The family compound was near Gate No. 3. The main gate in the middle was tightly locked, with a small door on the side that allowed only one person to pass at a time. A sentry stood guard, and regular soldiers needed a pass to enter, but family members did not.

Chen Baozhen waited inside. She had planned to personally go pick up her good friend Qin Yao, but her neighbor Bai Qiuling also needed to pick up a distant cousin. Since they were traveling together, and with all the luggage, it seemed the car might not have enough room. So, the two of them decided to wait at the entrance to the compound.

Chen Baozhen stood alone by the sentry post, while Bai Qiuling was surrounded by several sisters-in-law, chatting away. The scene made Chen Baozhen appear somewhat out of place.

Dressed in a well-tailored plain outfit, Chen Baozhen was tall, nearly 1.7 meters. She had an oval face, shoulder-length hair, a high nose, and large eyes. Her appearance was elegant, not glamorous or delicate, but dignified and full of character, like a lily.

When she was silent, she gave off an air of aloofness, as if shutting others out.

In fact, Chen Baozhen had a bit of a sharp temper and often argued with her husband after marriage. With a background in music, she always carried the refined aura of an artist. Now, she worked as a music teacher at a local elementary school.

Not far away, Bai Qiuling was chatting with a few sisters-in-law, seeming approachable. A young male officer in white military uniform stood nearby, occasionally exchanging words with them.

“Teacher Bai, is your cousin like you? A talented and kind woman?”

One of the sisters-in-law, named Chen, quietly whispered to the young officer, “If you’re looking to marry, you should look for someone like Teacher Bai. But if it’s someone like Teacher Chen over there, that would be a real headache.”

The young officer glanced at Chen Baozhen, still struck by her elegant demeanor. She was tall, graceful, and outstanding—such a woman would be a blessing to marry. However, he wondered what married life with her would be like.

“The car’s here. Is she coming?”

The army green jeep came to a stop. Chen Baozhen was more impatient than Bai Qiuling and the others. Usually, she was distant and aloof in the compound, with no friends to speak of, but today, she seemed unusually eager.

Tian Shuyun got out of the car first, shouting, “Cousin!”

“Shuyun, these are my sisters-in-law. This is my distant cousin, Tian Shuyun.”

The sisters-in-law praised, “She’s beautiful and so lively!”

Tian Shuyun wore a carefully chosen floral shirt, and her hair was styled in neat braids. She had slightly dark, yellowish skin, an ordinary look, with only a slight cross-eye.

Following her, Qin Yao stepped out of the car, revealing a white arm that glistened under the sunlight, instantly drawing the attention of everyone around.

Chen Baozhen’s heart skipped a beat. Upon seeing Qin Yao, she immediately ignored her image and rushed to give her a tight hug, even though Qin Yao was a few centimeters shorter than her.

“Yaoyao! Yaoyao! It’s so great to see you!” Chen Baozhen said, her voice filled with excitement.

Feeling overwhelmed by the unfamiliar yet familiar warmth of the hug, Qin Yao was taken aback. She wasn’t used to such close physical affection.

[Would you like to check the favorability level?]

Qin Yao selected “Yes,” and then froze in place.

[Her favorability level towards you is 88 (she considers you her best friend in the world)]

[Favorability reward system activated]

[1/24 (Earn a favorability gift after spending a total of 24 hours together)]

Favorability gifts?

It turned out that the somewhat pointless favorability system not only allowed her to check how others felt about her but also offered rewards when the favorability was high.

Seeing the real favorability level from Chen Baozhen, Qin Yao was truly shocked. The bond between them was real! It wasn’t a fake friendship at all!

Chen Baozhen genuinely liked Qin Yao and had been looking forward to her arrival.

“Zhenzhen!” Qin Yao hugged Chen Baozhen back, happily bouncing with excitement, a wave of indescribable joy filling her heart.

After experiencing betrayal from a close friend, Qin Yao had started to doubt whether true friendship existed in the world. But upon seeing Chen Baozhen’s true feelings, she was convinced that Chen Baozhen’s affection was genuine, and the favorability wasn’t faked.

Originally, Qin Yao was unsure of how much Chen Baozhen liked her, but now that she is Qin Yao, she has decided to maintain this relationship.

Chen Baozhen has a favorability rating of 88 towards her, and she wants to develop the same feelings for Chen Baozhen.

— She wants to be friends with Chen Baozhen!

Excited, Qin Yao went to Chen Baozhen’s home with her. A young soldier helped Qin Yao carry her luggage. Hand in hand, they walked toward the house, taking a detour before finally reaching the yard.

Chen Baozhen pointed ahead. “Look! Do you see the yard filled with vegetables over there? It’s right there!”

Qin Yao blinked in surprise and looked toward the yard nearby, covered in green vines. The yard was full of lush vegetables, surrounded by a fence with racks holding plump gourds and bright red tomatoes, creating a lively and vibrant scene.

Is this Chen Baozhen’s yard? It looks well-kept, with a picturesque rural charm, like “picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence and gazing at the southern mountain,” a relaxed and peaceful view.

This represents a fruitful harvest.

The sisters were good at maintaining things; the living environment seemed quite nice.

Qin Yao smiled, admiring the beautiful surroundings. The family compound had a clear blue sky, distant white clouds, tall coconut trees, and vibrant banana leaves. The two-story house gave a sense of openness and freedom, not at all oppressive.

“We’re here,” said Chen Baozhen as they reached the yard. Just as Qin Yao was about to go in and pick a few red tomatoes, Chen Baozhen stopped her and pointed to the neighboring yard. “Yaoyao, this way.”

Qin Yao: “?”

The next yard was overgrown with weeds, scattered with plants that looked like wild grasses or flowers. In one corner, there were a few wilted cabbage plants. Qin Yao thought the yard was uninhabited.

“That’s Teacher Bai’s house,” Chen Baozhen said, with no hint of embarrassment. She pointed to her own neglected yard. “This is my home. See, I grow these vegetables, and I’ll cook them for you tonight.”

“They’re grown by my own hands. You must try them!”

Qin Yao hesitated as she stared at the few unhealthy cabbage plants in the corner. She crouched down and noticed the leaves were pale and yellow, with some holes caused by insects. Turning the leaves over, she found small white spots and tiny yellow insects crawling on them.

She twitched her lips and brushed her finger across the leaves, crushing a patch of red spider mites.

“Ah! Ah!” Chen Baozhen screamed and stepped back. “Bugs! There’s bugss! Help! Help!”

Qin Yao looked over and saw a small shrub with several black caterpillars hanging from it, eating the green leaves.

“Why are there so many caterpillars?!” Chen Baozhen exclaimed.

Qin Yao remained silent. “The butterflies’ gift.”

The caterpillars were ugly, but they were indeed left by butterflies, and they would eventually transform into butterflies.

Qin Yao bravely picked up a thin bamboo stick and poked at the caterpillars. “What kind of plants are these?”

“I don’t know. I think it’s a flower. I planted the seeds, and it blooms small flowers. They look nice. Don’t kill them,” Chen Baozhen replied.

Despite the caterpillars covering the shrub, Chen Baozhen couldn’t bring herself to get rid of it. It was one of the few flowering plants in her yard.

Qin Yao poked at one of the black caterpillars and took a step back, accidentally stepping on a small petunia. It felt like poking a hornet’s nest. The moment she stepped back, the petunia exploded with whitefly pests. They clung to the leaves, and when disturbed, they scattered in the air like dust, filling the air with a terrifying scene.

Chen Baozhen, nearly 1.7 meters tall, hid behind Qin Yao. Together, they managed to throw the infected petunia away.

Qin Yao wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Zhenzhen, are you planting flowers or raising pests?”

“I plant flowers and vegetables,” Chen Baozhen replied.

“Your flowers and vegetables aren’t doing too well,” Qin Yao said helplessly. “But your yard is full of ‘little pets’ that are doing quite well.”

This sister was truly a talent, gathering all kinds of pests.

Qin Yao straightened up and glanced at the neighboring yard, where the heroine Bai Qiuling’s lush garden was full of harvest, then looked back at Chen Baozhen’s yard, filled with “pests.” As a control group, Chen Baozhen was truly fitting for the role.

The heroine Bai Qiuling also had a tough time… The pests in the neighboring yard could easily infect her vegetables too.

As for Chen Baozhen’s pests, they seemed to be all drawn to her yard, making it the first line of defense for the heroine’s garden.

Qin Yao wasn’t an expert in agriculture, so she couldn’t really judge what was best.

Chen Baozhen tucked her hair behind her ear and stood with her arms crossed. On the surface, she still looked like the elegant music teacher she was. She said proudly, “I don’t keep animals. I think they’re dirty.”

Qin Yao was speechless. “…”

She casually asked, “How many times have you eaten the cabbage from your yard?”

Could it even be eaten? Who knows how many times pests have feasted on those leaves.

Chen Baozhen shook her head. “Never.”

“Why not?”

“Well, I’ve been waiting for you to come,” Chen Baozhen said naturally.

Chen Baozhen walked up to Qin Yao, placed her hands on her shoulders, her expression excited and eager. “Yaoyao, I specially grew this for you. You must try it. I won’t let anyone else have it.”

If Qin Yao hadn’t been sure that Chen Baozhen had a favorability rating of 88 towards her, she would have thought she was being sarcastic. Could the cabbage Chen Baozhen grew actually be eaten? And she was saving it just for her?

“Yaoyao, you must eat it!”

Qin Yao sighed. “You eat it first, then I will.”

“No,” Chen Baozhen insisted. “This is for you.”

…

Qin Yao laughed, “I’ll strangle you!”

Is this true friendship?

Qin Yao began to suspect that the favorability system she was carrying was fake, and that the ratings and evaluations were just nonsense.

Shouldn’t true sisters and best friends always consider each other? Yet, this so-called friend managed to grow such pitiful cabbages, and instead of feeling ashamed, she even intended to serve those worm-eaten, malnourished leaves to her.

What a joke!