A cartoon-sealed box was placed on Mingxi’s desk, and through the transparent plastic packaging, a delicate cream cake inside was clearly visible.

At the same time, a girl's hesitant, soft voice came.

“...Um, this is a strawberry cake my mom made herself. I remember Xiao Xi, you used to love this the most, so I specially brought it for you.”

Mingxi turned her head to look at the girl standing by her desk.

The girl had long hair and an oval face, wearing a stylish vest over her black and white school uniform. She was slender and had a striking appearance.

She hung her head, her hands clasped in front of her, twisting into a knot, seemingly conveying her uneasy mood at the moment.

Mingxi, of course, remembered this girl. Her name was Sun Xiaoxian, and she was the original owner’s best friend. They had been classmates since the third grade of primary school until now.

Their relationship had always been good until the original owner, unable to afford tuition, accepted the school’s offer to work as a cleaner in the female restroom.

From then on, Sun Xiaoxian began to distance herself from the original owner.

The original owner wasn't stupid and naturally felt her friend's silent resistance and sudden coldness.

At first, the original owner tried to salvage the friendship, but Sun Xiaoxian responded by mercilessly blacklisting all her social media accounts.

At this point, the original owner completely gave up. Although she couldn't help but feel sad, her chaotic life and busy, tiring work left her no energy to even mourn the lost friendship.

Compared to the necessities of life, mere friendship—would she die without it?

Mingxi lowered her head again to glance at the box pushed towards her hand.

“Thank you, but no need.”

She pushed the box back, then slowly raised her eyelids, revealing a pair of large, dark, intelligent eyes. “It’s you who loves strawberry cake; my favorite is mango crepes.”

Actually, both she and the original owner did like strawberry cream cake, and they were both allergic to mango.

But she just enjoyed talking nonsense.

Sun Xiaoxian was startled, then awkwardly sniffed her nose, clearly not realizing that Mingxi was lying.

“Is that so? I’m sorry, I might have remembered wrong.”

“It’s fine. You can take the cake back.”

“...Xiao Xi, are you still mad at me?”

Sun Xiaoxian looked aggrieved. “I’m sorry, okay? Can you please forgive me? We’ll be best friends again, just like before.”

Mingxi raised an eyebrow.

“Student Sun, what do you want me to forgive you for?”

She looked at her, a faint smile playing on her lips: “Is it for looking down on me, for your job discrimination, or for ignoring and blacklisting me, or for laughing at and mocking me behind my back with others?”

Mingxi was not kind. She had no sympathy for little ‘fairies’ like innocent-looking, manipulative girls.

Sun Xiaoxian’s face paled, as if she hadn’t expected such cold, sharp words to come from her sweet and fragrant cherry lips.

“Xiao Xi, I was just possessed before, I...”

Mingxi suddenly looked up, interrupting Sun Xiaoxian, and asked an abrupt question: “You know?” 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

“Wh-what?”

Meeting her dark, deep eyes, Sun Xiaoxian inexplicably felt as if she was being seen through.

Mingxi smiled.

“Looks like I guessed right. Your dad told you, didn’t he?”

“I remember you used to mention that your dad works at the police station in our district, so he must have seen me last night, right?”

If Sun Xiaoxian hadn't bounced up to her herself, Mingxi wouldn't have remembered that Sun's father was also a police officer.

However, Sun’s father wasn’t doing well at the police station.

Twenty years on the job, and he was still an auxiliary police officer.

It seemed he had no prospects for this life.

The other party must have seen her at the police station last night.

The original owner often went to Sun Xiaoxian's house to do homework, so her parents had naturally met her.

This Sun Xiaoxian must have learned about her awakening and contracting the Thunder Demon Bird from her father.

And seeing her exploitable value, she immediately rushed over.

The Xiao Guniang wasn’t old, but she had a lot of little schemes.

Mingxi was not the original owner. The original owner was young, inexperienced, poor at judging people, and too caught up in the situation to recognize Sun Xiaoxian's true nature.

But Mingxi had seen it all in the colorful world, good and bad.

Before Sun Xiaoxian even opened her mouth, she had already seen that this girl was a master of tea art.

To be so skilled at such a young age, it was truly baffling.

Mingxi’s lips curved into a sarcastic smile as she looked at the stiff-faced Sun Xiaoxian. “Student Sun, do you know what comes after ‘A wife who shared hardships should not be abandoned’?”

Sun Xiaoxian didn’t understand her intention and replied somewhat uncertainly: “...A friend in poverty should not be abandoned?”

“Wrong.” Mingxi shook her head, showing a ‘you’re so stupid’ expression: “It’s ‘Yesterday’s friend cannot be pursued’!”

She looked directly into Sun Xiaoxian’s eyes. “If you’re lucky enough to catch her, then congratulations, she’s ninety percent likely to be looking for a chance to beat you up.”

“Are you going to say there’s still the remaining ten percent?”

“That remaining ten percent is even more formidable; she wants to kill you!”

After saying that, she didn’t forget to flash Sun Xiaoxian a toothy grin, a smile that was chilling and sinister.

Even Si Nuo on the hospital bed would have to concede defeat.

“Student Sun, look, do I look like your yesterday’s friend?”

Be your own hater, leaving haters no path.

Self-deprecating, she was always serious about it.

No matter what Sun Xiaoxian’s purpose was in seeking reconciliation, Mingxi had no intention of responding.

With such great time and youth, wouldn’t it be better for her to earn money, work hard, and cultivate her own pet beast?

Did she really have to play palace intrigue with a little girl?

Looking at Mingxi like this, Sun Xiaoxian felt a chill down her spine.

As a fresh and unconventional 'little green tea,' this kind of blatant threat was truly a first for her.

What was even harder for her to accept was that the one giving her this treatment was her former 'green leaf.'

She had condescended to actively seek reconciliation, and not only was the other party not overcome with gratitude, but she actually threatened her in return?

It was outrageous!

Sun «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Xiaoxian’s eyes turned fierce. The little green tea transformed into a thorny vine, her voice filled with anger and malice. “Mingxi, don’t get too cocky too soon! I will definitely not lose to you!”

Isn’t it just natural awakening...

She was so much more excellent than Mingxi. If Mingxi could do it, she definitely could too!

Sun Xiaoxian’s heart ignited with strong confidence.

After speaking, she ignored Mingxi, tilted her head slightly, let out a cold snort from her nose, and then turned to leave, her back arrogant and disheveled.

Mingxi shook her head.

This girl really was something.

Of all people to emulate, she had to emulate Grey Wolf!

“Student Sun, you forgot to take your strawberry cake.”

Sun Xiaoxian’s arrogant back instantly stiffened, and she said coldly and viciously, “Throw it to the dogs!”

No sooner had she spoken than a parabolic arc brushed past her ear, carrying a sweet scent.

“Thud!”

The familiar plastic packaging box landed precisely on her desk not far away.

Under the pressure of gravity, the cartoon sealing paper ring burst, causing the lid to open and the strawberry cake inside to collapse and slide out.

White cream flowers bloomed one by one on the desktop.

“Good doggy, remember to eat more!”