Fortunately, the system had already judged the mission as successful, and it seemed he was no longer in mortal danger. Liu Chen let out a long sigh of relief as he sat in the taxi.
Beside him, Mi Zhuzhu’s eyes were swollen like walnuts, and Tang Shengnan and Sang Ling also had slightly red and swollen eyes.
The three of them sat in one car. Ren Mo was in the front, while Lai Jielun had been driven to the back by Mi Zhuzhu to take a taxi by himself.
Liu Chen did not return to Shuimu University but went straight to his own apartment – “Dadi Mansion.”
She desperately wanted to be in her own home, in a high-end community with strict security, lock the anti-theft door, and be with her friends, lying on her comfortable sofa, stepping on the soft carpet, watching variety shows on the LCD TV, and listening to the laughter of the audience.
And coincidentally, she had such a house and such a group of friends.
Only when she was truly wearing cotton socks and stepping on the soft carpet did Liu Chen truly relax. As her spirits recovered, she remembered to tell Zhuzhu:
“Don’t tell my mom about this, lest she worry.”
As soon as she finished speaking to Zhuzhu, she saw Zhuzhu looking away, refusing to agree.
Liu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, "Zhuzhu."
Mi Zhuzhu, with her tear-swollen eyes, said a little guiltily, "We… we called Aunt Liu at the police station, and Aunt Liu said they would be here immediately. Oh, and Aunt Ren…"
“Sigh, forget it, let them come. When my mom asks, you all keep quiet, I’ll handle it myself.”
Thinking of her mother flying over, Liu Chen felt a little happy after a headache. When school started, it coincided with the days when she needed to buy a storefront. Although Liu Fang really wanted to see Shuimu University, reason ultimately triumphed over impulse.
This time, she could take her mother to tour Beijing, the capital of the Hua family, during the National Day holiday.
At past five in the afternoon, Liu Chen stood at the arrival gate of the airport to pick up her mother. The moment she saw her, Liu Fang’s first reaction was to feel her all over.
Only when she confirmed that her daughter was truly alright and not just pretending to be, did Liu Fang breathe a sigh of relief:
“When I received the call, I was so scared! I’m telling you, from today onwards, you are not allowed to go out alone. You must go out with your classmates, and you are not allowed to wander too far and get separated. Do you understand?”
Their actions at the airport did not attract onlookers. Today, besides family members like Liu Chen, there was also a crowd of fans of the currently popular singer Li Zhouchun, nicknamed "Yu Mi." They were standing outside the arrival gate holding welcome signs.
Liu Chen was quite aware of the fan base of Li Zhouchun. It was terrifyingly huge. So, while listening to her mother’s nagging, she casually took Liu Fang’s hand and said, “Let’s go quickly. Otherwise, when Li Zhouchun comes out and these fans start moving, we’ll be trapped in the crowd.”
Liu Fang clearly knew Li Zhouchun’s name. Of course, she did. When Liu Chen was in junior high school, she would spend all day using her mother’s phone to send text messages and vote.
“Didn’t you used to like Li Zhouchun the most?”
Liu Fang asked curiously as she followed Liu Chen’s steps.
Hearing her mother’s question, Liu Chen’s lips twitched. She couldn't tell her mother that in her previous life, she was too busy working and burdened by life’s responsibilities, so she gradually lost the ability to listen to music.
Now that she had been reborn, she had time to listen to music, but her psychological age had already passed the stage of chasing stars. She still liked Li Zhouchun, but she was no longer as infatuated as in her previous life.
“Oh, I’ve thought it through. It’s only when I become powerful myself that telling others I’m a ‘Yu Mi’ will truly represent the influence Chun Chun wants to bring!”
Liu Chen babbled, and hurried with her mother and godmother, followed by Ren Mo, Lai Jielun, and Mi Zhuzhu, taking the elevator downstairs.
The airport elevator was a bit small. After accommodating the six of them, it was even difficult to turn around. At this moment, a short boy wearing a fisherman’s hat and a hoodie with jeans also stepped in.
“Can you fit me in?”
Unexpectedly, Liu Chen, who was standing by the elevator buttons, heard the distinctly female voice and looked up.
“Chun Chun?!”
Li Zhouchun put up a finger to her lips and whispered, “Shhh.”
“Yes, yes, of course. Chun Chun, what floor are you going to?”
Liu Chen’s smile at this moment seemed to be controlled by some unknown alien. Even though she tried her best to maintain a calm expression, the opportunity to encounter the only celebrity she had ever followed in both her lives at the airport made Liu Chen’s smile as bright as a sunflower, completely uncontrollable.
Looking closer, Liu Chen realized that Chun Chun’s skin was so good, it was exactly the same as her own skin after cheating with system skincare products.
The elevator doors closed. Chun Chun stood alone by the elevator door. Liu Chen also saw the “Yu Mi” outside the elevator, running around frantically searching for Chun Chun.
Clearly, Chun Chun also saw the smile on Liu Chen’s face. After her gaze lingered on Liu Chen’s face for a moment, Chun Chun suddenly asked, “Um, are you, this year’s top scholar from S Province?”
“Yes, yes, yes. My daughter is this year’s science top scholar from S Province and is now studying at Shuimu University. My daughter likes you so much, Chun Chun! Back in junior high, she used my phone every day to send text messages to vote for Hunan TV. My phone bill was very high that month.”
Perhaps feeling that her words were ambiguous, Liu Fang quickly added, “But I think it was worth it. Look how hard Chen Chen has studied these past few years to become a ‘Yu Mi’ you can be proud of!”
Li Zhouchun heard this, and then looked at the little girl standing beside her, her face flushed red, her smile undisguised. She nodded.
“Thank you. I am proud of you.”
“The elevator has arrived.”
The elevator had just reached the basement level. Chun Chun wanted to say more, but through the transparent elevator door, she saw paparazzi reporters chasing after her from the escalator. She lowered her fisherman’s hat and hurried towards the parking lot.
Liu Chen, however, was immersed in the joy of meeting her idol and maintained her smile even after getting into their car.
Liu Fang, sitting beside her, couldn’t help but say with a hint of jealousy, “Your mom flew three hours to Beijing to see you, and you’re smiling less at me than you are at Chun Chun. Alas, what’s the use of having a daughter?”
“Hehe, Mom, we are mother and daughter for life. I might only meet Chun Chun once in this lifetime. Besides, think about it from another perspective, Mom. If you met an idol you liked, you’d be the same as me.”
Liu Fang looked at Chen Chen, who seemed to have completely forgotten the morning’s ordeal due to Chun Chun’s appearance, and still felt a little uneasy.
“This time, your godmother and I are in Beijing. First, we want to see you. Second, we want to visit your Shuimu University. Your godmother will also stay with her mother for a few days.”
Liu Chen stuck out her tongue. Then she remembered that last summer when she came to Beijing, she had stayed at her godmother’s family home and inconvenienced the elderly lady. This year, she was only visiting briefly during the summer vacation when she came to study. Now that it was National Day, it was only right and proper for her to visit again.
“Hehe, Godmother, I’ll take you and Mom to visit the school tomorrow morning, then we’ll have lunch in the cafeteria, and go to Grandma Ren’s house in the evening?”
Ren Yuanying indeed wanted to visit her mother, and her mother had also mentioned several times that she should bring Liu Chen, this little girl, to stay for a few days.
“You little girl will definitely have to stay for dinner. Pack your clothes when we leave tomorrow. You must stay for at least three days so that your Grandma Ren can dote on her granddaughter.”
In the minivan, the six of them were sitting in the car. Shen Hong, who was driving, was filled with confusion. Were Aunt Ren and Liu Chen’s mother just here to play in Beijing?
Why did it feel so strange?
Due to the National Day traffic jam, it was already past seven in the evening when Liu Chen brought her mother to "Dadi Mansion." After a three-hour flight and a two-hour car ride, the two middle-aged women had no appetite and had already gone to sleep in the room Liu Chen had prepared.
Since their rooms were occupied by the elders, everyone except Liu Chen returned to their dormitory to stay. Sang Ling helped Liu Chen to request leave from the counselor.
“Her mother heard about what happened today and flew over to see her. She is now staying with Liu Chen in her apartment outside the school.”
The counselor, who had also participated in the mountain climbing activity today and was so scared that his back was drenched, nodded quickly upon hearing this: “That’s good, that’s good. This is something no one wanted to see, but fortunately, Liu Chen was brave. Remind her to go to the school’s psychological counseling center for post-traumatic stress counseling in a few days.”
Sang Ling nodded and then returned to dormitory 305.
Seeing Sang Ling return, Tang Shengnan immediately stepped forward to ask about Liu Chen’s condition.
“What did the police say?”
Sang Ling recounted what the female police officer had told her to Tang Shengnan before going to the balcony to wash up.
Xiong Wan, who had been secretly observing, looked at Sang Ling, who came in alone. After a few more minutes, when Liu Chen did not appear, she couldn’t help but ask, “Why isn’t Liu Chen back yet? Didn’t they say she wasn’t injured?”
Sang Ling said while brushing her teeth, “Her mother flew over, and she’s staying at home with her now. Tomorrow, Liu Chen will bring her aunt to visit our school.”
“She wasn’t injured? Just scared? And she still needs her mother to fly over? Isn’t Liu Chen one of those helicopter-parented kids they talk about online?”
Sang Ling flung the washcloth in her hand into the basin with a loud splash, then poked her head out from the balcony door to look at Xiong Wan, who was sitting on a chair by the bed, and said, “Say that again.”