Liu Fengying had no intention of wasting time checking whether the money from Zhang Mei's mother had arrived or not; she planned to leave that for the next morning, when she would pass by an ATM on her way to school.
It wasn't as if she didn't consider the money important—after all, it was nearly four times more than what she currently had at her disposal. But with or without it, her plans for the following days would remain the same.
Yet even if the emperor isn't worried, the eunuchs are: Liu Fengying hadn't even managed to step off the corridor where the teachers' offices were located before she received a message from Jiang Wei asking whether she had any idea why 200,000 ruans had appeared in the account he had opened for her.
"....", Liu Fengying barely held back a laugh; since he hadn't transferred the money himself, wasn't it obvious that it had to be because of her? Besides the two of them, no one else even knew that account existed. So the most likely explanation was that he messaged her so quickly because he was worried she had gotten the money through some shady method.
Honestly, Liu Fengying found it a bit annoying to have to report her business to someone else. Based on what she knew about the world she lived in now, if she added the years she had lived in her previous life to those in this one, she was by far the person with the most life experience. Did she want to live this life more intensely? Perhaps. But that didn't mean she wouldn't be cautious about decisions that could affect the way she planned to pursue her future goals.
Still, she was aware that in Jiang Wei's eyes, she was nothing more than a girl not even eighteen; how could he not worry about her? Even if he trusted her character and didn't believe she would deliberately do something illegal, there was still the risk that she might be drawn into a shady business deal, tempted by quick profit. After all, in this era, there were all sorts of financial schemes targeting ambitious yet inexperienced young people.
Not to mention that she wasn't just any young person—she was the heiress, even if only on paper, of a multibillion-ruan business. Now that she was so close to adulthood and able to fight for her rights, it was entirely possible that one of her father's rivals, or even some overly ambitious businessman, might try to approach her under the pretense of supporting her fight against her father, all while hiding a different goal: gaining control over her.
So Liu Fengying briefly explained the situation in a message, promising at the end that she would call him later, once she was free, to give him all the details.
In any case, after this short incident, by the time she reunited with Hua Shu, she was already fully aware that she had suddenly become a relatively wealthy girl.
Hua Shu let out a sigh of relief when she saw that Liu Fengying didn't seem to be in a bad mood; since Liu Fengying had answered her earlier message with only a short 'Coming out now,' Hua Shu had had no way of knowing what had happened and had been worrying ever since.
"So, Yingying, what's the reason Professor Wei wanted to talk to you?" Hua Shu asked, standing up from one of the chairs in the waiting area. She was curious whether their assumption had been correct—that the meeting was about the negative rumors surrounding Liu Fengying's recovery. Besides, knowing Professor Wei as she did, she was certain the professor wouldn't have kept her for so long unless it was something important.
"To be honest, I was called in for something I didn't expect at all—apparently the school administration wanted to convince me to overlook the incident where I was hit in the head…" Liu Fengying replied, taking her backpack from Hua Shu's outstretched hand. Although she didn't intend to loudly complain about the school's double standards, she had no intention of lying to protect its reputation.
"Huh? What got into them all of a sudden? Did you file a police report or something?", Hua Shu was surprised to hear that the administration had suddenly become so involved; she knew very well how they preferred to stay neutral in conflicts between students.
"And what do they mean by 'overlook the incident'?", Hua Shu continued after a moment, trying to process Liu Fengying's words. "What right do they have to ask you that? Those bastards! I bet if their heads had been smashed in, they wouldn't be so calm right now…"
Of course, those few words weren't nearly enough to vent Hua Shu's anger about the injustice the school administration had tried to inflict on Liu Fengying. So she kept cursing them for a while, generously wishing head injuries upon them and their extended families.
"...…", Liu Fengying wasn't sure whether she should step in and defend the administration a little; after all, her head hadn't actually been smashed.
"Anyway, it's not like I let them go through with their plan…", Liu Fengying eventually cut her off. Since they were still at school, in a room where anyone could walk in at any moment, it wasn't a good idea for Hua Shu to keep using such language. Not to mention, her insults were directed at the school administration; wasn't that basically poking a bear in its own den? And unless Hua Shu happened to be the school director's daughter, she probably wouldn't get off with just a warning—expulsion was far more likely.
"As for the reason the school administration suddenly remembered me two weeks after the accident, it had nothing to do with anything I did, but rather with the fact that Zhang Mei's mother contacted them. I guess Zhang Mei got scared because of my sudden spike in popularity. Or maybe because of those absurd rumors going around about me? Either way, in the end their motives don't even matter anymore…" Liu Fengying continued, giving Hua Shu a brief summary of what had happened in Professor Wei's office.
Of course, she focused mainly on the discussion between herself and the assistant principal; the details of what had happened between her and Professor Wei weren't something Hua Shu needed to know, right? It wasn't as though she felt guilty that, after flirting all day with Hua Shu, she'd immediately had her attention drawn by another beautiful woman the moment they parted. Both she and Hua Shu knew she had only done it to tease her. But since Hua Shu's imagination tended to run wild, it was better this way—who knew what kind of scenarios she would come up with if she knew about the exchange with Professor Wei?
Besides, Professor Wei had a reputation worth protecting; it would have been irresponsible of her to let a second person find out how easy she was to tease, right? And if she were being honest, Liu Fengying preferred that little secret to stay between just the two of them. That way, not only did it make their relationship feel more special, but it also allowed her to throw out more ambiguous lines in public without worrying that anyone other than them would catch the hidden meaning. Wouldn't that satisfy, even just a little, her craving for a forbidden romance?
However, even if Liu Fengying didn't bring up Professor Wei herself, Hua Shu eventually did, wanting to know how the professor reacted to the administration's attempt to sweep everything under the rug.
"How could someone like Professor Wei agree to something so unfair? Of course she was on my side…" Liu Fengying replied, her voice tinged with pride. Hadn't she liked Professor Wei from the very first moment she saw her? Naturally, she had to be an exceptional person—incapable of such vile behavior.
Although this wasn't enough for Hua Shu to grasp Liu Fengying's true feelings toward Professor Wei, she still found her reaction a little strange. Setting aside the fact that Liu Fengying rarely expressed admiration for anyone in public, was the character of their homeroom teacher really something worth bragging about? It wasn't as if she had earned it—fate had simply thrown them together.
"Anyway, I still don't think this is a good outcome…", Hua Shu decided to overlook the oddity and return to what was truly bothering her—namely, the fact that Zhang Mei didn't even have to apologize to Liu Fengying.
"What's that supposed to mean? If you have money, you don't have to face any consequences? I don't understand why you even gave that option to Zhang Mei's mother…"
One could say Hua Shu was a little angry at Liu Fengying too; after seeing how easily she had put Professor Raccoon in his place, Liu Fengying had become something of a hero to her. So how could she back down now in front of a mere cannon fodder without even trying to fight?
Liu Fengying didn't find her reaction annoying; on the contrary, she was happy to see Hua Shu so indignant. After all, she felt the same way—how could anyone feel at peace seeing the person who harmed them walk away completely unpunished?
But since she had no intention of forgetting this incident, one could say Hua Shu was getting upset for nothing. So, to calm her down, Liu Fengying placed a hand on Hua Shu's head and gently smoothed down the strands of hair that had probably stood on end from the sudden burst of energy flooding her nervous system.
"Before you start a fight, you have to consider not only whether you can win it, but also how much time and how many resources it will require…" Liu Fengying said, wanting Hua Shu to understand her decision.
Was she capable of ensuring that Zhang Mei received a punishment fitting her crime? Most likely, yes—but the prerequisite was having public opinion on her side. And to achieve that, she needed more than just the truth; she needed the right channels to spread it to as many ears as possible, along with the means to counter any misinformation. Unfortunately, that couldn't be done without money or connections. But Liu Fengying had no intention of draining the essential funds she required to navigate this turbulent period just to exact revenge on someone as insignificant as Zhang Mei. As for groveling to powerful people for support—she didn't even want to imagine that scenario.
"Well, that may be true. But in that case you shouldn't have bothered to talk with them at all; by doing so you just gave them something to feel proud about…", though she had calmed down a bit, Hua Shu still didn't agree with how Liu Fengying handled things. If she had been in Liu Fengying's place, even if Zhang Mei's mother had begged her to accept money in exchange for forgiveness, she would have told her to shove it where the sun doesn't shine.
No matter how cute Hua Shu was when she was pouting, Liu Fengying couldn't help rolling her eyes at her words.
"She really is inflexible… maybe even more so than cultivators who, because of limited talent or insufficient resources, are unable to advance anymore and are nearing the end of their lives—reputation being the only thing they have left…" she thought to herself. While Liu Fengying admired someone who stuck to their principles, she didn't believe it was good to let those principles blind someone to the bigger picture, risking the loss of the best path forward.
"I wouldn't say that. No matter how much money someone has, I doubt they feel good knowing they were blackmailed. Besides, even if I accepted the money, I don't recall swearing I'd never touch Zhang Mei again…" Liu Fengying said, trying to help Hua Shu see the situation from another angle. Since she had no intention of dealing with Zhang Mei right now, what had she lost by taking the money from her mother? The only one who truly suffered a loss was Zhang Yan, who paid a fortune for an illusory peace.
"...…", Hua Shu froze for a moment; why hadn't she thought of that?
'No, no, I don't think it's my fault. That kind of thinking is more suited to a villain, not to someone with a heart as pure as mine…' she reassured herself. After all, heroes usually act the moment they see an injustice.
But according to this reasoning… didn't that make Liu Fengying a villain? Turning her gaze toward Liu Fengying and once again becoming captivated by her beauty, Hua Shu thought that maybe it was better this way; after all, a Bai Yueguang (a type of fictional character who leaves a strong impression on others through her beauty and kindness; in most stories, it's precisely this combination that leads to her tragic end) usually didn't last more than a few chapters.
"Yes, I suppose you could call it free money, so why not take it?", Hua Shu finally said, looking away; the longer she looked at her, the more irrelevant her principles became. At first, she thought she had built up some resistance to Liu Fengying's charm, but now she realized she'd probably need at least a few more days.
"I knew ShuShu would understand me in the end…" Liu Fengying wrapped an arm around Hua Shu's shoulders. It wasn't the kind of supportive hug volleyball players gave each other, but rather the gesture of an older brother trying to coax the younger one into doing something mischievous. In other words, they could now be considered partners in crime.
"So, how about we go to a nice restaurant to celebrate?" Liu Fengying continued; since Hua Shu had stayed overtime just for her, she thought it would be nice to express her gratitude somehow.
Of course, she had considered her own interests as well: now that money wasn't an issue for a while, she suddenly craved a delicious meal—and it was far more convenient to go with someone than alone. Not that she minded dining solo, surrounded by tables of two or three, but going with someone spared her from unwanted invitations or people asking to join her table.
Hua Shu was initially delighted when she heard Liu Fengying's suggestion, but upon remembering how she currently looked, she began to hesitate. Leaving aside the fact that her clothes weren't exactly suitable for dining out, she had worn them for eight hours, and they were quite wrinkled. And really, what girl went out to dinner without at least fixing her hair a bit and putting on some makeup?
Well, normally she wouldn't have cared so much about such things, but somehow, Liu Fengying still looked as if she had just stepped out of a boutique. If they sat together at a table, the contrast between them would only make her stand out more.
"Err… I'm not really dressed for that…" Hua Shu murmured, wondering if Liu Fengying would agree to stop by her place first so she could shower and put on something more presentable.
But Liu Fengying didn't see any issue with how Hua Shu looked. Not only did a slightly rebellious outfit match her temperament and give her extra charm, but—just like with a cat—the more disheveled she was, the cuter she seemed.
"I don't know why you're so worried; only a snob would refuse to admit how beautiful you are. Not to mention how fragrant…" Liu Fengying said, burying her face in Hua Shu's hair. "Well, unlike me, the last part is something others can only imagine, hehe," she added playfully.
"!!!!!!!" Hua Shu was not prepared for Liu Fengying's sudden return to full-force teasing. It wasn't the "beautiful" part that shocked her—after all, that was simply true. But "fragrant"? That sounded like she was about to be the main course at dinner.
Seeing how red Hua Shu turned, Liu Fengying touched the tip of her nose, feeling a bit guilty; hadn't she decided to keep things more restrained?
'But what can I do? She's just so cute when she blushes…', she complained inwardly. Just as a dying man given a sip of water only becomes thirstier, her desire to tease pretty girls seemed to grow stronger the more she indulged in it.
Still, she thought she should at least try to ease the tension.
"Besides, we're just going to eat, it's not a date…" Liu Fengying began, wanting to imply that Hua Shu didn't need to impress anyone. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she froze; in this situation, didn't that sound like teasing as well?
Before Liu Fengying could attempt damage control, Hua Shu suddenly turned toward her, scrutinizing her from head to toe.
"Well, even if it were a date, I'd probably only benefit from it…" Hua Shu finally said, nodding with satisfaction.
"?", Liu Fengying was momentarily confused, unsure what Hua Shu meant.
'Wait! There's no way Hua Shu is implying what I think she's implying… right?', panic began to rise in Liu Fengying's chest; Hua Shu's words were far too close to a confession. If that was the case, how was she supposed to respond? Tell her the truth—that she didn't intend to enter a relationship with anyone for now? Knowing Hua Shu, she'd probably scold her for being a scumbag who toyed with girls' feelings. And even in the best-case scenario, where they stayed friends, she could say goodbye to pampering her.
Of course, there was also the option of lying, telling her she was only joking and wasn't attracted to her. That way, nothing would change between them. But aside from the fact that it would be unfair to Hua Shu… wouldn't it also be unfair to herself? Why should she feel like a thief?
Fortunately, Hua Shu didn't leave her guessing for long and followed up with an explanation.
"Yes, since I managed to charm someone so stylish compared to me, everyone would probably think I must be really smart…"
Liu Fengying felt relieved after hearing her; it seemed that Hua Shu hadn't seriously considered the possibility of entering a relationship with her, so things could continue as they were. Still, she couldn't help feeling a bit embarrassed—hadn't she been too full of herself, thinking she had managed to win Hua Shu over so quickly and without even trying?
"…Yeah, I guess you can look at it that way, haha…" Liu Fengying agreed, thinking that as long as Hua Shu stayed in a good mood, the chances of her noticing the emotions those words had stirred in her would drop considerably.
Well, Hua Shu was genuinely happy now—but for completely different reasons.
"As you said, things can be seen from all sorts of perspectives…" Hua Shu added in an insinuating tone; her eyes gleamed with satisfaction, as if she had just scored a major victory.
"...…", Liu Fengying froze for a few seconds; could it be that Hua Shu had deliberately chosen such an ambiguous phrasing just to tease her back?
'Maybe it wasn't the best idea to try changing the way she reacts to problems. Look—her first target with those new 'weapons' ended up being me…', Liu Fengying complained inwardly. A cat that only bites is easy to tease, but what do you do when it starts to scratch?
She concluded that from now on, she would have to be much more careful in how she approached Hua Shu, making sure not to give her too many opportunities to retaliate.
*** Important Announcement: Last week, I added 3 chapters (one for the Bronze tier and 3 for the Silver and Gold tiers) of this novel on my Pa*tre*on page. So, if there are people who want to support this novel, well, now they have the opportunity to do so while getting at least some benefit.
It's worth mentioning that from now on, updates for this novel will be more frequent on Pa*tre*on; for every 2 chapters published here, 3 will be posted there, in order to encourage an increase in subscribers. (If I want to write more, I need to ensure at least some financial stability from this.)
Anyway, for a while I'll be focusing more on this novel because I see that it's the most popular of the three I've started, and it will probably become even more popular if updates are more frequent (likely around two updates per week—but as you can see, these are fairly long chapters).
This doesn't mean I'll neglect the other two novels, but most likely there will only be one update per week for each, at least until I increase my capacity to write more.
Honestly, this year hasn't been very productive for me, at least materially; spiritually, however, I've grown in one year as much as others do in a hundred years of meditation. One could say that now I'm something of a cultivator myself. Maybe someday I'll write a book inspired by these experiences.
That's all I had to say. The next update will probably be in two days.
https://www.pa*tre*on.com/Cantis11