After school in the afternoon, Zhu Yaya dragged Xu Baoying, and the two of them rushed excitedly towards the Christmas tree on the sports field. Yan Heng followed not far behind, carrying Zhu Yaya's schoolbag.
The three Christmas trees on the field were now fully decorated with bells, ribbons, and small fairy lights. The colorful lights were all turned on, giving off a strong idol-drama vibe.
And isn't this exactly like an idol drama?
Zhu Yaya thought to herself as she watched Xu Chun and Murong Beichen in the distance.
Xu Baoying was very seriously selecting a gift from under the tree, swearing she must find the gift prepared by Prince Chen.
Zhu Yaya's focus was on the plot about to be unlocked, so she didn't pay much attention to the gifts. She just casually picked up a gift box and found it surprisingly heavy.
Zhu Yaya: Did someone stuff iron blocks in here?!
She glanced at Yan Heng beside her, who had his hands in his pockets. "Aren't you going to get a gift?"
Yan Heng shook his head. "There's nothing I want."
"Then what do you want?"
Yan Heng looked down at Zhu Yaya, pursed his lips, and said nothing.
Everyone was happily choosing gifts, and they couldn't wait to open them once picked. Someone drew a game console, someone got new Bluetooth headphones, and another got a scented candle.
Looking at the smiles on their faces, Zhu Yaya wondered who would end up with the test papers and question banks she and Yan Heng had prepared.
Just as she was thinking this, she heard commotion and uproar from not far away—
"Holy crap! Which idiot sent three stacks of test papers?!"
The "idiot" Zhu Yaya silently hid in the crowd and hugged herself tightly.
Someone comforted him: "It's okay! Last Christmas, I even got just an apple."
An anguished voice cried out: "Dammit! I'm second-to-last in my class! What am I supposed to do with my test papers? They'd hurt my butt even if I used them in the bathroom!"
"Hey, the one who got the test papers! I'm dead last in the grade and I got 'Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulation'! Wonder which pig sent that! And here I prepared a game console!" Another arrogant male voice rang out.
Zhu Yaya elbowed the "pig" beside her who had prepared the "Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulation" in the waist.
Seeing their reactions, Zhu Yaya's heart also stirred with curiosity, but to unlock the mission, she still didn't open her gift box first. Instead, using the crowd as cover, she secretly followed Xu Chun and Murong Beichen.
Yan Heng, carrying her schoolbag, followed along.
In "The Domineering Him, The Pure Love," Xu Chun had prepared a harmonica, while Murong Beichen prepared a gift that clearly showcased his status as the son of the richest man. Xu Chun's luck wasn't great; she didn't pick the gift she liked. But Murong Beichen's luck was quite good; he picked a gift, a nice mechanical watch. However, to exchange for the harmonica Xu Chun prepared, Murong Beichen mobilized his fan club of female admirers to find the person who had taken the harmonica and swapped his mechanical watch for that somewhat old harmonica. Seeing this gesture, Xu Chun was somewhat moved.
The system's voice came the next second—
"Congratulations on successfully unlocking the twelfth mission. Please now personally witness Murong Beichen finding Xu Chun's harmonica and enjoy the show."
Hearing this cold, mechanical voice, Zhu Yaya felt a bit dazed. It had been nearly a month since she successfully completed the eleventh mission without hearing the system's notifications.
Zhu Yaya looked worriedly at the gift box in her hand; its weight would hinder her show-watching. She casually shoved it to Yan Heng beside her: "Brother Yan, do me a favor, hold this for me!"
"Okay." Clean and without a hint of hesitation.
Zhu Yaya quickly pulled a fruit box from the schoolbag Yan Heng was carrying, opened the lid, and began eating watermelon in small bites. Her eyes were wide open, fixed intently on Xu Chun and Murong Beichen.
Xu Chun carefully selected a gift, opened it, and looked disappointed—it was a small plush doll pillow. Murong Beichen also opened the gift he had picked, which, just like in the plot, was a men's mechanical watch.
Then, Murong Beichen indeed mobilized his lackeys and fan club to search for the harmonica Xu Chun had prepared.
With the entire school gathered on the sports field now, Zhu Yaya worried it might take a long time to find it! She tried to recall the plot; it seemed the book didn't specify how long the search took.
Murong Beichen even personally descended from his "divine pedestal," questioning nearby students one by one.
"Young Master Chen!! Me! Me! I have the harmonica!" a sharp female voice rang out, followed by a small figure squeezing out from the crowd.
Zhu Yaya: ! Isn't that Xu Baoying?
Xu Baoying's face was flushed bright red, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she shrieked, "Young Master Chen! The harmonica is with me!!"
"Good. Who are you?" Murong Beichen swept the rainbow-colored bangs off his forehead.
"I'm Xu Baoying from Class One, Grade Ten!"
"Who are you? Louder, I can't hear you!"
"Ahh! I'm Xu Baoying from Class One, Grade Ten." The volume increased.
...
Holding her fruit box, Zhu Yaya stared dumbfounded at the conversation between Murong Beichen and Xu Baoying, who were only a meter apart.
He needs her to speak up from this close? Is he deaf?
She strongly recommended Murong Beichen get his ears checked at a hospital.
After the bewildering dialogue between Murong Beichen and Xu Baoying concluded, both seemed quite satisfied as they exchanged gifts. Xu Baoying floated away with a silly grin, not hearing Zhu Yaya call her name several times.
Murong Beichen tossed his head with an air of dominance, showing the somewhat old harmonica in his hand to Xu Chun, who was a few steps away. He gave a crooked smile: "Haha, see that, Chun'er! The gift you prepared has ultimately ended up with me."
Xu Chun stared blankly in Murong Beichen's direction.
Seeing this situation, Zhu Yaya, not far away, sped up her eating, taking one bite of watermelon after another.
Yan Heng, with one hand carrying Zhu Yaya's schoolbag and the other holding her gift, had no free hands and could only remind her from the side to eat slowly.
Zhu Yaya's mouth was stuffed full. She freed one hand and gave Yan Heng an OK sign. She turned her gaze back to Murong Beichen and Xu Chun.
Perhaps because she was standing not far behind Murong Beichen, she had a feeling Xu Chun seemed to be looking at her.
"Congratulations on successfully completing the twelfth show-watching mission. Reward: three years of lifespan and twenty thousand RMB."
The system's notification sounded.
This was what she was waiting for. Zhu Yaya breathed a sigh of relief and stopped frantically eating watermelon.
Murong Beichen was, after all, the son of the richest man, his main-character aura shining brightly. People kept crowding up behind them. She took the gift box from Yan Heng's hand, looked up at him, and said, "Let's go home!"
"...Okay."
Even though he knew she meant going back to her own home, hearing her say "Let's go home" still stirred an uncontrollable flutter in his heart.
Yan Heng's face was hidden in the dim light as he smiled self-deprecatingly.
Just as they squeezed their way out of the crowd, they saw Li Hao, laughing wildly, holding a new sakura-pink Lolita dress: "Hahaha! I got Goddess Dandan's gift!"
Because he was laughing too maniacally, his facial expression had become distorted, and the glasses perched on the bridge of his nose were teetering precariously.
Zhu Yaya wearily massaged her forehead: Another one's gone mad!
She also curiously opened the gift she had picked. She had guessed many possibilities, but she never, ever expected to find a thick, chunky gold chain lying inside! The exact kind that flashy nouveaux riches often wear in the movies!
Zhu Yaya: !!!
Her voice trembled: "B-Brother Yan, i-is this real gold?"
Yan Heng took out the gold necklace, examined it carefully, then placed it back in the box, replying with certainty, "It's real."
Zhu Yaya: "Ha, haha, hahaha... I'm going to be rich!!!"
