Chapter 40: Transfer

"……"

Shu Shu fell silent, instantly in her heart labeling Pei Muyin as that sort of pitiful child who, despite a good family background, is neglected because her parents are busy with business.

"So, sister, can I treat you to a meal?" Pei Muyin asked again, her chubby fingers nervously twisting together: "Shall we go to that place from yesterday, or just the three of us, okay?"

As she said that, she glanced at Shu Lingchen beside her.

Shu Lingchen startled, not expecting to be included; he turned his head to look at Shu Shu, awaiting her opinion.

The girl's eyes were wet, full of pleading as she looked over; it seemed that if Shu Shu refused her, her gaze would instantly dim, and Shu Shu felt she could not find the words to refuse.

She agreed.

Pei Muyin jumped up with joy.

The atmosphere of the meal remained pleasant; Pei Muyin relished this comfort, unwilling to end it, and even wanted to prolong the meal by ordering extra dishes.

Stopped by Shu Shu's amused laugh, she thought, this child must have been terribly lonely to behave this way—it really tugs at the heart.

At parting, she told Pei Muyin, "Skipping class is not good behavior; being out alone is also unsafe, so you'd better head home early."

After thinking, she continued, "Well, if you want to come hang out with me, you can come during vacation."

Pei Muyin lowered her gaze.

She did not want to go back, did not want to return to that oppressive house, nor to that school where she could only come and go alone.

After just two meals, she had already developed a strong dependence on Sister Musi.

"Can I really come see you again later?"

"Of course." Shu Shu raised her phone: "We just added each other on WeChat, didn't we?"

Pei Muyin nodded, but her spirits still wouldn't rise.

Suddenly, she caught sight of the school emblem on Shu Shu's uniform chest in her peripheral vision; not knowing what she thought of, her eyes brightened slightly as she asked, "Sister, what's the name of your school?"

"Anshi Disan Zhongxue."

Shu Shu didn't think much of it, assuming Pei Muyin asked the question simply to make it easier to find her.

"……"

After parting with Shu Shu, Pei Muyin still did not return to Jing Shi; for these two days she has been staying in a nearby five-star hotel.

Evening.

After washing up, Pei Muyin recalled Sister Musi's school.

Anshi Disan Zhongxue.

Afterwards, she picked up her phone and scrolled to a contact in the list with extremely low interaction frequency.

The contact was labeled: Dad.

Pei Muyin opened the message box, her finger pausing, gathering courage as she typed out a text character by character, then sent it—

"Dad, I want to transfer to Anshi Disan Zhongxue."

Pei Muyin thought simply; she just wanted to be closer to Sister Musi.

After sending the message, half an hour passed, then an hour, then three hours, and still no reply came by the time Pei Muyin leaned against the headboard and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning.

Pei Muyin woke up; it was eight o'clock.

She found her phone under the covers, unlocked it, and saw a new message from the contact labeled Dad.

Pei Muyin tapped into it.

The other party sent an admission procedures notice.

The deadline is before seven o'clock tomorrow morning.

— her transfer to attend classes at Anshi Disan Zhongxue had been arranged.

Overjoyed, Pei Muyin shrunk the notification picture, swiped the screen down, and saw a blank space.

Besides the notice, Dad didn't say another word.

Pei Muyin unconsciously swiped the screen up again; in fact, her previous messages with Dad were also scarce, almost all being the same cold monthly living allowance notifications.

And the usual warm greetings and casual chats between father and daughter were entirely absent.

The prospect of studying at the same school as Sister Musi made Pei Muyin overly happy.

She had originally intended to reply to Dad with a thank-you message, but stopped halfway through typing.

Recalling her grandmother's frequent admonition that Dad's work was especially busy and she should not bother him over trifles, she thus never dared to initiate a message to Dad except for important matters.

And Dad had never initiated a message to her either.

Perhaps Dad also appreciated the peace brought by her tactfulness.

Thinking this, Pei Muyin silently exited the chat with "Dad".

That day.

When the bell rang for the last morning class, students swarmed toward the cafeteria.

Shu Lingchen and Bo Luo Zai, along with a group of others, linked arms and chatted gossip at the front.

"Brother Chen, yesterday Class (1) got another transfer student, supposedly a Jing Shi resident, super rich family, being picked up and dropped off in some ludicrously named 'old death' luxury car." Bo Luo Zai said while complaining, "What kind of car is called 'old death'—such a ridiculous name, who would even buy it? Hahaha."

"It's called Rolls-Royce, you big idiot!" someone beside them rolled their eyes: "If you don't know, don't spout nonsense."

Several people burst into laughter.

Shu Lingchen also joined in the snickering.

Bo Luo Zai was so angry he wanted to go beat that person.

Shu Shu walked slowly behind, watching them roughhouse, when suddenly she heard a familiar voice sound from behind.

Calling out — "Sister Musi."

Shu Shu paused, immediately turned her head, thinking she was mistaken, but she actually saw little Musi.

"Musi jiejie."

Pei Muyin walked through the crowd and went up to Shu Shu.

Shu Shu was startled: "How could you be here?"

The school shouldn't easily let outsiders in.

"I came here to attend class," Pei Muyin said softly: "Sister, I transferred, I transferred to An Shi San Zhong."

Shu Shu looked surprised: "Transfer?"

It hasn't even been two days since the last meal, and Xiao Musi has already become a student of San Zhong?!

She suddenly understood, looking at Pei Muyin: "Just now Shu Lingchen they said yesterday's transfer student from Jing Shi, is that you?"

"Mmm." Pei Muyin's tender peach-blossom eyes curved, looking extremely happy: "Sister, from now on we can see each other every day."

Shu Shu suddenly had a bold guess: "... You wouldn't have transferred just for this, would you?" Just to be able to see her every day?

Pei Muyin gave a slight embarrassed nod.

"..." Shu Shu laughed helplessly, not knowing whether to say her own charm was great or Xiao Musi was willful: "Your family just so easily agreed to your transfer?"

Transferring from Jing Shi this far is troublesome.

She "came back" and got a new identity, in order to transfer as quickly as possible to the same school and class as Shu Lingchen, she directly donated a library building without blinking.

Money can make the ghost push the mill.

Hearing Shu Shu's question, Pei Muyin was silent for two seconds, lowered her eyes and answered: "My family only wants me to be safe and quiet, not to disturb them normally; these small matters, they don't care."

Hearing Shu Shu's question, Pei Muyin fell silent for two seconds, lowered eyes and answered: "My family only wants me to be quiet and not disturb them in daily life; these little things, they don't care about."