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Shen Wan could actually have been discharged on the third day after surgery, but she wanted to be sure, so they stayed a few more days for observation. She spent every day at the hospital with Shen Baili. Together, they finished a melodramatic TV series, talked about the plot, and went for walks. Life settled back into its warm, peaceful rhythm.

During that time, the system might as well never have appeared.

Shen Baili had never expected to rely on the system anyway. Rather than worry about an unknown future, she preferred to make the most of the present.

Life at the Xie Residence did not change much when they returned. Her stepfather and Second Brother Xie still did not come home, while Eldest Brother Xie left early and returned late. Their schedules barely overlapped, so they almost never saw one another.

At home, it was just Shen Baili and Shen Wan, much like before.

Every day, Shen Baili read, watched anime, and walked outside for an hour or two. Her wound was healing well, but she still had to watch what she ate. The worst part was not the pain. It was not being able to take a bath!!!

She could only wipe herself down with a damp towel to keep water from getting into the wound and causing an infection.

Whenever Shen Baili brought up taking a bath, Shen Wan shut the idea down. No amount of coaxing helped. Her daughter's health was one line she would not cross.

After finally making it through two weeks, Shen Baili took a bath and came out feeling refreshed. She felt alive again.

Her high school entrance exam results had also been released.

She had ranked first in her school and twenty-eighth in the city overall, with perfect scores in math and English.

The prize money was hers!

Shen Wan was overjoyed. "Suìsuì, you're amazing. You've always made me proud."

"My daughter ranked first in her school and twenty-eighth in the whole city!"

Shen Baili's eyes curved with her smile. "I inherited my mom's excellent genes. Hee-hee!"

Shen Wan stroked her head, her heart aching for her. "Our Suìsuì worked so hard."

Her daughter never said a word about how hard it had been.

Butler Lin smiled at them and said sincerely, "Congratulations, Miss Baili and Madam."

Butler Lin had a good impression of Shen Baili. Few adults disliked a polite child who did well in school.

Shen Baili beamed. "Thank you, Uncle Lin."

"Shall we hold a celebration for Miss Baili's excellent exam results?" Butler Lin asked. "You could invite your friends over."

He meant well, but Shen Baili declined. "No, thanks. My friend went back to her hometown."

She was not especially close to her middle-school classmates, and her only good friend had left Haicheng because of a change in her parents' jobs.

Shen Wan respected her daughter's wishes and made another suggestion. "Then we won't have a party. Mom will give you a big cash gift instead."

"Thank you, Mom!" Shen Baili hugged her in delight. "You're the best!"

Shen Wan's eyes filled with affection. "You little charmer."

"I want the seafood noodles you make!" Shen Baili promptly placed her order.

"All right," Shen Wan agreed.

"And beef patties."

"All right, I'll make those too." Shen Wan was happy to indulge her.

"And I want spicy stir-fried hot pot!!!" Shen Baili looked at her expectantly.

"No, you can't eat that yet." Shen Wan pressed a finger to her forehead, refusing to be swayed.

Shen Baili drooped. "Okay."

"I could make you one without the spice or numbing pepper. Want that?" Shen Wan softened, but only a little.

Shen Baili collapsed onto the sofa. "How is that any different from boiled vegetables?"

"I'll wait until my wound heals. It's only another two months, right?" She clenched a fist and cheered herself on. "I can do this."

Her health came first. She had a lot to do, so she needed to take good care of herself.

"All right. When you're better, we'll go to the food street and have a feast," Shen Wan promised.

Shen Baili's eyes lit up. "It's a deal."

She held out her pinkie. Smiling, Shen Wan hooked hers around it. "It's a deal."

That afternoon, a visitor arrived at the Xie Residence.

Both Shen Wan and Shen Baili knew him. It was Assistant Li, whom they had met a few times before. He was one of Xie Chengyue's trusted assistants: a graduate of a prestigious university, highly capable at his job, and valued by his boss.

Assistant Li had come on an errand from his boss. After a polite greeting, he got straight to the point. "Miss Baili, congratulations on your excellent high school entrance exam results. My boss was delighted to hear the news, but he couldn't leave an important meeting, so he asked me to come in his place..."

Xie Chengyue did not have time to keep up with every piece of news about his stepdaughter. His team of assistants watched for such things and passed them on to him, then carried out his instructions.

He could not be there in person, but he had not forgotten her.

Assistant Li took out a gift box and a bank card and pushed them across the table to Shen Baili.

"This is my boss's gift to congratulate Miss Baili on starting high school. The card has a balance of three million yuan: a two-million-yuan reward for your exam results and one million yuan for this month's living expenses."

"Your living expenses will be deposited on the first of every month," Assistant Li added. "That's the standard amount for members of the Xie Family. Young President Xie and Second Young Master Xie receive the same."

Shen Baili instinctively looked at her mother. She could barely wrap her head around that much money.

Shen Wan smiled gently, neither servile nor arrogant. "Accept it. It's a gift from your Uncle Xie. Remember to call and thank him later."

Shen Baili picked up the bank card from the coffee table. Only then did it sink in. Was she rich now???

Assistant Li breathed a sigh of relief when they accepted it. He liked dealing with sensible people; now he would not need the arguments he had prepared.

"There's one more thing. My boss is very concerned about Miss Baili's education."

Assistant Li thoughtfully handed them two documents containing detailed information about two schools.

Haicheng No. 1 High School was the best public school in the city. It produced top scorers in the National College Entrance Examination almost every year, and its share of students admitted to the country's most prestigious universities was far ahead of the rest. Every graduate qualified for undergraduate admission. It was the high school of many students' and parents' dreams.

Nanya International High School was a formidable private school. Its board members were all wealthy or influential, as were its students. The connections those students brought were an asset in themselves. Most went on to apply to prestigious Ivy League universities abroad, without having to compete against millions upon millions of other candidates for a place at home.