When Jin Fei bid farewell to the young man who claimed to be her high school classmate, he enthusiastically handed her a bunch of lamb skewers.
“The seasoning is a family secret recipe. It tastes amazing,” the classmate said with a grin, wiping his hands repeatedly with a towel, his expression a mix of anticipation and shyness.
Jin Fei suspected that if she didn’t accept the skewers, he might burst into tears right there on the street.
Always one to care for others, Jin Fei took the skewers and sat down on a small stool next to the barbecue stall to start eating.
Truth be told, the classmate’s secret seasoning was a bit too salty. Jin Fei glanced over and noticed he was still sneaking glances at her, so she lowered her head and continued eating.
A goddess is still a goddess, even when sitting at a street-side stall eating barbecue. She managed to exude an air of elegance.
It wasn’t peak dining hours, and the weather was a bit hot, so there weren’t many students on the food street. The classmate didn’t have to attend to customers, which gave him more opportunities to chat with Jin Fei.
“You’re different from me. You’re a top student. I stopped studying after high school,” the classmate said, pushing a tissue box toward Jin Fei. “You must have graduated this year. Are you planning to continue your studies or enter the workforce?”
Jin Fei paused slightly as she reached for a tissue. Making a living was indeed important. She couldn’t just stay at home and let her parents support her forever.
Even a young man like him had found a way to make a living. She couldn’t possibly fall behind a man.
“Thanks for the reminder,” Jin Fei said to her high school classmate.
The classmate was puzzled. What had he reminded her of?
After Jin Fei left, the classmate opened their high school alumni group chat, where someone was mocking Jin Fei for being dumped by a wealthy heir.
Having just spoken to his goddess, the classmate was feeling particularly protective and couldn’t stand to see her being slandered. He immediately rolled up his sleeves and fired back.
【Is it shameful to break up with a wealthy heir? You’ve been single for over twenty years and haven’t even had the chance to be dumped. Should you just go die?!】
【Even if the goddess broke up with someone, she’s still a goddess. Unlike you, some random monster who crawled out of nowhere. Whether anyone wants you or not, you’re still a monster. In *Journey to the West*, you’d only be worthy of being smacked by Zhu Bajie’s rake!】
The classmate, who loved stirring up arguments online, went full throttle in the group chat.
【So what if I’m a simp? I like it, and I’m happy. Who asked you, an ugly sour lemon, to butt in?!】
Being a simp wasn’t so bad. At least he had gotten the goddess’s WeChat. That was a victory for simps everywhere.
A few hours later, a video of the wealthy heir being rejected at the gates of a prestigious university was uploaded to a major news website.
The editor thoughtfully blurred the faces of the “wealthy heir” and the “goddess,” but the article mentioned that this was the same heir who had recently become engaged to a “Cinderella.”
Xie Lisu was good-looking, came from a wealthy family, and had dated a popular actress, so he had some fame online. Despite the blurred face and license plate, netizens quickly identified him.
The extravagant engagement between the wealthy heir and his Cinderella had once made netizens believe in fairy tales. Now, with the revelation that Xie Lisu was flirting with another girl at his fiancée’s school, netizens began to lament that wealthy men were never faithful in love.
Some students from Imperial Capital University came forward to reveal that Xie Lisu had previously dated their school’s goddess—a stunning, intelligent, and accomplished woman. Xie Lisu had gone to great lengths to pursue her.
Who would have thought that while dating the goddess, Xie Lisu had also fallen for a girl from another school?
However, the students didn’t share any photos of the goddess, only describing her beauty with the phrase, “One goddess is worth ten Cinderellas.”
Netizen 1: “A wealthy heir dumps his goddess-level girlfriend and overcomes all odds to find true love with a sweet, innocent girl, culminating in a grand engagement or wedding. Isn’t this a classic romance trope?”
Netizen 2: “But the story never mentions that after the grand engagement, the wealthy heir would flirt with other girls on the street.”
Netizen 3: “The story also doesn’t mention how unlucky the ex-goddess girlfriend is.”
Scandals involving the wealthy always made for juicy gossip. Some netizens didn’t care about the feelings of those involved or the truth behind the rumors. They were simply happy to have something to talk about over dinner.
Some even dug up all the women who had been romantically linked to Xie Lisu, concluding that the ex-girlfriend from Imperial Capital University was undoubtedly the most academically accomplished.
Perhaps because Xie Lisu was a wealthy heir, many netizens were eager to debate which of his rumored girlfriends was truly worthy of him. They praised the girl who rejected his advances for standing her ground, but few criticized the engaged man for being unfaithful.
As the “goddess who rejected the wealthy heir” in the video, Jin Fei was completely unaware of the online uproar. She was still pondering what career path suited her best.
Although her family didn’t understand her, she firmly believed that after dying in battle in her past life, she had been reincarnated into this world, where she was reunited with her family from her previous life. The only difference was that she was the only one who remembered their shared past.
Well, her mother had been an empress in her past life, but she had only been a competent ruler, not a visionary. Perhaps it was better that her family didn’t remember their past lives.
When Jin Fei returned home, Jin Weifeng and Zhou Yun were sitting together, reviewing a product catalog. As owners of several chain supermarkets, they were meticulous about the items they stocked.
Seeing Jin Fei return, the couple fussed over her for a while, relieved that her outing had gone smoothly.
“What? You want to get a job?” During dinner, the couple was stunned by Jin Fei’s plan. “Don’t you want to inherit our family business?”
In the Imperial Capital, they weren’t among the ultra-wealthy, but they were certainly well-off. Why was their daughter suddenly worried about finding a job?
How tragic.
In the past, the entire Great Phoenix Kingdom had belonged to their family. Now, they only owned a few shops. Even the maids who had served her in her past life were wealthier than they were now.
Wait, who were the maids who had served her back then?
Jin Fei was surprised to realize she couldn’t remember the names or faces of the servants who had attended to her.
It seemed reincarnation did affect one’s memory.
“Mom, Dad, you’re both still young. There’s no rush for me to inherit the family business,” Jin Fei said, taking a sip of soup. “I want to explore the world on my own.”
Zhou Yun looked at her daughter’s beautiful face and suddenly remembered when Jin Fei was in kindergarten. Upon learning that people grow old and die, she had clung to her mother and sobbed.
“I don’t want Mommy to die. Mommy has to stay young forever.”
The tearful, childish voice had melted Zhou Yun’s heart.
“Alright,” Zhou Yun said with a smile. “If you ever feel tired, just come home. Mom and Dad will always be your safe harbor.”
A mother’s heart is always soft when it comes to her child.
“Thank you, Mom,” Jin Fei said, finishing her soup and heading to the study to read.
An excellent woman must always strive to better herself.
A gentle night breeze blew through the room. A hand with long, slender fingers held a watering can, slowly watering the plants.
“What’s happening online?” The can was set down gently, making a soft sound as a drop of water slid down its side and disappeared into the ground.
“What do you want me to do?”
A white tissue absorbed the water droplet, but the hand holding it was even paler than the paper.
“Remove what?”
The tissue was tossed into the trash.
“If you’re engaged, you should focus on improving yourself,” the man said, his hands now under the faucet, rinsing them slowly.
“If you dare to do it, don’t be afraid of trending online.” A soft towel dried his hands. “Providing netizens with some gossip is a contribution in itself.”
A woman’s dissatisfied voice came through the phone.
“If it’s a small matter, your Xie family can handle it. There’s no need to involve me.” After hanging up, the man accidentally bumped his hand against the sink, causing his fingers to tremble slightly.
He pressed a button on the wall.
“Sir?” A servant quickly knocked and entered.
“Take out the trash,” he said, picking up a book from the table. His hand, which had hit the sink, was still trembling slightly.
“Yes, sir.”
A person came to take away the trash bin in the corner, his expression serious. Even the man sitting on the sofa, holding a book titled "Cuisine Compendium," couldn't hide the respect in his eyes.
On the small table next to the sofa, a knitted doll sat clumsily, completely out of place with the room's decor.
In front of netizens, few things remain secret.
Soon, new information surfaced about the video of a wealthy second-generation heir being humiliated by his crush. It turned out that the woman who had refused to give him face was actually his ex-girlfriend, whom he had cheated on.
Netizens were shocked. What kind of bizarre preferences did this wealthy heir have? While he was with his ex-girlfriend, he cheated with a "Cinderella" for true love. Then, after getting engaged to the Cinderella, he started flirting with his ex-girlfriend again. What kind of scoundrel was this?
If Jin Fei knew that netizens were associating her with such a promiscuous man, she would feel deeply insulted.
Fortunately, Jin Fei was unaware.
Recently, she had received job offers from several major companies and was still weighing her options.
The Jin family had a room dedicated to displaying certificates, trophies, and awards for the siblings. Jin Fei had single-handedly filled the entire display cabinet.
Just a couple of days after she hinted at her interest in joining a company, several well-known firms extended olive branches to her.
Jin Fei was quite pleased. It seemed that no matter where she went, her charm as the "Beauty Prince" made her universally welcomed.
Although she had forgotten many things from this lifetime, her knowledge and instincts remained firmly locked in her mind.
After reviewing the materials from the companies, Jin Fei casually clicked on a chat software icon on her desktop. The software logged in automatically, and numerous messages popped up.
She opened them without much thought.
【Fei Fei, men are like dogs—with your looks, you can pick any one you want!】
【Sis, my most beautiful and enchanting fairy sister, are you okay?】
【Reply to me soon, and I’ll even give you my brother…】
【Sis, why is your phone out of service too?】
【I went to your house, but your parents said you weren’t home.】
【Are you in trouble? Don’t scare me like this!】
【Tell me which man you like, and I’ll kidnap him for you. Just promise me you’re okay! You better be okay!】
Overwhelmed by the flood of messages, Jin Fei thought for a moment before replying carefully.
【Don’t be ridiculous. Kidnapping is illegal.】
【Also, rabbits don’t eat the grass near their burrows. Friends’ brothers are off-limits.】
