Zhu Zhuqing's voice came from the darkness, wary.
"It's me, Xiao Wu."
"Where did you go?"
"To the bathroom." Xiao Wu made up an excuse, slipped off her cloth shoes, climbed into bed, and pulled the blanket up to her neck.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't ask anything else and turned over.
Ning Rongrong and Bai Chenxiang were both asleep, making no sound.
Lying in the darkness, Xiao Wu felt the Pink Rabbit Pendant beneath her pillow with her fingers. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't suppress the smile tugging at her lips.
She was a Silver Member now, while Ning Rongrong was still only a Bronze Member. Xiao Wu silently laughed for a long while under the covers.
But she couldn't tell her roommates about this. If Ning Rongrong found out how she'd become a Silver Member, who knew what would happen?
Xiao Wu clutched the Rabbit Pendant in her palm, rolled over, and slowly closed her eyes.
Her body still ached a little, but her heart felt warm. She slept especially well that night.
At seven thirty the next morning, the alarm rang.
Xiao Wu was the first to wake—or, more accurately, she'd been excitedly awake for ages, just waiting for the alarm.
She sat up in bed and stretched. The soreness in her body had eased considerably, though her lower back still felt a little uncomfortable.
"Morning!" Xiao Wu greeted her roommates with a grin.
Ning Rongrong yawned and sat up in bed, then squinted at Xiao Wu. "You're in a good mood today."
"Am I? Maybe I slept well last night."
Xiao Wu said it aloud, secretly laughing to herself.
Zhu Zhuqing was already up and changing. She took her black leather jacket off the hanger and put it on, zipped it up to a comfortable height, then stepped into her black ankle boots.
In the corner, Bai Chenxiang quietly tied her hair into two low ponytails. She changed into a light outfit, pulled on gray stockings, and slipped into low heels.
After washing up, the four of them went to the cafeteria together for breakfast.
As they ate, Xiao Wu kept stuffing buns into her mouth until her cheeks bulged like a hamster's.
Watching her from across the table, Ning Rongrong looked puzzled. "Why are you eating so much today?"
"I'm hungry," Xiao Wu mumbled, with half a meat bun still in her mouth.
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head and drank her porridge without joining in.
Bai Chenxiang ate her steamed bun in small bites.
After breakfast, the four of them went to the Claw Machine Shop, as they'd agreed the day before.
Today was Zhu Zhuqing and Bai Chenxiang's first time helping with the chores.
When they reached the entrance, Qin Chuan had already opened the shop. He sat behind the counter, staring into space.
Seeing the four girls arrive, Qin Chuan stood up.
His eyes swept over them and paused on Xiao Wu for a moment.
Xiao Wu grinned and waved at him. "Morning, Brother Chuan!"
Qin Chuan's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed the words.
When he'd woken up that morning, his mind had been a complete muddle. He vaguely remembered that something had happened the night before, but the details were blurry, like a dream.
There had been some marks on the bed, including a dried, dark-red stain on the bedsheet.
Qin Chuan had stared at it for a long time before gradually remembering fragments.
He remembered someone knocking, Xiao Wu coming in, and her saying something. After that, his memories became patchy, as if separated from him by a veil, leaving only a few scattered sensations.
Warm, soft, pressed tightly against him.
And the creaking of the wooden bed.
Qin Chuan touched his nose. His heart beat two ticks faster.
Had it been real or not? Had Xiao Wu really come, or had he been dreaming?
He secretly studied the grinning girl in front of him. Xiao Wu wore the same pink gauze dress as yesterday, and her Scorpion Braid was neatly done. There was nothing unusual on her face. She smiled and joked as usual, without a hint of a slip.
"Brother Chuan, what are you looking at?" Xiao Wu tilted her head.
"N-nothing." Qin Chuan quickly looked away.
Forget it. It had probably been a dream.
Zhu Zhuqing had already picked up a rag and started wiping down the Claw Machines. She worked briskly, taking just two minutes to wipe each machine from top to bottom. Bai Chenxiang swept the floor with a broom, moving gently enough that she barely stirred up any dust.
Ning Rongrong took a clean rag and wiped down the counter.
Xiao Wu helped tidy up the shop.
Ning Rongrong gave her a doubtful look but didn't ask any questions.
After Zhu Zhuqing finished wiping down six Claw Machines, she straightened up. A notification sounded in her mind.
[Congratulations, Player Zhu Zhuqing! You helped the Shopkeeper with the chores. Member experience +5. Ordinary Member, current experience 5/10. Today's check-in task is complete. Please come back tomorrow.]
Zhu Zhuqing's fingers tightened around the rag.
Ning Rongrong had been telling the truth. Doing chores really did earn experience.
Bai Chenxiang received the same notification.
[Congratulations, Player Bai Chenxiang! You helped the Shopkeeper with the chores. Member experience +5. Ordinary Member, current experience 5/10. Today's check-in task is complete. Please come back tomorrow.]
They exchanged glances. No one said anything, but their eyes made their meaning clear.
It worked.
However, Ning Rongrong noticed one detail: yesterday, cleaning had given her five member experience, but today it only gave her two.
The same chore had started to yield less experience the second time.
The four of them took turns finishing the chores. Qin Chuan watched from the side, looking deeply flattered.
"You're all being far too kind. Is my little run-down shop really worth all this effort?"
"Absolutely," all four said in unison.
Qin Chuan felt a little embarrassed and rubbed the back of his head.
After they'd finished cleaning, each of the four received a system notification.
Zhu Zhuqing had gained five experience, as had Bai Chenxiang. Xiao Wu gained five, bringing her to 80/100.
Ning Rongrong, and only Ning Rongrong, gained two.
Ning Rongrong put the rag back in the bucket and washed her hands. She didn't say anything, but she grumbled inwardly. She'd gained five points after cleaning yesterday, but only two today. Sure enough, the experience from repeating chores would diminish.
That meant that relying on wiping tables and sweeping floors would eventually become a dead end.
If she wanted to level up quickly, she'd have to take the unconventional route of "winning the Shopkeeper's favor."
Ning Rongrong stole a glance at Qin Chuan behind the counter. He was sorting things with his head lowered, the sleeves of his gray-blue work uniform rolled up to reveal part of his forearm.
Then she glanced at Xiao Wu beside her.
Xiao Wu had been in unusually high spirits all morning. She'd been grinning from the moment she woke up, and even seemed to have a spring in her step.
Ning Rongrong sensed something was off, but couldn't put her finger on it.
"Okay, we're done cleaning. Let's start catching dolls!" Xiao Wu clapped her hands and dashed to the counter first.
She took out a Gold Soul Coin and pressed it against the Crystal Ball. The coin was sucked inside, and the Crystal Ball dispensed five copper-colored Game Coins from its base.
Five.
Zhu Zhuqing was passing by. When she saw how many coins rolled out from the base of the Crystal Ball, she stopped short.
"Hey, Xiao Wu, how come you get five chances?"
Xiao Wu picked up the five Game Coins and rattled them in her palm, putting on an innocent look.
"I don't know. Maybe I'm lucky? Did the Crystal Ball give me extra?"
She couldn't ask about this in front of Qin Chuan and Zhu Zhuqing.
Xiao Wu didn't give her a chance to press the question, either. She grabbed the Game Coins and hurried to the first machine in the Ordinary Zone.
"I'll go first, I'll go first!" Xiao Wu put in the first Game Coin, and the joystick popped out.
She gripped the stick and shoved it hard. The claw shot all the way to the right, hit the glass wall, and bounced back.
"Not that one, not that one." Xiao Wu muttered as she adjusted the direction, aiming for a purple teddy bear.
She pressed the button.
The mechanical claw dropped, its three metal prongs closing around the bear's ear.
It lifted two centimeters.
Clack. It slipped.
"Ah!" Xiao Wu stamped her foot.
With the second coin, she changed targets and aimed for a Yellow Duck.
The claw caught the duck by the head and lifted it. It swayed as it headed toward the prize chute.
Halfway there, the duck spun around and slipped free of the prongs.
Xiao Wu's face scrunched up.
The third coin. The same Yellow Duck again.
She lined it up and pressed the button. The claw dropped crookedly.
It didn't even touch the duck.
The fourth coin missed.
The fifth coin missed, too.
Xiao Wu had struck out all five times. She stood in front of the Claw Machine empty-handed, looking as if her soul had been sucked out of her.
"How could this happen..."
Ning Rongrong came over and patted her on the shoulder. "It's fine, it happens. My turn."
Ning Rongrong took out a Gold Soul Coin and exchanged it for four Game Coins. She went to the second machine in the Ordinary Zone and aimed for a little green frog.
On her first try, the claw grabbed it, then dropped it halfway.
On the second, she missed.
On the third, she lifted it all the way above the prize chute, but it shook violently and fell back.
Ning Rongrong stared at the little frog among the pile of toys and took a deep breath.
The fourth coin. Her last try.
She closed her eyes and silently repeated "I have to win" twice. Then she opened them and pushed the joystick.
The claw moved to a spot slightly left of the frog.
She pressed the button. The claw dropped, its metal prongs opened, then closed.
It caught the frog by one hind leg and lifted it.
The frog spun halfway around in midair, its hind leg beginning to slip through the prongs.
Ning Rongrong gripped the joystick, leaning forward until she was pressed against the glass.
The claw reached a spot above the prize chute and released the frog.
It fell, hit the edge of the chute, and bounced.
It didn't go in. It flipped over and fell back into the display case.
Ning Rongrong's shoulders slumped.
"Four tries, all misses."
Zhu Zhuqing's luck wasn't any better.
She went to the third machine in the Ordinary Zone, her expression cool, and pushed the joystick with a steady hand. Her hand-eye coordination was the best of the four, and her control was far more precise than the others'.
But precision was one thing. Whether the claw loosened its grip wasn't up to her.
On her first try, it grabbed the toy, lifted it to the highest point, and dropped it.
On the second, it grabbed the toy, carried it two-thirds of the way, then dropped it.
On the third, she lined it up perfectly and got a perfect grab. The claw carried the plush all the way above the prize chute and released it.
The toy fell, struck the edge of the chute, flipped over, and bounced back into the display case.
The corner of Zhu Zhuqing's mouth twitched.
She turned and went to lean against the wall nearby, folding her arms across her chest without saying a word. But her eyes stayed fixed on the Claw Machines, frustration plain in them.
Three of them had been completely defeated.
Xiao Wu had missed five times, Ning Rongrong four, and Zhu Zhuqing three.
Bai Chenxiang was the last to take her turn.
She walked over to the machine in the middle of the Ordinary Zone and lowered her head to examine the toys inside.
The toys in the machines were different from yesterday.
Qin Chuan had said they were automatically restocked every day at midnight. The black kitten Zhu Zhuqing had won yesterday was gone, replaced by a plush Blue Swallow. Its velvety wings were spread, and two little black eyes were stitched onto its round head.
Bai Chenxiang stared at the Blue Swallow for several seconds.
She put in the first Game Coin and gripped the joystick with both hands.
Her fingers trembled a little.
Bai Chenxiang was quiet by nature and always took a little longer to do things. She moved the joystick slowly, shifting the claw back and forth above the plush three or four times before settling on a position she liked.
She pressed the button. The mechanical claw descended, its metal prongs opening and catching just between the Blue Swallow's wing joint and its body.
They closed around it, grabbed hold, and lifted.
Steady, without a wobble.
It reached a spot above the prize chute.
The claw released it.
The Blue Swallow dropped straight down.
Thump.
The lights at the bottom flashed, and a cheerful chime rang out.
"I got one!"
Xiao Wu was the first to shriek. She rushed over and hugged Bai Chenxiang's arm.
"Chenxiang, you're amazing! You're the only one who won!"
Bai Chenxiang crouched down and took the Blue Swallow out of the prize chute. It was about the size of her palm, and its velvety wings felt soft to the touch.
The moment she clasped Little Swallow in her palm, a message sent through the mind surged into her head.
Bai Chenxiang's body stiffened slightly.
She lowered her head, her long eyelashes veiling the emotions in her eyes.
Behind the counter, Qin Chuan clapped twice.
"Congratulations, congratulations, Bai Chenxiang! You caught a doll. Honestly, I really hope you win a prize every time."
"Exactly, exactly. Brother Chuan's such a nice guy," Xiao Wu chimed in with a grin.
Ning Rongrong nodded along but said nothing at all about the prize.
Zhu Zhuqing had been leaning against the wall without moving. Her gaze swept over Bai Chenxiang's hand, then turned away.
Qin Chuan noticed that Bai Chenxiang looked a little strange, as if her mind were elsewhere. But he didn't think much of it. Anyone would be happy for a few seconds after catching a doll.
"Brother Chuan, we're heading back to the academy. We'll come play again next time," Xiao Wu said.
"Sounds good!"
Qin Chuan watched the four of them leave the shop and did the math in his head. He'd taken in eight Silver Soul Coins today, and with yesterday's earnings, he now had more than ten in his pocket.
Qin Chuan stood up and walked over to the little mirror on the wall, checking out the wrinkled gray-blue work clothes he had on.
"No, this won't do. I need to go out and get some decent clothes. I may as well be running a shop, but dressing like this makes me look downright shabby."
He tucked away the coins, planning to close up shop that afternoon and browse the tailor's shop at the end of West Street.