical currency in this era?”
The system explained the history and widespread adoption of electronic payments.
Chi Lin listened intently.
Every day in this new era brought new surprises.
The parental control system showed she had 13,240 yuan remaining in her monthly allowance.
After purchasing the hair products, she still had over ten thousand yuan. Financial constraints wouldn’t hinder her investigation.
Considering the similarities between herself and the original owner, Chi Lin had a hunch the Empress’s reincarnation might be close, perhaps even at school.
Even if not, she could start her search within familiar surroundings.
This approach seemed more manageable and methodical.
She had to go to school.
She hadn’t seen Lou Mi all morning and hoped her impulsive rescue last night hadn’t angered her.
She had applied the ointment Lou Mi gave her. It soothed her injured toe, and the pain was almost gone.
Learning to interact with people in this era was her top priority.
She wouldn’t bother Lou Mi. She could find her way to school on her own.
As she walked down the street, her stomach rumbled.
She had been so preoccupied with her hair and makeup that she had forgotten to eat.
Clutching her stomach, she smelled the delicious aroma of scallions and eggs, a savory pancake scent.
A few students were gathered around a street vendor, enjoying large, steaming pancakes. Chi Lin wanted one.
“Vendor,” she said, “one… pancake, please.”
“Coming right up! Egg and sausage?”
“Both, please.”
The vendor expertly prepared the pancake, wrapping it in a plastic bag.
Chi Lin took the pancake and presented her face to the vendor.
The vendor looked confused.
“I’m paying,” Chi Lin explained.
Hesitantly, the vendor held up a sign with a QR code.
So I have to scan my face at this.
Chi Lin leaned closer, her face inches from the QR code.
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
Nothing happened.
“Miss…?” the vendor prompted.
Chi Lin realized her mistake. “I thought I could pay with facial recognition.”
The vendor, knowing the affluent neighborhood she came from, assumed she was accustomed to facial recognition payment and unfamiliar with QR codes.
“It’s a small business,” he explained. “I haven’t set up facial recognition yet. You need to use the QR code.”
“How do I use the QR code?” Chi Lin asked.
Amused by her formal language, the vendor showed her how to use the QR code scanner on her phone.
Chi Lin learned quickly, acquiring another new skill.
She clasped her hands together in a gesture of thanks. “Thank you for teaching me the art of QR codes.”
The vendor mimicked her gesture. “Is this how rich kids do it these days?”
The pancake was crispy and delicious. Chi Lin observed other people eating as they walked and did the same, observing the passersby.
She remembered the route Lou Mi had taken yesterday. The school was far. She couldn’t possibly walk there.
No one rode horses in this era. Everyone traveled in cars, shielded from the elements, comfortably seated or even reclining.
Cars were essential. She had to learn how to use them.
Lou Mi had important work. Chi Lin couldn’t keep relying on her.
She watched as people entered and exited vehicles. The cars would drop off passengers, pick up new ones, and drive off.
So these cars weren’t privately owned, but shared?
She observed the process carefully, learning the basics.
A taxi stopped in front of her. The passenger got out, and Chi Lin got in.
The car was spacious, with a lit-up glass screen. A voice greeted her.
“Good morning, esteemed passenger. Please set your destination.”
Chi Lin, having learned about artificial intelligence from the system, was prepared for this.
“How do I get to South Lake Third High School?”
The taxi’s navigation system offered three routes. She chose the shortest one.
As the car started, crossing the overwater highway, Chi Lin once again admired the seascape.
Bathed in the morning sun, her anxiety eased. She had successfully taken a taxi on her own.
Arriving at the school, she was about to enter her classroom when her homeroom teacher called out to her.
“Excuse me, are you in the right class?”
Chi Lin turned and met her gaze.
Ms. Qi, her homeroom teacher, was in her forties, slightly plump, and wore gold-rimmed glasses. She was naturally cheerful, but her students tended to take advantage of her kindness, so she had adopted a stern facade at school.
Ms. Qi didn’t recognize her.
“Which class are you in?” she asked. “Are you a transfer student? The administration didn’t inform me of any new students.”
“I’m… Chi Lin,” she replied.
“Who?!”
Students by the window turned to look.
Who are you?!
“Holy crap, is that what Chi Lin looks like?”
Curiosity got the better of them, and they crowded around the window, blocking the view.
Students further away craned their necks to see.
“You’re Chi Lin?” Ms. Qi asked, scrutinizing her.
Now that she looked closer, she could see a resemblance to the delinquent she remembered.
But today, without the makeup and outrageous hair, she was… pretty.
Chi Lin entered the classroom, unfazed by the stares. She was used to being the center of attention. She calmly sat at her desk in the corner.
Liu Huixin, not recognizing her, was puzzled by the sudden interest. She tugged at Chi Lin’s sleeve.
“What did you do to your hair? Why do you look like everyone else? This isn’t you! This isn’t cool! And why aren’t you wearing any makeup? You look so pale! Did you run out of time this morning? Don’t worry, I brought my new makeup kit. You can try it now.”
Liu Huixin excitedly presented her cosmetics, but Chi Lin politely declined.
“Thank you, but I’m fine.”
Liu Huixin insisted, but Chi Lin ignored her and opened her math textbook.
Wei Zhuoning, observing them from afar, muttered, “One’s a delinquent, the other’s an idiot. The idiot seems less idiotic today, but the delinquent is still annoying…”