Chapter 24

However, the pair of eyes that had scared Qiao An half to death just rolled around once, then stopped looking at her. They opened their mouth and chomped down on something with an "ao wu."
The sound of chewing was terrifying in the darkness.
Qiao An swallowed hard, taking a moment to realize, was this person Gu Ting?
What the hell?
Was he really hungry? So he was secretly eating here?
Although she didn’t know what had happened to Gu Ting, in the storyline, he wasn’t actually a true fool, he had just shut off the path connecting him to the outside world. Once that path opened, his super high IQ would quickly help him integrate with the world.
But for now, he was still in a state that couldn’t be understood with normal logic.
Qiao An turned on the light and, sure enough, saw a young man in light blue pajamas happily eating a bright red tomato he held in his hands.
His peach-blossom eyes were slightly narrowed, as if he was enjoying the food immensely, the corners of his eyes tilted upward, and the corners of his lips stained with red tomato juice.
He looked pure yet carried a hint of allure.
Qiao An’s gaze involuntarily drifted toward the exposed collar of his shirt. He was crouching with his knees drawn up, the collar slightly open, revealing delicate and beautiful collarbones.
With an accidental glance upward, she could even see his prominent Adam’s apple.
Ugh!
Qiao An shook off the indecent thoughts in her mind, rubbed her eyes, opened the refrigerator, and took out eggs, tomatoes, and noodles.
The soundproofing in this house was quite good, so under normal circumstances, no one could hear much.
At any rate, the security system was comprehensive.
With a click, the stove ignited. The young man, who had been nibbling on a tomato like a little hamster, stiffened, his peach-blossom eyes widening slightly as he watched Qiao An’s movements.
Qiao An smiled at him, but he shrank back, withdrawing his gaze again.
When she started frying the eggs, his gaze returned, almost tangible, Qiao An could clearly feel it.
Since he didn’t want her looking at him, she stopped and quietly focused on cooking the noodles.
Tomato and egg noodles were the simplest dish.
And they were nutritious and delicious.
To make this, she needed to blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, peel off the outer skin, chop them finely, and stir-fry them in the pan until they turned pulpy.
Just at this step, the not-so-small kitchen was already filled with a faint, sweet-and-sour aroma.
Qiao An felt his gaze shift, as if rising higher.
By the time she added the noodles and seasoned them lightly, she heard an honest gulp from beside her.
It seemed he had been hungry for a while.
Qiao An was speechless. She remembered that this person always ate very little, and much of the food was almost untouched when it came back.
Well, almost, because occasionally, she could see that a tiny bit had been eaten.
Xu Hui was in charge of the kitchen and had once quietly complained to Qiao An about Gu Ting’s unpredictable appetite, worrying that he might starve himself into trouble.
But when they actually offered him food, he refused to eat.
The original host had even secretly gone to watch him eat, only to be pushed away by him in resistance. She fell, and in her shame and anger, never dared to approach him again.
She hadn’t made much, just a small bowl, with broth and an egg. When the food was placed in front of Gu Ting, his hands were still dirty, his eyes filled with longing. But when it actually appeared before him, his eyes widened even more.
As if he couldn’t believe that this food was meant for him.
Qiao An pursed her lips and gently pushed the bowl forward with a gentle expression.
Confirming it was for him, Gu Ting’s astonished expression visibly faded, replaced by an impassive look, though his eyes were noticeably brighter than before. Was this his way of showing he was in a good mood?
He was about to reach for it but noticed his dirty hands, so he immediately turned to the sink, washed them, dried them, and then cupped the bowl with both hands.
The bowl was hot. At first, Qiao An was reluctant to let go, but he lifted it and took it directly.
Then, still crouching in place, he narrowed his eyes slightly, sniffed the food in front of him, and began to eat slowly.
Because he was crouching, his ankles were exposed, clearly showing how thin he was. An unhealthy paleness was evident on his skin.
Qiao An leaned against the wall, watching him. He paid no attention to her, eating on his own.
Her eyes held a trace of confusion.
Wasn’t Gu Ting eating just fine now?
Then why had he refused to eat the food sent to him before?
Qiao An didn't think it was about the food itself. Though she considered her cooking skills decent, having run a food blogger account on Weibo during her university days in her previous life, she knew she couldn't compare to professional chefs when it came to flavor.
Even Xu Hui had apprenticed under masters, especially since there was more than one chef in the kitchen. There was no way she could be outdone by Qiao An in this regard.
But this Gu Ting in front of her was eating with clear enjoyment. Though he remained curled up as before, holding a small bowl and looking somewhat pitiful, his entire being radiated happiness, and he subtly rubbed his back against something.
In that fleeting moment, Qiao An almost wondered if there was a tail wagging behind his butt.

Only Qiao An's family stayed to rest at the old mansion.
So when Xu Hui discovered the next morning that the kitchen had been used, she wasn't the least bit surprised. After all, it could only have been one of the few people there, and Grandpa Gu wouldn't mind such trivial matters.
By the time Qiao An woke up again, her fever had completely subsided, leaving her refreshed and clear-headed. At a little past seven in the morning, her alarm went off, and she hurriedly got up to get ready for school.
As she was about to get in the car, Qiao An casually glanced back.
On the second floor, right by the floor-to-ceiling window facing the main gate, a young man was crouched. The window reflected the light, making it hard to see his expression clearly, but she had a vague sense that he was squinting as he basked in the sun.
Perhaps because of their late-night snack camaraderie, Gu Ting keenly noticed her gaze. Unlike before when he would ignore her, this time he stared back at her for a solid three seconds before looking away.
Qiao An was amused by his reaction and got into the car with a smile still lingering on her lips.
The old mansion was quite far from No. 1 High School, nearly an hour by public transport, but only over twenty minutes by car. Qiao An saw no reason to give up the privilege the original host had secured for her, so she comfortably took the Gu family's private car.
The girl wasn't particularly tall, standing at just 158 cm.
However, she had good proportions and could make even simple jeans look stylish.
As soon as she got out of the car, she attracted quite a few glances.
Qiao An remained composed.
But after taking just two steps, she heard someone call out loudly, "Qiao An!"
When she didn't stop immediately, the girl urgently shouted, "Qiao An, wait for me!"
Upon hearing the first call, Qiao An had already determined it wasn't Lei Xiao, which was why she hadn't stopped. Now that she was directly addressed, she hesitated for a moment but decided not to keep walking. She then saw a girl with a purple streak in her bangs run up to her.
The girl raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile on her face as she looked Qiao An up and down, and said, "Qiao An, everyone's been saying the past couple days that your parents are servants for other people. Is that true?"
Qiao An glanced at her. This was Dou Xinlan, a classmate who had always disliked the original owner, though they hadn’t had any major conflicts. But seeing the obvious ill intent in her expression now, Qiao An had no interest in letting her watch the show. She nodded curtly, “Yes.”
Dou Xinlan’s smile stiffened, clearly caught off guard by the response. But she quickly pressed on, “Then why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“Are we that close?” Qiao An replied indifferently.
Then she quickened her pace.
Left behind, Dou Xinlan’s face turned pale with anger. A few girls who had come to school with her and had just been abandoned approached, surprised to see her like this. “Weren’t we here to watch her make a fool of herself? Why does it look like you’re the one who’s upset?”
Dou Xinlan stared blankly at her friends.
Her friends still looked confused, completely unaware of what they had said wrong.
Dou Xinlan’s expression darkened. “It’s nothing,” she said, then buried her head and ran off.
How could she have such tactless friends?

Class 1, Grade 11
As soon as Qiao An stepped into the classroom, she could feel the lively atmosphere suddenly grow quiet. Strange gazes from all directions turned toward her.
Qiao An was about to look for her seat when she heard a familiar, crisp voice call out, “Qiao An, over here!”
Turning her head, she saw a cheerful, round-faced girl waving at her. Qiao An smiled and hurried over.
Their seats were in the middle of the third row, prime real estate.
On Qiao An’s desk, textbooks were neatly arranged, but the drawer was empty. Reaching in, she pulled out a few pink envelopes.
Lei Xiao, sitting beside her, flushed with excitement and whispered, “These were delivered yesterday. There were quite a few!”
In the past, nothing like this had ever happened. Many people liked Qiao An, and some had pursued her discreetly, but no one had ever written such formal love letters before.
Qiao An hesitated for a moment, then decisively tossed the letters into the trash bag between their seats, startling Lei Xiao, who had been expecting some romantic drama. Qiao An explained, “I don’t date in high school. It’s better to throw them away.”
Lei Xiao gave her a thumbs-up, impressed. “You’re amazing.”
To be so popular and still resist the temptation to date, that was something else.
Qiao An smiled modestly. “It’s nothing. If my grades drop, I’ll be in trouble.”
With that, she took out her books and started reviewing. The original owner had excellent grades, but Qiao An couldn’t rely on that. She needed to practice more, or she’d fail the upcoming monthly exam.
Watching her desk mate’s actions, Lei Xiao felt a pang of guilt as she glanced at the phone hidden in her own book. Taking a deep breath, she said earnestly, “You’re right. Studying is more important.”
She turned off her phone, stuffed it into her desk, and pulled out a workbook to start solving problems.
It wasn’t yet time for morning reading, and most students were chatting. Studying alone would seem too conspicuous, but working on exercises was less noticeable.
Seeing Lei Xiao join in, Qiao An smiled. Spotting a problem she couldn’t solve, she worked through it on scratch paper but still couldn’t figure it out. She nudged Lei Xiao’s arm and said, “Lei Xiao, I’m stuck on this problem.”
“I’ll help!” Lei Xiao, who had already spent the previous afternoon being “tutored,” raised her hand without hesitation.
“Thank you!” Qiao An rewarded her with a bright smile, her almond-shaped eyes curving into crescents, looking utterly adorable.
Lei Xiao felt even more motivated. “Hmm, I haven’t done this one… Wait, no, I know how to do it!”
And so, the two girls leaned their heads together, engrossed in the problem.
The chemistry class representative sitting in front of the two turned around curiously at the noise and was even more surprised. Lei Xiao had been acting strange yesterday, and now Qiao An, who had just returned from sick leave, was acting strange too.
These two had been desk mates for almost a semester, when had they ever studied together?!
Wasn’t the aloof, top-student class belle always flying solo?
Was she trying to bring Lei Xiao back to the right path?
A faint sense of crisis suddenly sprouted in the chemistry class representative’s heart.
Hesitating for a moment, she picked up her exercise book as well.
Sitting in the second-to-last row, Dou Xinlan glared angrily at the two seemingly serious figures in front of her, her brows furrowed. She muttered under her breath, "Putting on an act."
No one paid her any attention.
It wasn’t until a tall girl, nearly 1.7 meters in height, entered through the back door that Dou Xinlan’s eyes lit up as if she had spotted a savior. She quickly moved aside to make space, waiting for the girl to settle into her seat before saying, "Sister Bi, I think Qiao An doesn’t seem to care about this matter anymore."
Bi Jiabei lazily tossed her backpack onto the desk and glanced at her. "What do you mean?"
Dou Xinlan said with a troubled expression, "I ran into her on the way here and asked if it was true that her parents work as servants for others. She just nodded."
Originally, they had planned to gather everyone at noon to play a game of Truth or Dare, forcing her to admit it in front of everyone, blushing and embarrassed. That would have been so satisfying.
Just like during the parent-teacher conference on Monday, and when her true situation was exposed on Tuesday, she had been so ashamed she wished she could disappear into the ground. That was the kind of reaction that would make them feel a little better.
Qiao An was the teacher’s pet, a model student, well-behaved and obedient. Every time the teacher scolded the troublemakers, she was held up as an example. But she was just putting on an act, and it was sickening. They had finally found a weakness to attack and didn’t want to let it go.
But after taking a day off, she seemed indifferent to the whole thing?
Now, Dou Xinlan felt as though she had punched cotton, frustrated and powerless, but she wasn’t willing to give up.
Bi Jiabei felt the same way, maybe even more. Because of Qiao An’s existence, she had been mocked more than once by those sharp-tongued boys, who said that even though they were both girls, they were worlds apart, one like a princess, the other a dinosaur.
Sure enough, Bi Jiabei’s face fell, clearly in a foul mood.
Dou Xinlan whispered, "Sister Bi, what should we do? Should we corner her after school?"
Bi Jiabei had studied martial arts before she developed a girl’s love for beauty and stopped. But she was still strong enough to overpower any girl her age.
She shot her a glare and snapped, "It’s not like we haven’t thought of that plan before. She rides in someone else’s private car every day, how are we supposed to corner her?"
"So we're just letting it go?" Dou Xinlan let out an unwilling sigh. "How can she be so thick-skinned? Look at her, she walked in today like nothing happened. Even with everyone staring at her like that, she didn’t seem to notice at all."
Bi Jiabei was also annoyed, her lips pressed tightly together. She held a pen in her hand, silent, her eyes fixed intently on the figure across the room.
Just then, the homeroom teacher entered from the back, quickly scanning the entire class before his gaze settled on the figure at the front. He nodded in satisfaction, walked over, and said a few words.
Judging by the envious looks from the nearby students, it was clear the teacher was praising them.
Qiao An, the one being praised, gave a faint smile, a blush spreading across her cheeks before she quickly lowered her head.
Her reaction made a nearby boy stare, unable to look away until the teacher tapped him on the head. Only then did he blush and lower his gaze.
Dou Xinlan gritted her teeth and whispered, "Putting on an act again. It’s not like this is the first time she’s been praised. So pretentious!"
Bi Jiabei’s eyes turned cold. With a sharp "thwack," she slammed her pen down, startling Dou Xinlan, who bit her lip and didn’t dare say another word.
Although both were in Class One, they had gotten in through connections. Bi Jiabei’s family had pull, so she brought her loyal sidekick along. Of course, aside from them, there were a few others who’d entered the same way.

Soon, the morning self-study bell rang. Everyone put down their workbooks and assignments, and the classroom filled with the lively sound of students reading aloud.
The homeroom teacher watched for a while before clasping his hands behind his back and leaving.
The students in Class One were self-disciplined enough not to need supervision.
But not long after the teacher left, Bi Jiabei suddenly stood up, startling the students who were reading loudly. All eyes turned to her.
"Screech, " The harsh sound of a chair being dragged silenced the remaining students. Lei Xiao also curiously glanced back.
Only Qiao An continued reading at a steady volume, completely unfazed by the commotion.
"Tch!" Bi Jiabei found it increasingly irritating. She curled one corner of her lips, her malice undisguised. "Qiao An, there’s something I want to ask you."
The rest of the class instinctively turned to look. No one was reading anymore. Lei Xiao, worried, secretly tugged at the hem of Qiao An’s clothes, her heart pounding like a drum, her palms slick with sweat.
Qiao An paused, took a sip of water, and asked, "What is it?"
Bi Jiabei leaned against her desk and said with a smile, "My family’s housekeeper hasn’t been feeling well lately, so we’re looking to hire a new housekeeper. Since your parents are in that line of work, do you know anyone you could recommend? Or your mom could switch jobs and come work for us. We’ll offer the same pay."
In the quiet classroom, the sharp intake of breath from many students was clearly audible.
Though some of them looked down on Qiao An for being vain, this was the first time anyone had dared to be so blatant.
If it were any of them, they’d probably have run out crying by now.
But Qiao An didn’t.
She nodded calmly and said, "Switching jobs won’t be necessary. My mom is doing just fine where she is. But I can recommend a housekeeper. Give me your mom’s number, and I’ll talk to my mom about it. Though someone with her professional training doesn’t come cheap, around fifty thousand a month. Can you afford that?"
Bi Jiabei: “...”
She stared at Qiao An in disbelief, as if unable to comprehend how she had suddenly become so shameless. How could she remain unfazed by such direct mockery and even respond like that?
Looking at the fair, outstretched palm in front of her,
She was utterly dumbfounded!
Damn it!
Attack ineffective.
Lei Xiao, who had been anxiously uneasy all this time: “...” Hahaha!!!
Qiao An is really impressive!
The classmates in the class also looked at Qiao An with the same admiration. Their previous disdain for her temporarily faded away in this scene.
Qiao An frowned in confusion, "Can you not accept it?"
Bi Jiabei gritted her teeth and recited her phone number, adding sarcastically, "Then I’ll trouble your *mom. Since we’re both in housekeeping, you probably know a lot of people."
Lei Xiao thought that would be the end of it, but she hadn’t expected Qiao An to press further. Unable to hold back, she said, "Don’t go too far!"
Bi Jiabei shot her a glance, and Lei Xiao shrank back timidly.
Qiao An, however, nodded in agreement, "You’re right." Then she turned her head and continued reading as if the people around her didn’t exist!
The onlookers: “...”
Bi Jiabei: “...”
She returned to her seat with a dark expression, growing angrier the more she thought about it. Finally, she kicked the desk, stormed off with a cold face.
When the homeroom teacher returned and saw the empty seat, her expression also darkened as she took out her phone, "Hello, is this Bi Jiabei’s parent?"

After a whole day of school, Qiao An returned to the Gu family, her back and waist aching.
Only those who aren’t students can’t understand the agony, constantly turning your head to follow every explanation, and if you slack off even a little, you might not understand a thing.
It’s truly like picking up an eraser and suddenly finding yourself in a different dimension from the rest of the class.
Qiao An spent the entire day on edge, diligently absorbing knowledge, striving to quickly and thoroughly become a high school student. As a result, she overexerted her brain and ended up with a headache.
She trudged back listlessly. Xu Hui, feeling sorry for her, took her backpack and weighed it in her hand, complaining, "Why is there so much homework again? Didn’t they say they were reducing the load?"
Qiao An gave her a weary look.
Xu Hui immediately added, "Today, the master had your dad buy a king crab. He said you must be tired and need to replenish your energy."
Qiao An’s eyes lit up, but then she thought, huh, hadn’t she already refused?
But since it was already bought, it would be a waste not to eat it. She nodded vigorously, "Great! I want to eat it!"
Xu Hui smiled, her eyes crinkling. Being able to eat well was a blessing, and today she would showcase her culinary skills.
Qiao An happily took her backpack and skipped toward her room when the system’s voice rang out: [Task 3: The mood index of the antagonist Gu Ting is low. Please comfort the antagonist and raise his mood index to good. Reward: 2,500 points.]
Qiao An paused in her steps before continuing on, grumbling inwardly: System, if you’re even one zero short, I’m quitting!
The system replied: [Host, rest assured, this system will ensure your tasks yield satisfactory revenge.]
It hadn’t grasped Qiao An’s meaning.
After all, it wasn’t a real person.
Qiao An didn’t mind either. She set down her backpack and headed to the kitchen again.
The only comfort she could offer the antagonist was probably food. Seeing that Xu Hui was already handling the plump king crab, Qiao An quickly raised her hand and said, “Mom, save a crab leg for me.”
“What for?” Xu Hui instinctively asked.
Qiao An pursed her lips into a smile and whispered, “I saw a way to prepare crab meat online and wanted to try it.”
“Alright, here you go. Are you making it now?”
“Yes!”
Qiao An was brimming with confidence. The original host wasn’t completely helpless in the kitchen either. Though she was vain outside, at home, despite being somewhat spoiled, she still cared for her mother and had never lost her temper with her parents. She was obedient and sensible, otherwise, Grandpa Gu wouldn’t have liked the original host so much.
She knew how to cook on her own, but as her youthful heart grew wounded, the original host gradually began to change, drifting further from her parents and becoming increasingly extreme.
When Qiao An said she wanted to cook, Xu Hui didn’t doubt her in the slightest.
The Gu family’s kitchen was spacious, but only the old master and Qiao An ate at home, so the portions prepared weren’t large, though they weren’t too small either.
The king crab the Gu family bought was enormous, with the legs containing the most meat. Initially, Qiao An had only intended to make something for Gu Ting, without thinking of herself. But when she actually started cooking and saw that everyone around her was someone she cared about, she ended up making a bit more so they could all share.
When Grandpa Gu came to eat and saw the small bowl of fragrant, perfectly cooked crab fried rice placed before him, he asked in surprise, “An An, your mom didn’t make this, did she?”
Xu Hui specialized in Cantonese cuisine, which was light and suited the old man’s frail health. Greasy fried rice had never appeared on the Gu family’s dining table, especially not for dinner.
Qiao An blinked and proudly announced, “Grandpa, I made this! Try it and see how it is!”
Hearing this, the old man’s expression softened considerably, and he nodded with a smile. He eagerly took a bite. The cook had put thought into the dish, and the person eating could tell, it wasn’t greasy and had the texture of crab meat and a small amount of egg. It tasted wonderful.
One bite followed another.
Qiao Yi couldn’t help but remind him, “Sir, that’s enough. You can have some of the other dishes. This winter melon and corn soup helps cut the richness.”
Reluctantly, Grandpa Gu replied, “…Understood!”
Suddenly, he felt rather annoyed with this butler.
Qiao Yi rubbed his nose, feeling a bit hungry. He wondered if his daughter had saved any for him.
Soon enough, Grandps Gu told him to go eat as well. The moment Qiao Yi stepped into the kitchen, he was handed a bowl of crab fried rice. Smiling contentedly, he happily dug in.
An An’s cooking was truly delicious.

7 p.m.
Grandpa Gu and Qiao Yi went for a walk.
The household staff were busy with other tasks, and Xu Hui was finishing up the last of the cleanup.
Qiao An slipped into Gu Ting’s room.
Gu Ting’s room couldn’t be locked, though no one dared to enter anyway. Rumor had it that once, a young girl tried to sneak into his bed but was so terrified she scrambled out within a minute, exposing herself. She was not only fired but also had to pay compensation.
The Gu family were merchants, generous in both business and personal conduct, but they were particularly strict about certain matters.
The servants delivered meals at set times and retrieved them promptly when the time was up.
During dinner that evening, Qiao An noticed that Gu Ting’s meal was almost untouched. She guessed he would wake up hungry in the middle of the night and sneak around for food again. She didn’t want to be disturbed and have to cook for him, so killing two birds with one stone seemed like the perfect solution.
The only question was whether she had missed an opportunity to earn some points.
The door opened easily.
The room was furnished normally. Gu Ting sat lazily by the floor-to-ceiling window, his slender, long legs bent, leaning against one side with a pillow tucked behind his back.
Though it was only seven o’clock and not completely dark yet, the lights outside had already come on, making everything appear exceptionally bright.
When Qiao An entered, his back stiffened, and he shot her a wary glance. But upon realizing it was her, he relaxed again.
The fried rice, reheated in the microwave, still gave off a fragrant aroma.
Gu Ting’s tall, straight nose twitched slightly. His gaze lingered on her hands for a second before he turned his head away to look at the scenery outside.
Qiao An extended the small bowl toward him. “Here, eat this.”
The room fell into silence.
It was as if Qiao An were in a vacuum.
This was awkward, she almost felt like turning around and leaving right then.
The system promptly reminded her: [Current antagonist’s mood, depressed. Please soothe the antagonist’s emotions, or you will not receive point rewards.]
Frustrated, Qiao An paused and waved the small bowl in front of his mouth, coaxing softly, “Are you really not going to eat? It smells so good!”
Gu Ting remained expressionless and motionless.
Qiao An pinched herself in disbelief, it hurt. So she was real, after all!
How could he just ignore her like that?
She simply sat down on the other side and stared straight at him.
The two of them faced off as if playing a game of “Red Light, Green Light.”
However, after more than ten minutes had passed, Qiao An noticed that the last bit of warmth had faded from the rice in her hand. She straightened her sore back with a grimace, her muscles ached, and she still hadn’t finished her homework for the day. There was no time to waste. Such delicious fried rice shouldn’t go to waste, especially since it was made with king crab.
In her previous life, when she filmed that episode about king crab, it had cost her a fortune to buy one this large and authentic. It hurt so much that she couldn’t bring herself to buy it a second time.
Qiao An picked up a spoon and started eating herself.
But after just two bites, she noticed that Gu Ting, who had been sitting perfectly still, was now staring intently at her as if studying something. His lips were pressed into a straight line, and not a single muscle on his face twitched, making it impossible to discern what expression he was making.
Qiao An tentatively took another bite.
Gu Ting moved a little closer again, until they were less than three centimeters apart.
Qiao An leaned back, puzzled, and asked, "Do you want some?"
Gu Ting's beautiful lips pressed together as he looked at the used spoon, hesitating.
A genuinely troubled expression appeared on his pale, handsome face, a slight frown of disgust.
Qiao An: “...”