Wen Ying stared at the six-digit number Xie Qian sent, nearly boring a hole through her phone screen.
It looked more and more like a bank card PIN.
But why would Xie Qian quietly slip a bank card into a workbook and then send her the PIN? What did it mean?
Was he suggesting she use the card freely in Shanghai? Pfft, what was she thinking, fantasizing about getting something for nothing, being “kept” by her idol?
Wen Ying mentally scolded herself.
People are often hypocritical. If someone else had given her a card, she’d feel insulted. But because it was Xie Qian, she found herself making excuses for him. “Is this the bank card PIN? Are you asking me to buy something for you?”
Xie Qian’s reply came much later, when Wen Ying and Chen Ru were already in a taxi.
He said he wanted to send gifts to his cousin Lin Lin and his mother Zou Weijun, and Wen Ying could use the card to buy them, trusting her taste.
Of course, with Shanghai’s high prices, if Wen Ying’s pocket money wasn’t enough and she wanted to buy something, she could use the card too.
It sounded like Xie Qian was asking her to shop for gifts, almost like paying her for the effort.
Buy anything?
Without even a price range, Wen Ying found the task daunting.
How much money was in Xie Qian’s card, with such a casual tone?
Wen Ying was about to text him again when Chen Ru glanced over. “Your phone’s been buzzing non-stop. Who’s sending all these messages? Do you text like this during class?”
Wen Ying slipped the phone into her pocket. “It’s Li Mengjiao and the others asking if I’ve reached Shanghai. I turn my phone off during class. Try calling me during school hours if you don’t believe me.”
It was Chen Ru’s first time in Shanghai. As they drove from the airport to the city, the urban splendor gradually unfolded.
Rongcheng was the top city in the southwest, but being inland, how could it compare to Shanghai’s cosmopolitan glamour, thriving since the Republic era? Wen Ying put away her phone to chat with Chen Ru, occasionally pointing out landmarks through the car window. Even the taxi driver remarked that the girl knew a lot, not seeming like a first-time visitor.
Wen Ying smiled shyly. “I didn’t want to seem clueless, so I did some research before coming.”
This route was one she’d traveled countless times in her past life. Exhausted from flights, she could still drive from the airport to her place with her eyes half-closed, it was so familiar.
Her first visit in her past life wasn’t in 2005 but 2013.
If the whole country was developing rapidly in the 21st century, Shanghai’s pace was even faster. From 2005 to 2013, eight years made a huge difference. The Shanghai of now was vastly different from the one in Wen Ying’s memories. Initially, she’d been distracting Chen Ru, but soon, the familiar yet unfamiliar scenery outside the window captivated her.
Skyscrapers were yet to rise, each holding countless opportunities for wealth.
Wen Ying resolved to be thriftier from now on, to buy back the river-view apartment she’d lost due to her rebirth. If possible, with low prices and no purchase limits, she’d buy several properties in Shanghai for a degree of financial freedom. This would give her flexibility to pursue her goals without slaving away for high housing costs, allowing her to address past regrets more calmly. But no, that would only secure her own modest comfort. Someone with a few Shanghai properties might be envied by 2019’s struggling workers, but to change Xie Qian’s tragic fate, she wouldn’t even have a voice.
She still hadn’t figured out who Xie Qian’s enemies were, though they were likely tied to Xie Jinghu’s romantic entanglements.
By 2019, that “Boss Zhuo” was running Jinhu Real Estate. Hoarding a few properties now wouldn’t let her compete with a real estate company’s head.
Wen Ying touched the bank card in her pocket, wondering about its balance.
Besides gifts for Zou Weijun and Lin Lin, how could Xie Qian forget his uncle in Beijing?
Uncle Xie had secured 2% of Jinhu Group’s shares for Xie Qian, a move that must’ve pained Xie Jinghu, that scoundrel.
Such an ally deserved Xie Qian’s attention.
Wen Ying knew better than anyone that even parent-child bonds needed nurturing—her changing relationship with her parents this lifetime proved it—let alone an uncle-nephew bond.
No matter how much Uncle Xie cared for Xie Qian, if Xie Qian only took without giving back, their bond could fade, especially since Xie Qian wasn’t in Beijing to see him often.
Xie Qian, upright and noble, wouldn’t deliberately curry favor with his uncle, but Wen Ying didn’t mind. She saw Uncle Xie as a key client who could influence Xie Qian’s fate. If Xie Qian overlooked details, she’d handle them for him—that’s what true friends do.
She just hoped Xie Qian’s card had a hefty balance.
Lost in her thoughts, the taxi arrived at the hotel.
The New Concept Composition Contest semifinals were held at Shanghai’s Third Girls’ High School, not far from the airport. Chen Ru took Wen Ying to check in at the organizers’ designated hotel.
The hotel was near the school, convenient for contestants, though staying there wasn’t mandatory.
The organizers covered round-trip train tickets, not accommodation. Contestants could arrive in Shanghai whenever and choose their own hotels.
Many, however, stayed at the designated hotel.
Networking mattered in any circle. Staying here allowed contestants to meet others and was close to the venue—why go elsewhere?
Chen Ru had called ahead to reserve a room, and they headed straight there after landing.
A sign in the lobby read “New Concept Contest Check-In.” The lounge sofas were filled with small groups of semifinalists.
The contest had three groups: Group A for graduating seniors and second-year high schoolers, Group B for first-year high schoolers and middle schoolers like Wen Ying, and Group C for young people under 30, excluding students.
Thus, Wen Ying saw a mix of contestants in the lobby—mature-looking young adults who’d left school and younger, innocent-looking middle schoolers.
Song Chan had arrived earlier and was coming downstairs, chatting and laughing with a few female contestants, already mingling comfortably.
Seeing Wen Ying, Song Chan only nodded, not leaving her group to greet her.
Chen Ru, finishing check-in, noticed. “Someone you know?”
“A second-year senior, also in the semifinals. Looks like she got here before us.”
The semifinals were tomorrow. Chen Ru thought arriving today was early enough, with a night’s rest before the competition. But now she realized today was late—some contestants had arrived days ago, likely meeting other participants and maybe even the judges privately.
What a misstep. She shouldn’t have skimped on costs or leave, arriving days earlier like others.
At least they should’ve left Friday night. Weekends were free from school and work, giving them time to network in Shanghai.
Realizing Wen Ying might lag behind others and miss the first-place prize tied to score reductions, Chen Ru felt a weight on her chest, losing all interest in a leisurely trip.
Wen Ying, not privy to Chen Ru’s thoughts, couldn’t understand why her mother seemed upset after check-in. Even after settling into their room, Chen Ru remained glum.
Puzzled, Wen Ying saw Chen Ru, thinking of tomorrow’s competition and not wanting to distract her, suppress her frustration and pull out the New Concept book series for Wen Ying to cram.
Wen Ying couldn’t say the books were useless. Sensing Chen Ru’s anxiety, she dutifully stayed in the room to study.
Qin Jiao and Wang Shuang, in Shanghai for an exchange program, were about to head home. Qin Xianming had kept Mrs. Qin’s injury from his children, and Qin Jiao still didn’t know. The exchange was meant to shield Qin Jiao from Yu Wenhao’s counterattack, but since she was here, Qin Xianming wanted her to make the most of the half-month. Before Wen Ying left for Shanghai, Qin Xianming had warned her not to let it slip.
Knowing Wen Ying was competing, Qin Jiao and Wang Shuang were thrilled and got permission from their exchange program leader to visit her.
“Mum, Qin Jiao and the others are here. Can I go down?” Wen Ying asked.
It was nearly dinner time, and Chen Ru, realizing anxiety was pointless, didn’t stop her. “Eat at the hotel. Don’t run off with them. You’ve got the semifinals tomorrow.”
Though Wen Ying’s grades were better than Wang Shuang’s, Chen Ru knew Wen Ying’s future prospects couldn’t compare. The Wang family’s wealth meant Wang Shuang could study abroad if she didn’t ace the entrance exam. Qin Jiao, with her stellar grades, could pick any top university, possibly even with direct admission.
Qin Jiao and Wang Shuang had secure futures, but Wen Ying’s hinged on this contest for a shot at a top university. Chen Ru feared Wen Ying would get too excited with them, eating out and risking an upset stomach.
Wen Ying wasn’t a real kid with a wild streak. She knew Chen Ru was right and promised to eat only at the hotel restaurant with Qin Jiao and Wang Shuang.
Chen Ru didn’t join them. She had a college classmate who’d been assigned to work in Shanghai after graduation. They’d kept in touch but hadn’t met since starting families. Since she was in Shanghai, Chen Ru wanted to catch up with her old friend.
