C7 Chapter 7

Ling Xiao’s steps faltered. She turned around, her expression steady and unreadable.

The guy in front of her was strikingly young and good-looking—sharp, refined features with a face you wouldn’t forget. He didn’t have that cookie-cutter influencer look.

At first glance, his vibe was clean and almost innocent… but deep in his eyes, there was a hint of something sharp and dangerous.

Ling Xiao and Lan Yu held each other’s gaze for a beat. Neither backed down. Neither blinked first.

“Sis! Don’t start something!”

Somehow, her bargain-bin brother, Wang Xiaoye, finally snapped out of it and slowly came back to his senses.

His little sister was ridiculously strong—Lan Yu probably wasn’t even her match!

Ling Xiao curled her lips in a cold, faint smile. “Kid, what is it? You looking for me?”

Kid?

Do we even know each other?

You’re not that old yourself—who are you calling “kid”?

Lan Yu’s smile didn’t change, but the irritation was obvious. “If you keep this up, who’s covering the club’s losses? From what I know, you didn’t exactly come here with cash in your pocket.”

Ling Xiao’s expression stayed the same as she casually patted the previous owner’s pockets.

He wasn’t wrong. She was flat broke…

*Ding! Side quest completed! Big sis, your reward money’s here!* Xiao Qiang sounded downright cheerful.

“I’ve got money.” Ling Xiao switched gears instantly, her smile turning icy. “How much are we talking?”

He’d worked at this club for years. He could usually tell what kind of guest someone was at a glance.

The girl was gorgeous, poised, and calm… but she was Wang Xiaoye’s family.

Wang Xiaoye was broke, from a poor background—so she had to be, too…

Yeah. Some “sharp eye.”

The system, which could quietly read people’s thoughts, couldn’t help but roast him: this was basically a freebie.

“Probably… two hundred thousand.”

Lan Yu paused, then said evenly, “If you can’t pay, Wang Xiaoye can work here to pay it off.”

No kidding!

The kid had this all planned out—waiting for the perfect moment to drag Wang Xiaoye into it, huh?

Ling Xiao calmly pulled out a bank card. Xiao Qiang said the reward money would be deposited straight onto the card.

Lan Yu took the card with a friendly look, but inside he was full of sarcasm.

Lan Yu handed the card to the server and paid by card.

Ling Xiao stayed unbothered as she entered the PIN. Two hundred thousand dollars—transfer complete.

Lan Yu returned the card to Ling Xiao. When their fingers brushed, Lan Yu deliberately grazed her hand lightly.

The touch was soft and warm, carrying a faint, uniquely feminine scent...

For some reason, Lan Yu’s heart gave a sudden jump. He’d meant to tease her a little, but instead he—

Lan Yu narrowed his gaze at the girl in front of him again.

Up close, she really was striking—like a rose in full bloom. And yet those cool, distant eyes seemed to hold a quiet, hidden landscape, like moonlit water and shadowed hills.

It made you want to step closer, just to see what was underneath.

Ling Xiao caught the way he was sizing her up. “What? You into me?”

Being this blunt—was that really a good idea?

What if she scared him off? Would he still pay up?

System Guy let out a helpless sigh.

For some reason, a flush crept up Lan Yu’s ears, but he kept his face perfectly composed.

“Honestly... if you’re ever short on cash, you could come hang out at the club. Have a drink, sing a song—you can make tips. And if you don’t want to stay the night, you can take one-off gigs.”

So the kid had taken a liking to his good looks?

Ling Xiao touched her face. Being pretty really did come with perks. Maybe making a living off her looks wouldn’t be so bad?

System Guy: Miss, we’re a high-tech system—built for epic comebacks and putting people in their place!

Have some restraint! Pretty faces are a dime a dozen—an interesting system like me is one in a million!