Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  Song Ci didn’t hide her plans from Han Zhan. She told him, “I’m thinking of a way to make money. I know a singer and intend to collaborate with him. I will compose for him and he will give me 20% of the profits.”

  Song Ci thought Han Zhan would ask her if the singer was male or female, but Han Zhan asked, “Are you very short of money?”

  “Mmm…… I am short of money.” Song Ci, who was short of money, was slightly shy.

  Han Zhan wanted to say that he could help her. But before he could say that, Han Zhan remembered that night by the side of the street, Song Ci had cried and confessed her feelings to him. In the end, Han Zhan decided not to interfere with Song Ci’s decision.

  Song Ci had her pride and he decided to respect her decision.

  “Alright, I’ll go to bed first.”

  “Okay.”

  In the morning, Song Ci went to the hospital again. She was relieved to see that Mother Li was recovering well. When she returned home in the afternoon, Song Ci logged into QQ again and received Liang Bo’s reply.

  Liang Bo: [Goddess, you are so awesome! I want to make it big with you!]

  Liang Bo: [But I am very curious, why did you choose me?]

  Liang Bo had already heard Song Ci’s arrangement, and it was excellent. He had repeated the song the entire morning and improvised on it just now. In just 15 minutes, he had filled in the lyrics for Song Ci’s arrangement.

  “In the past, you made me very happy. Now that I think about it, I feel very lonely. Love has turned me into the type of person I hate the most……” Liang Bo hummed the lyrics. Together with Song Ci’s melody, he felt that this song was going to be very popular.

  Song Ci stared at the second reply and smiled, before replying to Liang Bo: [I chose you because of your talent. What else did you think it was?]

  Liang Bo sent a shy emoticon. [Annoying, I thought you liked me.]

  Song Ci pursed her lips. She thought to herself that this guy indeed had a glib tongue.

  Song Ci: 18XXXX, this is my number. Call me if you need anything.

  \r \r \r

  Song Ci:[ I solemnly declare that I only love my Brother Han.] After sending the message, Song Ci logged off. She logged on to WeChat again and saw Mu Qiu’s update.

  She said: [I went to attend an old stranger’s funeral today. It was very quiet. No sorrowful sobs. No heart-wrenching nostalgia. Everyone bid farewell to the old man quietly as if they were chatting. I hope that after I die, no one will cry for me. I want to leave quietly.]

  Song Ci and Mu Qiu had several mutual good friends. She saw many people leaving messages to comfort Mu Qiu.

  Song Ci didn’t know what to say and pretended that she did not see it.

  The next day, Mu Qiu transferred all her savings to an educational charity organization. She picked five children who had no parents but were smart and eager to learn, saying that she was willing to use this money to fund their studies.

  Mu Qiu’s every move was being monitored by Long Yu. He told Song Ci all the information he had gathered over the past few days in detail, over the phone.

  After hearing Long Yu’s report and knowing that Mu Qiu had really used all her savings to help a stranger study, Song Ci’s suspicions deepened. What exactly caused Mu Qiu to become like this?

  Song Ci was puzzled.

  Half an hour after ending the call with Long Yu, the doorbell rang again. Through the surveillance camera, Song Ci saw the girl in pink outside the door and her expression turned guarded.

  What is Mu Qiu doing here? Song Ci hesitated for a long while before opening the door.

  Mu Qiu was holding a few bottles of beer. She walked in, raised the bottles, and said to Song Ci with a smile, “I heard Brother-in-law isn’t at home. Big sister, let me drink with you.”

  Both sisters knew how to drink. Last time in the Mu Family, under the starry sky during midsummer, the two sisters would also sit on the rooftop, drink beer bottles, and gossip about all sorts of things.

  Song Ci let Mu Qiu in.

  The two of them sat down on the floor in front of the French window. Song Ci looked at the bottles of beer and said, “I’ll make two side dishes?”

  Mu Qiu tucked her long hair behind her ear. “Okay.”

  Song Ci spent 20 minutes making cucumbers and stir-fried peanuts. She placed the dishes on a small table and sat down on the floor with Mu Qiu. Mu Qiu quickly opened the bottle cap and Song Ci warned her. “You are not suitable for drinking now.”

  Mu Qiu smiled in relief. “Every day counts. Big sister, let me live a happier life.”

  What else could Song Ci say?

  Mu Qiu took a sip of her drink and said, “School has reopened and my dormitory mate asked me why I didn’t go to school.” Mu Qiu had been staying at school during her school days, and only came home during the holidays. Her dormitory mate saw that her bed was empty and thought she had moved out this semester.

  Mu Qiu shrugged and mocked herself. “How can I reply? Tell them that I am going to die, so I don’t need to study anymore?”

  Song Ci frowned at her but didn’t respond to her mockery.

  Mu Qiu kept pouring the beer and finished three bottles very quickly, while Song Ci only finished one. Mu Qiu’s alcohol tolerance was not as good as Song Ci’s. After three bottles of beer, Mu Qiu’s mind was actually somewhat groggy, but she was still conscious.

  She hugged the bottle and tilted her head to look at Song Ci.

  The setting sun shone through the French window and hit Song Ci’s body. Her burgundy-colored short hair was covered in a layer of golden glow and her porcelain-white cheeks appeared even more exquisite and beautiful. Her tea-colored eyes were like a pair of pruning eyes and very beautiful. Even a girl like Mu Qiu would be charmed by them.

  “You’re always like this,” said Mu Qiu suddenly.

  Song Ci glanced sideways at her.

  Mu Qiu narrowed her eyes and said with a frown, “Song Ci has the beauty of a rose, but the lofty and unyielding character of a winter plum. She is bewitching and not to be belittled. She is truly a regal flower.”

  Song Ci sneered. “Who said that? It’s such an exaggeration.”

  Mu Qiu chuckled. “I had a crush on a senior in the past. He left this comment on your Weibo.”

  Song Ci was stunned.

  Mu Qiu reached out and stroked Song Ci’s face, eyes, nose, and mouth. In the end, that hand pinched hard on Song Ci’s cheek. “Do you know how much I hate this face of yours?”

  Song Ci slapped Mu Qiu’s hand away and smiled coldly. “I know now.”

  Mu Qiu shook her head.

  She put down the bottle, leaned over, and hugged Song Ci. From afar, the two of them looked like sisters.

  Mu Qiu said to Song Ci, “I hate you, Song Ci. From the first day you entered my house at the age of 13, I already hated you. Before you came, everyone praised me. They said I was smart and sensible and I would definitely make my parents proud in the future. But the moment you came, I became your accessory.”

  “I am pretty, but I am not as pretty as you.”

  “Song Ci, why did you come to my house?”

  Why did I go to her house?

  I was there to be her heart supply! Song Ci felt very disgusted. She answered Mu Qiu expressionlessly. “You have to ask your father. He was the one who brought me back to the Mu Family.”

  Mu Qiu was so angry that she cried. Her tears landed on Song Ci’s shoulders and drenched her dress.

  After a long while, Mu Qiu released Song Ci’s body. She looked at Song Ci’s beautiful face with teary eyes and complained, “Why didn’t you die in that earthquake?”

  They had completely fallen out.