Your Family Structure Is Simple

At six thirty in the morning.

When Chen De was woken by the doorbell, she still felt like her soul had left her body.

She shuffled to the door in slippers, her hair a complete mess.

There was no one outside.

But a black case sat by the door.

Chen De rubbed her eyes and confirmed she was not dreaming.

"That was fast. I thought I'd have to wait until the afternoon."

The deal had been settled yesterday morning, and the electronic documents had arrived that afternoon.

After just one night, even the physical documents had been produced.

Was this the power of throwing money around?

Why did that suddenly feel kind of satisfying?

"But aren't you worried someone might steal it when you just leave it outside?"

She carried the case inside and set it on the table.

Qubi jumped down from the sofa and yawned.

"Who would steal that thing?"

"These private items have special magic attached to them. Ordinary people can't even see them, much less steal them."

With a casual summon, Chen De made the Pure White Dagger appear in her palm.

Its silvery-white sheen flashed in the morning light.

This was a new use she had discovered recently.

Opening packages.

It was much faster than tearing them open by hand, and it would not damage her nails.

The blade sliced through the outer wrapping, clean and precise.

Inside was a black box.

Chen De placed the box on the table.

Its quality was unexpectedly good.

The matte surface felt smooth, and the edges were completely free of roughness.

It looked like the packaging from some luxury brand.

"Just based on how nice this box feels, the hundred thousand was worth it."

Chen De stroked the lid.

"You didn't spend a hundred thousand on the box."

"I know. I'm just praising it."

"Before my wallet rests in heaven, I should at least give it a proper farewell."

She took a deep breath.

Then lifted the lid.

Everything inside was neatly sorted and arranged.

At the very top was a transparent document pouch.

An ID card.

A household registration booklet.

A student ID.

A transfer certificate.

A medical examination report.

There was even a bank card.

Chen De pulled out the ID card.

The photo showed a girl with long white-gray hair and blue eyes.

Her expression was cool, and she looked like someone not to be messed with.

"When was this photo taken?"

"The system generated it automatically."

"AI retouching?"

"More precise than AI. It was rendered directly from your real facial data."

Chen De stared at the photo for three seconds.

"Pretty nice."

"You're complimenting yourself."

"What's wrong with complimenting myself? It's not illegal."

She turned it over to look at the back.

Su Xi.

Female.

Her date of birth was exactly the same as Chen De's.

The address listed was where she currently lived.

"Wait, why did you use my real address?"

"Would you rather use a fake one? What if the school mails you something?"

"What if someone comes for a home visit?"

"You're already in your second year of high school. Who would come for a home visit for no reason?"

After thinking about it, there really did not seem to be any such risk.

She put the ID card back and pulled out the household registration booklet.

She opened it.

Head of household: Su Xi.

Relationship to head of household: Self.

Chen De stared at the words "head of household" for a long time.

"I'm a high school student, and I'm the head of household?"

"Your parents are both dead. An independent household registration is perfectly normal."

Qubi's tone was utterly calm when he said it.

But the content landed like a direct critical hit.

Chen De's mouth twitched.

"Could you phrase that a little more tactfully?"

"Your family structure is relatively simple."

"...That isn't much better."

She put down the household registration booklet and picked up the student ID.

The school's name was printed on the cover.

She opened it.

Su Xi, Class 3, Year 2.

Her transfer date was today.

"Class 3? I used to be in Class 3 too."

"Yes. That way, you'll be familiar with the classroom and teachers, minimizing the adjustment cost."

Chen De's hand paused.

"You mean—after I transfer in, I'll be in the same class as Jiang Ping?"

"Yes."

"Don't you think that's a little..."

"A little what?"

Chen De opened her mouth.

But she could not say it.

From a rational perspective, transferring into her old class really was the best option.

She knew the environment, knew the curriculum, and even knew which window seat got the most sun.

But from another perspective—

She would sit beside Jiang Ping as a stranger.

He would look at her the way he looked at any new classmate.

Politely greet her.

Then go on living his life.

"Chen De?"

"Yeah."

"You were spacing out."

"No, I was contemplating life."

"Did you reach a conclusion?"

"I did. Life is a pile of crap. It isn't worth contemplating."

She tossed the student ID back into the box and picked up the bank card.

"What's this?"

"Your new account, under Su Xi's name."

"Is there money in it?"

"Yes. All the money you earned before has already been transferred into it."

Chen De narrowed her eyes.

"When did you transfer it?"

"I did it while handling your identity."

"Could you tell me before touching my money?"

"You would have agreed if I told you."

"Then tell me!"

"Aren't I telling you now?"

She endured it.

She set the bank card aside and continued looking through the box.

The second layer contained clothes.

A neatly folded school uniform.

The summer version.

A white short-sleeved shirt with a dark blue pleated skirt.

Chen De lifted the uniform and looked it over.

A skirt.

Of course it was a skirt.

The girls' uniform at this school had always included skirts.

Back when she sat in the classroom and watched her female classmates wear them, she had never thought anything of it.

Now it was her turn to wear one.

Her feelings were extremely complicated.

"Is the size right?" Qubi asked.

"You're asking me? Shouldn't you know better than I do?"

"I've never worn it."

Chen De held the uniform against herself.

The length seemed about right.

The shoulders fit well.

Her waist—

"This waist is way too slim."

"That's your waist."

"My waist is that slim?"

"You can measure it."

Chen De looked down at herself.

It really was a little absurdly slim.

She had always worn loose T-shirts before, so she had never noticed.

Once she changed into a fitted school uniform, the impact of this figure would probably double immediately.

The downside was that it might be a little flat.

No, no, that was an advantage.

Chen De shook her head, dismissing those strange thoughts.

"Won't I stand out too much if I wear this to school?"

"You already stand out."

Qubi said it as if it were only natural.

"White-gray hair, blue eyes, five foot one. Even if you wore a sack, you'd still be the center of attention."

"Could you give me a little confidence?"

"I was stating facts. Facts do not provide confidence."

Chen De's temple twitched twice.

She put the school uniform back and looked at the bottom of the box.

A pair of black leather shoes.

And a pair of dark blue knee-high socks.

Chen De stared at the knee-high socks.

She fell silent for a full five seconds.

"Qubi."

"Mm."

"Are knee-high socks part of the standard girls' school uniform?"

"No, the standard issue is short socks."

"Then where did these come from?"

"A free gift."

"What free gift?"

"Included with the hundred-thousand package. Spend eighty thousand and get an accessory gift set."

Chen De's face began to twist.

"I spent a hundred thousand, and you gave me a pair of knee-high socks?"

"There was also a hair clip. It's in the corner of the box."

Chen De rummaged through it.

Sure enough, she found a small bag.

She opened it.

A silver-white butterfly hair clip.

It was exquisitely made, faintly reflecting the light.

Objectively speaking, it really was pretty.

But Chen De was in no mood to appreciate it right now.

"Are you messing with me?"

"I suggest you wear it. It can keep your bangs in place."

Chen De clenched the hair clip in her palm, the veins on her forehead faintly bulging.

"Qubi."

"Mm."

"You turned my hundred thousand yuan into a box of documents, a school uniform, a pair of socks, and a hair clip."

"And complete immigration records and an overseas school acceptance letter."

"I can't even use those!"

"Chen De can."

Chen De choked on her words.

That was right.

That hundred thousand yuan had not been spent solely on Su Xi.

Half of it had gone toward making Chen De "reasonably disappear."

Giving someone who no longer existed a dignified exit.

She put everything back into the box.

She looked at the photo on the ID card.

Long white-gray hair.

Blue eyes.

A detached expression.

She looked like someone not to be messed with.

From today onward, she was Su Xi.

The living room was quiet.

Outside the window, dawn had only just begun to break.

Qubi crouched on the table, green eyes watching her without a word.

Chen De stared at the ID card for a long time.

Then she closed the lid.

"Qubi."

"Mm."

"Check the time for me."

"Seven ten."

"What time is first period?"

"Eight."

Chen De took a deep breath.

She took the school uniform out of the box again.

She put the ID card and student ID into her backpack.

Then she glanced at the knee-high socks and butterfly hair clip.

She fell silent for three seconds.

"...Bring them all."

"Oh?"

"I paid for them anyway. Might as well use them."

"Your spending habits are quite practical."

"I'm poor. Poor people don't waste."