CH 2

Under her desk, Lu Bao Bao was fiddling with her phone with one hand. She had received it for her sixteenth birthday—a rhinestone encrusted pink mobile phone that truly reflected who she was. 

Even from her seat, Jiang Se could see a portion of the phone’s display, and at that precise moment, she noticed the following news headline: ‘In Europe, several luxury sports cars were involved in a car chase with local police the night before. Although yet unverified, the drivers are suspected to be Chinese.’

The first photo was a close-up of the familiar white sports car aggressively speeding down the road. Captured by satellite, the photo was magnified to the maximum, and on the hood of the car, an indistinct shadow could be barely seen. Only upon a closer look did it become obvious to readers that it was a custom-made logo depicting only two words.

Pei Yi, Jiang Se inwardly thought. She almost blurted out the two words, but she refrained at the last second. 

Lu Bao Bao’s hand shook in surprise when she realized that Jiang Se was looking at her phone and showing obvious interest in the news report. She shot a quick glance at the English teacher in front before she carefully shifted sideways in her seat and moved closer to Jiang Se.

“Se Se, did you see it, too? The leading headline!” Lu Bao Bao whispered; she was very interested in this piece of news and could not help but scoot closer to Jiang Se’s side. “The news said that the drivers could be from our country! I wonder how rich those people are…”

Although Jiang Se was still staring at her phone, she never uttered a reply. Undeterred, Lu Bao Bao continued to babble as she nudged her with her elbow and said, “Hey Se Se, who do you think they are? Hmm… I wonder if they are some family’s rich kid; you know, those heirs and heiresses like on TV!”

Lu Bao Bao pointed at the photo of the white sports car with her pen and lightly tapped the screen. “I did some research last night, and the internet said this car is at least worth this number!” Lu Bao Bao then put her pen down and gestured with her hands, “50 million yuan!”

Jiang Se did not respond, but in her head, she refuted, Definitely more than that.

Not only was the logo custom-made but the whole car itself was specially designed and constructed with the best materials available. It was one of a kind, with an unparalleled appearance and performance, along with an equally unmatched price.

“Right, remember last year’s ‘Feast of Kings?’” Lu Bao Bao’s eyes grew wide as she tried to recall the shocking scandal that erupted in the entertainment circle a year ago.

“Do you think that there’s a pretty model, actress, or famous idol sitting inside those cars? I heard the ridiculously wealthy like to play with luxury cars a lot, then afterwards they play around with women next!”

“Hush!” Jiang Se warned Lu Bao Bao. The furious whispers of Lu Bao Bao had already been noticed by the English teacher, and she had already thrown us a warning look.

Lu Bao Bao ducked her head and hunched her body low. She did not want to be caught at all. Crap, did I get caught? Please don’t call me!

Although the lure of gossip was tempting, she could only frown and pout as she listlessly shoved her phone back under her desk. She slid back to the center of her chair, sat up, and then continued to ‘pay attention’ to the lessons.

However, even though Lu Bao Bao had quieted down and did not dare to say another word, it did not mean that she had forgotten about it.

Riing!

Lu Bao Bao pulled Jiang Se close to her as soon as she heard the bell ring and immediately brought out her phone from beneath her desk. Excited, she swiftly skimmed through the news reports and searched for more information about those luxury cars.

“Anyone who can afford a car of that price level should be quite capable, no? So, whoever is sitting in the passenger seat should be either a first-line or second-line celebrity! I remember that the ‘Feast of Kings’ party last year on that luxury yacht was said to be full of wealthy and powerful people! There were also rumors that A-list actors and singers were in attendance, too!”

Jiang Se closed her eyes briefly in resignation and said, “Has your dad mentioned yet that he regretted buying you that phone?”

Lu Bao Bao did not even raise her head as she replied with a careless wave of her hand, “You’re so silly! Of course, he doesn’t know!”

The photos on the news website were similar to the ones reported last night. There were numerous images of the high-end vehicles taken from every angle, along with descriptions and details about each one. Lu Bao Bao’s interest had reached a new peak as she sat there fascinated by what she was reading.

Jiang Se was quiet for a moment, and then she muttered, “That place should be near Bordeaux.”

“Huh? What? What do you mean, Bo…err…” Lu Bao Bao asked, her eyes wide with confusion as she stared at Jiang Se, “Where is that?”

As she observed Lu Bao Bao’s bewildered expression, Jiang Se calmly replied, “Bordeaux, France. They’re very well known for producing really good wine.”

“Ah!” Lu Bao Bao sat up straight and exclaimed, patting the table with her hand. “That place!”

Jiang Se was amused by Lu Bao Bao’s reaction, but her amusement was short-lived as the words ‘Bordeaux and wine’ had already brought her back to memories of ‘before’.  

Jiang Se sighed to herself while she sat there half-listening to Lu Bao Bao and her chattering. Her mind could not help but think about Pei Yi.

Pei Yi was the great grandson of her grandfather’s most senior commander. He was also the beloved child of the Pei family.

When she first arrived in China, her grandfather brought her to visit the Pei family to thank them for their help with his move from Hong Kong and to introduce her to their family. It was then that she first met with the young and boisterous Pei Yi.

Feng Nan was 5 years older than Pei Yi, but even with the marginally big age difference, ever since they were first introduced, their relationship had remained quite close. Since Pei Yi was younger than her, she had grown to love him as a younger brother. Both of them always got along well, showing exceptional tolerance and understanding toward each other.

However, puzzlingly, about a month ago, Pei Yi suddenly started a quarrel with her out of nowhere. They had a verbal disagreement that quickly devolved into shouting, after which he immediately left for France, bringing all of his friends with him.

She knew that Pei Yi had his own manor in France, and he had mentioned several times that he bought a piece of land, a vineyard, two years ago with his own savings. Pei Yi had been looking forward to taking her there for a tour and had already made extensive plans to go this autumn, just in time to harvest the grapes as well as celebrate his successful ‘venture’. Unfortunately, that trip would be forever postponed. Feng Nan had woken up in this body and had become Jiang Se.

When her thoughts reached there, Jiang Se’s mood became downcast. Her smile faded, and a confused and dazed expression settled on her face.

It was not the first time that they had quarreled. He was, after all, the darling of the Pei family and had been spoiled and showered with love and adoration since he was a child. It came as no surprise that he grew up arrogant and a little rebellious, sometimes even incorrigible, and Feng Nan was the only girl who had ever gotten close to him.

Pei Yi was not only the eldest child of his generation but also the most doted upon. A running joke in the Pei family was that his overbearing nature only needed an older sister to hold him in check—and for a long time, Feng Nan fit that role perfectly.

On the day they quarreled, Feng Nan and the heir of Jiang Hua Corporation had just finished their dinner date, and he was driving her back to her house when Pei Yi appeared and started a disagreement with her.

His behavior that day really came as a surprise to her. Although Pei Yi was a little unruly and sometimes brash, he had never once been that impolite, nor had she ever seen him that angry.

That was the first time since they had known each other that Pei Yi left without even looking back after an argument.

“Hello? What are you thinking about?” Lu Bao Bao asked, playfully bumping into Jiang Se with her shoulder. “You’ve been holding that English book for several minutes now.”

She had spoken so much that her mouth had gone dry and her voice was a little hoarse,  only to find out that Jiang Se had not been paying attention at all. It was only when she looked up from her mobile phone that she realized Se Se was staring off into space again.

“Did you listen to me at all?” Lu Bao Bao demanded, her brows furrowing.

Jiang Se shook her head in reply and said, “Never mind. There’s only a minute or two left before the next class. We have math next; better be careful or you’re going to get caught with your phone out.”

Lu Bao Bao pouted at her, and stuck her tongue out, then she hurriedly turned her phone off and placed it in her pocket. Glancing at the door, she reached out and flipped through the books under her desk, looking through them idly. Suddenly she raised her head and looked at Jiang Se, saying, “I wonder, who could that person be?”

Jiang Se had no intention of taking heed of her seatmate’s obsession. She no longer knew which rumor she was obsessing over now. She was still troubled by her own issues.

Even setting aside the quarrel with Pei Yi, it’s not like she can do anything about it right now anyway, after becoming Jiang Se, she found that other than being pretty and a few years younger than her original age, Jiang Se had little to no advantages.

When she woke up as Jiang Se, her face was partially swollen. It was only later, through Du Hong Hong’s taunts and veiled insults, that she found out Du Chang Qun had slapped her in the face for talking back to him. That one slap had immediately caused ‘Jiang Se’ to faint and consequently sleep for a whole day.

‘Jiang Se’ was a child from a previous marriage in the Du household, a very awkward identity. Not a single person liked her in the family, not even her mother. So, when she came to, she inherited a terrible mess.

College exams were coming soon, and from Du Chang Qun’s ‘hints’ in the morning, there was no way he would be willing to pay for her studies, nor was he obligated to. If she wanted to get a higher education, then she needed to quickly think of a way to earn some money that could cover her college expenses.

Jiang Se turned over the pages of her math book on her desk, looking through the subjects covered this year. The school year was about to end, and yet Jiang Se’s books still looked about 80% new. There were no notes or annotations; the pages were as clean as the day it was purchased. Jiang Se sighed. 

Lu Bao Bao was apparently amused by her actions as she laughed gaily at her side, “Oh honey, it’s too late for that now, plus I’ve got something more important to tell you. Remember that movie ‘Operation Rescue’ I told you about? The one that is supposed to be filming this Saturday? I heard they’re going to be filming at the Shen Farms! I want to go!”

“If you want to go, then go.” Jiang Se answered nonchalantly.

Lu Bao Bao immediately pounced, holding onto Jiang Se’s arm with her two hands, her body nearly crowding her on her seat as she pouted with a pleading voice, “But, but Se Se! I can’t!”

Jiang Se used her other hand to push Lu Bao Bao’s face away, successfully preventing her from crowding her off the edge of her chair.

“Se Se! The college exams are a few days away, and my dad has been on my case lately. He keeps hounding me to study and review. You’ve got to save me!” Lu Bao Bao entreated as she looked pleadingly at Jiang Se.

“You should go and beg your mother then,” Jiang Se answered bluntly, mildly entertained by Lu Bao Bao’s dramatic display.

Lu Bao Bao sat up straight on her seat and held Jiang Se’s arm even more firmly. “No, no! That won’t do. Umm… How about this? Se Se! Why don’t you come to my house this Saturday and look for me. Yeah, that’s it! You come to my house and I’ll tell my dad I’ll be going to the library with you to study for the exams. He will definitely agree to that. Yes! That’s what we’ll do. You can then accompany me to the Shen Farms!”

Lu Bao Bao looked eagerly at Jiang Se, but her friend’s pretty face remained unmoved. A little frustrated, she immediately tried to think of something else to say to convince her.