Gao Yang’s previously muddled mind was forced into overdrive, resulting in a dull ache at the back of his head, while his heart raced from the heightened blood flow.

His mother and sister were both in the hospital. At this hour, the only person who could be knocking on his door was his grandmother.

No, that couldn’t be right. His grandmother had been sent to his uncle’s countryside home for at least half a month due to the lack of care at their house.

Gao Yang got out of bed, channeling the energy within him into his hands, ready to activate his innate ability, 【Flame】, at a moment’s notice. He called out toward the door, "Who is it?"

"It’s me," came the voice of Gao Xinxin from outside.

Gao Yang breathed a sigh of relief but immediately grew suspicious again. Why would his sister be home at this time? Besides, she never knocked—she always kicked the door open. Since when did she knock?

“Are you really my sister?” Gao Yang asked.

“Who else would I be?” The familiar hint of sass in her voice was unmistakable.

“I don’t believe you. Tell me a secret only the two of us know.”

“You used to pee in two streams before you were ten! You have three moles on the bottom of your foot! And you’re a total idiot! Is that enough?” his sister shouted from outside.

“Alright, alright.” Gao Yang moved forward to open the door, though it hadn’t been locked.

Outside stood Gao Xinxin, wearing a thin, breathable white silk nightgown, barefoot, her hair disheveled, her lips pouting with displeasure.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in the hospital?” Gao Yang asked.

“You came home, so Mom let me come home too,” Xinxin answered as she stepped into the room, plopping herself onto the bed. “I couldn’t sleep at the hospital anyway. Mom was just worried about me being home alone.”

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“Oh,” Gao Yang sat down beside her. “How’s Dad?”

Xinxin’s face fell, her mood heavy. “The doctor said his recovery is better than expected, but I don’t think so at all.”

“Why?”

“Dad’s going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life,” she muttered, curling her legs up and hugging her knees. Resting her chin on them, she gazed out the window. “Uncle Qing came by today to talk about the factory. Things aren’t going well. A huge payment can’t be recovered, a big supermarket went bankrupt, and the boss ran away. Now, cash flow is tight, and the workers haven’t been paid for two months...”

Gao Yang sighed. His father’s food processing factory had been struggling for the past two years, which had led to more socializing, traveling everywhere in search of orders. And now, after the car accident, things had only gotten worse.

Uncle Qing, his father’s business partner, was surely at his wit’s end as well.

“Dad said that if it comes to it, we’ll sell the house and move back to the countryside,” Xinxin’s voice quivered as she spoke, “I don’t want to go back to the countryside.”

Gao Yang’s feelings were conflicted. His sister was at an age where pride mattered most. Having gotten used to the comfort of city life, she would undoubtedly struggle to adapt to the rural way of living. The thought of the countryside's outhouses alone was enough to send shivers down her spine. Every time they visited their grandmother, Xinxin would avoid the bathroom as much as possible.

Just as he was thinking of how to comfort her, Xinxin spoke again, “I want to stay in the city. After middle school, I’ll go to work. You can earn more money in the city.”

Gao Yang froze, struck by both guilt and affection. He had thought she didn’t want to return to the countryside out of vanity, but she was thinking of working to help with the family’s financial burden.

“No! At your age, you should be focusing on school, not working!” Gao Yang protested.

“I can be a ‘grass planter.’”

“A what?!” Gao Yang was taken aback.

“You know, a fashion influencer! I love lolita dresses, right? I’ve been posting outfit photos online, and I’ve got over 6,000 followers. Some brands have already started reaching out to me, sending me their dresses and paying me to advertise for them. People who do this are called ‘grass planters.’”

Xinxin spoke with pride. “I did the math. If three shops contact me in a month, and each one pays me 300 yuan, I can make 900 yuan. Then I can sell the dresses they send me on Xianyu and earn another 1,000 yuan. That’s 2,000 yuan a month. And once I get more followers, more shops will reach out to me, and they’ll pay me even more. But doing this job from the countryside would be so inconvenient...”