Chapter 37: Pt.1

Xu Chuanchuan stood aside like a log of wood as she listened to the conversation between Murong Shi and Xu Xiangxiang.

Murong Shi said, "My alma mater is next door to your school."

Xu Xiangxiang asked, "You mean Nanjing University?"

Murong Shi nodded, "Mhm."

Clapping her hands excitedly, Xu Xiangxiang exclaimed, "Wow! You're amazing, Big Sis Shishi! You graduated from a famous university!"

Murong Shi smiled but didn't say anything.

While feeling speechless over Xu Xiangxiang's behavior, Xu Chuanchuan couldn't help but send a look of admiration to Murong Shi.

Nanjing University was the best university in S City, ranking within the top ten in the country. Although Xu Chuanchuan knew that Murong Shi was very capable of teaching others a lesson, she never thought Murong Shi would also be incredibly competent in her studies.

"Big Sis Shishi, I'm awful at studying. Can you give me some tips on how I can improve my results?" Xu Xiangxiang asked with an eager look.

In response, Murong Shi asked, "What year are you in now?"

"I'm a freshman."

At this time, Xu Chuanchuan interjected, "She failed two classes in her first semester. Her academic performance is a mess."

Upon being ratted out, Xu Xiangxiang glared at her elder sister in dissatisfaction.

After taking a look at Xu Chuanchuan, Murong Shi returned her gaze to Xu Xiangxiang and said in a serious tone, "Your first year is the time where you should be building a foundation for yourself. You will have to put in an adequate amount of time and effort to build a sturdy foundation. If your mind isn't focused on your studies, any talk about getting a good grade is meaningless. What do you think?"

Xu Xiangxiang fell into a daze for a moment and subconsciously nodded when faced with Murong Shi's slender eyes.

Seeing that the two of them had finally finished their tea, Xu Chuanchuan offered to wash the tea set. Although Xu Xiangxiang tried to slack off, Xu Chuanchuan had dragged her out of the office by the ear.

"Sis, do you think Big Sis Shishi was hinting something at me just now?"

Although it was already off-hours, the walls had ears. After closing the door to the restroom, Xu Chuanchuan pinched Xu Xiangxiang's arm and said, "If not for her, I would still be unaware of what you've done."

Xu Xiangxiang hissed in pain when Xu Chuanchuan pinched her. But when she heard her elder sister's words, her eyes brightened as she asked, "Big Sis Shishi also watches my live streams?"

Rolling her eyes at her little sister, Xu Chuanchuan said, "Do you think everyone is as free as you?"

Pouting, Xu Xiangxiang said, "I can earn money by live streaming. Can you stop being so prejudiced, sis?"

Xu Chuanchuan couldn't help but have the urge to pinch Xu Xiangxiang again. She then said, "If mom and dad learn that you're doing nonsense like this instead of studying properly, we'll see how they deal with you."

Her expression twisting, Xu Xiangxiang pleaded, "Don't! Dad will kill me!"

However, Xu Chuanchuan couldn't be bothered to pay attention to her little sister's pleading.

…

Xu Chuanchuan hailed a taxi for safety's sake when they started making their way to her rented apartment. It took less than ten minutes to complete the trip by car. However, the closer Xu Chuanchuan got to her rented apartment, the more anxious she became.

Noticing Xu Chuanchuan's condition, Xu Xiangxiang patted her elder sister's shoulder and confidently said, "Sis, don't be afraid, I'm here with you. I even brought a tool for self-defense."

Xu Chuanchuan looked at her little sister suspiciously and asked, "What tool?"

In response, Xu Xiangxiang unzipped her duffel bag and revealed a sharp fruit knife she had secretly brought with her.

Upon seeing the knife, Xu Chuanchuan hurriedly held down Xu Xiangxiang's hands and said in horror, "D-Don't mess around!"

However, instead of backing down, Xu Xiangxiang snarled and revealed a ferocious appearance. She then said in a sinister tone, "I will only attack if I'm attacked. If that pervert dares to mess around, I'll stab him!"

Xu Chuanchuan gulped nervously, unsure of what she should say in this situation.

At this time, the taxi driver asked, "Is it this place?"

Looking around, Xu Chuanchuan found that they've already arrived at their destination. She then hastily said, "It's here. Stop the car."

While Xu Chuanchuan was paying the taxi fare, Xu Xiangxiang leaned forward. She then smiled sweetly at the driver and said, "Big Brother Driver, a pervert might be targeting us. We're not sure if he's in the area right now. Can you wait until we are inside our house before driving away? If that person sees that there are other people nearby, he won't dare approach us."

Upon hearing these words, the driver turned around and looked at the two sisters. Maybe because he could not resist Xu Xiangxiang's sweet assault, he decisively said, "Okay, you two be careful, then. I'll watch the area for you."

"Thank you! Big Brother Driver, you're so cool!"

Xu Chuanchuan gaped at Xu Xiangxiang's actions. If it were up to her, she definitely couldn't put on such a cute act.

After several seconds had gone by, Xu Chuanchuan snapped out of her daze and thanked the taxi driver. She then dragged Xu Xiangxiang out of the car.

Xu Xiangxiang held her duffel bag tightly in her arms. She also extended one hand into the bag and grabbed the hilt of the fruit knife.

Meanwhile, Xu Chuanchuan searched for her keys while warily looking at her surroundings for any movement.

The two sisters' hearts furiously thumped as they crossed the short distance between the taxi and Xu Chuanchuan's rented apartment.

However, even after they had reached the door, the lecherous man still didn't show up. Xu Chuanchuan sighed in relief at this situation and quickly unlocked the door.

Fortunately, the taxi driver was a righteous person, and he had kept his car parked by the roadside throughout this time. Xu Chuanchuan felt grateful to the man, and she waved at him, signaling that he could leave now.

Once the taxi driver drove away, Xu Chuanchuan hurriedly grabbed Xu Xiangxiang, who was still in a defensive state, into the house. She then closed the door with a bang and locked it.

Tossing her bag onto the bed, Xu Xiangxiang said with a pleased look, "See? With me around, that pervert won't dare to show his face. You should've told me about this matter sooner."

Xu Chuanchuan didn't follow up with Xu Xiangxiang's words. While it was good news that they didn't encounter the lecherous man this time, she dared not take her chances. She might've had good luck today, but what about in the future?

When Xu Chuanchuan recalled what Murong Shi and that police officer had said to her, she felt that she should seriously consider moving to a new place.

"Sis, I'm hungry," Xu Xiangxiang said as she laid on the bed, rubbing her stomach.

Xu Chuanchuan was also hungry. After a brief discussion, they decided to call for delivery.

While eating, Xu Chuanchuan saw that Xu Xiangxiang was constantly fiddling with her phone, so she asked, "Don't tell me you plan to do a live stream here today?"

In a regretful tone, Xu Xiangxiang said, "Today's a rare day that I don't have any classes. I was originally planning to do a live stream, but seeing how afraid you are, I decided to accompany you instead."

"..." Xu Chuanchuan felt aggrieved when she thought about how she was the elder of the two of them. "Are you not afraid at all?"

Nonchalantly, Xu Xiangxiang said, "It's two against one. What's there to be afraid of?"

"What if it's a gang?"

Xu Xiangxiang's expression stiffened, and panic started appearing on her face. "Don't scare me."

Xu Chuanchuan sighed.

After finishing dinner, Xu Chuanchuan gave her landlord a call and told her about her situation. However, the landlord was helpless about the problem as well, and she only warned Xu Chuanchuan to keep her door locked and not go outside for no good reason.

With neither the police nor her landlord being of any help, Xu Chuanchuan was at her wit's end. With no better avenue available, she visited 58.com and started searching for nearby properties to rent.

However, even after searching for some time, she failed to find a suitable house. The ones located in good neighborhoods were usually shared apartments, and Xu Chuanchuan was against the idea of living with two or three strangers under the same roof.

At this time, Xu Xiangxiang suggested, "You might as well buy your own house."

Looking at her little sister with an indifferent expression, Xu Chuanchuan asked, "Do you know how much down payment is needed to buy a house in the city?"

After pondering for a moment, Xu Xiangxiang boldly said, "A cheap one should be around 500,000 only, right?"

"Only?" Xu Chuanchuan's mouth twitched at Xu Xiangxiang's words.

Xu Chuanchuan currently had around 300,000 saved up in her bank. If she were to buy a 100-square-meter house, she would already have enough for the down payment, though she would still need to save up another 100,000 for the renovation costs. Of course, she had no intention of telling Xu Xiangxiang about this. There was no point for her to do so, anyway.

Giggling, Xu Xiangxiang said, "I previously thought 500,000 was a lot of money as well, but after I started live streaming, I realized that this is an insignificant amount of money. Do you know, sis? Some rich tycoons can give several hundred thousand to a female streamer without blinking. Those women truly are enviable. If someone can give me that kind of money as well, I'd even be willing to marry him."

Xu Chuanchuan started to worry when she saw Xu Xiangxiang's expression of envy. She was well aware that her little sister had very little self-control and could not resist temptation.

While shaking Xu Xiangxiang's shoulders vehemently, Xu Chuanchuan yelled, "Stop daydreaming!"

"It's almost nighttime, okay?" Xu Xiangxiang said as she pushed her elder sister's hands away. "Also, I'm not dreaming. Many people like me. There are even tycoons who are willing to donate to me."

Leaning closer to Xu Xiangxiang, Xu Chuanchuan asked, "Have you done anything unseemly?"

"What?"

"Stop acting cute with me. Don't think that I don't know anything just because I don't watch live streams. I know that some female streamers will even send nudes to tycoons who've given them a lot of money. Heck, some are even willing to spend the night."

Upon hearing Xu Chuanchuan's words, Xu Xiangxiang shouted exaggeratedly, "How can I possibly do such a thing?! Sis, you've gone too far!"

"I didn't say it was you; why are you getting so worked up? I'm only warning you. Money doesn't grow on trees, and rich people aren't idiots. It's best if you know your place when making money."

"I know, I know. You're so nosy. Talking to you is so tiring," Xu Xiangxiang said. She then hid in the bathroom to avoid further interrogation.

Seeing this, Xu Chuanchuan started silently tidying up the food boxes.

At this time, Xu Xiangxiang's voice came out of the bathroom, saying, "It's so hot. Sis, I'm going to take a shower."

Xu Chuanchuan then reminded her, "You didn't even bring a change of clothes."

"I'll reuse what I'm wearing."

Now that Xu Chuanchuan had sated her stomach, she laid down on the bed and resumed searching for a new house to rent. However, before she could do so, she received a new message on QQ.

Ange: "Did you encounter the pervert today?"

Xu Chuanchuan: "Thankfully, no. My little sister also came to keep me company."

Ange: "It still isn't safe with just two women. Why don't you move to a new place?"

Xu Chuanchuan: "I just so happened to be looking for one, but I can't find any single rooms. I don't want to share a place with strangers, either."

Ange: "Come to my place, then. You can take your pick from my three vacant rooms. My neighborhood has 24-hour security as well. It's perfectly safe here."

Xu Chuanchuan: "You live too far away… How am I supposed to go to work?"

Ange: "Resign. You've made a lot of money through writing, anyway. That job of yours is negligible by now."

Xu Chuanchuan fell into deep thought.

She was a very insecure person. She tended to be overcautious and indecisive when making big decisions. Although she was currently making a lot of money through her writing, nobody could guarantee that she could keep on writing forever. And if the day arrived where she could no longer make a living through her writing, what would she do to survive?

Sometimes, Xu Chuanchuan wished she could be like Ange. Not only was Ange a talented writer, but she had even risen to fame at a young age.

Until this day, Ange was the first and only yuri author in the country to have ever sold the film rights of her books. Moreover, it wasn't just the rights to one book, but five instead. She had instantly become a wealthy woman because of this transaction.

Unfortunately, there was no point for Xu Chuanchuan to envy Ange. Xu Chuanchuan was well aware of her own limitations. Fortunately, she had a good mindset and wasn't greedy.

Let's just take things one step at a time.

TL Notes:

[1]58.com: This is a site in China that provides services for various industries such as real estate, tourism, law, and education. You can also hire all sorts of professional help through the site.