C15 Talented Girl Zhang Ya

What a loss! She had truly taken a hit this time!

Sunn Yuan scowled as she considered the guest she had attended to, who had only spent around two to three thousand yuan. This sum didn't even come close to what that shabby student had spent! Her loss was substantial this time around.

With this in mind, Sunn Yuan gave Lin Xue, who was grinning from ear to ear, a once-over. She thought Lin Xue was too cunning, yet she failed to realize that she herself had been the first to neglect the guest.

Meanwhile, Yi Lanyou had left the cosmetics section, ready to find a spot for lunch. Approaching the elevator, she noticed a girl of her own age waiting alongside her. The girl was dressed in a light-colored dress, radiating youth and beauty with her high ponytail, and carrying a small leather backpack. A casually dressed middle-aged man followed her, eyeing the girl intently. As the girl adjusted some stray hairs by her ear, the man leaned forward, seizing the moment to reach for her backpack.

"Zhang Ya!" Yi Lanyou called out instinctively.

Startled, the girl spun around, and the man hastily withdrew his hand, glaring menacingly at Yi Lanyou. Realizing what had happened, the girl shot the man a glare as well. She shifted her backpack to her front, and the man, cursing under his breath, spat on the ground and stalked off.

Zhang Ya nodded at Yi Lanyou, full of gratitude. Yi Lanyou returned the nod with a smile. They entered the elevator together, and Yi Lanyou pressed the button for the fifth floor.

Alone in the elevator, Zhang Ya fixated on her toes. Only after the doors opened did she speak up, stopping Yi Lanyou who was about to exit. "Excuse me, could you wait a moment?"

Hearing her, Yi Lanyou paused and turned to face Zhang Ya. "Is something wrong?"

"Actually, to thank you for earlier, I'd like to invite you to lunch!" Zhang Ya said earnestly. "Without your warning, I would've lost a whole month's living expenses."

"Sure!" Yi Lanyou didn't decline the invitation. After all, they were going to be classmates in the upcoming semester, so sharing a meal seemed like no big deal.

The other girl, upon hearing Yi Lanyou's acceptance, smiled and pulled out her phone to order a meal for two. They arrived at the restaurant, gave their order number, and were seated by a server.

Once their barley teas were served, the girl inquired, "You just called me by name. Have we met before?"

Yi Lanyou took a sip from her cup and replied with a smile, "You're the top scholar of this year's citywide middle school exams, right? I've just finished mine, so it's not surprising that I recognize you."

"Oh," Zhang Ya nodded, smiling. "Which high school did you get into?"

"I was accepted into City No. 1 High School, but I missed the cutoff by a few points, so I had to pay a tuition fee," Yi Lanyou confessed without any pretense, adding with a secretive smile, "Who knows, we might end up as classmates."

"If that happens, it would be quite the destiny!" Zhang Ya laughed openly.

After chatting for a bit and finding mutual admiration, they enjoyed lunch together. Post-meal, the girls caught a movie and exchanged phone numbers before parting with a wave.

Watching Zhang Ya walk away, Yi Lanyou's smile slowly faded. Zhang Ya was a genuine prodigy, her father the principal of City No. 1 High School. She was humble and unassuming, with admirable qualities. Yet, it was tragic how such gifted girls seemed to never meet happy ends. In a previous life, Zhang Ya had passed away early for some reason, and Yi Lanyou had even attended her funeral.

Such a wonderful girl, truly a loss.