Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Chi Guihua’s family had long developed the usual affliction of the rich and famous. Gao Han and Chi Guihua used to do some work, but since they took Chi Shuyan into their care, they relied on Fourth Brother to earn money as a matter of course, so the whole family lived a flavorsome life.
And so one day, when Chi Guihua swaggered in a huge mall as usual to buy an expensive brand of cosmetics and several fancy clothes for her sons, she was surprised when she went to pay and was informed by the cashier that her card balance was insufficient.
Chi Guihua didn’t believe it at first. By all rights, Brother should have sent money on their card long ago. She changed to another card, but the balance shown was still insufficient. Standing in a big shopping mall, receiving stares from passersby and service personnel, she felt so flustered, parched and red in the face, and was forced to return the merchandise. Worst of all, as soon as Gao Yuanxin, who picked a toy car, heard that they had to return it, he kicked up a fuss and rolled about in public, causing more people to look at them frequently as if they weren’t already enough of an embarrassment. In the end, Chi Guihua hurriedly took the brat back, pulling his ears in rage.
Chi Guihua purposely went to the bank to check, thinking that it was a staff error, never imagining that Chi Lingyan really didn’t deposit money this time around.
That was just the beginning. Their family’s expenses were so high that they’d spent almost all of the money and allowance that Chi Lingyan sent last month. Their standard of living had plummeted drastically, not to mention the children, who were also a bit overwhelmed.
Chi Guihua and Gao Han couldn’t sit still a moment longer. Unable to remain calm, they ran in haste to block someone with the hindsight that Fourth Brother was more serious this time. However, they were doomed to wait in vain today. Chi Shuyan had long returned home and was languishing on the sofa watching TV. Eventually, Chi Guihua and Gao Han, whose legs were covered in mosquito bites, could only leave reluctantly in embarrassment.
Chi Shuyan sneered and suppressed her impetuous murderous intent. She couldn’t rashly get involved in these killings just yet. They were even less unworthy of it. Besides, with their greed and stupidity, they’d dig their own graves sooner or later. She’d be happy to push a hand behind the scenes.
Ning’an First Middle School
“Wow, it’s so rare for you to come to school today. You’re so chic.” Li Xiaoting, who had been abused by the senior year’s wheel of exam questions, wailed with envy and surprise at her deskmate.
“Not bad.” Chi Shuyan replied all the while writing and answering her math homework.
Li Xiaoting leaned over to take a look, and was really surprised when she saw the math problem formula that Chi Shuyan had written. “This is a tough question. Do you know how to do it? Hey, hey, tell me the solution to the problem.” Li Xiaoting had been mulling over this problem for a long time without progress, and was planning on asking the math teacher later.
Chi Shuyan nodded and took a draft paper to explain the solution to her in detail, like peeling the layers of a cocoon, from the depth to the surface.
After listening to Chi Shuyan’s explanation, it dawned on Li Xiaoting and she said happily, “Ahhh – so that’s how it is. I feel like it’s a lot simpler now that you’ve explained it.” She asked Chi Shuyan several more questions, and she solved them one by one with her.
When Chi Shuyan was parched and intended to take a sip of water, she looked up and found several students surrounding her.
Chi Shuyan: “…” Is something the matter? Why is everyone looking at me with surprise?
“Shuyan, you’re so awesome, you solved these questions so easily.”
“Yeah, did you study these questions diligently at home?”
“No wonder you dared not come to school, I would have chosen to stay at home if I was as conscientious and disciplined as you are.”
Chi Shuyan smiled and said, “Actually it’s all the same, but the atmosphere is better at school.”
“That’s right, that’s right. In fact, these senior dogs are just as miserable wherever they are. Shuyan must be very diligent at home,” Li Xiaoting at the same table commented.
Other students were in total agreement, admiring Chi Shuyan’s diligence while a few were quite unsure about her closed-door approach and advised her to come to school more often.
The group of girls talked in a cacophony of voices, then the topic unconsciously turned to skin care products.
“I’ve been staying up all night, so pimples popped out on my forehead and my face turned oily. It’s killing me. I have to use my mom’s cleanser and toner, but it doesn’t help at all. And now, my eyebags have grown darker. I just want to get this period of time over with, or else my face value will rub off.” A girl clasped herself and looked at her reflection in self-pity.
“Yeah, yeah, I look in the mirror everyday and almost throw it away. I look like a panda.”
“Yeah, my skin is already oily, but now that I’m up all night studying, could I even make it up afterwards?”
Just as many girls were sighing and moaning, a voice drew their full attention.
“Hey, Shuyan, you seem to have become a lot prettier. Your skin is white, your pores are almost nonexistent, not even freckles or pimples.” Zheng Shujun at the front desk looked at Chi Shuyan enviously. “What brand of skin care products are you using?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the girls, who were talking about the plunge in their beauty, all looked at Chi Shuyan and noticed that her skin was white and soft. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say as soft and smooth as a newborn’s skin. Studying non-stop, her face value increased rather than decreased, so the whole bunch of girls were envious and jealous.
Chi Shuyan blinked, not understanding how the topic of a group of people who were passionately discussing skin care products fell on her. She said with a smile, “Eating and sleeping well, and having a more regular work and rest routine, I guess.” It was true that she had never used skincare products before, not even a Dabao facial cream. Her skin might have been better than others before, but it hadn’t been this good. Naturally, this was related to the medicinal baths she had been taking.
Medicinal baths couldn’t only make up for spirit qi and enhance the strength, but also harden the physique, cleanse the muscles and bones, and discharge impurities. The first time she took her medicinal bath, the water was dyed black with all of the impurities discharged from her body. The medicinal bath these days was a little more translucent.
Chi Shuyan couldn’t tell them these facts, so she replied perfunctorily. She didn’t expect that her answer would draw a bigger wave of hatred, glaring at her like ravening tigers.
“Comparing yourself to others will only make you angry.”
“How outrageous, it’s naked boasting of your flawless beauty, shame on you.”
“Right, jealousy makes me lose my identity.”
Chi Shuyan: “…” When did I boast of myself?
In the end, it was her deskmate, Li Xiaoting, who noticed Chi Shuyan being overwhelmed and ‘besieged’. She quickly rescued her from the sea of misery and said, “Hey hey, have you guys heard? Wu Wenyun and that delinquent girl have been tainted with something unclean and are in a coma. Their families seemed to have hired some Masters.”
“Do people still believe in the supernatural nowadays? How feudal.”
“But it’s really odd. They don’t have wounds and scars, so why have they been unconscious?”
“I think they’ve suffered their retribution. Look at that Wu Wenyun, who does whatever she likes all day long, just because her family has money.” A female classmate said scornfully, “I went to the same school as her in junior high, and heard that she would viciously trash anyone she found an eyesore. The worst one of them was a girl she bullied into jumping off a building.”
