SBAB Chapter 22

Shang Xiaoxia was trying to tell Wu Lian something complicated to say. Originally, Wu Lian had only invited the four members of her dormitory, but her restless curiosity led her to ask Wu Lian for an extra favor. Given her casual acquaintance with Wu Lian, she knew it wasn’t right to trouble him over such a personal matter. Therefore, if Wu Lian asked for anything in return, Shang Xiaoxia was determined not to refuse.

Surprisingly, Wu Lian’s response was far from what she expected. Unlike the shrewd businessman impression he had left during their first meeting, Wu Lian generously replied, “Bring as many people as you like, as long as it makes you happy.”

Seeing his response, Shang Xiaoxia felt even more embarrassed. It was like being that annoying guest at a wedding who contributed only $100 to the gift fund but showed up with seven or eight extra people to crash the party. Yet, the host greeted her warmly, saying, “As long as you’re happy.” That kind of graciousness felt even more painful than being asked to pay for the extra guests.

As she shifted uncomfortably in the soft, luxurious leather seat, Shang Xiaoxia suddenly thought: If Wu Lian had asked me to pay, I probably wouldn’t even have the money.

Wu Lian, as if reading her mind, casually suggested, “Why don’t you keep me company for a chat? It’s a bit boring while we wait.”

Relieved, Shang Xiaoxia felt her guilt ease. “Sure,” she replied quickly. “What should we talk about?”

“Hmm… how about the extra person you brought?” Wu Lian typed back.

In truth, when Cheng Shiyin stepped into the car, Wu Lian had already pulled up her entire background using the vehicle’s interior cameras and big data analysis. He only mentioned it to give Shang Xiaoxia something to talk about. When Shang Xiaoxia complained, “Why does this feel like the beginning of a ghost story?” Wu Lian smoothly changed the subject, asking her to tell him a scary ghost tale instead.

While Shang Xiaoxia wracked her brain for a decent ghost story, the others had already forgotten their earlier awkwardness and were playing around in the car like elementary school kids on a field trip. After all, Wu Lian had provided plenty of snacks and fruit for them to enjoy.

He Xiangtong, once she started eating, had no interest in anything else, entirely focused on the imported snacks she cradled in her arms. Zhang Yun, known for her bad temper, restrained herself today, knowing Wu Lian was footing the bill, and stuffed her mouth with food to avoid saying anything rude to their host.

Lin Xin, for reasons he couldn’t explain, suddenly felt a craving to join He Xiangtong in her feast when he saw her pig-like eating style. His stomach growled audibly, but with Cheng Shiyin sitting nearby, he forced himself to endure his hunger, unwilling to leave a gluttonous impression on her. Instead, he turned to glance at what Cheng Shiyin was doing.

As it turned out, the car had been driving for quite some time, and Cheng Shiyin, who had been dragged out of bed earlier to bring Lin Xin his shoes, was already dozing off. Each time the car hit a bump, her head knocked against the window with a loud “thud.”

Lin Xin cautiously placed a hand between her head and the window and gently guided her head onto his shoulder. Only when Cheng Shiyin was fully leaning against him did he let out a long breath of relief. He raised a finger to his lips to signal his dormmates to quiet down, hoping they wouldn’t disturb her peaceful sleep. Of course, he also secretly wished she would stay on his shoulder just a little longer to fulfill a small wish he’d had that morning.

Unfortunately, his mischievous dormmates weren’t about to give him that chance.

Before Lin Xin could even finish his “shh,” Zhang Yun was already gearing up to flick Cheng Shiyin’s forehead and pin the blame on him. However, just as Zhang Yun stood up, Lin Xin had already braced himself, shielding the sleeping Cheng Shiyin completely and raising his free hand defensively, ready to counter any attack. Seeing that she had lost the upper hand, Zhang Yun lost interest and closed her eyes to rest instead.

Before long, only Shang Xiaoxia, engrossed in her ghost story, was still awake. She glanced at her sleeping companions, then at the time displayed on her phone. It had been a full hour and a half since they got in the car. If not for the fact that the collective worth of everyone in their group couldn’t compare to the price of one of this car’s tires, Shang Xiaoxia might have seriously entertained the idea that they were being trafficked.

She leaned toward the driver, dressed in a butler’s uniform, and whispered, “Excuse me, could you tell me how much longer until we reach our destination?”

The driver kept his eyes on the road and replied apologetically without turning his head, “My apologies, miss. You should take a nap as well. The old estate is quite far from the city center. You’ll likely wake up naturally when we’re almost there.”

Hearing this, Shang Xiaoxia suddenly felt drowsy. She sent Wu Lian, who was still reading her ongoing ghost story titled The Green Skull, a message saying “To be continued,” before joining her companions in slumber.

When she woke up again, it was to the driver gently reminding them it was time to get off.

Being the first to board the car, Shang Xiaoxia was naturally the last to step out. Once outside, she found her dormmates standing like a wall in front of her, ignoring her entirely. Curiously, she circled them, only to realize she too was about to become part of this wall of stunned disbelief.

“Is this… the modern city we live in?!” everyone gasped.

Surrounding them was a lush, verdant forest, untouched and primal, while a wide, smooth asphalt road stretched before them. However, everything was enclosed by iron fences, a clear sign that it all belonged to someone’s private property. And that someone was none other than Wu Lian—the president of the culinary club, who had once run a maid café for extra cash during the school festival.

“Wu Lian, Wu Lian,” someone muttered in awe. “Did you get all this wealth through corruption or embezzlement?”