Gu Desheng couldn’t believe it. As he watched the car drive away, he muttered to himself: “Did we forget to pack some snacks for her?”

After getting on the highway, Yu Shulan and Ma Yi’er didn’t stay idle.

One wanted to listen to English songs, while the other insisted on listening to Cantonese songs.

Ma Yi’er sneered: “Shulan, are you planning to take the college entrance exam? You know you should listen to English songs to learn English. I heard your English is just so-so.”

Yu Shulan: “Can you stop bringing up studying all the time? Can’t I just enjoy listening to good music? Do you know how hard it was to get this record? It’s platinum!”

Luo Qiaorong pressed her forehead, indicating a headache. Yu Shulan suddenly took out a delicate food box and opened it in front of Ma Yi’er, showing it off: “Here, try some fresh and delicious stuff. After you eat my food, you let me listen!”

The rich aroma of butter spread through the car. Sheng Weixia glanced at it and saw it was butterfly 酥…

Her eyelids twitched, and she felt a little strange in her heart.

Ma Yi’er made a sound of surprise: “Is this a new pastry from Yanbo Jiangnan? I went there yesterday and couldn’t find it.”

She looked at the food box engraved with the words “Yanbo Jiangnan” and was very puzzled.

“I don’t know, A Jiu gave it to me this morning. Just eat it!” Yu Shulan muttered. “I tasted one this morning and asked him to get me some more, but he shook his head. He said it’s from Shanghai, and my brother sent it to some precious friend…”

“Precious friend,” Sheng Weixia’s brow furrowed heavily.

Luo Qiaorong reached out and took a piece, tasted it, and exclaimed: “I remember now, this is a signature pastry from a restaurant in Shanghai! He wasn’t wrong, it’s very crispy, it must have taken a lot of effort to bring it back.”

She thought of something and looked at Sheng Weixia’s dazed face: “Right, Xia, where will I drop you off in Beijing?”

Sheng Weixia came back to her senses: “Of course, I’m going to school.”

“But the dorms for new students are still being painted. I heard they won’t be ready until two days before registration day.” Ma Yi’er said while eating. “I thought your family had a house in Beijing.”

Sheng Weixia hadn’t expected this at all.

She thought about it. Of course, she could go to her uncle’s house, but firstly, it would be rude to go without prior notice. Secondly, her uncle’s house was a divided house, not spacious, and she would have to share a room with her cousin.

Regardless of whether it would be a disturbance or not, Sheng Weixia could make do with other things, but she couldn’t compromise on her sleep quality.

“I can stay at a hotel,” she said as a compromise.

Yu Shulan, having gotten her way, stuffed the disc she brought into the car’s player, turned her head, and said puzzled: “I heard Qingwei say your family bought you a house in Beijing, as compensation for you.”

Sheng Weixia frowned: “The procedures haven’t been completed yet.”

“So you have nowhere to stay?” Yu Shulan said arrogantly. “Then come stay with me! I’m scared of staying there alone, it’s so big!”

Luo Qiaorong’s heart stirred. The sincere expression of the person who asked her for this favor surfaced in her mind, and she couldn’t help but be curious about how Sheng Weixia would respond.

Then she heard Sheng Weixia say directly: “No, we’re not that close.”

“You!” Yu Shulan slammed the disc case shut.

She had never invited anyone to sleep in her room before. Others would try to please her, but how could Sheng Weixia be so ungrateful?!

“Thank you for the offer, but we’re just not close,” Sheng Weixia turned her head away.

Luo Qiaorong remembered what the person said and laughed for a while before persuading: “Xia, if you don’t have a suitable place to stay, Shulan’s house is quite good. It’s big, one more person won’t make a difference. It’s safer and more hygienic than a hotel, and besides…”

She looked at Yu Shulan’s tough-but-fragile expression and said softly, “Shulan is scared to stay alone, and Yu Shi is not here.”

Ma Yi’er sneered: “Shulan, look at yourself. Anyone with ambition wouldn’t want to play with you. Or Xia can stay at my place, but she’ll have to share a bed with me. My guest room is under renovation.”

“Yi’er, shut up!” Yu Shulan’s embarrassment deepened. She turned her head and leaned close to Sheng Weixia’s face, whispering a threat: “You better agree, I’ll lose face!”

Sheng Weixia looked at her silently, and after a while, Yu Shulan revealed a hint of pleading in her eyes.

She sighed and took a step back. Of course, she could stay at a hotel, but it wasn’t convenient for her to carry a large sum of money.

So she confirmed with her: “So you really live alone?”

“Of course, he’s busy,” Yu Shulan answered quickly.

Once upon a time, her brother was almost her shield and her living signboard.

She always knew that those girls flattered her and coaxed her, partly because of her identity as the second daughter of the Yu family, and partly because of her brother.

This person, however, was afraid of being connected to her brother. How ungrateful!

Sheng Weixia: “Alright, thank you.”

She had told Yu Shi that she didn’t owe him any favors, but this was a different matter. This time, she owed Yu Shulan a favor.

Yu Shulan was appeased: “That’s more like it.”

As they drove, everyone got a little hungry. Yu Shulan again proudly took out the Yanbo Jiangnan food box, which contained not only signature dishes but also specially prepared private pastries.

Ma Yi’er ate with satisfaction: “Shulan, you’ve learned to treat us with good things! This pufferfish braised in red sauce, I heard it’s rare to find.”

“When have I ever been stingy?” Yu Shulan snorted. “It’s just that A Jiu has to arrange it. It’s strange, Yanbo Jiangnan is my brother’s, but the restaurant gives A Jiu so much face.”

Hearing the name A Jiu made Sheng Weixia think of Yu Shi, and her chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

“Giving A Jiu face, doesn’t that still mean giving your brother face? Just enjoy it. You’re so idle and yet you can eat so well, it’s all thanks to your brother.” Ma Yi’er ruthlessly revealed the truth, but curiously asked, “Why has A Jiu been hanging around you lately? Isn’t he often running errands for your brother?”

“How would I know?” Yu Shulan rolled her eyes and continued to eat.

After they finished eating, the car had entered Beijing, and the speed slowed down.

High-rise buildings stretched out before them, and traffic was bustling.

Sheng Weixia observed the city where she would live for at least four years, and she found that although it wasn’t as bustling and dazzling as New York at the same time in her memory, it was equally vibrant.

Good, she thought. She had finally embarked on a path completely different from her previous life.

They passed Ma Yi’er’s house first. Luo Qiaorong turned to them and said: “Yi’er will come over to help me translate some things these days. If you two have nothing to do, come over and play?”

“Okay.” Sheng Weixia had no other arrangements besides taking care of the house, so she readily agreed.

Yu Shulan, however, rolled her eyes: “I have to study. We’ll see then.”

At this time, Ma Yi’er got out of the car, took her luggage, turned her head, and made a face: “I think you’re just embarrassed because your English is so bad!”

She closed the door and left.

“You!” Yu Shulan angrily rolled down the window and shouted. “I’m only a senior in high school, what’s wrong with my English not being as good as yours? If you’re so good, go compete with my brother! My brother won first place in the English speech contest!”

Luo Qiaorong coaxed: “Yi’er is just trying to motivate you. Come over later. There’s an expert from the college entrance exam question group next door to my house. I’ll take you to meet him later.”

“Forget about meeting the expert, thank you, Aunt Rong.” Yu Shulan accepted the compliment.

Sheng Weixia thought to herself, she knows how to act.

After all, children from big families, how could they be truly naive? Yu Shulan couldn’t be completely ignorant of the world.

Next, they dropped her and Yu Shulan off.

The car stopped at Niu’er Hutong. After saying goodbye, Yu Shulan proudly led her to her house.

As she looked at the courtyard with its gray brick and tile roof and the newly renovated Ruyi Gate, Sheng Weixia realized that Yu Shulan wasn’t exaggerating when she said the house was big.

This entire courtyard was her home!

The Yu family was so wealthy, could any of their children casually have a courtyard like this?

Even though the price of courtyards hadn’t skyrocketed yet, it was still a rare commodity. After all, the news on TV was all about improving housing conditions for ordinary people.

Sheng Weixia’s surprise was in her eyes, but not on her face. Yu Shulan snorted, as if satisfied with her—she didn’t drop her jaw like some people, not embarrassing.

After entering, Yu Shulan pointed to the west wing and said: “You can stay in this room. There’s a phone and everything else inside. Just tell the maid if you need to go out, and she’ll leave the door open for you.”

“Okay. Thank you.” This time, Sheng Weixia’s thanks came from the bottom of her heart.

But Yu Shulan became coy: “Why are you thanking me? Oh, I’m not going to Aunt Rong’s house today. If you want to go, go by yourself.”

“I’m not going either. I have a lot of things to do.”

Sheng Weixia mentally calculated. She had to go to the school to register her household registration, then find the seller of the house to sign the formal contract, and then pay for the house. There were many things to do.

“Suit yourself.” Yu Shulan stretched. “I’m going to sleep.”

Things went smoothly.

Although the dormitory, as Ma Yi’er said, wouldn’t be open until the last two days of the month, the security office registered her household registration and gave her the proof of household registration transfer in advance.

In the evening, after returning to Yu Shulan’s house, the first thing she did was call her uncle.

Jiang Mingzhi was very happy to hear that she had finished so quickly: “Then let’s sign the contract tomorrow. I’ll have your cousin pick you up from school tomorrow!”

Sheng Weixia’s brow furrowed: “No need to pick me up. I’ll go to my cousin’s workplace to find him. It’ll save time.”