Sudden Incident

As Shen Ting entered the classroom, she noticed the entire back row was vacant. With only two minutes left until morning self-study, the boys hadn't yet arrived. Shen Ting smirked to herself, guessing they were either being lectured on moral conduct in the office or, more likely, enduring their parents' wrath at home, perhaps even receiving a few slaps for good measure.

Glancing over at the instigator, Zhang Lan sat uneasily at her desk, pretending to read a book. Though trying to appear composed, her anxious expression betrayed her. No matter how calculating one might be, at heart she was still a child, fraught with fear, likely praying the boys wouldn't expose her involvement.

But how could they not?

Midway through the self-study period, Yan Ge strode over with a stern face and called Zhang Lan outside. As she left, Zhang Lan shot a venomous glare at Shen Ting, who continued to sit calmly, engrossed in her book, as though unaware of the unfolding events.

The matter of the class monitor encouraging classmates to bully others was no trivial affair. Given the upcoming exams, the school opted for leniency: each boy was tasked with writing a 3,000-word self-reflection, while Zhang Lan was assigned 5,000. And just like that, the issue was resolved.

Shen Ting couldn't help but find the punishment laughable. Clearly, some powerful parent had pulled strings to suppress the scandal. In any ordinary school, a class monitor who engaged in such behavior would face serious consequences—at the very least, probation, if not outright expulsion.

But here? A few meaningless apologies and written reflections, and the case was closed. The irony was palpable.

Despite the absurdity, Shen Ting was helpless. She was entirely on her own now, without parental support, and had to fend for herself. Raising a complaint or demanding justice was out of the question.

The only silver lining was that after this incident, Zhang Lan no longer dared to provoke Shen Ting. Perhaps she realized that this girl, once a timid outcast who never fought back, was no longer so easily bullied. It was best to stay away.

The peace around Shen Ting gradually returned. She remained a quiet, unnoticed presence in the class, focused on her studies, and heading home alone after school.

Two weeks before the exams, something happened at the Fang household that abruptly pulled Shen Ting out of her intense study routine.

One morning, while shopping for groceries, Fang Qin was dragged into an alley by a group of masked women. They attacked her viciously, leaving several deep gashes on her arms from a knife, her body battered and bleeding profusely.

When Shen Ting returned home after school that day, she immediately sensed something was wrong. By this time, Fang Qin was usually at home, either cooking or watching television. But today, she was conspicuously absent. Fang Qin had no close friends in the neighborhood, so where could she have gone?

After waiting anxiously for half an hour, a growing sense of unease gnawed at Shen Ting. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

Finally, unable to ignore the dread any longer, she put down her books and went out to search for Fang Qin. After combing through the streets, she found her, dazed and bloodied, collapsed in a narrow alley.

The lights outside the operating room glowed brightly as Shen Ting sat in the hospital corridor, waiting. Fang Keluo paced back and forth in front of her, her nerves on edge. After what seemed like the hundredth lap, she angrily kicked a chair, venting her frustration, before sitting down heavily next to Shen Ting.

"When you found my mother, there was really no one else around?" Fang Keluo's voice was so cold, it sent a chill through Shen Ting's heart.

Shen Ting shook her head. "When I arrived, Aunt Fang was already lying on the ground. Besides a knife nearby, there was nothing else."

Fang Keluo clenched her jaw in fury. "Where's the knife?"

Shen Ting pulled the weapon from her pocket, carefully wrapped in cloth, and handed it over. "Don't touch it with your hands. Bring it to the police for fingerprint analysis. That way, they can catch the culprit."

The punishment for assault causing injury ranged from three years in prison for minor injuries to over ten years for more serious offenses.

Fang Keluo stared coldly at the knife, silently running through the list of people in her mind who might use such a weapon.

An hour later, the operating room light flickered off. The doctor stepped out, pulling off his mask, his brow furrowing slightly as he glanced at Fang Keluo, clearly disapproving of her shocking attire.

Fang Keluo was on the verge of shouting at him in frustration, but bit her tongue, knowing he had just saved her mother's life.

Shen Ting asked the doctor calmly, "Doctor, how is my aunt? Are her injuries severe? Any internal damage?"

The doctor, observing the two girls who were certainly not easy on the eyes, sighed and replied in a flat, procedural tone, "The patient is out of danger. Mild concussion, and the arm wounds aren't too deep. She'll need rest during her hospital stay—no spicy food. You can visit her shortly, but please refrain from making noise. She needs peace and quiet."

Fang Keluo shot him a piercing look, which only made the doctor frown more deeply. Shen Ting nudged Fang Keluo, knowing it wouldn't help to antagonize him further.

In the hospital room, Fang Qin lay on the bed, her arm heavily stitched. Fang Keluo stood beside her, staring silently. As the reality of it all sank in, she crouched down by the bedside, clutching her mother's hand, and began to cry. Tears fell steadily onto the bed, silent witnesses to her helplessness and failure to protect her.

Shen Ting quietly slipped out, leaving mother and daughter in their small, private world.

Not long after emerging from the bathroom, Shen Ting's mind was suddenly interrupted by the familiar sound of the system's voice.

[Fang Keluo's affection for the host has increased by 20 points. Max score: 100. Host, please continue your efforts. ]

Shen Ting was momentarily taken aback. This was the first time since the mission began that Fang Keluo had shown any favorable impression of her. Could it be because she had saved Fang Qin?

It seemed so.

After asking the nurses to keep a close eye on Fang Qin, Shen Ting and Fang Keluo returned home to fetch some essentials. On the way, Fang Keluo awkwardly muttered a thank you.

Once she had said it, Fang Keluo seemed visibly relieved, and even added that if it weren't for Shen Ting, the outcome could have been disastrous.

Shen Ting replied, "Aunt Fang has always been kind to me. Helping her was the least I could do."

The moment she finished speaking, the system chimed in again—another 5 points of affection gained.

Sensing she had hit upon the right approach, Shen Ting continued praising Fang Qin. By the time they reached home, the affection score had risen to nearly 40.

After gathering some toiletries and other necessities, Fang Keluo hurried back to the hospital, leaving Shen Ting with a parting instruction: lock the doors and don't answer if anyone knocked during the night.

With about twenty days left until her mission deadline, Shen Ting could feel Fang Keluo's attitude toward her softening significantly. Perhaps, after this ordeal, they could even become friends.

Flipping through the greyed-out squares on the system panel, Shen Ting couldn't help but wonder which one would light up once she had earned enough points, and what sort of miraculous beauty enhancements they would unlock.