Chapter 123: High School Classmate

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: High School Classmate

Wu Ying’s injuries would take a long time to heal. By the time she recovered, Deng Yuyuan’s own business would be up and running.

"When the time comes, you can just have her work for you while you happily sit back and act as a hands-off boss," the AI chimed in. "Just hold on a little longer and you’ll make it through. You can do this, Deng Xiaoyuan!"

Deng Yuyuan grumbled resentfully, "If you hadn’t told me Wu Ying was a business prodigy, I wouldn’t be so bummed out about not being able to employ a capable assistant right away. I’d still be happily taking the kid to see the doctor."

Wu Ying quietly watched Deng Yuyuan space out until a voice called out from afar, drawing closer.

"Bai Ying!"

She instinctively shivered and looked toward the source of the voice. It was a former high school classmate of hers.

"Bai Ying, what happened to your foot?" The classmate hopped over on one leg. "I sprained my ankle. I’m so glad to see you here! Wait, no, no, I’m not glad to see you here, but I’m really glad to see you. I got into college! Are you going back to school this year? Our homeroom teacher was really bummed you didn’t take the college entrance exam, especially since you had the best grades in our whole school."

As the girl chattered away, a smile spread across Wu Ying’s face. It wasn’t the weary, faint smile of someone who had weathered life’s hardships, but the unguarded, naturally sincere grin of a student running into a friend. "I changed my surname back to my original one, so I’m Wu Ying now. Sister Xiao Yuan, this is my high school desk mate!"

"Alright, Wu Ying. I’ve missed you so much! After you dropped out, I had no idea where you went. Everyone missed you," the classmate said, looking at Deng Yuyuan in amazement before generously praising her. "Wow, your sister is so pretty!"

"Thank you," Deng Yuyuan replied, her eyes curving into happy crescents. "Once Xiao Ying recovers from her injuries, she’ll be going back to school."

"Yay! I knew it. I told them something must have happened to Xiao Ying. Some of the annoying boys in our class said they saw you selling tea on the street instead of going to school, claiming you’d given up on yourself. They’re so mean."

Wu Ying’s heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her eyelashes.

Deng Yuyuan smoothly took over the conversation with a bright smile. "That was my fault. I run a tea stall, and sometimes I ask Xiao Ying to help me keep an eye on it."

The classmate nodded in sudden realization. "So you were just helping out your family! Xiao Ying, you’re amazing."

"Yeah," Wu Ying softly replied. When she looked toward Deng Yuyuan, her eyes were filled with unmistakable admiration and affection.

Deng Yuyuan showed the classmate Wu Ying’s ward number and invited her to come visit whenever she had free time. She suggested keeping it a secret from the other classmates for now, as Wu Ying still lacked energy and chatting with her "best desk mate" was plenty.

The phrase "best desk mate" easily won the girl over.

After the two youngsters said their goodbyes, Deng Yuyuan took Wu Ying to see the doctor and escorted her to her ward. She told Wu Ying not to worry about meals—she would have someone deliver food and would drop by to visit regularly.

"Why are you being so good to me?" Wu Ying asked.

"Probably because I happen to have fifty thousand on hand," Deng Yuyuan said. "Losing a bit of money is harmless to me, but it can completely change a young person’s life for the better. This is an incredibly worthwhile deal—so worthwhile that even if I’m not the one benefiting, I’m still willing to do it."

"If you really feel uneasy about it, just focus on resting and recovering here. Toss everything else to the back of your mind for now," Deng Yuyuan added, patting Wu Ying’s head.

Wu Ying couldn’t help but narrow her eyes, savoring the warm touch on her head. She really liked the physical contact with Deng Yuyuan; it felt as though all that care and concern was being transferred through the warmth.

"You look just like a little kitten," Deng Yuyuan said, reaching out to scratch Wu Ying under the chin, much to the girl’s astonishment.

"Note: At 09:45:16 AM on XX/XX/19XX, Deng Yuyuan referred to someone as a little kitten for the second time, the first being Deng Wangshu," the AI recorded.

Deng Yuyuan sheepishly withdrew her hand, said her goodbyes to Wu Ying, and walked out of the ward.

Wu Ying stared blankly at Deng Yuyuan’s retreating back. A subconscious smile graced her face, though she didn’t even realize it herself. Her chaotic mind finally began to work, sorting through the series of events that had unfolded since last night.

No one had ever stayed by her side to watch over her for an entire night. Furthermore... recalling the scene she saw when she opened her eyes this morning, Wu Ying’s face flushed slightly. Her feet had been so dirty, yet Sister Xiao Yuan was still willing to stay close and sleep next to her all night.

Was this the rainbow after the storm? The heavens must have taken pity on her, allowing her to meet such an incredibly kindhearted person.

Even if Deng Yuyuan were to back out later, Wu Ying would always remember her kindness. This fleeting moment of affection was enough to engrave itself into her heart forever. She still had two thousand yuan in savings. When she found the right time, she would give it all to Sister Xiao Yuan. Although it couldn’t compare to the medical expenses Sister Xiao Yuan had paid for her, it was absolutely everything she had.

After leaving the ward, Deng Yuyuan soon bumped into Wu Ying’s high school classmate, who was leaning on crutches and waiting by the roadside.

Upon seeing Deng Yuyuan, the girl hurriedly shoved a bag into her hands. "This is the leftover money I brought with me today. Use it all for Wu Ying’s medical bills... Just, could you please stay with her a little longer? Don’t casually abandon her again."

Deng Yuyuan handed the money back to her and made a solemn promise. "I won’t abandon her. I’ll always be standing behind her, supporting her through her treatment and paying for her schooling. Thank you for coming to say hi to Xiao Ying today. Her mood improved significantly after seeing you.

"Keep your money safe and spend it on yourself, or save it for when you come hang out with Xiao Ying. I’m truly happy to have met a good friend who Xiao Ying cares so deeply about. They say appearance reflects the heart, and since I look this pretty, I must be a wonderfully good person who keeps her word."

The classmate was amused by Deng Yuyuan’s teasing. "Your pretty face makes a very convincing point, sister!"

The two chatted idly for a bit longer before parting ways. As Deng Yuyuan watched the high schooler leave, her expression instantly darkened.

As the saying goes, there is no story without a coincidence. With the exact same surname, there was a ninety-nine percent chance that Wu Ying was the adopted daughter who had been kicked out by the Bai Family. Furthermore, there was an equally high chance that she was actually the Bai Family’s biological daughter all along.

"The author of this book has a really twisted sense of humor," Deng Yuyuan complained to the AI customer service. "If it’s a girl, it’s a ’fake and real heiress’ trope. If it’s a boy, he gets kidnapped."

"Aside from personal tastes, it also has to do with the traditional mindset of this era," the AI replied. "If a girl goes missing, they just bring in a substitute to raise for peace of mind. If a boy goes missing, they will definitely search high and low to find him, so it has to be a kidnapping case. The possibility of a ’fake and real heir’ trope exists, but it’s low. If he’s one of the few male juniors in the family, he would be guarded like the apple of their eye from birth. How could he ever be switched at birth?

"Of course, if the Wei Family lost their youngest daughter, it would probably just be a kidnapping case too. Different people always hold different views."

"Aren’t there any kindhearted people who help lost children find their way home?" Deng Yuyuan sighed helplessly, proposing a much more positive, uplifting trajectory for the story.

"There are, there are, Player. But this is a melodramatic novel, not a collection of good deeds," the AI answered.