Chapter 18

Yun Cheng had come to the Jiang family at a very young age, so it wasn’t like he had never seen Jiang Muti when she was thin.

In the first two years, Jiang Muti was very skinny, just skin and bones. Due to her poor health, she had to take medicine every day. Later, after a serious illness, she was treated with hormone medication, which caused her to gain weight like a balloon.

After gaining weight, she never lost it again, and the initial impression from her childhood was soon overshadowed by more than a decade of her established image.

Even though it was known that she was losing weight and seeing great results, Yun Cheng instinctively thought of Jiang Muti as the little chubby girl in their family.

When Ji Feishi pressed his head to focus his gaze on the slender girl next to Yun Duo, Yun Cheng was thinking to himself, Is this the time to admire beautiful women?

But when he looked closely, his heart skipped a beat. His mind was suddenly overwhelmed, as though a tsunami had hit.

“Holy—”

This familiar aura, the contemptuous gaze that felt so strangely familiar, and the features that vaguely carried a trace of her old self.

“Mu mu mu mu mu…”

Jiang Muti slapped his mouth, interrupting the twitching of his lips.

“Stop with the ‘mu mu mu’… If someone didn’t know better, they’d think we’re about to perform a street exorcism.”

Yun Cheng widened his eyes, feeling the warmth and reality of her touch on his lips.

This meant it wasn’t a dream. He quickly pulled his hand away from his mouth and raised her arm above her head, spinning her a couple of times, just like a dance move.

Today, Jiang Muti was wearing a sheer, floral dress. The color of the dress was very tricky, if one wasn’t careful, it could make someone look sallow and dull.

But Jiang Muti had flawless, translucent skin—white, even, and smooth like jade—which allowed her to pull off the dress beautifully.

She wore a pair of strappy sandals with a slight heel. Considering the original owner’s feet weren’t used to high heels, Jiang Muti had wisely chosen something more comfortable.

At a height of about 1.7 meters, and now slim, she appeared even taller in the heeled shoes.

However, in front of Yun Cheng and Ji Feishi, who were both experienced basketball players at this age, she still easily held her own.

Because Yun Cheng spun her around, and then continued to compliment and pinch her face, lifting his arm and drawing circles with his hand.

“Wow~ this—this is really, really—” Yun Cheng struggled for a while but couldn’t find the right words.

Finally, he managed to say, “So thin!”

“Brother, stop being such a shameless flirt,” Yun Duo said, not wanting to admit the family connection with her silly brother.

But Jiang Muti knew that if this guy really knew what flirting was, he wouldn’t always make people choke like this.

Still, she couldn’t help but enjoy his genuine shock and admiration, though she couldn’t understand why he was still rubbing her face.

Jiang Muti slapped his hand away. “What, are you kneading dough?”

“Don’t say it, your face is actually as smooth as dough,” Yun Cheng replied, gesturing to describe it. “It’s like when my sister kneads dough, takes it out of the bowl, dusts the cutting board with some flour, and gets ready to cut it into pieces for steamed buns. Feels so good to touch.”

Jiang Muti realized her mistake. She shouldn’t have tried to satisfy her vanity in front of a fool like Yun Cheng.

Her hard-earned results over the past half-year were all ruined by his ridiculous description, making it feel like she was standing still.

Steamed buns—

Jiang Muti gritted her teeth. “When we get home, I’m giving you ten steamed buns. You can’t leave the table until you finish them.”

“Ten’s not enough. With the size of the buns at our place, another dozen should do,” Yun Cheng said, thinking she was treating him. He pushed his luck further, saying, “And I want braised pork ribs, sweet and sour fish, and steamed prawns too.”

Jiang Muti finally understood the feeling of wanting to kick a silly dog out of the way, but then seeing it happily wagging its tail, she couldn’t help but give it more food.

It was bad enough, but Yun Cheng liked to switch between being a human and a husky at random, catching her off guard.

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and turned to Ji Feishi. “Oh, right, you better not get any bad ideas just because she looks pretty. I’ve seen too many of you guys switching faces when you see a pretty girl.”

Ji Feishi, whose gaze had been casually landing on Jiang Muti, froze—

This was his brother-in-arms for the past two months, living and training together, sharing victories and joys.

In less than an hour back in the city, and his brother had already turned into a pig!

Ji Feishi took a deep breath. “Your suspicion makes no sense. First of all, appearance isn’t a big standard for me, and I wouldn’t act like two-faced and shallow people do.”

“Then why are you looking at her?” Yun Cheng pressed, unwilling to let it go.

Ji Feishi wanted to slap him. “I look at her because I have eyes, and a normal sense of aesthetics. And the dramatic difference from two months ago is stunning.”

Saying that, he openly looked at Jiang Muti and nodded. “I’ve seen people lose weight successfully in a short period of time.”

“But with such a large starting point and such a short time, and still maintaining this level of skin condition and mental state, you’re the first.”

“It’s not just the physical change, the determination and self-discipline you’ve shown are also impressive. It makes you shine as a person, very nice.”

His eyes showed genuine admiration, and though he was saying slightly embarrassing things, it didn’t feel exaggerated at all.

Not just Jiang Muti, but Yun Cheng and Yun Duo were both stunned.

Yun Cheng was silent for a while before saying, “No, I was just glancing at her. Bro, your reaction’s got me a little uneasy.”

Having known Ji Feishi for so long, Yun Cheng understood him well. This guy really says whatever is on his mind, always calm and composed.

But damn, how is it that while speaking without a care, he’s praising her like that?

Yun Cheng thought about it for a second. Has this guy ever complimented a girl like this before?

Seeing Yun Cheng’s reaction, Ji Feishi felt that communication was difficult, so he ignored the idiot.

Since Jiang Muti had driven there, Ji Feishi didn’t need to go back with him.

The group parted ways, but in the car, it was obvious to both Yun Cheng and Yun Duo that Jiang Muti’s mood had improved.

Yun Cheng rolled his eyes. “Still happy? So what I told you earlier doesn’t matter?”

Jiang Muti smiled. “You don’t get it! I’m just happy that I actually got complimented for my inner beauty for once.”

She was delighted. In her past life, her personality had made it hard for people around her to handle her. She had been praised for her looks, intelligence, and wealth, but in the end, there were always unspoken, unacknowledged things behind it.

Jiang Muti didn’t mind that. To her, those compliments were shallow. What mattered were her real strengths, the things that could be seen and could bring practical benefits at any time.

Although she had been left speechless and choked up by Ji Feishi’s narcissism last time, being truly admired by such an excellent guy, inside and out, did satisfy her vanity as a girl quite a bit.

So, she scolded Yun Cheng, saying, “Learn from him! This is the right response, not just saying ‘so thin’ and then thinking about ten buns, you fool.”

She then turned to Yun Duo, “With a brother like this, it may not be obvious now, but once he gets older, he’ll definitely be single because of his own abilities.”

Yun Duo shrugged. “It’s okay, if it really comes to that, he can always marry basketball.”

Yun Cheng rolled his eyes. At his age, focusing entirely on basketball, he found those thoughts pretty boring.

When they got home, sure enough, Jiang Muti had prepared steamed buns and his favorite dishes for him. Taking advantage of Jiang Yunjun not being home, she let him take the two dogs back.

When the three brothers reunited after two months apart, it was truly an emotional scene, enough to move any onlooker to tears.

Before Jiang Muti’s car even came to a complete stop, the two dogs went wild, sniffing the air and rushing out to greet Yun Cheng.

The handler behind them couldn’t hold them back with the leash. As Yun Cheng got out of the car, the three dogs piled on top of each other.

They licked him and rubbed against him for a long time at the gate. Yun Cheng’s eyes were teary. “I missed you so much.”

His two younger brothers also looked at him with misty eyes, howling, “Awooo~! Awooo~!”

In the end, after the three dogs rolled around in the dust, Old Yun saw that his son would lose all his authority if this went on, so he grabbed the leash and pulled them inside.

As for Yun Duo—

Yun Duo refused to recognize her older brother at this moment.

—

With school just around the corner, Jiang Muti still had one thing to do before then.

It was about Qiao Yuqi, whom she had introduced to the producer last semester. The producer had listened to his works and, although the pieces were a bit rough and raw due to limitations with the venue and equipment, it didn’t stop the producer from immediately recognizing his potential and unique charm.

What had originally been a plan to get closer to a wealthy heiress turned out to be a treasure trove. The producer was very excited.

The next day, he contacted Qiao Yuqi, and after a few interviews and conversations, it became clear that this young man was truly born for the entertainment industry in every way. The producer immediately decided to package him.

The entire summer was busy for everyone. Yun Cheng and the others were busy with training, Jiang Muti was busy losing weight, Zhou Lu and the others were probably busy with romance, while Qiao Yuqi focused on refining his work and had to go to the company for practice every day.

Being a star is like a carefully packaged product, with a person’s brilliance on stage being the result of a whole team behind the scenes.

After two months, everything was ready for Qiao Yuqi, including his image packaging, character design, and the direction of publicity for his first public appearance.

In short, with a professional team and Qiao Yuqi being spotted by the sharp-eyed producer, he became the lucky person the producer was willing to promote. It was almost impossible for him not to succeed.

The release date for the new song had not yet been chosen, but the final product was already completed. Since Jiang Muti was the one who introduced Qiao Yuqi to the producer, and the producer also wanted the rich and idle young lady to develop more interest in the industry, they made sure to inform her whenever there was significant progress.

The goal was for her to eventually become an angel investor or something similar, so whenever there was a major development, they made sure to keep her in the loop.

Before, Jiang Muti had been holed up at home for the whole summer, but now she suddenly realized that the birth of a superstar was right before her eyes.

The preparation period was one thing, but now the preview of the new song was especially meaningful, so she agreed to the producer’s invitation.

When Jiang Muti arrived at the company, the producer’s team and Qiao Yuqi had already started working in the recording studio.

The company had arranged for someone to wait at the front desk to take the young lady up once she arrived, but when Jiang Muti entered the lobby, the receptionist didn’t acknowledge her at all.

After all, the director had given a description of a chubby girl, so when Jiang Muti walked in, the receptionist didn’t even consider that possibility. Instead, the receptionist kept looking out the door, wondering when such a dazzling new talent had been signed.

It was only when Qiao Yuqi, having heard she was almost there but still hadn’t shown up, began to worry that something had gone wrong and came downstairs to check.

To be honest, Qiao Yuqi, with his emotional intelligence, knew that Jiang Muti’s attention and enthusiasm towards his career were crucial at this stage. After all, with the power of money and influence on his side, the team would be even more confident and invested in him.

Even if he was thinking about his own career, he would still create a good, close relationship with Jiang Muti. Fortunately, she understood this and was occasionally happy to cooperate.

Qiao Yuqi was naturally indifferent, but for the opportunities Jiang Muti had opened up for him, even though it was clearly a favor-based investment, he couldn’t help but feel touched.

When he walked downstairs into the lobby, he saw the receptionist still waiting for someone, not having left.

Aside from the receptionist at the front desk, there was a tall, slender girl in the lobby who seemed to be looking for something while checking the floor preview.

That was probably because her car was stuck in traffic and hadn’t arrived yet, Qiao Yuqi thought.

Then, the girl turned around, saw him, and sighed in relief.

She walked over and, with a familiar tone, said, “Which floor is the sound engineer on? I’ve been looking for a while. Did you come down to pick me up? Perfect, let’s go!”

Qiao Yuqi was first confused, then he carefully sized her up, and an unbelievable thought suddenly crossed his mind.

Actually, theoretically, this should be normal. After all, after the final exams, her figure had already undergone a very noticeable change.

Without the distraction of studies for two months, it made sense that she could invest more time and energy into this, leading to such a significant transformation.

But the result was still unbelievable. This wasn’t just a shock from successful weight loss anymore.

The person in front of him was stunning, almost the most striking girl of her age he had seen in real life. It was really hard to associate her with the chubby girl who had timidly confessed just a few months ago.

“Jiang—Muti?” Qiao Yuqi asked cautiously.

Jiang Muti shrugged and responded, “Ah!”

Then she asked, “Really didn’t recognize me at all?” She thought only Yun Cheng would be this slow.

Qiao Yuqi was silent for a moment, then, unusually honest, said, “Hmm! Didn’t recognize you at all, you’re really beautiful.”

Jiang Muti was happy to accept the compliment, noticing the brief astonishment that had just flickered in Qiao Yuqi’s eyes, and felt a little proud.

After all, in most romance novels, the male leads and supporting male characters find all other women unattractive compared to the heroine.

Even though many stories emphasize that the heroine isn’t particularly beautiful, Jiang Muti couldn’t help but feel a little smug about the male lead’s recognition.

Well! Her mental food was just that shallow.

The two of them went upstairs, and when the producer saw Jiang Muti, he was even more stunned than when he last saw Qiao Yuqi.

“Wow! With those looks, Miss Jiang, have you ever thought about coming over here to develop a career?”

Jiang Muti enjoyed the convenience of being the center of attention, but she didn’t like taking on unnecessary responsibilities.

Being a star would certainly bring more attention, but at the cost of having to live in a way that constantly caters to the expectations of the public, which wasn’t worth it.

Fortunately, the producer was just complimenting her in a half-joking way. The group chatted casually, and the atmosphere was lighthearted.

Then they proceeded to listen to Qiao Yuqi’s new song.

It was a moderately paced ballad, with a smooth piano intro. Given Jiang Muti’s lack of sensitivity to music, she was able to pick up the general tune after one listen, and it was very catchy.

Jiang Muti was immediately drawn to the melody, and when Qiao Yuqi’s voice sang the first line of lyrics, it perfectly matched the rhythm, creating a stunning effect.

The young man’s voice wasn’t the deep, magnetic charm typical of a male singer. Instead, it was like a clear spring in the mountains—refreshing, leaving you wanting more after a single sip.

When the song ended, everyone who had listened clapped, and Jiang Muti was no exception.

She turned her head to Qiao Yuqi, who was sitting next to her, and said, “I’m not really good with music, but I can tell you this—if I ever hear this song somewhere, I would definitely ask someone the song’s name and then pay to download it to my phone.”

This was the most straightforward way the general public expresses their liking for pop music.

Although Qiao Yuqi was confident about his song, and there were professionals who assured him that as long as the promotion kept up, it would be no problem, Jiang Muti’s praise still made him happy. It reminded him of when Jiang Muti had introduced him to the director last semester, and not long after, Li Xi had come after him, questioning why the CD was at Jiang Muti’s place.

After learning that Jiang Muti had recommended him, Li Xi expressed disappointment, implying that he had actually asked Jiang Muti for help, which, in her view, seemed like abandoning his dignity in pursuit of quick success.

Ironically, the source of her accusations came from the same event where Zhou Lu attended.

During subsequent interactions with the company, Li Xi had also hinted more than once that perhaps he should be more careful about everything.

After all, after several interactions, Jiang Muti didn’t seem like someone who casually helped others, but had she forgotten that he, her childhood friend, used to be the fool who was easily led by others?

Qiao Yuqi suddenly felt a bit disinterested. He couldn’t even remember the last time Li Xi, who used to always be his first listener, had discussed his songs with him.

Oh right, Li Xi hadn’t even been home this summer and was probably staying on some private island with that guy.

Now, with the school year about to begin, it actually wasn’t the best time to release a new song, so the producer told her their plan was to launch it as the ending theme for the second season of a phenomenally popular idol drama that was currently airing.

Jiang Muti had watched that drama, and indeed, it was full of handsome men and beautiful women with great production values, quickly making several young stars popular.

She believed that by the time the next semester started, Qiao Yuqi’s name would be widely known due to the drama’s success.

However, the producer certainly wasn’t satisfied with just that. There were cases where a song became a huge hit for a long time, but the public would forget the name of the singer.

If that were to happen, it would be a waste of Qiao Yuqi’s good looks.

So, it was said that the drama, which was still being filmed while airing, had already arranged for an eye-catching and likeable cameo role for him. In addition, there were several new songs to be revised and recorded, so Qiao Yuqi would likely be very busy in the coming months.

When everything ended, it could be considered a successful listening session, and Jiang Muti didn’t hold back on complimenting the producer, making sure to do her part in maintaining good manners.

Qiao Yuqi had already signed a contract with the management company, and it was a pretty high-level one. However, since he hadn’t officially gained much exposure yet, although an manager had been arranged for him, he hadn’t been assigned a car or anything like that.

Jiang Muti had a car arranged for her by her family, so she offered to take him back.

Qiao Yuqi and Li Xi had been neighbors since they were kids. Although their families were ordinary, they were middle class and could support their children’s various interests.

The car drove into a quiet and beautiful residential area and stopped beneath one of the buildings.

Qiao Yuqi was the first to get out of the car and turned to Jiang Muti, saying, “Thank you today. Really!”

Jiang Muti waved her hand, “No need to thank me. Once you’re famous, I’ll benefit too.”

Her tone was like that of someone fattening up a pig before slaughter.

Qiao Yuqi was taken aback, then burst into laughter. “The problem with being with someone you like is that sometimes even saying a few polite words feels awkward.”

“That’s true. So, you should save your polite talk for the girls at school,” Jiang Muti replied.

“Once school starts, there won’t be time for that. The workload is heavy, and I’ll have to balance it with my studies. I won’t have time to offer free perks.”

“Oh, planning it out so clearly, huh? And here I thought you called yourself my bodyguard,” Jiang Muti teased.

Qiao Yuqi shook his head. “There are a few strong-willed girls blocking the way up front, so at school, it saves me the trouble of dealing with everyone. But once we step into the professional field, their authoritarian nature and possessiveness will only cause trouble.”

“Different people are suited for different situations. You should know this very well,” Jiang Muti remarked.

Jiang Muti didn’t say anything in response, but to be honest, despite this person being dark-hearted, she didn’t need to hide her malice in front of him either. She could indulge in petty thoughts and make endless assumptions. If she were to complain about someone, he’d be a pretty good choice.

She smiled and said, “See you at school!”

“See you at school!”

Qiao Yuqi turned and went upstairs, while Jiang Muti was about to return to the car and leave. But as she casually looked up, she noticed a figure on a balcony of a certain floor.

However, she didn’t pay much attention. After all, they weren’t close enough to need to greet each other, so she nonchalantly got into the car. The car started, and soon after, it drove out of the neighborhood.

Meanwhile, Qiao Yuqi, just out of the elevator, saw Li Xi opening the door. Although it seemed like a coincidence, her expression didn’t quite match that assumption.

Sure enough, upon seeing him, Li Xi asked, “Yuqi, I saw you come back just now.”

“Mm,” he replied, taking out his keys to open the door.

Seeing he wasn’t continuing the conversation, Li Xi bit her lip but still asked, “Did the company send a car to take you home? I saw you come out with a girl. Is she also a new artist signed to your company?”

“No, she probably won’t be in this business,” Qiao Yuqi clarified. He understood that, although the girl was vain, she knew where to draw the line. Without any other strong attachments—like his passion for music—she wouldn’t take on public obligations without a reason.

Li Xi was taken aback, a strange feeling welling up inside her. Qiao Yuqi actually understood this girl so well? And she didn’t even know her.

She knew it was inappropriate to ask about this, especially since she had already rejected Qiao Yuqi, but for some reason, her curiosity got the best of her.

She feigned nonchalance and said, “Oh? She’s so pretty, I thought she was an entertainer too. So, who is she?”

Qiao Yuqi paused for a moment. The shock of seeing Jiang Muti earlier in the day was still fresh in his mind.

So he nodded in agreement and said, “She is indeed quite beautiful.”

Li Xi was somewhat angry. “You clearly know that’s not what I meant.”

No matter how gentle he pretended to be at school, Qiao Yuqi wouldn’t play that game in front of her. She didn’t believe he couldn’t understand her insinuation.

Before she could say anything else, she saw Qiao Yuqi turn around, looking at her with a half-smile. “I know? Should I know?”

Li Xi was caught off guard. The anger that had just risen in her faded instantly, leaving her feeling somewhat awkward.

However, Qiao Yuqi didn’t stop there like he usually did. Instead, he became somewhat biting and said, “The one who should be racking his brain to understand your feelings, shouldn’t that be Zhou Lu?”

“You… you don’t need to be like this,” Li Xi gritted her teeth.

Qiao Yuqi smiled. “He can’t do it, right? The young master who thinks he’s the best hasn’t yet learned how to be humble in matters of the heart.”

He shrugged and added, “Actually, I haven’t learned either.”

The sound of a crisp slap echoed through the hallway.

Li Xi shot him a glare, her eyes seeming to glisten with tears, and then walked into her house, slamming the door shut.

Qiao Yuqi felt increasingly frustrated inside but ultimately didn’t knock on her door. Instead, he chose to close his own door and go inside.

When Jiang Muti returned home, Yun Cheng was in the garden walking the dog. He probably knew that once school started, he wouldn’t have as much time to play with his younger brothers, so he was making the most of it while he could.

Upon seeing her, he casually said, “This afternoon I got a call from the coach. There’s going to be a friendly match between our two schools next week, and this time it’s at our school. You should come and hang out with them too.”

Jiang Muti replied, “So, you two teams are just going to keep playing this love-hate game forever, huh?”

“This was arranged by your school. After the last match, your school’s coach is still holding a grudge,” Yun Cheng nudged her shoulder. “So, what do you say? You coming?”

“What’s so fun about school?” If it weren’t for her age, she wouldn’t even want to go.

Yun Cheng answered matter-of-factly, “Isn’t it fun as long as I’m there?”

“You’re off to play ball. How would you have time to let me play?”

“How could there not be? After the match, I can show you around the school. You’ve never been to our school, right? Yun Duo says our school is beautiful.”

As he spoke, his lips were tightly pressed together, and his cheeks puffed out just a little, making him look somewhat aggrieved.

In the past, Jiang Muti had been a bit distant from them. Aside from the usual daily exchanges when they bumped into each other at home, they didn’t really get involved in each other’s matters.

However, in the six months since Jiang Muti came here, her relationship with them had grown closer day by day.

Perhaps this guy felt regretful about not doing certain things? Now that it had come up, Jiang Muti naturally couldn’t refuse.

She quickly agreed to come with Yun Duo next week to cheer him on.

Only then did Yun Cheng smile, generously saying, “You can cheer all you want, but if you cheer for the other side, you’ll get beaten up, and then how can I brag about having two beautiful girls at home with bruises all over?”

Ah, underestimated the vanity of a second-rate dog.

The next day was the first day of school, and Jiang Muti’s custom-made school uniform for her new body had already arrived a few days ago.

It was freshly washed and neatly ironed, placed in her bedroom.

This was the first time she wore a school uniform after losing weight, and the difference from before was striking.

There were no longer any tight, awkward gaps between the buttons, and her long arms stretched out from the sleeves, slender and agile.

Jiang Muti turned around, the hem of the skirt made her legs look even longer. With just this simple and neat uniform, she exuded an aura as if it were haute couture. She tugged at the skirt and happily walked out the door.

Yun Duo had been waiting for her in the car for a while. When she saw Jiang Muti’s demeanor, she could guess without hesitation, “You were admiring yourself in the mirror again, weren’t you?”

Jiang Muti, seeing the look of disdain on her face, raised her chin proudly, “This is the result of my hard work.”

It couldn’t be helped. She was already narcissistic, and after not seriously looking in the mirror for half a year, who wouldn’t get carried away?

The car arrived at the school entrance, where there were many people.

Jiang Muti’s car, the one that picked her up every day, hadn’t been swapped around, it was always the same one.

The flashy luxury car was something the students had seen for most of last semester. As soon as they saw it, they knew it was Jiang Muti and Yun Duo.

At first, they didn’t pay much attention, but this time, Yun Duo got out of the car first. The second person to get out wasn’t the familiar chubby one.

A pair of long legs stepped out of the car, with skin as white as snow and legs straight and slender. Then, a tall and beautiful long-haired girl stepped out.

Before even seeing her face clearly, the air around her seemed to light up, and the first thing that caught people’s attention were her eyes.

They were charmingly shaped, with long lashes, and a deep, captivating gaze. Someone who was a bit shy would instinctively look away at first glance, not daring to make eye contact, but would then sneak peeks, blushing slightly.

It was then that they noticed her exquisite and perfect features, with skin that glowed like jade. She casually shut the car door, and the slight breeze she created made her hair flutter.

Even the way she moved, with every gesture and the subtle sway of her hair, was breathtakingly beautiful.

This was the kind of beauty rarely seen even in idol dramas, wasn’t it? Was she the new transfer student?

But why was she riding in Jiang Muti’s car and walking with Yun Duo?

Wait! Jiang Muti!

Someone who knew Jiang Muti and had been talking about her weight loss last semester was stunned.

No, it couldn’t be, right?

At this moment, Jiang Muti had already walked into the teaching building, hand in hand with Yun Duo. The envious and amazed gazes along the way were the kind of atmosphere she had been used to in her past life.

There wasn’t much pride in it. It felt more like returning to her familiar comfort zone. To be exact, the past six months had been spent enduring, now, she was simply back to what she considered her normal state.

But the people around her didn’t think the same. From the school gate to the classroom, the air was filled with whispers discussing her.

Only after entering the teaching building did a classmate who was close to Yun Duo, seemingly casually greeting her, say, “Yun Duo, good morning! And this is—”

“Jiang Muti!”

The surrounding students gasped, their disbelief palpable.

Yun Duo was confused. “She’s only a little thinner than last semester. You didn’t recognize her? Didn’t she lose about the same amount of weight last semester too?”

The person who greeted them twitched her lips. How could a gradual change be the same as a qualitative one? This person was standing and speaking without feeling the discomfort. She lived with them every day, so naturally, the change seemed subtle to her.

At this moment, the group reached the second floor, just in time to bump into Jiang Muti’s “friend” and her companions coming down to buy something.

Upon hearing their conversation, the shocked and disbelieving expressions immediately turned into something more complicated.

They remembered the last time they had tried to hang out with Jiang Muti and were forced to write an IOU, overhearing other students talking.

“Take a closer look, Jiang Muti’s features are quite nice. Maybe she’ll become a beauty after losing the weight.”

“It’s coming soon. At the rate she’s going, it’ll probably happen next semester.”

Although they had heard this before, they never expected the result to be like this—

Now, Jiang Muti was truly in an entirely different world from them. She was a beautiful, rich young lady from a prestigious family, while they were just ordinary in every way.

The jealousy and malice that arose had to be suppressed the moment it emerged. Jiang Muti had dirt on them, and with that alone, they knew they couldn’t act recklessly, it would be like throwing eggs at a rock.

The three of them ended up saying nothing, sticking to the wall and passing by Jiang Muti and her group, as if they had never known each other.

—

On the first day of school, it happened to be Li Xi’s turn for duty, so she arrived a bit earlier than the other students. After finishing her task and putting the borrowed items back in place, she was about to head back to the classroom when she noticed some commotion in the hallway.

She originally didn’t pay much attention until she heard two girls whispering to each other: “She’s even prettier than Li Xi, right?”

“Much prettier. She could fit right into an idol drama without feeling out of place.”

Li Xi was a bit confused. When she turned around, she saw two girls coming up the stairs.

One of them—

She was utterly stunned. It was the girl who had sent Qiao Yuqi home last time. Although it was just a quick glance, the girl was so beautiful, with a striking and recognizable kind of beauty, so Li Xi remembered her clearly.

For a moment, Li Xi’s mind raced. How could this girl be wearing a school uniform and appear here? Could she be related to Qiao Yuqi?

At this moment, Jiang Muti arrived on her classroom floor, and Yun Duo’s classroom was still a bit further up, so they parted ways.

“I’m going up. Wait for me at lunch, Muti.”

Muti!

Jiang Muti?

Li Xi widened her eyes, her mind going blank for a moment. First, she was surprised by the change in the other person, but then the even more shocking and unbelievable realization hit her.

Was it Jiang Muti who had sent Qiao Yuqi home that day?