After the System Called Me Mom, My Arch-Nemesis Omega Fell for Me - Chapter 5

Friday

“Ring, ring, ring”

Lu Lingzhi snapped her eyes open.

A foreign ceiling, a minimalist yet grand chandelier, this wasn’t her dorm. It was the Yuanshan Apartments. She grabbed her phone to check the time: 7:30 AM.

“My 8:00 AM class!!!” A shrill cry echoed through the quiet bedroom. She ruffled her hair frantically and bolted into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and washed her face like a whirlwind, water droplets splashing all over the mirror.

Once ready, she poked her head out to check the tightly shut door next door, there was no movement from Jiang Mingyue. Remembering their “blacklisted” status on WeChat, she scribbled a quick note and left it behind.

By the time she dashed into the classroom, Lu Lingzhi was leaning against the doorframe, panting so hard she felt like her lungs might explode. Ji Yunyan waved to her from a distance, pointing to an empty seat she had saved. On the desk sat a spread of various breakfasts: a KFC Smoked Chicken French Crepe, a McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin with Egg, and a homemade egg and bacon sandwich.

“Whew… thanks…” Lu Lingzhi collapsed into her seat.

Ji Yunyan pushed the bags toward her. “Take your pick: KFC, McDonald’s, or my stepmom’s sandwich?”

Lu Lingzhi’s eyes instantly locked onto the golden, inviting sandwich. She swallowed hard and reached out without hesitation. “I want this one!”

Ji Yunyan was faster, snatching the sandwich behind her back. Her fox-like eyes glittered with gossip as she lowered her voice. “Want to eat? Fine. But you have to confess: where did you disappear to last night? Don’t try to fool me.”

Lu Lingzhi’s hand froze mid-air. “You gossip fiend.” She grabbed the McDonald’s bag instead, tore it open, and took a huge bite. “You wouldn’t have gone back to the dorm yesterday just to wait for me, would you?”

“So you were with Jiang Mingyue. Don’t deny it; my stepmom saw Jiang Mingyue while driving her Porsche yesterday.”

Lu Lingzhi: “…”

Why don’t you just become a traffic cop? Wouldn’t it be easier to just monitor the city’s surveillance feeds?

[The System suddenly chirps in, excited for gossip]: “Highness School Beauty! You, Jiang Mingyue, Ji Yunyan, and Ji Yunyan’s stepmom… what exactly is the relationship here? Why does her stepmom know Jiang Mingyue? Please enlighten me! My CPU is about to melt!”

Lu Lingzhi nearly choked on the sudden mechanical voice in her head. She rolled her eyes internally. One gossip monger in front of her, another inside her brain.

[Lu Lingzhi]: “The three of us are high school alumni. Jiang Mingyue’s family runs a hotel chain. Ji Yunyan’s stepmom is a Movie Queen Jiang Mingyue invited her to be the spokesperson for the hotels.”

[System realizes]: “I see! Everyone is a lady from a wealthy family. Then, Highness, what about your family? [Rubbing hands in anticipation.jpg]”

[Lu Lingzhi, subtly flexing]: “My family? We just do a bit of ‘small business’ infrastructure. Real estate, theme parks, aviation halls, science museums… yeah, we basically have shares in everything.”

[System’s tone shifts instantly to a flattering electronic hum]: “Mother! It turns out you are the hidden top-tier tycoon! This Little System is sticking with you. I’m riding your coattails to the top! Please take me with you, please sponsor me!”

The voice was accompanied by a virtual “thud” sound, as if it were kneeling. Lu Lingzhi’s lip twitched. It was her first time seeing a system “kneel” to its host. This thing was incredibly pragmatic.

The “Betrayal” of a Sister-Complex

“You two made up? Last night, mmm-hmm-hmm?” Ji Yunyan leaned in.

Lu Lingzhi immediately fired back, “We didn’t make up. And what’s with the ‘mmm-hmm’? Your head is full of yellow trash.”

Looking at Lu Lingzhi’s face vibrant and bold like midsummer Ji Yunyan said, “If you were an Alpha, I’d think you were in love with her. Like, seriously pursuing her.”

“Where do you see that?” Lu Lingzhi asked, losing her appetite.

“Everywhere,” Ji Yunyan nodded vigorously. “In high school, when she was late, she was supposed to lose points, but she didn’t. Wasn’t that your doing?”

“She’s a top student; she has the privilege of not losing points for being late,” Lu Lingzhi argued.

“Your family is on the board of directors; you could have docked her points in a second if you wanted to,” Ji Yunyan continued to gossip. “And when her family car broke down? You wanted her to be comfortable, so you snatched your sister’s Rolls-Royce and chauffeured her to and from school for a whole week. You can’t deny that one.”

Lu Lingzhi countered, “The Rolls-Royce belongs to my family. Since when did it become my sister’s exclusive property?”

“Er-ya, Er-er-ya, don’t tell me you forgot you’re a total Sister Complex? That’s your biological sister! You abandoned her for Jiang Mingyue. Is that something a ‘Sister Complex’ does? Was the car not big enough for your sister? Or was she a third wheel who’d get in the way of your ‘private talks’ with Jiang Mingyue?” Ji Yunyan shook Lu Lingzhi as if trying to wake her up.

A Sister-Complex who doesn’t choose the sister. The seeds of romance are blooming.

Lu Lingzhi’s gaze sharpened for a moment.

Ji Yunyan, oblivious, got even more excited. “Does Jiang Mingyue’s family only own one car? Did she really need you to drive her? She didn’t even bring you breakfast, but you… you brought her breakfast every single day…” Like a total simp.

“It wasn’t like that,” Lu Lingzhi started to explain, but then stopped. The more she explained, the messier it would get. Was Ji Yunyan a human diary? How did she remember these details better than Lu Lingzhi did?

She was probably gossiping about this with her Movie Queen stepmom all night.

The Reset and the “Backdoor” Secret

[Click] [System uses “Cao Cao Gulping Rice” meme]: “No!!! I haven’t finished hearing the gossip! Why are you rewinding?!”

“Whew… thanks…” Lu Lingzhi collapsed into her seat again.

Ji Yunyan enthusiastically pushed the bags forward. “Take your pick: KFC, McDonald’s, or my stepmom’s sandwich?”

Lu Lingzhi looked at Ji Yunyan’s identical smile. A bold, mischievous thought occurred to her. She needed to know: while she was manipulating time, did these “NPCs” have any self-awareness?

She asked seriously, “Yunyan, do you ever feel like your life is… a bit split?”

Ji Yunyan’s smile froze. Panic flashed in her eyes, and she blurted out, her voice cracking, “You… you mean me and my stepmom?!” She looked around frantically, terrified someone might have heard.

Lu Lingzhi understood instantly. Ji Yunyan had no idea about the “loop.” She was a standard NPC. Lu Lingzhi breathed a sigh of relief…wait!

What did she just hear?

[System excited]: “Mother! She said ‘me and my stepmom’!”

She and her stepmom?!

[System reacts]: “AAAHHH! Mother, a massive bombshell! Is this that ‘Stepmom Literature’ humans talk about? I thought you couldn’t do that if you’re on the same household register!”

[Lu Lingzhi raises an eyebrow]: “Is this gossip tastier than mine? Yunyan’s birth mother passed away two years ago. Her stepmom and her dad never actually registered their marriage.”

The System was practically vibrating with excitement. It decided right then and there to follow Lu Lingzhi forever. There were too many “melons” (gossip) to eat here.

Ji Yunyan, meanwhile, was embarrassed enough to dig a hole to China. She had only wanted to squeeze some gossip out of Lu Lingzhi to share with her stepmom later. They had been “tracking” the Lu-Jiang romance like a long running TV show for years.

In fact, the only reason the Movie Queen gave a discount for the hotel endorsement was to “follow the plot.” She was the ultimate “CP” (Couple) fan of Lu Lingzhi and Jiang Mingyue.

Lu Lingzhi leaned in and whispered, “How far have you and your stepmom gone?”

Ji Yunyan: “…”

She looked at Lu Lingzhi’s “you guys play hard” expression and wanted to vanish. She rubbed her nose guiltily and scooted her chair away, not daring to say another word.

Lu Lingzhi checked her phone to break the silence. A notification popped up:

[Dear Ms. Lu Lingzhi: You have successfully booked a VIP physical exam for Friday at the General Hospital. Please arrive before 9:00 AM. Do not eat breakfast. If you cannot make it, contact customer service…]

“I just remembered! I have a physical today. I can’t eat. Thanks anyway, I gotta go!” Lu Lingzhi stood up and bolted out the back door.