"This is a chicken carcass... this is braised meat noodles... this is a silly burger 🤤... this is... this is—"

"This is deep-fried pork cutlet!! 😆"

Hua Xin swallowed her saliva. Golden-brown, crispy cutlets emerged from the oil, radiating savory warmth—only to land on someone else’s plate.

…………

🥺

The girl strode forward without lingering. One more glance, and her wallet might explode.

*(Why won’t this pork cutlet float into my hands…?)*

*(So undisciplined.)*

She lifted her chin slightly, a quiet smile tugging at her lips. Mood: excellent.

Hua Xin edged carefully through the crowd, backpack slung over her shoulder. Just a little more caution, and she wouldn’t bump into another hurried stranger like last time.

The initial terror of venturing out alone had faded, softened by the steamed bun vendor’s kindness.

Hua Xin was starting to… dare to look at this world.

At least it no longer felt like a flood of monsters.

No one noticed her. No one knew her.

And… there *were* good people!

She recalled the juicy beef bun she’d savored bite by bite—its rich aroma still vivid in her belly.

She’d come out again next time.

Maybe bring the auntie a carton of the oldest-expiry-date milk! 🥰

————————

Shops began opening beyond just breakfast stalls. Hua Xin eyed the colorful signs and street greenery with quiet curiosity.

*(That tree’s so tall…)*

*(Shanghai Milf Tea? 🤔 What kind of weird milk tea shop is this? Mixue Bingcheng’s better.)*

*(Free milf with every milk tea? 🥵… Uh, no dick here. Bye.)*

*(Wait—didn’t Mixue just launch a new flavor? Gotta grab coupons and try it~)*

A few steps later, glittering gold storefronts made her sigh wistfully:

*If only I could work there…*

*Steal one gram a day… two grams… a whole kilogram 😋…*

*Life solved. (Solved by free prison meals.)*

Her eyes glinted dangerously—

—but the thought of "peanuts" made her reconsider.

Her slight frame wouldn’t even need bullets; a fully charged taser would knock her out in seconds.

She checked her phone navigation and turned left at the street’s end.

An ordinary corner. Yet here, Hua Xin met the love of her life—the soulmate she’d sacrifice everything for—the dream man of her…

*cash 😍.*

A crumpled, dust-and-leaf-speckled bill, barely recognizable as its original azure blue, locked eyes with her.

Bill: *"Huh? 🤔"*

Hua Xin: *"Huh? 😎"*

Bill & Hua Xin: *"Your name is…?"*

*RMB!!!! 😋*

*Snap.* She stomped on it casually.

Crouching as if tying her shoe, she snatched the crumpled ten-yuan note into her pocket, then stood humming, strolling away like nothing happened.

Hua Xin: *Nothing to see here.JPG*

*(So you can find money just by going out…?)*

*(Rich! Rich! Rich! WOW!!!!……)*

In a secluded corner, she pulled out the ten-yuan treasure. Gently brushing off dirt, she smoothed its wrinkles with care.

Turning, she held it up to the morning sun.

Real…

This was the feeling of effortless gain 😭… of windfall fortune 😭…

Hua Xin tucked the bill reverently into her pocket, walking on with quiet resolve:

*"Maybe from now on…"*

*"I’ll walk two hours every day?"*

*"That’s 300 a month… wait—if I find a hundred a day?"*

She froze. Her eyes blazed with unprecedented, money-fueled light:

*"A month… three thousand!!! 😈"*

——————

Twenty minutes later.

"Hold on…"

"Isn’t Chenghua Street the way to Magic Capital University? 😦"

"Where did this navigation dump me?"

Hua Xin stared blankly at the giant "Erxianqiao" sign. Empty streets. No people.

Below the bridge, cars swarmed like frantic ants. Her acrophobia made her gasp, stumbling backward.

Her mind flashed: *herself tumbling off the bridge, bounced like a ball by speeding cars, crushed to pulp, hauled to the crematorium…*

😨

Crouched by the railing, she gripped her phone tightly.

She wasn’t ready for the afterlife! She hadn’t even eaten meat today 😭.

"I didn’t take a wrong turn…" She zoomed in on the map, squinting.

*(Thinking)*

*(Confused)*

*(Silent)*

Spotting two nearly identical roads, she pocketed her phone and retraced her steps, head down, whistling innocently.

*Haha. Who gets lost reading maps?*

Hua Xin kicked a pebble, face burning.

*Who called me directionally challenged?! Who?! 😡*

——————

Hundred-Year-Old Sour & Spicy Noodle House.

Xia Yan sipped room-temperature water, gaze fixed unapologetically on Lin Qingyu. She was eating her noodles—one strand at a time.

*What’s this about?*

*Wasting time on purpose?*

His bowl had been empty for ages. Hers still held half.

Twenty minutes on a bowl of sour-spicy noodles…

Xia Yan couldn’t fathom Lin Qingyu’s sudden shift in tactics.

When they first met, she’d played aloof and teasing. Now she’d turned pushy—downright off-putting.

"Something on my face?" Lin Qingyu lifted her head. Chili oil stained her lips crimson—a startling contrast against her cool features. Paired with her innocent, questioning eyes…

Xia Yan felt nothing. Not a flicker of desire. Nothing like the fire that ignited when he saw Hua Xin’s photo.

"It’s getting late," he said gently. "I need to bring lunch back for Mu Feng and the others."

"Oh… sorry…"

"My stomach’s weak. I eat slowly…"

Lin Qingyu reached flusteredly for napkins—

*Clatter!*

She knocked over her half-full glass soda bottle, eyes squeezing shut in panic.

"You can take your time, senior," Xia Yan said, standing to steady the bottle. "No rush."

A flicker of shyness crossed Lin Qingyu’s face as she looked up.

"Okay…"

They weren’t close—just Xia Yan leaning slightly forward. But from a certain skewed angle? It looked like… a kiss.

To Hua Xin—who’d just arrived at campus, drawn by the noodles’ scent—it was unmistakable public affection.

She recognized those two troublemakers instantly. *Of course they’re in cahoots.*

Fists clenched inside her sleeves, her eyes burned with fury.

Hua Xin: *"I’ll kill you both! 😡👊🏻 AHHHHHH!!!"*

Invincible Cat Paw Punch: *"I got… cowed? 😨"*