Lunch was eaten beside the flower beds. Song An’an’s bento box was incredibly abundant, filled with golden fried shrimp—Liang Sheng’s absolute favorite. Just glancing at it had Liang Sheng swallowing hard, her mouth watering uncontrollably.
Song An’an spoke to her with the gentle attentiveness of a devoted wife. “A-Sheng, last time we went out to eat, I noticed you kept going for the fried shrimp, so I figured it was your favorite. I made some today for you to try. It’s probably not as good as what a restaurant chef whips up, so just make do with a bite or two.” Her words carried the perfect warmth of a wise and caring mother.
Liang Sheng quickly took a bite. A burst of fresh, savory flavor flooded her mouth and nose. It was crispy and crunchy as she chewed, and the golden batter hadn’t softened at all despite sitting out all morning.
With her mouth stuffed full, Liang Sheng couldn’t hold back her praise. “It’s so good, An’an! Even better than at the restaurant!”
“R-Really?” Song An’an’s eyes and mouth curved into delighted crescents, her face beaming with joy.
“You eat too!” Liang Sheng urged her between mouthfuls as she shoveled in more food. It felt awkward eating alone nonstop, especially with Song An’an smiling at her the whole time, watching every bite. It made Liang Sheng shift uncomfortably.
Song An’an nodded eagerly. “O-Okay!” She lowered her head and happily dug into her own portion, her heart swelling with bliss. Liang Sheng cares so much about me. I’m so happy.
Song An’an’s bento clearly wasn’t arranged with the same loving care as Liang Sheng’s. Sure, it had plenty of meat and vegetables inside, but they were tossed in haphazardly, scattered every which way.
After lunch, Liang Sheng sat chatting with Song An’an. Her playful banter soon had the other girl laughing heartily. Liang Sheng felt smug inside. See? I’m pretty good at charming girls too!
That evening after school, Liang Sheng got home and froze at the sight of an unfamiliar middle-aged man lounging on the sofa. Who was this guy?
The man spotted her and broke into a wide grin, crow’s feet crinkling at the corners of his eyes as he waved her over enthusiastically. “Come here, sweetie! Come to Daddy.”
Oh! So this was her original body’s father, Liang Wengao.
It had been days since transmigrating, and Liang Sheng had completely forgotten the original owner even had a dad.
Back in her old world, Liang Sheng had always been distant from her own father. After his affair and the divorce, he’d barely bothered to visit. The thought made her eyes droop, a shadow of sorrow flickering in her pupils despite her long lashes.
“What’s wrong, daughter? Why the long face? Who’s been picking on you?” Liang Wengao saw her looking so downcast and immediately assumed his precious girl had been bullied at school. He leaned forward, demanding answers.
He really was a top-tier daughter-doting dad through and through.
Liang Sheng snapped out of it and bounced over to him with a playful skip, plopping down beside him. In a coquettish whine, she said, “I just missed you, Dad~”
Liang Wengao burst out laughing. He ruffled her hair affectionately. “Hey, sweetie, is your allowance enough this month? Want me to transfer some more?”
Huh? Allowance? Liang Sheng had no clue what he was talking about. She tilted her head, staring at him in confusion.
Liang Wengao gave her a puzzled look in return. “You haven’t been using the money I sent to your Taobao account?”
Liang Sheng blanked for a second, then cleverly replied, “Dad, I forgot the Taobao password.”
“Aw, silly girl, why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Liang Wengao grumbled good-naturedly before rattling off the password.
Liang Sheng pulled out her phone, opened Taobao, and stared at the balance. Her fingers trembled. Was she… a rich girl now? The screen boldly displayed a string of digits: 5000. Liang Wengao then transferred another 500 yuan. Seeing her daze, he quickly explained, “It’s not that Dad doesn’t love spoiling you, sweetie. Kids shouldn’t get into the habit of splashing cash everywhere. Five thousand should tide you over for now. Once you’re older, I’ll bump it up to twenty thousand a month.”
What? Five thousand was “tiding over”? Liang Sheng’s hand shook slightly. Back then, her monthly living expenses after tuition had only been five hundred. Now, faced with this fortune, her emotions were a whirlwind—thrilled on one hand, regretful on the other that she hadn’t transmigrated sooner.
“It’s plenty, Dad! More than enough.” Liang Sheng clutched her phone to her chest in satisfaction. Hey, now I’m a rich girl too! Having a loaded dad is the best. Praise the era of relying on family wealth…
—— —— ——
Before she knew it, Friday evening had arrived. Liang Sheng felt like Song An’an had fattened her up over the week with all those lavish meals—fish and meat every day. It left her feeling a bit guilty.
Back home, she spotted her younger cousin Liang Jin perched on a dining chair. Liang Jin’s face lit up when she saw Liang Sheng, and she waved excitedly before scampering over. Breathless, she blurted, “Did Brother Su Ze say yes to meeting? You told him, right, Sister Liang Sheng?”
“Told him. When your sis handles something, you can rest a million percent assured!” Liang Sheng thumped her chest confidently, making bold promises.
“So, did he agree?”
“Of course! Who do you think your sis is? I’ve got connections for days.” Liang Sheng flopped onto the sofa with a grin.
Liang Jin spun in circles on the spot, bouncing with glee. She flashed a victory sign and yelled, “Yay!” Then she launched herself at Liang Sheng like an eagle snatching a chick, squeezing her in a bone-crushing hug.
“L-Let… go! Y-You’re… choking me… big bro!” Liang Sheng gasped, her words garbled.
She had every reason to suspect Liang Jin was taking advantage—their chests were pressed right up against each other.
Sure enough, once she let go, Liang Jin poked at Liang Sheng’s breasts with a finger. “Mmm, nice feel.”
Liang Sheng forced a stiff smile and lunged, grabbing a handful of Liang Jin’s chest fat. Liang Jin yelped, cheeks flushing bright red. “Let go already!”
Liang Sheng eyed her cousin, slowly releasing her grip. A sultry smile crept across her face as she admired her hand, savoring the moment. “Mmm… yeah, pretty nice feel.”
Now it was Liang Jin’s turn to blush furiously. She pounded lightly on Liang Sheng’s chest with tiny fists. “Sis, you’re so naughty! But I love it!” Liang Sheng burst out laughing. This little sis is such a riot. Like sister, like sister.
Once the horseplay died down, Liang Jin sat beside her, a touch of nerves creeping in. “Sister Liang Sheng, will you come with me tomorrow? I’m nervous going alone.”
“No way.” Liang Sheng flatly refused, stone-faced. “That’s your crush confession. Why drag me along?”
Liang Jin whined pitifully. “Pretty pleeease~ It’s the last favor ever! And it’s mutual with Brother Su Ze, not just my one-sided crush.”
Liang Sheng’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Fine, I’ll go. But what’s in it for me?”
Liang Jin shyly covered her mouth. “You can have my body… but not my heart.”
Liang Sheng: “…”
Why is she even more unhinged than me…?
“I’m not after your body as payment. I’ve got plenty of pretty girls around. Don’t need you.” Liang Sheng rolled her eyes, mimicking Miss Lu’s signature move.
“Ahem. What I want is this.” Liang Sheng rubbed her hands together greedily, staring at Liang Jin with longing.
“Huh?” Liang Jin looked utterly baffled.
“…”
Liang Sheng strongly suspected she was playing dumb.
To put it delicately, Liang Sheng plastered on a professional fake smile. “Money.” She enunciated it perfectly, crisp and clear.
“Huh? You’re short on cash?” Liang Jin shot back. “I heard you get five thousand in allowance a month. You’re not hurting for money.”
Liang Sheng shook her head emphatically. “Money’s like that—the more, the better. When you’ve got cash, anything’s possible. Everything costs money these days.” Total money-grubber.
“Sigh. Two hundred okay?”
“Two fifty. Makes it even.”
Liang Jin was speechless. “Two hundred’s plenty even! Rounder than two fifty!”
“Just pretend you’re calling me stupid with that two fifty and throw the cash in my face. Deal?”
Liang Jin threw up her hands in defeat. “Fine, fine.” And just like that, their shady little underground deal was sealed.
Before leaving, Liang Sheng reminded her nonstop. “Remember: tomorrow at eight, Art Garden Hotel. You’re paying.” Every third sentence was about money—Liang Sheng wore her love of wealth like a badge of honor.
Liang Sheng regretted the reminder.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, a banging on the window jolted Liang Sheng awake from deep sleep. Wait—why the window? She bolted upright and saw a massive face plastered against the glass.
“Holy shit! A ghost!” Liang Sheng nearly fainted from fright.
Peering closer, she realized the face bore some resemblance to her own. It was Liang Jin.
Liang Sheng was furious, her innards twisting in rage. She flung open the window and yelled down, “There’s a perfectly good door downstairs! Why climb up here like there’s no entrance? Planning to break in for a night assault?”
Liang Jin grinned sheepishly. “Nah, Sis. I got so excited about seeing my Su Ze that I couldn’t sleep. Woke up super early to come find you. Let me in!”
“Then why not use the door?”
“It’s too early. Didn’t wanna wake Uncle and Aunt.”
Liang Sheng hauled her inside, then leaned out to spot a towering ladder propped against the house. Speechless, she shut the window and headed back in.
The moment Liang Jin was through the door, she hustled Liang Sheng. “Sister Liang Sheng, get ready quick! Let’s go— I can’t wait anymore!”
Liang Sheng shot back, “You’re impatient, but Su Ze might not be. He could still be snoring away.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll go wait for him first.”
Liang Sheng sighed helplessly. “Sis, I’m your sis, okay? Look at the time—it’s only four a.m. The restaurant isn’t even open.”
Liang Jin pouted, mumbling under her breath. “But what do I do now? I’m so bored…”
“Sleep!” Liang Sheng threw an arm around her neck and tackled her onto the bed. Their faces ended up inches apart, Liang Sheng’s breath warm on Liang Jin’s skin.
Liang Jin’s cheeks tinted pink. Why does Sister Liang Sheng feel… different lately?
Ding~
“Liang Jin’s Favorability toward Liang Sheng: 65”
Liang Sheng drifted off in a haze, too sleepy to complain about why dragging Liang Jin to bed boosted her favorability.
