The Fault of Being Good-Looking

Stepping out of the residential complex, An Nuan checked the time and called a ride-hailing car. As the two waited by the roadside, An Nuan carefully inspected the driver who had accepted the order and was startled. "This person is using a Bentley to run a ride-hailing service."

Liu Chang'an took a glance; the model was a Bentley Bentayga. An Nuan tried to cancel, but since the car was already nearby, Liu Chang'an just smiled, and An Nuan gave up. She was with Liu Chang'an, so what could anyone possibly do?

The vast majority of people driving such multi-million dollar luxury cars for ride-hailing services certainly aren't doing it to experience life or make money; their motives are often quite clear. Many girls understand the intentions of such drivers, choosing either to cancel the order immediately or to get in with their eyes wide open.

The car pulled up quickly. An Nuan had already seen the driver's name on the app interface: Ma Benwei. He leaned out to look at An Nuan and Liu Chang'an, his gaze lingering on Liu Chang'an for a moment before he frowned. "Two people?"

"Should I cancel the order then?" An Nuan asked, hoping he would say yes.

"Don't bother, there are few cars at this hour. Get in," Ma Benwei said, glancing at An Nuan.

Liu Chang'an got in first, and An Nuan followed.

"Xiangnan University High School, Juyuan east gate, right?"

"Right."

As the car started moving, An Nuan noticed Ma Benwei glancing into the rearview mirror from time to time, so she quickly linked her arm with Liu Chang'an's.

"Keep your eyes on the road," Liu Chang'an reminded him.

"I won't lie to you, I'm a streamer. My fans reminded me that this beautiful young lady is an internet celebrity, right?" Ma Benwei turned his head to look at An Nuan. Seeing the pair, he realized it would be difficult to follow his usual script for show effects, so he decided to be blunt.

Upon hearing this, An Nuan pulled Liu Chang'an's jacket up to completely cover her face, ignoring Ma Benwei entirely.

"That's not very nice of you, it's an infringement on privacy and portrait rights," Liu Chang'an said with a smile.

"Fine, I'll turn off the stream."

Only then did An Nuan lower Liu Chang'an's school uniform.

"Seriously, a beautiful girl like you with no makeup is much prettier than the influencers I've seen. They all rely on filters and cosmetics," Ma Benwei couldn't help but praise.

"Of course. Our school has five hundred knights protecting her, taking turns every day. I had to wait in line for a year just to get my turn," Liu Chang'an said happily, only to feel An Nuan pinch the flesh on his waist.

"Haha, you're exaggerating, you're exaggerating," Ma Benwei laughed. "Beauty, is that true?"

An Nuan continued to ignore Ma Benwei, refusing to say a single word for the rest of the ride until they got out.

Watching the car drive away, An Nuan stomped her foot. "How unlucky... but how did I get recognized? When I walk down the street, nobody ever points at me and shouts about 'volleyball beauties' or anything."

"The visual perception of seeing someone in person is completely different from seeing a photo on a screen. I think the key is the school uniform. Your mother has posted many photos of you in it on Weibo. When people compare them—the Xiangnan University High School uniform, plus you being so good-looking—they make the connection immediately... You should still give him a five-star rating."

"So it's my fault for being good-looking?" An Nuan twisted her body, looking a bit smug.

"Let's go back."

"It's all because you wouldn't walk back with me; otherwise, this wouldn't have happened. I absolutely hate streamers like that."

"It's nothing, really. Besides, I was with you, and he didn't even get a word in. He wasn't wrong, either—it's hard to find a car at this hour."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow..."

"See you tomorrow..."

An Nuan stood where she was, not moving.

"Are you going to see me off?" Liu Chang'an asked with a smile.

"I'm waiting for you to turn around so I can kick you!"

Liu Chang'an turned around. An Nuan watched him walk to the corner before she shoved her hands into her pockets and skipped toward her home.

Liu Chang'an didn't walk the rest of the way; he found a shared bike and rode home. He still made a round through the mahjong parlor, watched others play cards under the grape trellis, and then arrived under the parasol tree.

The parasol tree had shed almost all its leaves, leaving the branches bare. These days, the discussions about the tree were mostly related to Liu Chang'an's original explanation about a treasure buried underground that absorbed vital energy.

The most popular theory was Old Man Qian's claim that a "dragon pearl" had fallen there, which had given him an air of authority and the upper hand whenever he chatted with the old men and women over the past few days.

Liu Chang'an opened the carriage. He had placed a dog's head inside that morning. The summer heat hadn't made the carriage stuffy, and when he picked up the basin, he could still smell the scent of blood. The dog's head hadn't turned black, decomposed, or shown any other changes as expected; it was no different from when he had put it in that morning.

"Dead matter doesn't work?"

Liu Chang'an muttered a few words. The recent falling leaves of the parasol tree, the colony of ants that had died, and the minor health issues the elderly had been experiencing—all these situations had occurred after this coffin was brought here.

To say there was no connection between the coffin and these events was absolutely impossible.

Liu Chang'an closed the carriage door and went to find Old Lady Liu, buying a small hen from her, weighing just over three pounds.

If he hadn't made over a thousand yuan selling dog meat, Liu Chang'an wouldn't have been so extravagant.

He locked the small hen inside the carriage and decided to see what the situation was tomorrow morning. After finishing all this, he showered, brushed his teeth, and lay in bed checking his phone. There were many unread messages on WeChat.

"I was riding home with a classmate today and ran into a ride-hailing driver who was streaming. Someone watched his stream, took a screenshot, and posted it on Weibo."

"Actually, that classmate and I are just ordinary friends. Please don't misunderstand; I'm not that kind of casual girl. I told you I wouldn't date in high school."

"You didn't seem to go on Weibo today? I remember you usually like my posts. I checked your activity and saw you didn't like my two new posts... I thought you were angry."

"You aren't really angry, are you?"

"It's really a misunderstanding! Those people online are just spouting nonsense!"

Liu Chang'an thought for a moment and replied.

"The most important thing is to explain it well to your mother. But I think your mother is a reasonable, gentle, and understanding woman. As long as you explain it clearly, it will be fine."

"Hehe, my mother is indeed like that. Once I explained it clearly, she wasn't angry anymore. She has always been a very gentle person." The reply came almost immediately.

So it runs in the family... Every time Liu Chang'an complimented An Nuan, she would accept it without the slightest bit of modesty or reserve. For instance, if Liu Chang'an told her she was cute, she would respond with, "Yeah, I really am so cute," rather than acting reserved like other girls, denying the compliment or pointing out her own flaws to belittle herself.

"I was a bit busy today, so I didn't check Weibo. You weren't just sitting there staring at your phone waiting for me to reply, were you?"

"No! I just happened to open my phone; I actually had it turned off."

"Ah, then I'm a little disappointed."

"Actually, I was a little nervous too. Even though you're much older than me, why should age matter between friends? Of course, I have to be mindful when it comes to my friends; I don't want you to misunderstand and think I'm a girl who's easy."

"You're right. You're so sensible and kind-hearted; it must be because your mother raised you well."

"Why do you keep talking about my mother tonight?"

"Do I?"

"You do!"

"..."

"..."

After chatting for a while, Liu Chang'an sent a message to An Nuan and learned that her mother had scolded her severely. Her mother had also recognized the classmate with her as Liu Chang'an, the one who had confessed to her in the video from before, and was so furious that she had to practice belly dancing for over an hour just to calm down.

Both the mother and the daughter were quite adorable. Liu Chang'an smiled and said goodnight.