Chapter 102: Side Story – When We Were Young
Before completing the mission, 555 had been a pauper. But after Zuo Bian and Qin Ai got married, it became a millionaire.
A whole 100,000 points! 555 felt like it was on top of the world! All it needed now was to marry a beautiful and wealthy woman.
But there was no rush. Systems had long lifespans, they had plenty of time. However, Zuo Bian was different. Human lifespans were limited.
So, with its newfound wealth, 555 wanted to help Zuo Bian fulfill a wish: to meet a younger Qin Ai.
“Xiao Bian, are you ready? The package is about to be activated.”
Zuo Bian nodded. “Mm, I’m ready.”
“Close your eyes.”
A pale golden vortex appeared before Zuo Bian, expanding and enveloping her. In the blink of an eye, it vanished.
555 muttered, “Qin Ai was a real rebel when she was younger. I hope Xiao Bian won’t be bullied.”
==================
Zuo Bian felt like she had been soaking in warm water for a long time. Everything was silent. Then, she heard voices.
“Xiao Bian, don’t be afraid. If anything happens at school, just call Mom and Dad.” Du Yundong’s voice was filled with concern.
Zuo Yan added, “Dad and Mom will visit you at school often.”
Zuo Bian was confused, but she quickly understood what was happening.
555 had spent 1,000 points to buy a special package for her. So, not only would she meet a younger Qin Ai, but she also had a legitimate identity in this time period.
Here, she was just a shy and innocent girl who had finally decided to go to school.
In this timeline, she and Qin Ai were the same age. And coincidentally, she had transferred to the same school and even the same class as Qin Ai.
Well, it wasn’t exactly a coincidence. After all, 555 had spent a lot of points, so the package was powerful.
The teacher led Zuo Bian to the classroom door. The noisy chatter inside quieted down.
The teacher entered the classroom and stood on the podium, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention.
“Class, we have a new student joining us today in Class Three. She’s a bit shy, so please be kind to her.”
Ms. Luo, the homeroom teacher, was gentle and always had a smile on her face, whether she was talking to good students or bad students. It seemed like there were no bad students in her eyes.
She would describe a rebellious girl as “tsundere” and someone caught smoking in the bathroom as “a little chuunibyou.” So no one believed her when she said the new student was “shy.”
The classroom erupted in boos. Ms. Luo didn’t mind. She smiled and beckoned Zuo Bian, who was standing at the door.
“Come in, Zuo Bian.”
A few students in the back row made a bet. “I bet she’s not what the teacher described. Shy? I think she’s probably a gloomy otaku who can’t even speak a word.”
A girl beside them rested her chin on her hand, her eyes filled with longing. “Maybe she’s a beautiful boy or a beautiful girl?”
“Hmph, don’t be delusional. There aren’t that many beautiful people in real life. We should be grateful that our school has Qin Jie, our goddess. Qin Jie, there’s an empty seat beside you. I bet the teacher will arrange for the new student to sit with you.”
Qin Ai, sitting in the last row, leaned back in her chair, a comic book covering her face. She mumbled in response, her voice indifferent. “Not interested.”
Zuo Bian hesitated, feeling nervous.
555 had told her that Qin Ai was in Class Three. Although she had seen photos of Qin Ai, photos were different from real life.
Would the teenage Qin Ai dislike someone like her? She fidgeted with her clothes nervously.
Some bold students started to heckle. “Is the new student too ugly to show her face?”
“Anyone who doesn’t show their face will be treated as a Qiao Biluo!” (A reference to a popular live streamer who used filters to hide her true appearance.)
Ms. Luo clapped her hands, silencing the class.
Zuo Bian slowly entered the classroom. She had been an actress, facing dozens of cameras, she shouldn’t be nervous. But perhaps it was because the person she liked was in the audience, her steps were clumsy.
As a teenager, Zuo Bian’s features were softer. She was wearing a light blue dress, her black hair cascading down her shoulders. She had no accessories, but she was the most radiant person in the room.
She stood beside Ms. Luo, a shy smile on her face. “Hello, everyone, my name is Zuo Bian, Zuo from left, Bian from side.”
This time, no one laughed. Instead, they gasped.
The new student was completely different from what they had imagined! She was indeed a shy girl, just like the teacher had said.
And her face and figure were stunning! The only person in their school who could compare to her was Qin Ai.
Everyone instinctively glanced at Qin Ai, who was still in the same position, a comic book covering her face, seemingly fast asleep, indifferent to everything happening around her.
It seemed like this year’s school beauty competition would finally be exciting. That was everyone’s thought.
Ms. Luo cleared her throat. “Now that you’ve met the new student, Zuo Bian, please take the empty seat beside Qin Ai. The class representative will bring you your textbooks later.”
“Thank you, teacher.” Zuo Bian’s face flushed with excitement.
She was naturally beautiful, and her smile was even more dazzling.
Her heart pounded as she walked down the aisle. She ignored the other students’ gazes, her eyes fixed on Qin Ai.
Sitting down beside Qin Ai, she greeted her softly.
“Hello, my name is Zuo Bian. We’re deskmates now.”
Qin Ai didn’t remove the comic book from her face. She just mumbled a response, its meaning unclear.
It was music class. After the homeroom teacher left, the music teacher arrived. The music room was being renovated, so the teacher played a few songs on the multimedia system, letting the students appreciate the beauty of music.
However, most students weren’t so well-behaved. They liked to chat and do other things during these non-core subjects. And with the arrival of a new student, they were even more restless.
Most of them were glancing at Zuo Bian. The two students sitting in front of Zuo Bian and Qin Ai were having a heated debate about whether Qin Ai or the new student would be the school beauty this year.
By the time the music teacher went to the bathroom, they were arguing so intensely that their faces were red, and their voices had risen.
Qin Ai, who had been trying to sleep through the constant chatter, was finally awakened. She removed the comic book from her face, picked up an eraser, and threw it accurately at the back of the head of the student who had said that Zuo Bian would definitely be the new school beauty.
“Shut up!” Her voice was hoarse from lack of sleep, her tone laced with annoyance.
The classroom instantly fell silent. Zuo Bian stared at Qin Ai’s face, which looked much younger now. Qin Ai smirked. “So you’re the new student. You’re nothing special.”
Leave a Reply