Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I didn’t see Chi Ye for an entire week.

He didn’t post anything on his Moments about where he was going to hang out either.

But after selling all the flowers, I made a net profit of 8,000 yuan!

If I spend it carefully, it’ll cover my living expenses for a long time.

That evening, just as I finished shaking a cup of milk tea, I saw an unread message.

Chi Ye had sent an address: “Starts tomorrow at 7:00 PM.”

I practically bolted upright from my bed.

Wait, was he actually inviting me?

[In one week-168 hours-Chi Ye checked his phone 325 times and clicked on Lin Ran’s chat box 217 times.]

[His gaze lingers on: You have added AAA No Temper, Only Fortune. You can now start chatting.]

[Internal Monologue: Didn’t she say she liked me? Why hasn’t she sent a single message?]

[He breathes a sigh of relief after sending the address: I’m not being proactive; I’m just giving her a chance to see me. After all, she loves me so much, she probably hasn’t been able to sleep all week thinking about me.]

[Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter in bed. You’re the one who can’t sleep, right?]

But I wasn’t laughing. Sisters in the Danmaku, you don’t understand.

This completely messed up my rhythm.

I had already found out where he was holding his birthday party.

A friend of mine was working there as a part-time server, and since she had a date, I was going to cover her shift.

Now that Chi Ye had invited me, not only was I losing my part-time wages, but I’d also have to spend money!

As a guest, how was I supposed to scavenge for leftovers and recyclables?

This is depressing!

The Danmaku must have seen my distress because they started comforting me:

[Little Sister, Chi Ye’s birthday party will have gift bags.]

[I heard they’re usually really expensive items. They’ll be easy to sell on Xianyu!]

[He gave out limited-edition figurines last year! They’re worth a fortune.]

My eyes lit up.

I started preparing as soon as I got up the next day.

I had already dried the roses that had been damaged last time.

I bought some flour and made flower cakes. Then, I bought a book and placed bookmarks made from the extra petals inside.

Including packaging, the total cost was 88 yuan.

Not bad.

I set off full of excitement, only to be stopped at the hotel entrance.

Damn that Chi Ye-he hadn’t given me an invitation card!

Just as I was about to send him a message to ask about it, Lin Wan walked up beside me.

She was wearing a light apricot dress with an exquisite clip in her hair.

I recognized the brand; even a simple clip like that cost over 2,000 yuan.

Just standing there, she looked like a graceful white swan.

Compared to her, in my white T-shirt and jeans, the contrast was brutal.

Lin Wan glanced at me sideways, the disdain in her eyes unconcealed. “What? You’re trying to sneak into Chi Ye’s birthday party too?”

“Give it up. You’re not even worthy of picking up the trash here.”

[I really want to punch this Lin Wan. Lin Ran is her sister, how can she be so vicious?]

[It’s all because the parents are biased. Lin Wan is decked out in designer brands and raised like a treasure, while our Little Sister gets 500 yuan a month for living expenses, like they’re tossing scraps to a beggar.]

[Enough, my heart aches for Lin Ran!]

Actually, there was nothing to feel sorry for. This was how I had lived all these years.

When I was six, both my parents lost their jobs. The family burden was heavy, so they sent me to my grandmother’s house in the countryside.

I only saw them once a year.

Later, when their situation improved, they still didn’t plan on bringing me back.

It wasn’t until I got into the best high school that they remembered they had another daughter and brought me home.

It was almost laughable-there wasn’t even a room for me in the house.

It was a three-bedroom apartment. My parents had the master bedroom, Lin Wan had the second bedroom, and the study had been cleared out specifically for her to practice dancing.

A single bed was haphazardly set up on the balcony; that was my “rest area.”

Fortunately, I stayed at school during my three years of high school and rarely went back.

They didn’t care about me, nor did they mind me. They only found out I had been accepted into University A when a teacher notified them.

That night, Lin Wan cried the whole time.

She called me a copycat, saying I specifically chose the same university as her just to spite her.

My parents scolded me for a long time, saying I hadn’t consulted them before submitting my applications. They called me headstrong and told me that since I was so capable, I should just support myself from now on.

I didn’t say a word. I just picked up my meager luggage and went back to the countryside.

At that time, a College Student Village Official was doing live streams to help farmers and was looking for an assistant. I helped out for two months and saved enough for my tuition.

My grandmother felt the injustice on my behalf and gave them a piece of her mind over the phone.

In exchange, my mother started sending me 500 yuan a month for living expenses once school started.

She said righteously, “Wanwan said 500 is enough. You’re both the same, so don’t go running to your grandmother to complain again!”

I found out later that 500 yuan was indeed Lin Wan’s official living allowance, but my mother would give her an extra 2,000 every month as pocket money.

I never went back again.

I worked part-time jobs to earn money and took good care of myself.

So, I wasn’t about to indulge Lin Wan now. I turned around and shot back, “You have a piece of chive stuck in your teeth.”

“Stay away from me. Your breath stinks.”

Lin Wan shut her mouth instantly.

Her face turned shades of purple and red.

[Lin Ran: Teaching you how to make a beauty blush in one minute.]

[Hahaha, that made me laugh for no reason.]

[Learned something new. I’ll use this next time I deal with the nasty green teas in my class.]

[That really is a ‘flavorful’ comeback.]