Come To Eat

The midterm exams lasted three days. Shen Ting, having calculated her scores in her mind, felt confident she could gain admission to her dream high school.

Fang Kelu also endured the three days of exams, but unlike Shen Ting's ease, she was drained. According to her, her brain had been overworked to the point of crashing, and she needed a complete shutdown to clear her memory.

After sleeping half a day, Fang Kelu called Shen Ting the next morning, and together, they went to the hospital to bring Fang Qin home.

Fang Qin's injuries had mostly healed long ago, but Fang Kelu insisted on keeping her in the hospital for longer, worried that her concussion hadn't fully recovered.

At the hospital, Fang Kelu went to handle the discharge paperwork while Shen Ting stayed with Fang Qin, helping her pack up everything.

Fang Qin bid farewell to her fellow patients, and together with Shen Ting, they carried their belongings to the ward's door. Just as Fang Kelu reached out to open it from the outside, Shen Ting pulled it open from within.

Fang Kelu's hand, mid-reach, awkwardly brushed toward Shen Ting's chest, but Shen Ting, quick as lightning, sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the embarrassing moment of being touched by another woman.

As Shen Ting moved aside, her view cleared, and behind Fang Kelu, she saw someone she never expected to encounter here.

Hong Xi, catching every nuance of Shen Ting's surprise, shifted his gaze slightly and smiled warmly at Fang Qin, who was quietly observing him. "Auntie, I'm a classmate of Fang Kelu's. I've been busy recently, so I haven't had the chance to visit you. I heard you were being discharged today, so I came to help carry your things."

Helping carry things? Shen Ting inwardly scoffed, eyeing the many gift boxes in his hands.

Fang Qin, usually a warm and hospitable woman, seemed uncharacteristically cold. With a calm expression, she nodded toward Hong Xi. "I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Why don't you join us for lunch at my home? You can tell me about how Fang Kelu is doing at school."

Hong Xi, oblivious to the slight tension, handed the gifts to Fang Kelu and responded cheerfully, "Of course."

Shen Ting's heart skipped a beat. Hong Xi coming to Fang's house for lunch meant she would have to interact with him face to face. She wasn't prepared to deal with her target yet. Holding a cup, a washbasin, and a towel, she tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.

But how could Hong Xi not notice her? After all, he was here precisely for her.

"Let me carry those," he said, and before Shen Ting could react, he had taken everything from her hands, holding one plastic bag in each hand.

Despite the menial task, he carried it off with effortless grace.

Shen Ting stood frozen for a moment before mumbling a shy "thank you." She avoided his gaze and hurried over to Fang Qin, offering her a light but tentative support as they walked out.

Back at the Fang residence, Fang Qin entertained Hong Xi in the living room while Shen Ting prepared the meal, with Fang Kelu assisting in the kitchen.

Fang Kelu, unusually quiet since earlier, seemed distracted. Shen Ting, noticing her absent-mindedness, covered the pot of simmering soup and approached to help with the vegetables.

"What's wrong? Not feeling well?" Shen Ting had spent enough time with Fang Kelu that she unconsciously considered her a friend, unrelated to her mission.

Fang Kelu had confided in her many times over the past few days, so she nodded out of habit, her voice heavy. "My mom hates that I mess around outside, but it's impossible to completely cut ties with that world. I'm so frustrated."

Shen Ting listened in silence, unsure of how to respond.

After spending this time with her, Shen Ting had learned bits and pieces about what Fang Kelu did on her late-night excursions.

Collecting protection fees, guarding territories for her boss, acting as a thug—these activities were quick ways to earn money, but they also came at a heavy cost.

Shen Ting didn't understand the intricacies of the underworld, but she knew well the weight of suspicion that came with rising to power.

From how the others treated Fang Kelu that day, it was clear she held a certain level of status in her circle.

High status often came with high seniority, and seniority meant knowing and possessing far more than the lower ranks.

Many unspeakable secrets were known by only a few, and Fang Kelu was most likely one of them.

"You saw how my mom treats my brother. You can tell how much she despises people in that world," Fang Kelu said bitterly, throwing the vegetables into the sink as the water splashed around. "Honestly, I hate that circle too, but it's like a swamp. Once you've stepped in, there's no way to leave without getting sucked under."

She didn't yet have the strength to protect Fang Qin, and leaving hastily would be reckless. Fang Kelu couldn't imagine what those maniacs might do if she abandoned them now.

Shen Ting remained quiet, unsure what to say. In her past life, her world was so small, reduced to the monotonous routine of renting an apartment and working at her company.

Only after her rebirth, when she got to know the Fang family, did Shen Ting realize that life wasn't just about the mundane, everyday tasks but also filled with struggles beyond one's control.

"You could slowly withdraw," Shen Ting offered, merely giving Fang Kelu a suggestion to consider.

"There are some things you can avoid participating in. If you're ruthless enough, you could even take a minor injury, make your boss think you're useless, a disposable pawn."

Discarded pieces are always abandoned. The process might be brutal, but the outcome was inevitable.

Fang Kelu shook her head. "I've thought of that long ago, but it won't work. People in the underworld aren't all just mindless brutes." The higher up they were, the more they had experienced, and the sharper their minds became.

Though only fifteen, Fang Kelu had already seen and dealt with enough to have the mindset of an adult.

Standing at the door for a while, Hong Xi finally stepped into the kitchen, sniffing the air with a look of longing. "What's in the pot? Smells amazing!"

When had he entered? Shen Ting instinctively glanced at Fang Kelu, only to see her calmly wiping her hands as she lifted the lid, revealing the simmering chicken soup inside. "Chicken soup. Just in time to be served. Help us bring it to the table."

Fang Kelu didn't seem the least bit concerned that Hong Xi had overheard their conversation. As Shen Ting ladled the soup into bowls, she couldn't help but wonder about the relationship between the two.

Fang Kelu called Hong Xi 'brother,' suggesting that their bond in the gang was closer than most. And from Hong Xi's evident care toward Fang Kelu, there was clearly an unspoken understanding between them.

Could they be romantically involved? Or perhaps one was harboring unspoken feelings, waiting for the right moment to confess?

The thought troubled Shen Ting. If they truly had that kind of relationship, she couldn't pursue Hong Xi as part of her mission.

Though it was only a task, it would still require personal involvement. Shen Ting boldly imagined that if she succeeded in winning over Hong Xi, and Fang Kelu had feelings for him, wouldn't that make her the other woman?

Such a situation must be avoided at all costs.

At the dinner table, Shen Ting sat across from Fang Qin, while Hong Xi and Fang Kelu faced each other. She quietly ate her meal, sneaking glances at Hong Xi and Fang Kelu, trying to discern the nature of their relationship from their subtle interactions.