At the critical moment, Song Shixi swiftly reached out and pulled her back.  

“Did you sprain your ankle?”  

Wu Qiuhong instinctively shook her head, steadying herself with Song Shixi’s hand. When she looked up, she met Song Shixi’s eyes, which were filled with genuine concern, making her freeze for a moment. She didn’t even realize how she ended up sitting beside Song Shixi afterward.  

By the time she snapped out of it, the class bell had already rung. Wu Qiuhong could only sit stiffly in her seat, comforting herself that it was just one class—no big deal.  

But as the class went on, she found herself zoning out for the first time ever because she noticed that Song Shixi seemed different today. Yet, she couldn’t quite pinpoint what exactly had changed.  

If she had to describe it, Song Shixi seemed gentler, more attentive in class, and even more beautiful and poised…  

“Is there something on my face? Why do you keep staring at me?”  

Song Shixi had naturally noticed Wu Qiuhong’s occasional glances and couldn’t resist teasing her in a low, amused voice.  

Sure enough, the moment the words left her lips, Wu Qiuhong’s face turned completely red. She shook her head in embarrassment and finally forced her attention back to the blackboard.  

Seeing this, Song Shixi’s smile deepened. It had been a long time since she’d met someone so pure and kind-hearted, with thoughts so transparent they were easy to read. The original owner of this body missing out on such a friend was truly a pity.  

She liked Wu Qiuhong a lot. If she could rebuild their friendship, that would be wonderful.  

When the class ended, Song Shixi caught Wu Qiuhong gathering her things to leave out of the corner of her eye. Quickly grabbing her notebook, she asked, “Qiuhong, I didn’t understand this part. Could you help me?”  

Her voice was as clear and pleasant as a silver bell, and her beautiful eyes gazed at Wu Qiuhong pleadingly, making it impossible to refuse. Wu Qiuhong pursed her lips and eventually set her things down to explain.  

Before they knew it, the bell rang again, and the two had to continue sitting together. First, they attended class side by side, then went to the cafeteria together. Song Shixi always found one reason or another to stick close to Wu Qiuhong.  

Beijing University of Finance and Economics had three cafeterias in total. They chose the nearest one, Cafeteria Three, which was packed during lunch hour. After waiting in line, it was finally their turn.  

To buy food, they exchanged cash for meal tickets, which came in denominations of fen, jiao, and yuan. The tickets could then be used to purchase meals directly. The prices of each dish were clearly listed on large red posters with black lettering.  

The prices were astonishingly low—a bowl of congee for two fen, a deep-fried dough stick for four fen, over a dozen fresh meat dumplings for two jiao, a meat dish for three jiao…  

Each window had a server dressed in a white uniform. Song Shixi spent two jiao on a bowl of fresh meat dumplings, while Wu Qiuhong ordered a bowl of congee and two steamed buns.  

The cafeteria was crowded, and it took them a while to find an empty table.  

Noticing that Wu Qiuhong had only ordered plain, non-greasy food, Song Shixi felt a pang of sympathy. Knowing Wu Qiuhong came from a rural, financially struggling family and was frugal by nature, she probably went the entire semester without indulging in meat dishes. Acting quickly, Song Shixi divided some of her dumplings onto Wu Qiuhong’s plate while steering the conversation elsewhere.  

“Qiuhong, do you know where I can sell things around here?”  

“There’s a street near the back gate of our school where people sell all sorts of things.”  

Even though Song Shixi moved fast, Wu Qiuhong noticed and hurriedly tried to return the dumplings. “You eat them. This is enough for me.”  

Meat dishes were a luxury for her, and she didn’t dare take from others.  

“Come on, just eat it. Don’t be polite with me.”  

Song Shixi blocked Wu Qiuhong’s chopsticks decisively and blinked playfully. “I’ll need your help with studying and other things later. If you’re like this, how can I ask you for favors?”  

Hearing this, Wu Qiuhong pressed her lips together and finally accepted the gesture.  

After taking a bite of her steamed bun, she belatedly realized Song Shixi had said “sell” earlier, not “buy.” A single word made all the difference.  

“You want to sell something?”  

Song Shixi didn’t hide her intentions. “I have a lot of clothes I’ve only worn once or twice. I don’t want them anymore, so I thought I’d sell them cheap to recoup some money.”  

Though they were secondhand, each piece fit the era’s aesthetic, made from high-quality fabric and craftsmanship. With the right pricing and the consumer mindset of “saving is earning,” she was confident they’d sell.  

Moreover, many people in this era grew up wearing hand-me-downs and weren’t overly particular about new versus old clothes, making them more open to secondhand items.  

Plus, as a former content creator in her past life, Song Shixi believed she had the persuasive skills to sell them and replenish her wallet.  

She’d come up with the idea the night before but had been unsure about the best location. After some thought, she concluded that near the university was ideal—there’d be plenty of young women around, making it easier to sell the clothes.

Now that Wu Qiuhong had mentioned the street near the back gate, Song Shixi felt an itch in her heart and couldn’t wait to check it out.  

Wu Qiuhong thought for a moment—there were indeed clothing stalls there—and quietly suggested, “How about I take you there after we finish eating?”  

Song Shixi immediately let out a delighted exclamation. “That’d be perfect! Thank you, Qiuhong. I was worried I wouldn’t find the way. With you around, I’ll feel much better.”  

Her voice was bright, her face unable to hide her excitement. Wu Qiuhong had never seen such an expression on her before and couldn’t help but smile as well.  

The two hit it off instantly. After finishing their meal, they took advantage of their lunch break and headed to the back gate. Stepping out of the school felt like entering another world.  

The street was lined with vendors, their stalls arranged in a chaotic yet orderly fashion. Most sold food, but there were also clothes, accessories, stationery…  

Just as Wu Qiuhong had said, they sold everything. And the prices were generally cheaper than in stores, making them popular among students. Even nearby residents would drop by during their free time.  

Song Shixi’s eyes darted around, unable to take it all in. In the end, she couldn’t resist temptation and bought a serving of lüdagunr—glutinous rice rolls filled with sweet red bean paste and dusted with soybean flour. The first bite was soft, sticky, and sweet, melting in her mouth without being cloying.  

“Try some, it’s really good!”  

“I shouldn’t, I just ate—”  

Before Wu Qiuhong could finish refusing, a piece was already stuffed into her mouth. The sweetness spread across her tongue, making her instinctively lick her lips.  

She never spent money on snacks like this, so getting to taste it now—thanks to Song Shixi’s generosity—left her with mixed feelings. Glancing at the price list, she figured she could afford it if she tightened her belt a little. Smiling, she said, “It’s delicious. Thank you, Shixi. Next time, I’ll treat you.”  

Before Song Shixi could respond, the auntie selling the lüdagunr chimed in, “You two are such good friends! If you like it, come back again. I make these myself—all real ingredients. Everyone who tries them loves them.”  

The auntie was sharp and sweet-tongued, not only complimenting them but also subtly drumming up future business.  

“Of course, Sister ! We’ll definitely come back.”  

Song Shixi smiled faintly, her eyes flickering as she casually asked, “Sister, aren’t you worried about the school or city inspectors shutting you down?”  

“We’ve all gone through the proper procedures and paid fees. They can’t just chase us away!”  

Li Shuxia, the vendor, was delighted by Song Shixi’s charm and the way she kept calling her Sister. Seeing her curiosity, she explained—it wasn’t exactly a secret anyway.  

“Ohh.” Song Shixi nodded thoughtfully before asking, “If I want more lüdagunr next time, where can I find you? Still here?”  

“Yep, right here. Don’t let the mess fool you—all the stalls are fixed. I paid more, so I’m closer to the front. If you ever crave more, just look for this old pine tree.” Li Shuxia answered while tending to other customers.  

Seeing her busy, Song Shixi quickly followed up, “How much do you pay?”  

“Stalls further back go for ten or fifteen a month. Mine’s twenty.”  

Li Shuxia answered reflexively—when busy, people tend to let things slip. Only after speaking did she realize she’d revealed something important, but since it was just a student asking, she didn’t think much of it.  

The exchange seemed like casual chatter, but Song Shixi had already gathered all the information she wanted. After thanking her, she pulled Wu Qiuhong away.  

“You’re amazing.”  

Wu Qiuhong had stayed quiet the whole time, only daring to give Song Shixi a thumbs-up once they were farther away. With just a few words, she’d extracted all the details without the other party even realizing it—thinking it was just small talk.  

But had Song Shixi always been this smooth-tongued?  

Wu Qiuhong suddenly realized that in their previous brief interactions, she’d known almost nothing about Song Shixi.  

“Of course. What, are you smitten with me?” Song Shixi’s red lips curved as she tilted her head toward Wu Qiuhong, her beautiful eyes lifting slightly, shimmering with an indescribable, alluring charm.  

She unabashedly accepted the praise, leaving Wu Qiuhong—used to modesty and humility—both amused and exasperated. Yet, far from finding Song Shixi arrogant, she thought it was endearing and couldn’t help but smile.  

After browsing a little longer, Song Shixi casually asked someone for directions to the city inspection office and the local street administration. She headed to the inspection office first, only to learn that the stalls were managed by the street administration, so she made her way there next.  

After finding the right staff member and carefully inquiring about the details, she went ahead and paid ten yuan to rent a stall for a month.  

Unfortunately, Song Shixi would’ve preferred to pay less for just a few days, but the minimum rental period was a month.  

Wu Qiuhong watched in stunned silence. Ten yuan was over a month’s living expenses for her. She wanted to advise against it—if the clothes didn’t sell, the money would be completely wasted.  

But Song Shixi insisted she knew what she was doing and wouldn’t lose money. Seeing her confidence, Wu Qiuhong didn’t have the heart to dampen her spirits and stayed quiet.  

Once all the paperwork was done and she had her stall number, Song Shixi eagerly rushed off to check it out.