Two days later, Mu Yue received a call from Jiang Yunfang when she got up that morning. Jiang Yunfang had heard about what happened with Mu Yao that day and was calling to apologize to Mu Yue on Mu Yao’s behalf. Mu Yue could hear the exhaustion in her voice and offered a few words of comfort.
Perhaps because there was no one around for her to talk to, Jiang Yunfang couldn’t help complaining to Mu Yue. She truly couldn’t understand what went on in young girls’ minds these days.
Mu Yue chatted with her while washing up. After listening to her ramble for a while, she finished brushing her teeth and asked, “Third Aunt, in your family, who gets the best things? I mean, in everyday life—is it you or your two children?”
“Of course it’s the two of them.” That was precisely what Jiang Yunfang couldn’t understand. She had given them the very best, so why did both of them still treat her this way and hurt her feelings?
Mu Yue pointed out, “That’s exactly the problem. In your household, the person who contributes the most gets things that aren’t the best—and may even have to use what the others have discarded. Meanwhile, the ones who contribute the least can effortlessly get the best of everything.”
“Do you think they’ll be grateful? No. They simply think they’re entitled to it.”
Of course, not every child was like that. There were plenty of children who enjoyed their parents’ love while knowing how to be grateful for it. But Jiang Yunfang’s two children each had a scheming father behind them, egging them on.
Jiang Yunfang gripped her phone, wanting to say something, but found that she couldn’t come up with a single word to refute Mu Yue. Because it was the truth.
Jiang Yunfang had been married before. Her first child was a son with her former husband, while her second was a daughter with Third Brother Mu. The two children couldn’t stand each other, and Jiang Yunfang was caught in the middle, feeling that she owed one something and the other something else. She appeared strong-willed, but in reality she was still a traditional mother who had grown accustomed to placing herself beneath her children within the family and sacrificing herself for them.
But did either of her children appreciate her?
Of course not. They knew perfectly well that she felt guilty toward them, and so they expertly exploited that guilt whenever they wanted something. In the process, they stabbed her in the heart without the slightest mercy, again and again. Because they were the people closest to her, they knew exactly where it would hurt most—and how to make it count.
Mu Yao was like that, and so was her half-brother, who shared her mother but not her father. The eldest son never visited the Mu family, and the original host had never had any conflicts with him. But whenever she went to Jiang Yunfang’s home, she would see the way that young man rudely vented his temper on his mother.
There was complete silence on the other end of the line.
At last, Mu Yue said, “Third Aunt, be a little kinder to yourself. They’re adults now.”
After ending the call, Mu Yue had no idea whether Third Aunt had taken her words to heart. Nor did she particularly care. When all was said and done, Jiang Yunfang was the original host’s third aunt—not hers.
Whether Jiang Yunfang chose to abandon those two spoiled brats and live freely, put in the considerable effort to steel herself and reform them, or simply maintain the status quo was none of Mu Yue’s concern.
Of course, if Jiang Yunfang ever needed her help, Mu Yue would still lend a hand. She could consider it repayment for the affection Jiang Yunfang had shown the original host.
That was also why Mu Yue had shown Mu Yao a little mercy, merely letting her make a fool of herself instead of treating her the way she had treated that other family.
Ah, she hadn’t thought about that family in ages. Mu Yue opened the Points Mall and bought the five burly men she had used last time. There wasn’t any particular reason—just as they had taken out their anger on the original owner without needing a reason, cursing her whenever they felt like it, Mu Yue could beat them whenever she felt like it.
After making a small purchase, Mu Yue hummed a tune. Before long, the makeup artist arrived.
Today was the day she and Cheng Zimin had arranged to meet up with their friends. She checked the weather forecast. The icon showed a cloud rather than a blazing sun. Standing by the window, she could feel a faint breeze, and there was no chance of rain.
Perfect. An overcast day without a scorching sun—ideal for going out.
Mu Yue sat down at her vanity and put on the matching couple’s watch she had bought but never worn. She was willing to give Cheng Zimin that much consideration.
Besides, the watch really was beautiful. Its round dial was glacier blue, encircled by a ring of diamonds. The strap was neither too wide nor too narrow, and its material had been designed with charming little details. When it caught the light, the entire watch shimmered brilliantly. Its looks were almost too perfect.
It was also a little too dazzling. After considering a whole selection of earrings, Mu Yue decided not to wear any and chose only a simply designed necklace.
She wore a fitted white cropped T-shirt with a pale blue skirt. The skirt came with built-in shorts to prevent any wardrobe mishaps. Paired with a high ponytail and fresh, natural makeup, she looked bright and energetic, radiating the feeling of summer. Finally, she carried a small white seashell-shaped crossbody bag, just big enough for her phone, cards, and car keys.
Mu Yue admired herself in the mirror and sighed, “Being young is wonderful.”
Qianqian and the makeup artist both laughed when they heard that. Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought Mu Yue was already quite old.
When the time came, Cheng Zimin rang the doorbell, and Qianqian went to open it. Mu Yue saw him standing there with a bouquet of flowers. He was dressed in light colors as well, and his hair had clearly been styled—slightly tousled but not messy, natural and full of youthful charm.
Mu Yue took the flowers from him and casually had Qianqian put them in the vase at home.
Only then did Cheng Zimin come back to himself. The tips of his ears turned faintly red. “Mumu, you look beautiful.”
“I agree. I think so too.” Mu Yue accepted his compliment without the slightest modesty, then said eagerly, “I’m driving today.”
“Okay!” Cheng Zimin noticed that Mu Yue had put on the watch, and his heart practically bloomed with joy. He followed her into the elevator.
She had already picked up her new car, but she hadn’t had much chance to drive it yet. The amusement park they were headed to had just opened and was located in the suburbs. It would take over an hour to get there, giving her plenty of time to put the car through its paces.
Cheng Zimin knew Mu Yue had bought a new car, but he had never actually seen it. Technically, he should have been a little worried about someone who had only just gotten her license driving on the road. But that was simply how Mu Yue was—whatever she did, she made people instinctively trust her.
Just like now: Cheng Zimin was already sitting in the passenger seat, urging her on with an excited look on his face. “Let’s go, let’s go!”
He was already imagining the envious and jealous expressions on everyone’s faces when he and Mu Yue arrived.
But? facts proved that Mu Yue was indeed someone people could trust. She had only gotten her license that summer, yet she drove with remarkable steadiness, nothing like a beginner.
The pink sports car was exceptionally eye-catching in the city, and countless people snapped photos of it along the way. Fortunately, they didn’t run into another idiot like Qian Lei. The surrounding cars all kept their distance from Mu Yue’s, not daring to crowd too close.
This model’s exhaust note could be adjusted. If you wanted something more thrilling, you could turn it up; if you preferred quiet, you could turn it down. That was another feature Mu Yue was particularly pleased with. In the city, she kept it off so as not to disturb anyone else. The car was also wonderfully comfortable inside, and it handled with silky smoothness. All in all, it had been a very satisfying purchase.
According to Cheng Zimin, the amusement park was owned by an elder acquaintance of theirs. The younger members of that family had given them complimentary tickets. Most people had received more than one—three or four tickets each—which thoughtfully allowed them to bring family members or friends along.
That family had a good reputation and was well liked within their circle. Both the older and younger generations were especially good at dealing with people. They gave out plenty of tickets, but they certainly didn’t go to waste—many second- and third-generation heirs liked posting snippets of their daily lives online and had fairly large followings. Once videos of the park were posted, they drew the attention of plenty of new visitors.
Naturally, the park also had proper advertising campaigns. Mu Yue hadn’t looked into them, but after spending some time with Cheng Zimin, she knew he was a considerate person. If the place wasn’t fun, he wouldn’t have invited her just because the tickets were free.
An hour later, they still hadn’t reached the entrance, but signs related to the amusement park had already begun appearing along both sides of the road.
The park was nestled in the mountains. The farther they drove, the quieter and more secluded the surroundings became, carrying a faint sense of escape from the city’s noise and bustle. Before long, Mu Yue caught sight of the park gates.
They were imposing—an exquisitely crafted complex in an ancient Chinese style. At a quick glance, Mu Yue counted no fewer than eight entrances.
The plaza outside was enormous as well. A fountain-lined river separated the parking lot from the square, crossed by an old-style stone bridge adorned with willow trees. The atmosphere was immediately there. The river also connected to a small lake beside the plaza. The lake showed no obvious signs of being man-made, and the surrounding greenery had been arranged beautifully. There were even pavilions by the square, offering free scenic spots for photos.
That was only what Mu Yue had taken in at first glance. There were many more details she hadn’t yet had time to admire.
She had just parked when Cheng Zimin got out, and a group of young people on the bridge began heading their way.
“Mumu, I’ll go say hello to them first,” Cheng Zimin said, bending down beside the front passenger-side window.
Mu Yue gave a brief acknowledgment. Unhurriedly, she got out, locked the car, and then walked over toward them.
There were quite a few people—eight young people in all, including two girls and the rest boys. Among them were two couples. At that moment, all of them looked curiously in Mu Yue’s direction.
Some were looking at her; others were looking at her car.
What surprised Mu Yue slightly was that none of them let out exaggerated shouts, teasing laughter, or any other strange noises. Perhaps that was one reason they were friends with Cheng Zimin.
The moment he saw her approaching, Cheng Zimin quickly walked over, took her bag for her, and introduced Mu Yue to everyone.
“Wow!” The two girls immediately crowded around her. “Hi, Mu! You’re seriously gorgeous!”
“Honestly, no wonder someone was showing off that watch like there was no tomorrow. The women’s version is so elegant!”
Mu Yue politely said, “Thank you.”
At the mention of Cheng Zimin showing off his watch, the two boys rolled their eyes in perfect unison. They complained to Mu Yue that they hadn’t even noticed what Cheng Zimin had posted at first—only for him to @ them specifically and tell them to go look. It had been utterly ridiculous.
“Alright, alright, enough about that. Let’s go in,” Cheng Zimin quickly cut them off. He didn’t want Mu Yue hearing any more about it, lest she start associating him with being childish.
It was only once they reached the entrance that Mu Yue learned the amusement park had not officially opened yet. It was currently in a soft-launch period, and only people who had won the official lottery or received complimentary tickets from the owner could enter.
The grand opening was next week, though. At this point, most of the attractions were already available, and there were hardly any crowds—the perfect time to visit.
Mu Yue picked up a visitor’s guide and flipped through it. She quickly realized the park had ambitious plans. At present, it was divided into four zones, not so much by rides as by architectural style: Chinese-style, European classical, African-inspired, and post-apocalyptic wasteland.
For now, the Chinese-style zone was the main attraction. Unlike most existing tourist sites centered around ancient Chinese cities, the moment visitors entered this zone, they found themselves in a starter village.
Bamboo groves surrounded the place, making it look just like a village from a video game—the sort of place where powerful masters lived in seclusion and players began their adventures. The village was fairly large, with more than a dozen households. Every building looked different, and there was even a clear gap between rich and poor. The village chief lived in a brick-and-tile house, while everyone else had thatched roofs.
The scenery was beautifully done. Even the trash bins and streetlamps blended naturally into the setting, never looking out of place. Snap a photo anywhere, and it would look like a professionally staged shot.
There was a storyline, too. The costumed NPCs never dragged visitors into quests; only when someone showed interest and approached them would they interact, offering simple tasks or entertaining challenge quests, such as chopping firewood, making feather shuttlecocks, archery, and writing Spring Festival couplets. The biggest challenge of all was catching a chicken.
They were farm-raised wild chickens—ones that could actually fly. Their tail feathers had been trimmed, though, so there was a limit to how high they could go.
If a visitor managed to catch one, the chicken could be cooked on the spot for them. That alone made the ticket worthwhile: a chicken like that would easily cost one or two hundred yuan, and here it was prepared by a professional chef.
The chickens’ feathers were beautiful, and the feathers used to make shuttlecocks came from them, making for a cute little souvenir. Visitors could make one themselves and take it home; if they didn’t want to make one, or couldn’t manage it, they could buy one instead. The feathers had all been cleaned and processed beforehand, not plucked on the spot, so they were clean and odor-free.
The chicken-catching challenge was both down-to-earth and fun, making it easy to get visitors excited. When Mu Yue and the others arrived, someone was in the middle of attempting it. The whole thing was hilarious to watch, and even she was tempted to give it a try—though no one in their group dared to volunteer.
For one thing, wild pheasants really weren’t that easy to catch. For another, the activity could easily leave their clothes dirty—or their dignity in tatters.
They certainly didn’t want their prankster friends snapping embarrassing photos and posting them on social media for everyone to laugh at.
There was also a main quest in the village. An elderly grandmother needed to deliver clothes to a young soldier guarding the city, but her legs were weak. The winter clothes she had made still had not been delivered, even though summer had already arrived, so she had to ask the visitors for help.
In truth, it was a hint to tourists that beyond the village lay another town. Hidden storylines were buried there as well. If they spoke with the old woman a little more, they could learn that enemy troops would launch a surprise attack on the town at dusk—meaning there would be a scheduled battle performance when the time came.
The design really was excellent. Everything connected seamlessly, naturally giving people a greater sense of immersion.
Before Mu Yue and the others had even finished exploring the village, the storyline had led them onward to the town. The town resembled a typical ancient capital, with shops and stalls of every sort: sugar figurines, street performers, restaurants, scholars competing in poetry contests, and even a wandering-heroes storyline hidden amid the bustling streets.
Visitors had to unlock the prerequisite quest in the village and obtain a token before they could enter the swordsman’s residence. Once inside, the reclusive martial arts master would teach them combat techniques—or rather, demonstrate the forms of various traditional weapons for the visitors.
Mu Yue genuinely loved this part. It was obvious that the martial arts instructor had been hired at considerable expense. He handled all kinds of cold weapons with great skill, and there was even a fight scene in a bamboo grove where he sparred with someone. The audience found it utterly thrilling.
And the connected storyline was not over yet. As long as visitors praised the master’s swordsmanship, he would introduce a new character and location—the Sword Immortal of Peach Blossom Cove.
Likewise, in the poetry tower, if visitors complimented the winning NPC’s poem after he took first place, they would be recommended to pay a visit to the Poet Immortal of Peach Blossom Cove.
That person was unrivaled in swordsmanship and unsurpassed in literary talent.
“Awesome! This design is so good!”
“So cool—seriously, so cool! It makes me want to learn swordsmanship!”
“Oh my god! As expected of the Luo family—they really know how to deliver!”
“No wonder they’re so good at business. Isn’t this park way better than those foreign ones? This is our own culture!”
“Making traditional Chinese culture the main theme was absolutely the right choice!”
The young people applauded until their hands nearly hurt. When they finally arrived at Peach Blossom Cove, they were even more dazzled.
They came by boat. Peach Blossom Cove was an island in the middle of the lake, truly covered in peach trees. The only slight regret was that it was not peach blossom season; they would have to wait until next spring.
But many lotus flowers had been planted around the island’s edges, and they were blooming beautifully. At the center of the island stood an exquisitely designed courtyard with three successive sections, every step revealing a new view.
The garden was not merely for sightseeing, either. It also offered challenges and activities, one scholarly and one martial.
The martial challenge was basic martial arts training, including stance work, footwork, and hand forms. After completing the full set of movements, whoever performed them with the greatest accuracy and precision would take first place—and receive a reward from the Sword Immortal.
Another was a poetry assembly challenge. The verses were all written on slips of paper, but each slip was incomplete. The visitors’ task was to put the poems back together within the allotted time—no checking their phones allowed. Whoever assembled the most poems by the Poet Immortal would take first place, with prizes just like in the martial arts challenge.
Everyone groaned that they still had to memorize poetry even after the college entrance exams, but they played with great enthusiasm anyway.
This activity was done in pairs, so Mu Yue naturally teamed up with Cheng Zimin. She had genuinely been surprised today. She’d thought it would just be an ordinary amusement park, with thrills limited to roller coasters and pirate ships. She hadn’t expected anything this novel.
Cheng Zimin leaned closer and whispered, “This place is fun, right?”
“Not bad.” Mu Yue didn’t stop moving her hands as she continued searching for lines of poetry.
Cheng Zimin glanced back at the others, then edged closer again. “Then let’s come again next time. Just the two of us.”
Mu Yue shot him a sidelong look. “Enough. Hurry up and look.”
When the round ended, the winner among their group was a girl Cheng Zimin had introduced before—her surname was Wen. She was in the humanities track and exceptionally capable, ranked among the top three students in the entire city.
“Hehe! When this young lady takes the field, how could the likes of you possibly resist?”
The others politely applauded. Mu Yue joined in too. The girl really was impressive: in ten minutes, she had assembled more than thirty poems. If the time limit hadn’t been so short, the number would have been even more outrageous. Mu Yue wasn’t even sure whether the venue had prepared that many slips.
Just as the mood was at its peak, a couple entered through the main doors. The girl had her arm tightly hooked around the boy’s, pressed close against him; it was obvious they were very much in love. It wasn’t like when Mu Yue’s group had first arrived—it was noon now, and even though it was overcast, it was still hot outside.
“Well, if it isn’t Miss Wen!” the girl said, fanning herself with one hand while clinging to her boyfriend with the other. “Seriously? You guys had a get-together and didn’t invite us?”
Mu Yue looked at Cheng Zimin. Shielding his mouth with the back of his hand, Cheng Zimin leaned toward her ear and summed them up succinctly: “Quitter and Miss Touched.”
“Pfft!” His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but it wasn’t exactly quiet, either. The others heard him too.
One of their friends gave him a thumbs-up. “That is one accurate introduction!”
Cheng Zimin was not only good at introductions—he was good at summaries too. “Quitter used to pursue Wen. Wen wasn’t interested.”
Oh. Mu Yue got it.
Wen clearly couldn’t be bothered with the two of them. She merely gave a hollow little laugh, and someone immediately suggested, “It’s getting late, and we’ve played almost everything. Why don’t we find a restaurant and get something to eat? I’m telling you, we haven’t even gotten to the best attraction yet! The Wasteland is the main event!”
“Exactly, exactly. We need to eat up before that—we’ll need the energy.”
“Then let’s go!”
Seeing that everyone seemed to know about it already, Mu Yue listened as Cheng Zimin quickly explained: the owner’s son had personally recommended this attraction to them. The Wasteland only had one game—Battle Royale in the Wild. It was incredibly exciting, and he strongly recommended it.
Seeing that they had only just arrived and the whole group was already about to leave, the couple was unhappy. “What are you doing? We’re all classmates. Why don’t we play together?”
“We didn’t do anything, did we? Why do they leave the moment they see us?”
Mu Yue was utterly speechless. Wasn’t it obvious? Cheng Zimin’s friends were still too polite—no one said anything too blunt. They merely explained that they were tired from playing and hungry now, so they wanted to go eat.
And so, the two of them simply followed along as if it were only natural. The girl who was so touched kept saying to Wen, “Oh, you don’t have to act like this, do you? It’s not like I had a choice about my husband following me to the same university. You were the one who gave him up in the first place.”
Quitter gave a crooked grin and immediately showered his “touched” girlfriend with sweet nothings.
Wen clearly wanted to curse, but perhaps because Mu Yue, the newcomer, was there, she held it back in the end. She only rolled her eyes several times and said lightly, “Heh. As if I’d care.”
Mu Yue broke out in goosebumps. She couldn’t take it anymore. “Um… even if someone wanted to apply to the same school as Wen, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’d get in, right?”
Mu Yue wasn’t sure exactly what scores these two lunatics had gotten, but from the little gossip Cheng Zimin had shared, she knew the girl only ever bragged that Quitter had applied to the same university as her—never which university it actually was. Mu Yue therefore guessed that their scores probably weren’t as high as Wen’s.
Third in H City. That ranking spoke for itself.
Gasp! Everyone turned to look at Mu Yue at once, and Wen’s eyes shone especially brightly.
The boys nudged Cheng Zimin’s arm while secretly giving Mu Yue enthusiastic thumbs-ups. That was such a good comeback! So satisfying!
Quitter and his girlfriend were stunned by Mu Yue’s sudden strike. By the time they came to their senses, Mu Yue had already walked out the door first, with everyone else swiftly slipping away after her.
The moment they got outside, they began complaining furiously. Those two had been showing off their relationship so shamelessly that they’d practically lost all sense of the world around them. They were seriously unbearable.
Afraid that the crazy couple might catch up with them, they quickly left the lake island and headed to a restaurant in the old town for dinner.
But what Mu Yue hadn’t expected was that another lovesick fool was waiting for her at the restaurant.
The moment she entered, she saw Fang Baiwei with a hesitant, troubled-looking girl. Fang Baiwei’s face was filled with exhaustion, while the girl went on and on. “Brother Fang asked you to come keep me company—doesn’t that mean he doesn’t really want to break off the engagement? I know he has feelings for me.”
Fang Baiwei looked like the life had been drained out of her. Numbly, she said, “No, sis. I’m here to persuade you to end it. He doesn’t care about your feelings at all, do you understand?”
The girl stared at Fang Baiwei suspiciously and delivered the classic line: “I don’t believe you. Not unless he tells me himself that he wants to break off the engagement.”
Fang Baiwei let out a deep sigh, looking as though she was out of options. Yet the girl remained relentless. “You’re his younger sister. Call him out. Let’s see what he has to say.”
Of course Fang Baiwei didn’t want to make that call. How could the eldest Fang brother possibly want to call off the engagement? If she summoned him here, he would know she’d been trying to sabotage things behind his back. The girl seemed to realize this as well. With a cold laugh, she snatched Fang Baiwei’s phone and held it out in front of her.
“Call him. Or I’ll tell Brother Fang everything you said to me today. What a miserable man he is, having a sister like you who tries to break up his marriage.”
Mu Yue’s head was starting to throb just listening to this.
Left with no other choice, Fang Baiwei made the call, forcing herself to arrange a meeting with her eldest brother.
But unexpectedly, before the eldest Fang brother could say anything, another cloyingly sweet voice piped up from the other end of the line. “Sorry, Sis, but Big Brother is at the amusement park with me right now, helping me relax.”
Fang Baiwei had no intention of responding to Fang Surou and was about to hang up. She hadn’t realized that an opportunity had already been placed right in her hands.
Mu Yue was itching to make a move. Disgusting, am I? Well then, sorry—but she was about to get to work.
