"Huh. Is this it?"

Mu Yue Ran’s lips curled in a flicker of boredom. She tossed her playing cards carelessly onto the table—they slid straight to Wu Fan’s side.

Wu Fan stared at her cards, his face flushed with embarrassment. He couldn’t even tell how much bigger they were than his own. When he looked up at Mu Yue Ran, the dim light caught the undisguised mockery in her eyes. She hadn’t even flipped her cards over, as if utterly certain of his defeat.

"You damn—"

"Careful. Swear, and your whole *image* shatters."

Mu Yue Ran leaned back on the sofa with a laugh, casually squeezing Ji Yueyi’s delicate hand beside her. Oblivious, Ji Yueyi’s gaze remained fixed on Mu Yue Ran, starry-eyed and brimming with adoration.

Wu Fan choked back the curse, fury burning in his throat until his face turned crimson. His own cards crumpled in his fist, crushed beyond recognition—the only outlet for his humiliation.

"Again."

"Play what? Dice? Finger-guessing? Zha Jin Hua? You’ve lost every round." Mu Yue Ran jabbed a finger at the mountain of untouched drinks piled before Wu Fan. "Finish your own drinks first. Saving them for later?"

Wu Fan ground his molars. From start to finish, this woman hadn’t touched a drop—*he’d* drunk every penalty. Even with his tolerance, this endless losing streak was drowning him.

"No more games. Let’s just drink!"

"Yeah! Just drink! Skip the games!"

His lackeys chimed in eagerly, ready to force drinks on Mu Yue Ran. She accepted each challenge with amused interest, watching them line up one by one.

Ji Yueyi tugged Mu Yue Ran’s sleeve, sensing trouble. But Mu Yue Ran wasn’t in a hurry now. She gently ruffled Ji Yueyi’s soft hair and gave her a reassuring look.

The unexpected tenderness left Ji Yueyi flustered. She sat frozen, cheeks warming. *Why is this beautiful stranger—someone I just met—protecting me?* The comfort felt like basking in sunlight.

Thirty minutes later, Mu Yue Ran yawned, bored. Wu Fan and his gang lay sprawled across the tables, utterly unconscious. Even her half-lidded eyes drooped with weariness.

Before leaving the bar, she’d skimmed this body’s basics via the System. A blank slate: orphaned, socially isolated, yet inheriting her past life’s perks—like an iron liver and a resilient physique. *Almost too perfect for a second chance.*

She glanced sideways at Ji Yueyi’s stunned face, flicked her forehead lightly, and grinned. "No one’s bothering you now. Ready to go?"

Ji Yueyi instinctively covered her forehead. She peeked up at Mu Yue Ran, then quickly looked down, murmuring a soft "Mm-hmm" as she let herself be led out.

Outside, the night breeze cooled their flushed cheeks. Distant cicadas hummed, easing the heat in their chests. Mu Yue Ran inhaled deeply, exhaling the stale air. Without the deafening music, her shoulders finally relaxed.

*Even reborn, I still hate places like this.*

"Thank you, Jie-jie."

Ji Yueyi darted in front of her, bowing slightly with solemn gratitude. Mu Yue Ran rubbed her nose awkwardly. "Nah. Just recognized you. You look underage—too well-behaved for a place like that. Figured I’d pull you out."

*(She’d known Ji Yueyi would be here, per the System’s intel. Today was only the beginning. Wu Fan wouldn’t let this go.)*

Ji Yueyi tilted her head, moonlight catching her honey-gold hair as it swayed in the wind. "But… weren’t those boys underage too?"

Mu Yue Ran bent down, pinching the girl’s plump cheek with a playful snort. "Were they? I only saw *you*."

Alcohol flushed Mu Yue Ran’s cheeks. Her weary, hazy eyes reflected Ji Yueyi’s own face—flushed despite drinking nothing. The scent of wine on Mu Yue Ran’s breath mingled with faint osmanthus perfume, intoxicating as a pricey cocktail.

Ji Yueyi’s mind went blank for a heartbeat.

"Daydreaming again?" Mu Yue Ran pinched her cheek twice more, delighting in its soft, yielding warmth. *Another perk of being a girl: no one calls you a creep for petting cute juniors.*

Suddenly, she frowned. "Why’s your face so hot? Fever?"

Ji Yueyi snapped back, whirling around to cover her burning cheeks with both hands.

Once Ji Yueyi calmed down, Mu Yue Ran walked her home. After exchanging contacts, she pressed: "Lock your door tonight. Call me if anything happens."

As Mu Yue Ran turned to leave, Ji Yueyi hesitated, then rushed after her. She grabbed Mu Yue Ran’s sleeve from behind, voice trembling. "Yue Ran Jie-jie… why did you help me?"

Mu Yue Ran didn’t pause. "Maybe because you’re cute. What’s wrong with helping a cute girl?"

Ji Yueyi’s face bloomed crimson—a single apricot blossom on an old brick wall.

Watching the flustered girl flee, Mu Yue Ran waved cheerfully until she vanished inside the apartment gates. Only then did her smile vanish. Her face went utterly blank.

"*Such an insecure good kid.*"

[Of course she feels lost. Strangers surround her, all with ill intent.]

[Your task: ensure she doesn’t meet a tragic end.]

"I know."

"That’s the point of this second life."