Early the next morning, Jiang Xuehan arrived at Limin Supermarket with dark circles under her eyes.

The supermarket was privately owned. It wasn't large but sat right at the entrance of a residential community, so business was usually decent.

It was only 7 a.m. The store had just opened with few customers. Jiang Xuehan helped the shopkeeper arrange shelves.

The shopkeeper, Auntie Chen as Jiang Xuehan called her, was 45 years old. Her husband had passed away. She made a living from this small store and supported her son, who was still in college.

Having worked together for two months, they were quite familiar. As they worked, Auntie Chen chatted casually:

"Next week is university opening. In the blink of an eye, my son's already a senior. He can start internships and job hunting. I won't worry much anymore. Xiao Han, you're only 18 this year. Are you really not going back to school?"

At this, Jiang Xuehan felt a pang of sadness. She shook her head. "No, Auntie Chen. My family has difficulties. I don't want to add to their burdens."

Auntie Chen sighed. "Ah, such a pity. You look so quiet and gentle, the type meant for studying." She quickly changed the subject. "Xiao Han, since you're not studying, have you thought about finding a boyfriend?"

"Boy... boyfriend? No thanks..."

The thought of being hugged or even intimate with another man made Jiang Xuehan feel nauseous.

Auntie Chen kept kindly nagging. "Child, I must advise you. Do you plan to be a cashier your whole life? While you're still young and pretty, hurry up and marry a reliable man. That's the important thing."

"Hmm... uh..."

Just then, two boys around 20, looking like students, entered the store. They browsed aisles while talking loudly:

"Lao Wu, how's the e-sports club situation? Can't it really be saved?"

The tall boy with a buzz cut sighed. "Not going well. School teachers all think e-sports is just gaming, not serious. Few support us." He continued, "Last year, we barely got corporate sponsorship but achieved nothing. Now it's gone. Plus, that incident with the principal's brother-in-law. The school naturally wants to abolish the club."

"Lao Wu, the e-sports club was passed down from our senior Dong Daliang. We can't let it die on our watch!"

"I understand how you feel, but what can I do... Forget it. Didn't we agree to team up for PUBG at Old Chen's? Let's not talk about these downers."

Jiang Xuehan was already behind the cash register. Her ears twitched slightly.

"Eating chicken" was a term from PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, meaning to win the match. It seemed they loved this game too.

Soon, the boys came to the register with drinks and snacks. It was an ordinary checkout, but the buzz-cut boy stared at the cashier girl, captivated.

She wore a clean white T-shirt. Her delicate face was slightly pale. Her glossy hair fell just past her neck.

The girl was petite. Her plain face wasn't stunning but pleasant. Her sickly pale complexion stirred a strong protective instinct in him.

"20.5 yuan," the cashier girl said, looking up with a smile.

Her large eyes seemed to speak, sparkling like agate in sunlight. But they were filled with unspoken worries.

"That's 20.5 yuan total." Seeing no response, Jiang Xuehan patiently repeated.

"Oh, sorry," the buzz-cut boy finally reacted, hurriedly pulling out his wallet.

When giving change, Jiang Xuehan's cold small hand briefly touched his large hand. She didn't mind, but he felt a tiny jolt.

After putting away the change, he didn't leave immediately. He hesitated, then gathered courage. "Um, classmate, are you working here part-time for the summer?"

Jiang Xuehan's face turned slightly pale. With her gentle demeanor, she'd been mistaken for a student worker before.

Dropping out in her second year of high school was a sore spot. So she chose silence.

Getting no answer, the boy was extremely embarrassed. His companion pulled him away.

But as they left the store, his phone rang. He answered. "Ah? Lao Li, you can't come today? We promised four-player PUBG? ... Oh... I see..."

After hanging up, the boys whispered together. Finally, the buzz-cut boy returned to the register. He scratched his head shyly. "Classmate, can we borrow you for three hours? Come play at the internet cafe."

Jiang Xuehan looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Seriously, don't you know I'm working?"

"Uh, of course I know... Auntie shopkeeper, what's her hourly wage? I'll pay double as compensation."

Unexpectedly, Auntie Chen was easygoing. "Xiao Han, if you want to go, go ahead. It's not busy. I can manage alone."

"But Auntie Chen, isn't that improper?"

"No problem. I've seen your work attitude these two months. Not a single absence. And I know you love gaming—you often go to the cafe after work. They're about your age. Just think of it as making two new friends."

With that, Jiang Xuehan couldn't refuse. But cleverly, she held out her small hand. "Well, to be clear, I don't accompany for free. 30 yuan per hour!"

She needed money badly. She wouldn't miss any opportunity. Besides, online services had girls charging for game companionship.

Soon, a red 100-yuan bill was placed in her hand. "Let's go!"

On the way to the cafe, the buzz-cut boy walked beside her, looking shy. "Um, your nickname is Xiao Han, right? A cute name. I'm Wu De. They call me Lao Wu. Second-year engineering student at Dongda University."

"Huh? Wu De? No virtue? Pfft—" Jiang Xuehan giggled. "Your parents really know how to name you."

Her blooming smile stunned Wu De. He scratched his head awkwardly. "I don't know what they were thinking. Anyway, I'm used to it. What's your name?"

"I'm Jiang Xuehan. Jiang as in river, Xue as in snow, Han with the sun radical."

Wu De looked surprised. "Ah, what a coincidence? My cousin also has this name."

"Oh, quite a coincidence," Jiang Xuehan said expressionlessly.

"I'm Ding Kui," the shorter boy added promptly.

Thus, the three got acquainted. But Jiang Xuehan kept a serious face, barely speaking. She revealed no personal details, which made Wu De a bit frustrated.

Soon they arrived at the internet cafe. A boy with a mohawk was waiting. "Lao Wu, Lao Ding, you're finally here. I've waited 15 minutes. Huh? Where did you kidnap this cute girl from?"

Wu De punched him lightly. "Don't talk nonsense. She's a student working summer part-time nearby. Lao Li couldn't make it. Adding a random player for four-player is boring. Better to bring a girl—more fun."

"Haha, not a bad idea." The mohawk boy looked Jiang Xuehan up and down. "Really a petite, frail student girl. Hey, have you played PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds before?"

I've not only played it, I was once ranked first on the Asian server. I was even the most popular game streamer across all platforms!

But Jiang Xuehan didn't plan to say this. She was here just to earn money and kill time. No need to show off. So she shook her head modestly. "No."

"Haha, no problem, girl. Sit here. We'll teach you the rules. I have extra accounts..."

Thus, Jiang Xuehan sat at the computer. She put on the headphones. She looked at the familiar game interface, listened to the familiar music. Her nose tingled with emotion.