Chapter Sixty-One: Chu Yueyue

Yu Qian’s question brought a heavy silence to the group chat. Even Su Daji, who was usually the liveliest, didn’t say a word.

Lying in bed, staring at her phone, she was almost despairing as she waited for a response that never came. Just as she was about to put her phone away, it vibrated.

[Nüwa]: “Whose fate do you want to change?”

It was a private message from Nüwa.

Yu Qian had always been honest with Nüwa: “Chu Yueyue. She was a friend from my previous life.”

[Nüwa]: “Can you tell me the situation?”

[Shallow Water Fish]: “Of course.”

[Shallow Water Fish]: “Lin Su and Chu Yueyue were both my friends in my past life. Aside from not doing well in the college entrance exam, Lin Su’s life was nearly perfect.”

[Shallow Water Fish]: “But Yueyue’s situation was different. Aside from her parents, everyone else in her family valued sons over daughters. Her father was paralyzed, her mother was timid. Even while she was still in university, her parents were forced to divorce by her relatives. After graduation, she had to send her earnings home to support other family members, or else they would stop caring for her father.”

[Shallow Water Fish]: “Before I died, Yueyue was also close to death from stomach cancer. She worked herself sick but had no money for treatment.”

[Shallow Water Fish]: “I just want her to live a better life, to be safe and content.”

Nüwa didn’t reply immediately. Instead, she went to consult Fuxi.

A short while later, Nüwa responded, “It’s possible to change her fate, but there are conditions.”

Yu Qian’s heart leapt with excitement as soon as she saw it was possible. “What conditions?”

[Nüwa]: “To change the fate of someone other than your parents, you’ll need ten times the merit, and you also have to help the God of Fate restore his golden body.”

[Shallow Water Fish]: “No problem!”

Yu Qian agreed without hesitation.

Ten times the merit was nothing to her. The foundation she and Wen Xiu had established under their studio’s name was already in operation, and recently, a considerable amount of merit had been accumulating. Plus, the little snack shop was still running, and the merit it had amassed was nearly overflowing.

As for the golden body, that was an even smaller issue. She had already planned to restore the temple golden statues for everyone in the group once she had earned enough money. Especially for the Temple of the Mother Goddess—it was first on her list.

...

Just as the God of Fate had said, friends from a previous life would appear again in this one, though the time and place might change.

When Yu Qian returned to No. 1 High School the next day, her intention was simply to get familiar with the environment, but she unexpectedly ran into Chu Yueyue, still in her girlhood.

She was momentarily stunned—it was only last night that she had been thinking about her, and now here she was, face to face. It took her a moment to recover.

Noticing someone’s gaze, Chu Yueyue looked over and saw a tall, slender, and beautiful girl. She smiled at Yu Qian.

Yu Qian snapped out of it and smiled back. “Are you a student here too?”

“Yes, I just got in. Are you an upperclassman?”

“I’m not. I just got in as well.”

“Oh, which class are you in?” Chu Yueyue nodded blankly, then asked.

“Class One. You?”

“Really?” Chu Yueyue looked at her in surprise. “I’m in Class One too! My name is Chu Yueyue.”

Yu Qian smiled. Fate, indeed. “I’m Yu Qian.”

“Wow! You’re the one who ranked fourth! That’s amazing! I was only fortieth...” Her voice trailed off, tinged with disappointment.

Only the top ten in the entire grade at Provincial No. 1 High School received a scholarship. She had studied so hard, and still only ranked fortieth.

Without the scholarship, her mother would have to continue working several jobs just to support her studies and pay for her father’s care.

Yu Qian could see right through her thoughts.

Partly because she knew her so well, and partly because at this age, Chu Yueyue wore her emotions on her face—she was easy to read.

But Yu Qian didn’t say much. After they’d exchanged names, she simply agreed to see her when school started and let her go home.